Richard Levi brings South Africa level in style

South Africa 174 for 2 (Levi 117*, de Villiers 38*) beat New Zealand 173 for 4 (Guptill 47, Botha 1-22) by eight wickets

 A combination of a flat pitch and especially small boundaries provided the ideal opportunity for a powerful batsman to break a record at sold-out Seddon Park. And Richard Levi, playing only his second international match, took it. He hit the most sixes in a Twenty20 innings - 13 - on his way to the fastest hundred in the format, off 45 balls, and made New Zealand's 173 look at least 50 short of a par score.

So brutal was Levi during his 117 off 51 balls, a maiden Twenty20 international century for South Africa, that the run-rate rarely dropped below 10 after the first over. They cruised to the target with four overs to spare, leveling the series 1-1 with the decider in Auckland.

Levi was fortuitous in the first over, when a top-edged sweep carried well over the fine-leg boundary. Nathan McCullum was the bowler so the ball didn't even have much pace on it. Seddon Park was that small. Levi's next boundary was more convincing, a mow off Doug Bracewell high into the stands at backward square leg, and he barely mis-timed any after that. He took on everyone, including the feisty Tim Southee, who tried to repeat the short-ball attack that dismissed Levi in Wellington. It did not work in Hamilton.

Hashim Amla holed out to long-off and Wayne Parnell, promoted to No.3 to have a go, was stumped, but neither of those dismissals deterred Levi. One of his sixes smacked the television floor manager on the back of the head, another went over the team dug-outs, another was flat-batted off a slower ball and a fourth bounced on the road outside the ground. South Africa had scored 63 for 2 before the fielding restrictions were lifted.

Not that it mattered. Levi brought up his fifty off 25 balls with his only single on the off side at that point. Most of his sixes were down the ground or over the leg-side boundary. His next fifty runs came even quicker - off 20 deliveries - and Levi broke Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum's 50-ball record for the fastest T20 century.

New Zealand were unable to force Levi to play on the off-side but as his innings progressed, Levi hit them in that area as well. Southee conceded 40 runs in four overs and Bracewell 37, his second and last over containing two sixes and a four from Levi.

AB de Villiers was a spectator to the display of muscle, but even as a supporting act, he managed 39 off 36 balls. He also hit the last four, through mid-on, to earn his first win as Twenty20 captain.

That New Zealand made only so much in near perfect batting conditions, however, was down to South Africa's much-improved performance in the field. de Villiers managed his bowlers better than he did in Wellington to restrict the hosts, when they had looked set for much more after reaching 79 for 1 in ten overs.

The only wicket to fall in the first half of New Zealand's innings was via a run-out. Rob Nicol took on de Villiers' arm after he missed a pull against Marchant de Lange and the ball landed behind the stumps. Guptill raced through in time but de Villiers threw at the bowler's end and his direct hit had a diving Nicol well short. And after the loss of their lynchpin, Guptill, New Zealand stuttered through the second part of their innings.

Guptill had continued his good form and was on track to score his seventh consecutive international half-century, but fell for 47, top edging a hook to deep backward square. It gave the debutant de Lange his first international T20 wicket in just his second game in this format.

Guptill's dismissal allowed South Africa to drag New Zealand back and claim the wicket of Brendon McCullum. Johan Botha, who had opened the bowling, was the architect of stemming the run flow. He and JP Duminy helped keep New Zealand to 41 runs between overs 10 and 15.

New Zealand were in danger of falling well short of a par score, when Franklin stepped up. Fresh from his 60 against Zimbabwe at this venue four days ago, Franklin cleared the boundary four times in his 10-ball 28. Parnell and de Lange, however, were able to keep New Zealand to 14 in the last two overs against an unsure Colin de Grandhomme.

