I haven't had a bet on cricket so far but maybe i might have my first bet in this tournament soon.

4 May, 2008
Kumble keeps his cool

Bangalore Royal Challengers produced a disciplined bowling display at the death to claim a three-run win over Deccan Chargers and move off the foot of the IPL table on Saturday.

The Royal Challengers claimed four wickets for just five runs in the space of nine balls to limit their opponents to 6-153 and record only their second win in IPL.

VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma shared a stand of 96 - Sharma becoming the highest run-scorer in the IPL with 235 - but it was not enough as the Royal Challengers' total of 8-156 proved sufficient.

Praveen Kumar recorded figures of 3-23 and Zaheer Khan 2-24 before Sanjay Bangar hit two sixes off the final over from Anil Kumble to take the clash down to the final ball. But Kumble held his nerve to secure victory.

The Royal Challengers certainly had their bowling attack to thank for victory after earlier struggling to get the better of the Deccan spinners.

Wassim Jaffer and Virat Kohli shared a second-wicket partnership of 72 after Bharat Chipli (10) went early, but found it hard to cope with the loss of Jaffer for 44.

Jacques Kallis (six) and Kohli (38) were then deceived by the spin of Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh respectively in the space of four balls.

Misbah-ul-Haq (three) and Mark Boucher (16) also went cheaply, the former falling victim to a Shahid Afridi quicker delivery and Boucher slicing on to his stumps.

Rahul Dravid though offered some resistance towards the end of the innings, making Scott Styris pay for dropping him on 12 by cracking two maximums from the New Zealander's last over on his way to a rapid 26.

The Chargers started the run chase at a leisurely pace and Adam Gilchrist (10) was well caught by Jaffer right on the boundary rope as he looked to up the tempo.

Gibbs pulled a short delivery for four to get off the mark, but that was as good as it got for the South African before he was on his way back to the pavilion for six.

Sharma though continued his impressive form after a brief delay due to floodlight failure.

He clipped an effortless six off his pads and followed that shot up with two quickfire fours, one punched through square leg and the second cut past point, while Laxman played the spin of Kumble expertly.

But Sharma eventually holed out for 57 and Laxmen fell lbw to Kumar for 52 as the Royal Challengers' accurate and ecomonical bowling proved decisive.



4 May, 2008
Marsh makes his mark

Kings XI Punjab recorded a much-needed victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, winning by nine runs after an early Kolkata collapse.

Having made 6-178 off their 20 overs, Punjab soon began dismantling the Kolkata batting order.

Sourav Ganguly went for just five, caught at third man off Sreesanth, and Mohammed Hafeez quickly followed for 13 when he was bowled by Irfan Pathan.

When Hodge was trapped lbw for just one, Kolkata was floundering at 3-25 and it got worse as Debabrata Das fell victim to Sreesanth for five.

Kolkata were scratching out runs, mainly in singles, but it was clear by the mid-point of their innings that the required run rate - hovering around 18 - was out of reach.

David Hussey (71) and Saha (59no) restored some pride with a sixth-wicket partnership of 104, but it was too little too late.

Punjab set themselves up for victory with a scrappy innings.

Shaun Marsh was the high scorer with 40, but it was the quick-hitting of his team-mates that was the secret to Punjab's success.

James Hopes smashed four fours from the first 11 balls his faced on his return, but was caught by Brad Hodge from the 12th.

Kumar Sangakkara came in but was soon struggling after swinging awkwardly at a delivery, and he retired hurt in the sixth over.

Yuvraj Singh followed with an explosive but brief appearance, hitting 14 off three balls before he was stumped off the next delivery for 17.

Wicketkeeper Prasanta Saha claimed another victim, stumping Marsh, soon after.

Ganguly saved Umar Gul for the later stages and got quick reward as he got the wicket of Mahela Jayawardene, out for 10 off Gul's second delivery. The paceman surrendered only one run from an excellent first over.

After receiving treatment, Sangakkara re-emerged but saw his partner Karan Goel run out for six.

Sangakkara was eventually bowled by Gul, but ended a dogged effort with a respectable 28.

Piyush Chawla came into swing the bat with free abandon, and he accounted for 20 of the 21 runs Punjab scored off the final over, reaching his total of 21 off just seven balls.

