Referral system in cricket on!!!

Cricket is about to take a leap of faith in technology with the trial of a system that allows players to challenge the decision of the on-field umpires in the Test series between Sri Lanka and India. The umpire's word will no longer be final. The system has been tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, and in the relatively obscure environment of county cricket. But,after a shelved proposal to use it in the current England-South Africa series, millions of television viewers now await the sight of the first-ever referral to be made in an international contest. The jury is out on whether the move is designed to undermine the umpires or to assist them, but the acceptance of the system will depend by the decisions it produces.This also comes in the wake of some bitter incidents that took place, particularly in the Sydney test between India and Sydney. So, this referral system is bound to make a difference in cricket and most teams have supported it.

India vs Srilanka Day 2

The day was clear and the match started 30minutes earlier. Srilankans Mahela Jayawardene and Warnapura started from where they had left. Both played well and carved out brilliant centuries. Warnapura scored 115 off 202 balls with the help of 14 4's and finally got out off the bowling off Harbhajan Singh. So, when it looked that Indians could make a decent comeback, Samaraweera joined hands with J'wardene and both made sure that Indians never had any chance to come back in this match. J'wardene scored a masterful 136 and was scalped by Ishant Sharma. But by then, the damage had already been done for India. Samaraweera was unbeaten on 111 with Dilshan giving him company on 20. Srilanka were 422-4 at stumps on day 2.

India vs Srilanka 1st test

The 1st test between India and Srilanka commenced yesterday. The torrential rains in Sri Lanka made sure that the match got delayed by a few hours. So, the match started around 4 hours late. So, Srilanka batted first and were immediately put on the back foot by some accurate bowling by Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan. Vandort and Sangakkara got out early. At the end of the first day, thanks to a timely unbeaten half-century by Warnapura, the Srilankans moved to 85-2. So, The 2nd day is going to be an engrossing day as the Indians will be looking to get the Srilankans all out for beow 300 where as the Srilankans will be looking to consolidate and make a winning first innings score.

Chennai Crazy Fliers match 3

After winning 2 consecutive matches, we were extremely confident that we could make it 3 in a row in the Blue sky league tournament. We faced United CC in our 3rd match and it took place at MG college ground in Mogappair. They won the toss and elected to field first. For the first time, we had to set a target. We were on course because of a stunning 62 run opening wicket partnership in just 42 balls provided by Ramesh and Srivaths. but, Ramesh was the first wicket to fall. Then, Srivaths got out unfortunately. After that it was like a deck of cards. We fumbled like 9 pins and thanks to a last wicket partnership between the Tiruvallur guys Raja and Kumar, we got to a decent score of 135 in 20 overs. We thought it was a competitive total by all means. But, as me and the other medium pacers sans Vasanth anna were unable to find the right length and line, their openers simply flayed us to all parts of the boundaries. Then, Arvind scalped 3 quick wickets but it was not of much use as they romped home with an over to spare. Finally, Chennai crazy fliers slumped to our first defeat and this came as a wake up call for our team. Hope we perform better in our next few matches.

Alabama football

One of the most proliferous pastimes is sports. There are various sports enthusiasts and sports lovers and each sport has its own set of advantages and own dose of excitement and fun involved in it. Football is one of the best sport in the world and has the largest number of fans all over the world because of a simple reason that it offers complete excitement for the spectators for around 2hours. One of the type of football played around the US is the Alabama Football.
The Alabama Crimson Tide Football is one of the best of its kind in the US. There are thousands of crazy fans for this type of football. So, if you want to know more about the Alabama Crimson Tide, then the ultimate place online for the ample information on the game is bleacherreport.com. One of the best sites which give all the information on all the latest happenings in the field of Alabama football can be got immediately from this site. That is simply the reason why this football is famous outside and the site is the main source of publicity.

The old rivalry has begun...

The old rivalry between England and South Africa has started again and it is now going to be a bit tougher. The 1st test match is scheduled to start today. It's going to be a damp week in St John's Wood. Near-incessant rain has forced both teams into the indoor nets for the past three days, and the covers have been camped on the wicket. Thursday, however, does promise to be sunny in places, and the phenomenal drainage of the Lord's outfield means that there may yet be more play than one could normally anticipate in such conditions. Nevertheless, if the match gets underway amid heavy cloud cover, it could well be a good time to bowl first. So, lets wait and watch the first day's play.

