Ireland batsman Jeremy Bray has announced his retirement from international cricket.

Cricinfo staff12-Jan-2010Ireland batsman Jeremy Bray
has announced his retirement from international cricket. The left-hand opener, who played 15 ODIs and two Twenty20s for his country, was part of the squad for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.”I’m not getting any younger, and it’s hard to get up to the levels of fitness now required for international cricket,” the 36-year-old Bray said. “The team has an incredibly demanding schedule over the next few years, and I couldn’t commit myself fully to that programme.”I have had some wonderful memories and will always be grateul to Ireland for giving me the opportunity. I’d like to thank Adi Birrell for the faith he showed in me, and Phil Simmons for giving me the chance to make a comeback after being out of the side for two years.”The Irish fans are superb, and I’ll never forget the atmosphere of the World Cup in the West Indies.”The Australian-born Bray represented New South Wales and Australia Under-19s before moving to Ireland. He held the record for the highest first-class score by an Ireland batsman with his 190 against UAE in the 2005 Intercontinental Cup until Eoin Morgan surpassed that with his double-century against the same opponents two years later. Bray scored 401 runs in ODIs at an average of 28.64, including two centuries. One of those was his unbeaten 115 in a tied match
against Zimbabwe in the World Cup.He was the Man of the Match in the 2007 Intercontinental Cup final against Canada, scoring 146 in an opening stand of 202 with William Porterfield as Ireland won by an innings. He was also involved in the second-highest partnership in Irish cricket history, when he added 304 with Niall O’Brien in 2005 against the UAE.

Australia’s selectors have made the rare decision to consider the state’s prospects in the Big Bash for the opening one-day internationals against Pakistan

Peter English14-Jan-2010In a further concession to the Twenty20 game, Australia’s selectors have made the rare decision to consider the state’s prospects in the Big Bash for the opening one-day internationals against Pakistan. Andrew Hilditch, the panel chairman, has chosen trim 12-man squads for the first match in Brisbane next Friday and the second one in Sydney the following Sunday, while trying “to ensure as many players are available” for the two finals of the local competition.Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia are attempting to join South Australia as qualifiers for the $12m Champions League Twenty20 in India later in the year. Hilditch insisted the national squads were chosen “whilst not compromising the performance and preparation of the Australian team”.In previous campaigns Australia have carried around larger squads of 13 or 14 for the limited-overs series and refused to release anyone for domestic duty. There was anger from the states last year when the one-day internationals were made unavailable by Cricket Australia for the Big Bash preliminary final. However, all players not involved in the Hobart Test have been cleared to appear in the game on Tuesday, which will give the winner a place in the domestic decider against South Australia on January 23 and a spot in the Champions League.Mitchell Johnson has been rested from the first three ODIs while Queensland’s James Hopes is in for the Brisbane opener before being replaced by Western Australia’s Adam Voges for the second fixture. “This selection has been made with a view to ensuring we have flexibility within the squad of 12 players to accommodate the different conditions at each venue,” Hilditch said.Johnson has appeared in all six Tests of the local summer and will be needed to guide Australia over a gruelling campaign that takes in series against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand on the way to the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. Johnson will rejoin the national squad in Perth for the final matches of the five-game one-day series against Pakistan on January 29 and 31.Australia squad Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Brad Haddin (wk), James Hopes (for Brisbane), Adam Voges (for Sydney), Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.

Alastair Cook has done all the right things in preparation for his first full series as England captain

