All posts by h716a5.icu

Callum Ferguson’s third one-day century delivered victory to South Australia in a tight match that appeared to have slipped from their grasp

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2011
ScorecardNathan Lyon and Callum Ferguson delivered victory for the Redbacks•Getty ImagesCallum Ferguson’s third one-day century delivered victory to South Australia in a tight match that appeared to have slipped from their grasp. An outstanding and unbeaten 65-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Ferguson and Nathan Lyon saw the Redbacks past Western Australia’s 233 with two overs to spare, after Luke Ronchi’s hundred rescued the Warriors from a poor start.The fortunes of both sides changed significantly throughout the contest, as first the Warriors struggled to 7 for 123 before Ronchi and Nathan Rimmington compiled a terrific 110-run stand that pushed them to a competitive 7 for 233. Then it was South Australia’s turn to worry, as they lost a wicket from the first ball of their chase and then battled to 8 for 170.From there, it was Ferguson and Lyon who saved the day for the hosts. Ferguson’s classy innings was a career-best as he paced the effort perfectly, taking his time early and playing a few more shots as his partners continued to disappear.But it was Lyon who struck the winning runs, with a powerful pull for six off Rimmington confirming the two-wicket victory and allowing him to finish unbeaten on 37. Nathan Coulter-Nile had picked up 3 for 64 in a strong display, while Michael Beer was superb with 3 for 39, including Daniel Harris lbw playing back to the first ball of the innings as Marcus North opened up with spin.The Redbacks had also opened with spin earlier in the day, but it was Gary Putland’s early strikes that put Western Australia on the back foot as he swung the ball dangerously and took three wickets in his first spell. The legspinner Cullen Bailey, playing his first one-day game for his state in five years, collected two lower-order wickets before Ronchi led the recovery.It was a wonderful innings from Ronchi, who has struggled to hold his place as Western Australia’s first-choice gloveman in the past couple of seasons. He was watchful early but cut loose later, taking 25 from the last over as the nerves began to affect Kane Richardson.It was in that 50th over that Ronchi brought up his hundred and the milestone clearly meant a lot, as he pumped his fist and jumped for joy, having secured his place in the team and given the Warriors hope of victory. In the end, their top-order troubles still cost them, and they are still looking for their first win of the Ryobi Cup.

Ajantha Mendis has been included in Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the tour of South Africa ahead of Suraj Randiv

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2011Ajantha Mendis has been included in Sri Lanka’s 16-man Test squad for the tour of South Africa in December ahead of the offspinner Suraj Randiv. There was no place for the experienced batsman Thilan Samaraweera, who continues to be ignored after having been axed for the Pakistan series as well.The squad also includes fast bowler Dilhara Fernando – who last played a Test on the England tour – in place of the injured Dhammika Prasad. Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal complete the Sri Lanka pace attack with Rangana Herath the second spinner.Mendis missed the home Test series against Australia because of a back injury he sustained during the preceding ODI series and also missed the UAE tour. Randiv played the Sharjah Test against Pakistan, taking 2 for 95.Samaraweera’s omission for the second straight tour puts a question mark over his career. Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, had earlier said Samaraweera would not figure in the long-term plans of the selectors who intended to give more opportunities to youngsters. Sri Lanka adjusted to his absence against Australia by batting the captain Tillakaratne Dilshan in the middle order while Lahiru Thirimanne opened with Tharanga Paranavitana. They persisted with the same combination for the first two Tests against Pakistan, before Dilshan returned to the top as Thirimanne was dropped for the Sharjah Test.Wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva, who made his Test debut in that series, has been included in place of the injured Prasanna Jayawardene. Allrounder Kosala Kulasekara lost his spot to Thisara Perera while the batsman Dimuth Karunaratne was also included.Sri Lanka play three Tests in South Africa followed by a five-match ODI series. The first Test starts in Centurion on December 15.Sri Lanka squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath

Mohammad Ashraful has been recalled to Bangladesh’s squad for the two-Test series against Pakistan in December.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2011Mohammad Ashraful has been recalled to the Bangladesh squad for the two Tests against Pakistan starting later this week. Ashraful, who did not play the ODIs against Pakistan, is one of four changes to the Test squad that played West Indies in October and November.The vice-captain Mahmudullah, medium-pacer Robiul Islam and batsman Nazimuddin were the other inclusions in the 15-man group, in place of opener Imrul Kayes and middle-order batsmen Raqibul Hasan and Shuvagata Hom.Ashraful had been out of the Bangladesh squad since being dropped for the Tests against West Indies, after which the coach Stuart Law had said that he needed to perform to play international cricket. Since then he played five National Cricket League matches for Dhaka Metropolis and scored three half-centuries and one hundred.Mahmudullah’s return to the squad was more straightforward. He had missed the West Indies Tests because of dengue fever and recovered in time to play the ODIs against Pakistan.Law had said that Robiul had missed out on the Tests against West Indies because Bangladesh were unlikely to play three medium-pacers. The squad for that series comprised 14 players, while the one against Pakistan has 15. Robiul strengthened his case by taking 11 wickets on Bangladesh A’s tour of West Indies and took 4 for 39 for Sylhet Divison in their ongoing National Cricket League match against Dhaka Division.Nazimuddin had not played for Bangladesh since 2008 and he was not part of the recent A team’s tour of West Indies either. However, he has scored four half-centuries and a hundred in six NCL matches this season.Kayes was axed after a string of poor performances. He made only 53 runs in three ODIs and 61 runs in two Tests against West Indies. He then scored 28 and 3 in an NCL match for Khulna Division, after which he was out for 2 and 6 in the Twenty20 and an ODI against Pakistan.Shuvagata Hom was dropped even though he did not play a Test against West Indies and is yet to debut. Raqibul was cut after a poor A tour of the Caribbean, where he made only 91 runs in eight innings across formats.Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mahmudullah (vc), Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Elias Sunny, Shahadat Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Robiul Islam, Nazimuddin.

The PCB has said it has finalised its recommendations for three coaching positions for the national team; Mohsin Khan, the current interim coach, is among the 30 applicants

Umar Farooq in Lahore04-Jan-2012The PCB has said it has finalised its recommendations for three coaching positions for the national team; Mohsin Khan, the current interim coach, is among the 30 applicants.The PCB committee in charge of selecting the coaches met in Lahore on Wednesday and is expected to report back to the board chairman over the next two days with its recommendations. Dav Whatmore is a strong contender for the position of head coach, who will also play a dual role as batting coach, while Aaqib Javed, appointed bowling coach for the series against England, is likely to take over the role on a long-term basis, though the PCB did not reveal any names.”It’s a huge responsibility on our shoulders,” the head of the committee, Intikhab Alam, said at a press conference at the National Cricket Academy. “We received a lot of applications, both from foreign and local candidates and we had a thorough discussion on each of them and today we have finalised our recommendations.””We have kept under consideration all the points that the chairman had mentioned and according to our recommendations the head coach will be a batting coach and there will be a bowling coach and a fielding coach. But I can’t reveal you the names and a final decision will be made by the chairman.” Alam was accompanied by two committee members, Zaheer Abbas and Col. Naushad Ali.The appointment of a full-time head coach will fill a slot that’s been lying vacant for six months. Waqar Younis, the previous full-time head coach, had stepped down on health grounds, and Mohsin was named interim coach. Ijaz Ahmed is the current fielding coach and could be in contention with Julian Fountain for the role, while Aaqib has returned to supervise the bowling department. The full-time appointments will also be part of a three-man coaching panel.Whatmore, who’s coached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the past, resigned as coach of Kolkata Knight Riders and has been invited to meet with the PCB this month.”I can’t tell you the names,” Alam said. “I have heard lots of strange things about the coaching options.”Mohsin, currently in charge of the team, was the former chief selector of the PCB and said he would like to retain a coaching position. “My services are always available to the PCB in whichever capacity the PCB wants it because whatever I am today, it’s because of Pakistan,” he said. “I have no ego problems whatever decision the PCB makes but I have already submitted an application for the coaching assignment.”

