Tag Futebol

Australia quick had been dropped in helpful conditions at Trent Bridge but believes Australia are more evolved in their strategy of how to play in English climes

Daniel Brettig28-Jul-2019Standing in the middle of the Trent Bridge outfield during warm-ups for the pivotal Test match of the 2015 Ashes series, Peter Siddle confided to Ricky Ponting that he thought his international career was at an end.Siddle had just been told by the selectors Darren Lehmann and Rod Marsh that he was being left out for the fourth Test match in a row, despite the Nottingham pitch looking absolutely tailored to his skills of seam, swing and accuracy with just enough speed. Exasperated, Siddle faced the very real possibility that at 30, he would not be chosen again.”I think it was very tough, it’s probably some of the toughest times,” Siddle said. “I know injuries are always a tough thing, you can deal with that and it’s not too bad. But I think missing out on opportunities … you always believe you should be picked, that’s how you should feel but when you see conditions that are suited to you, that’s when it hurts the most.”I remember at Trent Bridge just after being told I wasn’t part of that Test match, the boys were warming up and I went and had a conversation with Punter out in the middle of the field.”We were looking at the wicket and he couldn’t believe that I wasn’t playing, and that’s when I said to him ‘If I’m not getting picked here, I don’t think I’ll ever get picked again’. And that was the honest truth.”I thought at that time I mightn’t get another opportunity to play but obviously Joshy [Hazlewood] got a little bit injured and I got an opportunity to play the last Test and performed well there and that gave me another little crack at representing. But I thought at that stage I mightn’t get the opportunity again, so ever since then I definitely tried making the most of every opportunity I’ve had.”Of course, the chaos that followed after England won the toss, razing the Australians for 60 and underlining how the high pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood was not ideally suited to conditions that called for wobbling the Dukes ball around, led to a rethink once the urn was lost. Siddle returned for Test at The Oval, claimed six wickets at low cost in an innings victory for the tourists, and sowed the seeds for his return to England in 2019, via some prolific bowling spells for Essex in the county championship.To his evident relief, Siddle believes that the Australian team of 2019 has evolved its thinking about how to play in English climes, meaning that at 34, he is well and truly in the mix to take part in the series should similar pitches emerge to assist the likes of James Anderson and Chris Woakes.”I reckon it’s something we’ve developed and we’re a lot better prepared for coming into this series,” Siddle said. “The chats I’ve had with different coaches – Troy Cooley and JL and all the coaches around the squad – we’re a lot more aware of the set-up and the team dynamics to win a series in England.”A couple of other series I’ve played in we haven’t been quite suited to the conditions and we’ve gone about it the wrong way. But with the squad that’s been picked, and the players that are in and around the group, I think we’ve got a good skills set and whatever is dished up to us wicket-wise, we’ll be able to handle whatever they throw at us.”Certainly, Justin Langer has been eager to keep Siddle in the loop ever since he took up the national coaching job in May last year. “Last year, I was going well playing for Essex and I had a couple of messages and a couple of phone calls with him,” Siddle said. “It was one message after we chatted one time, he said ‘Just remember that every game counts’. That was how I was seeing things anyway, but to hear it from the coach is a good thing as well.”And that’s what I’ve done. It doesn’t matter who I’ve played, all I’ve wanted to do is perform well for the team.”That’s how I’ve gone about it, and that’s how I finished the summer back home. Then to come back here and perform well again for Essex, I knew I’d given myself every chance to be on another Ashes series and hopefully play again for Australia.”We’ve always been in contact over the years, at different stages. My first Shield game was against him – he abused me from first slip while I batted out a draw. It didn’t start off too well, but I think we’ve always been reasonably close Obviously his time as batting coach with the team as well, so there was always a bit of communication and that message is the one that sticks in my mind – just concentrating on every game, and making the most of it.”Much was made of the fact that Siddle had, in mid-career, adopted numerous lifestyle changes such as taking meat out of his diet. He also adapted his bowling from the rough and tumble of his earliest days for Victoria and Australia to being a far cannier operator, concentrating on persistence, accuracy and subtle movement in the style beloved of Terry Alderman (83 Ashes wickets in just two tours of England in 1981 and 1989).Getty Images

