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Scotland’s veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dougie Lockhart has announced his retirement from international cricket, saying he could ‘no longer commit the required time and make the necessary sacrifices’

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2011Scotland’s veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dougie Lockhart has announced his retirement from international cricket.”This is the right time for me to finish my international career,” he said. “Representing Scotland requires 100% commitment, discipline and dedication and I have always prided myself on the high standards I have set.”After 16 years of international cricket and nine years of combining international cricket with a full time job, I feel that I can no longer commit the required time and make the necessary sacrifices to play and compete at international level. There are no major tournaments over the next couple of years, so it is an appropriate time to step aside and allow younger players the opportunities to progress.”An Oxford Blue at cricket, Lockhart made his representative debut for Scotland in 1995, at the age of 19, against the MCC at Mannofield, Aberdeen. As a batsman, in 178 appearances he scored more than 3,500 runs for his country, including two centuries and 14 half-centuries – his highest score being a first-class innings of 151 against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup in 2008. As a wicketkeeper at international level, he also took 115 catches and 11 stumpings.Lockhart, who started his cricket career at Glasgow Academicals, also captained Scotland on seven occasions, including leading the team to a clean sweep in the 1999 Triple Crown and captaining the side against the MCC at Lord’s in 2002.”The Scotland team over the 2004-05 period was the strongest I was involved in,” he said. “We had a talented group of players who had played a lot of cricket together and everyone peaked at the right time for the ICC Trophy in Ireland.”I feel extremely proud and privileged to have played for Scotland over a period of significant development for the game in this country. I have enjoyed every minute of it and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to play in One-Day Internationals, first-class matches, ICC tournaments and English county matches for Scotland.”I will miss the dressing room atmosphere and the adrenaline from big games, but I know in my heart that the time is right. I look forward to moving on to the next phase of my life in my career with Barclays Wealth, and spending more time with my wife Joanne.”Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said: “Dougie has been a tremendous servant of Scottish cricket throughout his international career and has had constantly to juggle his professional career with his Scotland commitments. I’m sure everyone will want to thank him for and to congratulate him on such a distinguished record.”

Jonathan Trott scored his second one-day hundred and followed that with a crucial spell of 2 for 31, which also happened to be his maiden ODI wickets

Andrew McGlashan at Adelaide Oval26-Jan-2011Jonathan Trott was delighted to become an allrounder for a day. He scored his second one-day hundred and followed that with a crucial spell of 2 for 31, which also happened to be his maiden ODI wickets, to help England to a 21-run victory that kept the series alive.Trott’s 126-ball innings set the platform from which England reached their highest total against Australia in the country, beating the 294 at Melbourne earlier this series, and took his ODI average to a heady 54.38 to go alongside his Test figure of 61.53. However, with the visitors picking just three main bowlers, his seven overs of medium pace which claimed Cameron White and David Hussey – Australia’s middle-order enforcers – ensured England never lost control of the game.”Obviously I’m in the team to get 100s,” he said. “I was very happy to do that and set up a very good total, one we felt we could defend. When called upon to bowl it is always nice to contribute as well. I know how cricket can be, it can be a nice game and it can be a horrible game sometimes.”Trott hit an unbeaten 84 in the previous game at the SCG as England limped to 214 and there was some criticism that he didn’t try to force the pace towards the end of the innings. This time he rode in the slipstream of Matt Prior’s 68 early on, then ensured the innings didn’t fall apart when three wickets fell for 22.”When we lost the three wickets it was important that we didn’t have what happened in Sydney with a progression of wickets,” he said. “It was important that I hung around. I was a little bit disappointed to get out in the manner I did towards the end with the Powerplay looming. That’s something to work on for future games with batting and setting totals or chasing them.”Trott also aims to work on his bowling to fill a valuable role in one-day and Test cricket. Paul Collingwood’s retirement from the five-day game means England will need a new part-time bowler come their next Test series and Trott wants to develop. “I’ve had a chat with David Saker and we’re going to work hard at that,” he said. “If I could bowl like Colly has in this tour then definitely I can help the side.”Michael Clarke, who would like to be able to play a similar anchor role with the bat for Australia but can’t break his form slump, praised Trott’s innings and the way his team-mates allowed him to control the innings. “I think the earlier he gets in probably the better for him and the more it suits his game and allows him to play freely,” he said. “He’s in pretty good nick and he batted really well today. I thought he held the innings together really well, the other guys had the opportunity to play around him.”Although Australia closed the innings a mere 21 runs adrift, they were struggling from the moment Shane Watson was caught behind off Ajmal Shahzad. The visitors knew that was the key wicket because of the way Watson played in Melbourne with his unbeaten 161 when Australia chased 295, but Clarke doesn’t believe the opener is carrying too much of a burden.”Obviously all the batters want to perform and do well. Watto is in a bit of a purple patch and batting really well and leading from the front,” Clarke said. “But we’ve had other guys; Brad Haddin batted really well the other night, Shaun Marsh a hundred a couple of games ago, David Hussey as well. I just think at the moment he’s batting really well, unfortunately he didn’t go on and get a big one which would have been nice tonight.”

