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Australia’s meticulous planning and organised performance against a Sri Lankan team that has floundered rather more than it has flourished will count for very little should the hosts gather themselves and win the final Test in Colombo

Daniel Brettig in Colombo13-Sep-2011Australia’s meticulous planning and organised performance against a Sri Lankan team that has floundered rather more than it has flourished will count for very little should the hosts gather themselves and win the final Test in Colombo. For all the progress that appears to have been made under the captaincy of Michael Clarke, there will be nothing to show for it in terms of the series or the ICC rankings if the Australians slip up at the SSC.Shane Watson, the vice-captain, was extremely wary of this fact as he looked back upon the second Test in Pallekele, which the tourists dominated to an even greater extent than they had in Galle, only for rain and bad light to scupper any chance of the victory that would have secured a 2-0 series lead. Having worked so assiduously towards the goal of success in Sri Lanka, the thought of going home with a 1-1 scoreline from the Tests drew a pained look on Watson’s face.”That’s the most disappointing thing about this Test,” Watson said. “We played really well throughout the whole Test and didn’t get the result to be able to win the series. We’re really going to have to be on, because if we’re not on in the last Test we could draw the series.”Given how well we’ve played over the last two Tests we’ll be letting ourselves down if we don’t play as well as we know we can and give them a chance to get back into the series.”Critical to the fortunes of both teams will be the matter of physical recovery, for despite all the rain breaks, and numerous innings of brief duration, team physios and the medical staff have been stretched to the edges of their capability by the scheduling of three back-to-back Tests. Watson, well-attuned to the need for rigorous personal training and maintenance after an injury-riddled start to his career, emphasised the need for a light few days.”The most important thing is to recover as well as we can,” Watson said. “We need to go into the third Test as fresh as we possibly can so these next three days are going to be so important to make sure we are ready to go and play well again.”[For me] it means not doing too much at all apart from a little bit of batting to be able to get that going well, but bowling-wise I won’t be doing too much because I bowled a bit through this game. I know exactly what works for me and that is freshening up as much as I can to give myself every chance to be in a good place going into the last Test, because three Test matches in three weeks is hard work and you need every chance of energy you can.”Within the Australian XI, the most critical questions of fitness will surround the pace spearhead Ryan Harris, due to have a stiff right hamstring assessed on his arrival in Colombo on Tuesday afternoon, plus the inexperienced duo of Nathan Lyon and Trent Copeland.”That [injury] has always been part of his history unfortunately,” Watson said. “We’ve seen how well he’s bowled in the last two Tests. When he’s fit and going he’s definitely one of our first picked bowlers because he charges in all day and bowls well with the new and old ball. But that is always the question, playing three Tests back to back with his history. We’ll see how he pulls up.”Lyon and Copeland have so far responded stoutly to the physical and technical challenges presented to them, but may yet face their most pressing questions on a Colombo pitch that will more than likely sit heavily in the favour of the local batsmen.”That’s always a big challenge, getting used to playing three games back to back, technically, mentally and physically so it’s going to be a good test for them,” Watson said. “That’s the thing with Test cricket, it is a big test but they are holding up alright and Copeland is used to bowling a lot of overs in the forms he plays for New South Wales. Lyono will be ready to go, he is obviously still very excited about being able to play Test cricket so hopefully there won’t be too much rain in Colombo and the wicket will break up more and bring him into that game.”Watson is not on the tour selection panel that now comprises Clarke and coach Tim Nielsen, but he favoured minimal changes to the team that had done everything within its power to secure the series in the first two matches. To keep a stable team, Watson reckoned, would be to help build the confidence and culture of a team that had taken plenty of hits in the preceding 12 months.”My opinion is I would prefer to keep with a group that’s doing really well,” Watson said. “There’s no doubt that’s when you are able to continue to build as a team and the individuals within the team as well, the more continuity you get I think the better for everyone.”On the fresh legs side of things I am not sure what will happen, I know what we have been able to do as a group bowling-wise has been very impressive. I think what we are building has been very exciting.”In Pallekele that building included Shaun Marsh, who now must wait to discover if he can keep his spot when Ricky Ponting returns.”It’s a great thing, something we haven’t had too much over the last year or so really, pressure for spots even within our team,” Watson said. “So that’s a great selection drama to have within our team, because it means some guys are performing very well. There’s no doubt Shaun being able to come in and bat No. 3 on debut and make the most of the opportunity is very impressive, to see the way he batted in his first Test, so it’s definitely going to make selection very difficult.”

