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The New Zealand coach, Mike Hesson, is under no illusions how brittle his Test side remains but has been buoyed by the one-day series victory against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2013The New Zealand coach, Mike Hesson, is under no illusions how brittle his Test side remains but has been buoyed by the one-day series victory against South Africa.New Zealand were humbled by an innings in both Tests on the tour, which included being bowled out for 45 in Cape Town, before turning their fortunes around with one-day success and they came within a whisker of a whitewash only to lose the final ODI off the last ball.”In Test cricket, we’ve still got a long way to go,” Hesson admitted on his return to New Zealand. “We’re a long way off the pace in Test cricket, we have to acknowledge that, and we know we have a lot of work to do.”Achieving one-day silverware went against recent form for New Zealand who had slipped to ninth in the rankings, but the form of experienced allrounders James Franklin and Grant Elliott, a fantastic hundred from Kane Williamson, and the emergence of Mitchell McClenaghan, the left-arm quick, were the catalysts for gritty performances.”We had a few new faces and a few older ones that came back and they were really keen to make an impact and they did,” Hesson said. “When they came back, they lifted the whole vibe. We were a bit down after the Test series, there was no doubt about that. We were clearly outplayed.”But the work we put in between then and the end of the tour, mentally as much as anything, was pleasing. We attacked that first game with real aggression and I think we stuck at that throughout the whole series.”Hesson’s focus now switches to the visit of England for a full tour which includes three matches in each format, starting with the Twenty20s, and the Tests in March will be another thorough examination of New Zealand’s credentials in the longer format although they should be boosted by the return of Ross Taylor.”The Twenty20 is first and that will be our focus for a start, but we”ll be trying to build on this series,” Hesson said. “We want to improve with every series. We’re not world beaters yet; we’ve played three pretty good games, but we’re looking to improve more in the T20s and leading into the one-dayers.”

Anamul Haque got over his lean patch in the BPL with a sparkling 83, helping Dhaka Gladiators to an 88-run win over Rangpur Riders

The Report by Mohammad Isam05-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAnamul Haque ended a run of lean scores with an 83•AFP

Anamul Haque got over his lean patch in the BPL with a sparkling 83, helping Dhaka Gladiators to an 88-run win over Rangpur Riders. After a half-century in the opening game, Anamul hadn’t made a major contribution until today; he went after the Riders’ bowlers to help his side to a BPL record team score.With this win the Gladiators lead the points table through a better run-rate, ahead of second-placed Sylhet Royals, who have also won six games. It was the Riders’ fifth loss in as many games.Anamul struck five sixes and six boundaries in his 46-ball effort, and when he fell in the 19th over, Gladiators had closed in on 200. With Shakib Al Hasan, Anamul added 82 for the third wicket before the whirlwind 77-run fourth-wicket stand with Darren Stevens.In both these partnerships, Shakib and Stevens attacked more than Anamul, though the quieter role suited the youngster. Gladiators were boosted by Tillakaratne Dilshan’s arrival, but the Sri Lankan was left stranded in the middle of the pitch after he was deceived by debutant Murad Khan.Mohammad Ashraful gave a catch to the only man behind him on the leg side, but Anamul, Shakib and Stevens made up for those losses. Shakib made 42 off 24 balls with two sixes and four boundaries, while Stevens hammered three fours and two sixes in his 22-ball 42.The Riders promoted Kevin O’Brien to open the innings but the Ireland allrounder was run out after he had started off promisingly with two sixes, one of which reached the second tier of the grandstand after he had pulled Mashrafe Mortaza in the first over.Junaid Siddique and Nasir Hossain tried to force the pace in the Powerplay overs but both fell cheaply, giving no further leverage to the Riders’ chase. Shakib took three wickets while Mashrafe and Ashraful took two.

