Cracks appear in Afridi-Waqar relationship

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's limited overs captain, has hinted at differences with his coach Waqar Younis after arriving in Karachi from the West Indies where he led the side to a victorious, but ultimately deflating 3-2 series win.

Speculation has grown in the last two days about problems between the pair, specifically over issues of team selection. Both, along with team manager Intikhab Alam, are members of the on-tour selection committee which decides on a playing XI. It has been reported that Afridi was unhappy with what he has seen as Waqar's interference in selection; ahead of the fourth ODI against West Indies, one report claimed Afridi almost walked out of a selection meeting and had to be persuaded by Intikhab to come back.

"Although the differences in team management are not such which could not be solved, I feel everyone should do his job and need not interfere in other's work," Afridi told reporters on arrival. He also said he would be meeting the board chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore next week to discuss the issue.

Board officials have downplayed the matter; one source telling ESPNcricinfo that "no such incident as described in those reports [Afridi walking away from a meeting] occurred during the series." He did concede, however, that there may have been "long-standing issues" over selection matters.

Another senior official confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, however, that differences between the pair had widened during the Caribbean trip. "They did have issues. Afridi believes he should have final say in the XI as he takes the heat when he goes out on the field and Waqar feels strongly that a coach should have input."

The official also confirmed that Intikhab did try to mediate between the two and stressed the need to keep matters within the team rather than leak them to the media as ultimately happened.

Afridi and Waqar went through the World Cup without huge problems but there are longer-term issues. For example, it is widely believed that before the World Cup, before a decision had been made on who would captain Pakistan in the tournament, Waqar was in favour of Misbah-ul-Haq ahead of Afridi as captain.

The matter is complicated by the recent threat to resign by chief selector Mohsin Khan. Although he eventuallyrelented after resolving the matter with Butt and never publicly disclosed who he was having problems with, some reports suggested that he was also unhappy with Waqar's role in selection, especially of the Test squad for the current tour.

The board official believes though that the problems are not something that cannot be resolved. "It is something that has happened before and does crop up every now and again. I don't feel they are irreconcilable differences between the two. Afridi has requested time with the chairman so let's see what happens beyond that."

Pakistan lost the last two games of the series, the last one by ten wickets, having given chances to a number of untried young players such as Hammad Azam, Usman Salahuddin and Junaid Khan through the matches. Afridi regretted his team lost a good chance to win all the matches, calling once again for the involvement of a batting coach with the side.

"We should have clean-swept West Indies but the defeat in the last two matches left a bad taste in the mouth; we flopped in batting and that's why I must say we need a batting coach," said Afridi, who also admitted he was below par in the series.

"I played average cricket because I was tired after the World Cup and only played the series on the advice of some friends and former players."

Kuwait beat Nigeria to lift trophy

	Kuwait lifted the WCL Division 7 trophy

Irfan Bhatti and Mohammad Murad starred with bat and ball as Kuwait lifted the ICC WCL Division 7 trophy in Gaborone, Botswana, comprehensively beating Nigeria by 72 runs.

Kuwait's top and lower orders were solid enough to ensure they didn't suffer due to a middle order collapse that saw four wickets fall for 24 runs to seamer Olajide Bejide. Bhatti had started strongly in a 66-run opening stand and struck nine fours and a six in his 60 off 77 deliveries before he fell to Joshua Ogunlola. Kuwait soon slipped from 91 for 1 to 129 for 6 as Bejide ran through the middle order. But Mohammed Naseer and Azmatullah Nazeer revived the innings with a 44-run partnership. Some late hitting from Abdullah Akhunzada and Midhun Pakalapati took Kuwait past 200.

