Category Uncategorized

Hosts Tamil Nadu lost their opening match of the P Subbiah Pillay Trophy,Ranji Trophy South Zone One-Dayers against Karnataka by 33 runs at the MAChidambaram Stadium at Chepauk. After a damp outfield delayed the start ofthe game by 190 minutes, Tamil Nadu skipper Robin Singh won the toss andput Karnataka in to bat.The decision turned out to be a good one as Thirunavukarasu Kumaran reducedKarnataka to 0/2 at the end of the first over. A quick yorker got rid ofJAK Arunkumar and off the very next ball, the fifth of the innings, stumperTilak Naidu dragged the ball back onto his stumps. With two batsmen back inthe hut and no runs on the board, Mithun Beerala and India One-Day discardVijay Bharadwaj came together.Mixing occasional clean hits with some precise running between the wickets,the pair blunted the Tamil Nadu attack. The mediumpacers gave way to thespinners and there was still no respite for Tamil Nadu. Former Testoffspinner Aashish Kapoor was welcomed to the attack by sixes over long onfrom both batsmen. At 101/2, a half hearted shot from Bharadwaj saw himpresent a simple catch to Sadagoppan Mahesh and Kumaran had his third scalpof the match. Bharadwaj had made 47. In the company of Beerala, he hadadded 101 runs to the total.Just 2.4 overs later a very tired Beerala was run out by a good bit offielding from Robin Singh and it looked like the balance might swing inTamil Nadu’s favour. Beerala’s run a ball 53 included three boundaries andthe solitary six.Dodda Ganesh (31) added a late in the innings charge that included twolusty sixes and Karnataka ended their 32 overs on a healthy 171/9. Inresponse, the strong on paper Tamil Nadu batting line up lost its waycompletely. Barring a promising 24 from Ramesh and a steady 25 from RajatBhatia at the top of the order, no one in the top five made it to doublefigures. The two put on 48 for the second wicket and this turned out to bethe largest partnership of the innings. At 77/6 after 21.1 overs there waslittle hope for the home side. A lively 32 from Sridharan Sharath delayedthe inevitable even as Tamil Nadu ended on 138/9 after 32 overs. The hostsplay Goa tomorrow and need to get their act together in a hurry.

Marvan Atapattu overcame a terrible start in 1990-91 to finish with Test 5502 runs at 39.02, including an amazing six double-centuries © AFP

Test debut, Chandigarh, November 1990
Atapattu makes his Test debut in November 1990, just after his 20th birthday, in a one-off Test against India. Bags a pair, but the worst is yet to come for him in Tests.ODI debut, Nagpur, December 1990
In his first one-day international, on the same tour of India, Atapattu remains unbeaten on 8 from 4 deliveries, batting at No. 9, as Sri Lanka go down by 19 runs.Colombo, August 1992
Gets a second Test nearly two years after his horror debut and makes a first-ball 0 and 1, bowled both times by Australian offspinner Greg Matthews. Faces just three deliveries in the entire Test.Ahmedabad, February 1994
Atapattu’s Test career looks to have derailed before it can start as he notches up two more ducks against India. His first six Test innings yield five ducks and a single.Sharjah, April 1997
Batting at No.3 in an ODI against Pakistan, Atapattu scores 94 in a match-winning stand with Aravinda de Silva. His form in the 50-over game helps him keep his place in the Tests.Colombo, August 1997
Atapattu’s form improves with a maiden ODI hundred against India in a tense, two-run win. This innings all but secures his berth for the return tour later in the year.Chandigarh, November 1997
After being persisted with for six additional Tests in the year, Atapattu returns to the scene of where it all began so horribly seven years earlier and scores his maiden century, as opener, in a draw. His 108 beats his previous best of 29 by some margin.Mumbai, December 1997
Misses a second hundred in the series by two runs in the third Test against India but has done enough to secure his place as opener in the five-day game.Kandy, January 1998
Atapattu goes big, scoring the first of his six double-centuries with 223 against Zimbabwe in an eight-wicket win. In his 13th Test, Atapattu looks a far more confident and technically solid product and provides a solid partner to the sashaying Sanath Jayasuriya.

