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He has been given a four-year deal to coach all three formats after a brief period as interim coach in Pakistan

Alex Malcolm12-Apr-2022Former Test allrounder Andrew McDonald has been officially confirmed as Australia’s new full-time men’s coach and selector for all three formats after signing a four-year contract.McDonald takes over the same roleJustin Langer resigned from messy circumstances in February following an offer from the Cricket Australia board for a six-month contract extension only.McDonald, who has been the senior assistant and bowling mentor since late 2019, took over as interim coach for the Pakistan tour. He led the team to a 1-0 Test series and won praise from Test captain Pat Cummins. Australia lost the ODI series 1-2 but won the one-off T20I in Lahore.McDonald has coached Australia on several tours during Langer’s four-year tenure while the former coach rested, including an ODI series in India in 2020, a five-match T20I tour of New Zealand in 2021, and a five-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka earlier this year.”The journey so far has been particularly pleasing, and I am honoured to be given this incredible opportunity for what is an exciting period ahead,” McDonald said.”The success of the World Cup, the Ashes Series and now Pakistan has been testament to the hard work and leadership of Justin, Pat and Aaron [Finch] along with the players and the support staff.”My plan is to build on the growth, depth and experience of the squad while working collectively with the group and across the game. There are many challenges in the short-term which I know excites the leadership group, the players and the staff. I’d also like to thank my family for their support.”Related

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• 'The boys absolutely love him' – Pat Cummins praises interim coach Andrew McDonald

CA did conduct a global search for a new men’s coach following the departure of Langer via a recruitment firm and sounded out a number of potential candidates including former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, former England coach Trevor Bayliss and current Australia women’s coach Matthew Mott. But McDonald’s popularity with the playing group and the team’s recent results made him an obvious choice, as CA general manager of high performance Ben Oliver confirmed.”Andrew was the standout candidate in a high-quality field of coaches,” Oliver said. “And we believe he’s the best person to help continue the growth of the team over the coming years.”McDonald has vast coaching experience having coached Victoria and Melbourne Renegades to four Australian domestic titles, including completing the Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup and BBL treble in the same season in 2018-19. He has also been head coach of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and was hired as head coach of Birmingham Phoenix for the inaugural Hundred but was unable to coach in person due to Australia commitments.CA did not want to split the men’s job along format lines with McDonald to be the head coach of all three formats. McDonald himself was keen to be the coach of all three formats however that was not raised in discussions with CA until he became the preferred candidate.But given Australia’s heavy touring schedule over the next 18 months including an away Test tour of Sri Lanka, a home T20 World Cup, home Test series against West Indies and South Africa, an away Test series against India, a possible World Test Championship final, an away Ashes and a 50-over World Cup in India, McDonald wanted a coaching structure that allows for him and his assistants to be rested for certain periods.Under such a scenario a senior assistant could well take charge of certain tours or sections of tours that are viewed as lower priority series during that time, and consultants may be used more frequently as was seen when former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori joined Australia’s limited-overs squad in Pakistan as a spin consultant in the absence of Sridharan Sriram.”Once it was decided that I was a preferred candidate then I got an opportunity to sit down with Cricket Australia and the people around that to shape and formulate role,” McDonald said. “But it was a huge part of it. No doubt about it.”I think the great challenge for coaches and players is to manage your workload across the four years, being my term at the moment. But I’d like to think that I’ve got coaching staff around that can step up. We can elevate certain coaches at different times to take on different tours and different challenges and whilst we’re doing that it’s growing the depth of our coaching staff.”McDonald already has Michael Di Venuto, Jeff Vaughan and Sri Sriram in place as batting, fielding and bowling coaches respectively, and praised Langer for making those appointments during his tenure. McDonald seconded Andre Borovec on the tour of Pakistan as an interim assistant with expertise in strategy. But he will need a full-time bowling coach to replace his own role within the coaching structure.McDonald will sit on the three-man selection panel alongside chairman George Bailey and third selector Tony Dodemaide for all three formats.

“He’s been a great asset to the side and adds another variation as well,” Southee says of Kyle Jamieson

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2020At the end of a 15-wicket day in Hamilton, New Zealand are all but sure of taking a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. Tim Southee started the carnage, sending back John Campbell on his way to returns of 4 for 35 in the first West Indies innings, as the visitors went from 53 for no loss to 138 all out, before following on and ending the third day on 196 for 6, still 185 behind. And for Southee, the difference was that New Zealand “knew where we had to be for longer periods of time”.Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite had taken West Indies to a safe 49 for no loss in reply to New Zealand’s 519 for 7 declared when play ended on the second day, but more swing with the older ball and the westerly breeze at Seddon Park, Southee said, had an effect.