Murad bowled Ademola Onikoyi off the third ball of the chase and Nigeria were on the back foot soon at 35 for 3. Ramit Gill (45) and Sean Philips (35) tried to revive the innings in a busy 56-run stand but Pakalapati got the breakthrough, bowling Gill. Nigeria ran out of steam after that and Nazeer had Philips caught behind to effectively seal it. Murad returned to mop up the tail, finishing with 4 for 20, and Nigeria were shot out for 147. Murad was named Player of the Tournament for his 15 wickets. Both teams had already qualified for Division 6.

Hisham Mirza, the winning captain, said he did not think Kuwait were favourites coming in to the tournament. "It wasn't our home tournament and the only side we had background on was Germany, having played them in Division 8. I don't think I can single out one player that performed for me as we are very much a team effort. However, I will mention my fast bowlers, they've been the best in Division 7 and Division 8 in my opinion. They are quick, they are good."

Division 6 would not be easy for Kuwait, Mirza felt, saying that they needed to make sure they were better prepared for the event that takes place in Malaysia in September.

Endurance Ofem, the Nigeria captain, said that his side had achieved their purpose of gaining promotion. "The good thing is we've played Kuwait twice now so we now know what to expect of them when we face them in Division 6. Our player-coach Sean Philips has done a lot for us as a side and Segun Olayinka has come up with the goods for us in the last three games, contributing two half-centuries in the tournament, and of course Ademola Onikoyi, who had given us good starts upfront."

Rana-Javed Iqbal and Shakeel Hassan took four quick wickets to break the back of Botswana's chase and took Germany to a 25-run win in the third-place play-off, after Asif Khan's hundred had lifted his side to a challenging 269.

Noor Ahmad (74) had led Botswana's chase, adding 64 for the first wicket, 61 for the second, and 50 for the fourth with Faisal Rana, Denzil Sequeira and Karabo Modise. At 180 for 3, Botswana needed 90 at a run a ball. But Iqbal got Ahmad leg before, and Hassan took two more as Botswana slumped to 189 for 7. The lower order tried but Germany finished the innings in the 49th over at 244.

Asif and Rishi Pillai (67 not out) had earlier helped Germany recover from an indifferent start that had reduced them to 63 for 3. The duo added 146 in 135 balls for the fifth wicket as Germany surged to 269, which proved to be just enough in the end.

Norway brushed Japan aside by 56 runs in the fifth-place play-off as Japan stuttered to 169 for 9 chasing 225. Contributions from Gulfam Butt, Shahid Ahmed and Adeel Ibrar formed the bulk of Norway's total, and wicketkeeper Iftikhar Suhail ensured they got well past 200.

Japan never got going after losing Gavin Beath off the first ball and were in danger of being bowled out for under 100 at 83 for 9. Patrick Giles-Jones' unbeaten 68 and his last-wicket partnership with Raheel Kano more than doubled Japan's score from that position. It was in vain, though, as it only reduced the margin of defeat. Both sides had already been relegated to Division 8.

Collingwood tells of captaincy hurt

Paul Collingwood now faces an uncertain future having lost the Twenty20 captaincy

Paul Collingwood has spoken about his hurt at losing the England Twenty20 captaincy to Stuart Broad and revealed that he wasn't given the chance to interview to keep the position. Despite insisting he still has the desire and determination to continue his England career, he also admitted he "has some thinking to do."

Collingwood was called to a meeting with Geoff Miller, the national selector, on Wednesday morning in London, 24 hours before the ECB revealed Broad as the new Twenty20 captain alongside Alastair Cook for the 50-over side. The decision to remove Collingwood came just a year after he led England to the World Twenty20 title in West Indies, their first piece of global silverware, and Collingwood had always stated his aim of defending the prize in Sri Lanka next year.

"Four days ago I was upbeat about getting back into training and playing after my knee operation," Collingwood told the Mail on Sunday. "I was full of optimism about trying to regain my form and my place in the one-day side.

"As for the longer term, after retiring from Test cricket in the winter, I had my sights set firmly on leading our defence of the World Twenty20 in 2012. So when Geoff Miller told me, it was like a juggernaut had come along at full steam and completely wiped me out ... just disbelief."

