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So Chennai's winning run continues. And that brings to an end today's game. Before we sign off, let me remind you that tomorrow is a double-header with Mumbai taking on Punjab and Delhi facing off against Rajasthan. Do join us for that. Hope you've enjoyed our coverage. We certainly did. Catch you tomorrow, until then have a great night of whatever is remaining. Alvida!
Ravindra Jadeja: 'Sir math bulayi ye, Jadeja hi bulayi ye (Don't call me sir, call me Jadeja please, when Harsha Bhogle asked him whether he would prefer being called 'sir' or 'Jadeja'). I didn't plan to hit my first ball for a six, just that the situation demanded it. It is nice if the wicket is turning, even I feel I'm more dangerous if I get turn.'
Ravindra Jadeja is the Man of the Match for his terrific spell where he took 4 wickets.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: 'I think it is the demand of the game, we have to keep improvising. It is a constant process, the bowlers have their own plans and one has to formulate a plan to make runs. I'm glad I'm getting runs with that shot (referring to his powerful bottom-handed strokes). When it spins, Raina is useful, if it is a seaming wicket, we can bowl Dwayne Smith. Overall the squad looks balanced. No injuries too, only Ashish Nehra who is unfit. Hopefully he becomes fit soon.'
Gambhir: 'We are a talented side, but we haven't clicked. There have been times when the bowling has clicked, some times the batting has. But in a tournament, we need the side to perform as a unit. Maybe a rush of blood (talking about his run-out), can't say much more than that. Robin (Uthappa) looks settled at the top of the order and one positive of today was to see Yusuf striking the ball well. Those were the two positives and Sunil always does well. We won 7 in a row in 2012, hopefully we can replicate that.'
So Chennai win their fifth game in a row. They have been dominant in the field in the 2nd innings. Once Gambhir gifted his wicket away, the procession of wickets started. Jadeja took two in two off his first two deliveries and from then on it was just a matter of time before the inevitable happened. Uthappa and at the end Yusuf tried to produce a miracle, but it was never going to happen. In the end, Chennai run out comfortable winners.16.6
Mohit Sharma to Narine, 1 run, no hat-trick. But Chennai win. The hat-trick delivery has been dabbed down to third man. A comprehensive win that for Chennai.
Sunil Narine, left handed bat, comes to the crease16.5
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, out Lbw!! Plumb! Full, fast and straight on the stumps, with a bit of tail, Pathan swings and misses, the ball strikes him right in front of all three. Hit the back leg so no doubts about that. Though Pathan wore a surprised look on his face after he saw the finger go up. On a hat-trick now. Y Pathan lbw b Mohit Sharma 41(29) [4s-1 6s-4]
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!
Vinay Kumar, right handed bat, comes to the crease16.4
Mohit Sharma to Chawla, out Caught by du Plessis!! Off the toe-end and a simple catch at long-off. The slower delivery brings about a wicket again. Chawla looked to go big and couldn't get the elevation. Chawla c du Plessis b Mohit Sharma 1(2)
Mohit Sharma to Chawla, THATS OUT!! Caught!!16.3
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, 1 run, a mistimed pull lands in no-man's land near mid-wicket16.2
Mohit Sharma to Chawla, 1 run, from round the wicket comes Mohit Sharma, Chawla tries to dab, and the ball stays close to the pitch, Sharma tries to run Pathan out, but the batsman is in despite a direct hit16.1
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, 1 run, yorker length delivery on off, toe-ended to long-on. Pathan wanted two, but Chawla isn't interested15.6
Hilfenhaus to Y Pathan, 1 run, full and on the stumps, Pathan swings hard and finds long-on. Only a single and that leaves 39 to get off the final over15.5
Hilfenhaus to Y Pathan, SIX, tonked! Picks the length ball outside off and slams it way over long-on. That's the third six of the over. But it is all a bit too late for Kolkata15.4
Hilfenhaus to Y Pathan, no run, Pathan has left that thinking it is wide, but it is just inside the guideline. Two dots in a row15.3
Hilfenhaus to Y Pathan, no run, Hilfenhaus goes back to bowling short and wide outside off, Pathan pulls and misses15.2
Hilfenhaus to Y Pathan, SIX, make that 2 in 2. Low full toss and Pathan has hit a six with one hand. Just the left-hand did the trick and he sent the ball over deep mid-wicket. So much timing on that and that took it over the fence15.1
Hilfenhaus to Y Pathan, SIX, fine shot. Full and on the stumps, minimum backlift and the bottom hand does the rest. Shovelled over wide long-on. Is there still life in this game?
Ben Hilfenhaus [2.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack
Piyush Chawla, left handed bat, comes to the crease14.6
Mohit Sharma to A Russell, out Bowled!! The slower ball has got Mohit Sharma a wicket. The back of the hand delivery, Russell swings too early and misses, the middle stump is pegged back. A Russell b Mohit Sharma 1(5)
Mohit Sharma to A Russell, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!14.5
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, 1 run, yorker length delivery on off, Y Pathan digs it out to deep square leg14.4
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, no run, these slower balls are fooling Pathan completely. Another one outside off, Pathan swings and misses14.3
Mohit Sharma to A Russell, 1 run, full toss and on the stumps, Russell can only swing it to long-on without any timing14.2
Mohit Sharma to A Russell, no run, completely deceives Russell with his back of the hand slower delivery. The Jamaican is early into the slog and misses. The ball bounces over the stumps14.1
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, 1 run, back of the hand slower delivery, Pathan is way early into the slog to leg, inside-edges it to deep mid-wicket
Mohit Sharma [1.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack13.6
Ravindra Jadeja to A Russell, no run, end of a magnificent spell of bowling from Ravindra Jadeja. Russell can only defend the final delivery. 4-0-12-4 are the analysis of Jadeja today.13.5
Ravindra Jadeja to A Russell, no run, flat and on off, Russell has no option but to defend it back to Ravindra Jadeja
Andre Russell, right handed bat, comes to the crease
Time for the final timeout of the game. More 'strategising' to do now.13.4
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, out Caught by Dhoni!! Uthappa has walked off. Good to see as Anil Chaudhary seemed to be confused. The reverse sweep proves to be Uthappa's downfall. Went down to play the shot, it lobbed off his glove and Dhoni took it running to his right. Loud appeal from both the bowler and the keeper, Anil with a smile on his face signalled that Uthappa had walked off. Uthappa c Dhoni b Ravindra Jadeja 47(38) [4s-5 6s-1]
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, THATS OUT!! Caught!!13.3
Ravindra Jadeja to Y Pathan, 1 run, gets forward and drives to long-on13.2
Ravindra Jadeja to Y Pathan, 2 runs, terrific diving half-stop from Baz at long-on. Pulled to his right at long-on and his effort saves two runs for his side13.1
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, 1 run, flat and skidding on, Uthappa rocks back, but mistimes the pull down to long-on12.6
Ashwin to Y Pathan, FOUR, bad ball, way down leg, the carrom ball and Pathan has got a boundary - sweeping past the short fine inside the ring12.5
Ashwin to Y Pathan, SIX, finally Pathan has put away one. Rank bad ball - way too short and Pathan muscled the pull over deep mid-wicket. Rocked back and smashed12.4
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, and another horrid swipe, tries to go too early with the slog sweep and misses an outside off delivery12.3
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, punched to short mid-wicket, Pathan is in dreadful nick, and this is hurting Kolkata12.2
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, flat and down leg, Pathan missed the sweep, was going down anyway12.1
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, flat and on off, Y Pathan defends off the back foot. What is he doing? I for one don't seem to understand11.6
Ravindra Jadeja to Y Pathan, 1 run, tries to go big on the leg-side, inside edges it to deep backward square leg11.5
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, 1 run, pre-meditates the reverse sweep, takes it on the full and toe-ends it extra cover11.4
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, no run, leans forward and defends it back to Ravindra Jadeja11.3
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, 2 runs, reverse sweeps over the slip fielder, a bit of glove on that shot. A couple of runs11.2
Ravindra Jadeja to Y Pathan, 1 run, punched in the air and just past the right-hand of Baz who was flying away to catch that11.1
Ravindra Jadeja to Y Pathan, no run, comprehensively beaten! Turned away from Y Pathan who poked and missed. Bowled a lot slower10.6
Ashwin to Y Pathan, 1 run, gently turns the leg-stump delivery to backward square leg, retains the strike10.5
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, pushed across Y Pathan who reaches out to slash and misses. That should've been put away10.4
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, no room to play the big shot, defended to the left of the bowler10.3
Ashwin to Uthappa, 1 run, short on the stumps, pulled to deep mid-wicket, only a single10.2
Ashwin to Y Pathan, 1 run, fraction short on off, chopped away to deep point10.1
Ashwin to Y Pathan, no run, tucked straight to the fielder at short mid-wicket9.6
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, no run, fired in flat and full, down leg, Uthappa is caught on the walk and misses the flick, would've gone down leg9.5
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, no run, gets forward and defends back down the pitch9.4
Ravindra Jadeja to Y Pathan, 1 run, flicked to deep mid-wicket, and is off the mark
Yusuf Pathan, right handed bat, comes to the crease9.3
Ravindra Jadeja to Suryakumar Yadav, out Lbw!! Did Suryakumar Yadav get outside the line of off? Anil Chaudhary though thinks otherwise and has the finger up in a similar fashion to Daryl Harper - the former Australian umpire. Flat and on off, Yadav tried to slog sweep and missed, the pertinent question is whether he got outside the line, need a replay to confirm. Anyway he is gone now and Ravindra Jadeja celebrates. Suryakumar Yadav lbw b Ravindra Jadeja 8(13)
Ravindra Jadeja to Suryakumar Yadav, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!9.2
Ravindra Jadeja to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, tries to slog and misses, the ball was outside off and Yadav played the shot too early9.1
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, 1 run, punched to deep extra cover, Mohit Sharma came charging in and prevented the 2nd, though his throw was wide, his alertness prevented the extra run
Ravindra Jadeja [1.0-0-1-2] is back into the attack8.6
