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T&T captain Dwayne Bravo has said he trusted in Delorn Johnson’s variations and his ability to deliver under pressure and it paid off as he defended 19 runs off the final over against Antigua Hawksbills on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2013Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo placed faith in Delorn Johnson, who had bowled only one over till then, to defend 19 off the final six balls in a rain-curtailed match, and it paid off as they beat Antigua Hawksbills by one run to record their second win in five matches in the Caribbean Premier League.Johnson, the left-arm seamer, was given the ball ahead of fast bowler Fidel Edwards and Bravo himself, the latter having picked up two wickets as well.”I think it was a tactical judgment on my behalf to let the slower bowler, the one with more variations, bowl the last over,” Bravo said. “In our last two games he [Johnson] was our best bowler and he has a lot of variations and different balls in terms of slower ball, short balls, he can bowl full, wide and yorkers and then Edwards bowls fast-paced yorkers, so with an Australian [Ben Rohrer] at the wicket, I believed he would have been more comfortable facing Edwards in terms of using his pace.”Johnson Charles’ rapid 46 off 28 balls, with four fours and four sixes allowed Rohrer, who had been at the crease since the sixth over, to settle and his 28 off 23 balls ensured Antigua were always in with a chance. He hoisted Sulieman Benn for a straight six in the 13th over and sent Kevon Cooper to the point boundary in the next to reduce the equation to 19 off the last over – the 15th, which began with Sheldon Cotterrell slamming Johnson straight over his head.”When the first ball went for six, I did not panic,” Bravo said. “Two balls and eight runs, I told him that this ball, the fifth ball was the most important ball. I asked him to bowl a wide yorker which he did and hence the reason why I had so much faith in him because he has so many variations and I trust that under pressure situations, he can deliver.”Bravo was confident the win was the beginning of a turnaround for his side, with his batsmen also beginning to find form. Bravo had top-scored with a 25-ball 46, which included four sixes, while his brother Darren and opener Adrian Barath had identical scores of 38. Despite the victory, T&T have to win both their remaining matches, against St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs, to qualify for the semi-finals.”Our last two games were pressure games and it was like finals for us and for the guy to come out and perform after three losses it shows that the team has a lot of character and fight and that the guys are hungry for success,” Bravo said.

Michael Clarke has been ruled out of Australia’s opening Champions Trophy match against England on Saturday and vice-captain George Bailey will lead the side in his absence

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2013Michael Clarke has been ruled out of Australia’s opening Champions Trophy match against England on Saturday and vice-captain George Bailey will lead the side in his absence. Clarke’s involvement in the rest of the tournament also remains uncertain as he continues to battle a long-standing back problem that kept him from playing either of the two warm-up matches against West Indies and India.”Michael is making steady progress in his recovery from the recent lower back injury but is yet to return to training,” Alex Kountouris, the team physio, said on Friday morning. “He will remain in London over the coming days to continue his rehabilitation and will not be available for the first match against England on Saturday. How he responds to the ongoing treatment will determine his availability for the match against New Zealand next Wednesday.”The situation is also a concern for the Australians just over a month from the first Test of the Ashes, for although Clarke has had the back problem since he was a teenager it appears to have affected him more over the past few months than in the past. He missed Australia’s most recent Test, the loss to India in Delhi, and it was the first time he has been forced to sit out of a Test due to his back trouble.Michael Clarke’s back remains a worry for Australia•Getty ImagesOn Thursday, Kountouris conceded that the abbreviated nature of the Champions Trophy meant Clarke’s participation in any part of it was uncertain and it could also depend on whether the Australians move past the group stage.”We are just trying to get him right,” Kountouris said. “He has had this before so we know how it plays out and we know the treatment that he needs to get him right. But being such a short tournament we’re racing against time to get him fit.”We certainly won’t be taking any risks. It is a really important time of the year for us, that goes without saying. This is an important tournament too so we’ll get him up for whatever games we can and won’t take any stupid risks. Firstly he needs to be pain free, which he’s not at the moment.”Then we need to put him through a series of tests, get him running and batting and get him doing things he’d normally do. We need him training at full intensity before we get him on the park.”News of Clarke’s injury has compounded Australia’s far from perfect preparation to this event. They were bowled out for just 65 in their warm-up game against India and David Warner, one of their opening batsmen, has been dismissed for 0 in both warm-up games.But Bailey reacted to the news phlegmatically. “It’s a great opportunity for us to prove a lot of people wrong,” he said.”Honestly, I reckon all sides believe they can win the tournament. In terms of a cricket spectacle, that must be really exciting for the fans around the globe knowing that your country is in with a real shot at winning the title.”Our best is still as good as anyone else or any other teams in the world. If we play our best cricket, I’ve got no doubt we can win the tournament and we probably will win the tournament.”There’s no doubt it’s a blow. We’d love to have Pup with us as a batsman and as our captain. But it is what it is, and we have to deal with the fact that we don’t have him for tomorrow. The challenge is there and the opportunity is there for the rest of us to step up, and I know it will be a great boost to the side to know that we can win without him.”Story updated at 0700 GMT to confirm that Clarke had been ruled out and at 1400 to add Bailey’s reaction

