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The possibility of relegation looms larger for Lancashire after Worcestershire restricted them to only one batting point

18-Aug-2012
ScorecardGareth Andrew recorded his best bowling figures of the season against Lancashire•Getty ImagesThe possibility of relegation looms larger for Lancashire after Worcestershire restricted them to only one batting point from their crucial Championship clash at New Road. Worcestershire, still with a game in hand, closed the gap at the bottom of the table after dismissing last year’s champions for 216 in a draw that came down to a scrap for bonus points.Gareth Andrew led the way with a season’s-best return of 4 for 42 and Moeen Ali, who captured 12 wickets in last month’s win at Old Trafford, polished off the lower order with 3 for 46. To darken Lancashire’s mood, news then came through that Surrey and Durham, other counties in the danger area, had both snatched narrow victories.Lancashire may need to win two of their last three games if they are to avoid emulating Yorkshire (2002) and Nottinghamshire (2006) in falling out of Division One the season after winning the Championship.Worcestershire may still be the back-markers but they showed they have the punch in their attack to have a chance of escaping relegation. They have dropped only two bowling points all season and none at all on their own ground.Replying to the home side’s declaration at 251 for 7 on Thursday, Lancashire seemed to be laying a solid foundation when Paul Horton and Luke Procter stayed together until the ninth over on the final morning. There had been few alarms up to that point but soon after one wicket went down, Horton edging Andrew’s second delivery to Daryl Mitchell at second slip, they were wobbling at 47 for 3. Luke Procter moved too far across and lost his leg stump to Alan Richardson and Karl Brown was trapped in front by an inspired Andrew.This was how the innings continued, as Worcestershire attacked non-stop and Lancashire exploited gaps to hit 33 boundaries, but each time a partnership began to develop they would lose a cluster of wickets. Ashwell Prince fell to the Mitchell-Andrew combination and Andrea Agathangelou and Steven Croft, who promised more with six fours in his 28, were caught behind in the space of five deliveries from Richardson and Andrew.Gareth Cross quickly became top scorer with 39 from 38 balls before he was bowled by Joe Leach, giving the young allrounder his first Championship wicket, and Kyle Hogg edged Moeen to slip after a stand of 58. Lancashire eventually needed some old-fashioned hitting by Glen Chapple and Ajmal Shahzad to scramble a point before Moeen mopped up.In 50 minutes before the captains shook hands on a draw at 4.50pm, Worcestershire scored 33 without loss in their second innings.

A round-up of the first-round games of the President’s Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2012It took just three balls of the final day in Sialkot for Khan Research Laboratories to complete a thumping win over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. Nine wickets down overnight, Rehan Riaz could not even last an over of day four as he was bowled by Yasir Ali without adding to the score.The majority of the work in ZTBL’s second innings was done on day three by Nayyer Abbas, who bowled close to half the overs and picked up 5 for 75. He snuffed out any resistance the batting side could offer with the wickets of Zohaib Khan and Mohammad Khalil.Zohaib’s fightback was brisk. He struck two sixes and four fours in his 59-ball half-century before being bowled by Nayyer. Khalil was the second top-score of the innings; his 33 with five fours came from No. 9 and long after any hope of ZTBL saving the match had disappeared.ZTBL were always staring down the barrel after they conceded a first-innings deficit of 302. Their top order provided a platform with 50 from opener Sharjeel Khan and 74 from No. 4 Babar Azam – his innings lasted 145 balls but his patient work was in vain as there was no other support. Azam eventually fell to Mohammad Irfan who claimed 4 for 73 in 13.3 overs and followed up the effort of his side’s batsmen.KRL had actually been inserted on the first morning but solid contributions from the top order laid the platform for the middle order to put the team in a commanding position. Naved Yasin made exactly 100 in 145 balls but Shoaib Ahmed was able to take his century to 152 with 19 boundaries and a six. Their total of 496 provided sufficient scoreboard pressure for the bowlers to dominate the remainder of the match.

Some tight second-innings bowling by Habib Bank turned the President’s Trophy match in Lahore their way, helping them win by five wickets against National Bank of Pakistan. Habib Bank reached their target of 196 on the final day thanks to strong middle-order batting, after being four down for 61.The match wasn’t one-sided till the second innings as both teams notched up competitive first-innings scores, with NBP taking an 11-run lead on the third day. But some lacklustre batting by them, bowled out for 184, shifted the odds in Habib Bank’s favour.The match included a century from Pakistan player Fawad Alam in NBP’s first innings, and three fifties. However, there were plenty of starts by batsmen from both teams. Mohammad Imran and Ehsan Adil took six wickets each in the match. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam’s four wickets in NBP’s second innings were crucial in turning the match in his team’s favour.