In the end, however, no total may have been large enough for Levi.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP Last five overs NB/Wides New Zealand 34 15 9 49-1 59-2 0/5 South Africa 25 10 13 63-2 13 (one over) 0/10

Courtesy ESPNcricinfo's

Kaneria denies involvement in spot-fixing

The Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria, has claimed he played no role in the spot-fixing case in which his former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield has been convicted and sentenced to four months in jail. During Westfield's sentencing, Kaneria was named in court as the go-between between Westfield and the bookmakers on whose orders Westfield deliberately conceded a fixed number of runs in an over in a Pro40 match in 2009. However, Kaneria, who is captaining Sind in the Pentangular Cup final, has said he is completely innocent.

"I am completely innocent from day one. All allegations against me are false," a nervous-looking Kaneria said repeatedly, after the opening day's play of the final, in Lahore. "The Essex police cleared me and I have clearance certificates from both the ECB and ICC, so I am not feeling any pressure. I am just enjoying my cricket."

Kaneria later issued a statement that pinned the blame entirely on Westfield, claiming that Westfield had presented himself as "naive and vulnerable" and open to the malign influence of a third party to try to escape a prison sentence.

"Westfield is a convicted fraudster and admitted liar," the statement said. "In trying to reduce his own guilt he has tarnished my name. It was quite clear that Westfield would say anything to avoid a custodial sentence. In court he attempted to portray himself as a naive and vulnerable person who was easily lead astray."

Kaneria and Westfield were both questioned by Essex police in March 2010, regarding a Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009. While Westfield was charged with conspiracy to defraud, Kaneria was released on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Westfield pleaded guilty to spot-fixing charges in January 2012 and was convicted. During his sentencing, Kaneria was named as the middleman in the spot-fixing plot.

Kaneria now faces the possibility of a disciplinary tribunal in England. Essex police will hand over the evidence to the ECB, which will decide whether to hold its own investigation. The maximum penalty, if Kaneria is found guilty, is a lifetime ban from all cricket worldwide.

When asked if he was ready to face an inquiry in England, Kaneria repeated that all allegations against him are false.

The PCB's integrity committee has offered its full cooperation to the ECB, should the England board decide to hold an inquiry. Farogh Naseem, Kaneria's lawyer, played down suggestions that his client had new evidence to answer, saying Kaneria had been cleared by the Essex police and the ICC. "It is Westfield's words against Kaneria and a lot will depend on what evidences he puts before the court against my client," Naseem said.

Kaneria has not been cleared to play for Pakistan since the 2010 Trent Bridge Test against England. He has continued to play domestic cricket in Pakistan. He has persistently pleaded his innocence since the initial arrest and he was selected for a Test series against South Africa in late 2010 before being withdrawn by the PCB because he was not able to obtain the required documentation from Essex police.

Last year he also filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against the PCB's refusal to clear him. The PCB's integrity committee can now obtain the police investigation records against Kaneria. 

Courtesy...Cricinfo

Pietersen century and Cooks 80s wraps up series for England

 England 226 for 1 (Pietersen 111*, Cook 80) beat Pakistan 222 all out (Afridi 51, Finn 3-24) by nine wickets

Kevin Pietersen returned to form with his first ODI century in 39 matches as England cruised to a third consecutive win over Pakistan, clinching the series with a match to spare. Alastair Cook was also on form again but missed out on what would have been a record third century in a row. He made 80 and shared a record opening stand with Pietersen as England cruised home with 12 overs to spare.

Pakistan batted first for the first time in the series after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss but England once again struck with the new ball, with Steven Finn taking three wickets, and restricted Pakistan to a modest target which the batsman made light work of.

England 149-0 (Cook 69*, Pietersen 73*) need 74 more to beat Pakistan 222 all out (Afridi 51, Finn 3-24)

Srilanka Win from Australia

Sri Lanka 152 for 2 (Jayawardene 61*, Dilshan 45) beat Australia 158 (David Hussey 58, Maharoof 2-18, Perera 2-29) by eight wickets according to D-L method

A rejuvenated Sri Lanka excelled with the ball and in the field to cut down Australia's batting and then raced impudently to their rain-reduced target for an eight-wicket victory and a bonus point in a lopsided encounter at the SCG.