Chennai Crazy Fliers fly high...

In our first league match in the Blue sky league which was against the team Templast, we won the match comfortably by 5 wickets. We won the toss and chose to field first. Many including the umpires were amazed at our decision because, usually in Blue sky league matches, the team which wins the toss bats first and piles up a mammoth score which is difficult to surpass. But, we the Chennai Crazy fliers chose to field instead. Our squad is:
1) Ramesh (captain cum wicket keeper)
2) Srivathsan
3) Murali
4) Vasanth
5) Hemakumar
6) Sambashiva
7) Raghavan
8) Shiva
9) Sathish
10) Vijay
11) Raja

The new ball was shared by me and Vasanth anna. I started off badly with a boundary off my first ball. But, later on, both of us bowled very well and we were able to remove the openers early. In the first 6 overs, we conceded just 18 runs and took 2 wickets. Then it was the turn of our spinners Raghi and Srivaths who bolwed amazingly well in tandem. The batsmen couldn't quite cope up with their spin and wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. The Templast team looked set to be bowled out for around 80 but their lower order hit some lusty blows off both the spinners and finally they were bundled out for 99 in 19.3 overs. Srivaths took 3 wickets and Raghi, Vasanth anna and meself took 2 wickets each. There was one runout. Raja was unlucky not to get any wicket but he bowled an amazing line and length that too on a consistent basis to control the score midway. So, chasing a target of 100, our openers Ramesh and Srivaths started off in a great fashion by amassing 21 runs in 2 overs. But, Srivaths tried one shot too many attempting to pull a not so short ball and eventually getting bowled. Ramesh was the next to go snicking one behind to the wicket keeper. Murali went in and got out in no time attempting to play an ambitious pull and getting himself caught at mid on. Vasanth anna meanwhile played sensibly at the other end. Hemkumar walked in at the fall of Murali's wicket. He looked to be in solid touch but was controversially run out thanks to some poor umpiring. He did not trouble the scorers. Samba walked in next. Both he and Vasanth anna put up a match winning partnership. Samba was at his menacing best hitting as many as 4 boundaries and Vasanth anna was not far off either. But when it all looke to be the end for the Templast, Samba got out caught and bowled after playing a well played 22. Raghi was sent in next and he played very sensibly along with Vasanth Anna. Raghi played singles and hit the odd balls for boundaries. Vasanth anna mean while was seeing the ball like a football. In the end, he ended the game in the 15th over with a straight six followed by a leg glance to the fine leg boundary to seal the match for the Chennai Crazy fliers. We reached the target of 100 in 14.3 overs. The Man of the Match award was won by Vasanth anna for his all round performance of 36*, 2-14 and also took 3 catches. So, we, the Chennai Crazy Fliers started our tourney with a win. Hope that we keep up the good form.

Wimbledon time..

The first week at Wimbledon turned out to be an upset week for some of the top seeds as they unexpectedly crashed out of the best grand slam. It all started on day three when the Serb and World no3 Novak Djokovic was beaten convincingly in straight sets by Marat Safin 6-4, 7-6, 6-2. Then on Day four, one of the biggest upsets was made when my favorite Maria Sharapova lost miserably to unseeded Alla Kudryavsteva again in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile former world no1 Andy Roddick was beaten by the young Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6. Also Amelie Mauresmo was beaten by Serena Williams although this cannot be termed as an upset. And finally on Day 5, it was the turn of World no1 and French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic who was defeated by Zheng Jie 6-1 6-4. So, with most of the top seeds tumbling like nine pins, lets see what else does Wimbledon has in store for us.

Cricket news Flash

The ICC will discuss the future of Zimbabwe cricket at their executive meeting in Dubai next week, according to David Morgan, the president-elect, speaking during the launch of the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's.

Yesterday, Cricket South Africa cut its ties with Zimbabwe Cricket following further deterioration of the political situation. "The ICC has never concerned itself with how member countries are governed," Morgan said. "However, yesterday Cricket South Africa announced that they were scrapping bilateral contact with Zimbabwe Cricket.

"It has been decided to put Zimbabwe on the agenda of the executive board meeting of the ICC which takes place next Wednesday in Dubai."