Leicestershire’s decision to bowl first backfired as Kent racked up 406 on the first day at Grace Road with half-centuries from Brendan Nash, Geraint Jones and Matt Coles.

17-Apr-2013
ScorecardGeraint Jones top-scored with 67•Getty ImagesLeicestershire’s decision to bowl first backfired as Kent racked up 406 on the first day at Grace Road with half-centuries from Brendan Nash, Geraint Jones and Matt Coles.More than half the Kent total came in boundaries as a young Leicestershire attack struggled to keep control in the windy conditions. Jones and Coles shared a seventh-wicket stand of 104 in 19 overs, with Coles letting loose in a 63-ball stay. In all Kent scored 216 runs in boundaries, hitting 51 fours and two sixes.It was the second successive game in which Leicestershire have conceded more than 400 runs after putting the opposition into bat, having suffered the same fate last week against Hampshire.Leicestershire’s cause was not helped when Matthew Hoggard, their most experienced bowler, trudged off the field after a five-over spell before lunch and did not reappear for the rest of the day.Nathan Buck, Alex Wyatt and Anthony Ireland had already been ruled out because of injury, leaving the home side’s seam attack seriously weakened. Kent cashed in, scoring at well over four runs an over throughout the day as the boundaries flowed following the early run out of Sam Northeast. Rob Key, also fell before lunch for 41, top edging a bouncer from Robbie Williams to Shiv Thakor at fine leg.With Nash, Mike Powell, Darren Stevens and James Tredwell back in the pavilion by mid-afternoon, leaving Kent 207 for 6, Leicestershire looked to have a chance of keeping the total to a respectable level. But the partnership between Jones and Coles put Kent well on top and by tea they had reached a healthy 283 without further loss.Jones reached his 50 off 70 balls with five fours and Coles hit a six and eight fours in a 51-ball half-century. He was stumped attempting one big hit too many off Jigar Naik. Jones was then trapped lbw for 67 by the same bowler but still Leicestershire were unable to bring the innings to a close.Callum Haggett hit 40 and Mark Davies 41 as the last two wickets added 89 runs to give Kent maximum batting points, before Haggett was caught at midwicket off Naik, who finished with 4 for 97 off 21.5 overs.

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the fourth ODI between Australia and West Indies in Sydney

