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James Bazley, the allrounder who had impressed in last year’s BBL, earned a contract with Queensland

Daniel Brettig13-May-2021South Australia have poached the dual Sheffield Shield-winning fast bowler Brendan Doggett from Queensland among a raft of interstate additions to their squad. According to head coach Jason Gillespie, the new-look side will have a “focus on results” after four consecutive seasons at the bottom of the first-class standings and no victories at all in any competitions last season.The recruitment of Doggett, alongside the additions of Nathan McSweeney (also from Queensland), Jake Carder (Western Australia), the Sydney Thunder’s Nathan McAndrew (New South Wales) and contract upgrades for Ryan Gibson (NSW), Samuel Kerber (Victoria) and rookie Jordan Buckingham (Victoria), marks a major departure from recent seasons in which the Redbacks tried unsuccessfully to build a home-grown team.The failing fortunes of South Australia have been a talking point across the national system and were last year the subject of an independent review by Michael Hussey that panned a culture of mediocrity and conflicts of interest within the state’s high-performance wing.Hussey’s review had included the following recommendations: “Identify and try to recruit the best young talent around the country (former Australia U-19 players not contracted) and engage them through Premier Cricket making them earn opportunities at the next level. Identify quality players from interstate with first-class experience to fill holes in the current list or holes that will develop in the near future. Target the best 10th to 15th players from other states.”South Australia had already parted ways with Will Bosisto, Tom Cooper, Brad Davis, Conor McInerney, Luke Robins and Cameron Valente – all delisted – while Callum Ferguson and Chadd Sayers retired during the season after long careers with the Redbacks.”We are extremely delighted with the additions we’ve been able to make to freshen up our squad, and we’re optimistic for an improved 2021-22 season,” Gillespie said.”We have added considerable depth and increased our pace stocks, namely with Brendan who is a two-time Sheffield Shield champion, and we welcome each new player and look forward to the beginning of pre-season. We’ve shaped this new-look team with a focus on results, and we are confident that this rejuvenated list can take this proud state forward.”Doggett and McSweeney moved to South Australia as Queensland faced a contract squeeze on account of having only one Cricket Australia-contracted player in Marnus Labuschagne. James Bazley, the allrounder who delivered some eye-catching displays for the Brisbane Heat in last year’s BBL, is the only addition to the full contract list for the Bulls.South Australia contract list: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Jake Carder, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Ryan Gibson, David Grant, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Samuel Kerber, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Tim Oakley, Lloyd Pope, Kane Richardson, Liam Scott, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall
Rookie contracts: Jordan Buckingham, Bailey Capel, Kyle Brazell, Corey Kelly, Thomas KellyQueensland contract list: Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Joe Burns, Max Bryant, Blake Edwards, Sam Heazlett, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Michael Neser, Lachlan Pfeffer, Jimmy Peirson, Matt Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood
Rookie contracts:: Jack Clayton, Matthew Willans, Connor Sully, Will Prestwidge

Catch up with the weekend action from the WBBL as the race for the knockouts hots up