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“It was nice, this is one of the few grounds that favours the outswing. But we assessed through it last night and we weren’t far off,” he said in a press interaction. “We knew where we had to be for longer periods of time, and managed to get a couple early and get the ball rolling.”While Southee has so far picked up five wickets, Neil Wagner (four) and Kyle Jamieson (three) have been among the wickets too, and the towering Jamieson, who also scored an unbeaten 51 earlier, came in for special praise from Southee.”He’s been a great addition at the back end of last summer, and he’s shown again here with both bat and ball,” Southee said of Jamieson, who made his Test debut against India last summer as a replacement for Lockie Ferguson, and has played in all three of New Zealand’s Tests since. “So he’s been a great asset to the side and adds another variation as well. Obviously you’ve got myself and Trent [Boult], left- and right-arm to swing it. Wags [Wagner] does his thing and then you’ve got a tall guy in him [Jamieson], who hits some challenging areas.”The New Zealand players gather around Tim Southee after his early strikes•Getty Images

Southee is currently on 289 Test wickets, and though he is focused on winning the Test, and the series, against West Indies, he said he was aware of the 300-wicket milestone.”[You] probably don’t chase [such milestones],” he said. “It’s something that when you play for long enough, those things happen. But yeah, it’ll be something special if I can get there.”At the moment, it’s about coming back tomorrow and taking the remaining wickets. It’s just nice to contribute… and it’ll be a lot of hard work between now and then.”In what has been a dominant performance by Kane Williamson’s team, a few fielding lapses have hrt them. Both unbeaten batsmen, Jermaine Blackwood and Alzarri Joseph, were dropped one each, and Jason Holder had been reprieved twice, in two balls.”We aren’t disappointed, we would have taken this position going into this morning,” he said. “Anytime you have a side follow on, you know you’ve obviously played pretty well at some stage. So although we weren’t quite at our best in the last hour, you’ve got to give a little bit of credit to Joseph and Blackwood – the way they took an attacking approach to it and had a little bit of luck along the way.”But they played positive cricket and we were a little bit off in that last session as well. So [we need to] restart and have another go tomorrow.”

Half-fought victory settles the nerves, but a woeful World Cup record against Pakistan doesn’t augur well

