All posts by h716a5.icu

The DDCA was warned twice from different sources that the Kotla pitch needed a lot of attention before the fifth ODI

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Dec-2009Among the several alerts, official and otherwise, raised about the condition of the Kotla pitch is one from the very highest level: An ICC team inspecting the stadium in connection with the 2011 World Cup passed a scathing indictment of the pitch and said “a considerable improvement of the pitch block” would be required to “make the pitch more acceptable” for Sunday’s game.The chief executive of the ICC Haroon Lorgat, speaking in New Delhi on Monday, did not comment on whether this report would have any bearing on the investigation of Sunday’s fiasco but said it would be taken into consideration.”There is an ODI at this venue on 27th December 2009 and considerable improvement of the pitch block will be required by then to make the pitch provided more acceptable” said the report, a copy of which is with Cricinfo. The inspection was carried out on November 4, three days after third ODI of the India-Australia series.That game, and earlier games during the Champions League Twenty20 where batsmen struggled to counter the low and slow nature of the various pitches on the square, was noted in the November report. “During the Champions League and the India vs Australia ODI series, it was well documented that the performance and condition of the pitches at the stadium were a cause of concern for the players,” the report said.The problem with the Kotla pitch – which has already been relaid four times in the last five years under four different curators – stems from the decision, taken immediately after the second IPL was shifted to South Africa, to relay the entire square. During the Champions League Daljit Singh, till Sunday the head of the BCCI’s grounds and wickets committee, said it would take about a year for the re-laid pitches to get seasoned. That point of view seems to have been overlooked with the Indian board deciding to stage at Kotla first the Australia ODI and, within two months, the game against Sri Lanka.The ICC’s inspectors, though, were never in doubt about the quality of the surface and their report offered some prescriptions for the longer term. “The pitch block was reconstructed recently and it is clear to see that there are some important issues with the present condition of the pitch surface that it is essential to address prior to CWC 2011.”As a remedial measure it suggested that the surface level across the entire square needed to be “readjusted in several areas” to help in growing the grass. The DDCA ground authorities, working with Daljit, had been experimenting with the grass, which resulted in the tufts of green spread across the pitch on which Sri Lanka batted.There has been much talk of differences between local and centralized pitch officials and this was clear to the ICC inspection team. “It was apparent when speaking with the local officials that they are reluctant to openly discuss the problems they are having with the pitch and that they are to some extent in variance with the BCCI Pitch Consultant (Daljit Singh) regarding how they are to move forward to resolve the problems with this surface.”According to the ICC team the DDCA were adamant on replanting the pitches with local grass, which they felt would take care of the problem. But that idea was fraught with dangers. “To simply replant without this major renovation of the surface would be a major miscalculation, and would result in inadequate pitches at a later date,” the report said.”The dead and the decaying grass and roots left in the soil profile will break down into organic matter and will contribute to the dilution of the clay content of the soil and contribute to the pitches produced in the future being slow in pace, spongy in texture, and would tend to generate slow and inconsistent bounce from the pitches in the future.”

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild over news involving their club and Marseille defensive ace Boubacar Kamara.

Since central defensive mainstay Angelo Ogbonna ruptured his ACL in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool, manager David Moyes and West Ham have been linked to signing a new presence at the back.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments-2/” title=”West Ham developments” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Links to James Tarkowski, for example, have emerged in recent weeks with the Burnley defender set to leave on a free deal at the end of this season.

West Ham could save money in cut price moves like this given targets can sign pre-contracts in January ahead of free summer moves next year.

Now, as explained by ExWHUemployee, it appears West Ham are eyeing another defensive star out of contract in 2022 as news emerges on Kamara.

The Ligue 1 man, who can play both as a centre-half and in midfield, is apparently on Moyes’ radar alongside usual suspect Duje Caleta-Car as the club insider shares news on his West Ham Way Podcast.

