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ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between West Indies and Pakistan at Basseterre

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit19-May-2011Match FactsMay 20-24, Basseterre, St. Kitts
Start time 1000 (1400 GMT)
Can Darren Sammy deliver another stirring performance?•AFPThe Big PictureAmid all the criticism heaped on West Indies cricket in recent years, perhaps the sharpest has centred on the lack of resolve shown by their players who have appeared diffident, in contrast to the weight of the great tradition they bear. Too many times, dominating positions have been frittered away, conveying the impression that they seemingly do not care to gain ground. The hurt is magnified, given that that the West Indies is the only place outside the sub-continent where cricket still appears to be much more than just a game.That is why the win in the first Test against Pakistan – the first in a Test in almost two years – should ideally be seen as much more than just another win. What was equally heartening to see was what led to that win. The fight shown by the lower order, where the last two wickets added in excess of 50 runs in both innings in a low-scoring game where the winning margin was 40. Above all, the fight displayed by Darren Sammy who, with a Man of the Match performance, showed that he might also have the skills to be a contributing player at Test level in addition to being a willing captain.All of which should be celebrated much more than a win, because, in isolation, the victory itself might just prove to be a one-off considering the various ills plaguing West Indies cricket. The final game in yet another two-Test series that has promised so much will give a stronger indication of whether the earlier win was more than just that. If Sammy does manage to pull off another victory, he would have bought time from the doubters. Even a draw will help, but a loss will lead to increasing calls of ‘we told you so’.To consolidate on their success in the first Test, West Indies will need to address their serious vulnerability while facing spin, especially against Saeed Ajmal. When your opener (Devon Smith) fails to last even an over against the opposition’s part-time offspinner in Tests (Mohammad Hafeez), it reflects poorly on the skillsets of those playing at the highest level. The surface at Warner Park, though, should suit West Indies much more than the vicious turner at Providence that turned survival against quality spin into a lottery, one in which the hosts didn’t enjoy much luck.Brittle batting cost Pakistan the first Test, and considering that none of the top six has played more than 30 Tests, it is not a problem that is going to go away soon, especially in the absence of Younis Khan. The opening partnership has been worryingly unproductive; in 40 previous innings, only three times has it produced more than 100 runs and of the six pairs tried out, none have averaged more than 40 per innings. No wonder that Pakistan have struggled to put up totals in the region of 350-400, which hasn’t allowed their strong bowling attack the kind of leeway it deserves.As in the case of West Indies though, Pakistan should also find the usually flatter track at Warner Park much more conducive, and hope that their batting stands up, for once, so that they can at least hope to square the series. Otherwise, West Indies will overtake them in the ICC Test rankings.Form guide (most recent first)
West Indies: WDDDL
Pakistan: LDWDD
Watch out for…Devendra Bishoo came close to becoming only the third West Indies spinner to take a five-for on Test debut. He displayed remarkable control over variety for someone playing the role of the sole specialist spinner in only his first Test. He also lasted almost 100 deliveries with the bat, showing glimpses of a reasonably tight technique for a No.11, and a strong character. West Indies cricket is in desperate need of all these qualities, and from initial impressions, Bishoo seems to have the potential.Such is the lot of Darren Sammy that in every game that he leads his side, whatever he does or doesn’t will be analysed and dissected to death. Why did he bring himself on to bowl, why didn’t he bring himself on to bowl, why did he do what he did, why didn’t he do what he didn’t. Amid a perpetual one-sided trial, it was nice to see him being applauded by his team-mates after getting the key wicket of Umar Akmal that virtually sealed the win. In the end, their support and confidence matters the most and Sammy has another opportunity starting tomorrow to earn more of it.Umar Akmal is the next big hope of Pakistan batting. He is also the current big frustration. A batsman so prodigiously talented has got to have more than a prolonged streak of youthful indulgence to throw away so many potential match-winning innings. Not for the first time in his career, Akmal played a wild pull to get out in the first innings in Providence, when he was not having any problems on a pitch that others had found unplayable. How many false dawns will Pakistan cricket have to endure before Akmal’s sun truly rises?Team newsAfter getting tormented by Hafeez for quite some time now, Smith has been left out of the 13-man squad and a debut for young Barbados opener Kraigg Brathwaite looks to be in order. Ravi Rampaul’s stirring performance in Providence has ensured that he will continue to keep Fidel Edwards out. There should not be any other change, unless West Indies decide to go in with five bowlers on the traditionally placid Warner Park surface.