In another game without much to choose between the competing sides, State Bank of Pakistan were two down for 92 in their final innings in their chase of 245 against Pakistan International Airlines after four days in a drawn match at the National Stadium in Karachi.PIA’s middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal scored 100, including 13 boundaries and two sixes, and led his side to a competitive 321. SBP’s No. 3 Usman Arshad scored 113, and with contributions from Usman Saeed and Mohtashim Ali, SBP eclipsed PIA’s score by 17 runs.They built on that small lead to post a strong 261 for four, led by three half-centuries. By the time the declaration came, it was too late for any result other than a draw. Arshad, nevertheless, ensured SBP were safe in their 26 overs of their chase, following his century with an unbeaten fifty.

Khurram Shehzad held his nerve to steer Sui Northern Gas Pipelines to a three-wicket win over Water and Power Development Authority in Faisalabad. Shehzad made an unbeaten 31 to guide his side home as wickets tumbled in a tricky chase of 115.After Naeemuddin was bowled by Junaid Khan for 1, SNGP settled as Taufeeq Umar made 32 but a second wicket for Junaid and two for slow left-armer Zulfiqar Babar put them under pressure. Junaid and Zulfiqar removed three more batsman, all for single-figure scores, but Shehzad held firm to ensure the win with a 46-ball innings.It was a thrilling end to a close contest that in the final analysis had the 66-run first-innings lead SNGP achieved playing a critical role. And that took a lower-order 68 from Mohammad Rizwan after they had slipped to 151 for 6 after an opening stand of 57.WAPDA found themselves four down before they had wiped out the deficit thanks to Asad Ali removing the top four, three of them leg before. Sohaib Maqsood could not repeat his rescue act of the first innings – he made 95 out of 200, the next highest score was 25 – as his side fell for 180 and set a challenging target that proved ultimately too small.

Umar Amin was the mainstay of Port Qasim Authority’s batting in the second innings as his 71 helped secure a draw on the final afternoon in Karachi to deny United Bank victory.From their overnight 142 for 4, United Bank batted on for another 18 overs on the final morning to extend their lead to 311. And for a while PQA were in the chase with the runs coming at four-an-over and Amin and Daniyal Ahsan adding 85. But Amin was run out to end his hundred-ball innings and the attention turned to saving the match. Kashif Bhatti removed Ahsan to complete his second five-wicket haul of the match but wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman and Tanvir Ahmed batted together almost to the close.The game began with PQA deciding to bowl first but Ali Asad’s 59 was the highest of several useful contributions that helped United Bank make 323. And after Bhatti had picked up 5 for 55 to help bowl PQA out for 237, having been 72 for 0, United Bank were in charge of the match but couldn’t complete the win.

A wrap of the fourth day of the eighth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-2012
Scorecard
The fog in Jammu deprived Himachal Pradesh of an outright victory in their game against Jammu and Kashmir at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground. HP began the day on 32 for 1, chasing 235 for victory but were only able to get as far as 189 for 2. Aakash Chopra made 50, and Karanveer Singh and Paras Dogra were unbeaten on 88 and 43 respectively, having added 108 for the third wicket. Fog affected play in the morning session and returned in the final session as well. HP were on 159 for 2 at tea, and could only score 30 more runs before the weather left its impact with them 46 short of victory. HP picked up three points, owing to their first-innings lead.
ScorecardAssam caught up with Andhra on the points table with three points for the first-innings lead after the match in Guwahati ended in a draw. The last day of the match featured some stubborn resistance from the Andhra batsmen. Andhra started the day 135 runs behind Assam and lost four wickets – including first innings’ centurion Amol Muzumdar – by the 44th over, 44 behind Assam. With almost half the day remaining, Assam sensed a win. However, obdurate opener Prasanth Kumar and Rajesh Pawar thwarted the Assam attack for the next 35 overs, the 86-run stand effectively closing out the possibility of result for Assam. Prasanth played out 247 balls for his 83 and was out in the 79th over. Arlen Konwar, Assam offspinner, reached 200 first-class wickets.
ScorecardTripura drew their Group C match against Goa in Agartala as only 13 overs were possible on the last day after a delayed start. In that time Goa scored 52 runs and lost two wickets, with Manisankar Murasingh picking up three wickets in the innings. The match was marred by bad weather as the first day was completely washed out. The two teams earned a point each are two of the last three teams in the group.

