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A round-up of the fourth day of the second round of matches in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2010Group BAbhimanyu Mithun took four wickets to help set up Karnataka’s victory•Cameraworx/Live ImagesAbhimanyu Mithun took 4 for 94 to set up an eight-wicket victory for Karnataka over Punjab at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. After Karnataka had dominated the first two days, Yuvraj Singh got a half-century on day three to take Punjab to 173 for 2 in their second innings, leaving a draw as the most likely result. Karnataka’s bowlers had other ideas, though. Vinay Kumar dismissed Vishwas Bhalla off the second ball of the final day before left-arm seamer S Aravind bowled Yuvraj for 79. Mithun, who was given a BCCI contract two days ago, then took three wickets to rip through the middle-order as Punjab slumped to 322 all out. Karnataka openers KB Pawan and debutant KL Rahul made light work of the 140-run target, both getting half-centuries. Karnataka move up to second in the Group B table with five points from a single game, while Punjab are last with one point from two games.Orissa held on for a draw against Uttar Pradesh on the final day at the Dr Akhilesh Das Stadium in Lucknow, but the home side picked up three points for their first innings lead. After enforcing the follow-on, UP’s opening bowlers Sudeep Tyagi and RP Singh, who had taken six wickets in Orissa’s first innings, struck early to leave Orissa tottering at 68 for 4, trailing by 90 with almost 50 overs remaining. A gutsy 44 off 144 balls by Biplab Samantray took Orissa into the lead, but when Tyagi took his fourth wicket of the innings to leave Orissa at 165 for 8, there was still time for a UP win. Former India fast bowler Debasis Mohanty and Basant Mohanty played out a nervous half hour to save the game for Orissa. Debasis was eventually bowled by RP, who took 3 for 29, as Orissa finished their second innings at 171 for 9. The three points took UP to second in the Group B table with six points from two games, while Orissa are in fourth.Group AForm Guide

Tracking ESPNcricinfo’s players to watch this season
R Ashwin: Dismissed six Delhi batsmen to to complete a ten-wicket match haul, though Tamil Nadu got only one point from the match
Piyush Chawla: Took 2 for 31 in 23 overs as Orissa just about hung on for a draw
Ravindra Jadeja: Failed with the bat, but took five wickets in the second innings though he couldn’t prevent a Gujarat win
Jaidev Unadkat: Took two wickets but couldn’t force a Saurashtra win
Yuvraj Singh: Moved from 54 to 79 before being dismissed; couldn’t stop Punjab from losing outright
Virat Kohli: Flopped in the second innings, making seven
Abhinav Mukund: Helped himself to a half-century in a match heading for a draw

Gujarat scraped through to a two-wicket win against Saurashtra on a frantic final day at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat as both sides lost eight wickets each and play extended into the 90th over of the day. Saurashtra started day four in prime position at 60 for 2 with a 70-run first innings lead. Siddharth Trivedi, the Rajasthan Royals seamer, started the fightback for Gujarat bowling Shitanshu Kotak with the score on 70. Bhushan Chauhan and Ravindra Jadeja were then out on the same score and Saurashtra folded for 125 before lunch. Trivedi took 3 for 32 and legspinner Salil Yadav ran through Saurashtra’s tail to finish with 4 for 44. Chasing 196, Gujarat got off to a shaky start and at 68 for 4 all three results were still possible. An 82-run stand between Bhavik Thaker (42) and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel (42) put Gujarat on top before Ravindra Jadeja, who took 5 for 59 in the second innings, swung the game again getting Thaker and Patel out in quick succession. Pratharesh Parmar, a 22-year-old playing in only his second first-class match, held his nerve to take Gujarat through with an unbeaten 32 off 45 balls. Gujarat ended up with five points from a match that looked destined for a draw after there was no play on day one and are now top of Group A with eight points from two games. Saurashtra languish at the foot of the table with just one point.Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer once again displayed a cautious streak as he decided to not enforce the follow-on against Bengal on the final day at Eden Gardens despite having a 325-run first innings lead. Mumbai opted for some meaningless batting practice instead and reached 286 for 1 at the close of play, with Jaffer and Omkar Gaurav getting centuries. Mumbai move into third position in Group A with six points but it could well have been 10 as they were in dominant positions in both this match and their first game against Saurashtra. Mumbai’s bowlers had dismissed Bengal for 296 by the end of the third day, but with the opportunity to bowl another 90 overs at the opposition, they settled for the three points, resulting in a dull day on which Jaffer’s personal tally of first-class centuries increased to 42. It was his third century in four innings in the tournament.R Ashwin celebrated being given a BCCI contract two days ago with his third 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket, taking 6 for 87 for Tamil Nadu in Delhi’s second innings, but it was Delhi that took three points at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai thanks to their first innings lead. As he did on the second day, Ashwin took an early wicket on day four and soon had two more reducing Delhi from their overnight score of 122 for 2 to 147 for 5. Delhi continued to slide and declared at 209 for 9 setting Tamil Nadu a target of 320 in about two sessions. Opener Abhinav Mukund scored 59 as Tamil Nadu reached 143 for 3 at stumps. The three points take Delhi to fourth position in Group A, while Tamil Nadu move down to second.Only 15 overs were possible on what could have been an interesting final day between Railways and Assam at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Chasing 176, Railways openers M Suresh and V Cheluvaraj had batted just seven overs before the match was called off due to bad light. Assam picked up three points thanks to a five-run first-innings lead and are in sixth place in Group A, one point above Railways who have two points from two games. After the day’s play one of Railways’ stalwarts, 33-year-old Kulamani Parida, announced his retirement ending a career spanning 15 seasons and 108 first-class matches. Parida had been called for throwing in the one over he bowled on Friday. After his action was put under the scanner during last year’s Ranji season, Parida had announced that if he was called for throwing in this match it would be his last.

