BPL will Put Local Players in Spotlight - Dean Jones

Bangladesh Premier League 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 8, 2012

Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman and technical director of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise, the Chittagong Kings, has said the tournament will help young Bangladesh players, as they will have the opportunity to play alongside international stars. The Kings have Tamim Iqbal as their icon player, and bought West Indies' Dwayne Bravo and Jerome Taylor, and Muttiah Muralitharan in the auction.

"The great thing about this tournament is that the players can rub shoulders with Murali, Tamim and Dwayne Bravo," Jones said. "[For the young players], getting to see how good they are against experienced players is really important. I think it will really bring the best out of some players. Some players will fail but some players will do very well."

The BPL has been hampered by some of the high-profile buys pulling out due to international or domestic commitments. The Kings will be without Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan allrounder, and West Indies opener Lendl Simmons. "Everyone has got that problem," Jones said. "We're looking for replacements now as we speak; who they are I'm not going to disclose.

"We've got players coming in on the morning of February 10 [date of the opening fixture] because they are playing first-class matches in Pakistan and the West Indies or something. We've just got to roll with the punches, get them ready and off we go."

The Kings will be coached by former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud and have Michael Bevan, the former Australia batsman, as their batting consultant, with Jones advising the coaching staff. "Khaled Mahmud is my eyes and ears; he is helping me communicate with the Bangladeshi boys and understand their roles as well," Jones said. "Of course we have Michael Bevan and we have bowling and fielding coaches. I am very happy with my coaching staff."

Jones said the BPL would help Bangladesh cricket because it will give the local players the experience of playing under the spotlight. "I think it will give them more exposure, more awareness, it will put them under more pressure, under lights, in front of big crowds. Sometimes you'll get hurt and get beaten. And then you've got to work on your strengths and weakness to come back.

"I think it couldn't come at a better time really for the Bangladesh people and the players. They needed this, I think they wanted this. They need to get out of their comfort zone and now they are going to find out how good they are."

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A List of Players who were Bought, Transferred, Retained and went Unsold For IPL 2012

IPL 2012 auction

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 4, 2012

A list of players who were bought, transferred, retained and went unsold for IPL 2012

Bought
Brendon McCullum - $900,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $400,000)
Ravindra Jadeja - Maximum purse of $2 million bid by Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers. It goes to a tiebreaker. Bought by Chennai Super Kings for an undisclosed amount (base price $100,000).
Muttiah Muralitharan - $220,000 to Royal Challengers Bangalore (base price $200,000)
Mahela Jayawardene - $1.4 million to Delhi Daredevils (base price $300,000)
Herschelle Gibbs - $50,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $50,000)
Brad Hodge - $475,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $200,000)
Parthiv Patel - $650,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price $200,000)
Dinesh Chandimal - $50,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $50,000)
Andre Russell - $450,000 to Delhi Daredevils (base price $50,000)
Mitchell Johnson - $300,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $300,000)
RP Singh - $600,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $200,000)
Vinay Kumar - $1 million to Royal Challengers Bangalore (base price $100,000)
Sreesanth - $400,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $400,000)
Ramesh Powar - $160,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Brad Hogg - $180,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $100,000)
Sunil Narine - $700,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $50,000)
Robin Peterson - $100,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $100,000)
Daniel Harris - $70,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price 50,000)
Kevon Cooper - $50,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price 50,000)
James Faulkner - $190,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Azhar Mahmood - $200,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Thisara Perera - $650,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $50,000)
Marchant de Lange - $50,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $50,000)
Darren Bravo - $100,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price $100,000)
Doug Bracewell - $50,000 to Delhi Daredevils (base price $50,000)

Retained
(Players who were signed last year as a replacement for injured players and then retained by the franchise for this year)
Chris Gayle - Royal Challengers Bangalore, $550,000
Sourav Ganguly - Pune Warriors, $400,000
David Miller - Kings XI Punjab, $100,000

Transferred
(Main players signed during the IPL's trading window between December 15 and January 20)
Kevin Pietersen - Deccan Chargers to Delhi Daredevils
Andrew McDonald - Delhi Daredevils to Royal Challengers Bangalore
Dinesh Karthik - Kings XI Punjab to Mumbai Indians
Pragyan Ojha - Deccan Chargers to Mumbai Indians
R Sathish - Mumbai Indians to Kings XI Punjab
Harmeet Singh - Deccan Chargers to Kings XI Punjab

Unsold
James Anderson - base price $300,000
Tamim Iqbal - base price $50,000
Adrian Barath - base price $50,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan - base price $100,000
Ian Bell - base price $200,000
Owais Shah - base price $200,000
Upul Tharanga - base price $50,000
VVS Laxman - base price $400,000
Matt Prior - base price $200,000
Brendan Taylor - base price $100,000
Mark Boucher - base price $100,000
Justin Kemp - base price $100,000
Marlon Samuels - base price $100,000
Steven Smith - base price $200,000
Ravi Bopara - base price $100,000
Luke Wright - base price $200,000
Kevin O'Brien - base price $50,000
Dwayne Smith - base price $100,000
Lonwabo Tsotsobe - base price $50,000
VRV Singh - base price $100,000
Vernon Philander - base price $200,000
Fidel Edwards - base price $100,000
Ravi Rampaul - base price $100,000
Peter Siddle - base price $200,000
Tim Southee - base price $100,000
Graeme Swann - base price $400,000
Rangana Herath - base price $50,000
Ajantha Mendis - base price $50,000
Steve O'Keefe - base price $100,000
Xavier Doherty - base price $100,000
Michael Klinger - base price $50,000
Richard Levi - base price $50,000
Alviro Petersen - base price $100,000
Lendl Simmons - base price $50,000
Farveez Maharoof - base price $50,000
Jacob Oram - base price $100,000
Moises Henriques - base price $50,000
Ben Laughlin - base price $50,000
Ryan McLaren - base price $100,000
Nicky Boje - base price $200,000
Jacques Rudolph - base price $20,000
Andy McKay - base price $50,000
Alister McDermott - base price $20,000
Michael Neser - base price $50,000

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Sahara Withdraws Sponsorship of BCCI and IPL

India news

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 4, 2012

Sahara India Parivar has cut its ties with the BCCI, withdrawing its sponsorship of the Indian team and ownership of the Pune Warriors IPL franchise. The decision was announced on Saturday morning, an hour before the IPL 2012 auction - which went ahead without any representation from Pune Warriors.

