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Kumar Sangakkara has said that Sri Lanka will be one of the favourites at the upcoming World Twenty20, despite Sri Lanka’s pitches having become less spin-friendly

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2012Kumar Sangakkara has said that Sri Lanka will be one of the favourites at the upcoming World Twenty20, despite Sri Lanka’s pitches having become less spin-friendly. Pitches at Pallekele and Hambantota – stadiums built for last year’s World Cup – have suited seam bowling, while the relaid square at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has also seen bounce and carry in the last year. No team breached 200 in the Sri Lanka Premier League played in Colombo and Pallekele in August and four of the top five wicket takers in the tournament were seam bowlers.”Our sides have changed a little bit,” Sangakkara said. “We don’t depend on spin alone anymore or just one fast bowler in Chaminda Vaas. We have different sets of fast bowlers and different sets of spinners. With the change in conditions our sides have changed, but home advantage is not only about wickets. It’s about playing in your country, playing in front of the people who cheer and love you.”Sangakkara said the Premadasa pitch changed after the ground was renovated, and that winning the toss held no obvious advantage as it had once done. Fifteen of the 27 matches in the World Twenty20 will be played at the Premadasa, including both semi finals and the final.”When the wickets were relaid, in the first few games there was a lot of turn and now they’ve settled down into beautiful wickets where batting first or second you have an equal chance of winning. Batting under lights has become so much easier that some sides now prefer to chase,” he said.The wickets at Pallekele and Hambantota also offer challenges not traditionally associated with Sri Lankan venues, Sangakkara said.”Pallekele seems to have a lot in it at night. It seams and swings around and that will be an interesting challenge for us being a Sri Lankan side playing in our conditions to encounter those conditions. Hambantota is completely different. There is quite a strong wind from one side and the pitch can be a bit up and down. The vicious turn that [Sri Lankan pitches] used to have is no more, so sides have to adjust accordingly.”Sangakkara said that in addition to a home crowd that will give Sri Lanka “a massive advantage”, the team’s recent history of good performances at ICC events would also be a source of confidence. Since 2007, Sri Lanka have been runners up in successive World Cups, and were finalists in the 2009 World Twenty20 and semi finalists in the 2010 tournament.”Sri Lanka have always been favourites in my view in any tournament that we play because we’ve been able to rise to those big occasions really well as a unit and adjust accordingly. If you take our last 4-5 years, it’s been an amazing run in big tournaments. We just need to believe in ourselves and believe in that fact and keep playing.”Sangakkara missed the SLPL due to a fractured finger, but is expected to be fit for the World Twenty20 which starts on September 18. Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe in Hambantota in the tournament opener. South Africa is the other team in their group.

Being stripped of the Bangladesh vice-captaincy has not left Tamim Iqbal unsettled

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2011Tamim Iqbal has said he is not upset by the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s decision to sack him as vice-captain. Playing well for the team, he said, was more important than occupying the post, though he would have preferred it if the BCB had spoken to him about the decision beforehand.”I feel normal, to be very honest,” he told the after a training session in Mirpur. “I didn’t ask for the vice-captaincy and neither did I hand it back. It [sacking him] was totally the board’s decision. I am not worried about the reason [behind the decision].”I’m the happiest man in the world as long as I’m performing and playing for Bangladesh. If I play well and the board thinks I’m the right man, it [the leadership role] will come back again. At this moment, maybe I’m not the right man, so I’m fine with it. [But] If they discussed it with me at least once, it would’ve been better. Even so, I have no complaints.”Tamim took over as vice-captain from Mushfiqur Rahim ahead of the 2011 World Cup and, with captain Shakib Al Hasan, was stripped of his title on September 5, in the aftermath of a dismal tour of Zimbabwe. Indiscipline was cited as one of the reasons for the pair’s removal. Tamim, however, said he thought he had met the requirements of being vice-captain.”There isn’t much work for a vice-captain on the field but off it, I have done my duty and done well,” he said. Now though, he said he’s looking forward to moving ahead. “There are lots of other issues, but at this moment, we should leave all these alone. We better start thinking of the upcoming series. We are all concerned about Bangladesh winning games and playing well.”

