The BCCI is believed to have offered Nimbus Communications a settlement in its dispute over broadcast rights for cricket in India, ESPNcricinfo has learned

Tariq Engineer20-Feb-2012The BCCI is believed to have offered Nimbus Communications a settlement in its dispute over broadcast rights for cricket in India, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The board had terminated Nimbus’ contract in December, following which Nimbus filed a claim for damages of close to Rs 600 crores (approx. $121 million) in the arbitration process currently under way.Two BCCI officials contacted by ESPNcricinfo said they were not aware of the board offering such a settlement. However, a resolution of this issue would mean one less case for the BCCI to fight and would save the board the trouble of finding a new rights holder at a time when the Indian economy is slowing down.The settlement, this reporter understands, requires Nimbus to drop their claim for damages, which rests mainly on two contentions: that the Indian team rested top players for home series, contrary to the contract, and that there was no India-Pakistan series as stipulated. In return, the board will restore the broadcast rights to Nimbus. The agreement would need to be ratified by Nimbus’ shareholders to be accepted.Nimbus had secured the rights to Indian cricket for four years in January 2010, its second consecutive four-year deal with the Indian board. The agreement was valued at approximately Rs 2000 crore (then $436 million) for a minimum of 64 international matches and 312 days of domestic cricket until 2014. The deal was terminated after the BCCI claimed Nimbus had defaulted on payments and the matter then went into arbitration.A day after the contract was terminated, Nimbus released a statement saying it had “acted in compliance of its contractual obligations and variations agreed between the parties from time to time”. The company had reportedly asked the BCCI for an extension to their payment deadline, but the board turned down the request and decided to scrap their deal at its working committee meeting in New Delhi on December 12, 2011.The BCCI also tried to invoke the bank guarantees worth Rs 1600 crore (approximately $300 million) given by Nimbus, but the Bombay High Court ruled against them. However, in January the High Court gave Nimbus four weeks to deposit Rs 305 crores (approx. US$61 million) – the amount the board has claimed in unpaid dues – with the court as security.

Richard Levi is looking forward to enhancing his reputation as a big-hitter with the IPL

Tariq Engineer12-Mar-2012When Richard Levi’s name was called out at the IPL auction in February, there was silence. Despite a base price of just $50,000, there were no takers for the 24-year-old South African. But all that changed a little over two weeks later, after Levi bludgeoned his way into the record books for South Africa against New Zealand in Hamilton. He hit 13 sixes – the most ever in a Twenty20 innings – on his way to a hundred from 45 balls, also a record for men’s cricket. He would finish with an unbeaten 117 from 51 balls in just his second international innings. It was an assault so brutal that South Africa’s run-rate rarely dropped below 10 after the first over.Levi said he wasn’t disappointed at not being picked in the auction because he only had “one or two good seasons of Twenty20″. In fact, he was surprised he made it to the final auction list at all. Following his assault on the hapless New Zealand bowlers though, it was no surprise that he became a hot commodity, with Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors, the two teams with vacant spots in their squad, chasing his signature. In the end, he opted for Mumbai Indians and the chance to open the batting with Sachin Tendulkar.”I think it is going to be amazing,” Levi told ESPNcricinfo. “They [the crowd] won’t be cheering for me, they will be cheering for their ‘little master’, but I think it’s going to be amazing … I think the first time I do it, it could be a bit of a shock. I might have big eyes and that sort of stuff but it is going to be amazing to walk out and see a crowd that passionate and wanting you to do well.”Mumbai Indians have struggled to find an opening partner for Tendulkar in the IPL, with a number of contenders being rotated in and out of the side over the past four years. The potential impact of a destructive opener was plain to see in 2011, when Chris Gayle almost single-handedly turned Royal Challengers Bangalore’s season around and marched them into the finals. It was one of Gayle’s specials in the second play-off game that knocked Mumbai out of the tournament as well.Levi’s hundred drew comparisons to Gayle and he is confident he can be the attacking opener his team needs. The key, he said, will be how fast he can adapt to playing in Indian conditions, though he already has an edge in that regard, having played in last year’s Champions League Twenty20 with the Cape Cobras. That event taught Levi to be more patient on wickets that are slower than the ones in South Africa and where the ball doesn’t bounce as much. Leaning how to train in hot conditions and managing his body for the rigours of the seven-week tournament will also be crucial to his chances of succeeding in the IPL.”I spoke to a couple of guys [in the South African team] and they said if you can master [Indian] conditions, you can play anywhere in the world.”Levi has always had the ability to hit the ball a long way and said none of his coaches through the years have ever tried to change the way he played. “In the longer format of the game you are told ‘don’t be stupid’ and that sort of stuff,” he said. “In Twenty20 and the one-day game, you can get away with it. But in general, it has just been you have got to where you are playing the way you have. You need to refine it, but don’t lose it.”He credits his Cobras coach Richard Pybus in particular with helping him develop a clearer understanding of his strengths and weakness, while his Cobras team-mate Owais Shah has been another positive influence on his development as batsman. As a result, Levi went from averaging below 30 in the 2009-10 season in first-class cricket to over 50 in 2010-11. His List A average in 2011-12 was 49.44.”You are not going to score a 100 over 40 balls very time in T20 cricket,” Levi said. “The trick is to keep everything as simple as possible and play to your strengths and just watch the ball.”Anybody who watched Levi that day in Hamilton would have left with indelible memories of an astonishing innings. Yet the man himself remembers little from the innings that put him on the international map and led to high-profile IPL contract. There are memories of his captain, AB de Villiers, standing at the other end and clapping and he remembers getting to personal milestones, but not much else.”I watched the highlights once or twice and I still don’t believe some of the shots I played,” Levi said. “They were a bit messy and a bit freakish at times. Luckily, they came off on that day and I kept going and the ball kept landing over the ropes.”If he can keep sending the ball over the ropes in the IPL, Mumbai Indians aren’t going to mind if he can’t remember doing so.

