New Zealand straitjacket England on slow day

Although the scoreboard only read four wickets, New Zealand could be highly satisfied with the opening day of the series at Lord's having restricted England to a run-rate of two-an-over. Each of the top four bedded in before being chipped out by a supremely accurate bowling attack who were again led astutely by their proactive captain.

It is fair to say that Brendon McCullum would have swapped one of the wickets today for that final scalp in Auckland six weeks ago, but New Zealand know the importance of backing up their performance at home with a strong showing overseas and they have ensured that England will not be sitting too comfortably overnight.

Trent Boult claimed two key scalps in the afternoon session, due reward for high-class, crafty swing bowling. Alastair Cook, who had problems against him and Neil Wagner in New Zealand, pushed at one side off stump and Jonathan Trott - shaping to play a significant innings on a ground where he averages over 70 - was brilliantly caught low at third slip five minutes before tea.

Trott's dismissal will have left one New Zealander feeling especially relieved; Bruce Martin had given him a life before he got off the mark when he spilled a return catch. It meant that Joe Root, who had never played at Lord's, emerged for his first home Test innings in a tricky situation five minutes before a break but was as assured as any of the England batsman while compiling a jaunty 25 during the final session before rain lopped off the last 10 overs.

Three down would have been a solid enough - if unspectacular - day for England but the removal of Ian Bell, 10 balls before the second new ball became available, ensured New Zealand could end the day the happier side. Bell had produced a display of considerable self-restraint before being drawn into pushing at a ball (his 133rd) angled across him. It was a poor shot at a poor time, but nothing less than Wagner deserved for pounding in on a fairly unforgiving surface.

Although the sun shone for the opening day of the international summer, batting was not a simple prospect. But both captains got their wish at the toss with McCullum saying he would have bowled. Firstly there was swing, the subject of much debate in the build-up, then there was a pitch on the sluggish side that made timing the ball difficult and an outfield - relayed over the winter following the Olympic Archery - which deflated value for shots on a ground where the ball normally races away. A tally of 15 boundaries in 80 overs was testament to that.

Spin, historically, does not play a major role in May Tests but there were signs that it could have an influential role in this match. Martin, who only had his place confirmed on the morning of the game when New Zealand resisted the temptation of an all-seam attack, tweaked his first ball past Nick Compton's edge which was just enough to plant a few doubts.

But it could not really explain Compton's dismissal when, completely out of character to the rest of his innings, he advanced down the pitch to try and drive over cover but only succeeded in toe-ending a catch to point. The shot came on the back of four consecutive maidens with England finding it difficult to rotate the strike. Martin should have made it two successes before lunch but shelled the chance, chest-height to his right, when Trott drove a fraction early.

The rare early boundaries that did come went to Cook - a clip and a cut - but he had to work hard to survive Tim Southee's opening spell from the Pavilion End. Southee and Boult found consistent swing and though it was not always on target it was enough to keep the batsmen wary. After lunch it was Boult's turn to harass Cook, the movement enough to make him unsure what to play and what to leave, and he found the outside edge which was superbly held by BJ Watling having realised the ball would not have carried to first slip.

Following his reprieve, Trott produced some of the best timing on show as he flicked strongly off his pads whenever the bowlers drifted and also drove strongly through the off side. Unlike overseas, where the Kookaburra ball will stop swinging after about 20 overs, the Dukes offers encouragement for much longer and Boult, brought back for a burst before tea, made one jag across Trott which, although he tried to play with soft hands, just carried to Brownlie. In New Zealand, Brownlie had a 50-50 series in the slips but this was a cracking grab.

Amid the blocking and leaving there was the occasional gem; Bell's cover drive off Wagner was a particular highlight while Root, playing with a little more intent that others, took a rare boundary off Martin with a strong sweep. When a heavy shower arrived Root was with his Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow. They are the future of England's batting. This will be a good test of their credentials

Three IPL players arrested for fraud, cheating - Delhi Police

Delhi Police has said it arrested Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - all Rajasthan Royals bowlers - for the alleged fulfilling of promises made to alleged bookmakers during this year's IPL. The players were allegedly promised money ranging from US$36,000 to 109,000 for each over.

Eleven bookies have also been arrested. One of the middlemen has been identified as Jiju Janardhan, described by the police as Sreesanth's close friend and team-mate at the Ernakulam club. They have all been taken into police custody for five days.

Neeraj Kumar, the commissioner of Delhi Police, provided a detailed explanation of its investigation, which began in early April, but said it had no evidence to suggest any other player, administrator or team owner was involved. It has registered cases under the Indian Penal Code section 420 and 120B, which deal with fraud, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. Kumar said Sreesanth was picked up from Carter Road in Bandra, a Mumbai suburb. Chandila was arrested outside a hotel where an alleged bookie was staying. Chavan was picked up from the Royals team hotel in Mumbai.

The police has identified the three matches where the alleged fix happened: against Pune Warriors on May 5, Kings XI Punjab on May 9 and Mumbai Indians on May 15. Kumar said the deal was for the bowlers to concede a specified minimum number of runs in a pre-decided over. He explained in detail how the deals were struck, how the players allegedly indicated to the bookmakers that the deal was on, and how they went on to concede those runs. He said the police has the recordings of those tapped phone conversations.

Kumar said the police's investigation began with tip-offs that the Mumbai underworld was involved in cricket corruption. He said their earlier investigations revealed the three named players were in constant touch with illegal bookmakers, and they waited for them to go through their respective fixes before they arrested them. He said the police has been investigating this since early April.

Chandila was alleged to have conceded 14 predetermined runs in his second over against Warriors on May 5, but he forgot to indicate to the alleged handlers he was going to do so. The police said he was pulled up after the game, and was asked to return the advance of Rs 20 lakh (US$36,512).

Sreesanth, the police said, was alleged to have made the appropriate signal, which was to ask for a towel that he would tuck inside his trousers before bowling his second over against Kings XI on May 9. He was also alleged to have been asked to waste some time so that the bookies can accept bets. This wasn't a new spell, the police said, but Sreesanth asked for the towel and also did fresh warm-ups and stretching exercises before he began the over.

