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The Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner has joined Middlesex on loan for the start of the 2011 domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2011The Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner has joined Middlesex on loan for the start of the 2011 domestic season. Rayner, 25, will join the squad when he returns from the MCC tour of Namibia in early March, and will take a full part in the club’s pre-season preparations.”Ollie will be a welcome addition to Middlesex’s cricket staff for the start of the 2011 season,” said the club’s Director of Cricket, Angus Fraser. “He is a talented young cricketer with an excellent work ethic who is improving with each season.”Rayner will be available for selection for the first four rounds of the County Championship, as well as five CB40 matches. The loan agreement will then be reviewed in mid-May prior to England’s international commitments.The departure of Shaun Udal left Middlesex needing to strengthen its spin bowling resources, and Rayner fitted the bill, having taken 18 first-class wickets at 22 in 2010. He is capable with the bat – he averaged 32 in 2010 – and is an excellent fielder, especially at slip.

Even though it’s only for practice, the winners of the warm-up match between Australia and South Africa will take confidence out of beating their old foes

Firdose Moonda in Bangalore14-Feb-2011There are only two survivors from semi-final between South Africa and Australia at Edgbaston in 1999 in this World Cup. Only Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting have experienced the heartache and exhilaration that laid the foundation for an intense rivalry between the two countries in the 21st century. Most of the men in the present squads only had a small taste of the tough contest that plays out when these two teams meet, in the 2008-09 season. They’ll be served another morsel in the warm-up match in Bangalore, and even though it’s only for practice, the winners will take confidence out of beating their old foes.South Africa have more painful memories and will be particularly gleeful if they walk away with a victory, although coach Corrie van Zyl warned against reading too much into the match. “It’s important for us to win in terms of getting ready for the 24th, which is when the real thing starts,” he said. South Africa have another ten days before their World Cup campaign gets underway against West Indies in Delhi and are being careful not to get distracted before then.The outcome of tomorrow’s match could be one such distraction, perhaps more so if South Africa win. Australia are by no means the invincible side they once were, and they don’t have the same hold over South Africa that they once did, but the contest is still talked up. van Zyl is trying to get his team to think beyond that. “To think about those things in the past is unnecessary,” he said. “This is a different side now.”The biggest change for South Africa is that they have a more varied bowling attack than ever before, headlined by three frontline and two part-time spinners. Collectively, they took six wickets in the warm-up game against Zimbabwe, and after seeing the amount of turn the Bangalore pitch offered, they must be drooling at the sight of it. Australia lost 9 for 58 against India on Sunday, and their batsmen have plenty to ponder over before facing South Africa’s spinners, all of whom are likely to play.”We want to give everyone an opportunity,” van Zyl said, indicating South Africa may field all 15 players. It will be a helpful exercise for Dale Steyn, who got nothing out of the Chennai pitch and saw some Australian seamers succeed in Bangalore. Steyn bowled much slower than normal against Zimbabwe but there were no doubts over his fitness. “Dale brings a uniqueness to the bowling attack with his pace and swing and is obviously a very important player for us. We are looking to have a complete bowling attack and he is part of that.”There was a fear that one of the prongs of that attack, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, may be out of action for a while after spraining his knee against Zimbabwe but he was running during training with no problems. “He has done work with the physio and practiced under guidance and we hope he will be ready for tomorrow,” van Zyl said.The emphasis is on getting every member of the squad as prepared as possible and not on the overall outcome. With that in mind, the middle order is a concern because it did not have much time at the crease on Saturday. Although van Zyl would like to see the likes of JP Duminy, Colin Ingram and Johan Botha batting, he doesn’t want it to come “because the top order did a bad job.” Ideally he would like them to “get an opportunity at a later stage in the innings.”The only other player whose preparation is under scrutiny is Jacques Kallis. He batted with sublime confidence on Saturday but did not bowl and is unlikely to do so on Tuesday. van Zyl hoped the step-by-step reintroduction will pay off and Kallis will peak during the tournament. “When he has had periods of rest, he always comes back so strongly, so we hope that will happen again. It’s important that he is ready for the business end.”That end of the tournament is not for another five weeks, and even though many will see Tuesday’s match as a possible semi-final or final, it will be crucial for South Africa to remember that it isn’t and concentrate on their method, not the result. A victory over Australia later in the tournament will be much sweeter.