Chris Gayle will only be considered for selection for West Indies if he retracts statements he has made about the West Indies board and its officers

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2011Chris Gayle will only be considered for selection for West Indies if he retracts statements he has made about the West Indies board and its officers, the WICB has said in a statement. The board will appoint a facilitator to assist Gayle in complying with their requirements. The decision comes after the last meeting between Gayle and WICB chief Ernest Hilaire, on August 25, had more positive results then previous interactions between the parties.Relations between Gayle and the board had broken down after he gave an interview in April to a radio station during which he was scathing about both the board and coach Ottis Gibson. After attempts at reconciliation failed, and Gayle was left out of the squad for the whole of the home series against India, he released a long and emotional public statement, in which he traced the evolution of the dispute back to 2009, when, he said, Hilaire had cast doubts on his ability to captain the team.The board has now said it recognises that Gayle can “contribute meaningfully” to the West Indies team, but will only select him if he withdraws his criticisms. The WICB said they had told Gayle of their decision and were waiting for his response.Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and now WICB director, said it was important to get a senior player like Gayle back in the West Indies setup and that it would be wise for Gayle to comply with the board’s requirements.”First of all it is disappointing that the matter has gone on for as long as it has,” Lloyd said in the board statement. “What we need now is closure and, to be fair, anyone of whom those comments were made would have a right to take umbrage.’Withdrawing the comments would be the intelligent thing to do to get the issue resolved and have everyone move on. We need senior players to be in the setup to drive the progress forward and any team would love to entertain Gayle, but under the right circumstances.”Gayle has not played for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup. Since then, he has been an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s squad in their IPL and Champions League Twenty20 campaigns, finishing as the leading run-getter in the IPL.His saga with the board had escalated to a level where the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government had become involved. West Indies are currently touring Bangladesh, after which they will go to India to play three Tests and five ODIs.

R Ashwin, the India offspinner, has been given the Dilip Sardesai award for being the best performer in the home Test series against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2011R Ashwin, the India offspinner, will be given the Dilip Sardesai award for being the best performer in the home Test series against West Indies.Ashwin was the Man of the Series in his debut series, which India won 2-0, taking 22 wickets at an average of 22.90. He claimed nine wickets on debut in Delhi, won two Man-of-the-Match awards, and also scored 121 runs at an average of 40.33. He made his maiden century in the third Test in Mumbai, where he steered India to a tense draw in the fourth innings.He will be given the award at the BCCI awards ceremony in Chennai in December.The BCCI instituted the Dilip Sardesai Award in 2007 for the player who performs best in bilateral series between India and West Indies. Ishant Sharma was given the award for India’s tour of the Caribbean earlier this year.

Ed Cowan has barged his way into Australia’s Boxing Day Test team to face India through weight of runs, and will be joined by Shaun Marsh provided the West Australian can prove his fitness

Daniel Brettig21-Dec-2011Ed Cowan, the Tasmania opening batsman currently among the runs, has been picked for Australia’s Boxing Day Test team to face India and will be joined in the top three by Shaun Marsh provided the West Australian can prove his fitness.Ben Hilfenhaus has also earned a recall, the selectors seeking an experienced head to help a young bowling attack battle India’s batsmen at the MCG.Cowan and Marsh replaced Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja from the XI that was beaten by New Zealand in Hobart, with Shane Watson and Ryan Harris unable to be chosen due to continued fitness complaints.Watson aggravated a calf problem on day one of the team’s batting camp in Melbourne, while Harris indicated he was short of the required conditioning after returning to cricket for the Brisbane Heat in last night’s BBL match at the Gabba.

