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Harris takes five in Australia's victory

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The Michael Clarke era might not match the Ricky Ponting years for sheer victory numbers, but Clarke has at least started his tenure as Australia’s full-time Test captain the same way as his predecessor – with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka in Galle

The Report by Brydon Coverdale03-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMahela Jayawardene made 105•Associated Press

Smart stats

  • Australia’s win is their first in the subcontinent since the series win in Bangladesh in 2006. In between, they lost two series in India by a margin of 2-0.

  • Ricky Ponting became the first player to feature in 100 Test wins. He is followed by Shane Warne and Steve Waugh, who have featured in 92 and 86 wins respectively.

  • Australia won their seventh Test in Sri Lanka (includes one neutral Test against Pakistan) bringing them above Pakistan as the overseas team with the most wins in Sri Lanka.

  • Ryan Harris picked up his second five-wicket haul in Tests. His best bowling performance remains the 6 for 47 against England in Perth in 2010.

  • Mahela Jayawardene scored his 29th Test century and his second against Australia. This brings him level with Don Bradman on the list of batsmen with the most Test centuries.

  • Angelo Mathews fell for the second time in the nineties. His highest Test score is 99 against India in Mumbai in 2009.

  • The 142-run stand between Jayawardene and Mathews is the highest sixth-wicket stand for Sri Lanka against Australia surpassing the previous best of 96 between Asanka Gurusinha and Romesh Kaluwitharana in 1992.

The Michael Clarke era might not match the Ricky Ponting years for sheer victory numbers, but Clarke has at least started his tenure as Australia’s full-time Test captain the same way as his predecessor – with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka in Galle. Seven years ago it was Shane Warne who ran through the Sri Lankans in the final innings; here it was Ryan Harris, whose five-wicket haul set up Australia’s 125-run win.The victory was notable for several reasons: as Australia’s first Test win on the subcontinent since they visited Bangladesh in 2006, as Clarke’s first Test triumph as leader, and as the 100th Test victory in which Ponting has played. Ponting’s record is a remarkable one compared to some of his fellow veterans, including Mahela Jayawardene, who with 49 victories has had less than half the team success of Ponting.Jayawardene was the man who created the most problems for Australia on the fourth day, with his 29th Test century giving Sri Lanka a sliver of hope that they might pull off what would have been a record chase of 379. He and Angelo Mathews combined for a 142-run stand, nearly three times as big as the next best partnership in the match, and showed Clarke that this captaincy caper isn’t always smooth sailing.But Harris broke the partnership by nipping a delivery off the seam and through the tiny gate left by Jayawardene; the ball clipped the inside edge and took his off stump. That was the moment Australia had been waiting for, and with Jayawardene gone for 105, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.The only remaining question was whether Mathews, whose highest Test score was 99, would go on to register his maiden century. In the end, as his tail-end partners dwindled away, he lost patience and on 95 tried to bring up triple figures with one shot, but with a swing as wild and woolly as some of the weather in Galle over the past few days, Mathews lost off stump to Shane Watson.Fittingly, it was Australia’s debutant offspinner Nathan Lyon who took the final wicket, having collected five in the first innings. The end came when Suranga Lakmal skied a catch to Johnson, who ran back from mid-on, and the Australians could officially celebrate their proudest moment since the disastrous Ashes campaign last summer.It was a symbolic victory for the Australians, who had two new players in Lyon and Trent Copeland, a man in his second Test, Usman Khawaja, and a new leader with fresh ideas. It’s too early to know whether Australia will climb back up the ICC Test rankings – they need to win the series to jump ahead of Sri Lanka – but at least the tour has started in the best possible way.For Sri Lanka, there was enough resistance in the second innings for them to wonder what could have been. The difference between the two sides was Sri Lanka’s first innings of 105, when too few of their batsmen showed the necessary application on a difficult surface. In the second innings, Jayawardene and Mathews proved that runs were available for those who worked hard.They balanced solid defence, respecting the good balls, with a run-scoring mindset. Jayawardene lofted a six over long-on from the offspin of Lyon and improvised when possible, including a paddle over his shoulder for another boundary off the offspinner. When he brought up his hundred with a classic late cut, he pumped his fists in celebration; not many of his 29 Test hundreds had come in such trying circumstances.At the other end, Mathews occasionally threatened to lose his nerve, as when he advanced to Lyon and tried to smash him over long-off, and was lucky that his miscue landed safely in no-man’s-land at deep cover. But generally he provided excellent support and he brought up his half-century with a boundary pulled through midwicket off Mitchell Johnson.The milestone came from his 89th delivery and it gave the selectors some vindication for including him as a specialist batsman, a decision that effectively ruled Ajantha Mendis out of the side. But Sri Lanka’s problems were not created at the selection table, they were founded on poor batting from too many of the specialists, particularly in the first innings.The captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, especially, should be disappointed with himself, as he failed to put a price on his wicket in both innings. In contrast, Australia’s captain, Clarke, showed real grit to make 60 in the second innings, and it went a long way to winning the match.The final day was difficult, but Australia won their hard-earned reward. Like Ponting, Clarke’s captaincy career has started with a victory in Galle. Now it’s up to Clarke to ensure that, like Ponting’s Australians did in 2004, they go on to win the series.

