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Edited by anon - 04 February 2007 at 8:59am

Watch all the action from the Commonwealth Bank Series LIVE on Sky Sports!

Stand-in skipper Andrew Flintoff has leapt to the defence of England coach Duncan Fletcher following another mauling at the hands of Australia.

England lost by nine wickets in Adelaide on Friday in the Commonwealth Bank Series after being bowled out for just 110.

The latest disappointing result in one-day action, following on from a 5-0 defeat in the Ashes series, has increased the pressure on Fletcher.

However, all-rounder Flintoff insists the Zimbabwean is not to blame for the run of bad results and that it is the players who should be taking more responsibility.

"Duncan has been fantastic," he said. "He has taken this side forward in the past few years.

"If you speak to every lad in the dressing room they have got something from him and have improved by working with him. Now it is up us to repay him, almost, and put some performances in.

"The coach and the coaching staff give us all the tools; they work with us, they help us, and ultimately it is up to the lads who walk out onto the field.

"When you are in the middle batting it is down to you. The coach can only give you so much. You have got to perform."

Fletcher was quick to apologise to England fans after the embarrassing loss at the Adelaide Oval.

Flintoff admitted he was 'embarassed' by the Australia Day massacre, as the home side needed just 24.3 overs to overhaul the tourists' meagre total.

"I feel a little bit embarrassed," the Lancastrian, who has scored one of the team's two half centuries in the one-day series, said.

"We are far better players than we are showing at the moment, we have competed with Australia in the past and we have beaten them in games but at the moment we are nowhere.

"Also as well there was a big crowd wanting to see a big game of cricket and they haven't."

India clinches Pepsi Cup in style G. Viswanath

INDIA SHINING: The Men in Blue after bagging the Pepsi Cup series against the West Indies. — PHOTO: AP STAR TURN: Sachin Tendulkar composed an unbeaten, stroke-filled century off just 76 balls in the final One Day International against the Wes t Indies in Vadodara on Wednesday. The master batsman's 41st ODI hundred built the platform for India to post a comprehensive 160-run win. The home team secured the series 3-1. Tendulkar was named the man-of-the-match and the man-of-the-series.  1; Photo: AP Vadodara: Riding on Sachin Tendulkar's superb century, Sourav Ganguly's scintillating stroke-play and Rahul Dravid's classic knock India scored a resounding 160-run victory over a beleaguered opponent whose captain had promised to battle back into the Pepsi Cup series and leave the Indian shores with honours even. Brian Lara, after winning the toss, surprisingly inserted the home team in. Robin Uthappa and Ganguly gave an electrifying start and Dravid, Tendulkar and Dhoni joined the party. India made an imposing score of 341 runs in 50 overs for the loss of three wickets, the highest at the IPCL ground. If Uthappa's big boundary shots — a sledgehammer effort over square on the off side followed by a towering six excited the crowd, Ajit Agarkar's gem of a delivery that beat Chris Gayle hands down and took his off stump roused the spectators. Waiting in anticipation for the Mumbai seamer to trick the tall Jamaican just as he had done at Cuttack and Chennai, the spectators may have been somewhat disappointed that it was not Gayle, but Shivnarine Chanderpaul who was given the responsibility of facing the bowler. Agarkar strikes Gayle in fact had defended Agarkar with the full face of the bat and even thumped him straight down the ground, but the left-hander's misery continued and he fell to Agarkar again. While on the previous two occasions Agarkar swung the ball late and into the left-hander, on Wednesday afternoon he lured him to play the wrong line and saw the ball leave him and uproot the off stump. If the downfall of Gayle was a big blow to the West Indies in the 18th ball of its innings, the dismissals of three key batsmen — Devon Smith, Chanderpaul and Lara — rocked the Caribbeans. But Marlon Samuels, cleared to play the match after an X-ray ruled out fracture to the index finger of his right hand, scored his second successive half-century of the series. Unfortunate dismissal But Samuels would have been disappointed that his captain became an unfortunate victim after his straight hit slipped through the hands of Irfan Pathan and hit the stumps. Capable of causing a dramatic change in fortunes and keeping his team in the fray, Lara waited for a while before the third umpire confirmed that the West Indies captain was out of the crease. Spectacular fielding