Ashwin to Uthappa, 1 run, pre-meditates the reverse sweep, gets it off the toe end of the bat and the ball dribbles to cover8.5
Ashwin to Suryakumar Yadav, 1 run, makes room and flat-bats it without any timing to long-off8.4
Ashwin to Uthappa, 1 run, fraction short on the stumps, Uthappa is down on one knee and pulls to deep square leg8.3
Ashwin to Suryakumar Yadav, 1 run, fired in full and on the stumps, flicked to deep mid-wicket8.2
Ashwin to Uthappa, 1 run, paddle swept to short fine, should've put it past that man inside the ring8.1
Ashwin to Uthappa, no run, good bowling. Saw Uthappa advancing, dragged it down, Uthappa had to adjust and defends
Ravichandran Ashwin [1.0-0-3-1] is back into the attack
Time for the penultimate timeout of the game...7.6
I Pandey to Uthappa, 1 run, now flicks to deep mid-wicket, and retains the strike with that run7.5
I Pandey to Uthappa, FOUR, cracking shot. Short outside off, Uthappa plays the cut beautifully, delayed the shot so well and found the gap. Beating third man easily. That shot deserved a four7.4
I Pandey to Suryakumar Yadav, 1 run, gets forward and punches it down to long-on7.3
I Pandey to Suryakumar Yadav, leg byes, 2 runs, gets outside off, tries to swing to leg, misses, another great effort from a Chennai player in the field, this time it is Manhas with a full length dive. Baz applauds that effort7.2
I Pandey to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, pitched up outside off, driven straight to the fielder at cover7.1
I Pandey to Suryakumar Yadav, 2 runs, shuffles across to off and flicks to deep mid-wicket, Dwayne Smith runs around and decides to boot it back into play. Two it is
Ishwar Pandey [1.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack6.6
Raina to Uthappa, 2 runs, comes down the track and flicks it to deep mid-wicket, placed in the gap and a couple of runs6.5
Raina to Suryakumar Yadav, 3 runs, cheeky! Dabs it late and gets it between Dhoni's legs, Jaddu gave a spirited chase and pulled it back. Saved a run6.4
Raina to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, gets forward and flicks to short mid-wicket6.3
Raina to Uthappa, 1 run, a bad slog, but Uthappa is lucky that the inside edge runs down to short fine6.2
Raina to Uthappa, FOUR, fine shot that. Reverse sweeps it past a diving short third. Quick thinking and even quicker execution6.1
Raina to Uthappa, no run, turning in, Uthappa arches back and steers straight to the fielder at short third
Suresh Raina, right-arm off break, comes into the attack5.6
Ravindra Jadeja to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, Ravindra Jadeja is keeping it stump to stump, Suryakumar Yadav goes on the back foot and defends5.5
Ravindra Jadeja to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, flat and on middle, Suryakumar Yadav gets forward and defends it back to Ravindra Jadeja5.4
Ravindra Jadeja to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, way too early into the shot and almost a 3rd wicket for Ravindra Jadeja in the over, the ball spins away a long way and goes under the bat. Suryakumar Yadav looked very ugly while playing that shot5.3
Ravindra Jadeja to Uthappa, 1 run, comes on the front foot, waits for the ball to spin away and guides it to the left of backward point
Suryakumar Yadav, right handed bat, comes to the crease
Jadeja on a hat-trick!5.2
Ravindra Jadeja to Shakib, out Caught by Mohit Sharma!! Shakib stay away from the skipper! Surely, please stay away! That's a dreadful shot first ball! Jadeja celebrates and why wouldn't he! Nothing but a flighted delivery on the stumps, Shakib advances and looks to slog it high over the fence, looked for a shot in anger that, he didn't middle it and deep mid-wicket did extremely well to run forward, put in the dive and take a fine catch. Shakib c Mohit Sharma b Ravindra Jadeja 0(1)
Ravindra Jadeja to Shakib, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
Shakib Al Hasan, left handed bat, comes to the crease5.1
Ravindra Jadeja to M Pandey, out Caught by Brendon McCullum!! Give me the ball and I'll get them says Jaddu and Chennai are right on top! First ball, knowing the pitch is not that easy to bat on, Jadeja hits the pitch with a shortish delivery, Pandey was early into the shot as the ball stopped a bit, it took almost the splice of the bat and in the end, a simple catch to Baz at cover! M Pandey c Brendon McCullum b Ravindra Jadeja 1(2)
Ravindra Jadeja to M Pandey, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
Ravindra Jadeja, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack4.6
Ashwin to M Pandey, 1 run, on the leg stump, Pandey gently flicks it to square leg4.5
Ashwin to Uthappa, 1 run, almost two in two for Ash! Flighted delivery on the stumps, Uthappa smashes it flat, Raina dives forward at deep mid-wicket but it just drops short of him
Manish Pandey, right handed bat, comes to the crease4.4
Ashwin to Kallis, out Caught by Manhas!! Another first-over wicket for Ashwin in this edition and if I am not wrong, it's the fourth time he's done it! Tell you what, wasn't the best of deliveries but Dhoni wouldn't mind. Flighted delivery way outside leg stump, Kallis looked to slog-sweep it powerfully, but he got a top-edge that went straight to deep backward square leg. Kallis c Manhas b Ashwin 4(6) [4s-1]
Ashwin to Kallis, THATS OUT!! Caught!!4.3
Ashwin to Kallis, no run, 'yours,' says Dhoni and Kallis drives a flighted delivery back towards the bowler, Ashwin collects it to his right in his follow-through4.2
Ashwin to Kallis, no run, the slider outside off stump, Kallis looks to drive as he opens the face of the bat slightly but it beats the outside-edge4.1
Ashwin to Uthappa, 1 run, round the wicket, full toss on the leg stump, Uthappa kind enough to drive it down to long-on
Ravichandran Ashwin, right-arm off break, comes into the attack3.6
Mohit Sharma to Kallis, FOUR, makes room and smokes it between mid-off and extra-cover. Mohit drags his length back as he saw Kallis give the charge, he offered width too and Kallis smashes it to make it 15 off the over3.5
Mohit Sharma to Kallis, no run, just outside off stump, Kallis happily guides it to point off the back foot3.4
Mohit Sharma to Uthappa, 1 run, gets across the sticks slightly and works the good length delivery to deep mid-wicket3.3
Mohit Sharma to Uthappa, SIX, this bloke can pull you wonderfully well off the back foot! Stunning hit and what's more, he holds a fine shape while smashing it! Short and just outside off stump, Uthappa muscles it over long-on3.2
Mohit Sharma to Uthappa, FOUR, advances down the track, forces him to change his length, Mohit drops this a touch wider, Uthappa drives and splits point and cover-point to perfection3.1
Mohit Sharma to Uthappa, no run, yes-no but all is well in the end as the call was made early by Kallis. Uthappa inside-edges the pull to short fine leg, looks for a single but his partner sensibly sent him back
Mohit Sharma, right-arm medium, comes into the attack2.6
Hilfenhaus to Kallis, no run, gentle back of a length delivery outside off stump, chopped off the back foot to point2.5
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, 1 run, short of length delivery from Hilfenhaus, Uthappa flicks it easily to mid-wicket2.4
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, no run, fine piece of fielding from Smith at mid-on, saved a certain boundary by diving to his left. Cracking pull off the back foot from Uthappa, but it doesn't get him a run2.3
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, 2 runs, short of length delivery on the off stump, Uthappa pulls it to deep square leg
Jacques Kallis, right handed bat, comes to the crease2.2
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, out Gambhir Run Out!! Gambhir has wasted his wicket! No way you can blame Uthappa for that and Kolkata lose one early! Firstly, Uthappa was very lucky that the inside-edge didn't go back onto the stumps, he swivelled while pulling the short of length delivery and that meant he was showing his back to his partner, Gambhir shockingly raced to the striker's end before Uthappa stood his ground, Dhoni gently throws the ball to Hilfenhaus, who under-arms the ball onto the stumps. Gambhir run out (Dhoni/Hilfenhaus) 6(6) [4s-1]
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!2.1
Hilfenhaus to Gambhir, 1 run, another delivery that is bowled close to Gambhir's leg stick, he's uncomfortable again, gets an inside-edge onto pad and Uthappa sneaks through for a run1.6
I Pandey to Uthappa, no run, short of length on the stumps, Uthappa defends off the back foot1.5
I Pandey to Uthappa, FOUR, oh just a gentle flick off the front foot and that was good enough to beat the man at mid-on. Gee! Didn't try to over-hit the short of length delivery, just placed it beautifully and he got full value for the shot1.4
I Pandey to Uthappa, FOUR, now that is a creamy front foot cover-drive. The shape while playing the shot was so good! Elegant! Full delivery outside off stump, Uthappa places it past the man at cover and picks up his first boundary1.3
I Pandey to Gambhir, leg byes, 1 run, with a leg-slip in place, Pandey shapes on into Gambhir from a length and finishes it on the leg stump. Gambhir gets into an awkward position while flicking, misses, the ball hits the pad and rolls behind but just escapes the stumps1.2
I Pandey to Gambhir, FOUR, oh delightful from Gambhir. When this man is free flowing, he's such a treat to watch! Short and width offered outside off stump, thank you very much says GG and cuts it easily over the backward point fielder and it races away1.1
I Pandey to Gambhir, no run, cramps Gambhir for room with a short of length delivery just outside off stump, he goes for the pull but chops it just behind square on the on-side
Ishwar Pandey, right-arm medium, comes into the attack0.6
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Uthappa respects it with a back foot defence0.5
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, no run, play that Robbie says Hilfenhaus with a peach! Starts off around the off stump, shapes away nicely, opens up Uthappa and the short of length delivery zooms past the outside edge0.5
Hilfenhaus to Gambhir, no ball, 1 run, that ball slipped out of Hilfenhaus' hands I guess, the umpire signals no-ball for height. It went well over waist height, Gambhir cut it in the air, the man at backward point put in a full length dive and took some pace off the ball0.4
Hilfenhaus to Gambhir, no run, Gambhir hops a touch and defends the incoming short of length delivery on the leg stump into the off-side0.3
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, 1 run, gets slightly forward and pushes the length delivery to mid-on0.2
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, no run, this time just waits for the ball to swing away and defends off the back foot0.1
Hilfenhaus to Uthappa, no run, outswing straightaway from Hilfenhaus, length delivery that doesn't rise much, Uthappa looks to push from the crease but the ball keeps a touch low and sneaks underneath the bat
Uthappa and Gambhir are at the crease. Uthappa is on strike. Hilfenhaus will open the attack
Welcome back for Kolkata's run chase...