Despite the best efforts of David Hussey, the hosts were rumbled out for 158, their lowest at the ground since 1997 and fourth-lowest in all ODIs in Sydney, in a match reduced to 41 overs-per-side by a two-hour rain delay that took place when Australia were a punch-drunk 6 for 88. Tillakaratne Dilshan and the captain Mahela Jayawardene then removed all doubt about the contest with a stand of 74 inside 12 overs.

Jayawardene was still there when the winning runs were collected with 16.5 overs to spare, surprising a crowd of 22,365 and pushing Sri Lanka back into finals contention with seven points after four matches. India lead the table on 10, while a suddenly wobbly Australia have nine.

It was an unhappy return to captaincy for Ricky Ponting, who could rouse neither himself from an ODI batting slumber nor his team from the flat patch they have slipped into following a successful Test summer. Ponting is likely to still have the job on Sunday against India at the Gabba as Michael Clarke struggles to recover from a hamstring strain. The hosts' batting was inattentive and wasteful in the afternoon, and there was precious little spark with the ball or in the field, thus maintaining the unsettling form line begun in Adelaide on Sunday.

Farveez Maharoof bowled intelligently for the visitors on his recall to the team, while Lasith Malinga struck a key early blow by defeating David Warner with a slower ball. Thisara Perera engineered two run-outs and claimed two wickets at the bowling crease, and Angelo Mathews maintained his strong form in this series by accounting for Michael Hussey.

David Hussey was left to salvage something from the innings, though he was fortunate to survive a dropped chance from Malinga at third man when on eight. After the rain cleared he went on to a meritorious 58, maintaining his strongest summer yet for Australia. His efforts ensured some kind of chase for Sri Lanka, a prospect that looked grim at 8 for 104.

Given a chance to add a sixth win from their last eight matches at the ground, Dilshan and Jayawardene wasted little time setting about the target. Jayawardene pinged a perfect off-drive in Mitchell Starc's first over, and Dilshan added a flatly-pulled six in the left-armer's second.

Brett Lee's return to the team after a broken toe was rushed, and Dilshan made him pay for it by cracking a hat-trick of boundaries through the leg side as the bowler dropped short. Dilshan edged Clint McKay to slip when still five short of his half century, but by that point nearly half the target had been swallowed up in quick time and the rest of the runs - including Kumar Sangakkara's 10,000th in ODIs - were collected without fuss.

Ponting was happy to bat first on what looked a pitch for batting, but soon the clouds had closed in on both the ground and the Australian batsmen. Warner struck a pair of crisp boundaries but struggled to read Malinga's changes of pace, and ultimately lobbed a catch to mid-on when trying to get down the pitch.

Maharoof took note of Malinga's craftiness, and used a similar ruse to account for Ponting. Nicely disguised, a slower ball had Ponting too far into the stroke to avoid pushing back a simple return catch, and departing for another slim score this series.

Matthew Wade's demise occurred after Perera swooped from short cover to turn a possible single into a horrid run-out, the wicketkeeper and Peter Forrest both at the same end before Wade elected to sacrifice his wicket. Sri Lanka's alertness in the field had been apparent, it was justly rewarded here.

Michael Hussey struck one six from Mathews but next ball he fenced at a delivery too close to his body for the shot and edged behind. Forrest fiddled at Maharoof's exemplary length and line to offer a catch to slip, and Christian shuffled across to be lbw to Perera. The rain then arrived, leaving Australia in a parlous position.

Two hours of showers swept across the ground, reducing the allotted number of overs. The hosts had only 15 to bat when they resumed, and soon lost another two wickets. McKay was fooled by Rangana Herath's straight ball, then Lee was the victim of another Perera swoop, this time for a direct hit from wide mid-off.

David Hussey was in dire need of any kind of support, and for 49 runs he received it from Starc. Hussey cracked boundaries through point, midwicket and down the ground, but on 33 was again reprieved, this time when Mathews shelled a difficult chance at short cover. Perera ultimately claimed Hussey, and Starc was run out to complete a most unsatisfactory innings for the hosts. Things would only get worse as day gave way to night.