Australia Test squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Daniel Christian, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon

John Inverarity, the national selector, said Cowan would open the batting, with Marsh and Daniel Christian to vie for one spot and Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Starc the other.”Ed has been in wonderful form, and the intention is that he will open the batting with David Warner,” Inverarity said. “Of the XI that will line up on December 26, it will either be Shaun Marsh or Daniel Christian.”It is likely if Shaun plays that he’ll be batting at No. 3, if Daniel plays then he’d be at No. 6 and the batting line-up would be re-arranged accordingly, and then it would seem likely that one of Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus would be 12th man. That’s the anticipated balance of the side but we’ll have to wait on weather and pitch conditions and final form and fitness.”Inverarity said Marsh’s need to show his back can stand up to the rigours of a Test match caused the naming of a 13-man squad.”The NSP has named 13 players due to the ongoing uncertainty about the fitness of Shaun Marsh,” Inverarity said. “Shane Watson was not considered for selection as he has not recovered sufficiently from his injury. Ryan Harris has not yet achieved the volume of bowling required to be available for consideration for Test selection.”Ed Cowan has been in excellent form in recent weeks. His inclusion is in recognition of his consistently good performances and we anticipate that he can provide steadiness at the top of the order. Ben Hilfenhaus has regained form this season and he provides a strong and reliable bowling option.”We see both Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja as developing players with bright futures and remaining as players of significance. They are determined young men and I know that they will work hard to produce compelling performances and push strongly for further consideration.”Since turning around an indifferent start to the season with an unbeaten 91 in a limited overs match against South Australia in Burnie in mid-November, Cowan’s scores have been 4, 134*, 145, 10, 65, 145* and 109 in the first innings of the tour match against the Indians.His strong form has been mirrored by Hilfenhaus, who has shown greater snap and swing this summer, most recently for Hobart in the Twenty20 competition, after he looked innocuous at times against England during last summer’s Ashes series. He was also considered close to selection for the New Zealand series, though the selectors ultimately decided to test out a younger attack as a precursor to India’s visit.”Ben Hilfenhaus is in very good form,” Inverarity said. “I think he had a few body concerns and his action deteriorated a little bit last year and he seems to have got it back and been playing in very good form. He is a strong, durable, experienced bowler.”It [the T20 match in Perth] certainly wasn’t a negative, he bowled very well, but we’ve been considering Ben for some weeks and he provides a strong, durable experienced option for us.”Watson’s case is more problematic, as he has now suffered a trio of fitness problems since the start of the South Africa tour. Inverarity said the panel was hopeful Watson would be fit to play in the second Test of the India series in Sydney.”Shane is not fit to play. He’s had ongoing troubles with his calf,” Inverarity said. “The situation is improving and we hope he’ll be in contention for the second Test in Sydney. But he’s not available to play this game. It is an option for him to bat down the order, yes. The word from Shane Watson was that he was not fit to play. I wasn’t in Melbourne yesterday but he spoke at length with Mickey Arthur and the word was he’s not ready.”Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey remain part of the Test team despite poor displays in Hobart and advancing years, Inverarity speaking of their value to the dressing room as a critical factor in their continued retention.”They’ve both been wonderful cricketers, they are wonderful cricketers, and terrific men and provide a lot for the side,” he said. “We all on the selection panel are keen for them to do well. We’re hoping they have a breakthrough in the next week or two. They offer a tremendous amount to the side.”

Mountaineers reached the final of the Stanbic Bank 20 Series with a seven-wicket victory over Matabeleland and will face either Tuskers or Eagles