Chennai's total of 148 is a good score on a wicket, that is helping the spinners a fair bit. Gambhir did the right thing by starting off with spin and he got the dangerous looking Dwayne Smith. But things started to change once McCullum got going and they kept bowling short to him, to which he latched on to make a fine fifty. Raina, Dhoni and Jadeja chipped in with quickfire cameos to take their side to a good total. Mind you, the wicket is aiding the spinners a lot and it will take a good effort from Kolkata if they are to chase this down. Do join us soon for the reply...16.6
A Russell to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run, flicked to square leg, only a single and the Chennai batsmen run off the field. Chennai end on 14816.5
A Russell to Ravindra Jadeja, FOUR, Ravindra Jadeja is waiting for the slower delivery and this time he nails it back over the umpire's head. Straight down the ground and that will inevitably be a boundary. Clean hit16.4
A Russell to Ravindra Jadeja, 2 runs, a mistimed pull down to deep mid-wicket, they decide to take the 2nd and come back easily16.3
A Russell to Dhoni, leg byes, 1 run, tries to be too cute and wants to flick a slower delivery, misses, but he has got well outside off and they take a leg bye16.2
A Russell to Dhoni, SIX, flat flat hit. That has gone over long-off. Russell missed his length, full and wide outside off, Dhoni smashed it over long-off. That is a very flat hit16.1
A Russell to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run, back of a length outside off, Ravindra Jadeja mistimes the flat-batted shot to long-off. Strike back with Dhoni now15.6
Narine to Ravindra Jadeja, leg byes, 1 run, nothing off the free-hit, Ravindra Jadeja swings to leg and misses, they take a leg bye15.6
Narine to Ravindra Jadeja, no ball, Has Narine overstepped here? Looks like it. Ravindra Jadeja might come back. The replays prove that Narine has indeed gone over. This is what happened: Pitches on middle and spins back in slightly to rap Jadeja on the pad, in front of the stumps, the batsman missed the flick to leg and that would've gone on to hit the stumps. Good call from the ump, but he didn't spot the no-ball, but they referred it upstairs and eventually made the right decision. Free-hit coming up as well15.5
Narine to Dhoni, 1 run, Dhoni tucks the leg-stump delivery to short fine leg, safety first from Dhoni15.4
Narine to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run, if Surya had hit direct from cover, Ravindra Jadeja was gone, drove it straight to the fielder and set off, luckily for him the throw missed15.3
Narine to Ravindra Jadeja, 2 runs, isn't to the pitch and ends up awkwardly lofting it in front of long-off, but since there was no timing, they take a couple of runs15.2
Narine to Ravindra Jadeja, no run, pitched outside leg? Yes it did. Pitched outside and raps Ravindra Jadeja on the pad as he missed the tuck to leg. Narine and Uthappa appealed, but nothing doing says the ump15.1
Narine to Dhoni, 1 run, knocks it to deep square leg and gives the strike back to Ravindra Jadeja14.6
A Russell to Ravindra Jadeja, SIX, what a way to get off the mark. The Chennai dug-out are up on their feet after that shot from Ravindra Jadeja. He just heaves the full delivery tailing back in, way over the deep mid-wicket fence. Fine execution and the followthrough was brilliant to see as well14.5
A Russell to Dhoni, 1 run, picks the slower short delivery and pulls to deep mid-wicket, only a single as the fielder is placed for that shot14.4
A Russell to Dhoni, no run, short and wide, pace behind that delivery, Dhoni tries to upper cut and misses
Ravindra Jadeja, left handed bat, comes to the crease14.3
A Russell to Brendon McCullum, out Caught by Y Pathan!! Brendon McCullum has picked out Yusuf to perfection. Came down the track, reached out to the full and wide delivery, sliced it straight to the fielder at sweeper cover. Brendon McCullum c Y Pathan b A Russell 56(40) [4s-5 6s-2]
A Russell to Brendon McCullum, THATS OUT!! Caught!!14.2
A Russell to Dhoni, leg byes, 1 run, is early into the swipe into the leg-side, misses and is hit on the pad, but would've gone over the stumps. They take a leg bye14.1
A Russell to Dhoni, FOUR, hammered! Absolutely blasted down the ground. No backlift at all, just came down on the full ball and drilled it past Russell. Long-off didn't move a muscle. The crowd are awestruck by the sheer power behind that shot
Andre Russell, right-arm fast, comes into the attack13.6
Narine to Dhoni, 1 run, goes on the back foot and pushes it past cover13.5
Narine to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, picks the off-break and sweeps it powerfully to deep square leg13.4
Narine to Dhoni, 1 run, prods forward and in his own inimitable style defends wide of cover13.3
Narine to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, opens the face of the bat and taps it in front of point13.2
Narine to Dhoni, 1 run, short outside off now, Dhoni punches to sweeper cover13.1
Narine to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, rocks back and pulls the short delivery to deep mid-wicket
Sunil Narine [2.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack12.6
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, another one of those mistimed shots, and Vinay has finished this over well. Short delivery and it cramps McCullum for room as he looked to go big over mid-wicket
Both third man and fine leg are up now12.5
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, no run, well bowled. Completely fooled Brendon McCullum with a slower delivery, ran his fingers across the ball, McCullum was way early into the slog and the ball just went over off and middle12.4
Vinay to Dhoni, 1 run, low full toss outside off, driven to long-off12.3
Vinay to Dhoni, 2 runs, 'two two' was the call as Dhoni forehanded a short ball wide of long-off, easy two in the end12.2
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, softly gets it wide of point and gives the strike back to Dhoni12.1
Vinay to Dhoni, 1 run, pre-meditates a big shot and the ball runs off the inside edge to deep mid-wicket
Vinay Kumar [2.0-0-20-0] is back into the attack
Time for another of those great inventions - the strategic timeout. Wonder what 'strategy' do they discuss in those breaks. I for one would be very interested in knowing..11.6
Kallis to Dhoni, 1 run, Kallis is lucky that this delivery hasn't gone past short fine. Dhoni played a half-swat/half-pull and found the man inside the ring11.5
Kallis to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, knocks it wide of point and calmly takes the single11.4
Kallis to Brendon McCullum, SIX, Brendon McCullum has reached his 50 with a superb pull shot. Rocked back and hit it way over deep square leg. 8th fifty for him overall and 3rd in Chennai colors. A fine knock too11.3
Kallis to Brendon McCullum, no run, 'wait on, wait on' says Brendon McCullum to Dhoni after driving one to mid-off11.2
Kallis to Dhoni, 1 run, short outside off, kept a bit low as well, Dhoni chops it down to sweeper cover
Huge cheers as Dhoni is on strike now11.1
Kallis to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, full and on off, Brendon McCullum defends wide of point and takes the single on offer
Jacques Kallis, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack10.6
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, free-flowing drive from Brendon McCullum as he finds long-off10.5
Shakib to Dhoni, 1 leg byes, turned softly wide of short mid-wicket and a quick single taken, to get off the mark. Hang on, the umpire has given it as leg byes. That is a strange, strange call
MS Dhoni, right handed bat, comes to the crease10.4
Shakib to Raina, out Caught by Suryakumar Yadav!! Shakib gets his 2nd and Raina is gone. Raina came down the track and took it on the full, but could only hit it straight down the throat of Surya at long-on. Enter Mahendra Singh Dhoni? Raina c Suryakumar Yadav b Shakib 31(25) [4s-4 6s-1]
Shakib to Raina, THATS OUT!! Caught!!10.3
Shakib to Raina, FOUR, fabulous shot. Skips down and is to the pitch and just a lovely creaming drive, all along the carpet, wide of cover and the ball just purred away. Silky stuff from Raina10.2
Shakib to Raina, no run, tries to mow Shakib over the leg-side, but the length was too full for the shot, the ball goes under the bat and Uthappa can't collect cleanly, but it ricochets off his pad10.1
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, gets forward and drives to long-on
Shakib Al Hasan [3.0-0-19-1] is back into the attack9.6
Chawla to Raina, no run, down the track, not to the pitch, so has to defend9.5
Chawla to Raina, FOUR, too short from Chawla and Raina is onto that as well. Rocks back and plays a half-pull over mid-wicket, deep mid-wicket running around can't cut it off9.4
Chawla to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, hammered to long-off. All along the carpet9.3
Chawla to Raina, 1 run, gets forward and drives to long-on9.2
Chawla to Raina, SIX, Raina has nailed that. Down the track and onto the length in a jiffy, a beautiful lofted drive over long-off and the white ball soars into the night sky. Raina liked it as well as he kept following the ball9.1
Chawla to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, in the air, but in the gap, shotish and stops on Brendon McCullum who cuts it to sweeper cover8.6
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, short and outside off, cut away to sweeper cover8.5
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, no run, that's the length to bowl to Brendon McCullum and Vinay tucks the batsman up, defended to point8.4
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, FOUR, bad bowling and I keep saying the same thing over and over again. It's Vinay who has to be blamed. Another short delivery - the fourth consecutive one in the over - and Brendon McCullum is early into the pull, the ball brushes the underside of the glove and beats fine leg running across8.3
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, FOUR, Has it gone all the way? Umpire Llong has signalled a boundary. The third umpire is having a look. Llong is right. It just landed inside the ropes. Again Vinay bowls short, again Brendon McCullum pulls, this time with much more timing and it almost goes all the way8.2
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, 2 runs, Vinay keeps bowling short to Brendon McCullum and McCullum keeps pulling him, but still a couple of runs8.1
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, 2 runs, not so well-timed, but gets the pull over mid-wicket for a couple of runs
Chawla to Raina, no run, gets forward and defends it solidly7.5
Chawla to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, shortish outside off, cut away to sweeper cover7.4
Chawla to Brendon McCullum, no run, superbly bowled. That's what Chawla has to aim at. A lot slower and gets the turn away, Brendon McCullum prods and misses. So close to getting the outside edge7.3
Chawla to Brendon McCullum, FOUR, he is latching onto the short stuff. Gets into a great position and pulls it hard, bisecting the two men in the deep on the leg-side fence7.2
