All posts by csb10.top

It’s hard to describe what Gravy did. He can’t explain it himself. He doesn’t like to be called an ambassador, yet he represented Antigua in the manner best befitting it: with joy. Gravy is a performer. He cross-dresses and dances and writhes and swings from the rafters and puts on a show that you will not ever forget. For twelve years he kept doing it. In many ways, he was the face of the Antigua Recreation Ground more than Viv Richards or Curtly Ambrose.It’s easy to stereotype Gravy. A chap slightly off his rocker, a blazing extrovert, an attention seeker, and a man with no worries. Actually, he is soft, sober, sentimental. On the record he has always said that his official retirement – exactly two cricket seasons ago – had all to do with the fact that he had given 12 years of his life to another country, USA, and so wanted to give exactly 12 years to his own country.Off the record he will tell you of the hurt that came along with never, ever being given any financial support even when he had requested it, from sponsors or from the Board. Continents away, Percy Abeysekara is flown around with the Sri Lankan team as official cheerleader. Gravy says he has never received a cent for buying the costumes he wore every day of cricket at the ARG. Today, he says, the guys at the gate ask him for a ticket if he wants to enter.He has not walked away in disgust – and he hasn’t gone to the press about this because it may show Antigua in poor light – but he cannot be asked, for anything in the world, to return to his act.So, the summer of 2000 it was when he walked around the ground in a white wedding dress and waved goodbye. "When everybody came to the edge of the balcony with the cameras and the flashin’ and the waves and the thank-yous, it felt like I wasn’t touching the ground."It was quite by accident that Gravy started doing what he did. He visited his first Test here in 1988. It started to rain during the presentation ceremony, and the podium was left open. "Something told me, Gravy, this is your time. I went down on the podium, in the rain, and started dancing. Everybody was excited about it. They loved it."Gravy now runs a little stall by the Sir Vivian Richards Pavilion with his girlfriend, Hyacinth. "I been talkin’ to her 6 years before I held her hand." Why? "Everything takes time, and good things come to those that wait."At least three posters mourn Gravy’s retirement. One of them says that ARG grounds men are on strike because Gravy retired. Thus the dead pitch. Another one illustrates the great triangle of retirement. Curtly Ambrose forms one side, Courtney Walsh the other, and Gravy the third. It’s actually quite apt if you listen to Gravy’s most cunning plan of all:"The only three people who knew what I was going to do was myself Gravy, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. We had a plan and we used it systematically. When the water cart comes onto the field, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh supposed to get the drinks first. Then I start my antics. That is when I’m at my best, when the water cart is on the ground. It allows me a chance to make the opposition not to be a part of the water cart. They forget to drink the water because they’ve never seen anything like me. They’re thirsty and they’re back in play. They’re listening to me, watching me. By that time, Ambrose and Walsh have taken their wickets."The nicest thing anyone has told Gravy has come from Viv Richards. "Gravy,what you’re doing," Richards told him, "keep on doing it, cause the world is happy when you do it.""Everybody tells me that they miss me. What they don’t know that I miss it more than them."More Roving Reporter
The King’s maa
Remembering Frank Worrell
`It got to me. Big time’
Awesome
Meet the CEO
Sobers is a hero – official
‘Murray would have ate that, maan’
She’s on the ball
The romantic
Just lukewarm

