Salvi's five-for gives Mumbai advantage

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Scorecardand ball-by-ball details
Howthey were out
Aavishkar Salvi was the pick of the Mumbai attack which hit back strongly to skittle out Karnataka for their lowest score of the season•Sportz Solutions

On a frenetic day when 15 wickets fell, Mumbai exhibited their famed big-match temperament to recover from the first-day blip and become frontrunners for yet another Ranji Trophy. The final had been shifted to the minor cricketing centre of Mysore to back Karnataka’s strongest suit, their fast bowlers, but the plan backfired spectacularly on a topsy-turvy second day as Mumbai’s seam attack, led by Aavishkar Salvi, shot out the hosts for half their previous lowest total of the season.A spirited burst from Abhimanyu Mithun reduced Mumbai to 51 for 5 and levelled the game a little after tea, but for the second time in two days, the tenacity of the visitors’ lower-order frustrated Karnataka. Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni played out more than 20 overs – a remarkable effort given the conditions – to stretch the lead past 200.In the morning, on the type of pitch that tops fast bowlers’ wish-lists, Ajit Agarkar and Kulkarni rapped the Karnataka batsmen on the pads often and had them nicking repeatedly just short of the slip cordon. But they only had the wicket of nightwatchman R Vinay Kumar to show for their effort before Salvi’s spell transformed the game. First, he had G Satish edging to third slip. Next ball, the highly-rated Manish Pandey was trapped lbw by a delivery that held its line. At that time, Salvi’s figures were 5-5-0-2.In his next over, KB Pawan, the only Karnataka batsman to show some grit, drove firmly towards cover where the burly Ramesh Powar flung himself forward to pluck a low catch. The home team’s innings was in shambles at 58 for 5. The crowd had boisterously echoed any Mumbai appeal that was turned down earlier in the morning, but once wickets started falling in a hurry, close calls were only greeted with relieved silence. With the top order failing, the opposition fast bowlers on the money, and a difficult pitch to negotiate, the Rahul Dravid-sized hole in the inexperienced Karnataka batting was rarely more palpable.There was to be no Mumbai-like lower-order revival for Karnataka. Stuart Binny’s aggressive approach – slashing his second ball for four after being greeted first up by a 139ks bouncer – raised hopes of a recovery, but he was run out after finding himself at the same end as his partner CM Gautam in the final over before lunch, to round off a horror first session for Karnataka.Gautam and Sunil Joshi fell in the space of three deliveries in the second session, and Abhimanyu Mithun became Salvi’s fifth victim soon after. Despite an under-par score in their first dig, Mumbai had an unexpected 103-run first-innings cushion. It was the first time all season that Karnataka were in serious trouble, and when Wasim Jaffer started off with two crisp off-driven fours in the first over, Mumbai looked set to press the advantage against a demoralised home side.

Agarkar found guilty of dissent

Ajit Agarkar, the Mumbai fast bowler, has been fined 50% of his match fee after the match referee S Ramesh found him guilty of showing dissent at the umpire’s decision.
The incident he was charged for occurred on Monday, when Agarkar was batting. After playing a stroke, Agarkar strayed out of his crease while practising the shot. The fielder Sunil Joshi had meanwhile relayed the ball to the keeper, who threw down the stumps and appealed. The decision was referred to the third umpire, but Agarkar disagreed with the call as he felt the ball was dead once it reached the keeper’s gloves and he was not attempting a run. He was ruled out by the third umpire.
The match referee found him guilty of a BCCI Code of Conduct Level 1 offence, citing the “obvious delay in leaving the wicket” and for “entering into prolonged discussion with the umpire”.

Mithun had other ideas, though. He had been guilty of not making the batsman play the new ball enough in the first innings, but there was no rerun of that mistake, the second time. Jaffer looked to drive Mithun’s fifth delivery, a wide full ball, and could only nick it to the ‘keeper. He picked another massive wicket with the first delivery of his next over, Rahane falling in the same manner as his captain, flirting with a slightly shorter ball.Mithun was then on a hat-trick after snaring Omkar Khanvilkar first ball: struck in front of middle and off as he looked to defend. Mumbai were 18 for 3, and the crowd was chanting Mithun’s name. He didn’t get his second hat-trick of the season, however, because Nayar survived despite being comprehensively beaten by a delivery angling across him.At the other end, Sahil Kukreja was barely managing to avoid his second failure of the match. He was dropped twice off Vinay, and inside-edged one delivery low onto his back pad, just about escaping being bowled. He and Nayar survived the eight overs to tea.Two balls into the final session, however, Kukreja inside-edged Vinay to short leg to fall for a painstaking 13. Vinayak Samant was the next to go, taking his eyes off a short one from Mithun that popped off his glove to short leg.Kulkarni was surprisingly sent ahead of Agarkar and Powar, but he and Nayar blunted the home side’s bowling. Vinay was taken out of the attack after a ten-over spell, and Mithun was also tiring. Some sensible batting from Mumbai kept Karnataka at bay, and when Vinay was brought back for a final burst before stumps, Kulkarni slammed five boundaries in two overs to boost the score past 100.

