Happy Black Caps are shaping up nicely

Little wonder New Zealand are walking around Guyana with smiles on their faces. Two warmup games, two wins and their big guns are firing, notably Jacob Oram, who hit form with the bat against the hosts yesterday.

New Zealand open the World Twenty20 against Sri Lanka at Providence tomorrow morning (5am NZ time) and the word from afar is a happy camp full of fit players.

"It's nice to have two wins leading into the first game," captain Daniel Vettori said. "An in-form Jake Oram is a real bonus for the team – he makes the balance a lot easier. The way he batted, it just shows how destructive he can be.

Oram came to the crease yesterday at 37-6 in the 10th over. Initially he played second fiddle to Ross Taylor (50 from 35 balls) but he clubbed the bowling at the end to help New Zealand reach 124-8 on a pitch Vettori classified as "difficult".

Oram hit two sixes and three fours in his 46 not out from 40 balls and it proved the difference as the West Indies slumped from 68-0 in the ninth over to lose by seven runs. The warmup games have proved beneficial for the big guns. Jesse Ryder got runs against Ireland and Taylor, Oram, Scott Styris (4-18) and Shane Bond (2-15) were to the fore in the win against the West Indies.

Vettori respects Sri Lanka but gave the impression New Zealand know what they are walking into in the tournament's opening match at the Providence Stadium.

"They have a good team," Vettori said of Sri Lanka.

"Everyone talks about the unorthodox nature of their bowlers, [Lasith] Malinga, [Ajantha] Mendis and [Muttiah] Muralitharan, but fortunately we have played them a number of times and hopefully that holds us in good stead."

With Oram showing signs of form, Vettori indicated the team was easy for him to pick.

"We are pretty clear in our mind of the 11 we will take into the first game."

It would appear Ryder will open the innings with Brendon McCullum followed by Martin Guptill, Taylor, Styris, Gareth Hopkins, Vettori, Oram and then the bowlers Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills and Bond.

Tim Southee is good bowler at the death and is worthy of consideration ahead of Hopkins, but it seems he will sit on the bench alongside Aaron Redmond, Ian Butler and Rob Nicol. THE conditions continue to be a talking point in Guyana. Slow and low is the way, meaning the onus goes on Nathan McCullum and Vettori.

So far McCullum has been a star in the unfamiliar role of new ball bowler and Vettori the expensive one – going for 10 runs an over in both warmup games. "He's bowled really well, he's bowling at tough times, opening the bowling, he knows his role and he is thriving on it," Vettori said.

"It is important that he bowls well in the conditions because they suit him and myself, so between the two of us we have to stand up and bowl well." Sri Lanka suffered a narrow loss to South Africa in their final warmup match. The statistics read in New Zealand's favour.

They have played more Twenty20 internationals than anyone else: 33 games in total for a winning percentage of 43.93. Incredibly, they have featured in three ties. Brendon McCullum is the highest run scorer in Twenty20 history with 987 runs at 36.55, well clear of Kevin Pietersen on 663 runs.

Vettori's economy rate of 5.42 runs an over is the best of those with 20 wickets or more. He is also third on the all-time wicket list with 31 at 14.51. It all means that, if New Zealand can keep on top of their injuries, they should give the tournament a good shake.

They're overdue – their last win was nearly 10 years ago in the ICC Knockout Cup in Nairobi, Kenya. BET ON IT TAB odds: Australia $4.25 India, South Africa $5.50 Sri Lanka $7 New Zealand $8 England, West Indies $10 Pakistan $11 Bangladesh $80 Zimbabwe $100 Ireland, Afghanistan $500.

Warm-up matches of T20 World Cup 2010

Some Warm-Up matches will be held in West Indies before the T20 World Cup 2010. Countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Australia, England will feature on these unofficial T20 cricket matches. India, however will not be playing such warm-up matches. Here are the fixtures of the warm-up matches of T20 World Cup 2010:

Date	Match Details	Time		Venue
		GMT	IST	Ground	City
Apr 27 - Tue	Pakistan v Windward Islands, Match 1	13:30	19:00	Beausejour Cricket Ground	Gros Islet, St Lucia
Apr 27 - Tue	Australia v Zimbabwe, Match 2	17:30	23:00	Kensington Oval	Bridgetown, Barbados
Apr 28 - Wed	South Africa v Sri Lanka, Match 3	13:30	19:00	Kensington Oval	Bridgetown, Barbados
Apr 28 - Wed	Bangladesh v England, Match 4	17:30	23:00	Kensington Oval	Bridgetown, Barbados
Apr 29 - Thu	Windward Islands v Australia, Match 5	13:30	19:00	Beausejour Cricket Ground	Gros Islet, St Lucia
Apr 29 - Thu	England v South Africa, Match 6	17:30	23:00	Kensington Oval	Bridgetown, Barbados

Injured Lee likely to be ruled out of T20 World Cup

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee is likely to be ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup after sustaining a muscle strain in his right forearm during the warm up game against Zimbabwe.

Lee complained of a muscle strain in the same spot of the right elbow that required surgery in December last year and hastened his retirement from Test cricket in February.

He took 1 for 13 in four overs in the match at Beausejour Cricket Ground, and later underwent MRI scans to determine the seriousness of the strain.

Australian physio Alex Kontouris, however was adamant that the injury was unrelated to Lee's elbow surgery, Fox Sports reports.

It's a muscle strain," the team spokesman said. "We have gone to the ICC [ Images ] Technical Committee to ask for a replacement player," he added.

While no names have been mentioned, fellow fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris are being considered as the logical choice.

World Twenty20 2010 - England have a chance in a format without stars

The third ICC World Twenty20 tournament starts on Friday in the West Indies, and for once England have a decent chance of winning a global cricket event: this new format of the sport does not yet have an outstanding team.

No less importantly, this tournament should be fun and do much for the revival of West Indian cricket.In other words, it should be the complete opposite of the last 50-over World Cup in the West Indies in 2007, which was an unmitigated disaster from which their cricket is still trying to recover. From the moment the ICC – under a previous regime imposed.

An Australian-designed logo, the last World Cup alienated just about every person living in the Caribbean with its high ticket-pricing, tedious schedule, obsessive deference to corporate sponsors, and complete disregard for the local population.

All this can be read between the lines of the welcoming address by Haroon Lorgat, the new chief executive of a far more sensitive ICC: ''Accessible ticket pricing and a short, sharp tournament played over 17 days should make this a fantastic Caribbean cricket party. We want fans to bring their voices, their loudest noisemakers [sic] and their most outrageous costumes and face paints to the ground.''

This does make a change from the last World Cup, when there were effectively signs saying 'Locals Keep Out' and they weren't even allowed to bring in water.

England have almost as good a chance as any other country, their two weaknesses being the inexperience of their opening pair and their lack of know-how in getting over the line at a world event. Whereas in Test cricket the No 3 has always been identified as the most important batsman, the two most important batsmen in a 20-over game are No 1 and 2: and England will start with Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter, who total three international appearances between them, and none of those has been in the West Indies.

England have the other prerequisites: an excellent middle order of Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan, who are all coming straight from the Indian Premier League; a savvy pace attack led by James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who learned about the cloying nature of modern West Indian pitches less than a year ago; a couple of spinners in Graeme Swann and Mike Yardy, who can push the ball into those pitches, which is a much better tactic than tossing the ball up and recovering it from the stands; and a captain who now fancies the job in Collingwood, provided he can make himself heard above the 'noisemakers'.

In any global cricket tournament though Australia are always thereabouts – they have won six of the 17 so far – and this time they have real variety in attack, including two fast left-handers, as well as batting that is kicked off by the world's first Twenty20 specialist cricketer, David Warner.

South Africa have loads of batting and the most incisive pace bowler currently in world cricket, Dale Steyn. India are candidates too, but they are always slow at starting (and sometimes at fielding), they will be tired after the IPL, and Virender Sehwag has just withdrawn; while Pakistan, the current holders, are at sixes and sevens and have to beat Bangladesh in their qualifying group.

For the health of world cricket, which needs West Indian ebullience, the hosts have to enjoy a good run – starting with their qualifying matches against England and Ireland at Providence in Guyana. They have good men in charge – captain Chris Gayle and the new coach Ottis Gibson – but they are starting at a low base of administrative chaos.