Group A

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Gujarat 2 1 0 0 10 8 1.219 766/28 853/38 Tamil Nadu 2 1 0 01 0 6 1.256 820/25 992/38Mumbai 2 0 00 2 0 6 2.528 1694/20670/20 Delhi 2 00 0 2 0 4 1.000986/28 916/26 Bengal 20 0 0 2 0 40.521 861/23 1366/19 Assam 2 0 1 0 1 03 0.673 822/40 672/22 Railways 2 0 0 0 20 2 0.975 670/28 736/30 Saurashtra 2 0 1 01 0 1 0.626 760/30 1174/29

Group B

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Baroda 2 1 0 01 0 7 1.509 1032/26 789/30Uttar Pradesh 2 0 00 2 0 6 1.265 765/201058/35 Karnataka 1 10 0 0 0 5 1.670566/12 565/20 Orissa 20 0 0 2 0 40.714 768/29 965/26 Haryana 2 0 1 0 1 03 0.746 1002/35 844/22 Himachal Pradesh 1 0 0 0 10 1 0.827 374/12 565/15 Punjab 2 0 1 01 0 1 0.795 1207/36 928/22

Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Martin, Jason Holder, Jonathan Carter and Kirk Edwards are the uncapped players named in West Indies’ preliminary 30-man squad for 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2010Legspinners Devendra Bishoo and Anthony Martin, fast bowler Jason Holder, and batsmen Jonathan Carter and Kirk Edwards are the uncapped players named in West Indies’ preliminary 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup.The list also included former captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, both of whom were excluded from the recent tour of Sri Lanka. Fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, who have just begun their comeback from long-term injuries, were not included. Brendan Nash is the only player on a WICB central retainer contract left out of the mix.The squad will be trimmed by half for the tournament, which starts on February 19 in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.Squad: Lionel Baker, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh Jr, Sulieman Benn, Dave Bernard Jr, Tino Best, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Jason Holder, Anthony Martin, Nikita Miller, Nelon Pascal, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Devon Thomas.

West Ham faces a centre back crisis ahead of their next Premier League match against Arsenal, with Craig Dawson suspended and Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna injured.

This could leave a door ajar for a young prospect in the Hammers academy to make the step up and give David Moyes a selection headache.

The onus could fall on Aji Alese but another such player is Levi Laing, the 19-year-old centre back who has featured for the West Ham U23 squad ten times in the Premier League 2 as well as making an appearance in the EFL Trophy in September.

The defender signed his first professional contract back in July 2021 and this runs until 2023, with the option of an extra year. His U23 coach Dmitri Halajko stated: “The progress that he’s made in such a short period of time has been really positive”. The future looks bright for the youngster.

This wasn’t the only praise exuded by admirers, with Mark Robson explaining that Laing was “outstanding” following a performance against Exeter in a 3-0 win for the U23s.

