Marcus North, Doug Bollinger and Xavier Doherty have been axed, and Australia’s selectors have sprung a major surprise by naming the little-known spinner Michael Beer in their 12-man squad for the Perth Test

Brydon Coverdale10-Dec-2010Marcus North, Doug Bollinger and Xavier Doherty have been axed, and Australia’s selectors have sprung a major surprise by naming the little-known spinner Michael Beer in their 12-man squad for the Perth Test. Phillip Hughes has been picked to replace the injured Simon Katich, while Steven Smith is a strong chance to play after no other specialist batsman was named to replace North.Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus are also likely to come back in to the side in what could be a four-man pace attack with Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, who the selectors considered the best of the bowlers in the Adelaide loss. But it’s the inclusion of Beer that will raise eyebrows, especially with Nathan Hauritz fresh from a first-class century and five-wicket haul for New South Wales.”Michael Beer replaces Xavier Doherty in the squad,” Australia’s chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, said. “Michael is a left-arm orthodox spinner who has been very impressive at domestic level this year. He took wickets against England in the tour match earlier this summer and we expect he will bowl very well against the English on his home ground.”But Hilditch’s comments seemingly ignore the fact that the WACA has been Beer’s home ground for only a few months, after he moved from Victoria during the off-season. He has played only three first-class matches at the ground and in his five first-class appearances, all of which have taken place this summer, he has 16 wickets at 39.93 with a best of 3 for 39.Beer, 26, is a left-arm orthodox bowler who plied his trade in Melbourne club cricket until the end of last season, when he moved to Western Australia in an attempt to launch his domestic career. Against the touring England side last month he 3 for 108 and 2 for 99, and the chances of him winning a place in the starting XI for the third Test must be slim.One man who will definitely play at the WACA is Hughes, who is not in his best form but was still considered the most likely replacement for Katich, who will miss the rest of the series with an Achilles tendon injury. The pressure on Hughes will be increased after Australia altered the balance of their squad by leaving out the specialist batsman North.North has had a disappointing start to the Ashes campaign and the strong batting form of Brad Haddin makes it likely that the wicketkeeper will move up to No. 6 with Smith at No. 7. Smith has played two Tests, against Pakistan in England in July, when he was chosen as a legspinner in the absence of the injured Hauritz, and if Beer doesn’t play he will be the lead slow bowler in Perth.”Steve Smith replaces Marcus North in the 12-man squad,” Hilditch said. “This is obviously disappointing for Marcus who has played some outstanding Test innings for Australia but it was felt to be the right time to bring the exciting prospect Steve Smith into the Test team. Steve has already had success at international level and will also add to the bowling depth with his leg-spin bowling and dynamic fielding.”Doug Bollinger has been omitted from the squad. Both Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus did not play in Adelaide but will be strongly considered for selection in the Perth Test match where conditions will suit them. Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle were the pick of our quicks at Adelaide Oval and these four make up the pace attack for the Perth Test match.Squad Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Nathan McCullum’s terrific spell, in which he took 4 for 16, derailed Pakistan after the visitors had made a fiery start in pursuit of the target of 185

The Bulletin by Andrew Fernando at Seddon Park28-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Martin Guptill gave New Zealand an aggressive start to the second Twenty20•Getty Images