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2013
ScorecardA storming final day lifted Tasmania from the bottom rungs of the Sheffield Shield table to the top, their victory over a free-falling Victoria handing the Tigers a third consecutive appearance in the final and the priceless advantage of hosting it.Set 337 to win and host the final themselves after leading the table for much of the summer, the Bushrangers lost their wickets in two clumps either side of an 80-run stand between David Hussey and Peter Handscomb. James Faulkner again showed his knack for vital wickets, claiming five as Tasmania maintained their standing as the most consistent domestic side in the country.Tasmania had a stiff task ahead of them at the start of the day to achieve a result on a good pitch, but bold innings by the youngster Jordan Silk – a century in only his second Shield appearance – and Ricky Ponting allowed captain George Bailey to declare for the second time in the match.They ultimately won with more than 10 overs to spare, before Queensland’s win over Western Australia in Perth ensured the final would be played between the Tigers and the Bulls for the second season in a row, only this time in Hobart rather than Brisbane.

He may have had to accept a draw in his maiden match as Surrey captain, but Graeme Smith welcomed the first steps on his new journey with cautious optimism.

George Dobell at The Oval20-Apr-2013
ScorecardGraeme Smith, sharing a laugh with Marcus Trescothick, enjoyed his first game with his new club•PA Photos

He may have had to accept a draw in his maiden match as Surrey captain, but Graeme Smith welcomed the first steps on his new journey with cautious optimism.Perhaps, if Steven Davies had held on to a tough chance from Alviro Petersen early in his second innings, and perhaps, if Surrey had included another seamer, they might even have forced victory in this game. Perhaps it was simply the loss of more than a session to rain on day two that was decisive.But, after everything that has happened at Surrey in the last 12 months, it would be wrong to judge success purely by winning or losing. Smith, a mature leader who had seen his share of triumph and disaster, knows this. He is committed to the club for the long haul and saw plenty to encourage him in the display of his new team-mates.”Everyone is speaking a lot about last year,” Smith said. “So for the players it is good to have taken the step into the new season and set those new parameters and boundaries. It’s good to move away from the experiences of last year.”We want to get the enjoyment back. We want to play good tough cricket. That’s what we are trying to instil in the club.”I certainly enjoyed the four days. We have got a lot out of it – a lot of positives – and I think we finished the four days the stronger team. It was good to see that character from them.”As it was, this match petered out. Or Petersened out, if you prefer. The South African opener came within nine of becoming the first man to score a century in both innings of his maiden first-class match for Somerset. As it is, he will have to be content with overtaking Cameron White as the highest aggregate scorer in his first game for the club. The last man to score 100 in his maiden first-class game for Somerset was, unlikely though it sounds, Andrew Strauss. He made an unbeaten 109 against the Indians at Taunton in 2011.While Petersen has quickly proved himself a decent overseas signing – with the only caveat being that he will play on many trickier surfaces than this – perhaps of more long-term significance was the performance of Jos Buttler. It would be wrong to read too much into one innings on a flat track but, at a time when Somerset were threatening to coax some drama out of a routine situation, he held firm against some demanding bowling and with his team under some pressure. With time running out, he fell to a catch on the long on boundary attempting to reach his third first-class century with a six.With Buttler, it is the strokes he does not play that are as relevant as those he does. No-one doubts his ability to hit the ball cleanly or conjure outrageous strokes. It is his ability to defend and deny that remains in doubt. So, while the last 40 or so runs of this innings might linger longest in the memory – he produced some of those trademark straight drives