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2019Amanda-Jade Wellington bowled a superb Super Over and Sophie Devine’s outstanding tournament continued in a thrilling victory for the Adelaide Strikers over the Sydney Thunder in Hobart. Devine top-scored in the main contest with 88 off 56 balls, taking her top of the run-scoring table, before striking the first ball of the Super Over chase to the boundary to ensure chasing seven to win was not an issue. Wellington, who took 3 for 17, had done superbly to keep the Thunder to six in their over after Sarah Coyte had trapped Nida Dar lbw with the final ball of the initial contest following two last-over boundaries from Rachel Trenaman which left the Thunder needing four off three. The Thunder had been well on track in the chase after an opening stand of 59 in 5.2 overs by Rachel Priest and Naomi Stalenberg but the game changed in the hands of Wellington who remove Priest, Alex Blackwell and Phoebe Litchfield.A masterclass from Australia captain Meg Lanning helped the Perth Scorchers sweep the Sydney Sixers in back-to-back matches at Lilac Hill and all but secure a semi-final berth. Chasing 165, Lanning ripped the game away from the Sixers scoring 81 from 50 balls and shared a 104-run opening stand with Amy Jones in less than 13 overs. She fell with 19 still needed from 15 balls, but Nat Sciver continued her good form making 39 not out from 22 balls to guide the side home with four balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. Earlier, Sciver made the big breakthrough with the ball removing Alyssa Healy with the first ball of the match. Healy top-edged a pull shot back to Sciver who claimed her for the second time in two days. Erin Burns and Ash Gardner both made half-centuries, with Burns batting through the innings to finish on 60 not out. But Dane van Niekerk was the only Sixers batter to strike above 133 in their total of 6 for 164 and there semi-final prospects are in the balance.November 23Sarah Coyte held her nerve in the face of a thrilling onslaught from Chloe Tryon as the Adelaide Strikers clung on for a two-run win against the Hobart Hurricanes to book a place in the semi-finals. The Hurricanes were well behind the rate when Tryon entered in the 14th over but she showed her striking power. She took 20 off the 18th over from Suzie Bates to leave 20 needed off 12 balls, then a six off the last ball of the penultimate over from Amanda-Jade Wellington left 11 needed for the last. That became six off four when Tryon found the boundary again, but Coyte then got the deliveries full and two singles were turned down only for Tryon to run off the penultimate ball leaving Tayla Vlaeminck needing four for a Super Over which proved beyond her. The Strikers’ total looked set to be much higher after an opening stand of 85 between Bates and Sophie Devine, who was dismissed for the first time in 207 deliveries, but they struggled for boundaries in the latter part of the innings. Bates’ 65 off 54 earned her the player of the match.Melbourne Renegades‘ finals hopes took a major blow after the Melbourne Stars claimed just their second win of the season thanks to 62 from Lizelle Lee in a superbly timed run chase in Ballarat. Following the early loss of skipper Elyse Villani, Lee and Mignon du Preez put on 90 to take control of the chase. The pair struck eight fours and four sixes, with du Preez making 41, but their demise in the 14th and 16th over respectively threatened to derail the chase. With 42 still needed from 27 balls, Erin Osborne (34 not out off 15) and Annabel Sutherland (16 off 16) guided the Stars home with four balls to spare. Earlier, former Stars batter Anna Lanning stood tall in her first WBBL game of the season for the Renegades. A late inclusion for the absent Sophie Molineux, Lanning made 73 from 49 balls with eight four and two sixes to help set up the Renegades total of 3 for 165. Jess Duffin made 35 not out from 17 balls in a late flourish after Tammy Beaumont fell for 39 with a couple of overs remaining.The Sydney Sixers fell to back-to-back defeats as the Perth Scorchers jumped ahead of them in the table with a crushing 52-run win to further shake up the battle for semi-final spots. Nat Sciver played a starring role with a half-century to lift the Scorchers to 5 for 152 then claimed the vital wicket of Alyssa Healy in the first over the Sixers’ chase. Without the injured Ellyse Perry at the top of the order the Sixers stumbled to 5 for 35 in the ninth over from where there was no way back. Heather Graham, who had contributed a useful 25 off 14 balls, nipped in with 2 for 17. The teams face each other again in a rematch on Sunday.November 22Amelia Kerr played a key all-round role in the Brisbane Heat’s victory•Getty Images

Defending champions the Brisbane Heat secured their semi-final spot with a seven-run victory over the Hobart Hurricanes. Grace Harris played the key innings with the bat as her 43 off 27 balls put the Heat’s innings back on course after they slipped to 4 for 58 in the 10th over. Amelia Kerr, who contributed an important 21 off 16, then struck vital blows with the ball to halt a promising start to the chase from the Hurricanes who had reached 0 for 52 in the powerplay. Kerr had Erin Fazackerley caught behind, with a juggle, first ball and then added Nicola Carey as Beth Mooney, who had a superb evening with the gloves, pulled off another excellent catch. Chloe Tryon threatened a late heist when she struck three boundaries in the penultimate over but Delissa Kimmince bowled with the third ball of the last as she comfortably defended 16.

