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Jos Buttler, the England one-day wicketkeeper, is likely to leave Somerset at the end of the season after being replaced behind the stumps by Craig Kieswetter in the Friends Life t20.

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2013Jos Buttler, the England one-day wicketkeeper, will give fresh consideration to leaving Somerset when his contract expires at the end of the season after being replaced behind the stumps by Craig Kieswetter in the Friends Life t20.Buttler, 22, was offered a new contract at Taunton but delayed signing new terms until it became apparent how much time he would be given with the gloves. He found himself in the outfield again against Northants on Wednesday night and is now bound to take further soundings over a potential move to secure a place as a No. 1 wicketkeeper.Dave Nosworthy accepted the difficult situation in comments to the Bristol Post “We want him to stay, we have chatted to him and he has got to make a decision,” he said. “Jos is a Somerset lad and we would hate to lose him – but he has to do what’s best for his career, and we find ourselves in an unbelievable situation.”It really is like having Gilchrist and Boucher in the same squad – what do you do? Craig is a top keeper and people tend to forget he has played for England very recently. Jos, similarly, is a top keeper and is just getting his opportunities at international level now. They are equally good fielders and they are equally good batters.”Buttler has been highly praised for his hitting ability during his 14 ODIs and 23 T20 internationals but his wicketkeeping is regarded as a work in progress and Somerset face an extremely difficult decision about how best to handle the impasse for the benefit of the club.Somerset chief executive, Guy Lavender, has stated that the club “will do everything in its power to see that Jos’ best interests are met” but Somerset now face a difficult decision about how much they can promise Buttler, who may miss large chunks of the season with England’s one-day side, without compromising their selection policy or the overall strength of their squad.”No assurances have been given to Jos that he would be keeping wicket in all one-day cricket,” Lavender said. “What we have committed to do is to make sure that Jos has good opportunities to keep in order to prepare for Team England duties. It is patently ridiculous to guarantee any player a place in the starting line-up for an entire season – that has to be based on performance and what is in the best interests of the team.”Born and raised in Taunton, Buttler is keen to stay at Somerset but his county’s decision to reinstate Kieswetter could force his hand. Buttler sought assurances that he would keep wicket in both one-day competitions this season, but found himself in the outfield for Somerset’s Friends Life t20 match against Northants in Northampton on Wednesday night.Somerset were initially spared a difficult decision by Kieswetter’s broken thumb that kept him out for two months from the end of April. On his return, Buttler was with England’s one-day squad. The pair were available together for the start of the Friends Life t20 and Buttler kept wicket against Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire.Kieswetter returned for Somerset on June 14 but to further complicate matters Alex Barrow kept wicket for the next four matches. On July 12, Buttler was told that Kieswetter would resume as wicketkeeper against Glamorgan with his thumb fully recovered.Lavender also expressed the view that Somerset had a responsibility to all the wicketkeepers on their books and described the sharing arrangement as “workable”.Buttler is certain to discuss the latest developments with England’s one-day coach, Ashley Giles, and his agent, the former England batsman Neil Fairbrother, before deciding on his future.Somerset are yet to receive a formal approach for Buttler and are keen for him to stay in the West Country, but informal approaches have a way of queuing up long before the end of a county season.

ESPNcricinfo previews the match between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in Jaipur

