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It would have been one of their most extraordinary Test victories and for much of the final afternoon in Trinidad England looked as though they could pull it off

Andrew McGlashan in Trinidad11-Mar-2009It would have been one of their most extraordinary Test victories and for much of the final afternoon in Trinidad England looked as though they could pull it off. They roused themselves for a final effort to level the series, but as has been the case ever since they subsided for 51 in Jamaica, time ran out.The maths never gave them much of a chance: bowl West Indies out in under 66 overs for less than 240, when for the rest of the series the best they’d managed was to dismiss them in 89.2 overs for 285. However, James Anderson finally gained recognition for his unstinting efforts and Graeme Swann further elevated his status, as England found a combination of pace and spin that lifted the tension to its highest point of the series.”When we got them five-down there was enough happening to suggest it could happen,” Andrew Strauss said. “Taking wickets took a little bit longer after that and we always felt we were just behind where we wanted to be in terms of the time left available. But when that eighth wicket went down there was still a chance.”Even the close finish at the Antigua Recreation Ground it didn’t quite feel like this, perhaps because there had always been a belief that England win that game. Here it was a far more fanciful notion, even after Kevin Pietersen’s best innings of the series, yet suddenly the players and fans started to believe. When the penultimate ball was bowled and the victory hunt was finally halted there were England supporters nearly in tears. Sport does funny things to grown men.Even as they contemplate the loss of the Wisden Trophy for the first time in nine years, the England team should feel they have gained a lot from this performance. This is the sort of cricket of which they are capable. The intensity of the battle brought the best out of them, although Strauss was struggling to see beyond the loss of a series.”I’m pretty dejected really, more than anything because of the way we played today which was outstanding,” he said. “Kevin Pietersen put on an incredible partnership which gave us the opportunity to get more overs at them than we might have possibly thought at the start of the day.”To get them eight-down on a very flat wicket was an outstanding effort from our bowlers, who were tired at the end of a long series. I am very proud of the way the team played today, just dejected that we were not able to force a result.”Two wickets away from victory here and one in Antigua leaves England with endless what-ifs about this series. However, it was one crazy session in Jamaica that proved the difference. “That has ultimately cost us the series,” Strauss said. “That was a freaky situation where we played badly, we weren’t switched on, we got put under pressure and didn’t handle it properly.”We have to understand it is in those small margins in which Test matches are won and lost, and series are won and lost. We can’t afford to be on the receiving end of those sessions.”Strauss consoled himself with the fighting spirit his team showed to lift themselves after that embarrassment. They were shocked, hurting and down after the innings defeat but the batting responded in fine style, albeit on flat surfaces, to ensure they had a chance at various stages of the remaining Tests.”We were very low as a team in Jamaica, understandably after what happened,” Strauss admitted. “The guys were low after that and we played some very good cricket for three Test matches. The fact we were not able to force a result for any of them is disappointing, but I can’t fault the effort and we have learned a lot on this tour in terms of bowling on flat wickets and as a batting unit compiling big scores again, which is something we’ve not done for a while.”In the end, though, it was England’s inability to take 20 wickets that prevented them completing a comeback, although the make-up of the attack in Trinidad showed one of the possible ways forward for the future. One of Strauss’s strengths as captain is that he is realistic, something that didn’t come naturally to Pietersen, and he realises that England don’t possess the complete match-winner with the ball that would make his job so much easier.”The flatness of the wickets meant neither team was able to force the issue in those final three Test matches,” he said. “When you are 1-0 down in the series you want result wickets and we had three that forcing a result on was always going to be very difficult.”We got close and we don’t have a Shoaib Akhtar who can blast people out, or a Murali, so we have to be realistic enough to realise that if we’re going to take wickets consistently it has to be through pressure. If you apply pressure, even on flat wickets, you will find that teams will collapse eventually.”Without or without that killer presence in the attack, the men Strauss had at his disposal almost had enough skill, willpower and determination to pull off an incredible success. That they failed will hurt for a while, but tonight Strauss and his team-mates can feel proud of their efforts to try and pull something out of nothing.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has said it is ready to host the IPL in April-May after the BCCI officially approached it with a request on Sunday morning. “South Africa were officially approached today by the IPL officials, asking us whether we can host the e

