Kieron Pollard, the West Indians’ stand-in captain for the warm-up game, has said the new fielding restrictions in ODIs were challenging for bowlers and captains

Mohammad Isam in Khulna28-Nov-2012Kieron Pollard, the West Indians’ stand-in captain for the warm-up game against BCB XI in Khulna, has said the new playing conditions for fielding restrictions in ODIs were challenging for bowlers and captains. West Indies and Bangladesh will be the third and fourth teams to experience the amended playing conditions when they begin the five-ODI series on November 30.”It was very challenging,” Pollard said, after winning the warm-up match with the new playing conditions. “The bowlers have to mind their Ps and Qs. They can’t let it stray because there are not many guys outside [the circle].”Having said that, the rules have been set and players have to just follow, so I think it is something that we have to get used to. I hope we can get the right combination and have the right tactics to counter the restrictions.”Under the new conditions, only two fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the first ten overs, and three during the Powerplay. At other times, a maximum of four fielders can be placed outside the circle, a reduction from the earlier five.The one-day series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this month was the first with the new restrictions and Mahela Jayawardene said they were harsh on the spinners. That sentiment was shared by left-arm spinner Enamul Haque jnr, who played for BCB XI against West Indians and Bangladesh, and had to bowl without that extra fielder outside the circle for the first time in his career. Enamul took 3 for 31 and 0 for 58 in those games.”I think it is going to have a negative impact on Bangladesh’s cricket on the international stage,” Enamul told ESPNcricinfo. “We depend mainly on spinners but with this new rule it will become very difficult to cut out the runs. Today we conceded 12 boundaries from the one gap that couldn’t be filled during those non-Powerplay overs. I think these extra runs will hurt the chances of Bangladesh because of the higher number of spinners we usually pick in limited-overs cricket.”The introduction of two new balls in one-day internationals was supposed to be a disadvantage for bowling attacks like that of Bangladesh, which depend heavily on spin, but Enamul said it wasn’t as damaging as the new fielding restrictions.”Spinners have been more adaptable to the new balls than the fielding restrictions. What this new rule does is it takes out the security of an extra man in the deep,” he said. “The only thing to do is bowl as straight as possible and to think about using variations with a lot of accuracy. Otherwise runs will be leaked.”Pollard said the powerful batsmen in the West Indies line-up will enjoy the larger gaps in the outfield, but cautioned against playing over-ambitious shots. “It can be good and bad,” he said. “If you want to hit the ball outside, being too eager because of the four fielders, you can still find one of them. We have a lot of power-hitters so clearing the boundary and the ball falling in gaps is important for us. Hopefully we can capitalise on it until there’s any further changes.”I think captains will have a hard job in setting the fields and bowlers will have an even tougher job trying to restrict the batsmen. You’ll see a lot more 300-run games in place of the 270-280 games because of that extra guy inside.”

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has defended his decision to send a letter to the press, with comments on SLC, but said that the fallout from the incident was not a distraction for his side ahead of the Boxing Day Test