The Preview by Sidharth Monga06-May-2013Match factsTuesday, May 7, 2013
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane have made sure Shane Watson is not the only one performing•AFPBig PictureFor the second game in a row, Rajasthan Royals run into a kamikaze side. Like Pune Warriors, Delhi Daredevils are going down too, but hold potential notoriety to take a team or two down with them. Given the nature of the format, it doesn’t take much to cause an upset: all it needs is for one of Daredevils’ big payers – now without the pressure of much to lose – to have a big day, and it could cost Royals a chance to progress further.Even against Warriors, a side that has been struggling through the tournament, Royals – now tied on second spot with three other teams with five matches to go – took some time to recover from the Warriors onslaught that came from the freedom that comes with the knowledge you have nothing left to lose. If anything, Daredevils hold a bigger threat. To make the pressure worse for Royals, Daredevils have almost been free points for most of their rivals in the top half of the table.With just six points from 11 games, Daredevils might not have been knocked out yet, but they are down for the count, and will do well to play assuming they are out. That freedom, along with quality, has been missing in their play this year.Form guideRajasthan Royals WLWWL
Delhi Daredevils LWWLWWatch out for…Not only has Mahela Jayawardene been failing with the bat, his selection of XIs and strategy have raised eyebrows too. His preference for Jeevan Mendis and Ben Rohrer to Roelof van der Merwe has been as criticised by pundits as has been his use of David Warner in the middle order. In Twenty20 cricket, you need to have your only in-form batsman face as many balls as possible, especially if he is a batsman who struggles against spin.Even Morne Morkel, an impact bowler, has played only six games out of 11.Rahul Dravid, on the other hand, has had it good with both the bat and captaincy moves. He has batted responsibly, used his impact player Shane Watson smartly and variously, and his opposition can’t plan beforehand for a certain set of opening batsmen or bowlers.Stats and trivia Apart from Chennai Super Kings, Royals are the only side that have three batsmen with more than 300 runs to their name in this IPL: Watson, Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane. None of the four teams tied at second spot with 14 points – Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad – has lost a game at home. Daredevils are the only team to have been bowled out twice for less than 100.Quotes”We are not thinking too far ahead. We just want to play one game at a time. We are playing against Delhi. We all know they are a strong side.”
“I am really looking forward to playing in the Champions Trophy. At the moment I would love to finish the IPL on a high as well.”

The BCCI technical committee was in favour of scheduling Ranji Trophy knockout matches at neutral venues, and longer gaps between matches

Amol Karhadkar22-Mar-2013The BCCI technical committee, in its first meeting chaired by Anil Kumble, was in favour of scheduling Ranji Trophy knockout matches at neutral venues, and longer gaps between matches, although no decisions were taken in Mumbai.”Everybody was receptive [to the idea]. More than the neutral venues, what has been recommended is a suggestive list of venues,” said Kumble, who replaced Sourav Ganguly as the head of the technical committee last October. “In the coming season we don’t have much of international cricket in India, [so] it is important to identify the neutral venues.”In the captains and coaches conclave on March 5, the teams had been equivocal in demanding that Ranji league games to be spaced out. They felt a three-day gap between league games was too small to recover. Kumble said the technical committee was also thinking on similar lines.”We felt at the start of the season a three-day break is good enough,” Kumble said. “But in the latter part of the season, we will certainly look at a minimum of a four-day break. There was also a discussion about the weather in various parts of India. Winter in the north, east and certain parts of central; and certain parts of south has little bit of late monsoon. So, that was also discussed.”This was just a preliminary meeting. We did discuss about the outcome of the captains and coaches conclave. We will soon have a meeting in April and at that time we will get into what needs to be recommended to the BCCI for the coming season.”The meeting was attended by all the members of the newly-formed committee, except for chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil, who was in Delhi for India’s fourth Test against Australia. Besides the other committee members, including Kumble, Vinay Lamba, MSK Prasad, Deep Dasgupta, Shashikant Khandkar, Mahendra Rajdev, Debasis Mohanty and VK Ramaswamy, BCCI’s general manager (cricket development) Ratnakar Shetty also attended the meeting.

Harbhajan Singh is all set to become the 10th Indian to play 100 Tests after he was confirmed in the XI for the Chennai Test

