The Cricket Thread

[Corzza]

Geez India are firing in limited overs arena at the moment

South Africa A Team Tri-Series, Final: Australia A v India A at Pretoria, Aug 14, 2013

India A 243 (49.2 ov)

Australia A 193 (46.3 ov)

India A won by 50 runs

[Corzza]

Ryder gets six months doping ban

New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has been suspended for six months for failing a doping test for banned stimulants he claimed he took in a supplement to help him lose weight, the country's top sports tribunal said on Tuesday.

Ryder returned a positive sample after being tested following a match for provincial side Wellington Firebirds against Northern Knights on March 24, the Sports Tribunal said in a release on its website (www.sportstribunal.org.nz/).

Ryder tested positive to 1-Phenylbutan-2-amine (PBA) and N, alphadiethyl-benzeneethanamine (DEBEA), both of which are banned in competition, and was subsequently handed a six-month provisional ban on April 19, the release said.

The tribunal issued a decision on Monday saying that it accepted Ryder's reasons for taking supplements and upheld the provisional ban, meaning the ban would be lifted on October 19.

"The mandatory penalty for this violation is two years' suspension," the tribunal said.

"However, the suspension can be less if the athlete establishes how the prohibited substances got in his system and that the taking of the prohibited substance was not intended to enhance his sport performance."

The tribunal added in its decision's notes: "We do not need to detail Mr Ryder's evidence other than to say in summary that he expressed a sensitivity arising from public comments about his weight and, as he was in a good space at the

time about his cricketing form, he had decided to make a further attempt to reduce weight."

New Zealand's top anti-doping authority Drug Free Sport NZ (DFSNZ) said it had accepted the Tribunal's conclusion that 18-test batsman Ryder was not intending to enhance performance but added that he "had failed to heed clear

warnings he had received".

"This is doubly disappointing as DFSNZ, NZ Cricket and the Cricket Player's Association had collaborated to institute an education programme for first class cricketers and Ryder had been part of that programme," DFSNZ CEO Graeme

Steel said in a statement on the authority's website (www.drugfreesport.org.nz).

"Supplements are a minefield for athletes as, while benefits are invariably overstated, accurate information about contents and their status under sport rules is frequently insufficient."

The lenience of the decision and the lack of disclosure are likely to raise eyebrows in New Zealand, where Ryder's travails in a roller coaster career have been a constant source of controversy.

A burly lefthander who stepped away from test cricket last year to deal with personal issues, Ryder has struggled with weight problems throughout his career, along with alcohol and discipline issues.

Four days after being tested following his match for Wellington, Ryder was subject to a vicious assault outside a Christchurch nightspot which put him in hospital with critical head injuries.

He was expected to resume his provincial career with Otago later this year.

Doping cases have been relatively rare in cricket compared to other sports like athletics and cycling but a number of high-profile cricketers have failed drug tests.

Pakistan pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who is currently serving a seven-year ban for spot-fixing in a 2010 test against England, both tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs but had bans overturned on appeal.

Former Australia spinner Shane Warne was famously banned a day before the start of the 2003 World Cup inAfrica and sent home after testing positive for a banned diuretic.

[Corzza]

Australia tour of England and Scotland, 5th Investec Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 21-25, 2013

Australia 307/4 (90.0 ov)

England

Australia won the toss and elected to bat

Stumps - Day 1

DA Warner c †Prior b Anderson 6 (20m 11b 1x4 0x6) SR: 54.54

CJL Rogers c Trott b Swann 23 (135m 100b 3x4 0x6) SR: 23.00

MJ Clarke b Anderson 7 (46m 39b 0x4 0x6) SR: 17.94

SR Watson c Pietersen b Broad 176 (339m 247b 25x4 1x6) SR: 71.25

[Corzza]

Australia tour of England and Scotland, 5th Investec Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 21-25, 2013


Australia 492/9d

England 32/0 (17.3 ov)

England trail by 460 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

Stumps - Day 2



PM Siddle b Anderson 23 (35m 27b 2x4 0x6) SR: 85.18


BJ Haddin b Trott 30 (88m 57b 5x4 0x6) SR: 52.63


JP Faulkner c Trott b Woakes 23 (28m 21b 4x4 0x6) SR: 109.52


MA Starc b Swann 13 (15m 8b 1x4 0x6) SR: 162.50


RJ Harris c & b Anderson 33 (31m 27b 1x4 2x6) SR: 122.22

[_Velocity_]

My guess is rain will end this in a draw just like the second test match when we were in a similar winning position.

Considering we came so close to winnning at Trent Bridge and the good position we were in before the rain hit in the second test I must say I dont think the English should be quite as confident coming over in the summer. We could easily have been 2-1 up in this series had some luck and the weather gone our way.

