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Sachin Tendulkar has scored his 100th international century, in India’s Asia Cup ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur

Siddarth Ravindran at the Shere Bangla Stadium16-Mar-2012Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to make a 100 international centuries, getting to the milestone against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla stadium in Mirpur at 5:05pm local time on March 16, 2012. It ended a year-long wait for one of the most discussed landmarks in cricket history, and was his first ODI hundred against Bangladesh, completing his set of centuries against every Full Member country in both Tests and ODIs.He reached the 100th hundred in the 44th over with a nudge behind square leg, one of his favoured strokes to reach a century. Despite the huge amount of hype surrounding the landmark, which has shown little sign of abating during the prolonged wait, there was no over-the-top celebration. The helmet came off and there was a wave of the bat, he looked up at the sky, as he usually does on reaching a hundred, and he acknowledged his team-mates by raising his helmet towards the dressing room. Several of the Bangladesh fielders congratulated him, even as the decibel-level in the packed stadium reached new highs.It was not one of Tendulkar’s most swashbuckling innings, more about efficient accumulation early on, before slowing down further as he neared the century, finally completing it off 138 deliveries. Tendulkar’s achievement might have come against one of the weaker teams and in the league game of a low-key competition, but he still had to brave a raucous and partisan crowd. Once he reached the eighties, every dot ball he faced was loudly cheered. The Bangladeshi chant expressing displeasure, Bhua bhua, also rang out from sections of the stadium as he batted.The stadium had been less than half-full when the match started, but as Tendulkar’s innings progressed, more and more people came in and by the time he completed his hundred there weren’t too many empty seats. There were frantic phone calls from reporters in the press box, back to their bosses, discussing long-ready tribute packages and whether the innings should replace the national budget as the front-page lead.Unusually cautious play from Tendulkar suggested the weight of the coming milestone was affecting him. The holiday crowd, excited at the prospect of a terrific “I was there” anecdote to boast about, was egged on further by an enthusiastic DJ. He belted out several local hits, and that familiar background sound at the cricket these days, the bugle, ensured the stadium was a cauldron of noise.The Mexican wave made its way around the ground, and the bouncing fans were rarely more thrilled than in the 34th over, a maiden by Mashrafe Mortaza. First, Tendulkar had to scramble back after attempting a single to mid-off, then a solid push towards mid-on went straight to the fielder before a slash landed just short of backward point. Sensing the batsman’s discomfort, and possible nervousness, the crowd amplified the pressure with loud roars of approval after every delivery. He was nearly run out soon after, trying to pinch a single to backward point.A lofted drive over extra cover in the 40th over and several singles took him to 99, which was when the crowd began to support Tendulkar, standing up and cheering in anticipation. Though India were past 200 with only two wickets down, Bangladesh tried to stifle Tendulkar by keeping seven fielders in the circle. The single to square leg finally brought up another mark of the longevity of the man who already has the most runs and has played the most matches in Tests and ODIs.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

The Warriors and the Cobras have the advantage after the first leg of the Pro20 semi-finals after both teams won their matches on their home grounds