Lauderhill in Florida will host New Zealand and West Indies for two Twenty20 matches on June 30 and July 1, in the run-up to New Zealand’s tour of the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2012Lauderhill in Florida will host New Zealand and West Indies for two Twenty20 matches on June 30 and July 1, in the run-up to New Zealand’s tour of the Caribbean. This will be only the second time two Test teams face-off in Florida, after the Twenty20s between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in May 2010.New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said the games in Lauderhill would boost the sport’s profile in the USA. “Playing matches in Florida is great for the profile of cricket, as Cricket Holdings America works towards forming a professional Twenty20 league,” he said. “I think the West Indies Cricket Board should be commended for the hard work that has gone into scheduling the matches.”After the Twenty20s, New Zealand will play five one-dayers and three Tests in the West Indies, between July 5 and August 6. Jamaica and St Kitts will host the ODIs, while the Tests are scheduled for Antigua and, again, Jamaica. New Zealand will play one three-day tour game ahead of the Tests.Schedule:
June 30, 1st Twenty20, Florida

July 1, 2nd Twenty20, Florida

July 5, 1st ODI, Jamaica
July 7, 2nd ODI, Jamaica
July 11, 3rd ODI, St Kitts
July 14, 4th ODI, St Kitts
July 16, 5th ODI, St Kitts
July 20-22, tour match, Antigua
July 25-29, 1st Test, Antigua
August 2-6, 2nd Test, Jamaica

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Josh Cobb ended their century droughts as Leicestershire’s batsmen dominated

20-Apr-2012Leicestershire 318 for 7 (Sarwan 105, Cobb 105) v Derbyshire
ScorecardRamnaresh Sarwan and Josh Cobb ended their century droughts as Leicestershire’s batsmen dominated the second day of the County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.Sarwan celebrated a first-class hundred for the first time in 26 months while Cobb’s was his first since his maiden century four years ago. Sarwan was out for 105 after sharing a fourth wicket stand of 141 in 33 overs with Cobb who also made 105 as the visitors reached 318 for 7 before bad light ended play seven overs early.Leicestershire had been in trouble in the morning when they lost their second wicket to the 12th ball of the day with only 25 on the board. Tony Palladino claimed his 12th victim of the new season when Jacques Du Toit was caught behind down the leg side for 14 and both Greg Smith and Sarwan had to fight hard to stay in before rain forced an early lunch.Sarwan survived a fierce chance on 24 to Dan Redfern at extra cover three balls before the interval, but he did not give another until he had reached his first century for Leicestershire in his second match for the county.Smith helped him build a solid platform with 33 in three hours before he was bowled trying to cut David Wainwright but the tempo increased with the arrival of Cobb who took the attack to the bowlers. He pulled Wainwright for two sixes on his way to his first Championship fifty since 2010 and Sarwan also came down the pitch to loft Wes Durston over the long on boundary.Cobb pulled Wainwright for a third six after tea before Sarwan reached three figures from 183 balls when he tucked the left-arm spinner behind square for his 16th four. Derbyshire finally got rid of him when he pulled Ross Whiteley low to deep square-leg leaving Cobb to make his way to his first hundred since 2008.The 21-year-old got there when he steered the 155th ball he faced to the vacant third man boundary for his 12th four but he added only three more runs before he missed a big drive at Mark Footitt and was bowled.Derbyshire picked up another wicket when their former player Wayne White was caught behind cutting at Whiteley, but the day still belonged to Leicestershire although with more showers forecast for the weekend, the chances of a positive result in the match look slim.