So the Women's World Twenty20, which will take place simultaneously in St Kitts up until the semi-final stage, is significant too. The women's game in the West Indies has never taken off – until last year when they beat England, the No 1 team in all formats, in a 20-over series. They have a star player in Stafanie Taylor, only 18, but built to hit a long ball. As women prop up Caribbean society more than in most places, because so many men have to emigrate if they don't want to serve tourists, it is not fanciful to see them leading the game's revival there.

From the moment that Columbus arrived in the West Indies, the islands have been portrayed as Paradise for commercial reasons. This time, too, the reality is different. Afghanistan's cricketers will be warmly welcomed, serenaded and garlanded, as their road to qualifying for this competition has been as rocky as one of their mountain passes at home; but with Afghanistan comes a security threat.

The Taliban have anathematised all sport. Cricket is played only in the areas of Afghanistan patrolled by western forces. Indeed, it is almost as much the colonial game as when the British took it to India in the 19th century and graciously allowed each community in turn to play against them, starting with Parsis as the most Anglophile. The American embassy in Kabul is reported to be funding new cricket grounds; the Afghan team has some powerful enemies.

It is as well therefore, simply on security grounds, that Afghanistan have been drawn in the same qualifying group as India and South Africa and will be confined to the island of St Lucia; and, for all the virile qualities of men who learned the game in refugee camps in Pakistan, and who are as hungry for success as any cricketers there have been, they cannot foreseeably qualify for the Super Eight stage in Barbados and St Lucia, let alone the semi-finals.

Sachin Tendulkar tops Google IPL Zeitgeist 2010

Bangalore, Apr 23: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was the most popular among the cricket crazy-netizens during the third season of Indian Premier League (IPL), Google's latest IPL Zeitgeist for 2010 showed.Buzz up!

The search engine giant on Thursday, Apr 22 released IPL Zeitgeist for 2010 giving an insight into the most searched teams and players during the third edition of IPL.

While Sachin Tendulkar heads the list of the most search player, Saurav Gangualy came in second. For the second consecutive year, Shane Warne reigned as the most popular international player. Players who made their debut on the list include Adam Gilchrist, Ryan Harris and Praveen Kumar, who feature on seventh, eights and ninth spot respectively.

Fake IPL player, MS Dhoni, and Virendra Sehwag were ousted from the list making way for the three new entrants. In the Top 10 IPL teams, Deccan Chargers took over the top spot from 2009 leaders Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians came in second, followed by Chennai Super Kings on the latest list.

The third season of the cricket series was for the first time aired live online on YouTube. Google also released a list on the top IPL related search terms on Youtube. Super Over, followed by Chennai Super Kings and Match 22 held the top three places on the list.

TV Channels broadcasting T20 World Cup 2010 - Live | ICC World Twenty20 2010

The third version of biggest event in the shorter over game of 20 overs ICC World Twenty20 or T20 World Cup 2010 is all setup to start from April 30th in Caribbean (West Indies). Here you can get the full fixtures and schedules of the event. The 2007 and 2009 version of ICC T20 WC was gone to neighboring countries India and Pakistan respectively. This time apart from the 9 test playing nations Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan will feature in the tournament.

The all 27 matches of ICC T20 World Cup will shown live throughout the world in different Channels. You can check out the TV Channels broadcasting the matches in your country or locality.

In India : The broadcasting rights for the ICC events is on ESPNSTAR. The matches of ICC World Twenty20 2010 will also be broadcasted on ESPN and Star Cricket. Doordarshan will also broadcast matches played by India as well as the semi-finals and final of the tournament. Check the Schedule

* Australia — Fox Sports (Live)
* Bangladesh - BTV (Live)
* Canada — Asian Television Network -ATN (Live) | Channel: CBN or Cricket plus
* Europe — Eurosport2 (Live)(including France, Denmark, Algeria, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Monaco, Cyprus and Russia)
* India — STAR Cricket and ESPN (Live), Doordarshan (selected matches only)
* Japan - Hum Tum TV (Live)
* Middle East —Arab Digital Distribution (Live)
* New Zealand — SKY Network Television (Live)
* Pacific Islands — Fiji TV
* Pakistan — Pakistan Television Corporation - PTV (Live) | Geosuper
* South Africa — Supersport (Live)
* Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (Live)
* United Kingdom — Sky Sports (Live), BBC - Highlights
* United States — DirecTV (Live)
* West Indies - Caribbean Media Corporation (Live)

Taylor, Martin snare county contracts

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has further extended his Twenty20 cricket CV by signing with English County champions Durham. Taylor, 25, and South African allrounder Albie Morkel were announced as overseas players for.

