CRICKET NEWS: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

England's injury crisis worsens

Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan have both suffered injuries in Australia © Getty Images

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England's injury-hit bowling attack is being pushed to the limits after two more quicks picked up problems in Brisbane. Chris Tremlett was ruled out of the fifth One Day International with a side strain and Ajmal Shahzad limped off during the match with a hamstring problem.

Shahzad suffered his injury two balls into his eighth over and left the field having completed it at reduced pace. Both he and Tremlett will go for scans on Monday when the team travels to Sydney and it leaves England short of cover for the final two matches. Steven Finn made his ODI debut at the Gabba and Chris Woakes was recalled to the line-up in place of Michael Yardy.

Woakes enjoyed a memorable game as he claimed 6 for 45, the second best figures for England in ODIs, but the continued problems to England's World Cup bowlers is a serious concern.

Shahzad joins Stuart Broad (stomach), Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (knee/back) on the casualty list with the latter two having flown home from the tour. Only James Anderson of England's first-choice World Cup attack hasn't been injured on tour but he was rested for the start of this series.

"We're beginning to run out of bowlers now," Strauss said. "Woakesy came in and did brilliantly today. He hit the deck hard, bowled some really good deliveries. That delivery to get rid of [Cameron] White was an absolute scorcher. Finny came in after not playing for a long time and did some good work as well."

Strauss added they may need to call in reinforcements even though the tour only has seven days to run and it may mean scouring Australia for any potential options. The England Lions have recently begun their tour of West Indies and it's a long journey to get someone from the Caribbean to Australia who then may not be needed.

England's problems could be eased a little by the surface in Sydney. They didn't play any spinner in Brisbane, but they are likely to need one at the SCG which would mean a recall for either Yardy or James Tredwell who could replace Shahzad, while Luke Wright is also in the squad. One option Strauss ruled out was an early return for Broad who has rejoined the tour for rehabilitation from the abdominal injury he sustained during the second Test at Adelaide.

England call up Plunkett to injury-ravaged squad

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The injury to Ajmal Shahzad (left) has meant a call-up for Liam Plunkett (right) © Getty Images

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England's injury crisis worsens

England have called up Liam Plunkett, the Durham pace bowler, into their injury-hit one-day squad although he will only arrive in Australia from the Lions tour of West Indies in time for the final match at Perth on Sunday.

The visitors were left with the bare bones of a pace attack after Chris Tremlett was ruled out of the fifth one-day international in Brisbane with a side strain, then Ajmal Shazhad limped off after eight overs with a hamstring injury. Both players will undergo scans on Tuesday with Shahzad the more serious concern as he is part of England's World Cup squad.

Plunkett played the most recent of his 28 one-day internationals last year against Bangladesh, at Chittagong, and now faces an arduous trip around the world for a match he may not play before returning to the Caribbean where the Lions are taking part in the local first-class tournament. Plunkett, 25, has taken has taken 37 ODI wickets at 34.37 and was part of England's 2007 World Cup squad.

"Liam Plunkett has been part of the England performance programme and England Lions squad this winter so we are confident that he will be ready to play a role for England should the need arise," Andy Flower, the England team director, said.

"We are waiting for an update on the injuries to Ajmal Shahzad and Chris Tremlett but with our preparations for the World Cup starting in less than a fortnight we need to prioritise getting our World Cup squad members fit and ready for the start of the tournament."

Even before the latest brace of injuries England had been badly hit during the one-day series with Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (back) flying home, while Stuart Broad remains on the sidelines as he recovers from his abdominal injury. It means there are concerns over more than half England's first-choice attack, although the news on Broad appears more positive with the allrounder making good progress.

Broad determined to be fit for World Cup

Stuart Broad is back with the England squad but hasn't been cleared to play matches yet © Getty Images

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England's injury crisis worsens

Stuart Broad has taken the glass-half-full view of the injury lay-off that forced him to miss the last three Ashes Test and current one-day series, believing he will benefit from the rest over the next year. Broad suffered an abdominal strain on the fourth day in Adelaide and is still working his way back towards full fitness, but is confident of being ready for the start of the World Cup.

He returned to the squad mid-way through this one-day series to continue his recovery away from the British winter, aware that there is a rapid turnaround to the World Cup with England's first game against Netherlands on February 22. Broad is eager to get back into action, but even with the current injury crisis in the squad, he won't be getting a game in Australia.

"I don't think the doctors will even let Straussy ask that question," he said. "I'm keen to play but I don't think it will happen. I've been unfortunate to miss the last seven weeks but we have got a huge amount of cricket coming up so this little break might just help me fire on all cylinders for the next year or so.

"I'm probably a little bit ahead of schedule. I probably bowled at 50-60 percent yesterday and pulled up fine this morning. Hopefully by the end of the Australia tour I'll have come off near a full run-up, my aim is to try and play the first warm-up game of the World Cup so I'm hopeful of that."

Broad is crucial to England's World Cup chances because, even though the fringe bowlers have performed well in Australia, his aggressive, in-your-face style, will be important on flat pitches. He is also one of the team's key Powerplay and death bowlers, while also featuring heavily in the middle overs when breakthroughs are needed.

"I'm desperate to get back playing, it's felt like a long seven and a half weeks," he said. "I love playing cricket, that's what I do, so it's hard when you injured and don't get to try and improve yourself. I'm certainly looking forward to getting back playing and there's a lot of cricket coming up."

He was the only injury England suffered during their successful Ashes campaign, but since then bowlers have dropped like flies with the workload catching up with them. Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (back) have flown home to try and recover in time for the World Cup while Ajmal Shahzad limped off during the Brisbane ODI with a hamstring strain and Chris Tremlett, a possible replacement for the squad if needed, has a side strain.

"I think the injuries are pretty minor so I don't think it will affect any balance to the World Cup squad or anything like that," he said, "but it's a little frustrating in this series to have lost as many players as we have. It's been hard to find the right balance that we'll go into the World Cup with. But you can't do anything about injuries and after a lot of cricket on this tour I think we've done well with the amount of injuries we've had."

Despite having to sit out the final three Ashes Tests and miss the moments of glory at Melbourne and Sydney there is no resentment from Broad who, apart from the bitter weather in the UK, enjoyed every moment of the team's success on television.

"It wasn't difficult, it was brilliant to see. I'm an England fan at the end of the day. It was great to see the lads perform so well. It was difficult because it was freezing cold with snow everywhere. Obviously I was disappointed to miss out on those celebrations and achievements, but I still feel part of the team. It was fantastic to see and enjoyable to watch."

Although the tour is finishing on a sour note with the one-day series loss, Broad doesn't think it should take the gloss off what has been achieved. "I don't think England players deserve to have any negative memories about the tour so it's important we finish this series strongly and look back with great fondness on the last three months."

Pietersen slams demanding fixture list

Kevin Pietersen believes England are all set to challenge at the World Cup

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has termed his side's hectic schedule leading up to the World Cup as 'ridiculous'. England will leave for the World Cup in the subcontinent just three days after their ongoing tour of Australia, which began in October last year.

"Our schedule is ridiculous going into this World Cup," Pietersen told PA. "It has been for England teams for a very long time, and that's probably why England have not done well in World Cups."

Pietersen also criticised the format of the six-week long tournament, saying the gaps between matches were too long. "How can the England team play once and then in six days' time play again, and then in six days' time play again," he asked. "It's ridiculous but there's nothing we can do about the schedules. I wouldn't say we're going to be knackered because it's going to be the World Cup, and we all want to win this World Cup."

