Srilanka Win by 13 runs

Srilanka have won the dead rubber contest against Australia by 13 runs at the Melbourne cricket ground today.Srilanka won the toss and decided to bat and they lost opener Dilruwan Perera very early.Jayasuriya and Sangakkara appeared to steady the ship before they both got out and at one stage the Lankans were reduced to 61 for 4.Jayawardane and Dilshan then forged a partnership and helped themselves to half centuries and then Chamara Silva's plucky innings in the lower order got the Lankans to a total of 221.Dilshan top scored the innings with 62 runs.In the reply the Aussies got off to a blistering start and put on 107 runs for the first wicket.Gilchrist punished the bowlers severely and made a swashbuckling knock of 83 runs off just 50 balls.The innings took a twist thereafter and they lost the next 6 wickets for 16 runs.The tail wagged but the final wicket of Lee was nailed down by Jayasuriya to give a 12 runs win for Srilanka.

IPL TO HAVE ENGLISH TALENT

The head of the Indian Premier League on Thursday said English cricketers could be accommodated into future tournaments on the sub-continent.

Lalit Modi's claim that England's top players were interested in the International Cricket Council-sanctioned competition comes hours after the England and Wales Cricket Board toughened its stance against unofficial events such as the Indian Cricket League.

Modi, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, reckons a tinkering with the scheduling would allow a more global feel to the IPL.

The inaugural 20-over extravaganza is being held in India between April 18 and June 1, which clashes with the opening six weeks of the English domestic summer.

"We have a huge amount of pressure from the English players to be participating in it," Modi told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Sooner or later we will look at adjusting our programmes while we try to bring our league forward. "The objective would be in the future we would be working with the ECB to ensure the overlap doesn't take place."

Finding a window of compatibility will be difficult, however, with England scheduled to tour the Caribbean between February and April 2009.

But there is a feeling around the counties that avoiding a clash is necessary to ensure the participation of the best players in our domestic game.

For example, nine of the Australian side which secured a 5-0 Ashes whitewash over England had spells in county cricket.

ENGLAND HAMMERED BY NEW ZEALAND

The Kiwis have once again exerted their authority on England and defeated them by 10 wickets today in the second onedayer to lead the series 2-0 here.The tourists were dreadful both with the bat and ball and suffered a humiliating 10 wicket defeat and must now win the remaining three matches to capture the series.England got all out for 158 runs after being 89/2 at one stage in a match which was 36 over a sise at Seddon Park.New zealand on their reply knocked off the target of 165 with Mccullum scoring 80 runs and Ryder scoring 79 runs.England must really try to lift themselves if they are to win the remaining three matches of the series.

GIBBS DROPPED FROM THE SQUAD

Herschelle Gibbs and Monde Zondeki are the two men who have been dropped from the Bangladesh tour.Hashim Amla,Andre Nel and Neil Mckenzie were included in the 14 man squad after they passed the fitness tests.

The make-up of the squad had been the subject of a disagreement between the five-man selection panel - which includes coach Mickey Arthur - and Cricket South Africa president Norman Arendse, who has final approval.

The announcement had been due last Tuesday but was delayed as Arendse vetoed the selection on the grounds that it contained only four non-white players, despite the need for seven under CSA's transformation policy.

VINCENT SUFFERS FROM DEPRESSION

New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent has discounted an immediate return to international cricket after revealing he is suffering from depression.

Vincent removed himself from contention for a place in the Black Caps side last month citing mental and physical exhaustion.

And the former Worcestershire right-hander does not want to be selected in the near future after disclosing the true nature of his illness.

"I was beaten by it. I was completely beaten by it," he told The Sunday Star-Times.

"I let it get to me and it just took over. Until you've actually been through it, you can't imagine how bad it is.

"For as long as I can remember I've been riddled with self-doubt, I've had no self-belief, and I've just been hating the guy I've seen in the mirror.

"I still like the idea of playing overseas in the future. But the main thing for me - in terms of my cricket - is to continue enjoying my time with Auckland and to try to be as successful as possible for them."

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan said: "We have a sports psychologist with the national team and, while the principle role is to optimise on-field performance, there is also the opportunity to monitor and assist players with problems.

"Apart from that, we have specialists through the country who can liaise locally with both NZC and any player who might need assistance."

MATCH ABONDONED DUE TO RAIN

The second match of the tri nations series got abondoned due to rain again.This match played between India and Srilanka got abondoned at the Brisbane.India batted first again and this time around they started very well with a 68 before Sachin dragged it onto his stumps for 35 runs.Virender Sehwag played in an attacking fashion for 30 odd runs but India slumped quickly to 84 for four.Yuvraj Singh disappointed but Gautam Gambhir scored a brilliant 102 runs and Dhoni scored 88 runs to prop up the score to 267 for four in 50 overs.The match however stopped there as rain washed out the play.