Flower wants England to retain hunger

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Andy Flower has said the successful blooding of a new generation of cricketers in the recent one-day series against India will provide an extra incentive for his senior players in the Test team to keep up the good work

Andrew Miller18-Sep-2011Andy Flower, the England coach, has said the successful blooding of a new generation of cricketers in the recent one-day series against India will provide an extra incentive for his senior players in the Test team to build on the high standards they produced in their rise to the top of the world rankings.Speaking in the aftermath of England’s impressive six-wicket win in the fifth and final ODI in Cardiff – a result which handed them a comprehensive 3-0 scoreline – Flower reflected that the international season “couldn’t have gone much better”. Nevertheless, he warned of the dangers of self-satisfaction creeping into the squad’s mentality, and said any player who dared to rest on his laurels risked paying for that attitude with his place.”I am delighted with the way the summer has gone, but at the risk of repeating ourselves we don’t just want to put our feet up and say, ‘Gee, it’s a lovely little time we have had together’,” said Flower. “If people aren’t hungry enough then I don’t think they will keep up with the side. They will drop out or be dropped out.”The hunger is very important because it drives you to train harder, it drives you to get out of bed early in the morning to go training. It drives you to do the extra work and to do your skills practice. To keep the weight off your body. It drives you to be inquisitive about maximising your potential.”If there is any self-satisfaction or too much contentment it can take you into a dangerous place. Our philosophy is to look forward and at the challenges ahead as opposed to those behind us. If you do look behind you, you are not planning properly for the future.”The dramatic arrival of the 21-year-old Yorkshire batsman Jonny Bairstow is a case in point. His nerveless debut innings of 41 not out from 21 balls not only secured a notable victory in a stiff run-chase in Cardiff, it served notice of the talent challenging for regular places in the England team, and reminded those players currently on the sidelines – Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen among them – that competition is healthy.”I can’t remember a debut like that,” said Flower. “It was very clean and impressive hitting. Not many people can strike it as cleanly as that. Not many people are that talented. He should be very proud of his performance and it is great to make an impact in international cricket straightaway, but let’s all keep level heads about it. Talk is cheap, but he did it with his actions, and he will continually be asked questions to repeat his performances out there in the middle when the pressure is on.”As Flower suggested, Bairstow’s “innocence” at international level may have helped him to shrug off the pressures of the match situation, and play each of his 21 balls on its merits. Though he wouldn’t be drawn on specific matters of selection ahead of the tour of India next month, Flower used an analogy from his own playing days with Zimbabwe to highlight the situation that England have now reached, with so many candidates pressing their claims for places in England’s various teams.”What it does re-emphasise to me is that opportunity is very important,” said Flower. “When we were given Test status, I was a little skeptical that we deserved it as a Test-playing nation, but I thought, ‘wow, what an opportunity’. I never thought I’d play international cricket. You’ve been given a chance, try to do something with it. These young guys have been given a chance and it’s very interesting to see how they’ve done against similar opposition. I think that’s been very informative for everyone and very exciting for the future of English cricket.”England’s one-day campaign hasn’t just been about Bairstow’s performance. Steven Finn filled the void left by James Anderson and Stuart Broad in Cardiff with his best spell to date in one-day cricket, while Jade Dernbach has shown the potential to become a truly innovative bowler, even if he hasn’t quite learned when to use his many slower-ball variations. Ravi Bopara overcame a torrid start to the series to produce key innings in each of the last three games, and Flower was delighted with the overall direction of his team.”The guys have been grabbing their opportunities, which is outstanding,” said Flower. “We have got a little bit of exposure into Ben Stokes – it has been exciting working with him – he is an exciting young player and a really good young man. Dernbach has got more exposure and experience against a really good one-day side, so a lot of good things have happened.”I have only been doing this job two-and-a-half years and a lot has happened – it is amazing how quickly things happen.”•Getty Images