Blues name Trent Copeland for one-day debut

Trent Copeland’s incredible ten-wicket first-class debut has earned him a call-up to the New South Wales FR Cup squad to take on Queensland at the SCG on Wednesday. He won’t be the only debutant in the match, with the rookie Queensland batsman Chris Lynn also named to play his first domestic one-day game.Copeland was included after collecting 8 for 92 in his first innings at first-class level, having never before taken that many in a first-grade innings. The Blues have also named Josh Hazlewood, the fast bowler who has just returned from Australia’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand, and the spinner Steve O’Keefe in their 12-man squad.The trio replaced David Warner and Steven Smith, who will be with the Australian Twenty20 squad in Melbourne, and the fast man Mitchell Starc, who is having his workload managed. New South Wales are in desperate need of a victory as they sit in fifth place on the FR Cup table with three games remaining.Queensland can all but confirm a place in the final if they win on Wednesday, and victory would also give them a strong chance of hosting the decider. They have welcomed back the seamer Ben Laughlin, who has struggled with a side strain that kept him out of the Big Bash. James Hopes has also returned to the squad having not been picked in Australia’s Twenty20 line-up.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich (capt), Ben Rohrer, Dominic Thornely, Moises Henriques, Grant Lambert, Daniel Smith (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Bracken, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland.Queensland squad James Hopes, Chris Hartley (wk), Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Craig Philipson, Glen Batticciotto, Chris Lynn, Chris Simpson (capt), Chris Swan, Ben Cutting, Ben Laughlin, Nathan Rimmington.

Williamson stars in Northern Districts' win

A terrific all-round performance from Kane Williamson helped Northern Districts complete a ten-wicket thrashing of Auckland inside three days at Whangarei.Northern Districts took the upper hand on day one, dismissing Auckland for 227 after they chose to bat, with Brent Arnel, Joseph Yovich, Bruce Martin and Williamson taking two wickets apiece. Reece Young, who made 50, was Auckland’s only half-centurion and the innings suffered from a lack of partnerships. Northen Districts, however, started their reply poorly and were 36 for 2 at stumps on the first day.Williamson began the second morning on zero and went on to forge century partnerships with the Marshall brothers, Hamish and James, and Peter McGlashan. Williamson batted the entire day, scoring 163, and ensured Northern Districts had a lead of 121 at stumps with three wickets intact. He and McGlashan continued to build Northern’s advantage on the third day before getting bowled by Colin de Grandhomme for 192, his highest first-class score. Williamson had batted nearly eight hours, faced 352 deliveries and hit 22 fours and two sixes. Northern Districts were eventually dismissed for 410, with a first-innings lead of 183.It was fast bowler Graeme Aldridge, though, who made the victory possible inside three days. He ripped out Auckland’s top order, reducing them to 52 for 4 in the second innings, and finished with figures of 4 for 19 in 13 overs. Arnel and Martin continued Aldridge’s work and Williamson contributed 3 for 48 as Auckland were dismissed for 188. Auckland, who lost their ninth wicket with the score on 131, were saved from innings defeat by No. 10 Michael Bates, who slammed 57 off 25 balls with four sixes and six fours.His eventual dismissal, however, left Northern Districts with only 6 to get and the openers, BJ Watling and Brad Wilson, did it in an over.

Dutch look abroad to boost side

While the debate over eligibility of players rumbles on, the Netherlands have gone abroad to boost their chances in the coming year and recruited two players with Dutch passports and first-class experience in Australia and New Zealand.Tom Cooper, a 23-year-old batsman who played for Australia at Under-19 level, and 24-year-old Otago wicketkeeper-batsman Derek de Boorder will both play for the country this coming season. Neither will be deemed to be an overseas player by the ECB and so both can compete in the English 40-over competition. They will also be allowed to take part in ODIs and the ICC’s World Cricket League but not the ICC’s first-class Intercontinental Cup.”There are still a few formalities to be finalised,” Jeroen Smits, the high performance advisor to the Dutch board told Cricket Europe. “We are confident that both players will be available for our first matches.”I’m delighted that the selectors, who make the final decisions, will have the possibility of including these players in our squad and, looking further forward, I see them as potentially playing a significant role in our plans for next year’s World Cup.”Cooper has been a regular in the South Australia side in 2009-10 while de Boorder also commands a regular place at Otago.