Usman Qadir, son of former Pakistan legspinner Abdul Qadir, is eager to play for his country but is happy to concentrate on domestic cricket for now

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2011Usman Qadir, son of former Pakistan legspinner Abdul Qadir, is eager to play for his country but is happy to concentrate on domestic cricket for now and take tips from his father, on whom his action is modelled.”It depends how hard you work towards your goal,” Usman told the . “I’m obviously desperate to make my debut but let’s see how it goes. Playing for the national side is always a privilege and getting there is all about how good you are. So I’m currently focusing on domestic cricket.”Usman, who turns 18 in August, has played only three List A matches so far, but has an impressive record at the Under-19 level, having taken 24 wickets in 13 youth ODIs at an average of 17.33. He was identified as a prospect for Pakistan by his father, who is currently supervising the PCB’s fast track coaching programme for spinners.”The coaches have worked on us a lot here,” Usman said. “And my father is also present to guide me. I can easily say that I have enhanced my bowling skills.”Another promising talent in the ongoing camp at the National Cricket Academy is 19-year old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who was called up to the Pakistan squad in England last year in place of Danish Kaneria.”If I’m not part of the national team, that’s okay since I’m learning a lot here,” Hasan said. “Such camps are helping me a lot. I’m gaining a lot and hopefully I’ll be ready for the national side soon.”

Dinesh Chandimal has been fined 10% of his match fee, while Mohammad Hafeez has been reprimanded, both for showing dissent at the umpire’s decision

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2011Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal has been fined 10% of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire’s decision during the one-off Twenty20 against Pakistan on Friday. The Pakistan opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez has been officially reprimanded for the same offence, in a separate incident.Both batsmen showed their bats to the umpire after they were adjudged lbw. Chandimal, who top scored with 56, was dismissed by Aizaz Cheema while Hafeez fell to Thisara Perera for 13. Pakistan went on to win by five wickets with three balls to spare. Both players were guilty of breaching Level 1 offences.”Accepting an umpire’s decision is an essential feature of cricket and part of the game’s unique spirit,” said the ICC match referee Andy Pycroft. “These players’ behaviour was not acceptable in any form of cricket and they must take responsibility for what they do.”