Firdose Moonda28-Feb-2011The Warriors and the Cobras have the advantage after the first leg of the Pro20 semi-finals after both teams won their matches on their home grounds.In Port Elizabeth, the Warriors restricted the Dolphins to 128 for 5. Rusty Theron and Makhaya Ntini strangled the Dolphins top order, allowing only 18 runs to be scored in the first five overs and with that control from them came frustration for the opposition.Loots Bosman, Devon Conway and David Miller all fell to Ntini as the Dolphins were reduced to 29 for 3 in the Powerplay. Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Ahmed Amla shared a 63-run fourth wicket stand to keep their team above water. Both scored at more than a run a ball, with Amla hanging around to bring up a half century. Justin Kreusch and Nicky Boje kept a stranglehold during the middle overs to ensure that the Dolphins only posted an average score.Yasir Arafat gave the visitors an early wicket when he had Ashwell Prince trapped lbw for 5, but he went on to bowl costly overs to concede 41 runs in 23 balls. Although the Dolphins attack, and Jon Kent in particular, kept making dents in the Warriors batting, they needed a little more to defend. Davy Jacobs made 27, Mark Boucher hit 20 and 22 off eight balls from Craig Thyssen saw the Warriors canter to victory with more than over to spare.The Cobras also had a relatively uneventful chase against the Titans on Sunday, after bowling first and keeping the Titans to 141 for 6. The Titans innings was not a disaster by any description but not one of their batsmen managed anything more than a start. Jacques Rudolph and Henry Davids with 20 and 24 respectively laid a good platform but it was only built on slightly. Albie Morkel’s 25 off 18 balls added some impetus at the end. Michael Rippon was the only Cobras bowler who conceded less than six runs and over.Richard Levi and Herschelle Gibbs virtually ended the contest with the first-wicket stand of 72 in seven overs. Half the job was done with plenty of time left. Levi fell to Davids but Owais Shah joined Gibbs with an attitude of equal intent. Roelof van der Merwe was the bowler to suffer as his three overs cost 40. When Gibbs departed, Justin Ontong finished the job with Shah.The second legs will be played next week in Durban and Centurion.Bowler of the week: He is rolling back the years with each game, getting better and better as the competition goes on and earns this award for the second week in succession. Makhaya Ntini tore through the Dolphins top order and helped set up the victory for the Warriors.Batsman of the week: Also a blast from the past, Herschelle Gibbs had yet to produce an innings of authority in this season’s campaign but he did it at the right time. His 54 off 42 balls was well paced and as he performed the role of both anchor and the aggressor for his team.

Brett Lee is gearing up for the IPL which starts on March 12 and regards the tournament as the first step towards making the Australian team for the World Twenty20 and the ODI World Cup in 2011

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010Brett Lee, who retired from Test cricket last month, is gearing up for the IPL which starts on March 12 and regards the tournament as the first step towards making the Australian team for the World Twenty20 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. Lee had missed the entire Australian summer due to an elbow injury, but is confident of returning to full fitness during the course of the IPL.”I’ve been working very, very closely with Patrick Farhart — he’s been my physio for 16 years — and he’s happy with the way it’s progressing,” Lee, who has been named in Australia’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20, told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I’m looking to be up to full pace within a couple of weeks.”Lee added his retirement from Tests had not diluted his ambitions, for he had much to achieve in the limited-overs format. “It was . . . a lifestyle choice through having a young son. I don’t want to be away 11 months of the year,” Lee said, speaking from Dubai at the opening of a training centre for the Kings XI Punjab franchise. “There are many things I want to achieve in the shorter form of the game. One, the Twenty20 World cup for Australia; and two, the 50-over World Cup for Australia in India. I want to be a part of that.”Lee played four matches in the IPL’s inaugural edition, taking four wickets at 28 and followed that up with five wickets in five matches the next year, at 22.20. He was more successful in the Champions League Twenty20. His all-round effort in the final against Trinidad and Tobago won New South Wales the competition, and he was also named Player of the Tournament. The experience of recovering well from injury and succeeding at the highest level, Lee said, was reason to be confident of a strong comeback in the IPL.”Just like anything, experience [matters],” Lee said. “Unfortunately or fortunately — whichever way you look at it — I’ve had a few operations now so I really know what you’ve got to do after it. If it was the first one then I’d be a little bit nervous but I’ve been through it before so I know what I have to do. It doesn’t make it [physically] any easier but it just makes the mental side of things a little bit more relaxed.”In the event of a failure to return to his desired level of fitness during the IPL, Lee said he would opt out of the World Twenty20 but added the possibility was unlikely. “You’ve got to be bowling well and bowling fast. If I can’t get back and bowl the way I want to, whether it’s through [bowling with] pace or through pain, I won’t play. But I don’t think that will be the case, I’m confident my body will stand up to it,” he said.”I’ve got nothing to prove, I’m no out there to prove that I’m bigger and better than ever. I’m just going to keep trying to bowl quick and if I can do the business on the field and still enjoy my cricket that will make me very proud.”