“I think it’s probably been a key to my last five or six years, as to how I go about keeping the body right,” Siddle said. “I’m only getting older, I’m a lot older than most of the other guys but it’s my commitment to being on the park. The only way you can get opportunities like this and play is if you’re fit, and on the park. So it’s just about doing everything right and the changes I’ve made over time have helped me to stay on the park, to be a bit more committed, it’s made me a lot more diligent about the way I go about my preparation.”I’m very focused on being right and being ready to go. I’m in a good frame of mind. The confidence I’ve got from the last two seasons, being over here and playing cricket for Essex has put me in a good position to know I’m comfortable with my game in England, and knowing that if I get the opportunity to play throughout this series that I’m as ready as ever. I’m definitely bowling a lot better than I ever have in these conditions, and I think that’s the best thing I bring to this team now.”I know I’ve done well, I’ve got a pretty good record in Ashes Test matches in England but I think my experience, over the last couple of years I’ve learned a lot of new skills. So I think I can play a big part in this series.”Now, Siddle is comfortable not only in his bowling, but his belief that the selectors see its value – even when they have Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson to call upon this time around. “I came here in 2009, and the blokes that played were myself, Mitch Johnson and Hilfy [Ben Hilfenhaus] and none of us had played an Ashes series or in England, and we were the ones who were thrown in to try and win it.”We still had Brett Lee and Stuart Clark on the sidelines, and we came out as a young side and we did all right but we just had no skills set in England. The next time round it was probably the same thing, a little bit inexperienced. Definitely in an Ashes series, I believe it is the strongest line-up in the time that I’ve played that we’re going to be able to put out there on the park. We’ve got players who have played cricket in England, I think that’s something if you go back 10, 15, 20 years ago, a lot of blokes had the opportunity to come over and play county cricket whether they were batters or bowlers.”They’d spent a little bit of time over getting an understanding and a feel for the conditions they might get at the international level. There’s obviously a few of us who have been over here this year playing county cricket, and especially from a bowlers’ point of view that they’ve had the opportunity over past series – whether it’s one-day or Test cricket – to have played in the conditions. We’ve given ourselves the best chance now. The players that we’ve got in the group are strong and ready to do battle here and hopefully, finally, get that away series win in England.”

Jos Buttler braced to step in as No.3, but unchanged XI could be on the cards for second Test

George Dobell in Pallekele12-Nov-2018England declined to name their team for the second Test on Monday but, for anyone watching training, the answers were there.While Ben Foakes practised his keeping, for example, Jonny Bairstow practised his catching in the outfield. And, along from Foakes in the cordon, was Jos Buttler at third slip.It’s hard to reach any conclusion other than Foakes will retain the gloves for Kandy. And, after that debut in Galle, anything else would be a bit silly, really.England declined to say who would bat at No. 3, either. But the evidence suggests that it will be Buttler. While the other serious candidate – Ben Stokes – may have a large bowling workload, Buttler is now in the team as a specialist batsman. Moeen Ali and Stokes are therefore likely to bat at No. 5 and No. 6.So, is this a ‘horses for courses’ choice? Or is it reflective of England’s enduring inability to find a replacement for Jonathan Trott at his best?A bit of both probably. Only a few months ago, Buttler was recalled to the team with a specific brief to bat with freedom at No. 7. He has been promoted now at least as much due to the failures of other candidates – a list that could include Moeen, Joe Root and, at a push Joe Denly (who was pencilled in for the role but failed a couple of times in the warm-up games) – as any particular aptitude he has shown for a role in the top-order. He may, after all, have to curb that freedom for which he is celebrated just a little if he comes in against a swinging new ball.Having said that, Buttler does appear to have settled into his Test career (he has scored a century and two half-centuries in his last four Tests) and is a fine player of spin. There’s no reason he could not make the move work for the rest of the winter. Whether it is a ploy that could be used in the Ashes seems somewhat more debatable.There is a sensitive dynamic here, though. Having played much of his career as an all-rounder, Buttler has always had a certain freedom to his game. A sense that, if he fails in one discipline, he can compensate in the other. And, as a result, a sense of relaxation in both. Knowing he is no longer likely to keep – he may now be third choice when everyone is fit on this tour – and that he is expected to bat a little more responsibly at No. 3 does present something of a new challenge to him. And it would be a shame to curb the qualities for which he was selected.Ben Foakes celebrates his maiden Test hundred•Getty Images

