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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:51

Agarkar: Tough conditions for bowlers

Rohit Sharma became the 15th centurion in T20 internationals and India’s second after Suresh Raina but he was overshadowed by JP Duminy, who is South Africa’s leading run-scorer and second overall in the format, as he scripted a stunning series-opening victory in Dharamsala. Duminy shared a 105-run fourth-wicket partnership with Farhaan Behardien to see South Africa chase down 200 for only the second time in T20Is after AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla set them up with a 77-run opening stand.India would have thought their total was safe, albeit short of what they seemed headed for at 158 for 1 with five overs to go, after R Ashwin and debutant S Aravind removed de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in successive overs adding to South Africa’s reputation for middle-order meltdowns. But the temperament of Duminy and the tactical nous which resulted in Behardien promoted to No. 5 ahead of David Miller kept South Africa in the game and took them over the line.That line would have seemed distant when Rohit and Virat Kohli were shredding the South African attack’s traditional strength – the short ball. The first one was delivered by Marchant de Lange and Rohit met it with an authoritative pull. Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada supplied many more and Rohit relished each one of them.Not even South Africa’s banker, Imran Tahir was spared. Kohli crossed 1000th T20I runs off him with a six over deep midwicket, to become the first Indian to reach the mark. Rohit also reached a milestone – a hundred in all formats – and saved it for de Lange, who had dropped him on 24 off his own bowling, when he cleared long-off to bring up the century off 62 balls.The ball was changed after that over and it worked for South Africa’s seamers. Kohli and Rohit both mis-hit pulls and were caught near the boundary in Abbott’s next over to end their stand of 138 and put the brakes on India’s charge. South Africa kept India to just 41 runs in the final five overs to give themselves a chance with the bat.Amla immediately showed their intent to make that chance count when he clipped the first ball of the reply to the fine-leg boundary. De Villiers was not to be outdone and sent the second ball he faced over his Royal Challengers Bangalore team-mate Aravind’s head.India’s seamers did not fare much better than South Africa’s on a surface that was packed with runs and a outfield heavy with dew, and their attempts at varying lengths were unsuccessful. With what seemed like casualness, Amla and de Villiers racked up 67 runs in the Powerplay, finding the boundary off short and full balls alike.Spin was cited as being the difference between the sides and Axar Patel almost showed why. He threatened to end the opening stand, when he induced a thick edge from Amla but MS Dhoni put down a tough chance. The breakthrough came in Ashwin’s over, but not by his doing, when Amla was run-out searching for a second run.Ashwin enjoyed more success in his next over with a superb delivery to remove de Villiers, just after he had brought up a half-century with a four. De Villiers advanced on Ashwin and sent him to the deep midwicket boundary for his fifty off 31 balls but on the 32nd, Ashwin saw him coming. He held back the pace and had de Villiers in no-man’s land when the ball hit his back thigh and deflected onto the stumps.South Africa needed 107 runs off 61 balls when Duminy arrived at the crease and his task was immediately made more difficult. Aravind got his first international wicket when he bowled du Plessis with a slower ball that slanted across the South African captain as he reached for it with rooted feet and India would have thought the game was over.Duminy might have felt the same when Ashwin appealed for a stumping off him, off the fourth ball he faced, but replays showed Duminy was safe. In the next over, Axar had an lbw appeal against Duminy which looked close enough to be out but was not given. Duminy was determined to make the two chances count.He swung hard at the next ball and sent it for six to restart South Africa’s chase and Behardien, prompted by the positivity, joined the party. The pair took 30 runs off three overs and then Duminy seized the advantage with a trio of sixes off Axar’s final over. He brought the required run rate down from 13.20 to 11 per over and with four overs left, gave South Africa reason to believe.Bhuvneshwar bowled a boundary-less third over but conceded nine runs, before Duminy hit back to take six off the first ball of Mohit Sharma’s last over and ten off the first two balls of Bhuvneshar’s final one. Behardien provided the perfect foil and rotated strike confidently to put Duminy in command.Unintentionally, India ended up leaving their newest player with the most to do. Aravind had to defend 10 runs off the last over and backed himself to bowl yorkers. He got the first two in the right area but missed the length on the third. Duminy pulled it over deep midwicket to level scores and with a single off the next ball, gave South Africa the series lead.