Collingwood, though, was quick to offer his full backing to the new captain. "I want to make it clear I totally support Stuart Broad as my successor. He has the kind of fast-thinking brain that you need in Twenty20 captaincy. But even though I understand all that ... I'm still very disappointed and hurt by what has happened."

Despite being a reluctant captain, who needing persuading to take the Twenty20 captaincy in 2009 after having had a difficult time in charge of the one-day teams, Collingwood grew to savour the role. The successful World Twenty20 campaign formed the bulk of a record eight-match winning streak that only ended when England lost the second Twenty20 against Australia in Melbourne in January.

"After having decided to retire from Test cricket, my desire and motivation to lead England on to the next World T20 grew stronger," Collingwood said. "It was my passion, my last big ambition in international cricket. It meant a massive amount to me."

It is likely that Collingwood's slump in form played a major part in the decision to look towards the future with Broad. Despite England's Twenty20 success, Collingwood's own contributions with the bat were minimal over the last year - with a top score of 21 in his last 13 T20 innings - and a persistent knee problem reduced his bowling workload.

Yet, having retired from Test cricket after the Ashes, Collingwood was determined to revive his limited-overs career and underwent knee surgery after the World Cup. He remains on course to return for Durham's domestic Twenty20 campaign, which starts in June.

"By not playing Test cricket, I felt I would have the mental freshness to carry on as leader and to prolong my form when it came back and extend my international future," he said. "Now, while it would be madness to cut things short straightaway, the future is far less clear than it was four days ago. I have some thinking to do. I'm still very fit and I want to show people I can still play."

'I'm still looking to lead the West Indies attack'

Jerome Taylor was one of the leading fast-bowling prospects for West Indies when success in domestic cricket won him an international debut at the age of 18 in 2003. Rising to become the side's spearhead in 2006 and demolishing England at Sabina Park in 2009, he has sparkled off and on, but injuries have taken their toll, limiting him to just 29 Tests. Coming off another layoff from international cricket (he wasn't picked for the World Cup), he is now playing for the Pune Warriors in the IPL, shaping up to get back into the reckoning for national selection. .

	"I'm still aspiring to lead the West Indies attack and be among the players who can bring back the glory days"

How much has the back problem hurt your aspirations?
It might have affected the goals I set early, but those can be altered as you go along. I'm still aspiring to lead the West Indies attack and be among the players who can bring back the glory days. Coming here will give me that boost mentally to go back and play again. I came here with an injury and to date that has been sorted and I'm happy to be bowling again.

Is the IPL a platform for you to break into the national side?
Coming here is just to make sure that I give a good account of myself. I was supposed to play in the IPL in 2009 and 2010, but have only come here in 2011. I've had a belated start due to injury but since I've started playing here, I've felt better with each game. Coming here has been the best thing that has happened in the last two years. Since I've been here, the medical team and I have been working on it and I'm finding that I'm feeling much better after bowling. I just want to make sure I do the right things, and ensure the people who are looking on can see. As far as the national team is concerned, once I can make sure that I'm fitter and stronger and putting in the work to get back to full fitness, the rest will work itself out.

How fit are you at the moment?
At this point my body is feeling good. I won't say I'm 100% fit as yet but fit enough to play and will get fitter as I continue to play. You just can't wait until you are totally pain-free and 100% fit to start playing. You have to gradually ease your way back in. You have to know your pain barrier and how much pain you can play with. I have never been 100% fit. I always have niggles but they are workable, so I manage them and play with them.

Has the injury had an effect on your pace? Have you had to modify your action?
I've lost some pace and have tweaked my action a little bit, but that was way back in 2003. Since then there haven't been any changes - though the injuries have recurred.

Moving the ball is my main weapon right now. As a fast bowler, you need to bring something to the table on these surfaces. I do have to maintain a certain pace. I don't want to get it too low. As you go along, age might take its toll on your body, and you focus more on moving the ball about.

