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Sri Lanka Cricket has effectively confirmed the tour of Bangladesh will go ahead as scheduled, after secretary Nishantha Ranatunga expressed satisfaction in the security plans prepared for the team’s four-week tour

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jan-2014Sri Lanka Cricket has effectively confirmed the tour of Bangladesh will go ahead as scheduled, after secretary Nishantha Ranatunga expressed satisfaction in the security plans prepared for the team’s four-week tour. The board had dispatched a two-man security delegation to Bangladesh in the past week , and had found nothing in their consequent report to suggest the tour should be changed.”From the report that we received, we feel it’s safe for our players to go,” Ranatunga said. “We had never taken a decision not to go there. We’re happy with the way they have presented the security plans, and the commitments they have given.”SLC’s executive committee must still provide official confirmation the tour is going ahead, but Ranatunga said the final decision is only a formality, unless the security situation in Bangladesh changes drastically over the following days. The confirmation is due on the January 23, fewer than 24 hours before the team’s scheduled departure, the details of which were confirmed via an official release on Monday.Ranatunga also confirmed the match scheduled for the northeastern town of Sylhet would be relocated, in order to minimise risk for the players. “We asked that that match be moved because it involved too much travelling for the players. We are happy for it to be played at either of the other venues.”SLC had maintained its commitment to the tour throughout the political upheaval in Bangladesh, although it withheld final confirmation as it monitored the developing situation. The security delegation’s visit functioned as a final check, as it examined security proposals in Dhaka and Chittangong.”In Asia, we have a situation currently where we can’t tour Pakistan. Even though a tournament could be moved, in the long-term it is better for us that the region remains strong. Bangladesh has a cricket-loving public and it’s important that cricket is played there, if possible,” Ranatunga had said.The tour will comprise two Tests, three ODIs and two Twenty20s, after which the Sri Lanka team will remain in Bangladesh for the Asia Cup which, at this stage, is also set to be played as scheduled. Smooth progress of both the bilateral series and Asia Cup are important for the BCB, as an incident-free seven weeks will diminish the possibility of the World Twenty20 being relocated.

Bangladesh’s make-shift captain Mashrafa Mortaza said that the team were unaffected by the sudden resignation of Tamim Iqbal as vice-captain

Mohammad Isam11-Feb-2014Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has spoken out for the first time about Tamim Iqbal’s resignation as vice-captain, urging the seniors to take charge of the situation. Apart from a 48-hour media ban and a statement from the BCB president, the team has been largely left unaffected by the controversy.Mortaza was announced as captain hours after the end of the drawn second Test. However, the Bangladesh’s match-saving performance was soured by Tamim pulling out of the deputy’s role, explained in public as a decision to ease his game but it was a slight to his persona.”The captain was not immediately announced after Mushfiqur Rahim was out injured. At that point it was our focus that those of us who are here, we have to play as a team,” Mortaza said. “When the board let me know, we were all there. We are all professional cricketers and it didn’t affect us. It’s only natural for it to be spoken of outside but amongst us we didn’t face any frictions.”I have been given the duty so I feel that it is my duty. At the same time, Tamim and other senior players are helping me and everything is happening in a professional manner.”There were reports that Mortaza had to spend time with Tamim to clear the air, but the makeshift captain dismissed them. He also explained that the media ban was to protect the new players from speculation.”To be honest, I didn’t have to speak with him separately because he is a very professional cricketer and he has played all around the world. He knows the process very well. I want to tell all the fans of Bangladesh that we haven’t been concerned at all regarding this issue.”We are together united as a team and we are focused completely on the match tomorrow. This was no problem at all. The reason behind the ban against speaking to the media was that we have plenty of young players in our side, so that they can be prepared and concentrate during practice. We have some uncapped players, so that they could concentrate more on practice.”Despite all the talk, Tamim’s neck-strain hasn’t healed and during practice on the eve of the match, he had a light knock. It will be touch-and-go and his participation in the game will hinge on a last-minute call made by the team’s physio.