Andrew Miller in Dhaka27-Feb-2010Alastair Cook has done all the right things in preparation for his
first full series as England captain. He’s been in the runs with two
half-centuries in the warm-ups in Fatullah, and he’s captained the
side to a pair of trouble-free victories. At Mirpur on Sunday, he will
lead them out for the first time in a 50-over contest, fully aware of
the pitfalls that await against a Bangladesh side that know, just
occasionally, how to put together a matchwinning performance.Cook’s only previous experience of the England captaincy was a
chastening one – he took over the role at short notice in South Africa
in November, when Paul Collingwood pulled out of the second Twenty20
at Centurion, and was left gesturing with the futility of a Dhaka
traffic cop as Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith powered their side to an
incredible total of 241 for 6.Three months down the line, however, and this time Cook is ready for
the challenge that awaits. Despite not having played in an ODI since
November 2008, he looked, on the eve of the series, like a man who was
growing in authority – even if, as Stuart Broad pointed out, he has
yet to vacate his seat among the lads at the back of the team bus.”It’s a hugely proud moment for me,” said Cook. “I’m nervous and
excited. It’s a challenge, but the night before the first warm-up I
was really nervous. Once I got through that game I felt far more
settled in terms of being comfortable in field positions, and little
things. That game was the start of my captaincy proper in terms of
ordering the lads around and making the decisions. In an international
game there’s obviously more pressure, but a week into it I feel more
comfortable.”The Twenty20 game [in South Africa] I only found out I’d captain
three hours before the game with Colly pulling up with his back,” he
recalled. “It was very chaotic that whole day and the lads were just
trying to help. Now I feel more comfortable in the role and they feel
more comfortable in me. These things take time. It was a mad day and a
mad game, and it does not help that we got panned.Cook’s personal excitement ought to go a long way towards squashing
any tendency towards complacency that might otherwise have set in
against their unfancied opponents. “Anyone can beat anyone on any day,
but if we turn up just thinking we are going to win, then we are going
to come very much unstuck. We’ve got to respect them – we are
respecting them, because they are an excellent side – and we’ve got to
play better cricket than them.””The biggest lesson from this week is definitely sticking to your
instincts,” he added. “You’re only judged on the decisions you make.
You’re only judged on the right or wrong ones. You’ll never know
because hindsight is the easiest place to captain. You never quite
know the right answer, but the only way you can find out is by
results.Though the chance to lead the side in Fatullah was important in taking
the edge off Cook’s nerves ahead of Sunday’s match, perhaps the most
important aspect of the build-up period has been the chance to tighten
that all-important captain-coach bond with Andy Flower. And, having
played alongside each other during Cook’s early days as a professional
at Essex, the pair have had a head-start in that regard.”I’ve known Andy since I was 18, I’ve grown up all my playing days
with him and when I came into the England team he was assistant
coach,” he said. “He’s fantastic, a true thinker of the game and it’s
a pleasure to work with him. We’re making strides on building that
relationship as captain and coach, these things do take time and
hopefully we will get the chance to work more on that and improve as
we go on.”Although Cook was not able to take a proper look at the wicket until
England practiced under the floodlights later in the evening, there
seems little doubt about what they can expect. Bangladesh’s coach,
Jamie Siddons, stressed that his team play at their best in their own
conditions, which means that the Dhaka track is likely to be something
of a pancake.”I imagine it will be a very typical subcontinent wicket,” said Cook.
“It will be slow, I imagine it might turn a little bit, but I’m not
sure it will change too much in 100 overs. It will be a fair wicket
with something in it for the batters to start with, but with the
bowlers coming into it when the ball goes soft. Obviously Bangladesh
conditions are totally different to what we are used to at home, but
we spent this last week getting used to that, both here and in Dubai,
and hopefully we can go out and play some good cricket.”Craig Kieswetter will make his international debut on Sunday•Getty Images