The ICC has previously shown little inclination to make any strong statements on Zimbabwe, but recent events are likely to force their hand especially as South Africa have been long-time supporters of Zimbabwe.

"Cricket South Africa's decision yesterday is hugely significant," Morgan added. "Clearly they will want something done. They're very influential in terms of southern African cricket and Zimbabwe is part of that.

"Quite where the various members will stand on it I really don't know - all of this is new as of five o'clock yesterday."

Zimbabwe have been placed in group A of the ICC World Twenty20 but their participation in the event is in increasing doubt. If they have to be replaced a third Associate nation will be added to the tournament.

source: cricinfo

The prime minister Gordon Brown has been vocal in his condemnation of the violence in Zimbabwe, and stated yesterday that Robert Mugabe's regime 'should not be recognised by anyone'. "Under the current circumstances it is the Government's view that the tour would clearly be unwelcome," a spokesman for the prime minister told the Press Association. "We would also have serious concerns about Zimbabwe participating in the Twenty20 World Cup".

Euro 08 updates..

The Euro 08 is drawing to a close and the 4 teams for the semi finals are Germany, Turkey, Russia and Spain. Germany and Turkey are going to face in the first semifinals and the Russians and Spain will lock horns in the 2nd semifinal. All teams are in top form right now and hence it will be difficult to pick a winner from these 4 teams. But, Germany start as favorites ahead of this semifinals. Lets enjoy the mouth watering semifinals and finals!!!

Oranjes blackened out...

My favorite team the Netherlands got knocked out miserably in the quarter finals of the Euro 08 and their misfortune in the Euro championships continues. This time, they simply were in a rocking form in their league stage winning all 3 matches. But, they were outclassed by a young Russian team who simply were too good for the aging Dutch. No player except Sneijder caused any problems for the Russians. Where as, the Russians with their young and energetic boys ably coached by the shrewd Dutchman Guus Hiddink were simply too hot to handle for the Dutch Defenders. Van Nistelrooy scored the only goal for the Dutch taking the game into extra time after Poulochenko had earlier put the Russians in the lead. But, in the 2nd extra time, the Russians netted twice to seal the nail in the coffin for the Oranjes. Arashevin was amazing as he assisted a goal and in the end scored one himself. So, the Dutch challenge ended. Today its going to be another cracking encounter with the Spain taking on Italy.

Euro 08 enters the next phase...

The nerve wrackling Euro 2008 is into the 2nd phase and already 2 matches are over. The first match, the Big one, in which Portugal faced Germany, the Germans beat the Portuguese by 3-2 and stamped their authority in this Euro 08. The next match was played between Croatia and Turkey which ended in a tame draw 1-1. The next match is gonna be played between my favorites, the Nederlands and Russia today and I hope the Oranjes show what they are, after topping their group with 3 straight and convincing wins.

Umpire review system

The proposed umpire review system will be trialled during India's three-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning next month, the Indian board has said. Originally set to feature for the first time during South Africa's upcoming series against England, it was shelved after both boards failed to reach an agreement on the details.

The ICC Board, had, in March, approved the trial of the review system during a Test series in the current cricket calendar. It will now have to approve its Cricket Committee's recommendations before the Sri Lanka- India series begins. The main elements are:

• Umpires should still be permitted to refer line decisions or boundaries to the third umpire as normal without a player requesting him to refer that decision"
• The players should be permitted to ask the on-field umpire to review any aspect of any other decision in consultation with the third umpire
• The process should take the form and order of: on-field umpire gives his decision; affected batsman or fielding side's captain asks the umpire to review that decision; the on-field umpire(s) and third umpire consult; the on-field umpire gives his final decision
• The committee recommended that Hawk-Eye technology could be used by the third umpire but only for the purposes of determining the actual path of the ball up until the point that it struck the batsman and not the predictor function of the technology

The BCCI press release said the following technology could be used by the third umpire while considering the review request:

• Slow motion replays from all available cameras
• Super slow motion replays from the cameras positioned at either end of the ground
• Ultra motion camera replays from the cameras positioned at either end of the ground
• Sound from the stump microphones with the replays at normal speed and slow motion
• Hawk-Eye for ball tracking purposes only (not for predicting the potential future trajectory of the ball)

According to the system, players will request reviews by making a 'T' sign; if the third umpire disagrees with the on-field umpire, the on-field umpire should revoke his previous decision before giving the new verdict. The review system will make its first appearance in the first Test in Colombo, which begins on July 23.

