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Eoin Morgan, who hit a magnificent unbeaten 110 to guide England to victory in the second ODI against Bangladesh, has been awarded an ECB incremental contract

Cricinfo staff03-Mar-2010Eoin Morgan, who hit a magnificent unbeaten 110 to guide England to victory in the second ODI against Bangladesh, has been awarded an ECB incremental contract for 2009-10 having reached the required number of appearances.Non-contracted players can earn incremental deals on a points system based on five points for a Test appearance and two for either ODIs or Twenty20s. Morgan has reached the required 20-point mark having played six ODIs and four Twenty20s during the current contract period.”Eoin has made excellent progress since making his ODI debut against West Indies last summer and is now an established member of our one-day and T20 sides,” Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, said. “He has fully justified the faith the selectors have shown in him and has the potential to develop his game still further.”Morgan’s match-winning century in Dhaka made him the first player to score hundreds for two different countries after he began his career with Ireland as he qualified for England. He has made an instant impact on the team with a series of impressive limited-overs innings including an unbeaten 51-ball 67 in the first Twenty20 against Pakistan in Dubai after previously hitting 85 off 45 deliveries against South Africa at the Wanderers.Morgan also enjoyed a productive Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa where he marshalled the run chase against Sri Lanka with 62 not out then clubbed 67 against South Africa as England reached the semi-finals. Morgan is one of eight English players due to take part in the IPL and will join the tournament following the conclusion of the one-day series in Bangladesh.

The PCB has not ruled out their players’ participation in next year’s IPL and is hopeful of a resolution to the visa issue

