De Villiers blitz downs Sunrisers

Royal Challengers Bangalore 158 for 6 (de Villiers 89*, Karn Sharma 3-17) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 155 for 6 (Warner 61, Dhawan 37) by four wickets
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Royal Challengers Bangalore possess the most power-packed batting line-up in the IPL. They hadn't fired in the UAE leg of the tournament, but now they were back in their natural habitat at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, home to one of the best batting decks and some of the shortest boundaries in the world. At the toss Virat Kohli said his team knew the venue intimately, and he backed his batsmen to chase any target.

On Sunday, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they had to chase 156. No team chasing 156 or less had ever lost here.

Royal Challengers came close to doing that. They lost Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli in the second over of their innings, and they lost Chris Gayle a little while after. Rilee Rossouw, sent in to bat at 6 for 2 on his IPL debut, was out after scoring 14 off 23. Yuvraj Singh then went for 14 off 16. Royal Challengers needed 61 from 34, and they were sinking.

But they still had AB de Villiers.

Read More

Kallis will be there in SL - Hudson

Andrew Hudson, South Africa's convener of selectors, said that Jacques Kallis will be a part of the squad for the ODIs against Sri Lanka in July. In an interview to an Indian newspaper, Hudson said the series could be an opportunity for Kallis to stake a claim for the 2015 World Cup squad, a goal the allrounder had expressed when he retired from Test cricket last year.

Kallis did not play an ODI between February 2012 and November 2013, but returned to the format in the home series against Pakistan and then India. He also committed to playing more games in the format to stay in the team's plans for the World Cup.

"Look, from a selector's perspective, Kallis isn't a certainty. We'd love to first see him perform and, then, come to the party. We've got around 25 ODIs between now and the World Cup, so there will be opportunities," Hudson told the Telegraph. "Kallis will be there [Sri Lanka]. After Sri Lanka, we'll be travelling to Zimbabwe."

Hudson also added: "Kallis is no ordinary cricketer and, whatever the format, he brings balance to the team. A batting all-rounder is rather unusual in today's game. He's in our scheme of things, but he'll have to prove that he's still good enough and that he actually wants to play at the international level."

South Africa's tour of Sri Lanka comprises three ODIs and two Tests, apart from a practice game, and will also be the first assignment for the side's new Test captain, after Graeme Smith's retirement in March this year. Smith, who was appointed captain the age of 22, led in a record 109 of his 117 Tests and he chose to call time after the Newlands Test against Australia.

Hudson said the decision on the Test captaincy would likely be taken by Cricket South Africa after their board meeting on June 3, and the plan would be to appoint someone for a longer term.

"We haven't decided.The selectors will take inputs from the coach [Russell Domingo] before making a recommendation to the board," he said. "[The final decision] Will be that of the board. We'd like to have a captain for the next three-five years. We aren't looking at the next series only."

South Africa were recently displaced by Australia as the No. 1 Test side in the ICC rankings and will be aiming to reclaim that spot during the Sri Lanka tour. After Sri Lanka, South Africa will travel to Zimbabwe for one Test and three ODIs followed by a tri-series against the hosts and Australia. They are then scheduled to host West Indies between December 2014 and January 2015.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

Adapting to conditions key- Mathews

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews believes that adapting to English conditions as quickly as possible will be his team's biggest challenge in their upcoming tour of England and Ireland. Sri Lanka will kick-start their campaign with two ODIs in Dublin against Ireland, before moving to England for a one-off Twenty20 international, five ODIs, and two Tests.

"As a player the main thing is to adapt to the conditions," Mathews said. "We have been playing a lot of cricket in the subcontinent and playing in England will be a great challenge for all us especially adapting to the conditions early. In the early summer, conditions can be wet and the ball can seam and swing a little bit. If we can adjust to the conditions as soon as possible and play our brand of cricket we can beat any team.

"Playing against Ireland will be good for us. They are a very good team and we can't be complacent against them. They know their conditions well and adapting to their conditions will be our biggest challenge. Whatever team that plays there knows that Ireland is very good at home. We look forward to a really good challenge from them and I am sure the boys are ready for it."

Mathews also said that he expected England to come hard at his team following a disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia, where they were trounced 5-0. Even history is against Sri Lanka, who haven't won a Test in England since 2006, when they emerged victorious from the Nottingham Test by 134 runs to tie the three-match series 1-1. The team last toured England for a Test series in 2011, where a batting collapse in the second innings of the first Test in Cardiff handed the hosts a 1-0 victory.

"England as a team are very hard to beat at home," he said. "They know their conditions and they play their best cricket at home. It's going to be a very big challenge for all of us and we are looking forward to it."