Either way, England will have to be on their guard, particularly
against a sizeable Bangladeshi spin contingent lead, of course, by the
captain, Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently rated as one of the leading
allrounders in the world. He will doubtless pose a challenge to the
debutant Craig Kieswetter, who is certain to open alongside Cook, and
it is highly likely that Matt Prior will also feature, although it
remains to be seen which of the two will be asked to keep wicket.”There’s a possibility of playing two wicketkeepers,” said Cook.
“Kiesy’s come in and that Twenty20 [against the Lions] made everyone
stand up and take notice. To come in on his England debut and play
with so much composure and not seem fazed. The way he went about it,
not the runs he scored, has impressed a lot of us. He will be opening
the batting. He deserves that with the runs he’s got. I’ve been very
impressed with him.”Prior’s retention means no place for Jonathan Trott, whose stock has
plummeted since he became an instant England hero with his debut
century against Australia at The Oval back in August. A tailing-off of
form in South Africa was couple with an unexpectedly anxious demeanour
at the crease, but Cook was sure that he’d come back stronger for the
experience.”Trotty’s a tough character and he proved that in the Australia
series,” Cook said. “He started really well at the start of the South
Africa tour before fading. That was his first international tour as an
England player and it was a long and tough one too. It’s a different
angle playing three months on tour to county cricket. The things he
learnt from South Africa will help in good stead – in terms of
managing intensity as a player, to prolong himself for three months.”Cook himself is coming back into the limited-overs set-up after a
spell on the sidelines, but he believes he is a much more complete
player than the slightly one-dimensional character who was last seen
in coloured clothing. Extensive work with Graham Gooch at the end of
the English summer resulted in a tweaked technique, and Cook himself
credits the domestic Twenty20 Cup for coaxing him out of his shell.”I’m desperate to show to people I can play one-day cricket,” he said.
“Last summer when I played Twenty20 cricket for Essex it really helped
and in that form you just express yourself. You don’t have time to
think about failure, and you just go out and belt it. I was playing
shots I didn’t think I could play and for three weeks I suddenly
thought: ‘I can!’ When I went back to Essex after the Ashes, I scored
two hundreds, and it’s amazing what confidence does.”Such sentiments might apply equally to England’s opponents, who
believe that the gulf between the sides is narrower than at any time
in their previous eight ODI meetings. “They are a full international
side and we’ve got to respect that,” said Cook. “They’ve got some
excellent players without a doubt, but it’s up to us as the English
side to play better cricket than them.”We’ve improved as players of spin, and we’ve played against the best
in the world and done well. Obviously it’s going to be tough here,
Bangladesh have some excellent spinners, but we as players, as
batters, we have to score the runs against them.”

Warwickshire have announced that the proposed £30m ground redevelopment due to be completed in summer 2011 will now be able progress as planned

Cricinfo staff09-Feb-2010Warwickshire have announced that a proposed £30m ground redevelopment due to be completed in summer 2011 will now be able progress as planned after objections were raised by local residents.It will be relief for Warwickshire after the ECB threatened to remove the ground’s Test status after the redevelopment plans, proposed first in May 2009 were stalled by the Birmingham city council’s planning committee.At the time Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s head of venue partnership, said: “Edgbaston falls some way short of ECB’s facilities criteria in a number of areas which is clearly not a sustainable position if Edgbaston is to retain the right to host major matches.”However, with the plans now agreed there will be the construction of a major new stand on the south side of the ground, increasing capacity to 25,000 and a 500-plus cover banqueting suite and exclusive members’ areas will be erected. Alongside this the players’ and media area will be revamped.Demolition of the old facilities commenced in mid-January and Warwickshire have been waiting for news, following an objection from a small residents group which took its case to the Court of Appeal, at the end of December. The application to appeal was rejected.Colin Povey, the Warwickshire chief executive said: “The redevelopment of the ground is critical to ensure Edgbaston keeps its competitive edge and remains a worthy contender in the race to secure international matches.”This result is not only fantastic news for us, our players, members and cricket fans, but also for the economy of the West Midlands. There is great excitement at the club about the proposed changes and I hope we can now look forward to starting the building work without further delay.”The next 18 months will be an important chapter in the history of Edgbaston and Warwickshire county cricket club. Our plans have received strong support from the city council, Advantage West Midlands and the majority of local residents.”

