The ECB has bowed to pressure within the county game by deferring a decision on the Morgan Review and instead deciding to will conduct further research throughout the summer into the future structure of the county game.

George Dobell08-Mar-2012The ECB has bowed to pressure within the county game by deferring a decision on the Morgan Review and instead has decided to conduct further research throughout the 2012 season into the future of professional cricket in England.Growing opposition to Morgan’s recommendations, which included a reduction in championship matches from 16 to 14, a return to 50-over cricket and 14 Twenty20 matches, left the ECB Board unable to adopt a report that had been months in the making.County chief executives, coaches and the Professional Cricketers’ Association had all lobbied the ECB in the belief that in his urge for compromise Morgan, a former chairman of ECB and ICC, had failed to provide an inspirational blueprint for the game.Morgan did receive more support for his conclusion that a more concerted approach must be developed among the ECB and the 18 counties towards the future financing of the game. Central marketing strategies will be strengthened.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said: “Cricket has a unique opportunity to capitalise on its enviable financial strength from recently secured long term commercial partnerships.”Whilst many of the recommendations will be implemented immediately, it is important that thorough consumer research and financial analysis is carried out on the detailed strategy to ensure that we have a balanced domestic playing programme which suits the lifestyles of the modern consumer and allows for the production of outstanding players with international potential participating in vibrant domestic competitions.”Morgan achieved that rarest of things in county cricket: unanimity of sorts. The PCA, the vast majority of the county chief executives, coaches and chairmen, the ECB’s cricket committee and, according to unofficial on-line polls, the majority of spectators, all expressed their reservations over Morgan’s recommendations. The recurring theme of their issue with the report is the reduction in the championship programme and the subsequent compromise to the integrity of the competition.That left the board with few options. While they were loathe to be seen to U-turn on such a key issue, they were also reluctant to so blatantly ignore the views of all the parties. The solution — to defer a final decision pending more consultation – could almost be an ECB catchphrase.But the ECB board, which had already approved the report in principle and had vowed not to tinker around the edges, had to retreat or run the risk of unrest around the counties.
Scrapping the report at this stage will be an embarrassment for Morgan, one of cricket’s leading administrators, who claimed to have spoken to 300 people before drawing up his findings.David Collier, the ECB’s chief executive, and the newly-appointed managing director of the professional game, Gordon Hollins, have now been charged by the Board with producing “a robust financial plan to ensure the long term sustainability of the game and its stakeholders from grassroots cricket to the Test match arena.”Edited by David Hopps

Jamaica will be chasing a record fifth-straight Regional Four-Day Competition title when they take on Barbados in the final from Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2012Jamaica will be chasing a record fifth-straight Regional Four-Day Competition title when they take on Barbados in the final from Friday. It would be their 11th title overall, second only to Barbados, the most successful side in the Regional Four-Day Tournament with 20 titles in the 46-year-old first-class competition.Incidentally, they share the record for consecutive wins with Barbados – they won between 1977-80, after sharing the title with Trinidad and Tobago in 1976.In this year’s competition, Jamaica have been the form team, winning all six of their league matches including a 120-run win over Barbados. However, Barbados coach Hendy Springer is confident of a strong showing in the final.”We just need to stick to the basics and play a stronger, more intelligent type of cricket than we did when the two sides met in the [preliminary] round,” Springer said. “We have come here to be worthy opponents and the confidence level is high.”Jamaica, who are hosting the final in Sabina Park, are wary of the challenge. Junior Bennet, the Jamaica coach, said his team needs to stay focussed. “This is a final, and finals have always been high-pressure games,” he said. “But we are just looking to go out there to do what we have been doing over the last few weeks: play good, consistent cricket.”Barbados will field a side without Kemar Roach and Kirk Edwards, their second-highest run-scorer in the competition, both of whom are playing in the West Indies-Australia Tests.Jamaica Squad: Tamar Lambert (capt), Dave Bernard Jr, Jermaine Blackwood, Odean Brown, Sheldon Cotterell, Danza Hyatt, Xavier Marshall, Donovan Pagon, Jamie Merchant, Horace Miller, Nikita Miller, Brenton Parchment, Andrew Richardson