Alan Gardner in Bristol06-Jun-20193:24

Dilshan: Sri Lanka should bring in a batsman in Lakmal’s place

Sri Lanka fans, look away now. What’s that? You already were, even after the rousing dogfight of a win over Afghanistan… Okay, well, these are tough times, so that’s understandable. But up next is an opponent that Sri Lanka have never beaten in World Cup competition. Yes, that’s right. Against Pakistan on the biggest one-day stage, your team’s record reads: played seven, lost seven.It is not much better in Champions Trophy encounters either (one win in four). Only a couple of years ago, just a few miles along the M4 in Cardiff, Sri Lanka were sucker-punched by Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team in a match that was effectively a quarter-final. Pakistan went on to win the tournament; Sri Lanka started handing around the captaincy like a prize at a raffle.Dimuth Karunaratne is the sixth different man to lead the team in ODIs since Angelo Mathews in that tournament. But while he might be on what is politely known as a hiding to nothing over the next few weeks, there are tentative signs that Sri Lanka have more competitive spirit than was generally ascribed to them after a supine 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in their opening game. Lasith Malinga kicked some teacups around before the Afghanistan match and Sri Lanka’s bowlers got stuck in amid the damp conditions in Cardiff.The British weather has often been cause for a little shiver (or an extended one, accompanied by a call for another layer) among touring Sri Lanka teams. The hands are cold, the senses dulled. When Kumar Sangakkara decided to warm up – figuratively speaking – for Sri Lanka’s 2014 tour, he chose to go to Durham, the country’s most northerly outpost, for a spell in county cricket. Suitably braced, he got himself straight on the honours board at Lord’s.Durham’s head coach during Sangakkara’s spell there, Jon Lewis, is now the man in charge of Sri Lanka’s batting. Lewis has been in the job for just six months and in that time has worked with more than a dozen top-order batsmen, which is hardly ideal preparation for a World Cup campaign. After putting up scores of 136 and 201 in the tournament so far, there is clearly room for improvement but Lewis is phlegmatic about what can be done at this stage.”I’ve seen a lot of cricketers in six months, which has been good in some respects, because it has been nice to see some young – and some senior – Sri Lankan cricketers,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “That’s given me a really good feel for the country and the players they have. Maybe a little bit more continuity, seeing the same people for a bit longer, we’d have maybe had more of a chance to make some progress. But we are happy with the players we’ve got and we’ve got to try and do our best to get a little bit more out of this batting group.”Of immediate concern is the form of Mathews, former leader and the likeliest batting champion in this Sri Lanka side. Having been dropped in circumstances both unceremonious and acrimonious late last year, his return has so far seen him record one run and face 21 balls across three ODI innings – but faith in his enduring qualities remains, amid talk in the camp that he could move up to No. 4 against Pakistan.ALSO READ: Malinga grabs the limelight, but Pradeep turns the game“Angie’s probably our most experienced player, and so far we’ve got very little out of Angie and Angie knows that,” Lewis said. “It’s fine, but it would be unrealistic to think we’re going to have a really strong World Cup and Angie was not going to feature too much. He’s going to have to give us a couple of strong performances. I’ve no doubt he’s got them in him and he’s working very hard to make sure they come out at the right time, and hopefully it’s going to be here at Bristol.”A collapse of dizzying proportions against Afghanistan, from 144 for 1 to 159 for 6, undermined Sri Lanka’s hopes of posting a daunting total, with Kusal Mendis and Mathews among those foxed by Mohammad Nabi’s non-turning offbreaks. Lewis suggested that the team had mentally switched off after a good start, while Karunaratne, who has attempted to set the tone with a couple of nuggety innings at the top of the order, was confident both players would come good.”Our middle order comprises players who have experienced this type of situation before,” Karunaratne said. “Kusal Mendis scored well in the practice games and also in the South Africa series and failing in two matches I don’t think it has anything to do with his talent, he only needs a start to get going. Mathews is a player with a lot of experience and this sort of thing happens to players, however good you are. But with their experience, once they get going, you cannot stop them from scoring runs. I have plenty of faith in them and I think they will perform well against Pakistan.”Sri Lanka may not arrive “ship shape and Bristol fashion”, as they used to say of the trading vessels that regularly departed from this port city, but neither have they been holed below the waterline. There was laughter and pats on the back at training on Thursday, while the team also sat in a huddle on the boundary’s edge afterwards, listening intently to the coach and captain even as the rain began to fall.The British weather might end up doing them a favour on this occasion, too. If beating a Pakistan side buoyed by victory over England is beyond them, Sri Lanka could yet avoid adding to that aforementioned record of World Cup defeats thanks to the dodgiest of weather forecasts. Whatever the case, there is at least hope for better performances to come.”Nobody feels too bad after a win,” Lewis said. “We know we could have played better [against Afghanistan], and in a way there’s a comfort in knowing we haven’t played our best cricket. We’ve had four innings in this tournament in two games and we’ve probably got one of them right. With that in mind, we’ve got a win from those sorts of performances, and if we start to put two innings in a single game together there’s no reason we can’t win a few more.”

Andy Hurry offered sympathy for Bancroft’s predicament, but Somerset have fallen into line with Cricket Australia

David Hopps29-Mar-2018Somerset have pulled out of their deal to sign Cameron Bancroft as an overseas player this season in the wake of the global outcry that has followed his involvement in Australia’s ball-tampering calamity.Bancoft has been suspended for nine months in an episode that has also seen captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and, most recently, coach Darren Lehmann all lose their posts. Smith and Warner have also been banned for a year.Somerset’s decision to stand firm with Cricket Australia signals that English counties will not have the audacity to try to snap up any of Australia’s fallen heroes for a prolonged recuperation in county cricket.Although the ECB has given no outspoken guidance on how counties should respond, the official view is that Cricket Australia’s stance should be supported and that support has been guaranteed in high-level discussions between the two Boards. it would seem highly unlikely, in any case, that a No Objection Certificate would be issued.Somerset’s statement was a measured one, determinedly low-key on the sort of moral grandstanding that has characterised much of the debate in recent days and also showing a sensitivity to the position of the player who will no longer be heading to the West Country.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said: “Over the last few days, cricket has been overshadowed by a very dark cloud. There has been an understandable amount of emotion, deliberation, varying degrees of language and opinions across the game, the public and the various media platforms all associated with the alteration to the condition of the ball by Cameron Bancroft during the Third Test in Cape Town.”Cricket Australia, following their investigations, have offered sanctions to those involved.”We as a club have been monitoring this process closely, alongside gathering as much additional information as we can. I have spoken numerous times to Cameron since last Saturday, he has spoken very maturely, he shared his deep regret and apologised to everyone associated to the club.”It’s important we remember there is a young man at the centre of all this, he made a poor choice, as I and I’m sure many of us have done during our lives. What’s important now, is Cameron is given the appropriate support. There is no doubt in my mind, he will learn from this and he will return stronger.”I have met this morning with the CEO, Club Captain and Head Coach and with the Club’s best interests at the centre of our decision can confirm Cameron Bancroft will not be our overseas player for the 2018 season.”We are currently undertaking the process to recruit a replacement overseas player that best fits our needs and will share an update in due course.”Somerset had announced Bancroft’s signing shortly after his Test debut for Australia – a step up in class for him after his previous county experience in Division Two of the Championship with Gloucestershire.It was a substantial deal, involving the bulk of the Championship and all Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures.The signing illustrated Bancroft’s rising status because his Gloucestershire record had been a modest one, but he had expressed the desire to follow in the footsteps of other acclaimed Australians at Taunton such as Justin Langer. If that opportunity ever comes, it will now be long delayed.