Andrew Fernando in Melbourne25-Dec-2012Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has defended his decision to send a letter to the press — with perceived questionable comments on Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) — but said that the fallout from the incident was not a distraction for his side ahead of the Boxing Day Test. SLC, in an official release, stated it will review the actions of Jayawardene and team manager Charith Senanayake, during the lead up to the Test in Melbourne.Jayawardene’s letter to the press, in which he said he had lost all confidence in dealing with SLC, had been prompted by a local newspaper’s reporting on a previous letter he had written to the board. He had believed the letter to be confidential, and the contents of which, if released, could potentially embarrass the support staff working with the Sri Lankan team. In his subsequent release to the press, Jayawardene expressed his disappointment with the board for having allowed his letter to be made public, which, in turn, was believed to be a breach of his contract for portraying the board in a negative light.”It’s not really a distraction,” Jayawardene said on the eve of the Test. “It’s not the first time something like this has happened and I’ve just taken it on board. I honestly don’t know what I’ve done in this scenario. The document was released by them, and I just asked the question, “How did that happen?” I think hopefully we can get that resolved pretty soon once they realise I haven’t done anything wrong. Right now my focus is on this tour and to try and give my best for the team. I don’t think most of the guys even know what’s going on.”Sri Lanka are waiting on the fitness of Nuwan Kulasekara, who has been struggling with a bruised rib, with Dhammika Prasad on standby to step into the pace attack. Kulasekara was hit by a delivery that leapt up off a crack on the fifth day in Hobart, and has not yet shaken off the soreness from the blow. He has been bowling in the nets, but will have his fitness determined on the morning of the Test.Opener Dimuth Karunaratne, meanwhile, is set for an extended run at the top of the order, despite having had an inauspicious start to the series in Hobart, scoring 14 and 30. Sri Lanka have a more experienced opener in Tharanga Paranavitana in the squad, but Jayawardene said the management had identified Karunaratne as a promising future prospect, and hope to give him opportunities free of the pressure of having to hold a place in the team. Karunaratne has played two Tests, and made a run-a-ball sixty against New Zealand last month. He was brought into the Test team after having had success in an A team tour to South Africa.”When we made the call on Dimuth, we wanted to make it a long-term decision. Whatever happens, he will at least get a good year in that slot. I think he’s shown a lot of promise as a Test opener. I think everyone’s very pleased with the way he’s been batting. It was unfortunate he got some good deliveries in the last Test. The way he bats gives us more opportunities. If he gets going, he’s a very aggressive batsman and he’ll score quickly for us. That will win Test matches, not just here, but in Sri Lankan conditions as well. That’s something we are looking for him to do. He’ll definitely get a longer run in the team.”Jayawardene also said a strong performance from the experienced top order would be Sri Lanka’s best chance of securing a maiden victory in Australia. Sri Lanka slipped to 87 for 4 in their first innings in Hobart in one of the defining periods of the Test, which enabled Australia to secure a first innings lead of 114. Sri Lanka’s top order had also failed to fire collectively in the two Tests preceding the tour, in a home series against New Zealand.”A good performance from the top order will give us an opportunity to put pressure on the Australians, and our best chance of winning a Test match here would be our batters putting runs on the board. The top order has been our strength over the last couple of years when four or five guys have been getting the job done. Yes, we’ve had a couple of hiccups in the last few Test matches – in the last series against New Zealand and the one in Hobart. That can happen. You can’t be consistent for that period of time. We’ve got the experience, and we’ve got the talent. We just need to produce the goods.”Jayawardene was also confident his team would not be affected by any crowd hostility stemming from the ball tampering controversy in Hobart. Sri Lanka’s management had alerted the match referee to footage they believed might have shown Peter Siddle picking the seam of the ball during their first innings, but had stopped short of making an official complaint. Siddle, a Victorian, was cleared of any wrongdoing by the ICC after the conclusion of the match.”I think we’ve been through a lot of hostile things in the past. 1995 was one thing, and even after that. I don’t think it will faze our guys at all. If anything that might give us a little extra. What you have to remember is that there will be a good, partisan Sri Lankan crowd in Melbourne as well, so it might go against them (Australia) as well. A lot of the younger guys probably won’t even understand what the crowd is going to tell them. It’s not going to be a big issue.”

Melbourne Renegades will replace Marlon Samuels with England player Alex Hales after the West Indian was ruled out of the remainder of the Big Bash League due to an eye injury