A round-up of the first day’s play of the seventh round of matches of the Ranji Trophy Elite, 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2011Group ATamil Nadu’s S Badrinath was given an award for playing his 100th first-class game•ESPNcricinfo LtdEighteen wickets tumbled on the opening day between Railways and Saurashtra in Delhi, and at the end of it Saurashtra were well placed to take the first-innings lead. On a sharply turning track, Saurashtra were shot out for 175 after choosing to bat, with Ashish Yadav taking 4 for 35 for Railways. The visitors had made a steady start, with the openers adding 59, before ten wickets fell for 112 runs. Wicketkeeper Sheldon Jackson top-scored with 39.When they batted, Railways crashed to 71 for 8. They had got to 18 without damage before losing four wickets for no runs. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled unchanged from the Pavilion end after replacing seamer Sandip Maniar in the fourth over of the innings, took three of those wickets and finished the day with 6 for 22. Mahesh Rawat was the only Railways batsman to show some application, using his feet well and stepping down the track several times to kill the spin. He remained not out on 31 at stumps.First-class cricket returned to Shimoga after 32 years, and Stuart Binny marked the occasion with his second rescue job in as many games. His unbeaten 86 airlifted Karnataka from 171 for 6, after their top order fell apart against Uttar Pradesh in relatively easy batting conditions. Binny, aided by Sunil Raju, steered them to 300 for 7, leaving the game even after a see-saw day. Read the whole report here.Thirty-one years after his namesake took five wickets on first-class debut for Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium, medium-pacer Balwinder Sandhu repeated the feat and dealt a blow to Punjab’s hopes of securing a quarter-final berth. Sandhu struck with his third delivery in first-class cricket and, along with Kshemal Waingankar, ensured Mumbai did not suffer from the absence of the experienced Aavishkar Salvi, who left the field clutching his side in his second over. Read the whole report here.A solid performance from Rajasthan’s top order gave them a strong platform for a formidable first-innings total against Orissa in Jaipur. After getting sent in to bat, Rajasthan lost Aakash Chopra early but Vineet Saxena, who is coming off a hundred against Saurashtra, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar made half-centuries and added 139 runs for the second wicket. Both batsmen were dismissed in successive overs with the score on 158, but Robin Bist and Rashmi Parida steered Rajasthan to 209 for 3 at stumps.Group BAshok Dinda’s five-wicket haul helped Bengal curb Baroda’s strong start and reduce them to 284 for 9 in Vadodara. Baroda only need first-innings points to secure a quarter-final berth and they were on course for a formidable total after being asked to bat. After they lost Anupam Gupta early, Aditya Waghmode and Rakesh Solanki scored half-centuries to lead Baroda to 145 for 1.Dinda dismissed both set batsmen and cut through the middle order, reducing the home team to 222 for 6. He then broke a 56-run partnership for the seventh wicket before Sourav Ganguly struck twice in the only over he bowled to leave Baroda on 278 for 9. Three wickets had fallen for no runs. Dinda ended the day with figures of 5 for 96.Gujarat’s bowlers made short work of Haryana’s batting line-up, dismissing them for 207 in Surat. Medium-pacer Mehul Patel took 4 for 59, and he was supported by Ishwar Chaudhary and Ashraf Madka, who took 3 for 50 and 2 for 23.Haryana had made a steady start after choosing to bat but lost their way from 59 for 1. Sunny Singh top scored with 69 but had no support from his team-mates, none of whom passed 30. Gujarat then lost their captain Parthiv Patel off the first ball of their innings, but Priyank Panchal and Niraj Patel steered them to 46 for 1 by stumps.Both teams squaring off in Chennai are already in the quarter-finals and it was Tamil Nadu that had the better of the first day against Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh had chosen to bowl, a decision that did not pay off – though the opening pair of T Sudhindra and Ishwar Pandey extracted a bit of movement off the pitch – as all the Tamil Nadu top-order batsmen got starts and three of them converted it into half-centuries to help them reach 294 for 4 at stumps.M Vijay and Kaushik Gandhi made 83 and 80, while Dinesh Karthik was unbeaten on 60. Vijay and Karthik were both in positive in their approach as Tamil Nadu had at least a half-century stand for each of the first four wickets, ensuring MP’s successes were few and far between. Vijay crafted some crackring drives, while Karthik peppered the straight boundary. S Badrinath, who was playing his 100th first-class game, meanwhile, hit the only six of the day before falling for 32 at the stroke of tea. The visitors used as many as eight bowlers and Amarjeet Singh had the best figures – 2 for 79.

Warwickshire quickly took a first step towards making up for a points deduction imposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board when they beat Worcestershire by 218 runs in the County Championship at Edgbaston