Osman Samiuddin09-Dec-2009The Pakistan Cricket Board has not given up hopes of trying to have their players appearing in next year’s IPL, even though the league has ruled out their participation for the second season running after the players failed to get visas by the December 7 deadline.”We haven’t left the situation for now,” Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo. “We are hopeful that the visas will come through in a day or two and are very hopeful that Pakistan’s players will be in the next IPL.”Butt has already striven hard to ensure a Pakistani presence in the lucrative league, meeting chairman Lalit Modi in October to discuss a way back in after the Pakistan government prevented their own players from taking part in the second IPL. Modi then twice extended the deadline at Butt’s request for Pakistan’s players – five in all – to get the necessary clearance and paperwork in order for them to take part but eventually said another delay would handicap franchise planning and team-building for the next season, due to begin in March.There are indications that Butt might be willing to take the case further – a senior PCB official told Cricinfo that the chairman had sought help from “higher-ups in government” to resolve the situation and find a way for players to take part. Butt refused to confirm or deny it, insisting only that he was “very hopeful” of a breakthrough.The PCB will also be heartened by a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Wednesday which said it had not denied the Pakistan players the visas and that their applications were being processed. “The High Commission was approached by the PCB for issuance of visa to only one player [Sohail Tanvir], while three other players submitted visa applications to the High Commission of India in Wellington [ where the team is currently playing]. These visa applications are being processed,” the statement said.The statement also said the High Commission had not been informed of any deadline for issuing the visas, either by the Pakistan board or the IPL.Pakistan are the reigning World Twenty20 champions, and several franchises had expressed interest in signing the country’s cricketers. Five Pakistan players – Kamran Akmal, Misbah ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir – are already on contract with IPL teams.Pakistan’s players were absent from IPL’s second season, held earlier this year in South Africa, after their government did not allow them to travel to India – where the tournament was originally to be held – for security reasons. The decision came in the wake of the Mumbai attacks last year, after which relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated considerably. Eleven players from Pakistan had taken part in the first IPL, though after the Mumbai attacks, only four were retained by their franchises, though their contracts were suspended until further resolution. Razzaq was signed recently by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Bangladesh, under immense pressure to defend a modest 250, found themselves at the receiving end of an annihilation by Sri Lanka, led by openers Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran08-Jan-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outUpul Tharanga was named Man of the Match for his superb unbeaten 118•Associated PressA succession of bowling changes within the first eight overs of the chase indicated where the match was heading. Bangladesh, under immense pressure to defend a modest – by this tournament’s standards – 250, found themselves at the receiving end of an annihilation by Sri Lanka, who marched into the finals with three wins in three. Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga compiled centuries with risk-free cricket and the hosts were at the mercy of the conditions again. The decision to advance play by half an hour to protect the bowlers from the dew didn’t made an iota of difference.Tharanga and Jayawardene caressed the ball around, as if the fielders didn’t exist. Jayawardene, initially rested for this tournament, was rushed to Bangladesh as an injury cover and he didn’t waste much time settling down. He imposed himself with three boundaries in the second over, off Rubel Hossain, flicking and driving through the off side. Shakib Al Hasan, sensing the futility of bowling his seamers in tandem, took them off after the third over.It made no difference. Shakib himself was taken for consecutive boundaries by Tharanga as soon as he brought himself on, in the fifth over. The same treatment was reserved for Mahmudullah, who was punished by Tharanga in his first over for dropping it short. It was sensible cricket against some very ordinary bowling. The bowlers couldn’t grip it properly and fed many deliveries on the pads.Batting from the crease had never been this easy. The pair complemented each other stroke for stroke, giving room to glide the spinners past the keeper for boundaries to third man. The spinners were almost forced to bowl it flat because of the dew, and that allowed the batsmen enough time to rock back and place their shots in the gaps. A flick down to fine leg brought up Jayawardene’s fifty, while Tharanga reached his milestone with a fierce cut off Ashraful past backward point. Tharanga continued to pick the gaps with his eyes shut, taking Rasel for three effortless boundaries in an over. With every punch, flick and cut, the game drifted away from Bangladesh, who had already thrown in the towel.Shakib didn’t opt for the bowling Powerplay in the 11th over because he had no other option but to go on the defensive. By the eighth over, he had used five bowlers, and, by the 14th, he had used seven. They were hurt by the absence of a raw quick bowler to hurry the batsmen with bounce. The bowlers were made to wait for the batsmen to make mistakes but instead, they were made to witness a batting performance close to perfection.With the target well within reach, it was a question of who would get to a century first. Jayawardene punished the easy short deliveries which Rubel dished out and reached three figures with a cut for four to deep point. Tharanga got to his milestone with a similar shot. Jayawardene had all but taken his team home, when he edged Naeem Islam to the keeper for 104. It was Bangladesh’s only success of the evening.Looking back, the hosts would have wished they batted better. After the top order wasted good starts, the middle order took time to consolidate. They still had wickets in hand to accelerate in the last ten overs, but despite saving the Powerplay almost till the end, couldn’t seal the innings with a flourish.However, the game still had the makings of yet another high-scoring encounter when Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes set off confidently again. But Tamim, Ashraful and Kayes made starts and got out at the wrong time. It was upto the Hasans – Shakib and Raqibul – to consolidate after that. Shakib was trying to play himself into form after two successive failures and was happy to push the singles. There was a boundary drought for 14.1 overs, before Raqibul broke the shackles with a powerful sweep off Malinga Bandara to deep midwicket.The pair added 77 in nearly 20 overs before a false shot cost Raqibul his wicket. Mushfiqur Rahim certainly impacted the decibel levels in the crowd when he mowed Thilan Samaraweera for two sixes in an over off deep midwicket and heralded the Powerplay with improvised boundaries. But Shakib and Mushfiqur perished while trying to clear the boundaries and with those breakthroughs, Sri Lanka clawed back.With the field restrictions in place. Mahmudullah was trapped in two minds whether to attack freely or adopt a more cautious approach. The bowlers changed their pace very effectively to strangle the scoring. Sri Lanka tightened their grip by picking up a wicket in each of the five overs, for 32 runs. It was the second-worst performance in the batting Powerplay in ODIs, after Pakistan lost 6 for 41 against India at Centurion in last year’s Champions Trophy. Bangladesh ended with a total which, by the end of the game, seemed a 100 short.