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-finals round-up

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2011In what turned out to be a low-scoring semi-final round, Tamil Nadu imploded for 59 to hand Bengal a 55-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.Chosing to bat, Bengal began poorly, being reduced to 8 for 2 in the fifth over. Coming in at No.4, captain Manoj Tiwary counterattacked, stroking five massive sixes in an innings of 69 off 44 balls. He did not find a reliable partner though, as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. The second highest contribution of the innings came from wicketkeeper, Wriddhiman Saha, with 19. Lakshmipathy Balaji was the pick of the Tamil Nadu bowlers, picking up two wickets at 4.50 runs an over.Chasing a target that required them to score at less than a run a ball, Tamil Nadu fell behind right away. Ashok Dinda was on a hat-trick in the first over of the innings, after bowling Anirudha Srikkanth and getting Ganapathi Vignesh to edge to the keeper for a golden duck. Tamil Nadu never recovered, losing three wickets with the score on 11, to be reduced to 11 for 6 in the seventh over. The only sizable contribution came from Arun Karthik, who was unbeaten on 35 off 26 balls when the innings folded on 59. Medium-pacer Sayan Mondal wrecked the middle order with four wickets and a run out.Bengal will meet Madhya Pradesh in the final at the same venue on March 16.Madhya Pradesh set up the final clash with Bengal, defeating Haryana by two wickets with one ball to spare in a thrilling second match of the day at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.Being asked to bowl, Madhya Pradesh knocked over the top half of the Haryana line-up in a hurry, to leave them 23 for 5 in the seventh over. Cameos from Nitin Saini, Joginder Sharma and Amit Mishra made sure Haryana played out their 20 overs though, finishing with 115 for 9. Madhya Pradesh’s pace trio of TP Sudhindra, Anand Rajan and Amarjeet Singh shared the wickets around.Madhya Pradesh’s reply was built around a 47-run fourth-wicket partnership between Udit Birla and Harpreet Singh, after Sharma and Kuldeep Hooda made early inroads. There was no much resistance otherwise, but Madhya Pradesh did just enough to edge out Haryana in a nail-biting last over that included Birla’s wicket, a run-out and a first-ball boundary from No. 10 batsman Sudhindra to seal the victory.

The World Cup has left Sri Lanka Cricket in debt to the tune of $23 million thanks to cost overruns and heavy expenses incurred in building stadiums

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2011The World Cup has left Sri Lanka Cricket in debt to the tune of $23 million thanks to cost overruns and heavy expenses incurred in building stadiums. Sri Lanka, which lost the final to India in Mumbai, built two new grounds, one in Hambantota and the other in Pallekele, while the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo received an extensive renovation.”We spent a lot of money to host the World Cup, to build two stadiums and rebuild one stadium. The World Cup left us a 2.5 billion rupee deficit,” Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told reporters. “We spent about five billion rupees to build the three World Cup venues.”The board was forced to pledge the newly built stadiums plus the income from upcoming tours as collateral to raise funds to pay for the World Cup. Sri Lanka hosted 12 games over the course of the tournament.’We are not in a serious cash crisis,” Aluthgamage said. “Building new stadiums costs a lot of money. You must look at it as an investment for the future development of the game.”According to Sujeewa Rajapakse, Sri Lanka Cricket treasurer, the board took a $21.5 million loan from state-run Bank of Ceylon and another $3.5 million loan from the ICC to cover their costs. “We are expecting $25 million from the ICC soon, by way of hosting rights,” Rajapakse said. “Once that comes, we can sort things out.”Sri Lanka will play England, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa this year, and is due to host the World Twenty20 championships in 2012.

Ray Illingworth, the former England captain, will soon be discharged from Leeds General hospital after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2011Ray Illingworth, the former England captain, will soon be discharged from Leeds General hospital after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday.Illingworth, 78, is in his second year as president of Yorkshire, the county of his birth. Over a glittering playing career, which included 61 Tests for England, he scored 24,134 first-class runs and took 2,072 wickets.Robin Smith, a former president of Yorkshire, said: “I have spoken to his wife, Shirley, and it is expected that Raymond will be able to return to his Farsley home soon. The club sends every good wish to Raymond and his family. He is doing a tremendous job as Yorkshire president, and we trust it will not be long before he is back with us at Headingley.”

