In this cricket crazy Nation, even so many matches do not seem to be any overdoze. But with so many transfers, one is lost into understanding the team compositions . Rajasthan Royals are in some ways most matured team with the Captain Shane Warne hailed as the most shrewd players – a captain cum coach and he has the cool Dravid, another brain from Botha …….. with all of them RR were badly mauled by the relatively inexperienced Kolkatta Knight Riders who were earlier considered as pushover. Gambhir and Kallis had an unbeaten partnership of 152 which eclipsed the RR total easily with 9 balls to spare.
On the field, things can be much different even for the most experienced. Trivedi did bowl decently enough and his 14th over proved lot of things. Gambhir had made 65 off 36 balls and lot occurred in the fifth ball.
Gambhir went for an ungainly hoist and was taken well at midwicket by Botha. Basic rule had been flouted – there were only 3 fielders in the circle instead of 4 – a captaincy error – Aleem Dar spotted it and ruled the batsman not out – Gambhir was seen arguing – for what – one did not know ! Then came another blunder – Botha after holding the ball and moments of rejoicing, threw the ball from midwicket to the non-striker’s end. Yet another – there was neither the bowler nor any fielder covering up. The ball sailed to the other side of the boundary gifting a boundary in the process. To think that lots go in to strategy and planning and Teams have invested millions in scheming things – they say.
In the second match – the little Master added one more tons which in the present past seem to be raining. He has had them rich in Tests, then at One dayers including a double ton against SA and two in the present edition of WC – in T20 for the first time, he made a ton yesterday against Kochi Tuskers. Mumbai posted a huge total without needing Kieron Pollard to bat. Sachin added the Dhoni patented helicopter shot to his repertoire.
But good batting by Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene with a cameo by Ravindra Jadeja saw Kochi eclipsing that total. Pollard was torn for 43 off his 3 and Mumbai fielding was lackadaisical. So a first win for new Kochi and first defeat for Mumbai in the present edition. Vinaykumar who did bowl well surprised everyone including the batsmen with a couple of deliveries delivered much as Malinga would….
Cricket nowadays is taken outside the playing field and at Johannesburg Court ruled that Cricket SA’s decision to remove Dr Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka as president was unlawful and that he should be reinstated with immediate effect. As it happens most, the Board is going on appeal. It is stated that Nyoka had questioned the financial irregularities in CSA's bonus payment worth R4.7 million (US$671, 238) were paid to staff members after the hosting of the IPL and Champions Trophy in 2009. The Board had earlier stated that there were precedents.
There is huge money and more money generally means spats over the control.
Regards – S. Sampathkumar
No comments:
Post a Comment