There have been differences between senior players, who were left out of the start of the limited-overs series against Pakistan, and the board. What do you think is the way forward?
West Indies cricket has been declining somewhat for a while. I don't think it'll help the situation if the seniors are left out and only juniors are playing. You are playing against tough teams. You have India going to the Caribbean soon. So you need to have some of the senior players, if not most, around, so that the youngsters can feed off their experience. We need to ensure that we have the right balance and combination.

We're not here to just play cricket and represent West Indies; we need people who can actually compete. We're winning games but we need to start winning series and tournaments. We need to make sure that we're seriously challenging teams and pushing them close. That'll help us get better. The wins won't be far away then, and it'll help us repay the faith of our fans in the Caribbean.

	"I'm always bowling at the death and in the Powerplay. I understand what it's like to be under pressure when there are people coming at you. I'm prepared to deal with that."

Was missing out on a WICB central contract a setback? There was also criticism from the board about you not taking your rehabilitation seriously. 
It wasn't a major setback since I had been playing without a central contract before. You need to be playing to earn that and maybe the performances were not up to the expected standards because I hadn't been playing much due to injuries.

As far as the comments about not being committed to rehab, I have the necessary proof to show that I have taken my rehab seriously. It's always been my dream to play for West Indies. Whenever I get hurt and come home, I'd make sure I do what I have to do to get back on the park.

In times when things are down, people are going to point fingers at somebody. My shoulders are broad enough, and I've experienced situations when I've been under pressure. I'm always bowling at the death and in the Powerplay. I understand what it's like to be under pressure when there are people coming at you. I'm prepared to deal with that.

Once you're an international cricketer, you've got to be ready and prepared to deal with whatever comments people are going to make. You know whether that's true or not true, and when it's not true it makes no sense losing sleep over it.

Michael Holding recently questioned why the WICB granted you a no-objection certificate for the IPL. Were you in touch with the WICB before coming to India?
I asked the WICB for an NOC since I wasn't a contracted player with the WICB. I didn't get selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup, which none of the selectors said anything to me about, even though I was fit enough to be preparing for the domestic first-class competition. I wasn't sure I was going to be selected, so I had to keep my options open. It was a case where I didn't want to be at home, waiting to be selected, not get picked and let this opportunity pass me for a third year in a row.

Was I in touch with the WICB? I had a chat with Robert Haynes [part of the WICB selection panel] during the Four Day Competition and an exchange of emails with the WICB CEO, Dr Ernest Hilaire, about the NOC. But no one contacted me about my injury before I came here.

	"Playing in the IPL is to give a good account of myself

The Jamaica Cricket Association sent me to see Dr Akshai Mansingh, who is on the WICB medical panel, after I had trouble [with my back] during one of the games in the Four Day competition. He told me the injury was nothing to keep me out of playing for too long. That's why I opted to come here.

On April 7, 2011, after I had arrived in India, I received an email from Dr Hilaire - and the Pune Warriors management and medical staff also let me know - that he needed a report on my medical status for his purposes of informing the IPL [about my fitness].

Why do you think the injury has been recurring?
The physios here with Pune Warriors know about biomechanics and how it works. Your body needs to be working in a certain sequence. As fast bowlers, though, we are aware when one's body isn't made for fast bowling. With a slim frame like mine, and exerting the kind of force that I do, bowling in the high 80s, you know these things are going to happen. So the most I can do is try to strengthen the body and try to prevent them.

There are always going to be observations and speculations about who gets injured more than others, and that happens. You have batsmen getting injured regularly. I'm doing much more than standing and hitting a few balls, so when these things happen you just have to take it, be a man, and try to make things right again.