After impressing in his first Test series, Prithvi Shaw presented a case to be considered for the shorter formats but not without some luck

Saurabh Somani in Bengaluru17-Oct-2018AFP

After heavy rain ended the contest early, it was Mumbai who marched into the Vijay Hazare Trophy final by recording their ninth consecutive win in the competition, but Hyderabad, who weren’t even sure of their participation until 12 hours prior to their first fixture, can walk away a proud side.Rohit Rayudu, the younger cousin of Ambati Rayudu, displayed admirable composure to make 122 not out. Struggling on 52 off 95 at one stage with the lower order for company, he ensured Hyderabad almost doubled their score in the last 15 overs to post a competitive 246 for 8. It wasn’t enough, though, with Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scoring half-centuries as Mumbai won by the VJD method. A drizzle that turned into a torrential downpour forced the players off the field with Mumbai 155 for 2 in 25 overs. They didn’t return.The spice in the contest was provided by two people who were part of India’s dressing room until four days ago.There are many who think Mohammed Siraj and Shaw ought to be in the mix for India in limited-overs cricket too, and not just Test cricket. Shaw, of course, announced his entry in Tests in grand style, with a Man-of-the-Series performance against West Indies on debut.Siraj was considered unlucky for not making his own debut against West Indies, with the team management ignoring his red-hot form and opting to give the cap to Shardul Thakur, who limped out of the attack with his Test career just 1.4 overs old.On Wednesday, both Shaw and Siraj showed why pitch-forking them to the top level in ODIs might be a good idea. Siraj finished with first-spell figures of 3-0-33-0, while Shaw hit a fifty off just 34 balls, but for anyone watching both were winners.Siraj was introduced in the fifth over, but the stage had been set in the third over itself. Shaw had just slogged Akash Bhandari’s legspin wide of long-on for a boundary when he pulled up clutching his right shoulder. Play was held up while the physio ran out to treat him, and Shaw resumed, but the shoulder was still troubling him.Siraj opted for a short-ball attack. It would perhaps have been his go-to tactic anyway, having seen that Shaw could be uncomfortable when the ball was climbing into his body, particularly against the West Indies quick Shannon Gabriel. With an injured right shoulder, it made sense to force Shaw to use his bottom hand more.Siraj had Shaw in some trouble in the first over, and the action peaked in his next. The first ball went to the long-on boundary, but off a toe-ended pull that just cleared mid-on. Siraj then got his bouncer on target, and Shaw got a top edge on a pull to fine-leg. M Ravi Kiran ran in, got both hands to the ball while tumbling forward, and saw it pop right out. Three balls later, there was a similar chance, but easier. Standing not as far back, Ravi Kiran reached another top-edged pull in time, but the ball popped in and out again.Siraj had handled the first drop reasonably calmly, but he was seething now, standing mid-pitch with hands on his hips and eyes that could bore a hole in the ground. Captain Ambati Rayudu gave vent to his feelings, staying mid-pitch after Siraj had walked off and glaring at the fielder.Ravi Kiran had to bowl the next over, and he had Rayudu and Siraj at mid-off and mid-on. Both put their anger aside to huddle with the bowler and offer words of encouragement, with Siraj patting him on the back. With shoulders almost visibly drooping, Ravi Kiran opted to play safe, bowling slower balls in the channel to get a quiet over in.Siraj came back for his third over. Perhaps expecting a shorter one, Shaw hung back to the second delivery. It thudded in full and it was ball hitting bat rather than the other way round. The bat flew out of Shaw’s hands, and he was clutching his shoulder again. If Siraj thought he had won, there was one final act left, and the over ended with three short balls going for 6, 6, 4. Siraj’s effort and fury should have got him Shaw’s wicket, now it worked against him, with Shaw ready to pounce, and the balls not rising quite as high either.The last shot took Shaw to his half-century, making it the fourth time in four innings in this tournament that he had passed the milestone.The scorecard will show that Shaw took 29 runs off the 14 balls he faced from Siraj. Scorecards don’t always capture the whole story – but perhaps the watching selectors might have.