STAR TURN: Sachin Tendulkar composed an unbeaten, stroke-filled century off just 76 balls in the final One Day International against the West Indies in Vadodara on Wednesday. The master batsman's 41st ODI hundred built the platform for India to post a comprehensive 160-run win. The home team secured the series 3-1. Tendulkar was named the man-of-the-match and the man-of-the-series. — Photo: AP Earlier, catching and fielding of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina inside the circle turned out to be spectacular. Yuvraj's sheer anticipation in plucking a catch diving to his left at cover sent back a determined Devon Smith and immediately Raina swooped in at backward point to effect a direct hit to get rid of Lendl Simmons. Chanderpaul could not withstand the pressure and swung Zaheer Khan to Harbhajan Singh at square leg. Samuels and Ramdin forged a useful stand to whittle down the margin of defeat by a few runs. Uthappa and Ganguly provided a good platform for Tendulkar and Dravid and finally Dhoni to cut loose at the death. After smashing Powell for two 6s, Uthappa opened the face of the bat to a delivery that had extra bounce and offered a catch to Gayle at the slips. Ganguly was his usual self rocking back and playing forcing shorts on the off side and punishing short balls on the on side. He jumped out to Gayle and was stumped. Ganguly and Dravid's 101-stand for the second wicket mirrored the home team's command over the four-pronged seam attack and the spin bowling handled by Samuels and Gayle. Workman-like knock Right through the course of his innings, Tendulkar was workman-like, turning his wrists and placing the shots all along the carpet and between gaps. Brought in as late as in the 26th over, Ian Bradshaw was hammered by the little master, whose intent, style and aggression — a bent knee pulled six off Samuels — were truly outstanding. Dravid stroked the ball effortlessly, but was dismissed while trying to accelerate. He and Tendulkar put on 118 runs for the third wicket. Dhoni's unorthodox methods — three 4s and two 6s — worked well. Though it looked that Dhoni would reach his half-century, it was Tendulkar who made his 41st century in the 50th over. On 85, Lara at extra cover dropped him off Rayad Emritt and Dwayne Smith let him off on 91. Tendulkar was declared the Man of the Match and the Series. Lara said that his team had been competitive in the first three games, but was outplayed in the fourth. "The Indian openers gave a six plus start and the others produced something special, especially the partnership between Sachin (Tendulkar) and (M.S.) Dhoni. They kept the pressure on us. Yuvraj Singh did not get to bat, but brought off a great catch,'' he said. Collective effort "It was a collective effort. Sachin played a good innings. He showed he could adapt to any position and circumstance. We can judge Irfan (Pathan) only after he plays a couple more matches. He looked good when he bowled in the right areas,'' said India skipper Rahul Dravid.

The Indian captain troubled by cramps in the calf muscle and hamstring let Sourav Ganguly lead the team for two overs and Tendulkar for a major part of the West Indian innings.

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Opening India-Lanka one-dayer abandoned

By Sirshendu Panth in Kolkata | Thursday, 08 February , 2007, 21:26

Unseasonal showers played spoilsport as the opening cricket one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka, the first international tie to be hosted by the city in more than two years, was abandoned at the Eden Garden in Kolkata on Thursday. The 86-thousand odd Kolkata crowd was seemingly set for some thrilling cricket as the visitors got off to a roaring start after being put in to bat before the weather gods literally poured cold water on such hopes. Scorecard < src="http://www.sify.com/fullstoryad_.php?adtag=http://ads.sify.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/khp.sify.com/Island@Middle" noresize="" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" border="0" height="250" scrolling="no" width="315"></> Sri Lanka were 102 for three in 18.2 overs with veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya, probably on his last tour of India, going great guns on 63 when the skies opened up. The rains, that had lashed city last night, increased in intensity with every passing minute and the ground soon resembled a pool fit for waterpolo. The showers, which began at 4 pm, lasted for 45 minutes before relenting. The super-sopper was immediately pressed to service and the mopping up operations began. But the intense efforts of the groundsmen came to a naught as the rains returned soon, dashing all hopes of a restart. The umpires declared the game abandoned at 8.30 pm. The second tie of the four-match series is to be played at Rajkot on February 11, 2007 a day before India's squad for the World Cup in the Caribbean in March-April is to be selected. http://sify.com/sports/cricket/fullstory.php?id=14385208

Who is Robin Singh in Samuels tapes ?