Much the same could be said of Bairstow. He looked fit in training. But, partially because he only refereed in the football warm-ups, the suspicion remains that his ankle may not be fully healed and that he may not be risked this week. That might also avoid a selection headache.But Bairstow requires a bit of support right now. He is a fine player, especially with the bat, and has worked exceptionally hard to improve out of all recognition as a keeper. But he also appears to be slightly more sensitive than some. He was discombobulated in the English summer when there was talk of him losing the gloves and he was discombobulated even more by talk of playing him out of position. On both occasions, the talk seemed a bit unnecessary.It’s all very well saying – as Trevor Bayliss did quite reasonably a day or two ago – that players have to accept the competition that comes with the territory. And few could doubt that Foakes is simply better at keeping than either Buttler or Bairstow. But most players (people, even) perform at their best when they feel valued, supported and secure. Bairstow has been a very fine player for England for a few years now; it would be a shame if his effectiveness were to be compromised by any sense that he feels threatened or insecure now.If you doubt the importance of such issues, think back to the careers of Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick. They were, arguably, as talented a duo as England have had available in the last 50 years or so. But neither fulfilled that ability – at Test level, at least – partially because of the poor management to which they were subjected. Dropped, recalled and dropped more than 10 times apiece, they rarely played with the freedom or confidence for which they were known at county level.The England management these days is wiser. But if Bairstow is to be left out of this side, it would be helpful if he understood – and bought into – the decision. There’s no reason he shouldn’t have the best years of his career ahead of him, but the knowledge that he has lost the gloves – after all that time fighting to justify them – will take some adjustment.England could still make a change to their side, though. Before they arrived in Kandy, there was a thought they could play an extra seamer in place of one of the spinners; probably Adil Rashid. Stuart Broad is one option to come into the side on a surface expected to offer a little more pace, though Chris Woakes – who missed training on Monday due to illness but will be present on Tuesday – might be preferred due to his batting ability.The rains have abated a little in recent days, however, and the pitch already looks pretty dry. It would be no surprise if England went into the game with an unchanged XI.

World Cup winners awarded significant raise, but still lag behind Australia and India women’s players

Raf Nicholson08-Jun-2018Almost a year on from the Women’s World Cup, England’s are set to return to international cricket on home soil for the first time since that joyous occasion at Lord’s.They will do so with more money in their pockets than ever before but with the future of English women’s cricket remaining uncertain.The announcement that the overall salary pot for England Women has increased by 40%, with 10 of the contracted players having gained pay increases of 50% or more, is not before time. Since the ECB became the first board to announce the introduction of professional contracts in May 2014, the world of women’s cricket has moved on significantly.

Knight on ECB pay announcement

“It’s a nice touch, a sign of the times,” England captain Heather Knight told ESPNcricinfo, ahead of the first ODI against South Africa on Saturday. “Where’s the women’s game is at, the professionalism, the commitment the girls have to it now. Our first thoughts are on tomorrow and the cricket to come, but it’s nice from the ECB and a sign of where the game is going, how the game’s grown, how popular the tournament was last year in this country, people came to watch us. We love that as players, we love playing in front of crowds bringing young girls and boys to watch. It’s a sign of the growth in the women’s game and hopefully that continues.”

Australia are leading the charge. Under the new MOU for Australian cricketers, announced in August 2017, their female international players are now earning an average of USD137,000. The BCCI, for so long behind the times when it came to remunerating their women’s team, revealed a new set of annual contracts for the Indian internationals back in March which saw pay levels increase by 300% to five million rupees (USD76,988) a year.Viewed in that context, it is the ECB who are now playing catch-up. They have never confirmed precisely how much their women’s contracts are worth, but with the new pay rises in place, the leading England players are now likely to be earning something in the region of GBP50,000 (USD67,000). The aim, according to Clare Connor, the ECB director of women’s cricket, is to double their 2017 pay by 2021. Even so, it seems clear that the Australian Women will remain the highest paid female cricketers in the world for a long time to come.More money is of course welcome, but perhaps more significant is what this step represents. One only has to look at the top-of-the-range Jaguars and Range Rovers in the car park at Lord’s during a men’s Test to know that a women’s contract still pales in comparison to the salaries of Joe Root and co. And yet the success of last year’s World Cup appears to have convinced Connor that larger strides towards more equal pay for male and female cricketers should now be on the agenda.”We should be bold,” she says in a match-day programme piece for the England v Australia Men’s ODI series, “and demonstrate a commitment to closing that [pay] gap.” In a week where the Forbes List of the top 100 paid athletes in the world revealed that not a single woman had made the list, this is an aim that should be applauded. It is a significant about turn from someone who tweeted in 2014 that equal pay in cricket was “economically absurd”.Indeed it seems that equal pay is increasingly on the agenda globally. When the BCCI announced its new increased contracts earlier this year there was a significant undercurrent of disquiet as many queried why women in the top grade would still earn half of what the C-grade Indian men take home. England’s opponents tomorrow, last year’s World Cup semi-finalists South Africa, will no doubt take heart from the statement by acting CSA Chief Executive Thabang Moroe earlier this month that the MOU currently being negotiated between CSA and the South African Cricketers’ Association should feature a commitment to equal pay. “The pay is obviously not going to be equal from the word go,” he later clarified, “but this is a start towards working for [it].”From an English perspective, today’s news also points to an attempt to not just increase the amount which individuals are earning but to spread the largesse amongst an increased number of players. There are now 19 fully contracted England players, up from 18 last summer – Sophie Ecclestone has been added to the list – and three “Rookie” contracts, held by Freya Davies (Sussex), Alice Davidson-Richards (Kent) and Katie George (Hampshire). All-rounder Davidson-Richards and fast bowler George both made their international debuts in India earlier this year; Davies, a quick and accurate pace bowler who took 3 for 24 in Wednesday’s England Academy game against the South Africans, was unlucky not to have done the same.Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight and Fran Wilson share a light moment during the rain delay ahead of the start of play•PA Images

