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Paul Collingwood believes he has chosen the perfect moment to end his Test career, as England close in on an unprecedented third innings victory of their tour of Australia

Andrew Miller at the SCG06-Jan-2011Paul Collingwood believes he has chosen the perfect moment to end his Test career, as England close in on an unprecedented third innings victory of their tour of Australia, a result that will go a long way towards erasing the bitter memories of the 5-0 whitewash of four years ago, and bring Collingwood’s own career full circle after the role he played on his home Test debut at The Oval in 2005, in the game that ended Australia’s two-decade-long dominance of the Ashes.Speaking on the day he made his impending retirement public, Collingwood described his feat of playing 68 Tests as an “over-achievement”, and modestly stated that England’s ambition of becoming the No. 1 team in the world will be that much more attainable without him blocking up an end in the manner that he has made his trademark in the course of the past five years.”In many ways it’s a sad moment, but I honestly think it’s the right time, and in many ways it’s the perfect moment,” said Collingwood. “This is what I’ve been playing the game of cricket for, to be in a position against Australia in Australia like this. I know I haven’t contributed with the bat in this series, but I’m a very, very happy man.”At the age of 34, Collingwood knew he was on borrowed time at Test level. His last meaningful innings was against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in July when he made 82 alongside Eoin Morgan, the man most likely to take his place in the middle order. Since then, his returns have been disappointing, with 83 runs in the whole Ashes campaign including a final, frenetic innings of 13 on the third day at Sydney.However, the desire to make amends for the whitewash four years ago, when his career-best 206 at Adelaide was not enough to stop the Australian juggernaut, made him determined to extend himself for one last series.”This series has been a special series for me,” he said. “I think 2005, playing at The Oval, was a special game, and a special moment, but although I haven’t scored the runs out here I can barely take the smile off my face. It’s been something that I’ve been waiting for, for a long time. The last time we were here four years ago, I actually managed to score runs and we got beat 5-0. This time I much prefer it this way around, let me tell you!”Collingwood’s fighting qualities have earned him plenty admirers in the course of his Test career, even though he has been written off at the highest level almost as often as he has battled back to produce a career- or match-saving innings. Right at this moment, however, Collingwood believes that the same qualities that helped hold the side together in the difficult years that followed the 2005 triumph are holding them back right now, as their stated goal of becoming the world’s No. 1 Test team draws ever closer.”That’s one of the reasons why I’m moving on, to be honest!” he said. “Honestly, this team can go as far as they want to. As you can see from this series, our batting has gone from strength to strength. They can take a lot of confidence from the way they’ve played out here, but they can still progress and they are very eager to improve all the time. The work ethic that they have is fantastic, and that’s one of the things I’ll miss, but I’m very much looking forward to watch them in the future. They can be a very special side.””Obviously my form hasn’t helped, but I’m very realistic,” he added. “At the same time there are some great young players coming though, but if I wanted to progress and stay in this England cricket team, I was going to have to work very hard on technical things, and whether I’ve got the time and the ability to stay up with this England cricket team, I’m not too sure.”I’m very, very satisfied with the contributions over my Test career,” he said. “It mustn’t be easy to watch for some people at times, but I’ve fought hard, given my all, and as I said, this is the perfect moment. I’ve played the last year just to get into this series, and to be involved in a great England cricket team like it is at the moment, with some special players and some special characters, it’s a very proud place to be. I can safely say I’ve made the right decision at the right time.””A lot of people might find it difficult to believe I’d stay in the team that long. It’s taken a lot of effort, in many ways I’ve over-achieved, averaging 40. In many ways I’ve scrapped it out. I’ve had my ups and downs but I wouldn’t change a thing about how my career has been. Some of the players I’ve played with in that England dressing room have been exceptional, and I can safely say that the environment we’ve got in that dressing room is a very special place. That’s why it’s hard to leave, but it’s definitely the right time.”Collingwood has long had a reputation for putting the team first, and his delight at toppling the Australians was unmistakable, and not remotely dented by his personal shortcomings with the bat. In his opinion, it is the culmination of a mission that began on his first tour of the country in 2002-03, when the challenge was to transform England’s expectations against opponents that at times seemed invincible.”This is what we were trying to build towards,” he said. “At the time there wasn’t the belief we could beat Australia, and it was a culture that we had to turn around. It didn’t work last time around, but I honestly believe we have skilful cricketers in England, and we’ve got a culture that believes we can beat anyone in the world.”I think that part of the game, the mental side, the belief, is a huge part, and creating a culture like that in the dressing room is more important than a lot of the technical work you do in the nets. These guys have worked long and hard for that, but they can get better as well, and go from strength to strength.”Matt Prior, who scored his first Ashes century on the fourth day at Sydney, said that Collingwood would be greatly missed within the England dressing room. “The part of a cricketer you don’t see is the part away from the cricket ground,” he said. “Everyone will know the stats and the important innings he’s played, the great catches he’s taken and the wickets he’s taken. But it’s what a bloke like Colly brings to the dressing room, he’s definitely been one of the catalysts of why this team is where it is right now, and why the team spirit is like it is.”Collingwood admitted his motivation for making his announcement mid-Test was to scotch the whispers that had already begun to circulate, and also because he secretly believed that England might have won with a day to spare. And while he said that he had not intended to make a fuss about his departure, he admitted to feeling goosebumps in the final half-hour of the day, when England were pushing for victory with the Barmy Army in full cry.”I’m a softie really, to be honest,” he said. “I always said I wanted to bow out in England in front of English fans, but that felt like home tonight, with the atmosphere that was out there. It was very special. Someone said to me yesterday, I might not be too bothered about a massive swansong, but a lot of fans might be. When you look around the ground, you deserve to have those lasting memories.”