5 May, 2008
Pollock winds back the clock

Veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock wound back the years to inspire Mumbai Indians to a 29-run win over Delhi Devils on Sunday which lifted them off the foot of the IPL table.

The South African cracked a rapid 33 with the bat before claiming figures of 2-16 from his four overs as Mumbai surprised the tournament leaders.

The hosts' total of 8-162 had looked very achievable for a Delhi side which had won four times in the IPL going into the clash, but they hadn't reckoned on Pollock at his economical best.

Virender Sehwag's quickfire 40 was as good as it got for the Daredevils, who were bowled out for 133 inside 19 overs in reply.

Pollock's fellow quick Ashish Nehra finished with 3-25.

The right-hand left-hand combination of Mumbai openers Yogesh Takawale and Sanath Jayasuriya looked threatening after a slow start, the latter racing to 34 off just 16 balls, hitting Vijaykumar Yomahesh for 10 runs in just two balls.

But the over then took a glorious turn for the Delhi bowler as first Takawale (14) threw his wicket away, a thick outside edge falling kindly for Pradeep Sangwan at third man, and then Jayasuriya was clean bowled.

Robin Uthappa (22 off 21) and Dominic Thornley (30 off 24) threatened to cut loose, the former looking in especially good nick until he needlessly attempted a cheeky flick which did not come off.

Thornley fell after he was deceived by a great change of pace from Rajat Bhatia to prompt the loss of three wickets for just three runs as Mumbai slipped from 3-109 to 6-112.

Only Pollock offered some resistance towards the end of the innings as he bludgeoned two maximums on his way to 33 from just 15 balls before holing out in the final over.

Mumbai though made early inroads with the ball to leave its opponents floundering at 2-4, Nehra removing Gautam Gambhir (one) and Pollock getting rid of Shikhar (one).

Virender Sehwag steadied the ship with a rapid 40 from just 20 balls - one of the highlights a monster cut over point for six - until he spooned a Thornley delivery straight to Pollock.

The South African also had Shoaib Malik (24 off 22) caught in the deep by Abhishek Nayar to finish with an economy rate of just four.

Dinesh Karthik's 28 revived Delhi's hopes, but Nehra struck the killer blow with two wickets in two balls to dismiss Rajat Bhatia (nine) and Pradeep Sangwan (two) before the last four wickets fell for just three runs.



Tanvir king of Royals

Sohail Tanvir proved Twenty20 cricket is not the sole domain of batsman as he produced a record display with the ball to help the Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable eight-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.

The Pakistan left-armer claimed two wickets in the opening over of the match on his way to figures of 6-14 - the best in Twenty20 history - as the Super Kings were skittled for just 109. He also took two catches to complete a memorable day for the 23-year-old.

The home side chased down their victory target with ease, Graeme Smith remaining unbeaten on 35 from 44 balls, while his opening partner Swapnil Asnodkar added 32.

Despite the defeat the Super Kings remain top of the Indian Premier League table.

Chennai captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat, but he was made to immediately rue that decision as Tanvir removed both his openers without scoring.

Parthiv Patel fell from the first ball of the innings when he was trapped leg before wicket, before Stephen Fleming was dismissed in similar style four balls later.

Tanvir struck again in his next over when Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan offered a catch to Shane Warne at second slip, leaving the visitors reeling at 3-11.

South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel provided the only resistence in hitting Warne for 17 from one over, including a towering straight six.

But Morkel's innings ended upon Tanvir's re-introduction into the attack, bowled for 42 from 33 balls.

The left-armer completed his own personal rout, bowling Muttiah Muralitharan and Makhaya Ntini as the Super Kings were routed for just 109.

The home side was never troubled in their run chase as Smith and Asnodkar put on 78 for the first wicket.

With victory in sight Asnodkar holed out to Ntini in the deep off the bowling of Vidyut before Yusuf Pathan could add just eight.

But Smith ensured the win chipping Suresh Raina over mid-off for two with 34 balls remaining.

6 May, 2008
Marsh stars for Punjab

Kings XI Punjab remain the form team in the Indian Premier League after recording its fifth consecutive victory, by six wickets, against Bangalore, to go level at the top of the table on Monday.