Despite being unimpressed with the itinerary, Pietersen felt that England had a good chance of following up their maiden ICC title victory in last year's World Twenty20 with their first World Cup triumph. England have shown vast improvement in the limited-overs format in the last two years, winning nine of their previous ten bilateral ODI series before losing steam early to concede the ongoing seven-match ODI series against Australia.

Pietersen credited England's resurgence to enhanced skills in all departments of their game. "The batsmen have improved, the fielding is top-notch, our catching is incredible, our bowling is so skilful. I just think our skill levels are really, really good."

England-India clash moved to Bangalore

The ICC ruled out Eden Gardens as a World Cup venue last week © AFP

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The ICC has confirmed the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore as the venue for the India-England World Cup game that was originally supposed to be held in Kolkata. There was no change in the date of the match - it will be held on February 27.

"This decision now clarifies and gives us certainty over the fixture," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. "We can now work with our various partners and stakeholders to make sure that the match - along with the rest of the tournament - is all it should be."

In a letter to the BCCI, the ICC also outlined the pending work that had to be done to get Eden Gardens ready for the World Cup. Kolkata was originally allotted three other matches for the tournament, the first of which is on March 15. The ICC said an inspection team will visit Eden Gardens on February 7 to see the progress made before deciding on the fate of those three matches.

The BCCI had nominated Bangalore as its preferred venue for the India-England match after the ICC had ruled out Kolkata last week.

The India-England fixture will now be the most high profile World Cup game for Bangalore, which hosts four other group games. Only one of those feature the home team, while all of them pit a minnow against a strong side.

Rain ruins contest after Barath's maiden ton

Adrian Barath produced a dtarring display with the bat © AFP

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The rescheduled one-day leg of West Indies' tour of Sri Lanka got off to a futile start as heavy rain in Colombo forced the abandonment of the first ODI at the SSC. The series had been postponed from December because bad weather had ruined the Test series but the move has had little effect.

Before it began to rain during the lunch break, Adrian Barath scored his maiden ODI century and his partnership with Ramnaresh Sarwan drove West Indies to a competitive total. Their efforts at posting a strong score, however, were undone by lack of contributions from their team-mates and Lasith Malinga's death-over burst, which weakened the platform that had been laid for the acceleration.

The overcast day in Colombo began badly for West Indies when Chris Gayle nicked Nuwan Kulasekara's outswinger in the fourth over, depriving the innings of a potentially rapid start on a placid pitch. Barath and Darren Bravo consolidated and saw off the new ball without further damage. Their partnership was promising when a mix-up ended with Bravo being run out for 8, leaving West Indies 42 for 2. Bravo had backed up too far at the non-striker's end and failed to beat Kapugedera's return from midwicket at the bowler's end.

Sarwan, who was making a comeback to the team after being omitted from the original tour party to Sri Lanka last year, had a point to prove and he did it in some style. Barath and Sarwan steadied the innings, scoring at a healthy pace and rendering Muttiah Muralitharan wicketless during his ten-over spell. Barath was lucky to be let off on 54, when he played uppishly to an Ajantha Mendis delivery and Mahela Jayawardene managed to get his hand to the ball but could not catch it. Otherwise his innings was without blemish. He struck two sixes and eight fours during his 113 off 129 balls, while Sarwan took 100 deliveries to score 75.

West Indies took the batting Powerplay in the 44th over and the recent international trend of wickets falling during the fielding restrictions continued. Both Barath and Sarwan fell to Malinga in the first over of the Powerplay and Kieron Pollard followed soon. Malinga had both well-set batsmen caught at wide long-on by Chamara Kapugedera as they tried to take him on, and bowled Kieron Pollard with a well-disguised, slow inswinger. He had ripped out three wickets for three runs off eight balls and West Indies managed only 27 off the Powerplay.

It was left to Darren Sammy to strike a couple of boundaries and provide the late momentum. The weather, however, wiped out any possibility of play after lunch, frustrating both teams.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Gale boosts England hopes with 50 for Lions

Andrew Gale cleared the boundary on two occasions during his aggressive 53 © Getty Images

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Andrew Gale's half-century was the highlight of England Lions' innings as they reached 277 on the first day of their two-day tour match against St. Kitts and Nevis at Molyneaux. Entering at 128 for 3, Gale stroked three fours and two sixes in his 53 to see his side past 200. Seamer Tonito Willett was the pick of the home attack, dismissing Gale, Liam Plunkett and Danny Briggs on his way to 3 for 60 off 22 overs.

Openers Adam Lyth and Jimmy Adams gave the Lions a solid start after captain James Hildreth won the toss and opted to bat first, putting on 74 before Adams was dismissed for a patient 24. Lyth departed soon after for a fluent 45, but Hildreth and Ravi Bopara steadied the innings with a 52-run partnership for the third wicket.

After Bopara's promising knock was ended by medium-pacer Calvin Williams, Gale shared in two crucial partnerships to ensure his side reached a competitive first-innings total. He put on 61 for the fourth wicket with Hildreth and another 37 for the fifth wicket with Johnny Bairstow, easing past fifty in the process.

Ben Stokes and Plunkett proved there was some fight left in the lower middle order, both making starts, but wickets fell at regular intervals and Kieran Powell ended the innings with a wicket maiden. He was back on the field shortly afterwards as he and fellow opener Shane Jeffers played out the remaining four overs of the day without losing a wicket.

Strauss concerned by England's 'bad habits'

It was a frustrating day for Andrew Strauss, who saw England slump to a 51-run defeat © PA Photos

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Andrew Strauss didn't pull any punches in admitting England's batting had been well off the pace during the one-day series after they slumped to a 51-run defeat at Brisbane which means there are now two dead matches. Chasing 250, which Strauss thought was well within range, England subsided to 198 all out and only got that many because the final wicket added 53.

It continued a familiar tone for the visitors, who haven't been able to replicate their century-making Ashes form in coloured clothes. Only Jonathan Trott with 102 at Adelaide has passed three figures and it was no coincidence that was the match England managed to win. Strauss has backed his players in their attacking approach, but wickets have been donated far too easily to the Australian bowlers.

"We've all got to put our hands up because we've all been a part of it," Strauss said. "One of the improvements we have made in one-day cricket over the past 12 or 18 months was a lot of our batsmen getting bigger scores more consistently, but we've fallen into bad habits in this series.

"Twenties and thirties and soft dismissals, that's been plaguing us all the way through this series and ultimately that's what has lost us the series. We can't hide away from it, we've got to take it on the chin, accept it and try and remedy it for these last two games and try and get some momentum heading into the World Cup."

After the two remaining matches of this series those players heading to the World Cup have three days at home before nearly another two months overseas. Strauss conceded that tired minds can make poor decisions in the middle but doesn't believe fatigue is the root of England's problems and will be driving home the need to lift performances.

"If you are mentally fatigued you probably do make poor decisions but I don't think you can just blame every poor decision on mental fatigue," he said. "There's no reason for us to be really fatigued at this stage. We've got a lot of cricket ahead of us. We look after ourselves well and if guys are starting to think about that then that's a dangerous place for us to be. I don't think they are, but it's something I'll certainly be warning them of."

Despite the short turnaround to the World Cup, Strauss isn't concerned about this series having a major impact on England's chances on the subcontinent. There is precedence for England lifting themselves after a one-day drubbing because following the 6-1 loss in the wake of the 2009 Ashes they reached the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

"Even a few days at home refreshes you and then you can turn up at a World Cup, a massive event and one that we're very excited about, and that should give us quite a lot of impetus going into that tournament," Strauss said. "There's no doubt about it, as a batting group we've got to be better than we have been. We're not going to hide away from it. We've got two more games to make some improvements."