[Corzza]

It does seem like it but lets see it's not over until its over!

Well done to Smith though, good job by him to his ton.

[Corzza]

Aus on top after Smith maiden ton

Steven Smith's maiden test hundred ensured Australia maintained their grip on the Ashes finale on the second day at The Oval on Thursday.

Smith's 138 not out powered Australia to an imposing first innings total of 492 for nine declared on the second day as they sought a consolation win after England had already taken the series at 3-0 up.

When bad light ended play for the day, England were 32 without loss, a deficit of 460 runs.

England captain Alastair Cook was 17 not out and Joe Root 13 not out.

For Smith, a first hundred in his 12-Test career was all the more welcome as he'd fallen 11 runs short during the drawn third Ashes match in Manchester.

But he achieved the coveted landmark in style Thursday with an on-driven six off occasional medium-pacer Jonathan Trott.

"I was a bit nervous after getting out for 89 at Old Trafford but I had a chat with Hads (Brad Haddin) and said with Trotty bowling I thought I'd give it a go," Smith told BBC Radio's Test Match Special.

"I'm very happy to get the hundred under my belt, I feel like my game's going OK at the moment, I'm probably leaving the ball better than I have done before.

"The pitch is still pretty good, while the ball is still hard it will be important to take a few wickets in the morning," he added.

Australia resumed well-placed on their overnight 307 for four after rain delayed Thursday's start by three-and-a-half hours.

Smith was 66 not out and night-watchman Peter Siddle 18 not out following Shane Watson's test-best 176 on Wednesday.

The overcast conditions, despite the glare of floodlights, were more friendly to the bowlers, especially the seamers, than Wednesday's blue skies when England debutant bowlers Chris Woakes and Simon Kerrigan struggled.

Indeed so poor was left-arm spinner Kerrigan's first day return of none for 53 in eight overs, he didn't bowl at all on Thursday.

It did not take long for paceman James Anderson, who on Wednesday moved past Bob Willis into second place in England's all-time list of leading test wicket-takers, to make the breakthrough.

Anderson bowled Siddle with a superb ball that clipped the top of off stump.

But when seam-bowling all-rounder Woakes dropped short, Smith pulled him for four to go to 89 – the same score he made in the drawn third test at Old Trafford.

TOO DEFENSIVE

However, there was no falling short of three figures for Smith on Thursday. The 24-year-old, playing the 12th test of a career that saw him initially regarded as a leg-spinner who batted, went to his hundred in style by on-driving occasional

medium-pacer Jonathan Trott for six.

However, four balls later, Brad Haddin played on to Trott for 30.

An embarrassing post-tea session where Cook set excessively defensive fields even when the tail-enders, rather than Smith, were on strike, saw England concede 95 runs in 11.5 overs.

"I didn't really think about the over-rate, I was just trying to get as many runs as I could," said Smith.

James Faulkner holed out to give fellow debutant Woakes a maiden test wicket before Graeme Swann, who didn't bowl until three hours into the day's play despite being arguably the world's leading off-spinner, struck with his second ball

Friday to dismiss Mitchell Starc.

Ryan Harris hit 33 at better than a run-a-ball before he was caught and bowled by Anderson, who had to run some 20 yards to the vacant mid-off area.

Anderson led England's attack with four wickets for 95 runs in 29.5 overs but he was denied the chance to take his fifth wicket of the innings when Australia captain Michael Clarke declared before last man Nathan Lyon faced a ball.

Smith, whose previous test best was the 92 he made against India in Mohali in March, batted for more than six-and-a-half hours and faced 241 balls with 16 fours and two sixes.

[Corzza]

Australia tour of England and Scotland, 5th Investec Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 21-25, 2013

Australia 492/9d

England 247/4 (116.0 ov)

England trail by 245 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

Stumps - Day 3

AN Cook c †Haddin b Harris 25 (138m 88b 3x4 0x6) SR: 28.40

JE Root c Watson b Lyon 68 (234m 184b 11x4 0x6) SR: 36.95

IJL Trott lbw b Starc 40 (193m 134b 2x4 0x6) SR: 29.85

KP Pietersen c Watson b Starc 50 (190m 133b 4x4 0x6) SR: 37.59

[Corzza]

1st T20I: Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare - Aug 23, 2013

Pakistan 161/5 (20/20 ov)

Zimbabwe 136/5 (20/20 ov)

Pakistan won by 25 runs

[Corzza]

Australia tour of England and Scotland, 5th Investec Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 21-25, 2013


Australia 492/9d & 111/6d

England 377 & 206/5 (40.0 ov)

Match drawn