What was at times a fluctuating contest turned into a comfortable victory for England as Alastair Cook finished his first tour in charge with a controlled, unbeaten 109

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta24-Mar-2010England 496 and 209 for 1 (Cook 109*, Pietersen 74*) beat Bangladesh 419 and 285 (Shakib 96, Tamin 52, Tredwell 4-82) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShakib Al Hasan extended Bangladesh’s lead over 200 with a fine 96, but it wasn’t enough•PA Photos

What was at times a fluctuating contest turned into a comfortable victory for England as Alastair Cook finished his first tour in charge with a controlled, unbeaten 109 and Kevin Pietersen continued his return to form with a 74 to complete a nine-wicket victory and a clean sweep. England remain the only team to have an unbeaten record against Bangladesh, but have been made to work hard for their success by a home side that showed signs of development but still frustrated with fundamental mistakes.It was particularly satisfying for Cook to guide his side home with his 12th Test hundred, having copped plenty of criticism for some naive captaincy through the tour. It was, as ever, more efficient than spectacular, as he picked off the generous offerings from a tiring Bangladesh attack. His toe-ended cut to bring up three figures and slog-sweep through midwicket to seal the result were both fitting as he proved captaincy would not affect his dogged batting.Before a ball had been bowled on this tour Cook was left out of England’s preliminary Twenty20 squad, but in every match since he’s shown how his game has developed. Adding a touch of adventure to his steely temperament he ended as the leading scorer in the series after making a career-best 173 in the first Test and demonstrated an authority that had been missing during his struggle form form last year.Needing 209 at almost four an over after Shakib Al Hasan’s fighting 96 kept England in the field until after lunch, Bangladesh had a chance to squeeze the visitors, but they couldn’t muster the resolve. Shakib looked exhausted, having made 141 runs and bowled 66 overs in the game. He wondered around the field with his arms folded and, rather than open with himself, allowed Shafiul Islam and Abdul Razzak to gift England an easy start.The openers had strolled to 40 before there was any trouble – albeit through another dubious umpiring decision. Jonathan Trott was given run out by the third umpire when the only replay available showed the stumps broken only after Trott had made the crease. It only added to the catalogue of poor decisions in this game, but unlike the previous ones had no bearing on the match.If anything it only hastened Bangladesh’s demise as Pietersen demonstrated the flair that separates him from the rest of his England team-mates. Using his feet to drive the spinners beautifully and unfurling the occasional switch hit, he appeared to recover the swagger that made him such a force before his Achilles injury. He will face sterner examinations soon, but can head off to the IPL in good spirits.For moments on the final day, like periods throughout the series, Bangladesh offered stubborn resistance, only to crumple when more something substantial could have been built. On his 23rd birthday, Shakib bristled with intent as he tried to carry his side to a position of safety. Needing to both extend the lead and take time out of the game he shunned the cautiousness his opposition favour and took the game to England.Almost from the off he made his intentions clear, chipping down the crease to the quick bowlers and scything cuts and drives through the off side regularly. At the other end Shafiul Islam blended defence with purpose as the pair added 60 in 14 overs. England looked ragged but rather than stick with their captain, Shakib’s team-mates were unable to resist the flighted temptation of James Tredwell with Shafiul and Naeem Islam both gifting their wickets at crucial moments.It meant the momentum Shakib created was wasted and he was marooned with the last-man Rubel Hossain when still 14 short of a deserved hundred. Again Shakib backed aggression to get him through, taking 10 from the first five balls of Tredwell’s opening over after lunch. But, just one shot away and with a field set tantalising tight in on the single, Shakib couldn’t resist running down the wicket and having an enormous swipe. He missed and despite a forlorn dive was stumped to end hopes of a hundred and Bangladesh’s chances of forcing a draw. It was a deflating end that killed off both Shakib and his team’s heart for the fight.