The Rookie contracts, Connor states, are “to help bridge the gap between the Academy and senior England level”. This is another area where the ECB are playing catch-up behind Cricket Australia. Last year’s MOU guarantees all Australian female state players earnings of at least AUD19,500, and those playing in WBBL AUD7,800 on top of that. “Australia have 92 pros, we have 18,” lamented England coach Mark Robinson earlier this year.The Rookie contracts are a good first step, but their significance should not be overstated. They are thought to be worth considerably less than the full contracts, with the current three Rookie players remaining reliant on other sources of income or parental support. None of the “Rookies” have been selected in this summer’s squad for the first two ODIs, despite Davies having the best return in the Women’s County Championship of any bowler this season, with 6 for 10 against Derbyshire.The phrase “bridging the gap” is also an interesting choice by Connor. It was the catchphrase of the Kia Super League in its inaugural season, a competition designed to address concerns that women’s domestic cricket in England was being neglected. The recent announcement of its cancellation and replacement by The Hundred has been heavily criticised, amidst concerns that this is a retrograde step for the women’s game, with no replacement elite T20 competition in place for female players. A pay rise for England Women does nothing to resolve any of the concerns about the entirely amateur domestic structure in place underneath.The ECB are reviewing this structure at the moment. In a recent column for the BBC, captain Heather Knight alluded to this: “We need to make sure that from 2020 the structure below the new [Hundred] competition is right. We’ve had discussions with the ECB and I know they’re working hard on it.” Again such a review is long overdue. More World Cup victories will not follow unless due investment is made in the players of the future – beyond the lucky 22 who hold current contracts. The hope is that the new independent ECB Board, due to meet for the first time in a few weeks, will make such investment a priority.At Lord’s on July 23, 2017, as the sell-out crowd flooded through the Grace Gates, anything seemed possible for the women’s game. But will that World Cup win have proved a game-changing moment for English women’s cricket? For now, it appears to be a case of “wait and see”.

Seventeen-year-old Shaheen Afridi got into the record books yesterday with figures of 8 for 39, the best ever by a Pakistani on first-class debut

Umar Farooq28-Sep-20171:07

Watch: Shaheen Afridi’s nine wickets in the match against Rawalpindi

Does the surname sound familiar?Shaheen was born in the Afridi tribe in the Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. The area mainly borders with Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan to the west, and ranges from the mountainous terrain of Tirah valley down to Peshawar. He was raised in a small town called Landi Kotal, always in the shadow of insurgency in the aftermath of 9/11. While his family remained there, Shaheen moved to Peshawar, using it as his base to play cricket.How much has he played so far?Initially a tape-ball cricketer, elder brother Riaz Afridi, who played one-off Test for Pakistan in 2004, pushed him to play with a hard ball. He was first selected for the FATA region in an Under-16 talent hunt programme, and became the leading wicket-taker for his region with 12 wickets at 16.17 in 2015. He impressed the national selectors in a high performance camp that was called for players who had impressed at U-16 level. His pace and fitness won him a ticket for an U-16 tour to Australia, even though his outing in New South Wales at the Bradman Oval in Bowral didn’t go well as he only managed four wickets in six games.He played another season on the U-16 circuit for FATA, snaring 19 wickets at 10.59, and elevating himself to the Under-19 circuit. He toured with the U-19 team in Sri Lanka, taking five wickets in three games.At home, he continued to shine on the U-19 circuit, featuring for Khyber Agency in PCB’s inter-district U-19 tournament, where he was the leading wicket-taker with 29 wickets at 18.07. His performance had him selected at inter-regional level for FATA – where once again he topped the table with 21 wickets at 12.48.What is so special about him?His settled action, his game awareness and his inswinger with the new ball. According to Mushtaq Ahmed, who discovered him at U-16 level, his fitness and height as a fast bowler are his best attributes. He is also handy with the bat in the lower order, and his big-hitting ability is an attractive feature. “He has great cricketing temperament and at a young was making a lot of sense with his field positions,” Mushtaq said. “His action is pretty repeatable and we didn’t really bother to work on it. It’s repeatable and that is what a coach wants to have in his bowler. He listens and picks things up very quickly.”How does he already have a BPL deal?He was handled by a sports management company based in Lahore. His agent Talha Aisham emailed Dhaka Dynamites videos of Shaheen’s bowling, and asked if they would be interested in signing him. They agreed, subject to a formal endorsement from Mushtaq, who is the Pakistan NCA head coach. Both Mushtaq and captain Kumar Sangakkara exchanged emails, and the deal was locked in for two years starting from 2017 for a sum of around Rs 1 crore.Why the attention now?He made a dream debut in first-class cricket, playing for Khan Research Laboratory against Rawalpindi, picking up 8 for 39 in 15 overs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan premier domestic tournament. His innings figures are statistically the best on debut in first-class cricket in Pakistan. He signed off with nine wickets in the match.