Morgan put an end to the game in the only way an expectant crowd sensing victory could have been silenced in disbelief – a deathly blow over the sightscreen

The Report by Siddhartha Talya22-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Six-hitting from Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler carried England to victory at the death•BCCIThey don’t come as smooth as Captain Morgan. As MS Dhoni and his senior associates debated the field for the final delivery of the chase, off which England needed three to win, Eoin Morgan was calm, had a word with his partner and then waited. Jos Buttler had tried to be cheeky and didn’t succeed the previous ball, but Morgan put an end to the game in the only way an expectant crowd sensing victory could have been silenced in disbelief – a deathly blow over the sightscreen when there seemed to be enough room in the field to squeeze a couple and take the game to a Super Over.With a Test series won and a T20 series drawn, England rounded off their first leg of this tour of India on a happy note. The victory was also their highest successful chase in T20 internationals.Ashok Dinda, who bowled that last over, had tried hard to get his yorkers on target, with nine needed. The first five deliveries yielded just six runs, thanks to some good outfielding, even though Dinda didn’t quite find his mark each time. When Buttler first shaped up for a scoop off the penultimate ball before trying to guide it past Dhoni’s right, only to miss it and steal a bye, it seemed his more enterprising instincts may have backfired. But it brought Morgan on strike, and when Dinda overpitched, he launched him straight over his head, dispatching the ball above the press box, 92 metres into the stands.Smart stats

The target of 181 is the highest ever chased by England in Twenty20 internationals surpassing the 173 they chased against West Indies earlier this year. It is also the highest target chased in Twenty20 matches against India.

It is the eighth time overall (second time for England) that a team has completed a chase off the last ball of the innings. The previous time for England was against Australia in Adelaide in 2011.

Morgan’s 49 is his fifth-highest score in Twenty20 internationals and equals his highest against India. The strike rate of 188.46 is his third-highest for a 30-plus score in Twenty20 internationals.

Yuvraj Singh’s 3 for 17 is his best bowling performance for India in Twenty20 matches. It is also the second-best performance for India against England after Harbhajan Singh’s 4 for 12 in Colombo earlier this year.

Yuvraj’s economy rate in the series (4.50) is the second-best for India in a bilateral Twenty20 series of two or more matches (min eight overs bowled). The best is Harbhajan Singh’s 4.25 against New Zealand in 2008-09.

Only Sunil Narine has picked up more wickets (7) than Yuvraj (6) in a Twenty20 bilateral series of two matches.

While Yuvraj conceded just 17, the four other bowlers went for 164 runs in 16 overs. The economy rate of the pace bowlers (10.75) is the third-highest for India in an innings (min eight overs bowled).

The 80-run stand between Alex Hales and Michael Lumb is the third-highest opening stand for England in Twenty20 matches and their highest against India.

Butler’s contribution, too, was significant. He joined Morgan with England needing 29 off 13, and the partnership kicked off with Morgan immediately pulling Dinda for six over deep midwicket. Up against the inexperienced Parvinder Awana in the penultimate over, Buttler drove a low full toss through extra cover before hammering the bowler for a flat, straight six off the final ball to bring it down to nine off six. And Morgan completed the job.Yuvraj Singh produced another excellent spell, picking up three wickets and conceding just 17 from his four overs, helping India recover from an opening partnership that threatened to take the game away from them. Michael Lumb produced his best performance in England colours, timing the ball superbly and showing plenty of intent, combining power play with some adept footwork that fetched him a lovely, straight six off R Ashwin. Lumb helped score 62 off the Powerplay and added 80 in 50 balls with Alex Hales, who impressed again with another productive hand.Lumb’s stumping, Luke Wright’s lbw and Hales – who was dropped by Awana on 7 – holing out, all to Yuvraj, put the pressure back on England before Morgan and Buttler turned the tables. India had done the same in their innings towards the death, smashing 63 in the last five overs thanks to Suresh Raina and Dhoni stepping up, but England were outstanding in their groundfielding.They threw themselves around in the outfield, the fast bowlers included, cutting off boundaries, often restricting the hosts, despite their good running between wickets, to twos. Though Raina and Dhoni’s late assault threatened to undermine that, the runs saved by England, which kept India to a challenging but gettable 177, played an influential role in the outcome. India put down two chances – Piyush Chawla let off Samit Patel when was yet to score – and there was a fumble that cost four runs from the first ball of England’s chase. In a game decided on the last ball, each lapse or incidence of brilliance had a magnified impact.

Australia’s coach Mickey Arthur has rounded on critics of the national team’s management of fast bowlers