Barbados Squad: Shamarh Brooks (capt), Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashidi Boucher, Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich, Justin Greaves, Kyle Hope, Omar Phillips, Javon Searles, Dwayne Smith, Jomel Warrican

On a shortened day in which Somerset took five Lancashire wickets, they also discovered that Marcus Trescothick will be out for longer than first thought

George Dobell at Taunton27-Apr-2012Vernon Philander was one of the Somerset bowlers to find his length on day two•Getty Images

On the face of things, this was a decent – if brief – day for Somerset. Showing they had learned the lessons of a disappointing first day, their seamers maintained a much tighter line and length and reaped immediate rewards. In the 21 overs possible before rain arrived, Lancashire lost five wickets for the addition of just 32 runs. Somerset, therefore, claimed full bowling bonus points, while Lancashire may yet be denied their fifth batting point.Scratch beneath the surface, however, and this was a grim day for Somerset. Most seriously, it has become apparent that Marcus Trescothick’s injury is worse than feared. Trescothick underwent surgery on the tendon in his right ankle on Thursday but, during the procedure, the surgeon discovered the tendon was not torn but ruptured. As a consequence, he is now expected to miss at least two months of the season. The mouth watering prospect of Trescothick and Chris Gayle opening together in T20 cricket at Taunton may well never come to fruition.Indeed it is becoming increasingly likely that neither man will be available. Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, spoke to Gayle on Friday with the pair agreeing to talk again after the West Indies announced their squad to tour England. As things stand, Gayle remains unclear of his inclusion in the touring squad and will speak to Rose again within the next few days. Bearing in mind the fragility of the West Indies’ batting, it would be odd if they felt they could do without Gayle.There are, at least, some intriguing names that could be available for Somerset to bring in on loan. Durham’s Liam Plunkett, struggling for form and languishing in second-XI cricket, is one experienced bowler who might benefit from a change of scenery, while his team-mate Steve Harmison is a less likely possibility. Naqaash Tahir, now with Lancashire, and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, of Yorkshire, are potential targets, too, while Kabir Ali of Hampshire is another. Whether Division One sides are persuaded to help Somerset is one issue; whether Somerset are interested in bowlers unable to win a place in Division Two sides is another. Either way, Somerset will not make a decision until assessing the fitness of all their bowlers in the days following this match.Somerset’s better bowling display on the second day here could be interpreted in different ways. While the bonus points were welcome, they may also reflect that Lancashire’s struggles provided a better indication of the true nature of this pitch. Had the hosts bowled better on the first day, Lancashire may have struggled to reach 300. Instead, the damage is done and Lancashire have already established a match-defining total. Somerset may yet be grateful for Sunday’s anticipated deluge.Amid the storms – literal and metaphorical – Craig Kieswetter enjoyed an accomplished performance in front of England selector, James Whitiker. Kieswetter remains very much a work in progress with the gloves, but he does inconsistently show an ability to cling on to very difficult chances. Here he claimed three in ten deliveries – two of them low, diving efforts in front of his slips – that would have made any keeper proud. Perhaps, for some, that will make his run of the mill blemishes – and there are still too many for a professional keeper – all the more infuriating, but it does suggest great potential.Vernon Philander, in particular, hit a perfect length and, with some balls nipping away and others going straight, soon spread confusion amid the Lancashire batting. Gareth Cross was the first to prod at one leaving him, before Luke Procter and Steven Croft followed suit. Glen Chapple’s counterattack was ended when George Dockrell found the edge of his bat with some turn and James Hildreth, at slip, pulled off another sharp catch.Such wickets must have inspired mixed feelings. While Somerset would celebrate the successful bowling, the fear remains that Lancashire, with the likes of Chapple and Simon Kerrigan in their line-up, have an attack that will not require a second invite to exploit these conditions.

Graeme Swann has backed Stuart Broad to break records after taking his match haul against West Indies to 11 wickets and becoming only the fourth player to score a hundred, take five in an innings and 10 in a match at Lord’s.