The police alleged Sreesanth had promised to concede 14 runs in that over. He went for 13. The police said the bookies leave themselves a bit of cushion in these deals to cover for external factors. Kumar said the bookies still made crores of rupees through that over. Sreesanth was promised Rs 40 lakh (USD 73,024). Sreesanth wasn't given another over in the match.

Kumar said they then waited for Chavan to go ahead with his fix, which he said happened in the match against Mumbai, in Mumbai on May 15. The police alleged that Chandila was the go-between man for this deal, and that he spent the whole day training Chavan for the over. Chavan went for just two in his first over, but conceded 15 in his second, the third of Mumbai's innings.

Chavan's signal, the police said, was to fiddle with his wristband. The police said Chandila spoke to a bookie soon after the match, and said that the money - Rs 60 lakh (US$109,521) - should be delivered to him and not Chavan. Kumar said this was the point at which they went ahead with the arrest.

Kumar said their investigators went to the grounds so that they could keep an eye on the signals before the allegedly corrupt overs. He said the police was sure the indicators were consistent with the pre-decided signal. He also said the fixed overs were supposed to be the respective bowlers' second overs, irrespective of whether their side was bowling first or second. The only pre-requisite was to let the bookies know the deal was on, which they did through their signals.

Kumar hinted at underworld and overseas connections, but refused to name anybody. He also said the anti-corruption unit employed by the cricket organisers was not aware of what was going on. He said more arrests - of bookies, and not players - could be expected in the coming days.

Pollard sledges Watson, Dravid is angry

You can say you have seen it all now. We have already seen MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis emote in IPL like they never have in their many years of international cricket, but Rahul Dravid had a bigger surprise in store. Given out caught at the wicket when the bowler hadn't even gone up properly, Dravid looked back at the umpire, had a few choice words to say, then walked back shaking his head, and was about to hit something near the dugout but might have realised he was in full public view and held himself back. Never has he been seen reacting like this on a cricket field.

Warriors take KKR down with them

Yusuf Pathan ended his three-year IPL fifty drought, but the day was meant for the end of another barren spell. Pune Warriors won their first match since April 15, which knocked Kolkata Knight Riders out of the tournament. This was their third win in 24 matches, which gave them hope of avoiding the bottom of the table for a second year running.

For a majority of the contest, the match seemed going down the familiar Warriors script. A good start from Aaron Finch and Robin Uthappa, a slowdown after they fall, a middling finish, then a good start with the ball, then a recovery from the opposition, and then Warriors break down. Tonight, though, it was Yusuf, who seemed to have committed the crucial error, getting out obstructing the field when his 72 off 44 had brought his side to needing 23 off 14 balls.

Parnell, who had started well with two wickets in his first spell, was going through a torrid comeback over - 14 off four balls - when he bowled a yorker. The ball was on the pitch but Yusuf took off for the single. Parnell closed in on him while going for the ball, which was also in Yusuf's path.

Parnell stuck his hands out as he approached Yusuf, who slowed down, possibly because of the contact. Yusuf ended up kicking the ball with the face of his foot open, like footballers do. The umpires, with the help of replays, deemed Yusuf had done so deliberately, and ruled him out.

Yusuf was livid at being given out, and he watched the rest of the match from the stairway to the dressing room, punching the railing at one point. The railing was sturdier than Knight Riders' lower order, who managed only 15 further runs. This was the kind of finish you could have attributed to Warriors in the normal course, but this time they managed to come back every time they slipped.

When Finch fell for 48 off 32, Warriors were 97 for 2 in the 13th over, and the expected slowdown began. Yuvraj Singh struggled against spin, and the next nine balls produced only two runs. Manish Pandey, though, put paid to that, hitting three consecutive fours off Jacques Kallis. Despite later stumbles, Warriors managed 72 off the last six overs.

Parnell put them further ahead with full swinging deliveries to Manvinder Bisla and Kallis. Gautam Gambhir fell early too. Yusuf and Ryan ten Doeschate, though, added 98 for the fourth wicket to take Knight Riders close. Then came Yusuf's first mistake of the night when he refused to respond to ten Doeschate's call for a single to short fine leg.

That single was fair game for the final overs of limited-overs games, but Yusuf was now left needing to make amends. He nearly did make amends by rearranging Parnell's figures, but he was adjudicated to have made the final mistake of the night

England out to restore order

England versus New Zealand; the world's second best team against the eighth best; walkover. Those who said the same thing ahead of the series in New Zealand were left feeling sheepish by the fight New Zealand showed. They came oh-so-close to a momentous upset that was utterly inconceivable given the shambles of a side that was destroyed in their previous Test series in South Africa at the turn of the year.

The fact New Zealand recovered from such embarrassment to nearly beat England suggests coach Mike Hesson has been able to quickly restore stability and create an environment where their capable squad have a chance of putting in competitive performances. They come into the first Test at Lord's in healthy shape and if their batsman can find some runs, they have a bowling attack capable of causing England problems.

New Zealand's batsmen will have to fight harder in more bowler-friendly conditions than what they encountered in March. The Dukes ball will swing more and for longer, and England's attack, far better prepared for this series with some county cricket behind them, will be eager to assert the dominance that was expected of them in New Zealand. They can be deadly on home soil, and the Kiwis' batting remains brittle.

For that reason, and given a firm kick up the backside, it is still a value bet that England will win comfortably. Their batting cannot be as lethargic as it was in New Zealand - a series they did not want after the main business was done in India. Most of the order have found form in county cricket and they are comfortable against the swinging ball, shown in the sizable totals England have racked up in Test matches in May in recent years.

The challenge is there for New Zealand to upset the odds again, and if they show as much desire as was on show in March, they will ask England to produce their best cricket to beat them. But England had a sharp reminder of what happens when they are not fully focussed and know they are playing for places in the Ashes. If England do find their best form, they should be too much for plucky New Zealand

Chennai move top after clinical victory

Even before the match began, Chennai Super Kings got the news that they had qualified for the playoffs. Their next target was a spot in the top two, especially after they found out last season how difficult it is to win the title after finishing No. 3 or 4. Qualifying either first or second allows them the luxury of an opening defeat in the playoffs, while ending on third or fourth will leave teams needing to win three successive matches against the best teams in the competition.