West Ham fans excited…

Both men are attracting West Ham’s admiration, but the player supporters are most excited about appears to be Kamara.

According to WhoScored, the 21-year-old averaged more tackles per 90 last season (2.5) than any of Moyes’ current crop – standing out as a real presence defensively.

Given his young age, he comes with real sell-on value also and is rated at a meagre £25.2 million by Transfermarkt.

Taking all this into account, it’s understandable why supporters are ecstatic to see his name mentioned – with one calling Kamara a would-be ‘great signing’.

Find all of their best Twitter verdicts down below:

“KAMARA AT LE BOWL”

Credit: @whugdz

“Kamara would be a great signing”

Credit: @WillBailham

“Pleaaaase!

Kamara in this squad boosts us so much!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Bouba Kamara is a no brainer, but he’ll have alot of suitors with his contract up in the summer. Caleta-Car would be a good signing (pings etc). Hes getting game time recently so dunno if Marseille will sell now in January. We can aim for better than Tarkowski (on the ball etc)”

Credit: @MahfuzCOYI16

“BRING IN KAMARA”

Credit: @jeevansinghp

“Kamara now.”

Credit: @Benjamiiin20

“KAMARAAAAAAAAA”

Credit: @jackcoyi1

“siuuuuu”

Credit: @_danieluker

In other news: ‘Steal’, ‘Oh yes’, ‘Top of my wish list’…West Ham fans rave as Newman eyes brand new target, find out more here.

Former India captain Anil Kumble has backed his state side Karnataka to shine in the Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai beginning on January 11 in Mysore.

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2010Former India legspinner and captain Anil Kumble has backed Karnataka, the state side he represented, to shine in the Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai beginning on January 11 in Mysore. Kumble led Karnataka to victory in the Rani Trophy in 1996, and they won the competition for two consecutive years in 1998 and 1999.”To be a part of the Ranji Trophy-winning team is a really big thing,” Kumble, who led Karnataka to the title in 1996, told . “I remember when we won in Chennai against Tamil Nadu, it was Karnataka’s first title win in 13 years. This time also, it’s quite similar – our last title came 11 seasons back.”To be the number one domestic team in the country is a great motivation. When you look back, it is certainly one of the top achievements. To win a Ranji Trophy means you have done consistently well over a period of time, over three months, against every team and in all conditions.”Karnataka qualified for the Ranji Trophy final by way of a first-innings lead against Uttar Pradesh, with Rahul Dravid scoring a double-century. Dravid will be unavailable for the final, for he’ll be joining the Indian squad in Bangladesh for a two-Test series that gets underway on January 17. “Rahul (Dravid) being there has been a huge factor, it has certainly helped the team’s cause,” Kumble said. The greatest thing is Rahul’s presence. Everybody looks up to him, and he has pushed the boys really hard.”To their credit, the younger lot has responded very well. The batsmen have been consistent all through, while the bowling has been exceptional. [Abhimanyu] Mithun and Vinay [R Vinay Kumar] have done brilliantly, [Sreenath] Arvind has been more than adequate and the old warhorse, Sunil Joshi, has been contributing as well.”It would have been great if Rahul had been part of the final,” Kumble noted. “The authorities should certainly have considered advancing the final by a day.”Kumble was particularly impressed with the performance of Abhimanyu Mithun, who grabbed four wickets to help bowl out UP for 208 in the semi-final and is currently the second-highest wicket-taker this season, behind R Vinay Kumar. “What is most heartening is the way Mithun has shaped up,” Kumble said. “We all knew he had the talent, he has been a part of the Royal Challengers set-up and he played in IPL II. It was always obvious that he had the pace, but the best part has been that he came in really raw, and has gone out, enjoyed himself and done consistently well. He picked up 11 wickets on debut and once you get those many wickets, the expectations are pretty high. He has not disappointed.”Mumbai, Karnataka’s opponents, have won the Ranji Trophy on 38 occasions and have lost just four tournament finals. Kumble admitted they would prove a formidable opposition. They have been there before,” he said. “They are a very determined lot, and they play well as a team.”They know how to come out of tight situations. I remember a couple of seasons back when then they had no points after the first three games, and yet they finished the season most strongly.”However, despite the huge challenge, Kumble advised the Karnataka players to treat the fixture as just another game. Not to think of it as a final, but as just another match,” he said. “Stick together, fight till the end. It is a five-day game, you must win every session and make it count.”It’s not just about the first-innings lead. Yes, you can win a game even after losing a couple of sessions because there is time to come back, but you need to seize the initiative early on. And build on it.”