In 2006, you took five-fors against India and Pakistan and a one-day hat-trick against Australia. Is that the best you've bowled?
I wouldn't say that; it's just that the results showed. I have bowled far better than that and haven't had the results to show for it. You can think back to when I played against England in Sabina Park. Everything was just right while bowling at that particular time - the ball was landing in the right areas and the result just came my way. That year was a good year for me [2006] and it helped highlight Jerome Taylor somewhat. I'm looking forward to having even better years than that.

Are you setting your mind to the Indian tour of the West Indies?
I am looking forward to it [trying to break into the national side]. Being here is to make sure that I get everything moving in the right direction and the body feels okay when I head back to the Caribbean. I am also an ambassador of Digicel, who is our main sponsor, and getting into the mix of things will help enable me to fulfill my obligations with them as well.

Pune Warriors have had a difficult first season. How do you see things going from here?
We have youngsters as well as experienced players and what the youngsters have got to do is feed off the experience of the seniors. This is not only for this year but the next couple of years as well. Whatever's happening now, hopefully we can learn from it. We just need more application and need to be thinking on our feet. We have to show that kind of commitment to being more precise and direct about what we're doing on the field. It's our first year, and this year's a learning experience and we hope we come up next year and give our franchise a lot more to cheer about.

Bereaved Younis Khan to return home

Younis Khan, the Pakistan batsman, will return home from West Indies on Sunday after his elder brother died in Germany. The PCB has given Younis permission to miss the two-Test series which starts next Thursday.

"Younis is returning home today as unfortunately his elder brother, Shamshad Khan, has passed away in Germany," a board official said.

There is unlikely to be a replacement for Younis for the first Test because of logistical reasons, but the team management may consider someone for the second Test.

The loss of Younis, a 67-Test veteran, will be a big blow for a side that is thin on experience. His absence means there is no one in the Pakistan squad who has played a Test in the West Indies

Sri Lanka Premier League to have seven teams

The first edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) will be a seven-team inter-provincial tournament played over approximately 18 days at the end of July and the beginning of August this year. The teams will play each other once, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. All the games will be played the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the winner of the tournament will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20.

We have learnt that the seven provinces that will be represented are Basnahira, Kandurata, Nagenahira, Ruhuna, Uthura, Uva and Wayamba. Sri Lanka Cricket will select the players for each team, with domestic players likely to be allotted to their home provinces, thereby ensuring the teams have local support.

Each team will have a mix of Sri Lanka and international players with total squad sizes between 16 and 18 players. The playing XI must consist of a minimum of seven Sri Lanka players and a maximum of four international players, with one Sri Lanka player being a current Under-21 cricketer. Each team will also have its share of icon or marquee players, as well as a prominent ex-Sri Lanka player as a mentor or coach.

International players will also be assigned to the various teams by the SLC national selection committee depending on the needs of each team. In this respect, SLC's approach differs from the IPL, in which teams were sold to franchises who then bid for players in an auction. Among the international players who will be taking part are Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori, Daniel Christian, Herschelle Gibbs and Kevin O'Brien.

The SLPL has also approached a number of Indian players apart from those likely to be playing the Test series against England, and is waiting for the BCCI to approve their participation. The BCCI has already stated it has no problems with the proposed league and that Indian players are free to take part as long as there is no conflict with India's international or domestic schedule.

The league will be run by the Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment, which has bought the rights for five years. The television rights for the tournament have already been sold in Sri Lanka and the goal is to broadcast the tournament across all mediums in every cricketing nation. The matches will be played at 4 pm and 8 pm on most days, although some days will see only an 8 pm game.

Floodlit Tests to be debated at Lord's

Rahul Dravid faced the pink ball in Abu Dhabi while playing for MCC

The prospect of floodlit Test cricket may come a step closer this week as the ICC Cricket Committee meets at Lord's. One of the main items on the agenda is whether sufficient progress has been made in day/night first-class matches to warrant a trial at the top level.

MCC, who are represented on the committee by chief executive Keith Bradshaw, have been leading the way in experimenting with floodlit first-class cricket by staging two matches against the Champion County in Abu Dhabi. One of the main issues has been finding a suitable ball for the conditions and this year a new version, developed by Kookaburra, was used for theMCC-Nottinghamshire match.