Courtesy To Cricinfo.com

Please Pray For YUVI

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Tuesday revealed that the malignant lung tumour, for which he is undergoing chemotherapy in the Unites States, is "almost out of his system" after the first cycle of treatment.

"Got very good news from dr lawrence today! The tumor is almost way out of the system Aftr reading my todays scan !Second cycle has started," Yuvraj, being treated at the Boston Institute of Cancer Research, wrote on his twitter account.

The 30-year-old, who went to US last month, has gone bald during the treatment, which will go on till the last week of March before the process of rehabilitation starts in April.

The dashing batsman had earlier got a message from US cycling legend Lance Armstrong, whose own inspirational triumph over cancer is well-documented, wishing him a speedy recovery.

"Message from @lancearmstrong makes me feel better! Thank you lance means a lot hope we can meet," tweeted Yuvraj. A photo of the Armstrong's message, posted by Yuvraj, read: "Yuvi, I want you to know that the entire LIVESTRONG team is here for you.”

"We say it all the time, and truly believe in it: Knowledge is power, Unity is strength, and Attitude is everything. Please know that we are here to help you and your family in any way possible. Go Yuvi!! Livestrong."

Yuvraj was named Player of the Tournament in the World Cup, scoring 362 runs and grabbing 15 wickets in nine matches. He has so far scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000.

After being diagnosed with the illness, Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since taking part in two of three home Tests against the West Indies in November.  

England beats Pakistan in 2nd ODI to lead 2-0

United Arab Emirates: England beat Pakistan by 20 runs in the second one-day international to lead 2-0 and grab at least a share of the series spoils on Wednesday.

Skipper Alastair Cook scored a second successive century while Steve Finn and Ravi Bopara played superb support roles as England continued to rebound from being swept in the test series.

Cook slammed 102 while Bopara also registered his second straight half century to help England reach 250-4 in 50 overs. Pakistan was then bowled out for 230 in 49 with Finn again getting four wickets while James Anderson and Samit Patel shared four wickets. Misbah-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat scored 47 each in Pakistan’s losing cause.

Bangladesh Premier League 2012 Matches Schedule, Fixture and TIme Table.

BPL T20 2012 Schedule

Bangladesh Premier League 2012 (BPL T20) Teams:

Barisal Burners
Chittagong Kings
Dhaka Gladiators
Duronto Rajshahi
Khulna Royal Bengal
Sylhet Royals

Bangladesh Premier League 2012 Schedule ans Fixtures BPL T20 2012 Time Table
Date and Time Match
Fri Feb 10
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 1st Match – Barisal Burners v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Fri Feb 10
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 2nd Match – Chittagong Kings v Duronto Rajshahi
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sat Feb 11
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 3rd Match – Dhaka Gladiators v Khulna Royal Bengals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sat Feb 11
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 4th Match – Barisal Burners v Duronto Rajshahi
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sun Feb 12
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 5th Match – Chittagong Kings v Khulna Royal Bengals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sun Feb 12
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 6th Match – Dhaka Gladiators v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Mon Feb 13
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 7th Match – Barisal Burners v Khulna Royal Bengals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Mon Feb 13
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 8th Match – Chittagong Kings v Dhaka Gladiators
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Tue Feb 14
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 9th Match – Duronto Rajshahi v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Tue Feb 14
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 10th Match – Barisal Burners v Dhaka Gladiators
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Wed Feb 15
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 11th Match – Chittagong Kings v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Wed Feb 15
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 12th Match – Duronto Rajshahi v Khulna Royal Bengals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Thu Feb 16
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 13th Match – Barisal Burners v Chittagong Kings
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Thu Feb 16
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 14th Match – Dhaka Gladiators v Duronto Rajshahi
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Sat Feb 18
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 15th Match – Chittagong Kings v Khulna Royal Bengals
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Sat Feb 18
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 16th Match – Barisal Burners v Sylhet Royals
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Sun Feb 19
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 17th Match – Chittagong Kings v Duronto Rajshahi
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Sun Feb 19
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 18th Match – Dhaka Gladiators v Khulna Royal Bengals
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Mon Feb 20
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 19th Match – Barisal Burners v Duronto Rajshahi
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Mon Feb 20
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 20th Match – Khulna Royal Bengals v Sylhet Royals
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Wed Feb 22
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 21st Match – Dhaka Gladiators v Sylhet Royals
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Wed Feb 22
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 22nd Match – Barisal Burners v Khulna Royal Bengals
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
N/A