In its formal statement, Sahara referred to several points of dispute with the BCCI, dating back to its first sponsorship deal in 2001 but largely relating to the IPL. It said it would "continue paying the sponsorship money" to the BCCI for a period of "2-4 months" it would take to find a new sponsor. The group had won the bid for the Indian team sponsorship most recently in May 2010.

In its initial response, IPL governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla said that the BCCI had yet to receive anything in writing from Sahara about the withdrawal of sponsorship.

The group, which has sponsored the Indian team for 11 years, had cited several reasons for its sudden pull-out, its most recent differences with the BCCI concerning its involvement in the IPL.

The latest dispute arises around a request by Sahara to be allowed to add Yuvraj Singh's price into its auction purse for the February 4 auction after it was learnt that Yuvraj could not take part in the IPL as he is undergoing medical treatment for a tumour in his lung. When the request was refused, Sahara said it was "yet again" a case of the BCCI denying them "natural justice."

The differences between Sahara and the IPL began in 2008 when Sahara's bid for one of the first eight IPL franchises was "thwarted" following disqualification on what it calls, "a small technicality on the whims and fancies of BCCI." Last year, the group had successfully bid $370m for the Pune franchise when the IPL had opened up the league to two new teams.

Sahara had asked for a refund of what it called its "extra bid money" stating that its bid price had been calculated on the basis of 94 matches to be played in the IPL's fourth season. It said it had been denied, "on the basis of strict rules." Other requests, like opening up the auction to all players once again in order to to achieve a "level playing field" or allowing one extra foreign player for the two new teams were also turned down.

"We are withdrawing from all cricket under BCCI," the group stated. "However, we don't want to give any problem to the BCCI and we also feel that the players should not suffer. BCCI will definitely take 2-4 months to get a new sponsor and we will continue paying the sponsorship money till then. All other IPL team players, coaches and other such associates will definitely get their due this year, in case they do not get a chance to play."

The sudden turn of events took the Indian cricket fraternity by surprise. It appears even players of the franchise were not aware of the developments, with several tweets expressing surprise.

This Sahara pullout comes a day after Kochi Tuskers Kerala, the other team which made its IPL debut with Pune last year, announced it would take the BCCI to court for terminating its contract. The 2012 IPL was reduced to nine teams as a result. Another sponsor, Maxx Mobiles, has reportedly withdrawn as strategic time-out and official play-off sponsor of the IPL. It had signed a three-year contract for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons

Over the past six months, the BCCI has terminated the Kochi franchise as well as its broadcast deal with Nimbus Communications, who were the rights holders for all cricket played in India.

QUICK COMMENT

Blow for the BCCI

Conventional wisdom suggests Sahara India's decision to end its ties with the BCCI, and the IPL, will have little material effect on the world's richest cricketing body. There will be enough sponsors lining up to clamber on the gravy train that is Indian cricket. But these are not conventional times, and Saturday morning's dramatic announcement - made an hour before the IPL auction was due to start - comes at a particularly awkward moment for the board. It is now without a TV rights holder, a main sponsor, an IPL franchise and a buyer for its internet rights. None of these on its own is an insurmountable problem but together they weaken the BCCI's hitherto omnipotent position.

They also reveal the inherent problems within the administration of the game in India that had been papered over by first the dazzling financial success of the IPL and then by the team's rise to the top of the Test match rankings and its World Cup win. In the months since that heady evening in Mumbai in April, the game in India seems to have taken several steps back. The 2011 IPL returned the lowest TV ratings for any of the four seasons; not good news for a tournament whose revenues are based on eyeballs. A few months later the sight of empty stands in Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai during an ODI series in which India beat England 5-0 added to the sense of disquiet. That series also saw signs of tension between the BCCI and Nimbus, the TV rights holders, which eventually led to the contract being terminated.

Saturday's events will be particularly embarrassing for the BCCI as they impact the IPL, its flagship tournament and the basis for its global clout. Sahara's reasons remain allegations for the moment but they emphasise the common perception - one that has existed since the days of Lalit Modi - that the IPL is run in an ad hoc manner. The tournament's fifth season, already down to nine teams following Kochi's contentious exit, is now in a state of confusion for players, for administrators and presumably the broadcasters too. When the BCCI sneezes, the cricket world catches cold; it must now act fast to restore credibility before the confusion goes viral.
Jayaditya Gupta

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England Players Miss Out on IPL 2012 Auction

IPL 2012 auction

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 4, 2012

Not one of the five current England cricketers on sale in the IPL auction were sold. The only players from the current England squad who will play in the fifth season of the IPL are Kevin Pietersen - who was transferred to the Delhi Daredevils for a reported US$2million - Eoin Morgan, who is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad and Stuart Broad, who was bought by Kings XI Punjab in 2011.

James Anderson, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara did not attract any bids. Chris Tremlett had been included in the auction list but withdrew after flying home from England's tour of the UAE with an injury.

The news will be welcomed by the England management who wanted maximum time for England's players to rest after their tour of Sri Lanka, which ends on April 7, and prepare for the start of the international summer, which begins on May 17 against West Indies at Lord's.

Anderson hoped to use the IPL to press his claim for a recall to England's Twenty20 side ahead of the World Twenty20 in September, but his base price of $300,000 was too much to attract any interest. He last played Twenty20 cricket for England in 2009 and spoke out at players not being given more opportunities to develop their T20 skills.

Pietersen was transferred to the Daredevils from the Deccan Chargers before the auction. He will join India batsman Virender Sehwag and Australia's David Warner for the fifth season of the IPL. He was first signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 for $1.55 million but when the players we re-auctioned in 2011, Pietersen saw his price tag fall to $650,000. Morgan, on the other hand, saw his price increase in the 2011 auction, when the Knight Riders bought him for $350,000. He had been the only England player to be handed a new contract before the 2010 season, when the Royal Challengers signed him for $220,000. Broad was bought for $400,000 by Kings XI in 2011.

Former England internationals Owais Shah - who played for the Cape Cobras in the Champions League in September - and Luke Wright - who turned out for the Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash League, scoring a hundred from 44 balls against Hobart - were not bought. Ireland's Kevin O'Brien also missed out in Saturday's auction.

12:08 GMT, February 4: This story has been corrected to include the fact that Eoin Morgan will play for the Kolkata Knight Riders and Stuart Broad will turn out for Kings XI Punjab in the 2012 IPL

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Kochi Owners to go to Court Over Termination

IPL news

Tariq Engineer

February 3, 2012

Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd, one of the co-owners of the terminated Kochi Tuskers Kerala IPL franchise, is planning to go to court next week in a late bid to revive the team. The Kochi franchise was annulled by the BCCI in September 2011 for their failure to provide a fresh bank guarantee to the board.