Chawla to Raina, 1 run, flicks it airily, but no danger of getting caught, the ball goes to long-on7.1
Chawla to Raina, 2 runs, good placement and great running to go with it. Pushed in front of long-off and both are very quick to convert 1 into 26.6
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, SIX, looks like Brendon McCullum was waiting for the short delivery this time. Not as pacy nor did it have as much height as the one bowled earlier in the over, was around waist height and McCullum has smashed the pull way back into the stands at deep square leg6.5
Vinay to Raina, 1 run, drifting onto the pads, flicked to deep mid-wicket6.4
Vinay to Raina, no run, short of length on off, Raina defends with an angled bat to point6.3
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, leg byes, 1 run, drifting down leg and Brendon McCullum's doesn't get any bat on that6.2
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, no run, good short delivery, just about the right height not to be called a wide. Brendon McCullum tries to hook and misses. That carried through nicely to the keeper6.1
Vinay to Brendon McCullum, no run, fraction short outside off, Brendon McCullum has cut that straight to the fielder at point. Should've been put away
Vinay Kumar, right-arm medium, comes into the attack5.6
Chawla to Raina, no run, that deserved to be put away, but Raina has punched the short delivery straight to the fielder at cover5.5
Chawla to Raina, no run, good ball. Spun back in viciously, almost went through Raina's defences, but Raina brought his bat down in time5.4
Chawla to Raina, 2 runs, similar shot to the last ball, but this time it will only be a couple5.3
Chawla to Raina, FOUR, Has Yusuf done a good job in saving the boundary? No he hasn't. It was punched to his right, Yusuf running around from the sweeper cover boundary, picked the ball up, but as he was sliding, while getting up, his boot was in contact with the ad hoardings - so that will be a boundary. He doesn't like the call and is seen shaking his head5.2
Chawla to Raina, no run, punched back to the bowler5.1
Chawla to Raina, FOUR, magnificent shot. Comes down on it late and back-cuts it between short third and point. Superbly played
Piyush Chawla, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack4.6
Shakib to Raina, 1 run, comes down the track and smashes it hard down to long-on4.5
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, fraction short outside off, Brendon McCullum rocks back and flat-bats it to long-off4.4
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, no run, good bowling. Drags the length back, Brendon McCullum advances and mistimes the big hit back to Shakib4.3
Shakib to Raina, 1 run, takes a step out and flicks the low full toss to deep mid-wicket4.2
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, flicked through mid-wicket4.1
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, no run, fired in full and on the stumps, Brendon McCullum jams the bat and pad together as he defends it back to Shakib3.6
Narine to Raina, no run, Raina would feel that he has missed out there. Sweeps a low full toss straight to Gambhir at square leg. Either side of him and it would've been a boundary3.5
Narine to Raina, no run, that spun a mile. Huge turn for Narine, Raina's bat was miles away from the ball and there was no chance of an edge as well, due to the amount of spin away. Ripper from Narine3.4
Narine to Brendon McCullum, 1 run, turned off the pads into the mid-wicket region3.3
Narine to Brendon McCullum, 2 runs, what has happened there? Sharp off-break from Narine, Brendon McCullum is late in his defence, the ball spun back in sharply and took the inside edge, a direct hit but McCullum was well in. They take an extra run off the ricochet3.2
Narine to Brendon McCullum, FOUR, what did I say? That Brendon McCullum isn't picking Narine. Onto this off-break in flash and he rocks back to pull it over square leg, hit fiercely and it was always a boundary3.1
Narine to Brendon McCullum, 2 runs, Brendon McCullum isn't picking Narine at all. The knuckle ball again, it goes away and McCullum is pushing out at it, the outside edge rolls wide of a diving point for a couple of runs2.6
Shakib to Raina, no run, takes a step out and realises he isn't to the pitch, softly defends to mid-off2.5
Shakib to Raina, no run, defended back to the bowler2.4
Shakib to Raina, no run, that stopped on Raina a bit. Luckily Raina defends softly and though the ball was in the air, it fell short of short mid-wicket
Suresh Raina, left handed bat, comes to the crease2.3
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, out Lbw!! Shakib has his man now. Dwayne Smith will live by the sword and today he dies by it. You can use the same phrase for his sweep shot as well. His get-out-of-jail shot is the sweep and this time he misses his favorite shot. The ball hit him in front of off, on the back leg and that's plumb. Easy decision for Llong. Dwayne Smith lbw b Shakib 16(11) [4s-2 6s-1]
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!2.2
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, SIX, that is a sensational shot. Though Dwayne Smith wasn't to the pitch of it, he went through with the lofted drive. A check-drive in fact and the ball sails over long-off2.1
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, no run, a bit of an inside edge as Dwayne Smith's bat is a bit late in coming down, luckily the ball rolls to square leg
What has happened here? Uthappa is appealing for a stumping, but hang on, Nigel Llong has called it a dead ball. Why? Because as Shakib was delivering the ball, the towel behind his back fell down. Shakib is having a word with the umpire about it, but Llong is firm in his call. The right call as well. Coming back to the stumping appeal, looked like Smith's foot was outside the crease. If only it was a legal ball. Will Smith make Kolkata pay for this?1.6
Narine to Brendon McCullum, no run, an outside edge but it softly rolls to backward point, Brendon McCullum hasn't picked Narine in the two deliveries that he has faced1.5
Narine to Brendon McCullum, no run, drifts away a little bit and Brendon McCullum pushes it to cover off the back foot. Played it a bit tentatively1.4
Narine to Dwayne Smith, 1 run, pushed off the back foot to long-on1.3
Narine to Dwayne Smith, no run, another of those straight-on deliveries, Dwayne Smith punches it back to Narine1.2
Narine to Dwayne Smith, no run, this one stops on Dwayne Smith a bit, he sees it carefully and defends it back to Narine1.1
Narine to Dwayne Smith, FOUR, what a shot that is! First ball from Narine and Dwayne Smith has employed the reverse sweep. A bit of pre-meditation in that and he beats short third to his left. Superbly played
Sunil Narine, right-arm off break, comes into the attack0.6
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, no run, gets forward and defends it back to the bowler to end an eventful over0.5
Shakib to Brendon McCullum, FOUR, poor delivery to Brendon McCullum first up. Down leg and that was begging to be put away, a gentle glance off the pads and he beats short fine easily. He was inside the ring and McCullum made full use of it0.4
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, 1 run, gets forward and bunts it to long-on, takes the single on offer0.3
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, FOUR, this time he connects beautifully. Went down on his knees and nailed the sweep over square leg's head. He gets off the mark with a boundary0.2
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, no run, sliding down leg as Dwayne Smith attempts the sweep and missed. It was flat and was there for the sweep, but the batsman missed0.1
Shakib to Dwayne Smith, no run, a hint of a leading edge on that as Dwayne Smith tentatively defends it back to Shakib. It didn't carry though
Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum are at the crease. Dwayne Smith is on strike. Shakib will open the attack
The players are out in the middle and we are all set to go. Shakib to start off. Dwayne Smith will be facing him. Here we go
The revised playing conditions for this 17-over a side game are the powerplay will be for 5 overs and 2 bowlers can bowl a maximum of 4 overs each and 3 bowlers get 3 each. So there you go. All set for the game to begin and we are expecting a cracker of a game. Don't go too far. The first ball will be up in just a while.
Our ex-employee, Shashank Kishore with this tweet, and he has some good news: 'Play to start at 9:40pm. 17 overs a side.' We will have all the updates about the umpires inspection in just a bit. Do stay tuned.
That man, Innocent Bystander again with this tweet: 'Umpires are out for their inspection.' So we should expect an announcement one way or the other soon. Fingers crossed again.
Innocent Bystander tweets: 'Inspection in 25 minutes.' So there you go.
Looks like the rain has stopped and as I type this, the umpires are seen walking onto the ground to have an inspection. Still the covers are on. One more thing that one has to keep in mind is that, we will have a full game as long as the game starts before 9:10pm local time. The overs will start getting deducted once the time ticks past 9:10pm. We will soon have an update about the umpires inspection. Do stay tuned..
Still no news of a restart. The rain keeps falling. As soon as we have any news we will keep you posted. Do stay tuned, it's a patience game folks, so nothing but to hope and pray that the rain stops. A reminder that for a minimum 5-over game, the game has to start latest by 11:10pm local time. So still a lot of time left in this folks.
The chief curator of JSCA, has just mentioned that the rain that is currently falling is unexpected. He says that according to the date from the met department, the rain will last for just 10 more minutes. He is confident of the match starting in 20 minutes time and ensures that they (the groundstaff) will do their level best to make sure that there will be a game. Meanwhile, the umpires are patiently waiting for the rain to stop and get onto the ground.
Some bad news to bring you folks, as the toss was happening, one could see droplets of rain falling. Even Dhoni was surprised at the drizzle, saying it never rains at Ranchi at this time of the year. But rain was predicted to arrive today and it duly has. Let's hope it stays away and we get to witness a full game. Fingers crossed at the moment and as I type this, the main pitch and the adjoining areas have been covered. We could have a delayed start here. Stay tuned though..
Gambhir: 'It can't be a better feeling than that (on becoming a father). I have played a lot of international cricket, but there is no better feeling than this. That was the best moment of my life till now. Nothing compares to that feeling. We have played good cricket, but luck has not helped us. We haven't been smart enough and calm enough so far, hopefully we will turn it around from today. We have made two changes - Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan come in for Morne Morkel and Manvinder Bisla. This is a long tournament, in a T20 game you are never out, hopefully things can turn around from today onwards.