West Ham have been fantastic this season, but with so many games played in Europe and domestically, there is injuries at the heart of the defence, and with Dawson suspended for the next Premier League match, Moyes should have no clams about putting Laing in the mix.

Ogbonna is fast approaching 34 and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, plus his injury woes, there is absolutely no reason why the young Englishman can’t be the long-term heir to the towering centreback in the near future.

Both players are over 6 foot 1 and have a commanding presence in the air. With Ogbonna and Laing sharing traits such as height and the way they play, then it could be an effortless change.

Moyes could end up saving the club millions in the transfer market too, despite European success bringing in added revenue, the future could look bright for the Hammers.

AND in other news, Sources: West Ham eye swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o, he’s “similar to Eden Hazard

Newcastle United journalist Scott Wilson has been left thrilled by what he has now heard ahead of their game at home to Liverpool in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: ‘Getting closer’

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Eddie Howe has revealed (via The Northern Echo) that both Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson are ‘getting closer’ to a return from injury, with the former having started training again.

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Wilson is ‘not quite there yet’, although he should start training with the rest of the squad soon enough, and both players are expected to play some part before the campaign concludes.

The Latest: Wilson reacts

Taking to Twitter, Wilson was thrilled by the injury news on both players, claiming that they were ‘positive noises’:

“Positive noises on Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson being able to return for #NUFC this season. Trippier made a brief return to first-team training with the rest of the squad this week…”

The Verdict: Big boost

Despite not being ready to face title-chasing Liverpool, the fact that the pair seem to be edging closer to a return is no doubt a big boost not just for this season, but next as well.

Trippier currently ranks as their best performer in the top flight so far this campaign, while Wilson remains their top scorer with six goals, despite his spell out through injury (WhoScored).

The St. James’ Park faithful have all but guaranteed their safety now, meaning that they can concentrate on next term, starting with the summer transfer window.

They will hope that both players can get games under their belt in the run-up to pre-season, so that when new players start to get integrated in, the club will be best prepared for the new term.

In other news, find out which ‘top class’ star NUFC are now ‘expected’ to sign here!

The Redbacks have proven why they are the team to beat in this year’s Big Bash with a nine-wicket demolition of Tasmania in their top-of-the-table clash at Bellerive

The Bulletin by Alex Malcolm24-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dan Harris made light work of the modest target•Getty ImagesThe Redbacks have proven why they are the team to beat in this year’s Big Bash with a nine-wicket demolition of Tasmania in their top-of-the-table clash at Bellerive.South Australia dominated right from outset despite losing the toss and having to bowl first. Tasmania were, in reality, the architects of their own downfall, drowning in a flurry of rash strokes to be all out for just 110 without even batting the 20 overs.Both openers gifted catches to infielders inside the first five overs while the captain George Bailey chopped on for just 1. Three soon became four when the dangerous Travis Birt, who looked to be flowing on 15, fell to a sensational one-handed catch by Aaron O’Brien at cover with the total on just 40.The innings was summed up when Rhett Lockyear was stumped after slipping over attempting to sweep and the Tigers never recovered.The spin bowlers of South Australia once again strangled their opponents, with find-of-the-summer Nathan Lyon netting 3 for 14 from four high quality overs, to take Man-of-the match honours. Originally from the ACT, Lyon was plucked from the ground-staff at the Adelaide Oval to play in a Redbacks trial game. The off spinner is now the leading wicket-taker in this year’s Big Bash. English-import Adil Rashid also took 3 for 20 after opening the bowling. He has been a handy acquisition who has fitted into the Redbacks’ game-plan perfectly.The runchase was clinical despite the loss of skipper Michael Klinger to a peach from Ben Hilfenhaus. The Test bowler found some swing in the opening over, squaring-up Klinger with a late moving outswinger, from a good length, which scratched the outside edge.But apart from that success Tasmania had little else to smile about as Dan Harris (66 not out) continued his great form to race to the target inside 12 overs with the help of Kieron Pollard’s replacement, Aiden Blizzard (36 not out). Harris was clinical striking seven boundaries and three sixes, including one off James Faulkner to seal the win.Again the Tigers didn’t help their cause by dropping Blizzard twice and Harris once in consecutive overs to confirm their fate.South Australia are now top of table with their fourth straight victory. They can host the final and book another trip to the Champions League with a win on Friday night against the struggling Bushrangers. Tasmania will need to recoup quickly as they host Western Australia on Thursday.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has predicted a mass squad overhaul at Newcastle United in the upcoming summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: A new era awaits at Newcastle

Following the completion of the protracted takeover in 2021, newly-appointed Toon manager Eddie Howe was able to sign Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Chris Wood during the January transfer window.