Fri Feb 24
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 23rd Match – Chittagong Kings v Dhaka Gladiators
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Fri Feb 24
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 24th Match – Duronto Rajshahi v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Sat Feb 25
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 25th Match – Barisal Burners v Dhaka Gladiators
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Sat Feb 25
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 26th Match – Chittagong Kings v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Sun Feb 26
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 27th Match – Duronto Rajshahi v Khulna Royal Bengals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Sun Feb 26
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 28th Match – Barisal Burners v Chittagong Kings
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Mon Feb 27
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 29th Match – Dhaka Gladiators v Duronto Rajshahi
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Mon Feb 27
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 30th Match – Khulna Royal Bengals v Sylhet Royals
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Tue Feb 28
08:00 GMT | 14:00 local
13:30 IST 1st semi-final – TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Tue Feb 28
12:30 GMT | 18:30 local
18:00 IST 2nd semi-final – TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A


Wed Feb 29
12:00 GMT | 18:00 local
17:30 IST Final – TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
N/A

Pakistan limited-overs squads

ODIs: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali

• 
  
• Twenty20s: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Hammad Azam, Awais Zia

Pakistan secure series whitewash

Pakistan duly completed their first clean sweep against England in a Test series, an extraordinary achievement for a side with no home to call its own, a side that lives out of a suitcase and does it rather well. Along with the socks and the toothpaste they certainly unpacked quite a shock for the No. 1 ranked side.

Twice in a few months, the leading Test side in the world has been found wanting. India were whitewashed in England last summer and now England have suffered a similar humiliation. Test cricket in Asia, described by England's captain, Andrew Strauss, as "the final frontier," has proved as unconquerable as ever.

The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal, the Man of the Series, and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman tormented England to the end. They shared 43 wickets between them in a three-Test series and England barely played a shot in anger. Even after dismissing Pakistan for 99 in their first innings, they could not summon either the method or confidence to prevail. Only when the game was as good as lost did Matt Prior, who has looked likelier than most throughout the series, play with gusto in making an unbeaten 49.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan's spinners, not quick turn but leaping turn at times when the ball struck the rough. Fittingly, the match finished on an lbw referral as Monty Panesar swept at Rehman, only to find that his retro scoop bat had no magical qualities. DRS upheld the umpire's decision and the all-time record of 43 lbw decisions in a series was equalled.

Until then, Rehman had counted Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers carried their own threat. His four wickets set the course of the Test unquestionably towards Pakistan. Ian Bell averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series and when he slapped a long hop wide of point it summed up his state of mind. Reverse swing accounted for Eoin Morgan, whose dance down the pitch was nothing compared to the merry jig from the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, after he had caught it. If Pakistan had doubts about taking the new ball, Gul allayed them as Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann risked all-out attack and got out almost immediately.

Cook had put up statuesque resistance, 187 balls for 49. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot once more. He reviewed it, although he would have been better advised to head smartly for the dressing room. When it comes to captain's reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah was lbw on five occasions in this series and took a review every time. It must be a captain's prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan might have won sooner. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul's drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Jonathan Trott at deep square and flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Kevin Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Adnan Akmal's fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan's first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter was at times counterproductive. Strauss' edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan's cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. "Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good," you could sense him saying from first moment to last. Misbah learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looked askance at him. He will not be looking askance tonight - every Pakistan player will share Adnan's excitement.

