World Cricket News and Events Thread - 2015

Sri Lanka with 7 wickets standing need 296 runs to beat New Zealand at the end of a rain-affected 4th Day of the 1st Test at Dunedin
Sri Lanka 294 (Karunaratne 84, Chandimal 83) and 109 for 3 (Mendis 46, Chandimal 31*) - New Zealand 431 (Guptill 156, Williamson 88, McCullum 75, Pradeep 4-112) and 267 for 3 dec (Latham 109*, Williamson 71)

 

David Warner may find himself as stand-in captain of Australia for the first time in some of January's limited-overs matches against India if Steve Smith's current knee and hip niggles don't clear up over the next two weeks.
Smith is not in doubt for the Boxing Day Test against West Indies in Melbourne or the following fixture in the new year at the SCG. However, the selectors and team medical staff may elect to rest him from portions of the five-match ODI series against India in order to give him the best chance to be fit and limber for the February tour of New Zealand and also the Twenty20 matches to be played in the lead-up to the World T20 in India in March

 

New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 122 runs in the 1st Test in Dunedin
New Zealand 431 (Guptill 156, Williamson 88, McCullum 75, Pradeep 4-112) and 267 for 3 dec (Latham 109*, Williamson 71) - Sri Lanka 294 (Karunaratne 84, Chandimal 83) and 282 (Chandimal 58)

 

Dawid Malan sealed in a Super Over a match that he deserved to have won in normal time, as England Lions overcame a late-innings wobble to beat Pakistan A in a thrilling finale in Dubai. The result completed a come-from-behind 3-2 series win that confirms the depth of England's squad options ahead of next year's World Twenty20 in India

 

Sri Lankan authorities are investigating an attempt to fix an international cricket match involving the national team and the West Indies.
Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said a suspected bookmaker had approached two Sri Lankan players ahead of the match to try to convince them to under-perform and lose the match. Both players turned down the approach and the authorities were informed, Mr Jayasekara said.
Sri Lanka went on to win the game.
Well done to the 2 players.

 

New Zealand with just one 1st innings wicket standing still trail Sri Lanka by 60 runs at the end of the 2nd Day of the 2nd Test in Hamilton
New Zealand 232 for 9 (Guptill 50, Chameera 5-47) - Sri Lanka 292 (Mathews 77, Siriwardana 62, Southee 3-63)

 

Mohammad Amir has been included by the PCB in a 26-man squad for a conditioning camp at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore ahead of Pakistan's upcoming tour of New Zealand. The camp, which stretches from December 21 to January 6, will also serve as a barometer to assess the fitness and performances of players leading into the World Twenty20 in March

 

New Zealand need another 47 runs to beat Sri Lanka at the end of the 4th Day of the 2nd Test with 5 wickets left
New Zealand 237 (Guptill 50, Chameera 5-47) and 142 for 5 (Williamson 78*, Chameera 4-45) - Sri Lanka 292 (Mathews 77, Siriwardana 62, Southee 3-63) and 133 (Mendis 46, Southee 4-26, Wagner 3-40)

Williamson's knock has given the Kiwi's the edge, but should be an interesting morning session

 

New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the 2nd Test at Hamilton
New Zealand 237 (Guptill 50, Chameera 5-47) and 189 for 5 (Williamson 108*, Chameera 4-68) - Sri Lanka 292 (Mathews 77, Siriwardana 62, Southee 3-63) and 133 (Mendis 46, Southee 4-26, Wagner 3-40)

New Zealand win series 2-0

 

Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president, has said that Bangladesh's two-Test series against Zimbabwe, scheduled originally for January 2016, will be shelved to keep the team's focus on T20Is. Hassan did not mention when the series will be now be held, but said the period after the World T20 was in discussion.

 

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is to retire from international cricket. The 34-year-old batsman has confirmed that the two-Test series against Australia in February will be his last.
McCullum is second on the Kiwi's all-time Test run scorers, with 6,273 runs from 99 matches, including 11 hundred
Kane Williamson will captain New Zealand at the World Twenty20 in India, which starts on 8 March.

 

Boyd Rankin has given Ireland a major boost ahead of next year's World Twenty20, by officially giving up on his hopes of adding to his solitary Test cap with England and has instead pledged his allegiance once again to the country of his birth

 

Australia captain Steve Smith has been named cricketer of the year and Test cricketer of the year by the International Cricket Council. He becomes the fourth Australian to lift the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy after Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson and Michael Clarke.
Smith, 26, was the sixth highest run-scorer in Australia's triumphant World Cup campaign this year, with 402 runs at an average of 67, and made 1,734 in 13 Tests, at an average of 82.57.
South Africa's AB de Villiers won the ODI cricketer of the year award for the second year in a row.
Australia captain Meg Lanning was named the Women's ODI cricketer of the year.
Englishman Richard Kettleborough was named umpire of the year for the third time.

 

Pakistan one-day captain Azhar Ali and batsman Mohammad Hafeez have boycotted a training camp in protest at the inclusion of bowler Mohammad Amir.
Amir, 23, was jailed for his part in a spot-fixing scam during the 2010 Test series in England and banned from cricket for five years, but returned to domestic action in September

 

The BCCI has decided to revoke the suspension imposed on bilateral tours with the West Indies by clearing India's tour of the Caribbean in mid-2016. The approval is subject to the WICB committing to complete last year's abandoned tour of India

 

Australia are 3 for 345 at the end of the 1st Day of the 2nd Test against West Indies in Melbourne
Australia 3 for 345 (Khawaja 144, Burns 128)

 

New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the 1st ODI in Christchurch
New Zealand 191 for 3 (Guptill 79, McCullum 55) - Sri Lanka 188 (Siriwardana 66, Kulasekara 58, Henry 4-49, Bracewell 3-37)

 

West Indies with 4 1st innings wickets standing trail Australia by 460 runs at the end of the 2nd Day of the 2nd Test at the MCG
Australia 3 for 551 declared (Khawaja 144, Burns 128, Smith 134*, Voges 106*) - West Indies 6 for 91

 

Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah has been provisionally suspended by the ICC for testing positive for a banned substance under the ICC's anti-doping code. A sample taken from Yasir on November 13, when Pakistan played an ODI against England in Abu Dhabi, was found to contain chlortalidone, which is on WADA's prohibited list.

 

Western Australia coach Justin Langer will get his first taste of life as the national team's coach when Darren Lehmann is rested for the West Indies next year