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale07-Feb-2013Match factsGeorge Bailey is in doubt with a hamstring problem•Getty ImagesFebruary 8, SCG
Start time 1420 (0320 GMT)Big PictureAustralia’s victory in Canberra on Wednesday has turned this fourth match in Sydney and the fifth game in Melbourne on Sunday into dead rubbers. The best West Indies can hope for is a couple of consolation victories to transform the scoreline into a more respectable looking 3-2. Australia want to keep up their momentum and complete a 5-0 clean-sweep, especially if that means runs and wickets for the squad members who are due to fly to India shortly for a four-Test series. Both teams left Canberra with injury concerns, West Indies sweating on the fitness of Chris Gayle, who picked up a side injury while fielding in the third ODI, and Australia unsure about George Bailey, who hurt his hamstring during Australia’s win. The fact that the series is decided means neither side is likely to be inclined to take a risk, which should mean at least one change for each team.Form guide(Most recent first)
Australia WWWLW
West Indies LLLWWIn the spotlightRarely has the term “in the spotlight” been used to describe Clint McKay. One of the lowest-profile members of Australia’s squad, McKay was nonetheless the centre of attention for a short while on Monday night, when he was named Australia’s One-Day International Cricketer of the Year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Melbourne. It was a well-deserved honour for a man who nearly always does his job, taking wickets and keeping the opposition batsmen in check with consistent bowling and subtle changes of pace. Since the start of 2012, only Lasith Malinga has taken more ODI wickets than McKay’s 40 at an average of 23.00. No wonder he is the first picked member of Australia’s one-day attack.In Canberra, Kieron Pollard reminded everyone watching of just what an exciting player he can be when he took four catches, including a couple of stunners, especially his leaping, one-handed take on the boundary that got rid of Glenn Maxwell. Unfortunately for West Indies, he hasn’t made the same kind of contributions with the batting during this series, with scores of 0, 1 and 9. West Indies need more from many players at the moment, none more so than Pollard.Team newsAdam Voges has been added to Australia’s squad as cover for Bailey and is likely to play his first one-day international in two years. Voges has impressive Ryobi Cup form behind him: in his past two innings he has made 77 not out and 112 for Western Australia. Xavier Doherty is also likely to be included at the SCG, possibly at the expense of Mitchell Johnson.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Phillip Hughes, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.Gayle had scans on Thursday to assess his side injury and a West Indies team spokesman said the results showed there was no major damage. However, Gayle remained stiff and sore and his availability will depend on a fitness test on the day of the game. If he sits out it could mean a call-up for Johnson Charles, while Narsingh Deonarine is also in the squad and might be considered as a replacement for the out-of-form Ramnaresh Sarwan.West Indies (possible) 1 Kieron Powell, 2 Chris Gayle / Johnson Charles, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan / Narsingh Deonarine, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Devon Thomas (wk), 9 Darren Sammy 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach.Pitch and conditionsThe SCG should bring spin into the equation, although it was mainly swing that caused Australia’s batsmen problems at the venue in their ODI against Sri Lanka last month. The forecast for Friday in Sydney is for a sunny day and a maximum temperature of 27C.Stats and trivia It is 20 years since West Indies have beaten Australia in a one-day international at the SCG Of all Australian batsmen who have opened in at least 10 ODIs, Shane Watson has the highest average: 46.56. Matthew Hayden sits in second place on 44.30Quotes”It’s been a tough old summer for us. In terms of our one-day cricket we’ve been a little bit topsy-turvy and we’ve got some good momentum now so certainly we’re not going to take the foot off the pedal.”

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, is in a critical condition in hospital after being assaulted late on Wednesday evening in Christchurch