Sri Lanka A won the fourth match of their series with England Lions to draw level at 2-2 and set up a decider in Colombo on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2012
ScorecardSri Lanka A won the fourth match of their series with England Lions to draw level at 2-2 and set up a decider in Colombo on Monday. Despite a brisk opening partnership between Samit Patel, promoted up the order in place of Joe Root, and Alex Hales, the Lions limped to 204 all out in 42.1 overs after being asked to bat. Sri Lanka’s batsmen also struggled to score freely but solid contributions from the top order eventually saw them to their target.When Kosala Kulasekara became the third wicket to fall in 16 balls – with 17 still needed for victory and No. 8 Malinga Bandara on his way to the crease – the Lions may have sensed an unlikely reprieve. But Bandara struck a six and a four as he and Kushal Perera put the wobble behind them to secure the win with almost eight overs to spare. The run chase was built on another solid opening – Dimuth Karunaratne top-scoring with 45 – and Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order provided better ballast than England’s had earlier in the day.The Lions’ innings gradually subsided after the opener Patel had blasted a 47-ball 50. The next four batsmen all failed and when Hales departed – becoming Seekkuge Prasanna’s third victim – with the score at 139 for 6, a challenging total still looked a long way off. Chris Woakes provided some resistance but he fell to Bandara as the 200 beckoned and the Lions’ tail was finally clipped shortly after.

A supremely calm MS Dhoni guided India to victory, with two balls to spare, over a sluggish Australia in the ODI at Adelaide Oval

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2012
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIndia’s chase was anchored by Gautam Gambhir’s fluent 92•AFPA supremely calm MS Dhoni guided India to victory, with two balls to spare, over a sluggish Australia in the ODI at Adelaide Oval.Dhoni’s composure was best measured by how he paced his innings. It bordered on the statuesque early, before he raised tempo with swift running between the wickets. He saved his one stroke to the boundary – a towering six over long on – for when he most needed it: the third ball of the final over delivered by Clint McKay, which began with 13 still required.The next ball was a high full toss that Dhoni swung to deep midwicket, but the no-ball – called for height – gifted India a third run in addition to the two scampered between the wickets. The next delivery was helped around to backward square leg, and the final three runs were collected to take India alongside Australia on two wins from three matches.India’s chase was anchored by Gautam Gambhir’s fluent 92, before Dhoni and Suresh Raina took the visitors close with a stand of 61. Raina perished in the 47th over and Ravindra Jadeja followed in the 49th, but Dhoni remained to collar the remaining runs. Test match difficulties notwithstanding, he remains the master technician in limited-overs matches.Australia’s fielding display was its least attentive of the Michael Clarke era. Only one catch of note went down but outfield fumbles were legion, and both Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja could have been run-out in the closing stages had in-fielders held their nerve.Of even greater concern was an apparent hamstring twinge for Michael Clarke, who was running gingerly from the innings’ midpoint and hobbling noticeably by the end, having left the field briefly for treatment. Clarke may now be due a spell of rest after an unbroken sequence of Tests and ODIs dating back to his first tour as captain – to Bangladesh in April 2011.Until the final over, McKay provided the most lasting threat for the home attack, maintaining a disciplined line and changing his pace, while Xavier Doherty bowled some particularly nagging deliveries at the death to make India work for the points.Looking very much at home in international company, the debutant Peter Forrest had built Australia’s total alongside David Hussey after the innings was in danger of stalling at 3 for 81. Clarke’s fluent 38 had ended when he sallied forth to attack Umesh Yadav and dragged a slower ball wretchedly onto the stumps.Forrest was strong square of the wicket and down the ground, while Hussey’s innings was another reminder of his usefulness in most limited-overs contests. Following their departure, allrounder Daniel Christian put together a handy closing contribution at the home ground of his adopted state. Few boundaries were collected in the closing overs, reflecting some diligent bowling but also the slowing of an otherwise friendly batting surface.Yadav and Zaheer Khan were the most effective of India’s bowlers, attacking the stumps while also keeping the runs down, as the tourists sought a manageable target after the selectors chose to rest Sachin Tendulkar.Smart stats

India’s victory meant that it is the highest successful chase by them in ODIs in Australia. Their previous highest was the target of 260 they chased down against New Zealand in Brisbane in 1986. It is also the joint fifth-highest chase by any team against Australia in ODIs in Australia.The win is also India’s first against Australia in five matches in Adelaide.

Gautam Gambhir’s 92 is the fifth instance of an India batsman being dismissed in the nineties against Australia in ODIs in Australia. It is also Gambhir’s second-highest score against Australia after the 113 he made in Sydney in 2008.

Peter Forrest became the 11th Australia player overall and the second in this series after Matthew Wade to make a fifty-plus score on ODI debut. No Australia batsman has scored a century on ODI debut.