A round-up of South Africa’s provincial games

Firdose Moonda18-Nov-2009SuperSport SeriesAfter a brief interlude by the MTN40, the longer version of the game, the SuperSport Series, returned and brought with it two draws from three matches. The only result came from Port Elizabeth, where the Titans beat the Warriors by 10 wickets to stay at the top of the table.Pieter Malan scored a century for the Titans and there were half centuries from Pierre Joubert and Morne Morkel as the visitors were bowled out for 403. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who was not in the national Twenty20 side, took 3 for 113. Jon-Jon Smuts also took three wickets and Makhaya Ntini chipped in with one. The Titans bowlers made light work of the Warriors with Paul Harris taking 5 for 49 and Morne Morkel 4 for 63. The only resistance the Warriors offered was Michael Smith’s 62 upfront as they were bowled out for 214 and made to follow on.In their second innings, the Warriors slumped to 21 for 4 and were only saved from an innings defeat by Davy Jacobs’ captain knock of 80. Morkel took his match tally to seven with 3 for 32 in the second innings. The Titans needed just 41 runs in their second innings to win, and they did so comfortably. Despite the loss, the Warriors lie second in the table.Matters were far less cut and dry in Cape Town. The Cobras were left languishing at the bottom of the table after the Lions finally managed to do more than just meow like kittens. There were runs all round for their batsmen in their 416-run first-innings total. Vaughn van Jaarsveld scored 123 while Stephen Cook, Jonathan Vandiar and Thami Tsolekile all notched up half-centuries. Five wickets for 32 from Andre Nel helped bowl out the Cobras for 332, a deficit of 84.Alviro Petersen scored 122 in the Lions’ second innings as the visitors set the Cobras a target of 279 to win. Monty Panesar ripped through the Cobras middle order, leaving them slithering dangerously close to defeat on 92 for 7. Rory Kleinveldt scored 20 off 61 balls and Ryan Canning 20 off 86 balls as the pair hung in for the draw.In Pietermaritzburg, the Dolphins may have been eyeing a result when they bowled the Eagles out for 178. Wicketkeeper-and-legspinner, Daryn Smit did the bulk of the damage with 4 for 50, including the wickets of Morne van Wyk and Johan van der Wath. In reply, Ahmed Amla, scored 134 before being dismissed by CJ de Villiers. The Dolphins took a 197-run lead after scoring 375. Dean Elgar scored a century as the Eagles reached 203 for 3 at the close of the match.Provincial three-day challengeThis round of the competition had one no result as the match between Boland and Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland in Paarl was called off without a ball being bowled. Further up the coast, in East London, Wendell Bossenger celebrated his announcement as one of the Mutual and Federal Cricketers of the Year by scoring 168 in Griqualand West’s 407. Charl Pietersen chipped in with 91. Border began well in their reply, with Shaun de Kock and Bryn Thomas putting on a first-wicket stand of 139. Granville de Wee then stepped up and his 5 for 15 in 11 overs tore through the hosts.Border were bowled out for 182 and forced to follow on. Pietersen starred with the ball in Griquas second stint, taking 5 for 51. The hosts were bowled out for 270, setting Griquas a target of 46 to win. Although they lost the wicket of Aloysius Seleka with no score on board, Griquas won comfortably by nine wickets.In Port Elizabeth, Eastern Province (EP) and South Western Districts (SWD) played out a draw. Gerhard Strydom and William Hanton both scored centuries in SWD’s total of 324 for 7 declared. Warren Bell was the centurion in EP’s innings as they responded with 325 for 7 declared, just one run ahead. Then, the game got away from the hosts. Rudi Hillerman’s 140 and half-centuries from Burton de Wett, Strydom and Hanton led SWD to 447 for 9. The only notable wicket-taker was Corbyn Dolley who took 5 for 151.Moving inland, Easterns recorded a massive-innings-and-96-run win over North West at Port Elizabeth. Five wickets from Imran Tahir had North West bowled out for 177 with the highest score being 38 by Jimmy Kgamadi. Easterns only batted once and despite none of their batsmen getting to three figures, they put on 373. Vusumusi Mazibuko took 6 for 108 and Jaco Booysen top scored with 99. Then, it was Tahir who did the damage again. He took his match tally to 10 wickets with another five-wicket haul in the second innings. It was a miserly 5 for 10 as North West crumbled to 100 all out.In Windhoek, Gauteng must have felt right at home at the Wanderers cricket ground, which has the same name as their home ground in Johannesburg. Aaron Phangiso and Tabriaz Shamsi took eight wickets between them to bowl Namibia out for 252. Shane Burger scored 94 and Dane Vilas and Robert Frylink both chipped in with half centuries to take Gauteng to 332 for 9 declared. Louis Klazinga limited the damage to the home side with 6 for 70. The Gauteng bowlers were made to toil in Namibia’s second innings with ten bowlers in action. Gerrit Rudolph led the resistance with 118 and Namibia closed on 397 for 7. Gauteng now lie second on the table, 6.36 points behind EP.Provincial one-day challengeThere was a thriller in Paarl, where Boland beat KZN-Inland by 10 runs. Godfrey Stevens scored 77 as wickets dropped like flies around him and Boland were bowled out for 183. Narvaar Harridave was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 22. In reply, the Inland team found themselves on 35 for 2 but recovered to 168 for 7. They lost three wickets on that score before adding five runs. Then, Hillroy Paulse took the last wicket to end with figures of 3 for 17 and win the match for Boland.Griquas relied on middle order contributions of 79 from Seleka and 62 from Bradley Lemmetjies to reach 248 against Border in East London. In reply, Border had only one batsman of intent – Thomas. He scored 80 while none of the other batsmen got past 27. Pietersen and Anthony Mabuya claimed three wickets a piece and the hosts were bowled out for 203, handing Griquas victory by 45 runs.In Port Elizabeth, Reece Williams took three early wickets as SWD crashed to 7 for 4 in the fourth over of their match against EP. Hillermann and Hantam both scored half-centuries to rescue their ailing team. They ended on 159 for 8, a total that EP may have felt comfortable chasing.SWD’s bowlers got in on the act and the home side was reduced to 29 for 3. The middle order was called on to perform another survival act and although none of the batsman reached half-centuries, EP looked set for victory on 155 for 6 in the 34th over. Just over runs were needed to win off the last over, and SWD managed to confine EP to only four producing the first tie of the competition.Easterns couldn’t complete the double over North West this weekend as they lost by six wickets in the one day game at Benoni. Tumelo Bodibe scored 88 in Eastern’s total of 232 and all the North West bowlers were pulverised. But the total didn’t scare the North West batsman. Andrea Agathagelou and Jimmy Kgamadi shared a stand of 186 to lead their side to victory. Kgamadi ended on 99 not out.Gauteng lost early wickets against Namibia in Windhoek and found themselves sin trouble at 25 for 3. Dane Vilas scored 120 and Temba Bavuma 79 as they reached a respectable 277 for 8. Klazinga and Louis van der Westhuizen took four wickets apiece for Namibia. In reply, the hosts fared no better. Namibia were 26 for 3 before slumping to 90 for 8 and being bowled out for 119. Richard das Neves was the chief destroyer with four for 28.Batsman of the week
Dean Elgar is becoming a regular for this award. He’s ranked second on the SuperSport Series list, 125 runs behind record-breaking Stephen Cook. Elgar has the highest average of the competition so far, an astounding 139.00. He has also scored the most hundreds in the competition thus far, with three centuries to his name.Bowler of the week
He was once thought of as the leading spin bowler in the country, but while he was waiting to qualify to play for South Africa, his Titans team-mate Roelof van der Merwe leapt into the spotlight. Imran Tahir is now the leading wicket-taker in the three-day challenge. He has 18 wickets form just two matches at an average of 11.61. Ten of those wickets came in the match against the North West. His five-for in the second innings was instrumental in Easterns’ innings win.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘keeping a close eye’ on Luis Diaz ahead of a potential transfer.

