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“He was a legend of the game…he lit up the room,” said Darren Lehmann

AAP16-May-20222:52

‘When times were tough, Roy made it easier on his team-mates’

Tributes continued to flow for Andrew Symonds, with a ‘Fishing Rods for Roy’ campaign launched to honour the former Australia star.Cricket fans have been encouraged to leave fishing rods and cricket balls outside the front of their house as part of a nation-wide tribute for the 46-year-old.Symonds died on Saturday night when his car left the road and rolled in Hervey Range, about 50km from Townsville.His love of fishing was the stuff of folklore, with Symonds even sent home from an ODI series against Bangladesh in 2008 after missing a team meeting in Darwin so he could hit the water.Related

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Symonds had even been willing to accept a 20 percent pay cut from his Cricket Australia contract if it meant he would be granted more free time to go fishing.Symonds was travelling with his two dogs, and they reportedly didn’t want to leave his side after the crash.Former team-mates and rivals alike paid tribute to Symonds once the news of his death was made public.Adam Gilchrist choked back tears when paying tribute to Symonds on Monday morning during his SEN radio show. Justin Langer, who played alongside Symonds in the Test team, joined Gilchrist and former coach Darren Lehmann to reminisce about their good friend.”When I was 25, I went back to the Cricket Academy with Rod Marsh as a scholarship coach, and he [Symonds] was one of the guys I coached,” Langer said. “On every Wednesday night, there was some nightclub or some bar the boys would go to, and Rod Marsh would say, ‘righto boys, who went out last night?'”And every single Thursday morning two blokes put their hands up, Andrew Symonds and Ian Harvey. And Rod Marsh would say, ‘Righto, you’re over there with Alfie’. And I had to take them…so they could sweat out these Bundies from the night before.Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds with the World Cup in 2003•Getty Images

“To this moment the perfume of Bundaberg Rum makes me gag, because I used to have to take these guys and I smelt Bundy every Thursday morning for about seven months.”Lehmann said he was struggling to process the loss of Shane Warne, Rod Marsh, and Symonds in such a short space of time.”It’s been a tough time,” Lehmann said. “He [Symonds] was one of the first guys I coached. To lose a larger than life character is quite distressing for everyone, none more so than for his family. He was a legend of the game, we loved him very much, he lit up the room, and loved life to the fullest.”Another former Australia coach – John Buchanan – said he saw Symonds as a leader despite his larrikin behaviour.”Roy was never perfect, that was for sure, and he never admitted that he was,” Buchanan told the ABC. “You know, he made poor decisions, like all of us do, at different stages of his life and different stages in his cricket career.”But the one thing about Roy — and one of the things that I think endeared him to most people — was that even though he made a mistake, he would openly admit that and try to rectify that and take full accountability for that.”And so when he saw other people that were probably treading the same path, he was certainly one of the first people to come forward and try to put them on the right direction. I always saw him as a leader in our team without a title.”

Quick looks back on ‘toughest day of Test cricket’ after bowling through the day with a fractured toe

Umar Farooq28-Dec-2020Neil Wagner was carrying the pain of fractured toes*, sustained while batting in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan, but he persevered through that injury and bowled 21 overs in Pakistan’s first innings because it would have ‘taken a stretcher’ to carry him off the field where he would be sitting and watching his team-mates do the hard work.Wagner was struck on his right foot by a Shaheen Afridi yorker on the second morning, but was later cleared to play if he could tolerate the pain.”I do take a lot of pride in something like that,” Wagner said about bowling through the pain. “But it comes down to the team. There’s still a way of contributing for them. I wouldn’t be wanting to sit on the side with my foot up and watching the boys doing the hard work out there, and I can’t be there to help out. I feel I’ll be left out, I have a bit of FOMO. Injuries happen and it’s unlucky, but I can still walk, I can still do things, I can run. It’s not going to stop me. It’s sore and it’s uncomfortable but it’s just one of those things you have to deal with.