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2013Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, is in an induced coma in hospital after being assaulted twice late on Wednesday evening in Christchurch. Ryder, 28, is in intensive care after suffering a fractured skull, which Christchurch Police believe happened in the second of the two attacks.The first assault took place at about 12.30am outside the Aikman’s Bar in a Christchurch suburb Merivale, where Ryder had been out with Wellington team-mates and friends following their loss to Canterbury to mark the end of the season. The second attack occurred minutes later at the entrance to the car park of a McDonald’s across the road, where the other Wellington players had gone to order food.”An altercation has taken place on the footpath outside Aikman’s involving Jesse and a group of at least two other males. The altercation was brief,” Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer told reporters in Christchurch. “Following that incident, Ryder and two other persons walked across the road towards McDonald’s, where his Wellington team-mates had been purchasing some food. A second altercation has taken place at the entrance to the McDonald’s car park, involving one of the males from the earlier group.”In that incident it appears Jesse has been the victim of a serious assault and has suffered head injuries as a result. Ambulance and police were called about at 12.44am. Jesse was taken to hospital where he remains in intensive care.”The hospital advise that Jesse is in a critical condition, he is in an induced coma as a result of suffering multiple injuries. He is still being assessed for a number of injuries and we are not prepared to discuss that any further.”Archer said that while police had “positive lines of inquiry”, they had not yet identified Ryder’s attackers. CCTV footage from Aikman’s and McDonald’s is being reviewed, he said. “We believe at least 10 or more people have witnessed some of the events, and we’ve been speaking to witnesses throughout the day. There are CCTV cameras in the area and we’re going through the process of downloading and reviewing that footage.”At the moment we have not identified the people involved in the incident, but we do have positive lines of inquiry, and we will be focusing on identifying and finding those people, and speaking to them.”Although the Wellington players had been at a licensed premises during the evening, at this stage there is no evidence that alcohol was a contributing factor to the assault. We are asking any witnesses to contact police and calling for people involved to come forward and speak to us about it.”Merivale McDonalds, where Jesse Ryder was found by police and taken to hospital•Getty ImagesRyder, who played 18 Tests for New Zealand before going into a self-imposed exile from international cricket for the last year, was due to leave for India on Friday to join the Delhi Daredevils ahead of the start of the IPL season on April 3. In January, he ruled out a return for New Zealand, despite his impressive domestic form.Before embarking on his sabbatical from international cricket, Ryder had been dropped from New Zealand’s ODI side after breaking team protocols concerning alcohol. In 2008, again in Christchurch, he injured his hand when putting it through a glass window after a drinking session.Peter Clinton, the Cricket Wellington chief executive, said Ryder was not in breach of his contract by being at the bar, and also that no team rules had been breached over the course of the night.”It was not a violation of his contract, no,” Clinton said. “There are some alcohol protocols around the team, as there are with other sports. My understanding of the events as described by the police was that those protocols were met last evening, so from that point of view we don’t have any direct concerns that Jesse was with his team-mates last night.”Heath Mills, chief executive of the New Zealand Players Association, said numerous cricketers around the country were in shock at the news of the assault, and Ryder’s serious condition.”Obviously the cricket community’s very shocked at what’s happened to Jesse. He’s obviously in a serious condition,” Mills said. “It’s a sad day for us, a number of players around the country are in shock, our focus now is on Jesse and his well-being.”The Daredevils’ team director, TA Sekar, called the incident “very unfortunate”. He had spoken to Ryder two days ago. “He was looking forward to come, and he was supposed to board the flight for Delhi tomorrow,” Sekar said. According to him, the franchise had bid for Ryder because he was a worthy batsman to replace Kevin Pietersen who, before he got injured, was contracted to play 11 matches in the season. Sekar said the franchise would seek a replacement soon.David White, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, expressed his sorrow at events via a statement: “We are all shocked by what has occurred and extremely concerned for Jesse. New Zealand Cricket’s thoughts are with him and his family.”New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor added: “Thinking of you mate [Jesse] Ryder.” Ryder’s manager, Aaron Klee, wrote on his Twitter page: “Thanks for the calls and msgs of support for Jesse. Just heading to [Christchurch] to see him.”

Jonny Bairstow will miss England’s ODI tour of India in January due to a family illness. Joe Root will replace him in the squad.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2012Jonny Bairstow will miss England’s ODI tour of India in January due to a family illness. Joe Root, who made his England debut in the fourth Test in Nagpur, will replace him in the squad.Bairstow was in England’s Test and T20 squads before Christmas but flew home before the second T20 on compassionate leave.He will now remain at home with his family but is expected to join the England one-day squad for the T20 and ODI series against New Zealand in February.Bairstow played the latest of his five Tests in Mumbai but was replaced by Ian Bell who returned from paternity leave to play the third Test. He didn’t play again on the tour having been left out of the opening T20 after which he returned home.Bairstow made an immediate impression on international cricket with a matchwinning 41 not out on debut against India in Cardiff in September 2011. But he has only scored another 78 runs in six matches since – five of them against India in October 2011.His replacement Root is another talented young Yorkshireman. He was a surprise pick to make his Test debut in the fourth Test in Nagpur but played with confidence for 73 in the first-innings and closed out the draw with a brief unbeaten knock in the second innings. He then made his T20 debut in Mumbai. Root is yet to play an ODI but has scored 748 List A runs at 34.00.Root joins a squad that includes Kevin Pietersen for the first time since England swept Pakistan 4-0 in the UAE in February. England will have to decide on a return to the opening partnership of Pietersen and captain Alastair Cook that averaged 84.50 against Pakistan with two centuries each or remain with Bell who was given a second life in the ODI side when he replaced Pietersen against West Indies and averaged 54.90 throughout the summer.With no Jonathan Trott in the squad, either Pietersen or Bell will bat at No. 3 with Eoin Morgan at No. 4. Root could be picked to make his debut at No. 5 if England decide against playing both Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler – both played the fourth ODI against Pakistan in Dubai, Buttler’s only ODI appearance, but with his good showing in recent T20s and Kieswetter’s failure to make a half-century in 2012, Buttler could be asked to keep wicket, paving the way for Root to be selected.