South Africa squeezed the pulp from England’s attack in the second Investec Test with a resolution that has set them up for victory at Trent Bridge, and potentially left a few psychological marks

The Report by David Hopps16-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:56

Butcher: Du Plessis’ return has driven South Africa

South Africa squeezed the pulp from England’s attack in the second Investec Test with a resolution that has not only set them up for victory at Trent Bridge, so levelling the series at 1-1, but potentially left a few psychological marks for the matches ahead at The Oval and Old Trafford.England’s openers clung on for four overs at the end of an exhausting third day – and even that required Alastair Cook’s successful review, first ball, to overturn an lbw decision for Morne Morkel, as well as much desperate defending besides.But that was about England’s only consolation as they contemplated a target of 474, assembled with utmost seriousness by a South African side determined to give no quarter. No side has made that many at Trent Bridge in the fourth innings, whatever the result, and the weather is set fair.

England face death by numbers

332 Highest successful chase by England in Tests, against Australia at Melbourne in 1928-29. The biggest target chased at Trent Bridge is England’s 284 against New Zealand in 2004.
2010 The last time Hashim Amla scored fifties in both innings of an overseas Test, against Pakistan in Dubai. Between 2008 and 2010, he managed it on four separate occasions.
4 Number of higher targets set by South Africa against England than their 474 in this game. In England, this is the second-highest they have ever set.
167 Runs by Vernon Philander in this series – the most he has scored in any series, beating the 136 he accumulated in three Tests in Australia last year. His scores in this series have been: 52, 19*, 54 and 42, with a maximum of four more innings to come.

There was much for South Africa to like as they looked on from Trent Bridge’s characterful old dressing-room balcony. England’s spinners, lightly used in the first half of the day, found increasing turn in the final session, and there was both steep and low bounce for the second new ball.Only in the hour before the declaration did South Africa bat in uninhibited fashion, adding 68 in 14 overs as their lead passed West Indies’ 418 for 7, the highest successful chase in Test history in St John’s 14 years ago, and 440, the highest fourth-innings in a Test in England, amassed by New Zealand in 1973 in the pluckiest of defeats.The mood of the day, though, centred upon Hashim Amla, who was so relaxed in making 80 from 180 balls, he might have been a prized professor at a school of meditation. Not that he did much to de-stress the England attack as South Africa’s lead slowly advanced. His passivity told not of negativity but of an inner certainty that a South African win would ultimately unfold before him.In reaching half-centuries, Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis maintained similar self-control.Amla’s demise was somewhat unexpected. Joe Root had been markedly reluctant to bowl his spinners, especially Liam Dawson, who had been despatched with ease by Amla in two overs before lunch. But with the seamers needing time to graze before the second new ball, Dawson had to return and he had Amla lbw advancing well down the pitch in a bid to hit him down the ground.Mark Wood endured a frustrating day and his place must be in jeopardy•Getty Images