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Brendan Nash, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra BishooGiven that the pitch is not expected to aid spin much, Pakistan could consider bringing in one of Tanvir Ahmed or Junaid Khan in place of Abdur Rehman. Then again, West Indies’ cluelessness against the slower men might just tempt them to stick with two specialist spinners.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Salman (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman / Tanvir Ahmed, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Saeed AjmalPitch and conditionsTwo previous Tests at Warner Park have produced high-scoring draws. Even South Africa, who won everything else on their trip to the Caribbean last year, could not bowl West Indies out twice on the flat surface. West Indies would not like to hand Pakistan another turner that suits Ajmal and Co, and reports suggest that the surface will be quite hard, with dry grass rolled in to bind it together. The weather is forecast to be quite cloudy over the next few days, and that could only please the West Indies seamers.Stats and trivia 12 of Umar Akmal’s 27 Test innings have ended between 20 and 60 Saeed Ajmal’s 11 for 111 in the first Test was his maiden ten-wicket haul West Indies have won only two Test series in the past seven yearsQuotes”We obviously have got a very strong seam attack and they’ve obviously got a very strong spin attack. We are hoping that we can have a surface that is more helpful to our seam attack, one that gives us an advantage.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has asked former captain Hashan Tillakaratne to substantiate the statements he made last week, regarding alleged widespread match-fixing in the country’s cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2011Sri Lanka Cricket has asked former captain Hashan Tillakaratne to substantiate his allegations of widespread match-fixing in the country’s cricket. The news came soon after Sri Lanka’s sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage announced he had asked the inspector-general of police to investigate the claims.Tillakartane responded by saying he would reveal the names to the ICC. “I stand by my comments about match fixing but can’t reveal names for my safety,” he said. “I made the statement in good faith and I will reveal the names to the ICC.”Tillakaratne, who played 83 Tests and 200 one-dayers during a 15-year career, had alleged that Sri Lankan players had been involved in match-fixing since 1992, and that he was prepared to name them. His allegations were published last week in Sri Lanka’s newspaper but the comments are believed to have been made soon after the World Cup final on April 2.”Match-fixing is something which has been in this country over a period of time,” Tillakaratne was quoted as saying. “This has spread like a cancer today. There were threats of this issue being exposed at various times. But it was pushed down by giving money to various people. If the people who were responsible for that are listening to this, I state this today with great responsibility, I will shortly reveal the names of those responsible.”Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, senior members of the current Sri Lankan team, responded days later by asking Tillakaratne to provide evidence. Sangakkara, who stepped down from the captaincy after the World Cup, said Tillakaratne should work very closely with the ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) of the ICC and the home authorities.SLC’s statement was on similar lines to Sangakkara’s reaction, calling on Tillakaratne and Arjuna Ranatunga – another former captain who voiced similar concerns – to substantiate their statements with concrete evidence. “We also wish to state that we find it extremely strange that these so called ‘revelations’ are being made so many years after the alleged misdeeds,” the statement read.”It is to be noted that there is a system in place, whereby any player or official who feels that there is suspicion of match-fixing has to inform his home board and the ICC ACSU who would commence investigations into the matter immediately. In the interest of SLC and the country, it is imperative that if such statements are made it should be done with substantial evidence and utmost responsibility.”

