Mid-table RCB bank on home record

Match facts

Friday, May 9, 2014
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

	Royal Challengers will be up against a side that has hardly any apparent weaknesses © BCCI Enlarge

Where they stand

Kings XI Punjab: First, with 12 points from seven games
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Sixth with six points from seven games

Big Picture

With three wins in seven games, Royal Challengers Bangalore have plenty of catching up to do. After their defeat to Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, captain Virat Kohli said they needed to win at least five of their next seven to qualify for the playoffs. The good news is Royal Challengers are playing their next three games in Bangalore, where they have a strong record. The potential bad news? The weather. Rains have hit the city over the last couple of days and if the evening rain continues, there could be a truncated game.

Royal Challengers were set to chase more than they should have against Mumbai, due to the number of extras (25, including 12 wides). Having been set 188, they took the challenge to Mumbai at 94 for 1 near the halfway stage, but their second block of ten overs did not pan out so well. AB de Villiers was not as fortunate with the ramp shot like in the other night against Dale Steyn, and following his departure and Kohli's in quick succession, the fight was all but over. Back on home turf, however, Royal Challengers can be a handful. That is if the weather cooperates.

Kings XI Punjab went back to the top of the table after blanking out Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday by posting 231. While their batsmen have hogged the attention, their coach Sanjay Bangar gave due credit to the bowlers, pointing to the number of times they had taken ten wickets. Kings XI have achieved this twice and in their last game against Royal Challengers, they claimed eight. It is hard at this point to pick holes on Kings XI. The only thing that could bring them down is complacency.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bangalore LWLLL
Kings XI Punjab WLWWW

Watch out for

Gayle v Maxwell - When the teams last met in Dubai, the same contest was a dud. Both players didn't last longer than seven balls each. But both have shown that the size of the ground hardly matters, and at the Chinnsawamy, even spectators at the highest tier can't afford to nod off. Gayle has shown a weakness against swing with the new ball. Maxwell ripped into Super Kings' spinners so Royal Challengers may look to test him with pace.

Yuvraj Singh has had only one match-winning knock in seven games and his price tag is still weighing on him. Against Mumbai, Royal Challengers' hopes rested on him after de Villiers and Kohli departed, but he could only manage 6 off 10 balls. But Royal Challengers have kept their faith in him, knowing how he has shrugged off criticism with career-defining knocks in the past. But will they be willing to extend the rope?

Stats and trivia

• Out of 37 IPL games played at the Chinnaswamy, Royal Challengers have won 20. Last season alone, they won seven home games and their only defeat was against Kings XI
• Glenn Maxwell's 435 runs so far have come at a enormous strike-rate of 203.27. That's more than two runs per ball

Previous encounter

The teams last met in Dubai where Royal Challengers posted a below-par 124 for 8. They were done in by a combination of swing from Sandeep Sharma and reckless batting from the top order. Kings XI were in a spot of bother at 88 for 5 before George Bailey and Rishi Dhawan saw them home by five wickets.

Quotes

"We are really pleased to have George in the leadership role and he has made a lot of effort in getting to know the local boys. So the dressing room atmosphere is very good at the moment."
Kings XI coach Sanjay Bangar on captain George Bailey

"I haven't recovered fully. Still having some discomfort at this point in time, so I am just trying to monitor things as I go on."
Chris Gayle on his fitness

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

MCC puts Lord's 'Vision' debate on hold

The MCC has refused to take further consideration of the controversial residential development plans for the Nursery End at Lord's until work on other areas of the ground have been completed.

Mike Gatting, MCC's president, told the annual meeting that they presented a potential distraction at a time when emphasis was being placed on improvements to the pavilion end of the ground.

The MCC Committee, at the request of the Rifkind Levy Partnership, received a presentation last month from David Morley Architects, working on their behalf, in relation to development on the club's leasehold land at the Nursery End of Lord's.

