Quinton de Kock and Alviro Peterson scored half-centuries as Lions sealed their place in the final of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2013
ScorecardLions romped into the final of the Ram Slam T20 tournament with a 54-run win over Dolphins. They will take on the winner of the semi-final between Warriors and Titans.Put into bat, Lions piled up a score of 195 for 4. Quinton de Kock led the way with a 61-ball 97 that had three fours and eight sixes, while Alviro Petersen scored an unbeaten 55. The pair shared a stand of 87 runs off 52 balls for the third wicket.In reply, Dolphins never got their chase moving after losing openers Divan van Wyk and Cameron Delport. A 49-run partnership between Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Cody Chetty steadied the innings before their dismissals and David Miller’s wicket in consecutive overs left the Titans reeling at 81 for 5. A 25-ball 41 from captain Daryn Smit helped Dolphins reach 141 for 9 at the end of their 20 overs.
ScorecardWarriors routed Cape Cobras by eight wickets to set up a semi-final clash with Titans. Opener Christiaan Jonker’s unbeaten 64 off 39 balls held the Warriors’ chase together after Ashwell Prince was dismissed for seven. Jonker shared an 82-run stand with Colin Ingram to take his side past the target of 129 with more than six overs to spare.Earlier, Cape Cobras scored 128 runs in their innings as the batsmen fell regularly to the Warriors bowling. Owais Shah was the topscorer for Cobras with an unbeaten 33, while Rusty Theron picked up two wickets for the Warriors.

Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root had a gentle limber up for England Lions duty next week adding 231 runs for Yorkshire’s third wicket over a little under four hours

Les Smith at Headlingley01-May-2013
ScorecardJoe Root cashed in on a flat wicket with his highest first-class score•Getty Images

This time next week Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root will be preparing to play for England Lions against New Zealand at Leicester, with Root leading the team. This week they had a gentle limber up at Headingley, adding 231 runs for Yorkshire’s third wicket over a little under four hours during which they utterly dominated Derbyshire’s attack.Derbyshire’s bowling was diminished by the absence of opening bowler Tony Palladino, and the pitch has offered next to no help, but that should not detract from the magnificent display they provided for a Yorkshire crowd which had had to endure seeing their own bowlers taken apart by Chesney Hughes on the first two days.Bairstow joined Root shortly before lunch after Phil Jaques had been run out attempting a single on a misfield by Wayne Madsen. Root was visibly livid about his part in the debacle, no doubt especially because he ran out the same team mate at Durham last week, but it didn’t fluster him. In fact one of the most impressive aspects of his game is that he is always in control of it. He simply got his head down and carried on running Derbyshire ragged. Andrew Gale first got himself set, then got himself out, but that only brought Bairstow onto the stage and the fun was about to begin.Root was nurtured by the same club in Sheffield that produced Michael Vaughan, and there is a lot of Vaughan about him. They have similar builds, and like Vaughan’s, the weight of his runs is built on a sound, orthodox technique. Root’s selection as captain of the Lions has inevitably led to speculation that he is being groomed by the selectors for future leadership. His total of runs in his last three innings, 467, will presumably secure him an extended run in the Test team, if that wasn’t already a done deal. Whether he will emulate Vaughan and progress to Test captaincy remains to be seen. When asked the question at close of play he played a characteristically elegant dead bat.His stroke play was excellent, on both sides of the wicket and on both front and back feet. It was nearly all genuine, orthodox stuff, though a scoop over his shoulder off the front foot for four against Tim Groenewald showed that he’s capable of the outrageous as well. In the end Dan Redfern, who had only taken five first class wickets at an average of 56 before today, was too good for Root, bowling him round his legs with an off break.Root was, as you might expect, delighted with his recent form. “It’s nice to get some runs early on,” he said. “Especially in April when it’s not always that easy”. Asked about what he learned from his experience with England in the winter, he cited the importance of being “greedy” when he’s played himself in, and that “nice 60s and 70s don’t win games”. He’s certainly been greedy over the last five days.Bairstow’s innings was more belligerent and he scored more quickly. He was particularly effective in the early stages through the leg side on the front foot, but once really established he played all around the field.With Palladino injured, Jonathan Clare stepped in to share the new ball. At one stage in his second spell he had three fielders on the off side boundary barely 30 yards apart when bowling to Bairstow. Once Root had gone for a career-best 236 Bairstow was joined for the last hour of the day by left-hander Gary Ballance, and there was no letup in the pace.During the last half hour there were routinely seven or eight on the boundary as the pair added 117 runs off 14 overs before Bairstow was caught off Wes Durston in the penultimate over for 186. At the close of play Ballance had scored 50 off 61 balls and Yorkshire had batted themselves into a lead of 122.The brunt of the bowling fell on the spinners. Left-armer David Wainwright, enduring a difficult return to his old county, and offspinner Wes Durston got through 73 overs between them. While both had a thankless task on a flat pitch against two batsmen, and one in particular, in great form they rarely threatened, though in the circumstances Wainwright’s economy rate of 3.5 deserves credit.All the signs suggest that Yorkshire will look to pile on more runs in the first hour tomorrow then, as Joe Root put it, “have a good go at Derbyshire”. The odds must still be on the groundsman and his feather bed.