Australia’s growing sick list now includes Matthew Hayden after he succumbed to a knee injury. Hayden’s tendonitis means both of the country’s Test openers are out – Phil Jaques has the mumps – of the Pura Cup games starting on Friday while Andrew Symonds has an ankle problem, Michael Clarke is fighting hamstring tightness and Stuart MacGill’s struggles continue.It is a relief for Australia that there is no serious cricket due until the Twenty20 international in Perth on December 11. Hayden will not play for Queensland against South Australia after Cricket Australia’s medical staff said he needed on-going treatment. The injury does not threaten his prospects for the Boxing Day Test.The future of MacGill is still unclear after a specialist analysed his hand and wrist on Wednesday and a Cricket Australia spokesman told the Australian he would return for more scans. MacGill is having trouble with a bone-on-bone knee problem, but he also experienced numbness in his hand during the Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart.”I have had nothing confirmed at this stage by anyone qualified to do so, but can guarantee you that I will not be taking the field again until I am at the top of my game,” MacGill told the paper. “I will do anything necessary to achieve that, including surgery.”MacGill’s manager, Leo Karis, said the legspinner did not know what to do. “He’s assessing his options,” Karis told AAP. “Whether that option is A, B, C or D, his main focus is playing cricket pain-free and that’s up to him to see how he does that.”

Australia will struggle to fill the gaping hole left by Glenn McGrath’s departure, according to Shane Warne. While Stuart Clark has been mentioned as a “McGrath clone”, Warne believes it is in part McGrath’s attitude and persistence that will be difficult to replicate.”I don’t think Glenn can be replaced,” Warne wrote in his column in the . “In pure bowling terms, Australia might find another like him, but there is still a big question mark over that. It’s everything else that he has brought to the table that has set McGrath apart.”His attitude and ability to get the best players out consistently in all conditions has been unbelievable. The way he has stopped the momentum of opposition sides doesn’t show up in stats. His whole attitude through his career has been to keep it simple, and that’s been shown in the way he bowls.Warne said opposition teams would enjoy the fact they no longer had to face he and McGrath. “That will give them a bit of a lift,” he said. “We’ve seen that before when McGrath and I haven’t played. But we have some wonderful players who can do the job for Australia.”He mentioned Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson as two young fast bowlers who could benefit from some time in the side while Australia’s remaining veterans were still playing. “It’s a great time for young players to come in because the team is still successful and on a roll,” Warne wrote. “These players can develop before a few of the other guys retire.”

Washington 250 for 7 (49.1 overs, Chitneni 69, Srikanth 60, Chalise 51) beat Florida136 (39.2 overs, Mark 63) by 124 runs
Exciting strokeplay by Washington’s opening pair – yielding a 140-run opening partnership- set the tone for the last game of Group A. Throughout the innings, Florida had little chance of any comeback and Washington reached a formidable total of 250 after their quota of 50 overs. Their batting performance was ably supported by the Washington bowlers, with Bardan Chalise, Mehul, and Suresh taking three wickets each. The only resistance came from Florida’s Mark, who scored 63 runs. With this win, Washington qualify for the third-place game on Sunday against North Carolina.Group BNorth Carolina 248 (49.1 overs, Ani Khandekar 58) v Virginia 235 for 5 (35 overs, Ameeq Khan 115) – Virginia were declared winner based on their superior run rate at close of play.
This game, the last match in Group B, was one of the most exciting and intense battles fought in Florida this week. Emotions ran high as the two neighbouring states were in a tight contest until the very end. North Carolina batted first and score 260 in the allotted 50 overs. The umpires and match referee then awarded NC a further 24 runs, penalizing Virginia for running over their time limit to bowl the 50 overs. With the knowledge that they may not be able to complete their quota of 50 overs, VA concentrated on maintaining a run rate slightly above NC’s 5.68 per over. Ameeq Khan was the pick of the VA batting. Khan became the second centurion in the MLC competition, scoring 115 in today’s game. Umpires called bad light after 35 overs, at which point VA run rate was 6.7, and were awarded the game.Virginia will now face the mighty Texans in the finals of the National Interstate Cup tomorrow (12/4) at Brian Picolo Park Ground 1.Remaining MatchesDec 4 – Final: Virginia vs Texas – 3rd-Place Play-off: Washington v North Carolina
Dec 5 – MLC 20/20 Festival: MLC`A v MLC B – West Indies Players’ Association v England Players’ Association. The final starts at 2pm