A round-up of the ninth round of Sunfoil Series matches that ended on January 15, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2017A mammoth second-wicket partnership of 355 runs between Senuran
Muthusamy and Vaughn van Jaarsveld – the fourth-highest for the wicket in first-class matches in South Africa – was the highlight of a high-scoring drawn game between Knights and Dolphins in Kimberley.Muthusamy’s 181 and van Jaarsveld’s 203 – his highest first-class score – helped Dolphins pile up 538 for 7 declared in response to Knights’ score of 487 for 7 declared. The pair came together in the 17th over of Dolphins’ innings, after the wicket of Divan van Wyk, and stayed at the crease for 86 overs; Dolphins’ entire innings lasted 141 overs. Van Jaarsveld brought up his century first – off 145 balls – while Muthusamy took 190 deliveries to reach his sixth in the format. Van Jaarsveld took only 86 more deliveries to get to his double century, hitting 27 fours and three sixes in his 237-ball knock, which was ended by Theunis de Bruyn. Muthusamy was out ten overs later, also dismissed by de Bruyn, having hit 20 fours and two sixes in his 348-ball stay. Knights used ten bowlers, and the most successful ones – de Bruyn with two and Rudi Second with 4 for 105 – were also the players who had struck centuries for them earlier in the match.De Bruyn and Second added 258 for the fourth wicket, pulling Knights out of trouble after they were struggling at 85 for 3 by the 28th over, having been put in to bat. The pair came within six runs of the partnership record for the fourth wicket in the competition, held by Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp. De Bruyn slammed 19 fours and four sixes in his 249-ball 182 while Second scored 125 off 170 balls with 14 fours. Knights were 364 for 5 by the time both batsmen were dismissed and managed to move past 450 with solid contributions from Keegan Petersen (65*) and Marchant de Lange (42).Dolphins took 8.07 points from the game, the most in the round, to grab a slender lead over Titans at the top of the table.Cape Cobras and Warriors remained in the bottom half of the points table as poor weather, bad light and a wet outfield truncated play in the draw in East London. Both teams saw half-centuries from their top and middle-order batsmen while offspinner Dane Piedt impressed with 4 for 64 on the last day after the third day didn’t see any play.Once Warriors opted to field, Cobras were in some trouble, at 200 for 6, after opener Andrew Puttick fell for 85. However, Aviwe Mgijima’s second straight fifty led them to a more respectable 291 as Basheeru-Deen Walters and Sisanda Magala finished with three wickets apiece.Warriors’ batting did not impress much either as they conceded first-innings lead after only Colin Ackermann (89) and Yaseen Vallie (94) scored more than 30. They were 175 for 5 at the end of the second day and Piedt claimed four wickets in the space of eight overs on the last day to restrict Warriors to 260. Cobras batted for 23 overs in the second innings to post 71 for 3, collecting 7.82 points compared to Warriors’ 7.2.Lions had the upper hand in their draw against Titans, who batted their way to safety after being set a fourth-innings target of 405 in Benoni.Lions scored 347 after being put in to bat, largely due to the efforts of Nicky van den Bergh (99), Devon Conway (66) and No. 10 Nono Pongolo, who struck an important 49 not out. Van den Bergh and Conway shared a 128-run partnership to pull Lions to 238 for 3 before seamer Malusi Siboto’s strikes left them in danger of being bowled out for less than 300. Van den Bergh and Pongolo added 80 for the ninth wicket.The Lions bowlers, particularly Ayavuya Myoli and Bjorn Fortuin, ensured a 96-run first-innings lead, with the pair taking four wickets each. The Titans batsmen got starts, but the top score in their innings was an 80-ball 39 from Chris Morris at No. 8.Morris’ three strikes, in a space of two overs, had threatened to keep Lions’ lead to manageable proportions, leaving them 61 for 4 in their second innings after they were 59 for 1. However, Dominic Hendricks and Mangaliso Mosehle struck centuries and added 163 runs for the sixth wicket to swell Lions’ lead. Mosehle struck a brisk 123-ball 100, with ten fours and three sixes, while Hendricks finished the innings unbeaten on 103, ensuring the side’s lead had passed 400.Aiden Markram struck a fifty at the top of the order for Titans n their second innings, which eventually closed at 143 for 2.

