Angelo Mathews has resigned as the Pune Warriors captain for the season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2013Five matches since he last made an appearance in the IPL, Angelo Mathews has resigned as the Pune Warriors captain for the season.”I would like to confirm that I have decided to stand-aside as Pune Warriors franchise captain for the rest of the current season to ensure team leadership continuity,” Mathews said in a statement issued to the media prior to the start of Warriors’ home game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. “It is in our best interests that the captaincy is not switched frequently as we strive to achieve the best balanced team for each different opponent.”Mathews was appointed the captain for the season after Michael Clarke, the Warriors’ first-choice leader, couldn’t join the squad due to recurrence of his back injury. Mathews had to be dropped for the Warriors’ game against Chennai Super Kings on April 15 since the IPL’s restrictions on not allowing Sri Lankan players to participate in the games played in Chennai.Since then, Mathews has been unable to regain his place in the side. While Ross Taylor led the side in Chennai, he was dropped because, like Mathews, he was also going through a bad patch, despite the team’s victory in Chennai. Aaron Finch has led Warriors in the four successive losses since then.Mathews hinted that despite the team’s slide to the bottom of the points table, Finch is expected to lead the side for the remaining six games.”Given that Aaron (Finch) is likely to play in all our remaining games then it is logical that he continues to be our captain,” Mathews said. “I will naturally provide my fullest support at all times to Aaron and my team-mates. I will also continue to work as hard as possible as a player as we all strive to win our remaining matches.”

His fans have come to expect thunderous innings and Kevin O’Brien didn’t let them down, with his 84 off 47 balls seizing a tie for Ireland against Pakistan

The Report by Ger Siggins23-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Hafeez scored his fifth ODI century but he was upstaged by Kevin O’Brien’s heroics•AFP

His fans have come to expect thunderous innings and Kevin O’Brien didn’t let them down, with his 84 off 47 balls seizing a tie for Ireland against Pakistan in the first of two ODIs at Clontarf.Ireland’s cricket resurgence was sparked by beating Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, when Trent Johnston and O’Brien saw them home at Sabina Park. The same pair were at the wicket with 13 needed off three balls here, when O’Brien hit Saeed Ajmal for six and two, before the last ball sped for four to leave them one run short of their Duckworth-Lewis-adjusted target.”It feels a bit like a loss to be honest”, a downcast O’Brien said afterwards, “we got ourselves in a position to win. You don’t go out to tie a game, you go out to win it.”O’Brien’s Man-of-the-Match knock, which included 11 fours and 2 sixes, overshadowed two masterful centuries of contrasting styles. A high-class, unbeaten 122 by Mohammad Hafeez warmed the hearts and hands of the large Pakistani contingent before Paul Stirling fired Ireland’s chase with a ton of his own.Hafeez, 32, made his first ODI century in 19 innings as Pakistan overcame difficult early conditions to post a formidable 266 for 5. The quality of Hafeez’s innings was all the more laudable considering it was interrupted four times by stoppages as the Dublin skies emptied rain and hail on the picturesque ground.In some ways the climate may prove as much a block to Irish ambitions as anything else. The many new fans the game has won in the country in recent years can’t have been impressed by the live experience, as almost all the marquee fixtures since 2007 have been interrupted by rain.The crowd were good-natured, however, and a carnival atmosphere obtained despite the chill. Eyebrows were raised when Pakistan opted to bat on winning the toss but, after fine opening spells by Tim Murtagh and Johnston there was little to concern the visitors.Nasir Jamshed hit as big a six as has ever been seen here but was forced to retire hurt on 15 and when first-change bowler Alex Cusack snapped up Imran Farhat the locals found their voice. But it was another 30 overs before they had anything to cheer about as Hafeez and Asad Shafiq found batting increasingly easy.Shafiq passed 1000 runs in ODIs, and his personal best, and was in sight of a maiden century when he spooned Cusack to Johnston at long-on. Their partnership of 188 was the second highest against Ireland for any wicket, dwarfed only by Brendon McCullum and James Marshall’s opening 274 for New Zealand against a virtual second string in 2008.Hafeez moved steadily to his hundred, finding gaps all round the wicket and reaching the milestone off 102 balls. There was a hiccup next over when the recovered Jamshed was well-taken by a diving Tim Murtagh and, next ball, Hafeez sent Misbah ul-Haq back, which he declined to do and was run out without facing. Kamran Akmal cracked three boundaries before O’Brien yorked him in the final over, and there was just time for Hafeez to sign off with a glorious cover drive to close as classy an innings as Dublin has seen in quite a while.With only 47 overs bowled, the target was revised up to 276 and Stirling set Ireland off in a fashion that has become his mark. Two years ago he made a century against the same opposition, which caused Waqar Younis to rave: “He is a fine player, he played proper shots and he is not scared of playing his shots against good bowlers.”Here he played classical drives and deft cuts whilst bludgeoning boundaries on the way to his fifth ODI hundred, in 101 balls. He and Porterfield put on 62, before the second large second-wicket stand of the day, with Ed Joyce. The Sussex man has been in fine form in England but was disappointed to miss a straight one from Hafeez. The pitch generally failed to turn as much as expected and Saeed Ajmal had a day to forget quickly, his ten overs going for 71. He frequently bowled short and O’Brien played some punching backfoot drives through extra cover. Mohammed Irfan, too, had a difficult day, not least in the field where he was tested frequently.”Ireland are a good side,” Misbah, Pakistan’s captain, said afterwards. “We will need to improve in all areas before Sunday’s game.” There were still a few hundred tickets left for that game but they may go quickly when word spreads about this remarkable result.