An investigating officer in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, who had deposed before the Mudgal Committee, has called for the entire case to be handled by one nodal force, like the National Investigation Agency, instead of several independent units

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2014An investigating officer in the IPL spot-fixing scandal who had deposed before the Mudgal Committee has called for the entire case to be handled by one nodal force, like the National Investigation Agency, instead of several independent units as is currently the situation. G Sampath Kumar, a Tamil Nadu-based police officer who had appeared before the Justice Mudgal Committee, said the fixing charges were not being properly investigated because of the diffused nature of the process.”The main thing that I wanted to stress before the Mudgal Committee too… I asked for an investigation by an agency like the NIA along with a joint investigation team. I had a feeling that this investigation was not [moving] on the right lines because the very FIR [filed by the Delhi police at the time of arresting Sreesanth and two other cricketers] mentions match-fixing. It’s in the FIR itself but it was not probed properly,” Kumar told the TV channel .Various strands of alleged corruption in the IPL are being independently investigated by different state police units. While the Delhi Police focuses on the players’ involvement, which led to the arrests of three Rajasthan Royals cricketers, the Mumbai Police case is against Gurunath Meiyappan and his connection with alleged actor-bookie Vindoo Dara Singh. Police teams from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan have also chipped in at various points, focusing on the money trail and betting transactions between the high-profile bookies.Kumar was a superintendent of police with the Crime Branch CID (internal security) in Chennai, working on a case involving fake passports when he came across information relating to betting. He said he had sought a more detailed investigation of this angle but was taken off the investigating team and posted to the Railway police in Trichy, a provincial town 300 km south of Chennai.Kumar told the channel he believed he was being framed: “They wanted me not to probe further on this. My point is that when we in Q branch [the internal security unit] crack down so many things, why haven’t they done that? That’s my question.”He appeared before the Mudgal Committee, whose report to the Supreme Court said the charges against Gurunath, the son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, of being involved in betting and passing on information on IPL games stand proved.While investigating the fake passport racket, Kumar had interrogated Uttam Jain, alias Kitty, a bookie who claimed to have knowledge about fixing of IPL games, especially the league match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals on May 12, 2013. According to Kumar’s deposition before the Mudgal Committee, Kitty had revealed how Vikram Agarwal, a Chennai hotelier who was arrested on the charge of being a bookie, knew Gurunath along with a few top cricketers.Kumar also said that Kitty had revealed that the May 12 IPL match was fixed. The Mudgal report said there “seems to be enough information available on record to indicate that a further investigation is required in respect of the match.””It was stated that Vikram Agarwal told him (Kitty) that there was negotiation for match-fixing between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings and Meiyappan has to communicate to Chennai Super Kings (players) for finalisation. Later Kitty came to know that they were planning to fix the match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings scheduled on 12.05.2013. Again on 27.04.2013 also after the dinner party, negotiation was on and Vikram Agarwal informed to Kitty some deal was worked out. Later, after a dinner party Meiyappan informed that Chennai Super Kings has agreed to play as per plan and his team will score 140 runs and this was communicated to somebody (Sanjay) in Jaipur over phone by Vikram Agarwal when Kitty was nearby,” Kumar said in his signed report. Kumar said that other officers connected to both cases were also transferred within a short time and the file of their investigations was not given to the probe panel, a fact confirmed by Nilay Dutta, in his report to the Supreme Court.In his interview to , Kumar wondered why, when Kitty gave up so much information in four hours’ questioning in the Q -branch office, was he not taken into custody for a longer period.

South Africa showed muddled thinking in their selection, choice of batting order and general approach against Netherlands. They took one positive out of it, in holding their nerve and winning their second thriller in a row