New Zealand performances have often been noted for being greater than the sum of their parts, and all the parts were on display at Seddon Park, where the hosts sealed the series with a dominant all-round display. Martin Guptill, James Franklin, Scott Styris and Ross Taylor all contributed with the bat, but Peter McGlashan stole the show with a 10-ball 26 that featured some scintillating stroke play. Nathan McCullum then produced a tight spell to asphyxiate the Pakistan chase, with support from Luke Woodcock, and he finished with 4 for 16. Kyle Mills, Tim Southee and Ian Butler were also among the wickets as Pakistan fell 39 runs short of New Zealand’s 185.Pakistan were in no mood to wait as Mohammad Hafeez lofted Franklin over cover for four off the first ball of the innings before hitting him over square leg two balls later – this time for six. Kyle Mills was welcomed into the attack with two sixes, but took the wicket of Shahid Afridi as the batsman made room, only to watch his middle stump cartwheel after missing a slower full toss.Hafeez wasn’t about to ease up, though, finding boundaries with regularity and scampering between the wickets with Ahmed Shehzad, as they stayed in touch with the required-rate with. They rode their luck too: Ross Taylor dropped a sitter off Hafeez on 44, and aerial mis-hits found their way into vacant areas more than once.Shehzad was dismissed attempting an ambitious inside-out wallop, as Styris ran around the extra-cover boundary to complete a running catch, and when Hafeez and Younis Khan were dismissed soon after, Pakistan looked poised for a trademark capitulation.But it was the choke, not the collapse, that did for Pakistan as New Zealand applied the squeeze through McCullum and Woodcock. Umar Akmal’s slog over midwicket in the 13th over, an oddity in an otherwise docile period replete with singles and dot-balls as the asking-rate rose steadily. The strangle brought wickets for the hosts, as Asad Shafiq perished attempting to hit out, and the pressure was increased when Abdul Razzaq departed for 14. Umar Gul attempted to launch his first delivery off McCullum over the longest boundary of the ground, but was caught on the line. Akmal was left to perform a miracle with the tail, the required run-rate already tipping 20 and three wickets remaining.Tim Southee almost had two hat-tricks in two games as Akmal and Riaz were dismissed off consecutive deliveries in the final over, but the game was long over by that stage.New Zealand’s strong total was set up by Guptill, who had lost none of his form and panache from his innings in the first Twenty20. He set about taking apart the Pakistan attack following the early loss of Jesse Ryder. Guptill pulled, glanced, drove and slogged for 44, building a 91-run partnership for the second wicket with James Franklin, who made 39 after being promoted to No. 3. Afridi brought on the spinners to apply the brakes and the move paid dividends momentarily, as wickets fell at regular intervals. His wayward seamers, however, could not stem the flow of runs for extended periods of time. Scott Styris exploited Gul to swipe his way to a 14-ball 34, and Taylor once again provided stability in the middle. But it was Peter McGlashan’s dazzling cameo that took New Zealand from a good total to an excellent one as Gul’s third over was dispatched for plenty.Twice McGlashan swept over fine leg, dragging balls from well outside off stump and manipulating the wrists to get the desired elevation and direction, before Afridi was forced to make the field change. Putting a fine leg out meant bringing the third man in, and McGlashan was quick to adapt. A drive past cover brought up the third consecutive four, but the next two deliveries were met by two jaw-dropping reverse pulls, both of which sailed over the ropes to complete a stunning five-ball burst in which 24 runs were plundered. Taylor took control after McGlashan’s departure and ensured that New Zealand finished strongly.

Graeme Swann insists there will be no hangover from England’s Ashes-retaining heroics in Melbourne as they eye a first series win in Australia in 24 years

Peter English01-Jan-2011Graeme Swann insists there will be no hangover from England’s Ashes-retaining heroics in Melbourne as they eye a first series win in Australia in 24 years. The tourists partied hard after holding on to the trophy at the MCG but Swann, who details some of the exploits in his latest video diary, said everyone had re-focused on finishing the Test campaign on a high.”It’s been sorted out already,” Swann said after training at the SCG. “We haven’t had celebrations going on for many days. We had one night out after the game, you should celebrate a Test victory and an Ashes-retaining victory heavily. I tried to a lead a merry dance, but that was one night and we’ve moved on.”England will face an unfamiliar Australian line-up after the captain Ricky Ponting was ruled out with a broken finger. That has provided Michael Clarke with his first game in charge and Usman Khawaja, the No.3, and Michael Beer, the spinner, are both expected to debut. It should mean that England have a huge advantage with all their experience, but Swann remains wary of so many news faces.”On one hand there is a whole pile of pressure on them because it is a New Year’s Test match and they will be shaking like big dogs, but on the other hand coming in for your first game can be the best time you ever play because you don’t know what it is all about,” he said. “You’ve not got the pressure on your back … You have to hope it goes the first way as you don’t want two people on debut and one getting a five-for and the other a hundred.”Swann has 13 wickets for the series and has been satisfied with his contributions in the wins in Adelaide and Melbourne, but he starts this Test with different expectations on him. This pitch is traditionally a slow bowler’s surface and England will look to him to provide significant damage.”You always look forward to bowling on pitches renowned for spin, but that can bring pressure as well if people expect it to turn square like Sydney did 15 years ago,” he said. “I’m reliably informed by people in Australia that it doesn’t turn like it used to, but it will offer some assistance later on in the game.”Swann’s 64 Test wickets were the most in 2010 and he has been a key man in a series of England successes. “It’s been pretty much a dream year,” he said. “I got married in January, won the Twenty20World Cup [in May], retained the Ashes in December. If 2011 can be anything like that, I will be over the moon. It’s been a dream period for me.”We’ve played some very good cricket and there are not many England players who can say they have played in two Ashes, won one, retained the other and won a [Twenty20] World Cup. I’m pretty chuffed the way the last 12 months have gone.”Swann is not sitting back enjoying the view because there is still work to be done to ensure this side is the first since Mike Gatting’s in 1986-87 to win the Ashes in Australia. “In South Africa last year I thought I’d draw a line under the end of the year and we got absolutely hammered at the Wanderers,” he said. “I’m going to draw a line under this series after the series and hopefully we can win 3-1.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second ODI between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the SSC