The Lowdown: Catching the eye

The 24-year-old is certainly starting to make a name for himself in world football, with 11 goals and a further two assists in 16 games across all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

His FC Porto team-mate Sergio Oliveira described the Colombia international as an ‘extraordinary’ player after a very impressive display in the Champions League against AC Milan in recent weeks.

There is sure to be a large number of clubs from around Europe circling around for his signature if he maintains this kind of form.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are now ‘keeping a close eye’ on Diaz ahead of a potential move, and it is ‘increasingly unlikely’ that he will stay beyond the end of his contract, which runs to 2024.

There is an €80m (£68.3m) release clause included in his current deal, and former Porto striker Jackson Martinez claims that the clause ‘will be paid with ease’.

The Verdict: Sign fast!

With an abundance of top European clubs likely to be fighting it out for Diaz, the Magpies need to pounce, and fast.

The fee should not be a problem for the club’s new mega-rich owners, so the main obstacle would be to try and persuade the 24-year-old to move to Tyneside.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium will surely have ambitions of eventually winning the Premier League and becoming regular participants in the Champions League, so they can at least sell Diaz the project should they end up paying his release clause.

If they wait too long, he will almost certainly get snapped up within the next year or so, and the Magpies simply cannot afford to miss out on signing a winger in red-hot form who will only get better.

