Match Preview: WI vs NZ, 1st Test, North Sound, Antigua

The last time West Indies won a Test series against an opposition ranked higher than them was in 2009 when they beat England 1-0. They now are favourites to beat New Zealand, a team that is ranked just one notch above them at No. 7. West Indies, who defeated New Zealand comfortably in the T20I and the ODI series, go in to the Tests with a bit of incentive as a win by any margin will help the hosts usurp their opponents into the No. 7 position in the ICC rankings.

Test cricket returns to the Sir Vivian Richards stadium for the first time since February, 2009 when a Test against England was abandoned following an unfit outfield after just 10 balls in the match. Since its return into the international arena, the stadium has hosted 4 ODIs and a couple of T20 internationals.

West Indies:

Playing in a stadium named after one of the greats of West Indies cricket, West Indies will be desperate to reverse their sliding fortunes in Test cricket, they have a huge chance now with New Zealand struggling to put through eleven fit men on the field. Chris Gayle returns to play his first Test since December, 2010. West Indies tried several opening combinations in his absence, but have hardly settled on a set combo. Adrian Barath, Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieron Powell have all been rotated along with none of them managing to claim a permanent place in the line-up. Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards miss out due to different reasons but the good news for West Indies is that Shiv Chanderpaul is back after missing the 3rd test against England due to a side strain. Marlon Samuels showed unbelievable maturity as he emerged the best West Indian batsman on view during the tour of England and this series gives the opportunity to further enhance his claim.

The bowling has a settled look to it. Ravi Rampaul and Kemar Roach have become the lead pair with Tino Best to support them. Sunil Narine struggled in the cool climes of England but has proved to be difficult to play in the comforting home conditions.

New Zealand:

On the other hand, New Zealand will quietly fancy their chances. The return of some of their star players have emboldened a team that usually performs well under adversity. The visitors have had a feel of the conditions at the ground having played their lone warm up match at this venue. They struggled against a quality attack with only Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson and Kruger van wyk amongst the runs. More bad news filtered in at the end of the match with Trent Boult and Bradley Watling missing out on selection for the first Test with injuries.

Injuries apart, New Zealand will take heart from the fact that their top guns have started firing. Ross Taylor returned from injury to score a century in the fourth ODI, McCullum and Williamson spent useful time in the middle while Daniel Vettori was his usual niggardly self picking up 6 wickets in the warm-up game. Much has been spoken about Neil Wagner and the left arm pacer looks a sure shot for a debut.

Team News:

Adrain Barath and Kieron Powell will battle for one spot at the top of the order while a century in the practice match should help Narsingh Deonarine edge past Assad Fudadin for a spot in the middle order.

Injuries might just force New Zealand's hands. Neil Wagner will make his debut in all probability with Doug Bracewell and Tim Southee fighting for the third seamer's spot.

Pitch and Conditions: The pitch as well as the outfield will be under close scrutiny. On the evidence of the practice match, it should stay low and slow. Scattered showers have been predicted for the entire duration of the Test.

Quotes:

The two teams are evenly matched... both teams will be playing to win and we will do everything to achieve that (a win) - Darren Sammy is badly seeking a Test win.

A warm-up game is a warm-up game. We got what we wanted out of it - Ross Taylor does not believe that a poor outing in the warm-up match will hurt his team.

Teams:

West Indies (From):  Darren Sammy(c), Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin(w), Ravi Rampaul, Marlon Samuels, Tino Best, Adrian Barath, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Assad Fudadin, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Narsingh Deonarine

New Zealand (From): Ross Taylor(c), Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tarun Nethula, Brendon McCullum, Chris Martin, Kruger van Wyk(w), Daniel Vettori, Neil Wagner

Boycott critical of 'selfish' England batsmen

Geoffrey Boycot

Geoffrey Boycott has criticised England's batsmen after their first Test defeat to South Africa, saying they forgot about defence in the pursuit of their ambition to score runs.