With that as motivation, Super Kings set about dismantling the already demoralised and eliminated Delhi Daredevils on a muggy night in Chennai. As usual, Super Kings weren't in a tearing hurry at the start of their innings, but a series of big hits - led by MS Dhoni's power-packed half-century - took them to a competitive total.

Super Kings have one of the deepest and most dangerous batting line-ups in the competition, and the early reprieves for M Vijay - including a dropped catch and a missed run-out - allowed the openers to set up a base for the big-hitters to follow. Michael Hussey has been trading the orange cap with Chris Gayle virtually every match over the past few weeks, and though he couldn't wrest it back today, his brisk 31 allowed Dhoni to take his time before exploding towards the end of the innings.

Dhoni scored only 17 off his first 19 deliveries before unfurling his unique brand of muscular hitting. Ashish Nehra was clubbed over midwicket for six and then dinked to third man for four. Siddarth Kaul's slower ball was hammered onto the roof as Dhoni looted 41 off his final 16 deliveries to pilot Super Kings to 168.

Daredevils, the best team in the league phase last season, have had a startling fall this season. Before every match, their fans have been placing their faith in the trio of match-winning batsmen - Mahela Jayawardene, Virender Sehwag and David Warner - to deliver results. There have been repeated failures from all three batsmen this season. Today, they were missing Jayawardene - since Sri Lankan players are prevented from playing in Chennai - and Sehwag fell for a duck in the first over of the chase, leaving Warner with the responsibility of making a match of it.

He top scored with a restrained 44, shedding buckets of sweat over the course of his innings, but with several of his team-mates perishing after attempting big strokes, Daredevils never really threatened in the chase. Johan Botha and Unmukt Chand briefly put up some resistance early on, but a series of wickets soon after the Powerplay effectively ended Daredevil's challenge.

The result left Super Kings on 22 points, two clear of their closest challengers, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. The easy victory was the perfect end to their campaign at home, which they marked with a celebratory lap around the Chidambaram stadium to salute their vocal and passionate fans.

Sir vivan richard with gayle

PCB employs vigilance officer for Champions Trophy

Pakistan's tour to England in 2010 was embroiled in controversy as the spot-fixing debacle created waves around the cricket world. To protect players from unsolicited approaches and avoid a repeat of the affair, the PCB has decided to deploy a security officer and a vigilance officer who will monitor player activities, with the intention of protecting them from unwanted social contact and media interviews.

This will be Pakistan's first visit to England since thatill-fated tour. They will depart on Monday night and stop briefly in Scotland and Ireland to play two ODIs against both countries, before heading to England for the Champions Trophy.

"It's a very sensitive tour," Naveed Akram Cheema, the team manager, told reporters at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. "All the players realise the importance of it, and they should maintain strict discipline as we don't want a repeat of events. Players [have been] told to restrict their off-field movements and focus on the game."

Security has been increased in light of the spot-fixing controversy, which erupted during the fourth Test against England at Lord's in 2010. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were involved in the incident, were sentenced in November 2011 at Southwark Crown Court for conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat.

"They are all spirited players and over the last two-three years have played as a unit. The tour is sensitive in that there are lots of people who could have vested interests, and we have to counter that," Cheema said. "Psychologically, they are motivated and united."

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was "optimistic" about the side's chances in the Champions Trophy, but was wary that the team would face a dual test, both on and off the field, during the tournament.

Dav Whatmore, Pakistan's head coach, also expressed high hopes for the team. "We begin every series with an intent to win," Whatmore said. "We feel we've got the best fifteen that we can possibly have at the moment. ICC events are slightly different to bilateral series as there is a requirement to win and finish in the top two. Our objective in all cases is to win tournaments."

Zaheer back, Royal Challengers inserted

"So that the crowd can see Chris [Gayle] bat early," said Adam Gilchrist when asked why Kings XI Punjab had chosen to bowl in Bangalore. Jokes aside, though, on a flat pitch surrounded by a small outfield in Bangalore, no total is safe, and both teams would rather chase.

The big news at the toss was that Zaheer Khan was fit to finally play his first game of this IPL. He replaced Abhimanyu Mithun. Royal Challengers Bangalore, tied on the fourth spot with Sunrisers Hyderabad but back to Bangalore where they are yet to lose this season, made three other changes. Murali Kartik, Ravi Rampaul and Saurabh Tiwary made way for Muttiah Muralitharan, Arun Karthik and Lokesh Rahul. The Murali-for-Kartik switch might have been down to three specialist left-hand batsmen in the Kings XI top six, but to accommodate Murali, an overseas players, Rampaul had to sit out.

Kings XI, who need to win all their remaining games and then pray and hope other results miraculously go their way, made three changes. Praveen Kumar missed out on playing at his former home ground, losing out to Manpreet Gony. Azhar Mahmood came back, replacing Harmeet Singh. Manan Vohra took Luke Pomersbach's place

Unfortunate Sunrisers let match slip away

One atrocious over from Thisara Perera. One questionable decision from Cameron White. And eight Kieron Pollard sixes in 16 deliveries. That, unfortunately, was the crux of this game. Unfortunate not because Pollard made a mockery of an asking-rate of 15.50. This is to take nothing away from Pollard's innings, an assault so brutal and so out-of-nowhere it numbed the mind. Unfortunate because it took five ordinary deliveries and one ordinary call to decide a game where both sides had been forced out of their comfort zones, and had fought a tense, undulating contest. Unfortunate because the world's best fast bowler had bowled his guts out. Unfortunate because a young, uncapped legspinner had come back to remove two fine players of spin.

Dale Steyn and Karan Sharma hardly deserved to lose. But this format is crunched so tight that even half a bad over from a bowler can undo all good work done earlier, and subsequently, by his colleagues. Admittedly, this was a seriously bad over. And Pollard was seriously ready to take toll. As ready as a hungry lion is when the prey walks into the den uninvited.

A slow long hop outside off. A full delivery around off. A short ball at normal speed, which at Perera's pace meant it sat up at Pollard. A length ball followed by a length ball followed by a length ball, the last one from round the stumps. 6, 1, 4, 6, 6, 6.