Chaminda Vaas took seven wickets as Division Two leaders Northamptonshire took total command at Wantage Road

31-May-2011
Scorecard
Chaminda Vaas took seven wickets as Division Two leaders Northamptonshire took total command of the third day of their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Wantage Road.Northamptonshire declared on 461 for 6 at lunch, with Rob White making 140 and wicket-keeper David Murphy blasting a career-best 79 off 98 balls. Glamorgan were then skittled for just 72 in the afternoon, with former Sri Lanka seamer Vaas taking a fantastic 5 for 22 before he claimed 2for 36 in the visitor’s second innings as they closed on 119 for 3.After yesterday’s wash-out, Northants began the day on 325 for 3 with White resuming on 101 and Murphy on 12. Murphy went on to complete a half-century off 58 balls by smashing Graham Wagg for six over midwicket – a shot which also gave the hosts a full set of batting bonus points.White was to depart when he chipped Alex Jones to Dean Cosker at mid-on before Murphy holed out by launching Cosker to Mike Powell at deep fine leg. Captain Andrew Hall followed him back to the pavilion with the very next ball as he was trapped lbw by Cosker. Northamptonshire then declared during lunch, leaving David Sales unbeaten on 12 and James Middlebrook on 11.Glamorgan were to lose Will Bragg early on when he was caught leg before by Vaas, and Powell followed three balls later when he edged Vaas to Middlebrook at gully. Glamorgan captain Alviro Petersen (18) went when he was caught by Murphy off Vaas, before Jack Brooks got in on the act by forcing Gareth Rees to slice him to Stephen Peters at third slip for a duck.Ben Wright and Wagg both went without scoring by being caught behind by Murphy off Brooks and Vaas respectively. Glamorgan wicketkeeper Mark Wallace then dragged Vaas on to his middle stump to give Vaas his 30th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Robert Croft and Jones were then both bowled by Hall before the skipper completed the rout when he was edged by Cosker to Murphy.Following-on still 389 runs behind, Glamorgan lost Petersen for two in the third over when he nudged Vaas to Sales at second slip. Bragg finally brought some stability as he made a half-century off 83 balls, but he went cheaply on 52 when he launched Middlebrook to Brooks at long leg.Powell then feathered Vaas to Murphy in the third over before the close and Rees and Jones will resume tomorrow on 44 and 4 respectively.

The ICC is investigating claims that Pakistan seamer Mohammad Amir, one of the three cricketers punished following the spot-fixing investigation, has defied his ban by playing for Addington in the Surrey Cricket League Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2011The ICC is investigating claims that Pakistan seamer Mohammad Amir has defied his ICC ban by playing for Addington in the Surrey Cricket League Division One, according to a report in the . The sanction – imposed on Amir and two other Pakistani cricketers following the spot-fixing investigation – bars him from participating in the game at any recognised level, and he could be in breach of the ICC ruling if he played for Addington.”We are investigating and awaiting the details,” ICC spokesman Colin Gibson told the paper. “If true, it is clearly a breach of the sanction imposed in February. The ban is absolutely worldwide covering all levels and any activities connected with cricket. What might happen next is a hypothetical question at this stage.”Amir was central to Addington’s 81-run victory in the game, against St Luke’s CC. He surprisingly opened the innings and scored 60 before returning figures of 4 for 9 in seven overs.St Luke’s batsman Karl Quinn was surprised by Amir’s unexpected inclusion. “No one could quite believe it was him,” Quinn was quoted in . “There was no attempt to disguise who he was, he even posed for a picture with me. One of our Pakistani players was rubbing his eyes in disbelief and asking: ‘Is that who I think it is?’ He didn’t stay till the end but it was blatantly him.”When asked over telephone about Amir’s participation, Addington captain Ijaz Raja’s response was cryptic. “You tell me,” he is reported to have said, before hanging up.Amir was handed a five-year ban from the game after being found guilty of bowling no-balls on demand during the Lord’s Test against England last summer. Amir’s team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were also handed bans, and all three players are awaiting trial at Southwark Crown Court over allegations of cheating and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.This is not the first time Amir has appeared in a game which has had to be investigated by cricket authorities. Earlier this year in January, when he was under provisional suspension and still awaiting punishment for the Lord’s scandal, he turned out for a Rawalpindi club to play a friendly game. That prompted the ICC and PCB to investigate the nature of the game before the former eventually concluded that it was an unofficial game and the club wasn’t registered with the Rawalpindi cricket association; Amir was thus found to have not broken the ICC’s anti-corruption code of conduct.

