Canterbury recorded their second straight win in Nelson, where their score of 185 proved to be just out of reach for Central Districts

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2013
ScorecardCanterbury recorded their second straight win in Nelson, where their score of 185 proved to be just out of reach for Central Districts. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Canterbury’s innings was held together for the first half by Rob Nicol, who took them past the 50-run mark. But his wicket was followed by two more, leaving them at 73 for 5 in the eleventh. Andrew Ellis and Brendon Diamanti took charge from there, though, and clobbered 112 runs off 57 balls with 17 boundaries, including eight sixes. Maiden HRV Cup fifties and personal best scores for both the batsmen helped Canterbury reach the challenging score of 185.Central Districts were off to a flier as openers Mathew Sinclair (38) and Ben Smith put together 68 runs at more than nine runs per over before Smith was run out. Twenty-year-old Will Young and captain Kieran Noema-Barnett (38) then added 61 runs off 46 balls but couldn’t find boundaries regularly. The required rate went up and when the partnership was broken, Central Districts needed 32 off 14 and they eventually fell short by five runs.This was only Canterbury’s second win in six games, the other one being against the same opposition at the same venue on January 1. Central Districts have just one win from six, and sit at the bottom of the table right below Canterbury.

Sri Lanka’s new selection panel has chosen Angelo Perera, Tharindu Kaushal and Akila Dananjaya along with 21 other young players

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Feb-2013Sri Lanka’s new selection panel has chosen Angelo Perera, Tharindu Kaushal and Akila Dananjaya along with 21 other young players in an emerging squad from which the team for the warm-up match against Bangladesh in Matara will be chosen.Perera, a 22-year-old middle order batsman, has been in stunning form in the Premier League tournament, having made two aggressive hundreds and an 87 in his three innings so far.Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, 19, has also been picked on form during his first season of domestic cricket, in which he has taken 22 List A wickets at 18.63, and 19 first-class scalps at 8.89. His first two first-class matches have yielded three five-wicket hauls. Kaushal was picked in the Sri Lanka squad for the home Tests against New Zealand in November last year, but did not get a game.Dananjaya meanwhile, has been part of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs squads since last year’s World Twenty20, and has also had a promising debut domestic season so far.Wicketkeeper-batsman and opener Niroshan Dickwella, who was the 2012 schoolboy cricketer of the year, has also had a successful introduction to professional cricket at 19, most notably scoring a match-winning hundred in the inter-provincial limited overs final.Ashen Silva, a 22-year-old opener in a more conservative mould, has been chosen, while middle-order batsman Kithruwan Vithanage, who has scored heavily in the Premier League Tournament so far, also earns a spot.The team will be coached by former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana, and play a three-day match against Bangladesh from March 3-5 to kick off the tour.Squad Ashen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Tharindu Kaushal, Akila Dananjaya, Angelo Perera, Udara Jayasundera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Kithruwan Vithanage, Ashan Priyanjana, Rumesh Buddika, Gayan Manishan (wk), Sandun Weerakkody, Lahiru Madushanka, Ishantha Jayaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage, Kasun Madushanka, Lahiru Jayaratne, Chaturanga de Silva, Ramith Rambukwela, Dulanjana Mendis, Maduka Liyanapathirana.

Shane Watson has committed himself to Australia’s Test team for the long term and will rejoin the squad in India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi

Brydon Coverdale18-Mar-2013Shane Watson has committed himself to Australia’s Test team for the long term and will rejoin the squad in India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi. Watson was due to leave Sydney on Monday evening for the final Test of the series, which begins at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Friday, ending any further speculation about his plans after he flew out of Chandigarh last week for the birth of his son, Will, and said at the time he would weigh up his future while at home.Watson also said he had spoken a number of times over the past week to Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, and said they were now “on the same page” after they exchanged words publicly last week. Howard is also expected to arrive in Delhi ahead of the fourth Test this week.When he left India having been told his wife Lee was likely to give birth earlier than expected, Watson said he would use his time at home to weigh up his cricket future and said that “there are a lot more important things in life”. At the time, Watson had just been ruled out of the third Test in Chandigarh as one of the four players who failed to complete a task set by the coach Mickey Arthur, and he declared the punishment “very harsh”.The issue was exacerbated when Howard said Watson was a team player “sometimes” and alluded to problems between Watson, the vice-captain, and Clarke. However, Watson and Clarke spoke on the phone when Watson arrived home and Clarke said the best-case scenario was Watson returning as vice-captain for the Delhi Test.Watson said Howard did not know him well, and after the public words from both sides Howard offered to fly to Sydney to speak to Watson face to face to iron out any problems between them. Watson said the pair had spoken over the past week and ironed out their differences.”I’ve had several constructive discussions with team management back in Mohali over the past few days,” Watson said. “We’ve spoken about how we are going to work together to move forward, as Australia attempts to climb back to the top of the ICC rankings. I’ve a burning ambition to be an Australian Test player for as long as I can be and help Australia win those big Test Series as well as the big ICC tournaments.”I have also had a number of chats with Pat Howard over the last week and we are both now on the same page and are really looking forward to working together to get Australia to be the best team in the world. I’m looking forward to getting around the boys again and concentrating on moving forward. I’m entirely committed to the team and being the best player I can be.”Watson’s return will create a selection issue after Steven Smith scored a highly impressive 92 in the first innings in Mohali and Phillip Hughes also fought through his spin problems to post 69 in the second innings. The possible permutations are further complicated by uncertainty over the fitness of the captain Michael Clarke, who struggled with back pain on the fourth day in Mohali and was hampered by the problem while batting on day five.Clarke has never missed a Test due to his ongoing back problems but the short turnaround between Tests will create a challenge for Australia’s medical staff to ensure he is available. The team travels from Chandigarh to Delhi on Tuesday and then has two days of training before the Delhi Test. It is not outside the realms of possibility that Watson, the vice-captain, could lead the team in Delhi, which would be a remarkable turnaround after his comments a week ago.Regardless of the off-field issues, Australia also need a major improvement from Watson with the bat after he scored 28, 17, 23 and 9 during the first two Tests. Since becoming vice-captain in 2011, Watson has averaged only 25.20 with the bat and has not scored a century.

Northamptonshire’s hopes of taking full control of their Championship match against Glamorgan were held up by rain and the swing bowling of Jim Allenby on the second day

11-Apr-2013
ScorecardStephen Peters added seven runs to his overnight 60 on a rain-affected day•Getty Images

Northamptonshire’s hopes of taking full control of their Championship match against Glamorgan were held up by rain and the swing bowling of Jim Allenby on the second day in Cardiff.Only 17.1 overs were possible during 70 minutes of play, with Northamptonshire moving on to 145 for 5, a first-innings lead of 11. In that time Allenby gave Glamorgan hopes of a comeback with the wickets of Rob Newton and Stephen Peters.The morning session was washed out because of steady drizzle and, after an early lunch, play eventually resumed at 1.10pm with Northamptonshire on 108 for 3, 26 behind Glamorgan’s 134 all out.Captain Peters and Newton batted watchfully in the opening hour and edged the visitors into a lead. But that lead stood at just three runs when Northamptonshire lost their first wicket of the day.Newton was out leg-before to a swinging delivery from Allenby after making 39 in a 79-run partnership with his captain.Allenby struck again three overs later to dismiss Peters, who edged to Stewart Walters at second slip. Peters went for 67 having only added seven runs to his overnight score.Rain stopped play again at 2.25pm and the day was eventually abandoned at 4.45pm.

