Delhi Dare Devils vs Rajasthan Royals :Preview

After amazing performance in the Inaugural season of IPL, Defending Champions performance has nose Dived at the new venue of Indian Premiere League season two.

AB de Villiers

Led by legend Shane Warne, Royals have so far played four games in the tournament; loosing the opener against Bangalore Royal Challengers by 75 runs,luckily next game against Mumbai Indians was washed and in the battle against Punjab, king’s easily defended their score of 139, restricting Rajasthan to 112.

Their only victory came against the otherwise struggling Knight Riders who too gave them run for the victory, taking the game to super over, thanks toY Pathan who displayed his killer capabilities and won the game for his team.

Batting has been the concern for Rajasthan Royals as apart from experienced G Smith and T Henderson the youngsters S Asondkar, NK Patel have failed to deliver on the tracks favoring technique.

Though Rajasthan is blessed with the likes of Yousuf Pathan, T Henderson and R Jadeja who are a delight to watch when in flow but have so far made no impact.

Bowling has always been the strength of Rajasthan Royals. They have the likes of sensational Kaamran Khan, A Mascarenhas, S African T Henderson and Munaf Patel.

Whereas invincible Delhi Dare Devils have displayed their nerves of steel and are unbeaten so far in the tournament. Devils began their previous IPL campaign with style but their performance nose dived as the tournament progressed and will try hard to carry forward their winning streak.

Dare Devils are blessed with the likes of  G Gambhir, V Sehwag and AB Devillers whose  maiden century of  IPL season Two against Chennai Super Kings kept the team in winning momentum. T Dilshan has proved to be the best buy for Delhi and is a delight to watch capable of doing wonders with both bat and cherry.

Daniel Vettori has been the key to dare Devils Success in South Africa supported by Y Mahesh, AM Salvi and P Sangwan.

Delhi is a perfectly balanced side and will be the favorites against Rajasthan Royals who will go all guns into the game as it would decide their fate in the tournament.

Mallya Desired England As IPL Venue

Liquor baron and owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, Vijay Mallya, has said that he would have preferred England to host the second season of the Indian Premier League.

Vija Mallya and Lalit Modi

The Twenty20 competition was moved out of India because of a clash of dates with general elections and the IPL organisers sealed a deal to organise the event in South Africa.

“To be honest, I would have preferred England to South Africa,” the Daily Express quoted Mallya, as saying.

Mallya agreed that there is a huge possibility of rain disruptions; but he believed the tournament would have drawn bigger crowds in England.

“You could have taken just one flight from five or six cities in India to England and it would have been cheaper. Besides, an average Englishman loves his cricket and the stands there would have been full of spectators. But, I guess the weather conditions clinched the issue for South Africa,” he said.

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Indian Fans Disappointed

The change in venue for the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought disappointment to the Indians who were batting for the Twenty20 competition being played in India.

Fans Enjoying Cricket

“It is like imagining Wimbledon in England, Australian Open tennis, or the UFA cups being played abroad. The charm of an Indian event has gone. It has become a television event,” said Diana Edulji, former Indian women”s Test cricketer.

Jitender Kumar, a cricket coach, said: “It will send out a wrong message to the world that such a big country like ours could not provide security to a sporting event. I believe it would have been better if IPL would have been held in India.”

Disappointment was writ large on the faces of young cricket enthusiasts who felt that IPL should be hosted in India as very few matches are played on Indian soil.

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TV Rights Not Weather, Took IPL Away

Television rights and not the weather, it appears convinced Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi to chose South Africa instead of England for the second edition of the twenty20 tournament.

Lalit Modi,chairman IPL and(CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola

According to The Independent, Modi did not bother going on to London as initially planned to hear a pitch from the England and Wales Cricket Board for staging the game’s most lucrative competition.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India became less enthusiastic about hosting the event in Britain when they realised that apart from the bad weather in April and May, there may also encounter problems with broadcasting rights and revenue.