Alex Malcolm08-Jan-2013The Big Bash League (BBL) Technical Committee has allowed the Melbourne Renegades to replace Marlon Samuels with England batsman Alex Hales, after the West Indian was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to the injury sustained during Sunday night’s fiery clash against the Melbourne Stars.Samuels suffered a suspected fracture of the eye-socket when struck in the face, via a top-edge, while facing Lasith Malinga.The injury brought to an end a turbulent tournament for Samuels. Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann and Adelaide Strikers coach Darren Berry had been charged for breaches of the Code of Behaviour when they publicly questioned the legitimacy of Samuels’ bowling action. Berry got into a heated discussion with Samuels prior to his side’s match with the Renegades, before Samuels became the pantomime villain again against the Stars on Sunday when he embroiled himself in arguments with both David Hussey and Shane Warne, who was later fined and suspended for the incident.Samuels’ absence won’t create a void as his replacement Hales will be available for the Renegades’ remaining games – their last preliminary match against the Sydney Sixers, and the semi-finals.Hales has played 14 Twenty20 internationals for England over the past 18 months. He made 99 from just 68 balls against West Indies in June on his home ground at Trent Bridge. It is one of four international half-centuries he has scored, the latest coming against India during a two-match tour in December.The final round of preliminary matches begins when Melbourne Stars host Sydney Thunder at the MCG. Malinga has also been withdrawn from the Stars’ team as he joins the Sri Lankan squad in preparation for the ODI series, starting on Friday. The Australian ODI squad members David Hussey, Clint McKay and Glenn Maxwell have been allowed to play for the Stars, as well as Usman Khawaja, who will represent the winless Thunder. But should the Stars make the finals, they will lose Hussey, McKay, and Maxwell, and reports suggest an assessment on Malinga’s availability for the semi-final will be made closer to the time should the Stars qualify for the final four.The Stars called up former England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas as cover for Malinga. Mascarenhas took two wickets in both the semi-final and final of the England domestic T20 tournament last year to help Hampshire win the title. He also represented Hampshire at the Champions League, and played two Twenty20s for Wellington in New Zealand on December 28 and January 1. Mascarenhas must play the Sydney Thunder to be available for selection in the semi-final should the Stars qualify.Meanwhile, Hobart Hurricanes batsman Travis Birt was fined $1000 by Cricket Australia for a Code of Behaviour breach. Birt was initially cited for striking the advertising foam on the rope after he was given out against the Sydney Thunder but was not fined over the incident. Birt was, however, fined for breaching Rule 9: Detrimental Public Comment when he criticised umpires for “ruining games,” on Twitter on December 23.

Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade, the three key players rested for the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka, will return for the next two games in Brisbane and Sydney