“We’ve won in difficult situations – it has been a really good series in that regard,” added Flower. “We rested KP, we played Bell at No. 4, then through injuries other people have got chances. Finn, in the two chances we have given him, has been outstanding. His figures don’t suggest so but he looked really exciting as a fast bowler and he is going to be an integral part of the England attack over the next few years. Bairstow last night got his one chance and grabbed it with both hands, and it was nice for Ravi to see it right through to the end last night.”On a personal note, Flower was adamant that his own hunger for the England job matches that which he expects of his charges, not least having witnessed the sort of potential that has been displayed in the past fortnight.”I am excited,” he said. “I have only been doing this job two-and-a-half years and a lot has happened – it is amazing how quickly things happen. When I was given the job I said I wanted to make a difference and I still hope that can occur in the next couple of years. I am very proud of the way the guys are performing and it is interesting to see how the three captains [approach] pans out.”I am sure most coaches are the same – coaches or captains – you shouldn’t need motivation to play for your country. There are plenty of reasons to be motivated. It is more about channeling that energy and making sure it is organised and making sure, as far as possible, individuals are maximising their potential. I don’t think it is so much motivation – it is more how we manage that.”The side is going to vary along the way but English cricket has good resources – both financial and human. There are proud cricketing nations out there that are just as hungry as us so it is going to be a good battle. We can achieve very good things. That was a very young side we had out there – Swann I assume was the oldest – so that is a very young side to beat India.”

Uthappa fashions easy Karnataka win

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A round-up of the action from the third match day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2011Karnataka registered an impressive eight-wicket win against Tamil Nadu at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on day two of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2011-12, to go to the top of the South Zone points table. Tamil Nadu’s Dinesh Karthik scored a quick 52 with four fours and three sixes, and K Vasudevadas provided the innings some late momentum with 30 off 18. However, none of the other batsmen could go past 14 as the hosts managed only 131 for 9 on the relaid Chepauk pitch. Stuart Binny was Karnataka’s best bowler, claiming three wickets and conceding only 14 runs. Robin Uthappa then celebrated his return to the national Twenty20 team with 59 off 29 balls, ensuring Karnataka cruised in the chase. Bharat Chipli and Ganesh Satish built on the fine start with a half-century stand, and finished the match in the 17th over.The Andra Pradesh–Kerala match at the TI Cycles Ground was washed-out after only 3.1 overs. The teams get two points apiece.DB Ravi Teja continued his impressive form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and his 68 off 49 balls led Hyderabad to a nine-wicket win against Goa in Chennai. Chasing 131, Ravi Teja and T Suman, who made 45 off 38 balls, added 103 in 13 overs before Suman was dismissed. Ravi Teja, however, remained unbeaten when the winning runs were scored in 17.2 overs. A combined effort from Hyderabad’s bowlers – all six took at least a wicket – had dismissed Goa for 130 to help set up the victory. Abhishek Raut top scored with 31 and was one of only two batsmen to make more than 20. Syed Quadri took 3 for 25 for Hyderabad.

Arthur arrival has captain's jigsaw falling into place

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Having guided Australia through the turbulent first eight months of his captaincy, Michael Clarke is decidedly relieved to have a settled support staff