The return of Matt Prior is the major surprise in England’s 15-man World Cup squad after he was preferred to Steve Davies for the wicketkeeper’s role

Andrew McGlashan19-Jan-2011The return of Matt Prior is the major surprise in England’s 15-man World Cup squad after he was preferred to Steve Davies for the wicketkeeper’s role. Davies was the original glove man in the one-day squad against Australia, but won’t be travelling to the subcontinent as England make another change behind the stumps.The rest of the squad was as expected with Ajmal Shahzad securing the final fast bowler’s slot and James Tredwell, the Kent offspinner, named as back up for Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy. Paul Collingwood was included despite his recent omission against Australia, Luke Wright retained his spot as the spare allrounder and Stuart Broad is on track to recover from the stomach injury that kept him out since the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.The last-minute switch to Prior was unexpected and meant England changed their one-day wicketkeeper for the third time in less than a year. Prior last played against Bangladesh, in Chittagong, in March where he batted in the middle order before being replaced by Craig Kieswetter, who held the position until the series against Pakistan in September, when Davies earned a chance.Davies scored 197 runs in five matches against Pakistan and when he was retained for the current series against Australia he appeared set for the World Cup. He made 42 in the opening ODI in Melbourne but it was a scratchy innings which included four let-offs. The selectors were not convinced he was the right man for the subcontinent so Prior, who has been playing in the Big Bash for Victoria since the end of the Ashes, gets another chance at the top of the order. He will link up with the squad in Hobart ahead of the second ODI, where he will open with Andrew Strauss.”Matt Prior returns to the England ODI squad after a brief absence and given his recent form and his batting style, which is very well suited to the subcontinent conditions, we believe his inclusion is warranted,” Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. “Despite some strong performances both with the bat and behind the stumps by Steven Davies, we feel that Matt’s game will be better suited to the conditions in Bangladesh and India, the venues staging England’s group matches.”Prior has played 55 one-day internationals and averages 25.38 with a strike-rate of 74.80, while his record in India, where England will play five of their six group matches, is unflattering with 158 runs in 11 matches at an average of 17.55. However, he did finish the Ashes series in strong form with 85 in Melbourne and 118 in Sydney, and has since hit 51 off 29 balls for Victoria on his Big Bash debut against Tasmania.Prior is guaranteed his place in the starting XI but the same can’t be said of Collingwood after he was dropped for the opening match against Australia so he could “clear his mind”. He is expected to be given some match time towards the end of the one-day series and has been backed to be a key part of the World Cup.”Paul Collingwood may not have scored as many runs as he would have liked so far on the tour of Australia but he has been a consistently strong performer for England in limited-overs cricket for a long period of time,” Miller said. “His experience, ODI knowledge and skills across all three facets of the game make him a valuable member of the squad and he’ll be looking to make a big impact at another global event.”Miller was also confident the squad had the depth to cope with all the challenges that will be put forward during the tournament. “With spin bowlers set to play a prominent role in this World Cup we feel we have quality and depth in Graeme Swann, Michael Yardy and James Tredwell who have all shown their capabilities at international level,” he said.”We believe we have selected an extremely exciting World Cup squad that offers balance with several options across the entire squad. With this tournament being staged on the subcontinent the conditions will require a specific style of cricket and we feel that we’ve selected a squad that can prosper in these conditions.”Squad Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy

Gary Wilson, the wicketkeeper batsman currently with Ireland at the World Cup, has extended his deal at Surrey and is now contracted until 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2011Gary Wilson, the wicketkeeper batsman currently with Ireland at the World Cup, has extended his deal at Surrey and is now contracted until 2012.Wilson, 25, had a productive 2010, scoring his maiden first-class and ODI centuries and averaging 43.62 in his six first-class games for Surrey.Although Steven Davies is Surrey’s first choice wicket keeper, Wilson was able to force his way into the side on the strength of his batting, justifying his selection with 125 against Leicestershire at Grace Road in late August last year.Wilson said he is looking forward to continuing his development with Surrey: “It is brilliant to be extending my deal,” he said. “I really enjoy playing for the club and feel I can make a big contribution as we continue to move the team in a positive direction. Following my performances last year, I am looking to continue scoring runs and push my case for selection at all times.”Surrey coach Chris Adams added: “Gary is a hugely popular member of the playing staff here both in the dressing room and around the club in general. I am very pleased he has extended his contract and look forward to him continuing to develop his game over the next two years.”

Mumbai Indians’ first batting collapse of the tournament gave Rajasthan Royals a small target of 95, which they chase on a dry and cracked pitch in Jaipur

The Bulletin by Firdose Moonda29-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Warne and Rajasthan Royals were all over Mumbai Indians•AFP

Mumbai Indians’ first batting collapse of the tournament gave Rajasthan Royals a small target of 95 to chase on a dry and cracked pitch in Jaipur. Although the home team had to fight hard for their victory, it ended up being a comprehensive one.Sachin Tendulkar expected conditions to be difficult for batting but he probably didn’t expect that none of his batsmen would score more than 17. Mumbai started confidently with Tendulkar driving the second ball through point and Davy Jacobs punching the ball over long-on for the first six of the innings. Jacobs went three balls after that shot when he played across the line to an Amit Singh delivery that uprooted middle stump.In the next over, Tendulkar was stumped off the bowling of Ashok Menaria to give the left-arm spinner his first wicket in Twenty20 cricket and deny the spectators the possibility of a Tendulkar versus Shane Warne special. Menaria showed confidence in flighting the ball and reading the batsmen’s intentions. He was rewarded for a second time when he bowled a short delivery to Ambati Rayudu, who charged down the pitch and offered Menaria a simple return catch.Shane Warne brought himself on and had success in his second over, inviting Rohit Sharma to drive in the air to Johan Botha on the long-off rope. Kieron Pollard scored his first run of this year’s IPL with a flick through square leg and together with Andrew Symonds had to set about rebuilding the innings.The pair lasted 33 balls before Johan Botha trapped Pollard lbw, as he completely missed the offbreak. Botha struck twice in his next over, bowling Symonds with a ball that kept low and enticing R Sathish to charge down the pitch and get stumped. The procession continued when Lasith Malinga was dismissed for one by Amit Singh.Mumbai avoided the ignominy of being bowled out within the 20 overs as Harbhajan Singh swatted at four deliveries in the final over before finally connecting for a six. But, they finished on their lowest total in IPL history.It was always going to be difficult to defend 95 but with an aggressive bowling attack, Mumbai may have had some hope. Lasith Malinga started in his usual toe-crushing fashion while Munaf Patel was also accurate. He got an early breakthrough with a slower ball that Rahul Dravid scooped to Tendulkar at midwicket.Ali Murtaza, who was brought in in place of Abu Nechim, was bowling a difficult line and length and with the pitch keeping low he was almost impossible to get away. Watson and Botha saw off his first two overs and although the required-rate was never going to trouble them, they picked the balls to hit well.Botha slog-swept Harbhajan for six while Watson hit Pollard for a straight six over his head. They handled Murtaza with greater ease in his second spell and the chase was turning into a stroll. Tendulkar brought Malinga back into the attack, and after three full balls, he banged one in short to Watson who was caught behind off an edge.Ross Taylor joined Johan Botha and the pair concentrated on rotating the strike, which was all they needed to do. Two fuller deliveries were punished with Taylor stroking a ball through the covers for four and Botha lofting one over midwicket. Botha took Rajasthan to the brink and was bowled with just five runs left to get for the win. Rajasthan have now won 14 out of 18 home games in IPLs, with 11 of those wins coming in Jaipur.