Terry Jenner was farewelled by more than 600 guests in an emotive memorial service at Adelaide Oval

Daniel Brettig31-May-2011Belief, technique, and above all else, spin. Shane Warne encapsulated the desired legacy of Terry Jenner by saying that all Australia slow bowlers had to be implored to ‘rev’ the ball as hard as they could, and to a build a career from that most basic of tenets.Jenner’s final farewell was attended by more than 600 guests in an emotive memorial service at Adelaide Oval, where the speakers included his daughter Trudianne, Warne, fellow pupil Cullen Bailey and Jenner’s long-time partner Ann. Aged 66, Jenner died on May 25 in his suburban Adelaide home a little more than a year after suffering a massive heart attack while coaching in London.Other guests such as Ian and Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh, Ashley Mallett, Doug Walters, Martin Kent, Ray Bright, Bryce McGain, Darren Lehmann, Jason Gillespie and the Australian coach Tim Nielsen reminisced about Jenner’s impact on many inside and outside cricket over the course of a life that saw hard times as well as good.Warne, a pudgy youth with one expensive Test wicket to his name in 1992 when Jenner urged him to start making more sacrifices in the name of his art, said most of his advice to young spin bowlers was rooted in Jenner’s teaching.”Most of the stuff I pass on to spinners is mainly from TJ,” Warne said before the service. “With 21 or 22 years of being involved with first-class cricket myself I’ve obviously learned a bit, but the major messages are exactly the same as what TJ was telling me 20-odd years ago. I’m passing on the same sort of stuff and have done for a long time.”It’s not so much a technical thing. As a spin bowler you’ve got to spin the ball, that’s the most important message that TJ taught me, if I want to look at a fast bowler I’ll watch him bowl fast, if I want to watch a swing bowler I’ll watch him swing the ball, but if I want to watch a spin bowler I’ll see him spin the ball. So that’s the No.1 message to any spinner that I’ve always passed on.”There’s just little things, a little bit technically but it’s more about the way you think, your attitude to it, and your captain being one of your best friends who you might share a beer with at the end, that might give you an extra over here or there too. [Also] field settings, what to look for in batsmen, how to approach different situations, Twenty20’s impact.”Jenner’s death has left a vast gap in Australian cricket’s knowledge about slow bowling, something emphasised by the fact that a spin summit was taking place in Brisbane on the same day as his funeral. Warne said he would keep pushing to educate those that had followed him about the best way to bowl spin, and had already spoken with the new captain Michael Clarke about the strengths and weaknesses of various members of the modest Australian spin stable.”I think we’ve got a lot of good spinners at the moment, it’s just about getting them some confidence, making them believe, getting the captains to back them, giving them exposure at first-class level, and supporting them,” Warne said. “Getting a process in place from CA, all the way down to grassroots cricket, and the same messages going out there all the time – that’s the most important thing.

“We had ongoing discussions about different things. One of the things was about the line you should bowl for a legspinner, it took probably 21 years for him to agree I could actually bowl leg-stump.”Warne on his interactions with Jenner

“The spin bowling summits in Brisbane I’ve helped out the last few years, I’ve only just got back from India and I’ve got my kids for a couple of weeks. I haven’t been able to get up there this time but I’m always available, I’ve spoken to Michael Clarke a few times about some of the spinners and things to work on and I’ll keep giving back to Australian cricket like I have done for a while, and helping in any way I can.”In Brisbane, Jason Krejza emphasised the difficulties facing those who had followed Warne by discussing how confused he had been after being jettisoned from the Test team only one match after taking 12 wickets on debut against India in Nagpur in 2008.”I was a bit of a mental case [after being dropped] and thought about things way too far ahead and too deep,” Krejza said. “I just had to concentrate on how I was playing the next day, that’s the simplest way to do it – it doesn’t do your head in. I had to get back to being the attacking spinner that I always was and stay consistent. I won’t stop being an attacking spinner now – I can’t go the other way, I have to stay in that mindset.”Warne summed up Jenner’s advice as often being of the kind that seemed obvious only after it had been suggested.”I was very lucky to come under his guidance and tutelage to teach me so many wonderful things,” he said. “Just some simple things you never really thought of but when he said it you’d be ‘yeah, ok, that makes sense’, and then we’d go away and work on them.”We had ongoing discussions about different things. One of the things was about the line you should bowl for a legspinner, it took probably 21 years for him to agree I could actually bowl leg stump – let’s call it a discussion rather than a debate – but we’ll all miss him.”I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did for Australian cricket if it wasn’t with his help.”