Vettori calls for significant improvement

Daniel Vettori has experienced a strong sense of déjà vu over the past five days. A first-innings team failure, an admirable but futile second-innings fight and a heavy reliance on the lower-order batting have been recurring features of New Zealand’s Test play over the past few years. But despite being bundled out for 157 and being made to follow-on, Vettori is not convinced bolstering the batting for the second Test in Hamilton would make any difference.”I think it needs a run-scoring extra batsman,” Vettori said when asked if the team needed another specialist. “It’s all well and good to pick someone. Most of our runs came from Brendon [McCullum] and myself, so if we brought another batsman in it would just push us down. Whether that is the right answer or not, I’m not sure.”He has a point. Apart from the 83 from Tim McIntosh in the second innings, there weren’t many contributions of note from the top five in the ten-wicket defeat. Peter Ingram will be under pressure to hold his place after making 5 and 1, BJ Watling’s second-day golden duck was followed by an unconvincing 33, and Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill made middling contributions without really having an impact.New Zealand will choose their squad for the second Test on Wednesday and it is unclear if the balance of the side will be altered. Batting at No. 6, Vettori made 46 and 77 while McCullum scored 24 and 104, but it is first-innings runs that New Zealand need to find.However, a strong bowling line-up is just as important for a team that took only five wickets for the match. “We obviously need to lift a lot, particularly our first-innings efforts,” Vettori said. “We fought hard in that second innings but we need to show more penetration with the ball in that first innings and then stand up a bit more with the bat.”It’s been a trait of ours, particularly at the Basin, to get bowled out cheaply in the first innings and then fight pretty hard in the second. We can’t afford to do that. We can’t afford to be on the back foot at any stage against Australia in Hamilton.”The challenge is replicating the effort that New Zealand displayed on the weather-affected fourth day, when they lost only one wicket and pushed themselves into a strong position to save the match. The same fight could not be repeated on the fifth morning and they lost their last four wickets for 19 runs, allowing Australia a comfortable chase of 106.”The fourth day was obviously our best day of the Test match,” Vettori said. “It’s something that we need to replicate over the whole five days to give ourselves a chance against Australia. Unfortunately we weren’t able to build that pressure for long enough. After what we did yesterday it was a little bit disappointing to front up today and lose quick wickets. We wanted to bat for a long period of time but that’s the nature of the game.”The key wicket was that of McCullum, who began the day on 94 and required only three balls to bring up his fifth Test century. In the fourth over McCullum edged to slip and was disappointed not to go on and bat New Zealand into a better position.”I was pleased with how I was able to adjust my game from the way I played in the first innings and to try and give us an opportunity to put a partnership on with Dan and then Daryl [Tuffey] as well,” McCullum said. “Against a very good team it rates as my best Test century. But when you lose a game it doesn’t quite have the same feeling.”

Meeting valid, no conflict of interest – Manohar

The war of words between the BCCI and Lalit Modi continues unabated with the board president Shashank Manohar rejecting Modi’s contention that the governing council meeting on April 26 would be invalid. Manohar also sought to clarify the status of N Srinivasan, the board secretary who also owns the Chennai franchise, which according to Modi was a conflict of interest.”It is his view point, everybody is entitled to their viewpoint,” Manohar told PTI, in response to Modi’s contention that the meeting was unauthorised. “It is not a question of [whether or not Srinivasan is an] owner. He is not calling the meeting as an owner of a team, and in the board’s constitution, the secretary is the convenor of all meetings.”Manohar stated there was no question of conflict of interest between Srinivasan’s dual roles of a BCCI functionary and an IPL team owner. “Whether there is conflict of interest is not an issue because Srinivasan, when this issue had cropped up, had sought the permission of Sharad Pawar, who was the president of the board then [when the first round of IPL team auctions was conducted in 2008].”Pawar had granted him permission to bid and it is not Mr. Srinivasan who was bidding, it was India Cements [Srinivasan’s company that owns the Chennai franchise] which was bidding and after his bid was accepted, it was confirmed by the general body,” Manohar said.Manohar said that while BCCI was aware of the extent of Srinivasan’s involvement in the IPL, the same was not true in Modi’s case. “Srinivasan was a declared bidder. If Modi and his relatives had a share in any of the franchises, he ought to have declared it at the meeting. I was not a member of governing council then. He ought to have told everybody,” Manohar said.Modi, who was in Dubai when the BCCI called for the meeting, had asked for it to be pushed to May 1, in order to compile his documents and prepare his defence. There is intense speculation that the governing council is set to oust Modi in Monday’s meeting, irrespective of whether he attends it.

