South Africa prevail in desert heat

South Africa 207 for 2 (Kallis 66 retd hurt, de Villiers 51) beat Pakistan 203 (Hafeez 68, Younis 54, Tsotsobe 4-27) by eight wickets

	Lonwabo Tsotsobe bowled impressively in hot conditions in Abu Dhabi © Associated Press Enlarge

Smart Stats This was South Africa's 22nd win over Pakistan in away and neutral ODIs, the most by them against any opposition. This was the 16th occasion overall and the second time against Pakistan that South Africa won by a margin of eight or more wickets while chasing a target of 200 or more in ODIs. Both Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis retired hurt during the match making it the seventh time that a South African batsman has had to retire not out in ODIs. It was only the fourth time though that two batsmen had to retire hurt in one match. This was South Africa's tenth consecutive win in ODIs. Australia hold the record with 21 consecutive wins between January and May 2003. Since October 29th 2009, AB de Villiers has scored 1007 runs at an average of 77.46 and strike rate of 110.41 in 17 matches. He has scored six hundreds and four fifties which is the most fifty plus scores by any player during this period.

According to Ramiz Raja during commentary, Shahid Afridi asked Graeme Smith at the toss on Friday who Lonwabo Tsotsobe was. Having already suffered two top-order collapses at Tsotsobe's hands in the Twenty20 internationals, Afridi should have known him. He didn't, but Tsotsobe's four-wicket haul that set up an eight-wicket South African triumph in the first ODI should leave Afridi in no more doubt.

This time Tsotsobe shuffled things up, causing Pakistan's middle and lower order to implode quicker than a poorly-made soufflé. The key script was written in the middle overs, the dead air of ODIs. Having chosen to bat, Pakistan were cruising at 140 for 1, propped up by fifties from Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan. But they lost the meat of their batting between the 31st and 40th overs and, though credit should not be taken from Tsotsobe, the bowling was standard ODI fare - straight, honest and well mixed.

First, Hafeez did little to dispel the impression that he is more than just an ice sculpture in the desert: good to look at but not long-lasting. Having worked his way to a pretty 68, he cut a nothing ball from Johan Botha straight to point. Younis, who provided 54 further reasons why the PCB chairman should have resigned long ago, was leg-before and suddenly Botha's career haul against Pakistan was doubled.

The real implosion came with Tsotsobe's return. He complemented an opening spell in which his triumph was to not flag in the heat. Misbah-ul-Haq returned to ODIs after 13 months, only to remind many why he was dropped in the first place. A scratchy 25-ball 14 ended with him slogging Tsotsobe off his pads to deep square leg; Afridi went three balls later as Afridi does. When Abdul Razzaq and Fawad Alam fell, Pakistan had lost six wickets for 37 and the advantage, and Tsotsobe had taken three. In all they lost eight for 46, limping to 203.

Until then the sides had gone at each other with all the intent of a jar of valium. The intense heat and two burn-outs in the Twenty20s didn't help, so Pakistan returned to the ODI policy that served them well since the Miandad six of 1986: keep wickets in hand, explode late.

Younis and Hafeez's 114-run stand was substantial but mostly unremarkable. There were nice strokes, a punch through covers from Younis, a whippy cut from Hafeez, and enough single-pinching to keep the threat of a late burst alive. Neither pace nor spin tested them and they were polite enough to not take full advantage.

Tsotsobe was unlucky not to pick up Hafeez when he was on 5 and, 15 overs later, he reached 50 off 63 balls. It was surprisingly swift, given that he got off the mark in the seventh over. Soon Younis was celebrating an untroubled 38th ODI fifty with excessive demonstration - understandable after a frustrating nine-month absence.

All of it came to nought, however, and the chase was a doddle. South Africa got just the start from Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith. His bat looking ever more like a toothpick in his hands, Smith was even beginning to locate some of the authority that deserted him in a fifty-less year. But after crunching Shoaib Akhtar through cover, he was hit on the hand by a swift, short one and retired hurt subsequently. Amla looked unusually hurried, but littered the innings with enough quality shots to instill in it a good dollop of authority. Two stood out; a pull as conclusive as a slap in the face off Shoaib and then a cut so late off Afridi, he looked to have been beaten.

Tight spin from Afridi and Saeed Ajmal briefly kept sense of a contest, but there was never enough to defend. Amla was trapped in front but once AB de Villiers had pulled and driven Umar Gul after the drinks break, a comfortable groove had been found.