Those arrivals meant that previously regular first-teamers Jamal Lewis, Ciaran Clark and Isaac Hayden were all left out of the Premier League squad for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Since then, the Magpies have moved clear of the threat of relegation and can already begin planning for life in the top flight next term, as Howe himself predicted that ‘difficult decisions’ regarding the squad lie ahead.

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Those plans could well include a mass exodus, according to one onlooker…

The latest: Campbell predicts multiple departures

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell – who works for talkSPORT as a pundit – has suggested that Howe will oversee plenty of changes to his Newcastle squad this summer.

The 52-year-old former Arsenal striker explained: “They have got to clear the decks. They might have to play some players off. That is the other thing that has to be considered.

“We saw Arsenal do it in order to create room in their squad for new signings. Players are on such good contracts now. Clubs have to pay players off in some cases.

“Newcastle will have a plan of what they want to do. I’m sure they have a deep budget. Adding quality to that squad is the order of the day. I don’t think it matters what department. They will be big, big movers and shakers this summer.”

The verdict: Exciting times

Following on from the euphoria of the eagerly anticipated takeover, the Newcastle faithful will have been delighted with the upturn in fortunes under Howe.

However, the recent defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester City have served as a reality check as to just how far away the Magpies are from challenging in the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Similar smart recruitment akin to what was an impressive January window would suffice for the Toon, whilst the likes of Lewis, Clark and Hayden in particular could be fearing for their futures at St James’ Park as the new-look hierarchy make their intentions known.

Beyond that outcast trio, the likes of lesser-seen players such as Federico Fernandez, Paul Dummett, Jeff Hendrick and Dwight Gayle (just 22 combined Newcastle appearances this season) might all be fearing for their roles in Howe’s plans, should Campbell be on the money with his prediction.

In other news, talkSPORT man admits ‘concern’ over Newcastle star

Ramnaresh Sarwan made a composed hundred, and Andre Russell and Kemar Roach combined to take seven wickets, to give the West Indies a 61-win over Kenya

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2011
ScorecardRamnaresh Sarwan rescued West Indies from a poor start•Getty ImagesRamnaresh Sarwan made a composed hundred, and Andre Russell and Kemar Roach combined to take seven wickets, to give the West Indies a 61-win over Kenya in their World Cup warm-up match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.Sarwan was not selected for the original tour of Sri Lanka last year because of concerns about his fitness, before being named in the World Cup squad, but this innings should put to rest any lingering doubts about his readiness for international cricket. Sarwan came to the crease with the West Indies in a spot of bother at 32 for 2, with Thomas Odoyo having removed openers Devon Smith and Adrian Barath inside the first 10 overs. Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul followed their team-mates back to the pavilion with only 65 on the board, but Dwayne Bravo stuck around long enough to make a half-century, and together with Sarwan added 94 for the fifth wicket to steady the innings.Bravo eventually fell to Steve Tikolo for 54, but Sarwan batted through the 50-overs – he was run-out off the last ball of the innings – to make 123, and take West Indies to a defendable total. Sarwan struck 11 fours and five sixes in his 125-ball knock.Kenya began confidently with opener Seren Waters making 43 and Collins Obuya 68, but they were always behind the required run-rate, and when Darren Sammy bowled Tikolo for 15, it sparked a middle order collapse. Roach bowled Obuya and trapped Maurice Ouma leg before, before Russell polished off the tail to make sure there would be no repeat of Kenya’s famous victory in the 1996 World Cup.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs hoping to snap him up on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Eddie Howe is plotting a swoop for the striker but will need to fight off interest from Brighton, West Ham and Crystal Palace, among others.

The striker is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt at present.

Huge upgrade on Chris Wood

PIF must ensure that they can work with Howe to get this deal over the line as Nketiah would be a huge upgrade on Wood at the top end of the pitch.

Newcastle brought the New Zealand international in from Burnley during the January transfer window and he has struggled to live up to his £25m value.

Since arriving on Tyneside, he has found the back of the net twice in 16 appearances – once from open play – for the Magpies. He has scored five goals in 33 games for the Clarets and the Toon combined this term – missing nine ‘big chances’ and amassing 8.22 Expected Goals along the way.

