In what turned out to be a low-scoring semi-final round, Tamil Nadu imploded for 59 to hand Bengal a 55-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.Chosing to bat, Bengal began poorly, being reduced to 8 for 2 in the fifth over. Coming in at No.4, captain Manoj Tiwary counterattacked, stroking five massive sixes in an innings of 69 off 44 balls. He did not find a reliable partner though, as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. The second highest contribution of the innings came from wicketkeeper, Wriddhiman Saha, with 19. Lakshmipathy Balaji was the pick of the Tamil Nadu bowlers, picking up two wickets at 4.50 runs an over.Chasing a target that required them to score at less than a run a ball, Tamil Nadu fell behind right away. Ashok Dinda was on a hat-trick in the first over of the innings, after bowling Anirudha Srikkanth and getting Ganapathi Vignesh to edge to the keeper for a golden duck. Tamil Nadu never recovered, losing three wickets with the score on 11, to be reduced to 11 for 6 in the seventh over. The only sizable contribution came from Arun Karthik, who was unbeaten on 35 off 26 balls when the innings folded on 59. Medium-pacer Sayan Mondal wrecked the middle order with four wickets and a run out.Bengal will meet Madhya Pradesh in the final at the same venue on March 16.Madhya Pradesh set up the final clash with Bengal, defeating Haryana by two wickets with one ball to spare in a thrilling second match of the day at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.Being asked to bowl, Madhya Pradesh knocked over the top half of the Haryana line-up in a hurry, to leave them 23 for 5 in the seventh over. Cameos from Nitin Saini, Joginder Sharma and Amit Mishra made sure Haryana played out their 20 overs though, finishing with 115 for 9. Madhya Pradesh’s pace trio of TP Sudhindra, Anand Rajan and Amarjeet Singh shared the wickets around.Madhya Pradesh’s reply was built around a 47-run fourth-wicket partnership between Udit Birla and Harpreet Singh, after Sharma and Kuldeep Hooda made early inroads. There was no much resistance otherwise, but Madhya Pradesh did just enough to edge out Haryana in a nail-biting last over that included Birla’s wicket, a run-out and a first-ball boundary from No. 10 batsman Sudhindra to seal the victory.

Shane Warne has said he would be keen to spend time bowling with Yasir Shah in the nets while he is on a brief visit to Dubai this week.There is a vast amount of mutual respect between the two legspinners – Yasir, who has climbed to No.2 in the world Test rankings, counts Warne as a hero and he in turns says Yasir is a “fantastic, wonderful bowler” – and Warne, who is due to leave on Friday, suggested he would try to join a Pakistan net session ahead of the final Test in Sharjah.Warne has previously met Yasir in Adelaide during the World Cup and has chatted with him again since – although admitted a few language issues – and as he prepares for a return to cricket in his All Stars venture in the USA he was enthused about forming a legspin pairing, however briefly.”I would love to have another session with him,” he said. “If I can find some time this week I’d love to go down and have a bowl with him. I’m looking to get as much practice as I can.”Warne, who was in Dubai to launch the Icons of Cricket golf event, was flying as Yasir took four wickets, including the last one of Adil Rashid with just 6.3 overs remaining, to clinch the second Test but had seen enough to be further impressed, although he did have some words of advice.”I think he’s a fantastic, wonderful bowler,” Warne said. “Sometimes, from what I’ve seen, he looks a bit impatient – he has all the toys, he just needs to slow down a little bit, take a breath. Just chill out and set a batsman up a little bit more rather than just ripping legbreaks, wrong ‘uns, straight ones, going around the wicket, over the wicket. He just needs to toil away a little more.”Warne also had further words of encouragement for Rashid who claimed just 2 for 191 in Dubai after almost conjuring a remarkable victory for England in Abu Dhabi with 5 for 64 in the second innings.”They are completely different bowlers, Yasir is a real hustle-and-bustle legspinner, to me he’s the best in international cricket at the moment, and Rashid will hopefully get better. He’s not as fluent as someone like Yasir, but that doesn’t mean he’s not as effective. If he gets his confidence up I think he can be a real handful.”Rashid has twice been thrust into bowling first with Alastair Cook losing both tosses so far and Warne said that the role was something even he had to learn during his career.”I ended up doing it a lot,” he said. “I had to learn, it’s all the subtleties of a legspinner, patience, changing position on the crease, not bowling the same ball twice, don’t attack too much with the field, basically try to tie up an end – especially here where it’s so hot, so the quicks can rotate.”It’s about trying to beat them in flight, get them driving. My line would change a bit, you’d go a bit wider, then you’d use the faster, straighter one as a major weapon. But the hard spun legbreak is the real key and you just had to try that as much as you could. That was basically it for the first two days.”

