New Zealand lose openers in pursuit of 494

Tea New Zealand 234 and 78 for 2 (Flynn 22*, Taylor 20*) need another 416 runs to beat Sri Lanka 416 and 311 for 5 decl (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96)

Having set New Zealand 494 to win or, more realistically, over four-and-a-half sessions to bat out a draw, Sri Lanka dutifully nipped out two wickets before tea. Kumar Sangakkara was perhaps a bit generous on New Zealand, holding back Rangana Herath until the 15th over, for his introduction aborted another stop-start innings from Martin Guptill. With Muttiah Muralitharan turning his arm over shortly before tea on a pitch starting to show signs of wear, and Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn showing an eagerness to cut, a tense final session is in store.

Dammika Prasad, who wasn’t at his best in the first innings, maintained a tight line this time. Thrown the new ball after one over of spin from Tharanga Paranavitana, his six overs went for just 16 and he snapped an obdurate 48-minute opening stand, knocking over offstump after Tim McIntosh’s fatal decision to shoulder arms. Thilan Thushara got some late movement to test Flynn but it was Herath’s entry that drew a second wicket. Coming over the stumps he spun the first ball and Prasanna Jayawardene made no mistake with Guptill’s loose prod. Taylor and Flynn counter-attacked briefly, sweeping, cutting and slogging spin for fours, but remained under pressure.

New Zealand’s almost hopeless position owed significantly to another morning of remorseless accumulation, when Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene further deflated their spirits. Sangakkara put in his first century of the series, and sixth at the SSC, extending his stand for the third wicket with his good mate to 173. Sangakkara’s lack of runs in Galle had hardly told on Sri Lanka because of Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera. But rarely does a home series roll by when Sangakkara doesn’t score a century, and today he duly weighed in. Having done the hard work yesterday, he ticked along today.

It was an innings that sported an array of strokes – a full-throttle swivel-pull off Daniel Vettori; three scorching drives off Jesse Ryder, completing his follow-through while on his knees, bat flourishing and a straight drive off Iain O’Brien. Typically, the drives off the front foot were methodical. In fact, that flowing bent-knee drive past cover has become as customary for Sangakkara as the nudge of the hips for one. Sangakkara was cheered though the nineties by local fans and when he forced Jeetan Patel off back foot to deep cover, after just over three-and-a-half hours at the crease, he punched the air as the crowd clapped in delight.

There was another large innings panning out at the other end as well. Jayawardene was again in his element on a pitch and against an attack which would have reminded him of his Premier League days. He skipped down and lofted Patel for six on the third ball of the day and repeated the shot off Vettori for four, then settled as he eased past fifty. Though he hit a number of trademark drives off the seam bowlers, front foot right to the pitch and head low as he caressed the ball through the covers, Jayawardene was overall cautious.

To the spinners, on a wearing track, Jayawardene’s preferred shots were off the back foot, going right back to hit the ball on top of the bounce either behind point or to square leg. He played several such shots off Vettori and Patel. There were a few wristy flicks and delicate dabs from a man who has averaged 79. 58 with 2467 runs in his 22 Tests at the SSC.

Sangakkara advanced and edged Patel to slip for 109 – with Sri Lanka’s lead on 444 – to bring Samaraweera to the middle. Sri Lanka had pushed back the declaration before lunch to allow Jayawardene reach his tenth Test ton at the SSC but it wasn’t to be. After the break, O’Brien, for the second time in the match, dismissed Jayawardene in the nineties. The new ball was taken shortly after lunch and Vettori swiftly dismissed Samaraweera lbw for 25, then looked on as Taylor spilled a catch off Chamara Kapugedera. But a few moments later a far more significant catch was taken by Taylor at slip, as Jayawardene stabbed at O’Brien.

BCCI didn’t want Test championship: Hunte

The West Indies board president, Julian Hunte, has revealed that the Indian board shot down a proposal by the ICC to organize the Test cricket timetable around a four-year Test match championship.

According to a report in the website cricinfo, Hunte’s statement was made in his report at the annual general meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board this month.

“Initially, the ICC attempted to change the structure of the FTP beginning from 2012 in which international cricket would have more content and would play more as a Super League with a 4-year structure resulting in a World Cricket Championship [but this] failed when the BCCI rejected that proposal,” Hunte said. “This meant a return to the old practice of full members agreeing to a schedule of tours, which in effect places the power in the hands of the four biggest commercially valued members.”

Although Hunte did not mention specifically who the four members were, it is common knowledge that the countries that dominate commercially are India, Australia, England and South Africa.

India would suffer from a championship model, wherein the TV revenues would be shared from a common pool, since the BCCI earns a huge revenue from its TV rights. Therefore, the existing model – where tours are bilaterally agreed on – suits them best.

The risk with this model though, is that the bottom rung countries would tend to get marginalized.

The post-2012 FTP is currently being finalized by the ICC, and Hunte said that the WICB “will seek to ensure that it is not disadvantaged” in the new schedule.

In another section of the report, Hunte said that some ICC full members are suspicious of the motives of private promoters in the game, referring to the IPL.