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England in line to host IPL

England is most likely to host the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009 edition after South African Chief Gerald Majola revealed that his country is not the first choice for organizers.

Convenor of IPL Lalit Modi is likely to arrive in London on Monday to hold further discussions with England and Wales Cricket Board to draft out ways which will fit twenty20 tournament around the county season.

Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Lalit Modi,Shilpa Shetty and Priety Zinta

England and South Africa are the primary two venues where IPL is likely to be played, but it seems BCCI prefers former for its huge Asian crowd.

“England is a very attractive venue,” Modi told The Daily Telegraph.

Board of Control for Cricket in India, contacted ECB and insisted for a decision to be made as soon as possible to check the practicability of hosting IPL on such short notice.

ECB, chief executive David Collier will fly back to England to meet IPL officials on Wednesday or Thursday.

Speaking to British media giant, Sky Collier clarified, “We have opened up discussions with the BCCI and IPL with the last 36 hours and we’ll be continuing those discussions in the middle of this week-and then we’ll be reporting to our board at the back end of the week.

“Clearly with only three weeks to go to the start of the competition, I think all parties recognize an early decision has to be made.”

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McGain debuts as Australia bat in final Test

Ricky Ponting won his sixth toss in a row against South Africa and decided to have a bat on what he contently termed “a good wicket” in Cape Town.

Jacques Kallis has spent the better part of the last couple days trying to put everyone at ease as to how he was made captain in the absence of an injured Graeme Smith, but there was still a fair amount of apparent reluctance. Having to field first against a form line-up is no envious way to start a Test South Africa need to win to avert a whitewash.

Phillip Hughes avoids a bouncer.

Spin has played more of a role at Newlands than any other venue in the country and with Marcus North failing to come up from his illness the journeyman leg spinner Bryce McGain was finally handed a debut. The last few months have not been short of drama for McGain – his first tour with Australia was cut short in October when he was sent home from India with tendon damage in his shoulder and his second trip began with a missed flight. At 36 years and 359 days, McGain has become Australia’s oldest debutant since Bob Holland in 1984.

As expected, South Africa went in with a new-look opening pair of the debutant Imraan Khan and returning Ashwell Prince. The allrounder Albie Morkel makes his Test debut, replacing brother Morne.

It has been a dramatic switch for both teams since the previous series. Australia have turned around their fortunes dramatically, with rookies playing key roles, and in doing so they have managed to pass on the restless, testy cape they wore at home to South Africa. Under a steely blue Cape Town morning sky, the heat is definitely on the hosts.

Australia 1 Phillip Hughes, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Brad Haddin (wk), 7 Andrew McDonald, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Bryce McGain, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.

South Africa 1 Imraan Khan, 2 Ashwell Prince, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis (capt), 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Albie Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

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Preview: First Test Australia vs South Africa

This might be the golden phase of South African cricket “But” the ghost of Wanderers has always haunted the home side. If the Proteas want the top echelon, they have to drop this monkey off their back and change the poor record they have at Johannesburg.

As South Africa’s test record on this ground is patchy; Australia has won the last two test matches one with an innings in 2002 and their previous visit in 2006 produced a thriller with the tourists managing to chase 292 on the last day of Test match. Even India and England have comfortably won against the home side on this hostile track.

Toss will play the decisive role at Jo’bourg where since 2000 all eight Test matches have produced a result, and six of these are won by the side who had the better of coin.

The first match of the Test series will be crucial as a positive result will definitely give the winning side the psychological edge.

South Africa will go with the same winning eleven with no weak links, making them the favorites. They have the likes of Hashim Amla and Paul Harris, exciting match winners Greame Smith and Dale Steyn, trusted lieutenants Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, and Makayah Ntini, the nerves of steel comes in the likes of wonder kid JP Duminy.