Umpire Paul Rieffel had no option but to turn down the appeal, just as it was no surprise to find upon England’s review that ball-tracking technology suggested the ball would hit middle, halfway up. Dawson deserved it, if only for the precision of his review signal to his captain – the ‘T’ signal perfectly formed – which was either symptomatic of a Test cricket newbie eager to do things right or merely a young man of fastidious nature.As England took the field at the start of play, the Getty photographer Gareth Copley captured Stuart Broad staring at the Trent Bridge honours board, as if to build himself up for a supreme fightback, South Africa’s lead at start of play already being 205.It was not to be. Neither Broad not James Anderson found the life unearthed by South Africa’s new-ball pair on the previous day. Ben Stokes summoned his best, most aggressive form of the summer, but he had a hint of a limp by the end. Mark Wood, the weakest of the quartet, has yet to find the 90mph threat that England crave and his place must be in jeopardy.While England attempted to rectify their shortcomings of the first two days, criticism was easy to find. Graeme Smith, a former South African captain and a batsman who knew something about crease occupation, termed England’s first innings “glory cricket”. Geoffrey Boycott, another adhesive opening batsman of repute, was in the mood to collar anybody in his range to lecture them about defensive batsmanship.It felt a bit misleading. England had hared along at four an over as they conceded a first-innings lead of 130, but none of their top-six batsmen, with the possible exception of Root, had been dismissed because of attacking intent. Whether they had been dismissed because of a lack of defensive excellence was an altogether different matter.Whatever the assessment, England were up against it. They needed wickets, and quickly, but they had to make do with Elgar, prised out for 80 with lunch 20 minutes away, along with Quinton de Kock, whose danger was defused an over later with only a single to his name. Elgar’s stand of 135 in 36 overs with Amla (it felt slower) set the tone.Amla drained England by sitting in and waiting, taking boundaries from only the loosest deliveries; it was hard to remember a play-and-miss. Elgar ground forward with occasional watchful off-side drives and deflections to third man, some of them secure, some of them not. Suitably, he raised his fifty by thick-edging Anderson low through third slip. His technique was occasionally flawed, but his concentration was impeccable.England had fleeting chances to remove both of them in the opening forays. Criticised for their wanton waste of reviews, this time England missed one. When Broad flicked Amla’s outside edge, on 25, the only half-appeal came from Alastair Cook at first slip. Even Broad looked confused as to whether he should appeal, which does not often happen. TV replays showed the slightest contact.Elgar’s escape, on 55, came in the shape of a fantastic leaping effort at gully by Anderson, who got a hand on the ball as it flashed by on his left-hand side. Hardly a chance, but frustration nonetheless.The appearance of spin sparked Amla into life. He took 14 off Dawson’s second over, capped by an effortless straight six to raise his fifty: 38 scored all morning and half of them in two Dawson overs. Not the best time for Dawson to strike up a casual conversation with an England seamer. By tea, Amla’s wicket in the book, he had the right to a sentence or two.Statistics insist that Elgar is much more vulnerable to right-arm quicks coming around the wicket – strikingly so, with an average of 27 compared to 70-plus, and Broad in particular was eager to take advantage.But Elgar had 80 by the time Stokes added another around-the-wicket dismissal to the records. It was a good aggressive bouncer, uncomfortably spooned aside in front of his face and easily caught by Anderson at square leg. De Kock edged Anderson to Bairstow in the next over.By the time England took four wickets in the final session, they were but drops in an ocean of pessimism. Temba Bavuma, in other circumstances, might have been ticked off for getting out two deliveries before the second new ball – lofting Moeen to wide mid-off, there were good catches in the deep by Gary Ballance and Broad, and there was a painful blow on the wrist for Bairstow, fielding a ball from Stokes that scudded awkwardly in front of him, that might yet cause England some concern.

With centuries from Priyank Panchal, Shreyas Iyer and Vijay Shankar, the two-day tour game in Hyderabad ended up being lot of work for the visitors

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Hyderabad06-Feb-2017Scorecard1:43

Isam: Not a great couple of days for Bangladesh

The Bangladesh bowlers may not be taking the confidence of bags of wickets into the Test against India on Thursday, but they should be better prepared for long grinds in the field after a full day’s working over by India’s A team. Priyank Panchal, Shreyas Iyer and Vijay Shankar scored centuries each to make sure the two-day practice game at the Gymkhana ground ended in a draw.Panchal and Iyer pounded out 152 runs in the first session. That indicates how much the Bangladeshi bowlers suffered, but there was also some collateral damage. Iyer, who was dropped on 86 by Mehedi Hasan, struck a net bowler standing on the edge of the boundary with a six. The boy was tended to by the doctor at the ground and was reportedly fine. Panchal struck 11 fours and a six in his 148-ball 103 while Iyer hammered a dozen fours and four sixes in his 92-ball 100. Both of them retired to give the others a bat.Medium-pacer Subashis Roy then had Rishabh Pant caught at long-on before converting a smart caught and bowled chance off Ishank Jaggi. Ishan Kishan also got out cheaply, stumped off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam before crowd favourite Hardik Pandya was given out leg-before to the same bowler.Shankar reached his hundred in the 90th over, making it three centuries on the day. He took only 83 balls before India A declared on 461 for 6. Taijul and Subashis took three wickets each.The declaration gave Bangladesh an hour to bat, in which time they lost two wickets scoring 73 runs in 15 overs. Tamim Iqbal struck three fours and a six in his unbeaten 43.