At once arrogant and humble, Kirk Edwards, who made a hundred on debut on the fourth day in Dominica, says West Indies can still make a game out of the Test

Sriram Veera at Windsor Park10-Jul-2011Pizzazz – that’s Kirk Edwards for you. He made a debut century, swaggered into the press conference room and gave a delightful talk. He didn’t say much, but it was he spoke. Some might have called it arrogant going by the quotes alone. But he was actually humble, especially in speaking about VVS Laxman and the Indian team; yet you could sense it’s a proud mind that’s buzzing inside Edwards. This writer is not qualified to talk about how he will be viewed in the Caribbean but suffice to say that while old India might have arched its eyebrows, modern India may just love him.It was in his appreciation for the Dominica crowd that his angst came out, revealing also how it has shaped his reactions and perhaps his character as a player. “I have had a brilliant reception in Dominica and have enjoyed it,” Edwards said. “It has really helped. Around the Caribbean you usually hear a lot of negatives. We are a new young team and guys are learning on the job. I take all the negatives and transfer it to positives. The more the people tell me I can’t, I feel I can. You drive to the supermarket and people are saying, ‘you can’t play … can’t,’ and you feel you can. And you want to prove all the people wrong. I guess people should keep saying I can’t.”Test cricket can be cruel. Ask Dwayne Smith. He scored a hundred on debut against South Africa in Cape Town but couldn’t hold down a permanent spot after that. He came to be known as a ‘cowlasher’, because of his tendency to slog to cow-corner, and doesn’t play for West Indies anymore. So it’s too early to say how Edwards’ career will pan out but, in the here and now, it was refreshing to hear a cricketer show some excitement and joy about his debut hundred. There was no fancy, trained talk from him: he called it as he saw it.Sample this: Are you [Edwards] always this frank even in the dressing room with all these players from different islands?”In life. It’s me. Always.”On using his feet to Harbhajan in the final session … “I use my feet. Whether it’s Harbhajan or not … I don’t play names.” Arrogance or joyous exuberance? Take your pick.And there were moments when he ceased to sound like a young man. Was he angry with people who kept putting him and West Indies down? “No I am not. In all fairness to people they have seen West Indies win and then it’s hard to swallow us losing. So I am not angry with them; I sympathise with them. I understand life in a different way, I just think youngsters need support. You are not going to come and go boom.”What was his ambition, his destination? “I visualise what I want and go after it. I want to be a pillar of West Indies cricket. I played three ODIs [against India]; I was rusty in the first, in the second I got a good ball, and I was out off the second ball in the third game. I never spent time [at the crease]. Such is international cricket, it’s never easy.”Edwards’ fun personality came through when he described his early days and the kind of cricket he watched. “Growing up I watched a little bit of Viv Richards. To be honest I only saw Viv in the highlights packages. I love Viv. I never saw Viv leave a ball because I only saw highlights. When I grew up I saw Brian Lara and Carl Hooper. It was a proud feeling to go to the Kensington Oval as a young boy and watch the guys warm up and think to myself that one day I would be there. It’s like a dream come true. I am grateful.” His answers were to get more fuzzy and sentimental.Edwards was asked about the time he spent with VVS Laxman during the Test. “[He is a] brilliant player. To have half the ability that VVS has would be great. I had a brilliant chat. To understand the thinking behind the great man [was great].”And his personality came through in the follow-up question. What did Laxman tell him? “Nothing that I have never heard before, but to hear it from him was something special.” Laughter. Edwards was just warming up.Then there was a question about batting with Shivnarine Chanderpaul. “It’s inspiring to bat with Shiv; someone with his kind of experience. I enjoyed every moment of it. I hope to see him at the crease sometime soon.”And what was all that drama over that single to get to the hundred? “[It was a] terrible thing. I hit the ball to mid-off and I thought to myself, ‘I am quick and I can get there’, but I forgot that Shiv wasn’t that quick. Things worked out well and I am happy about it.”Edwards was really tested during the second session. The Indians bounced him and he was initially iffy but got better and better as the day progressed. What was happening during that tough phase? “At first I wasn’t getting into a good position. Such is life. Fortunately with time I got cracking. To be honest I bat time; I bat session by session. Runs will come if you are at the crease.”His father, who used to be a club cricketer, and a stylish batsman from what the locals say, was there at the ground to watch Edwards reach his century. “He deserves it. I don’t prefer to discuss my goals but what I can guarantee is that I will give 100% every time.” He was full of praise for the Indian team and the way they have developed. “I have seen them come a long way especially in fielding. They have always had good batsmen. I am very impressed to see how they are fielding. It’s a joy to see them.”Debut hundreds are special but would he have perhaps felt even better if he had stayed right till the end of the day? His exit opened the doors for India to gatecrash into what was turning into a West Indian party. “It’s mixed feelings right now. We are behind the eight-ball. So If I had hung in there and we were on top of the game, I would have liked to go and have a beer. Now it’s still at a difficult stage.”We can still make a game out of this. We have lots of fighting characters. I am a fighter. We will fight.”