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Pietersen planning 'amazing' comeback

Kevin Pietersen wants to finish England's tour of Australia in style © Getty Images

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Kevin Pietersen is targeting an "amazing" one-day series comeback over the next ten days to give the tour of Australia a perfect finish. England handed themselves a lifeline with a 21-run victory at Adelaide, but still need to win the three remain matches, starting with the game in Brisbane on Sunday, to steal the trophy.

If they can pull it off, it would be a fightback similar to the one England achieved four years ago after appearing down and out during the CB Series before winning two matches to reach the final ahead of New Zealand, and then beating the hosts 2-0. Pietersen missed most of that tournament, having broken a rib in an early match, but has set his sights on a deciding encounter at Perth on February 6.

"It'll be amazing. We were 3-0 down and to be able to fight to the end and turn out in Perth on what could be a final would be incredible. It was nice to win in Adelaide, you always look for momentum but momentum hasn't meant a lot on this trip so far. It's a different ground with different conditions and whoever adjusts best will win tomorrow. We can't afford to lose."

Pietersen has had a mixed series with the bat, beginning with a dominant 78 at the MCG before falling first ball at Hobart. He then missed the Sydney match with a groin strain but returned for Adelaide, where he was caught at long-on for 12.

This series has been Pietersen's comeback into the one-day set-up after he was dropped against Pakistan in September, so he needed a productive series to reaffirm his credentials. England played seven batsmen in the previous match but that's unlikely to be a long-term solution heading into the World Cup, so no one can afford to lose their form at this juncture.

"You are going to get frustrated. I've been playing really nicely and have been on this whole trip so far," Pietersen said. "I was frustrated in Hobart then I'm not sure it was the wrong option the other night but it looked like the wrong option the way I going out, just trying to hit a boundary. But these things happen."

England have a quick turnaround between the end of this tour and the World Cup. The players will have three days at home before departing for the subcontinent to begin preparations, although Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann have been given extra time off for paternity leave.

There are injury concerns over Swann and Tim Bresnan, who flew home from Australia with back and calf injuries respectively, although both remain confident of making the start of the tournament. Pietersen thinks that the enforced breaks can actually benefit England.

"The boys will be fresh, the boys will be firing," he said. "In a weird sort of way it's quite nice that a few guys have had a few games off and been rested and some guys are back in England because they'll come back fresh and rearing to go as soon as we jump on that plane."

Although Pietersen remains desperate to finish this tour on a successful he doesn't think these one-dayers will have a huge bearing on what happens when the World Cup starts. "I'm not sure how vital it will be because conditions will be totally different. I think the first week in the subcontinent when we start getting used to conditions and the make-up of our side, having a full strength team out, that will be really crucial."

Clarke desperate to end form slump

Michael Clarke, Australia's out-of-form captain, remains so determined to end his form struggle that he asked to play for his club side in Sydney today. The request was rejected by Australia's selectors and coaching staff, who wanted him with the national team to prepare for Sunday's fifth ODI, but it showed how desperate he is to spend quality time in the middle.

The summer has been difficult for Clarke, who has failed to make his mark in the Tests or one-day affairs. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals to focus on the longer forms but that tactic hasn't worked yet either.

When Clarke saw his club team Western Suburbs was due to bat today, he suggested a change of itinerary to the team management. "I was keen to go back to Sydney and have a hit there but [the selectors and coaches] thought it was better preparation for me to be here with the team, which I agree with," he said. "Any opportunity I get to play cricket now I'll be grabbing with both hands."

He scored only 193 runs in the Ashes and has managed 70 in the first four ODIs against England. It is a worrying sequence but those around Clarke are confident he will regain his touch before the World Cup starts next month.

"I'm definitely sick of talking about it and a lot of people are sick of reading about it," he said of his run drought. "I've said before the facts are there. My performances haven't been anywhere near as good as they need to be throughout this summer.

"I've felt like at times I've been hitting the ball pretty well but I haven't been able to go on and, not just get a big score or a hundred, but even get a 50 or a 70. I'm looking for answers and for me the only way to find those answers is to train my backside off."

While Clarke is struggling with the bat, he has been making astute decisions, including bowling the offspinner David Hussey in the final overs of Wednesday's contest in Adelaide. Australia can wrap up the seven-match series two games early if they win at the Gabba on Sunday.

Clarke visited a couple of schools on Friday that were affected by the damaging Brisbane floods a fortnight ago. While he didn't get any batting advice, he was given a special request.

"A lot of the kids said, 'please win, please win on Sunday'," he said. "The least we can do is give our all and continue to play our best cricket. I'm confident that if we do that we'll get a result which will not only be great for us and this series, but hopefully put a few smiles on a few kids' faces as well."

Australia eye series win in flood-ravaged Brisbane

Local hero: Shane Watson © Getty Images

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The Big Picture
England won quite convincingly in Adelaide on Wednesday but their quest over the final three games remains the same. The tourists must succeed in every match to avoid losing the contest, while Australia have the luxury of having some off nights after earning a 3-1 lead. The hosts were below their best in Adelaide with bat and ball, but always enjoy returning to their Gabba fortress.

Brisbane is currently a city under-going a big clean-up after devastating floods a fortnight ago. The fifth ODI will be a major fund-raiser for victims and will support the Queensland premier's appeal. The Gabba was not affected by the destruction and the curator was ready to host a game just three days after the Brisbane River peaked.

England have only a week to go before they head home for a very short break ahead of the World Cup. Australia's itinerary is a lot more relaxed and the players are looking and operating like the favourites to claim the trophy.

Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWWWW
England WLLLW

Watch out for...
This part of Australia is Shane Watson territory and he has visited a couple of times over the past two weeks to inspect the flood damage and raise spirits. He grew up in Ipswich and played for Queensland, but has not had any real international success at the ground that was his home before he switched to New South Wales. While he has been Australia's form player of the summer and scored 161 in the first ODI, the locals would love him to do something special on Sunday.

Chris Tremlett has been one of England's stars on this trip and can't believe what is happening to him. First there was a place on the Ashes tour, then a key role, opening the bowling in the one-day side, and being elevated to an ECB contract. "All these surprises keep happening and sometimes I still pinch myself," he said. He has taken six wickets in the past four games and should be a big threat on the Gabba pitch, which offers pace and seam.

Team news
Shaun Tait (thigh) and Mitchell Johnson (throat infection) are improving and give Australia some pace options on what will be a lively wicket. Johnson should come in on his old home ground as he looks to re-find form ahead of next month's World Cup.

Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Cameron White, 6 David Hussey, 7 Steve Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Doug Bollinger.

England's main problem is whether to pick another specialist fast bowler. They went with only three in Adelaide, but Brisbane is a different prospect and the extra speed is vital. That leaves Paul Collingwood and Michael Yardy in vulnerable positions, while the chances of Chris Woakes or Luke Wright being recalled have increased.

England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Matt Prior (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Paul Collingwood, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Ajmal Shahzad, 10 Chris Tremlett, 11 James Anderson.

Stats and trivia

- The only international team with a better winning percentage at the Gabba than Australia's 56.66% is West Indies' 76.19%. England sit fourth on 53.84% after seven wins in 13 appearances.

- Australia's only loss in five games against England here came in 1998-99, when Alan Mullally's 4 for 18 helped dismiss the hosts for 145.