"Monday or Tuesday we will file a case in court," Prashanth Mishra, a Rendezvous official, told ESPNcricinfo. "We want to be a part of IPL season 5."

However, since the termination the BCCI has not only cashed the existing bank guarantee, worth approximately $30.39 million, but has also included a number of former Tuskers players in Saturday's player auction. That means even if the court were to grant a stay on Kochi's termination, they would still be without players.

When asked why the company had waited so long before deciding to file a case, Mishra said their intention had always been to try and get the team reinstated, but that it took them longer than expected to get a new bank guarantee in place. "We wanted to make sure we have no problems in terms of funds, so that we can run the franchise for many years to come." He also said it would be inappropriate to discuss their plans on how they would sign players at this stage, but did say the owners were resigned to losing some of their key players from last year.

The company is banking on the court following the precedents set in the cases involving the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, which were both terminated by the BCCI in 2010. The franchises' respective owners went to court fairly soon after, with the Bombay High Court granting a stay on their termination and allowing them to play in the 2011 tournament while their cases were referred to arbitration. Rendezvous had wanted to file a petition before the auction, in order to prevent their players from being sold to other franchises, but Mishra said they were unable to get it done in time.

Should Rendezvous go to court as planned, it will be the latest in a list of cases filed against the BCCI over the IPL, following the Royals and Kings XI Punjab and the former IPL chairman, Lalit Modi, who went to court repeatedly in a bid to halt the board's disciplinary procedures against him, although unsuccessfully.

In order to bolster their efforts, representatives from Rendezvous have met the chief minister and sports minister of Kerala to ask for support in their efforts to save the franchise. They have also approached the Kerala Cricket Association for their support. "[Rendezvous] is confident that it will be successful in getting the team to play this season," the company said in a statement, "and we would like to promise the state of Kerala that we will take any possible steps to keep the team alive."

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Henriques Helps Sixers to win Big Bash League Title 2011-12

Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers, BBL final, Perth

Thr Report by Brydon Coverdale

January 28, 2012

Sydney Sixers 3 for 158 (Henriques 70, O'Keefe 48) beat Perth Scorchers 5 for 156 (Marsh 77*, Lee 2-21) by seven wickets

The Sydney Sixers began the Big Bash League as one of the least fancied sides but they won the tournament after Moises Henriques set up their chase in the final against the Perth Scorchers. In front of a WACA crowd desperate to see the state's first silverware - albeit not for the Warriors - in nearly a decade, the Sixers spoiled the party and won by seven wickets.

Mitchell Marsh had excited the Perth fans with a powerful innings of 77 after Marcus North chose to bat, but Brett Lee helped contain the Scorchers to 5 for 156, which was a gettable, though challenging target. Henriques and Steve O'Keefe put together a 110-run opening stand in the chase and it was a start the home side was unable to pull back.

A pair of wickets from Ben Edmondson late in the game gave the Scorchers a sniff, as the Sixers needed 22 from the final three overs. But the Sixers captain Steven Smith procured three boundaries and 15 in total from the next over, a poor one from Nathan Rimmington, and from there it was all very straightforward for the visitors.

They reached their target with seven balls to spare, Smith striking the winning boundary down the ground off Ben Edmondson to finish unbeaten on 21 with Ben Rohrer on 3. Led by the 40-year-old Stuart MacGill and fellow veteran Brett Lee, the Sixers players streamed on to the field to celebrate their triumph, which came with no international imports in the final.

Instead, it was two local allrounders who set the chase on the right path. O'Keefe struggled early, swinging wildly and missing plenty of deliveries as he battled to find his rhythm, but gradually he started to find the middle of the bat. O'Keefe drew confidence from a flat pull for six off Marsh's medium pace, although he was still well behind the tempo of his partner Henriques, who brought up his half-century when O'Keefe had only 21.

Henriques was especially brutal against the spin of Michael Beer, striking a pair of consecutive sixes over long-on and long-off, and he found gaps all around the ground. On 70 from 41 deliveries, Henriques was tricked by the 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, who saw Henriques advancing and sent the ball down the leg side for Luke Ronchi to complete the stumping.

O'Keefe kept the chase going well until, on 48, he scooped a catch to short fine leg off Edmondson, two balls after Nic Maddinson (10) had also skied a catch. But Smith and Rohrer ensured the win for the Sixers, a victory that was also due to the bowling of Lee, whose 2 for 21 from four overs helped restrict the Scorchers to a manageable total.

Lee began in the perfect way, with two wickets from the first over of the match. Herschelle Gibbs pulled the first ball of the game straight into the hands of deep square leg and later in the over, Ronchi took a big swipe and was caught behind to leave the Scorchers at 2 for 2. Marcus North steadied the home side until he top-edged a sweep off MacGill on 22.

However, Marsh and Paul Collingwood formed a useful 62-run partnership, Collingwood paddling sweeps and reverse sweeps to cleverly find the gaps while Marsh used his strength to clear the boundary four times. Marsh took 12 off an Henriques over and launched a monster six over long-on off the bowling of O'Keefe.

O'Keefe gave Marsh a life on 55 when he put down a chance at midwicket and in the next over, Marsh made the Sixers pay with a pair of sixes off Mitchell Starc. But Starc grabbed two wickets, Collingwood for 32 and Simon Katich for 12, and Marsh's 77 not out from 57 deliveries was comfortably the standout performance.

In the end, it wasn't enough, as Henriques and O'Keefe made up for their lapses with the ball and in the field. Henriques was named Man of the Match.

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Yuvraj Singh Ruled Out From IPL 2012

India news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 26, 2012

Yuvraj Singh, the India batsman, could be ruled out of cricket for as many as six months due to the ongoing treatment of his non-malignant lung tumour. This means he will at least miss the Asia Cup and the IPL, where he captained the Pune Warriors last year.

The last time Yuvraj played competitive cricket was the Tests against West Indies last November, and he was originally hoping to return as early as next month's ODI tri-series in Australia.

According to PTI, quoting an unnamed source from the IPL, Yuvraj is currently overseas. He has travelled to the United States in order to undergo "advanced treatment" for the tumour following which there will be a period of recuperation expected to take several months as well. This means he would not be available to play in the IPL, which starts on April 4. The unnamed IPL source said it could take up to "six months" for Yuvraj to return to cricket.