At that stage, Pakistan's best hope lay in the remaining batsmen falling over from heat exhaustion, as Kallis threatened to in the run-in to the first drinks interval. An extended break, however, restored him. Thereafter, he relocated his impenetrability and emulated de Villiers with an accomplished 66, but he succumbed to the conditions eventually. It was the first time two batsmen had retired hurt in the same innings to not return since 1990, a rarity that would not have amused either side.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 PP2 PP3 Last 10 overs NB/Wides Pakistan 167 12 1 32/1 34/0 (11-15) 13/2 (46-50) 29/4 0/8 South Africa 131 18 2 55/0 27/1 (11-15) 25/0 (36-40) - 2/6

ICC World Cup 2011 in Bangladesh

It's Bangladesh's 1st time  co-hosting  WORLD CUP. Its really a great opportunity for Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and also People of Bangladesh and Cricket team and Players. Fourteen Cricket team will fight in World Cup. The First Match to be played Bangladesh Shere Bangla National Stadium @ Mirpur, Dhaka in 19 February 2011.

Bangladesh Cricket Team is now good form.  Bangladesh win series vs new zealand . It was 4 ODI series.

Indian investors have their eye on Aussie T20 league

Indian investors have reportedly set their sights on grabbing a share in Australia’s soon-to-be revamped T20 competition. Cricket Australia are all set to start an IPL-like tournament from January 2012, and Indian investors have reportedly already approached two state associations — New South Wales and Victoria — with big offers to buy stakes in the sides.


The names of Adani group, which failed to win a franchise in the IPL, and Dheeraj and East Coast – a real estate giant that’s already the main sponsor of Victoria, are doing the rounds in the Australian media as the interested investors.

The Australian claimed that these two sides have also been in talks with Jai Mehta, the co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

However, there’s a major obstacle to be surmounted before the Indian investors could get their fingers into the Australian pie. Cricket Australia is yet undecided on whether to accept private equity from Indian or other overseas investors as part of the ownership of Australian teams.
It will meet on Friday to decide on what could change the landscape of the Australian cricket. No matter what the CA decides, they will be under tremendous pressure from the states to give green signal to the foreign investment.

Even as CA is getting ready to discuss the issue, The Daily Telegraph, an Australian daily, claimed that New South Wales and Victoria have already sold shares to giant Indian corporations for around 60 million dollars (59 million US). The newspapers said that Cricket Australia, keen to cash in on the IPL T20 phenomenon, is looking at starting a new city-based competition in 12 months.
“It's a moment as big, if not bigger, than the Kerry Packer moment when his role resulted in ODI cricket taking off and basically funding the development of Australian and world cricket for 25 or so years,” CA spokesman Peter Young told The Daily Telegraph.

The Telegraph said Indian investors want a 49 percent share of a NSW Cricket business entity, known as Blues Inc, for around 30-35 million dollars (R120-140cr). “The Twenty20 franchises in Australia could eventually be worth 80 million dollars each,” an unnamed source told the newspaper.
According to the newspapers, overseas stars from India, England, the West Indies and South Africa will be offered huge contracts to play in a tournament that will replace Australia's traditional one-day cricket over January and February.

Cricket Victoria said late Thursday that it had not sold any properties “to date as per claims in some reports”.

“Cricket Victoria is extremely excited about the future Twenty20 cricket in Australia, and continuing to be a successful force in this format into the future,” Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide in a statement.

“There has been some interest in potential partnership opportunities and should the eventual new competition structure in Australia allow for these types of arrangements, CV may consider them further if they are in the best interests of Victorian cricket.

“Speculation of the terms of these opportunities is premature as the structure and terms of engagement in the competition is yet to be determined.”

Gambhir wants Kirsten retained even after WC

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir feels that the Indian Cricket Board should renew the contract of coach Gary Kirsten after it expires at the end of the World Cup next year.

Gary Kirsten has played a crucial role in taking Gautam Gambhir's career into the right direction.

"Gary is the best coach India has ever had. I have often said that and I keep on stressing that we need Gary. I don't need to speak much about him. His fabulous record speaks for itself. He has been a great man-manager. So I believe that he should be retained after the World Cup also," Gambhir said at the sidelines of a promotional event.
Gambhir is thus the latest among the Indian stars to join the bandwagon who want the South African to be retained as his home nation wants him to take over once he finishes his stint with the Indian team.
The opener also supported Kirsten's idea of sending the top-order batsmen to South Africa, a week in advance so that they can get themselves acclimatised to the pace and bounce of wickets over there.