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2013Harbhajan Singh has said he is a bit nervous but he will be all right before he steps out to play against Australia on Friday, which will make him the 10th Indian to have played 100 Tests. India don’t usually divulge team news before the toss, but made an exception this time. It would not have needed such confirmation in the usual course, but Harbhajan has mostly been out of the side and has played only one Test in more than 18 months, and is making a comeback into the squad.The landmark Test will come against Harbhajan’s favourite opposition, Australia, and at a venue where 12 years ago he applied the finishing touches to one of the greatest turnarounds in Test history, finishing off as joint Man of the Series against Australia. Harbhajan has taken 408 wickets from 99 Tests at an average of 32.27 and a strike-rate of 68.1.”It’s a big game,” Harbhajan said. “[The previous] 99 are gone. Obviously a bit nervous but I am sure I will be fine. I have faced these situations before.”I have gone through times when I was not doing well or when I was doing well and got too excited. These things happen. Bit nervous to start with, but I will be fine. Once I get away with 100, we will see what needs to be done to play another 50-odd. Probably I will have to work even harder.”Harbhajan said he was aware of the gap between the last few Tests, but he said he wanted to look ahead and make sure there was no such gap between the upcoming appearances. He remembered when he made his debut as a 17-year-old, in Bangalore against Australia, as just a wide-eyed kid.”Had no clue about what was going to happen,” Harbhajan said. “To be honest I was a little kid on the park. I was starstruck at looking at players. ‘Wow I am playing alongside [Sachin] Tendulkar, [Javagal] Srinath, Anil Kumble. These are all my heroes. I am playing today with them.’ Of course I have come a long way. At that moment I never thought I would play for India this long a time.”Harbhajan thanked his seniors profusely. “God has been very kind,” he said. “Big thanks to all my team-mates and great seniors like Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Laxman. They have been fantastic. I don’t think I would have achieved this without their support, and would like to thank each and every one who supported me and stood by me. Just want to go out and enjoy this big match.”Harbhajan might have forgotten to mention the name of Sourav Ganguly on that list, but he came back to it and thanked him too. “I am just repeating names, but I couldn’t have achieved this without their support.”Harbhajan said the seniors helped him learn to never give up. “Of course it’s been a journey with a lot of ups and downs. No one can always be on the top. No one can always be down. You will have ups and downs. Not just as a cricket, but as a normal guy too.”What I have learned from my seniors is to never give up. I have seen all these guys have done so well for India. And made themselves great cricketers, great ambassadors for the game. One thing in common was they never give up. That’s what made this team successful. They showed us how to work hard. They made us believe we can win anywhere and from any situation. I am very proud I have played with these cricketers.”Harbhajan said growing as a person mattered as much as doing well as a cricket. “I have definitely grown up,” he said. “I have made a few mistakes early in my career due to my extra aggression. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. Of course with time I have learned a lot and am looking forward to doing even better as a person. You might play this game for 15 years or so, but what sort of person you are matters the most. Everybody wants to be a better person than he was yesterday.”The last few years haven’t been easy for Harbhajan. He has had to face a lot of criticism for his ineffectiveness of late, especially after Anil Kumble’s retirement. He was asked how he deals with being possibly the most criticised man among those who have taken 400 Test wickets. The reply was belligerent.”How do I handle? I just keep quiet,” Harbhajan said. “Everybody has got their opinion. Unfortunately or fortunately, people have not played up to that level. Those kind of guys, if they say I am not good enough to play for India or if I have not done enough, it doesn’t matter. Who cares? What matters is what my team thinks of me, what my team-mates think of me. End of the day those guys are going to be there for you. As I have said everybody has got their opinion. Even I have got my opinion for others, it doesn’t mean I am always right.”Yet there was time, and the mood, for candour. Asked what he has been working on when outside the side, Harbhajan made a mockery of all mystery-ball announcements spinners make nowadays. “Small adjustments from point to point,” he said. “I have not developed any mystery ball. [There is no fourth one or fifth one – taking on from the doosra, which literally translates to the second one. If the first one comes out all right, it will be enough to get the wickets]

Showing enough good sense to put his more experienced team-mates to considerable shame, Moises Henriques granted Australia a stay of execution and a narrow lead after four days of the first Test in Chennai