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2011Mountaineers reached the final of the Stanbic Bank 20 Series with a seven-wicket victory over Matabeleland Tuskers at the Harare Sports Club. The captain Hamilton Masakadza struck an unbeaten 80 to see his side home with four balls to spare.Tuskers became the first team in the tournament to decide to bat and Chris Gayle’s 45 from 34 balls gave them an excellent start. However, he was caught at third man and Charles Coventry picked out long-on for the same score two overs later. But Craig Ervine struck two fours and a six in his 23 from 14 balls to ensure Tuskers posted an eight-an-over target.In reply, Phil Mustard produced a flying start for Mountaineers with 10 from the first over and 12 from the second. The chase had reached 51 without loss from the first five overs, of which Mustard had 33. He was run out in the seventh over but his opening partner Masakadza took up the mantle and hit three fours and five sixes in a match-winning innings.Tuskers could still qualify for the final if they win a play-off against Eagles on Friday. Mashonaland Eagles earned a place in the play-off for the final after they comfortably beat Mid West Rhinos by 53 runs. Stuart Matsikenyeri struck seven fours and five sixes in his powerful 89 from 51 balls as his side posted 195 for 5. Ryan ten Doeschate, the Essex allrounder, clubbed 63 from 33 balls as the openers put on 109 to set a formidable platform. Matsikenyeri fell to Richard Muzhange, who limited the damage with 3 for 24.Despite an opening stand of 35 in four overs Rhinos were never in the run chase. Rikki Wessels made 42 from 28 balls with two sixes but he was bowled by Peter Trego, who claimed 4 for 27 as Rhinos fell a long way shy of their target.

Dinesh Karthik, the lone centurion for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy final, has blamed the Chepauk pitch for spoiling his team’s chances of winning the title

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jan-2012Dinesh Karthik, the lone centurion for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy final, has blamed the Chepauk pitch for spoiling his team’s chances of winning the title. The pitch became the focal point of the debate after Rajasthan amassed 621 runs across the first three days, taking advantage of a surface that was devoid of any bounce or pace. Though the game was drawn, Rajasthan took the title on first-innings points.The Rajasthan opening pair of Vineet Saxena and Aakash Chopra remained unconquered on a tedious first day when only 221 runs were scored.”To some extent, yes,” Karthik said, when asked if he would blame the pitch for Tamil Nadu finishing as runners-up. “Because after playing eight quality games you come up for the final only to realise it is going to be so toss-based. Any game for that matter should not be toss-based. There should be a pitch for both batsmen and bowlers. That is the key to sport, a contest.” Karthik’s previous century in a Ranji final came when Tamil Nadu played Mumbai at the same venue in the 2003-04 season.Incidentally the pitch for the final was the same surface Tamil Nadu had played Madhya Pradesh (group game) and Maharashtra (quarter-finals). In both those games, Tamil Nadu managed to bowl out the opposition at least once, but in the final they were made to toil fruitlessly. The fears of a weary pitch were realised completely: if the lack of pace on the dry pitch kept the fast bowlers parched, the spinners were hurt by the lack of bounce.Describing the pitch, Karthik said it was initially slow to start on day one and the cracks started getting wider over the subsequent days. “It is a little annoying to bat on (after day 3) you cannot play freely. If you are a positive player, there are not many shots you can play because you are not going to get value for your shots. That is why the run rate remained consistent at 2 to 2.2 types.”On the penultimate day, the pitch had become extremely slow. Still, Karthik’s century was the best innings in terms of strokeplay. It did not come easy, Karthik stressed. “It was far more difficult to bat than on what it was at the start of the match. The wicket was slow throughout the game but it became slower from the third day and the odd ball was keeping low and the cracks were opening.”Karthik failed to understand why such an important match could not be hosted on a better pitch, which would have retained the balance between bat and ball. He even cited the examples of venues like Mumbai and Baroda being fit to host the domestic season’s most important match. “I am disappointed at the fact that we cannot play on a wicket like a Wankhede or Baroda (Moti Bagh) wickets which are conducive to both batting and bowling. The scoreline would have been much more different.”However, Karthik credited the Rajasthan bowlers for maintaining accurate lines and the batsmen for their admirable patience. Tamil Nadu suffered a setback as soon as they started their innings after the new ball pair of Rituraj Singh and Pankaj Singh sent back their top order by bowling fast and keeping the length full. Being in the field for the first eight sessions had affected the hosts’ batsmen mentally and physically.”It is very easy for me to say that the Rajasthan bowlers bowled well and they definitely did that. But there is no doubting the fact they had a cushion of 620 runs,” Karthik said. “And they bowled to their strengths, bowling in straight lines consistently.”At the same time the, Karthik did not blame his own bowlers for failing to stall the opposition. “Our bowlers did a fantastic job throughout the season but this was the game where the Rajasthan batsmen applied themselves and the wicket was very good to bat on (on the first two days) and they did not make any mistake at all.”Karthik appreciated Saxena’s relaxed demeanour throughout his marathon knock of 257, spread across 907 minutes. “It is very difficult to concentrate for such long periods of time without making a mistake and that was fantastic. Nor did he play a false stroke.”Comparatively, Tamil Nadu were hurt by the lack of partnerships: if Rajasthan had one double-century and two century partnerships, the highest for the hosts was the 76-run alliance between Karthik and R Prasanna for the fourth wicket. “To put it simply, there were about fifteen sessions in the game and they won all fifteen whether it be batting and bowling. Their lowest partnership must have been close to a hundred. We could not even get one hundred partnership and they had a double-hundred partnership. That is how good they were.”Despite failing to win the title once again, Karthik said there was no need for any drastic measures. In fact, he said the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association had supported the players by retaining the group across the last few years. If anything, he said Tamil Nadu should be proud. “In all honesty, to finish No.2 is nothing to be ashamed about. It was a proud achievement the way we have played our cricket. It was the only game in the entire Ranji Trophy we had lost and it says a lot about this team.”Karthik said the bowling attack, led by L Balaji was a big improvement over the previous years. However, he picked one area of improvement. “I would love to see a pool of spinners to choose from. At the moment I see four spinners – two left-armers and two off spinners – (so) I would like see a leg spinner who can come and help us.”