"We haven't played much cricket in South Africa of late. So it will be a great idea if we go there a bit early to get used to the conditions. If such a thing happens, it may just work in our favour," Gambhir said.
He also reiterated that one can't continue his blazing form for life and there is bound to be ups and downs.
"Right now I am coming back from injury. It's always a difficult thing when you come back from injury. Only when you spend considerable time out there in the middle, you get to know how it's shaping up for you," he said.

The Delhi batsman also feels that just because Bangladesh whipped New Zealand 4-0 in the ODI series, it did not mean that it will be a cakewalk for the Indians when they meet the Black Caps from November 4.
"You can never take any international opposition lightly. Just because Bangladesh beat them 4-0 doesn't mean that we can take it easy against the New Zealanders. Their team consists of some proven match-winners who can turn a match head on. So we need to be very careful and can't take things for granted," Gambhir said.

On a lighter vein, he said that walking ramp is tough but not as tough as opening the batting for the country.

He also said that he hasn't seen the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni walk the ramp but said that a cricketer's endeavour is to perform on field rather than score points off it.

England are absolutely prepared for the Ashes: Strauss

Andrew Strauss believes England will go into the Ashes in perfect shape to end their long run of failures in Australia.

 

Andrew Strauss

Strauss's side fly out to Perth this week ahead of five Tests and a limited-over series against Ricky Ponting's team and the England captain is delighted with the way preparations have gone so far.
England have struggled badly on Australian soil and last won an Ashes series Down Under way back in 1986-87.

They were thrashed 5-0 on their last trip to Australia but Middlesex batsman Strauss is confident they are in a much better frame of mind this time around.

"I think so yes. We have had a lot of success over the last 18 months so confidence levels are very high," he told reporters in London on Thursday.

"Our preparation has been very good. (Coach) Andy Flower has prepared us well for this tour so there is a feeling of relaxed excitement about what lies ahead.

"We have an excellent chance of winning over there, we are a good tight unit, we know what to expect and can't wait to get over there.
"We have prepared as well as we can do in the time we have had available to us.

"We have been thinking about this series for a long time now. It's a big challenge to go to Australia and win but we have left no stone unturned in terms of making sure we hit the ground running.

"Preparation only takes you so far, you still have to front up when it matters and win the crucial sessions but I have every confidence that our players can do that."

The first Test gets under way on November 25 at the Gabba in Brisbane and Strauss knows it is essential that England stop Ponting getting into his stride early in the series.

"The great player in their ranks is Ricky Ponting," Strauss said. "As captain he has a responsibility to lead the side and his record in Ashes series is very good.

"Aside from that, neither side is going to be significantly different from the last time we played so we'll know each other pretty well.

"It's going to boil down to crucial periods of play and who wins them."
The pre-series mind games began in earnest on Wednesday as Ponting and vice captain Michael Clarke had their images projected on to Big Ben in London with a message reminding Strauss not to forget the urn.
It was a reference to the confidence of the Australian team, but Strauss took it in good spirit.
"I didn't see it myself but I think it's the fun and games of the Ashes," he said.

"That's the great thing about this Ashes series. Australians and English people, they get down and support their countries. It helps to build-up the series.

"In reality the series doesn't need building up but the banter adds to the atmosphere."
Strauss believes the Australians will be worried about in-form spinner Graeme Swann, but played down the idea the hosts' own spin stocks are low.

"Graeme Swann's been outstanding the last 18 months so he's going to be a handful for them," he said.
"I think they'll be having meetings about how to deal with him and that's a pretty good starting point.
"I wouldn't underestimate their spin department. Nathan Hauritz did a good job over here, but ultimately we've got to be prepared for opportunities to get on top of their bowling attack."

UAE want to stage more Pakistan cricket

A top official of the Emirates cricket board on Thursday offered Pakistan the possibility of staging more of their home matches in the UAE before international cricket resumes in the troubled country.


Pakistan was forced to play its home series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after New Zealand and England as foreign teams refused to tour them over security fears.

Pakistan has become a virtual "no go" zone for international cricket after terrorists' attacks on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore last year which left seven players and an official injured besides killing eight people.

Following the attacks, the International Cricket Council (ICC) stripped Pakistan of its share of World Cup 2011 matches and formed a Task team to take measures to resume international cricket in the country.
Pakistan has played the West Indies, Australia and New Zealand in the UAE and are currently playing South Africa in a series shifted here after their rivals refused to tour them.