It has been a nightmare run for Yuvraj since his Man-of-the-Series performance in India's World Cup victory last year. An injury kept him out of the tour of the West Indies and his contribution to India's tour of England was cut short by a finger injury sustained during the Nottingham Test. He returned for the home Tests against West Indies, and was left out of the side for the third Test, in November.

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Klusener Appointed Dolphins Interim Coach

South Africa domestic news

Firdose Moonda

January 25, 2012

Lance Klusener, the former South Africa allrounder, has been appointed interim coach of the Dolphins, the Durban-based franchise, until the end of the 2011-12 season. Klusener replaces Graham Ford, who resigned with immediate effect last week and has been confirmed as Sri Lanka's new coach.

Klusener, best remembered for his Man-of-the-Series performance in the 1999 World Cup, retired from international cricket in 2004 and has since had a range of cricket-related work. He has a Level 3 coaching qualification and has been involved with age-group sides at the Dolphins for the last three years. He has also worked with the South African High Performance Program and assisted the South Africa A side.

"Being a former Dolphin, I am very proud of my team and want to be part of the process of rebuilding the team to its rightful place as South Africa's No. 1 franchise," Klusener said.

The Dolphins have not won a trophy since they shared the SuperSport Series in the 2004-05 season, and are targetting the upcoming domestic Twenty20 competition as an opportunity for silverware. They have contracted Chris Gayle for the series and had also lined up Australia quick Shaun Tait, but he pulled out with an elbow injury.

"We are still focused on the T20 competition," Faeez Jaffer, the Dolphins president, said. "With Lance's vast experience at our disposal, we believe that our players will be challenged and want to perform. Lance also has first-hand knowledge of the dynamics and makeup of our team."

Jesse Chellan, the Dolphins chief-executive, told ESPNcricinfo that the franchise is still looking for another big-name player.

The mid-season change of coach has not affected the Dolphins team, Chellan said. The senior players filled the gap and have been organising and running team practices. "Team leadership stepped in and everything has been running well," Chellan said.

The Dolphins will soon undertake a formal process to recruit a new head coach for the start of next season.

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Afridi and Razzaq will not Participate in South Africa's T20 Competition

South Africa T20 series

Firdose Moonda

January 23, 2012

Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq will not travel to play in South Africa's domestic 20-over competition. The Pakistan duo was signed up by the Johannesburg-based Lions franchise, whose chief executive Cassim Docrat confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that neither will participate in the tournament.

National duty will keep Afridi away from The Wanderers. Pakistan play four ODIs and three T20s against England between February 13 and 27. Afridi will then play two matches for the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League and will likely also be involved in the Asia Cup which is scheduled for March 12 to 22. The South African tournament runs over six weeks from February 15 which will clash with both these events.

Razzaq recently had a shoulder injury which kept him out of Pakistan's end-of-year tour to Bangladesh. He played for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, alongside Afridi, but has not been performing to standard. He scored 42 runs in six matches and took two wickets for a bloated 123 runs. Docrat said the decision was taken from the Lions side not to pursue the engagement with Razzaq.

The withdrawal of the Pakistan pair leaves the South African competition with just one of its four major signings. Shaun Tait, the Australia fast bowler, pulled out of the Durban-based Dolphins squad two weeks ago with an elbow injury. Only Chris Gayle is still confirmed, for the Dolphins, though there was some speculation about his availability following his hefty deal with the Bangladesh Premier League.

Gayle was bought for US$ 551,000 by Barisal and will only play a handful of matches in Dhaka. The amount he is being paid by the BPL is reportedly eight times more than the Dolphins are dishing out for him but they have received a guarantee from Gayle's management.

"When I saw that he was involved in the Bangladesh Premier League I called his agent to see if it would affect his South African deal," Jesse Chellan, chief executive of the Dolphins said. "His agent has assured us that he will be available for the full campaign. He is due to arrive on February 16."

The Dolphins are still searching for a replacement for Tait. Chellan said the BPL has "hampered us," in the search to find suitable foreign players. Kieron Pollard and Sohail Tanvir were also on the radar of some South African franchises but have both been contracted by the BPL.

The Lions are close to signing Dirk Nannes while the Cobras and Titans have secured the services of Owais Shah and Alfonso Thomas respectively. One of the other names mentioned is that of Dwayne Bravo, who was not picked up at the BPL.

The six South African franchises are allowed to contract two foreign players each. The yet-to-be-named to seventh franchise, which will be announced this week and will comprise of the best semi-professional cricketers in the country, will be allowed four. However, with the prospects thinning out it seems likely that the tournament will be without the glam factor that a foreign contingent brings, leaving the competition at risk of being the lowest in profile among its counterparts.

The IPL leads the pack but T20 competitions in other countries have followed suit. The BBL, the BPL and even Zimbabwe's Stanbic T20 featured some of the games marquee 20-over cricketers while South Africa's does not even have a name or a sponsor yet.

The ongoing bonus scandal has kept corporates away from CSA over the past summer. They played the T20s and one-day series against Australia without a backer and secured cooking oil manufacturer Sunfoil ahead of the two Tests. Sunfoil have stayed on for the Sri Lanka series and extended their agreement to include the one-day series.

Standard Bank sponsored the 20-over competition since its inception but pulled out at the end of last season when they cancelled all their sports sponsorships. CSA are still in negotiations for a replacement but the recent resignation of their commercial manager, Richard Glover, has set them further back. With the competition little over three weeks away, the possibility of the tournament being funded entirely by CSA is looming.

A source close to CSA said the body can handle the costs "for now," although the format of the 20-over competition was altered to cater for a specific sponsor. A seventh franchise was included and the teams will play a double-round of fixtures instead of just one match against each of the other teams as was previously the case. "At least CSA have stuck to the new format and have not downgraded the event just because there is no sponsor yet," the source said.

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Bowlers and Maddinson Helps Sixers to Reach Final of Big Bash League

Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers, 2nd semi-final, BBL 2011-12, Hobart

Alex Malcolm

January 22, 2012

Sydney Sixers 6 for 153 (Maddinson 68) beat Hobart Hurricanes 7 for 146 (Jaques 63, Lee 2-22) by seven runs

A spot in the Big Bash final, and qualification for the Champions League T20, was left in the hands of 32-year-old Ian Moran, who had only played four Twenty20 games and 13 List A games before the semi-final. The Sydney Sixers' Moran, who has represented Scotland, held his nerve in the last over as the Hobart Hurricanes' Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Michael Hogan failed to find the 18 runs required to win at the Bellerive Oval.