For Mathews who has been on three previous tours to England but only played in ODIs, this will be his first Test tour to the country. Sri Lanka will be playing Tests at Lord's and in Leeds. Sri Lanka have not won a bilateral ODI series outside the subcontinent since November 2010 when they beat Australia 2-1.On their last tour to England, in 2011, they lost the five-match ODI series 2-3.

"Playing at Lord's will be a special moment for me as well as the team. If we can win the series it will be a great effort by the whole team," he said. "But we are not looking too far ahead, but taking it one game at a time. We are playing against Ireland and then hoping to take that momentum to the England series and try and win against them in the ODIs and in the Tests."

Mathews has been captain of Sri Lanka for seven Tests and the added responsibility only brought out the best in his batting. He averages 80 in those Tests, which include three fifties and a career-best 157 not out. In ODIs too he has an impressive record as captain, scoring 794 runs at 44.11 from 32 matches with a strike-rate of 83. Mathews, however, credited only his team-mates for his good form.

"I am slowly getting comfortable because the team is responding really well. They are giving me their 100 percent and we are like a family. We help each other and we enjoy each other's success. That's the main thing.

"It's a team effort and we done pretty well in the recent past. I talk to all the senior guys and get their advice but I do it in my own style with the help of so many people.

Winning the Asia Cup was a key moment for Mathews as captain, particularly because of the burden of expectations thrust on Sri Lanka's shoulders. Prior to their World T20 triumph in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had finished runners-up in four of the last six world events.

"It was one of the highlights of my career. That's a major trophy that I won with the help of the team," Mathews said. "We got pretty close in the past but we didn't win a major title before the Asia Cup. I am very happy the way we went about it. Winning the World T20 was also great achievement by the entire team."

To help Mathews achieve his goals, he has a new vice-captain, a new coach as well as a special consultant. Lahiru Thirimanne has taken over the role as Mathews' deputy from Dinesh Chandimal, and Marvan Atapattu has filled the void created by coach Paul Farbrace, who returned to England. Chris Adams, the former Surrey coach has been appointed to act as a consultant for the tour.

"Thiri is a great player and he has shown that in the past. He is one of those players who hasn't got the opportunity to bat at a permanent position for a long time and he has batted in various positions. If you take his record he has scored almost in every position. That shows the character of the player. He is a very cool and calm headed guy. I really look forward to him being my deputy and taking the team to attain greater heights.

"Marvan has played enough cricket and captained the country on so many occasions. He has sufficient experience as a coach. He was our batting coach and now he is turning up as head coach. He's shared his experience throughout and he's been great. I am pretty sure he will do a good job. It's about players responding to the challenge.

"We also hope to get the maximum out of Chris Adams. The thinking behind getting him was that he knows the English conditions and about the English team as well. We've done a little bit of analysing of the English team. We sort of know their players, but it's more about the conditions and how we use it properly. That was the main thinking behind appointing him."

Feeds: Sa'adi Thawfeeq

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

Eranga replaces Thisara for Ireland ODIs

Sri Lanka have called up fast bowler Shaminda Eranga to their squad for two ODIs against Ireland after Thisara Perera failed to get a visa approved in time. Thisara is expected to join up with Sri Lanka in England later in the month ahead of a T20 and five ODIs.

The Sri Lanka party arrived in Dublin on Saturday but Thisara did not travel with them, after experiencing a delay in getting a UK visa for the main part of the tour. The allrounder, who hit the winning runs in the World T20 final, was part of Kings XI Punjab squad at the IPL in Dubai and was unable to get his passport and documents processed.

Eranga is due to leave for Ireland on Sunday. He was not in the T20 squad for England and hasn't played a limited-overs international since last year but is a key member of Sri Lanka's Test attack.

Sri Lanka have rested five senior players - Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga and Tillakaratne Dilshan - for the ODIs against Ireland, which take place on Tuesday and Thursday next week.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

'Insular' England must reconnect with fans

Alastair Cook, England's Test and ODI captain, has conceded that the team became "insular" and failed to build up a reserve of public goodwill despite a lengthy period of success. After a 5-0 Ashes whitewashing brought an end to Andy Flower's time in charge amid criticism of the team's attitude and style of play, Cook and the new head coach, Peter Moores, are set to embark on a period of rebuilding England's reputation on and off the field.

England went to Australia in search of a fourth consecutive Ashes victory but ended up losing almost every game on tour, as well as several key players. The home side were backed up by feverish support, as Australia united behind Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann in their attempts to regain the urn, and Cook picked up on that strength, echoing comments made by Moores in suggesting that England's new regime would be a more open and accessible one.