Atapattu rushes to the pavilion after guiding Sri Lanka to victory with an unbeaten 132 at Lord’s © Getty Images

Lord’s, August 1998
Apatattu plays the one-day innings of his life, at the home of cricket, in the final of a limited-overs series. Set 257 to win, Atapattu guides Sri Lanka home in 47.1 overs with an effortless unbeaten 132 from the No. 3 spot. He ends up Man of the Series.Bulawayo, November 1999
Atapattu ends another 13-match lean phase, which included just two half-centuries, with a second double-hundred against Zimbabwe, this time at home. He bats 627 minutes and 437 deliveries for an unbeaten 216, with 24 fours. Sri Lanka score 428 and the match is drawn. His reputation as a stonewaller builds.Karachi, February 2000
His unbeaten match-winning 119 on a tricky Karachi surface in the series opener sets the tone for a whitewash of the hosts in a three-match ODI series. Atapattu shepherds the entire batting order for 48 overs, as only one other batsman gets more than 34.Kandy, July 2000
Carries his bat a second time for his third double. His unbeaten 207 consumes 649 minutes and 457 balls and Sri Lanka score 467 for 5 in 155.4 overs, spread out over three days, in a weather-hit Test against Pakistan. Adds 335 for the first wicket with Jayasuriya.Galle, February 2001
Another double-century, unbeaten as well, but this time Sri Lanka win. Atapattu buckles down for 201 out of 470 for 5 as the hosts beat England by an innings and 28 runs.Colombo, September 2001
Follows up a fine 108 in a series-winning third Test against India with 201 from 259 balls, before retiring hurt, in a big win over Bangladesh.Benoni, December 2002
A classy unbeaten 123, from 121 balls, seals a seven-wicket win against a South African attack that includes Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock. His assured presence at the top finishes the chase of 258 in 41.4 overs.

Under Marvan Atapattu’s strong leadership, Sri Lanka’s fortunes looked up. Among their triumphs were the Asia Cup and the Indian Oil Cup © AFP

Durban, March 2003
Batting first in a do-or-die World Cup match, Sri Lanka get to 268 thanks mainly to 32-year-old Atapattu’s 129-ball 124. His powerful and crisp driving through the cover region is a feature of his innings as he strokes 18 boundaries. The match is tied and Sri Lanka go through to the next round.April 2003
After standing as Jayasuriya’s understudy for three years, Atapattu is appointed to lead the one-day side. He is expected to take charge of the Test team as well, but the selection committee appoints Hashan Tillakaratne for that job.December 2003
Atapattu is embroiled in the cash-in-the-bedroom affair in which a match-fixing investigation is initiated after a large sum of cash is discovered in the safe of the hotel room he occupies during England’s tour. He strenuously denies any connection with the £7000 found in Kandy.January 2004
The ICC clears Atapattu of any wrongdoing and the likeliest explanation for the mystery remains a crude attempt to blacken his reputation. Atapattu is reappointed ODI captain for an upcoming visit by Australia and is told that he will eventually take over the mantle from Tillakaratne.April 2004
As expected, he is named Sri Lanka’s new Test captain, at 33. This comes 12 months after he is given ODI leadership. Tillakaratne resigns following Sri Lanka’s 3-0 whitewash by Australia and Atapattu’s first assignment is a tour to Zimbabwe.Bulawayo, May 2004
Scores 249 from 324 balls, in a 438-run second-wicket partnership with fellow double-centurion Kumar Sangakkara, as Sri Lanka thrash Zimbabwe by an innings and 254 runs. Under Atapattu Sri Lanka win the Tests and ODIs.Cairns, July 2004
Helps Sri Lanka secure a draw in the second Test against Australia with a determined 133 in reply to the host’s 517. Is the only centurion for Sri Lanka in the series.Colombo, August 2004
Atapattu top-scores with 65 as Sri Lanka beat India to lift the Asia Cup by 25 runs. He is widely credited for bringing a new emphasis upon personal responsibility.