Dhoni: 'I think the first five games we played in the UAE was fantastic, but nothing beats the feeling of coming back home and I'm playing at home. It is important to concentrate and play the game, rather than thinking about what is happening around you. We are looking to bat first, we are a bit confused, it is not the time of the year when it rains. The squad looks more complete and balanced. The wicket looks good too, but a bit on the flatter side. We are playing an unchanged side from the last game.'
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Gautam Gambhir(c), Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Shakib Al Hasan, Robin Uthappa(w), Yusuf Pathan, Vinay Kumar, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja, Mithun Manhas, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ishwar Pandey
Chennai Super Kings have won the toss and have opted to bat
He may not be doing great with the bat at the moment, but Gautam Gambhir just became the proud father of a baby girl. Hopefully, the little girl brings about a change in his batting fortunes.
0, 0, 0 and 1 were Gambhir's scores in his first four matches of this year's tournament. It could well have been 4 consecutive ducks, if not for Sandeep Sharma's dropped caught and bowled when he was on 0 in the game against Punjab. A grand total of 1 run from 4 games caused a lot of alarms in the Kolkata camp, but Gambhir sort of fought his way back into some form with a 44-ball 45 against Rajasthan - an innings that saw some of the old fluency looking to be coming back. If Kolkata are to do well in this tournament, then it is imperative that Gambhir fires from here on in...
A grand homecoming of sorts is expected for local boy and Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who will be playing in front of his own adoring crowd. Yes, today's game is at Ranchi - now famous for giving the country one of its greatest captains ever. Dhoni hasn't had much of a hit in the tournament so far, so it will be interesting to see whether he pleases the crowd by promoting himself. If we are talking about Dhoni, then one has to talk about his opposite number today - Gambhir as well..
The Indian T20 League is back home! The second leg of the tournament now shifts back to familiar surroundings and after 15 days in the UAE, it is back to India from today. Today's match sees Chennai taking on Kolkata. Chennai are on a 4-match winning streak after losing their opening game to Punjab, while Kolkata have had a mixed run, winning two and losing three. Their last match was a humdinger which they lost in the Super Over against Rajasthan...
Preview by Gokul Gopal
A confident Chennai Super Kings team get set to take on the Kolkata Knight Riders side in the first match of the India leg of the Indian Premier League 7 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. Chennai, who are on a roll after registering four wins in succession, will be up against Kolkata, who will be eager to get back on track after losing three of their five games in the UAE leg.
Chennai Super Kings:
Since losing their high-scoring opener against Kings XI Punjab, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side have hardly put a foot wrong. They secured a big 93-run win against Delhi Daredevils following which the team in yellow managed to stave off a challenge from Rajasthan, emerging victorious by 7 runs. A clinical showing against Mumbai Indians saw them win comfortably by 7 wickets while they stuttered a bit against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a chase of 146 before ending up with a 5-wicket win with 3 deliveries to spare.
The inclusion of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum has added a lot of fire-power to the Chennai line-up this year as the opening pair have provided explosive starts on multiple occasions. With five half-centuries between them, Smith and McCullum are in superb form and have been the ones doing most of the scoring in the Chennai team. Skipper Dhoni too has come up with useful contributions while Ravindra Jadeja was good down the order in the Rajasthan game, when he got an opportunity to bat early. Chennai, meanwhile, will be hoping for the likes of Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis to get amongst the runs. Raina, apart from a half-century against Delhi, has not done much, scoring 99 runs in 5 games while South Africa's T20I captain is yet to set the stage on fire as he has scored just 51 runs in 4 innings.
For a team to do well, it is not just batting, but they have to bowl and field well. The two-time champions have done that and hence they are well-placed before the start of the India leg of the tournament. They have superb fielders in McCullum, du Plessis and Jadeja while the rest of the players have also been doing a tidy job.
In the bowling department, the seamers and the spinners have complemented each other well, which augers well for the Super Kings. Mohit Sharma has been picking up wickets, Ben Hilfenhaus has been delivering timely strikes while Ishwar Pandey has kept things tight. Coming to the spinners, R Ashwin has been economical and has picked up wickets as well while Jadeja too has been on the mark. There is not much for Chennai to worry about when it comes to their bowling, although they will be hoping for Hilfenhaus and Jadeja to improve their economy rates.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
The 2012 IPL champions have been blowing hot and cold in this tournament so far. They began their campaign with a 41-run win against the Mumbai Indians before ending up on the losing side against the Daredevils, losing the game by 4 wickets. A spirited performance against Bangalore helped them clinch a close 2-run win but their batsmen let them down against Punjab as they could not chase down 133, getting bowled out for 109. They fought well against Rajasthan in their last game of the UAE leg, but lost on boundary count after the match, which went into the super over, finished in a double tie.
Kolkata's batters have been below par, which has been one of the reasons for the team's up and down showing this season. Apart from Suryakumar Yadav, who has been very impressive down the order, none of the other batsmen have been able to deliver on a consistent basis. Skipper Gautam Gambhir registered scores of 0, 0, 0, and 1 before scoring a 44-ball 45 in the last match. Manish Pandey and Jacques Kallis, with a half-century apiece, have shown a lot of promise, but have not been able to make a big impact. Robin Uthappa too has not done much while Yusuf Pathan, after a string of poor scores, had to be left out. Kolkata will be hoping that their batting can fire as an unit and make up for their poor showing in the UAE.
The bowlers have been much better when compared to the batsmen. They have been able to restrict some of the power-packed batting sides like Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore while their bowlers also delivered against Mumbai. Sunil Narine has been their stand-out performer. The West Indian spinner, who is currently the purple-cap holder, has picked up 9 wickets at an average of 11.88 while his economy rate is just 5.35. Morne Morkel and Piyush Chawla have also done a good job as have Vinay Kumar and Jacques Kallis. Umesh Yadav, the only bowler with an economy of more than 8 an over, was left out for their last game and he is unlikely to get a nod any time soon.
Team News:
Chennai Super Kings, who would prefer not to disturb their winning combination, are likely to go in with an unchanged eleven. Kolkata left out Yusuf Pathan and Chris Lynn while including Shakib and Manvinder Bisla for their match against Rajasthan. The Bangladeshi all-rounder did a good job and he is likely to retain his place in the eleven while Kolkata will probably look at giving Bisla another go.
66.66: Chennai Super Kings's win percentage against Kolkata Knight Riders. They have played a total of 12 matches against Kolkata so far and have emerged victorious in 8.
99: The number of runs Suresh Raina requires to become the first player with 3000 runs in the Indian Premier League.
We have played well and gelled quite nicely as a team with a couple of new changes with me coming into the unit too. Hopefully, we continue that form when we get to India: Brendon McCullum.
Kolkata Knight Riders (From): Gautam Gambhir(c), Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey, Manvinder Bisla(w), Shakib Al Hasan, Robin Uthappa, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Vinay Kumar, Morne Morkel, Ryan ten Doeschate, Kuldeep Yadav, Veer Pratap Singh, Chris Lynn, Andre Russell, Yusuf Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Sayan Mondal, Pat Cummins, Debabrata Das
Chennai Super Kings (From): Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Mithun Manhas, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Ishwar Pandey, Ben Hilfenhaus, Matt Henry, Samuel Badree, Baba Aparajith, Pawan Negi, Vijay Shankar, Ashish Nehra, Ronit More, John Hastings


text:
MONTREAL — And so here they stand.
The Boston Bruins are one win away from advancing for to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Even juicier, they can complete a sweep of the hated Montreal Canadiens with a win tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in front of the Habs' fans.
Should the Bruins get the job done, the silence is sure to be deafening.
In order to finish things off, Boston will need the same type of complete game they displayed in Game 2 back home. A scrambling first period tonight like the one in Game 3 could prove costly. Getting Milan Lucic back from his one-game suspension should help. The second-year winger should have some extra incentive to get the job done. If he can channel his pent up energy promptly, I guarantee he'll have a big game — both with his body and his offensive ability.
Most of Montreal's players already have their eyes on the exit. Ten will be unrestricted free agents barring signing extensions before July 1. They're bruised and battered and almost beaten. Now the Bruins just have to put them out of their misery.
Series note: Montreal center Tomas Plekanec has only skated in two of the three games, but he's still a minus-4.
What they're writing: Canadiens captain Saku Koivu hasn't given up.