Shoaib Akhtar, the retired Pakistan fast bowler, has pulled out of the Sri Lanka Premier League, a domestic Twenty20 tournament in July-August, because of personal reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2011Shoaib Akhtar, the retired Pakistan fast bowler, has pulled out of the Sri Lanka Premier League, a domestic Twenty20 tournament in July-August, because of personal reasons.”My parents are old and I want to spend time with them,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I also don’t want to play or want to be on the ground anymore. I’m not even coming back for a job in cricket or anything, but if some youngster needs my help I’ll visit from time to time to help them but no more of this game.”I want to explore other parts of the world now. I played this game for 18 years and I don’t want to spend another 18 years in that scenario anymore. I am going to be involved in charity work from now on.”Shoaib had announced his retirement from international cricket during the 2011 World Cup and his career ended on the bench as he watched Pakistan lose the semi-final to India. He had been drafted in for the Twenty20 tournament hosted by Sri Lanka Cricket along with other international players such as Shahid Afridi, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Herschelle Gibbs, Daniel Vettori and Kevin O’Brien.The tournament is scheduled between July 19 and August 4.

The Australian fast bowler Damien Wright is expected to become New Zealand’s new bowling coach

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2011The Australian fast bowler Damien Wright is expected to become New Zealand’s new bowling coach. Wright, 35, will be one of the final pieces of New Zealand’s management jigsaw when he is confirmed as the replacement for Allan Donald, who was set to continue in the job until he was offered a position working with Gary Kirsten on South Africa’s coaching staff.Wright retired from Australian first-class cricket at the end of last summer and was to continue as bowling coach with Victoria, a job he had begun while still playing last year. He continued to play county cricket for Worcestershire this year but will have to step down from his playing commitments to take on his new job, which has not yet been officially announced by New Zealand Cricket.However, Wright told the he was “thrilled to bits” at being offered the role, and on Wednesday he tweeted: “I’ve had a wonderful time with the Vics & look forward now to working with NZ Cricket.”The ultimate cricket journeyman, Wright was born in New South Wales and made his name at Tasmania, where he played for a decade and was part of the history-making side that won the state’s first Pura Cup title in 2006-07. After that season, he moved to Victoria and won a further two first-class titles with the Bushrangers.Wright also had stints with five counties, played for Scotland in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, and turned out for Wellington in the HRV Cup last summer. Injuries often kept him off the field, but Wright was good enough to play nine matches for Australia A, and he will leave the game with 406 first-class wickets at 28.62.

Martin Guptill made sure there were no slip-ups as Derbyshire put themselves in the promotion frame with a seven-wicket win over Gloucestershire in the Championship match at Derby

13-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Martin Guptill made sure there were no slip-ups as Derbyshire put themselves in the promotion frame with a seven-wicket win over Gloucestershire in the Championship match at Derby. The home side went into the fourth day as strong favourites to wrap up victory needing 80 more runs with eight wickets in hand and they lost only Wes Durston before crossing the line.Guptill added an unbeaten 66 to his first-innings century and struck the winning boundary after just 53 minutes on the fourth morning.Gloucestershire’s only chance of turning the match on its head was to take early wickets to sow some seeds of doubt in the Derbyshire dressing room but, although there was still some life in the pitch, they managed only one.Guptill and Durston had taken the game away from the visitors on the first day with a stand of 266 and they batted for another 13 overs to take Derbyshire well down the road to victory.There were few alarms for the home supporters until Durston went for a big drive at Ian Saxelby in the eighth over of the day and was caught by Alex Gidman at first slip for 14. Another wicket then might have caused some jitters and Saxelby nearly delivered it in the same over when Greg Smith got an edge that went just past second slip to the boundary.Guptill had rediscovered his form in the first innings after a lean run and he snuffed out Gloucestershire’s faint hopes with some glorious strokes against the pace bowlers. Jon Lewis was pulled through midwicket before the New Zealander drove Saxelby down the ground for another four.An on drive in the same over brought him his 10th four and his 50 from 63 balls and he celebrated by pulling the next delivery to the ropes when Saxelby dropped short. It was fitting that Guptill ended the game and he did it in style with a delicate late cut for four off Hamish Marshall to secure a 24-point victory which takes Derbyshire above Gloucestershire into third in Division Two.