Queensland will host the ICC’s 2012 Under-19 World Cup in August next year, with Brisbane, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast to be the primary venues for the event

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2011Queensland will host the ICC’s 2012 Under-19 World Cup in August next year, with Brisbane, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast to be the primary venues for the event.Australia hosted the inaugural edition of the Cup in 1988. The Australian team won the last tournament, in New Zealand in 2010, and can be expected to put up a stern defence on home soil.James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said the tournament had proven itself as a useful stage for upcoming generations of cricket talent. He also pointed out that the event would aid Australia in its preparations for the senior edition of the World Cup, to be held down under in 2015.The groups for the Under-19 World Cup

Group A
Australia, England, Nepal, Ireland
Group B
Pakistan, New Zealand, Scotland, Afghanistan
Group C
West Indies, India, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea
Group D
Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh, Namibia

“The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is the showcase event for best young cricketers in the world and is where the next Cameron White or Yuvraj Singh gets their first real taste of top-level international cricket,” Sutherland said. “It was only a couple of years ago we saw Mitch Marsh captain the Australia Under-19 team to victory in New Zealand with talents such as Josh Hazlewood, Alister McDermott and Alex Keath alongside him.”We are very grateful to Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland for their support in hosting this tournament and I think all the teams and supporters will enjoy their time in Australia’s sunshine state. We are building towards hosting the senior ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and this tournament will play a big part in getting ready for that event,” he said.Graham Dixon, the Queensland Cricket chief executive, said the choice of the Sunshine Coast and Townsville as venues beyond Brisbane would be helpful for the development of cricket, and sporting infrastructure, in two major regional centres.”Queensland Cricket is thrilled at the decision to bring the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup to our state, and especially with the decision to play in two important regional centres, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast, with the resulting positive economic impact on those areas,” he said.”The support of the State Government and the Events Queensland will enable Queensland to provide an international showcase around this tournament, which has grown into a significant event on the world cricket stage.”Queensland Cricket is acutely aware that the ICC Cricket World Cup will be staged in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and so tournaments like the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup are an important proving ground for us, and for Cricket Australia, as it gets closer to hosting that major event.”The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat added: “This tournament has proved to be an important stepping stone for elite young cricketers aspiring to play international cricket. It’s an opportunity for them to develop and test their skills in a high-pressure situation against the world’s best at this level.”We also use it as an opportunity to educate them on several important issues like anti-corruption, anti-doping and social responsibility expected of international cricketers while also exposing them to the ICC Code of Conduct and media attention.”