Gatting told members: "The club is putting all its resources, at present, into plans to redevelop the pavilion end of the ground, including the south-western corner - which comprises the Tavern and Allen Stands, the Thomas Lord Suite, the Middlesex office and the pavilion extensions.

"Until the club has completed the redevelopment of the Warner Stand and the south-western corner, there is no need to consider any further presentations from RLP. The club must not be distracted from its plans."

MCC members have won a battle to preserve leg room in the redeveloped Warner Stand. They voted in favour of a resolution requiring seat row depths in the redeveloped stand to be no less than 900mm - an increase of 50mm on the current plan.

The design will only require adjustments, not the submission of a fresh planning application to Westminster City Council, who granted permission in March this year. Subject to the approval of MCC members next summer, the two-phase construction of the Warner Stand is due to begin at the end of the 2015 season.

The design for the new stand - which has been developed by Populous, architects of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium - includes a semi-translucent fabric roof, supported by a timber structure, which is the first of its kind in the country.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

'Pollard, Starc need a stern warning' - Shastri

Ravi Shastri, the former India allrounder and IPL governing council member, has warned that a repeat of altercations such as the one involving Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc could result in much stiffer penalties for the players, including "double" their match fee or even a ban.

"They should be given a fine and then a stern warning stating that (if) once more then it could be double the penalty and even a match ban," Shastri told ESPNcricinfo. When asked whether increasing monetary sanctions alone could prevent a breach of the IPL's rules, Shastri remained confident. "It could. It is in the hands of the match referee. But I would tell the player that next time if you even come close (to a breach) you will face serious consequences."

Shastri provided the example of the "stiff" $50,000 fine imposed on then Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne during the 2011 IPL for breaching the playing contract. Warne had allegedly verbally abused the then Rajasthan Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Dixit, and a disciplinary panel comprising former IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and Shastri imposed the penalty. "The penalties can be pretty stiff. We penalised Warne an amount which amounted to his match fee for a match. He was on a $700,000 contract with Rajasthan Royals. Tell me one player who has been fined $50,000 anywhere."

Shastri, who also sits on the IPL's code of behaviour committee and the technical committee, said that no advisory has been issued to match referees in light of the Pollard-Starc incident since the officials were aware of the rules. "That is the match referee's jurisdiction. Only after they take a decision do we have a right to comment."

The IPL's handling of the incident has once again reopened the debate about whether slow over-rates are more important to the league than bad behaviour and attract more fines because of the impact on TV programming. Shastri rubbished the notion and said that the IPL had set a better example than anybody else, including the ICC, when it came to penalising tardy over-rates. "Slow over-rates slow the pace of the game and captains are appropriately fined. No other cricket body in the world takes so strong (an action) as the IPL. Even the ICC can take a leaf out of the IPL."

Shastri had earlier expressed his annoyance at Pollard and Starc's behavior in his Times of India column. "This one went beyond bad behavior," Shastri wrote. "You can joust, tease, stare, have a spat, give a send-off and all that can still be tolerated, but you can't almost come to blows. It bordered on violence, luckily without anything untoward happening. Both aimed to hurt each other with bat and ball. The faults by both are many - disrespect to umpires, abuse of equipment, utter disregard for the name of their employers, contempt for sponsors and injuring the spirit of the game itself.

"Starc likes to provoke. We all watched him give a mouthful to Virender Sehwag after his short ball had rammed the opener on the helmet and gone to the fence. Even that is tolerable in small doses. Pollard was nothing if not physical. Both need to be spoken to with a stern warning and not just a fine."

The altercation began with an exchange of words after Starc bowled a bouncer to Pollard in the 17th over of Mumbai Indians' innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Pollard pulled away as Starc ran in for the next delivery, but the bowler continued and bowled the ball at Pollard's body. In response, Pollard threatened to throw his bat at Starc, but it fell close to the batsman. Andy Pycroft, the match referee, fined Pollard 75% and Starc 50% of their match fees.