A troublesome back plagued Atapattu throughout his 17-year career and forced him out for a majority of 2005-06 © AFP

May 2005Though Sri Lanka are without a coach, Atapattu is renamed captain for series against West Indies and India. This is in little doubt after an impressive year and his early appointment is reaffirmation of his growing status as a firm, no-nonsense leader.June 2005
A troublesome back injury forces Atapattu to travel overseas for medical treatment ahead of a visit from West Indies for a two-Test series followed by a one-day triangular, also including India, starting in July.October 2005
Atapattu is named captain of the World ODI Team of the Year, replacing Australia’s Ricky Ponting, chosen for the role the year before.March 2006
A recurring back problem rules him out of the ODI and Test series against Pakistan. Mahela Jayawardene, the vice-captain, leads the side. Atapattu, who sustains the injury during the tour of Australia in January, is frequently kept on the injured list in 2006.He misses the tour of England and the Test series against South Africa as he continues to recover from the back injury.August 2006
Atapattu is declared fit and named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the tri-nation one-day tournament against India and South Africa starting in Colombo on August 14. However, an explosion in downtown Colombo forces the cancellation of the series.November 2006
Atapattu rules himself out of the first half of the New Zealand tour, saying he is not ready to return to Test cricket and wants to concentrate on the one-day game until he feels confident. In Atapattu’s absence Jayawardene captains the side admirably.February-August 2007
Atapattu is called up for the World Cup but warms the bench the entire tournament as Sri Lanka lose in the final to Australia. He is then left out of the 15-man squad for the one-day series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. After being recalled for a home series against Bangladesh in June, Atapattu pulls out citing personal commitments. Jayawardene openly expresses his disappointment at the decision and in August Atapattu is released from his central contract with SLC, as per an earlier request.October 2007
Controversial comments about Sri Lanka’s selectors by a disgruntled Atapattu are followed by a swift recall for the tour of Australia as sports minister Gamini Lokuge intervenes.

Atapattu signed off a controversial tour of Australia with a classy 80 © Getty Images

Brisbane, November 2007
In his first Test for nearly two years, Atapattu top-scores in Sri Lanka’s first innings with 51. Comes under criticism for his controversial “muppets” comments about the national selectors at the end of the third day of the first Test at the Gabba, with Sri Lanka fighting to stave off a heavy defeat.His tour looks to be in doubt, but after his captain Jayawardene voices his support, the Sri Lanka selectors keep Atapattu on the tour to minimise disruption for the team, but say they will take “the necessary disciplinary action” when they return home.Hobart, November 2007
After a fine second-innings 80 and before lunch on the final day of Sri Lanka’s failed but exciting chase of 507, Atapattu announces his retirement from international cricket in a letter to Duleep Mendis, the Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive.

