Stuart Law satisfactory with IPL delay

Sri Lanka's provisional coach Stuart Law is not troubled about players arriving late for the tour of England due to their participation in the continuing IPL.

After discussions between the Sri Lankan Board (SLC) and the BCCI, the seven members of Sri Lanka's Test squad were allowable to play in the enduring IPL, so they will make themselves obtainable only for the second warm-up match of the tour of England on May 19-22 against England Lions at Derby.

However, they will miss the opportunity tour match alongside Middlesex, starting from March 14. The three-match Test series starts on May 26. "It could have been a little dissimilar. I would have loved them to be there for all practice games most important up to the first Test, but it's one of the situations that can't be avoided.

"But having said that it's not a case where the boys are not doing anything. They are playing a competitive competition and they are involved. I understand the circumstances and it's well and good," Law was quoted as saying by 'The Island' newspaper.

"I am beautiful calm with the position. I don't want to make a song and dance about it. The IPL boys should be there for the second practice game and it's a great challenge for us against the second thread England team.

"We don't need to carry out, practice. You've got to be smart concerning it and the significant thing is to acclimatize and receiving used to playing on dissimilar pitches," said Law, who has been chosen as the temporary coach for the tour after fellow citizen Trevor Bayliss vacate the position subsequent the team's runners-up finish in the World Cup last month.

The 42-year-old has good knowledge of English conditions, having played for three counties -- Lancashire, Essex and Derbyshire -- and Law said he is looking forward to the challenge.

"It's a step onward for me and a unbelievable opportunity to be concerned with one of the best teams in world cricket," said Law, who was selected supporter to Bayliss in October 2009.

"Realistically playing England in England is going to be hard. Judging the performance on results will be unjust. But that's the way coaches are looked at these days. If you don't carry out you are not up to the mark. There's risk, but lot of pleasure as well," he said.

England will be frightening opponent, having regained the Ashes after thrashing Australia 3-1 Down Under, and Law feels Sri Lanka need to maintain constancy during the Test series.

"They are going to be tough to beat particularly in England. They have beaten everyone who has come their way counting Australia in Australia. They are a tough team and well drill and they have been playing jointly for a long time now. It's an unbelievable challenge for us and if we play constantly 15 days of Test cricket we should come out well," he added.

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Fleming amazed by Chennai's game

Chennai Super Kings' coach Stephen Fleming on Tuesday said that he was astonished to see his team amongst the top four in the Indian Premier League standings. "The team that wins on Wednesday will get the top four, or top-five spot. It's extraordinary for us; usually scrap around in the middle period. We'll be difficult to get a game here and there. But this position can adjust very quickly; we've got to uphold the standard," Fleming said on the eve of their match next to Rajasthan Royals.

"Certainly at home, we don't take no matter which for decided. We've had four wins so far. We've had snippets in each one of those and the last one was a real piece. That just keeps remind us how well we have to play and give respect to your adversary. We won't be taking our foot off the pedal for the rest of the tournament." he added

with the ball rotating in the last few games, Fleming was asked how much of a threat Shane Warne would be. "There hasn't been excessive turn. If you see Deccan's last game, they could've got 160. There wasn't extreme turn. There were stages in the game where it looks like there was some big turn. It tends to flight now, the last couple of games.

"Positively from a fielding point of view, we could've done more."

Assessing his opponent, Fleming said, "They've got an all-round alternative in Shane Watson and then with Warne and Botha, they have a couple of good spinners. It's going to be an interesting match-up; the teams are a bit similar in the bowling subdivision. But we are expecting our top order, which is yet once more in good form, get a score on the board or chase a total down."

"Conditions are still firm to rate; it could be a 180-plus or 170. We expect the circumstances to be comparable to the one we played in, but we're unmoving very wary," he added.

The previous New Zealand captain said he was not astonished by Botha's performance.

"I am not amazed at all by Botha. He's been a good activist for South Africa. He's captain their T20 side. I'm not taken aback by his batting, I've seen quite a lot of it over the years and he's a good participant. He's a handy bowler, so he's a good gaining for Shane."

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Kolkata Knight Riders Beaten Deccan Charges by 20 Runs

Kolkata Knight Riders 169 for 4 (Yusuf 47*, Gambhir 35, Tiwary 33) beat Deccan Chargers 149 for 6 (Dhawan 54, Bhatia 2-26)

Deccan Chargers drop too many catches in the first half of the game to permit Kolkata Knight Riders to speed along to 169, and then drop strength frighteningly in the chase to give way to their sixth beat in nine games. Yusuf Pathan was the main recipient of Deccan's fielding largesse, existing three clangers to hit his way to his uppermost score of the season. His beating yield 47 off 26 balls and he help Kolkata twice their score in the last eight overs in Manoj Tiwary's company.

Deccan's chase follows a similar pattern to their misfire chase next to Chennai: Sunny Sohal kept opening up the off side and swipe in expect and Shikhar Dhawan once again recedes into a shell after initial with promise. As he has done regularly this season, Iqbal Abdulla made things happen, remove Sohal and Kumar Sangakkara in his second over with clever changes of pace. Cameron White then crawled languidly as the chase slumped to a mid-innings comatose. Rajat Bhatia put White out of his unhappiness in the 11th over, and the game was over as competitions when Daniel Christian was wrongly adjudge lbw three balls later. Dhawan tried to reignite Deccan's hopes, but the innings had meandered too far off course by then.

It seemed improbable that Deccan would be chase 170 when they incomplete Kolkata to 84 for 3 by the 12th over. Gautam Gambhir exit at that essential stage, leaving two new batsmen to do a repair job. Deccan, however, simply refused to seize the moment. Pragyan Ojha kept aggressive with trip, and Yusuf try to smash free by loft over the leg side. He was compressed in the air, although, and Amit Mishra ran back at long-off to get under the mis-hit. Drop. In the next over, Mishra had Yusuf miscuing in the same way, towards Christian. Another drop. The next ball was exhausted with the turn over the extra-cover boundary, and Kolkata never looked back.

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