Scorching Gilchrist conquer Bangalore

20 overs Kings XI Punjab 232 for 2 (Gilchrist 106, Marsh 79*) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 121 (Chawla 4-17) by 111 runs

Adam Gilchrist's second IPL century reserved Kings XI Punjab in the chase for a play-off spot with a loud 111-run succeed over table-toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dharamsala on Tuesday. Batting first, Punjab captain Gilchrist (106 off 55 balls) and Shaun Marsh (79 off 49) jagged the highest partnership in the history of the 20-over game, combine for 206 to help accumulate a total of 232 for two.

Bangalore were then bowled out for a stingy 121, with Ryan Harris' three for 28 and Piyush Chawla's four for 17 engineering a collapse that saw the Royal Challengers' seven-match winning line come to an finish in the 17th over.

Winning the toss, Gilchrist and Marsh took full advantage of a exhausted Bangalore attack as the 50 partnership came off just 31 deliveries. The duo frequently smashed both spin and speed to the boundary, with Gilchrist beating seven sixes en way to a 25-ball half-century.

Marsh then send Johan van der Wath for three sixes and three boundaries in the 15th over, before Gilchrist was at last wedged off the last but one ball of the innings. Bangalore's woes sustained as danger man Chris Gayle fell in the second over to Harris, having unsuccessful to score off seven balls, follow rapidly by the exit of Virat Kohli (11) and Saurabh Tiwary (six).

AB de Villiers (34) and Mohammad Kaif (15) attempt a save act with a 29-run place but were forever well behind the necessary rate as Kaif was confused by Chawla, who also bowled Arun Karthik (six). Bangalore wanted a near-impossible 149 off seven overs, as De Villiers' useless innings was broken by Chawla and the leg-spinner then had Van der Wath attentive lbw, send-off Harris and Shalabh Srivastava the job of rounding up the tail.

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Fleming suspicious of law of averages

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming is wary about the information that law of averages strength just catch up with the defensive champions in the Indian Premier League.

Chennai sit attractive on the points table in the second mark with 16 points and Fleming is aiming to finish league actions on a high. "We want to do something in a different way. Any team needs to be one or two on points table," Fleming said.

"If it does not happen, the third and fourth place teams contain to play extra games perhaps one before the final and one tougher one, which are a bit harder. Certainly we desire to be one of the top two teams at the end of the league stage and give a just right run for the final. The next two games are vital for us in the opposition," the coach said.

Chennai have reserved a clean line up at home, charming all the six matches in their garden and Fleming said they would look to uphold the winning impetus. "We have been working hard for winning our home matches. At the same time, we do not take it for granted and surely it is no dissimilar on Wednesday. We have taken few days off and one more win on our home ground is significant for the competition."

"We can come to an end off the period without behind at home," he said. Apart from the home benefit, Chennai bowlers have won quite a few matches for the team besides the by now strong batting line up.

"I think there is pride in both. The bowlers are arrogant that our batsmen have performed this year. The batsmen are self-important that when they had not performed well, the bowlers have come and done the job for the team. We are mainly a batting side. But our bowling this year has turn out to be very smart. We got better during the middle of this event. I am arrogant of the way my team has been playing," he said.

"Dhoni as a captain is a huge example in the last pair of matches," he said. Fleming said that star West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, combination the team after the half-way mark in the opposition, has established in quite nicely in the role of an all-rounder."

"He has built-in well sufficient. We wanted to give Bravo a game at Chepauk and he did well with the ball in the last game. He gives deepness to the batting and bring all round display," he added.

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PCB to make a decision going on Afridi's future

The destiny of Shahid Afridi as Pakistan's one-day captain will be determined on Wednesday when the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt meets with chief selector Mohsin Khan in Lahore. Source in the board told PTI that Butt has call Mohsin to finalise the change in the Pakistan team for the two one-day internationals next to Ireland later this month.

"Initially it was consideration that the same team that is playing the Tests in the West Indies be supposed to also be retaining for the two one-dayers. But after Pakistan lost the first Test to the West Indies, the board chairman now needs the selectors to send some expert one-day players for the Ireland matches as he is not keen on considering more defeat," the source said.

The source thought while it was determined that there would be changes in the squad for the one-day series, a final choice on the captaincy will be in use on Wednesday. At present, Afridi lead the team in T20s and ODIs, while Misbah-ul-Haq is the Test captain.

The PCB had issue a show cause notice to Afridi last week. The notice required a clarification for making his view public concerning his difference with chief coach Waqar Younis on the work of art of the team during the lately finished ODI series in the Caribbean.

Afridi submit his reply to the notice but the PCB did not give particulars of what the colorful all-rounder had affirmed in his response. The basis said that Afridi would find it hard to win back the self-assurance of board chairman Butt.

"The chairman is still not happy with Afridi and it will be determined on Wednesday whether the board retain him as captain and player for the one-day series in Ireland or decide to either ask Misbah to guide the team in Ireland or opt for Mohammad Hafeez," the basis added.

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Dravid hopes to stand out in West Indies

Indian middle-order ace Rahul Dravid is confident about the Indian cricket team humanizing upon its 2006 presentation in the future tour of the West Indies. During the 2006 West Indies tour, the Indian team created history under Dravid's captaincy when they won a Test series in the Caribbean for the first time in 35 years.

"We won the series there last time around but I hope we will do better this time," he said on the sidelines of a promotional event on Tuesday.

"If the West Indies play their full power side, they will be a tough team to beat. But it will be attractive to see if they have their full side."

Dravid become only the second Indian captain, after Ajit Wadekar, to have won a Test series in the West Indies when he led India to a 1-0 win in a four-match rubber in 2006.

Meanwhile, Dravid was sure that the last episode in the rivalry between spin wizard Shane Warne and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, with the former proclaim his departure from the IPL, would be an absorbing one when Rajasthan Royals take on Mumbai Indians on Friday.

"Both are huge players. If we see the history we will agree both are legends. It will be a good show by huge cricketers. Everyone will like to see such contests.

With any luck, there would be a good competition," he said. The 38-year-old cricketer, who is part of the Jaipur group, said innocence was the motive behind Rajasthan Royals' breakdown to make it to the playoffs of IPL 4.

"Look, our side has got a little bit of greenness if you look at our game. There are 10 teams and at the finish of the day other teams had almost certainly more practiced players in this competition."

"We are not in a place to get to the play-offs. We have got some up and down performance. We have some young people doing well for us. We can improve next year," Dravid said. He pinpoints Rajasthan Royals' Ashok Menaria and Ajinkya Rahane as the players to watch out for in the future.

"Happy to perceive some young players like Ajinkya Rahane and Ashok Menaria come from side to side...they have shown a sight of what they can do. Rahane has done well for Mumbai in Ranji and domestic cricket while Menaria has completed well for Rajasthan."

Meanwhile, South African Johan Botha, who was also there at the event, said he would be happy to succeed Warne as the Jaipur outfit skipper if he is asked to do so. "I think when Warnie stops; a few guys might take over.

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PCB stress inquiry beside Raza

The Pakistan Cricket Board believed Akram Raza's case necessary a full-scale query even as the off-spinner plead blamelessness in the illegal gambling case.

A senior official tell PTI that the board will have to assessment whether to employ Raza to the umpires' panel for the approaching Pakistan 'A' and Afghanistan series in view of the betting case next to him.

Raza, a former off-break bowler who played nine Tests and 49 One-day Internationals, was under arrest on Saturday with six others after a police raid on a plaza in Gulberg area for running a gambling row.

Police have exciting seven people, counting Raza for taking against the law bets on the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

Raza, who is at the moment a first-class umpire, got bail on Monday but will have to come into view before a court next week in link with the case.

Sultan Rana, who head the domestic cricket section in the PCB, said that it was too early to say whether Raza was blameless or not.

"Definitely the case warrants an investigation and we will decide on that soon. It is a serious thing because of the sensitivities occupied in fixing issues," he said.

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