Category Uncategorized

Sri Lanka have sprung a couple of surprises by including Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas in their 30-member preliminary squad for the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2010Sri Lanka have sprung a couple of surprises by including Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas in their 30-member preliminary squad for the 2011 World Cup. Seamer Nuwan Pradeep is the only uncapped player in the list, which will be pruned to 15 ahead of the tournament to be hosted in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Jayasuriya has rarely featured in Sri Lanka’s plans in recent times, and managed just 15 runs in six outings during the 2010 World Twenty20 in West Indies. The two-match T20 series against New Zealand that followed was his last international assignment; he has since been ignored for all formats of the game. Vaas, who, like Jayasuriya, was a part of Sri Lanka’s successful 1996 World Cup side, has been out of the national team since July 2009, and last played an ODI in August 2008.All 14 teams participating in the tournament have to announce their preliminary line-ups by December 19, and zero in on the final fifteen before January 19 next year.Preliminary squad: Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Silva, Chamara
Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Jeevan Mendis,
Muttiah Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Malinga Bandara, Lasith
Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal,
Dammika Prasad, Chaminda Vaas, Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thilan
Thushara

Stuart Clark will be joining Kent as an overseas player for the first half of next season. Clark, who has also enjoyed brief stints with Hampshire and Middlesex, had been set to fill the overseas role for Kent last summer before being recalled by Australi

Cricinfo staff06-Jan-2010Stuart Clark will be joining Kent as an overseas player for the first half of next season. Clark, who has also enjoyed brief stints with Hampshire and Middlesex, had been set to fill the overseas role for Kent last summer before being recalled by Australia during the Ashes.”Stuart is a tremendous character and has the ability and experience that we are looking for”, said Graham Johnson, Kent’s chairman of cricket. “He is a genuine wicket-taker and will bring a great amount to the side. He has a positive outlook and will prove a great addition.””We are delighted to finally sign Stuart,” added Paul Farbrace, the county’s team director. “He is an attractive signing for us because he is not playing in the Indian Premier League and will be available for the first half of the summer. He is an exceptional bowler and will offer a lot, both on and off the field.”Clark has represented his country 24 times in Test matches, taking 94 wickets at a miserly 23.86, but was discarded after Australia’s unsuccessful Ashes campaign. While conceding that his international career is in all likelihood over, the 34-year-old has identified a county stint as a new career objective.

India vice-captain says the team’s depth in batting also frees up the top order

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Mar-20252:26

Gill: ‘The way Rohit and I play in powerplay quite different’

There are two ODI greats in India’s top three. There is batting down to No. 8. And almost all the batters have got runs in this Champions Trophy. This India batting order, said team vice-captain Shubman Gill, is better than any he’s previously played in.”This is the best batting line-up that I have been a part of. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli I think are the all-time one-day greats in the world. Rohit , one of the best openers in white-ball cricket and Virat , I don’t think I need to say anything about him. He is one of the best ODI batters ever. I’m batting in between the two, and then below we have Shreyas [Iyer] who is in such good form, then KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja.”Although India are playing in Dubai, which has been a lower-scoring venue compared to others in the tournament, each of India’s top seven has a top score of more than 40 in the tournament. Jadeja, who typically comes in at No. 8, has only been required to bat twice in four games. That kind of depth and form has had an effect on how the top order plays as well, Gill said.Related

• Ind vs NZ: A spin cycle for Champions Trophy glory

• India and New Zealand, the most dominant forces in ICC events

• Rohit and Kohli, making each other greater

• Trial by spin on slow Dubai pitches a key step in Gill's evolution

• Iyer's fire: the point of difference in India's middle order

“The depth in our batting helps free up the batters at the top. We can play freely because we know we have the depth. This is one thing we used to struggle with earlier. We didn’t have the batting depth, so the pressure on the top order was more to score more and stay longer. But I think the depth allows us to play more freely.”Gill, whose tournament top score so far has been 101 not out in India’s opener against Bangladesh, said that for him, however, batting more freely did not necessarily mean taking more risks – it’s more about being smart about when to hit out.”I honestly don’t really think about whether I need to take more risks or less risks,” Gill said. “I think it’s more about me being in my zone and taking calculated risks. I take more risks at the right point, when I feel the bowler is under pressure.Shubman Gill tries to tune his game to various match situations while training•ICC/Getty Images

“Most of my batting is instinctive. I don’t pre-plan, and I don’t play any shots that are pre-planned. When you are playing on the wicket, you kind of have an idea what kind of total you’re looking to make on that wicket. And then you add 15 to 20 runs to give that extra cushion to the bowlers. And that’s what I think of when I’m batting.”Gill then elaborated on what he meant by batting “in his zone”. For him, a lot of it comes down to preparing with match intensity.”Whenever I’m batting in the nets, I feel for me it’s about me trying to play as close to as how I would play in the match. And that is the zone for me. Sometimes we bat in the nets and we aren’t really thinking about the situation. We just want to bat well.”But more often than not, in an important match, there might be a chance that you’re not hitting the ball well. How would I want to score runs then? If it’s hard for me to hit boundaries, then how would I take those singles and put the pressure off of me in a powerplay? So, these are the things that I try to do in the nets.”I think it’s easy to hit boundaries. It’s easy to hit sixes. But doing these small things are, I think, more difficult. And that’s why it requires a lot of repetitions for me. And I think that’s what helps me in the match to stay in my zone.”