The sentencing of Mervyn Westfield, the former Essex pace bowler who pleaded guilty to spot-fixing last month, has been adjourned for a week

Alan Gardner10-Feb-2012The sentencing of Mervyn Westfield, the former Essex pace bowler who pleaded guilty to spot-fixing last month, has been adjourned for a week until February 17 due to “administrative matters.”The hearing had been scheduled to start at 11am but was put back as representatives of the prosecution and the defence discussed details relating to the case. Eventually the session began at around 12.15, at which point Westfield’s counsel, Mark Milliken-Smith, asked for the adjournment. The prosecution offered no objection and Judge Anthony Morris agreed to the request.Westfield, 23, became the first English cricketer to be convicted of spot-fixing after submitting a guilty plea at the start of his trial at the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, on January 12. He admitted to accepting £6,000 in return for conceding a set number of runs off an over in a Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009.Westfield was paid despite failing to give up the agreed 12 runs – Durham managed just to score 10 from the over, the first of the bowler’s spell, in a game which Essex went on to win. The truth only came to light in 2010 when Westfield confessed to then team-mate Tony Palladino, now of Derbyshire, and showed him the money he had received.Palladino had been due to be the prosecution’s main witness in the case before Westfield decided to admit his crime, despite previous denials.

Chamara Silva, the Sri Lanka middle-order batsman, gave a timely reminder to the national selectors who that he is prime form

Sa'adi Thawfeeq at the SSC20-Mar-2012Chamara Silva, the Sri Lanka middle-order batsman, gave a timely reminder to the national selectors that he is prime form by hitting 163 off 180 balls for Sri Lanka Development XI on the opening day of the three-day practice match against the tourists at the SSC.Silva scored 1000 runs for Bloomfield in the domestic Premier League Tier A tournament but is unlikely to come under consideration for the first Test against England in Galle next week. The last of his 11 Tests came against West Indies, in Trinidad, during 2008 and with the emergence of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera, Silva has been pushed aside but made the most of a chance to impress.”This innings was no different to how I batted throughout the season. I didn’t do anything different and the runs came my way and I kept going,” he said. “The difference is that this was a Test bowling line-up and you don’t receive too many loose balls. The bowlers’ names don’t matter to me very much. Whoever bowls he bowls the same ball. If you play the correct stroke to every ball you will score runs.”Silva was slotted to go in at No. 3 and was already walking out to bat while the first over of the innings was in progress after opener Malinda Warnapura had fallen for a duck to the third ball.”Going out to bat in the first over was a big challenge for me,” Silva said. “I had to face the new ball but I was able to negotiate it because of the form I was in. I started to middle the ball from the very first delivery I faced. As much as England bowled well I also batted well.”Silva was especially aggressive against the spinners and Graeme Swann, England’s No.1 slow bowler, went wicketless while conceding over 100 runs. “I play spinners differently to others,” Silva said. “I won’t let a spinner dominate me I always try to make him do what I want.”England appeared rattled by the way Silva attacked their bowlers in very hot conditions by driving, cutting, pulling and hooking them to all parts of the field. “When wickets don’t fall the opposition sometimes gets rattled. England has a good world class bowling line up with some big names in it but if you do your part right it is not so difficult to score runs off them.”