Player to watch: Other than Lucic, the other guy with something to prove tonight will be fellow Bruins winger Michael Ryder. With two huge goals in this series, including the winner in Game 3, he's proven a lot. But helping to stick the final fork in the Habs on their home ice would be complete redemption for the forward that was given up for dead by Montreal last summer.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Pest Management Lessons for 2012 January 6, 2012 07:52 PM Tweet High soybean prices might shift the economic threshold for treating pests to a lower level. If you spray more often, take steps to prevent resistance from developing. TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Darrell Smith Farm Journal Conservation and Machinery Editor Email Insect and disease control is a game you can win One of the most rewarding—yet challenging—aspects of farming is that you're always learning. In 2011, higher soybean prices put a twist on soybean insect and disease control. "With $14 soybeans, versus $6, you have to look at things differently," advises Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. First, higher soybean prices lower the economic threshold for treatment, which makes scouting and quick response pay dividends. Second, more frequent treatment increases the need to manage pesticides to protect the environment and prevent resistance from developing. Third, scouting must continue late into the season. "It will pay to treat for pests at a lower level of infestation," Ferrie says. "Soybean prices held at $4 to $6 for so long that some growers—who were trying to be responsible and avoid preventive applications—might not have taken the new economic thresholds into account the past couple seasons." What makes the process challenging is that resistance is on the rise. "We must be stewards of the tools we have," Ferrie continues. "We can't throw integrated pest management out the window just because it requires fewer bushels to pay for treatment. Applying products when we don't actually need them will speed up that process." Preventive treatment backfires. This past year, Ferrie saw several poorly thought-out treatments backfire. "Some growers made a preventive fungicide application for disease and included a pyrethroid insecticide for bean leaf beetles," he explains. "As it turned out, the fungicide and insecticide, which might not have been needed in the first place, eliminated spider mite predators, so mite populations exploded and then they had to spray for mites," he says. There are two concerns with increasing the number of pesticide applications, says Phil Sloderbeck, a Kansas State University (KSU) Extension entomologist before becoming KSU Southwest Area Extension director. "One is resistance—the more pesticide applications you make, the greater the chance of developing resistance in the target pest," he says. "The second is the impact on other organisms in the system. You might kill parasites and predators in the system. That can release other pests to become problems, or it can allow more rapid resurgence of the target pest, once the initial treatment wears off." Appoint a pest boss. To effectively manage soybean pests in an environmentally sound fashion in 2012, start by appointing yourself, a family member or an employee as pest boss, Ferrie says. "Equip him with manuals and access to pest management websites, and let him make scouting a priority task. If you don't have a pest boss available, hire a profess-ional," he advises. Weather conditions and moisture influence pest problems and will help your pest boss determine if a particular pest is developing to economic levels. Understand the current economic thresholds for treatment, Ferrie continues. Most land-grant universities publish economic thresholds for various pests, such as the bean leaf beetles table on page 62 from Iowa State University. "To be responsible and economically efficient, base your treatment decision on the contracted price for your crop, not the price of the day at the local elevator," cautions Anne Dorrance, Ohio State University plant pathologist. Late-season threats. Don't ease up on scouting midway through the season. You could be blindsided by late-developing pests, such as bean leaf beetles, aphids and spider mites. "A late flash of bean leaf beetles caught a number of growers in 2011," Ferrie says. "Some seed producers lost their premiums because of bean leaf beetles, which feed on the pods. In central Illinois, some populations were so heavy that insects fed on the stems of the pods and the pods fell off." "Spider mites can sneak up on you because they are influenced by the weather," says Rod Wilson, who farms near Clinton, Ill. "In 2011, we treated spider mites in one field, but held off on treating two adjacent fields for 10 days. We saw a 5-bu. to 10-bu. per acre yield hit in the later-treated fields." Even as a skilled pest manager, one who scouts intensively and bases treatment decisions on economic thresholds, Wilson needed to be reminded that thresholds are a moving target. "Unfortunately, some pests, such as spider mites, don't have precise threshold data that you can use to make your decision," Ferrie says. "It depends on the stage of the crop and the weather. If you get cool, rainy weather, it might solve the problem for you. But if it stays hot and dry, populations can increase rapidly." Proactive approach. "If spider mites show up again next season, I'll probably be a little more proactive," Wilson says. "I'll probably treat at the front side of the economic threshold. But every treatment decision will be based on current economics and on scouting, scouting and more scouting—every field on a set schedule. If I find myself applying more treatments at higher soybean price levels, I'll rotate active ingredients to help avoid resistance." While using all best management practices, the bottom line is that damaging levels of late-season pests must be controlled, lest they skim the profit off a valuable soybean crop, Ferrie says. Watch for spider mites if the weather is dry, with temperatures above 90°F. They migrate from mowed yards and ditches into soybean fields. Bean leaf beetles overwinter in crop residue or litter near bean fields. Early in the season, they feed on young soybean seedlings. They remain a problem all season long. Soybean aphids can also blindside a grower later in the season, adds Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist Missy Bauer. "In our area of southern Michigan and northern Ohio, growers got used to soybean aphids becoming a problem every two years," she says. "That pattern has ended, however, so now it's important to scout for aphids well into the season." Understanding thresholds, appointing a pest boss, scouting for late-season threats and managing pesticides to prevent resistance (and wasted expenditures) will point you down the road to profit in 2012, Ferrie concludes. Learn more about soybean pests and diseases with AgWeb's Online Field Guide. Back to news


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|Statement by Ambassador WANG Min at the Fifty-First Session of the Commission for Social Development under the Priority Theme "Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all"
Madam Chair,
The Chinese delegation wishes to congratulate you on your election as the Chair of the 51st session of the Commission for Social Development. We are confident that under your able leadership, this session will achieve its expected outcome. I would like to assure you of the full support of the Chinese delegation.
China agrees in principle with the analyses contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the situation and challenges of social development around the world. With the recovery of the world economy remaining fragile, the intertwining problems of financial crisis, regional unrest and natural disasters are posing unprecedented challenges to countries' social development. Hunger, disease and poverty continue to beset many developing countries. As we are approaching the year 2015, the international community focuses its increasing attention on the post-2015 development agenda. Social development is an important and integral part of international development agenda. In this context, the priority theme of the current session is of significant importance, namely "Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all". China wishes to make the following three observations in this regard:
First, development remains the fundamental means to solve social problems. Given the fact that the financial crisis has worsened the problem of poverty, unemployment and social injustice, early economic recovery is an important means for alleviating such social problems. The international community should continue to give priority to economic development on its agenda, promote the attainment of the MDGs, and provide greater assistance to the social programmes in developing countries. The social dimension should be integrated into the post-2015 development agenda, and effective transition from the MDGs to the post-2015 development agenda should be secured.
Secondly, poverty eradication, social integration and full employment should be promoted in an integrated manner. These three core objectives of social development are as relevant today as when they were put forward during the World Summit on Social Development in 1995. All countries should pursue poverty eradication as the basis of their social programmes, make employment promotion a primary objective of social development, and regard the elimination of discrimination and injustice as am integral part of inclusive growth. Work in these three fields should be pushed forward in a comprehensive manner in accordance with our respective national conditions, so as to achieve development for all.
Thirdly, the relationship between people's empowerment and economic development should be handled in a balanced manner. People's empowerment can only be supported and secured by economic development. After the economic crisis, the most urgent task for the international community is to overcome the difficulties in economic development so as to continuously improve people's livelihood and social protection system. Sustained growth in economy and material well-being will help better address the problems encountered in social development and provide a more enabling social environment for people's empowerment. Talking about empowerment in isolation from economic development will only be futile as it won't resolve the difficulties faced by countries in their social development.
Madam Chair,
The Chinese government attaches great importance to social development and has incorporated the MDGs in our national development strategy that is aimed at building a moderately prosperous society. Since the reform and opening up, the number of people living in poverty has reduced by more than 500 million, and China has become the first developing country that has achieved the MDG for poverty reduction ahead of schedule. Over the past 5 years, China has created employment for 45 million people in urban areas and provided nation-wide 9-year compulsory education. Besides, China has established a basic medical and healthcare system and a basic endowment insurance system, covering both urban and rural residents.
In the future, the Chinese government will adhere to its overall strategy for socialist development with Chinese characteristics in economy, political and social affairs, culture and environment, and strive for scientific development by putting people first and making it comprehensive, balanced and sustainable. We will promote coordinated development of the social security system in urban and rural areas, energetically protect and improve people's livelihood, and do our best to ensure that all our people enjoy their rights to education, employment, medical and old-age care, and housing. At the same time, the Chinese government will continue to strengthen its cooperation with all parties and share each other's experience in social development in a joint effort to make further advances in social development in the world.
Thank you, Madam Chair.


text: Get Ready To Fly is a positive and powerful anthemic music track with piano arpeggio, edgy lead guitar, and orchestra string section that is sure to motivate. Catchy upbeat and uplifting melody and acoustic guitars and drums give powerful and positive images of dreams and their wings to fly high. It has a powerful build-ups, exciting breaks and emotional transitions. It will fit perfectly in company / business presentations, websites and other video projects / animations. It builds to a powerful and emotional climax at the end and gently brings you back to earth. Try it for your next corporate / business motivating and positive project!


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Below the crust of planet Eternia lies a hidden hollow globe filled with magical secrets and mysterious races. At the very center of the planet rests the Star Seed, a manifestation of the very magic of the creator gods, forever guarded by their servant Procrustus. It's powers flow through several thin tunnels, culminating at the base of both Central Tower and Castle Grayskull, supplying these mighty monuments with great magical powers. Even before the Three Towers were raised to the surface, many different races fought for dominion over the underground realms including the mighty Caligars and the bat-like Spalians. Eventually Randor's new Council of Eternia helped the warring subterranean races make peace. But the ever present Star Seed and the hidden temple of Serpos have often called both good and evil warriors to battle throughout Eternia's hollow interior!
LUOGO DI ORIGINE : Planet Of Eternia
CORRELAZIONI : Caligars


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Summit Mississippi Construction Work
Find out about Summit, MS construction work options. It's a smart idea to compare all available schools in your target area, as well as consider taking some of your courses online. Check with each technical school below for assistance with building project management certificate program prerequisites, degree requirements, and class registration. You may request Summit, Mississippi construction work information from several different schools below, without making a commitment.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Information about Southwest Mississippi Community College construction work, and registering for elective seminars and lectures. Which college degrees give you the best chances of finding employment after graduation? Completion of an accredited engineering program can qualify you to enter the workforce as a paid intern immediately. Concentrating on Southwest Mississippi Community College construction work, for example, may give you an advantage in job recruiting on-campus. Check with the department for course registration deadlines, and engineering program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Southwest Mississippi Community College.
Heating and air conditioning systems control the temperature, humidity, and overall air quality in homes, businesses, and other buildings. By providing a climate-controlled environment, refrigeration systems make it possible to store and transport food, medicine, and other perishable items. When installing or repairing air conditioning and refrigeration systems, technicians must follow government regulations regarding the conservation, recovery, and recycling of refrigerants. The regulations include those concerning the proper handling and disposal of fluids and pressurized gases.
HVACR technicians may specialize in one or more specific aspects of HVACR, such as radiant heating systems, solar panels, testing and balancing, or commercial refrigeration. Some HVACR technicians sell service contracts to their clients, providing periodic maintenance of heating and cooling systems. As the complexity of buildings has increased, the field of HVAC has become multi-disciplinary, with building codes governing the installation of heating ducts and ventilation HVAC systems. Beyond major requirements within the department, you may consider Grand Rapids Community College biomechanics as a complementary elective.


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Newsletters from South Africa
Up until February 2015, our staff in South Africa regularly put together a newsletter to be sent to volunteers working in South Africa at the time, those signed up to join a project in South Africa and to previous volunteers. The newsletters contain information about the country and our projects, stories written by volunteers, advice on what to expect when volunteering abroad in South Africa and much more. These destination newsletters are now replaced by a country blog, within www.mytripblog.org. If you're considering overseas voluntary work in South Africa, the newsletters and the blog are a great way to gain more information.


