The complexion of this edition of the Champions Trophy changeddramatically when West Indies pulled off a sensational 10-run win overAustralia at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai yesterday. That game was played on athird pitch but no-one gave it a chance. Fair enough; how different canone 22-yard patch be from another on the same square? But when Sri Lankatake on New Zealand, there will still be a bit of wariness as no one isclear how the pitch will play when the first ball is bowled.When West Indies began their game against Australia they were playing thepitch more than they were the bowlers. Brian Lara’s master stroke – and itseemed like a terrible mistake at the time – of coming in at No. 6 ensuredthat West Indies could still go on to post a competitive total despitetheir early losses. But it may not be a blueprint for games of the future.Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s expert on pitches, arrived in Mumbai and did what he could to help the pitches at the Brabourne Stadium along. Word is that they’re using industrial adhesives – the stuff builders use – to help bind the pitch, giving it a chance tolast the full hundred overs with minimum wear and tear.But the two teams really didn’t have the pitch on mind when they preparedthemselves for the latest mini battle of the tournament. Sri Lanka havebeen the team in form coming into this event, and their early performancesindicated that they were hot favourites. But a loss against Pakistan, whohave been in utter disarray after losing most of their bowling, hasensured that nothing can be taken for granted in this tournament.For Stephen Fleming and his crew the opposite has been true. They beganthe tournament as unfancied contenders. New Zealand have never been athome on dry, crumbling pitches, and there was no reason to believe theywould be any different this time around. Fleming spoke of how his team wasnot rated outside New Zealand – and unfairly so – and backed that up witha solid performance in the first game, against South Africa. He battedwith such care and streetwiseness on a tough pitch that he virtually wonthe game for his side.
The only real concern for New Zealand was with injuries, and Shane Bondwas top on the list. With Scott Styris still not at his best, with ahamstring twinge bothering him, New Zealand have to make the most of theresources they have at hand. Understandably they’re taking a long-termview with Bond and believe they can still push the best in the world withthe squad they have. The contest promises to be a tough one, and if someof Sri Lanka’s flair comes to the fore, things could get reallyinteresting.New Zealand, who have won the tournament before, come to the party withthat confidence. “In 2000 we hoped we could win it,” said Fleming at apre-match press conference. “Now we have come here with a genuineexpectation as a contender. That’s the major difference. In the lastcouple of years we’ve been blooding new players and developing experience. Now we play in tournaments to win, that’s a big change from what it wasin 2000 in the ICC Knock Out.”Mahela Jayawardene, meanwhile, was quite relaxed about the position histeam was in. “For Sri Lanka basically it’s two semi-finals. We have beenpushed to the wall and we have to win,” he said. “It’s a very healthysituation though to be in. If destiny is in our hand we should be able tosteer it, rather than hoping for somebody else to do it for us. It’simportant not to think too far ahead, but think about tomorrow’s game.”Two teams that are more than competent at one-day cricket promise to putup a show worthy of the occasion.
Glenn McGrath has been passed fit for the fifth and final Test at The Oval, starting tomorrow, after recovering from the elbow injury that forced his withdrawal from the side that lost at Trent Bridge last month.Trailing 2-1 in the series, Australia were desperate to give McGrath, 35, enough time to get back to full health, and the man himself had said he wanted to play “even if his arm falls off”. But he had first to must pass a fitness test on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of Australia’s most important match for a decade.McGrath delivered two spells in the nets on Tuesday, in which he performed well enough to be picked if his elbow showed no more bad signs, and speaking to the press at The Oval on Wednesday morning, Ricky Ponting declared: “he’s looking more and more likely to play.” That was confirmed after a further work-out in the afternoon, and McGrath will now take his place at the expense of Michael Kasprowicz, in the only change to Australia’s line-up.Earlier, Ponting had stressed how importance McGrath was to the Australian team, adding that his combination of incisiveness and frugality made it almost like having two bowlers in one. “He’s always missed any time he misses a game,” said Ponting. “He’s probably our main strike bowler with the new ball and at the same time you can call on him, through the course of the day, to bowl some tight overs as well.”He’s a vital player in our side, someone who’s done exceptionally well for us over the years, especially in big games and that’s what this one is building up to be.” But Ponting stressed that Australia would not go into the game with a less than fully fit McGrath. “I wouldn’t take him at 60 or 70 percent, no way. We can’t afford to do that in a game like this. With the situation of the series we’ll probably have to be a little bit more cautious.”If McGrath had not been passed fit, Australia had been expected to gamble on a five-pronged package that could include Stuart Clark and Stuart MacGill, at the expense of a batsman. “Certainly it is an option,” Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said in . “We’ve got to get 20 wickets to win the game. It hasn’t worked for us in the past.”
