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Alastair Cook called the decision to reprieve David Warner from a caught behind decision “wrong” after England began the one-day series with a heavy defeat at the MCG

Andrew McGlashan at the MCG12-Jan-2014Alastair Cook called the decision to reprieve David Warner from a caught behind decision “wrong” after England began the one-day series with a heavy defeat at the MCG but he is not convinced that returning to a time when a fielder’s word was taken is the way forward.Warner was on 22 when he tried to steer Ben Stokes down to third man and top edged towards the wicketkeeper Jos Buttler who claimed the catch low to the ground.Warner was happy to take Buttler’s word on whether it carried, but the umpire convened to check the replays, which appeared on the big screen as Warner approached the boundary, where he was told to stay inside the playing area by the fourth official.As so often with those types of replays, the two-dimensional image created enough doubt in the third umpire’s mind for him to not give the catch although that was not how Cook felt it should have ended.”It might have been my biased eyes, my English eyes, but I thought it was a clean catch – hit his fingers and bounced up – but I only saw it a couple of times on the big screen,” he said. “I thought it was the wrong decision but you have to respect the umpires’ decision otherwise you get in trouble.”On the field, all the players reacted calmly to the situation and Warner gave Buttler a supportive pat on the back as he returned to the crease. It is easy for the fielder to be made out to be the villain but for most of the ex-cricketers at the ground it was one of those they were convinced was caught cleanly.Cook, though, believes TV replays still need to be used. “If a player does claim and it clearly shows it wasn’t a catch then it’s a tough one and looks foolish on the technology. David thought it had carried as well as he was quite happy to walk off. It’s strange because a lot of those look worse on TV than real life. But that one, I didn’t see it hit the ground.”Cook reveals Broad knee complaint

Alastair Cook has suggested that Stuart Broad has been scheduled to miss the first two one-day internationals of this series because of injury as well as a perceived need that he needs a rest.
Speaking to after the match, Cook said Broad, who is in Sydney where he is due to rejoin the squad for the third match, “has got a little bit of a sore knee.” There has been no official indication from the team mangement that there is an injury concern.
It also emerged that Boyd Rankin, who bowled eight of his 10 overs, had again suffered from cramp towards the end of the Melbourne contest. Rankin was struck down by cramps on the first day of his Test debut in Sydney and was twice forced to leave the field. He wrote in his newspaper column about how it had been down to nerves although his conditioning must also be in question.

While the umpires’ decision was out of England’s hands, they could have avoided some self-inflicted errors especially the life given to Aaron Finch on 8 when Gary Ballance dropped a simple chance at mid-off. Cook admitted it was the continuation of a worrying trend in the team, coupled as it was with numerous fumbles in the outfield.”It is something we are aware of we. We haven’t fielded to the standard we are capable of on this tour. Fielding comes down to two things; wanting the ball to come to you and hard work. We are not bad fielders. For the last three or months – actually it’s been longer than that – we are dropping too many chances and we are aware of that. We can’t keep gifting simple chances away.”To add to Cook’s woes, he had another brief stay in the middle, falling in the first over of the match when he edged Clint McKay, and admitted he needs to return to making significant contributions. He said he felt as good as he had at any time in the tour during his morning net, although conceded form there means “bugger all” if it doesn’t bring runs.Another defeat will be followed by another flight, this time to Canberra to face the Prime Minister’s XI on Tuesday before England head to Brisbane for Friday’s ODI, with an upturn in England’s fortunes seemingly no nearer.”We just need to somehow stop the rot and it’s amazing how quickly it can turn around,” he said. “We saw some good things today but at the crucial moments couldn’t take our chances.”