To cap off a momentous day for the BBL, defending champions Perth Scorchers produced their most ruthless performance of the season to dismantle Sydney Sixers in front of a reverberating, sold-out WACA crowd in Perth

The Report by Tristan Lavalette02-Jan-2016

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShaun Marsh steered the Scorchers home with an unbeaten 63•Getty Images

To cap off a momentous day for the BBL, defending champions Perth Scorchers produced their most ruthless performance of the season to dismantle Sydney Sixers in front of a reverberating, sold-out WACA crowd in Perth.The atmosphere did not quite mimic the astonishing scenes at the MCG, where 80883 spectators attended the Melbourne derby earlier in the day, but 20444 patrons ensured the WACA was once again almost at capacity. Testament to the BBL being the hottest ticket in Perth, the Scorchers became the first team in BBL history to sell out all home matches in the regular season.The parochial hometown fans, many garbed in superhero attire in a nod to the match’s quirky Batman v Superman theme, had a merry time with the Scorchers winning their third consecutive game.Perhaps buoyed by their rabid fans, the Scorchers completed the type of dominating all-round performance which has long been their trademark. On a pitch offering variable bounce conjured from several notable cracks very much reminiscent of the WACA’s golden era, they were disciplined with the ball and energetic in the field. The stingy Scorchers reduced the Sixers to a paltry 8 for 112, then easily chased down the total with nine wickets in hand and 33 balls to spare.The Scorchers openers Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger continued on from their record-breaking partnership against the Melbourne Renegades and ensured there would be no nervous chase. It appeared the Scorchers were headed for another 10-wicket victory with Klinger and Marsh easily combating the tricky conditions with smart batting. They effectively curbed dangerous Sixers pace bowlers Doug Bollinger and Jackson Bird with shrewd batting but pounced on anything loose.However, Klinger was unable to bat through, dismissed for 28 in Sean Abbott’s first over after a 65-run opening partnership. Marsh continued to remind the national selectors of his sublime talents, with a 54-ball 63 to once again be the Scorchers’ superhero.The lopsided match was a letdown, as there was much anticipation over the re-match of last year’s epic final, which saw Scorchers win by one-wicket in arguably the greatest ever BBL clash.Nic Maddinson, the Sixers captain, won the toss and elected to bat on a tricky pitch, where sharp bounce juxtaposed with deliveries that went low off several menacing cracks. But the lightning outfield ensured runs could be scored quickly.Unfortunately for the Sixers, their confidence seemed bereft after a demoralising loss on New Year’s Eve to the Travis Head-inspired Strikers. The Sixers could not handle the extra bounce engineered by the Scorchers’ bevy of talented pacemen, led brilliantly by spearhead Jason Behrendorff (2 for 24) who continued his successful comeback from injury.Scorchers wisely bowled on a back-of-a length to exploit the conditions and the Sixers’ fragility. The visitors fell in an early heap at 4 for 48 by the ninth over, a perilous position which could have been graver had Andrew Tye not spilled an absolute sitter to reprieve dangerous English import Michael Lumb on 25.In a notable contrast to his nervy team-mates, Lumb was adventurous and inventive in a determined bid to counterattack the unwavering Scorchers bowlers. Lumb did not always strike the ball cleanly but was effective in muscling the ball to the boundary.However, Lumb was unable to find support, with the Sixers’ top order rattled by the WACA’s variable bounce, highlighted by opener Ed Cowan (6) being bowled by a David Willey delivery that hit a crack and stayed low. Conversely, Maddinson and Jordan Silk were undone by deliveries that reared sharper than they expected.For Sixers to muster a competitive total, Lumb had to bat through the innings but his momentum was stifled with the constant wickets around him. When Lumb fell for 47 off 45 ball after an unsuccessful swipe off Behrendorff, the Sixers’ hopes of a decent total were effectively over.Wicketkeeper Ryan Carters tried valiantly and ensured Sixers would pass triple figures, but it was all in vain. The Scorchers have now leapfrogged to the top of the table and a three-peat is well on course.

Defending champions Australia enter the tournament with much to protect, but with a glaring weakness against the new ball, it will be a difficult road ahead