The former umpire and left-handed allrounder Bill Alley, who played for Somerset until the age of 49, has died. He was 85.The colourful Alley was born and educated in Sydney, Australia, but eventually settled in the West Country. And he didn’t start out in cricket. He was firstly a bouncer before becoming a middleweight boxer, and he remained undefeated in 28 contests before he was forced to give it up after being hit on the head in the nets at cricket practice. And it wasn’t until the age of 38 that he played county cricket, when Somerset took him on after he had proven his worth over nine successful seasons in the Lancashire leagues, where he was a popular player for Colne and Blackpool.When Somerset did not offer him a new contract he was notably put out, not least because he had contributed 19,612 first-class runs – with a top score of 229 not out – and taken 738 wickets for them. And he became the last player to strike 3000 in one season, in 1961. His gully fielding was also razor-sharp, and he gained a reputation for never dropping a catch.After being forced to give up playing county cricket, he took up umpiring instead and went on to enjoy 16 seasons as a first-class umpire, although his penchant for awarding lbws earned him the nickname “Finger-Happy Joe” in some quarters (mainly batting ones). Alley also officiated in ten Tests, and was standing in the Headingley Test in 1977 as Geoffrey Boycott struck his 100th century.Although he was tipped by Sir Donald Bradman to make it as Test player, he didn’t step on to the ultimate stage. But, as Peter Robinson, a former Somerset colleague, told The Times: “There can’t be many better cricketers who didn’t appear in Test cricket.”Alley was married to Betty, who he met when playing cricket in the north of England, and they had two sons. He also had one son from his first marriage, who died in an Army accident.
Day 3 of 4 ScorecardMluleki Nkala cracked an unbeaten century, his second in first-class cricket, and Heath Streak scored his fourth first-class hundred as Matabeleland raced to a commanding total on the third day of their Logan Cup clash against Midlands at Queens Sports Club.Nkala, batting at No. 8, made an unbeaten 124 while Streak top-scored with 131 as Matabeleland piled on 479 in their second innings. Midlands closed on 45 for 2, still needing 326 to pull off an unlikely win.Matabeleland resumed on 190 for 5 and soon lost Strydom caught at midwicket by Conan Brewer for 20. Nkala then joined Streak and the two accelerated the scoring with some aggressive strokes. Midlands used eight bowlers but Streak went on to reach his hundred after batting for 169 minutes, facing 220 balls and dispatching 11 fours.Craig Wishart, bowling spin, finally removed Streak to a catch close-in by Terrence Duffin for 131. With Nkala he added 153 for the seventh wicket. Dabengwa joined Nkala and the two put on 50 for the eighth wicket before Dabengwa, on 39 fell to Raymond Price, caught by Duffin.Nkala reached his century from 169 balls with eight fours and a six, but the last two men failed to score leaving him stranded. Price finished with 5 for 148 runs from 60 overs, there were two wickets for Ervine, while Friend and Wishart took one apiece.Midlands’ chase started badly when Vusumuzi Sibanda was clean bowled by Heath Streak with the second ball of the innings. Duffin and Wishart put on 45 for the second wicket before Duffin was caught by wicketkeeper Wisdom Siziba off Andre Hoffman for 23 off the last ball of the day.