The bad behaviour in the match, Shastri wrote, wasn't just confined to Pollard and Starc.

"In the same game, [Yuzvendra] Chahal was also involved in a pronounced send-off to the batsman he dismissed," Shastri wrote. "It was Chahal's good luck that Yuvraj Singh was at hand to humour the offended on-field umpires. Mostly it's the bowlers who are stepping out of line.

"All the stakeholders must clamp down on such behaviour. It doesn't improve you as a cricketer much less as a human being. It's been a splendid IPL so far and it deserves better from its performers."

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

'Suryakumar could play for India one day' - Sehwag

Virender Sehwag has said Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Suryakumar Yadav has the talent to play for India in the future.

"More than the batsmen, it's the bowlers," Sehwag told iplt20.com, when asked which players have impressed him during this IPL season. "Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma are the two guys who have impressed me the most. As far as batsmen are concerned, I really like the look of Suryakumar Yadav. He seems like a very good talent and if he continues to focus, he has the ability to score a lot of runs in the future and also maybe play for India one day.

"I like the fact that Sandeep can swing the ball in as well as take it away. Also, he has tremendous control over his bowling. For us, he has been very vital because he gives us early breakthroughs, in the first or second over, which is very important in this format."

'Opening is my bread and butter' - Uthappa

Since moving up to the top of the order, Robin Uthappa has been in roaring form, his three innings as opener bringing him scores of 47, 65 and 47 at a strike rate of 128.23. Uthappa says he told the Kolkata Knight Riders team management he was at his most comfortable while opening the batting, and they gave him the opportunity to do so.

"I am loving it!" he told iplt20.com, when asked about the move up the order. "It is where I feel at home; that is my bread and butter. So, I just love opening the batting. I think that's where I do the best and that is something I was telling the support staff and Gautam, and I had a conversation with them about it. I am glad that they gave me an opportunity and that I have been able to utilise that opportunity in a way that has been meaningful for the team."

'Bowlers should work on outwitting batsmen' - Srinath

Javagal Srinath says bowlers are becoming too dependent on batsmen's mistakes to get their wickets, and aren't able to outwit them on their own.

"What concerns me is the fact that the wicket-taking ability of a bowler is now directly linked to batsmen making mistakes in their desire to look for big scores," he writes, in his column for the Hindustan Times. "I think it is about time the bowlers started to think harder on what they can do not only to restrict the scoring, but also pick up wickets.

"So where do the bowlers go from here? That is the challenge ahead of the specialist coaches and the sports psychologist who travel with most teams. It's time for them to focus on giving bowlers confidence and in coming up with something that will help their discipline. Unlike batsmen, bowlers are a lot more apprehensive about what the day holds. Agreed that at the end of the day, it's the wickets that matter, but there is a huge difference between a batsman getting himself out and a bowler outwitting a batsman."

'Pollard, Starc need a stern warning' - Shastri

Ravi Shastri says Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc deserve stronger punishments than the fines they were slapped with, after a spat that "bordered on violence".

"This one went beyond bad behavior," Shastri wrote, in his Times of India column. "You can joust, tease, stare, have a spat, give a send-off and all that can still be tolerated, but you can't almost come to blows. It bordered on violence, luckily without anything untoward happening. Both aimed to hurt each other with bat and ball. The faults by both are many -- disrespect to umpires, abuse of equipment, utter disregard for the name of their employers, contempt for sponsors and injuring the spirit of the game itself.

"Starc likes to provoke. We all watched him give a mouthful to Virender Sehwag after his short ball had rammed the opener on the helmet and gone to the fence. Even that is tolerable in small doses. Pollard was nothing if not physical. Both need to be spoken to with a stern warning and not just a fine."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

WICB to partner USACA to develop game in America

The WICB and the USA Cricket Association (USACA) have announced a "long-term joint partnership" to help develop cricket in the USA. The plan includes bringing the best performing players in USACA leagues and clubs into WICB development programmes, and having a member of West Indies' board of directors sit on the USA board to prop up cricket administration in the country.

