Karl Brown hit a career-best 62 off 42 balls and Kabir Ali claimed 3 for 30 as Lancashire moved top of the North Group with a 25-run win over Durham at Old Trafford. It was their third straight victory in the Friends Life t20.

14-Jul-2013
ScorecardKarl Brown struck a career-best total•Getty Images

Karl Brown hit a career-best 62 off 42 balls and Kabir Ali claimed 3 for 30 as Lancashire moved top of the North Group with a 25-run win over Durham at Old Trafford. It was their third straight victory in the Friends Life t20.Scott Borthwick also returned his best of 62 off 51, but it was not enough for Durham to chase down Lancashire’s 170 for five.Brown opened the batting following an injury to Tom Smith and he took the attack to Durham from the off after Lancashire won the toss. After being dropped by Ryan Pringle off the bowling of Will Smith at backward point on 37 he posted a second 50 this season off 36 balls.Brown hit nine fours and a six as he shared an 85-run opening stand with Stephen Moore before he was caught at long-on off the bowling of Gareth Breese. Moore quickly followed to Borthwick for a run-a-ball 18. And Borthwick, who finished with two for 26, soon picked up his second wicket as Steven Croft was also caught by Michael Richardson.Simon Katich got Lancashire’s innings back on track as he continued his impressive form with the bat, sharing a 39-run partnership in 23 balls with Ashwell Prince before the South African was caught on 17 by Ben Stokes to become Chris Rushworth’s first victim.But Katich continued to finish not out on 40 off 30 balls, with Gareth Cross hitting 14 from just seven before he was out off the final ball of the innings, caught by Gordon Muchall off Rushworth.Lancashire made an early breakthrough thanks to a stunning one-handed diving catch by Simon Kerrigan at mid-on to dismiss Mark Stoneman off the bowling of Kabir for seven in the third over. And Kabir struck again three overs later when Phil Mustard was caught at midwicket by Prince for 24 to leave Durham 36 for 2.Smith was next to go as he was caught at long-on by Croft off the bowling of Arron Lilley for 10 and when Stokes was also caught by Croft, this time off Kerrigan’s bowling for nine, Durham were 98 for 4 in the 15th.Borthwick kept Durham’s fading hopes alive before he was caught by Brown with nine balls to go as Kabir claimed his third wicket to wrap up the points for Lancashire.

Ajit Chandila, the Rajasthan Royals spinner who was arrested on May 16 for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL, has said he is innocent and was “never approached”

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2013Ajit Chandila, the Rajasthan Royals spinner who was arrested on May 16 for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL, has said he is innocent and was “never approached”. Chandila, who was arrested along with Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and several bookies, was reportedly out on interim bail from August 3 to 5 for his brother’s funeral.”I have no clue about the spot-fixing controversy. I have never been approached by anybody,” Chandila told . “People have seen my performance in last two seasons of the IPL. I am clean and I trust the judiciary.”Chandila was one of 39 persons named by Delhi Police in the chargesheet they filed on the case on July 30. The players were charged under sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code – which deal with fraud, cheating and criminal conspiracy – and provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), a special law passed by the Maharashtra provincial government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism that contains far stricter provisions relating to bail.He was “shocked” by the charges, Chandila said. “My family and I are in a state of shock that such charges are being levelled against me. I am a cricketer not a terrorist.”My family has suffered a lot, and my brother was hospitalised the day I was arrested. But I have the support of my family. And soon, people will know the truth. I am innocent. I will make a comeback soon.”While Sreesanth and Chavan had applied for bail – which Delhi Police now wants cancelled – and were released from jail on June 11, Chandila had not applied for bail before.

Boyd Rankin did well to conquer the nerves inherent in playing against his native country and return England’s best bowling figures on debut for eight years, according to his coach, Ashley Giles