ScorecardFile photo – Mithun Manhas continued his good form, ending day three unbeaten on 95•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Karaparambil Monish snatched a victory for Kerala as his five-wicket haul helped Kerala bowl out Saurashtra for 69 in their final-innings chase of 115. Monish claimed 5 for 46 as he ran through Saurashtra’s middle-order. Sandeep Warrier and Akshay Chandran supported him as they picked up two wickets apiece, giving away just 6 and 3 runs respectively.Saurashtra started the day at 16 for 1, requiring 99, but were soon reduced to 34 for 6 within the first 12 overs in the day. Saurya Sanandia and Jaydev Unadkat were the only players that crossed double-digit scores, providing Saurashtra with some lower-order resistance, with scores of 17 and 15 respectively.Monish’s 6 for 81 in the first innings, had him end the game with career-best match-haul of 11 for 127,
ScorecardThe run-feast at Jammu continued as Ian Dev Singh’s 115 and Mithun Manhas’ unbeaten 95 drove Jammu Kashmir to 325 for 5 on day three, in their reply to Goa’s 552 for 5 declare in the first innings.Ian Dev Singh shared a 100-run partnership with Pranav Gupta for the third wicket, reviving Jammu Kashmir from 9 for 2 to 109, before Gupta was bowled by Shadab Jakati. Mithun Manhas then combined with Ian Dev Singh to share a 156-run partnership, before Jakati once again broke a threatening partnership by having Ian Dev Singh caught behind.His captain, Parvez Rasool, soon followed as Jammu & Kashmir slumped to 300 for 5. No more wickets fell in the day with Manhas ending the day on a resilient 95.
ScorecardPacers Ravi Kiran and Chama Milind placed Hyderabad in a commanding position, as Tripura were asked to follow-on after being bowled out for 237 in response to the hosts’ mammoth 548 for 5. Both pacers picking up three wickets apieceArindam Das anchored Tripura’s innings, as they kept losing regular wickets, with a patient 73 before he was dismissed with the score at 158 for 7. Manisankar Murasingh’s lower-order 51 took Tripura past 200, before they eventually folded for 237.Tripura’s openers Virag Awate and Arindam Das ended the day at 25 for no-loss in their second innings.

Sri Lanka interim coach Jerome Jayaratne has called Sri Lanka’s abject defeat in the second ODI “humiliating” in an analysis that was sharply critical of the team’s batsmen. Sri Lanka were all out for 117 on Monday. The top order had also collapsed to 65 for 6 in the first ODI.”Today was a really humiliating day actually,” Jayaratne said. “It was a bit disappointing. We didn’t expect a performance of this sort. At least in the Test series we were in a position to save a game, as well as in a position to win a game. But then when you look back at the two ODIs in Christchurch, it’s been a humiliating performance.”Jayaratne said the plan for Sri Lanka’s innings had been to play conservatively in the first ten overs, while New Zealand’s seamers bowled with the new ball, before consolidating that start later. However, the top three have been out in the Powerplay in both matches. On Monday, opener Danushka Gunathilaka and no. 3 Lahiru Thirimanne had been caught playing aggressive shots, while Tillakaratne Dilshan was out advancing down the track to Matt Henry, though he eventually checked his shot.”Mentally it’s difficult for us in the pavilion to control their thoughts,” Jayaratne said. “We can only make them aware and speak about it. We can say there was a lack of experience in the Test team. But in this team, apart from two or three guys, all the others have played 50 to 100 games. Without any management even they should put on a better performance. It was very amateurish.”In the first ten overs we lose our way and get into a rebuilding phase all the time. We lose three or four wickets in the first overs. Even if we don’t get many in the first ten, the plan was to capitalise later in the innings. That didn’t happen in both the games.”In addition to the top three, Milinda Siriwardana had also picked out point with an expansive shot. “The way we played is not the way we really planned to operate,” Jayaratne said. “We know the New Zealanders have one of, if not the, best fielding sides in the world. I feel that we keep the ball a little too much in the air when we’re batting. New Zealand always grab hold of the half chances.”The ODI top order is presently rebuilding following the loss of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara to retirement after the World Cup. Jayaratne said the players who have replaced them are currently repeating mistakes.”It was really Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal who were groomed to fill their shoes at no. 3 and no. 4. Of course, you can see there’s still a long way to go before they can fill those shoes. The lack of experience is showing somewhat. You can see the requirement at international level. The batsmen are just not tight enough in their game. We’ve spoken about this over and over. When you lose a couple of wickets, you want two people to dig deep, put up a partnership and then build it from that point onwards. That’s not happening at the moment.”Sri Lanka’s attack has also been walloped in the last two matches. On Saturday they went at over nine runs an over, but worse was to come. A Martin Guptill assault had New Zealand hurtling towards their small target at almost 15 runs an over, but Jayaratne said the blame still lay largely with the batsmen.”We batted first and didn’t give the bowlers a fair total to bowl at,” he said. “We know that New Zealand are a very good batting team, but you can’t measure the bowlers with the scores we gave them to bowl at.”