The ICC has delivered a damning criticism of the USA administration, rather against its own insistence that it does not get involved in the domestic affairs of its members. The ultimatum issued by Ehsan Mani and Malcom Speed, its president and chief executive, to the USA Cricket Association told it to get its house in order or face the consequences.The letter, sent to Gladstone Dainty, the USACA president, reads as follows:-“Dear GladstoneWe refer to our letter of 1st November 2004. We note that we have not received a reply to that letter.We note further that we have not received your response to the comments we made concerning the proposed Memorandum of Understanding dealing with Project USA.We note further that we have not received the brief initial report concerning the USACA’s governance review that was requested by 11th October 2004.We note that in the meantime, we have been copied with numerous letters to and from you that indicate that USACA has plunged into further disarray.Further, we have witnessed the abysmal performance of the USA cricket team at the ICC Champions Trophy.Our overriding response is one of amazement. USACA has been trying for many years to arrange for Full Member countries to come to the USA to play international cricket. ICC has put in place a mechanism to enable this to happen. The initial feasibility study carried out by Gary Hopkins indicates that this project has the potential to generate large amounts of money over the next 2-3 years. This money will be applied by ICC for the furtherment of the game in the USA.We have now been approached by other countries that would like to replace USA as the preferred partner of ICC to deliver international cricket matches.Please be advised as to the following: In the event that ICC does not receive USACA’s agreement to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for Project USA, by 1st February 2005, one of the following two responses will follow:
a) ICC will cancel the project; or
b) ICC will work with another Associate Member country to stage the proposed matches in that country.Gladstone, as a final comment, we have seen numerous sporting organisations in various states of disarray throughout our period of involvement as sports administrators. We have never seen a sporting organisation that combines such great potential and such poor administration as USACA. From our observations, much of the blame for this lies with the current office bearers of USACA including yourself. We question whether the current administration of USACA can play any constructive role in taking the game forward in the United States.Yours sincerelyEhsan Mani, Malcolm Speed”The ICC letter blew the lid off one of the most closely guarded secrets in the history of US cricket. For nearly a decade, it has been assumed that the ICC had no interest in US cricket, and was turning a deaf year to all entreaties to step in and clean out the mess. The first complaints were either ignored or routinely referred back to the USACA as “the only ICC-authorised organisation in the United States of America”.Emboldened by this ICC “mantra”, the USACA turned away several attempts to reform US cricket over the years, citing its ICC-derived authority as the “imprimatur” for its actions. As the USACA structure atrophied in the absence of any real reform, the USACA board of control grew increasingly ineffective, and its executive ceased to communicate to US cricket and even among themselves.What has emerged in recent years is suspicion of a growing feeling within ICC circles that US cricket is far too important and valuable to be left to its own sordid devices. For one thing, the number of regular US cricketers, which has been growing exponentially over the past decade, is now larger (at 16,000-plus) than anywhere outside the Test-playing countries. Then there are the estimated 5 to 8 million US immigrants from cricket-playing countries who have the financial wherewithal to pay premium prices for pay-per-view international cricket on broadband internet or satellite TV and would be happy to subscribe if appropriately marketed to.And finally, there is US ProCricket, a modified Twenty20 semi-professional league that launched providing opportunities for first-class overseas players to play alongside US cricketers. Whether US ProCricket will continue to flourish given the opposition of many Test-playing countries to having their players participate is an open question for 2005. But its point has been made–first-class cricketers from all over the world can now play in the USA, if they are willing and able to do so.The letter from Mani and Speed does not directly address these matters. But it is clear that they are concerned with a systemic failure on the part of USACA to address the fundamental problems of US cricket. To say, as they have done, that they ” question whether the current administration of USACA can play any constructive role in taking the game forward in the United States” is about the harshest indictment of any ICC-member country’s management that has ever been seen in writing. Now it needs to be seen whether USACA will emerge from its self-imposed silence, and find a way to reply (by word and deed) to ICC’s clear ultimatum.