Dilawar Mani, chief executive of Emirates Cricket Board, said he has offered Pakistan the chance to stage their series against Sri Lanka here next year and then host England a year later.

"We don't want to be seen as opportunists, but since Pakistan is unable to stage its cricket at home we want them to decide on their series against Sri Lanka and England before time so that we can prepare," Mani told AFP.

Even before the attacks on the Sri Lankan cricketers, teams had refused to tour Pakistan because of the ongoing war on terror in and around the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States in 2001.
Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998, forcing them to play their home series in Sri Lanka and Sharjah in 2002 and then in England earlier this year.

Mani said Abu Dhabi cricket Stadium is fast catching the eyes of international teams.
"Abu Dhabi will stage ICC shield match between UAE and Namibia in December this year and then ICC Second Division cricket league next year, so we have been getting enough cricket and besides that we want Pakistan to play here regularly."

Pakistan will also play two Tests -- one each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi -- next month, the first time Test cricket will be played at the two venues.

Mani said he will meet with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt to decide on the future games.
"Abu Dhabi has come a long way in the last ten years as we have entered into an agreement with the MCC (Marylbourne Cricket Club) who staged the English season opener here earlier this year which was great," said Mani.

English County teams are regulary using the Abu Dhabi Stadium for season warm-ups, said Mani.

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2011

The IPL's Kochi franchise has been served a termination notice by the BCCI but has been given a 30-day deadline to respond and explain why it should not be scrapped. The decision was taken unanimously by the IPL's governing council, meeting in Nagpur on Wednesday morning. 

"The governing council received replies from two parties, the Rendezvous group and the other co-owners, and they both felt that the dispute still exists," Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, said. If they don't remedy these disputes in the 30 days, the franchise would stand cancelled on the 31st day." 

Satyajit Gaekwad, of the Rendezvous Group, however, welcomed the extension and was confident that the factions within the consortium would make peace. "They have given us enough time to tie up our 

differences and come in a unified way and rise up to the expectations of the BCCI," he told NDTV. "I'm sure we should be able to do that at the earliest. If we don't tie up within 30 days we don't deserve to be in the IPL. We had asked for a period of 10 days, the board has given us 30 days." 

It brings to a head a long-running dispute both between Kochi and the IPL, and within the franchise, over its ownership pattern. Details of that ownership pattern were first revealed by Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, in April, triggering a series of events that eventually led to his ouster from the league.

The emergency meeting was convened by Manohar due to the lingering dispute over who would run the affairs of the franchise, bought from the Cricket Board for USD 333 million, once the joint venture was formed.

The investors in the Kochi consortium include corporate firms Anchor Earth, Parinee Developers, Rosy Blue and Film Wave - which hold 74 per cent of the equity. The remaining 26% has been given to the family of Gaikwads - Shailendra, his brother Ravi and their parents plus a few others, all part of Rendezvous Sports World - as free equity for services rendered in successfully bidding for the franchise.

The IPL has already terminated the agreements of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab franchises, which leaves the league with seven teams as of now. 

Asked why Kochi had been given more time when Rajasthan and Punjab had been summarily ejected from the league, Manohar said those two cases were different from Kochi. "This not an intermediary breach that has been committed, as in the case of Rajasthan and Punjab, that is why they have been given 30 days to remedy this," he said. "There was transfer of ownership as far as Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were concerned but not as far as Kochi is concerned." 

The news puts into jeopardy the IPL player auction, scheduled to be held sometime in November. This auction is likely to be similar to the first, with teams starting from scratch; however, the rules have yet to be formalised.

South Africa beat Pakistan in T20 Series 2-0

 

South Africa 125 for 4 (Smith 38, Ingram 32, Duminy 20*) beat Pakistan 120 for 9 (Theron 4-27) by six wickets

	Shahid Afridi could not last long enough to make an impact

Another day, another batting collapse from Pakistan. They were shot out for 120 and it was too little to defend even for their talented bowling attack. Their spinners posed a brief threat but South Africa shut them out to seal a 2-0 series win. Graeme Smith's 38 wasn't a fluent effort but he fought on push South Africa close before Colin Ingram and JP Duminy applied the final touches.