Ireland have named their squad for the World T20, adding batsman Kate McKenna to the 14 who secured a place at the tournament by winning the ICC Qualifier late last year.Isobel Joyce will captain the side, who have been drawn against Australia, the reigning champions, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in Group A.”We’ve gone with the fourteen who performed so well out at the qualifying tournament in Thailand, with Kate McKenna also coming into the squad,” head coach Aaron Hamilton said. “Kate is an electric fielder, which is so important in the T20 game, and she will also bolster our batting line-up.”Cricket Ireland has also made a further coaching appointment for the World T20, which takes place in India in March, by bringing in former Australia wicketkeeper Julia Price – who played 10 Tests and 84 ODIs between 1996 and 2005 – as an assistant alongside Alex Cusack.”It’s great to have Julia joining our support staff for the World T20,” Hamilton said. “Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and coaching experience to the group.”Ireland women squad: Isobel Joyce (capt), Catherine Dalton, Laura Delany, Kim Garth, Jennifer Gray, Cecelia Joyce, Shauna Kavanagh, Amy Kenealy, Gaby Lewis, Robyn Lewis, Ciara Metcalfe, Kate McKenna, Lucy O’Reilly, Clare Shillington, Mary Waldron.

ScorecardFile photo: Pieter Seelaar top-scored for Netherlands with a crucial 49•Peter Della Penna

Late innings resiliency with both bat and ball ensured Netherlands escaped with a six-run win over UAE at Abu Dhabi on Friday to wrap up a two-match WCL Championship sweep for the visitors on Friday. The latest victory vaulted Netherlands past Hong Kong to the top of the WCLC table with 10 points to Hong Kong’s nine. The Dutch are currently undefeated in six games with 10 points coming from four wins and two no results.Netherlands scratched their way to 216 after being sent in thanks to Pieter Seelaar, whose 49 at No. 7 helped the Dutch rebuild after the double-blow of losing Roelof van der Merwe and Wesley Barresi in the space of three overs reduced the visitors from 108 for 4 to 112 for 6 in the 30th. Seelaar added 76 for the seventh wicket with Michael Rippon in the biggest stand of the innings and hung around until the final over before he was ninth man out but not before giving his side a defendable total.In reply, UAE were cruising at 158 for 3 after 37 overs, needing 59 more to win at a little more than four per over, when Timm van der Gugten shifted momentum in the match by removing Shaiman Anwar for 71, ending a 103-run partnership with Mohammad Usman. Van der Gugten struck again later in the over to nab Saqlain Haider for 1 and Usman was dislodged for 52 by Mudassar Bukhari off the first ball of the 42nd to make it 178 for 6.Still, UAE only needed 39 to win off 53 balls, but the run rate was choked successfully by Bukhari, Rippon and Ahsan Malik. In his first tour back since being reported at the World Twenty20 Qualifier for a suspect bowling action, Malik’s impact continued to show as he claimed 2 for 18 in his second spell of 3.3 overs at the death.Entering the final over UAE needed 13 to win with the last pair of Rohan Mustafa, on 21, and Manjula Guruge at the crease. A dot was followed by a six from Mustafa to bring UAE within one shot of leveling the score but Malik struck on the next ball, having Mustafa caught by Bukhari to end the match.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCameron Delport blasted his third half-century of the season and also picked up three wickets•PSL

Cameron Delport slammed his third half-century of the season and picked up three crucial wickets, setting up a four-run win for Lahore Qalandars against Peshawar Zalmi in Sharjah. Chasing a stiff target of 165, Peshawar recovered from a top-order wobble through some big hitting from Dawid Malan, but the team did not have enough to get over the line. However, despite the defeat, other results in the tournament meant that Peshawar were through to the playoffs.Lahore, after being inserted, lost Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck, but Delport put up fifty-plus stands with Azhar Ali (25) and Umar Akmal to seize the advantage. Delport’s partnership with Akmal for the third wicket yielded 101 runs; Delport hit six fours and three sixes for his 78, while Akmal’s 31-ball 52 featured six fours. Their efforts ensured that Peshawar needed to chase at more than eight an over right from the off.Just as he had done in the previous game, Tamim Iqbal kept the runs flowing for Peshawar with a quick 30, but the team lost wickets in a cluster to soon fall to 95 for 4. Peshawar needed 70 runs from 46 balls at that time, but Malan blew new wind into his team’s chase by blasting a 35-ball 42 with three sixes. His blows brought the equation down to 18 off the last two overs, but Malan was trapped lbw by Kevon Cooper off the first ball in the penultimate over, tilting the contest back Lahore’s way. Peshawar needed 16 off the last over, and despite a six from Wahab Riaz, they could only muster 160 for 7. Cooper (3 for 25) and Delport (3 for 18) were the pick of the bowlers for Lahore.