ESPNcricinfo previews the crucial Group A match between Australia and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale and Devashish Fuloria16-Jun-2013

Match facts

Monday, June 17, The Oval
Start time 1300 (1200 GMT)Can Phillip Hughes reprise the form he showed against Sri Lanka in his first ODI series earlier this year?•Getty Images

Big Picture

Amid the vexing appearances of rain in the last few days, three of the four teams will nervously wait for the result of the final Group B match. Sri Lanka, who more often than not make it to the knockouts in ICC tournaments, just need a win; if they win big – that is, by about 90 runs in a full 50-over game – they can better England’s net run rate and finish top of the group. Australia, who have looked a shadow of their usual selves, need to win by about 125 runs to lift their NRR above that of New Zealand and knock them out. If they bat second and Sri Lanka score 200, Australia will need to chase the target down in about 27 overs. New Zealand, who looked good to make it to the next round till a day ago, need Australia to win but not absolutely thump Sri Lanka. The London weather may interrupt the match but is expected to hold better than in Cardiff or Edgbaston.If Sri Lanka do beat Australia by a big enough margin to leap over England, they will fix a semi-final date with South Africa at The Oval. The second-placed team from the group will play India in Cardiff.Although, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have better chances than Australia, it is Sri Lanka who have the situation in their control. Their batting showed form during the chase against England and their bowling was exceptional in the narrow loss to New Zealand. However, they have shown over-dependence on their three stalwarts for steering their batting and their long-awaited young brigade is yet to show signs of maturity. Sangakkara was the lone ranger against New Zealand and led the chase against England with a brilliant century. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene played useful hands at The Oval too, but if Sri Lanka are to make further progress, their young batsmen will need to shoulder some of the burden of the seniors.Australia find themselves in a strange position. The team has cruised to the knockout stages in the past, but this time, they are in danger of being eliminated without a win. Michael Clarke admitted the team was affected by the off-field controversies, but on the field they have lacked punch in their batting. The failures of Shane Watson and the absence of David Warner and Clarke have meant the batting order has never looked menacing. Stand-in captain George Bailey has shown good form with his two half-centuries, but if Australia are to make a serious attempt at improving their net run rate apart from winning the game, they will need Watson to fire.

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed games)
Australia: LWWWW
Sri Lanka: WLLWL

Watch out for…

It was against Sri Lanka earlier this year that Phillip Hughes burst into one-day international cricket with a century on debut and proved that he should not be considered a Test-only player. Three single-figure scores followed but he finished the five-match series in Australia with another hundred, an unbeaten 138 that set up an Australian victory to draw the series. Hughes’ free-wheeling style can be suited to the 50-over format but he is yet to show his best form on this trip and threw his wicket away against England when he became tied down. A big score could not only help Australia stay in the series but might give Hughes the morale boost he needs ahead of the Ashes.A confident Nuwan Kulasekara is not what the Australians were hoping to face in this match. Fortunately for them his form in the previous match was most impressive for his batting – a brilliant 58 not out from 38 balls as a pinch-hitting No.5 – rather than his bowling. But they know precisely how dangerous he can be in swinging conditions, as they found to their detriment at the Gabba earlier this year. Kulasekara was the architect of Sri Lanka’s outstanding bowling effort to dismiss Australia for 74 in a match in which the hosts were lucky not to fall for their lowest ever ODI total, as they were 9 for 40 when the final pair came together. Rest assured that this Australian batting line-up will be just as wary of Kulasekara at The Oval as they will of the always threatening Lasith Malinga.