Brydon Coverdale14-Jan-2013Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade, the three key players rested for the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka, will return for the next two games in Brisbane and Sydney. The allrounder Moises Henriques, who last played for Australia in India in 2009, has also been included, while the selectors dropped Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Ben Cutting and Kane Richardson. Brad Haddin, who picked up a hamstring injury during the second ODI, was also left out.The widespread changes were not surprising after the selectors named a squad devoid of stars for the opening two games, preferring to have Clarke, Warner and Wade rest following their Test duties, and with one eye on the upcoming Test tour of India. However, their return means Khawaja’s one-day opportunity was limited to one innings ended by a run-out at the MCG, while a number of other players have had to make way having had limited time in the middle.John Inverarity, the national selector, said it was always the intention of his panel to play Khawaja in the first game in Melbourne and Smith in the second match in Adelaide, and that both men had benefited from further time around the national squad. He said he had spoken to both Smith and Khawaja on Sunday night about their omissions and said the players had been pleased to have been given an opportunity in the first place.”They saw that with those players coming back there was a good chance they were going to be squeezed out,” Inverarity said. “They would prefer one game to no games. They received a very clear message. It’s not only playing the game, but being in the Australian squad for four or five days and the intensity of training and being there with Mickey Arthur and the other support staff, it’s a very good experience for them.”The one surprise in the squad for the third match in Brisbane on Friday and the fourth game in Sydney on Sunday was the inclusion of Henriques, who started the domestic summer in outstanding form. However, the decision does fit in with Inverarity’s preference for players with all-round skills, and with the view that a seam-bowling allrounder would be required, especially at the Gabba.”We certainly need allrounders,” Inverarity said. “We’re really trying to groom Glenn Maxwell as a spin-bowling allrounder and obvious interest there for India. Mitchell Marsh was in the frame some time ago but he’s injured. Moises Henriques has been on the horizon for some years now, and this is his opportunity. We really hope that he will come on as a seam-bowling allrounder.”I saw him bat at the WACA when he made 78 in the Ryobi Cup and then 78 in the Shield match and he batted superbly. Then he went to Sydney and made 150 and 50 not out in the next game. Also when I saw him bowl in Perth he bowled very well, too. So he’s got a lot of talent. We hope that he performs and we want consistent performance from him.”Maxwell retained his place in the squad despite having done little with the bat or ball during the first two games, although his fielding had been excellent. Inverarity said the selectors rated Maxwell extremely highly and that he was viewed as a batsman who could provide some useful overs, not a frontline spinner, although his bowling had improved since he played for Australia A against the South Africans in early November.”When he gets an opportunity he’s showing signs of improving,” Inverarity said. “He’s not a frontline spinner, he’s a batsman who bowls. As I’ve said many times we are looking for batsmen who can bowl decently. With Dilshan in the Sri Lankan side he’s an opening batsman and bowls very decent offspinners. You need your four bowlers and you need some of your batsmen who can give you some decent overs. That’s where we’re trying to develop Glenn Maxwell.”The inclusion of allrounders is all the more important with the continued absence of Shane Watson. When he returns from his calf injury, Watson will be playing as a specialist batsman only and Inverarity said the selectors were hoping he would have a chance to play Sheffield Shield cricket towards the end of this month, but his availability for any of the limited-overs games this summer remained uncertain.”We’ll just wait and see when Shane is fit to play and then he will come under consideration,” Inverarity said. “But we’re certainly hoping he’ll be fit by the end of this month. In the last three or four days I haven’t heard how he’s progressing. We’ll have to see that. We’re really hoping that he’ll be ready for the Sheffield Shield match which I think starts on the 24th of January, and then we’ll go from there. It will be terrific if he’s available, but I don’t know yet if he’ll be likely or not.”There is also uncertainty over how long Haddin will have to sit out after suffering a hamstring injury during the loss to Sri Lanka in Adelaide on Sunday. Haddin top scored for Australia with 50 but during Sri Lanka’s chase, handed the wicketkeeping gloves to Phillip Hughes and left the field. Australia might take two wicketkeepers on the Test tour of India next month and the selectors are hopeful Haddin will be back in action soon.”We don’t know exactly. I saw Brad last night and again at the airport this morning. We’re hoping it’s not too serious,” Inverarity said. “We’re hoping it’s a couple of weeks and nothing more than that. There is a real chance we’ll take two wicketkeepers to India and/or to England. As I’ve said before the two we consider the best wicketkeeper-batsmen in the country are he and Matthew Wade.”Cricket Australia also announced that the fielding coach Steve Rixon would stand in as head coach over the next few days and during the ODI in Brisbane on Friday to allow Mickey Arthur a break during the team’s busy summer. Arthur will spend a few days with his family in Perth before returning to coaching duties for the fourth ODI in Sydney on Sunday.Australia squad David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, David Hussey, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty.

Round-up of the Regional Super50 matches on February 7, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2013
ScorecardGuyana started their Regional Super50 campaign on a winning note as they chased Leeward Islands’ total of 162, to win by five wickets. Leeward Islands’ innings could not gather any momentum as legspinner Devendra Bishoo and fast medium bowler Christopher Barnwell claimed wickets regularly, taking three and four respectively.Guyana’s reply started solidly with Rajindra Chandrika scoring 28 before being run out. At one stage Guyana were struggling at 90 for 4, but Assad Fudadin and wicketkeeper Derwin Christian took them home with almost six overs to spare.
ScorecardA century from Nkrumah Bonner and a combined bowling effort, led by offspinner Tamar Lambert, helped Jamaica clinch a commanding 75-run victory over Barbados in the Regional Super50 tie at Kensington Oval. Although Jamaica lost wickets regularly after choosing to bat, Bonner’s 110 helped them reach 239. In reply, four of Barbados batsmen got starts, but no one scored more than 28, and this hurt them as they were bowled out for 164. Spinners Lambert and Nikita Miller, and seamer Sheldon Cotterell did most of the damage, sharing seven wickets between them.Jamaica lead the points table due to the big margin of the win, which helped them jump over Guyana and Windward Islands, both of whom won their respective games.
ScorecardWindward Islands overhauled Combined Campuses and Colleges’ target of 207, to claim a one-wicket victory, thanks largely to fifties from Andre Fletcher and Devon Smith. Shane Shillingford’s spell of 4 for 39 proved decisive as CCC could not put together an effective partnership. Raymon Reifer struck 60 before being run out, with wicketkeeper Chadwick Wilson being the only other player to pass 50.Devon Smith and Andre Fletcher led the way for Windwards in their reply with scores of 54 and 67. Despite their dismissal, Windwards seemed on course for victory, but a mini-collapse later on placed them at a precarious 186 for 9. Tailenders Delorn Johnson and Nelon Pascal, however, held their nerve and ensured their team started the tournament with a win.