Daniel Brettig23-Nov-2011Having guided Australia through the turbulent first eight months of his captaincy, Michael Clarke is decidedly relieved to have a settled support staff – even if the new head coach Mickey Arthur was not his personal choice for the job.Clarke returned home from a dramatic but ultimately satisfying tour of South Africa on Wednesday, and though he has a surfeit of injuries to contend with, can look forward to tackling the home summer with a strong network around him.Along with Arthur, the team performance manager Pat Howard, the national selector John Inverarity, selectors Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel, Clarke will dial into the first major phone hook-up for the new selection panel on Thursday evening, to deliberate on the team for the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane.The assembly of cricket experience and sporting intellect is striking, and Clarke also spoke warmly of the assistant coaches Steve Rixon, Justin Langer and Craig McDermott. Rixon was Clarke’s preference to become head coach, but pointed out that Arthur’s appointment would allow him to benefit from the knowledge of both.”I’m stoked we’ve got a coach. Mickey has done a fantastic job in the past with South Africa, and I’m really excited and looking forward to working with him,” Clarke said. “I’ve only spoken to him a handful of times either playing against him with South Africa or over the phone since he’s taken over with WA.”I think Australian cricket needed a coach to be appointed sooner rather than later and I’m stoked that James Sutherland and Pat Howard have put a certain amount of people through a process and Mickey Arthur’s come out on top, so I’m looking forward to working with him.”In my opinion I believe the coach needs to have the support staff around him that he wants and he needs, but if Stumper [Rixon] is the right man for the job, I’m sure Mickey will be more than supportive to see them around, as with Justin Langer and Craig McDermott.”They’re all under contract, I’m not sure how long to, but that’s a bonus for our team if you’ve got some very good cricket minds there, helping us out trying to get us to win games. I think really you’ve probably got the cake and eating it too with Mickey Arthur and Steve Rixon.”As Arthur’s predecessor Tim Nielsen observed, Clarke’s draining first few months in the job benefited from the enthusiasm of a new leader. The broadening of support beneath Clarke will now allow him to concentrate on his batting and tactical thinking as the captaincy starts to become less of a novelty.”It’ll probably make a few of our live a lot easier, that’s for sure. I’m as excited as anybody to get a coach on board,” Clarke said. “There’s been some things happening off the field for the last six months, but our job is to perform on the field.”The communication for me personally with James Sutherland has been outstanding, he’s kept me informed on everything that’s been happening, from the general manger to the selectors, to now the head coach, so they’ve tried to do their best and we’ve tried to do the same. It’s nice that it’s finished, we have our new general manager, our selectors and a head coach, so it’s another reason to be excited for what lies ahead.”Clarke delivered a chuckling “good luck” when informed that Arthur had likened the captain/coach relationship to marriage, but spoke frankly of the need to build a rapport in coming days. Only seven remain between now and the start of the first Test against New Zealand.”Since Mickey took over the job in WA, we’ve been in communication, talking about the WA player,s so there’s been back and forth communication for a while now,” Clarke said. “But the relationship is crucial, no doubt, straight away I respect him for everything he’s achieved as a player but also as a coach.”His success with the South African team is something that I’m sure would’ve played a part in him getting this job. He’s a true gentleman, a fantastic man, and I look forward to learning as much as I can from him and working together.”To me it doesn’t matter where you come from, if you’re the right man for the job, the best man for the job, then I believe you deserve to get it. The benefit of Mickey coming on board is he’s got some other great coaches around him in regard to Steve Rixon, Justin Langer and Craig McDermott. So some pretty smart cricket minds there, working together I can only see us having more success.”

Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon thrust into leadership

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On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against Ne

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane28-Nov-2011On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against New Zealand.Siddle and Arthur spoke at length during the team’s first training session in Brisbane, the Victorian paceman accepting the critical role he must play in a bowling quartet that will feature two debutants alongside himself and Lyon. James Pattinson is favoured to take the third spot, leaving the local man Ben Cutting to duel with Mitchell Starc’s left-arm for the final place. All will get the chance to influence the captain and selector Michael Clarke when he bats in the Gabba nets on Tuesday.Having selected the most callow Australian bowling ensemble since the 1988 Pakistan tour – the last time an XI was chosen with fewer than the 126 wickets this team can boast between its members – Arthur and Clarke must decide on a practical balance.Each of Pattinson, Cutting and Starc have been commonly used as aggressors by their states and are not so familiar with the hard graft of long spells, leaving Siddle to do much of the heavy lifting. Arthur said that Lyon, who has been ushered gently into Test cricket by Clarke over his first five Tests, would now have more to do.”That’s certainly going to be a role we’re going to need,” Arthur said. “I think our spinner can play that role quite effectively, I thought he bowled beautifully today, so I’m hoping he can play that role, and then we can rotate those guys.”Bowling at the Gabba, overs 0-30 is about getting the ball up and making the ball work for you, 30-60 is the hard work, rolling the sleeves up, hitting back of a length and building pressure, and hopefully 60-80 you can get the ball to reverse. I’m hoping that overs 30-60 the young guys can stand up and build that pressure as much as we need the pressure to be built at that time.”There’s going to be four real young bowlers, Pete Siddle is going to have to lead the attack for us, there’s no doubt about that. I had a chat to him about it this morning and he’s ready for that responsibility. But it is going to be interesting, we’ve got to look at what’s going to be the best attack, and who’s bowling the best and gives us the most variation.”Lyon has never bowled at the Gabba, but can expect to profit from the bounce and occasional turn available to a spin bowler with sufficient discipline. Graeme Swann struggled for traction on the ground in last year’s Ashes Test, but later said that was more to do with bowling badly than not finding any comfort in the surface.”At the Gabba if it’s done a little bit it generally starts a little bit soft, which allows a bit of grip,” Arthur said. “And the one thing a spinner does get is bounce, and spinners thrive on bounce. So they do get bounce here. I’m really hoping he can do the job, I reckon he can.”Siddle agreed the task ahead was as daunting as it would be exciting, guiding bowlers as young and unaffected as he was on his debut against India at Mohali in 2008. Since then, Siddle has fought injuries but also refined his body shape, to be the hardiest if not flashiest member of Australia’s pace battery.”A little bit daunting, thinking these blokes are all so young and all haven’t played, so that does make it a little bit daunting, but it does make it exciting as well,” Siddle said. “To get the opportunity to play with some of these guys that obviously can be the future of Australian cricket, to go out there and hopefully lead them and show them some good things.”I’m looking forward to it … it is going to be tough and nervous for them at the start, but I’m looking forward to being a part of it with them, being able to enjoy it with them. Even last week to be involved with Patty [Cummins] and talk to him at mid off or mid on and just see how he goes about it, I’m very excited about these next few weeks.”Given his knack for away swing, Pattinson appears the most likely debutant to share the new ball, a welcome scenario for Siddle having known the younger man since he was “about 10 years old”.”I’ve played with his brother in club cricket for about 11 years now and I’ve known Jimmy since he was about 10, so he’s been like a little brother to me since I’ve moved down to Melbourne,” Siddle said. “I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve got to play with him for Victoria, so hopefully I do get the chance to get out on the park with him and better yet we could open the bowling together in a Test match, that would be quite amazing.”Among the players at Allan Border Field was a ginger-looking Shaun Marsh, who Arthur said was unlikely to be considered before the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.