The 98-run stand between David Hussey and Forrest is the seventh-highest fourth-wicket stand for Australia against India and their highest against India in Adelaide.

Hussey’s 72 is his second-highest score in ODIs and his eighth half-century. It is also his highest score against India, surpassing the 61 he made in the first match between the two teams in this series in Melbourne.

Australia’s total of 269 is their second-highest against India in Adelaide, after the 329 they made in 2000.

Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc had found some bounce but no great pace and negligible movement when they shared the new ball, allowing Virender Sehwag and Gambhir the chance to play with freedom as they regularly pierced the offside field.Clarke’s brow was looking furrowed as the 50 was raised inside nine overs, but his introduction of McKay brought immediate results when Sehwag’s leading edge to a nondescript delivery looped to point.Gambhir and Kohli accumulated, albeit at a lesser pace, until the younger batsman tried to lace McKay over the offside field and offered a steepling chance to Forrest. Rohit Sharma’s entry to the crease coincided with the introduction of spin, but after a period of thrust and parry the quicks returned.Rohit’s first response was to lash Starc over square leg for a glorious flat six, and next over he managed a cut that scorched to the fence from Christian. However some tension clearly remained in Rohit’s arms, and he perished in trying to force Harris over the in-field.Gambhir survived a chance on 88, David Warner shelling a sharp drive at short cover, but on 92 he was the victim of an lbw decision when all logic – and subsequent replays – suggested that McKay’s delivery had pitched outside leg stump.The duo of wickets forced Dhoni and Raina into salvage mode, trying to stabilise the innings even as the required-rate slithered up towards eight per over. They were helped by a series of misfields, uncharacteristic by the hosts’ standards this summer.Gradually a few boundaries closed the gap between runs and balls, Raina depositing Xavier Doherty into the crowd wide of long on. Thirty-one were required from the final four overs when Raina played over a delivery by Doherty to be bowled, leaving the stage to Dhoni.Earlier in the day, the selectors rested Michael Hussey to give Forrest a first cap and dropped Matthew Wade down the order, shifting Ricky Ponting to the top, but neither he nor Warner had a significant impact on proceedings.Upon winning the toss, Clarke had no hesitation batting first for the third time in as many matches in this series, but Ponting and Warner made a sluggish start against Zaheer and Vinay Kumar. Reaching out for the ball rather than letting it come to him, Ponting miscued a drive to point.A horrid running mix-up resulted in Warner being stranded as Vinay collected Rohit’s agile field-and-throw to the non-striker’s end. Forrest and Clarke recalibrated somewhat before the debutant signalled his capabilities with a rasping cut from Yadav, followed by a crisp swing off Jadeja down the ground for six.Clarke had lost some of his earlier momentum, and Yadav capitalised when his change of pace met a highly ambitious attempt to reach the boundary, leaving Hussey and Forrest to rebuild again. They did so with wisely-chosen shots – Forrest clattered a second six down the ground off the bowling of Rohit – and eager running between the wickets, lifting the hosts to 179 before Forrest presented a catch to deep midwicket.Hussey went on in the company of Christian, scoring mainly in an efficient series of ones and twos, and looked ready to unfurl his cleanest hitting when Virender Sehwag dived smartly to hold a low chance at square leg. Christian accumulated neatly until he was heedlessly run out, and 57 from the final 10 overs proved inadequate as Dhoni held his nerve.

Jackson Bird capped off his remarkable debut Sheffield Shield season with a hat-trick that helped Tasmania secure a place in the final against Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2012
ScorecardJackson Bird has had a remarkable debut Shield season•Getty ImagesJackson Bird capped off his remarkable debut Sheffield Shield season with a hat-trick that helped Tasmania secure a place in the final against Queensland. The Bulls will host the Tigers after both sides won in the final round of matches, Tasmania by eight wickets having been set 20 for victory in their second innings.By that stage Tasmania’s quotient was so good that to be in any danger of missing out on a place in the decider had to lose at least six wickets in the tiny chase. Although the Tigers lost both openers Ed Cowan and Steve Cazzulino they reached their target with only two wickets down to give Tasmania a chance to defend their Shield title at the Gabba.The win was set up by wonderful bowling from Bird in both innings. He collected 6 for 63 in the second innings and 11 wickets for the match to finish the qualifying portion of the Shield season on top of the wicket tally with 48 at 15.75, an outstanding tally considering he missed three games and only made his debut in November.Bird’s hat-trick began with the wicket of Nathan Rimmington, who played on trying to cut on 28. The next wicket came from the first ball of Bird’s next over and was the lbw of Luke Ronchi, who top scored for the Warriors with 71 in what will be his last match for Western Australia having announced his decision to pursue a career as a local player in New Zealand next summer.Bird completed the hat-trick with Jason Behrendorff lbw for a golden duck and joined Peter Clough and Shane Jurgensen as the only men to have taken a Shield hat-trick for Tasmania. James Faulkner also picked up 4 for 50 in the victory.