Given the potency of the Hurricanes batting line-up, with two of the three leading run-scorers in the competition in their side, the Sixers looked unlikely to defend 153. But their varied bowling attack, featuring Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, New Zealand's Nathan McCullum and the virtually unknown Moran managed to accomplish what seemed an impossible task. They strangled the Hurricanes to scrape home by eight runs and book a place in the final.

As so often happens in big matches this semi-final hinged on one vital moment. The Hurricanes were 1 for 50, four balls into the ninth over, with an achievable 104 runs required from 67 balls.

The tournament's leading run-scorer, Travis Birt, stood over his bat, wielding it like an axe, facing up to the grey-haired Stuart MacGill. Birt had had one sighter, which he drove powerfully to long-off for a single. MacGill's eyes were focused. The previous ball, Phil Jaques attempted to slog-sweep with the turn over midwicket, but a miscue yielded just a single. MacGill, with all his experience, tossed it up next ball. Birt's eyes lit up as he skipped forward and swung hard. But he misread the perfectly executed wrong 'un, which spun away from his flashing blade, and Peter Nevill completed a simple stumping.

MacGill, and his Sixers team-mates, knew they had struck a decisive blow. The capacity Hobart crowd fell flat. Birt was out for 11, his lowest score of the tournament by some margin. Four balls later, the creative Owais Shah outsmarted himself and was bowled by an innocuous straight ball from McCullum for a duck.

The Hurricanes seemed dead and buried but they did not go down without a fight. Jaques played arguably his finest hand of the tournament. Having got to 33 at a pain-staking run-a-ball, he played consecutive reverse-sweeps for fours in MacGill's third over, which cost 15. Jaques managed consecutive boundaries again off MacGill two overs later: a long-hop was pulled to the fence to bring up Jaques' half-century and another reverse-sweep rubbed salt into MacGill's wound.

Jaques dealt the Sixers another blow when Brett Lee ran into him while trying to stop a drive. Lee bled profusely from the nose, Jaques and Matt Johnston took nine from the over and the Hurricanes were still alive with 47 needed from 24 balls. Steven Smith's double strike in the next over, which included Jaques' dismissal for 63, attempting another reverse-sweep, all but sealed the game.

Naved-ul-Hasan, the Pakistan bowler who has become a cult figure in Australia, played a cameo that was typical of him. The Sixers captain Smith gambled by bowling a second over, the 19th of the innings, and Naved hit two mighty sixes and a four to leave 18 required off the last over. But despite a boundary off Moran's first ball, Naved was stranded with an unbeaten 30 from just 14 balls.

Earlier, the game looked very much in the Hurricanes' control. Xavier Doherty began the night with a wicket-maiden, removing Moises Henriques caught and bowled. It took the Sixers ten balls to register their first run, and Nic Maddinson took until the ninth over to get his runs tally ahead of his number of balls faced.

Maddinson, though, did not panic as wickets fell at the other end. He hit eight fours in a 51-ball 68 that was critical to his side's victory, and saw him named Man of the Match.

The Hurricanes again bowled well with only Jason Krejza leaking more than eight runs an over, but the Sixers managed to bowl that little bit better. Lee was again wonderful with 2 for 22 from his four. Moran's four overs cost just 25, while the spinners, MacGill, McCullum, and Smith, made decisive strikes. The Sixers will meet the Perth Scorchers in the final, which will be played on January 28 at the WACA.

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Mitchell Marsh and Gibbs Power Scorchers to the Final of Big Bash League

Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, 1st semi-final, Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 21, 2012

Perth Scorchers 3 for 174 (Gibbs 71, Mitchell Marsh 41*) beat Melbourne Stars 8 for 163 (Faulkner 38) by 11 runs

Perth Scorchers became the first team to secure a place in the finals of the Big Bash League, and the Champions League T20, after a convincing victory over Shane Warne's Melbourne Stars at a packed WACA ground. Herschelle Gibbs and Mitchell Marsh provided the fireworks at the start and end of the Scorchers' innings, before a double-wicket maiden from Ben Edmondson sucked the momentum out of the Stars' chase. Marsh also chipped in with two wickets and two catches to walk off with the Man-of-the-Match award.

In the first half of the chase, Luke Wright and James Faulkner put the Stars on course to overhaul the target of 175, reaching 88 for 2 after ten overs. Enter Edmondson, to swing the match the Scorchers' way. He had Wright swinging a catch to midwicket before getting the vital wicket of David Hussey for a golden duck courtesy a diving take from wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi. The perfect time for Edmondson to bowl his first maiden of the tournament.

There was still plenty of batting to come for the Stars' but they slipped further off course as Marsh removed Adam Voges and Cameron White in successive overs. Matthew Wade reeled off a few sixes to keep the Stars' fans hoping, but it proved too tall a target.

The Stars' would have been chasing a more modest total if they had been tighter in the field. Both the Scorchers' openers, Gibbs and Marcus North, were reprieved early in their innings, though both were difficult chances. Wade then fumbled a simple stumping that would have sent back Paul Collingwood.

Gibbs was the driving force behind the Scorchers' innings till his dismissal in the 17th over. He gave them a bright start by dispatching the first ball of the match through cover for four, and then smashing the first three deliveries of the second to the cover boundary. His stroke-filled innings ended when he top-edged a catch back to the bowler, but there was hardly any slackening of the pace as Marsh clubbed four sixes in the final three overs.

The Scorchers now await the winners of Sunday's clash between Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers in the final, at home next Saturday.

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David Miller Retained By Kings XI Punjab For IPL 2012

Indian Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 21, 2012

David Miller, the South Africa middle-order batsman, has been retained by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the fifth season of the IPL, and given a two-year contract. Miller had joined Kings XI as a replacement for Dimitri Mascarenhas last season but did not play a game. He has been on the fringes of the South Africa ODI and Twenty20 side, and scored a half-century against Australia in the October 2011 series.

Teams who signed replacement players last season have first rights to their services this season, provided they can come to an agreement with the player on the price. Had Miller not been retained by Kings XI he would have gone into the mix for the February 4 auction. Kings XI sold Dinesh Karthik to the Mumbai Indians earlier in the transfer window, which closed on January 20, and have brought in R Sathish and Miller to bolster the batting.

Miller has never played an IPL match, but averages 31.30 in Twenty20s for his South African franchise the Dolphins with a strike-rate of 127.75. English county Durham signed him to play in the 2011 Friends Life t20, and he scored 212 runs at an average of 26.50.