New Zealand in unexpected command

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New Zealand find themselves in an unexpectedly commanding position following an eventful second day of the second Test

The Report by Daniel Brettig10-Dec-2011Stumps
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Chris Martin produced bounce, movement and accuracy•AFP

Smart stats

  • Australia’s 136 is their third-lowest total against New Zealand, and their lowest at home.

  • The top five batsmen in the first innings of both teams totalled 97, which is the fourth-lowest ever in a Test in Australia, and the lowest since 1979.

  • It’s the sixth time Australia have been dismissed for 150 or fewer runs in a Test innings in the last two years. In the five previous years, they’d never been bowled out for under 150.

  • The last time New Zealand bowled out a team other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe for a sub-150 score in an away game was way back in June 2002 in Barbados, when West Indies were bundled out for 107.

  • New Zealand took the first-innings lead in a Test in Australia for the first time since Perth in 2001.

New Zealand find themselves in an unexpectedly commanding position following an eventful second day of the second Test, in which Australia’s batsmen failed utterly to cope with a difficult though not unplayable Hobart pitch.The visitors battled to 3 for 139 and a lead of 153 by the close, after their seam attack had rumbled Australia out for 136 in reply to what had been thought an inadequate 150. Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson played with fierce resolve and positive intent, though New Zealand’s captain should have been out for 14 when he skewered Michael Hussey to gully. Phillip Hughes, enduring a most unfortunate match, could not hold on.Hussey’s slow medium accounted for Jesse Ryder via a superlative legside stumping by Brad Haddin, but it was the last of 12 wickets on day two as New Zealand reached a vantage point from which they can glimpse a first Test victory in Australia since 1985.Led by Chris Martin’s unstinting bounce, movement and accuracy, all the visitors’ bowlers had moments to enjoy in the morning as Australia briefly stared at the possibility of being bowled out for less than 100 for the fourth time in 18 months, and the third in the space of a year. Peter Siddle and James Pattinson produced the most substantial partnership of the innings from the depths of 7 for 75, but could not prevent New Zealand from gaining an unexpected first innings lead of 14.Usman Khawaja and Michael Clarke fought hardest among the batsmen, who were all found woefully deficient against the moving ball. Following Martin’s example, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell each found a hint of deviation either way to exploit Australian vulnerability. Boult pouched three wickets on debut and impressed with his subtle swing and sustained line.Resuming at 1 for 12, Khawaja and David Warner played and missed often amid pushing a few runs, and New Zealand were given the early impression they were well and truly in the contest. This notion was confirmed when Warner walked into a drive at Martin and edged succinctly to first slip.Ricky Ponting walked to the middle in a Hobart Test for the first time since his double century against Pakistan in 2010, intent on another score of heft. One or two crisp connections suggested he was in good touch, but he was soon made to look as foolish by Southee as Graham Gooch used to be at the hands of Terry Alderman.Expecting Southee’s stock outswinger, Ponting shaped to leave, but realised too late that the ball was whirring in at middle stump. A panicked swipe of the bat across his front pad was far too late to avoid an lbw so plumb the Ponting was walking well in advance of the umpire Nigel Llong’s raised finger.Khawaja had fought the kind of vigil endured by Brendon McCullum on day one, his bat probing at thin air as often as it struck the ball. Eventually the accumulation of pressure told, Martin extracting the edge he had long threatened to find to dismiss Khawaja for the first single figure score of his young Test career.Michaels Hussey and Clarke had been Australia’s most reliable duo in recent Tests, and for 23 runs they offered promise of a resurgence. But Daniel Vettori’s hamstring strain had afforded the visitors a fourth seamer, and Boult responded to Hussey’s commanding pull stroke by having the batsman pouched behind when trying to leave the next ball.Not one for obstinate defence, Haddin drove impulsively to wide mid-off, another stroke he will wish to forget following the ugly smear against South Africa in Cape Town. Clarke’s resistance, by far the most prolonged and effective of any member of the top six, was ended when he allowed a Bracewell delivery to pluck out off stump – redemption for the bowler after a similar dismissal of Clarke in Brisbane was overruled by a no-ball.Siddle and Pattinson had taken the new ball together on day one, but they would not have expected to be accompanying each other to lunch on the second, still a long way short of New Zealand’s humble tally. Through a combination of shrewd shots and straighter bats than many of the full-time batsmen had managed, they added 56.Eventually Siddle let his guard down and edged Bracewell to third slip. Pattinson immediately flashed at Boult and fell victim to a sharp snaffle by Williamson in the gully, before Starc was lbw on referral to the third umpire Aleem Dar.Neither Pattinson nor Siddle bowled well in the 10 overs to tea, and Clarke swung them to opposite ends on resumption with immediate effect. For the third time in as many innings Pattinson found a corking delivery to touch McCullum’s outside edge, and next over Martin Guptill admonished himself fiercely for flirting at Siddle when he could have left well alone.Ryder did not suggest permanence at any stage but reached 16 before he wandered out of his crease in trying to flick Hussey away, and Haddin capitalised. Ryder exchanged words with Ponting before his departure, but Australia’s fire would be doused by Taylor and Williamson.Taylor has endured a difficult time on this tour, and he played in a self-denying manner reminiscent of Dean Brownlie to build a stand. Williamson showed a sound back-foot game and a greater range of strokes than he had managed in three fretful innings previously.