POLLOCK TRIBUTE

In more than 12 years on the international stage, Shaun Pollock established himself as one of the finest cricketers the world has ever seen.

His ability and work rate were second to none, and in an era where South Africa has produced an abundance of all-rounders, Pollock topped the lot.

The 34-year-old former Proteas skipper has cricket in his blood.

He comes from a family which included two of the greatest ever players to emerge from the tip of Africa in father Peter and uncle Graeme.

His grandfather Andrew also played domestic cricket, while there are many cousins and other relatives who achieved a lot in the game which, all in all, goes a long way to explaining why Pollock took to cricket like a duck to water.

The bold redhead bows out with a phenomenal record, ensuring his place in the list of the world's greatest ever all-rounders.

In 108 Test matches, he took 421 wickets - eighth on the all-time list - at an average of 23.11, while his batting average of 32.31 is exceptional for a lower-order batsman.

He continued to excel in the ODI arena with a bowling average of 24.50 (393 wickets) and a batting mark of 26.45 from 303 matches.

He showed how handy can be with the bat by hammering a maiden ODI hundred - he made 130 - for Africa against Asia at the Afro-Asia Cup in June last year, which at the time was the highest score recorded by a player batting at number seven.

Pollock also had a staggering economy rate which sees him concede a miserly 3.67 runs per over.

STYRIS RETIRES FROM TEST CRICKET

New Zealand international Scott Styris has announced his retirement from Test cricket.

Styris' decision is the second setback for the Black Caps in quick succession after captain Daniel Vettori was earlier ruled out of next week's two Twenty20 internationals against England having failed to recover from injury

The 32-year-old retires with a Test average of 36.04 from his 29 matches but will continue to be available to play in one-day internationals and Twenty20 cricket.

"The rigours of international cricket have become increasingly demanding and I would like to extend my career by focusing on shorter versions of the game," Styris said. . Hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum will lead the side in Vettori's absence, and off-spinner Jeetan Patel has already been called into the Twenty20 squad as cover.

MATCH ABONDONED DUE TO RAIN

The first one day match of the triseries involving India,Australia and Srilanka has been abondoned due to rain in a match between India and Australia today at the Gabba.India started the first innings having won the toss.The match started on time despite rain threats looming large.India scored 194 runs batting first in 45 over per side game after rain interruption in the 36 th over.Gambhir scored 37 runs and the youngsters except Rohit Sharma failed miserably.India innings were propped up by late order heroics from Pathan and Bhajji.In the reply Australia were 51 for the loss of 3 wickets while chasing the Indian target of 194 runs.The next match is between India and Srilanka on Tuesday.

GILCHRIST TO RETIRE

Adam Gilchrist has announced his decision yo retire from all forms of cricket after the Australian summer.Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist will retire from international cricket at the conclusion of the upcoming triangular one-day series against India and Sri Lanka."It is with great pride and happiness that I make the decision to retire from Test and one-day cricket," he said in a statement at the conclusion of the third day of the fourth Test against India in Adelaide.

Gilchrist, 36, became the record holder for most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper when he claimed his 414th victim during Friday's play in the fourth Test against India.

But his greatest achievements came with bat in hand - an average of 47.89 from 136 Test innings tells part of the story. Gilchrist also changed the expectations of number seven batsmen in Test matches with his pace of scoring and ability to contribute centuries, 17 of them in Tests.

He also enjoyed much success at the top of the order in one-day internationals since his debut in 1996. Gilchrist was part of the World Cup winning sides in 1999, 2003 and 2007 and played perhaps his finest innings in the 2007 final against Sri Lanka - 149 from 104 balls.

CRICKET IN INDIA

The game of cricket has acquired the status of a religion in India with the cricketers enjoying a demi-god status. The massive fan-following that the game commands across the length and breadth of this country is a testimony of its unsurpassed popularity.

The popularity of cricket in India can be ascribed to the fact that the country has been a force to reckon with in the world stage. The game witnessed exponential growth in India when Kapil's Devils humbled the mighty West Indians in the hallowed turf of Lord's to emerge as the World Champions in 1983.

The long line of world-beaters the country has produced exemplifies the rich heritage of cricket in India. From Ranjitsinghji, Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, India has been churning out exceptional cricketing talents who have left their marks in the annals of the game.

In addition to the abundant talent pool, cricket in India has benefited by the innovative marketing strategies adopted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. With top-notch corporate houses making a beeline to be associated with the Indian cricket team, the Board laughing all the way to the bank.

The cricketers too have made a fortune out of their celebrity status by endorsing a host of consumer products. Given the popularity of the game and the players' celebrity status, it's no wonder that the majority of the young kids of this country aspire to be successful cricketers.