South Africa’s bowlers will have to make strident improvements ahead of the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, according to vice-captain AB de Villiers

Firdose Moonda in Adelaide18-Nov-2012South Africa’s bowlers will have to make strident improvements ahead of the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, according to vice-captain AB de Villiers. The visiting attack, talked about as the best in the world, managed just four wickets to Australia’s 14 on an unresponsive pitch in Brisbane and will be under close scrutiny in the second fixture.”The bowlers can get better and they know they can,” de Villiers said. “We had chances [at the Gabba] and we just didn’t take them. There were a lot of edges and 50-50 chances didn’t go our way.”He also admitted what the bowling coach Allan Donald had suggested during the match – that the usually clinical South African attack became complacent after they made early inroads. “When we had them 40 for 3 I thought there was an opportunity to run through them,” de Villiers said. “It is a bit of a worry, but you’re not always going to bowl out a team for 150 and 200. Sometimes you have to work hard for that.”While such a statement is hardly revolutionary, South Africa have become used to slicing through their opposition. Since playing Australia in November 2011, they have beaten Sri Lanka at home and New Zealand and England away. The current Australian batting line-up is arguably the best South Africa have faced over the last year.Against more stubborn batsmen though, a different approach is needed. In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Ian Chappell accused South Africa’s bowlers of lacking imagination and waiting for Australia to make mistakes. He argued it was a tactic that was unlikely to work against good sides, like the one led by Michael Clarke.Ed Cowan and Clarke put on a fourth-wicket stand of 259 runs before Michael Hussey and Clarke combined for 228 runs to give the attack their worst day at the office since Colombo 2006. Then, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were in the midst of compiling their 624-run record partnership.It did not get that bad in Brisbane but South Africa conceded more than four runs to the over and spent the entire fourth day without any of the bowlers taking a wicket. The only one to fall, Cowan, came through a run-out and de Villiers suggested a hard lesson had been learnt.”They sent a message that we have to work really hard to take wickets,” de Villiers said. “This attack of ours has performed on flat decks before. These are just two really world-class batting line-ups, and the bowlers are going to have to work really hard on what seem to be flat decks to take wickets.”The most recent example of that was at The Oval in July. South Africa took 20 wickets while England managed only two on a similarly batsmen-friendly surface. De Villiers believes that ability to repeat that remains and even peeped out at times in Brisbane.”We beat the bat a hell of a lot on the evening of the third day and the morning of the fourth,” he said. “It looks pretty but it’s not effective. For a really good attack to beat the bat that much and not take wickets is disappointing. But what can you do – we’re talking about millimetres.”Glaringly absent from the wickets column was Vernon Philander, whose run of 61 wickets in 11 Tests had to reach its end at some point. Philander is wicket-less in Australia so far. He did not claim any in the tour match at the SCG or in the first Test but de Villiers hoped he may just be waiting to pounce when it matters.”He’s not a concern,” de Villiers said. “His record speaks for itself. The games he was won for us in the past have been the big games, and we’re looking forward to the big game in Adelaide.”Philander is not solely to blame, though. The make-up of the attack also contributed to South Africa’s downfall. They went into the match with an all-pace battery of four seamers and were hopeful that JP Duminy’s part-time offspin would provide rest for the quicks.When Duminy was injured after the first day’s play, South Africa found themselves without a holding bowler. De Villiers, coach Gary Kirsten and assistant coach Russell Domingo all said they favoured the inclusion of a frontline spinner in a Test XI and de Villiers indicated the team will return to that strategy.”I wouldn’t say we made a mistake [in Brisbane] because I honestly don’t think the spinners played a big part,” he said. “I thought we made the right decision to play Rory [Kleinveldt]. It will be different here. We know it takes a bit of turn. It’s more like the traditional Test wicket where it’s a good wicket for a few days, then it starts turning a bit and then probably gets a bit up and down. I’m not going to pick the team now, but I’d say we will definitely go with a spinner.”That will mean changing the XI immediately, something South African sides of old were reluctant to do. They reached No.1 through consistent selection but may need to make adjustments to their XI as they look to stay there. De Villiers said they are willing to be critical of themselves, especially when they have underperformed.”We weren’t that happy with our performance which is always a good sign,” he said. “We are the No.1 team in the world, and for the No.1 team to say they can improve is a really good thing.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore were without their talisman Chris Gayle, who had an injured groin, but four other overseas players performed roles expected of them to give the campaign a successful start