"Australia connected with their public very well," he said. "Maybe we became very insular as a side - it worked very well at some points for us but when it wasn't going well we didn't have anything to fall back on. The guys in the dressing room are good people, they are nice guys. The public don't see that enough. Hopefully we can copy Australia a little bit in the way they did it.

"We are very lucky - they [England fans] do support us through thick and thin. Just judging on since I have been back they have been very supportive, disappointed about Australia like we all were but hopefully we can reward them for that support now."

Cook's captaincy, which began with an historic victory in India and included leading England to a 3-0 win over Australia last summer, has also been subject to much scrutiny. Having sat out England's limited-overs trip to the West Indies and not been involved in a disappointing World T20 campaign, he will resume control in an ODI against Scotland on Friday, before the visits of Sri Lanka and India.

He has previously described the changes in the England set-up as providing a "clean break", intimating that now is the time to build a team in his own image rather than continuing to work along the lines established by Flower and his predecessor, Andrew Strauss, but Cook rejected theories that Flower was too controlling.

"I do disagree. What is written and what actually happened is not always accurate," he said. "Anyone who knows me knows I have an opinion and can be quite stubborn. Flower can also be quite stubborn. You are out there in the middle and you have to make decisions as a captain. Just because you consult other people doesn't mean you can't make your own decisions. You still have to make that final decision and are responsible for it."

Although Flower remains with the ECB in a development role, England's power axis now centres on Cook and Moores. Cook played under Moores during his first spell as England coach and the two have been getting reacquainted in between the early rounds of the Championship.

Moores was sacked in 2009 after falling out with Kevin Pietersen, England's captain at the time, and his style was felt to be overly prescriptive by senior players who had experienced success under Duncan Fletcher. Cook said he felt Moores was "harshly treated" at the end of his reign and was confident that the 51-year-old would not make the same mistakes again.

"The meetings with Peter have gone well," Cook said. "It was about getting to know Peter again and hammering out what he thought my values were and me asking him what his were and getting some middle ground, which wasn't too hard.

"He learned from last time and he will do things slightly differently. Five years extra coaching gives you extra experience. We all do things slightly differently but he's an energetic and enthusiastic guy who loves cricket and England. We've got to use that enthusiasm and drive.

"It was going well until the fall out - he'd only been in the job 18 months before the fall out and things changed. When you have grown up in one regime as a senior player and then a new guy comes in, it is difficult - Moores and Duncan Fletcher are obviously completely different guys and have different ideas."

England have cast admiring glances at the work of Stuart Lancaster with the rugby union side and Cook reiterated that they would be looked to as a source of inspiration. "Lessons should be learned from England rugby - huge credit to Stuart Lancaster and the guys for the way they have managed to change things," he said. "I imagine it's taken a hell of a lot of effort and work. But I think just the way they have gone about their business shows how they've improved. Everyone can see the development in their side."

Following the embarrassing defeat to Netherlands at the World T20, England cannot afford to look beyond next week's ODI in Aberdeen. However, the news that Matt Prior will miss Sussex's match against Lancashire beginning on Sunday due to his ongoing Achilles problem is unlikely to have aided planning for next month's first Sri Lanka Test. Jonny Bairstow, who replaced Prior as wicketkeeper in Melbourne and Sydney, is fit after breaking a finger and was named in Yorkshire's squad to face Durham.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

Nair fashions Royals' clinical chase

Rajasthan Royals produced one of their better batting performances this season to keep pace with the two table leaders and no, the starring roles didn't feature Ajinkya Rahane or Shane Watson or Stuart Binny. Karun Nair, the Karnataka batsman who had scores of 8 and 1 in his previous two outings, was conservative to start with, but opened up in the second half of his innings to hit an unbeaten half-century to sink Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets.

There was one steadying hand from Sanju Samson to ensure the middling target was under control and a surprise promotion for Rajat Bhatia, but it was another young batsman, playing only his third game for the franchise, who reaffirmed Royals' narrative of being a moneyball outfit.

A chase of 153 had tested Royals two years ago at the same ground when they had fallen a run short, but there were no such surprises this time as Royals built a solid foundation to set up the launch. In that first half, Nair had almost remained invisible in the shadow of Samson's strokeplay. He was on 29 off the first 30 balls he faced despite hitting three crisp boundaries. Maybe it was the dismissal of Samson or maybe it was the need to be assertive in the company of Bhatia, who was sent to provide some thrust to the innings, Nair's second half was in complete contrast to the first. His next 20 deliveries produced 44 runs that included five fours and two sixes, the second of which could have done Watson proud for its disdain.