Nottinghamshire were held up by rain and further defiance from Durham’s last pair before clinching their second win from two games in the County Championship by 114 runs

15-Apr-2012
ScorecardNottinghamshire were held up by rain and further defiance from Durham’s last pair before clinching their second win from two games in the County Championship by 114 runs.Needing to take one wicket on the final day they were driven back to the pavilion by rain after just two overs. And, following a 30-minute break, No. 11 batsman Mitch Claydon proceeded to his maiden half-century to keep Durham’s slim hopes of victory alive.The Australian’s previous best for Durham was 40 out of an all-out total of 114 against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2008. Claydon was sent in below Graham Onions, who was dropped in the slips by Nottinghamshire after they claimed the extra half hour on the third evening.Resuming on 18, with the total on 203 for 9, Claydon took 10 off Andy Carter’s opening over today. The visitors persisted with Carter even though Claydon kept clattering him to the boundary.Andre Adams was also unable to grab the scalp he wanted to complete a five-wicket haul and eventually made way for the left-arm spin of Samit Patel. There were eight fours in Claydon’s 53-ball half-century, but after 50 runs had been added he was caught at long-on by Luke Fletcher off Patel for 55.

ESPNcricinfo previews the seventh match of IPL 2012 between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders in Jaipur

The Preview by Sidharth Monga07-Apr-2012

Match facts

Sunday, April 8, Jaipur
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Kieron Pollard is setlled and well in the IPL, but when will Knight Riders play Sunil Narine?•AFP

Big Picture

Shane Warne’s Cinderella XI and Shah Rukh Khan’s expensively assembled ensemble made for good contests in the first few seasons of the IPL. At the heart of it was the clash between the personalities of Warne and Sourav Ganguly. Neither Warne nor Ganguly represents these teams, but they have retained their original character.Rajasthan Royals, under Rahul Dravid, don’t have too many superstars, and the ones they do have are not available in the initial part of the season. Yet they have begun with a win. Kolkata Knight Riders is so full of talent that they couldn’t make space for Twenty20 certainties such as Sunil Narine and Shakib Al Hasan. Yet they began with a defeat, albeit a rain-interrupted one. The two teams will continue the rivalry at Royals’ fortress, Jaipur.

Players to watch

As captain and coach, Dravid had huge shoes to fill, but has got off to a good start in his first game. He will know, though, that his side has to keep surprising people to go far in the tournament. He won’t mind a big knock or three himself, to prove once again that long-format batsmen can adapt to shorter formats much easier than the other way around.That Sunil Narine has let go of a possible Test debut against Australia is a big talking point in the West Indies. The little discussion that the IPL generates has focussed on why he didn’t get his IPL debut either. Perhaps it had to do with the rain. Will he be playing for Knight Riders as West Indies go into the second day of the Barbados Test?

2011 head-to-head

Knight Riders won both games pretty convincingly, by nine and eight wickets.

Stats and trivia

• Royals have won 13 of their 18 games at Sawai Mansingh Stadium
• These two teams have played one of the only two tied IPL matches, in 2009 at Newlands

Quotes

“I don’t think about becoming the India captain. For me, it’s about scoring lot of runs for India. Leading India is always a great honour, but I would hate to get picked as a captain who can’t contribute in the middle… If ever I am selected as the captain of India, it will be a great honour.”

“Yes, I am a bit disappointed about missing a hundred, but a match-winning 98 is also satisfying. I don’t rate it as my best knock, but certainly it is one of the best.”
Royals’