Ajay S Shankar and Alex Brown22-Mar-2009
Shaun Pollock: “There is a very good appetite for Twenty20 cricket in South Africa. We certainly have the people and the stadiums to put on a good event” © Getty Images
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has said it is ready to host the second season of the IPL in April-May after the BCCI officially approached it with a request on Sunday morning.”South Africa were officially approached today by the IPL officials, asking us whether we can host the event,” Gerald Majola, CSA’s chief executive, told Cricinfo. “We are looking at their requirements to see whether we can fulfill them. As I understand, we are one of the parties that they have approached, but for now we can say that we are ready to host the IPL. However, we expect to meet the Indian officials soon to understand the situation better.”Majola said he expected to have “positive discussions” with Indian officials in this regard over phone on Monday. Asked about the challenges that confront South Africa in holding an event of this magnitude at such short notice, Majola said: “None, as far as I can see. We have the venues, grounds and the infrastructure in place but I can give you a complete answer only after we study what the IPL’s requirements are.”CSA is believed to have already placed five venues on standby with the option of holding the semi-finals and final in India.Shaun Pollock, the former South African captain and current advisor to the Mumbai Indians, said he’d be happy if his country was chosen as the venue. “I probably know the conditions here better than anyone in the world, and that could be of use to Mumbai in my advisory role. There is a very good appetite for Twenty20 cricket in South Africa. We certainly have the people and the stadiums to put on a good event. The timezone will work too, with us only being three hours behind India.”Not much, however, appears to have been firmed up yet. Andre Odendaal, the chief executive of Western Province, said financial and logistical arrangements for hosting the tournament had not been discussed by the South African provinces.”There are six South African franchises and eight IPL franchises, so I assume that down the track there will be talks as to which team will use which ground as a home venue,” Odendaal said. “But there are no details yet. All that has happened at our end so far is that we have been asked if this was possible and whether we could do it, and the answer was yes. Apart from that, we don’t know a lot more. Details about finances and the like will probably be thrashed out during the week.”South Africa is excited to help out. It fits in very well with our end-of-season activities. For instance, in Cape Town, April and May are the best months of the year. Also, our season ends on April 9, so it is good timing for us.”Diverging views emerged from officials of the franchise owners as the news of the impending relocation broke.Some franchises favour South Africa as it is cheaper option compared to England, the other serious alternative. “If we are looking at an April start, the climate in England would be a factor,” a franchise official said. “Even the TV timings, we feel, will work better for us if the matches are held in South Africa.”Senior officials from India and South Africa had earlier denied reports that the IPL was being relocated to South Africa. The tournament’s future came under a cloud after the Indian government expressed its reluctance to approve the dates, given its clash with the country’s general elections.South Africa is also expected to host the Champions Trophy from September 24-October 5 this year after the ICC board endorsed a recommendation by its Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) to hold the tournament there.

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes Steven Gerrard is not convinced by Jack Simpson, following his Europa League axing.

The Lowdown: Simpson left out of squad

Simpson arrived from Bournemouth in the summer – he agreed the move earlier in the year – and will have been hoping to play a part in the Gers’ Europa League campaign.

That won’t be the case, however, with the 24-year-old excluded from his side’s squad, having also only appeared once in the Scottish Premiership this season.

The Latest: McLeish discusses axing

It is a tough one to take for Simpson, but speaking to Football Insider, McLeish claimed there may be something that has left Gerrard unconvinced about his new signing:

“We spoke about Jack when he came. I felt at that time he hadn’t had a lot of experience at Bournemouth.

“Then we saw him in an Old Firm game, there was some good stuff there, he showed the potential.

“But there’s obviously something that Steven’s not particularly, I’m not saying liking, but thinking that he’s not ready to go ahead of the guys who are already ahead and in position.

“You do have to make sacrifices. Some of them will have people thinking: ‘Oh well, what are we doing buying these players? We’re not putting them in the squad.’ You get that kind of feedback.

