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Even Mark Ramprakash struggled to bring a semblance of common sense batting to County Championship proceedings at The Oval,

11-Jul-2011
ScorecardEven Mark Ramprakash struggled to bring a semblance of common sense batting to County Championship proceedings at The Oval, where another 15 wickets fell on a helter-skelter second day.Having dismissed Kent for 250 to gain a first-innings advantage of 137, Surrey then stumbled to 138 for 7 by the mid-point of a second division match played more like a Twenty20 bash than a conventional Championship tussle.Despite reasonable batting conditions and the fact Kent are without three frontline bowlers, the wicket count continued to blossom as Surrey lost their first four leg before to ill-disciplined shots.Openers Rory Hamilton-Brown and Jason Roy both fell to on-loan Hampshire seamer David Balcombe, who later returned to have Tom Maynard caught behind.First innings century-maker Zander de Bruyn played around a rare straight one from Robbie Joseph, while Ramprakash perished for 20 after an uncharacteristic rush of blood and an attempted legside flick against left-armer Ashley Shaw.Surrey’s demise continued late in the day when occasional leg-spinner Joe Denly snared Steven Davies (39) and Gareth Batty without scoring as Kent restricted the home lead to 275.Having resumed at the start of the day on a perilous overnight position of 26 for 2 – still 361 in arrears – Kent appeared hell-bent on following on.They lost four wickets for 35 runs in the morning session as Sam Northeast played outside the line of a Stuart Meaker off-cutter that brushed off stump then, in Meaker’s next over, Martin van Jaarsveld edged low to first slip to go without scoring.Visiting captain Rob Key walked across his stumps working to leg against Tim Linley to go leg before then Darren Stevens padded up to the same bowler to make it 87 for 6 . Seventh-wicket partners Alex Blake and Geraint Jones both enjoyed good fortune and Blake would have gone for a duck had Hamilton-Brown held on to a sharp low chance at slip.As it was, the pair flourished to set a new seventh-wicket record stand against Surrey, beating the 132 posted by George Collins and Jack Hubble at The Mote in Maidstone in 1926 by six runs.They took Kent to the brink of avoiding the follow-on before Jones, on 61 from 100 balls, aimed a reverse sweep against off-spinner Batty only to balloon a bat-pad catch to Roy at short leg.Ten runs on, Wahab Riaz mowed a good length ball from Batty to cow corner but picked out Ramprakash, bringing in Balcombe who forced through the covers for four to ensure Surrey would bat third.Two balls later Balcombe lost his off stump to a Chris Tremlett yorker and only four short of his second championship century, Blake then tossed his own wicket away. Turning for two against the deep cover fielder Roy, he was sent back by last man Shaw to be run out at the non-striker’s end.

Italy got to a winning start in the European Under-17 Division Two Championships with a thumping victory against Belgium. France, Spain and Isle of Man also registered wins on the opening day.

Cricinfo staff28-Jul-2010
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The tournament gets underway in Castletown•ICC/Cricket Europe