and several powerful pulls as he accelerated in search of his century – it was the first 50 that really impressed. It showed a young man responding to his team’s needs with a restrained, mature performance that exhibited a decent defence and an ability to leave and play straight. The runs that followed, with the game saved, were soft.The cause of Somerset’s earlier predicament was Stuart Meaker. After a disappointing first innings display, he bowled with pace, swing and accuracy in the second. He dismissed two England opening batsmen – Marcus Trescothick drawn into playing at one that left him and Nick Compton punished for playing slightly across an inswinging yorker – on the way to the ninth five-wicket haul of his career. The ability to dismiss such high-quality players on such flat pitches is precious.Had he enjoyed more support, Surrey may well have prevailed. Jade Dernbach continued to bowl well, but the selection of a second spinner instead of a really effective third seamer hampered Surrey. Gary Keedy bowled 37.5 overs in the match and claimed only one wicket – caught on the boundary – for 116 runs.Later Meaker beat Alfonso Thomas for pace, when an understandably timid forward prod brought an inside edge on to the stumps, and sustained Peter Trego’s grim run of form – he has suffered three ducks already this season – by inducing an outside edge and then beat Jamie Overton for pace, too. The only concern was that he was forced off with a thigh strain and must be considered a doubt ahead of the next game.”Stuart is an X-factor cricketer,” Smith said afterwards. “He has the pace; he has the skill. He has an interesting winter – going on tour with England but not really playing – and confidence is very important. He’ll go on to be successful.”At one stage, with Somerset on 82 for 4 and leading by just 98, it seemed he might have earned his side an unlikely chance of victory. But Davies dropped Petersen down the leg side – Zander de Bruyn was the unfortunate bowler – when he had scored only 13 and he and Buttler added 111 for the fifth-wicket to make the game safe. Petersen has already scored more runs (235 at an average of 21.36; he only passed 20 once in 11 innings) than he managed in his seven-match stint with Essex last year. Essex’s record of reducing their team to far less than the sum of its parts is remarkable.”Alviro was the difference in this game,” Smith said. “His runs kept Somerset ahead of the game. He is an outstanding player and he showed that in both innings.”The pitch didn’t deteriorate as much as we thought it would. We thought it would turn more. Maybe we could have with an extra seamer. But we were under pressure at the end of day two but have finished the match the stronger of the two sides, so that is very pleasing. We would love to have wickets with good pace and bounce. It’s been a long, rough winter for the surface.”We were looking at big improvement from the batting unit from last year, so to have two guys make centuries under pressure was very good.”I thought Rory Burns handled the pressure really well. He is a young guy, but he seems to understand his game and understand what it takes to be successful. And Steve Davies looked like he enjoyed his four days. His batting was controlled; his glovework was excellent. He was very tidy. If you don’t notice a keeper they’ve done well. I think he went unnoticed. If he can bat like that and keep like that it will be a very successful season for him.”Smith, meanwhile, is already hinting that he may like to extend his stay. While he dismissed any suggestion of any imminent retirement from international cricket with South Africa, he did not rule out the possibility of registering as a Kolpak or extending his deal as an overseas player in the future.”At the end of your career, if the opportunities come, you never know,” Smith said. “Obviously I have three years at Surrey and if things go well I would love to extend that opportunity. I have signed for three years for a reason. If I have more to offer then I’d love to stay.”It was easy to see why. On a perfect summer day, a crowd of just under 1,400 witnessed the conclusion of a good quality game between two fine sides. The club has been through a harrowing episode that will never be forgotten but quietly and respectfully, the smile is returning to the face of Surrey cricket.

