All posts by csb10.top

It’s a woefully regretting fact that most Bangladeshis don’t have the ability to buy cricket kits, despite their maddening eagerness towards the game. Feel sorry for the millions of kids all over the country who are deprived of getting adequate cricket materials they need to flourish their talents; hence, had to content with the tennis ball and hand made ragged bat and with those twigs of trees meant for stump.Many families here can’t put up with their sons’ demands of buying them a cricket ball, pad, a handy bat or guards because they are high priced. As a result many promising kids don’t even come to the ground. So, the pricey cricket kits don’t allow the kids belong to a poor family enter the realm of this game.Most of the materials come from India and Pakistan, saying that the price list is relatively cheap there. The cost of a ball ranges from Taka 90 to Taka 250, the lowest price of a batting pad is 265 Taka, wicket keeping gloves cost 250 Taka and a bat made to play even the tennis ball costs no less than 180 Taka. This is the scenario; let alone there is need to wear helmets or thigh guards, which are much costlier and quite expensive for most of the families here.The important thing is that there are hardly any price tags found on those materials bought from India and Pakistan. The sports shops here, are enterprisingly exploiting the chance, as the materials have no price tags on them. They are tagging the kits with their desired price (Of course a much higher one), thus making those unaffordable for the common people.Buying capabilities or affordability has quite a good link with the development of cricket anywhere. Bangladesh is enjoying the Test status for more than eighteen months, still the government is reluctant to lend a hand to import cricket materials. The government should help the importers in this respect, so that the materials could be reasonably priced, easily purchasable within the reach of all.

Essex County Cricket Club are delighted to announce the Testing SolutionsGroup Player of the Month for June 2002 as Ashley Cowan.Ashley recorded some impressive bowling figures during the month including4-18 in the win against Northamptonshire at Ilford, scoring 22 in the samegame, 5-68 in the win at Gloucestershire, also making 60 not out.In the Benson and Hedges Semi Final Ashley chipped in with 14 not out andbowled with great economy, recording figures of 1-15 off his 8 overs, totake Essex to the Final at which, despite the defeat, he made 27 not out andreturned figures of 1-37.In the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy Quarter-Final he recorded 4-27 off10 overs.Ashley will be presented with his award at the NUL Floodlit Match atChelmsford on 22nd July 2002.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will get the reports on Shoaib Akhtar’s fitness and medical tests from its panel of doctors on Saturday. The PCB said in a press statement on Friday that any decision on sending Shoaib to England depended on his fitness report.The statement added: “The tests were carried out to determine his complete medical fitness for the tour. “These tests, it may be mentioned, could not be held earlier in view of his stomach ailment prior to and during the training camp.”

India’s batting stylist Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman (V.V.S.)Laxman admits he is in a rich vein of form but after three charminghalf-centuries in the 2002 Cable & Wireless Test series against theWest Indies, he is still without a century in the Caribbean.The tall, elegant Laxman, who made international headlines last yearwhen he made a superlative 281 against Australia to steer India to amiraculous come-from-behind victory in the second Test at Calcutta,has merely teased his fans with two knocks of 69 and 74.This he says is simply not good enough and he has chided himself forgetting out at a crucial stage on the penultimate day of the secondTest at Queen’s Park Oval which signalled the start of a dramaticcollapse by India with the next five wickets tumbling for a mere 13runs.Right from the start of the tour, I’ve been timing the ball well fromthe first tour game [against Guyana’s President XI] I played when Igot 43 runs, said the 27-year-old who hails from Hyderabad.The form is okay but I want to translate it into big scores. I thoughtin the first Test, as well as today, I had an opportunity to get a bigscore. Hopefully I’ll do that in the remaining three Test matches.About his second innings dismissal, Laxman said: I was a bit unluckybecause it took the inside edge and came back on the stumps.But it would have been great if I had got a big score because Sourav(Ganguly) was batting so well and we would have got a lead, maybearound 400 runs. A little disappointed, definitely, added Laxman.About the outcome of the second Test, Laxman said the first session onthe last day was going to be very important.I think the bowlers are doing a great job and the wicket is not soeasy to play strokes so if you keep the ball in the right place, Ithink it is difficult to get runs, noted Laxman.