Source : cricinfo

Oranje rocks!!!

One of my favorites in the ongoing Euro 2008 are the Netherlands. I have been supporting them for a long time just because of the simple fact that my favorite Manchester United star Ruud Van Nistelrooy is in the team. Apart from that the Oranjes' boast of some amazing talents like Arjen Robben, Edwin Van Der Sar and Robin Van Persie. They were in the group of death with France, Romania and Italy in their group and they were expected to do well to enter into the next phase. The Oranjes haven't let us down because, they first beat the World champions Italy in the first game 3-0 and then yesterday they banged the hell outta the Les Bleus 4-1 to advance to the next phase of the Euro 2008 chapionships in style. I hope they continue in the same vein and go on to be crowned as the new Euro champions. C'mon Oranjes!!! Rock on!!!

IPL innovates next year...

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said franchises will be allowed to trade players before the 2009 season gets underway. He added that the season could welcome more innovations, including that of the orange neon ball.

"There will be a transfer window open early next year just ahead of the 2009 season to enable franchises trade players and bring in the ones they require," Modi told PTI.

Following a highly successful opening season which concluded last week, Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, had ruled out Modi's proposal to conduct two IPL seasons in a single year, owing to the busy international calendar. Modi agreed that the Future Tours Programme (FTP) made it difficult to implement the plan and that it could be possible only after the 2011 World Cup. The first season lasted 45 days, though several international stars only made brief appearances for their franchises, owing to national commitments.

"The second season as of now is a very distant possibility and will not take place definitely until after the 2011 World Cup, given the FTP commitments of the Test playing nations," Modi said. "By then, I firmly believe, the IPL would have already established itself as a major event and carved a niche for itself on the international cricketing calendar."

Looking ahead to the second season, Modi said the existing innovations will continue and that the use of the orange balls - to help players sight the ball better under lights - will be approved only after trials.

"One of the innovations to be introduced next year would be orange neon ball," he said. "This would, however, depend on how successful the trials of the same are.

"This year we already introduced the Orange and Purple Cap innovations (for the top run-getter and wicket-taker respectively) and the Kingfisher Team Fair Play award and will look at continuing with this tradition of innovation in the subsequent leagues."

Modi said he was overwhelmed with the success of the league so far. "The TRPs that we have garnered in India are quite frankly staggering to say the least. And all this is because we have had some of the best cricketers from around the world. Frankly I could not have envisaged a more successful inaugural season than this year."

Tests to match T-20 marvel...

Plans are afoot to make Test matches more attractive and ensure the Twenty20 format does not destroy the traditional five-day game, according to IS Bindra, who takes charge as the ICC's principal advisor next month.

Bindra said the sport's governing body was concerned at dwindling Test attendance. "We need to learn from our experiences and move forward," Bindra told the Week, an Indian magazine. "We in the ICC have had very serious discussions for the last six to eight months on how to repackage Test cricket, make it more exciting and introduce an element of competition.

"It does not mean tinkering with the form but we are looking to bringing in more audience in Test matches." Bindra, a former president of the BCCI, declined to reveal the measures being considered but said the "the ICC was looking at ways to increase scoring-rates [and] have a world championship of Test cricket."

These plans will be unveiled as early as next month when the ICC holds their annual meeting at its headquarters in Dubai. Bindra sidestepped suggestions that Twenty20 will spell more trouble for the 50-over format than Test cricket. "The future of 50-overs cricket is something that one has to look at in the long term."

"For now, the ICC has laid a stipulation that all Test nations must play a minimum of 30 one-day internationals and 12 Tests each year as part of the existing Future Tours Programme (FTP) that runs till 2012."
Source : cricinfo

T-20 vs ODI...

Rahul Dravid, the former Indian captain, felt one-day cricket will be the sore loser especially in the aftermath of Twenty20 cricket's tremendous success worldwide. He said the busy international schedule could force the number of one-dayers to be reduced.