Daniel Brettig13-Jan-2013Australia’s coach Mickey Arthur has rounded on critics of the national team’s management of fast bowlers, taking particularly sharp aim at the contention that the selection panel is letting sports science make its decisions regarding who to choose.In a prolonged rebuttal of public and media views that there is confusion if not chaos around Australian team selection, Arthur revealed that a major factor behind Mitchell Starc’s withdrawal from the Boxing Day Test team was to avoid the flaring of a long-term ankle problem that will eventually require surgery and an extended lay-off from the game.He also confirmed that Michael Clarke, Matthew Wade and David Warner would return to the ODI team for the second phase of matches in Brisbane and Sydney on Friday and Sunday, and clarified that Usman Khawaja was dropped for Steve Smith under a pre-defined plan to give each batsman one game. Australia have been widely criticised by former players and sections of the public for fielding a “B-team” in the first two matches of the series, but Arthur went to considerable lengths to explain the intricacies of selection.”We’re very clear on who the best team is and who the best attack is,” Arthur said following Australia’s defeat in the second ODI in Adelaide. “I’ve been really annoyed and frustrated by some of the articles that have been going around. For me it’s common sense. Common sense prevails when we pick teams. We certainly don’t pick teams not to win any cricket games for Australia. Every time we pick a team we’re giving guys opportunities and picking what we think is the best side possible to go out and do the job and win.”It’s either very naive or just a little bit stubborn that people don’t understand what we’re doing. The example I’ve used is Black Caviar. When he runs a horse race, if they don’t feel he’s 100% right they don’t release him. We’ve done that with our bowlers, and over the year we’ve had three examples of quick bowlers basically rested, and that is all.”Ryan Harris in the West Indies, Mitchell Starc on Boxing Day and Peter Siddle at Perth. That’s the only time we have rested quick bowlers, and we’ve done that simply because we think they’re at risk. We want to play our guys all the time. With the amount of cricket we play these day’s it is impossible to keep the guys on the park in every single game. So we would not have a quick bowler at risk.”Starc’s absence from the Boxing Day Test team was a particular sore point, Starc himself stating his frustration at not being allowed to follow-up his match-clinching five wickets on the final day of the Hobart Test by playing on the biggest day of the Australian cricket calendar. But Arthur made it clear that there were more factors at play than a simple question of Starc’s workload.”If you take Mitchell Starc over the Boxing Day Test match, the information we’d got was that he was at risk. Then it’s up to us,” Arthur said. “The constant thought that sports scientists are picking the team is so far off the mark that it’s frightening. They give us information, the information is then left up to us to make that decision. Michael, myself and the selector on duty make the decision based on the information we’re given. When we get that information we will see if it holds up and if we think it’s not worth the risk.”Mitchell Starc plays three forms of the game. He had an ankle impingement, he’s got spurs that are going to require an operation at some stage. We’re hoping that will be a year down the line, but at some stage that is going to give in. There was no point in us playing him in a Boxing Day Test match and risk losing him for the one-day series and then for a tour of India. That would’ve been plain stupid.”Australia are facing one of the most demanding schedules ever set before an international team in 2013, with a four-Test tour of India to be followed by the Champions Trophy and then 10 consecutive Ashes Test matches in England and Australia. Arthur said the decisions made to withdraw fast bowlers or other players from the firing line for set periods reflected the calendar ahead.

“The constant thought that sports scientists are picking the team is so far off the mark that it’s frightening. They give us information, the information is then left up to us to make that decision.”Mickey Arthur

“Whenever we make those decisions, we make those decisions with a lot of thought into how we’re going to use our quick bowler and when we’re going to use him,” Arthur said. “I really want to get that out and put that on record, because I’m sick and tired of talking about it, and I’m certainly sick and tired of seeing some of the articles that are going around in the media at the moment.”A hamstring strain to Brad Haddin, meanwhile, has simplified the circumstances of Wade’s return to the squad as the national selectors prepare to strengthen their team for the next brace of matches in Brisbane and Sydney. That injury may now cause the selectors something of a headache should they still want to take Haddin on the India Test tour in early February. But for now it will allow Wade to return swiftly and smoothly to the ODI squad alongside other members of the Test team that were given a week’s rest following their exertions against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

George Bailey’s maiden international century set up a 54-run victory for Australia in the second ODI against West Indies in Perth, where they took a 2-0 series lead

The Report by Brydon Coverdale03-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGeorge Bailey finished unbeaten on 125•Getty ImagesOn Friday, West Indies batted first and were bowled out at the WACA for 70. Two days later, Australia were sent in at the same ground and were 6 for 98. Another short day’s play loomed. But George Bailey’s maiden international century changed all of that and drove Australia to a scarcely believable 7 for 266 – after the match he said he had considered anything more than 200 a bonus – and Mitchell Starc’s second consecutive five-wicket haul confirmed Australia’s 54-run victory.The Perth fans who returned after seeing only 33.1 overs in the first match were certainly rewarded for their dedication. Not only did they see Bailey’s remarkable unbeaten 125, they were also treated to some dazzling fielding from West Indies and some powerful striking in their unsuccessful chase. Kieran Powell and Dwayne Bravo struck two sixes each as they kept West Indies in the contest, but just as entertaining were the four sixes Sunil Narine took off the first four balls of a Glenn Maxwell over late in the game.Maxwell had his revenge later in the over when Narine was stumped for 24 off six balls. If he hadn’t already found out during the day, Maxwell would also have been greeted when he left the field by the news that he had sold for a $1 million price tag in the IPL auction that unfolded while the Australians were playing. It was quite a way to cap off a match in which he took 4 for 63, his first wickets at ODI level. Among them were Bravo, caught behind for 45, and the dangerous Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy cheaply.When the final wicket fell, Jason Holder run out in the 39th over, West Indies had reached 212, still well short of their goal. The damage had mostly been done at the top of the order by Starc, who found plenty of swing in his first spell and pitched the ball full and straight. Chris Gayle (4) was the first to fall, missing a ball that slanted in towards the off stump, and continued his poor run of form.Smart stats