Intikhab Alam, the PCB’s director of international cricket operations, has said the board’s list of central contracts for 2012 was dated and is open to review

Umar Farooq28-May-2012Intikhab Alam, the PCB’s director of international cricket operations, has said the board’s list of central contracts for 2012 was dated and is open to review. The list of 42 players, which was announced by the PCB on Saturday, was finalised before the squads were selected for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, he said. Subsequently, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Arafat and Rahat Ali, who have been picked for the tour, are without contracts.Pakistan had extended the pool of contracted players from 28 to 42, and there were several irregularities: apart from the players who missed out, fast-bowler Wahab Riaz, who has been axed from all senior squads following a poor run, was awarded a category C contract. Also, banned Quetta wicketkeeper Bismillah Khan was named under the stipend category. Meanwhile fast bowler Mohammad Talha, who is touted to be a promising prospect but is yet to find a real opportunity in the senior team, missed out despite being contracted in 2011. Talha has played just the one Test, and was last selected the Tests against England earlier this year, but was ruled out due to a back injury.”This is the list that was finalised before selecting the teams for Sri Lanka tour,” Alam said. “Sami, at that time, was nowhere near to national selection, while Talha was unfit and his status was unclear. But now we are open to review [the list] and will definitely look into it.”Bismillah was handed a 12-month ban for fighting in a grade two match at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala, on April 21. He had challenged the ban before a judicial commissioner of the PCB, and he will not be excluded from the contracts unless the commissioner rules against him, Alam said. “His contact currently is on hold, we will wait for the outcome of his appeal. The contract will be withdrawn if the commissioner upholds his ban.”As per the 2012 contacts, the players have got a hike of 25% in their retainers, and an increase of 10% in match fees. The contracts also feature a minor addition with regards to disciplinary matters, along with a clause that addresses the issues of players who wish to play in county cricket, foreign leagues, exhibition/charity matches and unauthorised cricket.Some category A players have reportedly shown reservations about signing the contracts, and have sought more time to study them. The cricketers who were playing without contracts since January 2012 (the previous batch of contract expired on December 31, 2011) will be paid once they submit the signed copy of the contract to the PCB.”We have yet to receive any protest or statements of reservation over the contracts from any player, but we are open to address any sort of reservations the players have,” Alam said. “There are no substantial changes in the contracts from the previous ones; we’ve made a few changes regarding playing overseas cricket and the clauses that address disciplinary matters.”

Tim Murtagh, the Middlesex seamer, has been named in Ireland’s squad to face Australia in the one-day international at Stormont on June 23

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2012Tim Murtagh, the Middlesex seamer, has been named in Ireland’s squad to face Australia in the one-day international at Stormont on June 23. Niall O’Brien has also been recalled after missing the World Twenty20 Qualifiers having chosen to play in the Bangladesh Premier League, but has not been guaranteed a starting place by the coach Phil Simmons.Murtagh, who qualified for Ireland in February, was not included for the T20 Qualifiers in the UAE and so is in line for his international debut against Australia. He is enjoying a productive season for Middlesex in the County Championship with 32 wickets at 25.09. His inclusion will help cover for the absence of Boyd Rankin, the Warwickshire pace bowler, who is continuing his recovery from a foot injury. Murtagh is one of the eight county-based players in the 13-man squad.”Although Tim Murtagh hasn’t played for Ireland yet, he’s been bowling superbly for Middlesex so that will soften the blow of losing Boyd,” Simmons said. “Max Sorensen and Trent Johnston were fantastic in the UAE so we have plenty of options in the squad having so many allrounders. I’ve been following the English based players and there have been some fantastic performances from them at various stages this season.”Meanwhile O’Brien, who plays for Northamptonshire, has a chance to restart his international career. In his absence Gary Wilson, who is on the Surrey staff, was the wicketkeeper-batsman and Simmons has said that O’Brien cannot just expect to walk back in the side.”There’s no doubt he’s among the best 14 players that Ireland have, but Gary Wilson did superbly in the UAE, so Niall knows he’s going to have work hard and be at his best to regain the gloves.”Looking ahead to the contest against Australia, Ireland’s latest chance to take on a Full-Member opposition, Simmons recalled the match two years ago when Ireland pushed Australia close.”We had a great opportunity to beat them two years ago and threw it away,” he said. “We’ve learned from that and are two years more experienced now – I’d back us to win that game at this stage given the same chance. These games are the sort of fixtures we’ve been crying out for and hopefully there will be many more of them in the coming years.”The squad will be captained by William Porterfield and also includes Sussex’s Ed Joyce, Somerset’s George Dockrell, who has impressed in the Championship this season, and Kevin O’Brien who has recently signed with Somerset for the Friends Life t20.Squad William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