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale06-Jun-2013

Overview

Unlike the glory days of the late 1990s and early 2000s, there isn’t much global silverware currently held by the Australians. But the Champions Trophy is still in their possession, and has been since 2006. Whether it remains theirs depends on how Michael Clarke and his men handle the next few weeks. And they will need to come to grips with the conditions better than they did during their ODI series in England last year, when they were trounced 4-0. It was their heaviest ever defeat in a bilateral one-day series. Notably, though, their best batsman on that trip was George Bailey, who has been promoted to vice-captain for this Champions Trophy.The challenge for Australia is to keep their eyes on the immediate prize, rather than letting their minds wander to the upcoming Ashes series, in which seven members of the Champions Trophy squad will be taking part. Clarke has spoken of the importance of the one-day tournament in giving Australia confidence ahead of the Ashes, although the four-day warm-up games against Somerset and Worcestershire will be of greater relevance. Still, they will be especially happy if one or two players who have struggled in Test cricket of late – Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes, for example – take the chance to pile up some runs ahead of the Tests, regardless of format.The Australians have selected a very different squad from that which bowed out in the quarter-finals of the most recent major ODI tournament, the 2011 World Cup. Gone are Ricky Ponting, Brad Haddin, Michael and David Hussey, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and others. In their place are an exciting group of multi-skilled young men who should form part of the national limited-overs team for many years to come, such as James Faulkner, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Glenn Maxwell. Whether they can display the consistency to win a major tournament is the big question.Australia will hope James Faulkner takes an immediate liking to English surroundings•BCCI

Key player

At the last Champions Trophy, Shane Watson started slowly – he made ducks in his first two games, but finished with the biggest bang imaginable, with unbeaten centuries in the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand. Australia’s Test side has suffered due to Watson’s lack of runs in the past two years, but he has remained reasonably productive in the limited-overs format. His IPL form – 543 runs at 38.78 – was encouraging as well. Ahead of the Ashes it will also be important for Watson to continue increasing his bowling workload after resuming in the IPL.

Surprise package

It is starting to look as if 2013 might be James Faulkner‘s breakout year. Faulkner, 23, made his ODI debut against West Indies in February and proved himself a capable and feisty bowling allrounder. That should have been no surprise, for Faulkner has won the Ricky Ponting Medal as Tasmania’s best player in each of the past three seasons, which has been a period of exceptional strength for the state side. A left-arm medium-fast bowler with a good change of pace, Faulkner continued his strong year by sitting second on the IPL wicket tally with 28 at 15.25 for Rajasthan Royals. After being named in the Ashes squad earlier this year, Faulkner said he had never been to England. The Australians are hoping he takes an immediate liking to the surroundings.

Weakness

As in Test cricket, the moving ball remains a problem for Australia’s batsmen, which was clear during the one-dayers in England last year. Never was it more obvious, though, than during their disastrous 74-all-out batting first against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in January, when Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga ran through them in 26.4 overs. Five days earlier they had been skittled for 170. Watson, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Clarke and Bailey are potentially a very strong top five, but they will face swinging conditions in this tournament. How they handle them will not only determine their success in the Champions Trophy, but will provide a pointer to the Ashes.

Champions Trophy history

In 2009, Ponting led Australia to the title in South Africa, successfully defending the prize they had won by beating West Indies in India in 2006. In fact, not since the days when the tournament was called the ICC Knock Out – back in 2000 – have Australia failed to reach the semi-finals. They enter the tournament on an eight-match Champions Trophy winning streak, having last been defeated by West Indies in their opening game of the 2006 edition.

Recent form

Australia sit third on the ICC one-day international rankings and the 2012 battle against England was the only series they have lost since the 2011 World Cup. However, they were pushed at home by Sri Lanka earlier this year and had to settle for a 2-2 series, before they swept a listless West Indies 5-0.

Gareth Batty took six wickets but Surrey lost late wickets against Warwickshire to keep the match wide open

Jon Culley at The Oval24-May-2012Surrey 233 and 144 for 4 (Roy 71) lead Warwickshire 247 (Chopra 78, Batty 6-73) by 120 runs
ScorecardGareth Batty brought Surrey back into the match with a six-wicket haul•Getty Images