Blain recently accused Cricket Scotland of “rewriting history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name”

Melinda Farrell20-Jun-2024Trudy Lindblade, Cricket Scotland’s CEO, has described public comments made by John Blain at the formal conclusion of independent investigations into allegations of racist behaviour as “very disappointing”.Blain, the former Scotland and Yorkshire bowler, claimed last week that he had been “exonerated” of allegations of racism after making public a letter he received from Lindblade’s predecessor, Peter FItzboydon, in January.On Tuesday, Blain issued a subsequent statement, pre-empting Cricket Scotland’s formal conclusion of the independent investigations process that had stemmed from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report in 2022 (which had found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist). In it, Blain threatened legal action against the board, and accused Cricket Scotland of “a craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt… to rewrite history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name.”At the centre of the row is Fitzboydon’s letter to Blain, dated January 12, in which he stated that allegations of racism against him had been “unfounded”. Cricket Scotland clarified in its statement on Tuesday that those allegations against Blain had not been progressed further “due to a combination of insufficient evidence, a lack of an applicable rule at the time of the complaint, and/or a lack of jurisdictional remit or authority to take formal action”.Related

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• Blain calls for Cricket Scotland inquiry after being cleared of racist behaviour

But Blain has accused Cricket Scotland of making “a desperate attempt to reinvent history and to row back from an unequivocal exoneration”, and alleged Lindblade had confirmed the claims were “unfounded” on a phone call shortly after she replaced Fitzboydon in February.”Not only did Pete Fitzboydon, the CEO of Cricket Scotland, write to me in January to say that all of the claims against me were unfounded, that I had no case to answer, and my case was closed, but that position was clearly confirmed by his successor Trudy Lindblade in a phone call with me in February,” wrote Blain in his statement.”She reiterated on the call that the claims against me were unfounded and the case against me was closed. I am sure that, if asked, she will publicly confirm that to be the case.”Lindblade confirmed she made the phone call to Blain in February and, while unwilling to give specific details of the conversation, said Cricket Scotland would take up the matter with Blain and his legal representatives.”It’s disappointing to have such a personal comment made in a public space,” Lindblade told ESPNcricinfo. “I had a conversation with John in the first weeks of starting in my role. It’s very disappointing that lines have been drawn. We can’t get into specific cases and it’s something that we should speak to John and his representatives directly.”Lindblade said she has had contact with both complainants and those accused in the allegations under investigation since taking up the role, although the processes in place prevented her from contacting everyone involved.”I tried to meet with whom I could work with, what was appropriate to do,” said Lindblade. “These are confidential cases and I have a role to play. But certainly, it was impossible to meet with everyone and due to the confidential nature of the processes sitting within the investigation team, that was not able to be done. But if someone reached out to me, I looked within a very busy schedule to try and communicate back in whatever way, shape or form that was.”Cricket Scotland’s concluding statement said five of the 51 completed referrals had proceeded to disciplinary processes. Most of the referrals failed to meet the criteria required to proceed further, Blain’s included, which centred on allegations made during an ICC-sponsored tour of Kenya in 2007.Lindblade believes the wholesale changes made within Cricket Scotland since the publication of the Changing the Boundaries report are sufficiently robust to deal with any future allegations of racist behaviour.”We have got really strong processes and procedures in place now,” she said. “We have overhauled our code of conduct, we have brought in a Conduct in Sport Manager with significant experience. We have put a number of things in place so, if this was to happen now, we would have a process that it would fit within, but the same principles apply. [If it’s] a rule breach, there needs to be clear evidence of what the rule is and then what the breach of that rule is.”It’s quite technical, but it’s really important because that’s why we have codes of conduct. That’s why we have these processes, to enable us to listen to everyone in the same way. The other thing I would say is that we’re always learning. And that’s really important because the world evolves at such a fast rate, sport is evolving at such a fast rate. What’s really important for us now as Cricket Scotland is that we continue to look at what goes on around us, continue to look at our sport, and make sure as things change around us that we’re changing with that.”While Blain’s statements have overshadowed the conclusion of the referrals process, Lindblade hopes Cricket Scotland could move forward with a reconciliation process, which includes offers of mediation.”We’ve got to try and take what has been a really challenging time for everyone involved and look at the positives and what this period may actually do to the future of Scottish cricket,” she said. “Can we look at it from that perspective, and try to take what is a very difficult time and say, where could we get to in ten years’ time?”But we’re only going to do that if we have got everybody working together. We are not there yet and we have got a lot to do to get there. We have put an offer on the table, we would like to get together and talk to these people through mediation, and through those means to enable us to help push that forward. Because it’s a known and tested form of reconciliation using restorative justice.”However, Lindblade acknowledged the outcomes of the referrals process and any future mediation was unlikely to satisfy everyone involved.”There are no winners in this. This is really emotive. I think there will be relief. I think there will be anger. I think there will be emotions that are part of us all being human beings. We are talking about people here and people react to things differently because everyone’s different. It’s been very divisive. How do we find a way to get everybody back to make sure the future of Scottish cricket is bright and that’s going to take a really long time. So, anyone who expects that to take place in months, or even the next 12 months, it’s going to take much longer than that.”