SuperSport Series

Johan van der Wath took six second-innings wickets to help the Eagles to an emphatic innings and 29-run victory over the Dolphins at Durban. The Eagles victory was set-up by centuries from Loots Bosman (117) and Morne van Wyk (159) in their first-innings score of 575 for 8, with Jacques Rudolph, Nicky Boje and Ryan McLaren also scoring half-centuries. The Dolphins soon slumped to 42 for 4 in reply, with McLaren claiming three wickets, and despite a courageous 75 from Imraan Khan, they were eventually dismissed for 236, some 189 short of the follow-on target. Things did not get any better second time around, with with the pace of van der Wath to the fore, his 6 for 29 from 17 overs rolling the Dolphins for 210 just before lunch on the final day.The Cobras managed just 87 in their second innings, going down by eight wickets to the Warriors at Newlands. In a low-scoring match – only 503 runs were scored in the four innings – Nantie Hayward proved the star turn for the Warriors, claiming two wickets in the first over of both the Cobras’ first and second innings. While the Cobras recovered first-time around to post a respectable 164, Arno Jacobs’ 50 in the Warriors 196 meant they conceded a 32-run first-innings deficit. Hayward then combined with Lonwabo Tsotsobe to reduce the Cobras to 7 for 4, and then 33 for 7 before they finally crawled to 87, with Tsotsobe finishing with 5 for 31 and Hayward 4 for 34. The Warriors were left needing just 56 runs for victory, and knocked it off with ease.A fine all-round performance from Alfonso Thomas led the Titans to a seven-wicket victory over the Lions at Potchefstroom. Thomas took four first-innings wickets to help dismiss the Lions for 132, with Morne Morkel also taking four scalps. At one stage the Lions lost five wickets for five runs, slumping from 97 for 3 to 102 for 8. Thomas then starred with the bat, scoring 54, with Farhaan Behardien and Albie Morkel also scoring half-centuries to help the Titans to 282 and a first-innings lead of 150. The Titans rallied impressively to score 327 second-time around, with Blake Snijman and Werner Coetsee scoring half-centuries, but the damage had been done by their poor first-innings display. Martin van Jaarsveld comfortably guided his side to their 178-run target with an unbeaten 54.

The Titans have finished at the top of the Standard Bank Cup preliminary round despite receiving a thrashing from the Dolphins who finish fourth. The Lions wasted a chance of ending on top after they let the Warriors off the hook to be denied the bonus point they needed. The Eagles finished in the third spot after a win over the Cobras.At the City Oval, Pietermaritzburg the overnight rain and then the humid conditions were perfectly used by Andrew Tweedie as he bowled the heart out of the Titans batting to take 6 for 24, the sixth best bowling performance in the competition. The Titans, sent in to bat first, had no answer to Tweedie who swung the ball both ways to leave them all out for 72 in 23.1 overs. Getting the ball in the right areas he had every batsman playing and missing. And when they did make connection he was backed up by some good catching.The Dolphins’ innings got off to a bit of a hic-cup with Imraan Khan caught off the first ball of the innings and Hashim Amla bowled for 10. Doug Watson struggled to 21 not out while Ahmed Amla, in contrast to all the other batsmen, played with ease to score 35 not out off 30 balls to take the Dolphins home by eight wickets in 14.2 overs.A disappointing end for a very good Pietermaritzburg crowd who turned out for the only match they get in a season. The turnout should however prompt the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union to look at playing more games at this picturesque ground.At St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, the Lions nearly took advantage of the Titans slip but they allowed the Warriors to recover from 112 for 6 to 210 for 7 to deny the Lions the bonus point that would have seen them finish ahead of the Titans.Batting first, Stephen Cook, top run scorer in the competition, continued his prolific form by scoring 90 as he nearly batted through the innings. An opening partnership of 80 with Adam Bacher (41) was almost wasted when Neil McKenzie fell without scoring but a quick 52 not out from Vaughn van Jaarsveld saw the Lions post an impressive 262 for 5.The Warriors just never got off the ground in the chase as they collapsed to 72 for 5 in 21 overs with some poor shot making from the top order. A career-best 51 from wicketkeeper Athenkosi Dyili and a bludgeoning 79 not out (48 balls) from Tyron Henderson saw the Warriors get close but they were bowled out for 246 in the end, just 18 runs short.At Newlands in Cape Town the Cobras’ dismal season continued as they bowed out of the competition winless after another heavy loss, this time at the hands of the Eagles.The Eagles, sent in to bat first, scored a solid 225 for 5 with both Loots Bosman and Boeta Dippenaar scoring 71. The innings had not started too well with both openers out inside two overs. Bosman and Davy Jacobs (40) took the score to 59 before Bosman and Dippenaar put on 96 for the fourth wicket. An undefeated partnership of 65 off 52 balls from Dippenaar and Ryan Bailey (31 not out) guided the Eagles through to the 225.A total loss of confidence was evident from the Cobras as wickets fell at regular intervals. A slight rally from Henry Davids (31) and Rory Kleinveldt (36) saw them struggle to 190 all out. The young offspinner bowler, Thandi Tshabalala, was the pick of the bowlers and finished with career-best equalling 4 for 24.The semi-finals will be contested between the Lions and the Eagles at the Wanderers, probably on Friday, while the Titans will host the Dolphins at Centurion on Sunday.