Team news

Michael Clarke trained with the squad in the lead-up to the match but was still considered an unlikely starter, with Australia’s medical staff and team management taking a cautious approach with his back injury ahead of the Ashes. Xavier Doherty came in for Mitchell Starc last game and is expected to retain his position.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Phillip Hughes, 4 George Bailey (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.Shaminda Eranga was expensive in the win over England at the same venue and could be challenged for a place in the side by either Thisara Perera or the spinner Sachithra Senanayake.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Lahiru Thirimanne, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thisara Perera / Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Pitch and conditions

There were plenty of runs available at The Oval when England and Sri Lanka played there on Thursday and the forecast for London on Monday is for a cloudy day with the risk of showers.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have won six of their past 10 one-day internationals against Australia
• Should Australia fail to progress past the group stage it will be the first time since 2000 that they have not reached the semi-finals of a Champions Trophy or ICC KnockOut
• Kulasekara needs 19 runs and one wicket to become the fourth Sri Lankan to the double of 1000 runs and 150 wickets in ODIs, after Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas and Upul Chandana
• Adam Voges has played Australia’s past four ODIs, his longest consecutive streak of matches in a spread-out career spanning nearly six and a half years

Quotes

“In the last two years or so we’ve been very consistent against Australia and we’ve played them very well. We managed to handle a lot of situations better than them, so hopefully we can continue that.”
“Once someone in the top four goes on to make a hundred, the other guys bat around him. I’d like to see that happen in this game.”

Stuart Broad ripped through Australia with six wickets as they slumped from 120 for 1 at tea to lose by 74 runs and give England the series

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsStuart Broad took six wickets during the evening session as England stormed to a dramatic victory•Getty Images

To Headingley and Edgbaston 1981 may be added Durham 2013. As happened 32 years ago, Australia tossed away day upon day of diligent cricket with a crowded hour or so of batting calamity, against bowling of high quality from an England team that had looked momentarily bereft of inspiration.Where in 1981 Bob Willis and Ian Botham had rained blows on their antipodean rivals, this time it was Stuart Broad, aided by a critical cameo from Tim Bresnan. Back then, England had been marshalled expertly by Mike Brearley; now it was Alastair Cook who pulled the right rein by replacing Graeme Swann with Bresnan when Australia were 167 for 2 and hurtling towards 299 to win.What followed was a cavalcade of wickets that undid nine days’ worth of hard graft from an Australia team straining to break a sequence of ineptitude. England would have hoped to stay in the match with four wickets after tea – they won it by claiming nine, six to a fearsome Broad. Slightly sheepish in their Ashes retention in Manchester, the hosts could now celebrate winning them in dramatic and damaging style.For all their efforts at Old Trafford and Chester-le-Street the tourists are 3-0 down, confidence battered by the realisation of futility. Australia’s belief that they can win Test matches will be extremely shaken. England’s sense that they can defeat Australia come what may can never be stronger than it is now. Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris, all heroic at times in this match, will ponder whether the twilight of their careers will be lived without Ashes hope. Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja now bear the scars that once dogged England’s 1990s generation.Broad’s impact on the match was profound, as a tally of 11 wickets attests. His away cutter to defeat Michael Clarke was among the balls of the series. But it was Bresnan’s introduction that swung the contest, reaping the dismissal of a fluent and focused David Warner. With Rogers he had blunted England’s bowlers in a stirring century stand and, though Swann had beaten Rogers with spin and Khawaja without it, Warner and Clarke were scoring freely.Warner has seldom played better in Tests, repeatedly piercing the off-side field with back-foot punches, then advancing to loft Swann over wide long off for six. But as a modicum of cloud cover passed over Durham, Bresnan extracted bounce and movement from a perfect length to tickle Warner’s outside edge and pull England back from the precipice.Andy Flower’s messages from the boundary had circulated freely as Australia swept closer to their target, and a drinks break brought about the plan that would do in Clarke. England set a field that foreshadowed a short ball, and Clarke could not help but notice. Instead he received a delivery that was full, fast and seaming away. The off stump tilted back as Joe Root’s had on day three, and Broad roared his approval.Smith has had a poor match, out cheaply on day two then dropping a catch on the fourth morning. He eluded one caught-behind appeal when the ball struck his hip rather than his bat, but when essaying the shot again could manage only to drag it off his body and on to the stumps.Shane Watson’s front pad again got in the way, plonked across the stumps to Bresnan. Leg stump was visible when he was struck in line, and though the angle was sharp, Aleem Dar’s finger was raised. Watson’s review showed the ball clipping the stumps, enough to keep him walking.Broad’s pace was pushing the Australians back in their crease, a dangerous position from which to play the seaming ball. Haddin would fall in this manner, struck in line and with feet in the air. As the only batsman left he had to review Tony Hill’s decision, and like Watson would depart to a ball barely clipping the stumps. England celebrated like winners.From there, all that remained was to mop up Australia’s longest tail of the series. Harris ended a match he should be proud of by being pinned lbw, Nathan Lyon was far too late and crooked on a Broad delivery that made a mess of his stumps. In fading light, Cook claimed the extra half hour to clinch the match, and a final burst of sun allowed him to call on Broad again. Three balls later Peter Siddle lamely poked a catch to mid-off, a fitting end for Broad but also Australia.To his evening contribution, Bresnan had added a critical morning prelude. In Harris’ hands the new ball immediately started to dance on a pitch showing increasing signs of wear. Bresnan shouldered arms to one ball from Jackson Bird that seamed back and would have clipped the top of the stumps, but that was not enough to overturn Dar’s not-out verdict – Australia lost their final review.The first ball of Harris’ second over was fast, skidding and low of bounce, crashing into Bell’s stumps after 254 minutes’ batting of the highest class. Matt Prior marched out for precisely one delivery, which kicked up off a similar length to the previous one and crashed into off stump via the batsman’s arm. Broad averted the hat-trick, but was soon pinned on the gloves by a vicious bouncer from around the wicket.Harris now had six wickets and England a lead of 243. Knowing this was not enough, Bresnan moved up a gear, clouting Bird out of the attack with a series of muscular blows, then put a dent in the figures of Harris. Swann followed up by gliding Siddle’s first ball of the morning to the cover fence. Australian shoulders began to slump.Clarke replaced Siddle with Lyon, and his maiden calmed the innings. Harris then bowled similarly tightly to Bresnan and was rewarded with a return catch and his best figures in Tests. Swann’s response to the fall of the ninth wicket was to try to hit Lyon into the stands, and he offered a high, swirling chance to Smith. He was under the ball in plenty of time but did not get entirely balanced, and the ball bounced out of tense hands.Swann took England’s lead near enough to 300 before Lyon found Anderson’s outside edge. They had more than doubled the runs Australia’s tail managed to cobble on the previous morning, a difference that would prove almost as decisive as the bowling of Broad and Bresnan. Though they have dodged punches for the most part of two matches, England are deserving Ashes winners. Australia, as they did 32 years ago, have become awfully accomplished at finding ways to lose.