The focus will be on bettering player performance, administration and the financial state of the game in the USA, the joint statement from the two boards said. To facilitate the third point, USACA's chief executive "have a position" on the WICB's executive committee.

WICB president Whycliffe Cameron said the West Indies board was supporting the USACA's attempt to bring in governance changes. "We are going to be engaged on a day-to-day basis on the three core pillars for development," Cameron said. "We will rapidly build plans and open up infrastructure for bringing top US players into the West Indian development system, and we are supporting the finalisation of the current USACA governance changes."

Gladstone Dainty, the USACA president, said the "access to a very close geographic Full Member" was a great chance for his administration and the players. "Having the opportunity to work closely with another Full Member country offers exciting opportunities for US players looking to sharpen skills and experiences with world-class cricketers. The WICB will also, via their board member on the USACA board, support the governance change programme that the USACA board is currently managing. This is a long-term strategy to help build the three foundations for a highly successful US cricketing market: high performance development, models for economic growth and modern-day governance."

This partnership comes at a vital time for the USACA. The organistaion is on shaky ground, given it could be facing suspension from the ICC with its control over the sport in the country slipping. Under ICC rules, Associate membership is dependent upon a board proving it is "the sole recognised governing body for cricket in the country". But dissatisfaction with the USACA had meant around a third of the country's senior hard-ball leagues signed up with the rival organisation, the American Cricket Federation.

In another setback, apparent frustration at the USACA's failure to accept governance reform was said to be a contributing factor the board's chief executive, Darren Beazley, recently quitting - his yet-to-be-named replacement will sit on the WICB's executive committee. High performance manager Andy Pick also resigned, citing political interference in his selection and development plans. The board is believed to be around $3m in debt and if the ICC suspend it and withdraw funding - believed to be around $400,000 a year - it could spell the end for it.

The USACA had twice before been suspended by the ICC, both times with Dainty at the helm; in 2005 and 2007 the ICC took the action due to governance issues.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

Morgan accepts MCC presidency

David Morgan, a past ECB chairman, and driving force behind the adoption of Cardiff as an international venue and the restructuring of the English domestic game, has been nominated as the next president of MCC.

The nomination of Morgan, made as tradition by the current incumbent Mike Gatting, was announced at the club's annual meeting at Lord's. His emollient skills may be necessary to help steer Lord's through a delicate period in its history as passions rise over the growth of the ground.

Morgan, whose long administrative career also included a spell as president of ICC, will take up the post in October. With ICC, ECB and MCC posts behind him, as well as the chairmanship of Glamorgan, he has worked his way through the alphabet.

Tredegar born, it is the silent W in ECB which holds most of his affection: he has always insisted on the importance of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

During his tenure, Gatting has presided over the progression of the Lord's Masterplan, with MCC having gained planning permission for the redevelopment of the Warner Stand, with work scheduled to commence, subject to members' approval, in September 2015.

He has also overseen the introduction of MCC's first community development programme, and has represented the club around the country and overseas, including official visits to Australia, Abu Dhabi and Oman.

He will continue in his role as president throughout this summer's celebrations of the bicentenary of Lord's - including managing the home side for the MCC v Rest of the World match on 5th July - before he hands over the office to Morgan in October.

After leaving Glamorgan in 1997, Morgan became Lord MacLaurin's deputy at the ECB until 2002, when he was elected to take on the chairmanship himself. After five years with the ECB, Morgan was nominated for presidency of the ICC for a two-year term, being succeeded by Sharad Pawar in 2010. He was made an OBE in 2008.

His most recent contribution to English cricket was the Morgan Review of 2011, which was considered to be the biggest shake-up of the county game in a decade. His commitment to hearing a wide selection of views was unstinting and the report's recommendations, an exercise in conciliation and compromise, were largely but not entirely implemented prior to the start of the 2014 season.