The English Twenty20 league by the county overnight (NZT), with Taylor to join the squad ahead of their first fixture on June 4. The hard-hitting New Zealander could yet qualify for four teams in the lucrative Champions League tournament in India later this year.

He has already played for New Zealand Twenty20 champions Central Districts and Australian domestic winners Victoria while his Royal Challengers Bangalore team are through to the semifinals of the Indian Premier League, to be played tomorrow. Meanwhile, senior test paceman Chris Martin received a boost after a tough finish to the international season

against Australia when he was signed by Essex on a short-term deal.Martin will be the county's overseas player until early May as cover for Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria.artin was scheduled to play his first match against Lancashire, at Chelmsford, tomorrow night (NZT) and is due to stay with the county until May 7. Kaneria is currently playing in the Pentangular Cup in Pakistan.

Both the teams take the match seriously

Two teams that will probably face-off again within the next week, will have a dress rehearsal high on intensity in the DLF-Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday. Mumbai Indians' (18 points) semifinal spot is set in stone while rival Royal Challengers Bangalore (14 pts) has virtually slipped in one foot into the last four stage. With a healthy net run-rate of +0.467, Royal Challengers can crash only if Anil Kumble's men suffer an abominable defeat against Mumbai Indians.

The visitor led by the indomitable Sachin Tendulkar (542 runs), has found the right men in crunch situations. And with a bowling line-up that features the trio of Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh with 13 wickets each, Mumbai Indians might fancy its chances.

Sobering thought However, a sobering thought will linger among Tendulkar's men. On March 20th, Royal Challengers defeated Mumbai Indians by seven wickets and the visitor will surely not take Kumble's men for granted. “We should play every match like a semifinal or a final and give our best,” said key batsman Jean-Paul Duminy.

The host, meanwhile, had an up-and-down second phase but has inevitably bounced back. A batting, which hinged heavily on the top-order led by Jacques Kallis, has also found runs through Rahul Dravid and Kevin Pietersen while Kumble, Dale Steyn and Vinay Kumar have kept the lid on rival's scoring-rates. “I want the Royal Challengers to be ruthless and we have our plans for Tendulkar,” said coach Ray Jennings.

Changes

The rival camps are also grappling with the unenviable confusion of whether to stick with the winning squads or tweak in some changes as the IPL rushes towards its climax. There were brief whispers ofTendulkar being rested but the Mumbai Indians' think-tank scoffed at it as mere rumours though Duminy did concede that the team might sport a few changes.

“The conditions could vary from tomorrow to the semifinal (at the same venue, next week) and it's an ideal opportunity for a couple of guys to get their turn,” Duminy said.The host too had rung in a few changes over the past few days. S. Sriram and Pankaj Singh had got a game each and coach Jennings said that the entire squad had trained hard and each and every player was tuned in to the call and be part of the playing eleven. “It is important to make sure we keep the flow and also understand any injuries or niggles as well as the need for rest for some of the players.

We practise as a unit of 23, not just with the playing eleven. So any particular player who has practised hard has got the opportunity. We look at the wicket, the combination of the side we are playing against and if we feel that we need to carve in someone in the place of other, we will introduce a new player tomorrow,” Jennings said. The stage is set and a weekend crowd will ensure that the decibel level never subside inside a packed venue.

Lara lined up for Surrey comeback

Surrey have confirmed they are in talks with Brian Lara in a bid to lure him out of retirement to play Twenty20 for them this season.

Lara, who retired from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup, has not played competitively for two years.

"We have been in discussion with Brian regarding his possible involvement with the club," a Surrey spokesman told the BBC. "However we have no further comment to make at this stage."

Lara has already been in the nets at The Oval this week and has had talks with Surrey's cricket manager Chris Adams and chief executive Paul Sheldon.

The Indian press recently speculated Lara was planning a comeback there. A deal was said to be done with the Kochi franchise which joins the IPL next season, but nothing came of that.

Retirement has not come easy to Lara, and he has hinted he could be lured back several times. Last year he said of Twenty20:

"I believe that at some point in time people are going to understand that they are tactical ways of playing it and then you are going to see the true talent come out." Lara had a stint with the unofficial ICL in 2007-08, where he had a forgettable tournament with the bat and as captain of Mumbai Champs.