Wasim Akram has said he will encourage Pakistan’s latest breed of fast bowlers to adopt an aggressive approach in order to be successful

Umar Farooq20-Apr-2013Wasim Akram has said he will encourage Pakistan’s latest breed of fast bowlers to adopt an aggressive approach in order to be successful but he can’t magically bring rewards.Akram, a former captain, has started working with the country’s quicks after coming to a short-term agreement with the PCB. He commenced a 10-day training camp at the National Stadium in Karachi for 18 of Pakistan’s top fast bowlers, including members of the national team and some new, raw talent.The camp was set up ahead of the Champions Trophy in June in England and Akram said that the change to regulations in one-day cricket were tough for bowlers.”You need to be aggressive and learn how to adapt to these rule changes. Pakistani bowlers have a lot of talent but they need to learn and adapt to the demands of international cricket.

Pakistan’s pace pack at Karachi camp

Wahab Riaz (L), Zia-ul-Haq (L), Mohamamd Aftab (L), Rahat Ali (L), Mohamamd Irfan (L), Junaid Khan (L), Sadaf Hussain (L), Hammad Azam (R), Ahmad Jamal (R), Asad Ali (R), Ehsan Adil (R), Mohammad Talha (R), Bilawal Bhatti (R), Imran Khan (R), Tabish Khan (R), Anwar Ali (R), Aziz Ullah (RAF), Atta Ullah (R)

“With the change in ODI cricket, that you can’t keep more than four fielders outside the circle in a 50-over match at any time, and the rising popularity of T20 cricket means pace bowlers now need to be more adaptable.”I will advise these bowlers that to be successful in this scenario, aggression is a must with top grade fitness, pace and the ability to have length variation. T20 cricket has changed the mentality of batsmen. The odds are stacked against the bowlers. First I will tell them how to swing the ball, then reverse swing and how to make use of the yorkers.”I am not a magician able to work wonders in ten days but I will try my level best to help them in phases and hope that the same training camp is staged after a break of three to four months,” he added. “I will be there in the camp and then at the Champions Trophy so will do my best to help them to learn and mature.”Prior to the Champions Trophy, Pakistan will tour Scotland and Ireland to play a two-match ODI series each. After the South Africa tour which ended in March there is feeling prevailing around the country that Pakistan’s pace-bowling resources are declining but Akram is not too concerned about the future.””I don’t think it’s a serious concern. The talent is definitely there but these kids need experience and must learn to adapt to the demands of international cricket where they are found wanting,” he said.”It’s not easy to found someone with 145kph pace, you need to do scouting and hunting for fast bowlers and I am sure there will be talent.”The grounds in South Africa were green but you need a certain strategy to bowl, so until and unless they learn it they will not be able to turn their potential into performances.”

David Willey took his Championship wicket-tally to 15 in five innings by taking 4 for 71 on the opening day against Gloucestershire

24-Apr-2013
ScorecardDavid Willey continued his impressive start to the season with the ball•PA Photos

David Willey took his Championship wicket-tally to 15 in five innings by taking 4 for 71 on the opening day against Gloucestershire at Bristol. Thanks largely to the left-arm seamer, the home side were able to post only 192 all out after winning the toss, 18-year-old wicketkeeper Cameron Herring top-scoring with 43 in his first Championship innings.Steven Crook, James Middlebrook and Trent Copeland, who conceded only 26 runs from 18 overs, provided able support for Willey. By the close the visitors had replied with 107 for 3.Gloucestershire’s County Ground is a building site at the moment with ground development work continuing behind the bowler’s arm at both ends. Perhaps that contributed to a tentative batting display by the hosts, who were 9 for 2 in the seventh over, with Willey having Chris Dent taken in the slips and bowling Dan Housego pushing forward.Michael Klinger was caught behind playing forward to Crook for 23 and, with the ball moving in the air and off the seam, may have regretted his decision to bat. Crook accounted for Alex Gidman, as he was caught at first slip by Andrew Hall and it was 70 for 5 when Hamish Marshall was caught behind off Willey for 8 in the final over before lunch.Will Gidman offered a second catch to Sales to give Willey his fourth wicket and although Benny Howell (31) looked in better form than most, he had his stumps rearranged by Crook pushing forward to make it 111 for 7.Herring and Jack Taylor then put together an attractive stand of 48, which ended when offspinner Middlebrook was introduced into the Northants attack. He accounted for Taylor with the score on 159 as the batsman skied to mid-off. David Payne was then stumped by David Murphy off the medium pace of Hall for a duck.Herring was last man out, stumped advancing down the track to Middlebrook, having hit eight fours in an 81-ball innings of immense promise.The teenager’s good day continued when he dived to catch Kyle Coetzer for 24 off Will Gidman to break a Northants opening stand of 41. Sales pulled a simple catch to mid-wicket off Liam Norwell and departed kicking himself for 5. Then Stephen Peters, on 34, repeated the shot against the same bowler and was brilliantly caught by Will Gidman at mid-on.