George Bailey’s 125 is the fifth-highest score by an Australian batsman in ODIs against West Indies. It is also the third-highest score in ODIs in Perth.

Mitchell Starc became only the third Australian bowler after Gary Gilmour and Ryan Harris to pick up two consecutive five-fors. He now has two performances among the top six by Australian bowlers against West Indies.

The 24 runs scored by Bailey off the last over is the second-best (sixth overall) by an Australian batsman (ODIs since 2000) after Darren Lehmann, who scored 28 runs against Namibia in the 2003 World Cup.

The 100-run stand between Bailey and James Faulkner is the third-highest seventh-wicket partnership for Australia overall and their best against West Indies. It is also the second-best seventh-wicket stand in ODIs against West Indies.

Australia’s partnership aggregate of 168 runs for the seventh and eighth wickets is the second-highest in an ODI behind South Africa’s 198 runs in Cape Town in 2006.

The partnership run-rate of 12.00 during the 68-run stand between Bailey and Mitchell Johnson is the second-highest for an eighth-wicket stand for Australia (50-plus stands).

The 126-run partnership between Dwayne Bravo and Kieran Powell is the third-best fourth-wicket stand for West Indies against Australia. The highest is 149 between Clive Lloyd and Rohan Kanhai in the first World Cup final.

In the same over, Starc’s first of the innings, Ramnaresh Sarwan was also trapped lbw to a delivery that pitched in line and swung back in to the right-hander. Sarwan did not manage to get his bat anywhere near the ball and his second-ball duck meant he would leave Perth yet to get off the mark in the series, having also scored a duck in the first ODI on Friday. Darren Bravo (14) was Starc’s third lbw and his dismissal left West Indies wobbling at 3 for 33.But Dwayne Bravo and Powell led the recovery with a 126-run partnership that put West Indies firmly back in the contest. Powell was especially impressive, striking ten fours and a pair of sixes before he was lbw to Starc for 83, the victim of a successful Australian review. It was one of two reviews that went against West Indies in the chase, and by far the less controversial of the two. How the third umpire Asad Rauf came to overturn Nigel Llong’s not-out decision against Devon Thomas was a mystery.Starc dug the ball in short and Thomas, facing his first ball of the innings, thrust his hands up to fend and the ball fizzed through to Matthew Wade. Despite replays showing no Hot Spot mark, no definite vision of the ball hitting the gloves, and no clear sound as the ball went past, the decision was overturned and Thomas was gone for a golden duck. It was a baffling moment and one that took a little of the gloss of what was otherwise an excellent performance from the Australians.It wasn’t looking so good earlier in the day at 6 for 98. At the halfway point of the innings, Bailey was already the last recognised batsman and Australia needed something special from him to deliver them a competitive total, but even so his unbeaten 125 from 110 balls was greater than anything they could have hoped for at that stage.The top-order collapse came largely through poor shot selection and brilliant West Indian fielding as the competition for catch of the day intensified seemingly with each wicket. The Australian recovery then arrived via a 100-run seventh-wicket partnership between Bailey and his fellow Launcestonian James Faulkner, who made 39, and then an unbeaten 68-run eighth-wicket stand between Bailey and Mitchell Johnson, who finished on 16.Much of the damage came in the final five overs as the Australians added 64 runs, including 25 during a disastrous 50th over for West Indies bowled by Dwayne Bravo. In the 49th over, Bailey brought up his hundred by slogging a Kemar Roach full toss for six over midwicket and he followed with three more sixes from Bravo, over long-on and cover, as the bowler was unable to find the yorker length required.It was a perfect example of how to build an innings in difficult circumstances as Bailey began slowly and worked his way into a rhythm, constructing the partnerships Australia needed to get themselves back in the game. His half-century had come from 69 balls and by the end of his innings, he had accumulated so many runs that, since his debut in March last year, only Ian Bell had scored more ODI runs than Bailey’s 720.Initially, he had outstanding support from Faulkner, who was playing his first innings at international level. He scored a valuable 39 from 67 balls, occupying time and ticking the scoreboard over after the top order was unable to do the job. Faulkner had come to the crease after Maxwell was bowled for a golden duck by Sammy, following quickly from the loss of Matthew Wade for 16.Australia’s problems began when the opener Usman Khawaja, on 3, flicked Roach off his pads and was brilliantly caught by Powell, who hurled himself to his right from forward square leg and managed to make the ball stick. Khawaja’s opening partner Aaron Finch (11) fell to an even better take when his searing cut off Holder was snapped up at cover point by Darren Bravo, who plucked the ball one-handed above his head.Phillip Hughes (21) pulled Sammy to Darren Bravo at midwicket and Michael Clarke was bowled by a Dwayne Bravo yorker for 16, but then came the best catch of the lot. Wade went for a cut off Narine and his edge fizzed high and fast and Sammy displayed quite remarkable reflexes to thrust his hand above his head and grab the ball, which looked destined for the boundary.But that turned out to be the high point of the day for West Indies. For Bailey, Starc and the rest of the Australians, a much happier few hours were about to unfold.