First hundred at SA20 cements Durban at foot of table as JSK begin play-off push

Danyal Rasool24-Jan-2023A sensational century from Faf du Plessis saw Joburg Super Kings claim a much-needed eight-wicket win over Durban’s Super Giants. In a clash between the two sides at the bottom of the table, Super Kings timed their chase to perfection to move out of fifth, and further entrench DSG at rock bottom.JSK won the toss and opted to field first, but DSG’s fast start put them on the back foot. Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock ensured they took advantage of the first Powerplay before three quick strikes brought JSK back into it. Maheesh Theekshana and Gerald Coetzee split all of DSK’s wickets among them, and were also among JSK’s most economical bowlers.After that triple-strike had reduced them to 46 for 3, Heinrich Klaasen got DSK back on track and set them up for a big finish. He was complemented by Jason Holder, whose unbeaten 12-ball 28 ensured DSK stormed to 178, and carried the momentum with them to the break.DSK also started magnificently with the ball. The first three overs, bowled by Mayers, Keshav Maharaj and Reece Topley, conceded just eight runs. While du Plessis began to lay a platform, Hendricks continued to struggle. By the end of the 13th over, JSK had managed 97, with the run rate approaching 12.But from thereon du Plessis found a purple patch. The next three overs produced 55 runs, with du Plessis completing a 54-ball hundred. Even Hendricks found the fence on a few occasions, and by the time the asking rate was a run a ball. DSK struck twice to take the game into the final over, but by now, JSK had control, and in the end, yet another creamy drive over cover for six from du Plessis sealed the win.

Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland and Mpumalanga have been eliminated from Pool B of the CSA domestic T20 competition

Firdose Moonda01-Oct-2021The biggest surprise in Pool B of the Provincial T20 Cup, the CSA’s domestic T20 competition, came from the skies as rain washed out one match entirely and severely reduced another to put a damper on proceedings in usually dry Bloemfontein. The Knights and the Titans, both first-division teams, will proceed to the quarterfinals, with Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland and Mpumalanga eliminated.The Knights were the strongest of the four teams and announced themselves with a six-wicket win over the Titans before a convincing win over the Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland side. They would have fancied full points in their finale against Mpumalanga, but the match got abandoned on Thursday afternoon.The Titans, on the other hand, wobbled, but successfully defended 66 in a seven-over affair against Mpumalanga, who lost both matches they played. A plucky Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland side could not match up to the Knights or the Titans but comprehensively beat Mpumalanga.Related

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Runs for Rilee Rossouw
As one of the players who left, leaving a bitter taste in South African cricket’s mouth (remember the time he sent the then national coach Russell Domingo an email when he signed a Kolpak deal, and spelt Russell incorrectly?), Rilee Rossouw is already catching eyes on his return. He scored an unbeaten 73 off 51 balls to anchor the Knights’ chase of 144 against the Titans and then scored 67 off 47 balls to help the Knights post a match-winning 154 for 5 against Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland. His two half-centuries put him second on the run-scorers’ charts, behind Zubayr Hamza, and potentially back on the national radar.Delport does the business
Another returnee is Cameron Delport , who played for South Africa before becoming something of a journeyman. Delport has an impressive array of teams to his name including franchises in the PSL, CPL and Afghanistan’s Shpageeza Cricket League and has now signed on for Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland. He made an instant statement with his 39-ball 72 not out in their successful chase of 113 against Mpumalanga and though it may be too late for him to continue pushing for an international career, he is guaranteed to entertain.Dean dropped?
Test captain Dean Elgar is one of very few nationally contracted players in this competition – those who are not at the IPL are in a camp ahead of the T20 World Cup – but even his appearances were limited. Elgar captained the Titans in their first two matches, where he scored 41 in a losing cause against the Knights and 7 in their victory over Mpumalanga but sat out the must-win third game against Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland. Aaron Phangiso led the Titans in Elgar’s absence, while Jandre Pretorius opened the batting in his first appearance for the province and scored 40 runs off 39 balls to help the Titans post a winning target.Matheson’s Mpumalanga won’t take this lying down
Their twin defeats and the fact that they are one of two teams (Limpopo being the other) whose red-ball matches will not count as first-class fixtures, Mpumalanga have a lot of pride and a reputation to make. So little known are they that they were incorrectly called Limpopo by the broadcasters, and their coach Gordon Matheson was quick to point it out at the first chance he got. They may be little-known, but Mpumalanga have a few potential headliners. Wicketkeeper-batter Rubin Hermann was their top-scorer with 32 off 31 balls against Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland, and their captain, pace bowler Luvuyo Nkese, appears a good prospect.

