CSK vs KKR

CSK vs KKRFact Sheet: CSK Vs KKR

Here is a preview to IPL Game 51 of IPL's Season 2:-

Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings:

International players: MS Dhoni, S Badrinath, L Balaji, Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hayden, Joginder Sharma, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini, Jacob Oram, Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina, Thilan Thushara, M Vijay.

Players who will be missing: Andrew Flintoff.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

International players: B McCullum, Chris Gayle, Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Ajit Agarkar, Sanjay Bangar, Aakash Chopra, Moises Henriques, David Hussey, Murali Kartik, Charl Langeveldt, Mashrafe Mortaza, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Ishant Sharma, Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

Players who will be missing: Aakash Chopra, Sanjay Bangar, Chris Gayle.

Previous meetings: CSK 2, KKR 0

Match #11, 2008 – Chennai – Chennai Super Kings won by 9 wickets

Match #41, 2008 – Kolkata – Chennai won by 3 runs (D/L Method)

Match #13, 2009 – Cape Town – No Result (Match abandoned because of rain)

Talking points:

Chennai Super Kings have in their line-up Matthew Hayden (Orange Cap holder) and Suresh Raina (the second highest run-scorer in the competition).

Chennai Super Kings have a 100% record at Centurion – they’ve played two matches here and have won both of the games (against Rajasthan Royals and against Kings XI Punjab)

Matthew Hayden, the current Orange Cap holder, struggled in the early part of his previous two innings (against RCB and MI), but persevered and went on to make 60 and 60*.

Kolkata Knight Riders are now on a 9-match losing streak – that’s the longest losing streak in the IPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders, despite showing signs of improvement, just can’t seem to get across the finishing line. They should have won their last two matches, but finished on the wrong side – against the Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Kolkata Knight Riders finally seem to have discovered the right combination; Sourav Ganguly and Brendon McCullum at the top, followed by Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Yashpal Singh, Wriddhiman Saha and then the allrounders and bowlers.

The Knight Riders included Shoaib Shaikh in their XI in their previous match, but he neither got to bat or bowl.

Chennai have been the best batting unit to make use of the fielding restrictions. They average 51 runs in the first six overs – that’s the highest average score in the first six overs amongst the eight teams in the tournament.

Albie Morkel has been great with the new ball. He has picked up a wicket in his first over in six out of seven innings he has bowled the first or the second over of the innings.

Chennai will be concerned that their middle order hasn’t quite fired in the tournament so far; Badrinath has had two decent innings (45 and 59*), Dhoni himself has had only three decent hits, while Oram and Morkel are yet to make a significant contribution with the bat.

Chennai brought in Parthiv Patel to open the innings in place of M Vijay, but he was out for a first ball duck against the Mumbai Indians. Will they revert to Vijay again?

Chennai’s Makhaya Ntini is yet to get a game in the competition, despite the tournament being played in South Africa.

Kolkata Knight Riders have struggled to contain the runs in the first six overs. They concede on an average 49 runs in the first six overs – that’s the highest average among the eight teams in the competition.

Only two players from Kolkata Knight Riders’ 22-member squad – Rohan Banerjee and Charl Langeveldt - are yet to get a game in the IPL.

Charl Langeveldt will have fond memories of playing at Centurion, the venue for today’s match. He has taken a hat-trick in a domestic T20 match here.

Ajit Agarkar is one of the most expensive bowlers in the IPL – his economy rate is 9.74.

Mashrafe Mortaza’s spell of 0/58 against the Deccan Chargers is the most expensive spell in IPL 2009.

Spin bowlers were difficult to get away in the previous match under lights at Centurion – spinners only conceded 94 runs in 18 overs in that match (at a rate of 5.22).

Remaining matches:

For Chennai Super Kings - against Kolkata Knight Riders and v Kings XI Punjab.

For Kolkata Knight Riders - against Chennai Super Kings and v Rajasthan Royals.

Original Source : http://www.cricketnirvana.com/news/international/2009/may/news-20090518-301.html

Tony Kornheiser

Tony KornheiserJon Gruden to replace Tony Kornheiser on 'Monday Night Football'

ESPN is making a big change in its Monday Night Football announcing booth.

Former Bucs coach Jon Gruden is in, while Tony Kornheiser is resigning, according to ESPN, after three seasons.

Play-by-play man Mike Tirico and analyst Ron Jaworski are staying in the booth.

"I am totally grateful for the MNF opportunity that I truly enjoyed the last three seasons," Kornheiser said in a statement. "I feel we got better each year. My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would've frequently moved me from the bus to the air. I kept looking at the schedule the past month and wanted to find a way to quietly extricate myself. If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden."

Kornheiser will remain as the co-host of Pardon the Interruption for ESPN.

Gruden, fired by the Bucs after last season, was an analyst with the NFL Network during the NFL draft.

"Jon is one of the best football minds in the game, he has a natural ability to communicate that knowledge and he brings great enthusiasm – everything you want in an analyst,” ESPN VP Norby Williamson said in a statement.

“Combining Mike, one of the top play-by-play commentators in TV and radio, and Jaws, arguably the NFL’s best X’s and O’s analyst, with Jon, a Super Bowl-winning head coach, will create a must-watch Monday Night Football booth during the 40th season and in the years ahead."


Original Source : http://blogs.usatoday.com/thehuddle/2009/05/jon-gruden-to-replace-tony-kornheiser-on-monday-night-football.html