“I would say Stevie will probably want to prioritise in some other positions and make sure that they’re covered. He will know he’s well covered in the defensive side.

“It will be a disappointment to Simpson. He has to see what he can do to try and get ahead of the other guys.”

The Verdict: Tough call, but fair

Simpson will no doubt be bitterly disappointed to miss out, but in fairness, it is hard to argue with McLeish’s stance on the matter.

Rangers have a plethora of defensive options in their Europa League squad and the manager may have felt the need to focus on beefing up other areas instead of including Simpson as well.

The hope is perhaps that this may earn the defender more minutes in the league, however, allowing Gerrard to rotate as his new man adjusts to life at Ibrox.

In other news, one Rangers player is likely to miss their upcoming fixtures. Find out who it is here.

When it comes to left-sided defenders, Everton have been extremely fortunate over the last decade or so.

At first, the Toffees had the ever-reliable and consistent Leighton Baines in their ranks.

The former England international was a wonderful presence at left-back, pioneering what has become a staple of modern football; an offensive full-back.

Baines was a capable defender but gift him the ball inside the penalty area or just over 18 yards from goal and you were in trouble.

The defender scored 39 times for Everton, primarily from dead-ball situations, while he also created 67 strikes for his teammates.

However, back in the summer of 2018, the club made attempts to replace him.

It was Marcel Brands’ first summer as the club’s director of football and one of his greatest investments from that year is still at the club.

That happens to be Lucas Digne, a player cut from a similar cloth as Baines.

The left-back hails from Paris rather than Merseyside but his free-kick taking ability is similarly marvellous.

He signed for a fee of £18m three years ago and has gone from strength to strength since. Never really afforded a proper opportunity at Barcelona, he has become one of the most exciting defenders in the Premier League.

Speaking about the Frenchman last term, Jamie Redknapp said: “You need good quality, you need good crosses, they need to have assists and he [Digne] is an exceptional player.

“He puts it into great areas all the time, a little bit like Robertson. He looks like the sort of lad you want in your team because he gets stuck in as well. He can play in a back three as well.”

Linked with Manchester City in the last year, it’s fair to say that Brands struck gold in bringing the full-back to Goodison Park.

Now rated at £31.5m via Transfermarkt, Digne’s transfer value has risen considerably by £13.5m after arriving in English football.

A move away might well cost any willing suitor more but it’s evident to see why. He is a rampant threat down the left and has contributed five goals and 20 assists in 117 outings for the club.

The archetypal modern defender, Digne has a wonderful technique that separates him from many other players who feature in the same role.

Providing they can keep at the club in the next few years, he will be vital to Rafa Benitez’s ambitions of bringing European football back to Goodison.

AND in other news, Rafa must swoop for “special” £25m gem who’s terrorised Everton…

The BCCI has announced an “amnesty” to all Indian players associated with the ICL and said that they can return to official cricket if they cut all ties with the unofficial private league within May 31