Pakistan kept themselves in touch by chipping away through the afternoon including two wickets for debutant Aamer Jamal

Tristan Lavalette14-Dec-2023David Warner launched his Test cricket swansong with a belligerent century on day one to dominate an inexperienced Pakistan attack as Australia gained an early stranglehold of the series-opener at Optus Stadium.Warner reached his 26th Test ton late in the second session with an upper cut to the boundary to trigger his trademark leaping celebration. He had come into the match on the back of a recent public spat with former team-mate and adopted local Mitchell Johnson, who was at the ground.Warner’s form at Test level had long been questioned having previously scored just one century over the last three years. But the faith instilled in Warner, who plans to retire from Test cricket at the end of the series, has paid off as he passed Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke to move into fifth place on Australia’s run scoring list.Related

• Was it a disastrous day for Pakistan? Think again

• Warner says 'shush' celebration was aimed at critics

• Cameron Green reveals he manages chronic kidney disease

• Love him or loathe him, it's time to appreciate David Warner

• Masood's Pakistan out to buck history against high-flying Australia

Warner has now scored six Test centuries against Pakistan with an average of almost 90. His brilliant 164 off 211 balls ended late in the day when he succumbed to a short-ball tactic from debutant quick Aamer Jamal.Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey survived the second new ball and will look to drive home Australia’s advantage on day two.Pakistan’s chances of ending a 14-Test losing streak in Australia look already forlorn after the opening day of the three-match series. It was a tough start for new captain Shan Masood, whose optimism heading into the series quickly eroded after a ragged performance from his team in the field.Bounce and pace was evident on a surface with a smattering of grass covering as occasional deliveries reared. But Pakistan’s quicks did not bowl consistently on a length and there were too many full deliveries which were treated with disdain from Warner.Pakistan’s hierarchy are already facing question marks after not selecting a specialist spinner and opting for debutant quicks Jamal and Khurram Shahzad ahead of veteran Hasan Ali.But Shahzad justified his selection with an impressive spell after lunch, where he made the ball jag around and bowled tightly. He was rewarded in the final session after having a well-set Steven Smith caught behind on 31 with a superb delivery.Jamal, however, was wayward but ended as Pakistan’s only multiple wicket-taker having also claimed Travis Head who was caught at fly slip on 40 in a well-worked plan.David Warner launched a six over long leg•Getty Images

Much of the burden fell on spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who bowled 13 of Pakistan’s first 32 overs. He was unlucky early and nudged 140kph, but erred with his accuracy at times and his only wicket was opener Usman Khawaja for 41.Afridi, who finished with 1 for 75 off 19 overs, was not able to trouble Warner consistently and suffered the ignominy of being carted for an extraordinary scoop shot for six just before lunch.Warner has dominated Australia’s innings so far with no other batter converting starts. He vindicated Pat Cummins’ decision to bat first on a hard surface which has provided some assistance to the quicks. Warner smashed 72 runs in a dominant first session alongside Khawaja as they produced Australia’s first century opening partnership in home Tests in 26 innings.They scored freely but also had to survive an opening six-over burst from Afridi on a surface livelier than during last year’s dreary corresponding Test between Australia and West Indies.Khawaja played second fiddle and was dropped on 21 by Abdullah Shafique running back from the slips. He came into the match under the spotlight after not being allowed to wear shoes which expressed humanitarian views, but wore a black armband.Khawaja succumbed to a Pakistan fightback after lunch, but Warner’s heroics put Australia in firm control.A full-strength Australia went in as expected with Marsh retaining his spot over Western Australia team-mate Cameron Green. Frontline spinner Nathan Lyon makes his return from the calf injury that cut short his Ashes campaign. He will have to wait to bowl with Lyon four away from his 500th Test wicket.There had been a big marketing campaign ahead of the Test after underwhelming crowd numbers in the previous three Tests played at the 60,000 capacity Optus Stadium.The crowd steadily built to 16,259 fans for the fourth Test match played at Optus Stadium with the newly installed three-tiered hill – aiming to mimic the WACA’s famous grass banks – filling up amid increased shade as the day wore on.They would have been satisfied with what they saw as Australia expectedly gained control.