- David Gower holds the highest score at the ground with 158 off 118 balls, with 18 fours and four sixes, against New Zealand in 1982-83.

Quotes
"It's going to be a very emotional day and hopefully that can help pull us over the line and win the series."
Shane Watson

"We played pretty well the other night in Adelaide and we've got some momentum back from that performance. Hopefully we can take it from there, try to do what Australia did and win three games in a row."

Hafeez & Afridi star as Pakistan level series

A maiden ODI ton for Mohammad Hafeez © Getty Images

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A solid maiden ODI century from Mohammad Hafeez, a monstrous assault in the death overs led by Shahid Afridi and a spirited performance in the field were features of a roaring comeback by Pakistan in the ODI series, which they leveled 1-1 with a 43-run win at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch. Hafeez counter-attacked after Pakistan had been dented in their start and dropped anchor in the middle overs to set up a launching pad for Afridi and Umar Akmal to smash 126 runs in the last ten overs. Faced with a stiff chase, New Zealand fought hard but timely breakthroughs meant they were always struggling to measure up to the asking rate, eventually leading to their downfall.

The greenish appearance of the track proved deceptive as the movement off the seam that Ross Taylor had banked on when opting to field proved negligible and unthreatening. Yet, the conditions weren't too easy for the batsmen early on as the pitch played slow and low and the ball didn't come on. Hafeez, who has often squandered starts since his promotion to the top of the order, lost two partners, Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal, to deliveries that appeared to stop on the batsmen. But he cashed in on the indiscipline of the New Zealand seamers, who doled out freebies fairly regularly during the course of the innings, to gradually undermine the initiative gained by way of those early strikes.

The short square boundaries at the AMI Stadium were inevitably favoured as the bowlers didn't help their cause by consistently pitching short. Not long after he had nipped out two wickets, Tim Southee was pulled for consecutive boundaries by Hafeez; Hamish Bennett, struggling to bowl into the wind and dropping significantly in pace, was welcomed with a swipe to fine leg and six over long-on while Jacob Oram, in the over he dismissed Younis Khan, was dispatched over midwicket.

New Zealand had a few chances to limit the damage. Hafeez was dropped on 49 by Brendon McCullum, diving full length to his right and failing to hold on to a difficult catch; Misbah-ul-Haq, who added 94 with Hafeez, was given a reprieve through a missed stumping by McCullum, and Bennett dropped a relatively simple catch off Afridi that, otherwise, could have checked the one-way traffic towards the end of the innings.

Even as Pakistan tried to rebuild their innings, Hafeez was at ease, displaying an excellent ability to adapt, rotating the strike with Misbah and threading the gaps with adept footwork and timing. He stepped out to smash debutant Luke Woodcock for a straight boundary, lofted Oram over the in-field and, after securing his century and taking the batting Powerplay, scooped and slogged Southee for successive fours before signing off by heaving Kyle Mills for a six.

By the time he fell, Umar had warmed up with a couple of meaty hits and Afridi only had to join in. He targeted Oram, who was struggling with his lengths, in the 46th over, hammering him for two sixes on the leg side and a boundary through cover. The seamers either bowled too full or dragged the ball too short and Afridi, paddling, swatting and slapping, collected sixes over fine leg, cover point and long-on on his way to equalling the fastest half-century - off 19 balls - by a batsman in New Zealand, a record also held by McCullum.

New Zealand began brightly in their reply with Martin Guptill and Jamie How capitalising on the short boundaries to add 44 in quick time. But Pakistan's seamers, unlike the New Zealand bowlers, relied more on variations in pace with Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul ensuring the pressure of a big chase never diminished. How holed out to deep midwicket, failing to pick the slower ball; Ross Taylor, after a watchful start, stabbed at a good-length delivery to be caught at slip by Younis and Guptill, after four boundary-less overs in the second Powerplay, punched Riaz to point where Shehzad clung on to a low chance.

The hosts were in the hunt when Scott Styris and Kane Williamsom preserved their wickets, picked out the gaps to ensure a steady flow of ones and twos and accumulated 81 runs for the fourth wicket to stage a recovery. But while the seamers had picked up the wickets and restrained the batsmen, the slow bowlers, too, proved difficult to step up against, adding to the pressure on New Zealand. Afridi and Hafeez got through their overs quickly and gave little away. Hafeez eventually broke the stand as Styris failed to clear deep midwicket and when Williamson and McCullum departed within three runs of each other - bowled by Riaz and run out by Umar respectively - the game was all but sealed.

Pakistan's approach to their innings was reminiscent of the strategy they had adopted in the 1999 World Cup, progressing slowly with wickets in hand in the middle overs to set the stage for a violent surge in the last ten. Not a bad thing to prepare for the 2011 edition in much the same way.

No ICC Eden Gardens extension

The Cricket Association of Bengal and the BCCI will now have to decide whether the Eden Gardens will be ready in time for the other three games it is supposed to host © AFP

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The ICC has rejected the BCCI's request to reconsider moving the Group B match between India and England from Kolkata. The match, scheduled to be held at the Eden Gardens on February 27, will now be played at an alternate venue, which the Indian board needs to finalise by January 31.

On Thursday, the ICC, after many deliberations, ruled out Kolkata as a host venue after its inspection team deemed the stadium unfit and expressed strong concerns about various facilities in the ground being ready in time for the game. Following the decision, the Cricket Association of Bengal president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, sent a plea to the ICC through the BCCI asking for a ten-day extension to finish the remaining work. Dalmiya received support from Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, who sent in a separate "forwarding letter" to ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, echoing the CAB's request.

However, Lorgat said the ICC could not be swayed at the last minute and conveyed his message to Manohar in an email late Friday night. "I told him the ICC could not accommodate the request," Lorgat told ESPNcricinfo. "There was too much of planning and too much of logistics that would be involved,"

It is understood that the ICC refused to climb down from its original stance because, having spoken to its stadium and ground-preparation experts again, the consensus remained that there was no guarantee Eden Gardens would be ready for the February 27 game. The feeling at the ICC was that Dalmiya, having found himself in a tight corner, was acting out of desperation. They believed things could not be sorted out in ten days, especially since Dalmiya had conceded to the ICC's inspection team on their January 25 visit that a further 20 days would be needed to get the ground ready.

The status of the other three group matches scheduled to be hosted by Kolkata - Ireland v Holland, South Africa v Ireland and Zimbabwe v Kenya - remains unclear at the moment. The ICC has clarified that there will be no further inspections of the venue. It is for the BCCI and CAB to let them know if Kolkata can host those three matches.

"The big commercial game was India v England. The other matches involve Associates, which cannot be big money spinners. It is now for the CAB to take a call and if they want to save the face, they could get the ground ready for the other three matches," an official close to the negotiations said.

Friday, January 28, 2011

England look to keep series alive in Brisbane

The floodwaters had receded but the devastation was still easy to see around Goodna, west of Brisbane, where the Australian cricketers did their bit to give the community something to smile about during time at a local school. They now hope to give Queenslanders some joy by securing the one-day series against England with victory at the Gabba on Sunday.

This was the first time the squad had returned to Brisbane since the flooding - although Shane Watson went to his hometown, Ipswich, two weeks ago just as the recovery work began - and they visited schools and shopping malls around some of the worst-affected areas west of the city. The swollen, murky brown Brisbane River which snakes through the city is a reminder of how recently the disaster unfolded.

Australia are now aiming to make this the city where they seal the series after giving England a lifeline at Adelaide and Watson believes the local support will make a huge difference. "It's going to be a very emotional day and hopefully that can help pull us over the line and win the series," he said.