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's20-May-2012Graeme Swann has backed Stuart Broad to break records after taking his match haul against West Indies to 11 wickets and becoming only the fourth player to score a hundred, take five in an innings and 10 in a match at Lord’s. However, it is far from certain that Broad’s career-best performances will secure England a victory after a day of resilience from West Indies’ batsmen before two late strikes by Kemar Roach set pulses racing.When Broad removed Darren Sammy, who played a key part in extending West Indies’ lead to testing proportions, he became the first England bowler to take 10 on this ground since Ian Botham against New Zealand in 1978.”Hats off to him he’s on all three honours boards which is almost unique,” Swann said. “He’s going to be a guy who breaks record after record in his career and I’m just glad he’s in my team. He admitted he’s not been in the greatest of form for Nottinghamshire but he’s a big match player and as soon as he got his first spell out of the way in this match he’s bowled superbly.”However, it was Swann himself who claimed the wicket England most cherished when he finally trapped Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw to end his 250-ball 91 which took his match occupation of the crease to 425 deliveries.”It’s always nice to get him out. It would have been nicer if he’d missed a sweep on 10 or 11 rather than 91,” he said. “His partnership with [Marlon] Samuels showed if you bat with application on that pitch you become difficult to shift.”Application is something England will need plenty of on the final day after closing on 10 for 2 following the late dismissals of Andrew Strauss and nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson. During the winter they failed to chase 145 in Abu Dhabi, collapsing to 72 all out albeit on a very different surface, but Swann, always a glass-half-full cricketer, said the task was still well within hand.”It’s unfortunate to lose the skipper but it was always going to be a tricky 15 minutes batting in the gloom against a world-class bowler like Kemar Roach. Luckily we’ve got through relatively unscathed, we’ve got Trotty and Cooky at the crease so we’ll very confident that they can see us through.”We know the wicket is very good for batting, if anything it’s better than the first two days. That tends to happen at Lord’s. Hopefully the ball won’t talk much like it didn’t for us today. Once it gets to 30-35 overs old it seems to go a bit out of shape and not be very responsive. We beat the outside edge a lot but couldn’t pick up the edges we did in the first innings. That was frustrating to say the least but I thought we stuck at our guns very well and to get a chase of less than 200 we’re happy with.”Ottis Gibson, West Indies’ coach, took great heart from his team’s performance especially that of the batsmen who kept England in the field for most of the day. Regardless of the result on Monday he knows that the visitors have already surpassed many of the expectations surrounding them when they arrived.”I haven’t seen any fifth-day tickets so I’m not sure they expected it to go five days,” he said. “We are coming back to make them fight for the rest of the runs. If we do well enough to win then great, we’ll celebrate, but whatever happens when we get off that bus tomorrow we are coming here to fight. It will be a battle but we are up for that.”If we can make some early inroads, like Trott and Kevin Pietersen who can take the game away from you, we’ve always felt we have an attack that can cause quite a few problems. It will be a good opportunity for them tomorrow.”

Mazhar Majeed, the London-based cricket agent, and the former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield – the first cricketer in England to be jailed for spot fixing – have lost their appeals against their convictions.