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2014So this is how South Africa do not want their batting line-up to operate. After the New Zealand game, in which they seemed to settle into their strategy of starting slowly, setting themselves up and then speeding up, South Africa took several steps backward against Netherlands. They started in a hurry, shuffled things around, were strangled and almost went up in smoke as a result.The showing left Russell Domingo steaming. “Our thinking during the innings hasn’t been where it needs to be,” he said. “There were some poor dismissals and some poor thinking which set us back big time today.”Although Faf du Plessis said net run-rate would not enter South Africa’s minds ahead of winning the match, it was evident that it had. Hashim Amla smashed more runs off Michael Swart’s second over than he has done in any over in T20 cricket in the past. Whether he was motivated by criticism over his strike rate, the loss of his opening partner early (which is when he has scored the bulk of his runs in domestic T20), the team cause or simply the opportunity to do so is anyone’s guess but Amla did what was required of him when the situation demanded it.”In our domestic T20s, Hashim had the second best strike rate of all players in South Africa,” Domingo said. “His strike rate for me is not a major concern. He is a quality player. He is always going to find the gaps and the boundaries when it’s his day. So we are pretty happy with how he hit the ball today.”What happened after that would not have made Domingo happy at all. Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers played careless shots in an attempt to go big and put South Africa on a path of implosion. Neither have shown much responsibility with the bat in this format for a while. Du Plessis, who suffered patchy form stretching back to last year’s Champions Trophy that saw him dropped from South Africa’s ODI squad, has not crossed 30 in six innings; de Villiers hasn’t breached that mark in nine innings.Between them, du Plessis and de Villiers are supposed to be the spokes on which the South African batting wheels turn. Instead, they’re getting the side stuck in the mud more often than not and leaving it to the players either side of them to make amends. They, and de Villiers in particular, may be playing out of character because of the continued shifting of their roles which hasn’t given them enough time to establish themselves in a position.Du Plessis wants to bat higher up but by doing so keeps de Villiers too low down for him to make the impact South Africa want. And if it isn’t enough that the roles of these two yo-yo, South Africa can’t even decide on a middle-order combination they will stick to, a problem that has been with them since Gary Kirsten introduced the floating batting line-up. JP Duminy, who is in form and was their top-scorer in the previous two matches, has had success at No.5 but South Africa opted to promote Albie Morkel ahead of him.There is an argument to be made for giving Morkel time in the middle, mostly because he has not had much, but to do it in a major tournament illustrates South Africa have got the timing of their experimentation wrong. Morkel should have been picked for the umpteen matches they played in the lead-up to the tournament. To do it here, in a match they needed to win big, not only highlights how lightly they regarded their opposition but also how much homework they have not done.Domingo justified the decision even though it did not pay off and accepted he would be criticised no matter which way he went. “If we stick with the same line-up, people say we do the same things over and over; if we change it, people say we change it too much,” he said. “Albie Morkel is a player who goes in in with the intention to try and take it on from ball one and JP needs a bit of time to get started, which is why we sent Albie in. It looked like a bad decision because AB got out at the wrong time but the strategy was for AB to try and hold it together for us and Albie to try and take it on with batting still to come. It didn’t work out for us.”Because it did not work South Africa could find themselves on the wrong end of a net run-rate calculation and may look back on the Netherlands match as the game where they got it wrong. Domingo already hinted as much. “The danger of playing sides like Holland,” he said, “is that you try and do things that you maybe shouldn’t have or try and take on players who you wouldn’t have taken on if you are playing so-called established sides.”South Africa fell into a complacency trap of sorts but there was a positive they could take out of it. Beating Netherlands in such tense fashion made it the second game in succession in which pressure did not get the better of them. Like the approach to the batting-line up, Domingo accepted there were pros and cons to winning in such close circumstances but he could do nothing but hope the former outweigh the latter.”We are a strange cricket nation. If we win two or three games comfortably, people are accused of peaking at the wrong time, and if we win two close games, people say we are playing badly,” he said. “We can take a lot of positives out of the way we dealt with the pressure in these two tight games and we can fall back on those experiences when we get into tight games as the competition progresses.” If, some will argue, their batting line-up allows them to get that far.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe, the South Africa left-arm seamer, has been ruled out of the tour to Sri Lanka in July to facilitate his recovery from ankle surgery scheduled on April 16

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2014Lonwabo Tsotsobe, the South Africa left-arm seamer, has been ruled out of the tour to Sri Lanka in July to facilitate his recovery from ankle surgery scheduled on April 16. He will be sidelined for up to three months.South Africa’s team manager and doctor Mohammad Moosajee said Tsotsobe had been struggling for some time and a gap in the calender had finally emerged for treatment.”Lonwabo has been suffering from this ankle problem for the last year and a half,” Moosajee said. “This is the first gap we have had which minimises his time out of the game. It’s a fairly common injury among fast bowlers and will be conducted by a renowned ankle specialist in Pretoria.”The recovery time is quite extensive so Lonwabo will probably be unavailable for selection for the tour to Sri Lanka. But we will be working hard to have him ready for the tour to Zimbabwe in August.”His right ankle posterior talar impingement syndrome had made him miss the T20 series against New Zealand in December 2012 and has been a problem since.He had not been part of the squad bound for Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series last July, but was drafted into the XI despite a recurrence of the injury. Apart from one match-winning 4 for 22, he was largely unimpressive and attracted criticism from the coach Russell Domingo regarding his fitness and commitment.