Italy got to a winning start in the European Under-17 Division Two Championships with a thumping victory against Belgium on the opening day. The Belgians had beaten Italy in the final of the previous edition of the tournament, but this time they were not given a chance by the clinical Italians.Captain Roshendra Abeywickrama set up the win with an accomplished 76 off 98 balls and he was supported well by Abdulla Al Noman Chowdhury and Jakub Peret who struck 30s. Italy finished with 214 for 5 in their 40 overs. Abeywickrama continued to torment Belgium with the ball, removing Shamin Shah for a duck early. Mohammad Adnan struck a double blow after some resistance from Robert Sehmi after which there was no respite for Belgium. They slid to a sorry 76 all out in 21.4 overs.
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Hosts Isle of Man made a confident start to the tournament with a 66 run victory over Germany in Tromode. Openers Adam MacAuley and Carl Wagstaff built a solid platform with their 91 run stand after which there was no looking back. MacAuley struck a pleasing 53 off 68 balls as the hosts reached 180 in their 37 overs. Germany’s reply came unstuck against some persistent bowling from Robert Hester who finished with four wickets. Opener Krishna Cholleti resisted with 34, but it was not enough as Germany slid to 114 all out.
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Spain were made to work hard by Switzerland before sealing a 38-run win in Crosby. Himesh Parikh and George Gaillet questioned Spain’s decision to bat first by reducing them to 51 for 4. Charlie Cook then turned the tables with a 46-ball 59 to turn the heat back on Switzerland, as Spain finished with a respectable score of 176. Switzerland’s reply was stunted by a fiery spell from Ben Girling who scalped six wickets. Ali Saleem tried to hold one end up, with 43 off 73 balls, but without support from the other end, as his side were bowled out for 138.
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France steamrolled Gibraltar by 222 runs in St John’s in the most one-sided match on the opening day. Gibraltar lost the initiative almost as soon as they invited France to bat after winning the toss. William Smati and Avishka Liyanaarachchi cashed in with lively 60s and received good support from the rest of the cast as France amassed 278. Zain Zahir’s opening burst reduced Gibraltar to 9 for 3 and ended the match as a contest early. Zika Ali then came on to run through the middle and lower order and finish with dream figures of 5 for 3 in four overs as Gibraltar were shut out in the 22nd over for 56.

Ferguson picked up the injury during the T20I against Sri Lanka on Sunday in Dambulla, where he claimed a hat-trick

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2024Lockie Ferguson will be flying back to New Zealand after picking up a calf injury in their series-levelling T20I victory over Sri Lanka in Dambulla. The 33-year-old fast bowler has been ruled out of the ODI leg of the tour which begins with the first of three matches on November 13.Ferguson was only just returning from injury – a different one, right hamstring – and was heavily involved in changing New Zealand’s fortunes, his hat-trick helping them defend a total of 108 as they came back from 0-1 down to share the spoils.An NZC release said he felt some discomfort while bowling his second over of the chase on Sunday. Ferguson left the field thereafter and was unable to take any further part in that T20I, although he did return to pick up the Player-of-the-Match award. He has been ruled out of the rest of the Sri Lanka tour based on initial assessments and is scheduled to undergo scans upon arriving in New Zealand to ascertain the full extent of the damage. Adam Milne has been called into the squad as Ferguson’s replacement and will arrive in Dambulla on Tuesday.”We’re gutted for Lockie,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said, “He showed in the space of just two overs what an asset he is with the ball and he’s also brought a lot of leadership to this group, so he’ll be a big miss heading into an important ODI series for us. To be ruled out so early in a tour is always tough to take, but we’re hopeful his recovery will be short and he’ll be back out on the field in no time.”Adam is a like-for-like replacement who brings genuine pace and plenty of international experience, so we’re looking forward to welcoming him into the group.”Ferguson has played one Test, 65 ODIs and 43 T20Is for New Zealand since making his debut in December 2016. He has been one of the team’s first-choice picks in white-ball cricket, a status he underlined by recording his country’s sixth T20I hat-trick. New Zealand will now be relying on a relatively inexperienced seam-bowling attack, although Milne’s inclusion – 49 ODIs and 53 T20Is played – does offset that a little. Milne will join Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith to make up the team’s frontline seam-bowling options with support from allrounders Zakary Foulkes and Josh Clarkson.New Zealand are on the back end of a long tour of the subcontinent which began with a washed-out Test against Afghanistan in early September. That was followed by a 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka a few weeks later and a 3-0 win over India in India earlier this month.