Loughborough Lightning produced an upset in the Kia Super League when they defeated the previously unbeaten Surrey Stars by 81 runs at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2017Elyse Villani plundered 71 off 39 balls•Getty Images

Loughborough Lightning produced an upset in the Kia Super League when they defeated the previously unbeaten Surrey Stars by 81 runs at The Oval.On the same pitch that Surrey had been knocked out of the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast the previous evening, the Surrey women were roundly outplayed, although they still progress to Finals Day at Hove on Friday.Surrey, needing 172, made a poor start when Tammy Beaumont was lbw to Kirsten Beams in the third over. And they suffered another big blow when their big-hitting South African opener Lizelle Lee, who had hit a 44-ball 72 in the previous game against Western Storm, was caught on the deep square-leg boundary for just one.When Marizanne Kapp lost her off stump to Ellyse Perry, Surrey were really up against it at 24 for 3 in the sixth over.Natalie Sciver showed some fight when she hit Georgia Elwiss for three successive fours. But then she played on to Sarah Glenn for 24 off 18, and when Sophia Dunkley was bowled by Beth Langston and Laura Marsh was caught at deep square-leg – the three wickets falling in three overs – it really was all over for Surrey at 65 for 7 in the 14th.Lightning, who had lost three of their previous four games, had elected to bat first and lost their first wicket to the fourth ball of the innings when Sarah Glenn skied Laura March to Rene Farrell at midwicket.But fine attack innings by first Elyse Villani and then Perry lifted them to a formidable 171 for 3.Villani hit ten fours and three sixes in her 39-ball 71, and then fellow Australian Perry took over with four fours and four sixes in her unbeaten 68 off 53 deliveries.Villani was particularly destructive at the top of the innings, with a strike rate of 182.05. She launched her innings by hitting Laura Marsh for a six and two fours in four deliveries, but her third boundary came after she was dropped just inside the rope.She reached her fifty when she jumped down the wicket to straight drive Alex Hartley for six, and then drove and reverse swept the next two balls for fours.Perry hit Sciver for two fours and two sixes in the penultimate over, which went for 22 runs.

Liam Dawson, an England matchwinner last week, rallied to his county’s cause as Hampshire enjoyed a welcome day of prosperity as they again try to find a way to preserve their Division One place

Jon Culley at Edgbaston10-Jul-2016
ScorecardLiam Dawson ensured Hampshire had the foundations to control the match•Getty Images

Liam Dawson, an England matchwinner last week, rallied to his county’s cause as Hampshire enjoyed a welcome day of prosperity as they again try to find a way to preserve their Division One place. The skills required to influence an international T20 differ hugely from those demanded by four-day Championship cricket but confidence is a transferable factor whatever the discipline.The 26-year-old allrounder made his mark with the ball as England beat Sri Lanka, taking 3 for 27 on his senior international debut on his home Southampton ground. His impact on the first day here was with the bat, where his first century of the season helped Hampshire reach a strong position. Called up for England Lions in between, it has been a good few days for him.Hampshire desperately need a win. They escaped relegation by two points last season and went into this match at the bottom of the Division One table, 23 points from safety. Win here, though, and they might have a chance of beating the drop again. Nottinghamshire, whom they meet at Trent Bridge next month, have played two matches more. Moreover, it was by winning at Trent Bridge on the last day that Hampshire clinched survival.On a flat pitch on which he may have an important role to play with the ball as the match progresses, Dawson encountered few difficult moments until he was out, struck in front by Keith Barker not long after Warwickshire had taken the second new ball, playing across one that shaped back in. Having faced precisely 200 balls, he had hit 13 fours and one six, coming out best in a prolonged battle with Jeetan Patel, Warwickshire’s canny offspinner.”It’s a pretty flat pitch but you still have to get the runs and I’m happy to have helped put us in with a chance of making a big score,” Dawson said.”Playing for England in a T20 is very different from four-day cricket and although you gain confidence from playing well in any format I find red-ball cricket harder, to be honest. It is a test of concentration over long periods so it is very pleasing to come out with a hundred today.”Dawson shared partnerships of 81 with 20-year-old Tom Alsop for the third wicket and 155 with Adam Wheater for the fourth. Wheater closed unbeaten on 89 and after pulling Barker for a meaty six and might have completed a century of his own had the dismissal of Dawson not forced him to switch to conservation mode for the day’s closing overs.The left-hander Alsop, playing in only his ninth first-class match, completed an attractive fifty before failing in his attempt to attack Josh Poysden, Warwickshire’s rookie legspinner, the ball flying off the top edge to Patel at mid-off as he tried to hit over midwicket.The runs added by the three combined made up for a somewhat stodgy start by Hampshire, who had crawled to just 63 from almost 28 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Jimmy Adams, in particular, found it hard to make progress against Patel, who was bowling from as early as the sixth over and opened with four consecutive maidens.Adams had flicked a ball from Barker off his legs for four in the first over of the match but thereafter scored only two more runs from 76 deliveries. He then drew ironic applause from spectators by hitting consecutive boundaries off Patel, only to be out in the next over, driving straight to Ian Bell at midwicket.Like Hampshire, third-placed Warwickshire have gone in with two spinners in an unchanged side from the one that beat Surrey handsomely at Guildford last week, when Patel took five wickets in each innings.It was particularly unfortunate, then, that they should lose fast bowler Boyd Rankin after the Irishman was forced off the field with a back problem after bowling just one over, leaving Barker and Rikki Clarke as their only pace options. Warwickshire are hopeful that Rankin will be fit to bowl in the second innings.Hampshire have not many fast bowlers fit even to be considered for selection. Ryan McLaren has joined James Tomlinson, Reece Topley, Fidel Edwards, Chris Wood and Ryan Stevenson among six currently sidelined, while Tino Best has been left out to be kept fresh for the critical fixture against Surrey at the Ageas Bowl next week.