Chesney Hughes confirms rich promise

ScorecardChesney Hughes continued his impressive entry into first-class cricket with a maiden century to put Derbyshire in control against Gloucestershire in the County Championship Division Two match at Derby. The 19-year-old Anguillan reached three figures in only his fifth Championship innings and shared a stand of 134 with skipper Chris Rogers who scored his fourth hundred of the season.Hughes was ninth out for 118 and, despite Vikram Banerjee’s 4 for 62, Derbyshire’s last two wickets added 72 to take the home side to 345, a lead of 103. Gloucestershire reduced the arrears by 47 before the close but they lost Steve Snell, who was bowled by Greg Smith for 21.The game had been finely balanced at the start of the second day with Derbyshire 171 runs behind, but Rogers and Hughes batted through most of the morning. Gloucestershire switched their bowlers around in a search of a breakthrough but the closest they came was when Hughes mistimed a pull on 46 only for Jon Lewis to react slowly at mid-on.Rogers has been in prime form and he reached his century by sweeping Banerjee for his 18th four. He had moved smoothly through the gears to complete his second fifty off 60 balls and it was a surprise when he edged a drive at Gemaal Hussain on 115.But Gloucestershire’s elation at seeing Rogers return to the pavilion with the home team still trailing by 56 evaporated as Hughes played with sound judgement to earn Derbyshire a decent lead. Banerjee worked his way through the lower order, having Dan Redfern caught behind pushing forward and Robin Peterson bowled aiming a drive but Tom Poynton and Tim Groenewald gave Hughes valuable support.Poynton stayed for 20 overs to add 44 for the seventh wicket before he was smartly caught off pad and glove by Jonathan Batty, who later had to hand over the wicketkeeping gloves to Snell when he dislocated the little finger on his right hand. Hughes celebrated a richly-deserved hundred when he drove Hamish Marshall past mid-off for his 14th four and he lifted Banerjee down the ground for six as Derbyshire extended their lead after tea.It took a slice of good fortune to dismiss Hughes who was cruelly run out when Lewis deflected a firm drive by Groenewald onto the stumps, but his disciplined innings, which had spanned nearly five and a half hours, had put his team into a healthy position. There was more frustration to come for the visitors as Groenewald and debutant Atif Sheikh shared a last-wicket stand of 29 which took Derbyshire’s lead past three figures.Gloucestershire were left with 10 overs to negotiate and they lost Snell when he edged Smith into his stumps, leaving the visitors trailing by 56 runs with two days remaining.

Brad Hodge helps beat former team-mates

ScorecardLeicestershire spin duo Brad Hodge and Claude Henderson ended Lancashire’s unbeaten start to their Friends Provident t20 campaign with a 14-run win at Old Trafford. The home side were reasonably well placed in their pursuit of 142 at 63 for 1 in the 10th over but they slipped to 104 for 7 in the 18th with Henderson and Hodge the catalysts.Offspinner Hodge, who spent four seasons as Lancashire’s overseas player ending in 2008, took 2 for 16 from his four overs and Henderson 2 for 19. Captain Matthew Hoggard also claimed 3 for 19 as Lancashire finished 127 for 9. The visitors have now won two North Division matches on the bounce.James Benning top scored with a season’s best 49 off 45 balls as his side posted a competitive 141 for 6. Stephen Parry took 3 for 26 for Lancashire. Jacques du Toit and Benning shared 35 for the first wicket before the former chipped Glen Chapple to midwicket for 31, leaving the score at 35 for 1 in the fifth.Parry bowled Hodge for four but Paul Nixon came in and planted two maximums over mid-wicket and wide long on during his next over, the ninth. Leicestershire reached 68 for 2 after 10. After scoring just two runs in the opening partnership Benning hit his first boundary in the 11th over when he swept left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan.He also hit his first six, swept in front of square off Parry, to bring up his side’s 100 for the loss of two wickets in the 15th. Leicestershire, however, were three down before the end of the over because Nixon, on the reverse sweep, found a diving Paul Horton running in from the square leg boundary.Horton did superbly to hold on because he collided with Kerrigan running round from fine leg, with 101 for 3 the score. Benning and Nixon had added 53 in 44 balls for the third wicket. Benning then found Kerrigan in the deep off Parry in the 17th before Wayne White was run out in the same over to leave the score at 112 for 5. Josh Cobb was also run out in the last but he and James Taylor added a handy 21 for the sixth wicket.Lancashire lost Horton to Hoggard in the first over of their chase but Simon Katich, dropped on four by Nixon, hit three boundaries off Harry Gurney in the second over. He and Tom Smith shared 57 for the second wicket but that was as good as it got for the hosts.Katich’s dismissal, stumped off Hodge, was the first of seven wickets to fall for 49 runs to end the contest. Stephen Moore was bowled off his body by Henderson, who later bowled Mahmood, while Hodge also snared Steven Croft.Hoggard added his second and third wickets, those of Mark Chilton caught behind and Smith caught by Benning at deep midwicket. Nadeem Malik also took two wickets. Leicestershire were also the only side to beat Lancashire in last season’s competition, aside from the Somerset bowl out in the last eight.