On a day that began with Pakistan needing to bat positively to set a competitive target, Sri Lanka surged ahead with a strong chance of winning the series 2-0

The Report by Siddhartha Talya11-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Pakistan showed how tough a challenge coming from behind in a Test can prove. Even though they erased the deficit of 111 runs with relative ease, their position in the match was never secure. Even in conditions in which the assistance to bowlers had reduced drastically, the Pakistan batsmen struggled to perform collectively. Azhar Ali’s solid, determined century was the glue that held their innings together, but even he, despite having batted over six hours and taken the lead past 150, was not immune against a seemingly harmless delivery that got him out. On a day that began with Pakistan needing to bat positively to set a competitive target, Sri Lanka moved ahead with a good chance of winning the series 2-0, though a test against a strong bowling attack awaits them.Dilhara Fernando, in and out of the side for the past 12 years and currently on his 17th comeback, bowled quick, varied his lengths, slipped in his split-finger slower balls as well as accurate yorkers. But a couple of unlikely candidates for wicket-taking deliveries broke two fluent partnerships that looked good for more. A full and wide delivery prompted Mohammad Hafeez to chase it after adding 94 with Ali, only to land safely in the hands of the slip fielder. A short and wide delivery that kept a little low produced a slash, and a fatal edge, from Ali after a century-stand with Asad Shafiq, removing the biggest obstacle between Sri Lanka and a chaseable target.While Fernando delivered against the flow, en route to his 100th Test wicket, left-arm spinner Rangana Herath accounted for Pakistan’s two most experienced batsmen, forcing the settled Ali to restrain himself and focus on rebuilding and damage control instead of stepping up the scoring in an effort to level the series.

Smart stats

• Azhar Ali’s century is his fourth in Tests and third against Sri Lanka. However, he failed to surpass his highest score of 157 which he has achieved on two occasions against Sri Lanka (SSC in the previous Test) and England in Dubai.

• Azhar now has 17 fifty-plus second-innings scores by Pakistan batsmen against Sri Lanka. Five of the top six scores have come in Tests in Sri Lanka.

• Dilhara Fernando became only the fifth Sri Lankan bowler to pick up 100 wickets in Tests. He now has 100 wickets at 37.75 with three five-fors.

• Rangana Herath became the third Sri Lankan bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas to pick up 100 wickets in home Tests. Herath now has 102 wickets at 26.74 with eight five-fors.

• Herath also became the second Sri Lankan bowler and the 11th overall to reach the 50-wicket mark against Pakistan. He averages 31.07 and has two five-fors in Tests against Pakistan.

• The 100-run stand between Azhar and Asad Shafiq is the seventh fifth-wicket century partnership for Pakistan against Sri Lanka. Three of these have come in the team second innings.

• Prasanna Jayawardene went past Romesh Kaluwitharana to go second on the list of Sri Lankan wicketkeepers with the most dismissals. Kumar Sangakkara is on top with 144 dismissals.