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

The trend of low scores and poor pitches continued at the Champions Trophy, as New Zealand crushed South Africa by 87 runs at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. In conditions where batting was an onerous task, Stephen Fleming played an outstanding knock for the second time in a major one-day competition against South Africa. In the World Cup, he had creamed 134 effortless runs; here, his 89 was the difference between the two sides, enabling New Zealand to mount 195. His opposite number for South Africa, Graeme Smith, was the second-highest score with 42 – but none of the other batsmen had much of a clue.The pitch was a different one to what had been used a couple of days back when West Indies were mauled by Sri Lanka, but the result wasn’t much different. Early on it offered more pace and bounce than the track on which West Indies got rolled over, but as the day wore on strokeplay became increasingly tougher, especially against the older ball. By the time South Africa were midway into their innings, there was a puff of dust every time the ball landed on the turf, and the abrasive nature of the pitch made the ball grip the surface – it was all far too much for the South African batsmen, and for most of the New Zealanders as well.The one batsman who conquered these tough conditions was Fleming. At the start, when strokeplay was relatively easier, he executed some crisp strokes, flicking wide off mid-on with characteristic flair and cutting and driving with panache on the off side. He played and missed more than once early on, but when wickets fell regularly at the other end, he cut out the risks and ensured that he stayed through most of the innings.The stand-out feature, though, was his crisp timing in a match where everyone else struggled. Even as wickets fell around him, Fleming calmly worked the ball around for ones and twos, seemingly unconcerned by the lack of support, and then opened out again towards the end, sweeping the spinners and hoicking Makhaya Ntini when he returned for a second spell. In fact, Ntini’s extra pace made him the easiest bowler to get away, as he leaked almost six an over.Fleming’s innings meant that New Zealand managed a decent total – in the circumstances – despite the absence of a significant partnership: there were five stands of 20 or more, but none topped 47 as batsman after batsman deserted Fleming despite getting starts. The South African bowlers did a fine job, but the extravagant turn Robin Peterson and Smith managed – more than once Smith managed to rip it past Fleming’s outside edge – should have suggested to both the captains that batting in the evening would be even more fraught with danger.

And so it turned out, as South Africa struggled right from the start of their run-chase. The wreckers, however, were the medium pacers, as Mills and Oram used the conditions to perfection. Mills did the early damage, trapping Boeta Dippenaar in front, and nailing Herschelle Gibbs with a superb indipper. Jacques Kallis, the birthday-boy who had celebrated with three wickets in the afternoon, walked out, and on a pitch getting increasingly treacherous, he was the one batsman who had the technique to cope. Mills, however, ended his resistance too, effecting a superb one-handed return catch as Kallis went on the drive too early.Smith continued to battle hard, though, just as his opposite number had done for New Zealand. While Fleming managed 89, Smith couldn’t even make half as much, as Oram took over from where Mills had left off. Mark Boucher gifted his wicket away to a wide one, Smith himself miscued a pull, while Shaun Pollock was left wide-eyed as an Oram special stopped on him, making him scoop a catch to cover.With six wickets in the bag, Fleming finally unleashed his twin-spin attack to wrap it up. Daniel Vettori was supposed to be the dangerman, but on a track offering so much turn to any slow bowler who could land the ball, the ability to bowl it flat and hasten it after pitching was a more deadly proposition. Vettori, flighting it generously, managed only one wicket in seven overs as Jeetan Patel ripped through the tail with his flat offbreaks. Andre Nel, his face usually a rich concoction of expressions, was left gaping after a huge turner got through his defences, and thereafter the end was only a moment away.At the post-match presentation, Smith offered his congratulations to Sri Lanka before realising he had got the opposition wrong – the way the ball turned, though, he could be forgiven for imagining they were up against Muttiah Muralitharan, not Jeetan Patel.

New ZealandLou Vincent b Pollock 17 (27 for 1)
Nathan Astle b Hall 14 (74 for 2)
Hamish Marshall b Nel 1 (76 for 3)
Peter Fulton c Boucher b Kallis 2 (86 for 4)
Jacob Oram c Dippenaar b Peterson 7 (99 for 5)
Brendon McCullum c & b Peterson 21 (135 for 6)
Daniel Vettori c Boucher b Smith 9 (156 for 7)
James Franklin b Kallis 9 (180 for 8)
Stephen Fleming c Pollock b Kallis 89 (192 for 9)
Jeetan Patel run out (Pollock) 2 (195 all out)
South AfricaBoeta Dippenaar lbw b Mills 0 (1 for 1)
Herschelle Gibbs b Mills 0 (3 for 2)
Jacques Kallis c & b Mills 8 (25 for 3)
Mark Boucher c McCullum b Oram 8 (50 for 4)
Graeme Smith c Vettori b Oram 42 (69 for 5)
Shaun Pollock c Patel b Oram 1 (71 for 6)
Andrew Hall c Vincent b Patel 13 (99 for 7)
Robin Peterson c Fleming b Vettori 0 (100 for 8)
Andre Nel b Patel 0 (105 for 9)
Makhaya Ntini b Patel 1 (107 all out)