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5 for 48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on a rain-affected day at Chelmsford.

ECB/PA31-May-2015
ScorecardBen Raine claimed his career-best figures on a good day for Leicestershire•PA Photos

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5 for 48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on a rain-affected day at Chelmsford. Taking full advantage of overcast conditions and a greenish pitch, the right-arm paceman posed problems to all the Essex batsmen to fully justify skipper Mark Cosgrave’s decision to insert his rivals.Raine’s main weapon was swing and he could have reaped a bigger harvest so often did he beat the bat, sometimes with deliveries that lifted awkwardly. He embarked upon his destructive course by removing Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh in successive overs after the pair had shared in a second-wicket stand of 43 following the loss of Nick Browne, who was caught in the slip cordon in Clint McKay’s first over of the day.Westley was trapped lbw for 27 while Mickleburgh was bowled for 16 following resistance of just over an hour that spanned 40 deliveries. Raine later had Jesse Ryder well caught on the deep fine leg boundary by Ned Eckersley, the New Zealander making 38, the top-score of the home side’s innings. Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster were his other victims as Essex, who gave a first-class debut to 20 year-old slow left-arm bowler Aron Nijjar, were left still seeking their first batting point of the season at Chelmsford in their third match on the ground.Ravi Bopara’s hopes of making an impact were quickly ended by McKay when a loose shot presented wicketkeeper Lewis Hill with an easy catch with just four runs to his name.Apart from Westley and Ryder, Graham Napier was the only other batsman to top 20. He struck five boundaries in his 29 before he was caught at second slip to give Charlie Shreck his solitary success. That was a wicket that ended a partnership of 54 with Ryder, the pair joining forces with their side deep in trouble at 67 for 6. McKay finished with 2 for 42 while offspinner Jigar Naik claimed the final two wickets at a cost of nine runs in 8.3 overs.On a day when 27 overs were lost to rain and bad light, Leicestershire’s openers Matt Boyce and Angus Robson reached the close on 28 without loss from seven overs to complete a rewarding day in their quest to end a sequence of 37 Championship matches without a victory.”I haven’t had many five-fors in my life, to be honest, coming from a batting background,” Raine said. “So it’s nice to get my first one for Leicestershire and I can only hope that it’s the first of many. I’d roll that pitch up and take it with me everywhere I went if I could. This morning, the constant drizzle kept that bit of life in it although in the afternoon it got a bit better to bat on.”Essex head coach Paul Grayson said: “It was certainly a good toss to win and we would have bowled first had we had the opportunity. Credit to Raine – he used the conditions well.”