Domestic trials were also carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia with many boards around the world looking at ways to boost dwindling Test match attendance.

The committee will also discuss whether any alterations are needed in one-day internationals. Major changes, such as split innings as used in Australian domestic cricket, now appear unlikely after 50-over cricket was shown in a good light at the recent World Cup, but the possible use of two new balls and allowing bowlers more than 10 overs in an innings will be debated.

The Decision Review System (DRS) was used at the World Cup and the committee will evaluate its success and decide whether to recommend its use in all one-day internationals. However, currently it still isn't available in all Test series due to the costs and logistics of getting the required equipment in place.

Although not listed as a topic for discussion, the place of Associates at the 2015 World Cup is unlikely to be far away especially with Trent Johnston, the former Ireland captain, as the Associate representative on the committee. ICC will revisit the decision to limit the 2015 event to the ten Full Member nations during their annual conference in Hong Kong from June 26 to 30 after a fierce backlash from the likes of Ireland and Netherlands.

Warne takes centrestage in crunch game

Match facts

Monday, May 9, Jaipur
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Shane Warne's farewell song has begun

Big Picture

This will be the first game that Shane Warne will be playing at home after announcing his decision to retire from the IPL at the end of this season. The home crowd is likely to get behind their favourite captain. The first-leg of the home-and-away game was won by Chennai Super Kings in Chepauk. Jaipur have always enjoyed the home advantage but the dry and slow pitch at Sawai Mansingh should also suit Chennai's spin-heavy attack.

In Chennai, though Shadab Jakati starred, it was the seamers, Albie Morkel and Doug Bollinger, who did the job for the home team. It's in the seam department that Chennai trump Rajasthan for both teams generally like to go in with a three-pronged spin attack. Jakati's performance in the last game has added more teeth to the attack; Chennai would hope that Suraj Randiv can get more consistent. Chennai's batting has become more potent since the arrival of Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina's form has seen an upswing in the second half of the tournament.

Rajasthan's batting has been a hit-and-miss affair. If Shane Watson and Ross Taylor click, they can get a big score. Else, it comes down to Johan Botha and Ashok Menaria to push them to a competitive total. Rahul Dravid finally broke his habit of throwing away starts with a polished 66 against Chennai and Rajasthan would wish he can remain consistent from now on.

Form guide (most recent first)

Chennai: LWWWW (fourth in points table)
Rajasthan: LWWWL (fifth in points table)

Team talk

Will Chennai give another chance to Randiv? They like to play three spinners but Randiv has just taken six wickets in eight games at an economy rate of 7.68. While Jakati has improved in the last few games, Randiv has stagnated. The Jaipur pitch might give Randiv another chance at redemption.

Stuart Binny hasn't sparkled yet - he hasn't batted or bowled much. Will Warne replace him this time?

In the spotlight

Albie Morkel is a talent on the path of self-destruction. How else can you explain his absence from the South African national side in the ODIs? He is a free-scoring batsman who has often, in the IPL, impressed with the ball but always struggles to find consistency. With the skill-sets at his disposal, he should be a more regular feature in the national side. Will he find that elusive consistency?

Rahul Dravid was one of the main batsmen for Bangalore in the previous editions. He provided stability and at times, even momentum. He has got off to starts this season but has failed to convert most of them. The previous game witnessed a turnaround. Can he carry on? This Rajasthan team needs him even more than Bangalore; they need someone who can allow Watson and Taylor to express themselves. It has to be the job of Dravid who can allow them to do it.

Prime numbers

• With an average of 54.70, Michael Hussey has the highest batting average in IPL history, ahead of Shaun Marsh's 52.20. Johan Botha is a surprise third with 48.80, albeit he has played just 10 games
  
• Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma are at the top of the catches list in the IPL with 28 apiece.