David Hopps31-May-2012Mazhar Majeed, the London-based cricket agent, and the former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield – the first cricketer in England to be jailed for spot-fixing – have lost their appeals against their convictions.The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and two other judges at the Court of Appeal in London, upheld both convictions at the Court of Appeal on Thursday.The legal challenge centred on the correct interpretation of gambling and betting legislation and its failure has ensured that English cricket retains a robust law to deal with any future match-fixing scams.Majeed and Westfield were involved in two separate cases but their appeals were heard simultaneously as they involved the same point of law.Majeed, 36, from Croydon, South London, was sentenced in November to two years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to make corrupt payments. He was the agent involved in the spot-fixing scandal involving three Pakistan cricketers in a Test at The Oval two years ago.Westfield, 24, from Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced to four months in prison at the Old Bailey in February and has since been released. He pleaded guilty to one count of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl to instructions in a CB40 tie between Essex and Durham at Chester-le-Street in September 2009.The appeal was based upon the argument that the scam was not aimed directly at the Pakistan Board or, in Westfield’s case, against Essex, but that the way they performed “was personal to them.”In rejecting the appeal, Lord Judge referred to the codes of conduct operating in both Pakistan and Essex cricket that made it a contractual obligation not to accept bribes to influence the conduct of a match.The importance of these codes of conduct in refusing the appeal is bound to lead to a re-examination of their robustness in all forms of professional cricket.Lord Judge said of the codes of conduct: “There could not be any clearer indication of the simple proposition that the Pakistan Cricket Board regarded the conduct of the players on the field as integral to its affairs and business, and indeed that their play was integral to them. Precisely the same considerations apply to Westfield and Essex County Cricket Club. That was the entire point of the agreement that he should play on behalf of the county to the best of his ability. “In the case involving Majeed, three Pakistan cricketers also received custodial sentences at London’s Southwark Crown Court. Salman Butt, the captain, was jailed for two-and-a-half years for his role as the orchestrator of a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in the 2010 Lord’s Test against England. The two fast bowlers involved – Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – were sentenced to 12 and six months respectively and have already been released.Mark Milliken-Smith QC, on behalf of Majeed, further submitted that there was no jurisdiction to try Majeed under the Gambling Act 2005 as the gambling was both unlawful and took place abroad.Lord Judge termed it “a remarkable submission” stating: “The “fix” was organised in England, the matches which were the target of the “fixing” took place here, and the rewards for participating were also paid here.”However, Lord Judge conceded: “Interesting questions of territoriality might arise if it were ever to be the case that an individual or individuals who were living abroad and placed their bets abroad on the basis of the cheating which was organised and took place here were ever to be prosecuted in this jurisdiction.”We need not address them. We are not dealing with the criminals abroad who took advantage of the cheating organised in this jurisdiction. We are dealing with the criminals who participated in it here. The respective offences of conspiracy against Majeed and cheating against Westfield were properly prosecuted.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth ODI between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran30-Jul-2012

Match facts

Tuesday, July 31
Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)Irfan Pathan played a crucial role in India taking the series lead•AFP

Big Picture

India’s win on Saturday has left Sri Lanka needing to win both remaining matches if they are to take the series. None of the players involved in the series had made their ODI debuts when India last lost a bilateral series in Sri Lanka – that was way back in 1997, when Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva were at the peak of their powers.India’s successful chase of 287 was the sort of result which would have been extremely unlikely on the pre-World Cup Premadasa track where batting under lights was a challenge. On Saturday, on a pitch with little in it for the bowlers, both sides showed off some high-class one-day batting. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, as they have done countless times before, revived the Sri Lankan innings with unhurried ease, knocking the singles around. That set the stage for Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis to explode at the end, as India leaked 97 in the final ten. For India, it was Gautam Gambhir who top scored with a controlled innings of 102, where he highlighted his nifty footwork against both pace and spin, before Suresh Raina extended a rewarding recent ODI run, with this third half-century in five innings.The run-fest raised questions about the strength of both sides’ bowling. The spearheads, Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga, did their job, but the support seamers rarely threatened and the spinners could, at best, contain the runs. Isuru Udana hasn’t been an adequate replacement for the injured Nuwan Kulasekara, and India’s gamble on Ashok Dinda didn’t pay off either.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LWLWW (Completed games, most recent first)
India WLWWL

Watch out for…

Jeevan Mendis took 5 for 76 in the last two ODIs he played in 2011 before he dropped off Sri Lanka’s one-day plans, perhaps because he failed with the bat. Given another chance in the final ODI against Pakistan last month, he stepped up with a tight spell, and also a steady 19 towards the end of a tight chase. He boosted his case for a longer run in the side, with a hard-hitting 45 on Saturday, which justified his promotion over the in-form Thisara Perera.India’s death bowling has long been a problem area. In the third ODI, Zaheer bowled eight of his overs in the first two Powerplays, leaving Irfan Pathan and Dinda to finish out the innings. With the strategy of using two fast bowlers to end the innings not working for India, perhaps it is time they used R Ashwin at the death.