With as many as 62 needed off the last four overs, this was about as poor as you could get as a bowler. Not once in the over did Perera hit the blockhole. Not once did he go wide outside off to deny Pollard his straight hitting zone. Not once did he bounce Pollard with an effort ball, as he did later in the last over, by when the game was finished. Twenty20 puts enormous pressure on bowlers. Perera cracked wide open under it.

So did White, in picking Amit Mishra to bowl the 18th over ahead of Steyn, with 33 required. Steyn had toyed with Pollard in the over before Perera's meltdown. The first ball of Steyn's return spell kicked, straightened and sped past the outside edge. The fifth bounced at the batsman's throat and Pollard fended it awkwardly off the bat handle. Steyn gave just four runs off that over, including a leg-bye. Of the 23 that he conceded overall, there were two boundaries off thick outside edges from Dwayne Smith.

Steyn wanted to win this dearly, as he always wants to. He sprinted all the way to square leg to stop a second run off his bowling, and ran so hard he beat the wicketkeeper to the ball comfortably. Even after hitting Perera for four successive boundaries, there was little chance of Pollard going after Steyn, and succeeding.

At the very least, Steyn was more likely than a legspinner to contain Pollard in the 18th over. And Mishra is your conventional legbreak bowler. He is no Piyush Chawla to be able to dish out an over of quick darts. Instead, he tried to induce a false stroke from a charged-up Pollard with a flighted legbreak. Six. Mishra tried again. Six more. Game over.

To Pollard's credit, he connected with almost everything with only five specialist bowlers to come after him. And even when he mishit it, he smacked it deep into the crowd. Maybe a tight 18th over from Steyn would have given Mishra more chances of inducing that false stroke from Pollard in the 19th.

Instead, as Steyn tore in to bowl a testing penultimate over, the sheer futility of the situation matched the sheer intensity of his effort. It had started to look slightly futile for Sunrisers Hyderabad when Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik had a partnership in Mumbai Indians' first chase at home this season. Tendulkar retired hurt after hitting Karan for a six and a four. And did the legspinner barge into the opening. Two deliveries later, he had Karthik popping a leading edge to extra cover. In his next over, he had Ambati Rayudu stumped after the batsman missed a flipper on the charge.

For 36 overs, Sunrisers painstakingly built a position of strength. Their batsmen, used to modest chases set up by the bowlers, posted a big total. Their attack made it increasingly difficult for Mumbai Indians for more than three-fourths of the chase, only to have it snatched away after one mediocre over. Unfortunately, that is how T20 often works.

Super Kings look to nail playoff spot

Two teams will show up at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, though for one of them, nothing is at stake. Delhi Daredevils have already been knocked out and the only thing they can achieve is to make Chennai Super Kings' path to the playoffs harder. Super Kings lost their No.1 spot to Mumbai Indians late on Monday, on the basis of net run rate.* A win from their next two games is enough to ensure a place in the final four. Having come this far, Super Kings won't settle for anything less than pole position for the playoffs.

They face the easier of their two opponents on Tuesday, before heading to Bangalore where Royal Challengers Bangalore have an unbeaten record. Super Kings were defeated comprehensively by Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, though the game was more evenly matched than the scorecard suggests. Super Kings are known to start off slowly before accelerating in the second half of the innings, but bizarrely, on Sunday, it was the other way round. Regular fall of wickets stalled their progress and they ended with a below-par 141. Their bowlers posed a threat in the early stages of the chase but, for the second time in the evening, Royals took control in the second half, thanks largely to Shane Watson's assault.

If Super Kings win both their games, they are certain of finishing in the top two. If they lose both, they could be level on 20 points with two other teams, thereby leaving the final word with the net run rate. During Super Kings' dream run of seven consecutive wins, there was the likelihood of their final few games turning inconsequential, but two defeats against Mumbai and Royals have given their game against Daredevils more context.

Kartik wins in Royal Challengers' loss

Bowling analysis is a term used synonymously with bowling figures. That usage doesn't work here. Twenty20 is a hazardous place to "analyse" bowlers. You can get wickets without doing anything, like when AB de Villiers reverse-swept L Balaji through to the keeper. In IPL, what with the inconsistent fielding standards, it becomes even worse. Ask Ravi Rampaul, who did everything right when opening the bowling in a small defence, but saw Abhimanyu Mithun make a right mess of a sitter at long leg. The beneficiary, Jacques Kallis, scored 38 after that reprieve, and possibly cost Rampaul's side the match.

Bowling figures usually prove crucial in the IPL, because, well, somebody has to get the wickets when the batsmen go kamikaze, but the bowlers are often incidental to what happens. More often than what is ideal, at any rate. Sometimes you just see batsmen do inexplicably crazy things, and bowlers walk away with excellent figures. Sometimes you see top edges fly for sixes and your fielders letting you down, and you take home dubious records. However, Murali Kartik's figures of 4-0-17-1 in defence of just 115 were possibly an accurate reflection of how well he bowled.

And Kartik was hit for the longest six of the match off the first ball he bowled. It was a pitch where all batsmen had struggled to time, and the other two sixes, hit by Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, had just about cleared the rope. It can be demoralising when you run in, and see Yusuf Pathan, a hit and miss player on current form, smack one out of the ground.

Kartik, a veteran of Twenty20 in a variety of conditions and against a variety of batsmen, didn't respond with darts. He didn't go for ultra defensive fields. He trapped Yusuf in his next over with a left-arm bowler's offbreak, and then went on to show his mastery over Manoj Tiwary. Once again, it has to be seen through the tunnel of Twenty20, which has caused panic among better and more accomplished batsmen.

For the best part of Kartik's bowling, and perhaps the match, we need to go to the 13th over, which began with Kolkata Knight Riders needing 48 off 48. It wasn't quite Shane Warne, but there was drama all around. On more than one occasion, he pulled out of the delivery looking back at the non-striker. The batsmen, Tiwary and Jacques Kallis, weren't backing up too far, and it would have taken extraordinary work to mankad them, but Kartik was playing his small tricks to get under their skins.