Where as Australia will go with new faces; Philip Hughes will open with Katich, Ponting, Hussey, and Michael Clarke (unfit) will   complete the top order. Brad Haddin, who has been the new Australian hope in recent past will be holding the lower order with Andrew McDonald or Marcus North who will compete for the all rounder’s spot.

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Clarke likely to miss first Test

Australian Vice-Captain Michael Clarke is likely to be ruled out of the first Test match against South Africa due to a serious back injury. The first Test match will start on Thursday.

michael clarke

Admitting the spasms and discomfort, Clarke had a couple of net sessions instead of playing a tour match against South Africa Board President’s XI at Senwes Park.

His unavailability for the first Test match would be serious blow for Kangaroos who have lost their number one spot in recent times.

Clarke, who had a lot of inflammation and spasm, said, “I do not know exactly how it happened. I guess it’s a sprain. I had a lot of inflammation and spasm. It is improving slowly every day since we arrived here.”

The Australian Vice-captain was, however, hopeful to play in the first Test match.

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Bucknor Calls Time On Umpiring Career

West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor, who has officiated in a record 126 tests, will retire from international matches in March.

Steve Bucknor

Bucknor, 62, told the Jamaica Gleaner that the third test between South Africa and Australia in Cape steve bucknorTown would be his last international.

“I have notified the ICC that the South Africa v Australia series will be my last test series. The third test, my last test,” said the Jamaican.

Bucknor, who hails from Montego Bay, said he felt physically able to continue but felt it was the right time to stand down.

“The body is feeling quite good and I know I could go on for two or three years. However, something inside me is telling me it is time to go,” he added.

The umpire, who was the first to officiate 100 tests, said he hopes to work with the West Indies Cricket Board on developing new umpiring talent in the Caribbean.

“I still would like to continue making a contribution,” he said. Bucknor has stood in 179 one day internationals, including five consecutive World Cups.

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Proteas a Better Shade of Green in the MCG Thriller

The first ODI between Australia and South Africa was a belter in Melbourne after Australia set a challenging 272 runs target for the Proteas, who initially struggled for form on a flat track of MCG.

South Africa started it’s pursue in a poor way as the pace of Shaun Tait was too hot for tourists to handle. Hashim Amla couldn’t get his bat out of the way of a Tait delivery and his willow work was shattered, Proteas reduced to 1 for 4.

But find of the summer JP Duminy, out-of- form Neil McKenzie and Albie Morkel brilliant 18 ball 40 gave South Africa its sixth win from six ODI at MCG.

Quick wickets of Duminy and McKenzie put Proteas in a difficult situation as they required 50 runs from six overs, but Morkel and Johan Botha used the last power play to the best use as they hammered 18 runs off the 48th over and managed a remarkable victory with three balls to spare.

With half centuries to international freshmen Shaun Marsh and David Hussey, Australia capitalized on some shabby fielding by South Africa on Friday, after winning the toss and reached 271-8 under perfect batting conditions.

Shaun Marsh’s 79 was the highlight of the Australian innings, before Hussey pumped the innings with his 52.

His good batting performance was well supported by sloppy fielding of Proteas, known for their high standards in this department of game.

Debutant Vaughn van Jaarsveld drooped captain Ricky Ponting and Hussey, while Marsh was gifted a lifeline by Neil McKenzie late in his innings.

Marsh’s thoughtful knock was early overshadowed by Ricky Ponting who shared a 94-run stand with the opener, but his innings was also not without good fortune. Ponting survived a close run-out chance even before he opened his innings and had another life on 33, thanks to Jaarsveld.

After being dropped on 10, Hussey made full of use of the second life in front of the adopted home crowd and scored a well made 52.

But it was the 123-run stand of 135 balls between South African ace Duminy and Mckenzie that returned visitors into the hunt before Duminy was dismissed for 71 which triggered another mini collapse as South Africa lost four quick wickets, putting tourists at a jittering 7-221; Botha and Morkel changed the tide again as they crashed Aussie attack in the last powerplay guiding Proteas to memorable win at the game’s most loved places.