Team news

There have already been plenty of headlines about Rohit Sharma’s prolonged lean spell, and his golden duck on Saturday is likely to have opened the door for Manoj Tiwary. Legspinner Rahul Sharma did well enough to merit another chance, but Dinda didn’t, which could mean that Umesh Yadav will return.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Manoj Tiwary, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Rahul SharmaSangakkara’s finger injury means he will miss only his second ODI in more than two years. The only other one he sat out was a one-dayer against Scotland in 2011. He could be replaced by Lahiru Thirimanne, with Dinesh Chandimal stepping in as wicketkeeper. Udana could be left out after two underwhelming matches, with Nuwan Pradeep as his replacement.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath

Stats and trivia

• If Gautam Gambhir scores 11 or more on Tuesday, he will become the second quickest Indian to reach 5000 ODI runs.
• Lasith Malinga is four wickets short of 200 ODI scalps. He is on track to become the fifth fastest bowler to reach the milestone, and easily the fastest Sri Lankan.

Quotes

“We had a plan to score four to five hundreds as individual batsmen and we have done it twice. Virat [Kohli] and Gautam [Gambhir] scored hundreds, Viru (Virender Sehwag) fell short but, our goal is yet to be reached.”
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Kent kept their Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign alive with a nine-wicket Group C victory over Derbyshire under the Duckworth-Lewis method

31-Jul-2012
ScorecardKent kept their Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign alive with a nine-wicket Group C victory over Derbyshire under the Duckworth-Lewis method.The floodlit match was delayed by nearly four hours by rain, reducing the contest to 14 overs a side but, after Derbyshire made 62 for 5, Kent were left with a target of 67 and got home with 19 balls to spare. Rob Key fell to Mark Turner for 17 but Sam Billings and Sam Northeast easily took the Spitfires to a victory that gives them a chance of claiming the best runners-up spot.The Falcons had reached 22 without loss after being put in but there was assistance for the seamers on an overcast evening and it was no surprise when Chesney Hughes edged a drive at one from Matt Coles that moved away and was caught behind for 11.Usman Khawaja went in the next over when he chopped Azhar Mahmood into his leg stump and Wes Durston became the third batsman to fall for 11 when he was caught behind pushing forward at Darren Stevens. Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen became Stevens’ second victim when he was bowled through a big gap with the total on 46 but that was the last action for nearly three-and-three-quarter hours as the rain set in.The game was able to resume at 9.15pm with the Falcons left with one over to boost their total and after Dan Redfern was run out off the first ball going for a second, Jon Clare hit James Tredwell high over midwicket for six. He then swung the spinner for another four and finished unbeaten having joined the massed ranks on 11.Alex Hughes clubbed another boundary as 16 came off the over to leave Kent chasing a revised target of 67 but the advantage was still very much with the visitors, especially with the bowlers having to contend with a wet ball.Billings and Key knew they did not have to take any risks but 23 came off the first three overs to dash the slim hopes of the home side, who had to take early wickets to exert any pressure.Key pulled Mark Turner for his third four but was then caught behind down the leg side off the next ball for 17 with the total on 39. But Kent needed only 24 off the last seven overs and although Derbyshire bowled tightly, the outcome was never in doubt. Northeast sealed victory in the 11th over with consecutive fours off David Wainwright to give Kent a chance of making the semi-finals.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who played the last of his three Tests in January 2011 in South Africa, is eager to make a comeback to the Indian Test side