Australia face a must-win against New Zealand in order to keep their tournament hopes alive in this trans-Tasman clash

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale11-Jun-2013

Match facts

Wednesday, June 12, Edgbaston
Start time 1030 (0930 GMT)

Big Picture

At the last Champions Trophy, Australia beat New Zealand in the final to secure their second consecutive title. This year, the two teams meet with Australia’s tournament all but on the line. A loss in their opening match against England has left the Australians vulnerable and should they lose to New Zealand, they would not only have to beat Sri Lanka next Monday but they would also need England to lose their remaining two matches to have any hope of scraping through to the semi-finals. Even then, it would come down to net run-rate. Should New Zealand win their progression is not certain, although it would take a similarly intricate series of results for them to miss out to England and Sri Lanka on net run-rate. An Australian victory would keep things fairly even throughout the group.However, the Australians will need to overcome New Zealand without their captain Michael Clarke, who has been ruled out due to a back injury that has plagued him since he arrived in England. The more significant long-term worry will be his availability for the Ashes which follow after. David Warner is a real concern as well, having scored ducks in the two warm-up matches, followed by 9 against England. New Zealand’s cordon will be well advised to be on high alert early in Warner’s innings, given the way he has been slashing and edging of late.New Zealand also have an injury concern around a senior player, with Daniel Vettori likely to miss out having had a saline injection in his troublesome left Achilles tendon. “You only have to look at him. He’s limping and is a bit ginger walking around the field,” the New Zealand fast bowler, Kyle Mills, said on Monday. “He’s been doing it since his teenage years at this level and his body is tired. He shows tremendous toughness and hopefully he can rise to the occasion for these next games to get us over the line. He looked jovial getting his toast and cereal at breakfast this morning, but there’s obviously a lot of discomfort.”

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed games)
New Zealand: WLWWL
Australia: LWWWW

Watch out for…

Less than five years ago, Luke Ronchi made his debut for Australia against West Indies. During that series he scored a 22-ball half-century, the fourth fastest ODI fifty by an Australia player. Now he is about to line up against his former country for the first time, having qualified for his birth nation of New Zealand earlier this year. Ronchi’s initial forays into the New Zealand side have brought few runs, but against familiar Australian bowlers, he will be keen to prove that he can be a long-term force at the top of the order.Since George Bailey made his ODI debut in March last year, only Ian Bell and Tillakaratne Dilshan have scored more one-day international runs than his 819 at an average of 45.50. During the one-day series in England last year, Bailey was the one shining light in Australia’s batting order and again during their loss to Alastair Cook’s men on Saturday he was the top scorer with 55. Bailey is a capable stand-in captain and a reliable presence in the middle order, but he needs significantly greater support if Australia are to progress to the next stage of this tournament.