01-May-2011
Scorecard
Former England Under-19 captain Alex Wakely posted easily his best one-day
league score of 78 not out as Northamptonshire secured a five-wicket Clydesdale
Bank 40 win over Durham at Chester-le-Street.Although he has made a Twenty20 half-century, the elegant 22-year-old
right-hander had a previous best List A score of 35.
He headed to the middle with his side on 14 for 2 in reply to 172, but with
no need to hurry he relied on good placement and lively running in a stand of 94
in 18 overs with opener Stephen Peters.When Dale Benkenstein brought himself on as Durham’s eighth bowler, he had
Peters caught behind for 55. But only six runs were needed by the time David
Sales was yorked by Mitch Claydon in the 37th over.Sunderland seamer Chris Rushworth, making his first appearance of the season
for Durham, then bowled another tight over to follow his opening spell of
4-1-4-2.With two wanted off two overs, Andrew Hall had a big swing at Claydon and was
bowled, but Northamptonshire still eased home with nine balls to spare.Only four Durham batsmen reached double figures and of those Ben Stokes took 40
balls to score 15, while last man Rushworth made 12 not out.
Chaminda Vaas removed both openers, Phil Mustard and Kyle Coetzer, in the first
over and conceded only six runs in five overs.Following his unbeaten 95 in last week’s win against Scotland, Gordon Muchall
easily top scored again with 70, made off 92 balls with six fours.
It was only during his third-wicket stand of 97 in 17 overs with Benkenstein
that Durham were in the game.The captain’s run-a-ball 44, which included the only six of the innings, ended
when he was brilliantly caught at long-on by Wakely, who clung on after knocking
the ball up one-handed just inside the rope off the bowling of James
Middlebrook.Benkenstein’s exit triggered the fall of four wickets for 14 runs, with
Middlebrook picking up three.There were also two in one over for 21-year-old left-arm seamer David Willey,
who forced Gareth Breese to play on and had Scott Borthwick caught behind.Rushworth bowled impressively at the start of Northamptonshire’s reply, beating
Mal Loye’s forward push to hit the off stump. Then Niall O’Brien swept to deep
backward square, where Coetzer held a well-judged catch.But by bringing on Stokes and Ashington seamer Mark Wood, making his
competitive debut, Durham relaxed the pressure and allowed Wakely to build his
match-winning innings.

Anthony Stuart reckons Australian cricket must develop a greater appetite for hard work if major success is to follow.

Daniel Brettig16-May-2011Anthony Stuart, the recently appointed New South Wales coach, reckons Australian cricket must develop a greater appetite for hard work if major success is to follow.Named as the man to replace Matthew Mott after spending five trophy-less years as the provincial coach of Wellington in New Zealand, Stuart’s reputation is one of meticulous preparation and stern advice. He has every intention of keeping that up with the Blues, who have tended to yo-yo between successful seasons and dire ones over the past decade.Stuart’s attitude is reflected in his thoughts about the national team, in which he enjoyed a brief but bright stint in 1997 that culminated in a hat-trick at the MCG against Pakistan. At the time Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were developing the partnership that would dominate world cricket for more than a decade. Stuart cannot see anyone of their ilk on the horizon.”I think the guys have got a lot of hard work in front of them,” he said. “I think the days are gone where we’ve got guys who could take wickets at will. When Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath retired we lost 1400 Test wickets. The guys understand there are greater challenges for them out there now and the guys have to be prepared for that. If they want to get back to the top of the pile then they’ve got to expect to do a lot of hard work.”The NSW chief executive, David Gilbert, has spoken admiringly of Stuart’s passion for the Blue cap and willingness to make hard decisions – the sort of advance billing that can make established players nervous but younger ones ambitious. Stuart is sure he will need to be tough in charge, expecting professionalism from his squad.”I think the guys are fully aware that they are full-time professional athletes,” he said. “They’ve got to expect that when they come they come to work and they come to work hard. I don’t think I’m going to be telling them anything different that they don’t already know. With a different voice and maybe a different philosophy on things that might be the key to make a difference.”I’m not here to reinvent the wheel, the boys have had some short-term success in the last few years and my job is to just challenge them that little bit further and make sure guys are continually wanting to improve and that’s why I’m here.”I’ll be tough when I need to be but the players have to be tough when they need to be as well. My job is to make sure that we don’t get comfortable, we make sure we turn up with the right attitude at every training session, let alone every game. That’s important for guys that they’re not always going to be feeling great every day, every training and gym session but it’s important that when you are feeling tough that you come with the right attitude.”Because that’s when good players and good sides get through in tough situations, when they find that extra bit when they’re not feeling great but they find a way to win.”One player welcoming Stuart to the fold is the sometime Test off spinner Nathan Hauritz, who is presently trying to prove his fitness in time to be considered for the tour of Sri Lanka in August.
“I think it’s a very positive step forward for NSW,” he said. “There’s a very young group, a medium to young group, and it’s time for those guys to mould their own dynasty, like back when it was the Waughs and [Stuart] MacGills.”At NSW now it’s probably time for Moises Henriques, young Nic Maddinson, Pat Cummins, all those kids coming through, to be able to do that. I think Anthony Stuart will allow them to do that.”