It is difficult to believe both that, at 36, Misbah-ul-Haq hasn’t played a World Cup before and that he is playing this one at all

Osman Samiuddin in Colombo24-Feb-2011It is difficult to believe both that, at 36, Misbah-ul-Haq hasn’t played a World Cup before and that he is playing this one at all. Such was the force of his last axing, from all three formats no less, that until circumstances thrust him into the Test captaincy last October, his career was all but over.Yet as the premier domestic batsman in Pakistan in the 2000s, many felt he had been treated unfairly in not being given at least one opportunity between 2003 and 2007; with Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan in the middle order during that period, however, it was difficult to see how he would get in.But, like the best actors and boxers, he does comebacks exceedingly well. In 2007, after a four-year exile, he nearly won Pakistan a world title. In this latest return he has been even more remarkable; 65 against Kenya in Hambantota was his ninth international fifty in 12 innings across Tests and ODIs.The player, he said during Pakistan’s practice at the Premadasa in Colombo, does not change. “I’ve always said it is important for any player to get some self-belief and confidence back. You start scoring runs, the team starts believing in you and people’s expectations of you increase and
that gives you self-belief. And as your confidence builds your performance gets better. The player actually remains the same before and after, but with confidence higher, you perform better.”Had poker been an official pursuit in Pakistan, his face would’ve won him titles, so expecting him to express regret, or anger, or even blink twice, at being asked about missing past World Cups is futile. He is happy, he says, just to be playing at all. “I think whatever cricket you play you should think about that. I am enjoying it at the moment, I have always enjoyed playing it, domestically or internationally and I only want to do what I can for the side.”Misbah’s return has fitted in seamlessly with a gradual upswing in Pakistan’s batting results over the last year or so, an under-scrutinised aspect of their performances. In 20 ODIs in Sri Lanka, England, the UAE and New Zealand, Pakistan have made 250 or more 13 times. Each member of the top six has made contributions at various stages, so that the problem has been one of plenty, of pacing an innings, of arranging the order so that momentum is not squandered and stability
always present.Misbah has come, as he did on Wednesday, mostly at five and has batted often in tandem with Younis Khan. Though the poor start then highlighted the calm the pair brings, against a better attack more oomph might be needed through the middle, an Umar Akmal breaking up the pair. Some in Pakistan, Imran Khan no less, want Misbah even higher in the order.”The situation as it is, with the way the batting order is, all our batsmen have scored runs,” Misbah said. “Kamran [Akmal] comes in at three and he has opened, Younis at four who has mostly played at three, the openers did well scoring hundreds in New Zealand, so we’re not really feeling that our batting is missing something. We’ve got guys scoring runs and performing. Our batting order is fine and it is a good combination at the moment. Whatever the team needs, will happen. None of the players have any issues with where they are batting and what number.”Few attacks can match Sri Lanka’s for potency or variety so Saturday, in what is likely to be an electric atmosphere, will be a comprehensive test of Pakistan. “Sri Lanka always, but especially in the last 2-3 years they have been very consistent, playing good cricket and in home conditions they are a very tough side,” Misbah said.”To get a good first win in this kind of tournament, with most of your batsmen scoring runs and then convincingly get them out, the morale gets high and players get into touch. It is a very vital match for both sides.”

Tasmania allrounder James Faulkner has replaced Angelo Mathews in the Pune Warriors squad in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2011Tasmania allrounder James Faulkner has replaced Angelo Mathews in the Pune Warriors squad in the IPL. Mathews, the Sri Lanka allrounder, was ruled out of the IPL because of a leg injury that also caused him to miss the World Cup final against India in Mumbai.”[We have] heard he is very talented and doing very well in domestic cricket,” Pune captain Yuvraj Singh said about Faulkner’s inclusion. “That is why after taking opinions from everyone we picked him in our side.”The 20-year old Faulkner, who hails from Launceston in Tasmania, the home-town of former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, was part of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2008.A highly-rated allrounder in the domestic circuit, Faulkner made his first-class debut in 2008. He has played 14 first-class games averaging 29.86 with the bat, picking up 47 wickets. He has represented his state in 11 Twenty20 games averaging 10.25 with the bat, picking up six wickets. Faulkner won the Ricky Ponting Medal, ahead of his captain George Bailey, as Tasmania’s player of the season for 2010-11.

Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has said that he was not looked after by his country’s board after his career-threatening knee injury and it was the IPL that helped him get his career back on track

Sa'adi Thawfeeq26-Apr-2011Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has said that he was not looked after by his country’s board after his career-threatening knee injury and it was the IPL that helped him get his career back on track. Malinga, who announced his retirement from Test cricket last week, injured his knee in early 2008, and didn’t play for Sri Lanka again till August 2009. He played a few List A games in Sri Lanka in early 2009, but it was his performance in the 2009 IPL, during which he took 18 wickets for Mumbai Indians, that brought him back into the limelight.”Because of the IPL I got a chance to come back to the national team,” he said at a media conference in Colombo. “After the injury nobody looked after me and I was not offered a contract. The 2008 interim committee did not care for my well-being. But thanks to the IPL I didn’t lose anything but I improved my cricket a lot. I’m saddened the way I was treated but not disappointed.”Malinga had announced his Test retirement after Sri Lanka Cricket questioned his decision to declare himself unfit for their upcoming Test series in England, while continuing to play in the IPL. On Tuesday, Malinga reiterated his stand that he was fit enough to play only the shorter formats of the game, and explained the gravity of the injury he sustained three years ago.”I’m not injured but I’m not physically fit to play Test cricket after my injury. If I play in a Test match it would take a longer period for me to recover. The time taken to recover after playing Twenty20 and 50-over cricket is much less.”My doctors in Australia had said that mine was a rare type of injury and that I would not be able to play again. But thanks to president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s private physician Dr Eliyantha White who treated me, I was able to play for the national team again.”In response to criticism that he had chosen the IPL for its riches, Malinga said his retirement from Tests had nothing to do with money. “The Test retirement was never about money. I can’t be a commentator, coach or umpire. But I can bowl well and get wickets. It’s unfair to say money was the root cause of my decision.”Malinga, who played for his country in 30 Tests, is only the third Sri Lanka bowler to take 100 Test wickets (101) after Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Chaminda Vaas (355 wickets). He said he rued not being able to play Tests but it was necessary to take that step in order to elongate his career.”I’m very much delighted to play for my country but unfortunately I have to retire from Test cricket. I don’t hope to play for longer than maybe another three or four years. I will work with full dedication to represent my country in the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup.”Malinga returned to Sri Lanka on Monday to have talks with the Sri Lankan cricket officials and selectors. He is due to fly back to Mumbai on Tuesday night to re-join his IPL franchise.

Stephen Peters struck his second century of the season as Northamptonshire’s batsmen dominated the first day of their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Wantage Road

29-May-2011
Scorecard
Stephen Peters struck his second century of the season as Northamptonshire’s batsmen dominated the first day of their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Wantage Road. Peters was the star of the Division Two top-of-table clash making 115 off 171 balls, including 16 fours, and Rob White then made a century of his own as he ended the day unbeaten on 101 from 241 deliveries and Northants reached the strong position of 325 for 3.Glamorgan, who started the day three points behind their opponents in the table, struggled with the ball throughout, although Chris Ashling did take 2 for 74.Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to bat and Ben Howgego was given a second life when he was dropped at gully by Dean Cosker off the bowling of Alex Jones in the sixth over.
He made it to 26 before his off stump was hit by former England spinner Robert Croft to break an opening stand of 72 with Peters.Peters, whose previous century came against Essex, went on to complete a fluent half-century off 69 balls as Northants had the best of the opening session, reaching lunch on 117 for 1. White was then given a scare when he edged Croft’s delivery on 22 but Glamorgan wicketkeeper Mark Wallace could not take the catch.Peters remained untroubled in completing his century off 149 balls with a four through midwicket off Cosker to notch his 26th first-class ton. This came as part of a partnership of 133 with White, which was broken when Peters holed out by hooking Ashling high into the air to Gareth Rees at deep fine leg, who took a fine catch after waiting for the ball to drop.The home side finished the afternoon on 214 for 2 before White completed a slow half-century off 154 deliveries in the third over after tea. He and Alex Wakely stuck around until Glamorgan captain Alviro Petersen took the second new ball midway through the 86th over as he resorted to restricting Northants’ run-rate by bowling spin from both ends.Four byes off Ashling brought up the 100 partnership before Wakely fell on 45 when he dragged the same bowler’s delivery on to his middle stump. White then completed his sixth County Championship century and his first since September 2009 off 232 balls. He and keeper David Murphy saw out the rest of the day and the latter will resume on 12 on Monday.