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“Test matches don’t come easy. Playing for your country is never anything you can take for granted. I know how bloody hard I had to work to get to where I am now and I’m sure as hell not going to sit on the side and watch other people do it. I want to be part of it and playing my part. Unless they carry me off on a stretcher, I’m going to try and do everything I can, I guess.”Related

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Wagner had continued to bat after being struck on the toe, getting treatment from the physio and eventually being the last man out for 19, to stretch New Zealand’s first-innings total to 431. Wagner then sent down 21 overs – three on the second day and 18 on the third – picking up 2 for 50 to bowl Pakistan out for 239. Wagner’s effort included a long spell of nine overs, during which he dismissed Fawad Alam before going off the field.Play on the third day was interrupted by several rain breaks, and taking a pain-killing injection in the first one helped Wagner soldier through till the end.”Hurts every time I walk, to be fair,” he said, responding to whether the pain was more acute while bowling. “Just walking to fine leg, doing anything, twisting, turning…as soon as you bend the toe a little bit. I guess obviously standing on it hurts. It’s just one of those things, I guess. Try and put it out of your mind and get on with it. Try to get into the battle and try not to think about it too much. Obviously that’s hard because it’s at the back of your mind the whole time. At the start it sort of felt like – not having to change my action but it felt a little bit awkward towards it. It wasn’t until the first rain break where I just went down and said I can’t bear the pain, got a jab done and that sort of took the pain away for a lot of it and it helped. It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to find a way and deal with it.”To focus his mind more on the task at hand than on the pain, Wagner said he didn’t keep track of the number of overs he had bowled either, and expressed confidence in being able to bowl again in the second innings.”I’ve bowled – I don’t even know how many overs – didn’t want to count them and think too much about it,” he said. “So I’m pretty confident I can bowl again. It’s going to be damn sore, no doubt about it, but bowling is always… I’ve never bowled in a game where something doesn’t hurt, so it’s sort of part of it. It’s a different pain but I’ve just got to find a way of still being able to contribute to the team. There’s still a role to play out there and we still have to come back to get ten wickets again and try and win a Test match. So whichever way I can play a role, still going to have to try and do it.”Wagner called the third day one of the toughest he had experienced, harking back to a Test match against India in October 2016 for a comparable experience.”I went back in the change-room and said it was probably one of my toughest days of Test cricket I’ve ever experienced. Took me back to Kolkata against India, probably one of the toughest matches I’ve played. It was pretty hot and dealing with the heat, humidity and going off and changing your clothes after every four-over spell… I went through four sets and was just completely knackered off the exhaustion of the Indian heat. Today was right up there. It was pretty tough.The possibility of Wagner being available to bowl in the fourth innings will be a boost to New Zealand. Pakistan had collapsed to 80 for 6, and seemed in danger of falling well short of the follow-on mark, but fighting half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan (71) and Faheem Ashram (91) meant they avoided that fate. New Zealand still have a handsome lead of 192, and are likely to press for quick second-innings runs and a declaration when they start batting again on the fourth day.Wagner praised Pakistan’s grit, but also lauded his team-mates for not letting the intensity drop.”The wicket’s deteriorating at the moment and we knew we had a big task to try and bowl them out today. I think today was the best time to bat, but also it was tough in periods because there was a bit of variable bounce and the ball went up and down a fraction,” he said. “Those cracks are starting to come into play a little bit more now, as the game goes on. But they batted really well. They’ve played well this whole Test match. They bowled really well which gave us nothing, and obviously took a lot of time out of the game. The way they batted – I thought we bowled really well and put them under pressure but they still managed to get a really good partnership. We kept throwing everything at them and they kept counter-attacking against us. But credit to all the guys, everybody kept running in and bowling for each other, working really hard. We bowled as a pack and knew rewards would come our way.”The second and final Test of the series starts on January 3, and it’s one Wagner does not intend to miss if he can help it.”Don’t want to look too far ahead, but you’re going to have to try and force me away,” he laughed. “We’ll sum it up after each day and hopefully it gets better. Hopefully we can do the job and get a couple of days rest for the foot, but we’ll see how it goes.”*This copy was updated on Dec 30 at 11.00am GMT to reflect that Wagner had two broken toes and not one.