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2012India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who played the last of his three Tests in January 2011 in South Africa, is eager to make a comeback to the Test side and following his injury problems, his focus is on fitness.”I am very conscious about my fitness now. I am aware and try my best to avoid injuries,” Pujara told . “I have a fitness routine and I follow it religiously. It hurts when I miss a training session. The best chance to avoid injuries in cricket, where you throw yourself on the field, is by trying and following certain training programmes.””I am following a schedule prepared by the NCA physios. I am working on strength and stability.”After making a dream debut against Australia in 2010 – where he scored a matchwinning, fourth-innings 72 – and being part of the team that later toured South Africa, Pujara was sidelined for much of 2011 with a knee injury.Pujara had a modest Ranji Trophy season with Saurashtra last year on his return, managing only 200 runs with two half-centuries. But the recent India A tour of the West Indies – he was the top scorer with 252 runs in three matches in difficult batting conditions – renewed the selectors’ faith in him and he was included for India’s Tests against New Zealand.”It feels good. I’ve worked really hard for this. Now that I have got my chance, I want to bat the way I did on my debut against Australia. I was also part of the squad to South Africa. I didn’t get too many runs there, but it was a great learning experience. I got a feel of Test cricket in 2010 and I want to use that confidence and start all over again. Unfortunately, I was out for six months but then injuries happen. The good thing is that I am fit now. I did well for India ‘A’ in the West Indies.”In the first match against West Indies A in Barbados, Pujara followed up his first-innings half-century with an unbeaten 96 that helped India A to fashion a dramatic two-wicket win. He scored another half-century in the second match.”The conditions were tough; the wickets were up and down. The ball jumped from a good-length spot and it was difficult for the batsmen to adjust,” Pujara said of the West Indies series. “But I never let the conditions affect me. I backed myself and played my natural game. I knew a good tour would help me get back into the Test side.”Pujara made his first-class debut seven years ago, and since then he has amassed 4639 runs at an average of 53.32. But the New Zealand series will be an important one; he might especially be scrutinised now, with India looking for a replacement for Rahul Dravid and there often being comparisons made between the two players. But Pujara wants to just focus on his game: “I think there shouldn’t be a comparison. Rahul Dravid scored more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs. And I have just started off. But I respect the faith people have in me.”

Nick Compton boosted his chances of England selection with a timely century as Somerset tightened their grip on Worcestershire at Taunton.

12-Sep-2012
ScorecardNick Compton hopes to be included in England’s tour party for India•Getty Images

Nick Compton boosted his chances of England selection with a timely century as Somerset tightened their grip on Worcestershire at Taunton.The leading run-maker in first class cricket this summer was returning to action after a back problem but it did not show as he hit an unbeaten 114 in a Somerset total which also featured 146 from Marcus Trescothick. That gave the hosts a lead of 239 with two days to go and took Compton’s first-class tally for the season to 1,453 runs at an average of 96.86.Somerset began the day on 142 without loss in reply to 212 and soon lost Arul Suppiah, caught and bowled by Moeen Ali for 75 off a checked drive, having added only two to his overnight score. Trescothick had resumed on 66 and after surviving some scares against Alan Richardson, who bowled beautifully without luck before lunch, moved to his century off 187 balls with 13 fours.Lunch was taken at 227 for 1 and the pitch inspector who had stayed on after Abdur Rehman’s nine-wicket first-day haul, was able to abandon any thought that the wicket was unduly spinner-friendly.Trescothick and Compton had taken the total to 307 when Trescothick edged to second slip to at last give 37-year-old Richardson some reward for his efforts. Trescothick’s innings had spanned 260 balls and, while not one of his most fluent, was hugely important for his team as they chase runners-up spot in the Championship for only the third time in their history, having never won it.Richardson continued to bowl with great heart and gained thoroughly deserved lbw verdicts against James Hildreth (19) and Chris Jones (one) on his way to figures of 3 for 65 from 35 overs as Somerset moved to 343 for 4.Compton had moments of fortune, but again displayed his powers of concentration in moving to his 16th first-class hundred off 248 deliveries, with nine fours and a straight six off Moeen.With Somerset already 131 ahead when he walked to the crease, Peter Trego was able to enjoy himself with a rapid 45 off as many balls, with five fours and two sixes before being bowled by a slower ball from Chris Russell.Craig Overton and Steve Snell fell cheaply to Moeen, but there was no disturbing Compton, who has now scored 239 more first-class runs than his nearest challenger in the averages, Hildreth with 1,214, despite playing in three less matches than his Somerset team-mate.