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Left, Stan Lee speaking at the 2014 Phoenix Comicon on June 8, 2014; right, Stan Lee during World War II
Screen Shot 2016-08-26 at 1.35.13 PM
T&P on Facebook
Enter to win a year's worth of mortgage or rent payments! BBMC's annual "We've Got Your Six Sweepstakes" is now open to veterans, active duty, and spouses. Learn more and enter.


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Press Releases
Betsoft Gaming Signs Content Agreement with Grand Casino
Valletta, Malta – Betsoft Gaming has reiterated its commitment to new markets, signing a long term content agreement with Hungarian online operator Grand Casino.
The agreement is extensive; Grand Casino will integrate all of Betsoft's AAMS-certified games, which includes many noteworthy titles from the Slots3TMcollection.
Newly established as an online operator, Grand Casino shares its name – and a parent group – with a long-established, land-based casino in its native Hungary. This heritage was critical to Grand Casino earning accreditation from the country's governing body, since the Hungarian online market is tightly regulated, with extremely high barriers for new entrants.
Today, Grand Casino is one of only two online operators catering to Hungarian players, and the company intends to lead by example when it comes to user experience, as Aaron Axisa, Account Manager at Betsoft explained:
"With a team of international iGaming veterans, supported by more than twenty years of land-based experience at the group level, Grand Casino recognises the importance of not just acquiring new players, but keeping existing ones engaged. At Betsoft, we believe strongly in rewarding players with exciting experiences they will not find anywhere else, so we are thrilled to be able to work towards this shared goal with a partner who shares our principles."
Under the terms of the agreement, Grand Casino will also integrate new AAMS-certified Betsoft games as they are released, providing a reliable flow of new content in a rapidly-emerging market.
"We have a cast-iron commitment to creating the best possible player journey, through continuous product innovation," explained Shanta Segabon, Grand Casino's Chief Marketing Officer. "As early entrants to a new market, our success will be determined by two factors: how well we satisfy and retain players, and our ability to partner with first class content providers like Betsoft."
About Betsoft Gaming:
Betsoft Gaming develops innovative casino games for desktop and mobile. Its portfolio of more than 190 RNG titles reaches players through partnerships with many of the iGaming industry's leading operators. Under the SLOTS3TM banner, Betsoft is elevating players' expectations; these cinematic, true-3D slots blend rapid, gratifying gameplay with an audio-visual excellence more typical of movies and videogames.
An early entrant to mobile gaming, Betsoft launched the ToGoTM collection in 2012. More recently, Betsoft revealed the ShiftTM environment, which supports truly cross-platform development at the same time as increasing performance, drastically reducing file size and streamlining integration.
Casino Manager, Betsoft's comprehensive back-office platform, rolls reporting, management, marketing, promotion, and administration into a single compelling package.
Betsoft is headquartered and licensed to operate in Malta, and holds an additional license in Curacao. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com or visit www.betsoft.com for general information and enquiries. For press and marketing enquiries, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Press Releases
Lotto Warehouse strikes landmark deal with Betsson
The Betsson family of brands will soon offer its customers access to the world's biggest and best lottery jackpots, perfectly complementing their extensive portfolio of Sports Betting, Casino, Poker, Bingo and other games.
This deal is truly a significant one for Lotto Warehouse as it sees the Nasdaq Stockholm listed company, and one of the largest companies within the European iGaming industry, embracing the potential of the lottery vertical.
Lotto Warehouse CEO Thomas Biro said: "Betsson are a hugely respected operator and we are pleased they saw the great potential of our offering."
"We wanted to revolutionise one of the oldest gaming industries whilst giving players the opportunity to dream big. Today's players are discerning ones – they want choice and they want customization. Lotto Warehouse offers all that and more by breaking down borders and offering the world's biggest lotteries in one place."
Mark Adams, General Counsel for The Multi Group, "Absolutely delighted that we have reached an agreement to provide services to Betsson Group. Both the legal and commercial teams have done an outstanding job to bring this deal together."
Joey Hurtado, Head of Gaming for Betsson Group added: "After a thorough search and review of different lottery providers, we felt that Lotto Warehouse's great UI, excellent offering and outstanding business models were the best fit for Betsson Group and our players."
Lotto Warehouse are a B2B Lottery Betting provider for the iGaming industry. They are licensed by both the Malta Gaming Authority and the British Gambling Commission and offer operators the chance to add a catalogue of the world's biggest lottery betting products to their platforms, with all higher tier payouts protected by their unique jackpot indemnity insurance model. They are a subsidiary of New York Stock Exchange listed online sports lottery service provider 500.com (NYSE: WBAI) and their extensive client list now also proudly includes Betsson.
If you too want to learn more about this exciting new vertical that you can offer your customers, why not set up a meeting with Lotto Warehouse at Sigma by email to firstname.lastname@example.com. It's time to let your customers dream big!
Press Releases
UK Gambling Commission appoints Dr Anna van der Gaag as Chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board
Dr. Anna van der Gaag CBE has been appointed as the new Chair for the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) – the Gambling Commission's expert advisors on the research, education and treatment required to reduce gambling-related harms.
Anna will join RGSB as a member with immediate effect and will take on the role of Chair to succeed Sir Christopher Kelly, whose term as RGSB chair comes to an end in March 2019. Anna is a Visiting Professor of Ethics and Regulation at the University of Surrey and she's held regulatory roles in the health, social care and legal sectors. Anna also has a particular interest in how regulators can be proactive in the prevention of harm.
Bill Moyes, Gambling Commission Chair said: "It is with pleasure that we announce Dr Anna van der Gaag as the new Chair of RGSB. She brings with her a wealth of experience in health, social care and the prevention of harm that will be an asset in advising on how to implement the next National Strategy, which will launch in April 2019 and on which we will shortly be consulting."
Dr Anna van der Gaag, speaking about her appointment said: "Gambling-related harms are increasingly recognised as a public health issue requiring robust collective action. I am thrilled by this opportunity to join a team with such a passionate commitment to understanding and reducing harms and raising awareness of the personal and societal costs that can arise from gambling activities."
Sir Christopher Kelly said: "I am delighted to welcome Dr Anna van der Gaag as my successor. Anna's strong background in research and regulation provides a solid foundation to provide authoritative advice on the next strategy and to achieve our aim – to reduce the impact of gambling-related harms, especially among the most vulnerable."
Formerly Chair of the Health and Care Professions Council, she is a non-executive director at Health Education England and the Kent Surrey and Sussex Academic Health Science Network and a founding member of the Q Community, a quality improvement network led by the Health Foundation. She was awarded the CBE for services to health and care in 2015.
Industry News
Zeal Network SE Announces Takeover Offer For Germany's Largest Private Digital Lottery Broker Lotto24 AG
- The transaction will create a digital lottery group with currently more than 5 million combined customers globally, current combined billings of about EUR 500 million, and a diverse international footprint
- The combined group will build on the existing position of Lotto24, discontinue the German secondary lottery business of Tipp24 and transform it to a locally licensed online broker. The companies jointly aim to accelerate growth of online brokerage in the EUR 8.7 billion German lottery market
- The all-share takeover delivers significant benefits for shareholders with expected cost synergies of EUR 57 million per year, strong future cash generation, and a reduced risk profile
- The transaction strengthens the German lottery market and returns to federal states and their lottery beneficiaries
- ZEAL expects to offer one new ZEAL share for ca. 1.6 Lotto24 shares, reflecting the ratio of the volume-weighted average prices of ZEAL and Lotto24 shares over the past three months
- ZEAL has secured irrevocable commitments to accept the offer from major shareholders representing approximately 65% of Lotto24 shares
ZEAL Network SE ("ZEAL") announced an all-share voluntary takeover offer for Germany's largest private digital lottery broker, Lotto24 AG ("Lotto24"). On completion, the transaction will create a digital lottery group with currently more than 5 million combined customers globally, current combined billings of about EUR 500 million, and a diverse international footprint.
In the context of the deal, and consistent with its renewed strategy to de-risk its business model and focus on locally-licensed businesses, ZEAL intends to transform its German secondary lottery business into a locally licensed online brokerage model after reacquiring control of its myLotto24 and Tipp24 subsidiaries and, in due course, to relocate ZEAL to Germany. The transaction will significantly strengthen the German lottery market and expand returns to federal states and their lottery beneficiaries.
A strong platform for accelerated growth and shareholder value creation
The transaction combines the strong balance sheet, high-quality loyal customer base, and technological capabilities of ZEAL with the proven expertise of Lotto24 in the German lottery brokerage market. The enlarged Group will be in a unique position to accelerate online brokerage growth in the German lottery market.
The Group will also continue to pursue its international growth ambitions, building on the existing, diverse international portfolio (UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, and Netherlands) and global development pipeline of ZEAL, with the aim of creating long-term growth and sustained shareholder and customer value.
ZEAL believes that the change to its business model in Germany will deliver significant benefits to ZEAL shareholders in the medium term as a result of reduced operational, tax and regulatory risk as well as improved growth potential. As part of the business model change, ZEAL has taken the decision to discontinue certain products and to focus on less volatile brokerage income in the German market, resulting in net annual run-rate revenue dis-synergies of ca. EUR 107 million, which is expected to be compensated for over time through accelerated growth of the enlarged Group. The combination with Lotto24 is also expected to deliver annual run-rate cost synergies of c. EUR 57 million through greater platform efficiencies and significant reductions in other operational costs. Further details of these revenue dis-synergies and cost savings are set out in Appendix A to this announcement.
In addition, ZEAL management has identified further cost savings of approximately EUR 4 million, which do not arise as a consequence of the transaction and sees additional potential future upside.