The nearly-est of nearly-men throughout tournament history and one of them will lift the trophy at long last

The Preview by Andrew Miller13-Jul-2019

Big picture

And so it all comes down to this. After 47 matches stretched across six weeks, after a rollercoaster of a group stage (which, like all the best big dippers, started tame before lurching into a series of gut-wrenching twists and turns), and after a pair of semi-finals that were as compelling as they were different, we’re left with just two teams standing. World Cup virgins the pair of them, each with their own tales of heartbreak and regret to fall back on as they look to go that one step beyond.England and New Zealand, eh? The nearly-est of nearly-men throughout the tournament’s history. Three times runners-up in the first five editions on the one hand (followed by a three-decade bout of mourning that gives Queen Victoria a run for her money); eight semi-final appearances out of 12 on the other, a succession of doughty line-ups invariably greater than the sum of their parts, invariably found wanting in the final analysis. But at some stage on Sunday afternoon, someone’s World Cup record is going to have to lurch into credit … at long, long last.But it also had to be these two teams, didn’t it? Fate plays a spurious hand in sporting contests – it’s there for all to see when it suits the narrative but strangely takes a back seat on all other occasions – but these two teams have been locked in a special embrace for the past four years; from the shellacking that was meted out on Eoin Morgan’s men at Wellington in the 2015 World Cup, to their stunning resurgence on home soil a couple of months later. And now onwards to the biggest stage of all.WATCH on Hotstar (INDIA ONLY) – Highlights of England’s semi-final win over AustraliaNew Zealand are the team on which Morgan modelled England’s rebirth, and now they are the team that England must beat to achieve that ultimate fulfilment. It’s a symmetry that was not lost on the captain in the build-up – not least when he caught up with Brendon McCullum, his closest of friends and de facto mentor, outside the Lord’s pavilion in the moments before the pre-match press conference. When asked about that reunion, and the lessons he had gleaned from their often bruising encounters on the field, Morgan said that, above all, McCullum’s stewardship had proved “you can get to the top by being yourself, not trying to be somebody else”.And with that in mind, the match-up in Sunday’s final offers both sides the best opportunity of the tournament to be as true to their selves as they could wish to be. England arrive with their chests puffed out, their confidence spilling over, their key weapons fit and firing in every facet of their game – precisely the sort of cocksure attitude that would have set previous England sides up for disaster … except that in this team’s case, Morgan has been conditioning them to embrace the role of favourites pretty much since that first flowering of competence against these same opponents four years ago.It’s a subtle positioning for any sporting team to achieve – on the cusp of arrogance, maybe, but in reality, it’s just a matter of self-awareness – something that the great Australia dynasty from 1999 to 2007 knew better than any other side.England know they are a good team, and they know they go into this contest as overwhelming favourites – a tag that Kane Williamson was all too happy to palm off in their direction on the eve of the contest. As such, now is not the time for the team or its individuals to start second-guessing themselves or their methods.But England have learned also, from the pitfalls they’ve encountered in the tournament to date, that there are moments to push and moments to sit tight – never better demonstrated than in their dramatic explosion against Australia in the semi-final. From 6 for 0 after three overs to 50 for 0 after ten, and onwards to their date with destiny. It is an inadvertent benefit of those back-to-back defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia that England have been playing knock-out cricket since, as it were, the Last 16 – a fact that Morgan admitted had forced them to play with more positivity and smartness than perhaps had been the case in their carefree opening rounds.As for New Zealand, they have no qualms whatsoever about assuming their habitual position of underdogs. “England rightly deserve to be favourites, but whatever dog we are, it’s just important that we focus on the cricket that we play, any team can beat any team, regardless of the breed of dog,” Williamson said.They are a compelling story in their own right. A side with unfinished business on the one hand, after the crushing disappointment of their maiden World Cup final appearance at the MCG four years ago, and yet seemingly grateful to have another chance so soon to set the record straight. Not that they are seeking to project any confidence that they can do so, of course.They are a vastly different outfit to the 2015 team, with just six survivors from that final still in the squad today. McCullum is gone of course, taking with him his hair-raising habit of charging the new ball and clobbering his team a fifty-run start before the bowlers have found their length. Now they sit deep, bat long, stay in the game with caution to the fore – that has been their method throughout a tournament in which they have yet to pass 300 with the bat, but have remained competitive thanks to a bowling attack with individual components that any team would envy.They’ll roll out that familiar canny game on Sunday – new-ball threat, old-ball savvy, and a senior statesman in Williamson whose batting has been like a barometer all World Cup long. And by the end of their measured, forensic display with bat and ball, we’ll know for sure whether the formula that they shared with England four years ago is a World Cup-winning one, or just another cause for regret in a 44-year tale of woe.