Decision to omit senior seamer was understandable but hasn’t yet been justified

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl09-Jul-2020It’s a funny thing, given that he spent a fair bit of the afternoon sitting on his hotel room balcony as one of this Test’s very few spectators, but Stuart Broad may well have had the best day of any of England’s bowlers.For while James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were, on the whole, frustrated by some determined West Indies batting, Broad’s reputation improved in his absence.Was it a mistake to leave out Broad? It might have been. In recent times – since the start of 2019 really, when he shortened his run and resolved to make batsmen play at more deliveries – he has tended to bowl an excellent probing line and length. On this surface, offering some uneven bounce and a bit of seam movement, that would have been a useful weapon. He averaged 23.06 in six Tests in England last summer and 19.42 in England’s last series, in South Africa, too. Not many bowlers are left out with records like that.But the one man who averaged even fewer in that South Africa series was Mark Wood. So even though Wood admitted to be “a little bit surprised” he was selected – “I thought the main four would play,” he said – it wasn’t really a surprising pick. Many times in recent years – not least in Australia – England have paid the price for a lack of pace, so the attraction of going into this match with Wood and Archer in tandem in Test cricket for the first time was understandable.Wood has more to his game than pace, too. His statistics since he lengthened his run-up are outstanding – he has taken 19 wickets at an average of 14.66 – and while that is a small sample size, the way he has bowled in recent times – such as England’s most recent Test, in Johannesburg, when he took nine wickets in the match, or in the most recent Test against West Indies, when he claimed a maiden five-for – rendered him a hugely attractive option. Especially for a new captain in Ben Stokes who has known him for many years and has long sung his praises as a player.Stuart Broad wearing his new-look bandana•Getty Images

Equally, we have to be careful not to exaggerate Broad’s potency. Since mid-August 2015 – just after the demolition job at Trent Bridge – Broad has played 28 home Tests and taken only one five-for. His average in that period – 27.66 – is still impressive, but he is not the destroyer he once was. Archer, by contrast, took two five-fors in his first series last summer and another in South Africa over the winter.But might England have been guilty of picking the attack they would like to see in Brisbane rather than focusing on the here and now? Well, possibly. Certainly Jason Holder showed the virtues of control and movement. So while he bowled significantly slower – almost 20% slower than Wood at times – he had the game to exploit the conditions. Wood, who reached a top speed of 94.5 mph, and Archer were guilty of bowling just a little short and just a little straight. Both might have presented an intimidating prospect in Brisbane or Perth but on this slow seamer? Neither generated as much lateral movement as Holder. So far he has given them a masterclass in exploiting English conditions.There are a lot of caveats to all this. West Indies have only faced 19.3 overs so far. At the same stage of their own innings, England had lost just the one wicket, too. Archer or Wood could yet bowl England to victory.And, much of what is being said about Broad could be said about Chris Woakes. Indeed, Woakes, with a bit of extra pace and an ability to generate a little more movement in the air, might have an even stronger case for inclusion. He averages 23.45 with the ball in his 19 Tests in England and would have strengthened the batting, too.That’s a relevant issue. For just as England’s selection was criticised when Broad was left out in Barbados 18 months ago, it should be remembered that they were bowled out for 77 when they batted. When that happens, it hardly matters what your bowlers do.ALSO READ: Jason Holder the best first-change seamer since 2018While England’s first-innings score of 204 here is not so short of par – Wood reckoned between 250 and 300 was par, but 300 looks a vast total on this pitch – it was still the case that several of their batsmen paid the price for technical errors: Zak Crawley and Rory Burns played across the line, Ollie Pope nibbled at one he should have left and Joe Denly defends with a gate between bat and pad so wide it could be mistaken for Brandenburg. Broad’s inclusion wouldn’t have altered any of that.There is, as ever, a wider context, too. England do have to look to the future. They cannot rely on Anderson and Broad, now aged 37 and 34 respectively, forever and know they have to start to make preparations for life after them. Maybe Wood and Archer will be able to find life in surfaces in India (or the UAE, if that series has to be moved, as some expect) and Australia that Broad and Anderson rarely could. It may also be that the selection was not wrong, as such, but that the performances have not yet been as required. And let’s not forget West Indies’ batting, either. Kraigg Brathwaite looked more solid than anyone in the England’s top-order.Perhaps the summer schedule is also relevant. England are set to play six Tests in seven or eight weeks and will need to rotate their attack. Broad could well come back into the side for the Test next week – perhaps instead of Anderson, who has been injured in two of his three more recent Tests – and thereby ensuring England have an experienced attack leader. But conditions there might not favour Broad as much as they do here.So were England wrong to leave out Broad? We’ll never know for sure. There was reasonable logic behind it, certainly. But as ball after ball was taken at head height down the leg side by Jos Buttler, it was hard not to look over at that hotel balcony and wonder if the man sitting on it might not have been better employed on the pitch.