Shahid Afridi appeals against PCB fine for ball-tampering

Shahid Afridi, who will captain Pakistan in this month's World Twenty20, has filed an appeal after being fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for ball tampering in the one-day international series against Australia in January.

The PCB's legal adviser, Taffazul Rizvi, said on Tuesday that Afridi is the fourth player after Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal and Rana Naved to file appeals against fines for ill discipline or poor performance. Afridi was fined three million rupees (£40,000).

The former captain Shoaib Malik, who was banned for one year and fined two million rupees for ill discipline, is yet to file an appeal. Neither have Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, who were banned for indefinite periods due to ill discipline.

Danish Kaneria expected at Essex despite 'spot-fixing' investigation

Kaneria and pace bowler Mervyn Westfield are understood to be the two Essex players at the centre of the investigation which centres on the county's Pro40 League victory over Durham at the Riverside last September. Kaneria opted to miss the first three weeks of the new county season to play in Pakistan's Pentagular Cup domestic competition which finishes on April 27.

Essex sources have confirmed that they still expect Kaneria to arrive in England on April 29. Kaneria has denied involvement in spot-betting – manipulating passages of play during a game rather than fixing the result – though he is likely to face questioning by police if he does rejoin Essex.

Zakir Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board director of cricket operations, said: "I think it's very important that first these allegations are proven. Then, of course, action will be taken."

Current and former Essex players and staff are known to have been interviewed under caution by police and been advised not to discuss the investigation for fear of prejudicing any possible criminal proceedings.

Westfield, who is believed to have had his mobile phone confiscated by police, has not been suspended by Essex. He played on their pre-season tour to Barbados last month but was not selected for their opening County Championship match against Hampshire at Chelmsford or the friendly that preceded it against Leeds/Bradford UCCE.

He has not played a championship match since 2007 so is highly unlikely to feature in Thursday's match against Durham at the Riverside. But he might be considered for Essex's second-team friendlies against Norfolk at Bishop's Stortford on Saturday or Suffolk at Billericay on Sunday.

Westfield, 21, graduated from Essex's academy on to the professional staff. He plays his club cricket for Wanstead in the Essex Premier League. He played for England Under-19s in a triangular series in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.

Westfield, described as "quiet and likeable but frustratingly erratic" by an Essex insider, has yet to fulfil his early potential and has made only six County Championship and eight one-day appearances – six of them last season – since he made his senior debut five years ago.

Westfield, who conceded 70 runs in six wicketless overs and bowled four wides and two no balls in the Durham match, has declined to comment on the allegations.

Angus Porter, new chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, also refused to discuss the case.

Mumbai Indians in semifinals

The batsman dominated the bowler in the royal contest between two masters. A packed audience at the Sawai Man Singh stadium watched Rajasthan Royals suffer its first home loss in nine matches. They still relished it because the man who beat their team was their hero too. Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 89 carried Mumbai Indians to a convincing 37–run win and earned the side a place in the semifinals.

Rajasthan Royals has complicated its course and must win its remaining two matches. Clinical batting A target of 175 was possible only due to Tendulkar's clinical batting after Rajasthan elected to field. He made the most of a ‘life', paced his knock tactically and produced a match-winning effort as only he can.

The rest paled into oblivion and Shane Warne was a clear loser and his team a huge let down. The evening was lit up by the two masters as they renewed their rivalry and rekindled memories from their youthful days. Warne was in control until Tendulkar confronted him with his classy footwork and innovation at the crease.

Warne is a champion at bowling to his field but thrice in an over Tendulkar embarrassed him with his deft placements. Two inside-out strokes, as Tendulkar stepped out imperiously and a rasping cut took one's breath away.

Classy

There was class written when the Indian whipped him off his pads once and then tapped him for a comfortable brace in front of the fielder at mid-on.

There was nothing crass about Tendulkar's batting and Warne too was full of guile, spinning the ball and tossing it too for variety.

Tendulkar's fifth half century of the tournament was crafted in expected style and it was as valuable as any. The first six of the match came only in the 18th over from a typical Kieron Pollard blast off Dole, who later top-scored for the Royals.