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDavid Warner was one of the Australian batsmen who threw away a start•BCCIShowing enough good sense and simplicity of method to put his more experienced team-mates to considerable shame, Moises Henriques granted Australia a stay of execution and a narrow lead after four days of the first Test in Chennai. India seemed certain to wrap up the match for most of the day, until Henriques and Nathan Lyon formed the most substantial stand of the tourists’ innings with the last wicket available.Until that point MS Dhoni and R Ashwin had been the day’s dominant figures, torturing Australia with the bat and then the ball. Michael Clarke’s men were left with a familiar set of questions about why their bowlers could not extract similar results from a dustbowl, and why the majority of their batsmen had no workable method against the spinning, spitting ball.Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja all posed different questions, their triumvirate proving complimentary as the former’s prancing bounce contrasted with the latter’s sharp spin. Harbhajan provided something in between, bowling better than at any previous point in the match. All took advantage of the lead handed to them by Dhoni’s brilliantly brutal 224, which helped take the hosts’ innings well past 550 in the morning.Before Henriques, Australia’s batting carried the mentally weary tone of cricketers driven to distraction by Dhoni’s innings. Only Phillip Hughes and the captain, Michael Clarke, could rightly say they had been beaten by the unplayable. The rest were suffocated by accurate slow bowling that was never challenged for any length of time by a batsman sure of his technique and tactics, until Henriques strode to within 25 runs of a defiant debut century.Ed Cowan, Shane Watson and David Warner all squandered starts, a major sin on a subcontinental surface given the fact that some were always likely to receive a ghastly delivery early, as happened to Hughes against Jadeja, and Clarke against Ashwin.How different things appeared when India’s innings resumed. Dhoni was ninth out for 224, not only the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper but the highest by an Indian captain, having taken his stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar to 140 runs with a handful of further impudent blows against Australia’s strung out bowling attack.James Pattinson defeated Dhoni with a bouncer that India’s captain gloved behind while trying to hook, and deservedly claimed his fifth wicket. He was Australia’s only sustained threat with the ball across the innings. Nathan Lyon’s figures of 3 for 215 were among the most expensive recorded by an Australian bowler in a Test, and unlike Jason Krejza he did not have eight wickets to show for it.Watson opened due to Warner’s bout of gastro, and hoisted one six from Harbhajan as lunch drew near, but off the final ball of the morning popped a catch up to slip from glove or bat handle as he prodded forward, Ashwin rewarded for his line and bounce. Cowan fought his way through but appeared highly vulnerable to Jadeja’s left-arm spin, the ball fizzing out of the rough with three short-leg fielders sweating on any deflections from glove or inside edge.The afternoon began with Cowan and Warner in stolid occupation, eschewing most shots and essentially trying to survive on a surface offering treacherous turn and bounce to skilful-enough purveyors of spin. They appeared to be getting somewhere at 64 for 1, but Cowan’s closed-face push to midwicket was to cost him when a quicker, straighter delivery from Ashwin beat the bat and pinned him in front of middle. Cowan was angered, thinking perhaps that he had been given out caught at silly point, but the lbw looked adjacent enough.Hughes was immediately confronted by Jadeja’s sharp spin, and completed a most unhappy match when a ball spat devilishly out of a foothole and lobbed from glove to slip as the batsman tried in vain to take evasive action. Clarke walked to the middle with his side in a hole as mental as it was empirical, and at least tried to give the spinners something to ponder by using his feet.Ashwin was drop-kicked for six over wide long-on then pulled to the boundary next ball as he adjusted his length, a rare moment of Australian poise against the spinning ball. However at the other end Jadeja’s geometry twice appeared to pin Clarke in between wicket and wicket. The umpire Marais Erasmus remained inscrutable to the appeals.Warner became the third Australian to squander a start when he propped forward to Harbhajan and was given lbw after a tangle of pad and bat. Warner stood aghast when Kumar Dharmasena’s finger was raised, but replays again showed a ball pitching in line and straightening to strike the pad an instant before the bat. In the absence of the DRS, an advantage seemingly lies with the team able to forge ahead then place pressure on the umpires – no-one did this better than the Australians in their pomp.Wade accompanied Clarke briefly, but was another to appear unnerved by the breadth of spin and changeability of bounce available, and was bowled attempting a presumptuous sweep at Harbhajan. Clarke and Henriques reached the interval with only the merest hope of doing anything but reduce the margin of defeat.That hope shrunk moments after resumption, when Clarke was struck on the back pad just in front of off stump by a ball that barely bounced. Clarke’s rueful expression was matched among Australia’s coaching staff at the boundary’s edge, as the rest of the innings followed the familiar pattern.Obituaries were being written by the time Lyon reached the wicket, but he and Henriques in their quiet way managed to exploit tired bowlers much as Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar had done the previous evening. Unless a miracle is to be performed on day five, this will only cause Australia’s batsmen to wonder at how they might have done better.