Andre Adams is one of Essex’s overseas players for 2005© Getty Images

Andre Adams, the New Zealand allrounder, has signed a one-year contract with Essex for the 2005 summer as an overseas player, subject to the approval of the New Zealand board. He played for them in the second half of 2004, first replacing Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, and later the Zimbabwean Scott Brant.This year Kaneria and Adams fill the two overseas berths, though Grant and Andy Flower, who have together played more than 500 internationals for Zimbabwe, are in Essex’s squad as Kolpak players. The Kolpak ruling, which has been in force since 2003, allows anyone with a work permit from a country with an associate trading agreement with the European Union to have the same rights as a European worker.Adams, 29, plays for Auckland in New Zealand, has a highest first-class score of 124, and has taken five five-wicket hauls. “I am looking forward to coming back to Essex after a thoroughly enjoyable few months with the county last year,” he said. “Hopefully I can make a full contribution to turning the club’s fortunes around in 2005.”Ronnie Irani, the Essex captain, was also happy with the signing: “I am absolutely delighted about the re-signing of Andre Adams. He is a player who contributes in every department. He put in some great performances for us last season with both ball and bat as well as consistently awesome fielding displays. His attitude as a senior and overseas player was first class, while always willing to put himself out for others. We look forward to his contributions for a whole season this time.”

The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has announced a 12-man squad, featuring all three Redbacks rookies, to compete in South Australia’s second Cricket Australia Cup match of the season.South Australia plays New South Wales in the four-day game starting tomorrow October 27 on Bankstown Oval. The team will be captained by Redbacks batting all-rounder Ben Johnson, in what will be his first captaincy role for a State side.Johnson said that it is an honour to be selected to lead a South Australian team.”It really is an honour to lead a representative side for the State. We have an excellent group of young players and I look forward to seeing how they perform against a strong New South Wales side,” he said.”This is a good opportunity for the squad, particularly Ferguson, Duval and Cameron, our three rookies, to display their talent at a State level.”The South Australian squad, which is coached by Redbacks assistant coach, Jamie Siddons, is:

Ben Johnson (captain)	Trent Kelly
Ben Cameron	Jim Plant
Mark Cosgrove	Muhammad Sheikh
Daniel Cullen	Oliver Thomas
Chris Duval	Jeff Vaughan
Callum Ferguson	Luke Williams

The Cricket Australia Cup is a tournament for each State’s second XI team to gain quality match practice throughout the season. Each State, including the ACT, plays each other once throughout the season.