Scotland have re-signed George Bailey, the Tasmanian batsman, as their overseas player for the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition

Cricinfo staff12-Apr-2010Scotland have re-signed George Bailey, the Tasmanian batsman, as their overseas player for the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition.Bailey, who played for Scotland in the 2007 competition, led Tasmania to the Australian domestic one-day title, with 538 runs at 59.77, and also as also made 692 runs at 43.25 in the Sheffield Shield. It was enough to earn him a call-up to the Australian squad for the one-day series against New Zealand and Bailey has since been playing at the IPL with Chennai Super Kings.Bailey will be available for all of Scotland’s games but will return home in the two-month break in June and July, to ensure his availability for a potential call-up for Australia A’s series against Sri Lanka.Roddy Smith, the chief executive of Cricket Scotland, is thrilled to see Bailey back with Scotland. “It is fantastic news that George is available for us this season. As soon as we knew that our fixture list fitted in well with George’s commitments in the IPL and Australia, he was our number one target. We are delighted that we have managed to reach agreement for George to return to Scotland.”Meanwhile, the squads for Scotland’s new regional competition have been announced.Western Warriors Qasim Sheikh (Captain), Moneeb Iqbal, Dougie Lockhart, Ian Young, Zeeshan Bashir, Kasim Farid, Majid Haq, Omer Hussain, Richie Berrington, Andy Hislop, Tom McBride, Kevin McLaren, Willie Rowan, Neil Laidlaw, Raj Routray, Andi McElnea.Eastern Knights Gordon Drummond (Captain), Ross Lyons, Preston Mommsen, Fraser Watts, Ollie Hairs, Neil McCallum, Gregor Maiden, Simon Smith, Ewan Chalmers, Stuart Chalmers, Ryan Flannigan, Paddy Sadler, Sean Weereratna, Keith Morton, Charles Legget, Ali Evans.Caledonian Jan Stander (Captain), Freddie Coleman, Umair Mohammed, Matthew Parker, Craig Wallace, Ryan Watson, Calvin Burnett, Fraser Burnett, Marc Petrie, Craig Ramsay, Tyler Buchan, Matthew Cross, Scott Galloway, Stuart Coetzer, Graeme Tomlinson, Gordon Goudie, Gavin Hamilton.

England’s coach, Andy Flower, believes that some of England’s key players will have to be rested during the forthcoming home series against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia, in order to make sure they are in peak condition come the Ashes and the World C

Cricinfo staff19-May-2010England’s coach, Andy Flower, believes that some of England’s key players will have to be rested during the forthcoming home series against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia, in order to make sure they are in peak condition come the Ashes and the World Cup this winter.Speaking in the aftermath of England’s triumphant World Twenty20 campaign in the Caribbean, Flower emphasised the need to keep bodies and minds fresh in the course of a hectic schedule, and warned that key performers such as Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann – who are integral to all three forms of the game – are those most at risk of burn-out.”We have a very busy 12 months ahead of us and we are going to have to rest players at various times,” England Flower told reporters at Gatwick on Monday. “In certain situations it is possible that we will have to rest some players either for emotional reasons such as stress, and sometimes it will be for strength and conditioning reasons. With our schedule it will be hard to fit enough strength and conditioning in.”The issue of squad rotation comes into sharp focus this week with the return to action of the Test and 50-overs captain, Andrew Strauss. He has been resting since the end of the South Africa series in January, having been replaced by Alastair Cook for the recent tour of Bangladesh, but is set to lead the side at Lord’s next week for the first Test of the summer, against Bangladesh.Collingwood, who has become the first England captain to lift an ICC trophy in 35 years of trying, says that he has no wish to reclaim the job that he held briefly at 50-over level in 2008, and is ready and willing to return to the ranks when Strauss returns to the fray.”Andrew Strauss is obviously our captain in the one-day format and in the Test format,” said Collingwood. “He’s a fantastic leader, and a lot of this kind of success we’ve had over the last few weeks can go down to a lot of the values he and Andy Flower have installed in us over the past year. The team ethic has certainly helped the team gel together and become a strong unit.””The players are desperate to continue this kind of form and this brand of cricket and hopefully that will take us on to win a lot of silverware in the future,” he added. “The brand of cricket that we played in the Twenty20 is something we have to keep trying to improve. It has been successful in this tournament but we have to adapt it to different conditions now.”We have a World Cup coming up now on the subcontinent and so I’m pretty certain that Strauss and Flower will want us to continue with that same brand of cricket. It’s only another 30 overs on top of what we have been playing in the last few weeks so I’m sure that if we can go out with the same mentality we will go out and scare a lot of sides with the way we play.”