And then Tendulkar added two more off Trivedi in the last over. Dole had messed up a top edge from Tendulkar off Siddharth Trivedi when the batsman was on 45. It cost Rajasthan dearly indeed. The master was the rightful ‘man-of-the-match'.

The scores: Mumbai Indians: S. Jayasuriya c Jhunjhunwala b Watson 1 ( 2b), S. Tendulkar (not out) 89 ( 59b, 10x4, 2x6), A. Rayudu c Ojha b Watson 0 ( 3b), S. Tiwary c Dole b Watson 15 ( 9b, 3x4), J.P. Duminy c Lumb b Trivedi 31 ( 32b, 4x4), K. Pollard b Dole 25 ( 13b, 1x4, 1x6), R. Satish (not out) 1 ( 1b); Extras (lb-4, w-8): 12, Total (for five wickets in 20 overs): 174.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-12, 3-30, 4-93, 5-143.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Yusuf 4-0-24-0, Watson 4-0-37-3, Dole 4-0-34-1, Jhunjhunwala 1-0-6-0, Warne 4-0-34-0, Trivedi 4-0-35-1.

Rajasthan Royals: M. Lumb c Duminy b Kulkarni 8 ( 6b, 2x4), N. Ojha c Tendulkar b Zaheer 0 ( 5b), F. Fazal (run out) 10 ( 15b, 1x4), S. Watson (run out) 1 ( 2b), A. Jhunjhunwala (run out) 22 ( 22b, 1x6), A. Voges c Rayudu b Zaheer 28 ( 27b, 2x4), Yusuf c Harbhajan b Pollard 10 ( 8b, 1x4), A. Raut (not out) 20 ( 17b, 2x6), A. Dole c (sub) S. Dhawan b Harbhajan 30 ( 18b, 2x4, 1x6), Extras (lb-1, w-7): 8, Total (for eight wickets in 20 overs): 137.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-9, 3-11, 4-34, 5-62, 6-85, 7-87, 8-137.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Zaheer 4-1-17-2, Kulkarni 4-0-40-1, Malinga 4-0-23-0, Harbhajan 4-0-21-1, Jayasuriya 2-0-16-0, Pollard 2-0-19-1 .

Bhajji bowls a googly, wants Sachin in T20 squad

Considering the red-hot form Sachin Tendulkar is in these days, it would have been fantastic for India's Twenty20 World Cup campaign if the batting legend was a part of the squad, feels Harbhajan Singh.

Tendulkar does not play T20 internationals anymore hence the selectors did not include him in the Indian squad for the World Twenty20, beginning in the West Indies from April 30.

Tendulkar, who turns 37 on April 24, is in scorching form and has been instrumental in Mumbai Indians' splendid run so far in the third season of the Indian Premier League.

"Had Sachin decided to play in the World Cup, it would have been good for the team. But since he has decided, we know he is not going to change his decision," Harbhajan, Tendukar's IPL teammate, said during an informal interaction with scribes.

On the sidelines a felicitation function here. Tendulkar, captain of the Mumbai Indians, is the second highest run getter with 394 runs behind Jacques Kallis. Harbhajan, who is among the top five bowlers in IPL-III with 11 scalps, has also impressed with his batting skills and his blistering knocks have come handy for his side.

"I have worked a lot on my batting as well," he said even as he hurriedly added that despite his little cameos he will still remain a bowler first. Asked the T20 effect on the other formats of the game he said, "It is having a positive effect on other versions.

The game is becoming more fast now." The senior pro also said the IPL has helped all the international players in T20 World Cup preparations. "I think now we as Indian team believe that every target can be chased down if our batting clicks. It's a good practice for T20 Cup. Other teams too will benefit because their players are playing in the IPL," he said.

Symonds hits Chargers home

Symonds was hit for 23 runs in the 17th over by 21-year-old Virat Kohli (58 off 35 balls) as the Royal Challengers scored 69 runs off their final four overs to post 6 for 184.

But the big Queenslander responded in brutal fashion with the blade, finishing unbeaten on 53 from 24 balls and striking the winning runs with four balls to spare for the Chargers.

Their reply had looked a bit wobbly at 3 for 95 late in the 12th over when Symonds walked to the crease, the reigning IPL title holders still needing nine runs to win off the last over bowled by right arm seamer Vinay Kumar.