Mitchell Marsh, the Australia allrounder, is adamant he has learned from his disciplinary troubles at the Centre of Excellence and the Champions League in South Africa last year

Daniel Brettig03-May-2013Mitchell Marsh is adamant he has learned from his disciplinary troubles at the Centre of Excellence and the Champions League in South Africa last year, even if he remains equally sure they were “blown out of proportion”.Sent home from Cricket Australia’s academy in Brisbane for turning up to training “in an unfit state” then one of several players dropped from the Perth Scorchers’ team at the CLT20 after his 21st birthday celebrations slipped out of control, Marsh spent much of the summer pondering his priorities due to a serious hamstring injury. He returned with runs and wickets for the Warriors late in the season, and has now earned an ODI place with Australia in the Champions Trophy.After returning home to Perth from the CoE in July, Marsh had been somewhat indignant about his treatment, saying he had worked extremely hard between his lapses. Ten months and a few more misadventures on from that episode, he retained a sense that the scrutiny of his behaviour had been excessive.”Those things have happened and I learned from my mistakes,” Marsh said from India. “Although I felt that both incidents were blown out of proportion I took them on the chin and took full responsibility for them. I haven’t changed the way I am around people, I just need to make better decisions at the right times.”The Australian cricket side sets extremely high standards. I really think over the last six months I’ve pulled my head in and started making good decisions. On the cricket side of things like any batsman or bowler my only currency is wickets and runs, so it’s a matter of putting runs on the board and taking wickets.”So far, Marsh’s combination of wayward behaviour and big hitting has made him seem a young man destined for a lucrative limited-overs career – his attempts at becoming a first-class batsman have so far reaped a meagre 915 runs at 21.27 in 25 matches. But amid the buzz of this year’s IPL, Marsh said his ODI recall was merely a step on the road to the Test batting place he desires most.”The biggest thing for me is I’ve always grown up wanting to play Test cricket. That’s all I want to do, it’s the hardest format and the pinnacle of our game,” Marsh said. “So for me being in the IPL at such a young age was a bonus for international experience. Playing over here is great fun, but it’s also good for my cricket.”Although I’ve been more consistent in the shorter formats, they’re a bonus for me and I’m hoping that over this winter I can improve again and become better at the longer format. Because if that’s not my goal then I’m probably not in the right sport.”Growing up I’ve always been a batsman and batted in the top five. With my bowling it’s only really come up in the last couple of years. I’ve still got the goal that I want to be a top-order batsman and hopefully be able to do a job with the ball. But I’ve got a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead.”The call to travel to England was a just reward for Marsh’s most consistent format, as his 50-over efforts have outshone even the T20 hitting that has made him a valuable commodity well in advance of his maturation as a player of Test match capabilities. But he spoke earnestly of his intent to develop in the Sheffield Shield next summer, in concert with the Western Australia coach Justin Langer.”Having started well in that format I took a lot of confidence into it and I guess that’s carried over,” he said. “In the four-day format … if I want to play the longer format for Australia I need to score more runs and be as consistent as I can, that’s what challenges me the most. And coming in at such a young age I’m thankful for that, I’ve learned a lot and I feel that I’m making good gains.”JL’s been good not only for me but for West Australian cricket, so I’m really looking forward to working with him over the summer again. He’s set clear boundaries for me, which was exactly what I needed and I know exactly where I stand.”

Ravi Bopara struck his first century of the season to put Essex in a strong
position on the second day of their Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan

16-May-2013
ScorecardRavi Bopara returned from England Lions duty to hit his first century of the season•Getty Images