The Report by George Binoy07-Apr-2012Royal Challengers Bangalore 157 for 8 (de Villiers 64*, Bracewell 3-32) beat Delhi Daredevils 137 for 7 (Murali 3-25) by 20 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAB de Villiers scored a well-paced half-century that contained a mix of the orthodox and the unconventional•Associated PressRoyal Challengers Bangalore were without their talisman Chris Gayle, who had an injured groin, but four other overseas players performed roles expected of them to give the campaign a successful start in front of a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium. AB de Villiers prevented Royal Challengers from finishing on a below-par score with a well paced half-century that contained a mix of the orthodox and the unconventional, while Muttiah Muralitharan, in his first game in these colours, confounded Delhi Daredevils’ batsmen during an incisive, economical and match-turning spell.Delhi Daredevils’ major Indian stars also failed, with Irfan Pathan leaking 47 runs in a wicketless spell and Virender Sehwag making a duck in the chase. The visitors were competitive due to Doug Bracewell’s performance with the ball and in the field, Morne Morkel’s pace and bounce, and a cameo from Naman Ojha. That collective effort, however, was no match for the wealth of talent and experience of Royal Challengers’ overseas performers.De Villiers began his innings with Royal Challengers on 46 for 2 in six overs, and watched that platform erode because of regular wickets at the other end. That start had been given by Andrew McDonald, who targeted Irfan and the straight boundary to take 19 runs off the third over. McDonald’s flurry ended when Bracewell sprinted back and to his right from mid-on, watching the ball over his head, and lunged full length to hold stupendous catch with one hand.De Villiers scored at a run a ball for his first 22 deliveries, losing three partners on the way, and then launched Bracewell over extra cover to bring up the team’s 100 in the 14th over. And then he began to turn it on, mixing deft glances and sweeps to the fine-leg boundary with audacious reverse-hits to third man. He hit Irfan for two such boundaries, getting into position early and reverse-swatting full tosses, one over the rope and the other short of it. De Villiers crashed another straight drive past the bowler, Bracewell, in the final over but could not get on strike for the final three deliveries, and so Royal Challengers could not get past 160. Bracewell finished the innings clinically for Daredevils, taking wickets with the final two balls to end on 3 for 32.It was a heartening performance from Daredevils, considering they had lost Umesh Yadav to an injury after he bowled two overs for eight runs.The start of Daredevils’ chase was promising as well, with Aaron Finch threading the first three balls from Zaheer Khan to the boundary between point and cover. Sehwag, however, slapped his first ball to cover point and was caught. McDonald was economical at first change for Royal Challengers but Finch and Ojha steadied the chase, reaching 46 for 1 after six overs.It was at this point that Daniel Vettori and Murali began to bowl in tandem, and peg Daredevils back. Finch was dropped at short third man in Vettori’s first over, and Ojha by wicketkeeper de Villiers off Murali’s first ball. Two balls later, however, Murali had Ojha edging to slip. And in his next over, he had Finch lbw, reducing Daredevils to 68 for 3 after ten overs. Vettori and Murali were so effective that, after scoring 12 runs off his first three balls, Finch was dismissed for 24 off 25.The pressure created by Murali’s first spell of 3-0-11-3 was so much that Daredevils struggled to rediscover their momentum. Irfan struck a few big blows towards the end to spoil some bowling analyses but it had been Royal Challengers’ game since the 13th over of the chase, when the asking-rate inched over 10 while the spinners were being parsimonious.