Pakistani spinners Saqlain Mushtaq and Danish Kaneria shared ninewickets to leave Bangladesh in the dumps on the opening day of thesecond and final Test here Wednesday.Off-spinner Saqlain captured 5-35 and leg-spinner Kaneria 4-62 asBangladesh were bowled out for 148, failing to last two full sessionsafter electing to bat on a good batting wicket.Pakistan, in reply, were 99-1 at close, with opener Taufiq Umer andYounis Khan batting on 47 apiece.Saqlain, who went wicketless in the first Test at Dhaka, struck in hissecond over and continued to torment the batsmen with turn and bounce.It was Saqlain’s 12th haul of five or more wickets in an innings andmarked the 25-year-old’s return to form after a lean period last year.Saqlain began by surprising opener Javed Omar with steep bounce toclaim his first wicket to a catch at silly-point.Habibul Bashar was caught down the leg side, while Sanwar Hossain wasclaimed leg-before as Saqlain stuck to a tidy line and length.Kaneria pegged away at the other end, having Enamul Hoque, AminulIslam and Fahim Muntasir caught in the close-in field. However hisbest wicket was that of Mehrab Hossain, who failed to read a googlyand was bowled while shaping to cut.The 21-year-old Kaneria now has 25 wickets in three Tests againstBangladesh, having taken nine in the first Test at Dhaka and 12 in theAsian Test Championship tie at Multan last year.Opener Al Sahariar was the only batsman to fall to a seamer, caughtbehind while trying to drive Waqar Younis.Bangladeshi captain Khaled Masud (28) and Aminul Islam (25) were theonly ones to offer some resistance.In reply, Pakistan lost an early wicket of Shadab Kabir for four, butTaufiq and Younis batted through till close, hitting eight boundarieseach.Pakistan included controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in place ofthe injured Wasim Akram from the side that won the first Test at Dhakaby an innings and 178 runs.Shoaib is under scrutiny from the International Cricket Council afterhis action was questioned for a third time in four years. The 26-yearold faces a one-year ban if he is reported again for throwing.

Australia took the winner’s points yesterday and New Zealand the loser’s lessons to apply before they achieve their aim of meeting again in the final of the CricInfo Women’s World Cup at Christchurch’s Lincoln University.The tournament defied the weather of the previous 12 hours and started only an hour late, largely due to the attentions of the ground staff who, during the night, moved 10,000 litres of water from the BIL Oval.What made the start time even more incredible was the fact that the ground is not a sand-based one.That such a fine pitch, with the potential for some high scoring before the tournament ends on December 23, was available for play was little short of amazing.New Zealand was required to bat first, but the only real handicap it suffered was the lack of value for outfield shots due to the slightly damp conditions.Australia’s bowling allowed little room for manoeuvre and Therese McGregor produced a man of the match performance which belied the fact she was playing in her first World Cup game.Her 4-18 off 10 straight overs at the start of the innings completely knocked the stuffing out of New Zealand’s aspirations.But the work put in by New Zealand over the summer was rewarded with a fightback from the perilous position of 48-5.The injured skipper Emily Drumm returned, once her elbow recovered from a blow which knocked the feeling from her arm for 10 overs, and took the bowling by the scruff of the neck to revive the innings.She was finally out for 74.”We were 20 runs shy of what we should have got. It was disappointing to get into such a weak position to start with.”We had nothing to lose when I came back. You don’t spend months training over the winter to lie down,” she said.However, she always knew the 166-9 her side scored was not going to be enough.Apart from McGregor’s effort, Cathryn Fitzpatrick took 0-26 from her 10 overs bowling at good pace