In the same week that Don Bradman’s baggy green cap, as worn during the 1946-47 Ashes series, was sold for £35,250 (US$58,500), the cap of his rival, Douglas Jardine, has fetched £9,600 (US$16,000) at an auction in Melbourne. Ironically, Jardine’s cap was sold in a county where he attracted so much animosity as a result of Bodyline, while Bradman’s went under the hammer in London.Jardine’s cap ended up in Australia when its owner emigrated from Lancashire over 30 years ago. It was obtained when the owner’s father, a butcher, was given the cap and two bats by Surrey cricketers in return for meat which was, at the time, rationed.”Our expectation was £6,000 to £10,000 so we were very, very pleased,” a spokeswoman for the auctioneers said. “It [Jardine’s cap] would never have been expected to achieve that sort of Bradman figure.”

Sri Lanka backed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) stance in theMike Denness controversy on Friday, but say that they still want to hearIndia’s viewpoint on the stand-off that threatens the authority of cricket’sruling body.”We certainly see the ICC’s point,” Vijaya Malalasekara, chairman of theinterim committee, which runs the Sri Lanka cricket board, told Reuters.”You don’t agree to independent judges and suddenly sack them because youdon’t like how they rule,” he said.Malalasekara confirmed that he had been in touch with ICC president MalcolmGray but has not yet spoken to the Board of Control for Cricket in India.”I would like to know India’s position before we make a final call and wehope it can be solved amicably,” he said.Facing an Indian boycott and potentially huge financial losses, followingthe penalties handed out to six Indian players in the second Test, SouthAfrica’s United Cricket Board barred ICC-appointed match referee Dennessfrom standing in the final Test in Centurion.The ICC responded by stripping the Centurion game of official Test status.

New Zealand’s home summer 2015-16

NZ v Sri Lanka
1st Test, Dec 10-14, Dunedin
2nd Test, Dec 18-22, Hamilton
1st ODI, Dec 26, Christchurch
2nd ODI, Dec 28, Christchurch
3rd ODI, Dec 31, Nelson
4th ODI, Jan 2, Nelson
5th ODI, Jan 5, Mt Maunganui
1st T20, Jan 7, Mt Maunganui
2nd T20, Jan 10, Auckland
NZ v Pakistan
1st T20, Jan 15, Auckland
2nd T20, Jan 17, Hamilton
3rd T20, Jan 22, Westpac Stadium
1st ODI, Jan 25, Basin Reserve
2nd ODI, Jan 28, Napier
3rd ODI, Jan 31, Auckland
NZ v Australia
1st ODI Feb 3, Auckland
2nd ODI, Feb 6, Westpac Stadium
3rd ODI, Feb 8, Hamilton
1st Test, Feb 12-16, Basin Reserve
2nd Test, Feb 20-24, Christchurch

For the first time in almost 11 years, Wellington’s Basin Reserve will host an ODI, when New Zealand take on Pakistan in January 2016. The venue will later host what is scheduled to be Brendon McCullum’s 100th Test match, when Australia visit for a tour that includes the first properly contested Chappell-Hadlee one-day cup since 2010. New Zealand will also host Sri Lanka in the 2015-16 season.Sri Lanka arrive first, and will play two Tests – in Dunedin and Hamilton – five ODIs and two Twenty20s between December 10 and January 10. The Pakistan internationals kick off on January 15, at Eden Park, with the first of three T20s, followed by three ODIs. Australia round off the home season with three ODIs and two Tests at the Basin Reserve and Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.The Australia ODIs played for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy is the first instance of the trophy being contested over multiple games as opposed to a one-off game – twice, in 2011 and 2015, just clubbed with the Australia v New Zealand group game in the World Cup – in five seasons, but it will be the start of a string of such series. Including this one, eight Chappell-Hadlee contests are scheduled on either side of the Tasman over the next seven years.New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said the matches have been spread out across the country as much as possible to allow home fans to watch their team live, to follow up on the World Cup highs. “I’d like to congratulate Wellington authorities for taking a regional approach to this process and, specifically, [Wellington’s other international venue] Westpac Stadium for supporting the return of ODI cricket to the Basin Reserve,” White said.Christchurch will host the Boxing Day ODI against Sri Lanka, while Nelson gets ODIs on either side of New Year’s. Wellington’s Westpac Stadium gets a T20 against Pakistan and an ODI against Australia.