Ravi Bopara struck his first century of the season to put Essex in a strong
position on the second day of their Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan.Bopara, who returned to Essex colours after being on England Lions duty against New Zealand last week, was dismissed shortly before the close for 145 out of 343 for 9 – giving the visitors an overall lead of 112. He batted for over six hours and faced 264 balls, with 19 fours and a six, in what was his 23rd first-class century.The standout for Glamorgan was Australian paceman Michael Hogan who recorded figures of 5 for 65.Having had a difficult seven overs to survive on the first evening, Essex had resumed their first innings on day two 10 for 2 in reply to Glamorgan’s 231 all out. After a patient start, Essex lost Jaik Mickleburgh in the eighth over of the day, when Hogan carried on his good work from the previous evening removed the opener leg-before to take his figures to 3 for 3.Essex were in some trouble at 25 for 3, but Bopara and Mark Pettini dug in before lunch to complete a 50-run partnership in 19 overs and take their side to 85 for 3 at the break. After lunch the impressive Hogan picked up his fourth wicket, Pettini well caught one-handed by Stewart Walters at second slip with only one run added.But Bopara found more useful support from Ben Foakes putting on 83 for the
fifth wicket. The England Under-19 batsman batted well for his 38 before edging slow left-armer Dean Cosker to slip where Jim Allenby took a good catch diving forward.Bopara survived a confident lbw appeal from Allenby on 74 but Glamorgan got
another breakthrough in the penultimate over before tea having Greg Smith
caught behind. Bopara’s patient century came from 204 balls with 14 fours and coincided with Essex wiping out the first-innings deficit.Glamorgan finally broke the seventh-wicket stand, which was worth 91 in 30 overs, when Mike Reed had James Foster well caught by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace.Five overs before the close Bopara’s impressive innings came to an end when he was bowled attempting to pull Graham Wagg. And in the next over Tim Phillips was trapped leg-before by Allenby but Graham Napier had contributed an unbeaten 41 from 48 balls by the close to extend Essex’s lead.

Jim Allenby hit an unbeaten 138 against his old county as Glamorgan totally dominated the second day against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

22-May-2013
ScorecardJim Allenby made his highest first-class score•Getty Images

Jim Allenby hit an unbeaten 138 against his old county as Glamorgan totally dominated the second day against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Glamorgan declared 442 for 9 and by the close their battery of seam bowlers had routed Leicestershire for 142.Michael Hogan took 4 for 25 and John Glover 4 for 51 as Leicestershire were rolled over in 44.3 overs. Josh Cobb was top scorer with 29 while Australian Joe Burns managed 21 on his debut. It left the home side 300 runs behind, facing the prospect of being asked to follow-on.It was all a far cry from Allenby’s performance that had him celebrating his first century against Leicestershire since he left them to join Glamorgan four years ago. And it beat his previous best Championship score of 137 against Surrey at the Oval in 2009.Having been dropped on 20, Allenby began the day needing 11 runs to reach fifty. Three boundaries off Nathan Buck quickly took him there and from that point on Glamorgan piled on the runs in fluent style. In all, they added another 186 runs in 48 overs to their overnight 256 for 5.Graham Wagg ensured a fourth batting point with a reverse sweep to the boundary off Jigar Naik in the 110th over and went on to reach his half century off 83 balls with seven fours. Allenby’s century off 160 balls with a six and nine fours came in the same over with the seventh wicket pair sharing a stand of 117. Glamorgan declared when the ninth wicket fell with Allenby 138 not out off 204 balls and Leicestershire needing 293 to avoid the follow on.Glamorgan’s bowlers then took over, ripping through Leicestershire’s top order with the first five wickets falling for 47 runs in 16 overs. It was a hapless batting effort from the hosts, and when Hogan took the final wicket in the penultimate over of the day, Leicestershire were left facing a massive task to avoid defeat inside three days.

India are the form team heading into the final of the tri-series, but Sri Lanka have a lot more experience in their ranks

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran10-Jul-2013

Match facts

Thursday, July 11
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)Will it be Angelo Mathews or Virat Kohli who will be smiling after the final?•AFP