Shane Watson has committed himself to Australia’s Test team for the long term and will rejoin the squad in India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi

Brydon Coverdale18-Mar-2013Shane Watson has committed himself to Australia’s Test team for the long term and will rejoin the squad in India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi. Watson was due to leave Sydney on Monday evening for the final Test of the series, which begins at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Friday, ending any further speculation about his plans after he flew out of Chandigarh last week for the birth of his son, Will, and said at the time he would weigh up his future while at home.Watson also said he had spoken a number of times over the past week to Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, and said they were now “on the same page” after they exchanged words publicly last week. Howard is also expected to arrive in Delhi ahead of the fourth Test this week.When he left India having been told his wife Lee was likely to give birth earlier than expected, Watson said he would use his time at home to weigh up his cricket future and said that “there are a lot more important things in life”. At the time, Watson had just been ruled out of the third Test in Chandigarh as one of the four players who failed to complete a task set by the coach Mickey Arthur, and he declared the punishment “very harsh”.The issue was exacerbated when Howard said Watson was a team player “sometimes” and alluded to problems between Watson, the vice-captain, and Clarke. However, Watson and Clarke spoke on the phone when Watson arrived home and Clarke said the best-case scenario was Watson returning as vice-captain for the Delhi Test.Watson said Howard did not know him well, and after the public words from both sides Howard offered to fly to Sydney to speak to Watson face to face to iron out any problems between them. Watson said the pair had spoken over the past week and ironed out their differences.”I’ve had several constructive discussions with team management back in Mohali over the past few days,” Watson said. “We’ve spoken about how we are going to work together to move forward, as Australia attempts to climb back to the top of the ICC rankings. I’ve a burning ambition to be an Australian Test player for as long as I can be and help Australia win those big Test Series as well as the big ICC tournaments.”I have also had a number of chats with Pat Howard over the last week and we are both now on the same page and are really looking forward to working together to get Australia to be the best team in the world. I’m looking forward to getting around the boys again and concentrating on moving forward. I’m entirely committed to the team and being the best player I can be.”Watson’s return will create a selection issue after Steven Smith scored a highly impressive 92 in the first innings in Mohali and Phillip Hughes also fought through his spin problems to post 69 in the second innings. The possible permutations are further complicated by uncertainty over the fitness of the captain Michael Clarke, who struggled with back pain on the fourth day in Mohali and was hampered by the problem while batting on day five.Clarke has never missed a Test due to his ongoing back problems but the short turnaround between Tests will create a challenge for Australia’s medical staff to ensure he is available. The team travels from Chandigarh to Delhi on Tuesday and then has two days of training before the Delhi Test. It is not outside the realms of possibility that Watson, the vice-captain, could lead the team in Delhi, which would be a remarkable turnaround after his comments a week ago.Regardless of the off-field issues, Australia also need a major improvement from Watson with the bat after he scored 28, 17, 23 and 9 during the first two Tests. Since becoming vice-captain in 2011, Watson has averaged only 25.20 with the bat and has not scored a century.

Geoff Miller, England’s national selector, has given the strongest suggestion yet that there was an element of complacency in the series against New Zealand