Glamorgan’s County Championship Division Two clash against Surrey at the Swalec Stadium ended in a draw after no play was possible on the final day because of rain

01-Jun-2010
ScorecardGlamorgan’s County Championship Division Two clash against Surrey at the Swalec Stadium ended in a draw after no play was possible on the final day because of rain.Umpires Michael Gough and David Millns waited until lunchtime to abandon proceedings after persistent morning rain. Glamorgan took 10 points from the match to Surrey’s nine, leaving leaders Glamorgan on 126 points at the halfway stage of the season.

Persistent rain rescued County Championship title challengers
Nottinghamshire from the possibility of a second straight defeat as their clash
with Essex was abandoned as a draw

01-Jun-2010
ScorecardPersistent rain rescued County Championship title challengers
Nottinghamshire from the possibility of a second straight defeat as their clash
with Essex was abandoned as a draw.Even with the fast-drying Trent Bridge outfield, the weather never allowed the
Notts groundstaff to remove the covers and the two captains agreed to a draw
shortly before 4pm. The result would have been frustrating for visitors Essex, who were in a decent
position overnight to push for their first win since their opening game of the
season after finishing day three on 152 for 2, a lead of 264.Instead they picked up nine points to move to sixth in Division One, while
Notts claimed seven – enough to move them back to the top of the table, level on
103 points with Yorkshire having played two games less.Notts skipper Chris Read said: “It wasn’t a great game as far as we were
concerned, and we felt we were outplayed in most departments. But a key indicator of a strong team is how they bounce back, and we go to Tunbridge Wells to play Kent on Friday knowing that a good performance will
leave us top ahead of the break for the Twenty 20.”It’s important that we finish the ‘first half’ of the Championship season on
a high, and being able to turn to Twenty20 knowing we were top of the table
would be a fantastic boost.”

Durham ended a five-match losing streak and dumped Worcestershire back on the bottom of the Friends Provident t20 North Group with a three-run victory at New Road

Cricinfo staff09-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Durham ended a five-match losing streak and dumped Worcestershire back on the bottom of the Friends Provident t20 North Group with a three-run victory at New Road. A second-wicket stand of 85 in 10 overs from Mark Stoneman and Ben Stokes formed the bulk of Durham’s total of 144 for 6.That looked in danger when Sanath Jayasuriya launched the Royals’ innings with 45 from 29 balls, but Gareth Breese took 3 for 14 as they fell just short on 141 for 8. Jayasuriya was in irresistible form, highlighted by his smiting of a four and two sixes from Albie Morkel’s first three deliveries.But Breese turned the game on its head with a stunning intervention. The unsung allrounder held a simple catch at cover from Phil Jaques and dismissed Jayasuriya and Moeen Ali in his first over.Breese followed up by removing Alexei Kervezee and the offspinner had figures of 3 for 8 until Vikram Solanki straight drove his last ball for six. Although Solanki kept up the chase with 25 after a four-week layoff with a pelvic injury, Worcestershire slipped out of contention when he was caught at deep cover off Ben Harmison.Eventually they needed 14 from the final over and fell tantalisingly short when Imran Arif could only manage four and two from the last two balls.Durham’s struggle to get to grips with the shorter game has been one of the mysteries of the season. It is now six games since any batsman made a half-century and they have failed to reach 150 in four of the last five games.Initially they promised more as Stokes made a competition-best 44 and Stoneman weighed in with 46 from 36 balls on his Twenty20 debut. Stokes, 19, went for his shots from the outset, hitting five fours and two sixes until Moeen held a shoulder-high catch as the left-hander narrowly failed to clear the fence at long-on.Stoneman went in the following over, easily stumped in a one-off over by the returning Solanki. Thereafter a cameo 24 from Morkel was the best Durham could offer as Arif, Shantry and Jayasuriya conceded only two boundaries in the last five overs.