October 15, the original date for the match, is the first day of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, so the game could now be played a day before on October 14

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jul-2023In a move that could impact the overall ODI World Cup schedule, the BCCI is considering moving the most high-profile match of the tournament – India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad – from October 15 to October 14.The reason for the change, ESPNcricinfo has learned, is that October 15 is also the first day of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, and the local police has told the BCCI that it would find it difficult to take care of security on the day.It is understood that the BCCI has alerted the ICC about the issue, but no concrete decision has been taken yet. The BCCI is expected to have a meeting with all the state associations that are hosting World Cup matches on July 27 before a final call is taken.Related

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The original World Cup schedule has October 14 down as a double-header day: England play Afghanistan in a day match in Delhi and New Zealand play Bangladesh in day-night game in Chennai. Incidentally, there are no triple-headers scheduled, though there are two matches on six days.India, who open their World Cup campaign on October 8 with a game against Australia in Chennai, would have also played Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi before the game against Pakistan, while their next fixture is against Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune.As for Pakistan, they play Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, the second day of the tournament, and Sri Lanka on October 12, also in Hyderabad, before playing India, followed by their fourth game, against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.Therefore, in case the game moves to October 14, Pakistan will have just a day between their games in Hyderabad and in Ahmedabad, while India will have two days’ gap.The development comes roughly a month after the BCCI announced the World Cup schedule, which itself was severely delayed. While the BCCI has not yet announced any information on when matches tickets will go on sale, fans and other stakeholders have already booked flights and hotels in Ahmedabad for the match, which has historically been one of the most watched sporting events globally.

Joe Clarke among English players expected to attract top-bracket £125,000 price tag

Matt Roller31-Mar-2022Teams in the Hundred are expected to prioritise signing domestic players with their big-money picks in next week’s draft, with doubts over the availability of leading overseas stars due to clashes with international cricket.ESPNcricinfo revealed last week that David Warner will be the star attraction after registering for the draft, which will be held behind closed doors on Monday before the ECB announce picks on Tuesday afternoon.But the majority of men’s international teams have series scheduled during the Hundred, which runs from August 3 until September 3. While some teams may take punts on players whose availability is unclear, several of the 17 overseas picks due to be made at the draft will be filled by players who are not regulars for their national teams.London Spirit, who finished bottom last year, will make the first of the 42 picks at the draft, with Welsh Fire due to make the most picks (seven). All eight teams need to fill at least four spots in their squads following the close of the retention window last month and there are 11 top-bracket £125,000 contracts available,Eight players (Babar Azam, Chris Gayle, Mitchell Marsh, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Tabraiz Shamsi and Warner) have registered for the draft with a £125,000 reserve price, but all eight could miss games due to clashes elsewhere. One leading agent told ESPNcricinfo that several players had only been registered in case of last-minute changes which would enable them to sign deals as replacements, or in the unlikely case that teams are willing to cope with severely limited availability in 2022 in order to retain a player for 2023.The Hundred draft registrations for 2022•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Pakistan are due to tour Sri Lanka from July until early August before the Asia Cup starts in late August; Cricket Australia are expected to schedule an ODI series against Zimbabwe for the start of September which could rule players out of the knockout stages; South Africa play two T20Is against Ireland at the start of August and a Test series against England from mid-August; and West Indies will play home white-ball series against New Zealand in August before the Caribbean Premier League starts on August 30.Trent Rockets, who were beaten in the eliminator by eventual champions Southern Brave last year, will make the sixth pick in the draft and are expecting teams to sign leading domestic players like Joe Clarke, Tom Banton and Liam Dawson for high salaries in the early rounds. They already have two out of their three overseas slots filled by Rashid Khan – retained despite limited availability due to Afghanistan’s T20I series against Ireland – and Marchant de Lange, but anticipate that some Englishmen will be signed before they get their turn.Marchant de Lange, who no longer plays for South Africa, has been retained by Trent Rockets•PA Images via Getty Images