Nick Compton provided another reminder of his abilities as he helped his Somerset side secure a draw on the final day of their game at Durham

George Dobell at Chester-le-Street23-Apr-2014
ScorecardNick Compton gave another assured display of his ability•Getty ImagesThe last time that England made 400 in a Test, Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott scored centuries. Kevin Pietersen made 73, too.So it is surprising that, with Trott and Pietersen now seemingly out of the picture, and England having failed to reach 400 since March 2013 – 13 Tests and 26 innings ago – that they seem to feel that they can do without Compton.Compton, the most prolific run-scorer in the Championship over the last couple of years, provided another reminder of his abilities as he helped his Somerset side secure a draw on the final day of their game at Durham. Though Somerset had, in theory, a chance of overhauling a victory target of 337 in a minimum of 82 overs they had, in reality, been on the back foot for the entire game and might consider a draw a more than fair result.While Durham’s captain, Paul Collingwood, admitted he was “a little surprised” when Somerset agreed to shake hands for a draw – they required 91 from the final nine overs and some clean striking from Craig Kieswetter brought a seemingly impossible target just about within reach – the evening was dark and, had Collingwood brought back his seamers, run-scoring would have proved difficult.While his top-order colleagues prodded around like men lost in a fog, Compton played as if he had a bat the size of a door, as if his forward defensive could keep out flood water and as if the surface was as flat as a road. Despite suffering from a neck injury that necessitated an injection and clearly inhibited his movement, he looked as permanent as Lumley Castle throughout. His chanceless century here was his 11th since the start of the 2012 English domestic season.Any century made against the champions on their own pitch in April is admirable. But this was not a purely defensive innings. Compton also produced some sparkling driving, off the slightly jaded Graham Onions in particular, and cut and pulled impressively. Quite why England left one of their best players of the short ball out of the tour party to Australia remains a mystery.Collingwood could play on

Paul Collingwood has hinted that he may have second thoughts and play beyond the 2014 season. Collingwood, the Durham captain, has previously suggested he would retire at the end of this domestic season and was expected to be in demand for a coaching position.
He has worked with both Scotland and England in recent months and, less than two weeks ago was quoted as saying that his retirement in September “was pretty close” to 100% certain. But, after starting the season in fluent form, Collingwood, who will be 38 next month, admitted he had not made up his mind for sure.
“Everybody is saying it’s my last season,” he said. “But I’m still not convinced either way whether it is or not.
“I have made a slight technical change to try to hit the ball a little bit harder – and I am quite enjoying that, actually – and not just clubbing it to the leg side. I’m quite enjoying hitting the ball through extra cover for once in my life. It makes a change and puts a smile on my face.
“I said I would possibly retire. But anything is possible. If I have a great year and I really enjoy it and I’m not holding guys back in the team and we have still got enough money here at Durham and all that kind of stuff, then I’ll continue. Maybe.”