Thursday, 08 February , 2007, 21:38

Mumbai: The name of one Robin Singh has figured in the conversations between West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels and bookie Mukesh Kochar and police are trying to figure out whether he is the one who had played for India. "We would have to examine if he is the cricketer Robin Singh hailing from West Indies who had played for India. The Nagpur Police Commissioner is inquiring into the matter. Don't hype it so much," Maharashtra DGP P S Pasricha told PTI. Apart from Robin Singh, no name of any Indian cricketer has come up so far, he said. Describing Kochar as a well-known bookie suspected to be operating from Gurgaon (near Delhi), the top police official said Kochar was in touch with Kamal Kishore Chaddha, who is believed to have done a lot of land deals for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's gang. He said the Nagpur Police Commissioner would carry out further investigations in this regard and on several other aspects and progress could be made in the investigations in three or four days depending on some leads. Asked whether Samuels or others whose names have come up in the taped conversations would be questioned, Pasricha said "it is too early to comment upon it. All necessary action would be taken". However, he added, that the circumstances in which a "notorious bookie" is discussing various issues like who will bat or bowl when with a player is not good. A person said to be Chaddha spoke to a television channel in which he said he had known Kochar for a long time. He said Kochar was based in Dubai for 25 years and was in rice business. He claimed Kochar was a bookie and a gambler. http://sify.com/sports/cricket/fullstory.php?id=14385209

     
Last Updated: Friday, 9 February 2007, 10:39 GMT
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ICC calms World Cup venue fears
Sabina Park, Kingston
Sabina Park in Jamaica will stage some of the first round games
The International Cricket Council has insisted the World Cup grounds in the Caribbean will be ready on time.

General manager Dave Ricghardson has been touring the various venues amid concerns they were behind schedule.

"There are fixtures and fittings to be finished but we're confident they will be and the players will say this is one of the best places to tour," he said.

"Dressing rooms are not old fashioned 3x4, you have ice baths, new showers, positions for computer analysts etc."

Richardson said that some practice venues needed to be improved, but dismissed suggestions that the problems were widespread.

"There are three or four practice venues out of close to 25 that are not up to standard."

     
The facilities have been improved tremendously and that will make the World Cup

Dave Richardson

The former wicket-keeper added that comparisons with the previous World Cup in his native South Africa were irrelevant.

"South Africa was fortunate because it had established venues," he said.

"This is a totally different kettle of fish, it's been a marvellous opportunity for the venues around the region to upgrade 100%.

"If you toured the West Indies 10 years ago, you bowled a ball in the nets it went through a hole and ended up under a grandstand.

"Now you don't see that, the facilities have been improved tremendously and that will make the World Cup."

aheer shines in India's win over Sri Lanka

Wednesday, 14 February , 2007, 17:21

Zaheer Khan claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals to help defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the third match of their series on Wednesday. | Scorecard | The 28-year-old ripped through the top order to restrict the visitors to 230 for eight after they had won the toss and elected to bat. India skipper Rahul Dravid became the sixth batsman to score 10,000 one-day runs as he notched up his 77th fifty to guide his team past the target and level the series 1-1. The hosts made 233 for five in 46.3 overs. Zaheer dismissed openers Sanath Jayasuriya (two), Upul Tharanga (one) and the in-form Kumar Sangakkara for a duck, before claiming the wickets of Farveez Maharoof (14) and Malinga Bandara (two) to finish with five for 42. However, a defiant half century by left-hander Russel Arnold (66 not out) helped Sri Lanka pass the 200-mark after skipper Mahela Jayawardene (30) and Marvan Atapattu (42) had steadied the innings with a fourth-wicket stand of 76. Dravid made 66 with four fours and a six and shared in an entertaining 133-run stand off 139 balls for the fifth wicket with the big-hitting Mahendra Dhoni, who cracked an undefeated 67 to help the home side recover from 94-4. The skipper was run out with four runs remaining for victory when Dhoni's straight drive hit leg-spinner Malinga Bandara's hands and crashed onto the stumps. The final match will be played in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. The opening contest in Kolkata was abandoned due to rain while the visitors won the second match at Rajkot by five runs.

Edited by umi82990 - 14 February 2007 at 4:48pm