Mohammad Ashraful’s Bangladesh team-mates have expressed their surprise at his admission of involvement in match-fixing and spot-fixing during the BPL

Mohammad Isam08-Jun-2013Mohammad Ashraful has continued to be the subject of discussion at all levels of the public sphere in Bangladesh over the last four days. Some of his national team-mates have also weighed in, expressing their surprise at his admission of involvement in match-fixing and spot-fixing during the BPL.Shakib Al Hasan said he had also heard questions about February’s BPL match between Dhaka Gladiators and Chittagong Kings, but wasn’t around the players’ dugout long enough to understand the situation.”After the match everyone was talking about it. The opposition players were asking us, ‘so you’ve thrown the game?’ Shakib told the Dhaka-based . “They were asking questions about Dhaka’s slow batting and the big no-ball (by Gladiators’ Mahbubul Alam).”I was not present in the dugout for too long. I was working on my injury inside the dressing room. Since I didn’t play that game, I can’t be sure how difficult the wicket was for batting.”Shahriar Nafees, a student of the same cricket academy where Ashraful began his career, lauded his courage to speak the truth, but wanted just punishment for the guilty. “This is a sad chapter in Bangladesh cricket.” Nafees said. “I have to compliment his courage to come out and confess. I am feeling bad for him, but if he has committed the crime, he has to be punished appropriately.”Mushfiqur Rahim, Ashraful’s Bangladesh captain for the last two years, sent him a text message that said: ‘Allah will be looking after you for being able to gather the courage to confess your guilt before you die. Thanks for the honesty you have shown and I hope you will again return to the cricket field.’Other team-mates like Enamul Haque jnr and Alok Kapali also spoke out. “I was totally shocked when I read about it in the newspaper,” said Enamul, now playing for Wolverhampton in the Birmingham Cricket League. “It seemed like someone close to you was going far away as I heard his confession.”Kapali, who was among 13 Bangladeshi cricketers who left for the Indian Cricket League in 2008 and was ostracised as a result, had a different message for Ashraful. “I am feeling bad for him but I don’t think we need so much money in our life that we need to get involved in fixing.” Kapali said. “Look at Shakib, he is playing the world over. If you play well, money will follow you.”

The 2013 Champions Trophy has been deemed such a success that it appears highly likely that the competition will be repeated.

George Dobell22-Jun-2013The 2013 Champions Trophy has been deemed such a success that it appears highly likely that the competition will be repeated.The ICC had originally decided to replace the competition with a Test Championship and the 2013 tournament would be the last one. But after excellent crowds and interest from around the world, the ICC are reconsidering that decision and will discuss their options at their annual conference, from June 25-29 in London.The ICC remain keen to promote Test cricket and feel a Test Championship would complement the World T20 and the World Cup and ensure there was a high-profile competition for each of the three formats of the game. While continuing the Champions Trophy would mean there were two global 50-over events, it is now thought there is sufficient difference between the Champions Trophy and the World Cup and sufficient interest from broadcasters for both to survive.The Test Championship is pencilled into the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for a three-week window in June 2017 in the UK. But the concept in its present guise is compromised by the fact that it would involve just four teams – the top four teams in the Test rankings – and would feature only three games: two semi-finals and a final. As such, it would be of less relevance and interest to those nations not participating and may be less attractive to broadcasters. There is little scope in the FTP for a longer event or a change in venue.The ICC privately acknowledges that, even if the event was held successfully in 2017, there is a concern over its sustainability. Among their issues is the possibility that one of the key nations in terms of broadcast revenues, most obviously India, might not always be ranked among the top four Test nations, while there is also a concern that, outside the UK, games between neutral countries may not be well supported. The ICC is keen to avoid a situation where its flagship Test event is played in near-empty stadiums.While the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy is threatened by poor weather, 12 of the 15 games will have had sell-out crowds (defined as a minimum 95% of the ground capacity) with the multicultural population of the UK helping guarantee enthusiastic audiences at most games. Sensible ticket pricing has also played a part.The Champions Trophy has, for much of its existence, been unloved. But the short, sharp format involving only the top eight sides playing for only 18 days in which nearly every game has a consequence has captured the imagination of the cricket-watching public. By contrast, the 2011 World Cup lasted six weeks and featured some tediously one-sided encounters.There is a chance that the 2013 trophy may have to be shared as rain threatens to intervene in the final. Such is the frenetic international schedule it was deemed impossible to allocate reserve days. England and New Zealand, for example, play a T20 on Tuesday, just two days after the Champions Trophy final, while Australia being their Ashes preparations in earnest on Wednesday when they start a four-day match against Somerset.Whatever its faults, the strengths of the Champions Trophy format have been apparent over the last couple of weeks and, as the details of a Test Championship are considered in more detail, the Trophy has arguably never appeared so attractive.