Mark Ramprakash has become the first player to crack under the pressure of playing on county pitches that are more treacherous than they have been for 25 years

David Hopps25-Apr-2012Mark Ramprakash, the most prolific batsman in English first-class cricket, has become the first player to crack under the pressure of playing on county pitches that are more treacherous than they have been for 25 years.With April looking bound to become the wettest on record, and flood alerts anticipated in many regions over the next four days, the ECB’s gamble on the earliest start to the Championship season has already turned sour.Ramprakash, who at 42 is England’s most experienced current player, has been penalised under the ECB disciplinary code for abusive language to the umpires Nigel Llong and Jeff Evans during Surrey’s Championship match against Worcestershire at The Oval last week.All 22 players batted on the third day, with Ramprakash getting one of the unkindest deliveries of all – a shooter from Alan Richardson which extended one of his most unsuccessful sequences in a record-breaking career. Surrey’s first-innings total of 140 was their lowest at The Oval since 1999.Ramprakash, who is now only one transgression away from an automatic suspension, has condemned the start to the Championship season as “a lottery” and described batting conditions as the most difficult since his career began in 1987 – a debut that coincided with English cricket’s final move to an era of covered pitches.”There has been extravagant movement and it has made batting at times a lottery,” Ramprakash told The Daily Telegraph. “In our dressing room we are saying that conventional play is not effective and you feel like you need to chance your arm because the bowlers are so much in the ascendancy.”It is the hardest I have found it since 1987 when I started. I think it is really tough, especially for the younger players who have worked hard all winter. It is hard and the guys don’t know whether to stick or twist at the moment. You try to ‘guts it out’ but then you feel it is not getting any easier and you never really get in.”The pitches are doing plenty throughout the game. It has been very difficult and it is more about trying to bat in a very aggressive way whenever possible. I don’t feel that is proper batting. I feel proper batting is treating the ball on its merits.”Groundsmen, who have been allowed minimal square preparation time in a season that began on April 5, the earliest Championship start date ever, have pronounced it virtually impossible to produce good batting pitches in cold, wet weather that makes it difficult to remove enough moisture from the pitches.Players brought up on dry four-day pitches, and influenced by the more aggressive nature of the one-day game, have shown little appetite for the sort of dutiful, defensive innings that were a regular feature of the game in the era of uncovered pitches. England’s professional game switched to covered pitches in 1980; a further experiment in 1987, Ramprakash’s debut season, in which pitches were left uncovered during the hours of play, was abandoned after only one year.Ramprakash was reported by the umpires for a level one breach of the code: using language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or making an obscene gesture. An ECB statement said: “As this incident follows a previous breach of the fixed penalty system within the last two years, Ramprakash has received three penalty points. This penalty will remain on his record for a period of two years and he now holds six penalty points. The accumulation of nine or more penalty points in any two-year period will result in an automatic suspension.”April is expected to be the wettest on record with some areas forecast to be hit by a month’s rain over a few days as the drought that has afflicted many parts of the country breaks in spectacular fashion. The Met Office has issued several severe weather alerts, with southern England and eastern Scotland likely to be worst affected. “Strong and gusty winds and significant and heavy falls of snow on higher ground” are also predicted over the coming days.Ramprakash, who has 114 first-class centuries, the most made by any current player, has managed only 62 runs in six innings at an average of 10.33 so far this season. He will attempt to put that right, weather permitting, against Durham at The Oval tomorrow, one of eight Championship matches scheduled. Rain is forecast in all of them with temperatures forecast to be as low as 7C.Edited by Alan Gardner