He listed a set of concerns related to the rise of Twenty20 cricket but also admitted that players have “embraced” the IPL.

“The emergence of private promoters in cricket has been much debated and some Full Member countries retain their inherent suspicion of the real objectives of such promoters. The ICC has drawn the line in relation to other leagues such the as ICL, which are not recognized by their home boards. Conversely, decision-making at the ICC affecting the IPL is often seemingly under the influence of some Full Members. The WICB remains convinced that Full Members should in some way benefit financially from the IPL and expect to see a general tightening up with respect to the issuance of Non-Objection Certificates. With many challenges to be faced and overcome, the future of world cricket is now at the crossroads and much depends on the decisions which will have to be taken by ICC in the near future.”

Although the report is meant to be on West Indies cricket, Hunte has raised the issue of the IPL, because it was among the issues that led to the players’ boycott in the West Indies, when certain players such as Chris Gayle were open in their desire to be a part of the IPL and not the hastily arranged tour to England.

The IPL has since then said that all players, including those who have retired and those not on central contracts with their national boards, need to get a two-year NOC from their boards to be eligible for the IPL.

Space shuttle Discovery blasts off

Space shuttle Discovery on Saturday blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre, making its way to the international space station.

The shuttle carrying seven astronauts blasted off seconds before midnight on Friday. It’;s on a 13-day mission to the international space station.

Discovery is hauling up a full load of space station supplies, including a treadmill named for Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert.

The shuttle should reach the space station Sunday night.

Pokhran Issue is Needless : ManMohan Singh

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the recent controversy over the 1998 Pokhran tests was “needless” and that former president A.P.J Abdul Kalam has clarified that the explosions were successful.

“A wrong impression has been given by some scientists which is needless. Kalam has clarified that the tests were successful,” Singh told reporters in Ramsar.

He was asked about the bombshell dropped by a former DRDO scientist K Santhanam that the Pokhran-II was not a full success.

Santhanam, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) representative for the tests, had claimed that the thermonuclear or hydrogen bomb was of low yield and not the one that would meet the country’s strategic objectives. He said India needed to conduct more atomic tests and should not sign CTBT.

But Kalam, who was the Director General of the DRDO during Pokhran-II, maintained that from the data obtained by seismic and radioactive measurements it had been established by the project team that the “design yield of the thermo-nuclear test has been obtained.”

R Chidambaram, who was the Chairman of the Department of Atomic Energy in 1998, also dubbed the suggestion as “absurd”.

Raje call for to Delhi again

As the BJP’s deadline for Vasundhara Raje to step down as the Opposition Leader lapses on Friday, she has hinted yet again that she was unwilling to abide by the party leadership order.

The former Rajasthan chief minister on Friday said that she was not going to Delhi. She also refused to talk about her resignation. “We are like one family and any problem that arises between us must be resolved by talks. It would be a joke if I say there is no problem at the moment,” Raje said in Jaipur.

Though there has been no commitment yet from Raje on stepping down from the post, the state BJP leadership maintained that it would be “official” soon.

Even on Thursday, there were no indications that Raje would fall in line with the party leadership’s orders to step down.

The former chief minister, who has primarily been blamed for the party’s loss in the state in Lok Sabha polls, chose to be a part of a dharna by party MLAs demanding the restoration of three suspended MLAs. These MLAs have been steadfast in supporting Raje and have paid the price.

Raje summoned
In a bid to defuse the crisis in BJP over Vasundhara Raje’s continuance as Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, the party’s central
leadership has summoned her to the capital on August 31 to meet senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu.

Sources close to Raje said she will meet Naidu on Monday to discuss the future course of action. Earlier, the party high command had given her time to put in her papers till August 30 when the short session of the state assembly ends.

Naidu has been appointed as the pointsman by the High Command to defuse the crisis in the Rajasthan unit of the party.

Holding Raje responsible for the party’s poor performance in the state assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had asked her to step down as Leader of Opposition.

However, she has put forth three demands before she acceded to the party’s decision. She wants her successor as Leader of Opposition to be of her choice, revocation of the suspension order against two of her supporters and a post for herself in Delhi.

Pokhran-II Achieved 100 Per Cent Results: Kakodkar

Dismissing a top nuclear scientist’s contention that Pokharan II was not a complete success, Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar on Friday said the tests in 1998 achieved ‘100 per cent desired results’.

Speaking at a function organised by the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology in Indore, Kakodkar said, “Pokhran II tests were a complete success and they achieved 100 per cent desired results.”

On Wednesday, Defence Research and Development Organisation representative for Pokhran II K Santhanam had said that India should not sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty as the country needed to carry out more tests, since the thermonuclear tests in 1998 had failed to produce the desired results.

Bipasha Was Nicknamed ”Lady Goonda” As A Child

Nicknamed ”Lady Goonda” by her peer group during her school days in Kolkata, actress Bipasha Basu says she used to beat everyone around trying to act smart with her. “I used to keep a stick in my hand and straighten all the colony boys if they acted smart.

I used to be very short as a child and I was the monitor in school. When the tall boys would be upto mischief, I”d jump on their back during breaks and pull their hair and beat them up,” the Bollywood star revealed.