England have made their own donations to the flood appeal during this series and are aware of the motivating factors involved in this match for Australia. "Our hearts have gone out to the people. Seeing those things on TV is pretty shocking," Chris Tremlett said. "The England team have been fully behind it. I imagine it will be a very emotional time for people on Sunday and we are glad to be part of it."

Watson has previously spoken about how his mind has often been on events in Queensland during the one-day series, yet he has been able to maintain his consistent form with a match-winning 161 at Melbourne and 64 at Adelaide. But while his success for Australia gives him great pleasure these past few weeks have given him a sense of perspective.

"There's no doubt that during the period when you didn't know the extent of devastation, around Ipswich especially, it was something that took my mind off the cricket," he said. "After the disappointment of the Ashes series it put my life into perspective for sure. It's just great I was able to score runs during that period but life is bigger and greater than cricket, even though I love playing it."

Although the Suncorp Stadium, which is used for rugby and soccer, was flooded, the Gabba was largely unaffected and recently staged back-to-back Big Bash games. Kevin Mitchell Jr, the Gabba curator, has no concerns about the pitch for Sunday's game despite the horrific weather of a few weeks ago.

"It's looking pretty good with nice even cover of grass so should play uniformly," he told ESPNcricinfo. "With all the rain, we're not too bad. The only way the Gabba gets flooded is if the stormwater and the tide from Norman Creek occur together. Since the redevelopment of the ground it's happened four times. The wicket block is never affected."

Mitchell Johnson's occasional state appearances now come for Western Australia, but he was born in Townsville and retains a strong connection to his home state. "Just driving through now and seeing where the levels were, Shane [Watson] showed me some photos of the water. It does blow you away and it's hard to believe," he said. "The Queensland spirit is nice and strong and we are sticking behind each other. The day after it all happened you saw the pictures of everyone lending a hand, digging that mud up, and doing everything they can."

Johnson, who struggled during the Ashes apart from his matchwinning performance in Perth, has been a frustrated watcher during the last three matches due to a throat infection. He hopes to return to the side in Brisbane and build form ahead of the World Cup in what he believes will be a memorable occasion.

"I'm certainly looking forward to getting back and playing again," he said. "It was hard sitting back on Australia Day and not being able to play, it's one of the ones you want to take part in. Coming here on Sunday, back on home turf, hopefully I'll get a game and be able to raise some more money."

Strong' man Cook won't change his style

Alastair Cook was limpit-like at the wicket during the Ashes © Getty Images

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England's Ashes batting star Alastair Cook has insisted he will never change his laid-back approach to the game, with the Essex man claiming he came through a low period in his career by returning to his true self.

Cook returned from the Ashes to be handed the freedom of the City of London, thanks to 766 runs in the series at an average of 120, and he is currently riding the crest of a wave. Despite his exploits, he is not part of England's one-day squad and is spending time on his partner's farm. It is clearly a life Cook is content with, as he shuns the celebrity lifestyle and has no clue about the workings of social networks.

It is all a far cry from the autumn when Cook headed Down Under with his place in jeopardy and the Australians convinced they could target the Essex opener. But Cook silenced his doubters with three centuries in the series and insisted he succeeded on account of not taking a backward step.

"I haven't got to here by being soft, by being walked on," Cook told the Daily Mail. "Nobody walks over me, ever, and no-one will walk over me, ever. You don't get to the top in professional sport without being hard and tough, but I do that in my way. I don't shout or scream, but I am determined and I will push harder than 99 per cent of cricketers in training.

"That is as much my character as any other perception that people might have. I'm not some little soft touch. I will never take a backward step when batting, but I want to be respected as a nice guy, too. I don't think you have to be this macho man all the time, just because you play sport."

Cook revealed he was not fazed by the Australians' sledging tactics, insisting his focus was always on his batting.

"I never sledge. You can only ever lose. Even if you're on 150, if they get you out they have the last word. So what is the point? Why aggravate the bowler? Leave him alone. I went through a stage two years ago when I felt I had to be eye-balling them all the time, just to make my mark, but it wasn't me. I was forcing myself, it wasn't natural.

"Anyway, sledging isn't as clever as people think. Most of it is just high testosterone, rude and crude stuff, 'You're an idiot,' things like that. I'd work a ball off middle stump and the bowler might say, 'What do you think you're doing, miss that and you're out'.

"I'm sure if you got two guys together with enough wit and intelligence you might get these famous exchanges that you read about, but most of the time it's just, 'f*** off, you're s***'. There was no sledge on the tour that made me laugh, put it like that. Maybe years ago guys went out there with funny lines prepared, but in my experience it is just aggression."

Cook is aware that form can desert you very quickly, but he believes that he has improvement in him as a cricketer.

"I hope it has given me that bit of extra confidence," he said. "I still think I can get better. I don't believe Australia was a one-off, I don't believe I was in the zone. Things worked out for me on the tour and time at the crease flew, but I do not believe it was anything mystical that cannot be recaptured. There is no zone."

Strong' man Cook won't change his style

Alastair Cook was limpit-like at the wicket during the Ashes © Getty Images

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Cook revealed he was not fazed by the Australians' sledging tactics, insisting his focus was always on his batting.

Cook is aware that form can desert you very quickly, but he believes that he has improvement in him as a cricketer.

Double Ashes series confirmed for 2013

The Ashes are the single biggest event in the calendars of both Australia and England's cricket boards © Getty Images

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Australia eye series win in flood-ravaged Brisbane

England and Australia will play each other in ten consecutive Tests across two series home and away in 2013-14, after it was confirmed by Cricket Australia that the dates of the next Ashes series Down Under have been brought forward by a year.

The situation, which last occurred in 1974-75, has been forced upon the two boards by the competing demands of the 2015 World Cup, which is also scheduled to be held in Australia and which, had the 2014-15 Ashes gone ahead as planned, would have required England's cricketers to remain in the country for five months.

A proposal to bring England's next home series, in 2013, forward by a year was thwarted by the competing demands of the London Olympics. England's subsequent home Ashes summer will take place in 2016, with the traditional four-year home-and-away rotation expected to kick in from then on.

''We do have those two Ashes series that are back to back,'' CA spokesman Peter Young told The Sydney Morning Herald. ''One concern that England had, which is understandable, in 2015 if they'd played Ashes then the World Cup, the England team would have to stay in Australia for five months - that's just way too long.''

A major consideration for CA was the prospect of a new round of TV rights negotiations, as the current deal is set to expire in May 2013. With India due to tour in 2011-12, followed by South Africa, England and the World Cup, the board is anticipating four consecutive seasons of high-quality international cricket.

''The Ashes have an x-factor element that excites the Australian public," said Young. "The Ashes make turnstiles spin and they drive the ratings up. In terms of the next media contract, it's an ideal starting point because it's a lucrative blue chip series and all the networks would give their eye teeth to get hold of it."

Bresnan confident of being fit for World Cup opener

Tim Bresnan has vowed to be fit for England's first match of the World Cup, insisting that regular physiotherapy will have him "raring to go" when the tournament starts.

Bresnan picked up a calf injury during the second ODI against Australia at Hobart, ruling him out of the remainder of the seven-match series.

The World Cup gets underway in the subcontinent on February 20, with England beginning their campaign against Netherlands two days later.

With England currently 3-1 down against Australia, weaknesses in the batting and bowling departments have been exposed and Andy Flower will be keen to have the likes of Bresnan and Stuart Broad back in contention for their first World Cup outing in Nagpur.

Yorkshire's Bresnan was forced to fly back to the UK for treatment but the all-rounder is satisfied with his fitness.

"The injury is coming on well," he told Sky Sports News. "I'm quite confident of being fit for the first game of the World Cup. I've been told some good news in the last couple of days and I'm having some physio every day up until we leave, so I'm putting my full trust in them [the medical team] that they'll get me ready to go."

Bresnan, who said he thought Graeme Swann would be available for selection for England's opener, is expecting everyone to feel refreshed when they tackle their next challenge.

"Hopefully everyone's going to be raring to go for that first game. Hopefully everyone's rested as well so that we are ready to go," he said.

After helping England win the Ashes with a 3-1 series triumph, Bresnan admits the team are targeting the world No. 1 spot.

"For that we need consistency," he said. "If you look at the way the ranking system works it's all about consistency, it's not about having a couple of good series here and there. It's about consistently winning games of cricket. With the strength and depth we've got in the ranks, the next target is definitely being the No. 1 in the world."

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Collingwood blames mental block for bad run

Paul Collingwood's woes have been well documented - he averaged 13.83 during the Ashes series © Getty Images

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Paul Collingwood believes that his dire run of form is down to a mental block - and not due to any technical deficiencies.

The veteran toiled with the bat during the Tests in Australia, averaging 13.83, and found himself jettisoned from the team at the start of the subsequent One Day International series.

After missing the first two ODIs, Collingwood's place in the World Cup squad looked under severe threat, but injuries necessitated his return to the team for the third and fourth matches.

He struck an intermittently-fluent 27 at Adelaide on Wednesday, and Collingwood believes that knock may have provided the first stepping stone on the long road back to top form.

"I'd be the first to admit I haven't been in great form," he said. "I'm trying every possible way to get back in good nick, and I know from past experience that getting back into a good run of form can be pretty immediate.

"Maybe after an innings like yesterday [the fourth ODI], hitting the middle of the bat, something might just click. I'm working as hard as ever to get that form back, and most of the time it's more of a mental thing than anything else."

Kolkata loses India-England fixture

Eden Gardens on October 30, 2010 © Getty Images

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In a major embarrassment to the World Cup organisers, the ICC has ruled out Eden Gardens as the host of the game between India and England on February 27. The ICC's inspection team, which included some of the leading experts in the field of stadium and ground preparation, felt that Eden Gardens would not be ready in time. No alternate venue for the match has yet been named. The Wankhede Stadium and the three World Cup stadiums in Sri Lanka were all given the go-ahead by the ICC.

"Regrettably, Eden Gardens has not made sufficient progress to justify the level of confidence required to confirm that the venue would be ready in good time," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said. "This was no easy decision to take and while it is most unfortunate, it is absolutely necessary." The Cricket Association of Bengal is having an emergency meeting to discuss the development.

Kolkata was to host three other matches in the World Cup, but the status of those games is still unclear. "At this stage no decision has been taken on those matches," an ICC spokesperson said.

The news of switching the match from Kolkata comes just two days after the tournament director, Ratnakar Shetty, waved away worries over readiness of World Cup venues. Media personnel had been barred from a recent inspection of Eden Gardens.

The venue, one of the largest cricket stadiums in the world, has hosted some of the highest-profile matches of the previous two World Cups held in the subcontinent including the final in 1987 and the semi-final in 1996. No international matches have been held in Kolkata since the Test between India and South Africa in February as the stadium was being renovated.

"All venues had ample time in which to prepare for World Cup matches," Lorgat said. "We had been understanding and had provided extensions to the deadline dates but unfortunately we are now at a point where we must carefully manage our risks.

"The Central Organising Committee had provided venues with a deadline of 30 November 2010 to complete all construction work and then to be match-ready by 31 December 2010. An extension was granted by the ICC for five venues, which were again inspected over the past week. Sadly, Eden Gardens in Kolkata was unable to meet the final deadline date of 25 January 2011."

The ICC is still deciding on the new venue for the India-England match. "We will work with the new venue, the tour operators and the ticket distributors to manage the logistical challenges that will surely arise," Shetty said.

It is not yet known whether the people who brought tickets to the fixture will get refunds.

Lancashire brace for record loss

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Lancashire's bid to redevelop their crumbling Old Trafford ground could turn into a race to save the county's future, according to their chief executive, Jim Cumbes, as the club prepares to post a loss of around £2million for 2010, the worst ever recorded by a county cricket club.

The figures, which have yet to be audited but will shortly be revealed to the club's members, follow on from a loss of £546,000 in 2009, and have been exacerbated by a costly judicial review into the ground's planning approval which has delayed the £30 million makeover, and is not expected to be resolved until February at the earliest.

The supermarket giant, Tesco, put forward £21 million of the money for the redevelopment, which was approved by Trafford Council in 2010, with a further £5.2 million from the North West Development Agency contingent on work starting before April. However, a rival development, Derwent, who own the nearby White City Retail Park, has attempted to block Tesco's plans, trapping Lancashire right in the middle of the dispute.

"It's a critical decision for us, and we need to have that hearing soon, because although we aren't the party being judicially reviewed, clearly we are the ones with the most to lose," Cumbes told ESPNcricinfo. "We've paid out £1.5 million in fees for all the advice on the planning, and the delay by a rival wanting to build another supermarket in the area has delayed all the funding coming down to us. We expected to see that money back in October, but we haven't yet seen a penny, and that's hit us pretty hard."

Lancashire's problems could be exacerbated if they miss their April deadline for redevelopment, because that would effectively end their hopes of securing an Ashes Test for 2013, which as Cumbes conceded, has already been factored into their revenue forecasts for future seasons. "That has been our target from the word go," he said. "We drew up a business plan on the basis that, having missed an Ashes Test in 2009, we'd be in a stronger position to get one in 2013, because Old Trafford has never missed two Australia matches in its history."

Instead, Old Trafford has been living on scraps in recent seasons, with last summer's three-day Test against Bangladesh being their only such match since the visit of New Zealand in 2008. "We've undertaken our development because we know we weren't up to scratch," said Cumbes. "But we've not had as many matches as we are used to, and that is critical because a large ground such as this requires maintenance irrespective of whether we get Test matches or not."

A further short-term dent in Lancashire's balance sheet has been created by The Point, the controversial £12 million conference centre overlooking the ground which was officially opened during the Bangladesh Test in June, and is capable of catering for up to 800 people at a time. Cumbes, however, is confident that the benefits of that particular investment will be reaped in 2011 and beyond.

"We wanted to send a message out to people that we were serious about development, and in that respect it is part of our business plan for the future," he said. "Bookings for the venue have only really got going in the last three or four months, and it's certainly been very encouraging, but of course when people book events of that size, they book months in advance, not a week ahead. We always knew that the benefits of that investment would come later rather than sooner."

However, the club knows it cannot afford to rest easy for the coming months. "We are not ringing alarm bells yet, but with the amount of debt that all category A grounds are getting at the moment, someone somewhere is going to run into trouble before long," said Cumbes. "At the moment the club isn't going under, but if we didn't get the go-ahead for redevelopment, didn't get Tests and weren't recognised as a category A ground, then clearly the club would be in some sort of trouble. Whether that trouble is just remaining as a small county club or not existing at all is open to debate."

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

New Zealand v Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain

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Pakistan 31 for 0 v New Zealand Abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Queenstown is the place for adrenaline-junkies but there was little excitement on Wednesday as persistent rain allowed only 4.2 overs of play in the second one-dayer between Pakistan and New Zealand.