Inviting schoolchildren to spend a day at the cricket is always a bit of a gamble. If being hostage to the weather gods is not risk enough, there is always a chance that the cricket will be interminably dull, at least to the undiscerning eye. Little wonder, then, that Surrey’s marketing folk were grinning widely.Not only did they have the good fortune to pick a gorgeously warm day to usher somewhere approaching 3,000 schoolchildren through the gates of The Oval, they were blessed with entertaining cricket. As a bonus, given that all of the invited young guests were from Surrey or south London, the team on top – at least until most of them had gone home – was the one wearing brown hats.Then again, the cricket is seldom dull when Surrey are involved. Dismissed for 223 in 60 overs on the opening day, they responded by bowling out Warwickshire, the Division One leaders going into this round for 247, six wickets going to the offspinner Gareth Batty, who finished with his best return for Surrey.Given that Warwickshire had gone into day two only one wicket down and thinking in terms of 400, perhaps even 500 on the board in what had seemed to be ideal conditions, Surrey could congratulate themselves on an entirely acceptable half day’s work when the last wicket triggered tea almost 30 minutes hour early.When Jason Roy, in his preferred manner, raced to 71 off 85 balls, they appeared to be putting themselves in complete control, a position they might well have retained and enhanced had Roy and Rory Hamilton-Brown, a batsman with a similarly destructive approach, not both been out in the space of four deliveries.Those two blows put the brakes on Surrey’s progress rather emphatically, forcing Jacques Rudolph and Tom Maynard to adopt a much more measured approach to what remained of the day. The last 13 overs added 36 to the total and Surrey lead by 120 going into the third day, with six wickets in hand. The outcome, as you always hope at this stage, is in the balance.A drying pitch is beginning to play increasingly into the hands of the two principle offspinners, with Jeetan Patel’s success or otherwise on the third day likely to be an important factor, although not perhaps as influential as Batty could be when Warwickshire bat for a second time.Batty has had to contend himself with playing second-fiddle at key moments in his career, which has been to the detriment of his total of Test caps. When he won the last of his seven, against Bangladesh in 2005, it was only because Ashley Giles was injured. He was called into the one-day squad that toured the West Indies in 2009, but only to replace Samit Patel, who was omitted because of fitness concerns, with Graeme Swann injured.At 34 he is an experienced and difficult opponent, nonetheless, and it was by dismissing both Will Porterfield and Varun Chopra inside the first hour that he began to seize the initiative for Surrey. Porterfield squandered his wicket somewhat, edging to slip after going down the wicket but failing to get to the pitch of the ball, ending a partnership with Chopra that had put on 117 in 44 overs.Warwickshire suffered another setback when Jim Troughton’s bad run continued. The captain, yorked by Stuart Meaker, has scored only 40 runs in eight Championship innings so far. But it was Batty’s removal of Chopra for 78 that changed the face of the innings.He earned the wicket, too, with a fine piece of bowling, inviting the opener to claim his 10th boundary by offering him some width outside off stump before bringing the next one in just a little straighter and then catching him by surprise with a quicker, fuller delivery that bowled him.At 182 for 4 at lunch, there was still an opportunity for Warwickshire to secure a workable advantage. Instead they lost their next five wickets for 27 runs. Darren Maddy and Rikki Clarke were leg before to Meaker and Batty respectively, in between which Hamilton-Brown, a reluctant purveyor of offspin, took his first Championship wicket since last May to stilt Tim Ambrose’s progress.Batty subsequently took two in two balls, having Keith Barker stumped and taking a return catch to remove Patel before Chris Wright repelled the hat-trick ball. His success persuaded Surrey to delay taking the new ball until the 90th over, with the scores level, at which point, slightly ironically, Wright and Chris Woakes began to score more freely, with the ball coming on to the bat a little quicker. The last 20 balls of the innings yielded another 24.

Had anyone told Worcestershire that they would be above Somerset in the County Championship table after two games, the chances are they’d have accepted with glee

George Dobell at New Road23-Apr-2011
Scorecard
Had anyone told Worcestershire that they would be above Somerset in the County Championship table after two games, the chances are they’d have accepted with glee.
Few could have imagined how wildly unpredictable the start of this season would be, however. Or, indeed, how little return Worcestershire would receive for their decent cricket over the opening couple of weeks.For, despite dominating large passages of this match, Worcestershire were eventually sentenced to an 88-run loss by a Warwickshire team that find themselves, most unexpectedly, equal top of the table. For a side lacking Neil Carter, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, that’s a fine effort. They have developed a strong battery of seamers and, buoyed by Varun Chopra’s sublime form with the bat, have already gone a long way towards avoiding the relegation fight that many predicted.While Chopra’s remarkable form might be the key factor, however, the contribution of Chris Woakes has also been significant.It was Woakes, on the last day of this game, that followed his century and nine-wicket haul at Taunton, with 6 for 49 in Worcestershire’s second innings. Despite finding little swing, Woakes bowled a testing line and length and allowed the helpful pitch to do the rest. It was a characteristically mature performance from the best seamer Warwickshire have produced in many, many years.It was the 11th five-wicket haul of Woakes’ first-class career and will, no doubt, increase the number of those calling for him to be called up into Test squad. Certainly Woakes is a fine cricketer and just might, one day, be good enough to bat in England’s top six. But a better Test bowler than Anderson, Broad or Tremlett? Probably not. Not yet, anyway. He is a work in progress and may still need a little more pace and consistency for Test cricket. Aged just 22, Woakes has time on his side.This result doesn’t really reflect Worcestershire’s performance in this match. Just as they had in their first game, against Yorkshire, the hosts dominated for much of the game. Here they led by 174 on first innings and, on a pitch offering so much assistance, really should have been able force victory.But, if they squandered the game against Yorkshire with a session of poor batting, this time it was seized from their grasp by a brilliant performance from Chopra. Worcestershire, on this occasion, have little reason to chastise themselves.This result will sting, though. If Worcestershire are to have any hope of avoiding relegation this year, they know they must take such opportunities. It’s a point their director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, knows only all too well.”I think a draw would have been a fair result,” Rhodes said. “I don’t want to sound like Arsene Wenger, but Warwickshire definitely had the rub of the green. The miracle was Chopra’s innings. It’s unbelievable that he batted for eight hours on that pitch. He played very well.”But it’s also a miracle that we didn’t take more than three wickets on the third day. That pitch is ripe for 13 or 14 wickets a day and we bowled well. The ball beat the bat on so many occasions, but either they didn’t edge the ball or the edges fell short of the slips. I’m bitterly disappointed.”That’s understandable. Despite playing much admirable cricket, Worcestershire find themselves with just 11 points from two games. If they can sustain the many good qualities of their play at present, however, they will surely enjoy better days before the summer is out. The arrival of Saeed Ajmal will, no doubt, help.Not for a moment did it appear Worcestershire would get close to their target on the final day. True, Alexei Kervezee, driving crisply, shone for a while. But for all his talent and promise, Kervezee still gives his wicket away a little too freely and it was no surprise when he drove an unremarkable delivery to extra-cover. As Rhodes put it: “Was he there for us at the end? He has to learn.” Kervezee, aged just 21, is another with time on his side. There may well not be a more naturally gifted batsmen in the country.It was not that Worcestershire batted badly in their second innings. It was just that the pitch had deteriorated to such an extent that an unplayable ball was never too far away. Vikram Solanki, for example, looked in fine form, but received a horrid delivery that reared from a good length and took the shoulder of his bat. It would, I suspect, have dismissed Bradman.Not all his colleagues were so innocent. James Cameron edged a wild slash, Moeen Ali drove obligingly back to the bowler and Damien Wright left one from Woakes that was delivered wide of the crease and angled in to clip the top of off stump. But Mitchell was caught at short-leg as he struggled to deal with the bounce and Matt Pardoe was caught down the leg-side off the glove. Both might consider themselves unfortunate. Gareth Andrew, too, was the victim of a fine ball, angled across him, at which he had to play.Earlier, a merry innings from Ant Botha helped Warwickshire set a target of 288 to win in 75 overs. The visitors lost 5 for 8 at one stage, but Botha, putting bat to ball, ensured that Warwickshire were able to judge their declaration to perfection: never realistically threatened, but just close enough to encourage Worcestershire’s young and a little green batsmen to have a dart at it.Chopra was eventually dismissed by an unplayable ball that kicked off the pitch and took his glove on its way to slip, while Jim Troughton, who has not made a championship half-century since April 11 2010, drove to mid-off in the chase for quick runs.Meanwhile, it’s interesting to note that there were 71 byes in this match. The conditions were testing, for sure. But 71? Both keepers, young and promising though they are, have much work ahead of them if they are to prosper at this level.

Mitchell Johnson is confident he will be fit for the Test series against Pakistan in July despite an elbow infection that has ruled him out of the opening part of Australia’s tour

Cricinfo staff10-Jun-2010Mitchell Johnson is confident he will be fit for the Test series against Pakistan in July despite an elbow infection that has ruled him out of the opening part of Australia’s tour. The Australians fly out on Friday to begin their trip with six ODIs against England and Ireland, and Johnson has been replaced in the squad by Josh Hazlewood.Australia are already without the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for the one-dayers and he is no certainty for the two Tests against Pakistan at Lord’s and Headingley. However, Johnson is hopeful of being available to spearhead the attack.”It’s a bit of an elbow infection that flared up again after the West Indies,” Johnson told the Sydney radio station 2UE. “It’s not something that really I’m enjoying at the moment, to miss out on a tour for the Australian team, but hopefully I can get it right here and then be back over there for the Twenty20s and Test matches.”I hope [it’s not long-term]. I’ve seen some specialists yesterday or the day before and got their opinions. Hopefully they’ve given me the right stuff to heal it up. Fingers crossed and hopefully I’ll be back out there soon.”Johnson’s absence has opened the door for the 19-year-old New South Wales fast man Hazlewood, who was supposed to be representing Australia A this month. His plans have been upgraded and he will jet off to Ireland with the senior squad under Ricky Ponting.”It’s all pretty exciting, it’s all happening pretty quickly,” Hazlewood told AAP. “I’m just hoping to learn a lot from the fast bowlers over there and maybe get a little time with the ball.”Should Hazlewood make his ODI debut during the series, he will be Australia’s youngest ever one-day international debutant. In November 2008 he became the youngest fast bowler to play for New South Wales, and stepping on to the international stage would provide a thrill for the residents of Bendemeer, the country town from which he hails.”It’s a pretty quiet little town of about 300 people just out of Tamworth,” Hazlewood said. “They’ll be over the moon I reckon. There’s been a few good stars from Tamworth but none from Bendemeer.”