Team news

If Vettori is put on ice, New Zealand would likely bring in Colin Munro or Grant Elliott, although Elliott’s availability would also depend on how well he has recovered from a calf injury.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Luke Ronchi (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 James Franklin, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt), 7 Colin Munro / Grant Elliott, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan.
Clarke will again miss out, but Australia have a few backup options in the batting department, unless they want to give Glenn Maxwell a go in place of fellow allrounder Mitchell Marsh. Xavier Doherty might also come under consideration, although the potential for rain on Wednesday could discourage the selectors from bringing him in.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 David Warner, 3 Phillip Hughes, 4 George Bailey (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh / Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc / Xavier Doherty, 11 Clint McKay.

Pitch and conditions

Both matches at Edgbaston so far have been won with relative comfort by the team batting first, for scoring appears to become tougher as the matches wear on. There is some rain expected around the Birmingham region on Wednesday and the forecast is for a high of 17°C.

Stats and trivia

• Kyle Mills will be the outright leading wicket-taker in Champions Trophy history if he claims one more victim. Prior to this match, he stands equal with Muttiah Muralitharan on 24 wickets
• New Zealand and Australia have not met in a one-day international since the 2011 World Cup
• Australia have not lost to New Zealand in a world tournament since the 1999 World Cup

Quotes

“All their top order will be feeling the heat a little bit to not only win the game but also hold their spot in the team. If we can take advantage of that I’m sure it will bode well for us in those pressure situations.”

“If it continues to be dry, we need to consider a spinner. We need to get the balance right. We need to get partnerships going.”

England’s bowlers again kept Pakistan in a vice-like grip, after attacking innings from Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor, to secure another comprehensive victory

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2013
ScorecardSarah Taylor held England’s innings together with her ninth T20 half-century•Getty Images

England’s bowlers again kept Pakistan in a vice-like grip, after attacking innings from Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor, to secure another comprehensive victory. Danielle Wyatt claimed 3 for 16 and debutant Tash Farrant took two wickets in her second over as Pakistan were restricted to 75 for 6 from their 20 overs, well short of the 146 required for victory.Edwards opted to open with the spin of Wyatt and she claimed the wicket of Javeria Rauf with her sixth delivery. Wyatt picked up a second wicket in her second over and Farrant’s double-strike left Pakistan on 14 for 4. By the middle of the seventh over it was 23 for 5 before a 22-run stand between top-scorer Nahida Khan and Nida Dar.Wyatt removed Dar for 12 but, with 101 required from less than seven overs, the game was already up. Nahida finished on 28 from 48 balls, putting on 30 with captain Sana Mir.England’s captain, Edwards, had scored half-centuries in the two ODI wins over Pakistan earlier in the week and she set the tone again, with a 33-ball 46. Edwards and Taylor put on 57 for the second wicket and although Pakistan made regular incisions thereafter, Bismah Maroof picking up two wickets in the 16th over, Taylor held the innings together with ninth T20 half-century.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second semi-final between India and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran19-Jun-2013

Match Facts

Thursday, June 20
Start time 1030 (0930 GMT)Ravindra Jadeja is having a sensational year•Associated Press

The Big Picture

Even as Clint McKay and Xavier Doherty were doing their darnedest to drive Australia to a sensational victory over Sri Lanka at The Oval, there were plenty of non-Australians cheering them on, just so that the cricket world will be spared yet another India-Sri Lanka ODI. In the last five years, the two sides have met a mind numbing 44 times in ODIs, and will face off again in a tri-series in the Caribbean starting next week. The teams are so familiar with each other and their strategies that MS Dhoni said: “You can also cut the extra 15 minutes of time in a team meeting and keep it simple.”At least unlike a majority of those previous encounters, Thursday’s clash is a high-stakes, high-profile game. Even that could be ruined, though, as the weather forecast is dire. Sri Lanka, whose cricket season at home is regularly blighted by rain, are the only team to have been fortunate to get three full group matches, but that run looks set to come to an end with plenty of showers expected in Cardiff.What’s worse for Sri Lanka is that, in case of a washout, India will go through on account of being winners of Group B. The Champions Trophy is marketed as a “short, sharp” tournament, but not having a reserve day for the knockout matches is stretching that concept a bit too far. The only other times these teams have met in the Champions Trophy was also in a big game, the final in 2002, which was washed out despite the reserve day.A week ago, midway through the league stage, Sri Lanka seemed headed for the exit as Ravi Bopara’s burst in the final over lifted England to 293. Sri Lanka, however, hunted down that total before reeling off an impressive victory over Australia to progress to the semi-finals, a stage they regularly reach in global tournaments. Despite that, they have precious little silverware to show so far, something the likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara will be desperate to change.To achieve that, they have to get past the form team of the tournament. There had been a bit of trepidation over how a revamped India would cope with the loss of vastly experienced players like Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan. Their absence hasn’t been felt yet, as India’s new opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have been prolific, and Ravindra Jadeja’s miraculous season continues. A team traditionally filled with slow-coaches has now been transformed to one the normally cautious Dhoni calls “the best fielding side in the world”. In the crunch matches, though, will the inexperience show?