Jagmohan Dalmiya, former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and three other former office bearers of the BCCI appeared today before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Crime Branch, which is probing alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 21.74 lakh (approx US$49000) from the World Cup 1996 account.Dalmiya, SK Nair, former BCCI secretary, Kishore Rungta and Jyoti Bajpai, both former treasurers, were accompanied by their lawyers. According to PTI, all four of them were questioned by the police till 5 pm, local time, in the absence of their lawyers.Earlier, Dalmiya and the others had petitioned the Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail claiming they apprehended arrest following the case filed against them by the BCCI on March 16. Dalmiya contended that the case was filed by his rivals with a view to pressurise, harass and humiliate him. The other office bearers told the court that they were being implicated in the case only because they were Dalmiya’s supporters.Dalmiya denied discrepancy of any nature with respect to of the World Cup 1996 (imprest) account. He said it had been audited regularly and that this account stood merged with accounts of the BCCI every year.He also said that after ceasing to be the PILCOM [Pakistan-India-Sri Lanka Committee] secretary from January 23 this year, he closed the account and handed over all records to the BCCI.

India’s cricketers enjoyed a “rest” day today, warming down after theirsecond tour game at Chelmsford, but one or two minds might have just beenworking overtime. Rahul Dravid and Co. would have wished for the twopractice games to provide a few answers; instead there seem to be morequestions on hand with three days to go until the first Test at Lord’s.Wasim Jaffer or Gautam Gambhir? VVS Laxman or Yuvraj Singh? Mahendra Singh Dhoni aswicketkeeper? The first two aren’t new instances – Jaffer is prone to a string of failures while Laxman’s spot is never certain. But what of Dhoni? In Bangladesh he kept his Test spot thanks toa Man-of-the-Series performance in the preceding one-dayers, but he’s donelittle of note to be sure of a place here. One can point to his 76 atChelmsford, or even his buccaneering 139 not out against Africa XI atChennai, but the conditions were nowhere near as demanding as they will be atLord’s.What’s more worrying is Dhoni’s decline behind the stumps. He was never a naturalwicketkeeper, starting off as a football goalie, and it was mainly thanksto his persistence that he improved in that department. There was a periodearly in his career when he gave up batting for one whole year just to getbetter with the gloves. He showed considerable improvement last season butthe fumbles have reappeared recently. He has struggled so far in the tour games, often parrying the ball rather than waiting for it, and his grassedchances off Andy Hodd and Robin Martin-Jenkins at Hove and Stuart Broad atChelmsford, all straightforward ones at international level, woulddefinitely get the team management thinking.Making his job harder is Dinesh Karthik’s presence in the team as aspecialist batsman. Karthik is the more agile wicketkeeper and is betterstanding up to Anil Kumble’s bouncy offerings. There will surely be a temptation to ask him to keep as well as bat. It would no doubt add to his burden – squatting all daybefore opening the batting can’t be easy – but it would also allow theteam a chance to play the extra batsman in Yuvraj.India’s batting is awesome on paper but, as was shown at Chelmsford, it justtakes a persistent bowling attack to open up the cracks. The top order is weak,the middle is inconsistent and the tail is mostly redundant. Lord’s isusually good to the batsmen and India’s batting galacticos, as theGuardian newspaper called them, will need to stand up. If they needsome expert advice about batting on the ground they just need to lookaround the dressing room and spot a man who managed three hundreds on thetrot here.For Dilip Vengsarkar, the current chairman of selectors, Lord’s, where he cracked centuries in 1979, 1982 and 1986, was his backyard. He downplayed the achievement, when Cricinfo asked him about it, butexplained why the ground was special.”Every player has his favourite grounds. I’ve got four hundreds at the Feroz Shah Kotla but nobody remembers that. And they were against better teams – three againstWest Indies and one against Asif Iqbal’s Pakistan. Everybody only talksabout the three hundred at Lord’s. Of course it was a great feeling. It’sspecial playing at Lord’s. Walking through the long room you have a heavyfeeling in the heart. You see the honours board, the pictures on the wall,the packed atmosphere. It’s electrifying. But once you hit the grass, it’sjust another ground.”Did he have to make any special adjustment to counter the famous Lord’sslope? “Too much is made of the slope at Lord’s,” he said nonchalantly. “Every ground has some slope – go to Leeds you have a slope,at Chelmsford there’s also a slope. You need to adjust to different conditions and the slope is just one part of it. It’s not as tough to adjust as it’s made out to be.”But which of the three hundreds will he most cherish? “I think the centuryin 1986 was my best. We won at Lord’s for the first time and went on towin the series. The bowlers won the game for us – Chetan Sharma bowledsuperbly, Kapil Dev was equally good, Maninder Singh too. To finish on thewinning side after making your third successive hundred was verysatisfying.”India had never won a Lord’s Test before 1986, they’ve yet to win onesince. As much as he’s proud of being part of that side, Vengsarkar willhope that India double that victory tally in the coming days.