“There will be some English domestic players who will probably benefit a lot from this year’s draft because of the lack of availability and confusion around the FTP [Future Tours Programme],” Mick Newell, the Rockets’ general manager, told ESPNcricinfo. “Then the CPL starts before the Hundred finishes so there’s a lot going on but I think good-quality English players will find themselves in demand next week.”Everyone would love a window for their competition but there’s only one competition that gets a window and we know where that is [the IPL]. To get player availability is crucial for the Hundred – men’s and women’s – and I think it’s really important that we try and create as much space as we can. But that’s with the knowledge that lots of countries have got lots of fixtures to fulfil.”With the World Cup Super League, games that might have been moved aside in the past are going to be hard to move. Big star names are great but it might be different this year – the Aussies are more available this year but might be less available next year. There’s always going to be that mix. For us [Trent Rockets], we had the ability to keep someone like Rashid Khan and have him in our team for as many games as possible this year. But he’s also got that commitment from us that we want him to stay the year after, when we hope he’s available more.”Availability is significantly better in the women’s Hundred, with the tournament due to start four days after the final of the Commonwealth Games at Edgbaston. Leading internationals including Alyssa Healy, Sophie Devine, Smriti Mandhana and Marizanne Kapp have already confirmed their involvement, while further big names – including Australia’s breakout star Tahlia McGrath – are expected to be unveiled next week.The full list of players who have registered for the men’s draft is available on the Hundred’s website.

Russell clobbers nine fours and four sixes to put Colombo top in LPL’s early standings

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Nov-2020How the game played outWith this innings, Andre Russell basically crash-landed at the LPL like an alien from a way bigger-hitting planet than earth, clobbering what seemed like nine dozen sixes (apparently four sixes, according to the scorecard) and half-a-million fours (nine fours) in the space of five overs, to send Colombo Kings sky-rocketing to some ludicrous total that – let’s be honest – Galle Gladiators never really had a hope of chasing down.This was utterly remorseless from Russell, who was like a 12-foot giant running wild in a playpen full of toddlers. He blasted two sixes and three fours in Mohammad Amir’s first over, at the end of which Kings were 26 for no loss, before hitting a six and three fours off the next over, bowled by Asitha Fernando.RECORDS: Fastest T20 fiftiesIt didn’t seem to matter where the bowlers went, or whether they seemed to execute their deliveries or not. Around every corner was Russell, bat raised and a glint in his eye. Of the Gladiators’ four bowlers, only Mohammad Shiraz did not concede a six to Russell.Laurie Evans was outstanding at the other end too, hitting back-to-back sixes off Amir’s second over (Amir ended up conceding 46 from his two overs), and a four off Shiraz. He was 21 off 10 balls when in the last over, Russell clubbed Shahid Afridi to long-on, before turning down the single so he could keep the strike for the rest of the over. On the surface, this seems disrespectful to Evans, and it kind of was. But then Russell crashed a four through long-on next ball, and a six over backward square leg the ball after. So, you know, you couldn’t really fault that decision either.That the match had been shortened to five overs a side was down to the three hours of rain that had fallen this evening. The weather conspired to bring Russell out as an opener, and in some ways, this innings was more entertaining than many regular T20 matches.Star of the dayObviously Andre Russell.The big missThe other four teams, who failed to secure the services of Andre Russell for this tournament.

Centrally contracted cricketers set for pay hike; number of contracts increased from 15 to 17