George Dobell at Edgbaston14-May-2011
Scorecard
Vikram Solanki was struck on the back of the head after ducking into a bouncer from Boyd Rankin•PA PhotosPerhaps it was fitting that, as Steve Rhodes put it, there should be a “farcical end to quite a farcical game”?Worcestershire, with two batsmen retired hurt and another ‘absent injured’, were forced to accept defeat by Warwickshire by a margin 218 runs even though they had lost only seven second-innings wickets. Memories of India’s defeat at the hands of the West Indies at Sabina Park in 1976 spring to mind.In truth, there was an element of protest in Worcestershire’s decision not to send their remaining batsmen into the line of fire. Had the team had even a chance of victory, both Vikram Solanki and Alan Richardson would have batted. As it was, they decided it was better not to risk them.It was a sensible decision. With the pitch every more unpredictable, the batsmen were taking blow after blow and Ben Scott, after sustaining a third hit on the gloves in a gutsy innings, was forced to retire hurt. There was no hope of resisting for long. The game was up.Some might rebuke Worcestershire for a lack of fight. They will point to examples such as Brian Close and suggest players from the past might have battled a little harder. Maybe.Generally, however, such criticism is facile. It is easy to sit the other side of the boundary and chastise players for a lack of fight. But spectators would do well to remember that these players are expected to play many more games in the coming days, weeks and months and that any injury sustained here could have damaging effects on their team’s season and, perhaps, even their own careers. This pitch, by the end, was simply dangerous and it is a blessing that no-one has been seriously hurt during the game. It is, by some distance, the worst pitch I’ve seen for a Championship match.Certainly Rhodes was scathing in his criticism at the end of the game. Reacting to news that Warwickshire had been penalised eight points for a track deemed ‘poor’ by the pitch panel, Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, suggested a 24-point penalty for an ‘unfit’ wicket would have been more appropriate.”I can safely say that is probably the worst pitch I’ve seen in professional cricket in England,” Rhodes said. “I would have voted it as unfit.”If you ask the question: is that fit for first-class cricket?’ then the answer has to be ‘no.’ It had extravagant bounce. I don’t feel it was fit for first-class cricket.”Rhodes has a point, of course. But he and Worcestershire supporters baying for blood may do well to remember the sympathetic response Worcestershire received when they unsuccessfully tried to host a Championship game against Kent at a recently-flooded New Road in 2007. Groundsmen, like chief executive, players and journalists, sometimes make mistakes. The ECB judgement in this game, the result of three highly-experienced individuals’ lengthy analysis, looks about right.Despite all this, however, Warwickshire have decided to appeal the Pitch Panel’s decision to dock them eight points for a track deemed to be ‘poor.’Warwickshire continue to play their cards quite close to their chest on the issue, but it seems their appeal will focus on the procedure used by the ECB to come to the decision. That is because the ECB were not alerted to concerns about the pitch by the match umpires, but by a member of the media. Oddly, the phone call made by the newspaper journalist to the ECB was not even answered or returned.That having been said, Warwickshire are not claiming that the pitch was acceptable. They just feel there were extenuating circumstances relating to the new stands, outfield and drainage system and that the ECB’s own procedure was not followed. On that basis, they may have a point, though it seems a shame they couldn’t have accepted the penalty with some grace and moved on.ECB rules on the issue are not absolutely clear, but it does not appear as if Warwickshire’s points penalty can be increased. Instead, however, it seems that the ECB can charge them £5,000 (to be deducted from their next fee payment) should the appeal be unsuccessful. A new pitch panel will be convened within the week and they will review video footage of the match and interview relevant officials as required.The ‘pitch battle’ should not disguise the fact that this was Worcestershire’s fifth loss in five Championship games. Whatever the challenges, they were second best in every department in this match. Their support bowling was poor and their support batting flimsy. They’ve played some decent cricket without reward this season, but here they looked second best from the start.At least Scott showed some fight in this game. The Middlesex keeper, with Worcestershire on loan, showed excellent skills with the gloves and bravery with the bat. He’s a fine addition. Matt Pardoe and Moeen Ali batted nicely, too. And, if one or two of their colleagues are playing as if relegation is inevitable, they will find their coach will intolerant of such a view.”We have to learn to fight a little harder,” Rhodes admitted. “We’ve given too many wickets away to spin. We had a chance to win the game if we had we played better. Both teams played on the same wicket, after all.”Worcestershire lost three wickets in 14 balls on the final day. After Shaaiq Choudhry, surely batting too high at six in the order, missed one that may have kept a little low, Gareth Andrew edged one that took off from a length and Moeen Ali clipped to square-leg. Damien Wright then helped Scott add 44 for the seventh-wicket, before the former slogged to mid-off. Shortly afterwards, Scott was struck on the hand by a lifter from Boyd Rankin and the match was over.The big difference between the sides was simply the batting of Mohammad Yousuf. Warwickshire supporters have taken some time to warm to the Pakistani and, in his early matches, there have been times, in the field in particular, when he hadn’t appeared overly anxious about the match situation.Such reservations have evaporated now. Yousuf played two magnificent, match-shaping innings in this game and the chances of him winning a longer-term contract at the club have increased significantly. Ashley Giles also admitted some interest in Dale Steyn, who is available in July. Tim Ambrose, back to his best with bat and gloves and Rikki Clarke also enjoyed good games, while Ian Bell, who sustained a very minor muscle strain, will now miss the CB40 match against Leicestershire having initially asked the ECB for special permission to play.Giles, meanwhile, insisted that the poor wicket was purely accidental. “We want to play on the best possible wickets,” Giles said. “I think we were the stronger side and providing a wicket like that usually just brings the weaker side into the game more. No-one wants to see anyone get hurt and none of us have said it was a great wicket.”But the guys were brilliant as a collective. They didn’t moan if they got an unplayable ball. They just got on with it.”[Hosting] International cricket is very important to us, so the groundstaff have to learn very quickly. It [the redeveloped ground and re-laid outfield] is a bit of an unknown quality for everyone.”It may also be worth noting that the umpires rated the behaviour of both sets of players as exemplary. Despite the treacherous conditions, there was no moaning, no arguing and no dissent. Indeed, they showed considerable bravery. Whatever other issues there may have been with this match, the players of both sides have emerged with great credit.