Facing 278 target, his unbeaten 92 leaves them needing 86 more with five wickets in hand

David Hopps21-Jul-2022Lancashire 132 (White 5-14) and 192 for 5 (Bohannon 92*, Croft 47, Sanderson 3-46) need a further 86 runs to beat Northamptonshire 235 (Sundar 5-76) and 175 (Rickleton 59*, Kerrigan 43, Williams 5-41, Bailey 4-65)Lancashire endured a day of fluctuating emotions as the realisation dawned that only victory against Northamptonshire would keep their Championship challenge alive. They lunched like kings, took tea like paupers, and by the time the third day closed with the pavilion clock showing five to eight, they were in such a mental whirl they would only have taken their seat at a banquet in the hope that they might be lucky enough to get the wishbone.Facing a target of 278 for victory, the largest score of the match, there was no better time for Josh Bohannon to rediscover form with an unbeaten 92 from 151 balls. Roughly half his Championship runs had been made this season in a single match against Gloucestershire at Old Trafford, 231 of them which brought excited Red Rose predictions that he had underlined his England credentials. But then the season went all Ctrl+U on him and the underlining vanished as his season never really took hold. A matchwinning hundred would go a long way to addressing that.With the top two, Surrey and Hampshire, both poised for wins of their own, Lancashire probably need five victories in a row, including this one, to have a realistic chance of making a successful title surge. If they can just stay in touch, they finish the season with Surrey’s visit to Old Trafford. But that’s for then, this is now – and the first task is to find a further 86 runs on the final day in Northampton with five wickets remaining. It will not be easy because there is some seam and spin to be had on a slow but dusty surface. Bohannon is unlikely to sleep easily.Ben Sanderson gave Northants a slight edge as the shadows began to lengthen, bowling both Steven Croft and Dane Vilas, the latter inhibited by a finger injury which has kept him off the field for much of the match. They were identical deliveries as he brought the ball back to bowl them on the back foot, Lewis McManus’ decision to stand up to the stumps a contributory factor. The nightwatchman, Matt Parkinson, asked to survive 5.4 overs, made nought, and a second nightwatchman duly appeared.Both Lancashire opening batters had left the crease in the belief that they had got a nick on the balls that resulted in them being ruled lbw. Keaton Jennings departed after the politest of pauses whereas Luke Wells indulged in a bit of a bat-juggling episode which will doubtless find disfavour. Replays did not provide conclusive evidence in their favour. If there was bat involved, it appeared to come second. When Croft out to bat, he had not even marked his crease before the umpires engaged him in meaningful conversation.Bohannon was imbued with positive intent from the outset, his willingness to drive the new ball unaffected by several play-and-misses. This time, fortune favoured him and he quickly grew in authority, finding Rob Keogh’s offspin particularly inviting. Lancashire’s late crash of wickets forced him to close the shutters for the final half-hour.Lancashire have been up against it ever since they were dismissed for 132 first time around and conceded a first-innings lead of 103. But an overcast morning had brought rich rewards as Northants lost six wickets for 50 to reach lunch at 75 for 7.Tom Bailey got the fifth ball of the morning to nip back sharply and dismiss Will Young lbw, and later added Luke Procter as he edged another seaming delivery to first slip. Emilio Gay, tall yet virtually strokeless, clung on for two hours in making 17 before Luke Wood’s inswinging yorker struck him on the boot. Bailey returned for a second spell before lunch, knocking out Lewis McManus’ off and middle stumps and then entirely befuddling Tom Taylor who imagined himself charging down the wicket to devastating effect only to fall prey to an excellent slower ball.Tom Bailey successfully appeals to the umpire for the wicket of Will Young•Getty Images

Northants then struck back with a vengeance. Lancashire’s three pace bowlers were tiring, the short-term India signing, Washington Sundar, found limited turn and the leg-spin of Matt Parkinson, which had been thrashed for 38 in five overs in the first innings, was not trusted by Croft, Lancashire’s stand-in captain, even though there was turn to be had. The continued absence of Vilas because of a damaged finger also had a detrimental effect for Lancashire as the substitute fielder, George Lavelle, took the gloves with mixed success.Simon Kerrigan, who began his career with Lancashire, was dropped on eight by Lavelle off Will Williams, and then endured a short-pitched assault from Luke Wood who struck him on both hands as he made room to the leg side. Some plucky carves over the slips followed, but at least Lancashire could console themselves that later he might not be able to spin it. When Lavelle palmed aside another chance from Kerrigan, it proved only to cost the four runs that accrued as from the next ball Luke Wells held a catch at first slip that had been knocked on to him by Rob Jones at second.Ryan Rickleton was left unbeaten on 59. Not a well-known name on the overseas player roster but so far a mightily effective one. The South African was only signed by Northants for two Championship matches and made hundreds in each of them, against Warwickshire and Kent, but he negotiated an extended stay and this was another assured innings. The best county overseas signings are often among the least celebrated.