After being drafted into the South Africa team as a 20 year old in 2010, Miller was left out of the squad for the 2011 World Cup. He received a recall for the home ODIs and Twenty20 internationals against Australia, but despite his half-century did not even figure in the squad for the series against Sri Lanka.

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Ganguly and Donald Join Pune Warriors Coaching Staff

Indian Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 21, 2012

Sourav Ganguly and Allan Donald have been added to the Pune Warriors coaching staff ahead of the fifth season of the IPL. Donald will be the team's bowling coach, while Ganguly will play a dual role as player and mentor. The Warriors will be without a head coach - Geoff Marsh left to coach Sri Lanka - and Donald and Ganguly will join Paddy Upton, the mental and conditioning coach, and Praveen Amre, the batting coach.

Ganguly, who joined the Warriors midway through last season as a replacement for Ashish Nehra, has been retained by the franchise for $400,000. That leaves the Warriors with $1.6 million to spend in the February 4 auction.

Donald, who is the South Africa bowling coach, will be available during the IPL, since South Africa do not have any international cricket in April and May. The Warriors are keen to get Donald to come to India to conduct a bowling camp with their bowlers before South Africa leave for their tour of New Zealand on February 9. The camp will have to be held sometime between January 23, when South Africa's home series against Sri Lanka ends, and February 4, when the Duleep Trophy starts.

The Warriors had a poor first season in the IPL in 2011, finishing second last in the table. Ganguly, who went unsold in the initial auction, was unable to make an impact after joining the Warriors, with a highest score of 32 in four innings, but sees his role expanded this year. The $400,000 paid to retain Ganguly was the same as his base price in the 2011 auction.

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Darren Sammy Opts Out From Bangladesh Premier League

West Indies news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 20, 2012

Darren Sammy, the West Indies and Windward Islands captain, has opted out of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) so that he can play in the domestic regional four-day competition and prepare for the upcoming home series against Australia in March. Sammy was bought by Sylhet Royals for $55,000 at the player auction in Dhaka on February 20.

"While I enjoyed playing cricket in front the enthusiastic and passionate Bangladeshi fans, the BPL's schedule clashes with that of the West Indies Cricket Board's Regional 4-Day Tournament. Participating in the BPL would mean missing the first four rounds of the Regional 4-Day," Sammy said in a statement. "West Indies will host Australia starting mid-March and it will be a tough and challenging series. I have decided that it would be best for me to participate in the Regional 4-Day in order that I am properly and fully prepared for the challenges of the series against Australia.

"Additionally, Windward Islands cricket is blossoming and making significant strides and we are playing consistently well. My contributions as captain and allrounder are integral to this process and I am keen on serving my team as we continue to grow. I look forward to playing before the Bangladesh fans in the future at a time which is mutually convenient."

Dwayne Bravo, Jerome Taylor, Kevon Cooper, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle were the other players from the West Indies bought at the BPL auction.

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Big Bash League Semi-Final Tickets at WACA Sell Out in 30 Minutes

Big Bash League 2011-12

Daniel Brettig and Alex Malcolm

January 20, 2012

Australian cricket has not seen such ferocious demand for tickets since the bloodlust of the 2006-07 Ashes series when Australian cricket fans clicked, clicked, and clicked again to purchase Ashes seats, only to send Cricket Australia's ticket sales operator into meltdown.

There was no website crash today but it took just 30 minutes* for the WACA to sell out ahead of Saturday night's Big Bash League semi-final between the Perth Scorchers and the Melbourne Stars.

There are mitigating factors of course. The WACA, alongside Bellerive, is the smallest cricket venue in Australia, with a capacity of around 20,000. The Shane Warne road show is also in town. The 42-year-old has been playing at sold out venues all tournament.

Perth also has form. In 2005, 20,071 fans packed into the WACA for the first professional T20 ever played in Australia, a one-off experimental match between Western Australia and Victoria. Again Warne was in action. But more attended that night than to any international in the preceding 24 years.

But when you consider this is cricket's "show about nothing", a competition that in its current form is as old as David Warner's Test career, with franchises that were created from thin air, featuring players that will only play together for six weeks, it is astonishing to think of the crowd support and television figures the competition has generated. Host broadcaster Fox Sports have boasted record ratings, whilst the crowd numbers have swelled throughout the tournament.

Brisbane had record domestic crowds at the Gabba. The MCG hosted more than 40,000 for a Melbourne derby that was shortened by rain. Likewise, the Sydney derby was rain-affected, yet 31,262 still made the journey to ANZ Stadium in Sydney's west.

Now a sell-out in Perth, and most likely a packed house in Hobart, will witness the inaugural Big Bash League semi-finals.

All of this is even more impressive considering the interest surrounding the longest version of the game has never been stronger. The Border-Gavaskar trophy, already secured by Australia, has played out in front of full houses in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth with the Adelaide Test still to come.

Even the traditionally low-drawing New Zealand managed a record audience at the Gabba for the first Test.

Cricket Australia officials, without precise figures, claim they are on track to register the highest ever combined total attendance for cricket across all forms, both international and domestic, in a single summer.

Given the amount of time, money, and energy they have poured into selling the Big Bash League in its new, and apparently improved format, they would be ecstatic with the results.

With a sell-out already locked in for the first semi-final, it did not need any extra selling points. But someone forgot to tell Brad Hogg. The rejuvenated 40-year-old took umbrage to Melbourne Stars coach Greg Shipperd's criticism of the scheduling, claiming the Stars were unfairly disadvantaged by the two-day turn-around from their Thursday night clash with the Adelaide Strikers to the Saturday night semi against the Scorchers.

Hogg did not miss Shipperd when asked for his thoughts.

"Stop complaining, seriously," Hogg said on Friday. "There are people out there digging holes for a living and we're actually playing cricket. I grew up on a farm and did a lot of sheep work and that. When you do get paid for doing what you love, you appreciate it a lot more.

"There's absolutely no complaints. You can get me on a plane tomorrow and I'll go and play for anyone. I just love the game. So stop whingeing."

Saturday night is suddenly a mouth-watering prospect. With Warne, Hogg, and three hours of action-packed cricket to look forward to, it is no surprise it took 30 minutes to sell out.

* - 14.20GMT - The tickets were sold out in 30 minutes and not seconds, as was earlier reported. The error has been corrected.