As does Compton’s status as a somewhat unfashionable player within the England set-up. At 30, he should have several good years ahead of him and, when he was dropped by England last summer, he responded by scoring 1,000 Championship runs in 12 games and, in what amounted to trial games against Australia, made 81 and 79 under pressure. It was all to no avail. The impression remains that England have moved on; that Compton, like Mark Ramprakash before him, can amass runs and break records: the selectors have made their decision.But to average 93.33 – as Compton does in first-class cricket – against a Durham side containing, in Marcus Trescothick’s words “the best bowler in the country in these conditions” is a remarkable achievement. And this was a brave innings, too, coming when Compton was clearly in pain and inhibited by his neck injury and when his team, at 92 for 4, were facing the prospect of defeat. It was played on a pitch of uneven bounce and, while the lavish swing of the second day was absent, a pitch that continued to offer some seam movement.”To get runs when you’re fit is one thing,” Trescothick said. “But to do it when your back is against the wall and you’re really sore is a really big statement. Nick had to fight to even get on the pitch. It was a brilliant knock. He is a world-class player. But he’ll be very sore tonight.”Collingwood agreed. “He played superbly well,” he said. “Once he gets in, he’s very hard to prise out. He is an international-class batsman and tough to get out. But I’m not the one who makes the [selection] decisions. Obviously they know his character better than me and you have to have the right characters in the right positions in teams and I’m not one to judge on that as I don’t know what he’s like.”Perhaps, had Scott Borthwick, at second slip, not put down a relatively simple chance offered by Kieswetter on 9 off the unfortunate Onions, Durham would have had been able to force victory. As it was, Kieswetter played an increasingly dominant innings and cut loose in the final hour to help Compton add 154 for the fifth wicket. If Matt Prior is unfit – and his Achilles issue is yet to allow him to keep this season – Kieswetter is among the leaders in the chasing pack looking for a spot as Test wicketkeeper.Had Collingwood not chosen to bat on in the morning, Durham would have had the chance to unleash another 14 overs and a second new ball. Resuming with his side already boasting a lead of 275, Collingwood left it almost 50 minutes before he declared but could reason that, without Mark Wood or Ben Stokes, his attack was thinner than he would have liked and it was almost a year to the day since Joe Root inspired Yorkshire to a successful run chase of 339 in similar circumstances.”If the ball doesn’t swing, this pitch is slow and flat,” he said. “I don’t think I could have set less than I did. I didn’t want to hand them victory after a three-day game.”

James Faulkner has joined Steve Smith in the front rank of Australia’s leadership prospects for the future following his unveiling as Australia A captain

Daniel Brettig06-Jun-2014James Faulkner has joined Steven Smith in the front rank of Australia’s leadership prospects for the future following his unveiling as Australia A captain for a quartet of four-day matches against the A teams of India and South Africa in July and August.At the ages of 24 and 25 respectively, Faulkner and Smith are the two young men being guided in the direction of future national captaincy appointments by Cricket Australia, having impressed with their growing poise on the filed and maturity away from it.Smith led New South Wales to the Sheffield Shield title in Canberra earlier in the year, and now Faulkner is set to test his leadership skills in the series of top end matches devised to prepare Australia’s Test and limited overs reservists for future call-ups for international duty. Captaincy experience as a junior and the wisdom of his Tasmanian mentors Dan Marsh and George Bailey will inform Faulkner’s ways.He will likewise call on the memories of some stunning displays for Tasmania and Australia, highlighting an ability to play with both passion and calculation, but also the more chastening experience of having public words about the West Indies rebound on him during the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.”James is a young man with plenty of character and possesses a great desire to win,” the new National Selector Rod Marsh said of Faulkner. “He is still developing as an all-rounder but we believe this captaincy provides him an opportunity to do that as well as develop his leadership skills.”Three varied squads have been chosen for the matches against the India and South Africa XIs, with a wide array of batsmen, bowlers and allrounders given chances across opponents and formats. Alex Doolan and Phillip Hughes will hope for runs to bolster their incumbent places as members of the Test squad, while Faulkner, Moises Henriques and Mitchell Marsh will stretch each other to prove their worth as the most viable allround option for the future.Cameron Boyce and Steve O’Keefe were the two spinners chosen for the fixtures, the latter needing to recover from off-season shoulder surgery in order to be fit in time for the chance to bowl to the South Africans in Townsville. Western Australia’s Sam Whiteman has the gloves for the first fixtures in Brisbane, but hands them over to Peter Nevill for the remainder.Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were not formally named in the squad, but Marsh indicated that either or both may play depending on their pre-season schedules ahead of Australia’s tours to Zimbabwe and the UAE.Clint McKay’s inclusion in the limited overs squad keeps him in the frame as an ODI bowler, despite his omission from the annual naming of CA contracts. Another Victorian, the well-travelled Cameron White, will lead the limited overs team.In the midst of his recovery from hefty knee surgery, Ryan Harris will try his hand as pace bowling coach during the series, alongside the overall guidance of Michael Di Venuto.Australia A squadsFour-day matches against India XI in Brisbane: James Faulkner (capt), Cameron Boyce, Ben Cutting, Alex Doolan, Peter Forrest, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Sam Whiteman (wk)One day matches in Darwin and Palmerston: Cameron White (capt), Cameron Boyce, Pat Cummins, Ben Cutting, Alex Doolan, Callum Ferguson, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Clint McKay, Peter Nevill (wk), Kane RichardsonFour-day matches against South Africa XI in Townsville: James Faulkner (capt), Jason Behrendorff (subject to fitness), Tom Cooper, Ben Cutting, Callum Ferguson, Peter Forrest, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Chris Lynn, Peter Nevill (wk), Steve O’Keefe (subject to fitness), Chadd Sayers.