Kent look set to wrap up a convincing County Championship win over DivisionTwo rivals Essex with a day to spare, but may yet pay the price for preparing abelow-par pitch for this end-of-season encounter at Canterbury

01-Sep-2011
Scorecard
Kent look set to wrap up a convincing County Championship win over DivisionTwo rivals Essex with a day to spare, but may yet pay the price for preparing abelow-par pitch for this end-of-season encounter at Canterbury.Essex closed on 180 for 9 in their second innings, a lead of 64, after DavidMasters had taken six for 78 to help dismiss Kent for 260. After the loss of 15 wickets on day one, a further 14 fell at St Lawrence today as the ECB pitch liaison officer, John Jameson – the former Warwickshire and England batsman – watched from the pavilion.Variable bounce undid several batsmen and spinners found some help from atinder-dry and cracked surface, yet other players still added to their owndemise through poor shot selection. Jameson will announce his adjudication once the game finishes. Batting for a second time by 2pm on day two, Essex lost Tom Westley in thefourth over when he had his off stump removed out by David Balcombe.Eight overs later, Owais Shah shuffled across his stumps on the back foot to aBalcombe off-cutter to go lbw for 15 then, just before tea, Billy Godleman undidhis good work and patience in scoring 36 by charging down the pitch to JamesTredwell’s fourth ball, yorking himself to an arm-ball that pegged back legstump.The collapse gathered momentum when Balcombe returned after the break to snareAdam Wheater leg before then Matt Coles replaced him at the Nackington Road Endto have Jake Mickleburgh and Ryan ten Doeschate caught behind, though the latterlooked distinctly unhappy with the decision.Tredwell then returned to the fore to have Graham Napier well held at deepmidwicket from a top-edged clip, then Masters sent back a return catch to thebowler to make it 156 for 8. Coles returned to send back Maurice Chambers leg before with a shooting off-cutter, but James Foster (44 not out) and last man Tom Craddock survived tostumps, at least taking the game into a third day.Kent resumed at the start of the day on 160 for 5, representing a 16-runlead on first innings with five wickets still intact. The day began with a potentially match-winning sixth-wicket stand worth 97 between Geraint Jones and Tredwell.Jones posted the second 50 of the game and only his third of the season from 99balls and with five fours. The partnership ended when Jones missed an attempted sweep against Tom Craddock to go leg before for 54 after 144 minutes at the crease.Tredwell, having been dropped at second slip when on 16, reached 47 before heplayed back to the fifth ball of a new spell from Masters, his former Kentteam-mate, to fall leg before wicket.In a purple patch of three for one in nine balls Masters also snared Adam Ball,well caught by keeper James Foster from a low inside-edge, and then, with thelast ball before lunch, had Coles caught behind off an ambitious drive. Soon after the interval Balcombe went for seven, leaving Kent with a useful first-innings lead of 116.

Ryan Harris scooped 3 for 24 on day three as Australia closed in on a deserved victory, and rightly viewed his success as the reward for consistently hostile and accurate bursts

Daniel Brettig in Galle02-Sep-2011Ryan Harris gave nothing away in Sri Lanka’s first innings. He has received plenty in return so far in the second. Harris scooped 3 for 24 on day three as Australia closed in on a deserved victory, and rightly viewed his success as the reward for consistently hostile and accurate bursts, with both the new ball and the old.Figures of 8-5-6-0 on the second day helped create much of the pressure that the spin debutant Nathan Lyon exploited, and Harris discovered his luck was further in the next day, when he started with a punchy 23 batting at No. 9. Taking the new ball after Australia were bowled out for 210 to set Sri Lanka a target of 379, Harris pinned Tharanga Paranavitana lbw first ball, and nearly had Kumar Sangakkara the same way with his next one. Both calls were marginal.”It’s good reward,” Harris said. “I knew I wasn’t far away in the first innings so I just wanted to do the same thing today and got some wickets, so it’s very rewarding.””I know the first one, to me, was out. I obviously didn’t know where it pitched, but I swung it back in and that to me was dead, but obviously being told it wasn’t, it pitched outside leg stump, and the second one maybe was closer. One of those things.”Australia’s bowling has been outstanding for tightness, immaculate length and the consistency across the attack, fulfilling the wishes of the new bowling coach, Craig McDermott. Harris said the importance of the right length and the use of pressure had been paramount.”That’s what we tried to do, we planned that before we came over and we’ve been talking a lot about that as quick bowlers that’s what we want to do,” Harris said. “The wickets are pretty flat but the natural variation in the wicket is going to help us. With that old ball, I love bowling with the old ball, bowling in and out swingers and that sort of stuff.”Shane Watson, the length he bowled in their first innings was great, and today with that ball to Sangakkara, that is what we’re trying to do, exploit all those different conditions and hopefully the ball plays up for us.”Harris added his name to those of Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting in calling the pitch the driest he has played on, and described the clouds of dust that sprang up when one of the pace bowlers slammed their front foot down on the crease.”It is probably the driest. I haven’t played on too many of those myself,” Harris said. “I’ve been to India a few times, seen Kolkata which is pretty dry, but that one I haven’t seen too many like it. With the footmarks and the holes that have formed and all the loose dirt, I think every time you see someone land and bowl there’s a dust storm almost. So it’s something I probably haven’t seen before, and batting, I haven’t really batted in those conditions. So it was a bit of learning out there, as well as trying to score runs, so it was interesting.”Australia are on course to resoundingly win their first Test since the loss of the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG in January, and Harris said the time in between had been well spent.”It’s no surprise, we just didn’t play well in the Ashes, full stop, and we lost them,” he said. “But we’ve done a bit of planning since then and forgot about them and worried about this Test series and the build-up to the next Ashes series I guess. That’s the ultimate thing, but we’ve got a fair bit of cricket to play between now and then.”For us, it was just trying to get back to playing well and consistent I guess. There’s a few young players in the team, so get them involved and get them into the culture and get them performing, and that’s what we’ve done so far.”