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Dhoni's away record takes a beating

MS Dhoni has had his captaincy record in away Tests ruined by India's seven consecutive defeats in England and Australia. In July 2011, after the tour of West Indies and before the Pataudi Trophy, India had played 12 Tests away from home under Dhoni's leadership, of which they won five and lost only two. That record is now played 19, won five and lost nine. At home, however, Dhoni has led India in 18 Tests, with 12 wins and only one defeat to South Africa.

Dhoni's stuck with his overseas record for a while because he's been banned from the Adelaide Test for a repeat over-rate offence, and India don't have another tour for about two years. This week's column is about captains with the largest differences between win percentages in home and away Tests. We've excluded draws from our calculations.

Two other Indian captains had reasonable results at home but miserable ones while on tour. Mohammad Azharuddin's India won 13 out of 20 home Tests but only one out of 27 away games. The solitary victory was at the SSC in Colombo in 1993, when India beat Sri Lanka by 235 runs. Sachin Tendulkar's India didn't even manage that. He was captain in 13 away Tests, of which India lost six and drew seven. Of 12 home games under Tendulkar, India won four and lost three.

In 1984, Australia under Kim Hughes were beaten in three consecutive Tests in the Caribbean to lose the series 0-3 to West Indies. Those results significantly worsened Hughes' away record as captain. Australia had won one and lost 11 out of 20 away Tests with him as leader. Their next assignment was a home series against West Indies and, under Hughes, they lost the first two Tests at the WACA and the Gabba. The results were Hughes' first defeats at home (captained in eight, won three, lost two) but the strain of five consecutive losses to West Indies claimed its victim. Hughes resigned the captaincy in tears in Brisbane and only played two more Tests for Australia.

Win/loss % of captains at home compared to away from home - Tests (at least 8 matches, both at home and away; excluding draws)

Player	Span	Mat		Home	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	%		Away	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	%		Diff
M Azharuddin (India)	1990-1999	47		20	13	4	0	3	76.47		27	1	10	0	16	9.09		67.38
AH Kardar (Pak)	1952-1958	23		9	3	0	0	6	100.00		14	3	6	0	5	33.33		66.67
RGD Willis (Eng)	1982-1984	18		9	6	1	0	2	85.71		9	1	4	0	4	20.00		65.71
CA Walsh (WI)	1994-1997	22		9	2	0	0	7	100.00		13	4	7	0	2	36.36		63.64
SR Tendulkar (India)	1996-2000	25		12	4	3	0	5	57.14		13	0	6	0	7	0.00		57.14
MS Dhoni (India)	2008-2012	37		18	12	1	0	5	92.30		19	5	9	0	5	35.71		56.59
GP Howarth (NZ)	1980-1985	30		17	8	1	0	8	88.88		13	3	6	0	4	33.33		55.56
SM Pollock (SA)	2000-2003	26		13	10	0	0	3	100.00		13	4	5	0	4	44.44		55.56
Wasim Akram (Pak)	1993-1999	25		8	5	0	0	3	100.00		17	7	8	0	2	46.66		53.33
SM Gavaskar (India)	1976-1985	47		29	7	2	0	20	77.77		18	2	6	0	10	25.00		52.78
KJ Hughes (Aus)	1979-1984	28		8	3	2	0	3	60.00		20	1	11	0	8	8.33		51.67
Javed Miandad (Pak)	1980-1993	34		22	10	1	0	11	90.90		12	4	5	0	3	44.44		46.46
WR Hammond (Eng)	1938-1947	20		10	3	1	0	6	75.00		10	1	2	0	7	33.33		41.67
BC Lara (WI)	1997-2006	47		27	9	10	0	8	47.36		20	1	16	0	3	5.88		41.49
PBH May (Eng)	1955-1961	41		26	16	4	0	6	80.00		15	4	6	0	5	40.00		40.00
JM Brearley (Eng)	1977-1981	31		19	12	0	0	7	100.00		12	6	4	0	2	60.00		40.00
Imran Khan (Pak)	1982-1992	48		22	9	2	0	11	81.81		26	5	6	0	15	45.45		36.36
RB Simpson (Aus)	1964-1978	39		15	7	3	0	5	70.00		24	5	9	0	10	35.71		34.29
A Ranatunga (SL)	1989-1999	56		27	8	6	0	13	57.14		29	4	13	0	12	23.52		33.61
LRD Mendis (SL)	1982-1987	19		11	2	4	0	5	33.33		8	0	4	0	4	0.00		33.33