To save the match, England needed to bat out the final day at The Oval on Monday to force a draw. However the visitors' bowling attack led by Dale Steyn (5-56) steamrolled them to win by an innings and 12 runs.

"When defence is paramount and not giving your wicket away crucial, then surely top players have to rein in their stroke-playing," the former opening batsman turned commentator wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday.

"If they can't, or won't, then they are playing for themselves and not the team.

"Batting in these situations you have to look forward to the challenge: to enjoy the chance to bat all day, relish it like eating a good dinner or savouring a gorgeous glass of wine."

Boycott, who scored 22 centuries in 193 Test-match innings, particularly criticised top-order batsman Kevin Pietersen, who got 42 runs in the first innings and 16 runs in the second.

"Kevin Pietersen got sucked into a bouncer contest with Morne Morkel," he wrote.

"His hubris got the better of him. He was too busy trying to score runs and get on top of the bowler and he forgot about his defence and missed a straight one."

Ian Bell and Matt Prior were the only two to provide some resistance to the Proteas' bowlers during the second innings, with Bell taking four hours to reach his half-century and eventually bowing out on 55 from 220 balls.

The right-hander said things would be set straight at the Headingley Test starting on August 2.

"We came out and gave it everything we had but South Africa were better than us in this Test match," Bell told Sky Sports. "We know we can make improvements and put things right at Headingley."

Bangladesh VS Scotland: Scots clobber Tigers to death

Richie Berrington(Scotland) 100 runs

Scotland inflicted a thumping 34-run defeat on high-flying Bangladesh in the first-ever Twenty20 match between the two sides on Tuesday at The Hague.

The hosts terminated the visitors' pursuit in 18 overs allowing them to compile 128. Shakib Al Hasan scored highest 31 off 28 deliveries.

The innings got off to a shaky start after Mohammad Ashraful was run out for 8.

Josh Davey then picked up his first wicket when Tamim Iqbal (25) edged a delivery towards the keeper.

Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was sent back by Preston Mommsen and Majid Haq removed Mahmudullah. Both batsmen departed having scored only 9.

Davey struck for the second time when Nasir Hossain (7) tried to flick through the leg side and succeeded in being caught by Mommsen.

Ziaur Rahman (9) was bowled by Gordon Drummond while Shakib Al Hasan was caught off a Gordon Goudie delivery.

Haq bowled both Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (15) and Abdur Razzak (1) in the 17th over.

Davey ended Bangladesh's day to forget by sending back Abul Hasan (9) to the dressing room.

Majid Haq and Josh Davey each took three wickets for Scotland.

Earlier, aided by Richie Berrington's century, Scotland managed to score a modest 162-7 after electing to bat.

The opening batsman's 56-ball knock included 10 fours and five sixes.

Calum MacLeod (19) was the first wicket to go as he tried lofting a Shakib Al Hasan delivery which was slightly edged and keeper Mushfiqur Rahim accepted the chance.

Jan Stander was then sent back after being run out without scoring.

Kyle Coetzer (14) came down the track and lofted a Mahmudullah delivery to long-off which was taken by Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

Preston Mommsen (12) was run out while Berrington's stay at the crease was ended by an Abdur Razzak delivery in the same over just after he completed his ton.

Josh Davey (7) and Ryan Flannigan (0) were caught in the last over of their innings by Mashrafe.

Following their 3-0 whitewash of Ireland, Bangladesh climbed to fourth place in the ICC Twenty20 rankings ahead of powerhouses Pakistan and Australia.

They next play the Netherlands in back to-back T20 matches on Wednesday and Thursday.

The European tour is intended to build momentum for September's World T20 tournament in Sri Lanka.

World Cup T20: West Indies declared 30 man provisional squad

The West Indies Cricket Board announced their provisional 30 man squad for the World T20 which starts on September 18 in Sri Lanka. The Board said that the squad will be cut down to a final 15 man squad next month.

The squad boasts of a strong all-round presence and will be keen on doing well in the World Cup.