"There is a limited amount of time. Twenty20 cricket is popular now so something has to give", Dravid said at a discussion forum organised to unveil the Castrol Asian Cricket awards, to be announced during the Asia Cup in Pakistan which starts this month. Dravid, Wasim Akram and Sanath Jayasuriya are part of the panel that will oversee the process that will pick the winners in various categories.

Dravid, who captained the Bangalore Royal Challengers during the Indian Premier League (IPL), said he understood the decision to hold the Twenty20 World Cup every two years and the IPL once a year. But he hoped Test cricket would not be severely affected. "The number of one-day games might get reduced," he said. "I hope they don't reduce Test matches, too."

Asked if Asia could match its strong financial muscle with on-field cricketing prowess, all three had no doubt the subcontinent would soon rise to become the undisputed superpower.

Akram, the former Pakistan captain, felt India could dominate through on-field performances too. "India could well rule the world in the next few years," Akram said. Jayasuriya said though the Asian nations have the talent, the challenge lies in channeling this talent in the right direction. "We are the financial powerhouse of cricket. Now we need the support to direct the talent in the right direction."

Dravid's view was more circumspect. "Just because we have the opportunities it doesn't mean we will rule the world. Opportunities have always been there. The challenge is to harness the talent. The number of off-shore events that you had earlier in 50-overs cricket might be reduced to accommodate a few more Twenty20 tournaments or Twenty20 World Cup every two years, or the IPL every year or some other tournament."

Top 50 cricketers according to Warne

The following is the list of the top 50 cricketers that the great Legendary leg spinner Shane Warne admires:

50 Jamie Siddons
49 Darren Berry
48 Brian McMillan
47 Chris Cairns
46 Dilip Vengsarkar
45 Waqar Younis
44 Alec Stewart
43 Michael Atherton
42 Ravi Shastri
41 Justin Langer
40 Kapil Dev
39 Stuart MacGill
38 Sanath Jayasuriya
37 Stephen Harmison
36 Andy Flower
35 Michael Vaughan
34 Bruce Reid
33 Allan Donald
32 Robin Smith
31 Tim May
30 Kevin Pietersen
29 Shoaib Akhtar / Craig McDermott
28 Saeed Anwar / Mohammad Yousuf
27 Jacques Kallis / Shaun Pollock
26 Steve Waugh
25 Darren Lehmann
24 Brett Lee
23 Stephen Fleming
22 Martin Crowe
21 David Boon
20Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
19 Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka)
18 Merv Hughes (Australia)
17 Matthew Hayden (Australia)
16 Andrew Flintoff (England)
15 Graham Gooch (England)
14 Rahul Dravid (India)
13 Anil Kumble (India)
12 Mark Waugh (Australia)
11 Courtney Walsh (West Indies)
10 Ian Healy (Australia)
9 Mark Taylor (Australia)
8 Ricky Ponting (Australia)
7 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
6 Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
5 Glenn McGrath (Australia)
4 Allan Border (Australia)
3 Curtly Ambrose (West Indies)
2 Brian Lara (West Indies)
1 Sachin Tendulkar (India)

Afterall, the God is the best for even the best!!!

IPL enters into the final phase...

As the 2 months long Indian Premier League draws to a close, it is now time to decide who is going to be crowned the champions of the Inaugural IPL trophy. The 4 semifinalists are ready to battle it out and the 4 top teams in this IPL are the Rajasthan Royals led by the legendary leg spinner Shane Warne, the Chennai Super Kings led by the Indian team captain MS Dhoni, the Delhi Daredevils led by Virender Sehwag and finally the Preity Kings er sorry.. Punjab Kings XI led by Yuvraj Singh. The first semifinals is between the Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils which is going to be held on 30th may at Wankhede stadium Mumbai. The second semifinal between the Chennai Super Kings and the Kings XI Punjab is going to be held on 31st may at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. So, the stage is set for the final phase of IPL. Lets wait and watch as to which team lays the hands on the coveted trophy.

Chennai lose a humdinger..

A high-scoring thriller which produced 412 runs finally went the way of Rajasthan Royals, as they edged Chennai Super Kings to record their tenth win of the IPL and further consolidate their position at the top of the table. After Graeme Smith had powered Rajasthan to 211, Chennai put up a spirited run-chase, thanks largely to Albie Morkel's 40-ball 71. In the end, though, his effort wasn't enough, which means Chennai still have work to do to make it to the last four.