Nottinghamshire Outlaws continued their relentless run towards the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals with their fifth win in five home matches as Northamptonshire Steelbacks were beaten by 23 runs

18-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Nottinghamshire Outlaws continued their relentless run towards the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals with their fifth win in five home matches as Northamptonshire Steelbacks were beaten by 23 runs. Overseas batsman Adam Voges was again the star, as the competition’s leading
scorer hit 49 from 32 balls to help the hosts reach 183 for 6. Fellow Australian international David Hussey contributed 33 while David Willey took 3 for 31 for the visitors.In reply, the Steelbacks never got to grips with the Notts bowling attack and although Alex Wakely struck an enterprising 61 from 36 balls with three fours and two sixes, they eventually finished on 160 for 6, with former Notts batsman Bilal Shafayat making 37. Samit Patel kept things tight to claim 2 for 29 with his left-arm spin and fast bowler Darren Pattinson, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, took 2 for 32.Notts have hit upon a winning formula at Trent Bridge in the past two seasons of batting first and defending a big target, and skipper Hussey had no hesitation in continuing the trend after winning the toss. Opening batsmen Alex Hales and Riki Wessels put on 46 in the first six overs
before Wessels was bowled by Willey for 29, having hit six fours from 19 balls.Willey also removed Hales four balls later for 17 but Voges and Hussey kept up the momentum with a partnership of 50 off 35 balls. Hussey launched James Middlebrook for six and two fours before he was adjudged lbw to Johan Botha, with Willey returning to bowl Patel, while Voges and Steven Mullaney were victims of Andrew Hall in the closing overs.Pattinson has made a habit of picking up a wicket with the new ball and his offcutter was too good for Rob Newton, who lost his off-stump. Shafayat and Niall O’Brien could not find the boundary in the early stages and although Northamptonshire reached the 10th over before losing another wicket, they were well behind the run-rate.The visiting batsmen were forced to hit out but only Wakely managed to reach the boundary, with O’Brien pulling to midwicket for 26, Shafayat caught at deep midwicket off Patel and the middle order subsiding under the pressure.

Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler, has said he is confident of handling the responsibility of leading the attack