Squad:

Darren Sammy, Samuel Badree, Christopher Barnwell, Carlton Baugh Jr, Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Devendra Bishoo, Nkrumah Bonner, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Danza Hyatt, Garey Mathurin, Nikita Miller, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Shane Shillingford, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Devon Thomas.

World Cup T20: South Africa announced provisional squad

Cricket South Africa announced a provisional 30 man squad for the T20 World Cup that is scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka later this year. There were no surprise inclusions in the 30 man squad that feature the likes of AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn among others.

CSA selection committee member Andrew Hudson said the 30 member squad shows how much depth the country possess in terms of talent.

"I believe this squad shows just how much depth is therein South African cricket. It augurs extremely well both for this tournament as well as the road ahead," Hudson said.
Squad: 

AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, Marchant de Lange, J P Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe, Morne van Wyk, Dane Vilas.

India vs Srilanka: Our energy levels are up Said Dhoni

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka will provide his side an opportunity to see where it stands at the moment and identify the areas that need improvement.

"It's the start of the season for us," Dhoni said on Wednesday, soon after the Indian team arrived here to play in five ODIs and a lone Twenty20 game against the islanders.

"There are certain areas where we've wanted to improve, where we've had a discussion saying these are the areas where we need to improve upon to consistently do well. This is a nice occasion to test how much we have improved and how much further we can actually improve on the field," he added.

Sri Lanka will be hosting the World Twenty20 in September, but Dhoni said the focus is only on the upcoming series for the time being.

"What's important is to be in the present, which means take this series into account, not to think too much ahead about the World Twenty20.

"A good thing is most of the players who are part of this side will also be part of the Twenty20 side. We don't really need to think ahead of time."

Getting back to action after a month-and-a-half long break, the team headed for a practice session at the R Premadasa Stadium soon after checking in to their hotel.

"Today we landed over here, and we were on the field close to 4.30 pm. The good thing is the energy level is up, which means we can put in a bit more effort in the physical department and do a bit more active sports work," Dhoni said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said his team will look to continue the momentum after a successful series against Pakistan at home.

"We have just finished a series against Pakistan successfully and what is important is to continue with the good work," Jayawardene said.

"We have to work hard to reach the goals we want to attain. It's a good opportunity against India. We need to take the team forward. We have brought in a few new players for the one-day side, and we have to think about the World Twenty20 and which of these players will be suitable for that competition."

The series will not have the much-debated Decision Review System (DRS) as India, as has been their stance all through, did not want the system in place.

"As per the ICC guidelines, both teams have got to agree in having the DRS. As far as the Indian board is concerned they are not in favour of that. That was a decision taken at ICC level," said Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga. 

India tour of Sri Lanka, 2012 (Jul 21 - Aug 07) Fixture

Date	Match Details	Time
		GMT	IST			Venue
Jul 21 - Sat	Sri Lanka v India, 1st ODI	09:00	14:30			Hambantota
Jul 24 - Tue	Sri Lanka v India, 2nd ODI	09:00	14:30			Hambantota
Jul 28 - Sat	Sri Lanka v India, 3rd ODI	09:00	14:30			Colombo
Jul 31 - Tue	Sri Lanka v India, 4th ODI	09:00	14:30			Colombo
Aug 04 - Sat	Sri Lanka v India, 5th ODI	09:00	14:30			Pallekele
Aug 07 - Tue	Sri Lanka v India, Only T20I	13:30	19:00			Pallekele

England vs South Africa: James Anderson ready for stern South Africa test

James Anderson

James Anderson believes England will have to be patient as never before if they are to maintain their world number one Test ranking against a South African side who are masters of playing under pressure.

South Africa will replace England at the top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings if they emerge victorious in a three-Test series that gets underway at The Oval here on Thursday.

Both sides boast of arguably the world's two best pace attacks, with Anderson leading an England line-up that includes the likes of Stuart Broad.

South Africa are set to give the new ball to Dale Steyn, officially the world's leading Test bowler and a genuine quick whose record stands in comparison with some of the game's all-time greats.

Steyn is set to be supported by paceman Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, who in just seven Test has already taken a staggering 51 wickets while a further seam bowling option is provided by veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis.