Nketiah, meanwhile, has started five Premier League matches for the Gunners and produced four goals and one assist from 4.26 xG. This shows that he is finishing off the chances he is being provided with instead of wasting them, as Wood has been doing throughout the season.

Former Magpies forward Michael Owen previously lavished praise on the Englishman, saying: “He’s very good. He’s got a real smell for it, hasn’t he? He knows where the ball’s going to drop. I like his movement. I like his hunger to score goals. With his attitude, the way he plays, he’s just going to be a goal machine all his career.”

He also excelled in the EFL Cup as he scored five times in four starts in the competition earlier in the season for the Gunners. This means that he has scored nine goals in nine starts for Arsenal in the League Cup and Premier League combined, living up to Owen’s comments on his goalscoring prowess.

Nketiah is also eight years younger than Wood and this means that he has the potential to improve and develop over time. He is already proving himself to be a better striker than the former Burnley man, so imagine how good he can be after a couple of seasons working with Howe.

The £17k-per-week England U21 international would be a major upgrade on the 30-year-old dud and Newcastle must work hard to get this deal done.

AND in other news, “Sources have confirmed”: Edwards drops huge Newcastle claim that’ll excite supporters…

Two sparkling centuries lit up Eden Gardens, Ryan ten Doeschate propping Netherlands up with his second ton of the tournament and Paul Stirling launching Ireland’s pursuit of 306 with a 72-ball 101 in a six-wicket win

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill18-Mar-2011
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Paul Stirling blitzes one to the boundary during his match-winning hundred•Getty ImagesTwo sparkling centuries lit up Ireland’s clash with Netherlands at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Ryan ten Doeschate propping Netherlands up with his second ton of the tournament and Paul Stirling then launching Ireland’s pursuit of 306 with a blazing, 72-ball 101. Ireland’s disciplined bowling and far superior fielding proved the difference between the two sides, and they eventually triumphed by six wickets with more than two overs to spare after a far closer finish had appeared possible.Apart from one lapse in the first over, Ireland had barely fumbled while restricting Netherlands on a benign, batting-friendly surface and closed out the innings in bizarre circumstances with four run-outs in four balls. Netherlands were nowhere near as tight in comparison, putting down three clear chances and failing to keep the pressure on in the field, their lapses repeatedly allowing Ireland to stay ahead of the game.Netherlands should have had a breakthrough as early as the third over, but Adeel Raja put down a top edge off William Porterfield’s bat at third man and Ireland were soon rocketing along at eight an over. Stirling provided the main impetus in that regard, swinging from the hip from the very start of his knock, as the first ball he faced was answered with a wild hook and a top edge that sailed straight over the wicketkeeper for six. He barely slowed down thereafter, hitting very little straight down the ground but repeatedly puncturing the field on both sides of the wicket.He plundered 19 from Bernard Loots’ second over, including a second six over deep midwicket, and shortly after brought up a 25-ball half century, the second fastest in the tournament. Porterfield was rather more circumspect but had no problems putting the bad ball away, and after 68 out of 81 runs came in boundaries in the first 10 overs Netherlands were forced to postpone their use of the bowling Powerplay simply to try and slow Ireland down.With Pieter Seelaar and ten Doeschate, Netherlands’ two most accomplished bowlers, operating in tandem, the tactic temporarily worked but when the bowling Powerplay was eventually taken in the 19th over, and the batsmen attempted to pick up the tempo once again, Netherlands put down two chances in as many overs to lose further ground.Porterfield eased past fifty in the 20th over but by then Stirling already had a hundred in his sights. Their partnership stretched to 177, a new Irish record for the opening stand in ODIs, before, in a three-ball flurry of excitement, Porterfield fell to a catch behind and Stirling brought up his century but then thumped the next ball – a long-hop – straight to the fielder on the deep-midwicket boundary. Their departures opened a window of opportunity for Netherlands but Ireland’s chase barely missed a step, with each successive batsman making a contribution and the brothers O’Brien closing out the game with an unbroken 28-run partnership at close to nine an over.While lacklustre bowling and fielding let Netherlands down, the ascendancy had swung between the two teams before lunch and Netherlands had gained in an attacking stand between ten Doeschate and captain Peter Borren. The Ireland bowlers had few answers against the pair and were hampered by an injury to young left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who appeared to dislocate his shoulder as he dived to stop the ball and had to immediately leave the field.Smart Stats

The target of 307 is the second-highest successfully chased score in ODIs in Kolkata. The highest is 316 by India against Sri Lanka in 2009.