In other news, find out which £15.4m-rated ‘hero’ NUFC are targeting

According to a report by 90min and journalist Graeme Bailey, sharing an article on his Twitter feed, it appears Antonio Conte has already green lit his first Tottenham transfer.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Kessie…

As per recent developments, Tottenham appear heavily in the chase to land AC Milan’s star player amid his precarious contract situation at the San Siro.

His current deal expires in 2022 and club chiefs have not yet been able to tie down the 24-year-old with an extension, meaning he is free to negotiate a January pre-contract to leave as a free agent next summer.

Tottenham have been taking note as a result with reports from both La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Get Italian Football News) and Rudy Galetti suggesting it is very advanced.

While Bailey doesn’t exactly back this up, he does reiterate Tottenham and new manager Conte’s personal interest.

The Latest: Conte ‘green lights’ Kessie move…

Writing for 90min, as also shared on his Twitter, Bailey explains that Conte personally ‘green lights’ Tottenham swoops for both Kessie and Milan central defender Alessio Romagnoli – with the Italian looking set for a San Siro raid.

It is explained in his piece that Spurs sources have ‘confirmed’ that a ‘deal’ for Kessie in particular is ‘in the works’ but realise it will be a big battle to sign him.

However, the club are confident that Conte’s arrival could now push a move over the line.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Signing Kessie on a free deal would be managing director Fabio Paratici’s biggest masterstroke since bringing Conte to N17 and ushering in an exciting new era.

The four-time Serie A title-winning boss would certainly be in good company with Kessie’s possible arrival going by his exploits for Milan both last season and this season.

A mainstay under Stefano Pioli, playing in all but one of Milan’s top flight matches last year, reporter Nicky Bandini, a regular reviewer of Italian football, has also called the player ‘extraordinary’ (ESPN).

Tottenham could snap up the bargain of the century by landing Kessie on a free deal, considering his market value is around £49.5m.

In other news: Conte now personally plotting to sell ‘very talented’ Spurs player who Nuno called ‘unique’, find out more here.

Queensland have received a boost with the internationals James Hopes and Ben Laughlin fit to return in Wednesday’s FR Cup encounter

Cricinfo staff30-Nov-2009Queensland, the competition leaders, have received a boost after their three-day defeat to Victoria with the internationals James Hopes and Ben Laughlin fit to return in Wednesday’s FR Cup encounter at the MCG. Hopes felt he was ready to come back last week from a hamstring problem he picked up in India, but was delayed by Cricket Australia’s medical staff who wanted him to wait.Laughlin, who toured South Africa and the UAE earlier in the year, has recovered from a stomach strain sustained in Perth last month and will come in for Alister McDermott. Nick Kruger will appear in his first one-day game for six years as the replacement for Ryan Broad, who is out for up to four weeks due to a broken thumb. Andrew Symonds has been cut from the side after his one-off appearance in Alice Springs and will be in Papua New Guinea for a Twenty20 tournament instead.The Bulls have a four-point lead over Victoria but have played two fewer games. The Bushrangers are undefeated in their three matches and are also in form after disposing of Queensland in the Sheffield Shield on Sunday.Queensland squad Chris Hartley (wk), Nick Kruger, Lee Carseldine, Wade Townsend, James Hopes, Craig Philipson, Nathan Reardon, Chris Simpson (capt), Ben Laughlin, Nathan Rimmington, Scott Walter, Ben Cutting.

Former Kenya captain Ragheb Aga has been recalled to the Kenyan squad, replacing opener Seren Waters for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff02-Oct-2009Former Kenya captain Ragheb Aga has been recalled to the Kenyan squad, replacing opener Seren Waters for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.The 25-year-old Sussex fast bowler, who captained the national side for two months – in October and November 2004 – has joined the touring side in Nairobi for training practice ahead of Monday’s departure to Harare, Kenya Cricket officials said today.Waters, who scored his maiden century during Kenya’s 247-run victory against Canada in Toronto in August this year, is unavailable as he has just started at Durham University. The 19-year-old right-hander, who has British and Kenyan nationality, was also awarded an emerging player contract to play for Surrey after winning the Second XI Championship title in September.Kenya, who are currently second in the Intercontinental Cup, will take on Zimbabwe at the Kwekwe Sports Club from October 7-10, as part of a fixture in the same tournament. They will also play five ODIs at the Harare Sports Club.The Zimbabwe series will prove to a big test for new Kenya coach Eldine Baptiste, the former West Indies allrounder, who took charge three weeks ago.Zimbabwe, who are fielding their ‘A’ team led by former Test captain Tatenda Taibu in the Intercontinental Cup, have a 25-point lead over Kenya in the ODI rankings.