Form guide

England WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLLLW

In the spotlight

It perhaps wasn’t as obvious as it should have been coming into this World Cup, but for a team that invests so much faith in the power and majesty of its batting, the poise and presence of Jason Roy at the top of the order is absolutely fundamental to their tempo. His fifty in the tournament opener against South Africa settled the nerves after the shock of Jonny Bairstow’s first-over first-baller; his bruising century against Bangladesh in Cardiff set up the second-highest total of the World Cup to date. And his absence with a hamstring injury coincided with their headless chicken defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia. But it was his evisceration of Mitchell Starc at Edgbaston that really showed his worth. Tight in defence, lethal in attack. He played with respect when the delivery called for it, and furious aggression when Starc erred even fractionally in line. And given the potency of New Zealand’s own attack, it’s a template that his team will want him to replicate on the biggest stage of all.Eoin Morgan and Kane Williamson pose with the World Cup trophy•Getty Images

Okay, so Williamson is a given. With scores of 40, 79 not out, 106 not out, 148, 41, 40, 27 and 67 in his eight innings to date, the significance of the skipper to New Zealand’s cause is self-evident. But the real story of their tournament has been the support cast – intermittent, erratic, and yet providing sufficient runs from somewhere in the order to get them over the line more often than not. In that seismic semi-final, it was Ross Taylor who did the needful with a superbly weighted 74 from 90 balls. Hindsight demonstrated that he had measured the conditions to perfection, and given that he had come into the tournament as one of the outstanding form players of the past 18 months, he is surely one of the men on whom New Zealand has to rely come Sunday.WATCH on Hotstar (INDIA ONLY) – Taylor’s innings against India

Team news

Bairstow appeared to tweak his groin while batting in the semi-final, but he was not sent for a scan and seems set to take his place in an unchanged XI. Given the green tinge on the pitch, it is highly improbable that England will sub out one of their seamers to accommodate Moeen Ali.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Liam Plunkett, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Mark WoodHenry Nicholls was to undergo a fitness test on Saturday after tweaking a hamstring against India, but no other changes are anticipated. The legspinner Ish Sodhi played in New Zealand’s last visit to Lord’s against Australia, but that was on a used deck.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie Ferguson.

Pitch and conditions

It’s perhaps an indication of the distance that England have come since the start of the tournament that Morgan did not raise more of an eyebrow at a remarkably green wicket that had more in keeping with a golf green than a cricket pitch two days out. Some of the colour had drained from the surface by preview day, but there’s still going to be some live grass come the 10.30am start on Sunday. “It looks greener from afar than it is up close,” said Morgan, diplomatically, adding that it’ll go whiter and burn off when the sun comes out. Whether England would choose to bat or ball first “depends on how hard the wicket gets”, he added.

Strategy punt

• There’s mode of attack in New Zealand’s ranks that England will be unable to replicate (even allowing for Jofra Archer’s ambidexterity in the nets). Left-arm seam has accounted for a staggering 39 wickets at 13.6 in the course of the four group games at Lord’s – compared to 18 at 42.7 for the right-arm quicks. And that tally, of course, includes Trent Boult, who claimed a hat-trick in New Zealand’s defeat against Australia. England, meanwhile, lost nine of their ten wickets to Mitchell Starc and Jason Behrendorff in their group-stage loss to the Aussies. If Boult can shape the new ball down the slope, into England’s front pads, there could be fireworks.
• England’s recent prowess against spin will be tested by one of New Zealand’s unsung heroes of the campaign. In the three matches where Mitchell Santner has conceded over 6 RPO, NZ has lost two and scraped through the third, by five runs against West Indies. Conversely, his first spell of 6-2-7-2 against India was instrumental in their successful defence of 239.

