All posts by h716a5.icu

Sri Lanka allrounder Sanath Jayasuriya has been recalled to the national ODI and Twenty20 side for the upcoming series against England

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2011Sanath Jayasuriya has been recalled to Sri Lanka’s ODI and Twenty20 sides for the upcoming series against England and Scotland although his return will be brief following the announcement of his retirement after the first one-dayer. The squad has several changes from the one in the World Cup: middle-order batsman Thilina Kandamby and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal have been recalled while there is no place for Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera and Rangana Herath.Though Tillakaratne Dilshan has been named in the squad, his thumb injury means that Sri Lanka could be without their two first-choice openers for the initial one-day games against England. Upul Tharanga has already been ruled out of the tour as he prepares to face a disciplinary committee for failing a drugs test during the World Cup.Kandamby – named vice-captain of the limited-overs squad ahead of former captain Kumar Sangakkara, who is Dilshan’s deputy in the ongoing Test series in England – was not part of the World Cup squad and last played an ODI for Sri Lanka in 2010. He averages close to 33 in the 33 ODI games he has played. Sri Lanka have also included allrounder Jeewan Mendis and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal. This means they could have a new-look middle order as Samaraweera, Kapugedera and Chamara Silva, who were part of Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad, have been dropped.Sri Lanka have also included left-hand opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne. The 23-year old has been part of the Sri Lanka Under-19 and Sri Lanka A squads and has been in good form in the domestic season. Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, currently part of the Test squad, finds a place in the limited-overs squad but left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who featured in the World Cup squad, has been dropped.Allrounder Angelo Mathews, who missed the World Cup final due to a quadriceps muscle injury and was subsequently ruled out of the IPL and the England Tests, has been provisionally included in the 16-man squad, subject to his fitness.Sri Lanka play a one-off Twenty20 game against England on June 25. The five-match ODI series begins on June 28 and they then travel to Scotland for two ODIs against the hosts on July 11 and 13.Limited-overs squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Thilina Kandamby (vice-capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Thissara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suranga Lakmal, Dilhara Fernando, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis Angelo Mathews, Sanath Jayasuriya.

Warwickshire face the prospect of winning at Edgbaston but ending the game with fewer points than they started as concerns over the quality of their pitch grow