Why do people dislike Surrey? Money and metropolitan envy might have something to do with it but there is surely little of which one can disapprove about their cricket at present.

Paul Edwards at Colwyn Bay07-Jul-2014
ScorecardZafar Ansari’s century put Surrey well ahead•Getty ImagesWhy do people dislike Surrey? Money and metropolitan envy might have something to do with it but there is surely little of which one can disapprove about their cricket at present. Gary Wilson’s team went into this match against Glamorgan 20 points ahead of their opponents having played one game more; both counties have realistic promotion ambitions. Yet there is no doubt which has looked the stronger side in two days of mostly high clouds and high spirits on the North Wales coast.The difference in the approach of the teams’ batsmen has been particularly noticeable and it was epitomised on Monday by the slight yet substantial figure of Zafar Ansari. Whereas the Glamorgan batsmen had been more content to throw their bats and take their chances, Ansari preferred care and orthodoxy as he anchored his team towards a substantial first innings lead.Beginning the day on 55 not out, Ansari, the 23-year-old Cambridge graduate, had faced 267 balls and batted for 339 minutes when a Will Owen misfield allowed him to scamper the two extra runs he needed to reach his second Championship century of the season. Ansari reached that landmark in mid-afternoon, by which time he had seen four partners dismissed, but the tempi of other batsmen’s innings mattered little to him.Rory Burns, for example, had faced 166 balls and was three runs short of his own century when he top-edged an attempted pull off Ruaidhri Smith to Jacques Rudolph at mid-off. That mid-morning reverse ended a first-wicket stand of 182 but it only brought in Arun Harinath who almost immediately began to score at a run a ball, hitting Dean Cosker straight for six and then sweeping the slow left-armer almost indecently.Ansari looked on, chatted in mid-wicket and then returned to his own cocoon of concentration. In short, he batted with all the judgement and discrimination one would expect of a cricketer whose favourite television show is .Harinath, on the other hand, played as if intent on proving that there was far more to his game than his self-denying vigil at Chelmsford in May had shown. On that treasured occasion, he faced 231 balls in making 63; context is everything, of course, but against Glamorgan Harinath took 149 balls fewer to plunder 60 runs off an attack which buckled down rather more impressively than the home batsmen had managed.The undisputed leader of Glamorgan’s bowling cohort was Michael Hogan who had the left-handed Harinath taken at slip by Rudolph with the new ball before immediately inflicting the same fate on the right-handed Solanki, who pushed tentatively at his first delivery but could only edge it to third slip where Chris Cooke took a fine two-handed diving catch.That fine piece of pace bowling left Surrey still prosperously-placed on 270 for 4 and a further 46 had been added, 37 of them in 47 balls by Steven Davies when the visitors’ No. 5 played across a straight ball from Allenby. Still Ansari pushed, deflected and occasionally drove his way on.Indeed, it took meteorology to remove him, albeit not permanently. It happened like this. On the first day of this game the wind turbines in Ormes Bay had been still as figures on a semaphore chart; by Monday morning they were waving like demented umpires in the latter stages of a T20 innings. At 3.15pm the breezes gusted a shower from the West and umpires Jeff Evans and Peter Willey made to depart. “Get on with it!” a bloke in the crowd yelled, as the rain briefly abated. The officials remained. “Oggy, oggy, oggy!” roared another chap helpfully, although whether he was in pain or ecstasy was unclear. No matter. The shower organised itself and 16 overs were trimmed from the day.When the batsman returned Ansari added only six more runs, taking his tally to a career-best 112 before he chopped Allenby on to his stumps. But there was still enough time prior to a final shower for Roy to take heavy toll of both Smith and Owen in reaching a 55-ball fifty. By then, perhaps, Ansari was enjoying a well-earned shower and reflecting on another good day in what is proving to be an important summer for him.