Form guide

(Most recent first, last five completed matches)
India WWWLW
Sri Lanka WWLLW

Watch out for…

Two of Sri Lanka’s batting giants, Sangakkara and Jayawardene, have already played match-winning innings in this tournament. The third, Tillakaratne Dilshan, hasn’t hit the same heights, though he has contributed with the ball, and took an athletic caught-and-bowled that confirmed Sri Lanka’s qualification. Dilshan has top scored in Sri Lanka’s two longest ODI tournaments in recent years, the World Cup and the CB series in 2011-12. Sri Lanka will be looking to him to lift his game when it counts once again.R Ashwin has firmly established himself as India’s lead spinner, and has grown so much in confidence that he even attempted a conventional legspinner in the Pakistan match. India’s bowling has yet to be strenuously tested in this tournament, and with a callow pace attack that is yet to prove itself under serious pressure, Ashwin’s role assumes even more importance.

Team news

India are unlikely to make any changes to the line-up that has served them so well in the league phase.India (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh YadavSri Lanka are also likely to retain the same XI. The one change they might consider is bringing in Thisara Perera for Shaminda Eranga.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Lahiru Thirimanne, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Shaminda Eranga/Thisara Perera

Pitch and conditions

Pitches in Cardiff have been of contrasting nature. More than 600 runs were scored in the opening match, and the next was a low-scoring thriller between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in which 19 wickets went down for 277 runs. The semi-final will be played on a fresh surface that hasn’t yet been used in the tournament.More than the pitch, though, the weather will be key – light to heavy rain is expected through the day, which will lead to a curtailed match or, at worst, a washout.

Stats and trivia

• In the last five years, India and Sri Lanka have played 54 matches against each other across formats, the most by any two teams in a five-year span
• Among active players, no batsman has more runs against one team than Kumar Sangakkara has against India – 2435.
• Of Rohit Sharma’s eight ducks, five have come against Sri Lanka.

Quotes

“There’s no room for revenge in sport, but yes, if we can beat the Indians, I think it’ll be a great achievement for the whole team because, you know, there are thoughts about the World Cup final, and the recent history against them is not very good for Sri Lanka.”

“We are used to [Lasith] Malinga. We play him so many times in IPL. He reverses the ball and remains dangerous.”

Sri Lanka’s players might have often heard that the sport they play is a great leveller, but they might not have thought the highs and lows could come in such quick succession

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Aug-2013

Match facts

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Start time 1900 local (1330 GMT)Thisara Perera’s form hasn’t quite continued in the T20 series•Associated Press

Big Picture

Sri Lanka’s players might have often heard that the sport they play is a great leveller, but they might not have thought the highs and lows could come in such quick succession. Four nights after Sri Lanka had embarrassed South Africa 4-1, they are pondering their own humiliation. The world’s top-ranked Twenty20 side is one game away from being whitewashed at home. If they fail on Tuesday, they will lose that ranking and slip to third, behind Pakistan and South Africa, who will rise from fifth.
The scripts for both games so far were remarkably similar, and make Sri Lanka’s problem clear. South Africa batted first, stumbled early, then surged late. Sri Lanka also lost early wickets, but were kept in the hunt by Kumar Sangakkara. In the end he could not compensate for his team-mates’ impotence and South Africa won handily. Sri Lanka’s young batsmen have been under pressure throughout the tour, and have largely misfired. If they cannot muster a performance worthy of the faith afforded in them by the selectors, the team will have cause to embark on some soul searching.Their opponents, meanwhile, have finally come to terms with the pace of the pitches in Sri Lanka and seem to also have managed to get a grip on Ajantha Mendis’ variations. South Africa have been rejuvenated in the field under Faf du Plessis, who has had a knack for using his bowlers cleverly, and Imran Tahir’s insertion has also given the attack a dimension that it lacked in the ODIs.Though the word “revenge” has grown unfashionable in sport, South Africa will be out to make their tour’s outlook a little more even, with a third commanding performance. The toss will be important again, but for the first time since arriving in Sri Lanka, they might even be favourites to win the match.