Ryan ten Doeschate’s century is his second of the tournament and he becomes the third player after AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar to score two centuries in the 2011 World Cup.

ten Doeschate has now scored five centuries and nine fifties in ODIs. Among batsmen who have scored over 1500 runs in ODIs, his average of 67.00 is the highest.

The 121-run stand between ten Doeschate and Peter Borren is the highest for the fifth wicket for Netherlands in ODIs.

Paul Stirling scored a century off just 70 balls, which is the fourth fastest in World Cups and the second fastest for an Irish batsman in World Cups. Stirling’s strike rate of 140.27 is the second highest for an Irish batsman for a score over 100 in ODIs

The 177-run stand between William Porterfield and Stirling is the third-highest opening-wicket partnership in the 2011 World Cup and the highest for Ireland in ODIs.

The 81 runs scored by Ireland in the mandatory Powerplay is their highest score in the first ten overs of an innings in the tournament.

In his absence, ten Doeschate and Borren added 121 for the fifth wicket, by far the largest stand of the innings, in quick time on a pitch that looked increasingly good for batting after the early-morning moisture had been scorched from the surface. ten Doeschate had also been involved in two other important partnerships after Netherlands lost two early wickets and then suffered a further casualty when Wesley Barresi was forced to leave the field in just the second over after being hit on the back of the head by a return throw from Kevin O’Brien.ten Doeschate kick-started his innings by adding 41 with Alexei Kervezee, who struggled to deal with the early bounce and movement and eventually gave his wicket away softly, pushing a length delivery from John Mooney straight into the hands of Kevin O’Brien. That dismissal brought Barresi back to the crease, and he immediately set about the Irish bowling. He raced into the 40s before he was pinned in front of his stumps, but Dockrell’s injury noticeably dampened Ireland’s mood and ten Doeschate and Borren quickly seized the initiative once again.ten Doeschate raised his fifty in the 27th over and with the field set back in defence, the partnership developed with plenty of running between the wickets before he opened up as he closed in on a century. Borren raced to a 56-ball half-century in the 38th over and ten Doeschate went to his own landmark soon after in the midst of another expensive over from Boyd Rankin. He celebrated by heaving Stirling over wide long-on but fell trying to repeat the shot next ball, caught at long-off by Mooney.Borren and wicketkeeper Atse Buurman didn’t allow the pitch to slow Netherlands’ momentum and continued to find the boundary – though more than once it was courtesy of outside edges and slashes past third man but the innings ended in farcical circumstances when Netherlands lost four wickets in four balls – all run out – to be bowled out for 306. That still might have been a match-winning total, but ultimately Ireland showed the value of their greater professionalism and the enhanced self-belief that has come from their positive performances in this tournament.Match Timeline

Allrounder Farveez Maharoof and wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva have been called up to provide cover for the players who will miss the start of the England tour due to the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2011Sri Lanka have called up allrounder Farveez Maharoof and wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva to provide cover for the players who will miss the start of the England tour due to the IPL. Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed captain Tillakaratne Dilshan will be in England by May 11, but five members of the Sri Lanka squad will stay in India and are expected to arrive in time to play against England Lions, at Derby, from May 19.Malintha Warnapura, the opening batsman, who was set to cover for Dilshan had he stayed at the IPL, has been withdrawn along with stand-by fast bowler Saminda Eranga. The latter was to be a replacement for fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep but it appears likely Pradeep will travel to England early instead of remaining with Royal Challengers Bangalore where he has yet to play a match for the franchiseHowever, with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dilhara Fernando, Thisara Perera and Suraj Randiv not available for the Middlesex match the selectors have drafted in reinforcements.Maharoof is currently playing county cricket with Lancashire where he has made an impressive start to the season with a hundred on his debut against Somerset at Liverpool. However, the fixture list could have worked in Lancashire’s favour with them not in Championship action the week Maharoof will be needed by Sri Lanka and he may only miss one CB40 match against Somerset. He hasn’t played Test cricket since 2007.Silva, 24, is uncapped but has an impressive first-class average of 45 and will provide wicketkeeping cover for Prasanna Jayawardene.