George Dobell at Edgbaston12-May-2011
Scorecard
Chris Metters scored some useful runs, but really impressed with the ball as he took five wickets on debut•PA PhotosWarwickshire face the prospect of winning at Edgbaston but ending the game with fewer points than they started as concerns over the quality of their pitch grow.While Warwickshire have taken a firm grip on their Championship match against Worcestershire, their success was overshadowed by news that the ECB have convened a pitch panel to discuss the surface.The casual observer could be forgiven for concluding that this pitch is not really so bad. There is, after all, nothing from the scores to suggest anything particularly malign. And it perhaps behaved a little better on day two than it had on day one.But David Hughes, the ECB Pitch Liaison Officer present on day two, was not convinced. Indeed, he was sufficiently concerned to call in a second PLO, Tony Pigott, while Chris Wood, the ECB’s ‘Pitch Consultant’ will be present on day three. At the end of play, they will hold a pitch panel meeting to decide what action, if any, should be taken.Should the pitch be deemed ‘unfit’ for four-day cricket – the lowest grade – then Warwickshire will be penalised 24 points. Should it be deemed ‘poor’ – a more likely scenario – then they would lose eight points. For a team that flirted with relegation throughout last season, such a blow could prove very costly indeed.Whatever happens, the episode is an embarrassment to Warwickshire. The club have worked hard in recent years to redevelop their dilapidated ground and reinvigorate a fading team. And, as CB40 Champions and the owners of a vastly improved stadium, they have generally been very successful.But this will hurt them. The club’s management admit they need to host major matches every year if they are to repay the millions they have borrowed for the redevelopment and they have realistic hopes of securing Ashes Test in 2013 and 2015. But no-one will talk about excellent conference facilities or the new media centre if the pitch is sub-standard.To be fair, Edgbaston have a very good record with their international pitches since the mid-90s and there is plenty of time to improve matters before India play a Test here in August. The suggestion of Colin Povey, Warwickshire’s chief executive, that the perceived pitch problems are all “in the head” of the batsmen is surely just wishful thinking, however.Suffice it to say, his words met with an underwhelmed response from the home dressing room. Ben Scott, Worcestershire’s wicket-keeper, subsequently referred to it as “a 70 all out wicket.” As he put it: “you wouldn’t expect that here, would you?”The biggest shame of the pitch problem is that it will detract attention from an excellent debut from Chris Metters. Metters, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner who came to attention through his fine performances in Minor Counties cricket with Devon, finished the day with five for 65 and could yet add to his haul. It’s the first time a Warwickshire player has taken a five-wicket haul in the championship on their first-class debut since Jack Marshall did so, also against Worcestershire, in 1946. No-one else managed the feat in the 20th century.Few, if any, of Metter’s wickets owed much to the pitch. Bowling from the City End, by far the less helpful end in this match, he was instead rewarded for his accuracy, his variation and some gentle turn. Like his director of cricket, Ashley Giles, Metters is a former seamer turned spinner and the pace with which he bowls and the aggression he shows suggest there’s no reason why he shouldn’t enjoy a long career in the game.It would be disingenuous to deny that he was also fortunate to run into a Worcestershire side who bat, at times, with a reckless abandon that makes their position at the foot of the Championship table quite unsurprising.There is something glorious about some of the Worcestershire batting. But it’s glorious in the sense of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And we all know how that ended.Alexei Kervezee, for example, was very badly missed by Boyd Rankin on the square leg boundary before he had scored, but continued to flail away as if involved in a demanding run chase and finally fell after missing a sweep. Damien Wright slogged a full toss down the throat of deep mid-wicket, while Moeen Ali ruined his two-hours of defiance, by turning an innocuous delivery straight into the hands of leg slip. Jack Shantry, bizarrely trying to take the attack to the bowler, perished to a return catch to the last ball of the day as he tried to hit over the top, while Vikram Solanki edged to first slip as he attempted a highly ambitious back foot drive. It was not impressive batting.Only Matt Pardoe impressed. The 20-year-old, pressed into service as an opener, left the ball with discipline but drove with real style as he recorded his third half-century in just his fifth Championship appearance. His colleagues could learn much from his straight bat and patient approach.Pardoe prodded a return catch to Metters, however, as Worcestershire squandered a decent platform and lost eight for 113. It all means that they will resume on the third day requiring five more runs to avoid the possibility of the follow-on. With two days to play, however, and Warwickshire not overly keen on batting last, it might well not be enforced anyway.Earlier, Warwickshire secured a fourth batting bonus point as Worcestershire’s creaking attack was exposed for its over reliance on two seamers the wrong side of 35. Though Mohammad Yousuf’s excellent inning was ended when he left one that nipped back sharply, Tim Ambrose reached his second half-century of the season and Metters and Rankin enjoyed a merry tenth-wicket stand of 39.Wright, getting a couple to rear horribly to dismiss Tahir and Ambrose, finished with his third five-wicket haul of the season, but it was Alan Richardson who was the pick of the attack. The pair, aged 35 and 36 respectively, bowled 62 overs between them and looked infinitely superior to their colleagues. To see Rankin, a batsman with few pretensions, thrashing the support bowlers back over their heads for four, suggested there was either little wrong with the pitch, or something seriously wrong with the bowling. And this pitch is far from good.

England’s game against India has been billed as a marquee encounter and the pre-match hype, particularly in the host city of Bangalore, has already reached almost frenzied levels

Liam Brickhill in Bangalore26-Feb-2011England’s game against India has been billed as a marquee encounter and the pre-match hype, particularly in the host city of Bangalore, has already reached frenzied levels. England captain Andrew Strauss admitted “huge anticipation” ahead of the game but also believes it will inspire Kevin Pietersen, who is potentially England’s game-changer at the top of the order but made a subdued start to the tournament against Netherlands. With expectations on the home side running high, Strauss added: “we’d love to spoil an Indian party here in Bangalore.””It’s going to be a huge atmosphere,” he said. “It’s one of those games that everyone dreams of playing, against India at the World Cup on their home turf. It’s a great opportunity for us and one that we’re very excited about. [A win] would potentially be a huge lift for us, and it would send out a pretty strong marker to other sides. But we’ve got to do it first. We’ve got to concentrate on the process of doing it.”The build-up to this game has put the spotlight on players on both sides but Pietersen, who scored a century in England’s last game against India in November 2008 but hasn’t managed one in ODIs since, is one player who won’t mind that one bit. Strauss suggested that “it’s the sort of match that brings out the best in him”.”Opening the batting is giving him [Pietersen] a fresh outlook on his one-day cricket, and hopefully he’ll transform that into big runs as well,” Strauss said. “He’s performed well in the subcontinent before. He obviously knows this wicket well because he’s played in the IPL here, and in the big matches and big tournaments generally we see the best of Kevin Pietersen.”Pietersen has averaged just 22.13 in ODIs since that Cuttack ton but Strauss insisted he had no doubts over his effectiveness in one-day cricket and that the team expected him to perform.”I don’t think it’s the time to take the pressure off. It’s a World Cup and we all need to stand up and perform, he knows that as well as anyone else. We know what he can bring to our side when he does perform, because he’s a match-winning player and one that other sides will fear. I’ve got no issues, I’m very confident he’s going to put in some telling performances in the course of this World Cup.”Even with a fully-firing Pietersen, England are sure to face a stern challenge from an Indian team on familiar terrain and primed to go the distance in this tournament, backed by fervent home support. “Playing India in their home conditions, that’s always a big challenge for you as a side,” admitted Strauss, “but we’re up for that challenge, and we think we can do well. It’s not something we’re overawed about, it’s something we’re excited about.”They’re a strong side in their home conditions, there’s no doubt about that. We played well against them in England, but not in India. But we’ve evolved a lot as a side in the last 12 to 24 months. We’ll take a lot of confidence from how the guys played in the Twenty20 World Cup, playing under pressure, and our bowlers are a lot smarter now, which is probably crucial out here. We need to play well, we’re under no illusions about that, but there’s a real vibe and excitement and enthusiasm that I hope the guys will bring to the pitch tomorrow afternoon.”Speaking of the pitch, Strauss explained that the England set-up had been fed conflicting reports on how the wicket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will play, and unseasonal rainfall in the city hasn’t helped their assessment. The warm-up matches at the ground, and particularly India’s game against Australia, suggested conditions could suit the spinners. Strauss said England would have to “tailor our side to the conditions that we think are going to be most prevalent. We probably won’t know that until tomorrow morning”.Strauss on the UDRS at the World Cup