Ben Hilfenhaus wants Australia to prove why they are the top-ranked ODI side ahead of next year’s return to England for the Ashes

Daniel Brettig06-Jul-2012Ben Hilfenhaus is a man of few words, so to hear him speak passionately of a desire to avoid a third consecutive Ashes defeat is to gain a rare glimpse of the Tasmanian’s drive. A valiant performer in England in 2009 but a less illustrious one in Australia in 2010-11, Hilfenhaus let his usual public guard down when casting his mind forward to 2013.Having reconstructed his bowling action and added diversity to his approach following a horrid tilt at England last time around, Hilfenhaus is now a valued part of Australia’s Test side. He is a more peripheral character in ODI cricket, as demonstrated by his sitting out the first two matches of this series. Nonetheless, Hilfenhaus has found reconnaissance value in the trip to England, and two defeats have clearly stirred up the pain of previous Ashes encounters.”I definitely think we’ve got unfinished business,” Hilfenhaus said. “I’ve lost two Ashes series now. I definitely don’t want to be a part of a third losing one that’s for sure, and I think there are a lot of blokes who feel exactly the same way. I’m not looking too far ahead at this stage, but it will be a pretty big series for us.”You always love to beat the Poms. We didn’t have the ideal start to the one-day series and I think in the last two games of the series we’re definitely going to show them what we are made of, that we are the No.1 team in the world. It’s nice to be playing in these conditions and get a feel for them again, and just have a little reminder of the things we need to work on.”Accompanying Hilfenhaus and the rest of Australia’s bowlers on the tour is the Tasmania bowling coach Ali de Winter, a contender for the full-time role vacated earlier this year by Craig McDermott. Hilfenhaus and de Winter have developed a rich understanding over the years and, after McDermott identified several problem areas following the last Ashes series, de Winter was the man to put his bowling action back together, with the aid of extensive fitness and strength work following two years of knee niggles.”He noticed my action had changed a little bit and realised what we needed to change to get back to where we wanted it. He definitely played a very big role in that,” Hilfenhaus said. “I had a bit of time off and got the body strong again and slowly worked on it, and still will continue to work on it every day to make sure old habits don’t creep back in.”I find the body is weird. Just about every fast bowler’s got niggles and whatever else, but in my case my action changed a little bit because of that, without me ever knowing. That was a bit of a wake-up call to keep an eye on those things, to make sure in the future it doesn’t happen again.”Waqar Younis is another authority on fast bowling to have raised his hand for the Cricket Australia job, and like McDermott would offer a wealth of knowledge derived from bowling in Test matches. De Winter’s path to the same job is rather different but Hilfenhaus said his mentor was as adept at tactical advice as technical tweaks.”I personally find that he is very good technically to me, he understands the way I bowl pretty well, and he picks up things really easy,” Hilfenhaus said. “Tactically he is very good as well, but for me personally it is more the technical side of things. I am sure he is having a look at everyone else’s actions as well and trying to find ways to help them improve.Ben Hilfenhaus had a tough time during the 2010-11 Ashes•Getty Images”If I am doing things technically correct, that will help my chances at the other end, and some other people might be different. Some people need to be told all these tactics about bowling and these sorts of things, someone like myself I need to be told to keep things technically correct to give myself the best chance to perform my skills.”I rate Ali pretty highly and I’m sure once the other blokes have had a bit more to do with him, they’ll say exactly the same thing.”George Bailey, the Tasmania captain and a fellow England tourist this year, has said that Hilfenhaus has at times needed to be convinced of change being worthwhile in order to carry through with it. In the past 12 months he has done plenty of learning, including a successful stint in the IPL, and so far is reaping rewards from a more open-minded approach.”To be honest I do like staying in my comfort zone a little bit, I like sticking to the things that I know work,” Hilfenhaus said. “I still have a few things to prove in the shorter form of the game, I’ll keep chipping away and hopefully my skills can get to the stage where I’m a permanent member.”A permanent member of the one-day team, and an Ashes winner, perhaps.