Central Otago and Southland have shared the points in their Hawke Cup Zone 4 elimination match at the Queenstown Events Centre.Central batted first making 217 with Lindsay Breen’s 66 the major contribution. Nick Turner and Kieran Lines returned identical bowling figures of 4-52.When rain finally ended play on the first day Southland had reached 76/4, OJ Wilson having scored 24 and Nick Ward being 22 not out. There was no play on the second day.The result leaves the teams with three points each. Competition leader North Otago (12) hosts Southland in the next match this weekend at Centennial Park in Oamaru.
Lincolnshire were again frustrated by the weather when day two of their MinorCounties championship match with Northumberland at Sleaford was called offfollowing heavy overnight rain.Conditions at the London Road venue were already sodden following the weekenddeluge that accounted for both days of the scheduled Bank Holiday fixturewith Bedfordshire.It means that Lincolnshire have now lost four of their opening six days inthe championship this season, and skipper Mark Fell admitted: “It going to bevery hard for us to now challenge for the title.”Sleaford: Northumberland 176-6 Lincs 178-4. Abandoned as a draw. Lincs 4, Northumberland 1
One of Leeds United duo Dan James and Jack Harrison will be dropped against Leicester City if Jesse Marsch plays two in attack, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The Lowdown: Leeds face vital trip to Leicester
The Whites make the trip to the King Power Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, as Marsch takes charge of his first game as manager.
It is another massive afternoon in the Premier League relegation battle, with Leeds now only two points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, having played one game more.
It could be that Marsch goes with a two-man central attack for the match, which would immediately put others at risk of losing their place in the starting lineup.
[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]
The Latest: James or Harrison could miss out
Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed James and Harrison are the players most likely to miss out this weekend:
“Someone like a Dan James or a Jack Harrison probably have to make way. If they’re going to play two up front, he can’t fit everybody in.”
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The Verdict: Harrison deserves to be axed
In truth, Harrison is far more deserving of losing his place in the team than James, with the latter impressing of late after a slow start to life at Elland Road.
The Welshman has scored twice and registered one assist in his last five league appearances, which is a good return considering Leeds’ struggles as a team.
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In comparison, Harrison is enduring a season to forget barring a hat-trick away to West Ham, not producing a single goal involvement in his last six outings.
Whether or not James is used out wide or centrally remains to be seen but he doesn’t deserve to be dropped after a promising spell in the side.
In other news, Phil Hay has dropped a double Leeds injury update. Read more here.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe opening day of the series in Durban started and ended with Dale Steyn’s vein threatening to pop through his neck, but England did not allow the world’s No. 1 bowler or team to overwhelm them. Two of their inexperienced top order responded with impressive resilience as Nick Compton, on his return to the Test side, and James Taylor produced sturdy half-centuries in a fourth-wicket stand of 125 as England closed on 179 for 4.Steyn, who had not bowled competitively since November 5 when he was injured in India, won an early head-to-head when he removed Alastair Cook for a duck and, after a break in play for rain and a threat of lightning, debutant Alex Hales edged behind for 10. He then returned in the dying moments of the day to find Taylor’s edge and give South Africa the lift they desperately needed but Compton, in the city of his birth, remained unbeaten on 63 from 179 deliveries alongside Ben Stokes.
Cook’s 11th opening partner
11 Number of batsmen Alastair Cook has opened with in Tests, including Alex Hales. In the last ten years in Tests no opener has had more partners. Mohammad Hafeez is second on this list with 10 different opening partners.
48 Runs James Taylor had scored in his first three Test innings, which were all against South Africa, in 2012. His 70 in this innings was his second fifty in three innings since his comeback.
179 Deliveries faced by Nick Compton for his unbeaten 63 – equal the fourth highest by an England No. 3 in South Africa. Nasser Hussain’s 463-ball effort at the same venue in 1999-00 tops this list (since balls-faced information is available). Compton, who is playing his first Test for England in more than two years, has two hundreds and two fifties.