Round-up of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup matches played on February 9, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2014Group AFile photo: Imran Nazir scored his 18th T20 fifty with a 51-ball 93•AFPAttacking half-centuries from Imran Nazir and Shoaib Malik helped Sialkot Stallions to a 39-run win against Hyderabad Hawks in Rawalpindi. Opting to bat, Sialkot’s onslaught started when Nazir struck 20 runs in the first over off Rehan Riaz. He lost two partners soon but was joined by Malik as the duo put on 112 runs in 70 balls to take them past 150. Both fell in the last five overs – Nazir scored 93 off 51, with five fours and eight six, and Malik made 65 off 43 as Sialkot piled on 191 for 5.Hyderabad also started strong as Malik conceded 19 in the second over to Sharjeel Khan, who fell two overs later for a 12-ball 25 to Bilawal Bhatti. Azeem Ghumman and Aqeel Anjum kept Hyderabad on track with a second-wicket stand of 66 which helped them cross the 100-run mark. But they lost two wickets in consecutive overs, including Ghumman for 42. Needing 81 from five overs Hyderabad managed 152 for 4 as Bhatti finished with 2 for 16 from four overs.Four wickets from Imtiaz Ali gave Larkana Bulls a comfortable nine-wicket win over Karachi Dolphins in Islamabad. Asked to bat, Karachi were given a solid start by Khurram Manzoor with a 47-ball 51 but he didn’t get any support from the other end as only the two openers reached double-digit scores. The rest of the nine batsmen scored 28 runs together as Imtiaz’s 4 for 16 from his four overs routed Karachi for 94 in the penultimate over of the innings.Larkana were cruising in their chase with an opening stand of 60 between Zafar Ali and Ahsan Ali before the former fell for 28. Ahsan, with an unbeaten 54, took them home in the 14th over with Ayaz Jamali who was not out on 16.Group BMultan Tigers won their opening match of the tournament by beating Karachi Zebras by 49 runs in Rawalpindi. Put in to bat, Multan got a strong start with an opening stand of 59 in seven overs as Zeeshan Ashraf scored 40 off 21 with seven fours and a six. They lost two more wickets in the next three overs but a knock of 34 from Naved Yasin and a 10-ball 15 from Gulraiz Sadaf helped them score 37 in the last five overs to reach 140 for 7.Karachi were given a stable start with an 18-ball 32 from Fakhar Zaman but they lost four wickets in a span of 12 deliveries, of which three were taken by Zulfiqar Babar, to stutter to 42 for 4. They never recovered from there as only two more batsmen reached double figures and were eventually bundled for 91 with three overs to spare. Babar finished with 4 for 16 in his four overs.Group CEhsan Adil and Mohammad Talha starred in Faisalabad Wolves’ 15-run win against Islamabad Leopards, their first in the tournament. Adil and Talha took three wickets each to restrict Islamabad to 143 for 8, in response to a target of 159.Islamabad had good contributions from Babar Azam and Imad Wasim, who added 68 runs for the third wicket. Azam scored 40 off 38 balls while Wasim struck a 37-ball 54 with four fours and two sixes. Once both were dismissed, however, the rest of the Islamabad line-up offered little resistance.Earlier, Asif Ali’s unbeaten 43-ball 73 guided Faisalabad to 158 for 7. Asif’s knock was the standout performance in an innings where the next best score was 19. The batsman slammed three fours and six sixes in his innings.Group DFifties from Umar Siddiq and Umar Akmal, and a strong bowling performance helped Lahore Lions rout Dera Murad Jamali Ibexes by 82 runs.Put in to bat, Lahore Lions put up a challenging 180 for 3 due, largely, to Siddiq and Akmal. The pair was involved in a 97-run, third-wicket partnership that was broken after Akmal was dismissed for 68 off 41 balls, with eight fours and a six. Siddiq remained unbeaten on 53 off 35 balls with six fours.In reply, Dera Murad Jamali mustered a mere 98, as their innings stumbled from one collapse to another. Aizaz Cheema, Saad Nasim and Ahmed Shehzad took two wickets apiece. Mohammad Ayub top-scored for Dera Murad Jamali with 26 off 28 balls, and only two other batsmen managed double-digit scores.

Jesse Ryder and Doug Bracewell will not be considered for the second Test against India in Wellington, New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2014Jesse Ryder and Doug Bracewell will not be considered for the second Test against India in Wellington, New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said. Ryder and Bracewell, who were in the squad for the first Test, are under investigation by New Zealand Cricket for staying out late at an Auckland bar the night before that match began.”We’ll be naming our second Test side tomorrow or maybe later on today and neither Jesse Ryder nor Doug Bracewell will be available for selection,” Hesson said.Bracewell suffered a broken foot during that period which ruled him out of any cricket for a while. He returned to his hometown Napier, while Ryder made an unbeaten century for Otago in an ongoing Plunket Shield match against Central Districts in Nelson.Hesson declined to say anything on the duo’s future while the investigation was underway but added that he expected players to make “good decisions” about their preparation ahead of a game.”There’s an investigation taking place and we’ll let that run its course before making any bold statements about that sort of thing. Once we get the full information and facts, we’ll be in a far better position to make a statement. It’s important we don’t jump to conclusions without getting the full facts.”We need to make sure all our players prepare themselves accordingly for Test cricket and at the moment we don’t have confidence that that’s the case.”We have faith in our players that they make good decisions around their preparation. We’re dealing with grown men so if a player was to have a beer with their meal before a game we don’t have an issue with that at all. These are grown men who can make decisions. There’s a bit difference between that and what occurred the night before the Test.”Bracewell and Ryder have had a history of disciplinary issues. During the series against South Africa in March 2012, both were dropped from the ODI team after breaking team protocol, following the match in Napier. In November last year, Bracewell was dropped from the Central Districts side for an HRV Cup game after a late night out.The ODI against South Africa in Napier in March 2012 was also the last match Ryder played for New Zealand until his recent comeback against West Indies. Following the incident, the batsman decided to take an indefinite break from cricket. In March 2013, Ryder was assaulted outside a bar in Christchurch and spent two days in a medically induced coma before making a recovery. In August 2013, he was given a retrospective six-month ban for failing a routine drug test while playing domestic cricket.