Kartik might have too, because the batsmen did look indignant from afar. The bigger tricks, though, were seen in the actual bowling. Tiwary is known to play a wild shot as soon as he faces a few dot balls, but this time he responded with a flick over mid-on. The captain, as with almost all Twenty20 captains, sent mid-on back immediately. Sitting back and waiting for the batsmen to make the inexplicable mistake is the preferred way in T20. And it has happened more often in this IPL than makes for exciting cricket.

Kartik, though, called the mid-on back up. He wanted Tiwary to play that shot again. He was telling Tiwary he wasn't impressed. Tiwary nearly responded to the taunt, jumping out of the crease next ball. Kartik beat him in the flight, but couldn't go past the bat. Then he fired one in. And then he saw Tiwary make room, and tossed one up wide outside off. Despite the boundary, only six had come off that over. Despite that six first ball, Kartik had gone for just 15 in three.

Kartik was kept back after that over. He was to make the impact. And what a cruel game. You get one over to make the impact. And that one over can easily be played out when the asking rate is six an over. So on he came with 31 required off 30. The over was full of moral victories. You could argue Kartik would have won this if the contest had gone longer, you could have argued Tiwary would have behaved more like a batsman had this been a longer contest.

It was clear Tiwary was charging too early because with three consecutive deliveries Kartik saw him and bowled wide twice, and cramped him up once. On one of those occasions, he nearly had Tiwary stumped. Just two runs came off the over, Knight Riders now needed 29 off 24, but Kartik was bowled out. He had done his bit, though. It was up to other bowlers now.

And Kallis got a massive top edge to the next ball, which sailed over the keeper's head. All pressure gone. Knight Riders won.

Resignation a 'mistake' - Mushfiqur

Mushfiqur Rahim has said he regrets his hasty resignation from the Bangladesh captaincy, although he is effectively out of the job until the BCB decides whether to reappoint him.

After the third ODI on May 8, which Bangladesh lost, Mushfiqur told his team-mates and announced to the media that he would quit after the Zimbabwe tour. But following Sunday's 34-run win over the home side in Bulawayo, Mushfiqur admitted that it was a mistake on his part to have announced his resignation with two matches still remaining in the tour. He has also denied that he quit because he felt there was a lack of teamwork, as widely reported in Bangladesh.

"After resigning I have realised that I should have discussed the matter with the BCB, who have made me the captain," Mushfiqur said. "It was my mistake. People from the BCB have told me that we will hold discussions when I am back. I have let them know my decision, now it's for them to decide.

"It is not about teamwork. I have taken the decision emotionally. It was a wrong decision on my part. No player should back out in such a time. I should have been encouraging everyone, but I ended up doing just the opposite. I have now realised my mistake. Losing to them didn't go down well with me. My team-mates have backed me, and I hope this is how it remains in the future."

Bangladesh lost the first Test by 335 runs, their biggest defeat to Zimbabwe by margin of runs, and later lost the ODI series after taking a 1-0 lead. The win in the second T20 helped them draw the series. Overall they lost four games and won three across the three formats, which wasn't the result they would have expected coming to Zimbabwe four weeks ago.

"We are upset, because we had expected a much better result," Mushfiqur said. "A few things didn't go our way, plus we made some mistakes. We should have won the last [ODI], which was disappointing. We should have conducted ourselves better in the field, cooler heads were missing. There's a lot to learn from tours like this."

Bangladesh's next international assignment is in October but the BCB is likely to hold talks with Mushfiqur soon to resolve the controversy surrounding his swift resignation and even swifter repentance.

Saving the best for the last

For all the flashy hitting involved, Twenty20 remains a largely pessimistic sport. Morne Morkel doesn't get the first over at Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals protect Shane Watson from the new ball on a testing pitch, at Kings XI Punjab David Miller has often been left batting with lesser batsmen, MS Dhoni doesn't want to come in to bat if there are more than 10 overs remaining, and Mumbai Indians' misuse of Kieron Pollard is now well documented. They are all better cricketers than that.

Captaining India, Dhoni once made the bold move of playing just six specialist batsmen - which should on paper be enough in a 20-over game - and immediately countered it by sending Irfan Pathan toopen the innings. He gave himself that extended warranty of a batsman at No. 7, but that No. 7 sat and saw Irfan eat up 30 crucial deliveries for just 31 runs.

You feared Rajasthan Royals were doing just that in their final home game of the season. Chasing 142, they were tested by some good seam bowling at the top. Ajinkya Rahane fell to it, and you moved a little towards the edge of your seat to see how Watson would cope with it. Out came James Faulkner. The pinch-hitting experiment failed soon, you leaned forward again, but you saw Sanju Samson coming out. In a crucial chase, when you want your best batsman to face as many balls as possible, Watson was not to be seen until the third wicket fell. It was a good thing these three batsmen got out early and didn't waste too many deliveries, but the asking rate had already crossed eight. Soon it would nudge 10 an over.

Rahul Dravid, the captain in this instance, will tell you it was all tactics. And Dravid is no defensive captain. There is no way he would have sent in a lesser batsman to face the best bowling in a Test match, a nightwatchman being the only exception. "It was a kind of wicket where we knew we needed to backend our batting," Dravid said. "And the fact that they had a couple of spinners we needed to target. I wouldn't say we got the batting order wrong.

"We didn't play the first 10 overs particularly well. I would have liked a few more runs in the first 10. Forty-nine for four isn't good enough, but we are lucky we had someone like Watson there in the end and Stuart Binny as well."

A stunning assault from Watson and Binny, a period of five overs that went for 81, brought Royals a comfortable win in the end. And as Dravid had planned, a spinner - R Ashwin, the best in India - was successfully targeted. However, Royals are a bit of an exception: they don't have the best of batting resources, and need insurance towards the end. Royal Challengers Bangalore don't have similar concerns with Chris Gayle because they have Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers following him.

That allowance made, you still wonder if Watson is not good enough a batsman to have played proper cricket against the better of Chennai Super Kings' quicks. Wasn't leaving all the eggs in Watson's basket a risk in itself? Why doesn't Dhoni, one of the best chasers in ODI cricket, bat early with Dwayne Bravo, S Badrinath, plus Albie Morkel at times, to follow him? In the match that Miller won Kings XI Punjab with a crazy hundred, his third fifty-plus score in a row, he came in to bat in the 10th over.