Michael Clarke, after his unbeaten double-century in Adelaide, has said it’s his formula of “counter-attack, being positive, playing my natural game” that has helped him succeed

Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval22-Nov-2012As the 16,512 spectators at Adelaide Oval rose to honour Michael Clarke at the end of the day he became the first man in Test history to pass 200 four times in a year, one broadcast observer marvelled at the captain’s sense of timing, as records and milestones tumble to his bat at all the right moments. “It’s almost like he’s a news editor,” he gasped.This was indeed another note-perfect occasion for Clarke, a man and a cricketer growing in stature among the game’s greats with every day at the batting crease. He reached two major marks with the sort of timing once the exclusive preserve of his friend and mentor Shane Warne, smashing Morne Morkel for five boundaries in an over to go to 150, then reaching a double-hundred the ball before Michael Hussey passed his own century, cause for hugs and photos all round.But there is substance, thought and courage too behind a face at ease with the cameras. As in Brisbane, Clarke was rewarded for a tremendous attacking intent from a position of some uncertainty, this time 3 for 55, but here in Adelaide the innings had the added advantage of taking place on the first day to push Australia into a position in which they already appear the only side capable of victory.Clarke has not yet had the time or the inclination to ponder on the wider context of what he achieved on Thursday, or this year, but he is certain that the greatest source of his success is an aggressive attitude. In this he resembles the famed remark of the French General Ferdinand Foch who offered the following thought on his battlefield situation: “My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I will attack.” Having twice had Australia three down for not many, South Africa have twice been turned back with impressive force.”Through my career that’s probably the only way I’ve had success, when you look at the innings I’ve made big scores, it’s exactly that – the counter-attack, being positive, playing my natural game,” Clarke said. “And there’s risk there. As Graeme [Smith] and AB [de Villiers] reminded me a lot of times today I had a lot of arse, there’s no doubt about that but you need it in this game. I remember playing England through the Australian summer a couple of years ago and I couldn’t make a run, so when you’re scoring runs you want to cash in.”It’s really nice to be making runs, and the down side to this great game is when you’re not, you find it really hard to find your next run, and that happens through your career. That’s happened a lot for me, and I’ve got dropped, and when I came back from getting dropped I said I want to make the most of the good days and that’s what I feel like I’m doing.”Apart from culture, intent is one of the buzz words for Australia’s cricketers these days. Clarke and David Warner resolved not to waste time trying to survive on an Adelaide pitch that offered true bounce and comfortable pace. Their bravery delighted the coach Mickey Arthur just as much as the assembled crowd. “The one thing Davey and I spoke about during the week was our intent, the way I tried to play in Brisbane and the way we were going to try to play today was exactly that, we wanted to be positive,” Clarke said. “We both took that approach today, we were going to see the ball and react and not worry too much about the result, if we get a good ball, we get a good ball.”Partnerships such as those with Warner and Hussey have been a critical element of Clarke’s success since he became captain. The one major innings in that time that was an entirely solo effort – the 151 against South Africa in Cape Town – was ultimately inconsequential because no one else was able to help Clarke, resulting in a middling team tally around a brilliant individual one.”A lot of credit needs to go to Huss and Davey as well, the way they played up the other end today made my life and my job a lot easier,” Clarke said. “If I didn’t score there was no stress. That gets forgotten a lot of the time: how important your partner is when you have success.”Another partnership that has helped Clarke is the one that he has established with his wife Kyly. They married in a lavish but secret ceremony during the winter, and the wry note made by Ed Cowan in Brisbane that Clarke does not have a Test batting average since becoming a husband remains true – he has now scored 483 runs for the series without being dismissed, and he gestured with passion in Mrs Clarke’s direction as he strode towards 200.”I know she’s supporting me, that’s the type of woman she is,” Clarke said. “She’s getting into her cricket and it’s great she can be here in Adelaide. It’s special for everybody [who] has thrown their support behind me, and the people that are close who’ve been there through good days and bad days, whether that’s on the field with cricket or off the field with my personal life and things that have happened through my life, especially with my family. I think when you perform well, my dedication is certainly to my team-mates first and foremost, but also through the people who’ve stood by me through good and bad days.”