Herath hardly got any turn until much later in the day, and was often met with batsmen charging out to him, defending, working it around and, in the case of Ali, driving him comfortably through extra cover. Younis Khan tried the same one ball after a 48-run stand with Ali, but failed to get to the pitch of a flat delivery; the ball scraped the thumb and lobbed up before silly point to be taken smartly by an alert Tharanga Paranavitana. Misbah-ul-Haq showed some intent straightaway, attempting a slog-sweep second ball. But when he tried to drive a loopy delivery from Herath, he edged to slip and departed for just 5.Amid all this, Ali showed a lot of maturity and confidence, having taken the responsibility to anchor the innings. Early in the day, with some movement on offer, he was content leaving deliveries outside off when Nuwan Kulasekara got the odd one to nip away, and adept at playing his preferred inswingers through midwicket and square leg. Extra cover was his favourite area, and he cashed in when allowed the room to free his arms. Kulasekara, Fernando, Mathews and Herath were all punished through that region, even with a deep point in place in the case of the seamers. He was strong down the ground as well, driving Fernando and Thisara Perera for boundaries, but in a hardworking knock, the singles were no less significant. He and Hafeez ran 39 out of 92 this morning in singles, and 40 out of 100 with Shafiq.Shafiq was impressive in his first innings’ 75 in more difficult conditions; he followed it up with another important contribution, and remains key to prolonging Pakistan’s innings and stretching their lead on the final day. If Ali’s strength was the off side, Shafiq continued to be dominant square of the wicket. He wasn’t given the width he got in the first innings, but the straight deliveries were whipped and pulled through square leg and midwicket. With a sound technique and footwork, and the potential to bat long, he and Ali are increasingly showing they can be the future mainstays of Pakistan’s middle order. But having lost Ali, and watched Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal trapped in front in a space of seven overs, he was left battling with an injured Adnan Akmal for company.The highlights for Pakistan on the fourth day promised much for their Test future, but the team was still behind at stumps.Their big hope, yet again, remains a Junaid Khan-led retaliation.

Yorkshire had victory snatched from their grasp by Sussex off the last ball in a thrilling finish to the Clydesdale Bank 40 contest at Headingley

19-Aug-2012
ScorecardAmjad Khan was the hero for Sussex with the bat•Getty Images

Yorkshire had victory snatched from their grasp by Sussex off the last ball in a thrilling finish to the Clydesdale Bank 40 contest at Headingley which the visitors won by three wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis system.Defeat for Yorkshire in the 28-over game ended their hopes of making it through to the semi-finals whereas Sussex remain top of the Group C table.The visitors chased down a revised target of 207 after Yorkshire had knocked up 200 for 8 and they still required 16 with three wickets in hand off the last over which was bowled by offspinner Azeem Rafiq.The game swung dramatically their way as Amjad Khan lashed the first delivery for six and the next for four. Two were needed off the final delivery and Khan got them by managing to squeeze the ball through backward point.It was tough luck on Rafiq and fellow spinner, Adil Rashid, who had bowled splendidly together when Sussex were 156 for 4, needing 51 off six overs. The pair conceded only five apiece off the next two overs, Rafiq also bowling Joe Gatting, and he later dismissed Mike Yardy, leaving Sussex wanting 35 from 14 balls, their position improving through a six from Ben Brown.Brown fell to Tim Bresnan to make it 185 for 7 and Yorkshire were still firm favourites until Khan’s late onslaught, Sussex earlier having been well served with half-centuries from Chris Nash and Ed Joyce.Put in to bat, Yorkshire made 14 off the first four overs before rain caused a lengthy delay and on the resumption skipper Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques were eager to make up for lost time. They had advanced the score to 33 by the eighth over when Jaques was bowled making room to try and cut a yorker from Chris Liddle but the tempo increased still further with the arrival of Joe Root.He powered to 13 with three boundaries off the first four balls he faced while Gale launched himself at Monty Panesar with two big sixes over long on. The second wicket pair raced their stand to 50 off 34 balls and it had galloped on to 75 in 10 overs when Gale was caught on the boundary edge off Luke Wright for 43 from 55 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.A return catch to Nash ended Root’s spree on 41 from 26 balls with four fours and a six but Adam Lyth and Bresnan made sure that Yorkshire’s progress was maintained, Lyth making a bright 19 and Bresnan including a front foot cover drive for six off Khan and two consecutive boundaries off Yardy who pinned him lbw for 27 with his next delivery. Sussex employed seven bowlers, the most successful being Liddle with three for 44.

Stephen Peters added another century to keep alive Northamptonshire’s slim hopes of clinching promotion to Division One

Jon Culley at Northampton10-Aug-2012
ScorecardStephen Peters batted all day for an unbeaten 137•Getty Images