The chatter

"We knew it was coming. He had to work very hard during off season to be in shape for IPL and has bowled really well. We will take his decision as positive and as a challenge."

Johan Botha on Shane Warne's retirement announcement

Pune finally snap losing streak

Wayne Parnell took 2 for 12 to help restrict Punjab 

Pune Warriors finally ended their horror run of seven defeats by limiting fellow stragglers Kings XI Punjab to 119 in Mohali, a target which didn't tax their batting too much The defeat means Punjab are now putting together a losing streak to nearly match Pune's - having gone five games without a win. Legspinner Rahul Sharma was once again the standout bowler for Pune, with South African fast bowler Wayne Parnell and Bhuvneshwar Kumar aiding him in shackling Punjab.

Preity Zinta was back to cheer on her side, and the Mohali crowd had something to shout about early on as Paul Valthaty repeatedly crashed the ball through cover for boundaries. Adam Gilchrist came into this game on the back of two ducks, and he couldn't find his timing today either, swinging Rahul to deep midwicket for 3 off 8 balls. Valthaty was cramped by the lack of room, and when he was given some, he cut at it but Rahul's extra bounce meant it resulted in a top edge to backward point.

Shaun Marsh has been Punjab's best batsman this tournament, and he showed why with some lovely hits. Yuvraj Singh was dispatched over long-on, Rahul was eased through cover for four, and his younger brother Mitchell was pulled for a boundary. Dinesh Karthik wasn't as fluent, but in the company of Shaun, the pair guided Punjab to a reasonable 71 for 2 in ten overs.

Match Meter

• PWKXIP
• Dinesh Karthik and Shaun Marsh take 11 runs off Abhishek Jhunjhunwala in the tenth overto guide Punjab to 72 for 1

• 
  PW
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar removes David Hussey in the 15th over, soon after dismissing Shaun Marsh, to derail Punjab, who slid to 94 for 4

• 
  PW
• Jesse Ryder is dropped in the fourth over, and Pune's openers sprint to 30 for 0 in four overs

• 
  PW
• Yuvraj Singh belts two sixes and two fours in the fifteenth over to nearly finish off the game

 Advantage Honours even

That platform was wasted though as neither batsman went on to make a big score on a slightly sluggish track. A Bhuvneshwar Kumar slower ball accounted for Shaun, who dragged the ball onto the stumps, and a couple of overs later Punjab's most expensive acquisition, David Hussey, nicked to the keeper. They were floundering at 94 for 4.

Karthik couldn't quite hit top gear and there was a wicket in almost each of the final six overs as the innings fell apart to a series of attempted big hits.

Punjab's bowlers needed to be accurate and incisive if they were to stand a chance, and they began well, with a maiden from Praveen Kumar. The next three overs, though, were plundered for 30 runs, and in a match where the fielding standards were shoddy, Jesse Ryder was given a let-off by Valthaty in the fourth over. There was more fortune for Pune as Manish Pandey survived a dead-on lbw shout in the fifth over, bowled by Bhargav Bhatt, two balls after Ryder was dismissed.

Robin Uthappa came out swinging, and though they were several fresh-air swishes, he found the boundary three times to whittle down the target with a quick 22. Pandey was dismissed after a relatively quiet 28, which had two of his trademark forehand smashes down the ground. If the wickets of Pandey and Uthappa gave Punjab some hope, Yuvraj extinguished that by clubbing Bhatt for two sixes and two fours in an over.

Brilliant Bangalore demolish Kochi

If you aren't a fan of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, there's good news and bad news. The good news first: Tillakaratne Dilshan has found form late, and will not unleash any more violence in the IPL, since he is headed to England. The bad news is that Chris Gayle is in such form that you probably wouldn't notice Dilshan's absence. And then there is worse news - Bangalore are fielding like a team possessed. The hapless Kochi Tuskers Kerala ran into each of these facets of Bangalore's brilliance, and were brushed away by nine wickets, with 6.5 overs to spare.