England’s selectors could delay a decision on Kevin Pietersen’s availability for the third Investec Test at Old Trafford when they make an announcement on an expanded squad on Sunday morning

Andrew McGlashan27-Jul-2013England’s selectors are likely to delay a decision on Kevin Pietersen’s availability for the third Investec Test at Old Trafford by naming him in an expanded squad on Sunday morning, which will include batting cover in case his calf strain does not recover.Pietersen has been undergoing extensive treatment since picking up the injury on the second day of the Lord’s Test, and is likely to be given another couple of days to show whether he will be able to get through five days in Manchester. Had these been back-to-back Tests, Pietersen would have been ruled out, but the 10-day break has worked in his favour.England, though, will not take any risks, and are unlikely to be overly concerned should Pietersen’s injury keep him out. He remains a crucial asset to the team, but apart from an important 64 in the second innings at Trent Bridge, has had a stuttering start to the Ashes series, and England will feel they can cover for his absence.James Taylor, currently playing for Sussex against the Australians, remains the leading candidate to provide batting cover (and come into the side if required), and was unbeaten on 64 at the end of the second day.It would be a quirk of fate if it were to be Taylor who replaced Pietersen, given the stories that emerged following his Test debut against South Africa, at Headingley last year, where he had an extended partnership with Pietersen, although may not have overly impressed his senior team-mate.After being abruptly dropped after his two appearances against South Africa, and not even named in the England performance squad at the start of the season, Taylor was told to churn out the runs at domestic level and work on some technical flaws which concerned the selectors, specifically his ability to handle deliveries outside off stump.His performances for Nottinghamshire, where he has made 824 runs at 58.85 in the Championship, mean he has done all he can at county level to make the selectors consider him again.The other batsmen who would perhaps come under consideration all have significant issues against a call-up. Eoin Morgan has yet to play first-class cricket this season (although he did train with England during the Lord’s Test), Ravi Bopara has picked up a side strain which has prevented him from bowling and playing in Essex’s recent Championship match against Leicestershire, while Nick Compton, dropped shortly before the Ashes began, is not a like-for-like middle-order replacement.Given England’s healthy position in the series, and the success of the bowling attack at Lord’s, there is no overwhelming need to tinker with the bowlers, although the conditions at Old Trafford will be taken into consideration. In the past, before the square was turned to face north-south instead of east-west, it was renowned for pace, bounce and, later in the match, spin.The pace element remains a slightly unknown factor on the new pitches – although last year’s Twenty20 against South Africa saw the ball flying through from the quicks – but there has been plenty of evidence that spin remains a key weapon. In Lancashire’s previous Championship game against Glamorgan, Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner, took 12 wickets in the match.Kerrigan’s impressive Championship season where he has taken 44 wickets at 19.72 (making him the leading spinner in the country) continue to mark him out as an England player in waiting, but if a second spinner is required on this occasion it remains likely that the selectors would opt for Monty Panesar especially after his solid showing against the Australians at Hove.At home, however, and even taking into account Australia’s issues against spin, it will take an awful lot for England to select an attack with two spinners, especially while they continue to have an major impact with the reverse swing found by James Anderson and Tim Bresnan. Joe Root, with three important wickets in the series, has also shown he is a more-than-handy option with the ball.Probable squad Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions