Cricket

[captainfog]

None of this changes the fact that Warner is a grade A cunt.

[Shaggy]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl16ZID0J-o"]Mitchell Johnson bouncer to Virat Kohli HD - Aussies Emotional ! All players worried by incident! - YouTube[/ame]

[Vermilion]

Great display from Australia in their first game since his death, they've done him proud there.

[Buzzo]

I see the West Indies managed the highest ever 20/20 run chase, chasing down SA's 231. Gayle scored 90 off 61 balls in 41 mins, including nine 4's and seven 6's

They posted 236 meaning they finished with a 6!

England would be happy with 236 in a one day game.

[Chazza]

The convictions of three Pakistan players jailed in 2011 over spot-fixing allegations that rocked the world of cricket are among those under review by the Crown Prosecution Service in light of concerns over evidence provided by the investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood.

The Guardian has learned that the convictions of Mohammad Asif, the former captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir – then one of the most exciting young fast bowlers in the world – are among around 25 being reviewed over new concerns about evidence provided by Mahmood during his long career as an undercover reporter.

After the News of the World revealed that the trio had agreed to conspire to bowl no-balls at specific points during the Fourth Test at Lord’s in the summer of 2010 in return for a share of £150,000, the three players and the agent Mazhar Majeed were arrested amid a media storm that threatened to turn into a diplomatic incident.

In February 2011 they were given lengthy bans by the International Cricket Council and in November of that year were jailed for between six months and 30 months at Southwark crown court after being found guilty of conspiracy to cheat at gambling and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments.

Amir and Majeed, the fixer caught on camera arranging the scam, had both pleaded guilty while Butt and Asif protested their innocence. Butt was sentenced to 30 months, Asif to one year, Amir to six months and Majeed to 32 months.

The ICC had earlier banned Butt for 10 years (with five suspended), Asif for seven years (with two suspended) and Amir for five years. Amir, still only 22, will be free to return to international cricket in September this year and could even face England again shortly afterwards.

The case made global headlines and led to intense scrutiny on the scale of the problem of spot fixing within sport, given the explosion of unregulated betting markets in Asia and the Far East facilitated by the internet and mobile phones.However, some regarded the sentences as severe given it was highly unlikely that any bets were ever placed.

The modus operandi of Mahmood, better known to his readers as the “Fake Sheikh”, has come under fresh scrutiny since the collapse of the Tulisa Contostavlos trial last July. The trial of the pop star and TV presenter over drugs charges was halted amid concerns about Mahmood’s evidence.

Earlier this week, it emerged that 13 footballers who were arrested over spot-fixing allegations after an undercover sting by Mahmood would face no further action.

The players, who included former Birmingham City striker DJ Campbell and the former Portsmouth defender Sam Sodje, were detained in dawn raids by the National Crime Agency following a front page story in the Sun on Sunday in December 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/15/pakistan-spot-fixing-fake-sheikh?CMP=share_btn_tw

[PTP]

Ah this is prob a better thread

Anyone been watching big bash. I love it....commentary is great and flintoff commentating whilst batting and bowling

[Boogs]

Taking one hellava beating in the 1 dayer. Great prep work for the World Cup

[Chazza]

Del

[Chazza]

De Villiers has just smashed 104 off 31 balls v the West Indies

[Chazza]

He ended up with 149 off 43 balls

Amla hit 153 and SA ended up posting 439-2 after being put in

[EwarWoo]

[Tee]

DeVilliers

[EwarWoo]

Fastest 50, fastest 100, joint most 6's, 2nd highest 1 day total, highest ever for SA, a real WTF innings.

And ironically he didn't even want to go in, he thought Miller was better suited to go out. Heh.

[Chazza]

Craig Kieswetter: Injury could end Somerset batsman's career



Craig Kieswetter's eye injury could be "career-ending", Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard has admitted.

The 27-year-old England wicketkeeper broke his nose and damaged his eye socket and cheekbone when a ball went through his helmet grille while batting against Northants last July.

Somerset expect him to at least miss the entire 2015 county season.
And Maynard confirmed Kieswetter will travel to Belgium this week for further assessment with a specialist.

"We're hoping that after he sees the specialist he'll have a method of getting his eye back to 100%," Maynard told BBC Somerset.

"The feedback we get from that will be quite instrumental, but potentially it could be career-ending."

South Africa-born Kieswetter scored 497 runs in the T20 Blast in 2014 and 419 runs in the County Championship prior to suffering his injury at Wantage Road on 12 July.

He underwent facial surgery and returned to action for Somerset in September, before heading out to South Africa to play for Warriors in their domestic T20 competition, scoring 199 runs in 10 outings.

But during that period he realised his vision was still impaired and he confirmed last month he was unlikely to play for Somerset this year.

"He came back for a couple of games and although he knew the eye wasn't quite right, he was just delighted to be back playing at that stage," said Maynard.

"But then he went out to play in South Africa in the Twenty20 and he struggled. He was struggling to pick up the line and length of the ball.
"If you can't do that, it's going to be hard to score runs and it also makes you very vulnerable.

"If we were to get him back that would be a huge lift for everyone. But we are planning for him to not be around this season."

Kieswetter, who has played 46 one-day internationals, was named in England's initial 30-man squad for the forthcoming World Cup, but later replaced by Kent's Sam Billings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/30883034

[Kenneth]

****ing ouch