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2011Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler, has said he is confident of being able to lead Pakistan’s bowling attack in the absence of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, both of whom have been banned from the game for at least five years for spot-fixing.”I can handle the responsibility of leading the bowling attack for Pakistan and won’t succumb to the pressure that comes with this added responsibility,” Gul told . “I feel I have performed well for Pakistan over the years and will continue to do so.”Gul made his debut 2003 at the age of 19 and has become a fixture in all three formats, though his Twenty20 and one-day records are currently superior to his Test record, something he hopes to correct in the future. “In twenty-over cricket the bowlers have more energy, the batsmen take more risks and therefore it’s easier to take wickets,” Gul said. “Yes, no doubt in the past three or four years I’ve bowled well in the shorter formats of the game, but I enjoy Test cricket and it’s only in the last 18 months that I haven’t had great results in Test cricket.”I’m working hard to improve my Test record and I am confident that I will succeed in that format also.”In the game’s shortest version, Gul has taken 47 wickets from 34 T20Is at an average of 16.00 and an economy rate of 6.47, and credits the ability to think on his feet and adapt to changing circumstances for his success. It also helps to be able to mix it up as a bowler. “Variation also plays a major role in a bowler’s armoury. You have to be able to bowl a good yorker and have the ability to mix up your pace, without the batsmen reading you. The variations are key, but it’s also important that you use these varieties at the right time.”When asked about Pakistan’s World Cup semi-final loss to India, a game in which Gul gave away 69 runs in eight overs, he said the pressure on Pakistan was immense and it was simply not his day. “The pressure on Pakistan was not the pressure of performing well or losing, rather it was the pressure of the mounting expectations from fans all over the world. In addition, there was a break of several days between the quarter-final and the semi-final and rather than just getting on to do the business of playing the match, we had to wait around for a few days before the match.”That meant that the hype surrounding the match just grew and grew. Also the Indian side saw me as one of the key players in the Pakistan side and targeted my bowling that day. They were successful in their approach and unfortunately it wasn’t my day.”Gul is currently playing for Sussex in the Friends Life t20 tournament and is relishing the experience, saying his stint there is important in his overall development as a cricketer. “The management team and the players are very good, there is a very professional and positive approach and there is no such thing as a blame culture. It doesn’t matter if you have a good game or not, everyone backs each other and there is no criticism.”A number of other Pakistan internationals, including his former captain Shahid Afridi, are also competing in the same tournament, and Gul said he is enjoying going up against them. “We all know each others’ strengths and weaknesses and I’m sure it makes for interesting viewing.”

In cricket, a combination of opposites is usually the most pleasing one and the differences are often best expressed when they come up against each other

Firdose Moonda in Bulawayo02-Sep-2011In cricket, a combination of opposites is usually the most pleasing one. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel: the swinger and the bouncer; Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid: the aggressor and the grinder.But these differences are often best expressed when they come up against each other. In Bulawayo, the contrast wasn’t an obvious one but it was a fascinating one: the steadily dripping tap of Tino Mawoyo against Mohammad Hafeez’s gushing river.In the time it took Hafeez to reach his half-century, Mawoyo had only gathered nineteen runs. The number of boundaries Hafeez scored in his half-century – 10 – Mawoyo only managed when he had accumulated 80 runs. If Hafeez faces the 453 balls that Mawoyo did, he may well have a double century and more.Mawoyo was content to play the waiting game and frustrate the opposition bowlers more than they could frustrate him while Hafeez took the fight straight to the Zimbabwe bowlers, offering them no respite during an attractive and engaging innings. Mawoyo’s strength was in his supreme patience, Hafeez’s his strokeplay.Before the Test started, Mawoyo described himself as a person who enjoys watching the show, not being in it. After finishing day one on an undefeated and composed 82, he was in danger of becoming the star of the show, not just a supporting actor. This morning, when he scored the first runs with a classy cover drive, the credits of the movie started to roll, with Mawoyo’s name dominating. And they rolled, and rolled, and rolled, and rolled, and rolled. More than five hours later, they were still rolling. Mawoyo took his time delivering his soliloquy.For a 30-minute period early on, before he reached his hundred, he had scored just three runs. He spent the entire morning session negotiating Saeed Ajmal from the Matopos End. Even after facing him for more than a day, Mawoyo still could not pick the doosra. Ajmal continued to challenge him, almost dismissing him on 98, but Mawoyo continued to defy the offspinner. He faced 13 balls on 99 before bringing up his century in a typically understated fashion, with a run that might have been a leg-bye.An intriguing race to see if Mawoyo’s score could catch up to the number of overs ensued and it was only when he reached 121 in the 120th over that he could claim a small victory. With Pakistan realising they were faced with a wall, they decided to try and hammer it down and peppered Mawoyo with short balls. He only took the bait to pull when he was convinced that it would reach the boundary, blocking or ignoring those that he thought were going to trap him.His refusal to succumb was a sign of a strong mind, one that would not be distracted irrespective of time spent at the crease, heat, fatigue or the constant chatter by Adnan Akmal with involved many utterances of the word “yourself.” Mawoyo would not be disturbed, neither would be forced to change tack and he made that clear.Even after Mawoyo had reached the 150 mark, he did not consider it time to become more expansive, and went on to face eight dot balls before taking his next run. His celebrations were modest, perhaps because he never felt as though he had won, especially against Ajmal’s doosra. Mawoyo was beaten by it all way through, until the end of his innings, when he missed one in the 150th over of the day.By contrast, the experienced Hafeez was beaten by very little. The youth of Brian Vitori, the pace of Kyle Jarvis, the steadiness of Chris Mpofu and even the late turn from Ray Price couldn’t stop the Pakistan opener. His only wobble came in the third over. After he had played two sublime off drives off Vitori, he got an edge to a delivery that moved across him. Brendan Taylor, at second slip, put down the catch and that blunder only fuelled Hafeez’s fire, instead of inhibiting him.Vitori was taken aback by the early assault, the first he has had to deal with at international level and splayed “hit me” deliveries all over the place. Too straight, too short, too wide, too full but never too good. Although the attack Hafeez faced had more zip than the one Mawoyo had to contend with, they were also more wayward, bowling too short to Hafeez, allowing him to pull comfortably. Azhar Ali was playing a more Mawoyo-like innings on the other side, which gave Hafeez the freedom to put on a firework-like display of shots.There were many times when Mawoyo had that same freedom, but he chose not use it. It was another of those wonderful contrasts in cricket – the room to accommodate those who express themselves with the bat, like Hafeez, and the same space for those who decide that their best form of articulation is by doing things softly and carefully, like Mawoyo.