Allrounders the world over are either fighting frequent injuries or giving up one form of the game to prolong their careers in another, but not Jacques Kallis

Cricinfo staff18-Nov-2009Allrounders the world over are either fighting frequent injuries or giving up one form of the game to prolong their careers in another, but not Jacques Kallis. He’s remained remarkably durable over a 14-year career, performing consistently with bat and ball, and has no intention of giving up a format, or forgoing his bowling, to extend his career.”As I sit here at the moment, I’m still fit enough to keep going and I enjoy all three formats,” Kallis said. “I enjoy both batting and bowling. Certainly in Test cricket, if I spend a day in the field without bowling, it feels like it’s two days. For me to give up bowling would be tough, and I’ll only do that if my body tells me to. The day I wake up and it gets too much, [and] I’m not really enjoying it, I’ll stop.”Kallis has scored over 10,000 runs and has taken more than 200 wickets in both Tests and ODIs but his career, which has remained largely injury-free, has been the exception during a time when genuine allrounders are becoming a rarity. Andrew Flintoff’s spate of injuries forced him to give up Test cricket in order to prolong his limited-overs careers, and New Zealand’s Jacob Oram has often said that he could be forced to give up bowling in order avoid sitting injured on the sidelines.”With the amount of cricket that is played around the world, it’s tough,” Kallis said. “I’ve been fortunate in my career, I haven’t been injured too often, but the life of an allrounder is pretty tough. It is tough on the body and that’s probably why there are not so many top allrounders still playing all three formats.”Kallis recently received high praise from Kevin Pietersen, who called the allrounder the “greatest cricketer ever”.”It’s a great compliment, especially coming from a player like him,” Kallis said. “But you’ve got to look at the stats – sure, the runs might be there and the wickets might be there, but we’re playing a lot more cricket these days than the guys in yesteryears. I’m sure that if they’d played the amount of cricket that we play today, they would have achieved what modern-day cricketers achieve as well.”A side-strain prevented Kallis from bowling during the second Twenty20 international against England on Sunday but he is expected to be fully fit for the first ODI in Johannesburg on Friday.

Liverpool have been known to famously produce some of the Premier League’s top stars in the past such as Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen among many others from their youth academy.

Nowadays, Liverpool currently has the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Neco Williams and Caoimhin Kelleher in their senior squad that have emerged through the youth ranks at the Merseyside club.

Yet, one player that we feel could go on to follow in the same path as some of the previously mentioned players residing in Jurgen Klopp’s team is 20-year-old Elijah Dixon-Bonner.

Since joining the Merseyside club’s youth team back in the 2015 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League club Arsenal, Dixon-Bonner has made 46 appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side, scoring three goals and providing five assists as well as making 50 appearances for their U23 side, netting five times and supplying one assist along the way.

Not only does this show how much experience Dixon-Bonner has under his belt at youth level, but it also shows that he has some attacking prowess within him with the number of goals he’s been involved in.

The midfielder, who has been described in recent weeks as “incredible” by Klopp, has also made two senior appearances for the Reds, both being two one-minute cameos in their 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup last season and their recent 2-0 win over Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.

If Dixon-Bonner can continue to play regularly for the U23s and get some significant senior minutes under his belt, we have every confidence that he could follow in the footsteps of Jones and be the next version of the current Liverpool senior midfielder.

