NEIL DEXTER AND JOHN SIMPSON LEAD MIDDLESEX TO AN EASY VICTORY OVER SURREY

Middlesex crushed Surrey by an innings and 42 runs in a match of the County Championship Division Two, at Lord’s, London in England. The home team batted just once in the match, scoring 445 runs, whereas Surrey were bowled out for 203 and 200 respectively, in both their innings.

The captain of the visitors, Rory Hamilton-Brown, elected to field first after winning the toss. There was some moisture beneath the surface of the pitch, but batting became easier as the game progressed.

The start to the Middlesex innings wasn’t an ideal one, as three wickets fell for just 28 runs. Dawid Malan was joined by his captain Neil Dexter and the pair put together 60 runs for the fourth wicket. However, Malan got out after getting a start and the hosts were struggling at 88 for four.

Things weren’t looking good for the hosts at that stage, but wicketkeeper-batsman John Simpson and the home team’s captain rescued their team from trouble, batting sensibly. The pair amassed 254 runs for the fifth wicket, guiding the team’s total to 342. Dexter got out after scoring a terrific innings of 145 runs with the help of 17 fours and two sixes.

Simpson also batted brilliantly, piling 143 runs in his knock. He smashed 21 fours and one massive six.

Gareth Batty was the pick of the bowlers for Surrey, taking five wickets. He got good support from Yasir Arafat, who dismissed three batsmen.

The visitors got off to a terrible start to their innings, losing four wickets for just 19 runs. Hamilton-Brown and Tom Maynard offered some resistance, scoring a 70-run stand for the fifth wicket. However, the Surrey captain was dismissed after adding 47 runs to the total.

There was no other batsman in the lower-order, who made an impression and wickets kept on tumbling. Maynard batted exceptionally well though, scoring an unbeaten 98 runs. He deserved a century, but was left without partners at the other end.

Ollie Rayner bowled well for the hosts, picking up three wickets. He was assisted by tall seamer Steven Finn, who sent two batsmen back to the pavilion.

Following on, the Surrey team was unable to cope with the pressure and the batsmen failed to bat with responsibility. Wicketkeeper batsman Steve Davies was the only one to cause some problems for the bowlers. He top scored the innings with 94 runs, before the whole team was out for 200.

Toby Roland-Jones bowled exceptionally well for his team, taking four wickets in the innings. He was supported well by Middlesex’s captain, who scalped three wickets.

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Yorkshire in control against Nottinghamshirein County Championship Division Two

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Yorkshire took a solid first innings lead of 70 runs against Nottinghamshire in their County Championship Division Two match, at Headingley in Leeds on Thursday. The visitors were bundled out for 143 runs in their first innings whereas Yorkshire ended day-one on 213 for the loss of five wickets.

Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read decided to bat first after winning the toss, but he seemed to have misread the pitch, as there was some juice in it for the bowlers.

Seven proved to be a very unlucky number for the visitors, as they lost their first three batsmen with the same number of runs on the board. Openers Mark Wagh and Paul Franks were the first two wickets to fall in the innings after scoring two and one run respectively. They were followed by Samit Patel, who failed to open his account.

Nottinghamshire’s first-drop Alex Hales tried to bat aggressively to put some pressure on the opposition, but wickets kept on tumbling at the other end. Australian cricketer Adam Voges was the next man to be dismissed after scoring just two runs. He was followed by Ali Brown, who managed 11 runs in his short stay at the crease.

Chris Read and Steven Mullaney got starts to their innings, but they failed to carry on to make a big score. Both batsmen were dismissed after scoring 10 and 15 runs respectively.

Hales was quickly running out of partners at the other end, but he tried his level best to extend the first innings total as far as he could. He smashed the bowlers to all parts of the park, scoring 85 runs off 89 balls with the help of ten fours and two huge sixes. The 22-year-old batsman was the last wicket to fall in the visitors’ innings after playing a valiant knock.

Rich Pyrah and Ryan Sidebottom were terrific with the ball, as they shared nine wickets between them. Pyrah completed his career-best figures of five for 58 in the innings.

Yorkshire lost their opener Joe Root early in the innings, but Adam Lyth and Anthony McGrath scored a century partnership for the second wicket, guiding their team out of trouble. Both batsmen played sensibly before getting out on 64 and 49 respectively.

Wicketkeeper batsman Jonathan Bairstow and middle-order player Gerard Brophy were dismissed cheaply for three and four runs. However, the innings was stabilised by the home team’s captain Andrew Gale and Adil Rashid. The pair put together an unbeaten partnership of 69 runs for the sixth wicket. They will start their respective innings on 47 and 39 on day-two of the four-day match.

Luke Fletcher caused a few problems for the batsmen, taking three wickets out of the total five to fall.

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Nottinghamshire stun Yorkshire, win by 58 runs: Cricket News

Yorkshire were stunned by Nottinghamshire after dominating most part of the County Championship Division One match, at the Headingley, Leeds in England. The hosts required just 145 runs for victory, but were bundled-up for 86 runs in the second innings.