Meanwhile the Proteas' batting order boasts of four players in the world's top 10 and England spearhead Anderson told Sky Sports: "It's going to be a huge challenge.

"The last couple of times South Africa have been over here they've played really well and beaten us. Both attacks have shown in the last 18 months that they are strong units. I think it'll be a good battle."

"It's going to be really important that our bowling attack is in top form because their batting unit is really strong."

"I see they've got six key wickets, they've got such a strong batting line-up that every wicket's crucial. They've got some great players in there and we're going to have to be on the top of our game."

"We're looking forward to it, we like testing ourselves against the best in the world and there's four of their guys in the top 10, so it should be a good challenge."

"South Africa probably soak up pressure better than anybody else in the world, so we might have to be more patient than we have in recent series and that's going to be our biggest test."

The Proteas were the last visiting side to win a Test series in England, back in 2008, and Anderson added: "A lot of the guys played in that series, we're well aware of it."

"They played really well last time they were over here and they're going to be strong in our conditions with both the bat and the ball."

"But confidence is high, we're really excited to be playing such a strong team."

"It's going to be a really tough three-match series for us, we're going to have to be on top form to have chance of winning."

Several of England's leading batsmen have been in good form recently, including South Africa born Kevin Pietersen, always a prize wicket for the Proteas especially.

Pietersen scored 80 and 78 in his last two Tests against the West Indies and an unbeaten 234 for Surrey against county champions Lancashire, having opted out of limited overs internationals.

Anderson refused to be drawn on talk Pietersen could reverse his decision but said: "Something we're excited about is the form he's shown this summer."

"He's carried it on from the IPL (Indian Premier League) and hopefully he can carry it on to end of this series."

IPL franchises in a fix over non-payments

Indian Premier League franchises that are facing the heat over delays in payments are refusing to respond to players' queries regarding the issue.

"There has been no communication from the franchise despite many attempts by players to get a response," said Federation of International Cricketers' Associations CEO Tim May in reference to RCB in an email, reports Yahoo Cricket..

After it was found on Thursday that RCB was procrastinating over clearing their dues, Deccan Chargers were discovered to be guilty of holding back payments to contracted players, including some Indian players - most of whom have allegedly received just 15 per cent of their due.

When contacted on Saturday, Public Relations representatives from either franchise said there was no official word yet on the matter.

Although the IPL doesn't recognize FICA, May said the body will "nonetheless represent players positions to IPL, but typically Sundar Raman (IPL CEO) refuses to respond - nonetheless we believe it important to state our case and concerns".

Indian associations are not allianced with the FICA, a body that protects players' interests and whose members includes associations from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Bangladesh. "(We are) trying to get accurate details of the number of players affected and their relative amounts at the moment," May added.

These trends indicate that cash-rich Twenty20 leagues that have mushroomed around the globe may not be as flush with funds as earlier suspected.

The UB Group-owned RCB has reportedly held back payments except to Indian players and Chris Gayle, who inhabits a category of his own.

South African players appear to be the most affected. Five of them - including A.B de Villiers (RCB), Dale Steyn (DC), JP Duminy (DC) and Juan Theron (DC) - have not yet received their salaries.

Concerned over the impediment in disbursal of funds, South Africa Cricketers' Association chief Tony Irish told a website that they were doing their best to ascertain just what was required to get things on track.

"We are in the process of collecting more information but at this stage not sure what process needs to be followed," he said.

Although the IPL far surpasses other Twenty20 leagues in its scale and enormity, these recent instances point to a gross lack of professionalism.

Of all the franchises, only Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are believed to have their financial affairs in ship shape, at least so far as player payments are concerned.

Sub-continental leagues largely function in a morass of financial murkiness. Bangladesh Premier League is already engaged in a dirty slanging match with the FICA over payment issues for the 2012 season.

Possibly to close out loopholes of deception, the latest league to join the fray - the Sri Lankan Premier League - has introduced a bank guarantees clause in contracts.