But Symonds quickly solved the equation with two big blows, the first hitting the second tier of the stand and the second just landing inside the rope.

Not that the big hitting was solely the domain of Symonds with Cameron White (13 not out off three ball) hitting the final two balls of Bangalore's innings off compatriot Ryan Harris's bowling over the ropes.

Symonds's team-mate Tirumalasetti Suman (78 not out from 57 balls) was named man of the match as the Chargers kept their slim finals hopes alive.

"A 90 per cent improved performance, still 10 per cent left to do," said Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist (32 runs off 19 balls).

"Suman was brilliant, Symo outstanding, our bowling needs to improve though.

"Team morale has been pretty good. Our next game is a must win game.

"When I got out, we thought we had paced the innings well, in this ground it is possible to push on towards the end.

"This will go a long way in putting us back on the path."

Andrew Strauss gets long Middlesex warm-up before England duty

Having ruled himself out of the World Twenty 20 in the West Indies at the end of this month, Strauss will play in the County Championship game against Worcestershire on Friday, and is hoping to fit in at least six first-class games before the Test series against Bangladesh starts at the end of May.

It is the first time since before he made his Test debut in 2004 that Strauss has been available for such a long period, and as well as giving him valuable match practice, it will provide an early-season boost to Middlesex as they attempt to win promotion from Division Two.

The England captain has received some criticism for opting to miss the recent tour of Bangladesh, but will now be able to ease himself into an arduous 2010 schedule that could see him play 28 games for England before the year is out, including Test and one-day series against Bangladesh and Pakistan, a one-day series against Australia, and the start of the Ashes in November.

"I've been in the nets for the last couple of weeks," Strauss said. "I'm excited about getting the season off to a good start personally, but also helping Middlesex win promotion. "I don't know exactly how much play I'll get in, but I'll certainly arrive at the first Test with plenty of cricket under my belt." Strauss said he had "issues" with the way the county game was structured, and called for a reduction in the number of games played.

"Reducing the overall volume of cricket would be helpful," he said. "The lack of preparation for games is a problem. It could also be better structured into blocks of four-day and one-day cricket." Strauss will stay in regular contact with England coach Andy Flower, and will be consulted on the course of action to take over Graeme Swann, who was arrested on suspicion of drink driving at the weekend.

However, he said the spinner's place in the side was not under threat. "Hopefully he's learnt an important lesson, but I don't think this will affect his selection for the first Test," he said. Meanwhile, Middlesex announced the signing of Australian batsman David Warner for this summer's Friends Provident Twenty20.

Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers IPL 2010 Match 33 at Mumbai preview and tips

The hosts have won six out of their seven games and need a couple more wins in their last seven matches to get to the semi-finals, while Chargers need to go on a winning-spree from here to harbour hopes of getting through to the semis. Mumbai go in as favourites after being at the top of the table, 4/6 at Blue Square, as compared to Deccan’s 7/5 (Totesport)

Despite their wins, Mumbai Indians have to iron out some of their chinks, and the one big conundrum that they face is with the selection of Kieron Pollard (8/1 at Ladbrokes to top-score for his side). Pollard is a big ticket player, but has barely managed to get a run in the tournament. Sachin Tendulkar (15/8 at Blue Square to be the best batsman for Mumbai) will need to take the decision on whether or not to bench him pretty soon, before the lack of runs makes a more lasting effect on the batsman.

With Abhishek Nayar (14/1 at Bet365) in the ranks, and as is JP Duminy (5/1 at Bet365, both, to top-score for their side), the time may just be right to give Pollard a break in the game.

The Chargers have a problem or two of their own. Adam Gilchrist’s (5/2 at Coral to top-score for the Chargers) form at the top of the innings is worrying, and without his runs, the lack of penetration with the likes of Venugopal Rao (16/1 at Bet365) and T Suman (12/1 at Bet365 to top-score for his side) down the order, is more accentuated. Andrew Symonds (9/2 at Blue Square to be the best for the Chargers) tried his best in the previous game against the Knight Riders, but on a pitch that helped the slowed bowlers, life became difficult for him.

The time could just be right to send Rohit Sharma (5/1 at Ladbrokes to top-score for his side) up the order and get things moving, given that he has had a couple of good knocks in the past. Sharma has played most of his cricket in Mumbai at the domestic level and could send the ball scurrying.