Cricinfo staff29-Apr-2009The Indian board has announced an “amnesty” for all Indian players associated with the ICL, who can return to official cricket provided they cut all ties with the unofficial league by May 31. The players who choose to return to the official fold will be eligible to play international cricket after a one-year ‘cooling period’ but can play domestic cricket from June 1, when the ICC’s new rules on official and unofficial cricket come into force.”A lot of cricketers and support staff with the ICL met us and told us that they committed a mistake by joining the ICL and they want to return to the BCCI,” Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, said after a meeting of the board, where the decision was taken. “They will be allowed to play domestic cricket immediately. “It’s learnt that other national boards who have banned their ICL players from official cricket are expected to follow suit. There are at least 85 Indian and 60 foreign players aligned with the ICL, which is bankrolled by India’s largest listed media company, Zee Telefilms and headed by the country’s lone World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev.The country standing to gain the most from the decision is Pakistan, which has 20 players in the ICL of whom half – including Mohammad Yousuf – could expect to play for the national side. New Zealand, which has lost its most potent fast bowler, Shane Bond, has already said it could waive the cooling-off period.There was no immediate reaction from the ICL but, shortly after news broke of the amnesty, Cricinfo received a statement from the league. “Taking forward its sports performance evaluation process across all cricket operations, the ICL management has decided not to renew the contracts of some of the ICL players and support staff that have expired”, the statement, by the ICL’s head Himanshu Mody, said. “As cricket professionals they are free to decide and explore their options.”The “sports performance evaluation process” Mody referred to was a review, revealed to Cricinfo in February, of its underperforming players.The ICL and BCCI have been at loggerheads ever since the league was announced two years ago, in the aftermath of India’s disastrous World Cup campaign. It was a revolutionary idea but lacked official sanction and soon paid the price for that. The Indian board hit back by blacklisting the league and those who joined it, as players or support staff, and a few months later announced the formation of the IPL.The BCCI’s stand was then adopted by most other boards who lost players to the IPL, though the ban has been applied selectively across the ICC’s member nations; of late some ICL players, especially in Pakistan and New Zealand, have been admitted back to domestic cricket.The ban remained a controversial issue, though, and the ICL lobbied hard with the ICC to have the status revoked. The ICC set up meeting between the league and the Indian board but the BCCI did not appear keen on a resolution and the meetings came to naught. Earlier this month, the ICC formally rejected an application by the ICL for “authorised unofficial” status, saying it did not meet its criteria.News of the amnesty is expected to be welcomed by ICL players, though their return to the official fold is still several steps away.Hemang Badani and Rohan Gavaskar, two of the ICL’s leading Indian players, called the BCCI’s offer a “positive decision” and good for the players.”Some of us have been stuck with the ICL and not knowing where we are headed cricket-wise, especially after the March programme was cancelled,” Badani told Cricinfo. “Some of the ICL money due to us was not coming through either, possibly due to the recession. But mostly some of us were frustrated because there just hasn’t been enough cricket for us in the ICL. Of course, we played some good cricket in the ICL but not the quantity we expected.”However, Badani, who plays for Chennai Superstars, said he would decide within a week whether to take up the offer and would weigh his options carefully.Gavaskar, who plays for Royal Bengal Tigers, said he hoped the ICL would not come in the way of players who wish to represent their country. “It is a positive decision because the BCCI is giving the ICL player an option,” he said. “If they don’t make use of this option they can’t blame the BCCI in future. Also the ICL had said initially when they were recruiting players that they would not come in the way of a player if he gets a chance to play for the country.”

A round-up from the fourth and final day in the third round County Championship matches