Yousuf targets UAE tour for international return

Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf is aiming to return to the international fray during the tour of UAE in October and November, where Pakistan will face South Africa for two Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20. Yousuf has kept a low profile since his sudden retirement from international cricket in March, but he’s now taking his first steps back in to some form of cricketing action by appearing in the Lahore Premier League, a local club tournament.”I plan to play domestic cricket this season but right now international cricket is not on my mind. If I do plan to return I will target the Test and one-day series against South Africa later this year in the UAE,” Yousuf told .Yousuf was the captain during Pakistan’s win-less tour of Australia, where the team came under fire for their performances. The PCB responded by penalising seven players it believed were responsible for the defeats, Yousuf among them. He and Younis Khan were banned indefinitely, and as a mark of protest, Yousuf announced he was quitting the game “for now”, hinting at a possible return later on. He was the only one among the seven players not to appeal against the punishment, despite the PCB leaving the door open for him to return. However, Yousuf hadn’t responded to those messages from the board so the national selectors could not consider him for the tour of England.Though the domestic season won’t start for a few more months, Yousuf is looking forward to the club tournament to get back in to the groove.”Cricket is in my blood and I still enjoy playing the sport. It will be a challenge to play again and specially in a club level tournament,” Yousuf said.

Davies fireworks not enough for Surrey

ScorecardSteve Davies continued his impressive form at the top of the order for Surrey•Getty Images

Steve Davies hammered a 19-ball half-century as Surrey eased to a six-wicketvictory over Gloucestershire, who finished bottom of the Friends Provident t20South Division.Needing a win to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals, Surreyrestricted Gloucestershire to a modest 147 for nine after Will Porterfield (37)and James Franklin (33) had got the home side off to a reasonable start.Chris Tremlett finished as Surrey’s most successful bowler with 3 for 18off four overs, while veteran leg-spinner Chris Schofield took 2 or 27.The outcome was never in doubt once Davies (73) and captain Rory Hamilton-Brown(48) had plundered 78 in the six power-play overs. Aware that run rate could be a factor in their attempt to qualify, Davies and Hamilton-Brown continued to score rapidly until the Surrey captain was lbw toRichard Dawson for 48 to make it 112 for 1 in the ninth over. His 30-ballinnings contained six fours and two straight sixes.Jason Roy was bowled second ball by Dawson and one-time Gloucestershire playerAndrew Symonds was dismissed by Aaron Redmond in the next over when Chris Taylortook a catch at long-on.Davies continued to pepper the boundary boards with some powerful drives onboth sides of the wicket until Redmond had him caught on the midwicket boundaryin the 12th over. His scintillating 73 came from only 30 balls and includedseven fours and four sixes.That brought Gary Wilson to the middle and he hit three successive boundariesoff Redmond to complete the win with 49 balls remaining.Earlier, Tremlett had struck twice in the first six overs of theGloucestershire innings when he had Redmond caught behind and dismissed AlexGidman lbw with a yorker.Ireland captain Porterfield played impressively in compiling 37 from 34 ballsbefore he skied a drive off Schofield and Hamilton-Brown took a well-judgedcatch, running back from mid-off.Porterfield’s dismissal prompted a Gloucestershire collapse in which anotherthree wickets fell for nine runs in three overs.Taylor was caught on the deep square leg boundary, off Matthew Spriegel. ChrisDent was bowled while trying to sweep Schofield and Steve Snell was caughtbehind off Andre Nel.Franklin was scoring at better than a run a ball until he was run out byWilson’s direct hit from deep cover, and Tremlett claimed his third wicket whenhe had Jon Lewis lbw with a yorker.Dawson made an unbeaten 24 from 28 balls, but Gloucestershire’s total neverlooked enough to trouble Surrey’s strong batting line-up.

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