It was with spin that Pakistan pinned them in May and it’s with spin again that India will strive to get them

Sriram Veera in Port of Spain05-Jun-2011Trouble looms large for West Indies against spin. It was with spin that Pakistan pinned them in May and it’s with spin again that India will strive to get them. West Indies’ captain Darren Sammy, however, was hopeful his batsmen would put up a better show against India in the ODI series, even though they struggled in the one-off Twenty20.Sammy based that belief on the experience gained by the West Indian batsmen against Pakistan’s spinners. He reckoned Harbhajan Singh would be easier to deal with because he doesn’t have the guile of Saeed Ajmal. “We should play Harbhajan better than we did against Pakistan. Ajmal was different. He was very difficult to pick because of his doosra. Harbhajan, in contract, is more orthodox and our batters should do well against him.”Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez grabbed 12 of the 26 wickets that fell to bowlers in the five-ODI series and India have two offspinners as well, in Harbhajan and R Ashwin. Sammy took positives from the Twenty20 defeat against India, saying though his batsmen couldn’t score freely they showed they could keep their wickets.Sammy said that rotating the strike will be the key, a discipline he stressed on even against Pakistan. In Saturday’s Twenty20, there were 58 dot balls. “You can’t get bogged down. They [batsmen] have been working hard with Desmond Haynes,” he said. “Each individual will have his game plan and the focus should be to rotate the strike. You will have to sweep, use your feet, play with soft hands, all those things come into play.”Sammy was still irked by the fact that the pitches continue to be slow and spin-friendly in the Caribbean. “The tracks have slowed down in the last decade or so. We have seen the Indians struggle against bounce and pace in the past but we haven’t had wickets to suit us for some time now. There is little we can do about it. We have to play on the tracks that groundsmen produce”Sammy hoped the presence of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan could improve the prospects of his team. “Everyone knows what Pollard can do. Bravo and Sars will add experience. Then there are the youngsters like Darren Bravo and Bishoo. Darren has the flair of Lara but he wants to make his own name, which is very good. He can be the next great West Indian batsman. He is working hard.”It’s the batting that Sammy is worried about. He is confident that his bowling attack can defend 250 against India on these tracks. That may be debatable but the real battle will be between West Indian batsmen v Indian spin.

Jack Taylor marked his Friends Life t20 debut with 4 for 16 as Gloucestershire upset the form book with a two-wicket win over Somerset at Bristol

01-Jul-2011
ScorecardJack Taylor marked his Friends Life t20 debut with 4 for 16 as Gloucestershire upset the form book with a two-wicket win over Somerset at Bristol. Taylor, the 19-year-old off-spinner, included big-hitting West Indian Kieron Pollard among his victims as the visitors were restricted to 121 for 9 after winning the toss.Marcus Trescothick top scored with 28, while David Payne took 2 for 4. In reply, the Gladiators made 124 for eight, Taylor again the hero with 38. Lewis Gregory took 4 four for 15 as Somerset defended their modest total with everything they had.It was Taylor’s night. By the time he was run out having guided Gloucestershire from a perilous 75 for five, only 12 runs were needed. Even then the game was only settled in the penultimate over when Muttiah Muralitharan hit Steve Kirby for two followed by an edged four, leaving only four to get off the last over.Pollard should have run out Richard Coughtrie with the second ball, but missed all three stumps from 10 yards following through after bowling. His next delivery was a full toss which was deposited over mid-off by Coughtrie for the winning runs.Ian Cockbain (19) and Chris Taylor (18) made important contributions for the Gladiators after they had slipped to 18 for 3 .Earlier, it was Payne who had put Somerset under pressure by dismissing openers Peter Trego and Trescothick as they made 43 for 2 off the six overs of powerplay.Muralitharan helped tie down the middle order with 1 for 20 from his four overs, but had to play second fiddle to Taylor, who had James Hildreth caught at deep midwicket sweeping, yorked Pollard for 15 and also sent back Jos Buttler and Gregory.Arul Suppiah did his best to boost Somerset’s total with 23, but could take few chances and fell in the final over. Their total looked below par, but a low-scoring game ultimately provided a thrilling finish for a large crowd.Somerset could have gone top of the South Group had they won, while victory for the Gladiators kept alive their slim chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

Leicestershire took the runners-up spot in the Friends Life t20 North Group when their five-wicket victory put a dampener on the opening of Warwickshire’s £32million pavilion at Edgbaston

15-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Leicestershire took the runners-up spot in the Friends Life t20 North Group when their five-wicket victory put a dampener on the opening of Warwickshire’s £32million pavilion at Edgbaston. The Bears’ least successful campaign in Twenty20 cricket stuttered to a conclusion as the new permanent floodlights – which were used for the first time – lit up Leicestershire’s 10th victory in 16 games.A crowd of around 10,000 saw Warwickshire post a total of 166 for 8 but half of the fans had gone home when Leicestershire were set a reduced target of 133 in 15 overs following a downpour between the innings.Josh Cobb got them up and running with a quickfire 28 before he was caught behind off Chris Woakes and it was far from a terminal setback when Will Jefferson and Abdul Razzaq departed in the next over from Jeetan Patel. James Taylor, a century-maker at Edgbaston in an early-season CB40 meeting, joined Andrew McDonald in a superbly paced partnership.Taylor top-edged Keith Barker to backward square leg after making 49 out of 90 in nine overs and McDonald, who went past 500 runs in this season’s competition, was brilliantly caught at long off by Rikki Clarke for 40 in the last over from Woakes. With five still wanted, Wayne White kept his nerve and pulled a six over mid-wicket to win the match with a ball to spare.The home side had made a flying start when Varun Chopra (24) and Neil Carter (20) took 30 runs from two overs by Razzaq and Cobb. The onslaught – which included seven fours and a six by the openers from the first 20 balls – was checked when both batsmen got themselves out attempting to sweep the left-arm spinner, Claude Henderson.However this was only brief respite for Leicestershire before the left-handed pair Jim Troughton and William Porterfield stepped up the tempo again in a stand of 71 from only 46 deliveries. The blitz peaked with 21 runs in an over off Jigar Naik before Leicestershire found a way of stemming the tide.The canny Henderson completed his stint with three for 25 as McDonald held a swirling chance from Porterfield (37) in the third-man area and the Australian was the bowler when Troughton holed out at long off after hitting five fours and a six in making 46 from 32 balls.White, the most economical of the seamers, removed Clarke, and McDonald held two more catches as Razzaq made up for his early mauling by taking three wickets in his last two overs.

Sixteen wickets fell on the second day in Galle, where Australia finished in a powerful position to push for victory thanks to Nathan Lyon’s five wickets on debut

The Report by Brydon Coverdale01-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNathan Lyon struck with his first ball in Test cricket and finished with 5 for 34•Associated Press

After eight months of soul-searching, Australian cricket finally has something to be excited about. A few things, in fact: Nathan Lyon’s five-wicket haul on debut, including a wicket with his first delivery in Test cricket; the performance of the other debutant, Trent Copeland, who struck with his second ball at international level; and the return to form of the new captain Michael Clarke, whose confident half-century capped off a strong day for his side.And the most encouraging thing for Australia’s fans is that they were in a powerful position to push for victory against Sri Lanka in Galle. Australia closed the second day at 115 for 6, hardly the sort of score most sides would crow about that early in a Test, but on a day when 16 wickets tumbled on a pitch so dusty it was almost a health hazard, Clarke’s men were unequivocally on top against a lacklustre Sri Lanka.Of course, plenty of work remains to be done, and their lead of 283 runs with four wickets in hand is no guarantee of victory against a side boasting batsmen like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. But the longer the match wears on, the more impressive Australia’s first innings of 273 appears, and the hosts will need the biggest total of the match to pinch victory.After Lyon’s spin and Shane Watson’s reverse swing demolished Sri Lanka for 105, Australia’s top order wobbled and Rangana Herath picked up some late wickets to keep Sri Lanka, at least theoretically, in the contest. When rain forced an early close, Australia were 115 for 6 with Usman Khawaja on 2 and Mitchell Johnson on 3, and they were happy to get off the field after Herath claimed three late wickets.The most important dismissal was that of Clarke, who had shown his class against spin in compiling 60 from 80 balls. He was nimble on his feet and flicked Herath wristily through midwicket, a shot which VVS Laxman would have been proud of, and he cleared the boundary over mid-off with a wonderful lofted drive against Suraj Randiv.Eventually, Clarke fell when he top-edged an attempted sweep off Herath, and Michael Hussey (15) departed next ball when he was adjudged caught at bat-pad on review. It was a tough call on Hussey, for while the replays suggested possible contact between glove and ball, the footage was not conclusive but the on-field umpire’s not-out decision was overturned.Herath made it three victims in two overs when Brad Haddin edged to slip for a duck, but Sri Lanka needed a pile of wickets after Australia recovered from 5 for 2 in the fourth over. Shane Watson had fallen off the first ball of the innings, when he slashed Chanaka Welegedara to gully, and soon afterwards Ricky Ponting departed in comical fashion when he miscued a pull off Suranga Lakmal.Ponting lost his grip as he played the stroke and his bat flew out towards midwicket, and the fielder, Herath, did well to keep his eyes on the ball and completed the take. Phillip Hughes was positive in his 28, but was lbw to Tillakaratne Dilshan when he went for a sweep to a fullish delivery, and HawkEye didn’t save him when he asked for a review of Richard Kettleborough’s decision.