ESPNcricinfo previews the opening match of the Asia Cup between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Mirpur

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran10-Mar-2012Match factsMarch 11, 2012
Start time 1400 (0800 GMT)Mashrafe Mortaza will be a welcome addition to the Bangladesh line-up•BPL T20Big PictureBangladesh’s and Pakistan’s last meeting seems like it happened yesterday. Not too long ago, Pakistan toured the country, winning all games quite comfortably, before heading to the UAE. There’s a chance they could face each other again shortly for another series of limited-overs games, in Pakistan, if the tour gets a go-ahead. Their meeting tomorrow is not a bilateral event, but a tournament which has been shoe-horned into an already cramped calendar. Seven games have been crammed into 12 days, with each team meeting the other once before the top two make the final. The flip side to such a format is that a poor start, or a surprise defeat could jeopardise a team’s chances of qualifying.The head-to-head record suggests that Pakistan are overwhelming favourites. That’s what many would have predicted after they steamrolled England, the top Test side, 3-0 in the UAE. Yet, their 0-4 crash to the same team in the one-dayers confounded many, coming against a side which has traditionally under-performed in the shorter format.Nevertheless, it was a wake-up call for Misbah-ul-Haq and the rest who took their foot off the pedal after the Test series. Perhaps they were homesick, or plain tired. In that sense, this Asia Cup assumes more context for Pakistan, who would want to sign off their season on a high, synonymous with their performance over the last year-and-a-half.The Bangladesh players have been a busy bunch themselves. In a sense, the Asia Cup has been positioned aptly for the Bangladesh audience, who are just coming off the hangover of the Bangladesh Premier League. Whether the BPL will have a positive impact on Bangladesh’s stature as an international team or not is a discussion for another day.The tournament has given local players a chance to mingle with internationals. Despite that, the performances of some of the local players were underwhelming. There was also some off-field drama, with Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, calling the BPL a “disorganised” tournament. Despite some of the farcical behind-the-scenes action causing the organisers a lot of embarrassment, the Bangladesh fans appear to be in a feel-good wave and their enthusiasm will be crucial even in matches not involving their team.Form guideBangladesh LLLWL
Pakistan LLLLWIn the spotlightMashrafe Mortaza has made several comebacks from injury. Tomorrow, he opens yet another chapter. A knee injury sidelined him from the 2011 World Cup. He returned for the Australia ODIs shortly after but hasn’t played an international match since. He captained the Dhaka Gladiators to the BPL title, taking 10 wickets with a strike every 24 balls. His presence adds experience to the seam attack.One of Pakistan’s most consistent batsmen in the last year, Mohammad Hafeez, has suddenly slipped. In the ODI series against England, Hafeez managed just 61 from four games. Pakistan will need him to play a steady hand at the top of the order.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch at the Shere Bangla Stadium has a bit of grass, a deviation from the normally slow surfaces which have prompted captains to bring their spinners on from the second over.TeamsAll Bangladesh players are available for selection, but if the pitch continues to have that layer of grass, then the teams might be tempted to field an extra quick bowler. Bangladesh have recalled the batsman Jahurul Islam so there’s a chance for him to stake a claim in the middle order.Sarfraz Ahmed will make a comeback as Pakistan’s wicketkeeper, after Adnan Akmal was left out.Bangladesh (likely) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt and wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Jahurul Islam, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Elias Sunny, 11 Shafiul IslamPakistan (likely) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Azhar Ali/Nasir Jamshed, 3 Younis Khan 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz CheemaStats and triviaShahid Afridi is just one run away from 7000 ODI runs Bangladesh’s first-ever one-day international was at the Asia Cup in 1986, incidentally, against Pakistan Bangladesh have previously hosted two editions of the Asia Cup, in 1988-89 and 2000Quotes”He’s the main player with both ball and bat, so we are focussing on him, but it is a team of 11. Anybody can contribute, so also have to have to a plan against every player.”
Edited by Abhishek Purohit