Andrew McGlashan11-May-2013Geoff Miller, England’s national selector, has given the strongest suggestion yet that there was an element of complacency in the series against New Zealand and that the same mistakes from that tour will not be tolerated when the return series starts at Lord’s next week.In the aftermath of the recent tour, where England only escaped with a 0-0 draw after outstanding innings from Matt Prior and Ian Bell on the final day, the players have been adamant that there was no element of taking the task lightly after the high of winning in India or being lulled by pre-series talk of only needing to turn up to whitewash New Zealand.While Miller, who has not been known for particularly strong public statements during his six years in the main job, did not to use words such as ‘complacent’ or ‘underestimated’ there was a clear indication that a repeat of the performances in New Zealand will have significant ramifications at the beginning of an Ashes year.”It keeps your feet on the ground. It makes you realise you can’t just go into a game and go through the motions and win the game because, on paper, you are supposedly superior. It doesn’t work like that. These boys know they have to perform,” he said after announcing England’s first Test squad of the summer. “It was very disappointing and we talked about that but they are capable of playing far, far better than that – and know that – and hopefully, I’m quietly confident, they’ll show they are a better side.”The selectors have shown faith in the players on duty in New Zealand – Monty Panesar has been dropped, but that is to accommodate Graeme Swann’s return – and continuity, a hallmark of Miller’s tenure, was at the forefront of his mind, as well as avoiding knee-jerk reactions to one disappointing series.”All right, they under-performed there, but they’re capable of playing better than that and you don’t just discard somebody because they have had a bad time as a unit,” he said. “You just say ‘right, not good enough, improve’. That’s exactly the message they have been given.”New Zealand are a good side, they have shown what they are capable of doing. Maybe we were forced to under-perform but we didn’t play to the capabilities they have shown in the past so that has got to be rectified.”If the first part of the year had fitted England’s perfect script, they may have eyed this series as a chance to rest a senior bowler or two but after the significantly below-part display in New Zealand it made it virtually impossible for the selectors to name anything other than a full-strength side for this series, even though opportunities to give players a break are now few and far between.Alongside Swann’s return, Tim Bresnan has also been brought back into the squad following his recovery from the elbow problem that hampered him last year, which means there are two players in the 12 who have recently been on the operating table but Miller insisted there was no risk attached.”They have gone through the process with their counties, showing there was no reaction to it,” he said. “They have both been very, very positive, and there has been nothing at all. The reason for the operations was to get rid of the pain which they were showing and disability as such, which wasn’t allowing them to perform to their best. Now they’re pain free and bowling like they were before they had the problems.”

Rahul Dravid and Adam Gilchrist have praised the Rajasthan Royals bowlers for tying down the Kings XI Punjab batsmen towards the end of their innings in Mohali on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2013Rahul Dravid and Adam Gilchrist have praised the Rajasthan Royals bowlers for tying down the Kings XI Punjab batsmen towards the end of their innings in Mohali on Thursday. Kings XI were 105 for 2 in the 15th over but were restricted to 145 for 6, Royals allrounder Kevon Cooper leading the way with 3 for 23 from four overs. Ajinkya Rahane then made his third successive half-century as Royals recorded their ninth win of the season with eight wickets and an over to spare.Dravid, the Royals captain, said death bowling had been a “major concern” for his side, and something that had been discussed among the players. “We have been discussing the issue in the team meetings, working out ways on how to improve our bowling at the death. We actually had a chat with two to three bowlers,” Dravid said. “We came out with a few ideas and some plans. The bowlers have been implementing those plans for the last couple of games. I think the bowlers, particularly Kevon and James Faulkner, performed really well.”Gilchrist, the Kings XI captain, said his batsmen should have made more runs in the last five overs but also credited the Royals attack. “The middle-order batsmen didn’t capitalise on the start,” Gilchrist said. “But full credit to the Rajasthan bowlers. They worked out how to bowl at the death on that wicket. They had the perfect variations and took pace off the ball.”The pitch was slower than usual. And that made it difficult for the batsmen to hit boundaries. That took the steam out of our batting. We wanted to set a target of around 160, which would have been competitive on this wicket. We had a good foundation but the middle-order batsmen failed to launch themselves.”Despite the early loss of Dravid in the chase, Rahane formed big partnerships with Shane Watson and Sanju Samson as Royals motored to victory. “We timed the chase perfectly,” Dravid said. “It could have been a tricky chase, especially because of the slow wicket. They have got very good bowlers in their line-up as well. But Watson and Rahane had a good partnership going to lay the foundation. Then Rahane and Sanju Samson finished it off quite well.”Samson, the 18-year old wicketkeeper-batsman from Kerala, has impressed in the few opportunities he’s got so far, and made an important contribution again, with an unbeaten 47 off 33 deliveries. Dravid said there was “something special” about Samson. “I hope he continues to work hard,” Dravid said. “He is a very tough customer to bowl at. If you think you can stifle him by bowling short deliveries, you are wrong. He actually plays the short ball quite well. He can play shots and is a very good player of spin.”Cooper, the Man of the Match, said the slow Mohali pitch suited his bowling. “I wasn’t bowling well in the last few games,” Cooper said. “I knew I had to do well here. So it feels really nice to contribute to the team’s win. The wicket was a bit slow. Actually, it suited my bowling. I just tried to take the pace off the ball and it worked out well for me. We bowled well in partnerships. That’s very important in T20 cricket.”