Netherlands chased down a 97-run target in 21.4 overs to secure a comfortable win after Mudassar Bukhari and Timm van der Gugten had razed the UAE batting order in the first ODI in Rotterdam

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2012
ScorecardNetherlands chased down a 97-run target in 21.4 overs to secure a comfortable win after Mudassar Bukhari and Timm van der Gugten had razed the UAE batting order in the first ODI in Rotterdam. UAE made an encouraging start to score 25 runs but Bukhari bowled opener Haroon Iftikhar with the fourth ball of his second over and two balls later, he accounted for Shaiman Anwar. At the other end, van der Gugten took two more wickets in his first three balls push UAE into further trouble. UAE never recovered from the initial shock and kept losing wickets in quick intervals. A fighting 41 off 81 balls by Rohan Mustafa helped UAE to hobble to 96.The total never challenged Netherlands as Tom Cooper led the chase with a quick 35-ball 37 as Netherlands took a 1-0 lead in the two match series. The next match will be played on July 23 in Deventer.

The BCB president said: “I have said it repeatedly that it is BCB’s obligation that if any player is unpaid, the board will make the payments”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2012Mustafa Kamal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, has said that all player payments related to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will be cleared and that no player had contacted the board with written complaints.The reaction comes a day after Tim May, the chief executive of Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), told ESPNcricinfo that he would initiate legal action against the BCB and BPL franchises as many players were yet to receive full payment. May called the BCB “amateurish” and also called into question the “integrity of people involved in the leadership of Bangladesh cricket”.While talking to , Kamal said: “The statement is very unfortunate. I have said it repeatedly that it is BCB’s obligation that if any player is unpaid, the board will make the payments. I am reassuring that not a single player will go unpaid.”The impression we have from talking to the six franchises is that most of the payments have been disbursed. But there may still be one or two cases of unpaid wages. We have said it before and I will repeat it now: the BCB will pay the foreign players if the franchises don’t.”The BPL governing council was informed by the franchises that around 89% of the foreign players’ payments have been made but haven’t provided similar information for the local players. According to a BCB press release, out of the $2.77m net payable, the unpaid fees figure currently stands at around $305,000. The release also said that two of the six BPL franchises have completed their payments to foreign cricketers in full. For local players, it said, the BPL would take action after speaking to the concerned players and officials individually.

“We have said it before and I will repeat it now: the BCB will pay the foreign players if the franchises don’t.”Mustafa Kamal, the BCB president