The away side's win was set up by a confident display with the ball as it skittled Bangalore for 126 from 19.2 overs, with five of the home players failing to score.

Teenage leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was the pick of the bowlers taking 3-25 while Sreesanth, who claimed two wickets in his opening over, finished with 2-16.

Rahul Dravid provided the only resistance, hitting 66 from 51 balls to save his side from total humiliation.

Shaun Marsh again led the Kings XI's run chase, smashing 39 from 34 balls as Punjab passed their target with 10 balls to spare.

Yuvraj Singh's decision to bowl reaped immediate rewards as Sreesanth claimed the wickets of Wasim Jaffer and the recalled Cameron White, both without scoring, in his opening over.

Bangalore's start got even worse when Jacques Kallis also fell for a duck, run out by Marsh following a mix-up with Virat Kohli, to leave the home team 3-15.

Kohli and Dravid stabilised the innings with a stand of 54 from 52 balls before Kohli (34) misread an Irfan Pathan slower ball to swat his attempted drive to Sreesanth at long-off.

That good work was soon undone, however, as the visitors again lost two wickets in an over.

Chawla trapped Misbah-ul-Haq (eight) leg before wicket before Praveen Kumar became the fourth batsman to fall for a duck, caught behind attempting to cut.

Chawla was proving a handful and he claimed his third wicket, and the fifth batsman without scoring, when he bowled Zaheer Khan with a googly.

The home side was indebted to some typically combative batting from Dravid, who combined his iron will with fine strokeplay to hit nine fours and a six in his score of 66.

Dravid was the final man to fall when he was caught by Mahela Jayawardene at third man from the bowling of VRV Singh.

Despite losing James Hopes (five) early on in their reply, a 54-run stand between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marsh for the second wicket set the foundation for another Kings XI victory.

Praveen Kumar had Sarwan caught behind for 31 off 29 balls, but by the time Marsh was dismissed, bowled by Zaheer, the visitors needed just 21 runs from 34 balls.

Jayawardene and Pathan, who both finished unbeaten on 17, then guided the Kings XI home to draw it level at the top of the IPL table with Rajasthan Royals on five wins.

Deccan Chargers hand Super Kings third consecutive defeat
7th May 2008

The Deccan Chargers have registered an 8-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai tonight. Chasing a modest target of 145, the visitors claimed the two crucial points with three overs to spare in the match.

Adam Gilchrist, who was the stand-in captain tonight for the Deccan Chargers, smashed 54 runs from just 36 balls - a knock that included seven boundaries and two sixes - to provide the raze to Chennai very early during the run-chase.

Some breathtaking fielding from Rohit Sharma, Herschelle Gibbs and Subramaniam Badrinath provided the fans with plenty of riveting action tonight. Adam Gilchrist was adjudicated Player of the Match for his half-century knock.

Shahid Afridi came and smashed 20 runs from 6 deliveries, including two massive hits for six and two fours to knock off the target quickly. Is it the start of an Afridi assault that has beckoned the IPL fans thus far? He ended with an astonishing strike rate of 333.33.

Gilchrist found a new opening partner in Herschelle Gibbs (10) who departed early, caught and bowled by Manpreet Gony. The dismissal brought Scott Styris (36*) to the wicket who added 54 runs for the second wicket with his captain and infuriated Chennai's woes - who have now lost three consecutive matches in the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) - after the back-to-back losses against Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals.

Styris saw the visitors home after Gilchrist fell in the tenth over, caught brilliantly by Badrinath at point. Rohit Sharma came and smashed 23 runs from 17 balls until he holed out to Badrinath at deep midwicket off Muralidaran's bowling. The in-form youngster stepped down the pitch to the champion offie and demonstrated yet again, his echelon of assurance.

Gilchrist was particularly dismissive against South African quickie Makhaya Ntini (0-37) and Joginder Sharma (0-46) but was held back a little against Muralidaran (1-24), Manpreet Gony (1-15) and Albie Morkel (1-26). Joginder Sharma went for 6...4...6...and 4 in the 18th over when he came up against Afridi.

Earlier, a regimented performance and fantastic fielding from the visitors restricted the Chennai Super Kings to 144/7. VVS Laxman missed out on the contest since he was nursing a hand injury. Adam Gilchrist won the toss and inserted the Super Kings into bat.