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2011

Match Facts

February 3, SSC

Start time 09.30 (04:00 GMT)
West Indies will welcome their return to form•AFP

Big Picture

The spectre of rain looms large on the ongoing ODI series even though it had been rescheduled to the new year to avoid exactly that. The spate of inconclusive contests continued with the first ODI being abandoned due to rain at the SSC but not without the visitors again making a strong impression. West Indies had not played an ODI since the home series against South Africa in May and June last year but two of their players, one who had missed that series and another who had been dropped from the Test series against Sri Lanka, struck form to boost the visitors in the lead-up to the World Cup. Adrian Barath sizzled with a maiden ODI ton while Ramnaresh Sarwan marked his return to the national fold with 75 in a 162-run stand with his centurion partner.Sri Lanka’s batting was untested, thanks to the rain, but Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan, their bowling mainstays, were back into ODI groove. Nuwan Kulasekara served his role of the back-up seamer with an economical spell though Ajantha Mendis went for runs – could it prompt the team to try out Rangana Herath? Left with just two games prior to the World Cup, barring the warm-ups, now is the time for the teams to test out their respective XVs. But beware the rain, for there’s more forecast in Colombo on Thursday.

Form guide

(Last five completed games)
Sri Lanka: LWWWW
West Indies: LLLLL

Players to watch out for …

Carlton Baugh: He reminds you of David Williams with his diminutive stature, and has been picked in the West Indies squad for the World Cup ahead of the more experienced Denesh Ramdin. Despite having made his debut in international cricket more than seven years ago, Baugh has been unable to cement his place as a regular largely due to his inconsistency with the bat. He made a half-century in the Test series against Sri Lanka but an average of 14.86 in ODIs doesn’t really promise much.Chamara Kapugedera: Inconsistency has been his problem, too. His reputation as a big hitter and a potential game-changer down the order has ensured his place in Sri Lanka’s starting XIs for the last three years but his results have been mixed. Kapugedera has shuffled positions in the middle order and has his share of attacking cameos but, ahead of the World Cup, would want a better workout.

Team news

West Indies have opener Devon Smith in their ranks, but he may again have to sit out. Shivnarine Chanderpaul batted at No.6 but his style of play is better suited at the top of the order while Dwayne Bravo, who missed the first game due to a niggle, has to be brought back at some stage. “He has taken part in the training session fully and he has done everything that has been asked of him. He comes into the reckoning for Thursday’s match,” coach Ottis Gibson said of Bravo’s chances.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Adrian Barath, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Darren Bravo, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Carlton Baugh, 10 Nikita Miller, 11 Kemar Roach.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Mahela Jayawardene, 4 Kumar Sangakkara, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Stats and trivia

• The last time a West Indian spinner bagged a five-for in ODIs was in 2003 – Chris Gayle against Australia at St George’s.
• Adrian Barath’s century was the first by a West Indies batsman against Sri Lanka in ODIs after Brian Lara in 2003.
• The first ODI was the third abandoned 50-over game between Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Quotes

“The partnership was fantastic for us and that is the kind of approach we will need in the future going forward – with our senior players guiding our younger players. It was great to see. In tough situations we need them to get us to match-winning totals and ultimately win matches for us.”

Mid West Rhinos beat Mashonaland Eagles convincingly to go second in the table while Matabeleland Tuskers drew with Southern Rocks

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2011Mid West Rhinos put in a dominating performance to beat Mashonaland Eagles by an innings and 70 runs at the Harare Sports Club. It was a complete performance by Rhinos. Their seamers skittled Eagles out for 97 on the first day, their top order came good giving them a 268-run first-innings lead and the spinners came into play on the third day, ensuring an early finish.Ian Nicolson and Neville Madziva did the damage on the first morning, finishing with four and three wickets respectively as Eagles crashed to a low score. Opener Gary Balance led the reply with a century. He was supported by Malcolm Waller who scored 91. Rhinos lost their last seven wickets for 65 runs but they were still in complete control of the game. Eagles started their second innings as poorly as they did their first, slumping to 31 for 4 with Nicolson again among the wickets. The middle order was then tormented by the offspin of Simon Mugava and they were soon 104 for 8. No. 10 Douglas Hondo smashed an unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, but it was not enough to make Rhinos bat again. The win takes Rhinos to second place in the table while Eagles are still languishing in fourth.