Stats and trivia

• The importance of Roy and Bairstow’s opening partnership extends beyond numbers. Their mere presence at the crease has been talismanic for England. On the seven occasions that England have not lost more than one wicket in the first Powerplay, they have won every time. On the three occasions they’ve lost more than one wicket in the same period (including of course with James Vince in the side for Roy) they’ve lost every time.
• In keeping with the theme of this tournament, the team batting first has won seven out of the previous 11 World Cup finals. However, each of the last two has been won by the chasing team, India in Mumbai in 2011 and Australia at the MCG in 2015.
• England have won seven of their last nine meetings in ODIs with New Zealand, including a 3-2 victory on their tour of New Zealand in February and March 2018. However, New Zealand have won both of their most recent encounters at Lord’s – by 51 runs in 2008 and by five wickets in 2013.
• Of the four World Cup finals played at Lord’s, the team in the away dressing room has won all of them. England will be in the home dressing room on Sunday.

Quotes

“Whether having had experience in a final or not is a good thing, any final you get the opportunity to play in is a really positive thing. But at the same time, as we know, in this game nothing promises, so it does come down to putting a performance on the board that gives us the best opportunity to win.”
“I haven’t allowed myself to think about lifting the trophy. Cricket and sport, in particular, is very fickle. If you ever get ahead, it always seems to bite you in the backside, so for us to win it, I think around the country it would be awesome, great for the game..”

It felt like a night to remember for Keaton Jennings and Matt Parkinson, but their exploits with bat and ball counted for nothing as Notts emerged victorious

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2018
ScorecardNottinghamshire, the Royal London Cup holders, reaffirmed their credentials with a thrilling come from behind win over Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford during the opening night of the competition.The Outlaws defended a target of 319 as the Red Rose county slipped from 245 for 3 after 40 overs when it looked like they would secure their record chase.Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings opened with an excellent 136 during a mixed day for him, with them finishing on 309 for 9, losing by nine runs.He also claimed a career best two-wicket haul, but the England hopeful will be frustrated that, despite a third successive century in all forms, he fell in the 47th over to leave the score at 288 for 6. Harry Gurney had him caught at square-leg pulling before Jake Ball struck twice in the next. Left-arm seamer Gurney finished with three for 61.After electing to bat, Outlaws captain Steven Mullaney crunched a whirlwind 70 during the final 20 overs of an innings which started well, stuttered and was revived fiercely on a superb surface.Chris Nash and New Zealand overseas Ross Taylor hit 52 and 58, with the 84 for the fifth wicket in 12.2 overs shared between Taylor and Mullaney sparking a late flood of runs after 128 for one had become 164 for four inside 32 overs.While the last 10 overs yielded 106 runs, Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson claimed all of his five wickets inside the last seven on the way to career best figures of five for 68 on his Red Rose List A debut. He had Taylor caught at long-off and Mullaney, who faced 54 balls, caught at cover.Captain Liam Livingstone and Dane Vilas then attacked for 33 and 41 respectively, taking all the pressure off left-handed Jennings in the chase.He shared half-century stands with both of them (70 with Livingstone and 63 with Vilas) as the hosts reached the 30-over mark ideally played at 179 for three. The former Durham man reached his fourth career List A off 98 balls with nine fours just under six overs later, becoming the fourth player to score a century on Lancashire List A debut.Jennings added 87 for the fourth wicket with Steven Croft before the score fell to 245 for 4 in the 41st with the departure of the latter to Samit Patel.At that stage, Notts were still behind, but they weren’t for long as new ball pair Gurney and Ball combined to leave the target at 16 off the last, bowled by Ball, with only last pair Arron Lilley and Parkinson to get them.

Quinton de Kock has been taken for a scan on his right index finger, which he hurt during Wellington Test

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton22-Mar-2017South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been taken for a scan on his right index finger, which he hurt during the Wellington Test.De Kock injured himself in the field and South Africa will wait for results of the scan before making any calls on his availability for the Hamilton Test. De Kock was not present at the start of Wednesday’s training session but was set to join the squad later.South Africa have a reserve gloveman in their squad, the Titans wickektkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who is yet to make his international debut.New Zealand also have an injury concern ahead of the third Test, with fast bowler Trent Boult recovering from an upper leg injury. Boult has bowled lightly for the last two days but New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watlingt said Boult was not yet 100% fit and a call on his availability would be taken later in the week.The third Test begins at Seddon Park on Saturday.