ESPNcricinfo previews the opening game of the World T20 as hosts Bangladesh try to keep emotions together against flamboyant Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur15-Mar-2014Match factsMarch 16, 2014
Start time 3.30pm local (0930 GMT)Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan have the weight of a nation on their shoulders•AFPBig pictureIn the three host cities, street corners have been spruced up with more than just the extra coat of paint. Christmas-like lightings have made Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet look quite different. The cricket stadiums have been made to look like someone’s wedding is around the corner.Security men, thousands of them, have taken up their positions, flash mob videos have been YouTubed and almost everything else is in place in Bangladesh for the World T20. All except the host nation’s cricket team.They play on the opening day, against Afghanistan, with the threat of elimination hanging over both teams. Since only one team will qualify from Group A of the World T20’s first round, result of this particular game will set the mood of the tournament in the country.For Afghanistan, the extra pressure on Bangladesh is an advantage. They have already taken the upper-hand by beating the home side in the Asia Cup earlier this month, and have been talking up this exact phenomenon at every opportunity. They would like to latch on every opportunity, particularly with Shapoor and Dawlat Zadran with the new ball.However, they have lost some momentum in their last four outings, particularly with the bat. Mohammad Shahzad, captain Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari have to take control of the top, middle and lower-order while at the same time, Nabi and Shenwari have a tough job ahead of them with the older ball.The return from injury of Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza and Sohag Gazi will be a welcome boost for the home side, but the two senior pros still have be handled with care. Tamim has to be monitored daily for his neck strain while Mashrafe has to play with the sort of discomfort he has always played with. Gazi’s finger injury has healed considerably, and he is match fit too.Shakib Al Hasan will have a major say on the game too, particularly having claimed the No. 3 position in T20s. Bangladesh also have the luxury to pick either of Anamul Haque or Shamsur Rahman to open with Tamim, but a tougher call is required when they have to pick two among Mominul Haque, Sabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah. Conventional wisdom would be slightly harsh on Mominul but Sabbir and Mahmudullah are more useful after Mushfiqur Rahim in the batting order in T20s.Shakib will also be the key bowler for Mushfiqur, but it will be rotating the others around the lead left-arm spinner that will be the real test for the captain. Bangladesh will want a good day for Rubel Hossain and Abdur Razzak, which would balance out the bowling attack.Without taking a negative look at the outcome of this game, consider the possibilities for both sides. If Bangladesh win, they will have one foot in the second round, and a chance to ride on the wave of excitement and frenzy of a cricket-mad nation gone madder for its team. If Afghanistan does the same, they will have endless possibilities in front of them and all the bragging rights that an Associate nation can have in progress.The match will be full of emotional highs and the tension will be at its peak. This, bear in mind, is the first game of the tournament.Form guide
(Completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLWL
Afghanistan LLWWLWatch out for
He has returned after a month-long break with a neck strain, and haven’t Bangladesh missed Tamim Iqbal dearly? He will be tasked to take full advantage of the Powerplay against Afghanistan’s impressive pace attack, which will be the sort of contest he relishes.Mohammad Nabi has not fired fully in this trip to Bangladesh, so this is the big occasion for him. He is Afghanistan’s captain and most talented cricketer, and will be expected to have a major influence with the bat and offspin.Team news
Bangladesh will have to leave out Al-Amin Hossain if Mashrafe Mortaza is fit to play. There will be a last-minute call between Farhad Reza and Sohag Gazi depending on who offers Mushfiqur more safety. Either one of Mominul Haque and Sabbir Rahman would be given a place in the playing XI.Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Mominul Haque/Sabbir Rahman, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Farhad Reza/Sohag Gazi, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza/Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel HossainBoth Twenty20 specialists Najeeb Tarakai and Shafiqullah are likely to be given places in the final XI, making it difficult for Asghar Stanikzai to find a place. Mirwais Ashraf’s medium pace will be handy in Mirpur, but he will have to fight for a spot with Gulbadin Naib, who has prior experience of playing at the ground.Afghanistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Nawroz Mangal, 3 Karim Sadiq, 4 Shafiqullah, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Samiullah Shenwari, 9 Dawlat Zadran, 10 Shappoor Zadran, 11 Hamza HotakPitch and conditions
The Mirpur wicket will cater to the demand of the organisers. There will be a flat, batting-friendly surface with short boundaries on at least one side, depending on which wicket is used for the tournament opener. By the time the match starts, the weather will cool down according to the forecast for Sunday.Stats and trivia
From the current Afghanistan team, Nabi has the highest strike-rate at 129.64, while Shenwari bowls at 5.87, the best economy rate.Despite being not out six times in his T20i career, Mushfiqur averages 18.33 with the bat in this format.Quotes
“When you’re hosting a world tournament and you want to be in the tournament and you’re afraid of getting out of it that is the sort of pressure that is on you. I personally think they [Bangladesh] are facing more pressure than us.”
“I am sure if we can minimise our mistakes from here, we will be confident as a team, which we need the most on the 16th [of March].”

