Lord’s bicentenary: Finch hits 181 in MCC win

From gocricket

Aaron Finch hammered 181 of 145 balls as MCC beat ROW by seven wickets.

London: Australia’s Aaron Finch seized his chance to shine among some of cricket’s greatest players with a commanding innings of 181 not out as MCC beat the Rest of the World in the Lord’s bicentenary match on Saturday.

Set 294 to win a one-day match marking the 200th anniversary of the ‘home of cricket’, MCC finished on 296 for three with 25 balls to spare against an equally star-studded Rest of the World team. Finch, already in England playing for Yorkshire, was involved in partnerships with three of the best batsmen cricket has known to cap a memorable Lord’s debut for the 27-year-old Victoria right-hander.

He put on 107 for the first wicket with Indian hero Sachin Tendulkar, cricket’s leading run-scorer in both Tests and one-day internationals. Finch then added 67 and 122 with two contrasting West Indies left-handers in Brian Lara (23) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (37 not out) respectively.

However, one sadness for a capacity crowd was that Rest of the World captain Shane Warne was unable to bowl after his first ball batting saw the leg-spin legend suffer a broken right hand when he was struck by an accidental beamer from fast bowler Brett Lee, his former Australia team-mate. Earlier, Yuvraj Singh’s blistering 132 off 134 balls took the Rest of the World to 293 for seven after they had collapsed to 68 for five following four wickets for Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Tendulkar, who only retired in November, gave his adoring fans in a capacity Lord’s crowd plenty to remember him by with the pick of his seven fours a straight drive down the ground off current Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle. However, the ‘Little Master’ fell to a familiar foe when, trying to cut Muttiah Muralitharan, he got a bottom edge and was bowled by the Sri Lanka off-spinner, Test cricket’s most successful bowler.

Left-hander Lara also showed his enduring class with a cracking drive behind point off West Indies paceman Tino Best and a booming drive off Paul Collingwood, both shots typical of the Trinidad star at his best.

But with MCC in cruise control mode, Durham captain and former England all-rounder Collingwood proved an unlikely bowling hero with two wickets in two balls. Collingwood’s medium-pacers saw Lara caught behind by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, leading the Rest of the World in Warne’s absence, before he nipped one back to bowl Indian star Rahul Dravid off the inside edge for a golden duck. However, Chanderpaul survived the hat-trick ball.

Opening batsman Finch was quickly into his stride with pulled boundaries off Best and Siddle. He also hammered leg-spinner Shahid Afridi for six over deep square leg and lofted Yuvraj’s left-arm spin high over the long-on boundary.

A single off Collingwood saw the 27-year-old Finch, yet to play Test cricket but who made a Twenty20 world-record 156 against England at Southampton last year, to a 96-ball century. He eventually ended the match with a six off left-arm spinner Yuvraj. In all, Finch faced 145 balls including 23 fours and six sixes.

Earlier, after Warne won the toss, the Rest of the World collapsed from 54 for one to 68 for five in the face of Ajmal’s off-spin. Fresh from his 12-wicket haul in a County Championship match for Worcestershire last week, Ajmal had Adam Gilchrist (29) smartly stumped by Nottinghamshire and ex-England wicketkeeper Chris Read.

Ajmal then had Tamim Iqbal lbw, and Kevin Pietersen stumped before clean bowling fellow Pakistani Afridi for a duck. But with MCC skipper Tendulkar then taking Ajmal off, Yuvraj revived the innings against a bowling attack missing Pakistan seamer Umar Gul, who only managed two overs before suffering a knee injury.

Brief scores: Rest of the World XI 293 for 7 (Yuvraj Singh 132, Paul Collingwood 40; Saeed Ajmal 4 for 45) lost to Marylebone Cricket Club 296 for 3 (Aaron Finch 181*; Sachin Tendulkar 44; Paul Collingwood 2/25) by seven wickets.

For more on this story go to: http://www.gocricket.com/news/Lords-bicentenary-match-Sachin-Tendulkars-MCC-XI-vs-Shane-Warnes-Rest-of-the-World-XI–Aaron-Finch-hits-181-in-MCC-over-ROW/articleshow/37839939.cms

Major boost for Caribbean cricket

From St Lucia Times

The Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has today announced that Hero Motocorp, the world’s number one two-wheeler automobile company, will be Presenting Sponsor of the Barbados Tridents and St. Lucia Zouks in the second edition of the Biggest Party in Sport.

Hero has been a major sponsor of world cricket over the past two decades, and was a Global Partner of the ICC World Cup, staged across the West Indies in 2007. Hero is also known as a major supporter of hockey, golf and football in India.

The new sponsorship initiative will support two teams in the CPL, which thrilled sell-out crowds across the Caribbean in 2013 with a party atmosphere, exciting cricket and star names. The Barbados Tridents are part-owned by Hollywood superstar, Mark Wahlberg, while England’s leading international run-scorer, Kevin Pietersen, will take the field for the St. Lucia Zouks this year.

Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and CEO of Hero Motocorp, said: “The exciting form of Caribbean cricket has always entertained cricket lovers all over the world. We are now delighted to be part of the CPL, with the sponsorship of the two most exciting teams in the fray – the Barbados Tridents and St. Lucia Zouks. As we look forward to some exciting cricket in the coming days, we will also look to further cementing the association of brand Hero in this region in the coming years.”

Desmond Haynes, West Indies legend and Mentor of the Barbados Tridents, said: “It is fantastic for both the Tridents and the Zouks to have the support of such a famous cricket brand as Hero. We welcome its investment into cricket in the region, and hope to repay it with the Tridents lifting the trophy on August 16th.”

Limacol Caribbean Premier League CEO, Damien O’Donohoe, added: “It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome Hero to the CPL family, and it is testament to the phenomenal start that the League has made that we have been able to attract a world leader, and one of the major sponsors of global sport, in just our second year. I would personally like to thank Mr Pawan Munjal and look forward to a very successful partnership.”

Grenada, known for its vibrant culture and hospitality, will serve as the opening venue on July 11th, as the Guyana Amazon Warriors take on the Antigua Hawksbills at the National Cricket Stadium. The Tridents and the Zouks both kick off their campaigns the following day, against The Red Steel and Jamaica Tallawahs respectively.

(Photo caption: CPL Commercial Director, Jamie Stewart, presents the Managing Director and CEO of Hero Motocorp, Pawan Munjal, with his honourary jersey)