All posts by n8rngtd.top

Those who feared that uncompetitive games might undermine the credibility of the World Cup might reflect that it is England, for all their wealth and hubris, who are the biggest embarrassment

George Dobell20-Feb-20150:37

Holding to Bell: Don’t try and be Warner

When the cynics mentioned, ahead of this World Cup, that they were concerned that there would be too many uncompetitive games, it was generally understood that they meant those between Associate and Full Member nations.But it is England, for all their wealth and hubris, who are in danger of undermining the credibility of this competition.It is England, who have been at the forefront of the attempt to carve up cricket for the benefit of the “Big Three”, who have played like part-timers.It is England, who have argued for the cut in teams at future World Cups, who are devaluing the value of TV rights and short-changing ticket-holders with their failure to compete with the best teams.It is England, with an annual revenue around £120m a year more than Ireland and Scotland, who have been brushed aside with almost embarrassing ease.It is England who have looked as if they do not belong.There have been many bleak days in the history of England cricket. There have been losses to Holland and Ireland, there have been whitewashes and blackwashes and decades at a time without an Ashes victory. England supporters are no strangers to pain and disappointment.But this performance was up there – or down there, if you prefer – with the most humiliating in England’s ODI history. This day-night game ended before they needed to turn the lights on.The entire contest – and the word is used loosely – lasted less than 50 overs. It was, in terms of deliveries left unused, the biggest defeat in England’s history (equalling the 226 balls not required by Australia at Sydney in 2003).And while it was extreme, let us not pretend this result was an aberration. England’s top-order was blown away in similar fashion in Melbourne. It is almost a year since they won an ODI series. They have now been bowled out in 13 of their last 19 ODIs and won only five of their last 19. It is becoming hard to avoid the conclusion that they simply aren’t very good.There can be few excuses. England have enjoyed the longest preparation period in their history before this World Cup. They have been playing ODI cricket (with just one T20I to break it up) since last August. They rescheduled the Ashes in order to concentrate on their ODI skills.Let’s be clear: New Zealand are a fine team. Tim Southee bowled beautifully, providing a masterclass in use of the crease, swing and control. He was well supported by a brilliantly dynamic captain who then played one of the most devastating innings you could hope to see. Brendon McCullum might well be a great cricketer. In normal circumstances, it would be no disgrace to have lost to them and Australia.But to lose like this?Good batsmen tend to face fewer great balls. Batsmen who use their feet, batsmen who stay in line, batsmen who play straight find themselves much better equipped to deal with late movement. These are basic skills, once drilled into batsmen developed in the county game.Steven Finn conceded 49 runs in two overs: a new World Cup low•Getty ImagesConsider, for example, Ian Bell’s dismissal. It was, for sure, a fine delivery: it was delivered from wider on the crease by Southee, pitched about middle and off and hit the top of off. Excellent bowling.But did Bell give himself the best chance of playing it? In looking to play the ball through the covers, Bell’s front foot was nowhere near the line of the ball and his bat slightly angled. Against fine quality bowling, such errors will be punished.Equally, Moeen Ali was recipient of a truly wonderful delivery. But he, and Gary Ballance, paid for a lack of foot movement, while the captain, Eoin Morgan, simply hit one to long-on. There is nothing unlucky about that. England are deluding themselves if they use such words.England have allowed themselves to be seduced by the idea that 320 is a par score in modern ODI cricket. They have allowed themselves to be pulled away from their strengths – percentage cricket – and dragged into a slugging match with opposition that can out-punch them.The last time they flourished in ODI cricket – at the Champions Trophy in 2013 – they fielded a team that might have started cautiously, but at least utilised their full 50 overs. Until they learn to do that again, they will continue to lose more games than they win.The possibility that England will not qualify for the quarter-finals is now real. With a dreadful net run-rate – the worst of any team in either group – and Bangladesh likely to gain a point from a rained off game against Australia in Brisbane, England now have no margin for error in their four remaining games. They may well have to win them all. If rain intervenes, they may be reliant on results elsewhere.Maybe, in time, questions will have to be asked about the management, the county system, the academy, the players and the coaches that have overseen this debacle.And maybe, in time, the ECB will reflect on their arrogant attitude to Associate Members and whether the failure of the national side is the main reason for a drop in participation numbers, an apparent disinterest from free-to-air broadcast partners and difficulty in inspiring the domestic T20 audience.But not now. Not yet. England have to prepare for a must-win match against Scotland in little more than 48 hours. They need to rebuild shattered confidence and face a much improved side which scored 19 more runs against this same attack a few days ago.They have to tell themselves, however improbable it sounds, that they can still win this World Cup. They might even evoke memories of Pakistan’s experience in 1992; bowled out for 74 in a group game against England, they would have been eliminated had rain not intervened. The rest – the cornered tigers speech et al – is history.England are more lost kittens than cornered tigers at present. It will not so much be a giant killing if Scotland defeat them, more the mercy killing of a sick pigmy.

With the pressure of a first ever knockout win out of the way, and a new-found belief blowing their sails, South Africa are confident of going the whole distance this World Cup

Firdose Moonda22-Mar-2015When Dale Steyn screams, you know it. When Rilee Rossouw flings himself forward to save a run, you know it. When Imran Tahir runs halfway across the city in celebration, you definitely know it. South Africa believe.”In eight days we could be world champions,” David Miller said. When this tournament began, that milestone was eight weeks away. Not only is it much closer now, it is the closest South Africa have ever been. They have been semi-finalists before, but only in tournaments without a preceding quarter-final round. They have already made history with their first ever win in a knockout match.That alone has buoyed them. “It means everything to me,” Miller said. “It’s the first World Cup for me and it’s a dream come true. To play a semi-final is going to be out of this world. It’s actually a privilege to be in that position. The guys have worked really hard in their careers with all their highs and lows and it comes down to a moment like this. A lot of people dream for a moment like this. We have the opportunity to actually be there.”In tournaments past, the pressure caused by pre-tournament expectations, Miller described, has been too much for South Africa. This time, they are finding a way to thrive on it. “This team has a lot of fresh guys in the side – young guys who haven’t been to World Cups before, so we don’t have a lot of baggage behind us,” Miller said.One of those is Kyle Abbott, who has lifted South Africa every time he has been included in the XI, and can also sense the buoyancy. “In the last couple of days there almost seems to be a spring in our step that actually can do it,” Abbott said. “After all the critics and everyone saying that we can’t, it’s gone the other way. I don’t think guys are going to sit back. I think this is going to take us to the next step and just believe even more that whatever the conditions and whoever the opposition is that we can do it.”Leading that sense of self-belief is AB de Villiers, who inspires with the bat almost as much as he does behind the scenes. “AB’s hunger to succeed and his passion for the team is contagious. The guys are biting on to that,” Abbott said.”We showed every bit of that on Wednesday: commitment in the field, diving for the balls. Rilee was outstanding at backward point, making efforts for balls that he was probably never going to get there but at least he knows now that he made an effort and couldn’t get there. That’s what AB asked from us. He said he wants us to create chances and that’s what we did. We gave ourselves every chance the other night. It’s just a confidence thing now that we actually can do it and take it to the next level.”To move another rung up on the ladder to success, South Africa are pulling out all the stops. For the semi-final, all the consultants they have roped in for this tournament have been collected together to form a mega brains-trust.David Miller – “The guys have worked really hard in their careers with all their highs and lows and it comes down to a moment like this. A lot of people dream for a moment like this”•Getty ImagesGary Kirsten, who is on a 50-day-a-year deal and was with the team ahead of the match against India a month ago, is back. Michael Hussey, who also spent a few days with team before both the India match and the quarter-final, is also back. Mike Horn, who joined up ahead of the quarter-final, has stayed on. And in an extended training session on Sunday morning, which stretched to almost four hours, Mark O’Donnell, the former New Zealand assistant coach who has worked in South Africa with the Eastern Province and Gauteng sides and is now part of Auckland’s structures, was also there.O’Donnell was mostly catching up with old friends but may also have been passing some insider tips on how to counter New Zealand’s approach of all-out aggression. South Africa seem to be working on a defensive strategy with bat in hand in the early stages before counterattacking later on.”They’re really good with nipping the ball. I don’t think they give the opposition much in the first 10 overs. So, it’s about absorbing as much as we can and limiting the damage in the first 10 overs,” Miller said.He won’t be doing much of that, though. As one of the middle-order men, Miller was practicing the second element, specifically targeting the short, straight boundaries. “Hopefully I can mishit a few straight sixes,” he joked, before explaining he will be careful not to get too carried away. “It’s all coming down to the crunch moment now so soon there will be a lot more pressure put on this game. It’s just another game, as they say, which is obviously cliched but it’s about pulling in your emotions and doing the job.”For South Africa, that job is believing like they have never believed before.

Stats highlight from the third day of the second Test between West Indies and England, at St George’s

Shiva Jayaraman24-Apr-20158523 Runs Alastair Cook has made in Tests – the second highest aggregate by any England batsman. Cook went past Alec Stewart’s 8463 runs during his innings of 76. Graham Gooch leads the list with 8900 runs. Cook now has 8523 Test runs in 111 matches at an average of 45.82.4 Number of England batsmen who had fifty-plus scores in six consecutive Test innings before Root. He has made 56, 77, 149*, 83, 59 and 118* in his last six innings. Cook was the last batsman to achieve this, in 2010-11. The others were Patsy Hendren, Ted Dexter and Ken Barrington. If Root gets fifty in his next innings too, he will join Everton Weekes, Andy Flower, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kumar Sangakkara as the batsmen to have fifty-plus scores in seven consecutive innings, which is the longest such streak.4245 Runs scored by Cook in Tests outside England – equalling the most by any England batsman in away (and neutral) Tests. Wally Hammond also scored 4245 runs in away Tests. This was Cook’s 33rd fifty-plus score in away Tests, which also equals the second most by any England batsman in away Tests. Colin Cowdrey also 33 made fifty-plus scores in away matches. Geoff Boycott leads this list with 35 such scores.0 Centuries by Root in nine away Tests before this one. He had five Test hundreds at home. Root has scored 633 runs in away Tests at an average of 42.20. At home, Root has made 1359 runs at an average of 64.71. Root now has a Test hundred against each of the five teams he has played against.40 Number of innings between the previous century stand by England’s openers and the one in this Test. England’s openers had last had a century partnership in 2013, in second innings of the Dunedin Test, when Cook and Nick Compton had added 231 runs.456 Runs scored by England’s fourth wicket in this series – the most scored by their fourth-wicket stand in any three-Test (or fewer) series. Their previous highest for the fourth wicket in a three-Test series was 434, against India in 1967. England’s fourth-wicket stand has averaged 152 runs per wicket with a century partnership in each of the three innings so far.62.53 Gary Ballance’s average in Tests; he has 938 runs with eight fifty-plus scores in ten Tests, including four centuries. Ballance has hit at least one fifty in eight of his ten Tests</a.

Matthew Hoggard, who is taking to the water for charity, talks about the 2005 Ashes, current fast-bowling stocks and whether an old rival should take charge of England

Tim Wigmore06-May-20152:11

‘I can’t swim but at least it doesn’t hurt!’

Ten years on from the 2005 Ashes, Matthew Hoggard is not feeling nostalgic. “No, I’m feeling quite tired,” he says, drawing breath as he gets out of an outdoor pool in Hackney as his preparations for his summer exertions intensify.Starting with the Great North Swim at Lake Windermere next month, Hoggard will complete four of Britain’s five great swims this summer to raise money for Cricket Without Boundaries, a charity that promotes cricket in Africa while promoting HIV/Aids awareness and female empowerment. “It takes money and it’s fantastic to be able to get into some open water and raise money for charity,” he says.”Until a month ago, the last time I swum a length of freestyle or front crawl was about 15 years ago so it’s been a very quick, steep learning curve, but I’m enjoying it – hopefully I can do these 3kms without drowning. Swimming in a wet suit is fantastic – it’s the first time I’ve been able to float in a swimming pool, being rather heavy!”The swims form the backdrop to Hoggard’s summer and, in warmer climes than this choppy morning, he will not lack for chances to reflect on that magnificent series a decade ago: the PCA are taking him to every Ashes Test. A number of dinners are also planned for members of the team, including England’s ‘Fab Four’ bowling attack: Andrew Flintoff and his relentless back-of-a-length hostility, Steve Harmison’s brawn and pace, Simon Jones’ reverse swing and Hoggard’s less demonstrative qualities. His job was to “brush up the debris of the shop floor” as he once put it.Together they formed a formidable quartet, albeit one seen too fleetingly. “We all had different attributes and couldn’t care less who got the wickets. We were a proper team and we just wanted to get off the pitch as quick as possible – whoever got the wickets it was fantastic, and the other three tried to support him. To be able to go into the series and stay a settled side until the last game was brilliant. Every one of us had a brief moment in the sun.”Tim Wigmore joins Matthew Hoggard in the water at London Fields Lido•ESPNcricinfo LtdIf Hoggard always embraced his role as a shaggy-haired shop steward, he was rather better than that, offering not only prodigious new-ball swing and nagging accuracy but also the ability to cut the ball on flat surfaces, as in Nagpur and Adelaide in 2006. He had longevity too – of the quartet, Hoggard ended up as the leading Test wicket-taker. “It’s a good bragging right – but when we do meet up we don’t really talk about cricket,” he says.The combination of the sheer drama of the 2005 Ashes and cricket’s absence from free-to-air TV since means that the series has come to be remembered as the last time when English cricket captivated the nation. But Hoggard is of the view that the benefits of free-to-air coverage risk being overstated.”I don’t think it’s the be all and end all. It’s nice if you can get cricket on free-to-air, but again you need money to grow the game, to put back into grassroots level, to be able to get the next group of youngsters coming through. So you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he says. “Chance to Shine has been fantastic getting cricket into state schools, so everybody gets a chance to try the game.”Hoggard also thinks that a T20 franchise competition has the potential to galvanise the sport. “England cricket needs a boost – it’s finding that window to do that and finding the right formula that works for everybody.”England may currently seem overly reliant on one quick – James Anderson – but Hoggard avoids criticising the state of English fast bowling, citing Mark Wood and Mark Footitt as men who could provide the attack with extra pace. “We’ve got some good bowlers in the wings they’re just not quite ready for international cricket yet, but are plying their trade in county cricket,” he says. “So I think it’s not all doom and gloom and the next James Anderson is just around the corner.”But Hoggard is rather less positive about England’s current coach Peter Moores. It was Moores who ended Hoggard’s international career when he dropped him for Anderson in New Zealand in 2008 – “he’s been proved right” – but, like many members of the side in Moores’ first stint, Hoggard preferred life under Duncan Fletcher.”Duncan was very much a thinker and very much a strategiser, and would come out with different techniques, with different thoughts and different plans,” Hoggard says. Moores, meanwhile, had “lots of energy, lots of get up and go… completely different styles”.”What made him successful as a coach in county cricket is getting people up and getting people motivated and getting people to be up for the day-in day-out grind of county cricket. Test matches are a little bit different – you shouldn’t have to be motivated to get up for a Test match. You need that fine-tuning, you need to be in the right state of mind, you need to be thinking ‘I’ve got the backing of everybody, I just need to go out and show the world what I’m capable of.'”Hoggard has not been won over by Moores’ second stint either. “He’s just said we had a good tour [of the West Indies] and the young players are progressing – and you think, well, they didn’t blood the young players. Some of the things he says are a little bit baffling, and you cringe at times. Whether he’ll still be there come the Ashes is the new director of cricket’s prerogative.” On Andrew Strauss’ supposedly imminent appointment, Hoggard is unconvinced. “It’ll be tricky knowing everybody intimately.”In fact, it is an Ashes opponent from 2005 who Hoggard suggests England most need. He credits Jason Gillespie, who ended up with 11 more Test wickets than Hoggard’s 248, with Yorkshire’s recent success. “He’s gone out and given the players the power to entertain. He keeps it so simple,” Hoggard says.”He’s done a fantastic job with Yorkshire, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to do a similar job with England. Sometimes they say change is as good as a holiday.”

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2015Ahmed Shehzad was then involved in two 30-plus partnerships – with Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik – before falling for 46 in the 12th over with Pakistan on 83 for 3•AFPAnwar Ali struck on the third ball of Sri Lanka’s chase, sending Kusal Perera back for 4•AFPTillakaratne Dilshan was next to go, edging Sohail Tanvir to the wicketkeeper in the second over, leaving Sri Lanka on 13 for 2•AFPMathews fell in the 10th over for a 26-ball 23, after which Sri Lanka fell behind the required rate through the middle overs•AFPMilinda Siriwardana and Chamara Kapugedera, however, kept them in the hunt…•AFP…but Anwar and Tanvir kept chipping away at the wickets, restricting Sri Lanka to 146 and capping up an impressive 29-run win•AFP

A look at six members of the ICC Americas squad who made the cut after clearing both phases of the selection trial

Peter Della Penna08-Oct-20151:37

‘Evans: Pleasing to see high level of intensity from Phase One players’

Ali KhanThe poster boy for why the whole ICC Americas Combine in Indianapolis was conducted in the first place – to discover players who had not been earlier identified, or were ignored, by the old system of national selection organized by local governing bodies. Khan hails from Dayton, Ohio, hardly a cricketing hotbed. As such, the fast bowler either travels 470 miles east to Washington D.C., or 300 miles northwest to Chicago, to find a decent game of cricket on the weekend.With the retirements of fast bowlers like Kevin Darlington and Usman Shuja in recent years the pace-bowling depth of the USA squad has appeared thin. But Khan was one of several fast-bowling prospects to emerge at the trial to demonstrate that there was still plenty of talent around the country that had not been found. His ability to bowl yorkers virtually on demand was the highlight of his performances and went a long way towards his progression into the final team.Timroy AllenContrary to Khan, Florida-based Allen has had a distinguished record for USA since his debut at 21 in 2008 in the WICB Regional 50-over tournament against Barbados. Since then, it has been a topsy-turvy journey for Allen, who has battled with his share of injuries – and USACA officials – while being a match-winning allrounder in the Andrew Symonds mould. Coming in at No. 7, Allen’s dynamic hitting with the bat turned matches upside down while he was equally effective bowling medium pace or offspin with the ball.In 2013, however, he vowed never to play for USA again – due in part to disagreements with coach Robin Singh – after a frustrating sequence of tournaments which saw USA fall short of a place in the 50-over World Cup Qualifier and finish last in their group at the World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE. Some people had questioned his attitude and dedication to cricket, but during the trial in Indianapolis Allen was the most electric player on the field. Not only was he a star with bat and ball, but won rave reviews from fellow participants for his leadership on and off the field. He will be a pivotal player for the team’s chances of victory in Trinidad.Danial AhmedLeft out of USA’s squad for the Twenty20 Qualifier in Ireland after a mediocre performance in the Americas Qualifier in May, Ahmed’s career with USA that started brightly in 2012 was dimming down to a flicker. But the left-arm spinner from Washington DC stormed back into prominence during the trial. Consistency, that had evaded him earlier in the year, returned and he produced spell after spell of stump-to-stump lines, strangling run-scoring.Ahmed doesn’t do a lot in terms of turning the ball, but he is solid at mixing up his speeds to keep batsmen off balance and, by attacking the stumps, he gains more than his fair share of leg-before decisions. His one weakness is in the field, but his inclusion is a recognition that his effectiveness with the ball more than makes up for that.An ability to bowl yorkers almost on demand was the highlight of Ali Khan’s performances during the ICC Americas trial•Peter Della PennaAlex AmsterdamOriginally from Guyana, Amsterdam represented his homeland at Under-19 level in 2009 in the WICB Regional U-19 tournament, where he was team-mates with Guyana Amazon Warriors fast bowler Ronsford Beaton. He came to New York not long after playing for Guyana U-19 and represented USA for the first time at the World Twenty20 Qualifier this summer in Ireland after completing the ICC’s four-year residency rule for eligibility.A left-hand bat, Amsterdam is more of a grinder than a flamboyant stroke-maker. His top score at the Qualifier came in a win over Hong Kong, where he made the most of a life on zero to finish 43 not out. In the trial matches in Indianapolis, he similarly made the most of his extra chances and top-scored in one game with 65 before retiring. He’s expected to stake a claim for a middle-order spot in the team.Srimantha WijeratneThe former Sri Lanka U-19 wicketkeeper-batsman was only able to participate on the final day of the trial’s first phase and was not among the eight players invited back for phase two with the expenses being paid for by the ICC. However, the selection panel identified four players who, if they paid their own way to return for phase two, would be given a chance to compete.Wijeratne was one of the four provisional invitees. His own personal investment to fly back from Toronto paid off in a big way with his inclusion in the final 15-man squad. Wijeratne is especially classy off his legs, playing gorgeous flicks to anything straying onto his pads, but also holds a strong cut shot. He only scored 11 runs in two matches at the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Scotland but a major confidence boost may come from knowing he was one of only six Canada players who made the final cut in the combined USA-Canada squad.Jeremy GordonAt 28, Gordon is two days older than Allen and in his prime as a solid medium-pacer for Canada. Like Wijeratne, he only showed up for the final day of the phase one section of the trial but immediately stood out with a hostile short-pitched spell that got him two wickets and threatened several more.In phase two, Gordon did not take a single wicket, but regularly had batsmen under pressure with the new ball. He brings an added dimension to the attack with his height and bounce. Gordon briefly represented Guyana for five first-class games after his debut in 2007, and will be heading back to the West Indies looking to prove that he’s a better player now than he was when he left for a new beginning in Toronto.

Back from injury, Jason Behrendorff has returned to his best, bowling the towering left-arm seam that could propel his name back into national reckoning

Tristan Lavalette in Melbourne30-Dec-2015Scorchers spearhead Jason Behrendorff’s game-changing spell against Melbourne Renegades is set to propel his name back in the national spotlight. Behrendorff (2 for 14 off four overs) changed the complexion of the crucial BBL fixture at the Etihad Stadium, where he dismissed Chris Gayle and Cameron White off consecutive deliveries in the 12th over.Before Behrendorff’s fourth over, Renegades openers Gayle and Aaron Finch had plundered 98 runs at over eight-and-a-half runs an over, and a score of around 200 looked a distinct possibility.Behrendorff had already bowled three tight overs in a first spell, conceding only 10 runs. In the 12th over, Scorchers captain Michael Klinger gambled and decided to use his trump card in a desperate bid to break the opening partnership.Behrendorff was finally rewarded for his opening spell, during which he had continually beaten Gayle’s flashing bat, with two wickets in his final over. The dismissals were a snapshot of Behrendorff’s allure; he tempted Gayle into a skied attempted pull with an offcutter that bounced awkwardly, and then lured White into a mistimed drive with a slower ball, snaffling the return catch brilliantly with his right hand.The Renegades’ momentum was deflated and they could never recover, eventually slumping to a 10-wicket loss that has put their BBL campaign in peril.Behrendorff said he did not lose his nerve amid a Scorchers team that was uncharacteristically ragged in the field in the opening 10 overs.”The wickets stopped their momentum, and stopping momentum is something we speak about it,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “At that stage, my plan was to bowl wide and change the pace because the wicket offered something with changes of pace.”After a strong start to the domestic season, Behrendorff was considered a potential Test replacement for Mitchell Johnson but back injuries stymied his chances and he subsequently missed a month, including the Scorchers’ opening BBL match against Adelaide Strikers. Behrendorff initially suffered a stress fracture in his back after last season’s BBL final.The 25-year-old returned against the Brisbane Heat at the WACA on Boxing Day and finished with figures of 2 for 32 from four overs. Behrendorff impressed even though he struggled with his rhythm at times.”The body feels good. Hopefully it can continue to feel good,” Behrendorff said. “There are no issues with my body, I felt really good after the first game. The more I play, the better I will feel.”Behrendorff did not believe the recurring back injuries were of major concern. “Injuries are just one of those things of being a fast bowler,” he said. “I have done work on my technique and fitness, and I’m ticking all the boxes.”Towering at 193cm, Behrendorff is an appealing prospect and could be in the mix for Australia’s upcoming tour of New Zealand and the World T20 in India. The left-armer looms as a capable replacement for injured Australia spearhead Mitchell Starc. While not quite possessing the explosiveness of Starc, Behrendorff is capable of hustling batsmen with pace and his imposing height generates awkward bounce.Behrendorff has been a star for the Scorchers, claiming 15 wickets at an average of 16.73 and an economy rate of 6.27 during last summer’s title-winning campaign, with much of his success attributed to his versatility, his bag of tricks including piercing Yorkers, canny slower deliveries and rearing bouncers.Far from being a one-format specialist, Behrendorff possesses an impressive first-class record, with 86 wickets at an average of 25.22.”Consistency and being versatile is the key, and the two things I have been working on. It has been working so far,” Behrendorff said. “I would love to [be part of Australia’s tour of New Zealand], but you never know. I just have to keep taking wickets and performing, and see what happens down the track.”I would love to be playing all forms of cricket for Australia in the future, that’s for sure.”

The Caribbean T20 league has successfully captured interest in the region – now it is looking to spread its reach even further

Peter Miller12-Feb-2016You know you are in the Caribbean when the music is louder than is necessary and the venue for the Caribbean Premier League draft was no different. Even with an 11am start there was pumping music and scantily clad carnival dancers. A steel drum band was at the entrance to welcome the guests and a DJ was given pride of place in the middle of the hall. This is very much the vibe that the CPL organisers are going for, the tournament they say is as much about celebrating the hedonistic party culture that the West Indies is famous for as it is about showcasing T20 cricketing talent. Whether they succeed in this endeavour is for those that attend to judge.The draft itself took place underneath a now decommissioned Concorde airplane, with many of the great and good of West Indian cricket in attendance as well as the owners of the six franchise teams, five of which are now in private hands. A connection with the IPL was begun last year with Shah Rukh Khan adding to his ownership of the Kolkata Knight Riders with the purchase of the Trinidad & Tobago team. This year Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has bought the Barbados team.KKR have cemented that relationship with a rebranding that has seen the Trinidad & Tobago side given the moniker of “Trinbago Knight Riders”. Vijay Mallya is more reticent about a name change.”I know that Bajans love their cricket. Barbados has produced some of the best cricketers… and the Trident is the national symbol. So I am very conscious of, and very sensitive to, that fact,” Mallya said. “So right now it is going to be the Tridents and for the foreseeable future I am going to build the Tridents brand. I think that is more important.”Just what this Indian connection will mean for the league is far from certain, but Venky Mysore who acts as CEO of both the Kolkata and “Trinbago” versions of the Knight Riders was keen to point out that they wanted to make the link up as strong as possible. He made it very clear that in an ideal world the BCCI would allow Indian players to take part, although that is unlikely to happen any time soon. But you would suspect that if anyone was going to get the BCCI to soften its stance on Indian player involvement in foreign T20 leagues it will be those who are involved in both the IPL and leagues elsewhere.The draft itself threw up a surprise as soon as it began. Guyana Amazon Warriors used the $160,000 bracket to select Pakistani left armer Sohail Tanvir. Roger Harper, the coach of the Amazon Warriors, was comfortable with the call. “He offers us depth in the batting and he is an excellent T20 bowler,” he said.The other players in that top pay bracket were Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and South Africa’s David Miller. Shahid Afridi had set his minimum salary in this price bracket but no one was willing to purchase his services for that figure so he went unselected.As is often the case with these events it is the players that aren’t selected that are more interesting than those that do get picked up. Amongst those that will not be playing in this year’s event are the disgraced Pakistani trio of Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt, all of whom who put their name in the draft.While each team was obliged to select at least one player from the ICC Americas region, none of the other 15 Associate nation cricketers in the pot got a deal.Also missing are all of the centrally contracted West Indies player as there will be a clash with India’s tour to the Caribbean during the CPL. This has led to some interesting personnel changes, with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots replacing Marlon Samuels as captain with Faf du Plessis.The CPL’s CEO and COO, Damien O’Donohoe and Pete Russell, are upbeat about a clash, feeling that rather than it distracting from the event it will actually generate some interest in the CPL in India. “There is going to be a clash of dates, and that is why we have been working with the WICB to make sure we have a schedule that works as best as possible with the Indian tour,” O’Donohoe said.”What is great is we will have these guys at the games, there will be a lot of Indian media in the region which is great,” Russell added.While there is a large South African presence amongst the players drafted Dale Steyn has missed out on a CPL stint even with the relatively low minimum price of $40,000. However Hashim Amla, Du Plessis and Miller all made the cut. Perhaps most controversially of all AB de Villiers has been selected as one of the Marquee Players for this year’s tournament. Having so emphatically said that he wants time off from cricket there will be those that question him spending six weeks away from his family while playing for the Barbados Tridents.The big winners other than those in that top bracket where Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell. Pooran missed last year’s event due an injured sustained in car crash but had impressed in the 2013 and 2014 tournaments. The Barbados Tridents picked him up for $90,000 after they tried to select Denesh Ramdin, who will be with the West Indies and as a result unavailable. They clearly had an eye on a wicketkeeper and selected Pooran for the job.Powell is a player for the Combined Colleges and Campuses side and is yet to play a game of professional T20 cricket. Despite this inexperience he was purchased for $40,000 by the Jamaica Tallawahs. When asked why he was selected owner Manish Patel said he bats and bowls like Andre Russell and that he was a young man they were keen to invest in.The final dates for the event are yet to be finalised with discussions between the CPL organisers and the WICB still on-going, but it seems certain that those players that have been bought will be playing from late June until early August, with six matches taking place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.The CPL is growing year on year, there were 92 million viewers worldwide last year and a 44% increase in attendances compared with 2014. It will be interesting to see if the American sojourn and the overseas stars that have been selected will see those numbers increase further. Much of the attraction of the CPL has been the island vibe so taking the tournament elsewhere is a risk, but such is the riches on offer if they can make the USA work as a market for the league it is one they appear very willing to take.

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2016He gave his side a blazing start, smashing a 27-ball 47•Getty ImagesMartin Guptill stretched his run of good form with a 61-ball 59 as the hosts raced to 84 by the end of the tenth over•Getty ImagesAustralia pegged New Zealand back with quick wickets in the middle overs•Getty ImagesGrant Elliott steered his side past 200 with a steady fifty…•AFP… But Australia fought back to dismiss New Zealand for 246 in 45.3 overs – the last six wickets fell for the addition of a mere 23 runs•AFPUsman Khawaja gave Australia a brisk start, stroking 44 from 36 to drive Australia to 75 by the 12th over•AFPNew Zealand then pegged Australia back to 94 for 4 as Ish Sodhi sent Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell back in the space of three balls•Getty ImagesJust as he seemed to have brought the chase back on track in Mitchell Marsh’s company, Matt Henry bowled George Bailey•Getty ImagesMarsh fell soon after, inside-edging the ball onto to his boot to pop a return catch to Henry. The dismissal sparked plenty of discussion, with the big screen showing replays before the third umpire was summoned•Getty ImagesCorey Anderson picked up two lower-order wickets as New Zealand dismissed Australia for 191 and sealed a 2-1 series win•Getty Images

The left-arm spinner has been phenomenal for Sri Lanka in a knockout setting

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Apr-20165 for 3 against New Zealand, World T20 2014, ChittagongRangana Herath spent the first half of Sri Lanka’s World T20 campaign watching the mystery spinners operate. Finally picked against New Zealand, he spent the first half of the virtual quarter-final watching his team-mates collapse for a woeful 119. Then he sprung off the dugout, ringed the opposition top order with catchers, and delivered perhaps the greatest spell of bowling T20 cricket has yet seen.Even now, two years on, Herath’s dominance of New Zealand that night is difficult to comprehend. Brendon McCullum was virtually bullied into a charge, then promptly stumped. Ross Taylor looked like he wouldn’t have made contact if he had been holding a door instead of a bat. James Neesham had the ball wriggle between bat and pad, and Luke Ronchi nailed by one that straightened.It is also difficult to underestimate the importance of Herath’s performance, because following an unconvincing run in the group stage, this was the spell in which flint struck metal, and Sri Lanka’s campaign caught fire. Eight days later, the team was receiving its triumphant open-top-bus welcome in Colombo’s packed streets.3 for 25 against Pakistan, World T20 2012 semi-final, KhettaramaThat Chittagong performance was not without foreshadowing. In the 2012 World T20, Herath had been left out in three of Sri Lanka’s five opening matches, then brought in for the semi-final, which he helped dramatically turn. Defending 139 on a dustbowl, Herath had Shoaib Malik bowled for 6, but it was in the 15th over that he provided a telling double blow. He had Pakistan’s top-scorer Mohammad Hafeez stumped for 42 and flummoxed Shahid Afridi with a carrom ball, which the batsman played onto his stumps. Herath finished that 16-run win with the game’s best figures. He was then dropped for the final, which Sri Lanka went on to lose.4 for 20 against India, West Indies tri-series final, Port-of-SpainHaving bowled himself into form through the back end of the one-day tri-series, Herath was both miserly and menacing through each of his spells in the final. He first had Dinesh Karthik caught at slip, then worked on the man who was leading India’s chase of 202. Rohit Sharma faced a maiden from Herath in the 27th over, and was bowled by the first ball of the 31st for 58.Herath’s final trip to the crease seemed to have swung the match for Sri Lanka. He had Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin trapped in front with successive deliveries, and at the end of that double-wicket maiden, India were 152 for 7. The other bowlers should have sewed up the tri-series for Sri Lanka, MS Dhoni provided one of his great finishes instead.3 for 36 against Australia in the CB series final, Adelaide In the third, and deciding, final of another one-day tri-series, Herath imposed himself on the match as soon as he was brought on. First ball, he had Matthew Wade caught behind, cutting. Next over, he got the ball to grip off a length, and took out Peter Forrest’s off stump. Through the day, he delivered 10 parsimonious overs, and conceded only three boundaries. Clint McKay holed out to deep midwicket off Herath’s penultimate delivery, and Australia were kept to 231, which Sri Lanka failed to chase down.1 for 23 against India, World T20 2014 final, DhakaThe figures may not seem all that impressive, but never let it be said that this big-match player didn’t contribute in the biggest match he has ever played. His first ball should have dismissed Virat Kohli, but his captain Lasith Malinga dropped the catch at midwicket.Herath moved on though, and began stifling Kohli’s team-mates. He had Rohit hopping about and mistiming the ball, before eventually having him caught at short cover. Even Kohli played out five dot balls in the 13 Herath bowled to him – though he did also advance and smoke two sixes. Despite those big blows, Herath conceded less than a run-a-ball, which is particularly impressive, given he only got to bowl three at Yuvraj Singh.