Even at a time when yorkers were being pumped under India’s bat towards the end of their innings, that Sri Lanka could fluff their lines occurred to one and all

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur06-Apr-20143:00

Manjrekar: Versatility in SL bowling came through

Even at a time when yorkers were being pumped under India’s bats towards the end of their innings, that Sri Lanka could fluff their lines occurred to one and all. By 10:26pm on a refreshingly cool Dhaka night however, the unease of the last seven years had flown away into the dark sky. Sri Lanka let emotions take over only in the end, as they remained true to practicality for much of the final, easing their path to a first major title win since 1996.While much of the talk would surround Yuvraj Singh’s inability and Sri Lanka’s efficiency with the ball in the last four overs, the 131-run chase had “tricky” written all over it. But when you have won every crucial game in the previous ten weeks, the habit takes over.When they lost four wickets, conventionally it should have been Angelo Mathews to walk in but Lasith Malinga decided that they should attack with Thisara Perera, and it paid off handsomely.”That’s why we always trust Thisara Perera,” Malinga said after the game. “We know that we have to get 7.5. Thisara has the ability to clear the boundary, whether there are fielders there or not. That’s why we wanted to send him in before Angelo. He did good for us.”Kumar Sangakkara: “I am a great believer that if you get emotional you have to use it to your advantage”•ICCKusal Perera and Tillekaratne Dilshan went after the Indian seamers but even when they were dismissed, you somehow knew that Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene would not let this one slip out of their grasp.The pair added only a run-a-ball 24 for the third wicket but Jayawardene’s batting spoke of how calm he felt even in exceptional pressure. Sangakkara, who had made a first-ball duck in the Asia Cup final just under a month ago, kept the shape of the innings and started taking chances as soon as he realised Thisara Perera was hitting it well.”What I did differently was that I probably watched the ball a bit better today,” Sangakkara said. “I was a bit more positive. Earlier when I went in at two down, I was cautious, trying to build a partnership, not being positive and showing intent. That’s something I changed today.”Malinga was pleased to see his two most experienced players ensure a smooth path, despite wickets falling at times to slow them down. He also said that the team wanted to win the game for Sangakkara and Jayawardene.”I think Sanga has been struggling because in a few matches he didn’t get runs but I am always talking with him. I know he only have to get one knock, then we will win the match. Mahela also showed his experience. We all had to do something special today, all the support staff, team members, [for these two players]. That’s why we were doing our best.”Sangakkara said that he only let emotions take over after they had reduced the chase to single-digit at the start of the 18th over. “I am a great believer that if you get emotional you have to use it to your advantage. If not, then forget about being emotional.”When we had 11 to get and I top-edged a boundary, I knew it was a couple of shots away, and with Thisara at the other end it was a done deal. That’s when I thought I could show some emotion. Sometimes you have to pump yourself up to get over the line. That’s what happened today.”This is perhaps what Sangakkara has learned from Bridgetown, Lord’s, Mumbai and Colombo in the four finals that Sri Lanka has lost. While they were crushed by Australia’s might and Pakistan’s momentum in the first two finals, they had one foot in the door in the 2011 and 2012 finals against India and West Indies.This time, they let their emotions wait and ensured their plans were fitted into the situations they faced. They had a winning feeling, having won every trophy that has come their way during this season in Bangladesh, before this final, and they applied every lesson from these months of staying together, and the seven years they were second best.That tag can now be stripped away from their skin.