The England U21 international has risen to prominence over the last few seasons, making 56 senior outings for the Reds in which he has managed to score eight goals and provide nine assists after working his way through the youth system.

Jones has also managed to rack up a decent number of goals and assists in a similar fashion to that of Dixon-Bonner, showing the similarities between the two players not just from a positional sense on the pitch.

Additionally, with current Reds midfielder Naby Keita sustaining a hamstring injury in their recent 2-2 draw against Brighton, we feel that this could potentially offer the young Liverpool starlet a pathway into the senior squad.

In other news: Forget Mane: £200k-p/w Liverpool star who made 2 key passes stole the show vs Brighton – opinion

Australia’s successful chase in the fourth ODI provided them a 5-0 series lead and with it the chance to reclaim the No. 1 limited-overs ranking from South Africa

The Preview by Alex Brown at Trent Bridge16-Sep-2009Match factsThursday, September 17, 2009
Start time 14.30 (13.30 GMT)
Ricky Ponting is 43 runs away from overtaking Inzamam-ul-Haq in third position on the all-time run-scorers’ list in ODIs•Getty ImagesBig pictureIt might have taken the better part of three months, but the Australians finally have something to smile about entering the final week of their long, and occasionally torturous, tour of the UK. Australia’s successful pursuit of England’s 299 in the fourth ODI in Nottingham provided them a 5-0 series lead and with it the chance to reclaim the No. 1 limited-overs ranking from South Africa. To do so, Ricky Ponting’s men must win both their remaining matches at Trent Bridge and Chester-le-Street, providing at least one hemisphere a reason to tune into a series that was decided last weekend.English viewers may need more convincing. As if a bumbling fielding performance and a fifth straight ODI defeat were not enough, England suffered the added ignominy of watching their all-time ODI win-loss record slipping into the red for just the second time since January, 2007. In a more practical, though equally depressing, development the hosts learned on Wednesday that Luke Wright’s toe injury would rule him out of the final two matches against Australia, and possibly the Champions Trophy. Dimitri Mascarenhas bowled well in Wright’s absence on Tuesday, although his uneasiness against the express pace of Mitchell Johnson will not have imbued Andrew Strauss with much confidence.England at least managed their highest ODI total against Australia since 1980, and have something to build upon ahead of the Champions Trophy. Eoin Morgan produced his best performance since defecting from Ireland earlier this year, and Strauss was at his indomitable best before being incorrectly adjudged lbw.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)England – LLLLL
Australia – WWWWW
Watch out for…Ricky Ponting could move to third place on the ODI all-time run-scorers’ list this week, and his form on Tuesday suggested many more are to come. Ponting showed the benefit of his fortnight’s rest by blazing a sublime 126 from 109 deliveries at Trent Bridge – his highest ever one-day score against England – to lead Australia’s ultimately successful run-chase. His driving and pulling were of the highest order, and with another match looming on the batting-friendly Trent Bridge strip, England will do well to contain him.Eoin Morgan demonstrated just why England moved to poach him from Ireland this year with a cavalier innings of 58 from 41 deliveries that included all the strokes from the MCC coaching manual – and a few of his own making. The Australians struggled to contain the powerful left-hander, who appeared just as adept driving down the ground as he did reverse-sweeping the ever-probing Nathan Bracken. His innings made a pleasing change from England’s Strauss-or-bust batting strategy, which had been employed with little effect throughout the series prior to Tuesday.Team newsMascarenhas’ mixed-bag medium pacers frustrated the Australians in his first ODI match for England since the home series against West Indies. Wright’s absence should ensure Mascarenhas retains his place in the starting XI for Thursday’s match. Graham Onions is yet to be unleashed on the Australian batsmen in this ODI series and can expect his chance over the coming days.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Joe Denly, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Matt Prior (wk), Owais Shah, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 Ryan Sidebottom.Brett Lee’s pleas to play on were ignored on Tuesday but, freed from the clutches of Australia’s rigid resting policy, he will presumably return to action. Johnson or Bracken should be next in line for a breather, with Ben Hilfenhaus waiting in the wings.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Callum Ferguson, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Cameron White, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Bracken. Pitch and conditionsIf the centre strip plays anything like it did on Tuesday, the Nottingham faithful can expect another high-scoring encounter. Australia always felt confident pursuing England’s 299 on a true wicket and a fast outfield, and eventually accomplished the feat with 10 balls to spare.Stats and triviaAustralia’s victory on Tuesday took them level with India at second place on the ODI rankings. A win on Thursday will move them to first alongside South Africa, and another victory at Chester-le-Street will ensure they reclaim top spot in the rankings entering the Champions Trophy.England’s all-time ODI win-loss record slipped to 246-247 after Tuesday’s defeat to Australia; just the second time since the start of 2007 they have entered negative territory. Ponting requires 43 runs to usurp Inzamam-ul-Haq as the third highest all-time run-scorer in ODIs. Quotes”I thought that was closer to our potential as a batting unit. It was a far better performance, so that was encouraging, but in tight games you don’t want to let yourself down in the more elementary areas of the game.”

“It was a really good run chase and another good team effort. It just goes to show that we’re heading in the right direction with our one-day cricket leading into the Champions Trophy.”

Wayamba, Sri Lanka’s domestic Twenty20 champions, are banking on their youth and experience as they head to India to contest the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League

Sa'adi Thawfeeq03-Oct-2009Wayamba, Sri Lanka’s domestic Twenty20 champions, are banking on their mix of youth and experience as they head to India to contest the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League starting October 8.”We have a well-balanced side and most of our opponents haven’t seen us performing together. With our variety of combinations there is a strong chance of winning the championship,” said the captain Jehan Mubarak, who is one of 11 international players in the squad. “It’s all about chances and looking at our team card and the fact that we are an unknown combination in international Twenty20 cricket, we can be the underdog that strikes.”There are no favourites in Twenty20 cricket. On paper we have good players and at the same time we may not be the strongest of the IPL teams who are well experienced in Twenty20 cricket.”Mubarak was happy to have former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene in his side. “Having Mahela in the side is a definite boost for us,” he said. “He knows how to lift the confidence of the players and having a player with his experience is always helpful to any team. Twenty20 is a totally different ball game and a player in the calibre of Mahela is an asset in a championship of this nature.”The allrounder Farveez Maharoof and Tillakaratne Dilshan were members of the Delhi Daredevils side that played in the IPL tournament. Maharoof had the option of representing either Delhi or Wayamba and he opted for his home team.”Dilshan will definitely give a few tips to his Delhi team-mates about our players but Maharoof has already given us some of theirs,” Mubarak said. “It’s not about worrying on individuals; we have done our homework accordingly and have practiced to suit different conditions. Playing in India in a big event will definitely add up that extra pressure on any player. Apart from a few players most of the Wayamba players are used to it. The spectator participation in India will be a contrast to what you experience in a domestic cricket in Sri Lanka.”Our players know how to deal with a bigger crowd around. Our objective is totally different. There is a possibility of winning the first-ever Champions Twenty20 League. It’s not unrealistic and we are confident. Playing in an aggressive and competitive tournament of this nature will definitely create pressure on our players who are taking part in their first ever international championship.”The players in the Wayamba squad have a good understanding of each other’s talents, having played together in nearly three inter-provincial tournaments conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket. They have performed well in the three-day, one-day and Twenty20 games and have won the inter-provincial Twenty20 championships for two seasons.Wayamba will play in Group D along with Delhi and Australian state side Victoria. They take on Dilshan’s Delhi in their first match on October 11, and the game against Victoria follows two days later.Wayamba: Jehan Mubarak (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Kaushalya Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Michael Vandort, Mahela Udawatte, Ishara Amarasinghe, Isuru Udana, Thisara Perera, Sameera de Zoysa, Shalika Karunanayake, Chanaka Welagedara.