Watson joined Nair towards the end of the innings and hit a couple of sixes too, but his - or his team management's - decision of sending Bhatia ahead of better batsmen proved to be one of his more effective strokes. Bhatia can bat, but he has never played as high as No. 4 in the IPL. His cross-batted slogs were not the most pleasing to the eye, but just like his bowling, his stand of 44 runs in five overs with Nair quickly deflated Daredevils bowling, especially with the danger of Watson looming.

Unlike Royals, Daredevils batting had been a three-part story, all quite different from each other, but adding up in the end to a fighting total. After being asked to bat, Quinton de Kock and M Vijay were not really fussed by the frequent change of bowlers by Royals and added a confident 33 runs for the first wicket before Vijay was caught at mid-off. The fall of wicket or the distractions involving the square-leg umpire, who let Kevin Pietersen off the hook by not reviewing a run-out call, didn't affect de Kock's approach as he went about picking his boundaries at a regular pace.

Daredevils were 68 for 1 when Pravin Tambe removed both de Kock, who was out caught and bowled, and Pietersen, who holed out at long-on, in the same over to signal the start of a period of Royals dominance. Only 32 runs came in the next six overs and it took an enterprising effort from JP Duminy and Kedar Jadhav to lift Delhi out from that hole.

Jadhav may have been lucky to get his first six - a top edge off James Faulkner - but none of his later shots were mis-hits. He finished the innings with a flourish, hitting one of the biggest sixes of the match in the last over and was unbeaten on 28 off 14 balls. Duminy as usual had played his part too in helping Delhi add 58 off the last five overs. It gave their bowlers a chance, but on a pitch that was a far cry from some of the slower surfaces Delhi has dished out in the past, it was always going to be a tough one to defend.

Devashish Fuloria is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Devashish Fuloria

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

Mumbai Indians finally end losing streak

Back on home turf at Wankhede Stadium, the venue of their unbeaten run the previous year, Mumbai Indians' batsmen held their nerve at the death to give their franchise their first victory of the season in six attempts. Mumbai Indians needed 41 off the last three overs but Kieron Pollard and Aditya Tare catapulted their side home with five deliveries to spare and ended Kings XI Punjab's victorious five-game run.

The home side lost their openers cheaply before thirties from CM Gautam, Rohit Sharma and Corey Anderson revived them. The asking-rate climbed again after Rohit and Anderson departed in the 16th and 17th overs, but Pollard and Tare were around to ensure Mumbai Indians were not letting it slip away.

It was Tare who wrested back momentum for Mumbai Indians when he lofted L Balaji for four over extra cover and pulled him over deep midwicket for six in the 18th over, which went for 16. Kings XI had Mitchell Johnson for the 19th, and Pollard has often been found wanting against quality pace from the likes of Dale Steyn.

But the allrounder never let Johnson get on top, lifting the first ball of the over, a full delivery, for six over long-on. Johnson followed up with a wide down the leg side. Pollard ran twos off the next two deliveries before inside-edging a yorker for four. A pull to deep square leg for four more and a single to keep strike made it 20 off the over. Pollard completed formalities by launching Sandeep Sharma's first ball of the final over for six over long-off. He ended on 28 off 12 while Tare was unbeaten on 16 from 6.

Gautam and Rohit had come together at 23 for 2 after the openers departed to Sandeep's swing and added 47 in 41 before Gautam fell to Rishi Dhawan. Rohit and Anderson took a six each off Dhawan's next over but the real push Mumbai Indians needed came in the 13th over bowled by Akshar Patel. Anderson slogged the left-arm spinner for four consecutive boundaries, and the 20-run over brought down the asking-rate to eight-and-a-half from ten.

Kings XI fought back as Balaji, Johnson and Dhawan put in four tight overs, which earned the wickets of Rohit and Anderson. The rate shot up to nearly 14 after Dhawan completed his spell in the 17th, but Mumbai Indians had more ammunition in the form of Pollard and Tare.

They also had Lasith Malinga, who gave away just eight runs combined in the 18th and 20th overs of the Kings XI innings. It meant that despite taking 20 off the penultimate over - bowled jointly by Zaheer Khan and Pollard after the left-armer left the field midway clutching his shoulder - Kings XI were not able to have the big finish they needed.

Their innings went similarly as Mumbai Indians' was to, barring that final surge. The openers could not do much before Glenn Maxwell and Wriddhiman Saha rebuilt. Even as Saha struggled to rotate the strike, Maxwell kept hitting fours and sixes with ease. He had motored to 45 off 26 before he mishit Harbhajan Singh to long-on.

George Bailey's move to promote himself ahead of David Miller did not work. Saha took over now, moving from 12 off 23 to 59 off 47, sweeping and pulling Pollard for three fours in the 14th over. His acceleration wasn't enough in the end.

Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Abhishek Purohit

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More