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed matches)
Sri Lanka: LLWWW
South Africa: WWLWL

Players to watch

Thisara Perera was effective with both bat and ball in the ODI series, but has only bowled one over in the Twenty20 series, and has not been at his explosive best with the bat. There is talk that he is the most underutilised player in the Sri Lanka team, batting as low as he does, but if he is to move further up, he will have to play match-winning cameos with more consistency than he manages now.
David Miller has been among South Africa’s more comfortable batsmen in Sri Lanka’s conditions throughout the tour, and has not been too shy to attack the same spinners who wreaked havoc on the men around him. His 36 off 21 in the last match lifted South Africa to their first challenging total of the tour, and he may be key to their hopes again, if the misfiring top order falls cheaply.

Pitch and conditions

The Hambantota Stadium’s evening gusts had a major effect on Sunday, with batsmen picking certain areas of the ground to hit to, and swing bowlers benefiting from some extra assistance. The wind has been a feature of the ground since its debut, as has the pitch that has proven difficult for batsmen.

The weather is expected to be fine for the match.

Team news

It is difficult to predict whether Sri Lanka will stick with their plan to play only three senior batsmen. The prospect of being whitewashed might spur them to play their best XI, but Kusal Perera also showed signs of reclaiming some form in his 21 in the last match, when he was given wrongly given out. There is also a chance Lahiru Thirimanne is the man to make way.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2. Mahela Jayawardene/Kusal Perera, 3. Dinesh Chandimal (c), 4. Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5. Angelo Mathews, 6. Lahiru Thirimanne, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Nuwan Kulasekara, 9. Sachithra Senanayake, 10. Lasith Malinga, 11. Ajantha MendisSouth Africa will not want to meddle with their attack, and though Henry Davids and Quinton de Kock have not scored runs at the top of the order, they are likely to remain in the side as well.South Africa (probable): 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Henry Davids, 3. Faf du Plessis (c), 4. JP Duminy, 5. AB de Villiers, 6. David Miller, 7. David Wiese, 8. Wayne Parnell, 9. Morne Morkel, 10. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 11. Imran Tahir

Stats and trivia

• Kumar Sangakkara is the leading run-scorer (98 runs) in this series, just as in the last one. Sri Lanka also have the leading wicket-taker, in Sachithra Senanayake (five wickets)
• In six Twenty20s in Hambantota, the side batting first has lost only once – when South Africa played Zimbabwe in the last WorldTwenty20
  

  Quotes

  “The plan against their spinners was to be confident and try and unsettle them. Even though they might get wickets, we still tried to unsettle them. I think it’s working. We played Mendis really well in the last two games.”
  


  “That they didn’t do well against the spinners in the ODI and Ajantha is a very good bowler in T20 cricket. That’s why he bowled his full quota.”

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins is set to miss much of the 2013-14 domestic season after a recurrence of his lower back stress injury