Dr Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL, said:"ZEAL will reunite with Germany's largest digital lottery broker. We will have a significantly enlarged, loyal customer base, strong technology and marketing platforms, and an exceptionally experienced team. Together with our plans to regain control of Tipp24 and transform its German business models, this puts us in an excellent position to accelerate online growth in both the EUR 8.7 billion German lottery market and EUR 270 billion global lottery sector – as a locally-licensed broker, licensed operator, and lottery investor. This transaction is good for shareholders, good for customers, and good for the German federal states and their lottery beneficiaries. We have held initial, constructive conversations with Lotto24 and look forward to further engaging with the management to achieve a successful combination of the businesses. We also look forward to a successful and constructive cooperation with Germany's state lotteries and invite all shareholders to join us on this journey."
Since its IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2012, Lotto24 has grown rapidly. In 2017, Lotto24 generated billings of EUR 220.7 million and revenues of EUR 25.2 million. In October 2018, Lotto24 upgraded its full year guidance, anticipating billings' growth of between 38% and 43% for 2018. In the first nine months of 2018, the company increased billings by 43% to EUR 235.9 million, revenues grew almost 50% to EUR 28.1 million, and the total number of registered customers rose by 36% to 2.04 million.
ZEAL has nearly two decades' experience as an online lottery operator, reseller and investor. In 2017, ZEAL delivered billings of EUR 280.5 million and revenues of EUR 134.3 million. In the first nine months of 2018, billings increased 5% to EUR 212.4 million, revenues rose by 19% to EUR 111.2 million, and the number of new customers grew by 54%, taking the total number of registered customers of the Group to more than 3.5 million.
Transaction supported by major Lotto24 shareholders
ZEAL will offer Lotto24 shareholders the opportunity to exchange their Lotto24 shares for shares in ZEAL. The offer consideration will reflect the ratio of the volume-weighted average share prices of both Lotto24 and ZEAL over the past three months before announcement of the transaction. Subject to the final determination of the minimum prices required by law and the final terms set forth in the offer document, ZEAL intends to offer one new ZEAL share as consideration in exchange for each ca. 1.6 tendered shares of Lotto24. Independently of the offer, ZEAL expects to pay an ordinary interim dividend ofEUR 1.00 by year-end 2018.
In a clear statement of shareholder support for the deal, ZEAL today entered into irrevocable tender agreements with major shareholders of Lotto24, namely with Günther Group, Working Capital and Jens Schumann. They represent approximately 65% of the shares and voting rights in Lotto24. By entering into the tender agreements, these shareholders have undertaken to tender their shares in Lotto24 into the offer.
Jonas Mattsson, Chief Financial Officer of ZEAL: "We believe this deal creates significant value for ZEAL and Lotto24 shareholders. The future growth prospects, significant reduction of regulatory risk and the related uncertainties, and EUR 57 million of annual cost synergies make the combined group a highly attractive long-term investment proposition. With our shared history, we are confident of achieving a seamless integration of both companies. Weencourage all holders of Lotto24 and ZEAL shares to follow the major shareholders and take part in the offer."
The offer will be made in accordance with the conditions to be set forth in the offer document, among others a minimum acceptance rate of 50% plus one share of Lotto24. Further details of the offer and its terms, including the acceptance period, will be contained in the offer document. ZEAL expects that the offer document will be published on the website www.zeal-offer.com at the beginning of 2019.
An extraordinary general meeting of ZEAL is expected to be held at the end of December 2018, at which ZEAL will ask its shareholders to approve the offer, including the acquisition of Lotto24 shares from certain members of the Supervisory Board of ZEAL or persons connected with them, and authorise the Executive Board to allot a number of shares as required to fund the offer. As Günther Group has made it a condition to its tender agreement with ZEAL that it will not, as a consequence of the offer, be subject to a legal obligation to make a general offer for the shares in ZEAL which it does not own at that time, ZEAL will furthermore propose a resolution to its shareholders (other than Günther Group and persons acting in concert with Günther Group) to approve the waiver of such obligation granted by the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers. The ZEAL shareholder approvals will be a condition for ZEAL to publish the offer document.
Discussions with the German gambling regulatory body about the future licensing arrangements for the enlarged Group have already been initiated. ZEAL expects to complete the transaction in the first half of 2019.
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Lotto Warehouse strikes landmark deal with Betsson
UK Gambling Commission appoints Dr Anna van der Gaag as Chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board
Zeal Network SE Announces Takeover Offer For Germany's Largest Private Digital Lottery Broker Lotto24 AG
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I noticed some kind of weed or vine on my backyard fence one day. Although the scene was surrounded by heavy shade from foliage, the lighting effect was changing according to whether the sun was direct or behind clouds. So I shot the scene during those times when the colors seemed to pop.
Nikon D3, 60mm micro lens, f6.3, 1/100th sec., ISO200, on tripod.


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Klein Winterhoek
|Klein Winterhoek
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|Climbing Type
|Rock Type
|Western Cape
How to get there
Fees & Permits
Accommodation & Food
Attractions & Activities
The mountain is characterized by the prominent frontal ridge that is visible from Cape Town, and by the enormous overhanging amphitheatre on the eastern side of the peak.
The routes on the mountain in chronological order of first ascent are:
Right Hand Ridge (there is no official name of this route around to the right from the amphitheatre)
FA: Londt and Stokoe, November 1920
Klein Winterhoek Frontal
FA: George Londt, Frank Berrisford, RS Yates and Stanley Morton, 31 December 1920
9 pitches, grade 15
Left-Hand Arete
FA: Hans Graafland and Mike Scott, December 1969
17 short pitches, grade 16 A2
The Times They Are A-Changing
FA: Dave Cheesmond, Chris Lomax and Greg Lacey, April 1978
12 pitches, original grade 20 A2, freed at 21
First route on the amphitheatre, on the right side
Oceans of Fear
FA: Andrew de Klerk and Greg Lacey, April 1983
First One-Day ascent: Douw Steyn and Jeremy Colenso, 1992
FFA: Andrew de Klerk and Julie Brugger, 1994
13 pitches, original grade 20 A3, freed at 28
In the centre of the amphitheatre
Wall of Silence
FA: Andrew de Klerk (solo), Jan-Feb 1986
13 pitches, grade 21 A4
In the centre of the amphitheatre
Children of the Sky
FA: Jeremy Colenso and Jeremy Samson, September 1987
14 pitches, grade 23 A3
In the centre of the amphitheatre
Art of Hearts
FA: Clinton Martinengo and Joe Mohle, Mar-Apr 2011
grade 25R A3
In the centre of the amphitheatre
FA: Hilton Davies and Guy Paterson-Jones, March 2012
13 pitches, grade 23
On the left side of the amphitheatre. Starts 100m lower than other routes. Only route to climb the headwall above the escape ledge.
Rainy Day Ridge
FA: Hilton Davies and Guy Paterson-Jones, April 2012
8 pitches, grade 18
Starts at Camp Roger in the gully next to the stream, ascends the ridge and finishes just below the amphitheatre. Suitable to be combined with the Frontal Route for a long moderate route of about 20 pitches.
From the summit head north-east along the summit ridge to the nek, alternatively before the nek follow beacons down the face over the ridge for a short-cut into the gully. Descend the gully. Some way down traverse right over a ridge to avoid the waterfall a bit further downstream. Camp site is directly below.


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Friday November 16, 2018; 02:55 pm EST
The scariest part of this movie is its lack of creativity
Five years ago, Katie Featherston killed her boyfriend, sister and sister's family, sparing only her infant nephew Hunter. Katie and Hunter's whereabouts are still unknown.
Since the murders were all caught on tape, you'd think there would be an active investigation, at least a manhunt and a lot of news coverage aimed at finding the woman who brutally murdered three people and absconded with an innocent child.
But when a woman and her odd son Robbie (Brady Allen: The Middle) move into a quiet suburban neighborhood, no one says Hey, isn't that the crazed murderess the police have been hunting for?
She moves in, and her creepy kid starts hanging around a new family. Soon enough, Robbie finagles his way into the neighbor's house, befriending six-year-old Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp: The Time Being) and unnerving 16-year-old Alex (Kathryn Newton: Bad Teacher). Another new addition to the household is Robbie's imaginary friend, Toby, who moves household items, makes strange noises and recruits young Wyatt to his undead cause.
When Alex notices strange happenings, she and her tech-savvy boyfriend program every computer in the household — including an X-box Kinnect — to record Robbie and his friend Toby's playtime.
Will Toby take possession of another innocent soul? Can Alex figure out who Katie is, considering she is just one Google search away from uncovering the whole story? Who has time to review literally hours of laptop footage to find five minutes of supernatural stuff?
The original Paranormal Activity was innovative because of its commitment to telling a scary tale simply. Four films later, the story is so ludicrous that it has become darkly funny. A woman's fight against demonic possession has twisted into a bizarre conspiracy story about witches, child possession and a demon that likes to mess up kitchens.
As an antagonist, Toby is a bit of a conundrum. At moments, he quietly chats with the children. Sometimes, he's content to move furniture or open doors. On the odd occasion, he will grab a hapless victim to smash dead like a rag doll. It seems strange that this powerful being would waste so much time with parlor tricks when he could easily kill the family and take the boy. Maybe he likes to set challenges for himself. Maybe he's not a terribly bright evil entity. Most likely, the filmmakers are stalling because the movie needs to be more than five minutes long.
Worse, all of the scares have been seen before. If you've seen one Paranormal Activity, you know that objects will move on their own, noises will boom through the halls and, eventually, someone will get tossed/dragged/crushed by Toby. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost (Paranormal Activity 3) add nothing different to the formula.
Their worst choice is using the laptops as their primary source of footage. Lacking dynamic shots, the directors cheat, making the characters get close enough to camera to obscure the scene before revealing a scary thing in the background.
Paranormal Activity 4 is dull, unimaginative proof that this franchise will continue until the audience demands smarter — or scarier — horror films.


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KIEV, Ukraine — Rebels killed five Ukrainian soldiers in violation of a truce extended by the country's government after the European Union gave Russia three days to quell the insurgency or face deeper sanctions.
Twelve soldiers also were wounded in the attacks by pro- Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern region, government officials said.
The violence occurred as EU leaders in Brussels demanded on Friday that the separatists, whom Ukraine and its allies say are backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, abide by a cease-fire that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had extended through Monday, release hostages and start talks to implement a peace plan.