Allan Border has described Graham Dilley as “one of the good guys”and a forgotten hero of England’s 1981 Ashes triumph at Headingley

Brydon Coverdale06-Oct-2011Allan Border has described Graham Dilley as “one of the good guys” and a forgotten hero of England’s 1981 Ashes triumph at Headingley. In a ten-year period Border played 12 Tests against Dilley, who has died at the age of 52, and whose pace and swing, Border said, made him a key man for England during the 1980s.But it was for his batting in Leeds in 1981 that the Australians most remember Dilley. During one of the all-time great Test matches, Dilley and Ian Botham put together a 117-run partnership for the eighth wicket that gave England the lead after they followed on, and Bob Willis then demolished Australia as they chased 130.”He’s an unsung hero in the ‘Botham Ashes’, because without him at the other end, Australia [would have won] that game and Botham’s heroics [gone] unnoticed, and history [been changed] changed subtly,” Border told ESPNcricinfo. “He doesn’t get the accolades, but Graham Dilley in that Headingley Test match was a big part of England getting the lead and Botham’s heroics. I often said to him, ‘You should cop more of the raps, mate!'”He was a good quality fast bowler, swung the ball away and had real genuine pace. In the mid ’80s he was at his best, although I played against him earlier than that, when he was a young tearaway with excellent pace.”He was very easygoing – not your typical meathead fast bowler. He was a good man to sit down and have a drink with, and a very good competitor. I always enjoyed the contests and then the after-match, sitting down and reflecting on things over a beer. He was one of the good guys.”Against Australia, Dilley took 41 Test wickets at 32.90, and only the offspinner John Emburey claimed more victims for England during the 1986-87 Ashes, when Mike Gatting led his side to victory away from home. The leading run-scorer during that series was Dean Jones, who said Dilley was as quick as most bowlers of the current era.”He was a quiet fella, but bowled good heat,” Jones said. “He was underrated as a bowler at that time. In ’86 with Gatting’s team he had the new nut and was pretty well supported by Phil DeFreitas and Co, and Gladstone Small, but Dilley was the first guy to worry you. There are not too many guys who are quicker than him going around even now. But you wouldn’t hear a bad word against him.”