8 Ducks by Cook in Tests; he is playing his 123rd Test. Only Rahul Dravid (131) and Allan Border (129) had played more Tests than Cook when they got their 8th duck in Tests. This was the first time in 23 Tests and 40 innings that Cook was dismissed without scoring. He had last got a duck in the second innings at the WACA in 2012-13.
1 Number of fourth-wicket stands for England that have added more runs than the one between Compton and Taylor, with the first three wickets failing to add fifty runs in Tests against South Africa. Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott had added 145 in Centurion in 2009.
When Joe Root was lbw to Dane Piedt’s first delivery, England were 49 for 3 with their two most prolific batsmen removed and South Africa sensed an opening into a batting line-up that has struggled to put consistently big totals on the board but it took them another 45 overs to break through. However, the pitch did not offer the pace or movement that had been expected when Hashim Amla won the toss and unsurprisingly, given the overhead conditions, decided to bowl, while a wet ball was not ideal.Between them Hales, Compton and Taylor have just 15 Test caps so to see two of them combining for a restorative stand of considerable authority will have been a confidence-building sight for the England dressing room early in the series where both sides have question marks over the vulnerabilities of their top orders.Compton’s edge was found early by Steyn but it fell short of Stiaan van Zyl at first slip; AB de Villiers may consider it was one he could have dived for. There was then a scampered single to get off the mark, but in defence he was solid and he left well. He also showed a keenness to get forward whenever possible – a sign of the lack of pace in the surface – and his cover drive was in good order even though a few picked out the fielders. A very significant fifty came from 145 deliveries, soaking up the pressure but, tellingly, never allowing the scoreboard to seize up.Taylor, who returned to the side with a half-century against Pakistan in Sharjah, made his Test debut in the infamous Headingley Test of 2012 when Kevin Pietersen plundered a thrilling 149 against South Africa, amid his disintegrating relationship with Andrew Strauss and the England dressing room. On that day, Taylor became almost the forgotten half in the 147-run stand with Pietersen but the 2015 version was very much a proactive partner this time and his fifty required 87 ballsFive of his boundaries came off Piedt who he played superbly to ensure the offspinner could not quite maintain the holding role that Amla wanted while he also pulled Dean Elgar for six. He was rarely troubled by the quick bowlers to provide further evidence that he is now a player primed to take a second chance at Test cricket he has waited more than long enough for. The forecast is for clearer skies from the second day onwards, and Kingsmead is a ground where looking up as often as important as looking down, so Taylor’s late loss was a blow for England but there is a deep batting line-up to come.Dale Steyn was celebrating again when he removed James Taylor for 70 late in the day•Getty Images
Play was delayed for half an hour by morning drizzle which followed significant overnight rain in Durban. Cook, with four quicks at his disposal although not the injured James Anderson, would likely have bowled first as well but it was England’s new-look top order that was handed the initial challenge under moody skies.One of the pre-series talking points has been how ready Steyn would be for his Test return. He could not squeeze in any cricket before the series and has previously started series slowly after lay-offs. He probed outside Cook’s off stump with the England captain initially showing good judgement before being drawn into pushing at one angled across him that nipped away with the edge carrying comfortably to Elgar at second slip. Steyn had claimed the first honours in his battle with Cook, for whom this was his first Test duck since facing Australia, at Perth, in late 2013.The early wicket meant that England’s re-jigged top three had lost their figurehead, leaving Hales and the Compton to try and repel South Africa in challenging conditions. Hales had managed to settle his nerves when he was off the mark first delivery he faced in Test cricket as he clipped Kyle Abbott through square leg and was largely secure during the half an hour before play was suspendedRumbles of thunder followed by rain sent the players from the field and shortly after the resumption Hales was rumbled when he was drawn into playing a delivery he should have left. Root, as ever, began with a positive intent, played a classy back-foot drive against Morne Morkel then pulling Abbott into the stand at deep midwicket only to fall to Piedt’s first delivery, which turned significantly. Root called for a review but both the point of impact and the ball hitting the stumps were umpire’s call.Amla had said Piedt’s selection ahead of a fourth quick in Kagiso Rabada was very much with conditions later in the match under consideration and the early turn suggested spin could yet play a part. The wicket of a recent world No. 1 batsman was a wonderful way for him to start the series, but as Amla tried to juggle his resources with the appearance of a couple of part-time bowlers there was a feeling that things had not quite gone to plan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has warned contracted players against turning out for the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and said if they did, they would be putting their future appearances for Pakistan at risk. Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the board, was responding to reports in several local newspapers that up to seven active, centrally-contracted Pakistan players had been approached by the ICL.”If someone decides personally, we cannot stop them. But if the ICL is not approved by the ICC, then it could have a negative impact,” Ashraf said. “If any current player does join, he will not play for Pakistan.”Ashraf said the board was unaware of any approaches but stressed that the new central contracts the players are set to sign included clauses which prevented them from taking part in such leagues without the permission of the board.”There are clauses such that allow the board to stop players from playing county cricket for example. Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif were not given permission to play for counties this year though some others were. Even for commercial work they have to take permission. I hope every Pakistani player would put national interest above anything else.”Ashraf played down the impact of the ICL, claiming it wasn’t “a big issue”. He echoed BCCI president Sharad Pawar’s comments that only players who had retired or were about to retire would be interested in the league.”It is not ICC-approved and until it is, no cricket board will support it. Our policy is based on our own interests and we have to see what is good for Pakistan cricket. We have to manage our teams and resources; with so much cricket, so many injuries how can we support this?”Hypothetically, if the ICC approves it we can re-look at our policy as well. As of now, we cannot allow our assets, our resources to play for this.”The first player who has confirmed being approached is Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former captain, who has retired from ODIs, faces an uncertain Test future and is no longer contracted to the board. This, Ashraf said, was no issue with the board. “It is a personal decision for past players and we have nothing to do with it at all.”The other is allrounder Shahid Afridi, though he admitted he was guarded on taking up the lucrative offer, keeping in mind the long-term implications.”Yes I have been approached to sign for ICL,” Afridi told the . “But it is too early to say whether I will accept it or not. No doubt the offer, although not yet in writing, is very attractive. However, there are lots of issues to consider before taking a final decision on the offer.”
Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, defended his side from the criticism they have received after a disappointing tour to England and said that forthcoming events will help them to be better prepared for the World Cup next year.Woolmer came in for criticism from former captains Imran Khan and Javed Miandad after the series. The former slammed Woolmer for not planning properly or having effective strategies set in place for the series.Woolmer told Karachi-based daily , “It is easy to be critical when you lose. The blame culture remains a factor in Pakistan sport. More importantly, constructive criticism is very rare. Of course, both Imran and Javed have a right to express their opinions as does everyone. Those of us who are responsible for the team’s performance have to deal with the problems as they come.”For example, on the point of strategy. Naturally, it is discussed well before the match but during the game players have to adjust to the conditions and inevitably strategies change. Whatever happens on the field is backed by the whole team. Reality suggests that if the opposition plays better than you then you, more often than not, lose. That the team worked extremely hard and were very disappointed in the final results is for everyone to see. But there were positives and we will take them and build upon them.”Pakistan’s fielding, to no one’s surprise, also came in for criticism and Woolmer acknowledged that it was a serious problem. “We have a good team and they are working very hard to keep themselves fit. Fielding is a problem and we work at it relentlessly. We have good days also which are never highlighted and only the bad days are quoted when we lose.”But he remained confident that the team would be well-prepared for the World Cup next year. “The forthcoming events give us the opportunity to build the team into a better and more effective unit. Preparations for the World Cup continue all the time. If we are satisfied now then we will never be competitive enough at the World Cup.”Woolmer hinted that the national squad would be undergoing special training, similar to those recently planned by Australia and India. “We will be discussing these and other plans and implementing them nearer the World Cup. I have seen and used techniques such as these with other teams and they do help a bit.”