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Doubts Over Afridi's Participation in Bangladesh Premier League

Bangladesh Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 20, 2012

The day after its historic auction, the Bangladesh Premier League has seen a cloud of doubt over the participation of Shahid Afridi, the most expensive player, in the 2012 season. Afridi was bought for $700,000 by the Dhaka Gladiators but has told the Express Tribune he will not participate in the Twenty20 competition as it clashes with Pakistan's limited-over series against England.

The Dhaka franchise, though, has said Afridi will definitely be available for the tournament's semi-finals and final, should Dhaka get that far, and may even play the season opener if it is before February 13, the date of the first Pakistan-England ODI.

Franchise officials told ESPNcricinfo they were aware of Afridi's schedule before the auction and knew he might only be available for the final. Since Afridi will be paid on a pro-rata basis they decided to buy him anyway.

Afridi said he wanted to concentrate on playing for Pakistan and would use the days before the ODIs against England in the UAE to prepare for that series. "My preference has always been my national team and I'm looking forward to giving my best against England," Afridi said. "I will utilise the days before the series for training. I can only think about playing in the league when I don't have national commitments." He has not, however, informed his franchise or the BPL of his unavailability.

Afridi apart, though, there was much to celebrate about the auction, especially for the Bangladesh cricketers who earned lucrative contracts.

Allrounder Nasir Hossain was the highest earner among Bangladesh players, getting a $200,000 deal with the Khulna Royal Bengals, while the Chittagong Kings picked up Mahmudullah and Jahurul Islam for $110,000 each. Though these amounts were significantly less than those paid for big-name foreign players, six-figure dollar contracts were a first for most of the Bangladesh cricketers.

Nasir, 20, drew the most attention from local media but the signing of Mashrafe Mortaza was also noteworthy. Mortaza, the former Bangladesh captain, had famously been bought for $650,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the second IPL season, but has not played cricket since April 2011 due to a persistent knee injury. He drew a modest price at the BPL auction, going to the Dhaka Gladiators for $45,000.

"I was expecting a price like this since I haven't been playing for quite a while," Mortaza told the Bangladesh newspaper Kaler Kantho. "Still, I got myself a team. It isn't that bad."

Even without Afridi, the Dhaka franchise seems to be one of the more balanced sides in the competition along with Chittagong, while many praised the Khulna picks too. "I think Chittagong are the strongest and Dhaka are equally strong," Athar Ali Khan, advisor to Duronto Rajshahi, told New Age.

Meanwhile, the BPL commissioner Mahbubul Anam told Kaler Kantho the Bangladesh Cricket Board would take responsibility for compensating the players should they not receive payments in time from their franchises. "The board has the bank guarantee on the players' payments," Anam said. "If anything goes wrong, the BCB will pay the money from that fund."

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Royal Challengers Bangalore Retain Chris Gayle

IPL 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 20, 2012

Chris Gayle has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the next two IPL seasons. The Royal Challengers had first rights to Gayle's services after he represented them as a replacement for Dirk Nannes in the previous year. Though the amount he has been signed for is yet undisclosed, it is to be revealed to the IPL authorities and will be deducted from the Royal Challengers' auction purse.

"We are delighted to make Chris Gayle a permanent member of our IPL squad. We are confident that with players like him in our side, we will take the extra step this season, and win our maiden IPL title," Sidhartha Mallya, Director, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, said in a release.

"To me, Bangalore has been a home away from home," Gayle said. "I wanted to continue playing for them, and it turned out that they were keen to retain my services."

The IPL trading window closes on Friday, January 20, and the Royal Challengers had the option to either retain Gayle or leave him to be open for auction on February 4. He went unsold at the auction last year and the maximum amount the Royal Challengers could pay him was $650,000, the amount Nannes was bought for. He joined them on a one-year contract and topped the run-charts in the 2011 season. This year, however, he could be bought for a significantly higher amount; the purse each franchise has been allowed is $2 million.

Gayle was in prime form in the IPL last year, playing a crucial role in Royal Challengers' journey to the final. He struck two centuries, three half-centuries, picked up eight wickets - a prize catch for any franchise that had his services for the season to follow. A BCCI official, at the time when Gayle's future was uncertain, told ESPNcricinfo that the Royal Challengers were keen on signing Gayle but would have to shell out a large portion of their purse to convince him. "Bangalore want Gayle because they see the cricketing merit in the decision as he helped them to the final last year," the official had said. "But if they decide to sign a deal with him, they will have to pay big money and if they do that they will be left with nothing much at the auction."

The Mumbai Indians, a richer franchise than the Royal Challengers, were also interested in signing Gayle but Royal Challengers made use of their first rights to his services.

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McKay and Hussey Take Stars to Semis

Melbourne Stars v Adelaide Strikers, BBL, MCG

The Report by Andrew Fuss

January 19, 2012

Melbourne Stars 4 for 129 (Hussey 41*, White 28) beat Adelaide Strikers 125 (Ferguson 41, McKay 3-17) by six wickets

Melbourne Stars have earned a spot in the semi-finals, knocking Brisbane Heat out of fourth place with a comfortable six-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers at the MCG.

The Stars' pace attack did most of the damage on a tacky MCG deck with Man of the Match Clint McKay leading the way, taking 3 for 17 off his four overs, including the key wickets of opening pair Daniel Harris and Michael Klinger.

The Strikers failed to live up to their moniker, struggling to strike the ball cleanly throughout the innings, managing just four boundaries and one six. Callum Ferguson's 41 off just 29 balls was the only resistance for the visitors as they were bundled out for 125, the last six wickets falling for just 25 runs.

The hosts got off to a shaky start in reply, losing Rob Quiney to a brilliant bit of fielding from Nathan Lyon off his own bowling, taking the ball cleanly and flicking the ball back at the stumps to catch Quiney short of his ground.

And when New Zealand import James Franklin and former Victoria spinner Bryce McGain struck in consecutive overs, the Strikers were in with a chance - the Stars stumbling to 3 for 38 off seven overs.

Out of form Stars captain Cameron White - who had made just 13 runs in his previous six innings - strode to the crease with the game on the line and finally found the middle of the bat, working his way to 28 before hauling out on the boundary with just 24 runs to get.

Despite some tight bowling from Striker's spin pair Nathan Lyon (20 runs off 3.5 overs) and Aaron O'Brien (12 runs off his four overs), David Hussey (41 off 36 balls) guided the hosts to victory with seven balls to spare.

The Stars' win means they will travel to Perth to play the Scorchers on Saturday, while the Hurricanes will host the Sixers on Sunday.