Southampton finally managed to secure their first Premier League win of the season at the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United thanks to a second-half strike from on-loan Armando Broja on his first league start of the campaign.

This win over Marcelo Bielsa’s side put the Saints up to 15th in the table with seven points from their opening eight league games.

Their next clash sees the Saints take on Burnley at St Mary’s at the weekend, with the visitors having just three points on the board so far this season.

Diallo should start v Burnley

One player who we feel should definitely be in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting XI to face Burnley is Ibrahima Diallo.

The midfielder joined Southampton last October from French club Brest on a four-year deal. Since then, the 22-year-old, who is currently valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 34 appearances for the Saints across all competitions.

So far this season, Diallo – who has been described as “aggressive” on the pitch in the past by Hasenhuttl – has featured in all of Southampton’s Premier League matches apart from their 0-0 draw against Manchester City and their 1-0 defeat against Wolves, being an unused substitute in both games.

In his latest appearance for the Saints in the win over Leeds, he made his first league start of the campaign and completed four of the five dribbles that he attempted, won 10 of his 17 duels, made two tackles and one interception and racked up a passing accuracy percentage of 84%. That all earned him an overall match rating of 7/10, making him Southampton’s highest-rated midfielder on the day according to SofaScore, showing how instrumental he was in the match.

Taking all this into account, along with the absence of club captain James Ward-Prowse as a result of the three-game ban he picked up against Chelsea before the recent international break, we feel that Diallo should definitely keep his place in the team for when Burnley make the trip to St Mary’s at the weekend.

Looking further down the line from the Clarets match, if he puts in another decent performance at the weekend, he could well give Hasenhuttl a potential selection headache for when fellow midfielder Ward-Prowse becomes available again.

In other news: Signed for £5m, now worth £22.5m, Saints hit the jackpot with “important” beast

A round-up of the latest Championship action as Sussex continue to struggle, but Kent have no such problems in Division Two

Cricinfo staff11-Sep-2009Division OneJohan van der Wath smacks a six down the ground•PA PhotosWarwickshire are well-placed to secure the win that will preserve their first-class status, after Sussex were pushed onto the defensive on the penultimate day at Hove. After Murray Goodwin and Andrew Hodd had ground out a third-wicket stand of 34 that spanned 26 overs, Boyd Rankin struck a crucial blow in the final over of the day to remove Goodwin, and leave Sussex struggling on 113 for 3 at the close, still 61 runs from asking Warwickshire to bat again. Earlier, Jim Troughton progressed from his overnight 28 to 85, as Warwickshire were bowled out for 428. Sussex did claim an extra bowling point to help them in their own bid to avoid relegation, but they’ve got their work cut out tomorrow.Somerset’s wicketkeeper, Craig Kieswetter, produced a career-best 153 at Taunton, to give his side total control on the third day against Lancashire. Kieswetter, 21, will be England-qualified by next season, and he re-confirmed his immense potential by cracking 14 fours and eight sixes in a 170-ball innings. Somerset declared on 557 for 8, a lead of 213, whereupon he added two more catches to his first-innings haul of six to lead Lancashire floundering on 87 for 2 at the close.Durham ensured that the first-division crown will remain with them for another season, as Nottinghamshire were left in their wake at Chester-le-Street. Click here for John Ward’s report.Having yesterday confirmed Worcestershire’s relegation, Hampshire ensured they themselves will remain in the top flight by sealing victory today. George Dobell watched the action.Division TwoNeil Dexter kept his former Kent colleagues waiting with a career-best 146, but Middlesex were still left sliding towards defeat on the third dayat Uxbridge. Responding to Kent’s hefty 652 for 7, Dexter rescued his side from the overnight depths of 109 for 4, but was unable to save the follow-on, with only Gareth Berg’s 67 providing any lasting support. Second-time round, Adam London completed a disappointing match when Azhar Mahmood trapped him lbw for a fourth-ball duck, and by the close, Middlesex were in the mire on 89 for 3.Surrey drew level with Northamptonshire at The Oval but have lost three second-innings wickets in doing so. Click here for Andrew McGlashan’s report.2nd dayGlamorgan’s spinners, Robert Croft and Dean Cosker, claimed three wickets each in a tight contest against Essexat Cardiff. After being bowled out for 311 on the first day, Glamorgan restricted Essex to 277 for 7 in reply, with Mark Pettini’s unbeaten 87 forming the backbone of the reply. John Maunders and Alastair Cook had started strongly in the morning, racking up a 98-run stand for the first wicket, but then Croft got in on the act, removing both batsmen in the space of seven runs, before adding Tom Westley one ball later. From 171 for 3, Cosker then triggered a second mini-collapse, with Jim Allenby claiming the other wicket to fall.