Nottinghamshire batted first after their captain Chris Read, won the toss and the decision seemed to be a terrible one at that time, as the team was all-out for 143 in their first innings. There was nothing significant from the batsmen, as only four of them managed to get their score in double figures.

Alex Hales was the only batsman for the visitors, who didn’t find any difficulty to bat. He top scored the innings with 85 runs off 89 balls, striking 10 fours and two thunderous sixes.

Yorkshire’s bowlers, Rich Pyrah and Ryan Sidebottom, were in menacing form, taking nine out of the 10 wickets to fall in the innings. Pyrah ended with a career best five-wicket haul for his team.

The home team were given a terrific start by their top-order batsmen, Adam Lyth and Anthony McGrath. The pair scored a century stand for the second wicket, scoring 64 and 49 runs respectively. Yorkshire’s captain Andrew Gale made most of the platform laid by the top-order and collected an unbeaten 145 runs for his team. He struck 15 fours and two massive sixes in his outstanding knock.

The hosts ended-up with 336 runs, taking a solid first innings lead of 193 runs. They were troubled by Luke Fletcher, who took four wickets in the innings. However, this didn’t stop them from posting a decent total.

Nottinghamshire lost three early wickets in their second outing and an innings defeat seemed very much likely. However, Hales yet again stood in the way of the home team and this time got support from Australian, Adam Voges. The pair put together 105 runs for the fourth wicket and got out for 83 and 42 runs respectively.

The highlight of the innings was a 150-run stand between lower-order batsmen, Read and Steven Mullaney. They played brilliantly, scoring 86 and 83 crucial runs for their team. With a total of 337 runs,Nottinghamshire managed to give a fighting target to their opponents.

Ryan Sidebottom was yet again impressive in the match, taking four wickets in the second innings as well and increasing his tally to eight in the match.

Yorkshire would have expected to win the match easily, but things went terribly wrong for them in the second innings. Only two of their batsmen managed to score in double figures and the rest were not able to make an impression. The wicket-keeper batsman, Jonathan Bairstow, scored an unbeaten 50, but his effort went in vain, as the team was all-out below 100.

Fletcher, Charlie Shreck and Paul Franks shared three wickets each, winning the match for their team convincingly by 58 runs.

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ALASTAIR COOK AND JAIK MICKLEBURGH GIVE A SOLID START TO ESSEX AGAINST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Centuries from Alastair Cook and Jaik Mickleburgh put Essex into a very dominant position against Northamptonshire in a County Championship Division Two match, at the County Ground Northampton in England. The visitors ended day-one of the four-day match at 345 for the loss of just six wickets.

Essex’s captain James Foster chose to bat first after winning the toss, as the pitch was conducive for the batsmen. He expected his team to post a big first innings total, in order to pressurise the home team.

However, the start to the visitors’ innings wasn’t an ideal one. Opening batsman Billy Godleman was unable to make an impression, as he was sent back to the pavilion early in the match, scoring just four runs. His opening partner Cook was joined by the team’s first-drop Mickleburgh and the pair took the game away fromNorthamptonshire.

Both batsmen played sensible cricket and didn’t play a single reckless shot in the innings. They put together a massive partnership of 258 runs for the second wicket, guiding their team to 264.

The marathon partnership finally came to an end, as the Essex’s first-drop was dismissed after scoring a ton. He managed 112 runs in his innings off 205 balls with the help of 15 fours and one big six. His wicket brought England’s player Ravi Bopara at the crease, who constructed a half-century stand with Cook.

The left-handed opener was dismissed after playing a brilliant innings of 155 runs from 235 balls. He struck 20 fours in his superb knock and showed no mercy for the bowlers of the opposition.

Bopara looked good in the middle, but was unable to make the most of the start he got to his innings. He was dismissed after scoring 31 runs off 64 balls, hitting three fours and one six.

Two more wickets fell before the close of play, as Matt Walker and David Masters were sent back to the hut. They scored five and zero before getting out. Mark Pettini and the Essex captain were unbeaten on eight and five respectively when the final session of play was over.

Although the day belonged to the visitors, there was some fresh air for the Northamptonshire bowlers towards the end of the final session’s play. Essex lost four wickets for just 11 runs and the momentum shifted towards the hosts in the final few overs of the day.

Veteran Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas was the pick of the bowlers for his team, taking three wickets in the innings. He got good support from Jack Brooks, who sent two batsmen back to the pavilion.

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Middlesex defeat Essex in a one-sided affair

Middlesex cruised to an eight wicket win in a match of the County Championship Division Two against Essex, at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in England. The hosts were given a target of 54 runs, which they achieved easily for the loss of just two wickets. Middlesex scored 277 and 54 for two (end of match) whereas Essex managed 115 and 215 in the match.

James Foster elected to field first after winning the toss for Essex, but his decision proved to be a wrong one. The wicket had some assistance for the bowlers, but the hosts batted well for their 277 runs in their first innings.

Middlesex’s openers, Scott Newman and Chris Rogers, got off to a very good start, scoring 65 runs for the first wicket. They got out after getting starts of 38 and 25 runs respectively. Wickets started to tumble after the openers got out and the home team was struggling at 115 for five at one stage.