Tasmania 1 for 266 (Dighton 146*, Ponting 111*) beat New South Wales 264 (Haddin 74, Katich 56, Geeves 3-47) by 9 wickets
Scorecard

Twin tons for Michael Dighton and Ricky Ponting drove Tasmania to an emphatic nine-wicket victory against New South Wales, as they chased down their target of 265 with 25 balls to spare. The pair added an unbroken 263 following Travis Birt’s dismissal for 1, edging Nathan Bracken’s first ball, to continue a miserable FR Cup campaign for the Blues.Dighton and Ponting rained down fours and sixes against a sorry Blues attack which had no answers to their venom. It was a polished display of batting, with boundaries to all places, but particularly square of the wicket.Doug Bollinger may have been their midweek destroyer in the first-class game, but today he got a taste of his own medicine, as he went wicketless from eight overs. Dighton, in particular, punished him, with two fours from one over, a six in another and then a whopper of a four and three sixes. The Tasmanian pair were in control from the off, never offering a false stroke, and they took their side home with ease.Simon Katich and Brad Haddin gave them a target to think about, each making fifties after choosing to bat at the North Sydney Oval. But having been well set at 5 for 204, the tail-end of their innings subsided. Brett Geeves was the most successful of a polished bowling unit, with 3 for 47, and there were two each for Ben Hilfenhaus and Brendan Drew.Their job done, they could then put their feet up and enjoy a masterclass of powerful hitting from their team-mates who truly delivered. With the Chappell-Hadlee one-dayers looming, Ponting will be particularly pleased with his workout.

After a disappointing few months, riddled with injury and poor form, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is back and he wants more. Some of the ODI form he displayed last year, when he was the second-highest wicket-taker, was evident in his series-winning performance against the West Indies recently. But nailing down a Test place still eludes him, something he hopes to put right on the tour to South Africa.Naved-ul-Hasan took 11 wickets at under 12 in four matches against the West Indies to win the man-of-the-series award. Four wickets in the final game on a flat pitch at Karachi won him the match award as well. Speaking to Karachi-based daily , Naved-ul-Hasan said, “Obviously I’m happy to play some part in helping Pakistan win the one-day series but it was a team effort.”One of the reasons Pakistan did so well against the West Indies was their successful shackling of Chris Gayle up the order. Naved-ul-Hasan was instrumental in this, claiming his wicket in every match. But clearly, another left-hander was the prized wicket. “Gayle, no doubt, is a fine player but the bowlers always have a chance against him because he takes too many liberties at the start. But personally, dismissing Brian Lara twice (including first ball dismissal at Lahore) was very satisfying since he’s still a great batsman.”The last of his eight Test appearance was against India, at Lahore in January this year, and South Africa offers an opportunity to make up for lost time. “My greatest wish is to play Test cricket because that is something I’ve not been able to do for almost a year now. I hope luck on that front will change for me on the tour of South Africa.”Naved-ul-Hasan was dropped after the Champions Trophy, as he struggled to find a groove after injuring his groin playing for Sussex in the County Championship. That injury saw him miss the Test series against England. “That was a huge disappointment for me personally since the conditions in England would have suited my style of bowling especially after the experience of playing county cricket with Sussex. But you can’t sit down and regret it. Perhaps, it was predestined that I miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of playing a Test match at Lord’s.”I wasn’t expecting to make such a comeback after spending the best part of this year on sidelines through injury and lack of form,” he said. “But I always knew that once I regain peak fitness I would be able to get back into the groove of playing for Pakistan again,” he added.His return to form further boosts Pakistan’s pace resources, already strengthened by the probable returns of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif and the progress of Umar Gul. “In hindsight perhaps the break did wonders for me because I got the time to rethink about my bowling. I got back to the basics and gradually started to gain in confidence. Now there is a healthy competition for places in the Pakistan squad. If I’m lucky enough to play, my job would be to give nothing less than the best.”