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2019A wider pool of contracted players, extending to the domestic level for the first time, and a significant pay hike for centrally contracted New Zealand women players are among the key features of the new Women’s Master Agreement. When finalised, the agreement will replace the previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed in 2016, and expired on July 31 this year.Under the new agreement, reached in principle between New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, the number of contracted players will be 79 across three levels, up from 15 under the previous MoU, while the total player payment pool will comprise $4.136 million over three years, an annual payment of $1.38 million. The player payment pool in the previous MoU was $1.575 million for three years.The number of centrally contracted players increases to 17, from 15 over the last three years, with pay ranging from $64,000 to $40,000 annually (inclusive of a retainer payment, retirement fund contribution and promotional payment). Players can also each earn up to $16,000 in match fees. Thus, a centrally contracted player could earn up to $80,000 annually (up from a maximum of $48,000 in the last MoU). In addition, centrally contracted players can participate in overseas T20 leagues in Australia, England and India, when not committed to international or Super Smash fixtures.Under the new agreement, eight centrally contracted Development Players will earn a minimum of $7,500 for participating in NZC High Performance Programmes and two domestic competitions.In the first-ever domestic contracts structure, 54 players (nine for each of the six major associations) will be on domestic competition agreements worth $3,250. The agreements will compensate players for their availability for the Super Smash and Hallyburton Johnstone competitions. Non-contracted players selected to play in a domestic competition will be paid an assembly fee.According to a statement from the NZC, the model of the Women’s Master Agreement sought to provide a starting point for the eventual semi-professionalisation of the domestic game. The aim was also to help reduce the financial barriers for the players’ continued involvement in the women’s game, while retaining their ability to maintain their involvement in other vocations – an issue that emerged as a priority following discussions between the players and the NZCPA.The new agreement was welcomed by the players. Amy Satterthwaite, the senior women’s captain, said the investment in domestic and developing players was an important step forward for the game in the country.”I know people tend to focus on the White Ferns’ contracts but the investment in domestic and developing players is an important step forward for women’s cricket in New Zealand,” she said. “This is an agreement that recognises the need to grow the game at grassroots and domestic level in order to produce White Ferns who excel on the world stage.”This means all White Ferns can now ply their trade as full-time professional cricketers as well as having the flexibility to participate in overseas leagues – which is a huge leap forward for all involved. With the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 on the horizon, this will mean a great deal in terms of upskilling and training, and providing the best possible environment for preparing ourselves and the team.”Batsman Suzie Bates hoped the new agreement would make the game more attractive for aspiring players. “From what I can see, it provides a great framework and starting point for the eventual semi-professionalisation of the women’s domestic game in New Zealand – and that’s probably the most important point in the entire agreement,” Bates said.

Eight years after his last match in India whites, the wicketkeeper is back with a more mature and grounded outlook

Shashank Kishore in Bengaluru12-Jun-20182:07

Afghanistan’s rise is good for cricket – Karthik

Dinesh Karthik knows what it’s like to have had his hopes high, only for them to get dashed. In Chennai four years ago, Tamil Nadu had conceded a first-innings lead against Railways and were fighting to stay in contention for a Ranji Trophy knockouts berth when Karthik, then playing as a specialist batsman, was told of MS Dhoni’s sudden retirement from Test cricket.In Tamil Nadu’s next match, Karthik took the gloves, which meant that designated stumper U Sushil had to be left out. While the team management explained this decision as being down to “tactical calls” and “strategy”, the move is said to have caused a hint of friction in the Tamil Nadu camp. Some even termed it “opportunistic behaviour” from a senior player who was trying to earn a Test spot. As it turned out, Wriddhiman Saha would not only keep wicket in the following Test in Sydney, but make the spot his own for the next three years.There was another call-up in January this year when Karthik, preparing to play for Tamil Nadu in the domestic T20s, was summoned by the team management to South Africa as back-up for a back-up. Saha had pulled up injured after the first Test in Cape Town, and Parthiv Patel, the second wicketkeeper on tour, had a poor game with the gloves in Centurion.The team management, however, persisted with Parthiv for the final game, leaving Karthik on the bench. He would then sit out of the subsequent ODI series and feature in one T20I before returning home. This was also around the time Karthik was discussed as a Kolkata Knight Riders’ captaincy candidate. Then over happened against Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final, and life hasn’t been the same since.Karthik was on his way back from London after playing the charity game for hurricane relief at Lord’s when news of his Test comeback trickled in. Karthik’s initial thought at the time was not surprise but relief, because he had done well in limited-overs cricket and was in the middle of a purple patch.When he was asked on Tuesday, ahead of the Afghanistan’s inaugural Test in Bengaluru, if this was a second wind in his career, Karthik laughed it off. After all, this was going to be his sixth comeback to the Test team, in an international career that is now set to enter its 15th year.”I’ve been asked this question a lot of times. It feels good, but it’s hard for me to put it into phrases like ‘second wind’ and ‘comeback of sorts’ and all that. But I’ll say it feels good to be back in the Indian team in whites,” he said. “To be part of the Test team is something I’ve always dreamed of. I’m just thankful to the people who have stood by me over the years.”The dynamics of Indian cricket have changed in the time since Karthik last played a Test, in 2010. The batting stalwarts who he played with in that game in Bangladesh have all called it a day. Dhoni, the man who replaced Karthik in the Test squad and became India’s first-choice for close to a decade, is now happily retired from the format. Karthik admitted to being frustrated when he lost his Test spot.Dinesh Karthik attempts a catch in the presence of KL Rahul and M Vijay•AFP