Glamorgan’s teenaged debutant, Lukas Carey, tore through Northants’ top order with three wickets in the first six overs of his first-class career

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2016
ScorecardLaurie Evans, on loan from Warwickshire, led a partial recovery for Northamptonshire (file pic)•Getty Images

Glamorgan’s teenaged debutant, Lukas Carey, tore through Northamptonshire’s top order with three wickets in the first six overs of his first-class career, before Laurie Evans and David Murphy revived their side with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 70 on a rain-truncated first day at Swansea.Carey, a 19-year-old seamer from nearby Pontardulais, claimed a notable maiden scalp with his eleventh delivery, when he had the in-form Ben Duckett caught at cover for 7, and after a break for rain, he was back in business in his fourth over when Shaun Terry attempted to work a straight ball through the leg side and was trapped lbw.Worse was to follow for the visitors when, with no addition to the score, Rob Newton played a loose stroke against Tim van der Gugten, and Northants were 38 for 4 when Carey picked up his third wicket – Rob Keogh, who was well caught at third slip. He finished his first day on the job with the impressive figures of 3 for 37 from 10 overs.Evans, the Warwickshire batsman who is playing the first game of his loan spell, led a partial recovery with Murphy in support but on a cloudy day, and on a pitch that had been covered for two days, Northants might have regretted their decision to bat first, as the Glamorgan seamers obtained plenty of movement to trouble the batsmen.After heavy overnight rain, and showers during the morning, there had been no play before lunch, with play eventually getting underway at 1.40pm. In addition to Carey’s debut, Glamorgan picked Rory Smith for his first championship appearance of the season, with Michael Hogan, Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede resting for this round.Carey who is one of seven Welsh-born players in the Glamorgan team, was understandably delighted with his performance. “I was very excited when I was told I was playing,” he said. “I was very nervous in the first over, but I soon got over that when I took the first wicket. The ball is swinging and nibbling, and hopefully we can take a few more tomorrow morning.”

Virat Kohli’s fourth century of the season and Chris Gayle’s 73 powered Royal Challengers Bangalore to the second place after their 82-run win via D/L method against Kings XI Punjab

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu18-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli hit 12 fours and eight sixes during his fourth and fastest T20 century•BCCI

Virat Kohli has been vaulting the standard for T20 batting this season. He was twitchy, though, after heavy rain delayed the start of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final league fixture at home against Kings XI Punjab by nearly two hours. The match was reduced to a and Kohli had to bat with nine stitches on his left hand because of a split webbing, but nothing could stop him from scoring his fourth and fastest T20 century. He also topped the IPL run charts during his 50-ball 113 that powered Royal Challengers to an 82-run victory via D/L method. Royal Challengers’ seventh win lifted them from fifth to second on the points table.Chris Gayle was in his groove too, bashing 73 off 32 balls in a 147-run opening stand that floored Kings XI, who conceded 211 for 3 after opting to bowl. Kohli was the first to reach his half-century, off 28 balls, when he flicked Axar Patel to long-on. Four legitimate balls later, Gayle swiped the left-arm spinner over midwicket for six and raced to his own half-century off 29 balls. The two then got together and unfurled the jig.Kings XI could have snapped that had Axar nailed a direct hit from backward point to run Kohli out on 10. The batsman prospered and middled everything: whether it was lofting a full ball inside-out over cover or jabbing a wide yorker in the gap between backward point and short third man. Kohli got to his hundred off 47 balls when he whiplashed Sandeep Sharma for four between deep midwicket and long-on.Kohli celebrated the landmark by pointing to his injured left hand repeatedly before pumping his fists. The only occasion he showed apparent discomfort was when he ran in from long-off and caught Axar for 13 in the eighth over of Kings XI’s stumbling chase.Kohli began Royal Challengers’ run-fest with slapped fours off Sandeep before Gayle went 6,6,4 against fast bowler Kyle Abbott in the fourth over. KC Cariappa’s assortment of legbreaks, offbreaks, sliders and even a seam-up that clocked 134kph, proved ineffective. Kohli and Gayle flayed him for 55 runs in three overs and left captain M Vijay searching for answers.Axar wasn’t spared either, Gayle taking him for three leg-side sixes in four balls before holing out to the same bowler at the end of the 11th over. Four balls later, Abbott had AB de Villiers dragging on for a duck. KL Rahul applied the finishing touches with a cameo, which was studded by a reverse-scooped four, after Kohli’s dismissal in the penultimate over.The pressure of a rapidly rising asking rate was too much for Kings XI. Left-arm seamer S Aravind removed Vijay and Hashim Amla early before legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal made light work of the middle order with career-best T20 figures of 4 for 25. Kings XI limped past 100 in the 12th over before rain returned at the end of the 14th to force an end to a lop-sided contest.Royal Challengers were one of three teams in the playoffs race to have a positive net rate (+0.93), and a win in their final match against Delhi Daredevils in Raipur on Sunday could confirm their place in the final four.