Zaheer Abbas has been replaced as manager of Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in October, by former Pakistan opener Talat Ali. The decision was taken following a meeting of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) ad-hoc committee in Karachi to discuss, among other subjects, the Oval fiasco which saw Pakistan forfeiting a Test for the first time in the game’s history.Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the PCB, told reporters, “Talat Ali has been chosen to replace him for the Champions Trophy as manager.” The move had been widely expected in Pakistan after Abbas had come in for heavy criticism for his role – or lack of it – during the Oval melee.While negotiations were underway to try and save the Oval Test on the dressing room balcony, Abbas was seen by many outside the Pakistan dressing room talking on his mobile phone. His apparent inaction prompted a barrage of criticism from ex-players in Pakistan who felt he should have taken a more proactive role in resolving the matter and negotiating with the ICC and the umpires.Others attacked him for a number of statements he made in the immediate aftermath of the incident, including his terming of Darrell Hair’s US$500,000 resignation offer, a “moral victory” for Pakistan. Even before the team left for England, concerns had been voiced about his aptitude for the job. When asked by a local TV channel about left-arm paceman Samiullah Niazi’s inclusion in the squad, Abbas professed ignorance about the player.But Shaharyar denied that the move meant Abbas was the first victim of ‘Hairgate’. “He has not been replaced because of what happened at the Oval. We need him as a witness for the ICC hearings later in September. After that, if the need for an appeal rises, then we might need him further so that might interfere with his role as manager. This is not a criticism or indictment of his role. It is no reflection on him.”Shaharyar added that Inzamam-ul-Haq [captain], Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul will attend the hearing alongwith Abbas. Both Gul and Kaneria were bowling when the umpires inspected the ball, and have been asked by the PCB’s lawyers to provide evidence.In the PCB’s defence, however, it must also be pointed out that managerial appointments rarely follow steadfast rules of employment. Generally, managers are hired on an assignment-by-assignment basis; Abbas, for example, was manager for the tour to Sri Lanka earlier in the year but was replaced by Salim Altaf for the subsequent ODI series against India in Abu Dhabi. Not many in Pakistan, though, will buy the chairman’s reasoning and certainly most journalists – admittedly a cynical lot – didn’t.The man who replaces him – Ali – was in line for the job for the England series and had the robust support of at least one senior PCB official. Ali, who played ten Tests for Pakistan between 1972 and 1979 as a dogged opener, was also an ICC match referee for the same number of Tests between 1997 and 2001.One of the central figures of the controversy – Inzamam-ul-Haq – was, however, given the full backing of the board. “The events of the Oval Test were considered at the meeting which showed full confidence in Inzamam,” Shaharyar said. But referring to further comments Inzamam made to a local TV channel on arrival in Pakistan, Shaharyar warned that more comments “would be tantamount to hitting on his own feet (shooting himself in the foot) if Inzamam said anything on the matter now.” He was referring to ICC’s warning last week to the PCB and Inzamam for making “unnecessary and inappropriate” comments over the issue.About the other figure – Darrell Hair – the PCB was understandably reluctant to say too much. When asked what Pakistan would do if Hair was chosen to officiate in the Champions Trophy, Shaharyar said, “what steps we have thought about cannot be revealed at this point of time, we would disclose them after a decision on the hearing.”Reuters, however, quoted a board source as claiming that Pakistan had made its objections to Hair clear to the ICC. The board source said that the ICC had been informed in writing that if Hair was put on the umpires panel for the Champions Trophy, it would consider strong action including pulling out from the event. “Pakistan is very clear on Hair’s future appointments. It does not want him appointed either in the Champions Trophy or any other series in which Pakistan is playing.”