while Charmaine Mason took 2-29.”Therese bowled an amazing spell,” her skipper Belinda Clark said.McGregor said she normally bowls in five or six over bursts and while it had been hard to adjust to bowling into the wind to start with she soon adjusted and felt good.Clark didn’t think there was any special advantage in winning the first game against the side considered Australia’s most serious rival and she wasn’t too concerned about the target the side faced.”Whether its 160 or 250, that’s what we’ve got to chase. We’ve had a lot of contests in the past when targets have been around that score of 160 and we knew it would be close,” she said.Australian coach John Harmer said he was delighted with the efforts of his pace bowlers but that his spinners showed they hadn’t bowled enough recently when the side fell into a hole at one stage.He was disappointed that the batsmen didn’t work the ball around enough when under pressure from New Zealand’s bowlers.Australia showed the depth of its batting however when its top order took control of the chase.Drumm commented: “Their top five are very strong and we know that if we can make inroads we can put them under pressure. A total like 166 is not defendable against a quality side.”Our objective is to go back to the drawing board a little bit. It’s not a disaster,” she said.Lisa Keightley and Karen Rolton gave a great example of how to accrue runs. Keightley, operating at the top of the order scored 44 off 83 balls while Rolton took a swashbuckling approach as New Zealand probed for victory.She hit the winning runs and also brought up her half century in that act to finish 51 not out off 54 balls. Her power was Bothamesque and could see her become one of the star players of the tournament such is her brutal finesse.Sharing the burden through the latter stages was Cherie Bambury who was run out eight runs short on 38.New Zealand coach Mike Shrimpton believes there are three or four overs, or 20-30 runs, difference between the two teams.”This really lays a very good base of what we need to do. We took a lot of information out of this game. Had we had this sort of game later, it might have been detrimental to us,” he said.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTrinidad & Tobago Red Steel overcame a Chris Gayle explosion in the first over of Jamaica Tallawahs’ chase of a modest target to secure a seven-run victory in Port-of-Spain that put them in the semi-finals of CPL 2015. The win vaulted Red Steel into second place; they are only a point behind leaders Barbados Tridents but have a game in hand.Gayle launched Tallawahs’ pursuit of 145 by clobbering legspinner Samuel Badree for 26 runs in the opening over. He hit three sixes and two fours off the first five balls, four of them disappearing towards long-on and the other over deep square leg. Jacques Kallis and Dwayne Bravo then kept Gayle boundary-less for six balls and he eventually mis-hit a slower ball from Bravo to long-off, where he was caught by Johan Botha. Bravo then caught Mahela Jayawardene at slip off Suliemann Benn, reducing Tallawahs to 36 for 2 in 3.3 overs.Red Steel’s spinners continued to wreck the chase: Benn took another scalp, Derone Davis claimed one, and Badree bounced back from his expensive first over by taking three middle-order wickets in a spell that included a maiden. Tallawahs were reduced to 87 for 7, and between the seventh and 16th overs they scored only 43 runs. With 39 runs needed off 18 balls, Andre Russell hit two sixes and two fours to give Tallwahs some hope. But his dismissal to Bravo left his team with 16 to get off nine balls, and Red Steel prevailed by seven runs.Unlike Tallawahs’ frenetic innings, Red Steel built their total around the solidity of Kallis, who batted through 20 overs to remain not out on 61 off 51 balls. He was joined by Dwayne Bravo with Red Steel on 76 for 3, and the pair added 69 runs in seven overs. Bravo scored 49 of them off 30 balls, hitting three sixes late in the innings to finish on a high.

Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble’s presence gives Karnataka the upper hand © AFP

It’s a humid day. The rollers are slowly killing any grass that has somehow managed to stick to the surface of the pitch. The stands are empty. There are no busy officials scurrying around. The setting is, in short, soporific. Scratch the surface, though, and you will feel the nervous anticipation: the Ranji season is about to begin. And here at the Wankhede it gets off tomorrow with a cracker: Mumbai v Karnataka.While Karnataka have the huge presence of Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, Mumbai are the defending champions and have the luxury of match practice this season. They won the Mohammad Nissar Trophy in Pakistan and played the Irani Trophy, which they lost. The youngsters that Pravin Amre, the coach, invested in last season have begun to pay back their .Abhishek Nayar, the middle-order batsman who has scored two centuries already this season, Ajinkya Rahane and Sahil Kukreja, who added 381 runs in three innings when they opened this season, and Iqbal Abdulla, the young left-arm spinner who forced out the veteran Nilesh Kulkarni from the side, have begun to find their feet. In addition there are the usual suspects – Amol Muzumdar, Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Samant, the street-smart wicketkeeper batsman, and Hiken Shah. And they are playing at home.However, the weather might give Karnataka the edge. A steady drizzle over the past few days has prevented the curator, Sudhir Naik, from watering the track. That has left the pitch dry and Naik reckoned it will take spin straight away. “It is likely to start turning by the last session of the first day,” Naik told Cricinfo. “Considering the preparations have been affected by the weather, I see the wicket helping the seamers too.”Kumble and Sunil Joshi – who took 29 wickets at 24.81 last season – would be licking their lips at the prospect of bowling here. They also have C Raghu, who took 10 wickets last season with his offspin.Mumbai have the experienced Ramesh Powar, who had a fine tour of England before being dropped after two bad ODIs against Australia, and the young Abdulla, rated highly by Amre. However, Vijay Bharadwaj, Karnataka’s coach, said his batsmen are not worried by either of them. “I don’t see them as a huge threat. You can’t compare their spinners with Kumble and Joshi. I expect the pitch to break up pretty soon and our boys should relish the chance to get stuck in.”There must have been a temptation to play the extra spinner in KP Appanna, the classical left-arm spinner who took 21 wickets in the previous season, but Bharadwaj is confident that Raghu can do the job of the third spinner. He also has faith in his fast men – R Vinay Kumar, who took 27 wickets in the previous season, and NC Aiyappa, who has recovered from the injury that restricted him to just two games last season.Bharadwaj was not worried about the Mumbai pace attack either. He stressed that neither Ajit Agarkar nor his partner Aavishkar Salvi, (who has modelled his action on Glenn McGrath) were not discussed much by the team. “They are good bowlers but if our batsmen bat to their potential we can post a big score,” Bharadwaj said.Apart from Dravid, Bharadwaj was pinning his hopes on Raghu, who is a stylish middle-order bat as well. “If Raghu comes good, our batting will look really formidable.” Raghu, for his part, sounded confident. “I have prepared well for this season and want to play a big part in this year’s campaign.” Echoing his coach’s confidence, he said there had been no special preparation for the Mumbai bowlers nor was he sweating over the state of the wicket. “If it spins or seams, we are ready. I have not looked at the track too closely.”Karnataka can also look to Yere Goud, the veteran who compiled 522 runs last season, the feisty wicketkeeper batsman Thilak Naidu, with 605 runs in the previous season, and Barrington Rowland. The absence of the prolific Robin Uthappa at the top will be felt but Bharadwaj is confident that KB Pawan would grab the opportunity.

Amol Muzumdar will be hoping to lead his team to a winning start © Cricinfo Ltd

Amre, Mumbai’s coach, was no less bullish about his team’s prospects. “Mumbai are never the underdogs,” Amre told Cricinfo. “As Amol [Muzumdar] told the team, Mumbai always go into any match as favourites.” He was confident of the potency of his slow men, Powar and Abdulla. “Powar is looking good in the nets, is bowling really well and is capable of running through any side on his day. And the way Abdulla started off in Pakistan [ in the Nissar Trophy], I am hopeful he will come good. There’s nothing like being given a chance on your home ground, especially when it is expected to assist spin. He is bowling well but he has to go and do it at the ground too.”That could be the key to the game. Given Powar’s big-match experience, it could come down to how well Abdulla can bowl at the likes of Dravid. If he gets the yips or Karnataka take him out with some attacking batting, Powar will be burdened with too much to do alone. And Dravid, who, along with VVS Laxman, took Powar to the cleaners in the Irani Trophy four seasons back in Chennai, will be itching to play a big knock here.Amre realises the threat posed by Kumble and Dravid. He had been watching recent footage of Dravid’s batting to study his flaws: Dravid has been caught at the crease and has not been in great nick of late. Amre hoped that would continue for at least one more game. “He is too good a batsman to stay out of form for long, needs just one good innings to get into groove but we will have to go hard at him early and bowl at the right areas. And we are playing at home and I am hopeful that the batsmen would come good against their spinners.”So, with two confident teams going in with double-spin attack, the match is likely to be decided by how well their batsmen play the turning ball. Get ready to see silly point, short leg and a backward short leg crowd the batsman; it’s time for spin at the Wankhede.