Cricinfo staff09-May-2009Division TwoShaun Udal grabbed six wickets as Middlesex sensed victory, but their middle-order collapsed spectacularly to draw with Surrey•Getty ImagesJames Tredwell’s career-best 8 for 66 prompted a dramatic Glamorgan collapse as Kent beat the visitors by 204 runs at Canterbury. Kent declared on 409 for 5 in their second innings, with Martin van Jaarsveld falling for 182, which left Glamorgan a sizeable target of 385. They were never in the hunt. Gareth Rees and Ben Wright took them to 99 for 1 but when Rees became Tredwell’s second wicket, the doors were then flung wide open. Glamorgan lost 9 for 81 with Wright the last man out for a resilient 81 from 157 balls, as Tredwell recorded the superb match figures of 11 for 120.Northamptonshire raced to their target of 176 in under 40 overs, beating Essex in impressive fashion on the final day at Wantage Road. The home side put on 81 for the opening wicket with Rob White cracking an unbeaten 76. James Middlebrook and Danish Kaneria each took a wicket, but chasing such a meagre total was never likely to trouble Northamptonshire, and Nicky Boje, the captain, flayed 34 from 33 balls. White sealed a thumping eight-wicket win with a clattered six off Matt Walker.Anthony Ireland took two wickets to limit Gloucestershire’s target to a facile 72, as William Portfield and Kadeer Ali knocked off the required runs in a confident 10-wicket win over Leicestershire at Bristol. Ireland removed James Taylor, who only added one to his overnight 34, and although Carl Crowe (41*) and Iain O’Brien (31) added lower-order runs, Leicestershire were dismissed for 331 to set Gloucestershire an easy target. Porterfield, the Ireland captain, stroked four fours in his 32 while Kadeer cracked six in his 51-ball 38, as Gloucestershire raced home in the second session to win by ten wickets.With victory in sight, Middlesex collapsed spectacularly to the spin of Murtaza Hussain and Chris Schofield as Surrey very nearly pulled off a remarkable win on the final day at The Oval. Shaun Udal picked up 6 for 74 to dismiss Surrey for 242, with only Michael Brown (73) passing fifty, and that left Middlesex requiring 186 in 25 overs. The Twenty20 Cup champions began superbly, with Phillip Hughes smashing 57 from just 46 balls and gaining good support from Nick Compton (28 from 24). The pair took Schofield for 30 runs in nearly three overs, but he got his revenge in removing Hughes for 57 and, with support from Hussain at the other end, Surrey ran through Middlesex’s middle-order as a nailbiting finish ensued. Thirteen were needed from 11 deliveries; then 10 from 6 before three were required from four balls. However, Hussain trapped Steve Finn leg-before to leave three needed from the last delivery, but Stuart Meaker ran out Alan Richardson to record a thrilling and unlikely draw.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Gloucestershire 4 2 1 0 10 53 Kent 3 20 0 1 0 48Northamptonshire 4 1 1 0 20 45 Derbyshire 3 10 0 2 0 36Essex 4 1 2 0 10 35 Middlesex 3 00 0 3 0 34Glamorgan 3 0 1 0 20 29 Surrey 3 01 0 2 0 20Leicestershire 3 0 1 0 20 17Division OneDurham are still looking for their first win of their Championship defence after they drew with Sussex on the final day at Hove. Sussex were set 316 in 56 overs and scorched 72 of their first 105 runs in boundaries, but kept losing regular wickets to halt and ultimately end their chase. Durham picked up five wickets as Sussex began to wobble, but Chris Nash (85) and Andrew Hodd knuckled down with a steadying sixth-wicket partnership of 64 as the match drifted to a draw. Liam Plunkett picked up impressive figures of 2 for 36 from 12 overs, following on from his four in the first innings.For a full report of Nottinghamshire’s six-wicket win over Somerset at Trent Bridge, click here.And for a full report of Warwickshire’s draw against Yorkshire at Edgbaston click here

Team Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Nottinghamshire 3 2 0 0 10 51 Lancashire 3 20 0 1 0 46Hampshire 3 1 0 0 20 35 Durham 3 00 0 3 0 34Warwickshire 3 0 0 0 30 31 Yorkshire 3 00 0 3 0 29Sussex 3 0 1 0 20 25 Somerset 3 01 0 2 0 21Worcestershire 4 0 3 0 10 21

Manchester United will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to the new Premier League season when they host Aston Villa in today’s early kick-off.

The Red Devils have picked up 13 points from a possible 15 after a strong showing in the opening weeks of 2021/22, and they could move to the top of the table with another victory at Old Trafford.

Their chances of doing just that received a significant boost after United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed that experienced striker Edinson Cavani will be back in the matchday squad following an injury layoff.

“He’s in the squad tomorrow, he’s been training, and now he feels ready to contribute,” the Norwegian confirmed in Friday’s press conference.

“He came on against Wolverhampton, then he got a slight strain in the international break when we had a game, and he’s ready again. He’s worked really hard and diligently, and hopefully, he’ll have an impact as he did last season.”

Solskjaer will be hoping that his side can bounce back from a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham in the Carabao Cup last time out, and he’s expected to ring the changes following that underwhelming display in midweek.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 48-year-old to line up against Villa, with 11 changes from the side which lost to the Hammers on Wednesday…

In goal, David de Gea’s return to form will see him come back into the starting XI, meaning that Dean Henderson will be on the substitutes’ bench.

Ahead of the Spanish shot-stopper is expected to a back four which has shown a lot of promise in the early stages of the campaign, with Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Aaron Wan-Bissaka making up the defensive unit.

The midfield engine room will also have a familiar feel to it as Scott McTominay and Fred are set to form a double pivot, providing a solid foundation for the more attack-minded Bruno Fernandes from which to work.

Completing the lineup is Paul Pogba, the £45m-rated Mason Greenwood and summer signing Cristiano Ronaldo, relegating Anthony Martial back the sidelines after a hugely disappointing performance against West Ham on Wednesday night.

In other news… Lost possession 15 times: Man Utd liability struggled badly against West Ham 

Derby County have been warned about the possibility of losing Louie Sibley in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Derby coach Kevin Phillips stated his belief that Leeds United could look to take advantage of the Rams’ perilous financial situation in the winter window, by submitting an offer for the Premier League side’s reported long-term target, Louie Sibley.

In his comments, Phillips said: “Unfortunately, when someone is having a tough time there are always predators waiting to jump and take advantage of the situation.

“There is an opportunity now for clubs to sign the good players Derby have got for next to nothing. There will probably be some daft offers going in. Derby will need the money unless they find a buyer by then.

“It’s another opportunity for Leeds to sign Louie Sibley. I know him very well and let me tell you he’d be a brilliant signing for them.”

Rooney would be gutted

While Sibley has not exactly been in the best of form for Derby so far this season, with the 20-year-old having scored no goals nor registered any assists over his nine Championship appearances, as well as averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.48, the midfielder demonstrated back in the Rams’ 2019/20 campaign the sheer amount of talent he truly possesses.

Indeed, over just 11 Championship appearances that term, the £2.7m-rated man scored five goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £1.5k-per-week youngster earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as Derby’s joint eighth-best performer in the second tier that season.

As such, should Phillips indeed be correct in his prediction that the Rams could be forced into selling the England U20 international for a nominal fee this January in order to help balance the club’s books, it would undoubtedly be a deal that would leave Wayne Rooney gutted, as losing the midfielder would only make the 35-year-old manager’s already near-impossible task of keeping Derby in the Championship more difficult.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops promising Derby County takeover claim, Rams fans will be buzzing

Kolkata lifted by stellar fifties by Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge staged one of the greatest chases in the tournament and in turn, showed why the bottom-placed team may still prove to be the king makers in this crucial last phase of the league games

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya18-May-2009Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMcCullum displayed the same destructive batting that was on view in the first game of the IPL last year•Associated PressKolkata Knight Riders, powered by fifties from Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge, staged one of the most thrilling chases in the tournament and showed why the bottom-placed team may still prove to be the king-makers in this crucial last phase of the league games. Chennai Super Kings, who looked set to seal a semi-final spot with their mammoth total batting first, will now have to put the celebrations on hold.The run-chase owed its success to three partnerships: the opening stand totally dominated by McCullum, his association with Hodge, where he took charge initially before letting his partner step up, and Hodge’s match-winning association with Wriddhiman Saha, whose calm presence combined well with the timely acceleration to stun Chennai.The return of the seamers at the death heralded a decisive shift in the game as Hodge found an unlikely foil in Saha, who smote a six and a four in the 17th over from L Balaji that went for 14. The next over from Albie Morkel bled 13, with Hodge collecting two fours, one slapped back past the bowler and the other swung behind square leg.With Chennai short of options, it was hoped that Balaji would be able to hit the blockhole but he was guilty of the same slip-up that cost Kolkata their previous two games. He gifted Hodge length balls, two of which were struck clean and straight over long-off, and a generous full toss to Saha off the final ball, who duly obliged to smack it over midwicket to bring it down to six off the last over. Suresh Raina tried his best, but despite an attacking field and a dot ball first up, the wave was against him. Hodge and Saha stole singles off the second and third deliveries, a tight run to cover on the fourth, before a swat to long-on with a deep enough Jacob Oram allowed them to scamper back for the second and level the scores. With the field brought up, an incredibly calm Saha chipped Raina over cover to seal a comeback win.McCullum threatened to wrest the game with his blistering innings, displaying the same destructive batting that was on view in the first match of the IPL’s inaugural version. His dominant innings today was as much a reflection on his brilliance as the lack of support from the other end, especially in the initial stages.McCullum announced his intent from the first over, slashing one past slip, and clipping Morkel past square leg. Keeping him off strike became Chennai’s immediate objective and Sourav Ganguly made their job far simpler, struggling to get bat on ball, a stark contrast to McCullum’s free flow. McCullum feasted on Morkel, smashing him for 16 in the third over, while Ganguly was made to look like an irritable fly-swatter by Sudeep Tyagi. He was eventually put out of his misery, chopping one on from Muttiah Muralitharan, though Chennai, in hindsight, would have wished he had continued.The dismissal did not deter McCullum; the run-chase received a massive boost in Tyagi’s next over, as Chennai were suddenly made to grapple with the possibility of an upset. Tyagi was clattered for four consecutive fours – two over cover, one through fine leg and the other over midwicket – before gifting a freebie that was promptly dispatched into the stands. Kolkata had made 56 in the powerplay of which 50 had come off McCullum’s blade.Hodge has been Kolkata’s best batsman in the tournament, and adapted to his subordinate role superbly, allowing McCullum the bulk of the strike, something his predecessor had appallingly failed to do. The scoring dipped with Murali and Shadab Jakati doing their utmost to restrain Kolkata, but McCullum’s determination to put the horror of his team’s run behind him bode ominously for Chennai. If the Powerplay was lit up by his brute force, his handling of spin exhibited his subtle touch, as he opened the face to Murali’s doosra, chopped him through point and shared the floor with Hodge, who cut loose himself, thumping Jakati for two sixes.Prime Numbers12The number of sixes hit by Brendon McCullum, the highest by a Kolkata batsman this season8.58L Balaji’s economy rate in the tournament, the worst by a Chennai bowler90McCullum and Brad Hodge’s partnership in this game, the highest for any wicket for Kolkata67The percentage of wickets falling as a result of run-outs during the Chennai innings62The number of runs scored by McCullum in boundaries, the third-highest in the tournamentMcCullum survived a chance on 66, dropped by Oram, who palmed a catch over the ropes at long-on, leaving Chennai with a sense of foreboding as the match slipped away. However, the lapse did not prove too costly, as Jakati just managed to squeeze one through his attempted swipe to just kiss the offstump. When the in-form David Hussey was run out seven balls later, Chennai had fought back to steal the advantage which seemed to hinge on the fortunes of one batsman, but as they were to find out, it wasn’t quite so simple.Chennai were missing Matthew Hayden, their most prolific batsman this season, but his team-mates made up for that by posting a formidable score. The effort owed to a calculated performance by Raina and an equally shrewd effort by MS Dhoni, who built on a solid opening stand to put Kolkata Knight Riders under pressure.Raina shrugged off a relative slide in form – he had managed just 48 in his previous three innings – to quickly slip into his natural mode of play, using the flicks, dabs and cuts that characterize his batting with relentless frequency and opened up in timely fashion to retain the tempo set by the openers. Dhoni, meanwhile, proved again that he remains Chennai’s best middle-order batsman. He had been involved in four 50-plus stands before this, and added another to his tally, mixing up his raw power and rotating the strike. The innings was set up by an admirable display by the openers Parthiv Patel and George Bailey who put together a busy stand of 59, attacking the seamers early on and retaining the momentum once the spinners came on, scoring a boundary virtually every over amid a spate of singles and twos which never allowed the bowlers to settle into a rhythm.However, their efforts were in vain as McCullum’s blistering knock and Hodge’s reliability produced an upset which has made Chennai’s hold on the No.2 spot in the points table a little shaky.

Claire Taylor’s brilliant 76 not out from 53 balls helped England chase down a formidable target of 164

Andrew Miller at The Oval19-Jun-2009 England 165 for 2 (Taylor 76*, Morgan 46*) beat Australia 163 for 5 (Poulton 39, Rolton 38) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsClaire Taylor gave another display of her outstanding skills to take England into the Women’s World Twenty20 final•Getty ImagesClaire Taylor lived up to her billing as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year with a brilliant 76 not out from 53 balls, as England chased down a formidable target of 164 to oust Australia at the semi-final stage of the Women’s World Twenty20 at The Oval. Taylor, who was the Player of the Tournament when England won the 50-over World Cup back in March, cracked eight fours in a superb 122-run third-wicket stand with Beth Morgan, as England booked their place on the big ticket at Lord’s on Sunday with eight wickets and three balls to spare.Jack Birkenshaw, England’s assistant coach, had said before the tournament that the public should be prepared for a surprise when the women joined the big stage, and he was not wrong. Australia’s total of 163 for 5, built on a 78-run opening stand from Shelley Nitschke and Leah Poulton, was the second-highest of the tournament, and looked for all money to have overwhelmed the hosts, especially when they lost their captain, Charlotte Edwards at 43 for 2 in the seventh over. But Taylor and Morgan turned the tables with incredible resolve, and maintained an asking-rate of nearly 10 runs an over in a chase that could not have been paced more perfectly.The victory was sealed, fittingly enough, by Taylor, who pierced the off-side field with a fierce square drive off Sarah Andrews, and leapt gleefully into the arms of her partner, Morgan, who finished unbeaten on 46 from 33 balls, just four runs shy of what would have been only her second half-century in 75 international appearances. Between them they ransacked an Australian attack that had looked set to complete their fourth consecutive victory in all matches against England. But cometh the hour, the big performances poured forth from the tournament favourites.There was nothing that Karen Rolton, Australia’s outgoing captain, could do to stem the tide. Runs came in all directions, with lofted drives over the infield, crashing cuts and latterly a succession of delicate paddle-sweeps behind square. The only moment of discomfort for either player came when Morgan, on 44, top-edged a sweep off Kirsten Pike into her visor. But after a quick drink she settled back into her stance, and maintained her resolve to the end.England have been unbeaten throughout their campaign, but that record looked decidedly shaky at the three-quarter stage of this contest. Edwards began the pursuit in style with three fours in the second over of the chase, from Andrews, but her partner, Sarah Taylor, fell early to a loose chip to midwicket, before Edwards chased a wild bouncer from Ellyse Perry and was adjudged caught behind, after much deliberation, for 25 from 23 balls. That was England’s nadir, however. Taylor moved coolly into her stride, and such was the momentum she generated, the match was in the bag with five overs to go.It was tough luck on Australia, who could hardly have compiled a more imposing total. Charlotte Edwards won the toss and chose to bowl first, having omitted the seamer Isa Guha in favour of the extra pace of Katherine Brunt, but the plan backfired from the moment that Caroline Atkins dropped a howler off at mid-off to reprieve Nitschke on 3 in the third over of the game.From that moment on, Australia’s openers ruled the roost. Poulton took it upon herself to capitalise on England’s despondency, clattering four fours from the next seven balls, and once Nitschke had recovered her own poise, she rapidly clicked through the gears with three fours in nine balls, including a full-toss from Nicky Shaw and a leg-side half-volley from Brunt, whose first three overs were carted for 30.Having opened with the offspin of Laura Marsh, England turned back to the slow stuff as Holly Colvin entered the attack, but not with instant success as Nitschke clattered a brace of fours from consecutive balls, including a charge down the track and a sweetly-timed slog sweep. But Colvin responded one ball later with the breakthrough, as Nitschke took one liberty too many outside off, and was caught behind for 37 from 25.From the very next delivery, England hauled themselves right back into contention as Marsh, the pick of the attack, tempted Poulton into a steepling top-edge that the keeper, Sarah Taylor, pocketed with ease. Nevertheless, with the Australian captain, Rolton, at the crease and determined to sign off her captaincy career with a place in the final, the prospect of an Aussie let-up was non-existent.Sure enough, Rolton launched herself off the platform, mowing a boundary an over to keep the momentum ticking over. Her finest shot was a massive swipe over midwicket off Jenny Gunn that carried all the way for six, and it came as a shock when she holed out to deep extra cover for 38 from 32 balls, where Brunt took an excellent running catch to intercept another ball that was heading over the ropes.To England’s credit they battled back in the closing overs. Gunn’s penultimate over went for just four runs, while Brunt atoned for her earlier treatment by bowling Sthalekar for 28 from 21 balls, and giving her a little send-off for good measure. Three balls later, and Gunn claimed a deserved wicket as Alex Blackwell slogged and missed. In the final analysis, that belated fightback proved utterly invaluable.