Despite his back troubles, Australia captain Michael Clarke said his team’s lean patch only makes him want to lead them back to fairer climes that much more

Brydon Coverdale at Old Trafford31-Jul-2013Michael Clarke could be forgiven for thinking that it’s all getting a bit much. His team is on the verge of losing an Ashes series and possibly a seventh straight Test. His own run-scoring has diminished since the highs of 2012. Most significantly, his sore back will trouble him for the rest of his career. The Queen looked more sprightly when she took the field at Lord’s than a stiff Clarke did at training in Manchester on Tuesday.Last week, the respected ABC radio commentator Jim Maxwell caused a minor ripple when he said, rather matter-of-factly, that he believed Clarke would retire within the next year. It was not an opinion Maxwell alone held. But despite his back pain, despite the team’s turmoil on the field, despite the pressure than comes with being the team’s captain and best batsman, Clarke says he has no plans to step aside.”I’m not retiring in the near future,” Clarke said. “I’m like every other player; you get frustrated that you don’t make as many runs as you would like and get frustrated that the team’s not having success but that only makes the challenge more exciting. I want to help this team have success, I want to make sure I’m leading the way and scoring runs, and I’m 32 and not 36 so luckily I’ve got a few years before I have that discussion.”In fairness to Clarke, while he looked sore at Old Trafford, he had been spry during the tour match against Sussex in Hove over the past week; he ran drinks, bowled a few overs on the field before play, tried to help energise the side. But back injuries are unpredictable; sleep on an awkward angle, twist the wrong way batting in the nets and that can be that.Clarke has had the back problem since he was a teenager, but has missed only one Test because of it. Notably though, it was this year when he sat out in Delhi; he was also unfit for the Champions Trophy. That was an unsuccessful tournament for Australia, but ultimately one that is of no consequence. The same cannot be said of this Ashes tour, especially with a return series in Australia so close.Clarke was part of the Australian outfit that swept England 5-0 in 2006-07, part of a record run of 16 consecutive Test victories under Ricky Ponting’s leadership. Nobody really expected that within seven years, an Australian record of seven consecutive Test defeats would be on the cards. Clarke said the desire to lead his team out of that mire was another reason not to consider retirement.”It’s extra drive,” he said. “It certainly gets you out of the bed in the morning. Generally around five o’clock. I want us to have success and I think we’ve seen so far on this tour that our batters have got to make sure we’re leading from the front. There’s a lot of experience in our top seven we need to make sure we’re performing.”We haven’t performed as well as we’d like on this tour and neither in India so as captain, as a player, you want to do the best you possibly can. As a captain you probably take it more personally when the team doesn’t have as much success as you would like, which probably just makes me work harder.”Losing six Test matches in a row is something we’re not proud of … I’m confident that we can win these next three Test matches and win the series. I know it seems a long way away to a lot of people, but as a player, seeing how close we got in the first Test reminds us that we were really not that far away from winning that first Test match, 15 runs away. If we can play our best cricket, which we haven’t done so far on this tour, the whole 11 players who take the field, we’ll give it a good shake.”The 14-run defeat at Trent Bridge was somewhat deceptive, though, for the Australians came that close mostly because of tail-end runs. The lack of big scores from the specialist batsmen is Australia’s major on-going concern. The first day of the Test series in India in February seems a lifetime ago, given all that has changed in the Australian camp since then, but it was that day in Chennai that Clarke himself scored the last Test hundred made by an Australian player.”We’re all looking for answers, aren’t we?” Clarke said. “To make big runs you’ve got to bat plenty of time. You’ve got to find a way to get through the tough periods and that’s what we haven’t been able to do. When England have bowled well, they’ve managed to get not just the one wicket but they’ve got two or three quite quickly and that has put us under the pump.”I’ve always said, in India and England especially, but all around the world, it’s hard to start your innings against good attacks. Starting your first 20 balls is very tough. You can always get a good ball or be a little bit hesitant at the start of your innings. I’m not as disappointed if blokes get out like that. It’s more when we get in we’ve got to go on and cash in and make big scores. We haven’t done that for a while now.”