If Sri Lanka are to go far in the Champions Trophy, minus their trademark bowling mystique, a lot will depend on Nuwan Kulasekara hitting form

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Cardiff06-Jun-2013In each of their recent major-tournament campaigns, Sri Lanka’s greatest strength has lain in their attack. Diverse, persistent, occasionally vicious, opposition batsmen have been unsettled by unorthodoxy and discipline in equal parts. As the team prepares for its Champions Trophy opener in Cardiff, though, they will know they are light on mystique in this tournament.Lasith Malinga’s round-arm remains an oddity, but it is hardly unfamiliar now, given the amount of limited-overs cricket he plays around the world. Sachithra Senanayake also has a growing bag of slow-bowling tricks, but the two men Sri Lanka left out – Ajantha Mendis and Akila Dananjaya – are far more enigmatic. The remainder of Sri Lanka’s bowling options, from nagging right-arm seamers Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera, to Rangana Herath’s left-arm orthodox, pose challenges opponents have encountered before.And, by almost any standard, Nuwan Kulasekara is a run-of-the-mill bowler. Rarely exceeding 130kph, with a whippy action and a commitment to line, length and movement above all else, he has often been the dependable, but unremarkable cog in Sri Lanka’s attack. While team-mates gambled for wickets, Kulasekara’s role was to hold one end down. For a while, he was so good at it – he became the top-ranked ODI bowler in 2008.In 2013, though, Kulasekara finds his mandate altered significantly. Now a senior in the bowling unit, he has been called on to pick up the slack where Malinga can no longer be as effective. In the years before a new ball was used at each end, Sri Lanka had built a reputation as one of the best death-bowling outfits in the world, thanks to their spearhead’s ability to use reverse-swing. But a shift in the rules has brought a change in Malinga’s fortunes and even he admits his figures have suffered in the last 18 months. With the ball swinging conventionally for longer, however, the new rule suits Kulasekara’s game just fine.”The rule affects different people in different ways,” Kulasekara said. “I think there is more pressure on me now, to get wickets. Lasith is probably the best limited-overs bowler in the world, so if batsmen try to play him safely and attack me, I have a chance to get wickets. My strength is to swing the ball, so I’m expected to get those early breakthroughs.”In the past year, Kulasekara has added an away-seamer to his repertoire, to go with a straighter one and his stock ball, the inswinger. He had been in outstanding form in Australia early in the year, when he annihilated the Australia top order on a hot, muggy Brisbane day, taking 5 for 22, but his record in colder climes has not befit his ability. In five matches in England he only has a single victim to his name, and although he went wicketless in both Sri Lanka’s warm-up matches, he remains hopeful he can be as impactful in the Champions Trophy as he has increasingly been at home.”I haven’t been getting the ball out as well as I would have liked, and I’m not at my best when it comes to rhythm. That happens from time to time. We had got slow pitches in Birmingham [in the warm-up games] – the ball didn’t swing a lot. Sometimes when it is this cold, it doesn’t swing as well, so I haven’t been able to make the ball do what I hoped for. We have a few more practice sessions before the tournament, and I’ll be working hard with Chaminda Vaas to work those issues out and get back to my top rhythm. He has a lot of experience here, so I will have a good chat to him and try to correct it.”While Kulasekara has failed to find his best in England, Sri Lanka’s next-best swing bowler has prospered in the practice matches. Shaminda Eranga, who has previously impressed in England for the A team, took two wickets in each match despite not having the use of the new ball. With another right-arm seamer, Dilhara Lokuhettige, also in the squad, there is heat on Kulasekara to rediscover form quickly, but he has also enjoyed being part of a six-man pace unit on tour – an oddity for a Sri Lankan squad.”Actually we fast bowlers get together and try to figure out a collective strategy. With the new fielding restrictions, it’s not easy to bowl at the end of an innings. We all have different strengths, so we have ideas about what fields should be set and where to bowl, and we’re learning from each other and the bowling coach.”Sri Lanka lost both practice matches largely due to the bowlers’ indiscipline on flat Edgbaston wickets – even when the batsmen set up a massive total in the first game against India. Sri Lanka do not play any group matches in Birmingham, and Kulasekara feels the match results are not indicative of the team’s chances in the tournament.”Who wins or loses doesn’t really have a big effect. It’s a practice match so we’re changing bowlers around, rather than sticking to a plan, and when our batsmen are going well we retire them and so on. We tried to give everyone a chance, but there will be a big shift in our approach in the actual matches. We learnt a lot from these games, but the results won’t mean much.”Kulasekara has been a fixture in Sri Lanka’s ODI side, and it is unlikely two poor practice matches will change that, at least as far as their opening game against New Zealand. If the swing that has eluded his fingers thus far can define his cricket again, Sri Lanka will once more feel they have an attack that can carry them far into the tournament, unorthodox or not.