In a spell that stretched from the end of day two to the post lunch session on day three in Jamaica, Deonarine put on a show of accurate off spin that claimed four top-order New Zealand batsmen

Subash Jayaraman in Jamaica05-Aug-2012All the pre-series talk was about the off spinner from Trinidad who was going to run circles around the New Zealand batsmen; no one could have predicted that it would be Narsingh Deonarine who would be dealing the decisive blows. In a spell that stretched from the end of day two to the post lunch session on day three in Jamaica, Deonarine put on a show of accurate off spin, controlling the loop, keeping the New Zealand batsmen pinned to the crease and, importantly, claiming four top-order batsmen with it.It was not really a surprise that Darren Sammy leaned on Deonarine to bowl unchanged in a 17-over spell. After all, he was the third-highest wicket-taker for West Indies in the home series against Australia earlier this year. For someone considered a part-time spinner, generally brought on to give to the frontline bowlers a break, that isn’t too shabby.When Sammy threw the ball to Deonarine, towards the close of play on day two, with only three overs to go, no one could have expected the kind of indelible mark he would leave on the match. Guptill and BJ Watling had seen through the tough early period and had pushed New Zealand’s lead to 106. Seven deliveries later, with no runs conceded and both openers gone lbw, West Indies were back on top.The batsmen could be faulted for playing on the back foot, and deep within the crease, but credit must be given to Deonarine for pushing them back and beating the attempted onside strokes with the turn he generated on a second day Sabina Park pitch. “Looking at the New Zealand batsmen, variation was the key. I think we have outfoxed them with flight, slower [through] the air and the quicker ball as well,” Deonarine said. “They keep hanging out on the back foot. We just worked them out, and the slower we bowl, harder it is for them to play.”Looking at the numbers from this Test, it is safe to say Deonarine has out-bowled his fellow Trinidad spinner, Sunil Narine. With fast bowlers expected to do most of the damage on this pitch, it was a pleasant surprise for West Indies that Deonarine took six of 20 wickets. He technically may not be the “lead spinner” in the side, but he thinks like one: “Whenever the skipper gives me the ball, I want to do my best. [I look to] just take wickets, whenever I get my chance.”Deonarine was called upon by his captain even in the first innings, just as a threatening stand between Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill was taking shape. Then, he enticed a false stroke from Williamson just before tea on day one, but could not hold on to the hard return chance offered. He made amends when he lured Williamson into swishing at a wide delivery that was pouched by Sammy at first slip. He topped off the effort with the wicket of Kruger van Wyk, pushing him into indecision with his delicate control of flight and length. In the second innings, again, he had Williamson wafting outside off, and Brendon McCullum, off a simple bat-pad catch, to round off his match-haul of six.Many may have thought he was just filling the role of a backup spinner but he pointed out that he is “accustomed to bowling 30 or 40 overs [for Guyana in first-class cricket]”, and it’s nothing new to him, bowling long spells like he did on Saturday.Now, he is quite confident about the West Indies knocking off the remaining 71 runs to win the Test series 2-0. The bedrock of West Indies batting, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, was out in the middle at stumps, but if required (and weather permitting), Deonarine would be ready to do the job too. Would he have had a nervous night then? The expectedly confident reply: “No, not at all.”

Celtic had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Easter Road against Hibernian, with Ange Postecoglou’s side failing to stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership to six points. 

The Hoops appeared to lack quality in the final third days on from a Europa Conference League defeat to Bodo/Glimt, with rivals Rangers now having the chance to cut the lead at the top of the table to one point this afternoon.

There were some pretty underwhelming Celtic performances, and The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the Hoops’ three worst outfield starters were. In total, these players lost the ball a whopping times, were second best in % of their aerial and ground duels and

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Daizen Maeda – 6.3/10

Maeda finished with an on-the-whistle rating of 6.3/10. The forward played in a central role with Giorgos Giakoumakis missing and didn’t win any of his four duels.