Sri Lanka Cricket president Jayantha Dharmadasa has clarified that the board did not question Kumar Sangakkara’s loyalty when the player had to choose between representing Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad for the Champions League T20

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2013Sri Lanka Cricket president Jayantha Dharmadasa has said that the board had not questioned Kumar Sangakkara’s loyalty to his country. In an email exchange with Sangakkara, published in the , Dharmadasa said the board had not misrepresented any facts or misled the media.Earlier this week, Sangakkara confirmed that he would represent Kandurata Maroons in the Champions League T20 tournament, instead of his IPL franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also criticized SLC, saying he was perturbed by the manner in which the board had publicly framed his situation.”We totally deny that SLC has misrepresented facts to the media nor mislead the media in any manner whatsoever and we have not stated anything to question your loyalty to play for the local team nor have we tarnished your image for that matter,” Dharmadasa wrote to Sangakkara. “In so far as SLC is concerned, we took a pragmatic view of the issues faced by us with regard to this matter and accordingly communicated to you our position.”In a reply to Dharmadasa’s email, Sangakkara explained why he had communicated with the media: “The damage to my reputation had already been done in the days preceding my meeting with you and I was left with little choice but to address the media.”In his reply, Sangakkara also told Dharmadasa that an earlier email he had sent to SLC secretary, Nishantha Ranatunga, encompassed his experiences over the last year and a half. In the email to Ranatunga, Sangakkara had written: “You have made me seem disloyal to Sunrisers Hyderebad and also disloyal to my country. In the process, you have quite possibly jeopardised my future in the IPL. It ultimately leaves me to question whether your interest in this matter is more in line with a personal agenda against me rather than a national interest.”I sincerely hope that your comments in the public are your own and are not in any way representative of the collective view of SLC and the current Ex Co. Since you have now set the precedent of demanding and insisting upon local players representing their home franchise over their IPL teams in the Champions League, I will be very interested to see if in the future when the same situation arises that you demand the same of other players.”Dharmadasa defended Ranatunga, stating the latter “commands the respect of the entire membership at Sri Lanka Cricket”.”It is indeed unfortunate and disappointing that you have singled out Nishantha and stated that his conduct in this matter has been reprehensible and not at all befitting the position he holds as secretary of SLC,” Dharmadasa wrote. “As you are fully aware Nishantha was unanimously elected as the secretary of SLC at the last AGM held in March this year and commands the respect of the entire membership at Sri Lanka Cricket. You additionally state that ‘it ultimately leaves me to question whether your interest in this matter is more in line with a personal agenda against me rather than a national interest’, this is an allegation of a serious nature which is unacceptable to SLC.”Nishantha as secretary communicates on behalf of the board in all administrative and cricketing matters which come within the purview of the executive committee. This is one such matter. As president, I need to inform you that all communications sent by Nishantha have been dispatched with the knowledge of the executive committee members who have been copied on such issues in order to resolve these matters in the best interest of SLC. He therefore communicates on behalf of SLC and not in an individual capacity. Your comment in relation to Nishantha is therefore regretted.”