A round-up of the latest Pro40 matches as Worcestershire pull off a late chase and Kent overpower Derbyshire in a high-scorer

Cricinfo staff23-Aug-2009Division OneDaryll Mitchell hit 50 off 38 balls to guide Worcestershire to a final-delivery, three-wicket victory against Essex at Colchester after he and Ian Fisher managed 12 off the last over. Vikram Solanki (62) and Steven Davies (61) put the chase on course with an opening stand of 103 in 15 overs. However, wickets then continued to fall steadily and when Gareth Andrew was removed by Danish Kaneria 47 runs were needed in 5.2 overs. Mitchell, though, was up to the task. Essex’s innings had been given a late boost by James Foster’s 29-ball 52 as he and Tim Phillips added 63 in 32 balls.Michael Lumb cracked a rapid 57 to ensure Hampshire were well ahead of the D-L target in a rain-effected win against Durham at Chester-le-Street. He hit ten fours and a six in 44 balls, adding 75 in nine overs with James Vince before the rain returned. Durham posted a competitive score with Phil Mustard making 50 from 60 deliveries and Shivnarine Chanderpaul providing 54.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Somerset 4 3 0 0 17 +1.673 568/95.3 513/120.0 Sussex 4 3 1 0 0 6+0.347 872/144.3 910/160.0 Worcestershire 42 1 0 1 5 -1.100567/120.0 699/120.0 Durham 4 22 0 0 4 +0.909 698/121.0588/121.0 Hampshire 3 2 10 0 4 +0.220 540/91.0 520/91.0 Gloucestershire 5 1 3 01 3 -1.782 703/137.3 709/102.5 Essex 4 1 3 00 2 +0.099 926/138.0 898/135.5 Yorkshire 4 1 3 00 2 -0.133 785/150.0 788/146.5 Nottinghamshire 2 0 1 01 1 -0.850 190/40.0 224/40.0 Division TwoKent pulled off an impressive run chase against Derbyshire as they reached 260 with 10 balls to spare at Chesterfield. Alex Blake, a 20-year-old, top-scored with a career-best 80 off 70 balls before power hitting from Darren Stevens (52 off 30) and Azhar Mahmood (51 off 25) made short work of a stiff task with sixes off Jon Clare and Mark Lawson. Derbyshire’s healthy total was anchored by Chris Rogers’ 88 and was boosted by some strong hitting from the lower order.Leicestershire completed a comfortable 76-run victory against Lancashire at Grace Road. James Benning hit 89 off 88 balls and formed an opening stand of 118 with Tom New before the Lancashire attack hit back. However, the visitors fell away from 54 for 1 as spinners Claude Henderson and Jigar Naik claimed three wickets each.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Middlesex 5 3 1 0 17 +0.691 918/155.1 836/160.0 Kent 4 3 0 0 1 7+0.228 729/118.0 714/120.0 Lancashire 42 1 0 1 5 -0.339458/91.5 522/98.0 Warwickshire 3 10 0 2 4 +3.153 161/22.4158/40.0 Derbyshire 4 1 10 2 4 -0.035 545/79.1 542/78.2 Northamptonshire 4 1 1 02 4 -0.690 355/58.0 353/51.5 Leicestershire 5 1 3 01 3 -0.283 763/160.0 719/142.2 Surrey 4 1 3 00 2 -0.190 864/140.4 876/138.2 Glamorgan 5 0 3 02 2 -0.918 605/104.0 678/100.4

Former Bangladesh skipper Akram Khan has announced his retirement, explaining that he wanted to make way for the next generation of players

Wisden Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2009Former Bangladesh skipper Akram Khan has announced his retirement, explaining that he wanted to make way for the next generation of players.”I could have continued for another two to three years, but that would not have yielded any result,” he told a crowded press conference in Dhaka. “Staying on would only have meant occupying a place in the team so I have decided to take off my gloves.”Khan made his one-day debut for Bangladesh against Pakistan in 1988, and in 44 ODIs scored 976 runs at 23.23. He played in Bangladesh’s inaugural Test in 2000-01, but was unable to hold down a regular place and made only eight appearances, scoring 259 runs at 16.18.His technique was limited but he compensated with a good eye, and was at his most effective when lofting spinners over the top.