He also gave up possession seven times and failed to complete a dribble or cross or register a single shot.

Liel Abada – 6.4/10

Abada struggled on the right-wing, losing possession on 19 occasions. He lost five of his 11 duels and also completed just one of his six attempted crosses.

The summer signing also missed two big chances and didn’t register a key pass, ending with a 6.4/10 rating.

Tom Rogic – 6.5/10

Rogic once again lined up in a three-man midfield but looked off the pace at Easter Road, with Postecglou replacing the playmaker before the hour mark.

He lost the ball on 10 occasions, was second-best in five of his nine duels and failed to complete a cross or a long ball. The 29-year-old was also booked and didn’t attempt a shot all afternoon.

In other news: Journalist drops ‘insane’ Celtic transfer claim regarding Ange moving for Real Madrid winger.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government have decided to intervene in the West Indies Players Association’s ongoing dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board over the future of former captain Chris Gayle

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2011The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government have decided to intervene in the West Indies Players Association’s dispute with the WICB over the future of former captain Chris Gayle. The move comes on the heels of Gayle’s latest public and emotional statement against the board that included a request for government intervention.CARICOM chairman Denzil Douglas said the heads of government had agreed to resurrect the prime-ministerial sub-committee on cricket to try to work out a solution. “Today we had to take certain decisions with regards to the impasse that seems to be ongoing between the regional players association and the WICB,” Douglas told the . “We believe that West Indies cricket has not been one of the vehicles of which the Caribbean man today can be proud of moving himself upwards.”CARICOM’s announcement follows Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo’s scathing criticism of the board. “It comes back to who owns West Indian cricket,” Jagdeo said. “The board thinks it owns West Indian cricket, my belief is that it belongs to all of us, the people of this region.”[In] many countries, when you have failures consistently, the board goes because sometimes it is the problem. Here it does not seem as if this is going to happen.”Gayle is being treated unfairly by the WICB. You can’t not tell him anything; he needs to earn too, and then you have a tour coming and when he goes off, he gets another contract then you’re concerned that he has left the region.”Jagdeo also claimed the board was following its own agenda against some of the players, and was highly critical of coach Ottis Gibson’s interference with senior cricketers.”This can’t be right. Something is wrong. It is all about pettiness and the culture of going with people who are compliant and I think we need to change a lot of these people. We need to have term limits there too. We need to have serious term limits on these boards.”The Gayle-WICB standoff was sparked off when Gibson criticised the senior batsmen following the team’s quarter-final exit at the World Cup. Gayle was subsequently ignored for the Pakistan series, along with fellow seniors Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Gayle travelled to India to participate in the IPL – where he was the player of the tournament – leaving the WICB disappointed since they were under the impression he was undergoing rehabilitation.Gayle reacted by slamming the board in a radio interview with KLAS Sports, saying he had been left with no option but to sign an IPL contract since the WICB had disrespected and mistreated him by not checking with him over his fitness before announcing the squad. He was consequently left out of the squad for the India games as well, and a heated meeting with the board – also attended by WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine – did little to improve matters, prompting Gayle’s impassioned release that stated he was going to seek options outside the West Indies to further his cricketing career.

Mitchell Johnson did his best to keep Australia alive in the final Ashes Test with a vital half-century and two key wickets on an absorbing day, but England were handily placed on 3 for 167 in reply to 280