In her earlier days in Mumbai, Bipasha used to keep a hammer in her purse to protect herself from all danger, the Bollywood actress told director-turned-television host Farah Khan on Star Plus” new chat show ”Tere Mere Beech Mein”, to be broadcast this Sunday. “I used to carry a huge bag.

In it was a pillow and a hammer. After late night rehearsals and fashion shows, I would tell the taxi driver to drop me at my paying guest accommodation at Bandra.

“I”m geographically challenged.

I don”t have a very good road sense so I”d get into the cab, take out my pillow and go to sleep,” the 30-year-old actress said while adding that she never got a chance to use the hammer.

Rs 10.99 crore used up on swine flu sample testing

NEW DELHI: The Centre has spent a whopping Rs 10.99 crore in testing suspected swine flu cases across the country since May.

“For the samples that tested negative, the expenditure incurred is Rs 5,000 each and those that are detected positive the amount spent is Rs 10,000 for each sample,” Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research Vishwa Mohan Katoch said.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a total of 18,584 samples have been tested across different government labs in the country till yesterday. Of these 3,396 have tested positive for swine flu and 15,188 tested negative for the virus.

A simple arithmetic calculation reveals that a total of Rs 10,99,00,000 has been spent till now on testing purposes only.

“The expenditure involves the cost of the collection kit, the cost of extraction of the virus and the cost of real-time PCR to test for presence of influenza virus,” an NICD official said.

National Institute of Communicable Diseases in Delhi, National Institute of Cholera & Other Enteric Diseases in Kolkata, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, National Institute of Virology, Pune, Vector Control and Research Centre in Punducherry, Centre for Research in Medical Entomology at Madurai and Defence Research Development Establishment in Gwalior are the government agencies involved in conducting sample testing.

Central Govt to allow retail sale of Tamiflu

The government has absitively to acquiesce retail auction of Tamiflu, an antiviral biologic that slows the advance of non-resistant strains of the affliction virus amid beef in the body.

Tamiflu is the alone biologic that has been able accommodate aegis adjoin the baleful barbarian flu.

The notification for retail auction of Tamiflu will be advancing in a few canicule from now. Six companies accept been accepted licence for authoritative and distributing of Tamiflu.

Pietersen makes all-time England XI

Kevin Pietersen is the alone amateur from about the accomplished two decades to accomplish it into the best England XI called by Cricinfo, with Ian Botham the abutting most-recent brilliant to accomplish the cut.

Pietersen’s selection, by a console of acclaimed candid writers, journalists and commentators, confirms the appulse he has had on the bold back he fabricated his Test admission in 2005, but there are no places for anyone abroad who contributed to England’s Ashes victories in 2005 and 2009.

The aperture positions are taken by Jack Hobbs and Len Hutton, two of the accurate legends of the game, and they are followed by Walter Hammond at No. 3 and Ken Barrington at No. 4. Pietersen, who is still in the aboriginal allotment of his career but is already recognised as a match-changing batsman, alone aloof fabricated it to final XI, assault off able antagonism from Denis Compton, who captured the hearts and the minds of English admirers in the post-war years.

Andrew Flintoff and Tony Greig both fabricated it to the shortlist for allrounders, but Botham won that challenge easily down. “A accurate century-maker, clashing Andrew Flintoff, and able of bowling either fast like Harold Larwood, or outswing like Fred Trueman,” Scyld Berry, the editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, wrote about Botham. “Hammond at aboriginal blooper and Botham at additional would accomplish a appalling award beside Alan Knott.”

Knott was the accepted best as the wicketkeeper. Sydney Barnes and Harold Larwood won the arch fast bowler’s positions by an cutting majority, but it was a afterpiece challenge for Fred Trueman who had annealed antagonism from Frank Tyson. Bob Willis was the alone avant-garde fast bowler who came abutting to selection.

The sole spinner’s position went to Derek Underwood, who exhausted Jim Laker by a distinct vote.

Last ages Cricinfo produced a absolute best abundant Australia team, which didn’t accommodate any associates of the accepted Australian line-up. Over the advancing year, the website will about-face its eye to all of the top Test-playing nations and annular off the deliberations with an best World XI.

For added capacity bang here.

The nominees

Openers

Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Herbert Sutcliffe, Mike Brearley, Geoff Boycott, Graham Gooch, Mike Atherton, Michael Vaughan

Middle order

Wally Hammond, Ken Barrington, Kevin Pietersen, Colin Cowdrey, Peter May, David Gower, Stanley Jackson, Frank Woolley, Ted Dexter, Denis Compton

Allrounders

Ian Botham, Tony Greig, Andrew Flintoff

Wicketkeepers

Alan Knott, Bob Taylor, Les Ames, Jack Russell, Alec Stewart

Fast bowlers

Sydney Barnes, Harold Larwood, Fred Trueman, Bob Willis, Alec Bedser, Frank Tyson, John Snow, Darren Gough, Brian Statham

Spinners

Hedley Verity, Wilfred Rhodes, Jim Laker, Derek Underwood

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