The only plausible explanation for it is, you want your best batsmen to play with a mind that is not muddled with building an innings and pondering the consequences. It's not the number in the order that matters, but the number of overs remaining when they come in to bat. Somewhere deep inside, they want to take out the fear of being bowled out. That's 10 wickets in 20 overs. To think of that is pessimistic. It messes around with normal cricket.

In a bottom-line world, the success and failure of a strategy is determined by the ultimate result. It obviously worked tonight with Dravid holding Watson back. It failed when Dhoni opened with Irfan to have a cover for a cover. It failed when Kings XI had Manan Vohra and David Hussey batting ahead of a clearly in-form Miller who was left almost stranded against Mumbai Indians.

It's a young sport still. We can't fully know the dynamics of these decisions because the pressures on the field are different. The captains are pondering these things as they go. Until then, just the thought that there can be a variant of cricket where you don't want to give your best cricketers to play the most part in the game is fascinating enough. After all these games aren't quite played on the sticky dogs that once made Don Bradman invert his batting order.

Rajasthan Royals bowl; Sreesanth left out

Rahul Dravid won the toss and chose to bowl first on a Jaipur pitch that is expected to aid the seam bowlers. However, Rajasthan Royals dropped Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila from the XI and replaced them with Stuart Binny and Vikramjeet Malik, who makes his debut. Royals are still unbeaten at home and a win here would help them overtake Mumbai Indians and jump up to No.2 on the points table. However, their last win over Chennai Super Kings came way back in the 2010 season.

MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, said that he would have preferred to bowl as well, but expects the pitch to stay the same throughout. Super Kings made no changes to their side.

Narine, Kallis keep KKR's slim chances alive

Kolkata Knight Riders kept their 100% record of successfully chasing totals under 120 intact as they triumphed at their second home in Ranchi. Their bowlers were largely responsible for keeping them in the competition, having restricted Royal Challengers to their lowest total in a first innings of an IPL match in India.

Through good lengths and variation, they ensured the batsmen would not have to toil as much as Royal Challengers' troops did. They laboured through the slowest Powerplay in this year's tournament, with only 22 runs from the first six overs and limped to their slowest century of 2013, off 102 balls. They managed just seven boundaries in their innings, their second lowest count in the tournament's history.

Knight Riders' selection of Sachithra Senanayake proved a shrewd move on a slow surface, as he and L Balaji made run-scoring difficult upfront. Chesteshwar Pujara was dismissed for 5 as he tried to hit out, but Chris Gayle managed his frustrations well.

His only four came from an edge past first slip and he had little respite, besides Ryan ten Doeschate's sole over, in which Virat Kohli and Gayle took 14 runs of it. Kohli, however, didn't last long, playing on off Jacques Kallis for 17.

Four boundary-less overs followed before Gayle's vigil was broken. He went forward to defend the first ball of Sunil Narine's second over, but it turned past the outside edge, and he was stumped with his toe right on the line.

Gayle was Narine's first scalp. Saurabh Tiwary, Ravi Rampaul and Abhimanyu Mithun were the other three which took the West Indian to the top of the wicket-charts with 22 to his name. He tied Royal Challengers up at the end of their innings, after Balaji got rid of a threatening looking AB de Villiers.

The South African one-day captain managed a paddle and a loft over extra cover before he was caught behind, trying to tickle the ball fine. Had de Villiers lasted into the last four overs, Royal Challengers may have been able to eye a total over 130, but they had to settle for a below-par 115 for 9.

Despite the sluggish surface, they needed a better bowling effort than their attack has seemed capable of producing this season. Ravi Rampaul gave them some hope when he had Manvinder Bisla caught at point off the second ball. He should have accounted for Kallis too, but Mithun badly misjudged the catch at fine leg, running in before realising he had underestimated the strength of the shot.

Kallis capitalised on his let off and anchored the chase almost to the end. The required run rate hovered around a run-a-ball throughout, but Royal Challengers could not build any pressure. Gautam Gambhir took three fours off a Mithun over that was peppered with generously short balls, and Murali Kartik conceded boundaries when he tossed it up.

Kallis and Manoj Tiwary worked the ball around, and even though both were dismissed at the twilight of the match, they had done enough. Ryan ten Doeschate hit the winning runs to make qualifying for the playoffs an uphill battle for Royal Challengers in their remaining matches.

Shakib's all-round effort helps Bangladesh draw series

The Bangladesh spinners imposed themselves on Zimbabwe as they successfully defended a moderate total to register a 34-run win. Shakib Al Hasan was the hero with bat and ball, helping the visitors to draw the Twenty20 series.

Shakib combined his all-round skills in the same game for the first time on tour, starting with a dominant 28-ball 40 that got Bangladesh ticking, after they lost opener Shamsur Rahman early. Like the first game, however, they collapsed after an 82-run second-wicket stand between Shakib and Tamim Iqbal. Bangladesh ended up on 168 for 7 in 20 overs with Prosper Utseya at his economical best for Zimbabwe. That initial thrust from Shakib and Tamim, however, was the crucial difference between the two teams.

Shakib dismissed Sikandar Raza in the 17th over to effectively end the home side's chances, as the big-hitting Raza struggled to find the boundaries. Shakib ended up with 4 for 22, his best T20 figures. One of his four victims was the Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Taylor, who fell in the fifth over after looking dangerous during his brief stay at the wicket.

Sohag Gazi and Abdur Razzak also bowled crucial spells for Bangladesh, bringing back their lengths and using varying speeds whenever the batsmen charged them. Both bowled a maiden each and their overs were crucial to Bangladesh's defence of 168. Gazi went wicketless while left-arm spinner Razzak picked up 2 for 18 from his four overs. Shafiul Islam ended with two wickets too, bowling accurately for the first time since the first ODI of the tour.

Zimbabwe's batting never really took off after Vusi Sibanda was out in the seventh over. Sibanda made 32 off 19 balls, and Raza's 30-ball 32 was the next-most significant score for the hosts.