Sri Lanka have picked fast bowler Dilhara Fernando for the T20 series against India, which begins on February 9. Dilhara, 36, last played for Sri Lanka in mid-2012

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Jan-2016

SL squad for India T20s

Squad: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Seekuge Prasanna, Milinda Siriwardana, Danushka Gunathilaka, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Asela Gunaratne, Chamara Kapugedera, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilhara Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Binura Fernando, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeffrey Vandersay
In: Dilhara Fernando, Seekuge Prasanna, Dasun Shanaka, Asela Gunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Binura Fernando
Out: Shehan Jayasuriya, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Angelo Mathews, Isuru Udana, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Perera

Sri Lanka have picked fast bowler Dilhara Fernando for the T20 series against India, which begins on February 9. Dilhara last played for Sri Lanka in mid-2012. Legspinnning allrounder Seekkuge Prasanna also makes a comeback.T20 captain Lasith Malinga misses out due to injury, as does allrounder Angelo Mathews, seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath. Malinga is still recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of the tour to New Zealand. It is learnt that he will require another fortnight to regain full fitness. Dinesh Chandimal leads the side in Malinga’s stead.Mathews is nursing a groin strain that prevented him from bowling in New Zealand on Sri Lanka’s previous T20 assignment. His injury is less severe than Malinga’s, though, and Sri Lanka Cricket are hoping he will be available for the Asia Cup at the end of the month.Sri Lanka lost the T20s to New Zealand, earlier this month, 2-0. Among the others missing out from that squad are batsmen Shehan Jayasuriya and Kithuruwan Vithanage, pacers Suranga Lakmal and Isuru Udana. Of course, batsman Kusal Perera, who was suspended for testing positive for a banned substance, also misses out. Nuwan Pradeep was not considered for selection due to injury. There is no place for Ajantha Mendis, despite good returns in the recently-concluded domestic T20 competition.Asela Gunaratne, who bats in the middle order and bowls offspin for Sri Lanka Army, and Kasun Rajitha, the Badureliya Sports Club seamer, are the only uncapped members of the squad that will visit India. Middle order batsman Dasun Shanaka, who played one T20 international last year, keeps his spot after his record-setting run in domestic T20.Fernando’s inclusion comes as something of a surprise, after the selectors had invested heavily in youth over the past three years. Now 36, he bowled himself into contention in the recent T20 competition, taking 11 wickets in four matches, with an economy rate of 8.40. Fernando is said to have much of the pace of his younger years, and has been consistently penetrative across formats this season. Fernando had finished third on the Premier T20 Tournament wicket-taker’s list, but there is no place in the squad for Mendis, who finished second, with 12 scalps from six games. Prasanna picked up nine wickets in that tournament, at an economy rate of 6.79.Shanaka, 24, has been in sublime form for the Sinhalese Sports Club this season, cracking two breakneck hundreds in his seven Premier T20 innings. He had hit a Sri Lanka record 16 sixes on his way to 123 from 46 balls in one of those innings, and was also the top run scorer for the tournament. Gunaratne had not been in quite such hot form, but hit an important 65 not out in the final of that competition, to guide Army to the championship.Rajitha also has a good domestic T20 record, with 23 wickets from 11 matches and an economy rate of 6.77. He had not played the Premier T20 tournament, but has made a good start in the Provincial T20 tournament, taking a pair wickets in each of the first two matches. Rajitha had also been impressive in a tour match against India last year, albeit in the longer form of the game.Elsewhere, quick Dushmantha Chameera and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who played on the recent New Zealand tour, retain their places. Left-arm seamer Binura Fernando, who played in the two T20 series last year, also finds a place. Prasanna, Thisara Perera and Milinda Siriwardana comprise the all-round options, with Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offbreaks also on offer.Lahiru Thirimanne does not have a place in the team, despite having played well in Sri Lanka’s 2014 World T20 campaign. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka – who dazzled briefly in New Zealand – and Chamara Kapugedara, are in the squad.Sri Lanka play three T20s in India, beginning in Pune on February 9, followed by games in Delhi on February 12 and Visakhapatnam on February 14.

Derbyshire finally mustered some resistance to take their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street to a fourth day. After subsiding for 113 in their first innings they were 49 for 5 in the second but closed on 181 for 7.