“I guess I did not perform well enough before. I wasn’t consistent enough. There was a highly competitive environment. MS Dhoni was breathing down my neck, causing a lot of stir in Test cricket at that point of time,” he said. “He has gone on to become probably one of the greatest Test cricket captains India has ever produced. So, it’s not that I lost out my place to some normal cricketer. He has been a special cricketer over a period of time and I respect him for that.”Just the fact that I couldn’t at that stage produce enough performances to hold on to my place [frustrates me]. I think I need to be honest with myself. I think I wasn’t as good then. I have another opportunity now and I guess I will try to do my best.”The frustration resulted in a massive dip. That Ranji season, he would make just 200 runs in nine innings. It was then that he felt the need to make peace with the challenges and “respect domestic cricket” to return to run-scoring ways. The love for the game though, had remained intact.”I’ve always enjoyed playing the sport, so motivation has never been a problem,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed playing the Ranji Trophy. It’s a totally different challenge. There are not many out there who come and watch you play; you play because you enjoy the sport, which I’ve always done subconsciously. I’ve enjoyed being part of Team Tamil Nadu. Credit to them as well, for having put up with me through the tough years.”As a senior player, they expect you to perform well. Along the way if I could help out young guys, great. That was my mentality. End of the day, it’s always been great to represent a team like that, for them to have put up with me and backed me… Today I’m really happy where I’m sitting.”The years with Tamil Nadu helped Karthik keep the faith, and have also meant that of India’s current Test side only Cheteshwar Pujara has played more first-class matches than Karthik (157).Now, two days away from his 24th Test, Karthik knows he’s a certainty in the XI. There are no false alarms this time. At 33, he’s more mature and far from the fidgety player he once was. Experience, he says, has changed his outlook on cricket and, as cliched as it may sound, he is simply focusing on the “process” rather than looking long-term and worrying about what he must to do keep Saha out.”That [looking too far ahead] puts a little bit of extra pressure than what is already there,” he said. “I’m trying to be consistent there, where even if I don’t get the opportunity, even if I don’t end up playing at the highest level, I want to be content with the fact that I’ve given it everything.”If I now go and try to think about how I can keep my place and keep someone else out, it becomes very subjective. You end up thinking ‘I need to score here, I need to do this, I need to do that.’ I don’t want to keep it that way. I just want to make the best of the opportunities I get.”Karthik may well go on to be part of the Test squad for the tour of England, a country where he’s had success as an opener. But, for now, he’s happy to be part of a historic occasion. Words of encouragement is all he had for his opponents, even when it was posed to him that their captain had talked up his spin attack as being better than India’s.”At the end of the day experience has a lot of value,” he said. “We saw that with CSK in the IPL. Experience pays. I’m sure in time they will be even better bowlers than when they start off. But the point is, the kind of improvement they have shown in white-ball cricket has been phenomenal. There is no reason why they cannot do that in Test cricket, but I would definitely say our spinners have a lot of experience – and experience is not something that can be easily bought. I’m sure their players will also vouch for that. So I wouldn’t harp too much on that.”With that statement alone, Karthik showed why he’s in his best phase of his career, a player who had matured and left the fidgety self who last played a Test more than eight years ago well behind.