Big Picture

Much of the cricketing world’s attention might be drawn towards the blue-riband Test series which kicked off in England on Wednesday, but a soon-to-be-forgotten tri-series in the Caribbean isn’t done with yet. India and Sri Lanka have played each other so often in recent years that even jokes about how often they play each other have become stale. Still, when the two sides face off for the 42nd ODI in five years, there’s a series trophy on the line. Also, firing up the two teams will be the chance for two young captains to get their hands on some silverware.If it wasn’t enough that India’s one-day side was shorn of many of its most experienced players in recent months, they also lost the services of MS Dhoni midway through the tournament. That meant that two years on from their World Cup triumph, India’s ODI side had only two players that featured in that famous Mumbai final. Fast on the heels of that Dhoni injury, India were humiliated by Sri Lanka by 161 runs, and were staring at an early exit.Instead, stand-in captain Virat Kohli added to his ever-expanding tally of ODI centuries to resuscitate the campaign, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar added to his burgeoning reputation as a new-ball expert by ripping through Sri Lanka’s batting. The two victories meant India ended up top of the table, and will go into the final with more of the swagger that carried them to the Champions Trophy title.Sri Lanka have more experience in their line-up, particularly in the batting, but have lost some high-profile crunch ODIs to India in recent years. Their bowling attack isn’t as seasoned though, and plenty will depend on how Lasith Malinga and Rangana Herath fare.Sri Lanka will play their fourth day of cricket in five when they play the final, and thankfully the weather forecast is better than it has been over the past week. There is still a chance of some light showers but it is likely that Thursday will prove the last of India-Sri Lanka cricket for the year.

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed matches)
Sri Lanka LWWLL
India WWLLW

In the spotlight

On Thursday, Mahela Jayawardene will become only the third cricketer to play 400 ODIs, behind legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. He has a penchant for turning up on the big occasion, as India well know, and will be desperate to mark the landmark game with a performance that will lift Sri Lanka to only their third ODI series win in previous 12 campaigns.After a long and not always convincing streak in the middle order, Rohit Sharma has reinvented himself as an ODI opener. Usually a flamboyant, attacking player, he has had to shelve his more expansive strokes in the challenging conditions of the Caribbean. His strike-rate is a pedestrian 60.45 this series, but he has already played three important innings in four matches.

Team news

Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal started the long journey from Sri Lanka to the Caribbean yesterday after Nuwan Kulasekara was ruled out of the tournament with a hand injury, but whether that will only end up in boosting his frequent flier miles or the Sri Lankan pace attack as well is still to be seen. While he has to deal with the jet lag, he at least has the experience of playing in the Caribbean as recently as a couple of weeks ago, when he turned out for Sri Lanka A, taking eight wickets in three matches.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Dilhara Lokuhettige/Suranga Lakmal, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Shaminda ErangaUnless MS Dhoni is deemed fit for the final, India aren’t likely to tinker with their combination much. At Wednesday’s press conference, Kohli said a decision on Dhoni had not yet been taken.India (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 M Vijay, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav

Stats and trivia

• India and Sri Lanka have won 10 finals each at neutral venues, joint second highest after Pakistan’s 20 wins. India’s win-loss record at neutral venues in finals: 10-16, Sri Lanka’s is: 10-10
• Kohli, who otherwise averages 54.70 against Sri Lanka in ODIs (five 100s, eight 50s), averages only 26 in tournament finals against them, with no fifty-plus scores
• It’s been 13 ODIs, stretching back to last November, since Jeevan Mendis either scored 30 runs or took more than one wicket
• In the first ten overs of ODIs this year, no one has more wickets than Bhuvneshwar, who has 13

Quotes

“I told the team before the last game we played against Sri Lanka that ‘we are flying home on the 12th (of July) no matter whether we play in the final or not; it’s better we play in the finals than watching two other teams in the final’.”

ESPNcricinfo tracks player movements before the start of India’s 2013-14 domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2013Ramesh Powar will play for Rajasthan for the next two domestic seasons•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