The visitors ended up on the same total as Zimbabwe did in the first game, although this looked like a slower wicket. But the middle-order wasted a fine start. From 86 for 1 in the 9th over, Bangladesh were 126 for 5 at the start of the 15th over.

When Shakib and Tamim were at the crease, Bangladesh were looking at a bigger score. They got together after Shamsur fell in the first over but wasted little time, smacking 14 boundaries in the first 10 overs. Shakib made 40 off 28 and Tamim 43 off 30 balls.

Both batsmen fell trying to slog and the captain, Mushfiqur Rahim, and his deputy, Mahmudullah, departed soon after. Mushfiqur, in what may be his last match as captain - the BCB plans to persuade him to stay on - was unlucky to be given leg-before to a ball heading down the leg side. Mahmudullah, however, gave a soft catch to cover, and the four-wicket collapse also meant that there were no boundaries for 26 deliveries between the 12th and 15th overs.

Only a 36-run sixth-wicket stand between Nasir Hossain and Mominul Haque helped them cross the 150-run mark. For Zimbabwe, Utseya took 2 for 15 in his four overs, the fourth time in his career that he finished with an economy rate of less than four runs an over. Brian Vitori, too, was economical but the other Zimbabwe bowlers struggled with their length

IPL Stats: Sunil Narine leads wickets tally, RCB record their lowest total in 2013

# Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challegers Bangalore have won six games each against each other out of twelve contested at the IPL. # Bangalore (115 for 9) have recorded their lowest total at the IPL 2013. # Bangalore's aforesaid total is their second lowest against Kolkata - the lowest being 82 at Bangalore in the first IPL season. # For Bangalore, Tillakaratne Dilshan (76 runs at an average of 15.20 in five innings - SR 81.72) and Cheteshwar Pujara (73 at an average of 24.33 in three innings - SR 92.40) are having strike rate of less than 100 in the present competition. # Chris Gayle has become the first batsman to hit 25 sixes against Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL. His overall IPL tally is 170, extending his record. # Gayle is averaging 86.50 against Kolkata Knight Riders while scoring 346 in six innings - the best amongst the players with 300 runs or more against Kolkata at the IPL. # Gayle is the top run-scorer at the IPL 2013 - 603 at an average of 60.30 in 14 matches. His tally includes a hundred and three fifties. Michael Hussey (574 at 57.40 in twelve matches) and Virat Kohli (521 at 40.07 in ten) are the only two other players to manage 500 runs. # Gayle is the first player to aggregate 600 runs or more in an IPL season three times - 733 (ave.61.08) in 2012; 608 (ave.67.55) in 2011 and 603 (ave.60.30) in 2013. # Sunil Narine is technically the leading wicket-taker (because of the better bowling average) in the current tournament - 22 at an average of 14.22 in 14 matches - his second best tally at the IPL, next only to the 24 at 13.50 in 15 matches in 2012. # Vinay Kumar has also taken 22 wickets at 20.36 runs apiece in 14 matches - the most by any bowler for RCB in an IPL season, surpassing the 21 each by Anil Kumble (ave.16.52) in 2009 and Sreenath Aravind (ave.17.52) in 2011. # Narine became the first bowler to take four wickets in an innings twice in the present tournament - once each against Bangalore and Delhi. # Narine is now the first bowler to claim four wickets or more in an innings four times in the history of the IPL. # Narine has completed his 100 wickets (ave.15.58) in 77 matches in Twenty20. # Jacques Kallis (41) has emulated his highest score in the present competition. He had made 41 off 27 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on April 14. # Kallis has received his ninth Man of the Match award at the IPL for his all-round performance - 41 + 2/17. # Manoj Tiwary (10) became the second fielder after Dwayne Bravo (12) to take 10 catches or more at the IPL 2013.

Sunrisers look to keep fragile hopes alive

It's one of the quirks of sport. As the league stage of the IPL draws to a close, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab play a match that's as good as a final for them. The winner of the match might put an end to the other team's campaign. Both teams can theoretically make it to the top four, but Sunrisers, fifth on the table with 14 points, have a better chance of doing so given their four-point lead over sixth-placed Kings XI.

Sunrisers remaining matches, after this one, include one away game against Mumbai Indians and two home games against Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. It's not as tough a draw as some of the other teams but a loss here would make every match a virtual knockout for Sunrisers.

They have had only one blemish in their home record - the 77-run thrashing that Chennai Super Kings handed them - but with only two wins in four matches, their away record is a concern. A lot will ride on how well their bowlers can contain the aggressive Kings XI batsmen with their batting still being a weak link.

Kings XI are already in a knockout-like situation after their loss to Royals on Thursday. They squandered a solid start and erred by not sending Miller up the order when Gilchrist fell in the 14th over. From 74 for 1 in the 10th over, they could only add 71 in the next 10 overs. A performance on those lines might well bring an end to their campaign

Pune bat; Pollard out, Maxwell in

A vastly changed Pune Warriors side will bat first at home against Mumbai Indians, on a pitch expected to play slow. Warriors are out of contention for the playoffs already, sitting at last place, but a win for Mumbai could take them to second place.

Warriors made five changes to the side that lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in their last match, but it was the sole new name in Mumbai's XI that commanded most attention. Million dollar signing Glenn Maxwell gets his first match in the tournament, as Kieron Pollard is forced to sit out with illness. For the hosts, Abhishek Nayar and Manish Pandey replace Udit Birla and Mitchell Marsh among the batsmen, and Kane Richardson, Ashok Dinda and Ajantha Mendis come in for the bowlers

Domingo takes over as SA coach

Russell Domingo has been appointed South Africa's new coach on a two-year deal. Domingo, who is currently assistant coach, will take over from Kirsten in August with his first assignment being the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka.

Domingo has been second-in-command since Kirsten was named coach in June 2011 and was put in charge of South Africa's Twenty20 squad last December. Prior to that, he had six seasons at the helm of the Warriors franchise, with whom he won two trophies and nurtured a string of national players including Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Robin Peterson and Ashwell Prince.

Kirsten earmarked Domingo as his successor two years ago and rubber-stamped him upon his resignation yesterday when he said Domingo was ready for "high-level coaching." And it was Kirsten who informed Domingo he may be in line to take over. "Gary called me about 10 days ago and told me he was not going to extend his contract for another two years and that he is confident in my ability to take over," Domingo told ESPNcricinfo.