Royals are grappling with the form of Rahane and their pace attack; Knight Riders are flying high after their Bengaluru conquest

The Preview by Sreshth Shah06-Apr-20197:24

Tait: Royals have to find room for Turner

Big picture

Rajasthan Royals can once again start to believe, having opened their account this season. The bad news is they will run into a side with the ability to chase down any total.The visiting Kolkata Knight Riders handed Royals three defeats last season. Less than 48 hours after their Bengaluru conquest, they’ll step into the Sawai Mansingh Stadium looking to occupy the top spot in the points table. The presence of Andre Russell, who has scored 207 runs off 77 deliveries this season, adds to an air of intimidation around them.Their seam bowling, however, remains a concern. Their economy (10.00) is the highest among all teams this season and their average of 1.75 wickets per game the lowest. Harry Gurney, the left-arm T20 specialist, could get a look-in instead of Lockie Ferguson, but Knight Riders are known to be frugal with their changes.

Form guide

Rajasthan Royals: Beat Royal Challengers by 7 wickets, lost to Super Kings by 8 runs, lost to Sunrisers by 5 wickets (recent matches first)
Knight Riders: Beat Royal Challengers by 5 wickets, lost to Capitals via Super Over, beat Kings XI by 28 runs

Royals, though, have their own problems in the pace department. Their highest-paid player, Jaydev Unadkat, was benched for their last game, but his replacement Varun Aaron went for 16 in his only over. Their pace-bowlers’ economy of 9.98 is second only to their opponents and they don’t quite possess the quality of spin Knight Riders have.K Gowtham has been off-colour, and while Shreyas Gopal’s three-wicket haul from the last match does infuse some confidence, they’re up against an Indian middle order who have chipped in adequately for Knight Riders.If Royals win the toss, they’d be better off chasing. The only game Knight Riders have lost is while batting first, where they failed to gauge a good-enough total despite Andre Russell’s half-century. Royals’ win over Royal Challengers Bangalore showed that everyone in their top order – barring captain Ajinkya Rahane – is in solid touch. Samson’s availability could give them a lift.Dhawal Kulkarni and K Gowtham celebrate Kedar Jadhav’s dismissal•Getty Images

Eventually, Royals’ chances depend on whether they can hold their nerves in the big moments. Their three losses so far could’ve all easily been wins on different days, and if they’ve followed Knight Riders’ games against the other teams, they’ll know one missed opportunity could cost them the contest.

In the news

Ashton Turner joined the Royals last week, and could be match-ready after a few days of acclimatisation. There are still question marks over Samson’s availability. For Knight Riders, their first XI remains fit, especially after their five-day break before the Bangalore game.