Joe Root and Chris Woakes put on an unbroken stand of 102 to lift England to a four-wicket win over West Indies and seal the three-match series

The Report by George Dobell05-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Woakes and Joe Root saw England home with an unbroken 102-run stand•Getty Images

England’s limited-overs resurgence may have been built upon aggressive batting but it was, for the second game in succession, their calm under pressure that led them to victory in Antigua.With their side reeling against a familiar foe – spin bowling – at 124 for 6 and having just lost 4 for 16, Joe Root and Chris Woakes produced an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 102 to take England to a four-wicket victory with 10 deliveries remaining. It means England have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with only Thursday’s game in Barbados to come.This was a far from straightforward win, though. On a two-paced, slow surface that rendered it difficult to time the ball, the batsmen of both sides struggled to dominate.And, had one of the edges offered by Root (on 0 and 51) gone to hand or Rovman Powell and Jason Holder been able to cling on to relatively straightforward chances offered by Woakes on 42 and 58, things might have been different. But Root’s first edge landed just in front of first slip and his second bisected slip and the keeper, and West Indies sorely missed their premier fast bowler, Shannon Gabriel, who was forced off the pitch with a side strain after three overs of his spell.Jason Roy also enjoyed a moment of fortune. He survived a strong appeal for caught behind off Holder before he had scored. And though replays suggested a possible deviation of the ball and there was a sound on the stump microphone, the TV umpire concluded reasonably enough that he did not have enough evidence to overturn the on-field umpire’s not-out decision. Had the host board or host broadcaster been able to come to a deal over the use of ultra-edge – understood to have been priced at £8,000 for this series – there might well have been a different result.Gabriel’s absence allowed Root and Woakes to play out the spinners, rotate the stroke and pick off the runs. The run-rate never rose close to five-an-over and, with Carlos Brathwaite unable to sustain the pressure of the senior bowlers, England simply had to wait for his return and the relatively easy runs that followed. Crucially, while Ashley Nurse and Devendra Bishoo claimed five wickets for 77 from their 20 overs combined, Brathwaite conceded 38 runs in four wicketless overs.It was only Woakes’ second List A 50 for England, with the first (an unbeaten innings of 95) coming in the dramatic tie against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge last year. He might not be the most pleasing or powerful allrounder in this side, but he has a wonderfully equable temperament and perhaps only Root has a better technique with the bat. His six off Carlos Brathwaite, driven over long-off, was one of the shots of the day.Root, playing within himself, hit only three boundaries. But this was exactly the sort of mature contribution that his captain had provided in the first ODI and, in its way, a masterful demonstration of how to control a limited-overs chase.All of which probably makes it sound like an exciting game. And it is true, it rose to a climax of sorts. But just as a rock fall might be dramatic, it doesn’t make the thousands of years of erosion that lead to it great entertainment. This match was not played on a surface that encouraged attractive or, for long periods, entertaining cricket.It may be widely presumed in these parts that hosting England is something close to a licence to print money. And it is true that somewhere approaching 8,000 travelling supporters made up the bulk of the crowd. But if Antigua continues to greet them with tired hotels, roads that make even the shortest journey laborious and wretched pitches that produce stultifying cricket, they may find they spend their money – and their holiday allowance – elsewhere. Nobody wants the homogenisation of pitches but, with the game fighting for its place among other leisure pursuits, we have to provide better entertainment than this to appeal to an audience beyond the die-hard cricket fan.Still, England can’t hide behind that as an excuse for their middle-order fragility. Instead they will accept that the accuracy and variations of the offspinner Nurse and the turn offered by the legspinner Bishoo illustrated flaws that never linger too far from the surface of English cricket: a weakness against spin bowling.Roy ensured a bright start for England with a fluent half-century but it was his dismissal, caught at long-on, that precipitated a collapse that saw England lose five wickets for 37 runs in 10 overs. Morgan was bowled by one that appeared to skid on with the arm, before Jos Buttler edged a late cut – a poor choice of shot with a slip in place – and Moeen Ali was punished for playing back to one that drifted in, pitched and turned to hit the top of off stump. It was fine bowling by Nurse, who didn’t concede a boundary in his 10 overs, in particular. He has looked the best spinner on either side in this series.But with the specialist spinners bowled out, Holder had no choice but to turn to Carlos Brathwaite and his part-time spinners. Brathwaite’s first over back conceded 10, including that six from Woakes, and the pressure eased never to return.West Indies’ batting was inadequate, though. While Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Mohammed were able to add 72 for the fourth wicket, West Indies’ power hitters failed once more as England’s seamers varied their pace cunningly on a surface offering them enough assistance to render length bowling a reasonable tactic. West Indies were bowled out with 13 deliveries of their allocation unused and mustered only 15 fours in their entire innings.While Root and Woakes attempted, for the most part, to keep the ball on the ground, five of West Indies’ batsmen fell to catches lofted up to the cordon as a result of mis-timed strokes. Liam Plunkett, varying his pace cleverly, added three wickets to the four he took in the first ODI, while Steven Finn became the tenth England bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets. He is also the third quickest in terms of games (he has played 67 ODIs) behind Darren Gough and Stuart Broad, who both achieved the milestone in 62 ODIs.