When a struggling Smith was stumped off Saeed Ajmal, South Africa needed 53 from 40 balls, raising the possibility of an improbable twist in the tale. Ajmal had 3.4 overs left in his spell and there were two new batsmen in the middle but Ingram killed the contest with admirable coolness. He pulled Umar Gul for four before collecting three boundaries off Shoaib Akthar in the 17th over - a smashed six over long-on and two fours dragged to square-leg - to push South Africa ahead in the chase. He fell, holing out to long-on, but Duminy stayed put till the end.

Nothing went right from the start for Pakistan. Shahzaib Hasan continued to be a walking wicket and his exit, to an ugly slog across the line, opened the floodgates. Imran Farhat, who was bowled going for an over-ambitious heave, left one wondering whether the selectors were being too harsh on Imran Nazir. Like yesterday, it was Lonwabo Tsotsobe who removed the openers. 

Again there was no middle-order revival. Mohammad Hafeez averages just 20.01 from 53 ODIs and 16.53 from 17 Twenty20s. Today was yet another day where he played a couple of pretty shots before combusting. He was caught at the crease, pondering whether to cut or steer, and lost his stumps before he could make up his mind. Umar Akmal ran himself out following a mix-up with Misbah-ul-Haq, and Shahid Afridi scooped Rusty Theron to deep point. Abdul Razzaq improved on his performance from yesterday - he swung a couple of sixes - but tapped a full toss from Theron straight to mid-off.

It was left to Misbah to push Pakistan over 100. It was another one of his meandering knocks that seemed to go nowhere until the last couple of overs when he showed some intent. Like yesterday, he initially struggled to find his timing but fought on to hold one end up. He went for the big shots in the end - there was a neat six over wide long-on, hit on a bent knee, and a shuffled swat to the backward square-leg boundary - but it was too little and too late. 

It was difficult to rate South Africa's bowling in this context. Did Pakistan's shoddy batting display make the bowling look better than it was? It would be unfair, though, to not credit them for their discipline. Tsotsobe punctuated his natural left-armer's angle with the ones that straightened to collect early wickets, Johan Botha, as ever, strangled the run-flow in the middle overs with his variations, and Theron enhanced his reputation as a death-over specialist with three wickets in the last over. Pakistan's bowlers again attempted the improbable but it was a bridge too far to cross.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Pakistan 59 8 3 35/3 36/3 0/4 South Africa 58 11 3 38/0 45/1 (16-18.4) 0/6

Deadline step towards expelling Kochi

The 30-day deadline given to the Kochi IPL consortium to settle its ownership dispute is not a reprieve for the troubled team, but rather a legal step taken by the IPL governing council towards terminating the franchise. 

A BCCI insider privy to the meeting held in Nagpur on Wednesday told ESPNcricinfo that the Board is not confident the ownership issue will be resolved amicably between the two factions because of the two different replies sent by them to the board's October 12 show-cause notice. The franchise was asked to form a registered company in order for the board to communicate with one entity, and not different groups in the five-partner consortium. The consortium has not, the Board believes, come close to arriving at a settlement, with the official calling it, "an irretrievable situation." He said, "The dispute is not so easy to solve". 

According to him, the BCCI were forced to issue a notice under the provisions of the original contract signed with the Kochi franchise when it was formed in March. "It is mandatory process where the board is required to give them the notice of 30 days because theirs is a breach that can be repaired, and it is not irrevocable. In case they are able to resolve their issue, they will have to show it to us and prove it is resolved. Otherwise at the end of the notice, it stands terminated," he said. 

Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, chaired the meeting today and informed the IPL panel about receiving more than one reply from the two groups in the Kochi franchise. One reply arrived from the lawyer of Rendezvous India Pvt. Ltd, led by the Gaikwad family, and the other from the group of investors led by Mehul Shah of the Anchor Group. 

"Both were asking different things: Rendezvous stated that the sweat equity (originally granted to them for promoting and investing in the company leading to the bid) is paid equity," the official revealed. "The rival group was of the view that even it if it was paid equity, they did not want to accept the money."

Gaikwad's lawyer had stated in the reply that his client was willing to buy out the sweat equity of 25% given for life in the original bid document and convert it into paid equity. The rival faction remained adamant, wanting Rendezvous to exit, with the situation leading to a deadlock. In that time both factions tried to find a way out. The Shah group told Gaikwad that they would pay 10% of the sweat equity in cash in exchange of their rivals quitting Kochi. Gaikwad's original counter proposal stated that he was ready to buy out 15% of the sweat equity, but he subsequently raised the offer, saying he was ready to buy out the entire 25% free equity. 