Devon Smith and Tyrone Theophile gave Windward Islands a strong start, adding an unbeaten opening stand of 113 as they sought to overtake Jamaica’s strong first-innings score of 392

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2014
ScorecardDevon Smith struck his fourth fifty of the tournament•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksDevon Smith and Tyrone Theophile gave Windward Islands a strong start as they sought to overtake Jamaica’s strong first-innings score of 392. Earlier, an unbeaten fifty from Nikita Miller lifted Jamaica after the side were struggling at 266 for 6.Both Smith and Theophile were given reprieves early and they capitalized on that. Smith struck eight fours in an unbeaten 66 off 94 balls, while Theophile was not out on 44 off 98 as Windward progressed to 113 in 32 overs.Jamaica, who resumed on a strong 232 for 3, had an early stutter in the fifth over of the day when Tamar Lambert was dismissed by Kenroy Peters. A few overs later, they were 266 for 6 after Mervin Mathew had Carlton Baugh and David Bernard out in successive overs. Things looked even shakier when overnight batsman Andre McCarthy fell for 62 with the score on 304.Miller steadied the innings in the company of Damion Jacobs and the pair added 57 runs for the eighth wicket to haul Jamaica past the 350 mark. Sheldon Cottrell pushed their score to 392 before he became Shane Shillingford’s second wicket.Miller, who helped Jamaica achieve a tricky target of 167 against Barbados in the semi-final, said he had learnt from Nkrumah Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood, who had added 179 on the first day.”In the last match I had to stand up and help take the team across the line along with David Bernard,” Miller said. “I have been working hard in the nets and trying to make a contribution when I go to the crease. Bonner and Blackwood played well for us early and I looked at the way they played and took some notes from that.”Miller also said that Jamaica would put in a better fielding effort on the third day, as they look to break Windward’s opening stand.”What happened this evening here was not acceptable from a Jamaica team – 113 runs from 32 overs is not good,” Miller said. “The first half hour tomorrow is very, very vital. We will have to be come out and do a better job.”I believe once we come out and bowl the right area and take our chance we will rebound. Devon got a chance when he was on zero and the other opener Theophile got a chance when he was little or nothing, so it will be very important for us to take our chances. We will have a meeting to sort that out before we start tomorrow.”

Worcestershire upset one of the pre-tournament favourites as their spinners play a key role at Trent Bridge

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge23-May-2014
ScorecardAlexei Kervezee top-scored for Worcestershire (file photo)•Getty ImagesWorcestershire’s opening two matches suggested they were no more likely to be a force in T20 this season than in any of the previous 11, in which they have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals and reached that stage only three times. This result is something of an upset, then, given Nottinghamshire’s position as one of the tournament favourites.On a pitch of no particular pace, two of Worcestershire’s three spinners went for a little over five runs per over and Jack Shantry’s medium pace seamers were only a little less economical and none of Nottinghamshire’s impressive array of batsmen could impose themselves enough and from the third over onwards the required run-rate of just over eight an over began to drift away from them.Alex Hales made 39 from 34 balls and Samit Patel 41 from 37, however it needed a partnership to provide the momentum needed for meaningful acceleration but wickets fell at crucial moments, the most vital one probably that of Riki Wessels, who gave Brett D’Oliveira, the young legspinner, a deserved wicket for some fine bowling under pressure.Wessels and Patel had put in 35 for the fourth wicket and with 59 to get at the beginning of the 16th over a run of boundaries would have tipped the scales in favour of the home side. But at that point Wessels chipped the ball rather tamely to Ross Whiteley at long-off and three wickets in the next two overs as Nottinghamshire’s hitting veered towards the desperate effectively ended their hopes.Patel’s innings ended in the 19th over when he miscued Saeed Ajmal to be caught at third man.The steady accumulation achieved by Alexei Kervezee and Ross Whiteley, putting on 62 in 46 balls for the fifth Worcestershire wicket turned out, in the end, to be vital.Asked to bat first after Nottinghamshire won the toss, the visiting side got off to a flyer thanks to a loose opening over from Luke Fletcher, giving the left-handers Moeen Ali and Richard Oliver too much width and conceding three fours in his first four balls. Fletcher had the last word, though, producing a straight one of yorker length with his sixth ball to bowl Oliver.The over was a lesson to the Nottinghamshire attack to bowl straight and at 46 for 3 Worcestershire’s yield from the Powerplay overs was less than it might have been. Andy Carter claimed two important wickets too, having Daryl Mitchell caught behind and Ali, having hit 28 off 19 balls, taken at extra cover when he swatted a short ball high into the air.The seventh over changed the picture somewhat as Colin Munro, unable to get going against the seamers, went after Patel’s left-arm spin to sudden profit, hitting three sixes in the over, the first from a reverse sweep, the third parried back into play by Wessels, from behind the rope, to no avail.Munro did not have many more opportunities but Patel did not appear again and the New Zealander came unstuck against the junior spinner, Sam Wood, after getting little change from Fletcher and Steven Mullaney, top-edging another attempted reverse sweep, which flew over Chris Read’s head and was well caught by Carter, running around from backward square leg.Any hope of a grandstand finish from Kervezee and Whiteley was stymied when both were out in consecutive balls in the 19th as Ajmal Shahzad deceived the former with a slower ball, inducing a catch lofted to long-off, then hit the stumps with the next as Whiteley swung across it. Yet ultimately, to the disappointment of the majority in a near-7,000 crowd, they had done enough anyway.