Norton Fredrick, the former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer, died on Wednesday at the age of 73 following a terminal illness at his home in Wattala

Sa'adi Thawfeeq10-Aug-2011Norton Fredrick, the former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer, died on Wednesday at the age of 73, following a terminal illness, at his home in Wattala, ten kilometres from Colombo. Fredrick played for the All Ceylon team before Sri Lanka had Test status, and also for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club in Sri Lanka. Although stocky for a fast bowler, he had all the ingredients that make a good quick – a short temper and speed.Fredrick’s four-year career with Ceylon was short but he made a big impact, and earned the nickname Fiery Fred, which he shared with Fred Trueman. Although not an orthodox quick, he generated a great deal of pace; his most potent delivery was the inswinger bowled with a high-arm action with which he beat batsmen regularly and bowled them through the gate, often hitting the bails.His most memorable match was an unofficial Test for All Ceylon against India, played in Ahmedabad in 1965, in which he ripped through the Indian top order in both innings to set up a historic four-wicket win for his country. It was the first time All Ceylon had won in India and Sri Lanka have never won a Test in India since becoming a Test-playing nation.Fredrick took seven wickets in the match in Ahmedabad – 4 for 85 in the first innings and 3 for 24 in the second – and his victims were Dilip Sardesai (twice), India captain the Nawab of Pataudi (twice), Farokh Engineer, Abbas Ali Baig and Hanumant Singh, who according to Frederick was the best batsman in India at the time. India were bowled out for totals of 189 and 66.For a fast bowler, Fredrick suffered remarkably few injuries through his career. “I never suffered from cramps until I got one holding on to a return catch given by Indian batsman Chandu Borde. Only then did I know what a cramp was,” Fredrick once said. He maintained his physique by doing wind sprints after practice for about an hour and parallel bar exercises.Strangely enough Fredrick never played cricket for his school St Joseph’s College, Colombo in the ten years he was a student there because he bowled with a round-arm action. “I bowled so fast that I used to injure children at Under-13 and Under-14 level with a tennis ball. But when I went for first XI practices the coach said that I had a square-arm action and dropped me from the team,” he once recalled.It was when Fredrick joined the Prisons Department as a welfare officer that his cricket career really started to take shape. He joined Bloomfield in 1959, took five wickets in his first match for them and never looked back. He played eight years of Sara Trophy Division One cricket for Bloomfield, helping them win the title in 1963-64 by taking 57 wickets. In his entire career for Bloomfield he captured 183 wickets, at an average of 16.58.In the four years he represented Ceylon (1964-1968) Fredrick played against Australia, the MCC, India and Pakistan, opening the bowling with Darrell Lieversz and with Ian Pieris; he played under the leadership of CI Gunasekera and Michael Tissera. Due to family commitments he was forced to end his career in 1968. He was a Sri Lanka Cricket-appointed match referee in later years and had a road named after him called Norton Place in his neighbourhood in recognition of the social service he and his wife did for the community. He had two sons, one of whom was an army officer who died during the civil war in Sri Lanka.