Former India wicketkeeper batsman Parthiv Patel (4) failed to create an impact, yet again, as he perished in the very first over when he tried to play an expansive hook shot off Vijaykumar but holed out at long-leg to RP Singh. A ball earlier, he presented the bowler with a difficult caught and bowled attempt but was lucky to escape.

A tendency of sorts since the exit of Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey, once more, it was the trio of Suresh Raina (32), captain MS Dhoni (23) and Albie Morkel (29*) doing the bulk of the scoring for the Chennai Super Kings.

Srikkanth Aniruddha (1) joined Stephen Fleming (14) at the crease after the dismissal of Patel in the first over. The duo muffled around until the former was snapped by RP Singh in the fourth over and the latter was dismissed when an airborne Rohit Sharma intercepted his full-blooded cover drive, off former New Zealand teammate Scott Styris in the sixth over. Chennai Super Kings were reeling at 33/3 after 5.4 overs.

RP Singh was the pick of the Deccan bowlers, claiming two for 12 in his three overs. His second scalp was that of Joginder Sharma (15) in the dying stages of the hosts' innings.

All eyes were on the classy Badrinath (0) who joined Raina at the wicket after the early disasters, but fell victim to what was quite easily the ‘highlight of the night' when a leapfrogging Herschelle Gibbs took a splendid catch at backward point off Afridi's bowling to leave the hosts tottering at 43/4 with Raina and Dhoni at the crease.

Dhoni (23) added 39 runs for the fifth wicket with Raina but failed to engender the sort of driving force the crowds correlate with the highest paid player in the IPL. He consumed as many as 31 deliveries for his 23-run knock and disaster struck Chennai once again when Raina was dismissed by Sanjay Bangar (1-36) with Rohit Sharma claiming the catch. Things could have been worse for the Chennai side had not Morkel and Manpreet Gony (15 not out off 6 balls) unleashed some lusty shots towards the fag end of the innings to swell the tally.

Morkel's unbeaten 29 came off 19 balls and included two sixes besides a boundary.

The Chennai Super Kings will next travel to New Delhi on Thursday to clash against the Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The latter pounded Dhoni's team with a 9-wicket victory when the teams met last. Can the Super Kings get one back?

The Deccan Chargers will hope to carry forward the newly found momentum when they come up against the League leaders Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Friday night.

Streak over for Warne's Royals
May 08, 2008

RAJASTHAN Royals' five-game winning streak came to a crashing halt with Shane Warne's IPL side belted by seven wickets by Mumbai Indians.

The Indians had few difficulties in chasing down the Royals' meagre target of 104, claiming victory with 29 balls to spare as captain-coach Warne tasted defeat for just the second time in seven IPL games.

Shane Watson scored 32 off 20 balls, but despite his 53-run partnership with opener Swapnil Asnodkar (39), the Royals failed to bat out their 20 overs, dismissed for 103 in 16.2 overs.

Robin Uthappa (34 not out) then guided the home side to victory with Watson rounding off a strong game by taking 2-26 with the ball. Warne took the other wicket while going from 19 off his two overs in Mumbai.

The result sees the Royals drop from top to second spot on the ladder behind the Kings XI Punjab, while Mumbai, who are expected to have Sachin Tendulkar return from a groin injury next week, improved to fifth with their third win.

The match included one of the more bizarre dismissals of the competition when Royals opener Graeme Smith was stumped off the bowling of fellow South African Shaun Pollock.

Smith mistakenly thought he had been clean bowled by the pace bowler and without checking his stumps began walking to the pavilion.

Wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale made the most of Smith's error by quickly taking the bails off to dismiss the Proteas captain for just five.

9 May, 2008
Super win for Chennai

The Chennai Super Kings have claimed 15 off the final over to seal a nailbiting four-wicket win over the Delhi Daredevils on the last ball of the innings.

Contributions from Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Stephen Fleming, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Albie Morkel put Chennai close to its victory target of 188, but the task seemed to have defeated it coming into the final over with 15 needed.

Manpreet Gony hammered Shoaib Malik for six off the first ball, with a wide and an edged four contributing to the tension, before Manoj Tiwary lifted the final effort over the infield for the winning run - despite a fine attempted catch from Shikhar Dhawan.