“The governing council has recommended to the BCB that, as guarantor, the board should clear the outstanding payments and the process should be initiated immediately,” the BCB said. “The payment of local cricketers is also being seriously looked into by the governing council, which has not received a definite picture of the payment status from the franchises. Therefore it has been decided that the governing council would speak to individual players and relevant officials of team managements and take measures accordingly.”Kamal said that neither the players nor their agents had lodged an official complaint to the BCB. “The most unfortunate thing is that not a single player has sent us a written complaint, we don’t have a particular case in our hands. Every comment is made in general, not made about a particular player,” he said. “We have even talked to the players’ agents, but once again the name of any particular player who hasn’t been paid didn’t come up. Nobody has written to us. Anyone can contact us, even Tim May, about an unpaid player.”But ESPNcricinfo has learned that FICA emailed the BCB twice last month regarding the non-payments and that at least one individual agent has shown that he has communicated with Game On Sports, BPL’s event management firm, which was copied in the mail to BCB regarding unpaid wages.Kamal said that since the BPL was a hurriedly organised event, there were some mistakes in their work. “From the beginning we have said that it has been organised in a very short time,” he said. “Mistakes are bound to happen but we are working on correcting them ahead of the next tournament.”We are doing everything for the players’ benefit. As an example, I can tell you that we have paid some of the ex-Bangladesh players from the earnings of BPL.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran11-May-2012Match factsSaturday, May 12, 2012
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)How about a promotion for Kieron Pollard?•AFPBig PictureThe tournament is nearly 60 games old, and Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders are playing their first game. Knight Riders are on an upswing like never before. Part of their six-match winning streak included a comprehensive win against Delhi Daredevils, who have since reclaimed the No.1 spot. Knight Riders, now with 17 points, are back at Eden Gardens and a win will take them back to the pole position and closer to the playoffs. Their top order looks as stable as Royal Challengers Bangalore’s, but should they fail, chasing a low total against them can never be taken for granted as there’s Sunil Narine to be dealt with. He has rarely let the side down, maintaining a frugal economy rate as well as picking up wickets.Mumbai Indians, now at No.4 (following Royal Challengers’ win over Pune Warriors), have lacked the stability and consistency that has defined the current top two teams. Their bowling is always one notch higher when Lasith Malinga is fit. The batting though doesn’t inspire the same confidence. They lost a good toss against Royal Challengers at the Wankhede Stadium and were pegged back early in seaming conditions. A continuing mystery is their handling of Kieron Pollard. Unlike Royal Challengers, who use their most attacking option – Chris Gayle – right at the top, Pollard often comes in at the lower middle order and has little time to play himself in and salvage late runs. Though Pollard isn’t a natural opener, it wouldn’t hurt to send him a couple of positions higher.Mumbai need to play catch up in their remaining games to seal a place in the playoffs.Form guide (most recent first, completed games)
Mumbai Indians: LWWWL
Kolkata Knight Riders: WWWWW2011 head-to-headThese teams played just once last year – the last of the league games – which Mumbai Indians won by five wickets at Eden Gardens.Players to watchMumbai Indians have opening worries, starting with James Franklin. He has just two runs from his last two innings and didn’t bowl against Royal Challengers. Herschelle Gibbs could have replaced him but his fitness is still in doubt.Rajat Bhatia has been a regular in the Knight Riders’ line-up and has picked up eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.04. He is an experienced campaigner in the domestic circuit and Knight Riders rate him highly.Stats and trivia Mumbai Indians have an overwhelming head-to-head record against the Knight Riders, winning seven out of eight games. Mumbai Indians’ Indian bowlers concede 7.50 runs per over, while the figure for the overseas bowlers is 6.76.Quotes”The middle order probably had some lack of runs but that’s only because of lack of opportunities. We have been scoring runs at the top.”
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As part of the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence, an Old England side will take on an Old Jamaica XI at The Oval

David Lloyd19-Apr-2012
ScorecardOnly groundsmen had anything to do at The Oval•PA PhotosWet days at cricket and trips down Memory Lane go hand in hand. While rain prevented so much as a ball being bowled today, Surrey gave those few hardy souls who were present every opportunity to reminisce by announcing details of a special match to be played here on Sunday July 8.As part of the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence, an Old England side will take on an Old Jamaica XI at a ground which, over the years, became like a second home to visiting West Indies teams.The line-ups are to be finalised but it is hoped that Ron Headley, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding will be among those turning out for Jamaica. But whether or not, at 58, he plays on July 8 – or pursues his second, gentler career of commentating – Holding has already had a big input by recommending The Oval as the ideal venue for a Jamaican party.It is no wonder, really. Back in the 1970s, especially, this part of south London rocked to a Caribbean beat when West Indies took on England with the ground heavily populated by dancing, singing and music-making supporters of the visitors. They seldom had anything less than a victory to cheer – and one of their favourite sons, Holding, chose this venue to produce a performance awesome by even his sky-high standards.In 1976, the Jamaican with the silent run-up and thoroughbred action returned match figures of 14 for 149 as West Indies won by 231 runs, even though England managed 435 in their first innings. As an exhibition of fast bowling it was just about impossible to beat and those who saw it live still purr with delight whenever Holding and The Oval are mentioned in the same breath.Mind, another fast bowler born in Jamaica produced an even more starting performance, in terms of destruction, at The Oval. And Devon Malcolm, who is scheduled to represent Old England in July, did it for the hosts.Whether or not Malcolm actually said “you guys are history” after he was hit between the eyes by a bouncer while batting against South Africa in 1994 is neither here nor there. What we know for certain is that Big Dev responded to the indignity of being felled by producing perhaps the most hostile spell of his career to take nine for 57.Great memories. And no doubt there will be plenty more doing the rounds come July at what should be a joyful occasion.As for the present, there was little to cheer at The Oval today. It did stay dry long enough, though, for Worcestershire to win what could be a vital toss. They have neither Holding nor Malcolm to call on but will still fancy their chances of doing damage with the ball.