June 11 – Leicestershire v Australians

ScorecardLeicestershire were never in the hunt as the Australians romped to an emphatic victory on the back of a century from Matthew Hayden (107) and significant contributions from Damien Martyn (85) and Andrew Symonds (92 from just 59 balls). Mongia was as ineffectual as the rest of the attack, conceding 49 from his eight overs. In response, Leicestershire could manage only 226 for 8, with Mongia contributing a rapid 21 before being caught off Brad Hogg’s bowling.June 5 – National League

ScorecardMongia engineered Leicestershire’s thumping win over Somerset at Oakham School Ground with a fantastic allround show. His 72-ball 75, including seven fours and a six, set up a fighting target and Somerset, after a decent opening partnership, capitulated for a mere 146 while chasing. Mongia played a crucial role with the ball too and ended with magical figures of 4 for 12 in his seven overs.June 1-4 – Frizzell County Championship

ScorecardLeicestershire dominated the drawn game, but without a significant contribution from Mongia, who only made 26 in a total of 338.May 30 – National League

ScorecardDerbyshire turned the tables on Leicestershire this time, eking out a four-wicket win at Derby. Mongia fell early, making just 6 as the team slumped to 55 for 6 before limping to 146. With such a total on the board, the result was never in doubt.May 26-29 – Frizzell County Championship

ScorecardMongia got starts in both innings as Leicestershire notched up an impressive win against Derbyshire. In the first innings, he made 51 and offered fine support to Darren Robinson, who made 110. In the second, with Leicestershire needing a challenging 258 to win, Mongia chipped in with a vital 47 after the team had slumped to 48 for 3. With the rest of the middle order contributing as well, Leicestershire won by four wickets.May 17 – C&G Trophy

ScorecardLeicestershire were at the wrong end of a run-chase this time, as they fell well short of their quest for 236. Mongia did well with the ball, taking 1 for 30 from 10 overs, but failed in his main job, scoring just 5 before becoming one of three victims for Dougie Brown.May 15 – National League

ScorecardA superb all-round performance by Mongia gave Leicestershire a convincing win at Grace Road against Surrey. Mongia scored 67 off 86 balls even as his team-mates struggled – no-one managed more than 22. Then, he starred with the ball as well, taking 4 for 15, including the scalp of Mark Ramprakash, Surrey’s top-scorer with 34. In the end, Leicestershire defended a low score with plenty to spare.May 11-14 – Frizzell County Championship

ScorecardMongia shrugged off a first-ball duck in the first innings with a well-compiled 70 in the second, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Leicestershire from suffering yet another defeat. Batting at No. 3, Mongia was trapped in front by Ian Harvey in the first innings, but top-scored with a 115-ball effort in the second. It should have won his team the game, but Yorkshire pulled off a magnificent run-chase, getting 406 in the fourth innings.May 6-9 – Frizzell County Championship

ScorecardMongia’s first match in the four-day county championship ended in disappointment for him and his team. Mongia made 6 and 39 as Leicestershire went down by six wickets against Essex at Chelmsford.May 4 – C&G Trophy

ScorecardA fifth-ball duck for Mongia, but victory for Leicestershire as they scraped through in a tense low-scoring battle at Grace Road. Somerset were bundled out for 94, with Sanath Jayasuriya, Somerset’s overseas player, making a duck as well. Leicestershire were struggling at 53 for 6, but some lower-order resistance pulled them through.May 1 – National League

ScorecardMongia thumped 16 from ten balls with three fours, but then fell as Leicestershire’s batsmen disappointed, scoring only 211 for 8. Somerset overhauled the target without many problems.April 24 – National League

ScorecardMongia got off to a fine start to the season, scoring 62 off 76 balls in the 45-over one-day match against Kent. Mongia was the only batsman from the side to score a half-century as Leicestershire put up 214 for 8, but Martin van Jaarsveld swung the game Kent’s way with an unbeaten 69.

