Kochi, Mumbai win in low-scoring thrillers

KOLKATA: Kochi Tuskers Kerala pulled off a stunning six-run win against favourites Kolkata Knight Riders in a thrilling Indian Premier League match on Wednesday.
Ravindra Jadeja struck an 18-ball 29 with three sixes and a four to take Kochi to 132-7 before Kolkata were restricted to 126-9 off 20 overs on a slow Eden Gardens track.
In the other match of the day, Mumbai Indians rode on a clinical effort by their bowlers to hand a seven-wicket thrashing to Pune Warriors and register their third win in four matches.
Kolkata, leading the points table before this match, lost quick wickets in their chase and could never recover from the early setbacks despite a fighting 46-run knock by Manoj Tiwary.
Jadeja impressed with the ball as well, picking up two wickets including the key scalp of Tiwary.
It was Kolkata’s second defeat from five outings and Kochi’s third win from as many games.
Spinners Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan earlier shared six wickets after Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to field.
New Zealand star Brendon McCullum (23) and Mahela Jayawardene (25) gave Kochi a steady start, putting on 49 runs for the opening wicket.
It was Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib who gave Kolkata a key breakthrough when he had McCullum caught by Eoin Morgan while Pathan accounted for Jayawardene, Brad Hodge and Parthiv Patel in quick succession.
In Mumbai, Munaf Patel grabbed three wickets for eight runs while Ali Murtaza and Abu Nechim took two apiece to bowl out Pune for 118 in 17.2 overs before Mumbai overhauled the target off the last ball.
Skipper Sachin Tendulkar scored a fine 35 off 39 balls and shared 74 runs for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu (37) to set the platform for the chase.
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds (16 not out) hit two fours in the 18th over and Rohit Sharma (20 not out) brought off the winning runs with a six to give Mumbai their third victory in four matches.
Pune failed to bat out 20 overs despite a 45-run knock by Robin Uthappa who perished to a blinder of a catch by West Indian Kieron Pollard.
It was the second defeat for the IPL debutants in four games.
Brief scores:
Pune Warriors 118 all out in 17.2 overs (R. Uthappa 45; M. Patel 3-8, Abu Nechim 2-13, Ali Murtaza 2-18, L. Malinga 2-28) lost to Mumbai Indians 124-3 in 20 overs (A. Rayudu 37, S. Tendulkar 35) by seven wickets.
Kochi Tuskers Kerala 132-7 in 20 overs (R. Jadeja 29, M. Jayawardene 25; Yusuf Pathan 3-20, Shakib al Hasan 3-28) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 126-9 (M. Tiwary 46; R.P. Singh 2-25, R. Jadeja 2-25) by six runs.

“Only thinkers survive T20,” Parnell the philospher says

NEW DELHI: Twenty20 cricket is a constant battle of wits and bowlers who cannot think on their feet will end up cannon-fodder, says South African pace bowler Wayne Parnell.
Representing Pune Warriors in this year’s Indian Premier League, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer has seen how harshly some bowlers have been treated by unheralded batsmen such as Paul Valthaty and Bharat Chipli.
Parnell nearly echoes French philosopher Rene Descartes when he says only those bowlers who think would exist in cricket’s slam-bang format.
“Batters come breaking new ideas every day. But I think as a fast bowler, you just need to be one step ahead,” Parnell told Reuters in a telephone interview.
IPL Punjab batsman Valthaty, who does not make the cut even for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad, blasted an unbeaten 63-ball 120 against Chennai, while Deccan Chargers’ Chipli, a veteran of just 15 first class matches, hammered a 35-ball 61 not out against Bangalore.
Parnell marvels at the cheeky shots unfurled on a regular basis by the batsmen who are out to make the most of a format that unabashedly favours them.
The youngster from Port Elizabeth assured he and some of his peers are finding a way to counter that.
WIDE YORKERS
“Definitely Twenty20 has forced the bowlers to think more. The batters are coming hard on us to score off every ball and score 150-plus.
“We need to be quite smart about how we go about our bowling. You have just four overs in this format and you are probably going to bowl two up front and two at the back. So you have to bowl wisely. I think the bowlers already are a lot smarter now, compared to the first IPL.
“Every bowler needs at least a couple of variations in the armoury. The slow bumpers, wide yorkers, leg-cutters, off-cutters… we are practising these every day and we need to be confident when using these in the match.”
Parnell knows a string of good performances would help him win back the third pace bowler’s spot that Lonwabo Tsotsobe currently occupies in the South African national team.
“Basically I just need opportunities. People know that I can do the job and I have shown in the past that I can do the job,” said the aspiring all-rounder.
“Obviously in the national set-up, Lopsy (Tsotsobe) has been the man in charge now and he has done really well. He is a good player. At the end of the day, we can all be selfish and want to play for South Africa but we have to see what’s best for South Africa.
“Still being part of the squad is obviously very nice for me and when I do get the opportunity again, I will take it with both hands,” said Parnell, who played his 19th one-day international against Bangladesh last month.
Parnell grew up watching the Indian left-arm pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, his Pune team mate, but said he actually benefitted from advice from compatriots Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.
“Dale Steyn back home has been unbelievable. He has given me a few tips which I have taken up. Morne also gave me a few tips. Basically they are the guys I look up to.”