Allrounder Shane Watson is a doubtful starter for the ODI series against South Africa that begins on October 19, after straining his hip muscle

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2011Allrounder Shane Watson is a doubtful starter for the ODI series against South Africa that begins on October 19, after straining his hip muscle. With batsman Shaun Marsh also picking up an injury during Sunday’s Twenty20, Cricket Australia has named Cameron White to the ODI squad as cover.”Shane Watson is recovering from a hip muscle strain which caused him to miss yesterday’s second Twenty20 match,” Australia’s physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. “He will continue with treatment and we will assess him over the next 24 hours, before a decision is made on his availability for the first ODI game on Wednesday.”Watson has had few injury concerns recently. He was last unfit during the 2009 Ashes, when he had an issue with his thigh. Later that year, he experienced a niggle during Australia’s one-day series in India, but managed to play with his physio Victor Popov’s help. After a tough tour of Sri Lanka in August-September Watson had questioned whether his body would be able to handle the rigours of bowling regularly and opening the batting and, in order to protect him for international cricket, had a bowling ban placed on him by CA for the Champions League T20.Marsh had hurt his shoulder while fielding in the second Twenty20, but it was a minor concern Kountouris said. “Shaun Marsh injured his left shoulder when diving in the field during the game at the Wanderers. He has undergone scans today [Monday] in Johannesburg, which have cleared him of any major damage, and he will be assessed closer to the game [the first ODI].”White was dropped from Australia’s ODI squad mid-way through the three-match series against Bangladesh in April, after failing to go past 24 in his last ten innings. In the T20s against South Africa, in which he captained Australia, White contributed handy cameos of 28 and 39.

A round-up of the first round of matches in the Plunket Shield 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2011Canterbury crumbled in their second innings for 61 at Rangiora, handing Otago a target of 182 which they chased down for the loss of four wickets. A result had looked improbable after only 52 overs were possible on the third day, with Otago extending their first innings from 122 for 2 to 293 for 5, riding on Michael Bracewell’s 95 in reply to Canterbury’s 420 for 9. Otago declared in the first over of the fourth day as soon as they reached 400 after which Neil Wagner proceeded to take 5 for 33 as Canterbury imploded. England fast bowler Steven Finn and New Zealand offspinner Nathan McCullum contributed with two wickets each. Shanan Stewart managed 29; the next-highest score for Canterbury was 6. Canterbury had been in control in the first innings as Rob Nicol’s 107 and half-centuries from Stewart, Tom Latham and Andrew Ellis set up a big total. The collapse in the second innings pushed them out of the game though and McCullum ended on an unbeaten 64 with Otago bringing up an unlikely win.Andre Adams took eleven wickets as Auckland began their campaign with a 19-run win over Northern Districts in Whangarei. Adams and Michael Bates ran through the ND line-up in the first innings, dismissing them for 136 to earn their side a lead of 124. Adams finished with 6 for 71 while wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins ended with six catches. The efforts of the ND bowlers seemed to have been wasted by their batsmen after Trent Boult and Brent Arnel had shared eight wickets between them to restrict Auckland to 260, Andrew de Boorder top-scoring with 64. But ND came back hard at Auckland in the second innings, Boult and Tim Southee chipping in with three strikes apiece as Auckland managed 139. ND now had to chase 264, but Adams was around to trouble them again with his second five-for of the game. Adams struck with the third ball of the chase before Joseph Yovich dug in with a patient half-century. Yovich was involved in steadying partnerships for the second and third wickets but Adams and offspinner Bhupinder Singh broke through eventually. ND lost wickets regularly after that and were bowled out for 244.Wellington took a huge first-innings lead in their drawn game against Central Districts in Napier. Their bowlers combined to restrict CD to 253 in the first innings with little support for Peter Ingram’s 81. They then recovered from a weak start after Adam Milne’s opening burst to surge to 536 for 6, a lead of 283. Wellington were 44 for 3 before Stephen Murdoch and Grant Elliott rebuilt the innings. After Elliott departed for 62, Murdoch and James Franklin took Wellington into the lead. Murdoch was bowled by Milne for 103 but Franklin found an ally in Luke Woodcock. The duo added 198 for the sixth wicket before Franklin finally fell for 162. Harry Boam cashed in with an aggressive unbeaten fifty while Woodcock was undefeated on 86 as Wellington declared on 536. Jamie How came good for CD in the second innings, making 187 – three shy of his highest first-class score – in a total of 377 for 4.