Match Meter KTK Bangalore begin poorly: Kochi capitalise against the new ball, and march to 64 for 1 in eight overs RCB The beginning of a field day: de Villiers and Zaheer sizzle in the field, to dismiss Parthiv and Hodge. Kochi never recover, and stumble to 125 RCB Dilshan back in form: Powar bowls the second over of the chase and Dilshan pummels 20 runs. Things are about to get worse for Kochi … RCB Thirty-seven: Gayle plunders 37 off Prasanth Parameswaran's first over, third of the innings. The crowd's evening is about to end very early  Advantage Honours even

On a day when their franchise went green, Gayle and Dilshan did more than their bit for the environment, setting up a finish before the floodlights took full effect. Gayle began the mayhem by depositing RP Singh into the second tier behind long-off in the first over. Dilshan responded by looting 20 runs off Ramesh Powar in the second over. What followed was not for children and the faint-hearted.

At the start of Prasanth Parameswaran's over, if you had stopped him and said he was going to do worse than concede six sixes, he would have laughed it off. After all, he was a man who had stared Virender Sehwag in the face and nailed him in his first IPL over. Today was a different day, though.

Parameswaran chugged in and delivered a length ball first up, and Gayle carved it over point for a six. Parameswaran did not flinch; Sehwag had done likewise the other day before perishing. Today, Parameswaran's second ball was a slower ball. Bad idea. Worse, it was a no-ball. Gayle slashed him for six more. The free-hit was thumped through midwicket. The next ball was thundered through the covers. By now, Parameswaran was clearly rattled, and he ran in robotically to delivery two more length balls. Six over cover, followed by a shimmy down the track and a 91 metre six over long-off. The last ball was a high full toss, and Gayle inside-edged for four more. The over had gone for 37, and Parameswaran had a story his grandchildren would ask him to relate years from now. Kochi, meanwhile were looking for an early flight out. Dilshan ensured they would have enough time to beat the Bangalore traffic and make it to the airport in time.

Incredibly, Bangalore were just as clinical on the field. Daniel Vettori made masterly bowling changes on a sluggish track. He came on after his fast bowlers had allowed Kochi to get off to a good start, and stalled them with two huge wickets. His fielders - from the usually nimble AB de Villiers, to the rarely agile Zaheer Khan - responded with brilliance, and Kochi lurched from 64 for 1 in eight overs to 89 for 5 in 14, before finishing on 125 for 9.

Kochi's problems began with Brendon McCullum's inability to adapt to the slowness of the strip, though Michael Klinger's smart footwork got them early boundaries. Vettori switched to Plan B after four overs, bringing Gayle and himself on. McCullum charged Gayle for two fours, but Vettori lulled him into an awry swipe with a smart variation in length.

Parthiv Patel kept looking for boundaries, and Kochi had managed at least one in each of the first eight overs. The party was about to end though: Bangalore struck in each of the next three overs. Klinger yorked himself by charging out to Gayle, before Vettori cracked the game open by getting Mahela Jayawardene to edge behind. Bangalore's fielding then took centre-stage.

Brad Hodge nudged his first ball behind point and took off for a non-existent single. Parthiv responded before pulling out of the run, and was soon running alongside Hodge towards the bowler's end. AB de Villiers pouched the wide throw on the dive with his left glove and, not knowing that both batsmen were stranded close to the other end, threw down the stumps in one smooth, graceful motion as he tumbled.

Three overs later, Zaheer bettered the effort: Hodge whipped S Aravind off the hips and the ball was hurtling towards the boundary when Zaheer jumped up full length and intercepted with one hand at short fine leg. Kochi were visibly stunned, and never looked like recovering. Bangalore's fielding kept bettering itself right up to the last over, when Mohammad Kaif took a brilliant catch running forward, and de Villiers slung-shot another run-out. What followed after the break was just plain cartoonish violence.