England’s weakness against spin cost them for the third time in the series as they unravelled from a strong position to post an underwhelming total on a slow turning pitch

The Report by Abhishek Purohit23-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli and Suresh Raina all but sealed the match with a 131-run stand for the fourth wicket•AFP

England’s weakness against spin cost them for the third time in the series as they unravelled from a strong position to post an underwhelming total on a slow turning pitch in Mumbai. Their fast bowlers struck three early blows but Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina motored to a 131-run stand at close to seven an over, showcasing the difference between the sides and sparking another needless bout of words in the middle as England’s frustration overflowed.It was England’s own batsmen who had let down their ragged bowlers down when they caved in against spin in the afternoon. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took 5 for 79 in 20 overs between them after Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen had built on England’s quickest start of the series.Vinay Kumar broke the 73-run stand between Trott and an uncharacteristically subdued Pietersen, then Jadeja and Ashwin worked their way through a clueless England middle order, striking three times in six overs. Tim Bresnan took the score past 200 with a run-a-ball 45, but England were dismissed with 23 deliveries remaining when fast bowler Varun Aaron bowled Bresnan to finish with three wickets on debut.Disciplined pace bowling led by the impressive Steven Finn kept England in with an outside chance at the start of the chase. Kohli and Raina kept the runs coming, though, not allowing the score of 46 for 3 to tie them down in a partnership that steadily at first, and then emphatically, pushed England out of the match, making a 5-0 whitewash ever more likely.Finn and Bresnan had started with testing spells that kept the India openers quiet. The first five overs produced only 17 runs, leading Parthiv Patel to whip across the line and lose his stumps to Finn. Finn struck again in his next over when Gautam Gambhir inside-edged onto his stumps. His opening spell of 5-0-10-2 was followed by a sharp burst from debutant Stuart Meaker that induced Ajinkya Rahane into a poke outside off stump only for wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter to take a leaping one-handed blinder.Scott Borthwick, the young legspinner surprisingly chosen ahead of Grame Swann, bowled with heart, but it was unfair to expect him to have the same effect that the experienced Swann could have managed. Kohli and Raina continued almost unbothered, picking off the singles easily and finding the boundaries with crisp shots. The duo’s approach was in sharp contrast to England’s tottering line-up.Despite India being three down at the start of the bowling Powerplay, Raina took the chance and chipped Meaker just over mid-off for a boundary. His innings grew into a blur of scythes through extra cover and swings down the ground before Finn bowled him after a missed slog during a heated over. Raina had surged to 80 by then and with Kohli easing into elegant drives and cuts, India were runaway winners with almost ten overs remaining.England’s fate had virtually been sealed when their middle order tried to sweep and slog-sweep their way out of trouble. Pietersen was one of three batsmen to fall on the shots, though the substitute fielder Manoj Tiwary was responsible for sending him back with a diving catch after running across from deep midwicket.Ravi Bopara missed one from Jadeja to be caught in front and Jonny Bairstow’s disappointing series continued when he was bowled by a ripper that pitched on leg and turned to hit off stump. Samit Patel and Bresnan tried to salvage something from 145 for 6 but Patel slog-swept Ashwin straight to deep midwicket in another disappointing batting Powerplay for England.Aaron, who had consistently hovered above 140kph on debut, came back to run through the lower order, hitting the stumps three times, the last of which straightened past Bresnan’s outside edge to clip the top of off, with England well short of a challenging total on a turning pitch without Swann.Things hadn’t looked as gloomy for England when Pietersen and Trott accumulated solidly in a steady partnership that helped them recover after Alastair Cook and Kieswetter departed off successive deliveries. Though Pietersen went hard at deliveries and mistimed his strokes at times, Trott kept the runs flowing, cutting Jadeja three times to the deep point boundary. Trott welcomed Vinay’s second spell with a cracking drive that beat the cover sweeper easily but was dismissed two deliveries later. Pietersen continued to find the field and the India spinners soon got on top decisively, yet again.