KB Pawan moves to Tripura
Karnataka’s KB Pawan has moved to Tripura for the season. Pawan was a regular opener for Karnataka but lost his place to KL Rahul last season. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman has played 44 first-class matches for Karnataka, scoring 2642 runs at an average of 37.21.Punjab’s Bipul Sharma moves to Himachal Pradesh
Allrounder Bipul Sharma, who was with Punjab until last season, will turn up for Himachal Pradesh in 2013-14. He made his debut for Punjab in 2005, and has played 14 first-class and 52 List A matches. He has five fifties, and a highest score of 93 in first-class cricket to go with 19 wickets at 41.63. The 30-year-old has also played one game for India A against Scotland in 2010.Karnataka’s Abhishek Bhat moves to Saurashtra
Abhishek Bhat, 24, will be among Saurashtra’s ranks this season. He has played club cricket in Karnataka, appearing in the Safi Darasha Tournament, but is yet to make his debut in first-class or List A formats.Gujarat’s Avi Barot moves to Haryana
Wicketkeeper-batsman Avi Barot has transferred from Gujarat to Haryana for this season. The 21-year-old cricketer, who has also represented India Under-19, made his debut for Gujarat in 2011 and has played four first-class matches so far, scoring 118 runs at an average of 19.66. In 12 List A games, Barot has scored 296 runs at an average of 24.66 with three fifties.Rajasthan’s Rashmi Parida moves to Vidarbha
Batsman Rashmi Parida has transferred from Rajasthan to Vidarbha for the 2013-14 season. Parida, 36, played 29 Ranji games for Rajasthan, scoring 1536 runs with two centuries. He was part of the team’s title victories in 2011 and 2012. Parida started his career with his native Orissa in 1994-95 before shifting to Assam for the 2008-09 season. He spent the next four seasons with Rajasthan.Himachal’s Bhavin Thakkar, Gujarat’s Bhavik Thaker move to Jharkhand
Middle-order batsman Bhavin Thakkar will play for Jharkhand in the 2013-14 season. Thakkar, 31, last played a first-class game in 2010, for Himachal Pradesh. He has played 37 first-class games in all, scoring 1924 runs at 35.62, with five tons and 10 fifties. Before Himachal, Thakkar had played for Mumbai. He changed teams, Thakkar told the , because getting a chance to play was most important to him: “You know Mumbai cricket. There is always someone good to replace you. It’s part of the job. You’ve got to accept it. Sometimes, the selectors feel someone else is doing a better job than you. I have no regrets. I played with pride for Mumbai, but playing this game is more important to me than anything else.”Gujarat’s Bhavik Thaker also moved to Jharkhand. The batsman, who made his first-class debut in 2003, was a part of the Gujarat squad for the Ranji trophy in the 2012-13 season, but didn’t get a game. His last first-class game for Gujarat was in December 2011, while his last List A game for his home state was in February 2012. In 55 first-class games, Thaker has 3000 runs at an average of 40 with six hundreds and 19 fifties.Sanjeev Sharma replaces Dahiya as Delhi coach
Sanjeev Sharma, the former India seamer, has replaced former keeper Vijay Dahiya as Delhi’s coach. A Delhi District Cricket Association official told Dahiya was sacked because of his IPL commitments. “He wasn’t available for the whole season,” the official said. “He is associated with Kolkata Knight Riders and during the second phase when we prapare for Vijay Hazare Trophy, he will be busy with Knight Riders camps. Now we don’t want somebody who can’t devote full attention towards Delhi cricket.” Sanjeev Sharma, who played two Tests and 23 ODIs, and 89 first-class games and 61 List A games in a career spanning two decades – 1983 to 2003 – was Delhi’s assistant coach previous to this.Ashok Malhotra Bengal’s new coach
Ashok Malhotra will take over as coach of the Bengal senior team for the 2013-14 season, replacing former India batsman WV Raman, who had cut his term short in July citing family reasons. Malhotra, a middle-order batsman, had played seven Tests and 20 ODIs between 1982 and 1986. He was prolific on the domestic scene for Bengal though, at one time the record holder for the most runs in the Ranji Trophy: 7274 at 52.49 with 18 hundreds. After retiring, Malhotra had a run as a Test selector. He will have a job on his hands turning around Bengal’s fortunes, as they had a poor 2012-13 season, winning only one Ranji game in eight and losing four to finish seventh out of nine teams in Group A.Ganguly on Bengal’s coaching committee
Sourav Ganguly has been named chairman of Bengal’s cricket coaching committee. The committee’s primary job will be to organise coaching camps in Bengal to develop the cricketers in the state. Ganguly was previously head of Bengal’s cricket development committee.Powar joins Rajasthan
