Lanka defeat NZ in second US T20 clash

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the second of two Twenty20 matches, part of international cricket’s historic attempt to break into the US market.

Sri Lanka triumphed in the low-scoring affair with more than four overs to spare to earn a 1-1 draw in the series on Sunday.

Nuwan Kulasekara tore through New Zealand’s top order, taking three wickets in the second over as he removed openers Brendon McCullum and Aaron Redmond along with Rob Nicol.

New Zealand were an embarrassing 13-5 at one stage.

Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum were the only New Zealanders to reach double figures, but the 81 runs amassed by New Zealand was no challenge for Sri Lanka even on the slow, lifeless pitch.

Vettori’s 27 gave New Zealand a glimmer of hope, and Nathan McCullum’s 36 took their total to 81 before they were bowled out in the 18th over.

Mahela Jayawardene got Sri Lanka going with a 12-ball 17.

Thissara Parera added 24 and Tillakaratne Dilshan overcame his struggles to find his timing for an unbeaten 33.

Sri Lanka had lost Saturday’s opening game of the series, which marked the first cricket games on US soil between two ICC full members.

Slow motion as NZ edge Sri Lanka in US bow

New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first of two Twenty20 matches as international cricket made a historic attempt to break into the American market.

However, the format’s reputation as a carnival of brutal power-hitting suffered on a slow, lifeless pitch at the 20,000-capacity Central Broward Regional Park Stadium at Lauderhill on Saturday.

New Zealand struggled to a modest 120-7 off their 20 overs before Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 92.

On a day of tough batting and bowling conditions, only two sixes were hit in the entire match, which was hardly the kind of advertisement the International Cricket Council (ICC) would have wanted.

Yesterday’s match and a second on Sunday are the first cricket games on US soil between two ICC full members.

Only two Sri Lankan batsmen managed to adapt to the conditions with skipper Kumar Sangakkara making 17 and Angelo Mathews top-scoring with 27 before the 2009 World Twenty20 runners-up lost their last six wickets for just 30 runs.

Experienced medium pacer Scott Styris did the damage with 3-10 off three overs.

Styris said: “It wasn’t too bad, this wicket suited me.”

Ross Taylor top-scored for New Zealand with 27 off 30 balls with skipper Daniel Vettori contributing 21.

For Sri Lanka, spinner Ajantha Mendis starred with the ball, taking 2-18 off his four overs.

Vettori admitted his team’s batting had been a worry.

“It wasn’t much of a total, but we bowled well. We bowl well on these wickets, and the big boundary helped us too, you can’t just hit a couple of sixes any time.”

Sangakkara praised the Kiwis.

“They got a great start, they pushed us back in the first six overs, and New Zealand were a bit more disciplined than us, both with the bat in the field.”

Newslands to host four IPL games in two days

Cape Town (South Africa), Mar.26 (ANI): The Indian Premier League is set to start with a bang at Newlands, with four games on the first two days of the series.

The final programme will be finalised today, but it has been learned that the series will start at Newlands on 18 April with an opening ceremony and two games.

Provincial cricket bosses were scurrying on Wednesday to make arrangements for the series, which starts in 23 days’ time.

It was originally decided that the 59 games will be played in Johannesburg, Centurion, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London but Bloemfontein has also been added to the list. It is believed the Free State capital will host at least four games.

Cape Cobras chief executive Andri Odendaal said: “It’s another opportunity for Cape supporters to see world class cricket. Spectators flooded to games in the local Pro20 Series and the recent test against Australia.”

Newlands had serious problems with the outfield and two SuperSport games were moved to Paarl.

The problems have now been solved and the field is ready to be an important venue for the IPL series. (ANI)

England not up to scratch in 20-20 Cricket: Flower

London, Mar.17 (ANI): Andy Flower, the assistant coach of the England cricket team, has given a withering assessment of its chances in Twenty20 cricket.