“Generally I’ve been a fan of the UDRS. I think we’ve got more decisions right as a result of it. It’s very new in one-day cricket, and I think over the course of this tournament we might get a better idea as to whether it works as well in one-day cricket as it does in Test cricket. As a captain it’s a great tool to have in your armoury, if you think an umpire’s made a poor decision, to be able to get that over-turned. You’ve obviously got to be clever in terms of judging which ones you call for a review and which ones you don’t.”

Strauss did hint England could follow the trend already set by several teams and play more than one spinner and possibly even give the new ball to one of the slow bowlers. “It’s definitely an option,” he said. “If it’s going to turn like it did in the warm-up game then two spinners are also going to be a very strong option for us. But it’s important not to be too blinkered into assuming that it’s going to do something. There’s a bit of weather around at the moment so that might change the look of the wicket and we’re going to have to make a smart choice at the toss.”The city was drenched by a torrential downpour on Friday, and while Saturday was muggy but rain-free, a thick cover of cloud remained and there’s a chance the weather could play a role on Sunday. With that in mind, Strauss suggested England might opt for the relative safety of chasing with an eye on the Duckworth-Lewis tables.”That’s always an option when there’s rain around. It’s better to know the situation than not to know. But we’ll assess the conditions at the toss. It’s too early to say anything categorically at this stage. In terms of the conditions, I always think you want to be the man making the choice [at the toss]. The key is to assess the conditions before the game starts and hopefully we’ll be able to do that over the next 24 hours.”While it would be a shame for the weather to dampen what could be an intense and emotional encounter, the threat of a storm could also add to the drama sure to unfold in front of a ‘housefull’ stadium. The ground is sure to be packed to the rafters despite the continuing furore over tickets and the deafening shouts of 40,000 energized spectators will make it a challenge for Strauss to maintain control in the field.”There’s going to be a lot of sign language involved, I think. It’s something we’ve definitely talked about. Trying to get people’s attention is going to be difficult, so people are going to have to keep their eyes on me. Fielders are going to have to be smart too, knowing when they should be saving two or when they need to be right on the boundary. These are things we try to do day in and day out, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too different.”

Uva Next captain Thilina Kandamby has said his bowlers’ return to fitness will give his side the edge in the SLPL final against Nagenahira Nagas