Fawad Ahmed is expected to be eligible for the full Ashes series after the Australian Senate passed a bill that would allow his citizenship to be fast-tracked

Brydon Coverdale20-Jun-2013Fawad Ahmed is expected to be eligible for the full Ashes series after the Australian Senate passed a bill that would allow his citizenship to be fast-tracked. The legislation has now passed through both houses of parliament and after it is rubber-stamped by the governor-general Ahmed will be eligible to obtain an Australian passport, which should make him available for the first Ashes Test.However, although it is likely that Ahmed will be called into the squad it is by no means certain. On Wednesday, he and the 19-year-old left-arm spinner Ashton Agar were named in the Australia A squad to tour Zimbabwe and South Africa in July and August, while the Ashes is being played, and both men will be in contention if another spinner is added to the Ashes touring party.”We’ve got a couple of spinners we’re mulling over at the moment,” the coach Mickey Arthur told the ABC. “We’ve got Nathan Lyon in the squad. If the weather stays like this we might consider another spinner. There’s been no clear-cut decision on that as yet.”Arthur discuss the possible inclusion of another spinner with fellow selectors John Inverarity and Rod Marsh this weekend in Bristol, where Australia A will play against Gloucestershire in the final match of their tour of the British Isles. While it is unclear at this stage whether Ahmed will travel to Africa or remain with the Ashes squad, a Cricket Australia spokesman said the progress of the bill through parliament was encouraging.”This is pleasing news for CA and a big step forward in a process that will help enable Fawad Ahmed become an Australian citizen,” the spokesman said. “Pending royal assent by the governor-general, the Bill will become law and Ahmed will be considered for Australian citizenship, subject to the normal tests and assessments that any citizenship applicant would go through.”

Michael Clarke has praised his players for their sudden turnaround following the Ashes after their comprehensive win over England at the Gabba secured an unassailable 4-1 lead

Peter English in Brisbane30-Jan-2011Michael Clarke has praised his players for their sudden turnaround following the Ashes after their comprehensive win over England at the Gabba secured an unassailable 4-1 lead. Instead of being overwhelmed by the scale of the Test losses, the limited-overs players have regrouped so quickly that the final two games will be dead rubbers.”After a pretty tough start to the summer, losing the Ashes, I think it shows a lot of courage for us to come back and play well throughout the series,” Clarke said. “I think it was a great performance from the whole group, everyone contributed.”Clarke’s 54, his highest score of the series, set up Australia’s 249, a total which seemed small until the attack knocked over the tourists’ main men by the 26th over. Clarke said the bowling of John Hastings (2 for 35) and Steven Smith (1 for 29) effectively shut down England’s chase.The pair was responsible for ruining England’s middle order when the visitors lost Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan and Ian Bell for eight runs and fell to 6 for 105. “John Hastings and Steve Smith probably won us the game with that partnership,” Clarke said. “They worked together, certain guys wanted to bowl to certain batters, so they communicated really well and did a great job.”Brett Lee was also impressive early, taking two wickets as England fell to 3 for 22. “Brett has been a wonderful bowler for a long time,” Clarke said. “His execution throughout this series has been spot-on, but I think he feels he can get better. He probably feels he’s bowling okay at the moment but has work to do before the World Cup – as we all do.”Australia are now in a relatively healthy position heading towards the tournament, which starts in three weeks. The only setback for them came with another hamstring injury to Shaun Marsh, who suffered badly with similar problems last summer.Clarke said the injury was minor, but Marsh is due to undergo a scan on Monday to determine whether the side requires a replacement for Wednesday’s sixth game in Sydney. Marsh is not in the World Cup squad but is the leading contender to replace Michael Hussey if he fails to recover from hamstring surgery.