Ramesh Powar, one of Mumbai’s leading spinners, has moved from the domestic powerhouse to two-time champions Rajasthan for the next two seasons. Powar, who played two Tests for India, failed to find a spot in Mumbai’s playing XI on consistent basis last season. He finished the season with five first-class games and took six wickets at an average of 82.16. Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the former India allrounder who has been leading Rajasthan for three years, approached Powar and the offspinner agreed to take up the challenge of playing as a professional for Rajasthan.Sunderam appointed as Rajasthan coach
After succumbing to the pressure of entering the Ranji Trophy as defending champions for two successive seasons and finishing second from bottom in the group stage in 2012-13, the Rajasthan Cricket Association unveiled new plans to revive its team’s fortunes. One of the key decisions is Pradeep Sunderam’s appointment as head coach. Sunderam, a former Rajasthan pace bowler, has been instrumental in shaping young talent from Mumbai for well over a decade as the under-22 coach and bowling coach of the MCA academy. In the absence of a head coach, captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar and bowling coach Meyrick Pringle worked as the strategists’ team. Sunderam’s name was recommended by former India wicketkeeper Chandrakant Pandit, who had to resign from the post of RCA’s director of cricket last September following his appointment as the chairman of the national junior selection panel.WV Raman to coach Tamil Nadu
Former India opener WV Raman will coach Tamil Nadu for the next two seasons, following a contract with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Raman, who was coach of the TN side between 2006 and 2010, recently stepped down from a three-year stint as coach of the Bengal team. “Quite obviously, when your home state wants you to come and help them out, you tend to lean towards it,” Raman told . “You are a part of the Association, you have played for the state for a long time and you now have the opportunity of ensuring that the team is put back on track. Most of the boys who should figure in the scheme of things going forward were under me in my first stint here. Things have since gone southwards. That is probably the biggest attraction for me – to try and get them up and going again, like in my previous stint.”<!– COMMENTED OUTHarmeet to play for Vidarbha
Harmeet Singh, the young left-arm spinner from Mumbai who was in the news after being questioned in the IPL spot-fixing probe, will play for Vidarbha in the forthcoming domestic season. After drawing praise from the likes of Ian Chappell during India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign last year, Harmeet played for Rest of India during the Irani Cup match in September 2012, and also played in the Challenger Trophy. However, he was not a part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad during the season due to a finger injury and poor form. The Vidarbha Cricket Association approached Harmeet in July and the spinner grabbed the opportunity, aiming to play his first full season of domestic cricket.END OF COMMENT –>

Gautam Gambhir has cut short his maiden stint in English county cricket with Essex to return to India for “family reasons”, according to a statement released by Essex Cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2013Gautam Gambhir has cut short his maiden stint in English county cricket with Essex to return to India for “family reasons”, according to a statement released by Essex Cricket. Ignored by the national selectors for a while, Gambhir had signed up with the county in August.”Gautam Gambhir returned to his native India on Sunday for family reasons,” the Essex statement said. “At this stage Essex Cricket and Gautam are unable to make any further comment. Essex Cricket is fully supportive of Gautam and very much hope that he will return to Essex before the end of the 2013 English domestic season.”Gambhir had an underwhelming start with Essex but followed up scores of 31, 21, 2 and 0 with a second-innings hundred on August 30 against Gloucestershire in a drawn match in Bristol.The short stint with Essex was Gambhir’s first outing since the IPL in May. He was not part of the India side for the Champions Trophy, the tri-series in the West Indies and the ODI tour of Zimbabwe. His last game for his country was the final ODI against England at home in Dharamsala in January. He was recalled to the national side for the final Test against Australia in Delhi in March, before missing out after coming down with jaundice.