Australian captain Michael Clarke wants his batsmen to convert their starts into big innings in the Test series against India

Brydon Coverdale21-Feb-2013Michael Clarke has given Australia’s batsmen a stern warning that if they fail to capitalise on their starts in India, they will be more culpable than those who fall cheaply in the difficult conditions. The first Test is set to begin on Friday in Chennai on a pitch expected to offer significant turn and reverse swing, and while the Australians have chosen an attack heavy on pace options, India will rely on a bowling line-up replete with spinners.That provides a unique set of challenges for an Australian batting order that traditionally performs best against quicker bowlers, but Clarke is confident that the surface will allow for plenty of runs in the first couple of days. The Australian batsmen must find a way to push through to triple figures after they managed 11 scores in the 30 to 90 range during the two warm-up games, but no centuries.”One of the things I spoke to the boys the other day about is that it’s more crucial here if you get a start to go on and make a big score,” Clarke said. “So if you make a fifty, a sixty, a seventy, and get out, you’re more accountable there than the guy who made zero, because it is a really difficult place to start, especially against spin or walking in against the reverse-swinging ball. It’s up to the guys who get a start to take the team forward.”To that end, big things will be asked of the top three of Ed Cowan, David Warner and Phillip Hughes. But the real keys are Australia’s two most senior batsmen, Shane Watson and Clarke himself, lower down at Nos. 4 and 5. No player in world cricket has made more Test runs in the past two years than the 2247 accumulated by Clarke; nor has anyone bettered his eight centuries in that time, especially given that the list includes three double-tons and one triple-hundred.Clarke’s runs in that time have mostly come at No.5, but that was always with the buttress of Michael Hussey as the next man in. Now Hussey is gone and this is Australia’s first Test series without him, leaving Australia’s best batsman to be followed by Matthew Wade, the debutant allrounder Moises Henriques and the bowlers. Clarke said he had considered moving up the order but with the top four all openers at one time or another, he felt it made more sense to leave them in place.”I spoke to Mickey Arthur and Watto (Shane Watson) about that,” Clarke said. “Again the result is what we think is best for the team. It can’t be about the individual player. Would it be better for me to bat higher? Personally it might be, because I get in earlier, I get to face the new ball. But the decision is nothing to do with me. The same as it’s nothing to do with Watto in regards to opening the batting. We think it’s the right batting order to help us win this Test match.”I don’t think anybody’s restricted to a certain position. I think it’s great that everybody in our top four has opened the batting for Australia. We have plenty of options there and it really means we should be very good against new-ball bowling, which is a great positive for our team. You need to definitely look at the success we’ve just had against Sri Lanka. The order we have right now worked against Sri Lanka. I’m confident we can have success here as well.”But the big difference between the Sri Lankan series and this Indian contest is in the conditions. The Chennai pitch sports not a blade of grass and the Australians felt it was ready to play on several days ago. There is no doubt that it will turn, though Clarke was not convinced it would be ripping from the first morning in the way that some Indian pitches have in the past.”It’s very dry, there’s no doubt about it. I think it will spin. I still think it will be good for batting on day one and day two,” he said. “I think this wicket is going to be conducive to spin bowling but also to up-and-down bounce off the quicks and I know the ball reverse swings all over India.”That reverse swing factor was a key reason that Henriques won the No.7 position, although his positive intent with the bat, as shown during the warm-up match against India A, also went in his favour. The inclusion of Henriques means Australia will enter the match with four pace options and one spinner, while India could choose as many as four spinners. Despite the likelihood of the pitch assisting the slow men, Clarke said he did not view Australia’s selection of their attack as a gamble.”I don’t think it is, I think we’ve got a really good attack,” Clarke said. “We’ve got three specialist fast bowlers, an allrounder in Moises and then our frontline spinner in Nathan Lyon and a couple of part-timers in David Warner and myself. Personally I think we have covered all bases. I think India’s team will be a lot different to ours, but I think we have gone with our strengths and we’re backing that when the wicket does deteriorate here, not only will it spin more it will go up and down more and we think reverse swing will play a part as well.”To maximise their chances of gaining reverse swing the Australians have also planned to handle the ball as little as possible when returning it to the bowler in an effort to retain its condition. There will not be one specific man designated for the responsibility, but the best methods of avoiding sweaty hands soaking the ball have been discussed at the team meetings.