So rare have such occasions been for West Indies cricket after their decline that Sammy called this victory “the best moment for me”

Abhishek Purohit in Colombo07-Oct-2012They had clapped in the Premadasa media room after Darren Sammy finished his pre-final press conference on Saturday. They clapped in the Premadasa press box on Sunday after West Indies took the last Sri Lankan wicket to win the World Twenty20 2012. They clapped in the Premadasa media room after Sammy finished his post-final press conference. So rare have such occasions been for West Indies cricket after their decline that Sammy called this victory “the best moment for me”.The West Indies captain sauntered into the media room draped in the maroon West Indies cricket flag. He kept the World Twenty20 trophy proudly in front of him on the table. “My trophy is so big I can’t see you,” he joked with the first questioner.He spoke about treasuring the achievement for the rest of his life. He was asked whether his performance with both bat and ball in the final was an answer to the critics who had questioned his place in the side all along. He said when even Christ was crucified without fault, he himself was nothing. It was a much-criticised, large-hearted man speaking from his heart, and Sammy didn’t hold back tonight.”We will definitely cherish this moment. I will for sure,” Sammy said. “We’re going to relive it every day of our lives. This is the best moment for me in any cricket. This here (the trophy) is for the Caribbean people. West Indies fans all over the world have been craving success. I know they’re partying from Jamaica down to Guyana. And we know how to party. I think they’ll need a lot of bartenders.”Sammy said while the critics had a job to do, he had always believed in playing for the Caribbean people. “The commentators get paid to speak. The media get paid to write stories. I get paid to play cricket,” Sammy said. “Critics will always be there. Someone might find something wrong I did today even though we won. That does not worry me. The most important thing is that the team did well.”And I always say I live my life one way. Christ came to this earth, did nothing wrong and yet was crucified. I’m nowhere close to that man.”Anybody could have an opinion about me. I like it. My shoulders are broad enough. It’s been like that from the time I started cricket. Once I wear this [West Indies] crest (pointing to his shirt), I wear it on my heart. That’s what matters. If I turn up and don’t have a good day, I suck, I’ll come the next day and try and put in a better performance. I don’t play for glory. I play for the Caribbean people.”Sammy was asked what had won the game for West Indies, after they had been 32 for 2 at the halfway stage of their innings. He spoke about belief, and he spoke about God. “We have a strong belief in God. He works in mysterious ways. He performs wonders,” Sammy said. “Like I kept saying in every press conference, there’s a belief we had in the team. Yes, we expected them (Sri Lanka) to give us a good fight and they did.”Throughout the last year or so, we’ve been showing that never-say-die attitude, but we’ve not been winning games. In this tournament, we’ve won games. Every man believed that whoever was out there could do the job. Today, it was Marlon Samuels and (Dwayne) Bravo steadying the ship. In the end, every run counts. The bowling discipline was just brilliant, and the fielding. I said we needed our A-plus game, this here is proof of it.”After Marlon Samuels’ 78 had carried them to 137, Sammy said West Indies believed they had a chance. “The coach was saying that if we get the score we got in Pallekele (129 for 5 against Sri Lanka) on this wicket, we’ll win the match,” Sammy said. “The momentum we had from our batting carried through to our bowling. It was Dwayne Bravo’s birthday, so in the huddle, I gave him the chance to say the last words before we went on the field. He said, ‘let’s go out there and give it our all. If we do that and play how we can play, these runs are going to be a fighting total’. Ravi (Rampaul) started it off with his first ball, and we never looked back from there.”We have some of the most experienced Twenty20 players. Once we play the way we can, we’ll always be a force to reckon with. We didn’t brag about it but we believed we could go out there and take it one game at a time. I said hurdle by hurdle, and today was the final one. The coach said we’re climbing to the top of a mountain, and that’s where the prize is. We’ve got to go and take it. Today, we did that. We had different persons coming up with performances in different matches. The team has gelled well in this tournament. Signs of progress have been there, but this is the icing on the cake.”There have been questions raised about the unity of the squad in the past, and the board and the players have had numerous disputes, but Sammy hoped this victory could be the start of something new for West Indies cricket. “This is the moment here,” he said. “Issues done and buried. Twenty20 World Cup, 2012, Sri Lanka – West Indies champion.”And Sammy held the trophy up. And there was another round of applause.