Sri Lanka skittled England for a paltry 99, as Nuwan Kulasekara knocked off the top order and Sachithra Senanayake improved his career-best for the second match running, to secure a crushing 157-run victory

The Report by Andrew McGlashan at Chester-le-Street25-May-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:21

Sri Lanka surge back into series

Tillakaratne Dilshan anchored Sri Lanka with a sensible 88•AFPOn the eve of this one-day international, Sri Lanka’s coach Marvan Atapattu talked of his belief that the team’s fighting spirit would earn them a way back into the series. His charges proved him right in commanding fashion, skittling England for a paltry 99 to condemn them to their heaviest ODI defeat on home soil. Nuwan Kulasekara knocked off the top order and Sachithra Senanayake improved his career-best for the second match running to earn a crushing 157-run victoryIt required a reverse sweep from James Anderson to take England past their lowest ODI total – 86 against Australia, at Old Trafford in 2001 – and a six over deep-backward square leg from Eoin Morgan to avoid a record runs defeat. Alastair Cook, the injured captain who missed this match meaning Morgan was in charge, could well have been pondering what had changed in the three days since The Oval as he watched on from the balcony.Sri Lanka’s batting performance was workmanlike in tricky conditions, having been put in. Tillakaratne Dilshan top scored with 88 – his first ODI fifty on English soil – and a sparky contribution from the recalled Ashan Priyanjan, who struck two sixes in a 33-ball 43 after being dropped on 5, revived a flagging innings in the final 10 overs.Still, a total of 256 did not suggest how one-sided the second half (or quarter) would be. England’s top order was dismantled as Kulasekara took 3 for 1 in 11 deliveries while Lasith Malinga extracted Joe Root’s off stump as the innings slumped to 29 for 4 – it was a score England remained on for 25 deliveries.Michael Carberry, who had been recalled in place of Cook, could not take his opportunity when he edged Kulasekara behind and in his next over Ian Bell nicked a cut shot which was well taken by a diving Kumar Sangakkara away to his right. Kulasekara’s third of his decisive opening burst came when he straightened one on Gary Ballance to win an lbw – Morgan confirmed to Ballance there was no point in reviewing.England were being outdone by what they would see as their own methods: a hint of seam and swing against batsman with uncertain footwork. England’s bowlers had, in fact, not used the morning conditions well, failing to find consistency and, in all, offering 15 wides in Sri Lanka’s innings.Losing four wickets inside seven overs did not quite condemn England with Morgan still at the crease, but the middle order could not form a recovery of any sorts.Ravi Bopara could not pick Sachithra Senanayake at The Oval and fell to him again here, flummoxed by a delivery that did not really do too much on its way to hitting off stump. Jos Buttler, who it is often said does not have enough time to build an innings, lobbed a catch into the covers from Angelo Mathews’ first delivery, a strange dismissal where the ball appeared to stop in the surface.Hitting out at the end of an innings is one thing, but Chris Jordan could not expect to repair this damage and also fell to Senanayake. The offspinner had said Sri Lanka would find a way to overcome the cold and while his spinning fingers may have been a bit stiff they worked to impressive effect.Dilshan and Sangakkara had laid a foundation for Sri Lanka by adding 96 for the second wicket before the innings lost direction, including Mahela Jayawardene’s run out from third man as he laboured for a third run, until a fifth-wicket stand of 66 in nine overs between Mathews and the Priyanjan gave the innings some energy.Anderson was the only bowler to strike in the first half of the innings when he had Lahiru Thirimanne caught at second slip. Thirimanne’s innings was a curious one: for the majority of his 37-ball stay he could barely get the ball off the square but, out of nowhere, picked up a length delivery from Harry Gurney and launched it over midwicket for the day’s first six before nicking to James Tredwell in the slips.Dilshan was more confident, slotting two straight drives off Gurney’s second over, and later collected another boundary when he perfectly bisected deep square leg and long leg with a pull off Jordan. Having passed 15,000 international runs during the innings – the fifth Sri Lankan to do so – he went to his half-century from 63 balls. He appeared set for his 18th ODI hundred before receiving an excellent delivery from Jordan which nipped back between bat and pad.Sangakkara was largely kept quiet by the England attack until he advanced at Tredwell and lofted him over mid-on but Tredwell held his nerve in the contest and lured Sangakkara into a top-edged slog sweep. Jayawardene then gifted England his wicket when he dawdled after Dilshan had edged the ball towards third man.When Dilshan was cleaned up Jordan, England had a grip on proceedings, helped by the fact that Morgan had been able to hustle through some relatively cheap overs from Tredwell and Bopara. However, England’s fielding let them down as Priyanjan was dropped at third man by Gurney on 2 and Mathews was also given a much simpler life by Bopara on 24.Priyanjan cashed in against Tredwell when he was brought back for his last over having previously bowled nine in a row. The over cost 16 included two sixes for Priyanjan – one straight driven and one over midwicket – and sparked him on to a very handy contribution, which also included a reverse lap off Jordan before he spliced to midwicket. At the time, it appeared he had done no more than make Sri Lanka’s total competitive. Just a couple of hours later it was so much more than that.