MS Dhoni has said that while fielding strategies and placements on India’s slow, low turners have re-written the conventional textbook around attack and defence, the assessment of pitches and tactics appeared somewhat slanted

Sharda Ugra25-Mar-2013MS Dhoni has said that while fielding strategies and placements on India’s slow, low turners have re-written the conventional textbook around attack and defence, the assessment of pitches and tactics appeared somewhat slanted.Sixteen wickets fell on day three and four innings were completed over three days at the Kotla as India finished its 4-0 creaming of Australia. When asked whether surfaces like those in Delhi were right for Test cricket, Dhoni’s reply was sardonic and also contained his response to past criticism of his captaincy. “Well, you’ll have to answer what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ because your opinion really counts … When four fast bowlers play, it becomes strategy, when three spinners or four spinners play, it becomes a bad wicket.”He went on to give an example of how the interpretation of the same deep-field placements were different for different captains: “For Virender Sehwag, if you have a deep point and a deep-third man and a deep-square leg, it’s a strategy. If MS Dhoni has a deep point and a deep-square leg for David Warner, it’s a defensive field set. You have to see the mindset [of the batsman] and accordingly go ahead.”Dhoni also stated that the era of aggressive cricket, wherein having a mid-on up was common, has gone. Dhoni said: “The kind of cricket that we play has entirely changed … The era of seeing aggressive cricket, where you had to have a mid-on up, has gone.” The in-out field, used in plenty by the Indians, has become the norm with positions distributed between fieldsmen in catching positions and the boundary riders.In the Delhi Test, Dhoni described the offspinner’s conventional field: “You have a short leg, a backward, and a slip. And you have three fielders – deep midwicket, long-on and deep-square leg.” The latter three may have been conventionally considered boundary-saving, defensive fielders, but Dhoni said today’s field placements had much to do with studying the comfort zone and mindset of individual batsmen. Whether to employ a mid-on or long-on fielder was a decision that had to be made through a flexible reading of different batsmen, he said, and not on whether to stop the single or the boundary against all batsmen or the scoreboard situation.”You read the batsmen to see if he is in the mindset of rotating singles, if there’s a mid-on, deep midwicket and four catching fielders, and if he can rotate every ball. If he’s not having any problems, then you try to bring in the mid-on fielder or deep-midwicket fielder to build up the pressure.”If a batsman has more confidence going over the infield, “especially on wickets like these, it’s important that you don’t concede runs in a bunch”. The aim of the deep fielders was, he said, to deny the batsman the boundaries and check the opposition scoreboard from racing ahead. At a time like that, Dhoni said, he was fine with the batsmen taking singles because it created more chances. “If you rotate [the strike] four times, you get four runs and [on] those four runs, you can get them out as many times.”

Rangana Herath’s 4 for 37 and an unbeaten 82 for Lahiru Thirimanne took Sri Lanka to a 28-run Duckworth-Lewis victory

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-May-2013
ScorecardLahiru Thirimanne’s unbeaten innings guided Sri Lanka in their chase•Getty Images

Rangana Herath’s 4 for 37 and an unbeaten 82 for Lahiru Thirimanne took Sri Lanka to a 28-run Duckworth-Lewis victory in the opening match of the tri-series in Kandy. The tournament is primarily aimed at preparing the Sri Lanka side for the Champions Trophy in June but only six of the players picked to travel to England can participate, as the remainder are playing in the IPL. Sri Lanka, captained by Dinesh Chandimal, were well ahead of the D/L par score, at 195 for 3 from 35.1 overs, when bad light stopped play.Sri Lanka Combined began strongly, having been sent into bat, as Mahela Udawatte and captain Dimuth Karunaratne combined for a 111-run opening stand, which came at 5.5 an over. Udawatte made 63 from 76, while Karunaratne hit 49, but both men were undone by Herath, who trapped them lbw in his first spell. Herath also quickly dismissed wicketkeeper-batsman Kaushal Silva, who had been in supreme form during the first-class competition that finished in April.A 91-ball 79 for Jehan Mubarak helped restore calm to SL Combined’s innings, as he built a partnership with Sachithra Serasinghe, before stepping up the tempo alongside Chaturanga de Silva. At Mubarak’s demise in the 49th over, SL Combined were on 260, and a burst from de Silva before his dismissal for 42 from 31, helped elevate the score to 277. Nuwan Kulasekara took two wickets for Sri Lanka but went at more than six an over, and Chanaka Welegedara took the other scalp.Sri Lanka began poorly in response, losing both openers inside the first five overs, but Chandimal joined Thirimanne at the crease to contribute 52 from 63 to a 124-run stand. Notable in Chandimal’s innings was that he only made 12 runs in boundaries, which may be evidence of technical improvements, owing to the work he had foregone the IPL to do. He has in the past relied on boundaries for a large percentage of runs – often to his detriment in limited-overs cricket.At his fall in the 26th over, Sri Lanka were at 135, and would not lose another wicket. Thilina Kandamby was unbeaten on a run-a-ball 34 alongside Thirimanne, who had hit seven fours and a six in his innings. The teams play again on Monday, at 9.45am, before Sri Lanka play Sri Lanka A on Tuesday and Thursday.

Imran Farhat has been on the international circuit for 12 years but is yet to become a fixture in the Pakistan side, something which he wants to change

Umar Farooq in Abbottabad07-May-2013Imran Farhat, the Pakistan batsman, has been around international cricket since 2001 but has never been a regular in the side for too long. In the last 12 years, he has only managed to play 53 ODIs at 32.45 and given the number of his matches he has opened with as many as nine partners.Farhat’s career has often been overshadowed by the fact that his father-in-law is Mohammad Ilyas, a key figure in the PCB over the past decade. “This is the notion I want to clear,” Farhat said on sidelines of the training camp at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. “He [Ilyas] has his own status but I never took advantage of it. I would have been playing cricket for Pakistan even if we weren’t associated. It is in front of everyone that whenever I make a comeback it is due to my domestic performances.”I have been playing my own cricket and nobody is there to help at the pitch where you are on your own. I have my own goals and have always been very committed to my game and I never discuss it with him. If I perform it’s good and if I don’t, I never worry. Cricket is my bread and butter, and I want to play cricket and kept myself busy with it. Playing international cricket is like a reward against performances in the domestic cricket. The only reason I am in the team at the moment is my performance as I have scored enough runs to win a place.”Farhat is in fluent form at the moment. He marked himself with a triple-century in domestic cricket earlier this year and was recalled to the Test squad for the South Africa tour and retained for the ODIs as well. Since than Farhat has been looking to cement a spot in the top three. “I am much more experienced now and can manage any position and ready to play at any order [between 1 and 3] the team management wants.”I am more confident than ever and working extremely hard,” Farhat said. “I just want to make as much contribution as possible for my team whenever I get selected. However, the snub from national team has never been a frustration for me.”Pakistan had a targeted practice match during their training camp in Abbottabad with Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal hitting 92 and 66 respectively. Again, like in last five days, the camp was mainly focused on the batsmen, giving them ample practice before leaving for Scotland ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Alastair Cook and Andy Flower insisted their tactics had been “vindicated” after England won the second Test against New Zealand by 247 runs to clinch a 2-0 series victory.