George Bailey, the Australia captain, believes that the IPL has taken away the mystique of playing in India, as his young side ramp up for the series against the top-ranked ODI side

Amol Karhadkar07-Oct-2013Australia arrived in India hoping for a hat-trick of ODI series wins here but are aware that they have arrived with perhaps the least experienced side of the past two decades. At their first press conference, though, the new captain-coach combination of George Bailey and Steve Rixon stressed on the one advantage previous touring sides lacked: a familiarity with Indian conditions and players, thanks to the T20 phenomenon that is the IPL and Champions League.The 14-member squad has a combined experience of 627 ODI caps going into the series, less than the combined caps of India’s three most experienced cricketers in the squad: MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. However, Australia did have five representatives in Sunday’s Champions League final – Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Coulter-Nile – as opposed to just two from India’s squad.While the IPL, and its extension, the Champions League, has leveled the playing field somewhat, Bailey sought to downplay the importance of any perceived advantage. Bailey, who along with coach Steve Rixon has been a part of the Chennai Super Kings set-up, were both present at the team’s first media interaction. Both Bailey and Rixon have worked closely with the likes of Dhoni, Raina, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.”One of the great things about IPL over the years is we have played in a lot of grounds against the best players,” The Australian captain said. “All of us have played with and against a lot of the Indian players and vice-versa. We know a lot of strengths and weaknesses, a lot about personalities.[There are] some advantages for both the teams, so [there are] some areas to try and exploit.”Having been a part of the Pune Warriors set-up, Callum Ferguson, who has come in for injured Michael Clarke, and Aaron Finch would know more than a thing or two about Yuvraj’s game. So will all-rounder Moises Henriques’ close proximity with Virat Kohli, Jaydev Unadkat and Vinay Kumar, after being a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore set-up last season.”Having been involved in Champions League Twenty20, we have seen the likes of Suresh Raina [and] the way he is playing,” Rixon said. “We have seen the likes of Dhoni [and] the way he is playing, and also Ashwin. We still have to be able to combat that. We have got plenty of hard work to do. The advantage, as George rightly said, is we have got to see them regularly now. We have got more [of a] chance of actually combating that.””A lot more of the Indians would have played in that tournament (Champions League). That is the advantage of having everyone playing. We have been fortunate to have five of them playing. We are in a reasonable position. End result is the guys who have not been playing a lot of cricket, [we can] get them up and ready leading into the T20 and seven ODIs. Once that happens, we are ready for the contest.”It is this familiarity with the conditions that might work in favour of the Australians in the battle between the top two ODI sides in the world. Stressing that “combating those players” who they know very well is important, Rixon was looking forward to taking the chance of displacing India from the top of the rankings chart.”That is the character of this team. At the end of the day, we obviously sit back and want to be part of that No. 1 team,” Rixon, who has taken charge of the squad temporarily after Darren Lehmann returned home, said. “To look at the tournament, not just a tournament but a chance to be No. 1 in the world in one of the three formats, it is very important for the players, very important for the coaching staff, and very important for CA (Cricket Australia).”After arriving in Mumbai on Saturday night, the nine players were involved in a light warm-up session on Sunday afternoon, and had their first full training session on Monday morning ahead of the lone Twenty20 to be played in Rajkot on October 10. Before leaving for Rajkot Tuesday evening, the Australians, who will be joined by the five CLT20 stars, will have one last session in Mumbai tomorrow morning.Both Bailey and Rixon realised it was a monumental task to repeat the 2007 and 2009 feats and surpass India as the top ODI team in the world, especially with a young team under a young leader. Add to that the absence of Michael Clarke, and the top ranking appears like a distant dream, at least at the start of the series. So what does Clarke’s absence mean for the Australian team? “You take Dhoni out, that probably answers your question,” was Rixon’s tongue-in-cheek reply.Top ranking aside, the series, sandwiched between two Ashes campaigns, and criticised as ill-timed by former Australia skipper Ian Chappell, has been billed as one that would act as a stepping stone towards Australia’s 2015
World Cup campaign. At the same time, some are hoping that consistent performances over the next three weeks in India would put some of the fringe players, including Bailey, in with a chance of earning an Ashes call-up. Bailey, however, preferred to put the Ashes thoughts on the backburner. “I think it is [a stepping stone] towards the 2015 World Cup,” Bailey confirmed.”We have got some guys here who have been in the Ashes side and some guys who will be pushing for the Ashes side. To be honest, [the Ashes] is a month away. Eight games here is a long way to go. We have got a round of first-class matches to go [through] back home, so a lot go through before we start our focus on the Ashes. There’s plenty of guys back in Australia who are already starting their focus on the Ashes. As far as this tournament goes, more focus is on the preparation for the 2015 World Cup.”