Offspinner Nathan Lyon has gone from Test specialist to World Cup contender after being named in Australia’s squad for the one-day tri-series in Zimbabwe later this month

Brydon Coverdale04-Aug-2014Offspinner Nathan Lyon has gone from Test specialist to World Cup contender after being named in Australia’s squad for the one-day tri-series in Zimbabwe later this month. Lyon has been included alongside allrounders Mitchell Marsh and Ben Cutting in the 14-man squad, while fast bowler Kane Richardson has also been recalled after playing his only ODI in January 2013.Surprisingly, there was no room for Phillip Hughes, who last Tuesday became the first Australian ever to score a double-century in a List A match when he made an unbeaten 202 for Australia A in Darwin. Hughes had seemed the most likely replacement for David Warner, who will not make the tour as he prepares for the birth of his first child in Sydney.Instead, the selectors went for a group heavy on all-round options rather than specialist batsmen, with Aaron Finch and Shane Watson the most likely opening combination. Steven Smith was also included, having played only two ODIs in the past two years as he, like Lyon, found himself more or less playing the role of a Test specialist.Lyon’s only two one-day international appearances came in early 2012, when he played against Sri Lanka in Adelaide and against West Indies in Kingston. However, he first emerged domestically as a Twenty20 bowler and the new chairman of selectors, Rod Marsh, said he was keen to see what Lyon could bring to the one-day side.Nathan Lyon has played only two one-day internationals, both in 2012•Associated Press”Nathan has done very well in Test match cricket,” Marsh said. “He first came under notice in T20 cricket, he’s bowled well in last year’s Ryobi Cup and I guess the unlucky one there is Xavier Doherty. But having said that we know exactly what Xavier is capable of. We’re not 100% sure of what Nathan is capable of seeing as his last ODI for Australia was in the West Indies and that’s a couple of years back now.”We want to give him another opportunity before we even start talking too much about the upcoming World Cup. It’s not to say that Doherty won’t be in that squad but we just want to have a look at Nathan on top of some pretty good Test match form.”Lyon is the only specialist spinner in the squad, with Glenn Maxwell and Smith available as back-up options. The fast-bowling group is dominated by the left-armers Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Faulkner, with Cutting and Richardson providing the main right-arm options, alongside the medium-pace allrounders Watson and Mitchell Marsh.Both Cutting and Richardson were in outstanding form during the recent A-series in Darwin, with Richardson collecting 13 wickets at 11.30 and Cutting taking 12 at 18.16. Marsh was also a strong performer with 11 victims, and brings batting form after scoring 211 in a first-class Australia A match against India A in Brisbane last month.”The thing we like most about Mitch Marsh at the moment is his bowling,” Rod Marsh said. “He’s capable of opening the bowling or coming on through the middle overs and can do so with good pace which is pleasing. It’s the sign of a true allrounder if they can be in the side for either their bowling or batting and he is certainly getting close to that which is great for Australian cricket.”There was no room in the squad for Clint McKay, who is Australia’s leading one-day wicket taker over the past three years and is fifth on the ICC’s one-day bowling rankings, making him Australia’s highest-ranked bowler. Marsh said McKay, Doherty and Hughes were especially unfortunate to miss out.”We would have loved to pick Phillip but it’s quite difficult to find the spot for him with a strong batting line-up,” Marsh said. “He was in superb form during the recent Australia A one-day matches, including a stand-out double-century and the national selection panel will certainly be continuing to watch him closely.”We’re very aware of what both Xavier and Clint offer and both have played important roles for the ODI team and performed very well but with the World Cup edging closer we have to take opportunities to also consider players like Cutting, Lyon and Richardson who have all been pressing claims.”Shaun Marsh (elbow), Nathan Coulter-Nile (hamstring) and James Pattinson (back) were all unavailable due to injuries. The tri-series involving Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa begins in Harare on August 25, and Australia will play each side twice before the final on September 6.Australia squad Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Cutting, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Nathan Lyon.