There were showers early in the morning, but it cleared up before start of play, raising hopes of the fans who had gathered. The rain returned, however, soon after Daniel Vettori chose to field, as every international captain has done after winning the toss in Queenstown.

New Zealand stuck with their plan of giving James Franklin the new ball, ahead of the much quicker Hamish Bennett, and it didn't work as 19-year-old Ahmed Shehzad took 16 off his two overs. Shehzad, playing his first one-dayer in 20 months, showed no signs of rustiness as he smashed the third ball of the match over square leg for six. He also slapped Tim Southee for a couple of fours before the rain returned, and stayed through the day to cause the match to be abandoned.

The third one-dayer of the series is in Christchurch on Saturday, and the bad news is that rain is predicted during that game as well.

Bullish Swann guarantees World Cup fitness

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Swann heads home due to injury

Graeme Swann has handed England a significant boost by insisting he will "definitely be fine" for the start of the World Cup.

The spinner was forced to leave the tour of Australia after picking up a back injury that was an unwanted accompaniment to a knee problem he was already nursing.

He will rejoin the England camp on February 22 - two days before their opening World Cup match against Netherlands - after attending the birth of his first child and training with county Nottinghamshire.

Despite the lack of match practice, he is adamant he will be at his lethal best against the minnows. "I've had a bad back for years and, every now and again, it gives me problems," Swann told the Sun.

"But I know from previous experience that I'll definitely be fine for the World Cup from the start. [The back injury] happened when I was getting changed in Hobart. I bent down and felt a twinge - there was nothing more to it than that.

"It's improved already but would not be 100% right to play in any of the remaining one-dayers. It was decided it was best if I went home so I could rest, recover, spend some time with Sarah (his wife) and get back into training.

"Once I'm fit again, I'll join in with Notts' winter training. I'm not worried about the back. The first time it happened in my career, I was frantic. But it doesn't feel as bad as it did then. My knee is also coming along nicely."

ICC probing Amir's involvement in club game

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The ICC has written to the PCB asking for details into the appearance of Mohammad Amir in a friendly club match. Amir is currently provisionally suspended from all levels of cricket, facing charges of spot-fixing placed by the governing body in the aftermath of the Lord's Test during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.

Amir took part in a game in Rawalpindi on Monday, though the contest is not believed to carry any official status. But under the ICC's anti-corruption code of conduct, Amir - and Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, the other two players suspended - are not allowed to play even at club level if those clubs are affiliated to the regional cricket body - in this case the Rawalpindi Cricket Association - which is, in turn, affiliated to the PCB. It is believed that the club Amir turned up for is not affiliated to the Rawalpindi association.

A spokesman for the Pakistan board said they were also investigating the matter. "Yes, we have come to the knowledge of Amir playing a match in Rawalpindi and we are investigating the matter," Nadeem Sarwar told AFP.

At the moment it is believed that the ICC has only asked for details of the appearance, after which it will decide whether or not it constitutes a breach of the code. Local officials in Rawalpindi say Amir apologised after appearing in the game, saying he wasn't sure whether or not he could play in a game at that level.

Amir, along with Butt and Asif, was suspended by the ICC after the spot-fixing row centering around pre-planned no-balls broke during the Lord's Test between England and Pakistan.

An ICC anti-corruption tribunal heard the case relating to the three suspended players in Doha, Qatar, last month and is due to announce its verdict on February 5.

Rana Naved rejoins Sussex for 2011 season

Rana Naved hit 101 against Leicestershire during his spell at Sussex during the first month of last season © Getty Images

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Sussex have secured seam-bowling Pakistan allrounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as their overseas player for the first half of the season.

Naved played for Sussex between 2005 to 2007 and - after two years with Yorkshire - for the first month of last season. He will be available until the end of June.

He is a crowd favourite at Hove after twice playing a pivotal role in Sussex's County Championship wins in 2006 and 2007. He prospered in his nine appearances last year, taking 27 wickets and scoring 258 runs, including 101 against Leicestershire.

Naved, who is currently representing Tasmania in Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 competition, has played in nine Tests, 74 one-day and four T20 internationals but is not in Pakistan's World Cup squad. He has not played for his country for almost a year, having been banned for 12 months for indiscipline on the 2009-10 tour of Australia, although that decision was overturned in October.

Sussex coach Mark Robinson said: "We're delighted that Rana is returning this summer as he was like a breath of fresh air when he was with us last year. The energy and match-winning threat he gives us will be an important ingredient for what hopefully will be a successful season."

Rana Naved rejoins Sussex for 2011 season

Rana Naved hit 101 against Leicestershire during his spell at Sussex during the first month of last season © Getty Images

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Sussex have secured seam-bowling Pakistan allrounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as their overseas player for the first half of the season.

Naved played for Sussex between 2005 to 2007 and - after two years with Yorkshire - for the first month of last season. He will be available until the end of June.

England win to keep series alive

Jonathan Trott produced the day's defining performance with a fine 102, and he also chipped in with a couple of vital wickets © Getty Images

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Jonathan Trott's calculating century ensured England stayed in the series with a 21-run victory that upset Australia's national holiday in Adelaide. The tourists began the game needing to win and the scenario won't change when they head to Brisbane for Sunday's fifth ODI, but they have been boosted by an end to four consecutive limited-overs losses.

Trott's perfectly timed 102 off 126 balls stood tall on a day that was meant to be a celebration of all things Australia, but the home supporters left unhappy as the series score-line in the seven-game contest settled at 3-1. Trott, bowling his steady medium pace, even managed the valuable breakthroughs of Cameron White (44) and David Hussey (28) to end the pair's rescue act.

England's 299 for 8, which was reduced slightly by effective slow bowling, was more than enough for Australia, especially when the dangerman Shane Watson fell for a bright 64. England's bowlers did not allow the batsmen to gain any rhythm on a sluggish pitch and were able to wait for the locals to make mistakes as they tried to force the pace.

The opener Brad Haddin burned brightly for 20 before chipping Chris Tremlett to cover and Shaun Marsh (1) was caught and bowled by James Anderson (2 for 57). Michael Clarke's run struggles continued when he was bowled on 15 by the frugal Paul Collingwood and the side was 116 for 4 when Watson aimed a big drive and was caught behind off Ajmal Shahzad. Steven Smith managed a personal best of 46 and Brett Lee registered 39 as the game wound down, with the pair seeing the side to 278 for 7.

While Trott's bowling was a bonus, his best work was undoubtedly done with the bat. His century built on Matt Prior's brutal 67 off 58 as the top order maintained a ferocious pace.

Trott backed up his 84 not out in Sydney on Sunday with a much more fluent contribution that drove England towards a formidable total. He unfurled a couple of delightful straight drives, including one off John Hastings to move to 85, and reached his century with a single to midwicket.

He didn't push on after the milestone and played-on to Hussey shortly after raising his bat, walking off with six boundaries and a long ovation. The only major discomfort he experienced before then came on 30 when he found himself at the same end as Prior after his defensive shot rolled on to the base of the stumps. Lee followed through but his wild throw back to the bowler's end was wide and Trott survived.

Collingwood, who launched Lee for six to midwicket in the Powerplay, and Michael Yardy provided some late muscle to ensure the big score. Collingwood passed 5000 ODI runs, the first England batsman to do so, during his run-a-ball 27 while Yardy grabbed an unbeaten 39 off 27. Hussey, the offspinner, was called late, knocking over Collingwood and then dismissing Shahzad in the final over.