Avram Grant has been confirmed as the new West Ham boss this week, after signing a four-year deal with the East London club. However, is he the right man to take the Hammers forward?

The co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have declared that the club are entering a new era and have seen Grant (subject to him receiving a work permit) as the man to lead the cash-strapped side through it.

The Israeli, who steered Portsmouth to this season’s F.A cup final, left the relegated southern club approximately two weeks ago, and is now set to take charge of the Hammers next season.

Despite internal chaos and crippling debt problems at the club, Grant got his Portsmouth side ticking on the field. However, he could not lift the club off the foot of the table, and as a result, the team were confined to championship football next season.

Nonetheless, both Gold and Sullivan have seen what the former Chelsea boss has to offer, and are hoping that Grant can transform the Hammers fortunes following the departure of Gianfranco Zola in early May. Reported in the Sun newspaper yesterday (3rd June) Gold told of his delight after appointing Grant as the new Hammers boss:

“I have to say that, having met Avram and spent some time with him, we have got our man. He is a perfect fit. We needed experience and stability. He’s a footballing man and, quite frankly, his reputation speaks for itself.”

He finishes of by saying:

“It’s the beginning of a new era at West Ham United.”

David Sullivan has also spoken of his delight of having Avram Grant on board:

“I’m delighted to welcome Avram to West Ham and am confident he will prove a success. We have taken our time over this appointment and are certain we have the right man.”

Avram Grant has proven to be a competent manager within the game. The Israeli took charge of Chelsea in 2007 and lead the club to their first ever Champion’s League final. Sadly he failed to pick up the trophy that night, but it remains his highlight of his managerial career so far.

Grant always likes a good challenge, and it looks as if he has found one in the shape of West Ham United. Is he the type of manager the Hammers need? For many fans (if not all of them) the answer would be yes. He has experience and has shown he is capable of performing miracles in the past (take Portsmouth as an example). As well as that, Grant has established himself as a respected individually within the game and a likeable character with many football fans across the world.

His biggest challenge will be to keep hold of his star players, after they have attracted interest from rival clubs in recent weeks; however, Grant has the man management ability to persuade them into staying in East London. He has swiftly expressed his interest in his former Portsmouth players Kevin Prince-Boateng and out-of-favour midfielder Jamie O’Hara and are on top of the manager’s wish-list this summer. Grant spoke of his appointment on becoming the new manager, he told the Sun newspaper:

“I’m proud and honoured to be the manager of West Ham. It’s an exciting challenge. I’m ready to do my best.”

He adds:

“West Ham is a fantastic club with great fans and a history respected around the world. I’m looking forward to getting to work with my players in July and preparing for the new season.”

It great to see how enthusiastic he is in becoming the new boss. Grant understands how important the club is to the fans, and will do everything in his power to get the club moving in the right direction. A great appointment from the co-owners and many will wish Avram Grant the best for next season and years to come as the West Ham boss.

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Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has finally completed his widely anticipated transfer to Manchester City by signing a five-year contract with Roberto Mancini's team.

The Ivory Coast international has completed the switch after his side were knocked out of the World Cup.

The 28-year-old has spent the last three years at the Nou Camp, helping Pep Guardiola's team win the Champions League in 2009.

He was also a regular in Barca's 2008-09 and 2009-10 La Liga title winning sides although he was more of a peripheral figure last term.

Mancini, who snapped up Valencia's David Silva earlier in the week, said of his latest capture:"This is another fantastic signing for Manchester City and I am very pleased Yaya has joined us. He is a very good player.

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"Everyone knows Yaya is a player that we have admired for a long time and we would like to welcome him to Manchester City. He has played at the top level with Barcelona and I am sure he his experience and ability will be very important for us."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has ruled out the possibility of returning to the Premier League with Tottenham.

Forlan has been in impressive form during the South Americans' march to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The 31-year-old has bagged three goals in South Africa and has caught the eye of several Premier League managers.

However, after a disappointing two-year spell with Manchester United which was ended by a move to Villarreal in 2004, Forlan is not interested in returning to England.

Speaking last week, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp confirmed his interest in the now Atletico Madrid frontman.

"Tottenham are a club who are going in the right direction, but I have no interest in joining the Premier League with any club," said Forlan.

"For a start, Spain is much hotter and also it is my home now.

"We have a great team at Atletico and next season we will be aiming for a top-four finish.

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"We have some very exciting young players and I'm excited for the season.

"I will never play in England again, but I still actually look back with fond memories at some moments."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email