Andrew McGlashan04-Sep-2013
When Boyd Rankin’s second ball of his England one-day debut – against an Ireland side who he had represented 37 times at the same level – disappeared so far down the leg side that Jos Buttler couldn’t gather it there was a fear the occasion may get the better of him. That he ended with a career-best 4 for 46 provided Rankin with a major tick in Ashley Giles’ coach’s notebook at the beginning of a period where the depth of England’s next generation will be assessed.Rankin, who has spent much of his county career under Giles at Warwickshire, overcame his early waywardness in Malahide with the scalps of Paul Stirling and Ed Joyce, then later in the innings he removed William Porterfield and Jonny Mooney to earn him the best figures of a bowler on England debut since Chris Tremlett’s 4 for 32 against Bangladesh in 2005.He formed a tall opening attack with Steven Finn which is likely to be the combination used for most of the series against Australia with England having rested James Anderson and Stuart Broad alongside the injury-enforced absence of Tim Bresnan. His chances of breaking into England’s Ashes party for the Test series in Australia this winter are already being talked up.Giles told ESPNcricinfo that the nerves had been evident. “All credit to him. He was probably more nervous yesterday than if he’d been playing against Australia,” he said, “with him going home and all the talk around the Irish players playing for England. His first couple of overs were a bit nervous but he settled very quickly. To finish with four: what a great debut. He’ll take that confidence into the next match.”Boyd Rankin dismisses William Porterfield on his way to the best debut figures by an England bowler for eight years•Getty Images

Rankin and Finn were the only two frontline quicks selected against Ireland – Jamie Overton and Chris Jordan were overlooked – and for large chunks of the bowling performance England did feel a specialist bowler light, especially when Eoin Morgan turned to Michael Carberry’s basic offspin. Giles, however, was impressed by the role of Ben Stokes who bowled for the first time in ODIs, ending with none for 51 in his 10 overs.”Ben was our third seamer and his bowling has really developed over the last 12 months, and I thought he bowled pretty well yesterday. We have an inexperienced attack for these one-dayers and it’s going to be a steep learning curve. In terms of the balance it was great to look down and see Stokes at No. 8, and at one point it looked as though we might need it. I think we are lucky in his case as he’s a genuine allrounder and can fill two spots.”Giles was alluding to England’s top order collapse as they slipped to 48 for 4 chasing 270 before being rescued by a world-record fifth wicket stand 220 between Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara. Although Giles would have preferred not to see the team in such a tricky position he believes they could yet feel the benefit of it further down the line.”It was a very useful exercise. Obviously there are areas we can work on. Ireland setting us a challenging target was, in hindsight, good for the side because it put them under pressure. It was a bit closer than we’d have liked to be at one stage but overall for us to firstly see some of those guys in an international environment, and then for Morgan and Bopara to get us home was extremely worthwhile.”The side that faced Ireland resembled more a Lions team that a full England one-day side and although three players – Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root and Jonathan Trott – return to face Australia the bowling will retain a callow feel for the five-match series.Giles has not been able to able to pick a full strength team during his time as one-day coach (Pietersen was injured for the Champions Trophy) but acknowledges the need for rotation and also sees the benefit of judging different players under the pressure of one-day cricket.”Myself and Andy Flower, in our conversations, have always accepted that this would have to happen to manage the player workloads. We want to keep their services for the long-term. In the Champions Trophy we had our No 1 side out, barring Kevin Pietersen and that’s our aim: to have our best sides available for the key tournaments.”Between times we are going to have to rest and rotate. It does give us a chance to look at some of the young talent coming through, particularly with an eye on 2015 World Cup. We could say our best team – the one that played the Champions Trophy plus Kevin Pietersen – could get us to the World Cup. It might be, but it might not be and some of youngsters might be needed.”And he insists the split coaching roles which have been in place since January are dovetailing effectively. “It’s going pretty smoothly. Myself and Andy have a good relationship. I feel, and I hope Andy feels the same, that we can talk about where we are and what we want. I’m looking at the one-day squad then have to take into account what Andy wants for the Test team. We certainly haven’t had any fallings out.”As part of NatWest’s “Big Cricket Ticket Giveaway” cricket fans still have the chance to win tickets to the remaining NatWest Series matches this summer. Follow @NatWest_Cricket on Twitter for your chance to win.

Mark Stoneman made 96 and, although his team missed out on a second batting point, Durham’s seamers claimed three Sussex wickets before the close

Jon Culley at Chester-le-Street03-Sep-2013
ScorecardMark Stoneman was the only man to really get stuck in for Durham•Getty Images

It is hard to think now that Durham were a popular choice as relegation candidates before the season began and at a disadvantage from the outset, having been docked two-and-a-half points for breaching the terms of the salary cap. Now it would surprise many of their doubters if they failed to win the title.With a game in hand on Yorkshire, whom they trailed by five-and-a-half points after their victory at Scarborough last week, they are favourites with the bookmakers, although the final few weeks threaten to be anything but straightforward. This is the first of two matches against Sussex, who themselves are not out of the running yet, despite their oddly conservative performance against Warwickshire last week. Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, who provide their other opponents, are both battling for survival.Durham missed out on a second batting point here, which may or may not prove costly during the next three and a half weeks, when Graham Onions was persuaded by James Anyon bowling three short balls in a row to attempt a pull and paid the price, the ball looping to Will Beer at midwicket.It was a rash stroke, yet if 245 seemed a little below par – which it is, on the basis that the average first-innings score here this season has been 281 – it was worth bearing in mind that Durham had batted first in all six home matches before this one and always had a first-innings lead.They have some handicaps in this match. Ben Stokes, who has been in outstanding form with bat and ball, is on England duty, while Mark Wood and James Harrison have joined Callum Thorp among those injured. They have had to recall Mitch Claydon, who has already agreed to join Kent next season, from his loan spell at Canterbury in order to reinforce their seam attack.It is just as well that Onions, missing for the last three weeks, has recovered from his broken finger. He took a little time to find his rhythm, understandably, but still managed to have Chris Nash caught at slip and trap Michael Yardy leg-before and Sussex may feel they might have been in much worse shape than 60 for 3 overnight. They also lost Joe Gatting, bowled by Claydon, while Luke Wells was dropped behind the stumps before he had scored as Chris Rushworth delivered a testing spell from the Lumley End.Not for the first time this year, a solid chunk of Durham’s total was supplied by Mark Stoneman, who has a chance to top 1000 first-class runs in a season for the first time, which would be appropriate reward for a year that has seen the elegant opener make a real breakthrough.It has been a long time coming, but Durham always knew, somehow, that their patience with Stoneman would be worth it in the end. They must be pretty pleased now that they didn’t give up during the barren four years between his first Championship century, in his debut season in 2007, and his second, or the 15 months that came and went between his second and his third.His slow progress was a surprise, given the team-mates he has had as close-hand role models, among them Michael di Venuto, Dale Benkenstein, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ian Blackwell. Sometimes, though, to play in heavyweight company can be an inhibiting factor and this seems to have been the case with Stoneman, now 26, who has acquired seniority of a kind after the retirements of Di Venuto and Blackwell and with Benkenstein sidelined by long-term injury.He did not start this season especially well. In his first five innings, he made it into double figures only once, but then came a second-innings hundred against Yorkshire in April, since when he has found a remarkably consistent level, passing fifty nine times in 18 innings.He has had three hundreds – two against Yorkshire, after his 122 at Scarborough – and looked set for a fourth here until, on 96, he was bowled by Lewis Hatchett, the ball taking out his leg stump via an inside edge. Given that he had been dropped in the slips on 44– by a nervous debutant, Harry Finch – the extra 52 runs were arguably a slightly undeserved bonus, but on the balance of quality over the piece he could hardly have been begrudged another ton.Stoneman was the first victim in a spell of three wickets for five runs in 19 balls by Hatchett, whose contract is up this autumn. He brought one back to have Paul Collingwood leg-before and produced a fine delivery to square up Phil Mustard, who was caught at second slip. The left-armer was outshone, though not by Anyon, who took four wickets, but by Steve Magoffin, whose three took him to 57 in this season’s Championship. The Australian seamer was still swinging the ball deep into the innings. If his usual partner, Chris Jordan, had been available, Durham might have struggled still more.As it was, even though Scott Borthwick, their other breakthrough performer with the bat, failed on this occasion, support for Stoneman from Will Smith, Michael Richardson and Usman Arshad, who batted nicely for his 30, gave them a total that, on the initial evidence, can be the basis for another lead.

ESPNcricinfo previews the Yorkshire Bank 40 final between Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire

The Preview by Alan Gardner20-Sep-2013So, farewell then, 40-over cricket (until you reappear at some point down the line). History will need to come with its notebook and pen to Lord’s on Saturday, when Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire will contest the final of the Yorkshire Bank 40, the last time the competition is played in its current form before the return in England of 50-over domestic cricket next season.The rise of Twenty20 has steadily diminished the presence of one-day cricket in the calendar – little more than a decade ago, counties would compete for three List A titles: NatWest/C&G Trophy, Benson & Hedges Cup and National League. The B&H was stubbed out as Twenty20 came into being and four years ago the remaining two competitions were amalgamated.The change of sponsor this year from Clydesdale to Yorkshire Bank led some wags to dub it the Why Bother 40, but 40-over cricket, which began with the John Player League back in 1969, continues to be a draw for the public. The counties had stubbornly resisted attempts to revert to a 50-over tournament but, with team England increasingly flexing its financial muscle and protection of the Championship taking on a higher priority, an agreement with the ECB was reached.Some argue that playing 50-over cricket in occasionally damp, seaming conditions doesn’t really aid England’s chances at global tournaments (unless they are at home). You can go further, and suggest that the added pressure of having to score at a higher rate for a shorter period has helped to create some of England’s more destructive current players, such as Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan, Luke Wright.That is just as likely to have been the effect of T20, however, and those that have played internationally are particularly inclined to espouse the benefits of reflecting the ODI template in England’s domestic game.”I’ve enjoyed it but I think it’s key for young lads coming through, or anyone who gets an opportunity to play for England, that they’re playing the right cricket,” says Simon Jones, the former England seamer who is hoping for a winning send-off with Glamorgan at Lord’s.”Fifty overs is what they play at international level and I think that’s what should happen at county level, just to prepare people. You’re bowling ten overs rather than eight, the Powerplays are different, there are different strategies, it’s a totally different game. I think they’ve made a bold decision to go back to 50-over cricket and I think it’s the right one.”It is probably fair to say that the two counties who have reached the YB40 final do not have outstanding one-day CVs, however many overs are involved – which makes the match-up all the more appealing from a neutral perspective. For all their respective excellence this year, Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire are the unusual suspects, with just a few pieces of one-day silver between them.Nottinghamshire are firm favourites, their impressive squad bolstered by the availability of two of England’s Ashes winners, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, though it is 24 years since the club last appeared in a Lord’s showpiece, when they beat Essex to lift the B&H Cup. Notts won their sixth Championship in 2010 but only have three List A titles in their history, the most recent being the Sunday League in 1991. However, as the captain, Chris Read, says “over the last few years we’ve been improving in this form of the game”.Jim Allenby has been a key player for Glamorgan with bat and ball•PA Photos

Having won Group A, Nott crushed Somerset by eight wickets in their semi-final. In James Taylor and Samit Patel they have two England internationals with over 500 YB40 runs this season; in Michael Lumb and Alex Hales, they have England’s T20 openers; at No. 5, there is David Hussey, veteran of more than 100 limited-overs internationals for Australia.Although a back injury has ruled out their joint-leading wicket-taker, Jake Ball, Swann and Broad are likely to provide a high-class sticking plaster. Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, has said they will play the “best eleven players” and that could see Broad make his 40-over debut for the county, with his only previous List A appearance coming in the 2008 FP Trophy. How well a bowler with 160 ODI wickets (out of 185 in List A cricket) makes the quick switch down from 50-over competition will be an interesting subplot.For Glamorgan, who booked their place in the final by beating the reigning champions, Hampshire, on their own turf, there will be fewer selection issues. Marcus North, the limited-overs captain this year, has left to take part in Perth Scorchers’ Champions League campaign but in Michael Hogan they have the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and Jim Allenby a one-day allrounder fit to lace Dimitri Mascarenhas’s (recently hung-up) boots. Ben Wright has been dismissed twice for 165 runs at a strike rate of 133.06 and Chris Cooke has also hit the 500-run mark.Glamorgan’s journey to London should also be a little less arduous, though Notts avoided having to fly down from Durham on the eve of the final by contriving to be heavily beaten inside three days. Whatever the result at Chelmsford, it is only an hour’s drive up the A12. The Welsh county will doubtless be greeted by an armada of passionate supporters who have made a significantly longer journey from the west. It is 13 years since they lost to out in the B&H Cup to Gloucestershire and their only other final appearance, in 1977, also ended in defeat. There will plenty hoping Glamorgan can lose their white-ball cherry at Lord’s.On the 50th anniversary of Sussex lifting the inaugural Gillette Cup, another chapter in the story of domestic one-day cricket is about to come to a close.

James Harris claimed an extraordinary haul of 9 for 34, including a spell of 7 for 21 in 8.1 overs this morning, as Middlesex made light of their batting capitulation on the third afternoon to storm to an 187-run victory

Andrew Miller at Lord's05-May-2015
Scorecard2:53

‘Been a long couple of years’ – Harris

Once upon a time, it all came so easily for James Harris. In his second Championship appearance, at the County Ground in Bristol in May 2007, he celebrated his 17th birthday with a haul of 7 for 66 for Glamorgan, a revelatory return that marked him down as a boy with an extraordinary future.Eight years later, and 11 days shy of turning 25, there’s still plenty time yet for that future to manifest itself. But with today’s career-best haul of 9 for 34 at Lord’s, Harris achieved more than simply consign his teenage precocity to the archives.”I came to Middlesex as a fairly big signing,” said Harris. “But I’ve had two lean years which have really hurt me. I expected to be doing this sort of thing straight from the off, so it’s been a long time coming and I’m delighted.”It should, by rights, have been a tense fight to the finish on the final day at Lord’s. The morning dawned with foreboding grey skies to dent Durham’s hopes of adding 235 runs to their overnight 24 for 2, but with a howling gale buffeting straight down the ground, Harris was twice forced to abort his run-up as he struggled to reach the crease.The original plan had been to come off after a couple of overs and leave Ollie Rayner to lob his spin into the breeze. But then the wickets started tumbling and suddenly Harris was walking in the air.”Once you get into a bit of a rhythm, you don’t tend to feel tired or any exterior things,” said Harris. “It didn’t swing too much, it just did a little bit off the surface which is perfect for me. I was on a bit of a roll and thankfully it kept happening.”Full and focused, with an exemplary rhythm and a little bit of movement off a length. The scorecard will suggest that the wicket became a minefield, with two completed second innings adding up to 18 runs fewer than the 178 that Sam Robson scored on the match’s first day. But not a bit of it. It was simple, old-fashioned, you-miss-I-hit hostility. And every one was a coconut.The simplicity of his performance was irresistible. Durham’s batsmen didn’t dare lay a bat on ball for fearing of nicking off to the cordon, but couldn’t risk leaving it either, as Michael Richardson discovered when he shouldered arms and found only his leg stump left standing.Callum McLeod and Paul Collingwood fell for ducks to consecutive deliveries, and when Phil Mustard and Scott Borthwick picked out second and first slip respectively, Harris had claimed five wickets for five runs in the space of 16 balls, and finished with 7 for 21 in 8.1 overs all told on the day.It was a reversion to the energetic excellence that had first brought him to the public eye and just another high-profile example of a talented young bowler shrugging off the strictures imposed by a cabal of well-meaning coaches, to do what comes naturally and reap the rewards.”They’d been trying to change things since I was very young,” said Harris, “both in the programmes at Loughborough and in bits and bobs, because every young bowler wants to bowl at 90mph-plus and swing it round corners. It’s what you need to do if you’re a seamer to get international batsmen out.”We went searching for a lot of things, we changed a lot of things, and we probably found the half a yard we needed, but it was to the detriment of skill and moving it around. I don’t care if you bowl 100mph, if you don’t move it around you’re probably not going to be too successful.”They were strong words, softly spoken. Harris added that he was grateful to have undergone the alterations, because otherwise he might always have wondered what might have been. But on the evidence of this stellar day at Lord’s, not to mention Harris’s own testimony of the dark days of soul-searching that he’s been subjected to in recent years, it’s hard not to wonder why they couldn’t have just let him be.”There were a lot of cold dark hours in Finchley indoor school,” Harris said. “My body was feeling pretty poor, my action was feeling pretty poor, I’d lost my wrist through parts of last year and there were times when I wasn’t holding it down the seam.”He ended up being loaned back to Glamorgan at the end of a 2014 season in which managed a grand total of 17 wickets in 245 overs, compared to the 13 in 34.4 that he’s ended up with in this contest.”I’d decided before I went that I was going to go back to being as natural as possible, because it was feeling horrible, the changes, the Brett Lee style different load-up that we tried to do to be faster, it really wasn’t working for me.”I tried to be better, it didn’t work, simple as that. I had to bite the bullet and go back to what I knew and what made me successful in the first place.”By the time Harris had equalled his career-best seven wickets in an innings, he was still on course to emulate his Middlesex bowling coach, Richard Johnson, whom he credited for his assistance in deconstructing his action, in claiming all ten wickets in an innings.Instead, his thunder was stolen by another man who is in the process of relearning what once came so naturally. Steven Finn, hitherto unnoticed as he ploughed a furrow from the Pavilion End, found an inside-edge off Usman Arshad that lobbed to Sam Robson in the gully, as he continued a battle to shake off the tinkering that, of recent England vintage, James Anderson and Liam Plunkett have also had to endure.”I’ve had the luck today but he is bowling beautifully and it won’t be long before he’s back in the wickets and I’m not taking them at the other end,” said Harris.But at least when that happens, you sense it will once again be on the bowlers’ own terms.

Bangladesh bowling coach Heath Streak said it was unlikely that his team would opt for three seamers for the first Test against India

Mohammad Isam in Fatullah07-Jun-2015The return of Rubel Hossain from injury, and the consistency of Mohammad Shahid have been welcomed by Bangladesh’s bowling coach Heath Streak ahead of the upcoming Test against India in Fatullah. However, Streak said it was unlikely that Bangladesh would opt for three seamers at a venue where pace-bowling has largely been ineffective.”We are unlikely to go with a three-seam attack in this wicket,” Streak told ESPNcricinfo. “We are probably looking at two but it is up to the coach and selectors, once they have a better look at the wicket as we get closer to the game.”Obviously it is nice to have Rubel back in the equation. Normally wickets here are quite tough for the fast bowlers so it requires a lot of patience. I thought Shahid bowled really well in the Pakistan series and showed what he can do. Rubel has been in good form prior to his injury.”Shahid for us is that dependability. He is the guy you rely on to bowl lots of overs like we saw in the Pakistan Test. He comes in, the captain sets a field and he bowls well to it. He asks the questions. He is not an easy guy for batsmen to get on top of. Hopefully he can be that anchor role for us, with the volume of overs with one or two of the spinners and let the other seamer have an attacking option.”Currently, Rubel has a Test bowling average of 75.90 – the worst among bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 3000 deliveries – and takes a wicket roughly every 116 balls. But his form in ODIs, since his four-wicket haul against England in the World Cup, has helped him keep his place in the Test side.Shahid showed that he can be relied on to take the workload in Tests. He bowled 60 overs in his first two Tests, which included 41 in the second Test in Dhaka after Shahadat Hossain got injured in the first over of the match.While Rubel has never played a first-class match in Fatullah, Shahid has taken six wickets in two matches. Bangladesh’s other seam option, Abul Hasan, has played one match at this venue taking three wickets.Whether Bangladesh’s pace bowling is in the shape of a Shahid-Rubel alliance or a single-man unit, they would have to defy conditions, history and current form to be effective against India.

Australia’s selectors will be compelled to consider the position of Shane Watson and are also likely to have to draft in Peter Siddle to replace Mitchell Starc for the Lord’s Test

Daniel Brettig in Cardiff11-Jul-2015Australia’s selectors will be compelled to consider the position of Shane Watson and are also likely to have to draft in Peter Siddle to replace Mitchell Starc for the Lord’s Test, though it is now unlikely that the left-arm new ball bowler will have to be sent home for treatment to an ankle injury.The captain Michael Clarke, who said his side needed to treat their unexpected 169-run hiding at English hands in the same manner they did a loss to New Zealand midway through their ultimately successful World Cup campaign, admitted that Watson would be under the selection spotlight after he fell twice lbw for scores of 30 and 19, a worryingly repetitive set of results for the allrounder.There was an element of sad theatre about Watson’s dismissal lbw to Mark Wood, followed by a referral made largely because he was the last remaining specialist batsman at the crease. To widespread cheers around the ground he appealed against Kumar Dharmasena’s decision, only to be sent on his way by the ball-tracker. Watson looked wistful as he wandered off the ground, and it is debatable whether he can keep his place for Lord’s when his claims are lined up against those of the younger Mitchell Marsh.”He’s been a very important senior player and all-round player,” Clarke said of Watson’s past contributions to the side. “Someone who can bat and bowl is always a great weapon to have in your team. Watto, like the rest of us, I’m sure the selectors will sit down and talk about each individual player as they do after every game. We obviously didn’t perform anywhere near as well as we want to or need to, to have success here.”Shane is an extremely hard worker, he wants to have success like the rest of it. I think it’s the hardest part of this game – the longer you play the more ups and downs you go through. Through the good times you’ve got to try and ride that wave for as long as possible because you know the longer you player there’s the other side as well.”When things aren’t going to plan you’ve got to stick to your processes, work hard, cop a few smacks on the chin and keep backing your own ability. I think that’s exactly what Watto is doing. He’s been a big part of the Australian cricket team in all three formats and has had a lot of success as well in all three formats.”Starc needed painkillers to get through the match with the ball after suffering an ankle problem on the first day, and Clarke said the fact he had been able to bowl suggested he was not completely out of contention for the second Test. However, Siddle was clearly being primed for a second Test inclusion, having been the outstanding bowler in the nets ahead of this match.”I think the positive is the fact that he was able to bowl in that second innings and still pick up wickets,” Clarke said. “He just walked out and batted and ran between the wickets fine. The concern is obviously how close the second Test match is away but the medical team and the selectors will assess Starcy over the next few days and they’ll make whatever they feel is the best decision for the team.”Clarke admitted the match had confounded his expectations, but looked back to the loss against New Zealand at Eden Park during the World Cup group stage – something that was turned around dramatically in the tournament final – as proof the Australians could regather themselves and regain the ascendancy over a younger England XI.”I certainly didn’t come here expecting to lose, that’s for sure,” he said. “I think you have to respect and credit England with the way they played. From ball one I thought their performance with the bat in the first innings set the game up for them. I think their discipline with their execution on that wicket with the ball and then they held onto their chances – it’s a good way to set up a victory.”If you’re doing those three things pretty well you’re generally winning a lot of Test matches. We need to improve in all three areas and I look forward to Lord’s. I don’t want us to change the way we play. I like each individual player backing themselves and playing the way we have done over the past few years which has given us success.”The advantage and the positive for us is we’re only four days away from the second Test. I think that’s a good thing for this team. All the boys now, like losing to New Zealand in the World Cup gave us a bit of a kick up the backside, they’ll probably see this game very similar. This gives us a bit of a kick up the backside and we look forward to this second Test match.”Aside from Watson and Starc, Brad Haddin also endured a poor match, which began with the drop of Joe Root on the first morning and ended with an ugly smear at Moeen Ali to be caught by England’s captain Alastair Cook. Despite a meagre recent record as a batsman and emerging flaws in his glove work, it appears unlikely Haddin’s place will be taken away from him before the destiny of the Ashes is decided.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test of the Investec Ashes at Lord’s

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale15-Jul-2015

Match facts

July 16-20, 2015
Start time 11am local (1000GMT)3:06

Ponting: Muted Australia need to be more flamboyant

Big Picture

Australia must wish the first Test had been played in New South Wales instead of old south Wales. Already Cardiff held few fond memories for Australia cricketers, from their one-day loss to Bangladesh there in 2005 to their 2009 failure to finish the job against England in an Ashes Test. After their defeat in the first Investec Ashes Test this year, their win-loss record in Cardiff across all formats reads much like the name of a Welsh village: LWLDLLL.No wonder they didn’t feel like sharing a beer with Alastair Cook and his men after the game. Of course, the post-match snub was merely froth and bubble (or not, apparently) compared with what happened on the field. There, Cook earned praise for his captaincy and was backed by a strong all-round effort from his players. They were calm, confident and patient. And, despite doubts over Moeen Ali’s fitness, they enter the second Test at Lord’s with a largely settled side.The same cannot be said of the Australians. Significant changes are expected, including the withdrawal of Brad Haddin for personal reasons. That will mean a Test debut for Peter Nevill, albeit not in the kind of circumstances anyone would wish for. There is also a likelihood that Shane Watson will be axed for Mitchell Marsh, a move that has been described as potentially career-ending for Watson. However, given Marsh’s history of injuries, it is not out of the question that Watson could find himself back in the side later in the series.England have fitness concerns over Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid•PA Photos

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLWLW
Australia LWWDD

In the spotlight

Things went pretty well for England on the third day in Cardiff, and not only because they skittled Australia’s lower-order and set up the victory. It was also the day on which Ian Bell emerged from a batting slump. England will hope he gained some confidence from the 60 – his first half-century in ten Test innings – and Australia know how dangerous it can be to allow him to find form. Last time the teams met at Lord’s, Bell scored 109 and 74.Peter Nevill will become the 443rd man to represent Australia in Tests and will be keen to show the selectors he can handle the step up. A fine domestic batsman who scored 764 runs at 76.40 in the most recent Sheffield Shield summer, Nevill has overtaken Matthew Wade as Haddin’s backup and, at 29, he could have many years of Test cricket ahead of him if he eventually becomes the full-time successor.

Team news

England named an unchanged 13-man squad for the Lord’s Test and hope to keep the same XI from Cardiff but Moeen Ali is carrying a side strain that has limited his ability to practise. Adil Rashid has suffered a minor injury to his spinning finger, too, so England look set to bank on Moeen.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Adam Lyth, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Joe Root, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Moeen Ali/Adil Rashid, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonMarsh and Nevill appear set to replace Watson and Haddin, but a third change looks unlikely. Mitchell Starc battled an ankle injury during the Cardiff Test but has bowled well in the nets in the lead-up to the Lord’s Test and should retain his spot ahead of Peter Siddle.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Chris Rogers, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

The Lord’s pitch should have more pace and carry than what was offered at Cardiff, where even on day one some deliveries were staying low. Rain has hampered preparations slightly but the forecast for the match is for fine weather and temperatures in the low 20C range.

Stats and trivia

• Nevill will become the first Australian to debut in a Lord’s Ashes Test since 1977, when Richie Robinson, Craig Serjeant and Len Pascoe all debuted together
• Mitchell Johnson needs 16 runs and seven wickets to join Shane Warne as the only Australians with the double of 2000 Test runs and 300 Test wickets
• The last Lord’s Ashes Test was just two years ago but only three Australians and five England players from that game appear likely to take part this time

Quotes

“When we win, the captain gets the plaudits; when we lose, the captain picks up the negative bits as well. That is part and parcel of the job.”
Alastair Cook is not getting complacent after a week of good reviews“Generally here at Lord’s the first session of the first day is a bit tough, it seams around a bit, but once you get in as a batter it can be beautiful to bat on.”

Pakistan have banked on their collective consistency in this series while Sri Lanka have relied on individual brilliance. The home team face an uphill task in what could be the series decider

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jul-2015

Match facts

Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Start time 1430 local (0900 GMT)Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik seem to have plugged the holes in the Pakistan batting lineup•Associated Press

Big picture

Some time in the past year, tables have turned, boots have switched feet, and these teams have exchanged personalities. So far in the series, Pakistan have been defined by consistency. Someone in the top three has found a way to make runs, the men in the middle have contributed, and Shoaib Malik has tapped into his experience to prove a canny finisher. Sri Lanka meanwhile, have relied on the spectacular performances – like Kusal Perera’s in Pallekele – to remain competitive.With Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez and Malik all in form, and Sarfraz Ahmed having turned in a substantial innings as well, the visitors will feel they have Sri Lanka’s bowling well covered – particularly as the hosts’ attack has been toothless. This situation, Sri Lanka fans have felt, is not helped by their refusal to play more than two specialist bowlers. Angelo Mathews has responded by saying they have considered the likes of Sachith Pathirana and Thisara Perera as front-line bowling options.Pakistan’s bowlers do not seem have such a pronounced edge over Sri Lanka’s batsmen, despite Yasir Shah’s rich haul on Sunday evening. Lahiru Thirimanne stroked his way to a significant score for the first time in the series, and in the Sri Lanka top seven, there is a mix of talent and experience that suggests the team can compete in one department at least. Any hope of Sri Lanka levelling this series lies in that batting order.Security has been substantially beefed up for this match, after violence broke out in the stands then spread to the surrounding neighbourhood on Sunday evening. The players were never in great danger that evening, but Sri Lanka’s authorities have made plans to deploy Special Task Force personnel through the venue.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: LWLLW (last five matches, most recent first)Pakistan: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Lasith Malinga continues to battle substantial injury concerns, but arguably he does not help himself out by allowing the kilograms to pile on. He has been a diminished international bowler in the past year, but appears to harbour hopes of defending the World T20 crown he was instrumental in achieving in 2014. Mathews said he had had a chat to his spearhead about three modest outings so far, and hopes a corner will be turned.He’s among the more non-descript Pakistan bowlers, but Rahat Ali has found the means to trouble Sri Lanka’s batsmen all through the tour, on every kind of surface. Sharp, with a natural length that invites the drive, Rahat has delivered incisive new-ball spells and posed a menace through the middle overs as well. He equals Hafeez as the highest wicket-taker with six scalps in the series so far.

Teams news

Has Sri Lanka lost patience with Thisara Perera? His place seems the shakiest in this XI. Mathews also suggested Ashan Priyanjan could be in line for a return to the team, probably at the expense of Milinda Siriwardana.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Ashan Priyanjan, 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Thisara Perera/ Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Nuwan PradeepPakistan are unlikely to change a winning combination.Pakistan (probable): 1 Azhar Ali (capt.), 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Mohammad Rizwan, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Rahat Ali, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Pitch and conditions

There are thunderstorms forecast for Wednesday afternoon, so there is a chance the match will go into its reserve day, on Thursday. Angelo Mathews said he didn’t know what to make of the pitch, which both appeared dry, yet featured live grass.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka’s bowlers have taken 12 wickets in the series so far, to Pakistan’s 24 scalps (not including run outs).
• Kusal Perera needs 20 runs to bring up a 1000 runs in ODIs. He has played 44 innings.
• Sri Lanka have lost nine and won five matches against Full Member opposition this year.

Quotes

“You can’t have XI new players. I know that this is a transition period, but it has to be a smooth transition. Experience also matters. Younger players learn from the experienced guys. More often than not we think about injecting new blood into the system as well as the need to win. You need to have that correct combination when it comes to youth and experience. We’ve got a few experienced guys – TM Dilshan is one, Lasith Malinga is one, and Upul Tharanga has played quite a lot of one dayers. But all the others haven’t played that many games.”