In one-day internationals, England under Mike Atherton's captaincy had a dichotomous record between home and away results. They won 12 out of 15 home matches, and reverses against West Indies and Pakistan in Nottingham in 1995 and 1996 were the only defeats. Away from home, however, Atherton's England lost 19 and won only eight out of 28 ODIs. It included a disastrous 1996 World Cup campaign, during which England won only two of six matches, with those wins coming against minnows UAE and Netherlands.

Sri Lanka under Sanath Jayasuriya were a formidable one-day side at home, and won more than they lost in away ODIs as well. At home, they won 24 and lost only six out of 32 matches during Jayasuriya's tenure between 1998 and 2003. Away from Sri Lanka during that period, they won 42 and lost 41 out of 86 ODIs. Under Mahela Jayawardene between 2004 and 2009, however, Sri Lanka won a greater percentage of away matches than they did home games. Out of 26 ODIs at home, Sri Lanka won 12 and lost 13. They played 68 matches away from home under Jayawardene, out of which they won 42 and lost 22.

Win/loss % of captains at home compared to away from home - ODIs (at least 15 matches, both at home and away)

Player	Span	Mat		Home	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	%		Away	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	%		Diff
MA Atherton (Eng)	1994-1997	43		15	12	2	0	1	85.71		28	8	19	1	0	30.35		55.36
LRD Mendis (SL)	1982-1987	61		19	7	8	0	4	46.66		42	4	38	0	0	9.52		37.14
Mohammad Ashraful (Ban)	2007-2009	38		17	7	10	0	0	41.17		21	1	20	0	0	4.76		36.41
MS Atapattu (SL)	2001-2006	63		27	20	6	0	1	76.92		36	15	21	0	0	41.66		35.26
A Ranatunga (SL)	1988-1999	193		48	32	11	0	5	74.41		145	57	84	1	3	40.49		33.93
GP Howarth (NZ)	1980-1985	60		18	13	4	0	1	76.47		42	18	22	0	2	45.00		31.47
HH Streak (Zim)	2000-2004	68		24	11	12	0	1	47.82		44	7	35	0	2	16.66		31.16
ST Jayasuriya (SL)	1998-2003	118		32	24	6	0	2	80.00		86	42	41	2	1	50.58		29.41
SO Tikolo (Kenya)	2001-2011	73		32	17	15	0	0	53.12		41	10	29	0	2	25.64		27.48
SR Tendulkar (India)	1996-2000	73		18	9	8	0	1	52.94		55	14	35	1	5	29.00		23.94
M Azharuddin (India)	1990-1999	174		58	40	17	1	0	69.82		116	50	59	1	6	45.90		23.92
MD Crowe (NZ)	1990-1993	44		28	16	12	0	0	57.14		16	5	10	0	1	33.33		23.81
Habibul Bashar (Ban)	2004-2007	69		29	16	13	0	0	55.17		40	13	27	0	0	32.50		22.67
CA Walsh (WI)	1994-1997	43		15	10	5	0	0	66.66		28	12	15	0	1	44.44		22.22
KC Sangakkara (SL)	2009-2011	45		27	18	6	0	3	75.00		18	9	8	0	1	52.94		22.06
KC Wessels (SA)	1992-1994	52		21	11	10	0	0	52.38		31	9	20	0	2	31.03		21.35
KR Rutherford (NZ)	1993-1995	37		19	7	11	1	0	39.47		18	3	13	0	2	18.75		20.72
GC Smith (SA)	2003-2011	149		63	44	14	1	4	75.42		86	48	37	0	1	56.47		18.95
IVA Richards (WI)	1980-1991	105		26	19	5	0	2	79.16		79	48	31	0	0	60.75		18.41
Wasim Akram (Pak)	1993-2000	109		17	13	4	0	0	76.47		92	53	37	2	0	58.69		17.77

