BCCI Corporate Trophy kicks off today!!!

Fresh from a much-needed break of nearly two months, India's leading cricketers will begin another packed season with the Corporate Trophy, the BCCI's new showpiece domestic one-day tournament - with Rs 1 crore (US$204,272) for the winners - starting on Tuesday.

The Indian board has invited 12 corporate teams to take part in the eight-day tournament, which will see most of the Indian team - with Sachin Tendulkar a prominent exception - play for their employers across four venues. There are two teams from Air India, which has seven members of the Indian team on its rolls including MS Dhoni, the captain.

On the face of it, the corporate trophy is a high-profile season starter that will help ease top cricketers back into 50-over mode ahead of the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka -which starts for the Indians on September 11 - and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa later in the month. The BCCI has staked big money on this - the runners-up get Rs 50 lakh (US$102,109) - claiming that the tournament's prime objective is to promote employment opportunities for domestic cricketers in India's corporate houses.

But the real significance of the tournament possibly lies elsewhere - in its design to kill off another tournament. It was conceived in January, just four months before the Indian board announced its amnesty offer for ICL cricketers. ICL players have since admitted privately that after the corporate tournament was announced they received calls from their employers asking them to wind up their association with the unofficial league. "And then, as we were wondering how we could possibly return to the official fold, came the BCCI's amnesty offers," a leading Indian ICL player said.

As it turned out, the corporate trophy was, in fact, the first nail in the ICL's coffin; the unofficial Twenty20 league cancelled its March programme and that finally led to an exodus of players back into official cricket. At the same time, the BCCI has ensured that the corporate trophy, despite a glittering launch last week, will not cut into the IPL's glamour either in format or content; no foreign players here, and no high-octane promotional campaigns, just the prize money and two major venues in Bangalore and Mohali with Visakhapatnam and Dharamsala hosting the other matches.

Besides, the preliminary rounds don't make for close contests, if the stronger teams play to full strength. Air India (Blue) and ONGC are the clear favourites in Groups A and B. ONGC, led by Gautam Gambhir, have a bowling attack that could represent India on a lean day: Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel and Amit Mishra. Air India (Blue) feature Harbhajan Singh, Dhoni, RP Singh, VVS Laxman and Mohammad Kaif.

Groups C and D are more evenly placed. In Group C, Indian Oil, with Wasim Jaffer and Rohit Sharma being their big draws, could be challenged by Tata Sports Club, who have Rohan Gavaskar, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar in their ranks. But it's Group D where the real competition is at, with Air India (Red) holding a slight edge over India Cements, who have Rahul Dravid, S Badrinath, L Balaji and Sudeep Tyagi in their line-up.

SriLanka spoils NZ party ... wins series2-0....!!!

Sri Lanka 416 (Samaraweera 143, Jayawardene 92, Patel 4-78) and 311 for 5 dec (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96) beat New Zealand 234 (Taylor 81, Herath 3-70, Muralitharan 3-71) and 397 (Vettori 140, Oram 56, Herath 5-139) by 96 runs.

MoM:M.Jayawardene.

MoM:Samaraweera.

Sri Lanka were expected to wrap up victory early on the final day, but had to wait until the 68th over of the day to seal a 2-0 sweep and cement their place at No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings. They had New Zealand six wickets down for 182 at stumps on day four, but were thoroughly frustrated by a century stand between Vettori and Oram in a cracking morning session. When Tillakaratne Dilshan snapped an excellent 124-run partnership by dismissing Oram two minutes before lunch, it seemed likely that victory was around the corner, but Vettori found an able ally in Iain O'Brien and the pair added 69 in 78 gut-wrenching minutes.

Like in the morning, Sri Lanka struck shortly before the interval and tea was pushed back by half an hour. The last wicket to fall was Vettori, excellently held at deep square leg by a tumbling Rangana Herath - who took five wickets - and New Zealand had finally been dismissed for 397, the highest fourth-innings total at the SSC. They were owned for the better part of four days, but fought back credibly on the fifth. It was not enough, for the damage was irreparable, and Sri Lanka finished deserved winners.

Champions League T20

The 12 teams that have qualified for the inaugural $6 million prize money Airtel Champions League Twenty20 will receive a participation fee of $5,00,000 each.

Sussex Sharks and Somerset Sabres were the last two teams to qualify from England. The winner of the competition to be played from October 8 to 23 in India will receive $3 million.

Since Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings – finalists of the DLF-IPL season I in 2008 — had qualified for the Champions League T20 that was cancelled because of the terror attack in Mumbai, they will receive a compensation of around Rs. 22 crore each.

The CLT20 Governing Council has said that nine players have qualified for their home and away (IPL) team. The council has clarified that if a player decides to play for an ‘away’ team rather than his ‘home’ team’ — the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket — the ‘away’ team shall pay $2,00,000 compensation to the ‘home’ team’.

Herschelle Gibbs (Deccan Chargers) has decided to play for Cape Cobras and Ferveez Maharoof (Delhi Daredevils) for Wayamba.

Nathan Bracken (NSW Blues, RC Bangalore), Brendon McCullum (Otago Bolts, NSW Blues), Dirk Nannes (Victorian Bushrangers, Delhi Daredevils), David Warner (NSW Blues, Delhi Daredevils), Cameron White (Victorian Bushrangers, RC Bangalore), Andrew McDonald (Victorian Bushrangers, Delhi Daredevils), Dwayne Smith (Deccan Chargers, Sussex Sharks) have yet to take a decision on which team they would be playing for.