Brydon Coverdale19-Aug-2013Fast bowler Pat Cummins is set to miss a third consecutive home summer with a recurrence of his lower back stress injury. Cummins, 20, made his long-awaited return to first-class cricket on the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa over the past month but after taking five wickets in two first-class games, and none in a 50-over match, he was sent home early with back trouble that has proven serious.”Pat returned home early from the Australia A tour of South Africa with some side/back soreness and scans have shown a partial recurrence of his lower back bone stress injury suffered in October last year when he returned home from Champions League,” CA chief medical officer, Justin Paoloni, said. “He will be closely monitored to determine his return to the playing field, but expect that he will miss most of the 2013-14 domestic cricket season.”Cummins has been plagued by injuries, particularly back and foot problems, since he was Man of the Match on his Test debut in Johannesburg, where he claimed seven wickets in Australia’s memorable victory in November 2011. The injuries have been so persistent that Cummins had been unable to add to his first-class tally of four matches until the recent A series in Africa, and he has not played a Sheffield Shield match since March 2011.The management of Cummins has become a major issue for Cricket Australia’s management and medical staff, who seem uncertain as to whether more bowling or less is the answer to strengthening his developing body. He returned home from his maiden Test tour in 2011 with a foot injury and a back stress fracture ruling him out of the 2012-13 home summer, and his only cricket of note in the past couple of years has been in the shorter formats.Last June, Cummins was part of Australia’s one-day international campaign in England but was sent home with a side strain, and he returned in September for T20s against Pakistan in the UAE and the World Twenty20 that followed. However, Cummins went straight on to the Champions League T20 in South Africa in October last year and returned home with the back problem that ended his home summer before it began.Cummins travelled with the Australia A squad to England in May this year as a non-playing member of the group as Australia’s management aimed to reintegrate him back into the mix. At the time, Cummins said that he had worked with a running coach in an effort to fix the mechanics of his action and straighten out the alignment of his body, hoping to place less stress on his back.”It’s going against everything I’ve done for the last 20 years and trying to do something totally different,” Cummins told ESPNcricinfo at the time. “It’s certainly been a little bit foreign, but at the same time I want to nail it down because I know it’s going to turn me into a better bowler.”

Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Chaminda Vaas has criticised the emerging group of seamers in the country’s pace academy for being “soft” and wanting in drive for self-improvement

Sa'adi Thawfeeq06-Oct-2013Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Chaminda Vaas has criticised the emerging group of seamers in the country’s pace academy for being “soft” and wanting in drive for self-improvement.Having begun his coaching term in February, Vaas, said the bowlers coming through had a long way to go before they can compete at an international standard.”They don’t know how to plan their future,” Vaas said of Sri Lanka’s young bowlers. “Those days when we bowled at the nets we learned something from each net session. We asked the batsman if there was anything wrong with our bowling or if we had made any mistakes, in order to improve our skills.”But nowadays fast bowlers don’t ask such questions. Either they are afraid to ask, or they are soft or their thinking pattern is different. So we have to keep telling them all the time what to do. It will take a long time for them to learn, but the only way to do it is by pushing them because they are not pushing themselves on their own.”Vaas had also worked with the New Zealand fast bowling unit on their tour of Sri Lanka last year, and suggested foreign bowlers had a greater aptitude for fast bowling strategy than Sri Lanka’s young bowlers.”The problem is they don’t want learn,” he said. “Only a few of them are keen others don’t even want to watch a match to at least analyse their performance what their mistakes are. They’ve got to think like professionals. Bowlers from other countries know exactly what to do. You don’t have to push them. That’s what we have to learn from them and instill in our fast bowlers.”Sri Lanka’s notoriously unsporting surfaces have been the bane of fast bowlers for years, but Vaas took a dim view of blaming pitches for seam bowlers’ poor returns in domestic matches, and instead prescribed consistency in line and length, and self-confidence as a route to success.”What I have advised these youngsters is being fast bowlers they should be prepared to bowl on any kind of surface. Whether it’s a wicket suiting spin or batting, they have to bend their backs and bowl. At all the sessions I’ve been talking to them and training their mind as well as their fitness. The guys are a bit soft – some don’t have the fast bowler’s killer instinct.”However, Vaas identified Vishwa Fernando, Kanishka Alvitigala, Kasun Rajitha and Rukmal Fernando as a “few guys who have been identified as future fast bowlers” among the group currently training at the academy.”We have about 10 good fast bowlers from a squad of 20,” he said. It will take at least another three years for them to get into the side.”

Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent

George Dobell in Barbados29-Apr-2015Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent.It is not that his team lacks talent. It is not that they lack the will to win or the stomach for the fight. It is that regional cricket in the Caribbean has declined to such an extent – and is played on such rotten pitches – that the gap between it and international cricket has become a chasm.Simmons’ job, then, is not just to coach a team, not just to improve a squad of players, but to cut through the politics and self-interest and apathy to improve cricket across the Caribbean. It is a colossal task and will surely feel, at times, like herding cats.But he is not the sort to be easily discouraged. Far from it. While he admits to having been “startled” by the “reckless” batting on the final day in Grenada, he is “very encouraged” that West Indies have recorded four centuries in the two Tests and that three of them have been scored by players aged 23 or younger.

Phil Simmons on…

• Injuries: “Jerome Taylor bowled two spells in the nets on Tuesday, so we’ll see how his shoulder reacts. Jason Holder has recovered well and will bowl on Thursday.”

• Shivnarine Chanderpaul: “He’s having a bad series, but all the greats have had bad series. We didn’t drop them. I remember Clive Lloyd at 41; I remember Gordon Greenidge at 41. Shiv is still 40. And he is working as hard as anyone. We have four experienced guys in the side and they all need to make their presence felt.”

• Pitches: “In an ideal world, I’d like a nice, quick, bouncy wicket where who can bat, will bat and who can bowl will take wickets. But I can’t think of anywhere in the world where there’s one of them now. I know there’s a cynical view that we’re doing this for a tactic or to make sure that Tests last five days, but I don’t think it’s true.”

• James Anderson: “I was impressed by the extra effort he put in on the last day. It was what his side needed. That’s why he’s played 100 Tests and taken most wickets for England. When he sees a small gap, he pushes through it. He showed his leadership skills.”

His challenge is to help the team extend their good play from one session to three a day. And to do that, he feels the standard of regional cricket must improve.”The thing is, our young players are learning international cricket on the international stage,” Simmons said. “And that’s not ideal.”When you play county cricket, the level is close enough to Test cricket. And when I think back to my days – and I hate to do that – I learned a lot in regional cricket. But I don’t think there’s a lot to be learned at that level now. So it’s when you come up here that you start learning.”You can get away with reckless batting in our four-day game. It seems to be the normal thing to do. But you don’t get many bad balls and you have to bat for longer when you play international cricket. And if Bishoo bowled 50 overs in our four-day cricket, he would take 20 wickets.”I saw a 50-over game a while ago. The standard of the wicket was terrible. Terrible. That is the first part of my job. Not the international team. The biggest part of my job is getting the proper coaching set-up, the proper fitness set-ups, the proper wickets in our regional cricket right around the Caribbean.”We have to address these things. I don’t know how yet, but we’ll find a way. That’s the only way we’ll produce better cricketers.”Simmons has decided to take a ‘glass half full’ attitude to West Indies’ performances in the series to date. So while he could have been infuriated by aspects of the batting in Grenada or the bowling in Antigua, he has instead seen the largely untapped potential in his side.”I’m very encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Simmons said. “We had two hours of negligence on the last day in Grenada and we lost the game. It was a reckless period. It just needed a couple of guys to bat for another half-hour or so and we would have saved the game.”I’d like to see us play two or three sessions consistently. We’ve played well in one, been bad in the next, then come back in the one after that. But we’ve not played consistently well for three sessions.”We just need our young players to understand that how they play must be determined by what the teams needs and what the scoreboard reads.”But they don’t do that because of the level of our first-class cricket, so they have to learn here that, if the score is 40 for 4, you might have to bat for two sessions and come back the next day to get your big score. The mindset has to change. They have to realise you have to bat for longer.”Jermaine Blackwood exemplifies the issue. While he made an impressive century in the first innings in Antigua, he has been dismissed in both second innings in remarkably reckless fashion: once coming down the pitch and attempting to slog over the leg side and once caught at mid-off as he tried to drive Chris Jordan over the top. For a side looking to save a Test, they were odd shots.”He didn’t assess the situation properly,” Simmons said. “He assessed it properly in the first innings of the match. He still played his shots, he still hit over the top off the fast bowlers, but he did it in the right situation. In Grenada he didn’t. But he’s in his what? Fifth Test? It will take him some time to learn.”You hear people talk about how bad this is, or how bad that is. But when you’re in the camp, it’s not all as bad as people say. But there has been nothing as startling as the way we batted on the last morning in Grenada. There is learning to be done.”