05-Apr-2012
ScorecardBilly Godleman equalled his career-best score as Essex were bowled out for 364 on the first day against Gloucestershire at Chelmsford.Godleman, 23, displayed a mixture of patience and a series of punishing strokes to score 130 as he left the visitors wondering if their decision to field first on winning the toss was a wise one. He experienced a few anxious moments early on, beaten a couple of times as the new ball nipped about but then settled in to provide the rock upon which the Essex innings was built.Godleman needed 99 balls to reach his half-century and a further 82 to complete his third hundred for the county that contained 14 fours and a six. He was to gather another couple of boundaries before he was bowled by Ian Saxelby just before the close.But as well as Godleman played, it was Adam Wheater who produced the most entertaining innings of the day. He confirmed the rich promise he showed last season with a swashbuckling 56 from 42 balls. Those runs arrived with the help of 11 fours and a six. He drove and pulled with power and reached his 50 with four successive fours against the fast-medium pace of James Fuller.Wheater’s innings was finally cut short by the second delivery after lunch when he slashed Paul Muchall to Alex Gidman at first slip.It was Gidman’s safe pair of hands that helped make the opening breakthrough to provide brother Will with success and end the confident start made by debutant Alviro Petersen, who struck his first deliveries from both Gidman and Fuller to the boundary but was then undone by one that did enough off the pitch to find the edge when he had made 15.Other batsmen promised substantial contributions but failed to make the best of good starts. Tom Westley (33) and Greg Smith (34) both batted attractively before getting out, while skipper James Foster reached 46 before edging Fuller to Chris Dent in the slips.All three of them shared in half-century partnerships with Godleman, as did Graham Napier, who scored 27 before he edged a third catch to Alex Gidman when attempting to drive Saxelby. He and Fuller proved the most successful of the Gloucestershire bowlers, ending with three for 76 and three for 86 respectively, while Muchall picked up two wickets.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings in Kolkata

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran13-May-2012Match factsMonday, May 14, 2012
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Super Kings have two remaining games as opposed to Knight Riders’ three•AFPBig PictureThe Saturday double-header produced unexpected results, adding more intrigue to the race for the playoffs. Both Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders – the top two teams – suffered heavy defeats, giving the teams below a chance to sneak into the final four at the end of the league stage.Chennai Super Kings’ campaign, which had stuttered midway, was revived by two consecutive victories, the latest coming against Daredevils. The manner in which they brushed aside the table leaders in Chennai should cause shivers to Knight Riders, who took their foot off the pedal on Saturday and paid the price. Super Kings silenced a powerful batting order on a pitch that gave the seamers a lot of assistance. Knocking off the required 115 was a mere formality. If Super Kings lose to Knight Riders and then beat Kings XI Punjab to finish on 17 points, they’ll need a lot of other results to fall into place for them to make the last four. Having seen off one powerhouse, they need to get past another.Knight Riders are ahead of Super Kings by points, but, have played one game less at this stage. One win in their remaining matches will give them a very good chance of qualifying. However, their aim won’t be to just qualify. They’ll want to finish among the top two and give themselves the best chance of making it to the final.Form guide (most recent first, completed games)
Chennai Super Kings: WWLWL
Kolkata Knight Riders: LWWWWPlayers to watchIn a forgettable game with the ball for Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians, Shakib Al Hasan was the lone wicket-taker and finished with the best economy rate – 6.75 – off his four overs. Shakib returned after nearly a month on the bench and enhanced his reputation by bowling 12 dot balls.Ben Hilfenhaus was the standout performer for Super Kings against Daredevils with a match-defining 3 for 27, but Albie Morkel’s contribution was also significant. He took a wicket but gave away just 15 runs off four overs. Morkel’s overall economy rate for Super Kings over five seasons is a pricey 8.22. His returns on Saturday were a refreshing change.Stats and trivia Ravindra Jadeja is Super Kings’ leading wicket-taker with ten wickets and has bowled 29 overs. Dwayne Bravo is second with nine but has bowled 13 overs more. Sunil Narine has gone wicketless in an innings only twice in his ten games for Knight Riders.Quotes”Ben’s action is different to that of Doug [Bollinger]. But, Ben is very good at swinging the brand new ball. It is an asset, though his action is a little different to both Albie [Morkel] and Doug.”
.”Calling his innings excellent will be an understatement. It’s hard to describe his innings in words.” .