Domingo had time to mull over whether he would accept the job while CSA's board considered its options. When Kirsten opted not to exercise his renew option on Friday, acting CEO Nassei Appiah told the media CSA would appoint a committee to oversee the "due process," of appointing a new coach. None of that was required.

The board decided on Friday they would offer Domingo the job in the interests of continuity. "They gave me a call around lunch-time and asked me if I wanted the job and I accepted," he said. "I made a few calls to all the players, whether in South Africa, England or India, and let them know the decision and get their thoughts on it. All of them were confident in me, which was great to hear. This is a very big day in my life. It was to be highlight in anybody's coaching career to be given the honour and responsibility of being in charge of your national side."

It's been a whirlwind few days for Domingo, who thought Kirsten would stay on until the 2015 World Cup but now finds himself the man that will take South Africa to that tournament. His yet-to-be signed contract will terminate in August 2015 but none of the specific terms have been discussed.

Domingo expects to meet with CSA's board over the next week to negotiate. Chris Nenzani, the president, said "all options," would be discussed which means Domingo could, like Kirsten, ask for specific periods of leave to be with his family, although that is unlikely.

While Domingo is not expected to emulate Kirsten in that regard, he will employ a similar style of coaching which will focus on transferring responsibility to the players and managing them, rather than instructing them. "I need to try and do a lot of things Gary has done but also to bring my own flavour to it," Domingo said, "I'm still very much in the planning stage as to how I want to take this team forward. I've got a lot of thinking to do over the next few weeks. I need to canvas a lot of opinion and pull out some ideas from various people and add my own ideas to that."

One of the distinct differences between Kirsten and Domingo is that the latter has no playing experience, having discovered at a young age he would not cut it as a first-class cricketer. That has never hampered Domingo before, though, and he does not expect it to become an issue even as he takes on one of the most high-profile jobs in world cricket.

"I've been coaching for 16 years now, since I was 22 years old," Domingo said. "Playing and coaching are two totally different scenarios. I've developed a good rapport with players, and I've gone through all the stages a coach needs to go through - rightfully so because I haven't got the playing credentials."

While Domingo appears ready for the challenge, and has the backing of all the most important people, he will still have Kirsten to call on if needed. "He's a massive guy to replace, but I don't think Gary is entirely lost to South African cricket. I'd be an absolute fool not use Gary in some capacity as much as I possibly can. Gary and I have a really good working relationship," he said. Domingo gave Kirsten his first coaching job when he asked him to consult for the Warriors and the pair have been close ever since.

Domingo will also have free reign to choose other assistants but will likely to keep the same core of support staff. "The guys that are there at the moment have done an outstanding job. We have a good relationship and we work really well together, and I don't see why that should change at all," he said.

That means Allan Donald will probably remain bowling coach but Domingo will probably add an assistant from the domestic set-up. Lions' coach Geoff Toyana and Cobras' coach Paul Adams are two that could come into contention after they both enjoyed successful maiden seasons with their franchises. Paddy Upton, who was elevated to performance manager under Kirsten, may also be retained.

Domingo makes history as the first person of colour to become head coach, 22 years after readmission. Like many before him, he hopes he does not get judged in black and white alone. "I'm hoping the public sees me as a cricket coach, not a cricket coach of colour. I will endeavour to give my best for the country in every aspect," he said

Warner-led Daredevils put RCB in

The last time Delhi Daredevils played, Mahela Jayawardene remembered all the six changes at the toss. Going by the toss interviews during the IPL, it must have been an exhausting effort. So exhausting in fact Delhi Daredevils - already out of the playoff reckoning - sent David Warner for the toss. There have been no over-rate violations to report of.

Previously Warner has captained only once in a match that counts towards official statistics. In that BBL match, he scored a century. He began well here, winning the toss and asking Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat first. Warner remembered all the three changes their side made: CM Gautam, Pawan Negi and Ajit Agarkar went out for Unmukt Chand, Shahbaz Nadeem and Irfan Pathan.

At the start of the match, Royal Challengers were tied on fourth spot with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Virat Kohli, playing at his home venue in first-class cricket, made two changes. RP Singh was finally kept out for Jaydev Unadkat, and specialist keeper Arun Karthik made way for left-arm spinner J Syed Mohammad.

Kirsten not to renew SA contract

After leading his team to the top of the Test rankings,Gary Kirsten has decided not to renew his contract as South Africa coach to be able to spend more time with his family. The Champions Trophy in England in June will be his last assignment with the South Africa side.

Kirsten was appointed in August 2011 for a two-year period with an option to renew it for a further two years. His contract required him to inform CSA by April 30 this year whether he wished to exercise that option. He has told the board he will not be renewing his contract for family reasons.

"Gary has a young family and it is understandable that he wishes to spend more time at home," said Chris Nenzani, the CSA president and chairman. "I would like to thank him for his tremendous contribution to the well being of the Proteas over the past two years. It is obvious to all of us, whether we have been close to the Proteas or simply fans watching from the stands, the standard of excellence that he has brought to our national team and it will be wonderful if he can complete his tenure by bringing home the ICC Champions Trophy next month.

"With the Proteas due to tour Sri Lanka in July and August and Pakistan in November and important home series coming up against India and Australia next season it is important that we move quickly to identify his successor."

Nenzani said though Kirsten would not be continuing with the national team, CSA would try to utilise his experience in some other capacity. "Gary certainly leaves the Proteas in good health and, although we are disappointed to lose him as head coach, he has put the foundations in place to carry us forward. We will certainly endeavour to retain his services in some capacity as his experience as player, coach and mentor is not something we want to lose in its entirety."

"I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for the confidence they showed in entrusting me with the fortunes of the national team," Kirsten said. "It has been a huge privilege to represent my country as player and coach and to have been given the responsibility of growing the team.

"I would particularly like to thank Cricket South Africa for allowing me the flexibility to combine my coaching job with my family life during my tenure.

"There have been many highlights over the past two years which have been well documented and I have every confidence that the Proteas will continue to go from strength to strength."