No Niall O'Brien for Kenya tour

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Niall O’Brien, the Ireland wicketkeeper batsman, has not been picked in the Ireland squad for the tour of Kenya due to his unavailability for part of the tour

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2012

Squads

Ireland squad for Kenya tour: William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Rory McCann, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Boyd Rankin, James Shannon, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson<br
Ireland provisional squad for World T20 Qualifiers and South Africa camp: William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Rory McCann, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Boyd Rankin, James Shannon, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson

Niall O’Brien, the Ireland wicketkeeper-batsman, has not been picked in the Ireland squad for the tour of Kenya. O’Brien’s participation in the Bangladesh Premier League makes his unavailable for part of the tour. He also hasn’t been picked in the squad for the ICC World T20 qualifier in the UAE in March.The tour of Kenya includes a four-day Intercontinental Cup match, two World Cup qualifying ODIs as part of the ICC’s 50-over league and three Twenty20s. O’Brien said he would be available for the ODIs but the selectors said all players must be available for all parts of the tour, and didn’t pick him.”There were difficult matters for the selectors to discuss regarding Niall O’Brien’s availability,” Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, said in a release. “They took on board Niall’s offer to play in only the ODIs in Kenya, join the squad for part of the South Africa camp, and then the ICC World T20 Qualifier.”However the selectors remained consistent to their principle, regarding that all players must be available for all parts of the tour. Niall was not able to make himself available for the whole tour and therefore the selectors have decided not to select him for any part of the tour including the ICC World T20 Qualifier.”We are only selecting for this tour and the next selection will be for the RSA Challenge ODI versus Australia in June; at that point they will consider all available players. Niall has communicated that he still wishes to play for Ireland and the selectors will take that into consideration when they next meet.”O’Brien was picked up by Khulna Royal Bengal for US$80,000 at the BPL auctions; the tournament runs from February 9-20. O’Brien, 30, has been a key player for Ireland in their top order and is vastly experienced, having played 49 ODIs and 98 first-class matches.The Ireland squad will be led by William Porterfield. Albert van der Merwe will only play in the Intercontinental Cup match between February 12-15, and Nigel Jones will join the squad from February 15 to take part in the ODIs and the T20s.Ireland also announced a provisional squad of 17 for the ICC World T20 Qualifier in the UAE; a squad of 14 will be selected from this on February 12. The squad will also participate in a warm-up preparation camp in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Finn and Cook repeat tricks in England win

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Pakistan’s top order gave a better display in their second attempt to chase under lights in Abu Dhabi, but stuttered after a good opening partnership to reach 108 for 3 after 25 overs