Matabeleland Tuskers lost the second spot to Rhinos after only getting a point from their match against bottom-placed Southern Rocks at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. A century by Adam Wheater gave Tuskers a 104-run first-innings lead, but opener Roy Kaia replied with a century of his own for Rocks to ensure the game ended in a draw.Kaia had failed in Rocks’ first innings, but a shaky start was rescued by Chamu Chibhabha whose 105 was the main reason Rocks got to 261. Tuskers’ innings started with an 85-run opening stand, and Gavin Ewing kicked on to get 80. His knock and Wheater’s 126 put Tuskers in a strong position but the lower order collapsed and their last six wickets fell for 43 runs. That left them with a lead of 104 with around 120 overs left to play. Kaia ensured it was not enough for Tuskers to get a victory as his 112 off 269 balls took Rocks to 292 for 4.

John Buchanan, the former Australia coach, is in the running to be New Zealand Cricket’s first director of cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2011John Buchanan, the former Australia coach, is in the running to be New Zealand Cricket’s first director of cricket. NZC chief Justin Vaughan confirmed that the board met with Buchanan regarding the role, but said there were other candidates and a final decision will be made on Friday.”I can certainly confirm we’ve met with John,” Vaughan told the . “He’s got great credentials for the role, but we’ve spoken to a few candidates and ultimately there will be a recommendation made to the board on Friday.”While Buchanan is said to be a front-runner for the post, other names in the fray include ex-England coach Duncan Fletcher and Gary Kirsten. The director’s role would include overseeing NZC’s high-performance programme, and he will play a role in picking the national side’s new captain and selection panel – the current selectors’ contracts expire this month.Buchanan is also understood to be on the six-man shortlist for the South Africa coaching job and was initially on the shortlist for the vacant Sri Lanka post. Buchanan coached Australia between October 1999 and April 2007 – stepping down after Australia had won their second World Cup under him – and has worked as a cricket consultant since.

Former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Thilanga Sumathipala and former SLC Interim Committee Chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa have welcome the Supreme Court announcement that could pave the way for SLC board elections and said they would contest for the pos

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2011Former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Thilanga Sumathipala and former Interim Committee Chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa have welcomed the Supreme Court announcement that could pave the way for SLC board elections and said they would stand for president if elections are held.On Tuesday, the Supreme Court – hearing a case on the status of SLC’s interim committee – suggested the parties come to a settlement on the issue and report back to it within two months, possibly with a view to holding elections.Sumathipala who has served three terms as president, told the he couldn’t confirm whether he would contest the election but said he would form a team and have discussions with SLC member clubs. “If they want me to come forward, then I will not disappoint them.”I was jubilant to learn the Supreme Court verdict. Now I have expectations that SLC will have a democratically elected set of officials, which is great for the game in this country,” he said.Dharmadasa, a businessman who had been SLC Interim committee chief from 2004 to 2007, said several member clubs of the SLC had already requested him to contest the elections. “I have accepted this and am ready to face any challenge for the sake of the game that I love.””I feel it augurs well for the future of cricket in Sri Lanka to have democratically elected officials. I hope to resurrect the game which has fallen into so many controversies in the recent past and is in a bad way now.”Another candidate likely to be in the fray is Badureliya Cricket Club president Sumith Perera. “I am certainly going to contest for presidency if there is an election,” Perera said. “That has already been decided by our club and the district”United Southern Cricket Club president Asoka Mendis had filed a fundamental rights petition against Sri Lanka Cricket last year, on the grounds that the interim committee – first instituted in 2005 – had been had been appointed by the Sports Minister without the prior approval of the member clubs, bypassing the democratic process of elections. The club wanted the Supreme Court to prevent the interim committee members from holding office and functioning until the hearing is over. SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said that the Supreme Court had suggested “that both parties come to a settlement on the issue and report back to them within two months, possibly with a view to holding elections.”