Malinga, Mathews out of Sri Lanka’s squad for England Tests

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka left out fast bowler Lasith Malinga as well as all-rounder Angelo Mathews and named four uncapped players Wednesday in a 16-member Test squad for the upcoming tour of England.
Sri Lanka play three Tests, five one-dayers and one Twenty20 international during the tour starting on May 14.
Malinga, who last played a Test in August last year, was ignored despite being in top form during the recent World Cup. He is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians.
A five-member selection panel gave call-ups to Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera and Nuwan Pradeep, all of whom are yet to play in Tests.
“Thirimanne and Chandimal are promising young batsmen who have already played one-day games,” chief selector Duleep Mendis told reporters.
The squad includes four fast bowlers in Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara, Suranga Lakmal and Pradeep.
“Fernando is the most exposed fast bowler out of the lot. The others are being tried out to gain experience of bowling on fast English wickets,” Mendis said.
Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, who played in Sri Lanka’s previous Test series against West Indies, was also left out of the squad, which will be led by new captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Mathews, widely tipped to get the vice-captaincy role, was not considered due to fitness concerns.
Sri Lanka Test squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (captain), Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene (wicket-keeper), Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep

ISI Chief Shuja Pasha on Time Magazine’s 100 list

ISLAMABAD: ISI Chief Lt. General Shuja Pasha has been named in the 2011 Time 100 list. The list which highlights the 100 most influential people in the world was published on the magazines website on Thursday.
The ISI chiefs profile is written by former CIA director Michael Hayden who describes him as an individual who has grown progressively more suspicious of US motives and staying power.

CNG statiosn in Sindh and Karachi

KARACHI: All CNG stations in Karachi and interior Sindh will close down their operations from midnight of Friday, 22nd April 2011/Saturday, 23rd April 2011 till noon on Sunday, 24th April 2011.
This was mutually agreed in a meeting held between the SSGC’s top management and the elected representatives of various CNG associations at SSGC’s Head Office on Thursday.
The meeting, presided over by SSGC’s Dy. Managing Director Mr. Azim Iqbal Siddiqui, took the decision in the larger interest of maintaining uninterrupted gas supply across the company’s franchise areas in Sindh and Balochistan.
The need for this decision arose in the light of Bhit Gas field Annual Turn-Around (ATA) which is in effect since 12 April 2011.
It was also agreed between SSGC and the representatives of CNG associations that SSGC’s monitoring teams will be strictly checking all the stations during this 36 hours agreed shut down.
It was informed that the CNG stations found operating during the agreed shut down period of 36 hours will have their gas supply disconnected and will not be restored for 24 hours beyond the closure period and until the filing of an NOC from the respective CNG association.
SSGC through its press advertisements has been requesting all its customers to voluntarily reduce their gas consumption by 15-20%, which will facilitate the utility in providing uninterrupted gas supply to all its valued customers throughout its franchise area during the period of the Annual Maintenance of Bhit Gas Field.