However, wicket-keeper batsman, John Simpson, and middle-order batsman, Gareth Berg, batted sensibly for a 66 run partnership. They scored 32 and 34 runs respectively, but failed to carry onto the start they got to their innings.

Lower-order batsmen, Ollie Rayner and Steven Finn, did a good job for their team, scoring 32 runs each. There was no half-century scored in the Middlesex innings, but they still managed to score close to 300 in the first innings.

Reece Topley was phenomenal with the ball in his hand, as he took five wickets for the visitors.

Essex batsmen were unable to post a threat to their opponents, as only five players reached double figures. Tom Westley was the top scorer with 36 runs whereas star opener, Alastair Cook, was the second highest scorer with 19 runs.

Middlesex’s attack bowler, Tim Murtagh, gave away a few runs, but he took four wickets in the innings. The visitors had to come out to bat once again, as the home team captain, Neil Dexter, imposed the follow on.

The second innings for the visitors was better compared to their first outing, but they were not able to post a serious threat to Middlesex. Westley was yet again the leading run scorer for his team, collecting 59 runs. Apart from him, Jaik Mickleburgh looked good for his 41 runs.

The South African born, Gareth Berg, was the pick of the bowlers for his team in the second innings, claiming four wickets. Middlesex required only 54 runs for victory after some good performances by their bowlers.

Although the hosts lost two quick wickets in their run chase, opener Newman guided his team to victory with an unbeaten 38 runs off 31 balls. Dawid Malan was the other not out batsmen, scoring 12 runs.

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MURALI SLAMS SL BOARD over its decision to recall players from the IPL

Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralitharan has slammed the country's cricket board over its decision to recall players from the IPL to prepare for the tour to England.

Muralitharan, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup, said the player's had been given a No Objection Certificate to play in the IPL till May 20. Sri Lanka cricket has asked the players to return on May 5.

"I think the board has given them permission till May 20. I don't know what happened suddenly. The players were told to come on May 5. It is the fault of SLC because they signed the NOC till May 20 so if they change it to May 5 something must be wrong," Muralitharan, who quit international cricket after the World Cup final early this month, said.

"Players will get demoralised because if they go back on May 5 they play half of the IPL and they are going to miss a lot. SLC should have informed the players earlier, then the IPL franchises would understand and everyone would understand," he said.

Murali also said the friction that could arise from SLC's stance could have serious financial repercussions in the future.

"There'll be a little bit of friction between the board, the players and even the Indian Cricket Board. If the SLC is not going to support them, they are going to miss a lot from India, because when India tours Sri Lanka it is very important and if we are not playing in the Champions League Twenty20 we are going to lose some money. Friendship between India and Sri Lanka will be negative," he said.

"We have 25 million dollars of debt after the World Cup. You don't have to antagonise India because when India comes we make money and survive, so I don't know what's going to happen.

"It might get sorted. These things happen between countries but in the end financially we depend on India, whatever said and done. SLC will have to be careful," he told a television channel.

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KENT OVERCOME ESSEX IN COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO

Kent overcome Essex in County Championship Division Two

Kent defeated Essex by 57 runs in a closely fought game of the County Championship Division Two, at the County Ground, Chelmsford in England on Monday. Chasing 285 runs for victory, the hosts were bowled out for 227 in their second innings on the final day’s play.

Earlier, Kent amassed 247 runs in their first innings after electing to bat first. The highlight of the innings was a terrific ton by first-drop batsman Sam Northeast. He scored 112 runs off 170 balls, hitting ten fours and two sixes.

Maurice Chambers bowled well for Essex, taking three wickets in the visitors first innings.

In reply to Kent's first innings total, the hosts got off to a dismal start. However, an unbeaten 88 by Essex captain James Foster guided the team’s total to 201, giving some hope to the side.

Kent scored 238 runs in their second innings and their first innings lead of 46 runs helped them post a target of 285 runs for the home team. The captain of the visiting team, Robert Key, and seasoned campaignerMartin van Jaarsveld scored half-centuries for their team.

Teenager Reece Topley was the pick of the bowlers for his team, taking his maiden five wicket haul for Essex.

Billy Godleman and Alastair Cook started the chase on a positive note for the home team. The pair put together 60 runs for the first wicket before Cook was sent back to the pavilion. The star player scored 31 runs off 51 balls in his innings. His wicket was followed by Jaik Mickleburgh, who managed to add only four runs to the total.

The fall of two quick wickets brought Ravi Bopara to the middle, who managed a 57-run stand with Godleman for the third wicket. However, the Essex opener got out after scoring a valiant 58 runs with the help of nine fours.

After that, none of the Essex batsman managed to make a big impression, and kept on losing wickets after getting starts. Bopara got out after scoring 39 runs whereas Foster managed just 21 runs in his innings. Topley was the last wicket to fall in the day, giving Kent a solid victory.

Fast bowler Robbie Joseph was exceptional with the ball, taking four wickets in the final innings of the match.

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