A round-up from the latest Twenty20 Cup matches

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2009North DivisionJacques du Toit scored 39 off 16 balls against Yorkshire•Getty ImagesYorkshire collapsed after a century opening partnership from their openers, Andrew Gale and Jacques Rudolph, to slip to an 11-run defeat against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Chasing 164, Gale (43) and Rudolph (61) added 104 for the first wicket before both were dismissed in the space of four runs. Michael Vaughan made only 17 off 16 balls, and Yorkshire lost another three wickets for 17 runs to manage a lower-than-expected 153 for 6 in 20 overs. Andrew Harris and Wayne White took two wickets apiece for Leicestershire. They had managed to muster 164 off their 20 overs with several batsmen getting starts but none going on to make more than 40. The highlight of Leicestershire’s innings was Jacques du Toit’s 39 off 16 balls which included two sixes and six fours. Offspinner Azeem Rafiq was Yorkshire’s best bowler, taking 2 for 21 off his four overs.Significant contributions from Nottinghamshire’s top three batsmen helped secure a comfortable eight-wicket win with 20 balls to spare against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge. Ali Brown was the star, with 65 off 42 balls, but Matthew Wood and Will Jefferson also scored 34 and 31 respectively to seal victory. Their performance overshadowed Graham Wagg’s half-century which led Derbyshire to 165 for 6. Derbyshire’s openers, Wagg and Chris Rogers, added 38 before Mark Ealham dismissed Rogers and Greg Smith of successive deliveries. Wavell Hinds made 45 off 31 balls for Derbyshire while Ealham finished for 3 for 20 for Nottinghamshire.The match between Durham and Lancashire was washed out without a ball being bowled at Chester-le-Street.

North Division

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Lancashire 9 7 1 0 1 15+1.126 1168/150.2 1063/160.0 Leicestershire 95 4 0 0 10 +0.1331352/180.0 1253/169.5 Durham 9 44 0 1 9 -0.017 1128/158.01139/159.1 Nottinghamshire 9 4 50 0 8 +0.093 1376/166.2 1456/178.0 Yorkshire 9 4 5 00 8 -0.318 1169/174.0 1229/174.4 Derbyshire 9 2 7 00 4 -0.902 1332/179.0 1385/166.0 South DivisionNeil Dexter’s aggressive half-century, followed by a collectively efficient performance from Middlesex’s bowlers led them to a 23-run win against Essex at Lord’s. Dexter hit four sixes in his 73 off 51 balls and was supported by Owais Shah who made 49 off 39. They added 100 for the second wicket before a succession of quick wickets left them on 166 for 5 after 20 overs. The total, however, proved to be enough, for Middlesex’s bowlers ran through all of the Essex batsmen apart from Varun Chopra, who scored 51 off 42 balls. No one else made more than 20 as Tyron Henderson took 3 for 34 and Dawid Malan picked up 2 for 10 to dismiss Essex for 143 in the final over.A half-century from Darren Stevens helped Kent overcome a top-order stumble and secure a seven-wicket win against Hampshire at Southampton. Kent had slipped to 30 for 3 in their pursuit of 131 before Stevens and Geraint Jones shared an unbroken partnership of 102 to secure victory with 13 balls to spare. Stevens finished on 62 off 42 balls while Jones contributed 35. It didn’t seem like Hampshire would set a target of 131 at one stage though. Led by Ryan McLaren, who took 2 for 17, Kent struck early and regularly to reduce Hampshire to 42 for 6 before Dimitri Mascarenhas scored 45 and resurrected the innings with help from Nic Pothas and Dominic Cork.