Gatting said: "Morgan has been and remains one of the most influential voices in the world game, and I'm sure he will do an excellent job in leading MCC through a very important time in its history. He is ambitious, creative and efficient and will be a fantastic leader for this wonderful Club.

"There is work to do to continue moving the Lord's Masterplan forward over the next year with the redevelopment of the south western corner of the Ground, including the Tavern and Allen Stands, next on the agenda. David has the perfect experience and temperament to make this and MCC's other areas of work a great success."

David Hopps is the UK editor of ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: David Hopps

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More

Maxwell 90 leads rout of Super Kings

 

Kings XI Punjab 231 for 4 (Maxwell 90, Miller 47, Bailey 40*) beat Chennai Super Kings 187 for 6 (du Plessis 52) by 44 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Glenn Maxwell fell within touching distance of a century for the fourth time in the competition, but neither he nor Kings XI Punjab were complaining in the end as the side maintained their winning run each time Maxwell made a massive contribution. Maxwell and David Miller set off fireworks in Cuttack to lift Kings XI to the season's highest total - 231 - and though Super Kings managed 187, at no stage were they serious contenders in the chase. The win took Kings XI to the top of the table.

Such was the carnage by Kings XI that it was easy to forget that only 69 came off the first ten overs. The next ten produced a whopping 162, an IPL record, of which the last five produced 78. The Miller-Maxwell partnership was worth 135 and after both departed, there was no respite for Super Kings as George Bailey and Mitchell Johnson swung their bats around to add 49 off just 16 balls to end the innings.

Both captains weren't quite sure how the pitch would play out, given that it was Cuttack's first match, but Virender Sehwag's rousing start was an indication that the batsmen would have it easy. However, at 37 for 2 and with Maxwell having just arrived, Kings XI abandoned their strategy of sending in the relatively passive Wriddhiman Saha and instead promoted Miller. Investing in their power hitters with nearly 15 overs remaining was the way to go.

The blitzkrieg began in the 11th over. R Ashwin continued with his tried-and-tested plan by bowling round the wicket to the right-hander, but his variations had no effect on Maxwell who smashed two sixes over deep square-leg. A rattled Ashwin strayed too wide either side of the stumps to check Maxwell but he was penalised. Ashwin was in for greater punishment in his following over as Maxwell smashed two fours and two sixes, including one that was reverse swept over third man.

Three overs of spin, including one from Ravindra Jadeja, leaked 52 and Ashwin was carted for 38 off two overs. The boundary barrage started to wear down the fielders as the normally safe Brendon McCullum let one slip at the boundary.

MS Dhoni later said that the inability of the spinners to contain Maxwell and Miller was the turning point. He turned to Ishwar Pandey to limit the damage and he too was spanked, for 18 in an over. Length balls were duly smashed and attempted yorkers turned into low full tosses that were dispatched. Jadeja tried bowling it flat and quick as a defensive option but Miller put him away, slashing past short third man and launching one over deep cover. Miller and Maxwell brought up the century stand off just 8.5 overs.

Dwayne Smith broke the partnership when Miller inside edged on to his stumps. Prior to that, though, Maxwell had biffed Smith for three sixes, including two audacious reverse pulls over third man. With a century in sight, however, Maxwell didn't slow down and his knock ended on 90 when he slogged a slower ball from Mohit to Jadeja at deep midwicket.

The depth in Kings XI's batting took them past 200 for the second time this season, both against Super Kings, though the previous occasion was a successful chase. Bailey and Johnson took 40 off the last two overs to push the score to 231.

Super Kings failed to put on partnerships even close to the tune of Miller and Maxwell. Their best hopes rested on their successful opening pair of Smith and McCullum, but their association ended in the first over. Following Jadeja's departure in the 11th over, Super Kings dropped the idea of attaining the target and focused on getting as many as possible for the sake of net run-rate. Du Plessis made an attractive fifty, but his efforts were lost in the din of Maxwell and Miller.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read More