Hussey, who sneaked 4 for 21 off four overs, and Smith (3 for 33 off seven) collected career-best figures as they restricted batsmen who had enjoyed the offerings of their faster team-mates. Xavier Doherty also enjoyed the conditions as he gave away 44 from his 10 overs.

Prior and Trott delivered the early pain to the Australians after the visitors won the toss. He and Trott put on 113 at almost a run a ball for the second wicket following the early loss of Andrew Strauss for 8. Prior wasted little time in getting going and his half-century came when he pulled Lee off the front foot for six, with England moving to 1 for 100 after 15 overs.

Smith, the legspinner, picked up Prior in his second over when he cut to point and had more success when Kevin Pietersen (12) chipped to long-on. Two balls later Ian Bell exited without scoring, leaving England stuttering at 158 for 4.

Australia's fast bowlers seemed in trouble from the moment Lee's first over went for 12, with him starting with five wides down the leg-side. Lee finished with 1 for 68 off eight while Bollinger also struggled at the start and finish, giving away 55 in nine. The generosity helped England ruin the hosts' party, but the visitors still require victory in the remaining three games to steal the trophy.

Trott aims to take on Collingwood's bowling duties

Jonathan Trott was delighted to become an allrounder for a day after he scored his second one-day hundred and followed that with a crucial spell of 2 for 31 to help England to a 21-run victory over Australia.

Trott's 126-ball innings set the platform from which England reached their highest total against Australia in the country, beating the 294 at Melbourne earlier this series, and took his ODI average to a heady 54.38 to go alongside his Test figure of 61.53. However, with the visitors picking just three main bowlers, his seven overs of medium pace which claimed Cameron White and David Hussey - Australia's middle-order enforcers - ensured England never lost control of the game.

"Obviously I'm in the team to get 100s," he said. "I was very happy to do that and set up a very good total, one we felt we could defend. When called upon to bowl it is always nice to contribute as well. I know how cricket can be, it can be a nice game and it can be a horrible game sometimes."

Trott hit an unbeaten 84 in the previous match at the SCG as England limped to 214 and there was some criticism that he didn't try to force the pace towards the end of the innings. This time he rode in the slipstream of Matt Prior's 68 early on, then ensured the innings didn't fall apart when three wickets fell for 22.

"When we lost the three wickets it was important that we didn't have what happened in Sydney with a progression of wickets," he said. "It was important that I hung around. I was a little bit disappointed to get out in the manner I did towards the end with the Powerplay looming. That's something to work on for future games with batting and setting totals or chasing them."

Trott also aims to work on his bowling to fill a valuable role in one-day and Test cricket. Paul Collingwood's retirement from the five-day game means England will need a new part-time bowler come their next Test series and Trott wants to develop. "I've had a chat with David Saker and we're going to work hard at that," he said. "If I could bowl like Colly has in this tour then definitely I can help the side."

Michael Clarke, who would like to be able to play a similar anchor role with the bat for Australia but can't break his form slump, praised Trott's innings and the way his team-mates allowed him to control the innings. "I think the earlier he gets in probably the better for him and the more it suits his game and allows him to play freely," he said. "He's in pretty good nick and he batted really well today. I thought he held the innings together really well, the other guys had the opportunity to play around him."

Although Australia closed the innings a mere 21 runs adrift, they were struggling from the moment Shane Watson was caught behind off Ajmal Shahzad. The visitors knew that was the key wicket because of the way Watson played in Melbourne with his unbeaten 161 when Australia chased 295, but Clarke doesn't believe the opener is carrying too much of a burden.

"Obviously all the batters want to perform and do well. Watto is in a bit of a purple patch and batting really well and leading from the front," Clarke said. "But we've had other guys; Brad Haddin batted really well the other night, Shaun Marsh a hundred a couple of games ago, David Hussey as well. I just think at the moment he's batting really well, unfortunately he didn't go on and get a big one which would have been nice tonight.

Surrey announce Arafat signing

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Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat has switched counties, moving from Sussex to sign up as Surrey's overseas player for the entirety of the 2011 domestic season.

Arafat, a journeyman cricketer who has also enjoyed stints with Kent, Scotland and Otago - as well as with various domestic teams in Pakistan - will join up with Surrey in early April for his eighth season in the English domestic game and will be available in all three competitions for the duration of the season, complementing Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait in the Friends Provident t20.

"I am delighted to have the chance to play for Surrey next season and look forward to working with Chris Adams again," said Arafat, who is currently in Pakistan playing for Khan Research Laboratories. "It is a great opportunity and I am looking forward to helping the Club get back into the County Championship first division and being a part of the county's future success."

Arafat's seam and swing bowling is his stronger suit, and in the Twenty20 format he is the third-highest wicket taker of all time with 106 victims at an average of 21.67. He also has a handy record in both the first-class game, in which he averages 23.68, and in limited-overs cricket, in which he has taken 334 wickets at 24.96.

"Signing a player like Yasir Arafat will give us the stability that we have searched for in our overseas signing," added Adams, Surrey's professional cricket manager. "I have spent much of the winter searching for that elusive spin option to complement the squad but have been unable to find a suitable option.

"Having also factored in Chris Tremlett's emergence as a quality Test bowler I have opted for a different approach in Yasir Arafat. We have not got the overseas position right now for some years at Surrey, but in Yasir I believe we have a very solid performer and very rounded individual who will add quality to the squad in all forms of the game."

Ervine to stay at Hants after World Cup U-turn

Sean Ervine has pulled out of Zimbabwe's squad for the World Cup, and will remain at Hampshire in 2011. Ervine, who had been named in both the preliminary and finalised squads for the tournament, had a change of heart shortly before the national team were due to depart for a training camp in Dubai.

"After having had time to reflect on all of the circumstances, I have realised that this is not the right time to leave Hampshire," said Ervine. "I have a great relationship with this club and its supporters and I feel like part of a family. I feel Hampshire is my home; so much so that I am planning to get married there next year. I do not, therefore, want to be away for long periods of time."

It had appeared certain that Ervine would part ways with Hampshire to reignite his international career, which he described as his "ultimate goal", but his decision not to play for Zimbabwe means he will not be considered an overseas player - a position filled by legspinner Imran Tahir at Hampshire - and will therefore be eligible to play for the county in all forms of the game in 2011. Ervine had proved a success in his six years with the club, helping the team to three trophies, scoring 3,956 first-class runs and taking 118 first class wickets in the process.

"We are very happy that Sean has come to this conclusion," said Hampshire manager Giles White. "He is an important and highly-valued cricketer who is popular with everyone associated with The Rose Bowl and central to our plans for the future."

Alistair Campbell, the head of Zimbabwe's selection panel and former national captain, expressed his disappointment at Ervine's withdrawal. "Zimbabwe Cricket was very excited about Sean coming back into the setup. However, he may not have realised that international cricket is a lot harder than he remembers," Campbell said in a ZC statement.

"He has lived a very comfortable life in county cricket for the last six years and obviously decided at the last minute he might not be up to the challenges of international cricket after all. A lot of people have gone to a lot of effort to make it happen for Sean. Although is very late in the day to change his mind, it is better than realising his mistake during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011."

ZC has approached the ICC Event Technical Committee to seek approval for batsman Tino Mawoyo to replace Ervine in the squad. An opening batsman, Mawoyo played two one-day internationals against Bangladesh in 2006 and is a regular in the Zimbabwe A line-up. He had been named as a non-travelling reserve for the World Cup before Ervine's last-minute departure. Craig Ervine, Sean's younger brother, remains part of Zimbabwe's squad.