Otago Bolts has selected McCullum in its squad though.

The Governing Council has also said that members of each team’s initial squad must have either played for or must have been contracted to play for his nominating team in the most recent qualifying Twenty20 competition played by that team. “Once a team names its initial squad, CLT20 will assess which players have been listed for two or more teams.

“Players who have been nominated by multiple teams will then be contacted by CLT20 to nominate their chosen team.

“Players will then be given 24 hours to determine which team they wish to represent,” said Dean Kino, CLT20 Governing Council Member and Director of Legal and Business Affairs.

Mendis to join Hampshire

Ajantha Mendis, the Sri Lankan spinner, has been signed by Hampshire to play in the 2010 season. He will take over from Imran Tahir, who is due to return to The Rose Bowl in 2011, depending on his international commitments.

"Ajantha Mendis is the most exciting new bowler to explode onto the world stage since Shane Warne," said Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire chairman. "We are particularly excited that he has decided to join Hampshire having been courted by a number of counties over the past few months."

Mendis, 24, has played eight Test Matches for Sri Lanka, taking 39 wickets with career-best figures of 6 for 117 against India. He also won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year in 2008.

Sussex claim Twenty20 Cup

Sussex 172 for 7 (Smith 59) beat Somerset 109 (Kirtley 3-9, Beer 2-29) by 63 runs. MoM:Dwayne Smith...

Sussex secured the Twenty20 Cup for the first time as their spinners followed up a hard-hitting display from Dwayne Smith, who clubbed 59 off 26 balls, to complete a 63-run thrashing of Somerset. When Marcus Trescothick launched Somerset's pursuit of 173 the chase looked easy, but he fell for 33 and scoring became increasingly tough on a wearing surface.

The victory compensates handsomely for Sussex's Friends Provident Final defeat at the hands of Hampshire last month and they have also turned the tables on the curse of the first semi-finalists on Finals Day. Only on one previous occasion, in 2006, had the team winning the first semi gone on to claim the title. Sides have often found it difficult to lift themselves again after the downtime, but Sussex had no such problem.

On a day when overseas and senior talent played leading roles, the performance of Will Beer, the 20-year-old legspinner, was worthy of many plaudits as he claimed two key middle-order scalps in a nerveless display. If it hadn't been for Peter Trego, Beer's figures would have been exemplary.

Sussex's bowlers were supported by confident catching - not always easy under the less-powerful floodlights - with Rory-Hamilton Brown steadying himself under three, including the crucial one of Trescothick. However, the pick of the catches came from the captain, Michael Yardy, who plucked out Zander de Bruyn's drive at extra cover. With that went any faint hopes of a Somerset fightback. "It was a team performance," Yardy said, "I don't think anyone had a bad game."

Dravid returns to one-day squad

Rahul Dravid has, as expected, made a return to India's ODI plans with his inclusion in the squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy next month. Dravid replaces Rohit Sharma, who managed 15 runs in three ODI innings in the West Indies and 43 runs in three innings against major opposition in the World Twenty20. The selectors didn't risk taking Virender Sehwag, who is yet to fully recover from his shoulder injury, to the Champions Trophy. He was not expected to make it to the Sri Lanka tri-series anyway.

Dravid last played an ODI for India in October 2007, but his form in the second IPL season in South Africa - where the Champions Trophy will be held - and the vulnerability of India's younger middle-order batsmen in the recent World Twenty20 prompted the selectors to fall back on his experience and technique.

Sachin Tendulkar, who had opted out of the West Indies ODIs, makes a comeback. Suresh Raina, who was out because of a hairline fracture of the thumb, also returns. Amit Mishra breaks into the ODI squad, replacing Pragyan Ojha as the back-up spinner to Harbhajan Singh, on the back of his impressive showings in the IPL and the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia.

Terming Dravid as "one of the best players India has produced", Harbhajan Singh welcomed his and Tendulkar's return. "We have some senior players like Tendulkar and Dravid back in the side, so we have the required experience," he said. "It is important to do well as after the tri-series, we have important tournament like Champions Trophy coming up. Responsibility will be there on all the players."

Dinesh Karthik, who came in for the West Indies ODIs as replacement for Sehwag, and Abhishek Nayar, who edged out Ravindra Jadeja, have retained their places.

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, said it was the "best possible Indian team". "It's a very balanced team and we are confident they would go on to win the Champions Trophy in South Africa," Srikkanth said.

India one-day squad: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, and Abhishek Nayar

Charles Coventry equals ODI highest Individual Score!!!!

Bangladesh 313 for 6 (Tamim 154, Price 3-60) beat Zimbabwe 312 for 8 (Coventry 194*) by four wickets.
Charles Coventry made the joint highest individual score in an ODI but his effort was outweighed by a sparkling, cool-headed century from Tamim Iqbal, who broke the record for the most runs made in an innings by a Bangladesh batsman. Coventry's blockbuster innings pushed Zimbabwe beyond 300, far more than Bangladesh have chased before, but the visitors were rarely troubled as they hunted down the target to take their third consecutive series.Charles Coventry made the joint highest individual score in an ODI but his effort was outweighed by a sparkling, cool-headed century from Tamim Iqbal, who broke the record for the most runs made in an innings by a Bangladesh batsman. Coventry's blockbuster innings pushed Zimbabwe beyond 300, far more than Bangladesh have chased before, but the visitors were rarely troubled as they hunted down the target to take their third consecutive series.