Alastair Cook, the England vice-captain, has played down fears that England players would consider strike action to reduce their heavy fixture list

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2011Alastair Cook, the England vice-captain, has played down fears that England players would consider strike action to reduce their heavy fixture list.Cook caused a stir over the weekend when quotes appeared in a Sunday newspaper saying England players could ‘go on strike’ but he told the on Tuesday that this was a misunderstanding.”I didn’t mean to use the word ‘strike’,” he said. “It’s not what I meant. It was a misunderstanding and it’s been blown out of proportion. In fact, there’s nothing further from our minds as a team.”Cook, who is widely tipped to take over from Andrew Strauss as England one-day captain, did nevertheless reiterate his view that England play too much cricket. “We always talk about playing too much cricket – just look at this winter in Australia and then the World Cup, it’s a problem. There is talk among us as a team that something needs to be done to reduce the amount of cricket we play but we have never ever mentioned striking, it’s just not on the agenda.”The players who featured in both the Test and ODI sides spent just three nights at home from the start of the successful Ashes tour in November to last month’s World Cup exit and over the weekend Cook, who isn’t part of the ODI side, said he felt for the players.”I feel sorry for the lads. I’ve been pretty much the only one who’s been able to play and to enjoy the experience of winning because of the schedule.”It has to change before it all becomes meaningless. As players we don’t have much power. We keep on saying that we play too much cricket. I’ve been saying this since I was 18 and I’m now 26, but we cram more and more games in.”

Nottinghamshire Outlaws kept alive their faint hopes of qualification from Group C of the Clydesdale Bank 40 with a 41-run victory over Gloucestershire Gladiators

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2011
ScorecardNottinghamshire Outlaws kept alive their faint hopes of qualification from Group C of the Clydesdale Bank 40 with a 41-run victory over Gloucestershire Gladiators.After Adam Voges (74) and Riki Wessels (51) had led the hosts to 270 for 9 from their 40 overs, Paul Franks picked up five for 43 as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 229. The visitors were in contention until the 35th over, bowled by Franks, who yorked both Gloucestershire’s top scorer Ed Young (50) and Jon Batty to swing the game Nottinghamshire’s way.It was Franks’ best domestic one-day figures since May 2000 and the third five-wicket haul of his career, helping Nottinghamshire move up to fourth in their group having played five matches.The home side’s total of 270 always looked competitive with Gloucestershire batting second under the Trent Bridge floodlights. Wessels made an impressive home debut as he added 88 for the second wicket with Samit Patel before both were caught in the deep in consecutive overs from Alex Gidman.Patel’s cause was helped by being dropped three times, while the Gladiators also gave away 32 extras in a sloppy display in the field. The dismissal of Steven Mullaney in the next over appeared to check the Nottinghamshire’s momentum, but Voges consolidated in partnership with Chris Read (39) before the pair took the batting powerplay in the 32nd over and wreaked havoc.With 59 runs scored in the powerplay and 100 in the final 10 overs, the pair’s combination of quick running between the wickets and strong hitting put Nottinghamshire firmly in charge, despite a late flurry of wickets at the death. Voges in particular excelled with seven boundaries in his 60-ball innings before he became one of three wickets for Jon Lewis.Needing close to seven runs an over to win from the start, Gloucestershire came out swinging, with Alex Gidman hitting seven fours off 38 balls before he feathered a thin edge off Andre Adams to Read behind the stumps.Franks’ arrival proved crucial as he removed Chris Taylor lbw for 34 and Kane Williamson, caught at midwicket for 35, in consecutive overs. Ireland’s World Cup hero and former Nottinghamshire player Kevin O’Brien ran himself out before Young displayed a strong bottom hand to keep Gloucestershire hopes alive with a 37-ball 50.But when Franks bowled Young and Batty the game was all but finished, with Ian Saxelby miscuing to cover and Franks having Lewis caught at point to close out the match, with Will Gidman absent hurt.

Leicestershire’s Friends Life t20 north group match against Warwickshire at Grace Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled

12-Jun-2011
Leicestershire’s Friends Life t20 north group match against Warwickshire at Grace Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Umpires Nigel Llong and Steve Garratt made the inevitable decision at 3.15pm with heavy rain, that had started early in the morning, still falling.It was the second successive home game the Foxes have had abandoned. Their match against Nottinghamshire Outlaws on Friday had to be called off after the hosts had batted just 2.4 overs of their reply.Both sides took one point each.