A round-up of the action from the matches in the Regional Four Day Competition 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2012Jamaica continued their strong four-day form and notched up their fourth consecutive win, beating Guyana by eight wickets in North Sound, Antigua. They took 12 points out of the contest to move to 48, 20 clear of second placed Trinidad & Tobago, while Guyana earned none.Jamaica legspinner Odean Brown took 6 for 100 to limit Guyana to 294 in their first innings. Brown was well supported by his fellow spinner, Nikita Miller, who conceded only 56 runs in 40 overs and took two wickets. Leon Johnson and Narsingh Deonarine scored 72 and 89 for Guyana but the contributions from the other batsmen were paltry.The top three batsmen got starts for Jamaica but failed to kick on, and their innings was held together and steered by Brendan Nash, who made an unbeaten 205. David Bernard contributed 63 and there were useful contributions from the lower order as well. Devendra Bishoo took 5 for 115 for Guyana, but Jamaica piled up 454 for 9, ahead by 160 runs.Guyana fared worse in their second innings, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Brown was wicketless this time but Miller was still economical, taking 2 for 25 in 24 overs. Sheldon Cotterell and Bernard took three wickets each as Guyana were dismissed for 187. Assad Fudadin top scored with 47 and the last four wickets fell for 17 runs.Jamaica needed only 28 in their second innings and they knocked the target off in 9.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.Barbados also claimed 12 points from their match against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), beating them by 189 runs at the Kensington Oval.The hosts didn’t do very well after choosing to bat, and were dismissed for 237 in their first innings. Jonathan Carter top scored with 47 while most of his team-mates failed to build on starts. Kevin McLean took 3 for 30 for CCC, while Jason Dawes, Jason Holder and Ryan Austin claimed two wickets each.CCC, however, crumbled for 145 in their first innings, with Barbados’ new-ball attack of Tino Best and Kemar Roach sharing eight wickets between them. Floyd Reifer made 40, and McLean, who scored 28, was the only other batsman to make it past 20.With a first-innings lead of 92, Barbados decided to declare their second innings on 238 for 4. The opener Omar Phillips made 87, and he received support from Kirk Edwards, who made 49.Faced with a target of 331, CCC were shot out again, this time for 141. Roach claimed four more to finish the match with 8 for 84, while Best took three and ended with 7 for 65. Nkrumah Bonner’s 49 was CCC’s top score in the second innings, with extras second with 27. The game was finished inside three days.Trinidad & Tobago survived a small scare during a modest chase to beat Windward Islands by four wickets at Queen’s Park Oval.Pursuing a target of 98 on the final day, T&T were well placed at 79 for 0, when wickets started to tumble. Windward spinners, Shane Shillingford and Liam Sebastien, took three each as six batsmen fell for the addition of five runs. Denesh Ramdin then ensured there were no more stumbles in the chase and stayed not out until the winning runs were scored.Before that blip, though, T&T were in control throughout the match. Ramdin made an unbeaten 151 in their first innings to lead his team to 364 for 9 declared. Darren Bravo contributed 64 to that effort.T&T opened with Sunil Narine’s spin and he took 5 for 49 to skittle Windward for 203 in their reply. Keddy Lesporis made 84 for Windward, their only contribution of note. Shannon Gabriel also took 3 for 61 for T&T as they secured a first-innings lead of 161.Ramdin asked Windward to follow on and they slumped to 166 for 7, only six runs ahead with three wickets intact. The captain Darren Sammy made 88 and the last man Delorn Johnson made 40 to lift them to 258 before they were dismissed. Narine took five more in the follow-on to finish with 10 for 127 in the match.Windward had set a target of 98, but it was too little to stretch T&T.Edited by George Binoy