The Report by Andrew McGlashan15-Feb-2012England 250 for 4 (Cook 102, Bopara 58) beat Pakistan 230 all out (Misbah 47, Finn 4-34) by 20 runs
ScorecardSteven Finn ended with 4 for 34 – the same as his figures in the first ODI – this time cleaning up the Pakistan tail•Getty Images

England’s revival in the one-day format continued as impressive death bowling secured a 20-run victory in Abu Dhabi and a 2-0 series lead to ensure another hundred from Alastair Cook laid the foundations for success. Pakistan made it a much tighter chase than two days ago, but paid the price for not having a batsman convert into something substantial, as Cook had managed for the second innings in a row.The game was England’s when Misbah-ul-Haq was breathtakingly caught by Craig Kieswetter as the wicketkeeper ran back under a spiralling top edge and clung on despite needing to dive full length. The other crucial moment had come two overs earlier – in the 45th – when Shahid Afridi, who was dropped at long-off when Stuart Broad couldn’t hold a tough chance, then took two boundaries off Samit Patel’s last over to threaten a charge. However, he swung and missed at James Anderson who then completed a maiden against the hapless Abdur Rehman.Misbah could only watch on as Rehman was beaten delivery after delivery by England’s quick bowlers to turn the closing stages of the chase from tough to near impossible. He only managed 1 from 12 balls despite being given a free hit by Steven Finn who then responded by hitting the stumps twice in two deliveries; the second ending Rehman’s forlorn stay. Finn cleaned up the final two wickets to replicate his opening-match figures of 4 for 34 in another reputation-enhancing display.Pakistan didn’t help their cause with some gifted wickets. They had played sensibly to see off Finn’s early threat – his first spell was five overs for six – but Mohammed Hafeez chipped Anderson to midwicket from the second ball of the bowling Powerplay. His opening partner, Imran Farhat, was run out when he lost awareness of where the ball had gone following an lbw appeal. Broad swooped from his follow through and hit with an under-arm flick.Patel then underlined how useful he is becoming to England’s one-day team. On a wearing surface he proved difficult to score off (until Afridi’s brief foray) and claimed the key scalp of Younis Khan who missed a paddle sweep. Nine overs later, as Azhar Ali and Misbah were starting to build a partnership, Patel beat Azhar’s attempt to cut with a ball that skidded through.Each time Pakistan threatened England found the breakthrough and Patel’s impact on the match extended to his often-derided fielding when he held a fiercely struck cut from Umar Akmal low down at cover. Akmal wasn’t sure it had carried but, unlike as is often the case, the third umpire was happy the catch was clean.Cook’s role in the field should not be underestimated either. He switched his bowlers around confidently and reacted to situations more swiftly than has previously been seen. The last three days couldn’t really have gone much better for him as he became the first England captain to score back-to-back one-day hundreds.Cook’s timing and placement stood out. Early on he punched Aizaz Cheema off the back foot between mid-off and cover then, when spin was introduced after surprisingly being overlooked for five overs, collected consecutive boundaries off Hafeez with a flick through midwicket and another drive. He survived one chance, on 28, when Akmal dropped an edge off Afridi to highlight the risk of not playing a specialist wicketkeeper. It became very costly.Kevin Pietersen again failed to make a convincing case as an opener before falling to Saeed Ajmal•AFP

A strong slog-sweep took him to 49 and his fifty came from 66 balls. For lengthy periods he was content to keep the scoreboard ticking with nudges and flicks, but would occasionally kick-start the scoring with a small flurry of boundaries as was the case during the batting Powerplay when he dispatched Umar Gul. Having reached his hundred off 118 balls, he couldn’t quite take his innings as deep this time when a leading edge looped back to Afridi.It wasn’t only Cook’s innings that produced similarities to the opening match. Kevin Pietersen was again out-scored in the opening stand which ended on 67 when he was trapped lbw by Saeed Ajmal from around the wicket. He had previously survived a close lbw shout on 23 against Afridi which led to Pakistan using up their one referral. Significantly for England, however, this was the first innings of the tour where they weren’t dominated by Ajmal as he ended with a moderate 1 for 54.Jonathan Trott, who fell first ball to Afridi in the opening match, again didn’t look entirely convincing against the legspinner but settled in alongside Cook in a partnership that always has the potential to spark debate. The stand produced 49 runs in 11 overs until Trott edged a short, wide delivery from Cheema to Akmal.It was then over to Team Essex again. Ravi Bopara took time to play himself in and his innings never became an onslaught even in the closing overs, but the pitch was not conducive to free-flowing scoring. He and Eoin Morgan, who finally spent some time at the crease, ensured no late collapse and the way England batted throughout suggested they had a clear total in mind that they were confident of defending. Their calculations proved astute.