Ben Stokes’ Man of the Match contribution at Lord’s means he will likely be the centre of attention once again when the second Test begins

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015With the two-Test series between England and New Zealand taking place over back-to-back weekends, the momentum from Lord’s could prove decisive. One player in particular was the catalyst for England’s dramatic come-from-behind victory and his name was again the focus as the teams moved to Headingley and began preparations for Friday.Ben Stokes scored 92 and 101, in the process recording the fastest Test hundred at Lord’s, before taking three wickets on Monday afternoon to help seal a 124-run win. His Man-of-the-Match contribution was the most eye-catching among several impressive individual performances on either side and he will likely be the centre of attention once again when the second Test begins.England had been reduced to 30 for 4 on the first morning at Lord’s, before a 161-run stand between Stokes and Joe Root helped them to a competitive first-innings total. Root, only a few months older than Stokes but already Alastair Cook’s vice-captain, said Stokes’ full-blooded commitment set the tone for the fightback that put England 1-0 up in the series and ignited their start to the international summer.”When he is bowling, he will run in until he can barely move any more – if he is given that choice,” Root said. “When he is batting, he is a free spirit, he goes and plays his shots and puts sides under pressure. In the field, he is dynamic, he can field anywhere.”He is one of those blokes you want in the side because he rubs off on you and gives everything.”Over the course of his two innings, Stokes cracked 30 fours and four sixes, clearly showing the benefits of moving up the batting order to No. 6. A year ago, Stokes made a pair at Lord’s against India, to make it three Test ducks in a row, and he then missed out on a place at the World Cup after a disappointing tour of Sri Lanka. His confidence seems to have returned, particularly with the bat; now the challenge is to deliver consistent match-turning performances.Ben Stokes’ performance at Lord’s helped give Alastair Cook and England a victory to savour•Getty Images

“It is great. If he is going, you know the board is always going to be ticking over – you don’t have to worry about that,” Root said of Stokes’ aggressive approach. “You know the bowlers will be under pressure, because he is always looking to score. That is the art of batting – to try and make sure you are on top.'”Even in times of struggle, when we are 30 for 4, he came out and put them on the back foot. It will not work every time and could have looked slightly reckless if it didn’t come off.”But it is the way he plays and what he brings to the side, and why he was picked to bat at No. 6, to put them under pressure. He did that perfectly. The key for him and the rest of us now is to make sure it is not a one-off and go on and do it again this week.”He makes mistakes now and again – but that is why he is the player he is. He is aggressive; he is always in your face… that’s his personality. For him, it is about making sure he can control it in a way which makes him more consistent.”Root also shone at Lord’s, with scores of 98 and 84 as well as a crucial wicket on the final day, while Mark Wood, one of two debutants, bowled above 90mph and picked up four wickets, and Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali made important contributions. Root said it was further proof that England have a depth of talent for new coach, Trevor Bayliss, to work with.”We have a lot of young and exciting players trying to establish themselves in the side,” he said. “The more they do that, the more those little errors will creep out of our game.”That confidence doesn’t just give them a boost, it gives everyone a boost, it rubs off. Fingers crossed, Lord’s was not just a one-off – and it is the start of us moving forward as a side.”Martin Guptill, who made 70 in his first Test innings since Headingley 2013, conceded that New Zealand would need to come up with a plan to try and deal with Stokes. They may have to make changes to their personnel, too, with Corey Anderson and BJ Watling unable to train on Wednesday due to injuries. Watling’s absence could mean a Test debut at 34 for Luke Ronchi, while Anderson missing out would deprive the crowds of a big-hitting battle with Stokes.”He’s turned himself into one of England’s better allrounders, that they’ve had for a while,” Guptill said. “He’s a very aggressive player, likes to come out and play his shots and hits it cleanly. We’ll come up with some plans to be able to counter that this week.”We’re pretty confident we can come out and square the series, and come away pretty happy. On the last day at Lord’s, we just didn’t quite get the batting right. We’re going to come out this week firing, and hope to rectify that. It was very disappointing. Obviously, we came over here wanting to win the series. But you’ve got to be able to bounce back pretty quickly.”