Sanju Samson stunned with a 46-ball 76, but his dismissal deep into a big chase gave Mumbai Indians the breather they needed to secure an eight-run victory

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy01-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:32

O’Brien: McClenaghan the difference in two teams

It came down, in the end, to one stat: Mumbai Indians scored 61 in their last four overs. Their innings till that point had never looked like getting out of third gear, but a late blitz from Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard left Rajasthan Royals chasing 188.At various points, particularly when Sanju Samson was at the crease, Royals looked in control of the chase. But Mumbai’s bowlers, unlike Royals’, found their lengths at the death. Together, Mitchell McClenaghan and Lasith Malinga conceded only 14 runs in the 18th and 19th overs, and picked up three wickets. It left Royals 20 to get from the final over, and even though Vinay Kumar made things interesting with a couple of high full-tosses – one of which was a no-ball that produced both a catch in the deep and a run-out – it was too much of a hurdle to cross. Having made a storming start to the season, Royals went winless for the fifth match in a row.It all came down to that one stat: 61 runs in four overs. In the early part of the season – when Royals won five out of five – Chris Morris and James Faulkner invariably bowled the last four overs. Neither was playing this game; instead, Juan Theron, Shane Watson and Tim Southee sent down a tasty assortment of length balls, short balls and full-tosses that Rayudu and Pollard gobbled up for six fours and three sixes.Royals’ chase got off to a frenetic start. An edgy Ajinkya Rahane played three awful swipes, of which one went to the boundary off the inside-edge, one hit the top edge and fell to the floor via a terrible drop from J Suchith, and the other fell safely into Rayudu’s palms after another miscue. Watson timed and muscled his way to 28 before he was bowled trying to cut a skiddy quicker one from Suchith.The required rate was always daunting but Samson – restored to his No.3 slot after moving from opening to batting in the lower middle order – kept Royals in the hunt with his effortless power and inventiveness. He played cat-and-mouse with Harbhajan Singh, moving around his crease, forcing him to bowl quicker, and using that pace to pick up two deftly dabbed fours through the fine third man region. He jumped in the air and pivoted violently through the hips to muscle a slower bouncer from Vinay into the gap between deep midwicket and long-on. He pulled Malinga over the leg-side boundary and lofted McClenaghan sweetly over long-off, but when he tried to repeat the stroke and failed to get the required elevation, he left Royals 27 to get from 14 balls.That provoked the turnaround. Karun Nair fell next ball, slashing outside off and nicking McClenaghan to the keeper. Deepak Hooda flicked Malinga in the air, into the hands of deep midwicket. In four balls, Royals had lost their three young and exciting domestic talents, and with it the match.For the first 16 overs of Mumbai’s innings, it had seemed as if they would set a target of 165 at the most. Their openers made a bright start on a true pitch, but Parthiv Patel – typically – failed to convert a breezy start, and Unmukt Chand struggled his way to 13 off 14. Still, with Lendl Simmons scoring a 31-ball 38 at the top, Mumbai were going along at over eight an over for the first ten. It was decent going, but their batsmen kept getting out just when they were getting in.Rohit Sharma provided another example of that, moving smoothly to 27 from 20 – with a couple of authoritative pulls in the mix – before picking out short fine leg off Dhawal Kulkarni. When he fell, Mumbai were 120 for 4 in the 15th over, and a tight 16th from Ankit Sharma, who mixed his pace well while not deriving too much turn, left them 126 for 4 after 16.That was when Royals’ new-look death bowling floundered, and in Rayudu and Pollard Mumbai had just the right pair at the crease to take heavy toll. Rayudu hadn’t had the greatest of starts to his season, and hadn’t even played all of Mumbai’s matches, but he looked in top form here, striking the ball cleanly and picking up four fours and three sixes. One of them, not much more than a pick-up shot off Theron, soared high over wide long-on and landed in the second tier.

Matt Prior has admitted that it was a “tough week” after not being involved in a Lord’s Test for the first time since 2008 but said England’s memorable win had helped ease the pain