“We’re rubbish and we know we are,” The Sun quoted Flower as saying, adding that England will be among the rank outsiders when they host the World Twenty20 this summer.

Speaking after his team’s six-wicket loss to the West Indies on Sunday, Flower said the plain fact is “England are poor at Test cricket, inconsistent in 50-over games and utterly hopeless at Twenty20.”
Flower, whose desire to be head coach has not diminished his honesty, said: “We’re a long way from having a successful formula in Twenty20. We don’t have much time before the World Twenty20. But the five one-day internationals coming up can help us identify players who will be successful in Twenty20.”
“We’d like to play more Twenty20 cricket to gain experience. County players have played a lot but the international guys are more inexperienced,” he added.
According to The Sun, captain Andrew Strauss does not know whether he will lead the side in the World Twenty20 tournament or be dumped because he is not worth his place in the team.

Flower indicated he would consider specialists like Essex big-hitter Graham Napier for this summer’s tournament.

Flower did, however, see one shaft of light through the misery of their defeat in Trinidad on Sunday.

He said: “It was good to watch Stephen Davies, who did really well in his first game, and Ravi Bopara, who is a classy looking player, opening.

“We were 47-1 off six overs, West Indies were 51-2. So that was not the area of difference. I’ve very high hopes for Bopara, he’s going to be a fine cricketer. He plays all the shots. We’re desperate for a win.

That’s the good thing about sport, you put yourself on the line all the time. We’re going to stand toe-to-toe with these guys and fight it out,” he said. (ANI)

Nielsen not worried about Bouche

Potchefstroom (South Africa), Feb.20 (ANI): Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen is bristling at suggestions from antagonistic South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher that the tourists are too timid with “loopholes” in their squad.

Boucher told The Star newspaper: “There’s always hype about when South Africa meet Australia in a series, lots will be said beforehand. In the past, they’ve been fond of talking big before a series. They did it again before the last one in Australia. “It will be interesting to see how they go about that sort of thing before this series. They have a few loopholes in their squad, there’s no doubt about that. You only have to look at their side to see that.”

“I’m certainly not saying it’s timid. It’s more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we’ve played. That’s something we’ve got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It’s more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time. The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you’re telling us that we’re maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group we are very confident. We feel as though we’ve got a good group ready to play good Test match cricket,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Neilsen, as saying. (ANI)

Nielsen not worried about Bouche

Potchefstroom (South Africa), Feb.20 (ANI): Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen is bristling at suggestions from antagonistic South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher that the tourists are too timid with “loopholes” in their squad.

Boucher told The Star newspaper: “There’s always hype about when South Africa meet Australia in a series, lots will be said beforehand. In the past, they’ve been fond of talking big before a series. They did it again before the last one in Australia. “It will be interesting to see how they go about that sort of thing before this series. They have a few loopholes in their squad, there’s no doubt about that. You only have to look at their side to see that.”

“I’m certainly not saying it’s timid. It’s more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we’ve played. That’s something we’ve got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It’s more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time. The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you’re telling us that we’re maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group we are very confident. We feel as though we’ve got a good group ready to play good Test match cricket,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Neilsen, as saying. (ANI)

Nielsen not worried about Bouche

Potchefstroom (South Africa), Feb.20 (ANI): Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen is bristling at suggestions from antagonistic South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher that the tourists are too timid with “loopholes” in their squad.

Boucher told The Star newspaper: “There’s always hype about when South Africa meet Australia in a series, lots will be said beforehand. In the past, they’ve been fond of talking big before a series. They did it again before the last one in Australia. “It will be interesting to see how they go about that sort of thing before this series. They have a few loopholes in their squad, there’s no doubt about that. You only have to look at their side to see that.”

“I’m certainly not saying it’s timid. It’s more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we’ve played. That’s something we’ve got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It’s more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time. The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you’re telling us that we’re maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group we are very confident. We feel as though we’ve got a good group ready to play good Test match cricket,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Neilsen, as saying. (ANI)