South Division

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Kent 9 6 2 0 1 13+0.610 1143/144.1 1105/151.0 Sussex 96 3 0 0 12 +0.2931146/159.5 1129/164.1 Essex 9 53 0 1 11 +0.239 1296/158.51254/158.2 Hampshire 9 5 40 0 10 +0.888 1462/176.1 1297/175.0 Surrey 8 2 6 00 4 -0.623 1228/160.0 1300/156.4 Middlesex 8 1 7 00 2 -1.504 1072/160.0 1262/153.5 Midlands, Wales, West DivisionWarwickshire opener Jonathan Trott remained unbeaten on 86 off 62 balls to steer his side to a seven-wicket victory in the final over against Worcestershire at New Road. Chasing 163, Trott and his opening partner Neil Carter added 105 before Carter was lbw to Moeen Ali for 45. Warwickshire lost Jim Troughton first ball to Ali again but Trott stayed firm to ensure that hiccup would not impact the chase significantly. No one stayed the distance for Worcestershire when they batted: their captain Vikram Solanki was dismissed for eight and the lost two more wickets with only 48 on the board. Useful contributions from Ali, Ben Smith and Ashley Noffke propped up the innings but their efforts were not enough. Left-arm medium-pacer Keith Barker picked up 2 for 19 in four overs for Warwickshire.Craig Kieswetter and Peter Trego rescued Somerset’s chase from the depths of 23 for 4 to overhaul Gloucestershire’s total of 173 at Bristol. Somerset’s openers, Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer, were dismissed for 1 each and their situation worsened before Kieswetter and Trego united in a 79-run stand for the fifth wicket. Trego was dismissed for 49, while Kieswetter reached 84 before he was dismissed with the score on 170, only four runs away from victory. Gloucestershire’s innings followed a different pattern for they had a solid start, reaching 101 for 1 before a collapse crippled their innings. Alfonso Thomas took 3 for 35 while Arul Suppiah and Mark Turner picked up two wickets each as Gloucestershire slipped to 173 all out.All-round performances from Northamptonshire’s South Africans, Nicky Boje and Johan van der Wath, helped them beat Glamorgan by 20 runs at at Cardiff. Defending 157, Boje and van der Wath ran through the middle-order, taking 3 for 14 and 2 for 19 respectively to limit Glamorgan to 137 for 9. Boje had also contributed a steady 23, and van der Wath a quick 19, with the bat but it was Riki Wessels who top-scored for Northamptonshire with 66 off 44 balls and led them to 157 for 7.

Midlands/Wales/West Division

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Northamptonshire 9 6 2 01 13 +0.554 1253/159.0 1171/159.5 Somerset 9 6 2 01 13 +0.468 1248/152.2 1236/160.0 Warwickshire 9 6 3 00 12 +0.248 1357/170.4 1384/179.4 Worcestershire 9 5 4 00 10 +0.731 1510/180.0 1344/175.3 Gloucestershire 9 2 7 00 4 -0.652 1321/179.5 1393/174.1 Glamorgan 9 1 8 00 2 -1.223 1231/180.0 1392/172.4