After that offer was rejected, Rendezvous went back to the negotiation table with a reduced equity buyout offer from 25% to 20%. Shah and the other investors initially agreed to the 20% offer 24 hours before the BCCI deadline, but under terms and conditions unacceptable to Rendezvous. The next day both the groups submitted individual replies through their lawyers. 

According to the BCCI source, the conflict is serious. "There are four people [investors] who had been brought together by one person [Gaikwad]. When the investors signed the original document they did not know what they were signing into". The main deal-breaker in the dispute is that Gaikwad wants to retain his control over the cricket which, the BCCI official said, "the investors are completely against. They want him to leave the consortium and hence the deadlock." 

The official fears Kochi might eventually run out of steam. "This cannot be solved. While they are saying they are solving the controversy, they are actually doing the opposite."

Should the Kochi franchise be terminated, it will become the third of the ten teams which were expected to participate in IPL4 to be expelled from the league, following the scrapping of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab earlier this month. 

It is here, however that the BCCI are trying to cover their legal tracks by issuing them a 30 day termination notice. The case with the Royals and Kings XI was handled very differently with both teams being asked to explain their ownership patterns in May. Kings XI for example sent in their reply in May and received neither response or show cause from the BCCI until their franchise was terminated in October without any notice. Already the Royals have gone to court and King's XI are expected to follow suit. 

Should Kochi meet with the same fate, the BCCI would have done so in strict adherence with the terms of their contract with the new franchise.

India v Australia Series Final Match Abandoned For Wet Outfield, India Won Three ODI Series 1-0

India won the three-ODI series 1-0 as the final match was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Margao. Heavy rain on the eve of the game clogged the ground and, though the weather was clear on match day, the outfield was not suitable for play.

The first ODI in Kochi was also washed out in similar circumstances. It was an unfortunate result for the locals who had turned up at the stadium. The series was effectively reduced to a solitary game in Visakhapatnam and both teams took a couple of positives.

For India, Virat Kohli scored a century to move ahead of Rohit Sharma in the selection pecking order and R Ashwin impressed with the ball. India, though, struggled in the end overs with Australia looting 84 from the final five overs. For Australia, Michael Clarke made a century after a disappointing performance in the Test series, in which he managed just 35 runs in four innings. Mitchell Starc, the 20-year old left-arm seamer, made a promising debut and the other debutant John Hastings too had a decent outing.

Ireland Captain Trent Johnston Player of the Year

Trent Johnston passed the 200 wickets and 2000 runs landmarks for Ireland this season

Current Ireland captain  Johnston collected the International Player of the Year accolade at the third annual Cricket Writers of Ireland awards on Thursday night.

Johnston beat off competition from Kevin O'Brien, John Mooney and Andrew White at the ceremony at the Civil Service Sports Club in Belfast.

Johnston smashed the Irish record for number of wickets in a season, taking 58 at 20.17. During the season he passed the 200 wickets and 2000 runs landmarks for Ireland, and to date has captained Ireland 60 times. He currently stands joint third in the all-time capped list having played 138 times since his debut in 2004.

18-year-old George Dockrell was the unanimous winner in the Young Player of the Year category. The left arm spinner enjoyed a magnificent season, taking 49 wickets at 22.88 including playing a starring role in the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. Dockrell's excellent season saw him sign a county contract with Somerset.

The Club Player of the Year was the most hotly contested of all the categories, with six different players receiving significant support. In the end, Railway Union all-rounder Kenny Carroll emerged victorious pipping Ryan Haire, Kyle McCallan, Sadat Gull, and the Gillespie brothers.

Carroll scored almost 900 runs in all competitions including three hundreds, and also claimed 30 wickets and nine catches, putting him in the top five in each category in the Leinster Union.

He played a pivotal role as Railway won the Leinster Senior Cup and reached the final of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup, and his prolific form saw him earn a call-up to the Ireland A squad.
Stephen Warke and Ivan Anderson were inducted into the RSA Hall of Fame, joining last year's recipients Alec O'Riordan and Dougie Goodwin.

In a 15 year career as a stylish opening batsman Stephen Warke played 114 times for Ireland, overcoming early setbacks to become Ireland's highest run-scorer with 4,275 runs at an average above 30.

Ivan Anderson won 86 caps in his 19-year career with Ireland. The all-rounder scored 3777 runs at 32.56, including seven centuries. In addition he claimed 48 wickets at 26.60, with a best bowling analysis of 5 for 21.