10-Jul-2013
ScorecardShivnarine Chanderpaul, not for the first time, played a lone hand in the Derbyshire top order•Getty Images

Derbyshire finally mustered some resistance to take their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street to a fourth day. After subsiding for 113 in their first innings they were 49 for 5 in the second after being set a target of 472, but closed on 181 for 7.Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 76 and put on 98 for the sixth wicket with
wicketkeeper Tom Poynton, who remained unbeaten on 56 on his return to the side
after being axed because of his lack of runs in the first four games.Chris Rushworth, the man nominated to stand down if Graham Onions became
available, followed his 6 for 64 in the first innings by taking three more
wickets. The rules state that Onions would have had to be on the ground for the start of
the third day, but although not in the team, England retained him at Trent
Bridge.In the morning Durham opener Keaton Jennings followed his 93 in the first
innings by completing his maiden championship century. Resuming on 65, he made his way carefully towards the milestone with a series
of singles and reached his hundred off 247 balls. He was on 122 at lunch, when Durham led by 446 on 306 for 7, but added only
one before being run out.Mark Wood fell lbw on the back foot to give occasional offspinner Dan Redfern
career-best figures of 3 for 33 and Durham declared on 331 for 9.Derbyshire reached 19 before three wickets went down for one run, Ben Stokes
taking two of them. Stokes nipped a delivery back to remove Richard Johnson’s off bail, then Callum
Thorp found some extra bounce to have Wayne Madsen caught behind. In Stokes’ next over Michael Richardson held a fine catch low to his right at
third slip to get rid of Chesney Hughes.Rushworth returned for a second spell and took the next two wickets, pinning
Wes Durston lbw and having left-hander Redfern caught at first slip.Chanderpaul reached 50 off 73 balls then hit Scott Borthwick for three fours
when the leg-spinner was finally introduced, only to be removed after conceding
34 in four overs. Just as in the first innings it was Rushworth who persuaded Chanderpaul to feel
for a ball just wide of off stump, which he edged to Phil Mustard.

Sachin Tendulkar has insisted he has no plans to retire from the ODI format though he has skipped all but two of India’s one-day series since last year’s World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2012Sachin Tendulkar has insisted he has no plans to retire from the ODI format though he has skipped all but two of India’s one-day series since last year’s World Cup. Tendulkar has also opted out of the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka starting later this month.”It’s not what XYZ think, it’s what I feel and I feel as long as I am enjoying and I feel like being part of it, I’ll continue (playing ODIs),” he told .On the subject of ending his one-day career, Tendulkar drew a parallel with his international Twenty20 retirement. “I felt I shouldn’t be part of the Twenty20 squad in 2007 and I had been asked (to stay on) but I felt I should not be part because the team did well. When I get that feeling in one-day cricket may be I would take that decision.”Tendulkar has played both of India’s one-day tournaments so far this year, but decided to sit out the upcoming Sri Lanka series. “I just wanted to spend time with my family, as simple as that,” he said. “I spoke to the BCCI and requested them. To be able to spend time with my children is also important.”In Tendulkar’s absence, India’s opening pair for the Sri Lanka series will be Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, who himself had asked for rest for the Asia Cup in March. Sehwag backed Tendulkar’s decision to miss the series. “Not only me but the whole country misses Sachin when he is not in action,” he told reporters in Delhi. “But one should realise that he is 39 years and he should be allowed to pick and choose which series he wants to go. He will certainly be available for the Test series against New Zealand.”

England’s impressive summer continued with a 58-run victory in their second ODI of the Natwest quadrangular series, against New Zealand in Derby

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2011
ScorecardSarah Taylor lifted England to 237 with an unbeaten 41 from 43 balls that proved too much for New Zealand•Getty Images