A spell in the Second XI seems to have been just the fillip for Sam Northeast judging by his 91 for Kent against Surrey

Ryan Bailey20-Jul-2014
ScorecardStuart Meaker’s Guildford roar could be heard in Kennington•PA PhotosKent were forced to drop Sam Northeast after a confidence sapping run of form, bringing fears that his much extolled potential was close to expiring. But it seems that a spell in the shadows has provided him with a healthy dose of reassurance and sustenance.An unproductive start to the season triggered doubts over his longer-format pedigree – twelve Championship innings yielded just 178 runs – but Northeast’s 91 against Surrey suggested he has regained his bearings on the back of three hundreds in four Second XI outings.If truth be told, however, this was a glorious opportunity squandered to record successive centuries on his return to first team duties. A brief lapse in otherwise unwavering application gave the medium pace of Jason Roy a rare scalp and allowed Surrey to claim a share of the spoils after an intriguing day’s cricket.This was the calibre of innings that Kent, in appointing him as Rob Key’s deputy at the start of the year, had expected Northeast to play on a regular basis. Yet the brisk headway made by Surrey, furnished by a half-century of his own by Sam Billings, was checked by Stuart Meaker, another reinstatee, who, much like Northeast, had plenty to prove.Ford hints at overseas Smith successor

Graham Ford, the Surrey head coach, has admitted the club will look into the possibility of appointing another overseas captain after Graeme Smith’s three year deal at the Oval was cut short.
Gary Wilson has since assumed the reins, with considerable success as Surrey have qualified for the quarterfinals in the NatWest t20 Blast, and while Ford admits the Irishman has put a strong case forward, a decision won’t be made until all options are investigated.
“If we were to sign the ideal overseas candidate, that would be an option,” Ford said. “We would like to have things in place by the end of the season. Gary has done an excellent job and a home-grown appointment would reflect our longer-term vision but we’ll have to wait and see.”

A glance at the scorecard may not suggest Meaker deserves particularly praise in what was a collective effort by Surrey in muggy conditions – all six bowlers were rewarded in the wickets column – but for a bowler whose career has hit a roadblock, to return with such vivacity was laudable. The roar of delight which greeted both his two wickets could have been heard as far as Kennington.Those cries came in more relief as much as anything else. Northeast and then Billings played with consummate application and control in negating the pace generated by Meaker and the equally lively Matt Dunn. Indeed, Key can testify that the bowlers extracted plenty of zip from a pitch that had a covering of green and no shortage of bounce.Facing his first delivery in the opening over of the match, Dunn squared the Kent captain up, and struck him in the groin, forcing Key to retire hurt despite valiant efforts to brush the pain aside. A brief visit to Royal Surrey County Hospital confirmed everything was still in place and by the time he gingerly returned to the middle late in the day, his side had hardly missed him.Northeast was particularly strong through the offside, rocking back to punch anything short of a length and wide enough through the covers. He raced through the gears initially but was reeled thereafter, showing a level of application and tenacity that was questioned before his dropping. He profited on anything loose and successive boundaries of Zafar Ansari brought him within touching distance of a masterly hundred.But Surrey struck just when Kent had threatened to pull away. Brendan Nash was brilliantly stumped by Gary Wilson off Gareth Batty before lunch and then Ben Harmison, having lived a charmed existence for 48, missed a straight one from Dunn after the interval. Northeast played all around an otherwise unthreatening delivery from Roy to be struck in front.Meaker’s last appearance was in the corresponding fixture at the beginning of May and in the intervening period he had no reservation in voicing his disillusionment on Twitter. Forced to bide his time until being thrown the ball in the tenth over, there was no sign of the uncertainty or lack of form that led to him being disregarded as he struck instantly to remove Daniel Bell-Drummond. His second wicket shortly before tea, finding the edge of the dangerous Stevens for 34, was a throwback to the bowler who first caught an England selector’s eye.