Andrew Fernando30-Aug-2012Uva Next captain Thilina Kandamby has said his bowlers’ return to fitness will give his side the edge in the SLPL final against Nagenahira Nagas on Friday. Uva have had to do without Dilhara Fernando since their third match, while Umar Gul, Andrew McDonald and Jacob Oram have also had injury concerns during the tournament. They are all expected to be refreshed and fit for the final however, and Kandamby said the team’s gameplan will revolve around their bowling strength.”If we can score around 150, that will be a very good total because now we have the frontline bowlers in hand and we can get away from them,” Kandamby said. “Throughout the tournament we have had the best bowling attack. When they are all firing, they can take wickets and make things very difficult for the other team.”Fernando had been the leading wicket-taker in the tournament before picking up a back injury, and still holds the best SLPL match figures, with his haul of 5 for 17 against Basnahira Cricket Dundee. In the past he has been wayward upon return from injury, but Kandamby believed Fernando would be a vital cog in Uva’s pace battery for the final.”Dilhara was about 90% fit for the semis, but we didn’t want to take a chance. He bowled very well for us at the start of the tournament, so I think he’s experienced enough to lift his game for the final,” Kandamby said.In Fernando’s absence, Oram has been among the wickets for Uva, with ten to his name from five matches, placing him one behind the tournament leaders. He also has been extremely difficult to get away, having conceded only 75 runs from 19 overs to lead the league with an economy rate of 3.94. Oram’s brutal 41 from 17 balls and 3 for 16 paved Uva’s way into the final, when they defeated tournament leaders Wayamba United on Tuesday night.”He’s been in fantastic form, both from a batting and bowling perspective. I don’t think he gets the new ball much when he plays for New Zealand. We’ve given him the new ball here and he has become a totally different bowler,” Kandamby said.With Colombo having had three days of heavy rain, forcing a washout in the second semi-final, and thunderstorms forecast for Friday, the final may be curtailed by rain. Kandamby was confident his side had the batting firepower to prevail in a shortened encounter, should that eventuate.”We have guys like Dilshan Munaweera and [Oram] who have already shown what they can do. Other guys like Chinthaka Jayasinghe are well known for big hitting. We’ll have to decide if we move anyone up the order when we see how many overs we have to play with.”

England have claimed the No.1 ranking for the first time under the current rankings system which has been in place since 2003

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2011England’s route to the top

July-August 2008 – Lost to South Africa 1-2
December 2008 – Lost to India 0-1
February-March 2009 – Lost to West Indies 0-1
May 2009 – Beat West Indies 2-0
July-August 2009 – Beat Australia 2-1
Dec-Jan 2009-10 – Drew with South Africa 1-1
March 2010 Beat Bangladesh 2-0
May-June 2010 – Beat Bangladesh 2-0
July-August 2010 – Beat Pakistan 3-1
November-January 2010-11 – Beat Australia 3-1
May-June 2011 – Beat Sri Lanka 1-0
July-August 2011 – Lead India 3-0

England have claimed the No. 1 spot for the first time under the current rankings system which has been in place since 2003, thanks to an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing Test series against India at home. England, who were No. 3 at the start of the series, had to win the series by a margin of two Tests to become No. 1, and their three straight wins – all of them by big margins – have dethroned India, who reigned since December 2009.The climb to the top received a boost in 2009 when England reclaimed the Ashes at home after suffering a series defeat to West Indies in the Caribbean. They drew a series in South Africa after that, beat Pakistan comprehensively at home and retained the Ashes with a 3-1 win in Australia in 2010-11. Prior to beating India, they won 1-0 against Sri Lanka at home. Since May 2009, they’ve won 19 out of the 30 Tests they’ve played with just four defeats and without conceding a series.The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat led the praises for Andrew Strauss’s team. “On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate Andrew Strauss, Andy Flower and the whole team for becoming the number-one ranked Test team in the world,” Lorgat said in a release that was issued seconds after England’s innings win at Edgbaston. “I know they were determined to be number-one and through careful planning and a series of clinical performances, they have deservedly achieved their goal. They were clearly the most consistent side in the world over the past few years.”The rankings table will be updated after the Oval Test which will end on August 22. If England win the Test, India will drop to third place – to 117 points from 119 currently, with South Africa moving to second. A win or a draw for India will keep them at No. 2. At the end of the series, England will be presented with a mace for reaching the top spot.

Sri Lanka have never won a series against the Australians at home but Mahela Jayawardene believes the time is right over the next couple of weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2010Sri Lanka have never won a series against the Australians at home but Mahela Jayawardene believes the time is right over the next couple of weeks. Jayawardene, the former captain, is hopeful of success in the three ODIs next month as the hosts deal with a busy schedule that includes preparing for the Ashes.”We’ve improved quite a bit in the last couple of years and our away form is pretty good, that’s something we’ve always been trying to improve,” Jayawardene said in Brisbane. “It’s a great opportunity for us.”It’s going to be a bit tough for Australia, with a bit of a hectic schedule. Some of them will be fresh and some of them won’t be fresh but Australia is Australia.”While Sri Lanka warm-up for the main games, which start with a Twenty20 international in Perth on October 31, their opponents are still in India finishing off a 50-over series. Kumar Sangakkara’s men play Queensland at the Gabba today before facing New South Wales on Sunday and Wednesday.Australia have never lost a series in their backyard to Sri Lanka in Tests or ODIs since their opening encounter in 1984-85.