Earlier Dhawan (59 from 46 deliveries) and Gautam Gambhir (80 off 49) had forged a century stand which seemed to put their side in a winning position with a total of 5-187.

Gambhir, the tournament's highest scorer, and India team-mate Virender Sehwag began in positive fashion, compiling 45 runs in five overs, before Sehwag (23 off 18) and AB de Villiers fell to yorkers from Gony and Morkel respectively.

Gambhir survived the tightest of run-out shouts to lead a partnership of 121 with Dhawan.

Gambhir passed 50 with an enormous six over deep mid-wicket off Gony and upped the pace from there, including three consecutive boundaries off Palani Amarnath.

Dhawan joined in, hitting a maximum off Lakshmipathy Balaji and bringing up his half-century, but the 26-year-old hit back later in the over.

Gambhir drove one straight at Kapugedera to end an excellent partnership and Dhawan soon followed, finding the same fielder in the deep to give Morkel his second wicket.

In reply, Vidyut raced to 40 off 22 balls before holing out to Dhawan off Pradeep Sangwan.

Fleming (44 off 28) took up the baton from Vidyut, finding gaps square on both sides of the wicket to pilfer a slew of boundaries.

But he too fell before reaching 50, the victim of a good low catch from De Villiers off the returning Mohammad Asif.

Morkel (31 off 15) struck three consecutive sixes and a four off one Sehwag over, but was run out shortly after, and when Dhoni fell for 33 off 33 it seemed the match was Delhi's - but Gony and Diwari saw Chennai home.


9 May, 2008
Boucher brilliance not enough

A blistering unbeaten half-century from Mark Boucher has proved in vain as the Bangalore Royal Challengers slipped to a five-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

The South African cracked 50 from 40 balls as Bangalore fell just short of its 130-run victory target in a match reduced to 16 overs because of rain.

Economical bowling from Sourav Ganguly in particular, who finished with figures of 1-7, limited Bangalore to 4-124 - and left it rooted to the foot of the IPL table.

Earlier Dale Steyn had taken 3-27 as Kolkata struggled to 7-129, but late runs at the end of the innings allowed the hosts to halt a run of four straight defeats.

Having posted a far from intimidating total, the dismissals of opening pair Jagadeesh Arunkumar (22) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (seven) gave Kolkata early hope.

And that turned to genuine belief when Rahul Dravid was bowled by his India team-mate Ganguly for just five to leave the Challengers languishing on 3-51 in the 10th over.

Boucher and Cameron White put on 45 in an impressive fourth-wicket partnership, but when the latter was run out for 30 to leave the visitors 34 runs from victory with less than two overs remaining the writing was on the wall for Bangalore.

Earlier, the Royal Challengers had struck quickly to remove Aakash Chopra (two) and Brad Hodge (10) in successive overs, the Indian trapped lbw by Steyn and the Australian holing out to Vinay Kumar at deep square leg off Zaheer Khan.

David Hussey came to the crease and immediately looked to hit out, following up a huge six down the ground with a textbook cover drive for four.

Ganguly had also looked in good touch on his way to 20 from 22 balls before some sluggish running between the wickets saw him run out by White.

Hussey pulled another maximum over long on before he too fell victim to a needless run-out, his quickfire 27 coming off just 12 balls.

Tatenda Taibu (15) became Steyn's second victim after top-edging a delivery for wicketkeeper Boucher to pouch before a shorter delivery from the South African did for Laxmi Shukla (12), who sliced it on to his own stumps.

And Prasanta Saha and Murali Kartik made a rapid 17 apiece at the death as Kolkata's total just proved sufficient.

I'm enjoying your cricket reports Dougie. Good work.

Thanks grot.

Another win for Warne's Royals
Sat May 10 2008

Shane Warne took 2-20 as he led his Rajasthan Royals to an easy eight-wicket win over the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League cricket match on Friday night.

Fellow Aussie Adam Gilchrist made 61 runs off 49 balls as the Chargers compiled 8-140 off their 20 overs.

The Royals reached the target with 24 balls to spare after man-of-the-match Yusuf Pathan clubbed 68 off 37 deliveries.

Rajasthan have won six of their eight matches to sit top of the table but the Chargers continue to dwell at the bottom with just two wins.