Southee to be dropped for second Test

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Tim Southee is expected to be dropped from the New Zealand squad for the second Test against South Africa, after conceding 140 runs for no wicket in the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2012Tim Southee is expected to be dropped from the New Zealand squad for the second Test against South Africa, after conceding 140 runs for no wicket in the first Test, in Dunedin. Southee also had a torrid time in the limited-over games against South Africa, going for 64 off 10 overs in the first ODI, 61 off eight in the second, and 40 runs off four overs in the second Twenty20. Brent Arnel and Andrew Ellis are both in the Test squad and one of them is expected to take Southee’s place in the XI.Southee will go back to domestic cricket and play for Northern Districts in the next round of the Plunket Shield, which starts on Saturday, to work on issues with technique and form. Before the home series against South Africa, Southee had not had much to do in New Zealand’s thrashing of Zimbabwe in the two-and-a-half-day Napier Test. On the tour of Australia last year, his five wickets had come at 44.6 runs apiece, and he was overshadowed by Doug Bracewell.Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, had said after the first Test against South Africa that Southee had been having issues with his action. “Tim did not have the game of his life,” Taylor said. “He struggled a little bit with his action but he’s played a few Tests now. He’s a confidence player and hopefully he can bounce back from this.”Meanwhile, BJ Watling and Dean Brownlie remain on the injured list for New Zealand, meaning Kruger van Wyk and Rob Nicol are likely to keep their places in the XI. Brownlie is expected to be back for the third Test.The second Test is in Hamilton, starting March 15.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

ICC frames plan for 'unsafe' series

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The ICC has introduced a “special dispensation” to be made only in “exceptional circumstances” in order to ensure that bilateral series take place even if the ruling body has determined it “unsafe” to appoint its officials for such series

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2012The ICC has introduced a “special dispensation” to be made only in “exceptional circumstances” in order to ensure that bilateral series take place even if the ruling body has determined it “unsafe” to appoint its officials for such series. This would allow such series to be manned by “non-neutral match officials”, a departure from the ICC’s Standard Playing Conditions, pending permission from the ICC’s Executive Board.The dispensation, announced at the end of the ICC’s Chief Executive Committee (CEC)’s two-day meeting in Dubai, will have special significance for the proposed tour of Pakistan by Bangladesh, the planning for which is at an advanced stage.The CEC stated that it had limited powers to take a decision over safety issues as to whether tours should take place or not. It reiterated that the ICC’s role in bilateral series was “limited to considering the safety and security of the match officials after a tour had been confirmed and a security plan produced.” The decision as to whether a particular tour should take place or not was, the CEC stated, “one for the participating countries.”The CEC statement has ensured that the ICC’s own officials need not be appointed for Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan. That could be seen by Pakistan as a stumbling block towards hosting top-level international cricket; other nations would be wary of touring if the ICC deemed the situation was not safe for their officials.For Bangladesh, the seal of ICC’s approval would have ensured greater vigilance around security issues. Last week, a nine-member Bangladesh delegation, led by their cricket board president Mustafa Kamal, gave a nod to the security arrangements at various venues after a two-day visit. Both Kamal, and Zaka Ashraf, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, had said that they would approach the ICC to approve the tour.It is understood that the ICC dispatched individual letters to both the PCB and BCB on Monday, saying that it could not give the tour a go-ahead. The CEC’s introduction of this special dispensation around “non-neutral match officials” did not make a specific reference to the ICC’s disapproval of the series or that the tour had been deemed “unsafe” for its match officials to stand in. The dispensation however, creates the opportunity for the series to go ahead with Pakistani or Bangladeshi umpires and match-referees.There had been two itineraries proposed for the tour, one of which includes a three-match ODI series, and the other a series of two ODIs and one Twenty20 international, to be completed in one week in April. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium are the venues expected to host the matches.ESPNcricinfo understands that Bangladesh’s security team had expressed its reservations in playing in Karachi, and instead hope to play all the proposed matches in Lahore. Earlier, Rawalpindi was dropped as a venue from the plan.”It is important the tour goes ahead for Pakistan cricket to show the country can host games again,” Subhan Ahmad, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told . “We will have the highest level of security possible.”Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, pointed out that special dispensations however should not become a norm. “Bearing in mind that safety and security is the sole responsibility of individual member boards for bilateral matches, the CEC regarded this as an exceptional circumstance in which the appointment of non-neutral match officials could be justified but stated clearly that it should not to be regarded as a preferred option or precedent if the dispensation were to be granted,” Lorgat said.There has been no international cricket in Pakistan for exactly three years now after masked terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus and the van carrying ICC match officials, who were on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 3, 2009, on what was the third day of the second Test.