Ian Bell has rejected the suggestion Alastair Cook is on the brink of resigning the England captaincy and said it was the performance of the players rather than any tactical shortcomings that have cost the side in Leeds

George Dobell at Headingley23-Jun-2014Ian Bell has rejected the suggestion Alastair Cook is on the brink of resigning the England captaincy and said it was the performance of the players rather than any tactical shortcomings that have cost the side in Leeds.Bell, England’s unofficial vice-captain and the man most likely to be appointed captain should Cook step down, was one of the batsmen dismissed on the fourth evening of the second Test as England finished on 57 for 5 chasing an improbable 350 for victory.While Bell praised the century by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews as “one of the best” innings of its type he had witnessed, he also accepted that England had “failed to execute their skills” or take their chances in allowing their opposition back into the game. In particular, he conceded that England’s bowlers had pitched too short and the fielders had failed to cling on to a succession of opportunities.”It looks like we’re going to lose this Test,” Bell said. “And that is absolutely gutting. But there is absolutely no doubt [that Cook will continue as captain]. I don’t think the tactics were wrong. I don’t think he could have done anything more.Dhammika Prasad ripped through England’s top order to cap a woeful day for the home side•Getty Images”Our plans were to get the ball full and we didn’t quite do that. I don’t think the bowlers will sit there and say they got it right. It felt the kind of wicket that, with anything short, you wanted to make the most of it.”And we, as batsman, had an opportunity with the bat to bury them in the first innings. We didn’t take it and I think they showed what good teams do: when people are down, you have to keep them down.”We had chances in the field and we put them down. You can’t do that with good teams. You can’t give those world-class players opportunities or they will hurt you. They’ve been outstanding today, but we’ve been really disappointing. We’ve been outplayed. They recognised today was a massive day and they’ve won it.”As a group, we’ve got to help him [Cook]. We’ve got to get right behind him and start performing as a team. He’s got more hundreds than anyone in an England shirt and he’s been one of the best batsmen I’ve ever played with. Form is temporary. One innings and he’ll be flying again. So I’m not worried about his batting at all.”Bell offered warm praise for Mathews’ century, but admitted that England had erred tactically in giving him singles in the hope of attacking his lower-order partners. Instead, Bell, suggested, they should also have attempted to dismiss Mathews.”Hats off to him,” Bell said. “It was an incredible knock. He’s played arguably one of the best knocks we’ve seen against us, certainly shepherding the tail. I can’t remember one, since I’ve been playing, that was better than that towards the back end, the way he has played with the bowlers.”But you look back with hindsight and I think if you want to stop someone like that scoring runs you get them out, don’t you? You don’t just try to stop them scoring. But I hope tomorrow that we’ve got five guys who can show what it means to wear an England shirt and come out with some pride and at least do something.”We’ve been working really well and there’s this one really bad day we’ve had in the last eight or nine. In a two-match series, you can have one bad day and lose it. If this was a five-match series, we could fight our way back in, but we can’t.”