Steve Kirby, the Gloucestershire pace bowler, is in hot water with officials again after being ordered out the attack towards the end of the Championship match against Gloucestershire at Bristol.Bowling the penultimate over of the game, Kirby let fly a ball that thudded into the chest of Andy Gray, the Derbyshire tail-ender. Kirby tried to apologise but Gray had already turned away, dropped his bat and ripped off a glove. Neil Mallender, the former England seamer who was officiating the match, told Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire captain, to remove Kirby from bowling.The two players later shook hands but Kirby will still be reported to the ECB. The Gloucestershire chief executive, Tom Richardson, told the Press Association: “Kirby was taken off under Law 42 [fair and unfair play] but I don’t want to say anything else at this stage.”The umpires have to make their report but at the moment I don’t anticipate there will be much further action. Everyone knows Kirby is a whole-hearted trier who gives everything to the game.”It isn’t the first time Kirby, who joined Gloucestershire from Yorkshire, has been in trouble. Last season he was found guilty of ball tampering during a match against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.

Scorecard
Ramnaresh Sarwan hit an unbeaten century (106 off 117 balls) to take Guyana to a three-run victory over Barbados at Crab Hill in the opening round of President’s cup on Monday. Chasing 244 runs in the allotted 50 overs, Guyana recovered from 33 for 3 to 206 for 6 when they accepted bad light at 5.30 pm, two runs ahead of their target score and prevailing on the Duckworth-Lewis system. Earlier Kurt Stevenson propelled Barbados to a score of 243 with a well made 75 but they added to their own woes in the field by dropping three catches, including one off Sarwan when he was on 57.
Scorecard
Powered by Runako Morton’s 87, Leeward Islands crushed Jamaica by nine wickets in the opening round of the President’s Cup in Wildey at Barbados. Batting first, Jamaica floundered when they lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for a meager 145 in 38.1 overs. Curtis Roberts, the opening bowler, bowled out his quota of 10 overs in one spell and snapped up three wickets. Leeward Islands’ batsmen then polished off the required runs in 29.2 overs.
Scorecard
Trinidad & Tobago, the defending champions, got their President’s Cup campaign off to a disastrous start when they fell 14 runs short against Windward Islands. Chasing 191 runs for victory, T&T were comfortably placed at 123 for 3, when Daren Sammy, the medium-pacer, removed both Ricardo Powell and Samuel Badree in successive deliveries and triggered a collapse. They lost their last five wickets for 35 runs and ended up losing a game that was well within their grasp. Earlier, the Windwards recovered from a worrying position of 44 for 5 to register a respectable score of 190 for 9 – a total that proved just enough.

Somerset needed to score at 5 runs per over to win this game but throughsome disciplined and aggressive bowling from the Leicestershire attack theywere always behind the asking rate.Jimmy Ormond once again was the pick of the bowlers and picked up his firstwicket in only the second over of the innings. Bowler edged a ball to secondslip to give Darren Maddy an easy catch. The ball previous saw Maddy drop achance given by Lathwell also at second slip.It wasn’t too long before Lathwell became Ormonds second victim when hefollowed a wide delivery which found the edge through to the wicket keeper.At this point Somerset were only scoring at 2 runs per over and the pressurewas beginning to show. Burns unable to pierce the in field then set off for a risky single which resulted in a run out.You felt that as long as Jamie Cox was at the crease there was always achance for Somerset but when Scott Boswell picked up his prize wicket inonly his second over, Somerset’s chances of victory were diminishing. He wasbrilliantly caught by the diving wicket keeper Neil Burns.Parsons tried to continue the fight and looked in good form. He struck themedium pace of Billy Stelling for a huge six over mid off giving impetous tothe innings. However, Stelling fought back by clean bowling Parsons in the29th over. By this time Somerset’s chances were almost gone and continued tolose their wickets consistantly.Leicestershire thoroughly deserved this win and they now can look forward toplaying once again in the top division.

At least five children were killed by lightning while playing cricket on a school pitch near the northern Bangladesh town of Gafargaon.The children, aged between nine and ten, were killed instantly when lightning struck the pitch at Makhal Kaldhair, a village about 100km from Dhaka.”Among the dead were two brothers,” explained local police chief Abdur Rashid Shikder. “Other kids who were playing the cricket match late Sunday afternoon were unhurt but were very shocked to see their friends dead on the ground.”Lightning kills dozens of people in rural Bangladesh every year during the early summer and monsoon periods when storms sweep in from the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh`s Daily Star said that another storm at the weekend hit 45 villages and tore down 1,500 houses, uprooted 2,000 trees and damaged about 2,000 acres of farmland.