MS Dhoni has asked for Tests to be played at venues that have a history of supporting Test cricket with big attendances

Sidharth Monga at the Chinnaswamy Stadium13-Oct-2010MS Dhoni has asked for Tests to be played at venues that have a history of supporting the format with big attendances, and has appreciated the support received from the Bangalore crowd during the course of India’s victory against Australia. Of India’s 10 Test venues – Hyderabad being the newest – Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Mohali and to an extent Delhi are known for their lukewarm response to Test cricket.”Maybe some of these centres where people come up to see Test matches can be given preference over some other centres where people don’t come in large numbers to watch Test matches,” Dhoni said. “After all, if taken in the right sense, we are the performers in the circus, but you need the circus to be full. It [this comment] should be taken in the right sense.”Dhoni and his men liked what they saw in Bangalore. Three of the days – the weekend and the final day – were almost sold out. “It really helps the players who are on the field,” Dhoni said. “Frankly speaking, in the 45th or 50th over, when the fast bowler comes for his second or third spell, it’s the crowd that gets him going, apart from the fact that he is supposed to do well for the team and the country. You need some kind of a motivation, and especially because we’re used to playing IPL and ODIs in front of 30000 or 40000 or 50000 people, you want that kind of a crowd.”Throughout the last five days, the spectators have been India’s 12th man. They cheered every special effort by the Indians, appealed when the bowler appealed, got off their seats when Sachin Tendulkar and other batsmen played good strokes, and appreciated every good effort by the fielders. Some of them booed the Australians, but many were appreciative.”It was a remarkable crowd,” Dhoni said. “Throughout the five days there were good crowds, and on the final day it was literally house full. You could see as many people in the stands as in a Twenty20 or ODI match. They supported good cricket more than anything else.”They did get their money’s worth. Not only did they watch their home side complete a clean sweep against Australia, they saw Tendulkar go level with Virender Sehwag as the Indian with the most double-centuries; they saw Cheteshwar Pujara, the debutant, play an innings he wouldn’t mind as his epitaph; they saw M Vijay, a stylish batsman, add substance to his game at Test level; they saw Ricky Ponting bat beautifully but fall disappointingly short; they saw Zaheer Khan and Ben Hilfenhaus create wickets on flat pitches. The Indian team thanked the crowd with a deserved lap of the ground.

Ryan Harris, the former one-day international, will play his first match of the season for Queensland

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2009Ryan Harris, the former one-day international, will play his first match of the season for Queensland in Wednesday’s FR Cup game against New South Wales at the Gabba. Harris had knee surgery before the season and will join Chris Swan, who is back after a nagging groin problem, as the Bulls attempt to increase their competition lead.The return of the fast bowlers is a boost for the side, which is on a run of five consecutive wins and sits eight points ahead of Victoria. Ben Laughlin has been ruled out with a side strain while Wade Townsend has been dropped. “It’s in a different place to the last injury and not as painful so hopefully the scans will deliver positive news,” Laughlin said. “I can look at being back in time for the Twenty20 Big Bash after Christmas.”New South Wales have a couple of changes to the side that lost to Tasmania on Saturday. Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler, has come in for the spinner Stephen O’Keefe while Simon Keen was left out after his late call-up for a debut against the Tigers. The Blues are desperate to find form after three losses in their four games this summerMatthew Hayden, the retired opener, will host a session at the Gabba on Tuesday with his old Queensland team-mates on Twenty20 batting techniques as they prepare for the domestic tournament that starts on December 28. Andrew Symonds is playing for the Bulls in that event and will warm-up for it by being one of Queensland’s three over-23 players in the Cricket Australia Futures League T20 series in Melbourne next week.Queensland squad Chris Hartley (wk), James Hopes, Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Nick Kruger, Craig Philipson, Chris Simpson (capt), Ryan Harris, Ben Cutting, Nathan Rimmington, Chris Swan, Scott Walter.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, David Warner, Phil Jaques, Moises Henriques, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Daniel Smith (wk), Stuart Clark (capt), Josh Hazlewood, Grant Lambert, Mitchell Starc.