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan at the SCG04-Jan-2011
ScorecardAndrew Strauss gave England’s innings the perfect early momentum with a dashing 60•Getty ImagesMitchell Johnson did his best to keep Australia alive in the final Ashes Test with a vital half-century and two key wickets on an absorbing day, but England were handily placed on 3 for 167 in reply to 280. Andrew Strauss hit a sparkling 58-ball 60 to launch England’s reply following Johnson’s counterattacking 53, then Alastair Cook maintained his prolific form only to lose Kevin Pietersen shortly before the close.Strauss and Jonathan Trott fell in quick succession to leave England 2 for 99 and memories of Perth, where Johnson had sparked a dramatic England collapse, were not far away. Cook should have become Michael Beer’s first Test wicket on 46, but the delivery was called no-ball after Billy Bowden asked to check the front line when Cook lofted to mid-on. However, to Beer’s huge credit he remained focused on the game and was able to steady himself under Pietersen’s hook shot at fine leg in what could prove a pivotal wicket.Australia were struggling to make 200 before Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus combined to add 76 for the ninth wicket but their momentum was eroded as Strauss raced out of the blocks against some shoddy bowling. Hilfenhaus was especially disappointing, dropping short at a friendly pace to allow Strauss free pull shots one of which cleared deep square-leg for sixMichael Clarke made an early mark as captain when he handed Johnson the new ball for the first time since the Lord’s Test in 2009, but his opening spell lasted three overs, during which he was cut by both batsmen, and Strauss was motoring along at more than a run-a-ball in a perfect tone-setting display. The England captain also drove with authority, a sign his game is in top order, as Clarke began to realise the challenges of captaincy in the current Australian era.Strauss went to fifty shortly after tea when he scythed a cut over the slips but Hilfenhaus provided relief for Australia when he went round the wicket and took off stump with one that shaped away from the left hander. That breakthrough sparked a lift in Australia’s bowling and Trott fell for his first Test duck when he dragged Johnson into his stumps.Cook had trailed in Strauss’s wake during the opening partnership but oozed the confidence that over 600 runs in the series has brought him. His fifty came from 113 balls and when he’d made 59 reached 5000 for his career with the promise of plenty more to come.Beer’s first ball in Test cricket was dispatched by Pietersen, but despite the sickening disappointing of seeing a wicket denied he held himself together well. Pietersen had taken a blow on the arm early in his innings, yet was desperate to impose himself and couldn’t resist taking on Johnson despite the close being four overs away which left James Anderson to survive a late bombardment.Smart Stats

The 76 run stand for the ninth wicket between Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus is the seventh highest at the SCG and the third highest for Australia against England in Tests at the SCG.

James Anderson picked up four wickets to take his tally in the series to 21, the highest among both teams. He is followed by Chris Tremlett and Steve Finn, who have 14 wickets each.

Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook put on 98 runs for the opening wicket, their second fifty partnership in the series. They also have two century stands in the four Tests. They have aggregated 549 runs at an average of 78.42 while the Australian openers have scored 323 runs at 35.88.

Since January 2008, Australian batsmen average 31.47 in the team first innings at the SCG, the lowest among all home grounds.

Strauss scored 60 off 58 balls at a strike rate of 103.44, his highest strike rate for a fifty plus score in Tests.

Despite the two periods where runs flowed from Australia’s tail and England’s openers it wasn’t easy when bowlers maintained consistency which is what the visitors did superbly for the first two hours. Brad Haddin set a poor tone for the home side in the fourth over of the day when he played a flat-footed waft outside off against Anderson, which wasn’t the best way to start his stint at No.6. There was still life on offer in the pitch for the pacemen and both Mike Hussey and Steve Smith had to concentrate on defence.After his double failure in Melbourne, Hussey was again looking solid but at no point did he get away from England as he had in Brisbane and Perth. Even taking into account bowler-friendly conditions and a sluggish outfield which kept boundaries to a minimum it was tough going by Australia. Paul Collingwood then claimed one of the biggest wickets of his Test career when a tight over to Hussey was rewarded with an inside edge into the pads and onto the stumps.More galling for Hussey was that the strike came with the last delivery before the new ball and Collingwood was promptly removed from the attack. Smith had played against his natural instincts but couldn’t resist flashing a drive at Anderson which went straight to third slip and it took just four balls to work over Peter Siddle who edged low to Strauss.Johnson drove the ball as sweetly as anyone and Strauss was too quick to set his men back which conceded the advantage to a No. 8 in favourable bowling conditions. Hilfenhaus played his part, flicking Tim Bresnan over midwicket for six, and Johnson was happy to milk the deep-set field to give his partner the strike.Johnson cut loose early in the afternoon as he launched Graeme Swann over midwicket for four followed by six then brought up his fifty with a nudge into the leg side which was greeted by huge roars. Bresnan broke through when Johnson missed an expansive drive and Anderson removed Hilfenhaus for his fourth wicket and 21st scalp of the series. However, those late-order runs could yet prove a vital factor in the final outcome.