England’s county championship will benefit from Sunday starts after the ECB Board agreed to a new domestic schedule for a four-year period from 2014.A new-look county programme will also include Twenty20 cricket played weekly over much of the season, predominantly on Friday evenings, and the scrapping of 40-over cricket which will be replaced by the 50-over format, replicating the international game. The proposals will be formally adopted next month.The desperate need to create space in an overcrowded fixture list is made by slimming down the Clydesdale Bank 50 to eight group matches per county – four fewer days than the 40-over equivalent.Counties will either be split into two groups of nine, which would leave no place for Scotland, Netherlands or the Unicorns, an invitation side made up of some of the best non first-class players, or into four groups of five in which case only Scotland, who have already indicated their wish not to continue after 2013, would be omitted.The decision follows the failure of the Morgan Review, chaired by David Morgan, the former Board chairman, to find unanimity and a subsequent polling online of more than 25,000 county supporters in the biggest customer survey ever undertaken by English cricket.Morgan’s proposals that the Championship should be reduced have finally been defeated after strong opposition from players, coaches and supporters.His preference for T20 cricket to be spread over the season has, though, found more favour. A rain-wrecked FLt20 last summer subdued calls for the competition to be played over a short, intense period in mid-summer, as did an increasing recognition that the counties are no longer able to attract the best overseas talent, especially with a USA professional T20 tournament lurking on the horizon.An ECB statement said: “The ECB Board noted the strong desire from counties and spectators to create an ‘appointment to view’ for T20 cricket spread over a longer period of the season. There was no compelling preference from spectators for 40-over cricket rather than 50-over cricket and therefore the format from 2014 will replicate the 50-over format played by the national team.”The FLt20 will consist of 14 matches per County, mostly played on Friday evenings – although counties such as Surrey are expected to win the freedom to play on Thursday because of too many rival attractions in London at the weekend. The top eight counties will progress to a quarter-final round and the retention of the popular FLt20 Finals Day format.A desire to preserve the primacy of Championship cricket is likely to see England’s first-class counties opting out of the Champions League unless the tournament is put back at least a week to dovetail with the climax to the England domestic season. Counties have already decided not to participate in 2013.In 2013, in order to avoid a repeat of the earliest starts in history in 2011 and 2012, the county season is likely to commence on April 9 and finish in the third week of September. The Champions League, which has a window in the Future Tours Programme, starts in the second week of September.

Holders Gloucestershire gained their second win from two Benson & HedgesCup group games with a nine-run success over Northamptonshire at Bristol.Gloucestershire were indebted to a brilliant 108 not out from Matt Windows,who struck eight fours and three sixes in the first limited overs century ofhis career.Windows and wickek-keeper Reggie Williams rescued Gloucestershire from 80-6in the 25th over with a stand of 88 before the latter departed for 27.But there was no stopping Windows, who took 20 off the final over of theinnings from Jason Brown, including two sixes. His second fifty came fromonly 39 deliveries and his score comfortably surpassed his previous one-daybest of 72, made against Somerset seven years ago.With the ball swinging and seaming around, Gloucestershire’s new-ball attackof Ian Harvey and Jon Lewis quickly reduced the Northants reply to 23-4 withtwo wickets apiece.Mike Cawdron nipped in with two more wickets and, from 41-6 in the 17thover, there appeared little chance of Northamptonshire winning the game.However, Kevin Innes (37), skipper David Ripley (14) and particularly AlecSwann (83 not out) kept the visitors interested.Swann unleashed some sparkling strokeplay in the closing overs and endedwith eight fours and two sixes to his name.He put on an unbroken 34 for the final wicket with Jason Brown, but 14 offthe final over from Ian Harvey proved too much as they finished on 193-9.Gloucestershire again excelled in the field and there were two stunningcatches by Williams and Chris Taylor. Williams took a one-handed catch aboutsix inches off the ground to account for Penberthy, while Taylor leapt to hold a fierce cut from Mal Loye.Jon Lewis was the most impressive of the Gloucestershire attack with areturn of 3-13 in ten overs.Gloucestershire are back in action against Glamorgan in Bristol on Friday,while Northants are home to Warwickshire.

Yorkshire have continued to add to their bowling resources following their Championship promotion with the signing of Liam Plunkett from Durham.Plunkett, 27, only played one Championship match during the 2012 season as he suffered an Achilles injury and that followed a lean 2011 campaign which brought 11 wickets at 38.90.”I have had 12 very happy years at the club and wish to thank the supporters, staff and my playing colleagues for the support they have shown me over that time,” he said. “At this stage of my career, I believe that a fresh challenge would benefit me and I feel this is required to help me reach my goal of representing my country again.”Plunkett has played nine Tests, 29 one-day internationals and one Twenty20 for England. His most recent appearance came in Perth in February 2011 after he had flown around the world from the Caribbean where he was on a Lions tour to join an injury-hit squad for a single match. His last Test was against West Indies, at Old Trafford, in 2007.”I have been fortunate enough to represent my country as recently as last year and there is no doubt I want to pull on an England shirt again,” he said. “I strongly believe I have what it takes to play at the highest level again and I feel Yorkshire is the best environment to help me achieve this.”Plunkett’s move also sees him reunited with Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, who was the Durham coach when Plunkett made his county debut”I know Liam well from my time in Durham,” Moxon said. “He is a wholehearted cricketer with considerable talent and brings experience and quality to the Yorkshire side as we head back to the Division One. He has what it takes to regain a place in the England side. He is still only 27 and I’m sure Yorkshire can further assist his development and help him achieve his ambitions within the game. I look forward to working with him again.”Plunkett is the second significant pace-bowling signing Yorkshire have made since the end of the season following Jack Brooks’ move from Northamptonshire.