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-20152:25

‘I’ve not given up hope of playing again yet’ – Prior

Matt Prior has admitted that it was a “tough week” after not being involved in a Lord’s Test for the first time since 2008 but said England’s memorable win had helped ease the pain. Prior is continuing to rehabilitate from an Achilles injury and still hopes to play again. He underwent surgery last year and his last appearance remains the previous Lord’s Test, which ended in defeat to India.Prior’s place as wicketkeeper has since been taken by Jos Buttler and he pulled off a couple of brilliant catches – as well as conceding 31 byes – as England beat New Zealand by 124 runs on the final day. Buttler, playing just his seventh Test, was the first other than Prior to keep at Lord’s since Tim Ambrose in 2008.”I hadn’t missed a Lord’s Test match for six years,” Prior said. “The minute I saw Lord’s, you know the first Test of the summer is always a really big occasion for any English cricketer, so it was a tough week to watch but made a lot better by England’s performance and obviously the win.”Prior was hoping to play for Sussex this season and possibly restate his case for England but remains some way from a return. “It’s still a slow progress unfortunately, it was obviously a very big injury and a big operation and it’s quite frustrating, I’m sort of taking two steps forward and four back,” he said. “But I haven’t given up hope that I’ll one day be back on a cricket pitch, I love the game and I want to be back out in the middle again.”Prior certainly knows about the difficulties of keeping wicket at Lord’s, where the ball tends to dip and swerve after passing the wicket. He only had praise for Buttler, whose leg-side takes to dismiss Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson in New Zealand’s first innings were further proof that he is adapting well to Test cricket.”I thought Jos had a fantastic game,” Prior said. “Keeping wicket at Lords can be a nightmare, it can make you look and feel ridiculous, with the ball wobbling around – no one knows why it does it but it does, believe me, and you can feel daft. The other thing is that it can ruin your rhythm, it ruins your rhythm, it ruins your confidence but suddenly the half chance comes and you’ve got to be on it to take that chance.”The thing that stood out for me with those two catches, they were two fantastic catches and if he was just a little bit off it he wouldn’t have been able to take those chances so it shows that mentally he’s in a really good place with his game and with himself and I think that stands the team in really good stead.”As he works on his fitness, Prior has also been involved with setting up a professional cycling team and has watched on from afar as England replaced their management team after little more than a year, bringing in Prior’s former captain, Andrew Strauss, as director of cricket and Australian Trevor Bayliss as head coach. Prior thinks that the appointment of Bayliss could turn out to be a masterstroke ahead of the Ashes.”I think firstly a lot of people will be relieved an appointment has been made,” he said. “You know all the time it’s up in the air no one knows where they’re at and again, from the players’ point of view, they’ll be pleased that a decision’s been made sooner rather than later, especially with the Ashes coming up very quickly. We’ll have an Aussie in the ranks, which I think is actually quite a good idea. I think it’s going to work brilliantly – why wouldn’t you want an insight into Aussie mentality and how they might play their game? He’s a wealth of experience as well so I think it could work really well.”Chance to Shine ambassador Matt Prior was speaking at the launch of Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week. Schools can still sign up for the week at www.chancetoshine.org/ncw_signups

Offspinner Michael Leask and slow-left arm spinner Mark Watt claimed three wickets apiece as Scotland opened the World T20 Qualifier with a resounding nine-wicket win over Scotland in Edinburgh

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGeorge Munsey struck 11 fours during his 36-ball 62•ICC/Donald MacLeod

Offspinner Michael Leask and left-arm spinner Mark Watt claimed three wickets apiece, as Scotland opened the World T20 Qualifier with a resounding nine-wicket win over Scotland in Edinburgh. The spinners rolled over UAE for 109 inside 19 overs, before George Munsey’s boundary-laden 62 off 36 balls helped the co-hosts ace the chase with ten overs to spare.After being inserted on a tacky wicket, UAE had a quick start, reaching 21 in two overs. Faizan Asif, who was reprieved on 12 by Josh Davey at mid-on, added five more before Alasdair Evans struck. Davey would then drop Shaiman Anwar in the seventh over, palming it over the deep-midwicket boundary but redeemed himself three balls later, having Shaiman caught at deep cover off Leask.The dismissal of Shaiman sparked a collapse; UAE lost six wickets in as many overs before folding for 109. Leask and Watt dismantled the middle and lower order with combined figures of 8-0-48-6. Besides the top three, only Umair Ali and No.10 Mohammad Naveed managed to move into double-digit scores.The stage was later ceded to Munsey and Kyle Coetzer, who began the small chase with a gallery of boundaries as Scotland shaved 76 runs off the target in six overs. Coetzer, who had been drafted into the squad following batsman Freddie Coleman’s withdrawal due to personal circumstances, laid down the marker for the chase, taking five fours off Manujula Guruge’s second over. Munsey soon took charge and reeled off six fours and a six in the next two overs. He raised his fifty off 29 balls and stayed there till the end alongside Callum McLeod even as Coetzer was bowled for 39. MacLeod put the seal on the chase with a muscled pull and a carve through backward point. With the exception of Naveed, all the UAE bowlers were left nursing economy rates of over 11 an over.Eventually, UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir was left ruing his side’s reckless strokeplay, calling for more responsibility.
“This was a 150-plus wicket and we need to be more responsible, especially in the batting department. We had a bad day and we need to move on,” Tauqir said.