Sri Lanka’s new coach, Graham Ford, who is set to begin his second stint with the team, has cautioned against expecting quick fixes

Sa'adi Thawfeeq03-Feb-2016

Malinga T20 captain, Mathews vice-captain, Chandimal third in line

Lasith Malinga, if fit, will captain Sri Lanka at the World T20, Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed. SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala: “Angelo Mathews will be the vice-captain and Dinesh Chandimal his deputy. “These three players have been given the responsibility to work together and build the national team. They have a colossal amount of experience and ability to build the team.”
Malinga, who will miss the upcoming T20s in India as he recuperates from a knee injury, will lead in the Asia Cup as well if he regains fitness in time. Chandimal will captain in India in his absence.

Sri Lanka’s new coach, Graham Ford, who is set to begin his second stint with the team, has cautioned against expecting quick fixes. The team, he said, is in transition, so he expects the job to be challenging.”Sri Lanka is in the early part of a rebuilding phase, so don’t expect any quick fixes,” Ford said on arrival in Sri Lanka. “I am very aware what a huge challenge it is. A lot of hard work needs to be done. It’s very important that this team building is done on a very solid foundation, so patience is required.”I know there is an abundance of talent within the system, but it is about identifying those who have got the mental toughness to go on and become consistent players and match-winners at international level.”Jerome Jayaratne, Sri Lanka Cricket’s head of coaching, who took charge of the team on a temporary basis when Marvan Atapattu resigned as coach in Sri Lanka, is expected to be appointed full-time assistant coach. Ford said it was important to draw on his experience, and for the entire Sri Lankan cricket set-up to work together.”It’s quite a long process which is required. A lot of hard work, not just for me but all involved, particularly Jerome who has been involved in Sri Lanka cricket for a long time, knows the players so well and has a wealth of knowledge technically and tactically.”It’s important to have his input, and also to have the selectors and the board all working together to ensure the long-term process can take place so that we can take Sri Lanka back to the top of the international stage.”Jayaratne also expected to play the role of team manager, a position previously held by Jeryl Woutersz.Ford’s first assignment is the three-match T20 international series in India, which he said would be a tough beginning but one he could use to find out how good the team is at present.SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said Ford was one of 12 coaches his board interviewed for the post, and he was confident they had made the right choice. “We have secured the services of one of the best coaches in the world,” Sumathipala said. “We have appointed him for 45 months [from February 1] so that he covers the 2019 World Cup in England, where he has first-hand knowledge of the conditions having coached the counties.”Sumathipala also thanked Kumar Sangakkara for playing a pivotal role in securing the services of Ford from English county Surrey, which Sangakkara represents.