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Afridi and Gayle Fetch Highest Bangladesh Premier League Prices

Bangladesh Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 19, 2012

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was the hottest property in an auction held for the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 tournament on Thursday, but English spinner Monty Panesar and former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs failed to attract bids.

Afridi was sold to the Dhaka franchise for $700,000 after some intense bidding involving five of the six franchises for the Feb. 10-28 tournament, which is based on the successful Indian Premier League model.

The all-rounder, however, will only be available for the final two days of the opening BPL campaign as he is on national team duty against England in the United Arab Emirates.

Tournament organisers said the money would be given to the players proportionately for the matches they are available.

Quick-scoring West Indian batsman Chris Gayle, who is available from Feb. 14, was another to attract attention with Barisal paying $551,000 for him.

His compatriots Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard also created a stir as they were sold for $360,000 and $300,000 to Rajshahi and Dhaka franchises respectively.

A total of 111 overseas players and 80 local cricketers were put on auction with teams given a maximum budget of $2million and able to buy no more than eight overseas players.

Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik (Chittagong $150,000) West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo (Chittagong $150,000), Australia’s Brad Hodge (Barisal $140,000), Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya (Rajshahi $110,000) and Muttiah Muralitharan (Chittagong $100,000) were among others to go for big money.

No Indian players were included in the auction.

Along with Panesar and Gibbs, New Zealand’s Scott Styris and Lou Vincent failed to attract a buyer.

Ireland’s wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O’Brien was the most expensive player from the associate nations with Khulna paying $80,000 for the batsman.

Bangladesh internationals Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Ashraful, Shahriar Nafees and Alok Kapali had been selected as icon players for six franchises and were excluded from auction.

All-rounder Nasir Hossain was the most-sought-after Bangladeshi in the auction with Khulna sealing his signature for $200,000.

India-based Game On Sports Management will run the tournament after winning the bid from the Bangladesh Cricket Board for six years for $44.33 million.

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Sixers Clinch Thriller But Scorchers Get Home Semi-Final of Big Bash League

Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades, BBL, Hobart

The Report by Alex Malcolm

January 18, 2012

Sydney Sixers 176 (Smith 51, Maddinson 49, Coulter-Nile 3-38) beat Perth Scorchers 6 for 175 (North 59, Ronchi 34, Starc 3-28) by one run

Neither side deserved to lose, but neither side really knew how to win. In the end just one run separated the two sides with Marcus North run out off the last ball to give Sydney Sixers the narrowest of victories over Perth Scorchers.

There were so many plots, sub-plots, so much drama and chaos but it all came down to the last over. The Scorchers needed 13 runs. Brett Lee needed to keep them to a maximum 11. Lee used all of his 11 and then some to give his side victory.

Nathan Coulter-Nile took a single off the first ball, before North went within inches of clearing the long-off rope with the next. The ball bounced just short and over for four. Had it travelled another foot the result of the match may have been different. North drove to long-on and wanted a second run off the third. Steve Smith pounced and fired a return, and had Coulter-Nile not sent his captain back in time, he would have been run out.

The best was yet to come. Coulter-Nile swung and missed at Lee's fourth ball. The equation became seven from two. The penultimate delivery produced exultation, exasperation, relief, and ultimately frustration in a chaotic 15 seconds. Lee bowled Coulter-Nile via the inside edge to send the home fans into raptures. Excitement became despair when they saw umpire Simon Fry signal a no-ball. Coulter-Nile's relief was evident, having stepped off into the gallows only for the rope to snap. Then the frustration swept across the ground when replays showed Lee's heal had landed behind the line only to slide over as he delivered. A legal delivery, incorrectly judged, had cost his team a wicket, a run, and a free-hit.

Lee lost his nerve. His next was a wide. The equation had gone from seven off two, to five off two in the most extraordinary circumstances. Coulter-Nile swiped the next through midwicket with him and North scampering through for two. Coulter-Nile, having earlier claimed three wickets with the ball, needed three runs to win from the last having struggled to 10 from his previous 12 balls. He miscued Lee towards long-on, they ran one, North came back for two, but with 19.5 overs of running under his belt, his legs wilted. Smith's throw was pure and Lee removed the bails to hand Sydney an incredible win.

The irony was the result had no bearing on the standings for either team. North's composed 59 had ensured Perth finished top of the table and gained a home semi-final. Had they failed to reach 151 they would not have had that luxury, and Sydney would have hosted a semi-final. Man-of-the-Match Mitchell Starc earlier made that result a possibility. The Scorchers had cruised to 0-32 from four overs, in pursuit of 177, before Starc turned the game on its head. Starc took three wickets in an over to put his name up for re-selection in Adelaide. He did his Test team-mate Shaun Marsh no favours. The left-hander missed a low full toss and was bowled for a run-a-ball 18. Starc bowled Mitchell Marsh with the next, swinging one back through the right-hander's defence. Starc had sought council from one of world's greatest left-arm quicks, Wasim Akram, during the week. Akram would have been proud of the third wicket. It was not a hat-trick but it was three in five balls, with Paul Collingwood trapped on the back leg by a searing, Akram-esque, in swinging yorker.

North was ably supported by Simon Katich to resurrect the innings and stave off disaster. Katich had the unusual experience of being booed to the crease as a Scorchers player, on the same ground he only recently was cheered as New South Wales captain. He had company, with Perth team-mate Josh Lalor playing his first domestic limited-overs fixture since he represented NSW against Western Australia at the same ground in November.

North and Katich combined for 36 before North was given a life. Brad Haddin dropped a diving chance to his left, having earlier been dismissed for a duck. The Scorchers handed back the momentum when Katich was needlessly run out. Luke Ronchi then played a gem of an innings. His 34 from 13 brought the Scorchers within striking distance only for North and Coulter-Nile to fall agonisingly short.

The Sixers' batting effort followed a similar pattern to the Scorchers chase. Haddin and Michael Lumb both fell early before Nic Maddinson and Moises Henriques steadied. Brad Hogg removed both men in another brilliant spell of left-arm wrist-spin. His spinning partner Michael Beer was again equally miserly with 1-28 from four, whilst Coulter-Nile and Ben Edmondson took five wickets between them.

But both quicks were expensive, mainly at the hands of Steve Smith who clubbed 51 from 25 balls in an exceptional display of ball striking. He was very unlucky to be dismissed, with a ball ricocheting from bat, to pad, to stumps with the type of trickery a snooker player would be proud of. The Sixers made a hash of the final two overs of their innings, losing 5 for 8 to be bowled out with the last ball of the innings. But in the end they made enough runs to get the win. Just enough.

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