A week after registering his first century of a season that has seen him short of runs, Stephen Peters added another to keep alive Northamptonshire’s slim hopes of clinching promotion to Division One.Time is running out and Derbyshire, the leaders, look out of reach but a victory in this match combined with a couple more in the final quarter of the season might yet put them in contention for second place. After the psychological damage left by last season, when they appeared to have the prize in their grasp only to let a big lead evaporate, they should need little motivation.There is a new man providing it now – or rather newish. David Ripley, who joined the club as a player in 1984 and has never left, has been on the coaching staff for more than a decade, took charge of the first team temporarily last month after the sacking of David Capel, another long servant, and was told the job was his permanently earlier this week.There had been suggestions that a fresh voice might be needed to bring renewed vigour to the dressing room but the move has been a popular one among the players. Oddly enough, Peters offered his personal support for the appointment on the eve of this match. If form reflects contentment, then this innings was a further endorsement.He rarely put a foot wrong, sharing an opening stand of 126 with Niall O’Brien, who was back in the side after his latest tour of duty with Ireland, and one of 139 with Andrew Hall that re-established Northamptonshire’s grip after an afternoon session in which Leicestershire had mounted a fightback.Now 33, Peters has become a solidly dependable opening batsman, blessed with superlative powers of concentration. Yet in full flow he is an attractive strokemaker who can easily switch to attacking mode. His unbeaten 137 would have looked better still, though, had Hall not been out to what became the last ball of the day, driving loosely at a ball from Nathan Buck that provided a catch for wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley. Nonetheless, with a third batting point in the bank and some capable batting to come, Ripley will feel it has been a satisfactory opening day.Leicestershire are bottom of the table, which has become a sadly familiar position for them. However, they are not so far behind that what remains of the season is meaningless. Indeed, the gap between themselves and Northamptonshire at the start of this match was only 20 points.Yet for the most part they were disappointing. Josh Cobb, taking charge of his second Championship game after Matthew Hoggard left himself out in favour of Robbie Joseph, chose to bowl first on a grassy wicket on winning the toss but was probably regretting the decision fairly quickly.None of his bowlers seemed capable of finding anything in it to help their cause and the Northamptonshire openers made the most of a rare opportunity to bat in sustained warm sunshine, finishing the morning session 95 to the good.The afternoon was much more productive for Leicestershire, albeit within the space of 11 overs. The seamers bowled what you might refer to politely as a mixed bag. There were a few too many easy boundaries, and a bit too much work for Eckersley to do on the leg side of the wicket, yet from time to time there would be a ball that flew past the edge or had the batsman in two minds. Wickets went begging a couple of times for want of an extra slip fielder.Wayne White, in particular, offered a threat. He has some pace and hostility in his armoury and took two wickets in two balls towards the end of his second spell, breaking the opening partnership when O’Brien, a little flat-footed, edged a drive. The Irishman had looked impressive in reaching 70. Two balls later, David Sales, struggling for runs, edged low to first slip. He did not walk immediately, but after a consultation between the umpires had to accept that the ball had been taken cleanly.When Shiv Thakor, the 18-year-old allrounder for whom Leicestershire have great hopes, then removed Alex Wakely and Rob Newton within the space of four deliveries, across two overs, Northamptonshire were 161 for 4.White’s third spell deserved more success but Hall and Peters steadily reasserted themselves. Peters reached his century by cutting Claude Henderson, the left-arm spinner, for his 12th boundary and followed it immediately with another. He had increased his tally to 16 by the close.Whatever else happens in Northamptonshire’s season, it will not involve Chaminda Vaas. The 38-year-old former Sri Lanka fast bowler, who was the county’s player of the year in 2011, has been released from what remains of his contract after a season dogged by injury problems.

Virat Kohli, the India batsman, has been named the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the ICC awards function in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2012Virat Kohli, the India batsman, has been named the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the ICC awards function in Colombo. He was picked ahead of MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga and Kumar Sangakkara.During the period under consideration, Kohli played 31 ODIs and scored 1733 runs at an average of 66.65, including eight hundreds and six half-centuries. His highest score was 183, against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.”I think I have tried to keep things as simple as possible and it’s worked for me on the field,” Kohli said. “This year has been a learning curve along the way from the seniors in the team. It’s been an all-round effort and I’m very happy to have won this award.”It’s always nice to be recognised by the ICC, it’s a great feeling, and it’s the first time I’ve won one of these awards.”In a year in which Kohli was named India’s one-day vice-captain, following a solid tour to Australia, his best innings came in must-win games for India. In Hobart, with India needing to chase down Sri Lanka’s target of 321 in 40 overs to stay alive in the Commonwealth Bank Series, Kohli delivered with 133 not out of 86 balls. His unbroken 120-run stand with Suresh Raina came at 13.09 runs an over, and got India home in 36.4 overs. Three matches later, he put in a similar performance during his 183 in the Asia Cup against Pakistan – there India were chasing 330, and his knock came off 148 balls as India won with over two overs to spare. In that period, Kohli scored four centuries and one fifty in five innings.