England Women’s impressive summer continued with a 58-run victory in their second ODI of the Natwest quadrangular series, against New Zealand Women in Derby. It follows the six-wicket win against India on Thursday and their success in the Twenty20 tournament that preceded this series.England started the game as favourites and victory was built on Claire Taylor’s solid 67, Sarah Taylor’s enterprising 41 from 43 balls and a powerful bowling display led by quicks Katherine Brunt and Arran Brindle. New Zealand’s pursuit of 238 looked as good as over when they were reduced to 11 for 4, but 40 from Suzie Bates and 59 from Aimee Watkins gave them some hope. In the end the spinners took control and New Zealand were well short.It was a fine showing from England, who were below-par in the field in their opening encounter against India. This time the new-ball pair of Brunt and Brindle had New Zealand under pressure from the outset. It was their accurate bowling that perhaps led to Frances McKay being run out for 4 from 15 balls, and Brindle had Lucy Doolan out for 3 the next ball. Sarah McGlashan was bowled by Brunt for a duck and Brindle had her second when Liz Perry was caught behind for 1. Bates and Katey Martin began a recovery with a 45-run stand before Holly Colvin’s left-arm spin removed Martin for 21.The impressive Watkins then joined Bates in a 57-run partnership from 69 balls but Danielle Wyatt bowled Bates for 40 just when New Zealand had begun to get back in the game. Watkins continued positively, striking seven boundaries on her way to 59 from 67 balls but wickets kept falling. She was the second of Laura Marsh’s three scalps. Marsh finished with 3 for 50 but the pick of the bowlers was Brunt who took 1 for 28 from 10 overs.The bowlers made England’s solid total look more imposing than it was. Watkins’ decision to field first looked to have paid off when Sian Ruck and Nicola Browne struck in each of their first overs to remove both England’s openers. Charlotte Edwards had been in prime form during the Twenty20 series but she was trapped in front by Browne for 1 to leave England 2 for 1.Danielle Wyatt and Claire Taylor led something of a recovery, sharing a 54-run stand before Bates had Wyatt caught for 30, but Claire Taylor remained to anchor an 89-run partnership with Lydia Greenway. They took England to a healthy 145 for 3 by the 32nd over before Greenway fell for 34. Claire Taylor followed soon after, but Sarah Taylor held the lower order together and injected some crucial impetus into the innings just as it looked like England would lose their way.Running hard she only hit two boundaries in her innings but was well supported, first by Brindle (20) and then Hazell (16). With extras contributing a generous 22, the total was lifted to 237 which, it turned out, was well out of New Zealand’s reach.

Legspinner Imran Tahir took a hat-trick as Warwickshire bounced back from their championship humbling at Chester-le-Street with a five-wicket Friends Provident t20 win against Durham tonight

02-Jul-2010
ScorecardLegspinner Imran Tahir took a hat-trick as Warwickshire bounced back from their championship humbling at Chester-le-Street with a five-wicket Friends Provident t20 win against Durham tonight. It kept the visitors on course for the quarter-finals, while Durham’s fifth successive defeat in the competition left them next to the bottom of the North Group.At 51 for 7 Durham were on course for their lowest Twenty20 total, but Albie Morkel and Gareth Breese added 66 in the last eight overs to take them to 117 for 8.Warwickshire were unable to call on England Lions pair Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott but cruised home with two overs to spare. They were 68 for 2 after 11 overs but then both Darren Maddy and Ian Westwood were run out.They needed 41 off six overs, but Rikki Clarke eased the pressure by driving Ian Blackwell over long-off for six. After Jim Troughton was stumped for 34, Clarke hit a second six on his way to an unbeaten 29 as Warwickshire took 19 off the 18th over, bowled by Neil Killeen in his first appearance of the season.After being put in on a sunny evening, Durham were already in the mire when Tahir came on for the 12th over. He has already had eight wickets in an innings against them at Edgbaston this season, plus 6 for 69 last Wednesday, and continued to wreak havoc largely with his googlies.He hurried a delivery between bat and pad to bowl Gordon Muchall for 10, then Will Smith drove to mid-on, where Ant Botha held a juggling catch. Left-hander Ben Harmison edged the hat-trick ball to Clarke at first slip.Durham took seven runs off each of the first two overs, with a boundary for both openers, but then totally lost their way. The next six overs produced a total of 11 runs for the loss of four wickets.Ian Blackwell lobbed a simple catch to mid-on off Neil Carter, who also yorked Ben Stokes, while Phil Mustard miscued to midwicket off Boyd Rankin and Dale Benkenstein drove Keith Barker to mid-off.Breese hit half of Durham’s total of eight fours in his unbeaten 30, while Morkel drove the only six, off Tahir. Morkel, who had to send for a runner after suffering a leg injury, reached 48 off 42 balls before holing out off the final ball of the innings.