Sehwag Make History on 08-12-2011

Share your Feeling If  You love Cricket Till about 2 years ago, a double century in the ODI’s was unheard of and deemed impossible, given the number of overs available. But then came along the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar – some call him the greatest willow yielder to have ever graced the game – and stroked a masterful double hundred against South Africa. After that spectacular display of batsman-ship, everyone thought that it would be pretty difficult to break his record but some 20 months down the line, Tendulkar’s clone, Sehwag, shattered his record with such aplomb that it is hard to imagine why it took him so long. Characteristic of the batting approach that is associated with Sehwag, it was a brutal knock with 25 hits for four and 7 hits over the ropes. The only thing uncharacteristic in the whole knock was the dive he took to avoid being run out, considering that he never dives. Before the match, there were several questions being asked about Sehwag’s form as he hadn’t done anything noteworthy since March of this year. Sehwag however, shrugged those questions off with nonchalance as he raised his hundred off just 69 balls and finished with 219 off 149. It was not a chanceless innings by any stretch of imagination. Sehwag could have gotten out on at least 4 occasions but he survived two run out chances and two dropped catches; one of them was when he was batting on 170 as Darren Sammy put down a sitter. Unlike Tendulkar’s innings, Sehwag was never batting against time. He scored his double ton in the 44th over of the game and got out in the 47th. Had he lasted the full quota of 50 overs, a score of 250 would not have been out of sight for him. Sehwag has never batted out 50 overs in his ODI career. The last time he batted till the 47th over, he had scored 175. This time it was 219. One can just imagine what his score would be the time he ends up unbeaten. I still remember Saeed Anwer’s 194 against India back in 1997. That was a graceful innings as he managed to take apart the Indian bowling attack. But, his performance pales when compared to the brutal knock that Sehwag played yesterday. Another opener who likes to hit the leather hard - Chris Gayle - tweeted this about Sehwag: "Well I did watch some of that innings by Viru... Brilliant striking!! Congrats on your 219... That's child abuse! The Mask would say, Smoking!" For now the only man who can challenge the 219 in ODI's is Sehwag himself, and it may only be a matter of time before he goes about wreaking havoc again!

Pakistani spinners dominate ODI rankings

DUBAI: Pakistani spinners top the ICC rankings for One Day International Bowlers.

Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Muhammed Hafeez are 1 and 2 in the rankings.

According to the rankings Hafeez jumped from the 8th spot to number 2 in the rankings. This position was previously held by Daniel Vettori of New Zealand.

Shahid Afridi is currently at the number 9 position. After some time, a Pakistani batsman has also broken into the top 10. Umer Akmal was ranked as the number 10 batsman in the world

In the ICC rankings for all-rounder’s, Muhammed Hafeez is ranked 2nd while Shahid Afridi is ranked 4th

Honda Now Makes Flying Car

Honda with its motto the Power of Dream, is making another revolution in concept car design. Honda air is a new vehicle concept designed by Honda’s advanced design studio in Pasadena, California. The concept was created for the 1000 pound car design challenge put on by the Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicle takes its lightweight inspiration from skydiving and roller coasters, using compressed air to powered its pneumatic regulator system.

This system utilizes turbo vacuums and external air-flow to regenerate tank pressure for extended range and increased boost for an estimated 100 miles. To keep the car lightweight, all components are mounted directly to the chassis, eliminating unnecessary structures. The exterior is made from vegetable based plastic wrapped around the body with an open-air style. the concept is estimated to weigh only 800 pounds.