Previous meeting

They met in the Eliminator last year, where Knight Riders recovered from 51 for 4 on the back of rapid knocks from Russell (49*) and Dinesh Karthik (52) to post 169. After that, Knight Riders cut the boundaries with the ball, with Royals falling 25 short despite losing only four wickets.

Likely XI

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler (wk), 2 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Rahul Tripathi, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Shreyas GopalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Chris Lynn, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Shubman Gill, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk, capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harry Gurney, 11 Prasidh Krishna

Strategy punt

• Rahul Tripathi could be used by Royals as a floater, even batting as high as No. 3. He scores at a strike-rate of 166.67 against Sunil Narine, 242.90 against Kuldeep Yadav and 285.70 against Prasidh Krishna, and been out only once to either of them. The reason he shouldn’t open is his two dismissals in seven deliveries to Knight Riders’ new-ball spinner Piyush Chawla.
• Shreyas Gopal should be conserved for Nitish Rana. The left-handed batsman has scored at a strike-rate of 159.43 this season, but at only 88.50 against right-arm legbreak. He’s been out to legspinners thrice already. Gopal could also be used at the death; he’s conceded only 14 runs in 19 balls between overs 16-20, at an astonishing economy of 4.40.

Stats and trivia

• Among all batsmen since IPL 2018, Ben Stokes has the lowest batting average, has hit the least number of boundaries (27), and at 14.3 deliveries lasts the least number of balls per innings (minimum 200 balls)
• Between overs 7-15 this season, Nitish Rana has scored the most runs (136) by any batsman and has the second-highest strike-rate (170). Only Chris Gayle (209) scores faster in the middle overs.

South African seamer should be available for seven County Championship matches and entire Royal London campaign.

George Dobell21-Feb-2018Derbyshire have signed Duanne Olivier as an overseas player for the first half of the 2018 season.The 25-year-old South African seamer should, subject to final clearance from Cricket South Africa, be available for the county’s first seven County Championship matches and the entire Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.”We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen, especially for the first half of the season in red- and white-ball cricket,” Cricket Advisor, Kim Barnett said. “He is a tall, quick bowler who is keen to prove himself and he will give us another quality option with the ball. He comes highly recommended and will offer further depth to our seam attack.”While Olivier has struggled to command a settled place in the South Africa side – a reflection, in part, of their depth of seam bowling talent – he has played five Tests and claimed his 17 wickets at an impressive average of just 23.11 apiece. His first-class record – he has taken 284 wickets at an average of 22.04 – is excellent and, while he is still learning his trade in white-ball cricket, he has claimed the two best List A figures of his career this year.”I’m looking forward to joining up with Derbyshire and getting straight into bowling overs and contributing to success for the club,” Olivier said. “The club is clear in its drive to keep improving and I’m excited to be a part of an ambitious dressing room. There is a strong bowling attack at the club and I hope to play my part, both on and off the field.”Derbyshire have previously announced the signing of Mitchell Santner as an overseas player for the T20 competition and the second half of the Championship campaign and the release of several young players.

Weekend rain had seeped through the covers and rendered the practice pitches unusable and there is a chance both teams’ training sessions on Tuesday will be affected

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Firdose Moonda09-Jan-2017Sri Lanka were forced to train indoors at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday, after weekend rains had seeped through the covers and made the outdoor practice pitches unusable.Though there was no rain, overcast conditions did little to aid the drying of the surfaces on Monday, and there is a chance both teams’ training will be affected on Tuesday as well. The South Africa squad does not officially convene till Tuesday, and as such, have not trained yet in Johannesburg.”Our guys are working on it,” Greg Fredericks, CEO of the Lions, the franchise based at the Wanderers, told ESPNcricinfo. “We had a lot of rain from Friday and through the weekend but we are doing our best.”Groundstaff did provide a centre track for Sri Lanka’s bowlers to train on – no one batted there – and will also aim to provide one for South Africa on Tuesday. Additionally it is hoped one of the practice pitches will have dried sufficiently to conduct a nets session on.Sri Lanka were briefly dismayed at the prospect of training indoors on surfaces they felt may be slower than the outdoor practice pitches, and indeed the Test-match surface. But after talking to groundstaff they are hopeful facilities will improve in the approach to the game.