George Dobell28-May-2013Alastair Cook and Andy Flower insisted their tactics had been “vindicated” after England won the second Test against New Zealand by 247 runs to clinch a 2-0 series victory.While Cook admitted he endured some nervous moments waiting for the rain to clear, he also defended his decision not to enforce the follow-on and to delay his declaration until after lunch on day four. By then England had a lead of 467 and meteorologists were warning that the fifth day could be severely curtailed by rain.So it proved, too, with only 45 minutes possible before lunch and play not resuming until 3pm. But it was long enough for England to claim the final four wickets they required to secure victory.”The result definitely vindicates the decision,” Cook said. “There is absolutely no doubt about that at all. To win by 250 runs is a good win and in just over three days cricket effectively, it is an outstanding performance. You are judged as a captain on results. In this game we have won by 250 runs.”I would not say it was a sleepless night but we were praying for an opportunity to get enough time to go out there and win the game. Clearly, I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was look out the window. We knew rain was about but we thought there would be a few windows of opportunity.”While there was much to celebrate for England – the form and fitness of Graeme Swann, the hostility of Steven Finn and the batting of Joe Root and Cook – one or two areas of concern remain.The form of Nick Compton, 39 runs in four innings this series, was a disappointment and debate over his position will continue. With Kevin Pietersen back in training and likely to return to the middle order for the Ashes, moving Root to open is one option that is sure to be discussed in the coming weeks.Neither Cook nor Flower would commit to Compton’s selection for the Ashes, but Cook did admit that changing such “an important position” ahead of such high-profile games would constitute “a risk”.”He’s struggled in these few Tests, certainly,” Flower added. “The Ashes is quite a long way away. Let’s allow the dust to settle on this series. Then we’ll chat about the line-up and the conditions and the opposition.”He’s got to go away, get back into form and score some heavy runs for Somerset. He goes back into a couple of one-day games. Hopefully the one-day games will be good for him. He can go out and enjoy hitting the ball. That will be the catalyst for him going into the first-class game feeling confident.”Flower, in particular, appeared to take exception to the line of questioning from some media following the game. Talking to the BBC, he said: “I thought it was a very good performance by our side. We won by over 200 runs. Cook scored another hundred. He has 25 Test hundreds; more than Viv Richards or Greg Chappell. Swann is back in form and his elbow has come through surgery recently. The two young Yorkshire guys have had a great game. Finn on a flat deck has bowled outstandingly well. Those are all things that I’d prefer to focus on than some of the negative things you mention.”But both Cook and Flower admitted there were some areas where England could have performed a little better. While Cook referred to criticism of Trott’s sedate progress on the third evening, 11 in 69 balls despite England beginning their second innings with a lead of 180, as “nit-picking”, Flower accepted that “he could have been more urgent”.”We had a great example of running between the wickets and the right sort of balance between defence and attack and urgency from the two young Yorkshire guys in the first innings,” Flower said. “They batted beautifully. Trott could have learned a little from those two. But the following morning he put us in a great position to win the game.”Flower and Cook justified the decision not to enforce the follow-on, believing the wicket would only deteriorate as the match progressed. “We chose to bat again and get well ahead of them,” Flower agreed. “We thought we would have enough time on a wearing pitch to take the last 10 wickets and that’s how it proved.”The start of the final day was noticeable for Flower remonstrating with the groundstaff to remove the covers more quickly.”I shouldn’t be out there doing the officials’ job,” Flower said. “It wasn’t raining so I’m not sure why the covers weren’t being removed. I don’t understand why it took so long to get the game started, regardless of the position that we were in. The officials have a responsibility to get the game going when conditions suit and it wasn’t raining. The lack of activity was baffling.”But in general, Flower was in the mood to celebrate the encouraging performances of Swann and the two young local batsmen, Root and Jonny Bairstow.”Swann bowled superbly in the first innings; the ball came out of his hand absolutely beautifully,” Flower said. “I didn’t actually think he bowled as well in the second innings. I don’t think he was quite comfortable with the ball. But he still took 6 for 90 and turned the match our way. I’m very encouraged by the way he’s bowling and very happy for him that his elbow has come through surgery as well as it has. He’s been really dedicated and disciplined in the way he’s rehabilitated his elbow and he seems in better physical condition than he has been for a while.”Root looks an excellent cricketer. His decision making in the middle; his balance has been excellent so far. It was great to see him get a hundred on his home ground and it was nice to see the enthusiasm and passion the Yorkshire supporters showed Joe.”It was also great to see Bairstow bat with him. I know how happy Jonny was for Joe to get that 100, which was really nice to see. They are both good young men. Very different characters. But hopefully they will both have very successful England careers.”