Jack Leaning’s first century for Yorkshire in any form of cricket could not prevent his side crashing to defeat against Essex in a high-scoring Royal London Cup match at Scarborough.

Press Association11-Aug-2014
ScorecardTom Westley scored his first List A hundred in Essex’s impressive chase•Getty ImagesJack Leaning’s first century for Yorkshire in any form of cricket could not prevent his side crashing to defeat against Essex in a high-scoring Royal London Cup match at Scarborough.The 20-year-old’s unbeaten 111 helped Yorkshire to a challenging 290 for 6 off their 50 overs – but Essex opener Tom Westley and captain Ryan ten Doeschate plundered centuries of their own to give their team a five-wicket success.Westley and his captain shared a mammoth fifth-wicket stand of 209 in 31 overs – a partnership only eight runs short of being the highest against Yorkshire for any wicket in one-day cricket. Westley’s 111 was also his maiden List A ton, while ten Doeschate blasted 119 from 101 balls with nine fours and six sixes.Essex’s victory, with 25 balls to spare, moved them joint top of the table with Yorkshire, leaving both sides in with an excellent chance of making it through to the quarter-finals.Essex head coach Paul Grayson said: “At the halfway stage we were slightly disappointed that Yorkshire had reached 290 but it was a good pitch and we felt we just needed one or two batsmen to take some responsibility – and Westley and ten Doeschate did so. I think we are well placed to make the quarter-finals but one more win should guarantee it.”Sunday’s torrential rain left large areas of the pitch under four inches of water with the chances of play on the opening day of the 128th Festival looking slim – but groundsman John Dodds worked wonders to ensure a prompt start for the 3,200 crowd under sunny skies and in a strong wind.Although Adam Lyth made promising progress early on for the hosts, Alex Lees departed for 8 in the sixth over, his off stump being knocked back by David Masters, the pick of the Essex attack with 4 for 34 runs from his 10 overs.Kane Williamson lunged wildly at a ball outside off stump from Masters, only to edge to wicketkeeper James Foster, then when Lyth was run out for a run-a-ball 38 by a direct hit from Kishen Velani, Yorkshire were 55 for 3.However, Leaning joined captain Andrew Gale and the fourth-wicket pair steadied things up with some careful batting – with Leaning’s boundary over mid-on the first in 11 overs. Gale was in an hour before striking his first four but in the same over that he drove ten Doeschate over long on for six he slapped a catch to Tim Phillips at backward point and departed for 45.Adil Rashid soon became Masters’ third victim to make it 154 for 5 but Leaning and Andrew Hodd rapidly advanced the score with a quickfire partnership of 109 in 12 overs.Leaning’s 50 arrived off 67 balls and, warming to his theme, he blasted Phillips over midwicket for six and four before hoisting a Graham Napier full toss high over the rope.Hodd got a six with a remarkable reverse slog-sweep at Reece Topley but in attempting another similar shot he was bowled by Masters for 42.Essex had lost much of their earlier control and Napier sent down several wides, his final over of the innings costing 23 runs and providing consecutive sixes for Leaning, the first of which raised his century off 97 deliveries with four fours and three sixes.The final ball was belted over square leg for six by Bresnan, 124 runs gushing from the last 10 overs and Napier’s 10 overs costing him 84 wicketless runs. Leanings innings spanned 99 balls and he hit four fours and four sixes.The visitors got off to a dreadful start, their first three wickets going down for 15 runs in six overs. Mark Pettini was caught behind off the third legitimate ball of the innings from Jack Brooks, before Greg Smith and Velani departed in consecutive overs from Bresnan.Westley remained firm at the top of the order, however, while Jesse Ryder took the attack to Yorkshire in style, hitting six fours and a six in his 36 off 27 balls before slapping Richard Pyrah to Lyth at point.Then ten Doeschate launched himself into the bowling by driving Leaning, Pyrah and Rashid for sixes – just beating Westley to the 50 mark despite batting for 14 fewer overs.The stand reached 100 in 16 overs and Essex were left needing 123 to win off 20 overs, the target drawing closer as Westley struck Steven Patterson for six and ten Doeschate pulled Leaning over midwicket for another maximum.The Powerplay was taken at 203 for 4 after 34 overs and Yorkshire were powerless to stop the onslaught, ten Doeschate dashing to his century from 86 balls with seven fours and six sixes and Westley following him to three figures from 120 deliveries with eight fours and a six.The skipper eventually fell by mishooking Patterson to Lyth with the score on 277 but it was all too late for the home side and Westley finished things off with a six off Adil Rashid, who went for 71 runs from 8.5 overs.