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ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fourth day at Trent Bridge

George Dobell at Trent Bridge28-May-2012Gesture of the day
At the end of West Indies’ innings, England’s players were about to run up the pavilion steps when many of them stopped. Trailing behind them was a dejected Marlon Samuels, trudging off the pitch knowing that the 193 runs he had contributed in the match would still not be enough to save his side from defeat. England appreciated the effort, though. They waited for Samuels, allowed him to climb the steps before them and applauded him all the way. Whatever else that has happened this series Samuels has earned the respect of this England team.Review of the day
If West Indies were to have any chance of setting England a testing total, it was essential that someone in West Indies’ tail stayed with Samuels well into the afternoon session. The dismissal of Kemar Roach snuffed out their last realistic chance. Roach was caught on the crease, playing across a straight one from James Anderson. While Asad Rauf, the on-field umpire, said not out’ England were convinced and utilised the DRS. Replays showed that the delivery would have hit leg stump and, for the second time in the match, Rauf was over-ruled. It was due reward for another deserving display from Anderson but capped an uncharacteristically flawed performance from the normally excellent Rauf.Shot of the day
Left with only Ravi Rampaul for company, Samuels decided the best response to the situation was to counter-attack. The second six in an over – the first one hit an unfortunate spectator – was a brutal blow over long-on off Graeme Swann and helped West Indies take 17 off the over. It was a rare moment of joy on another disappointing day for West Indies.Miss of the day
By the time Andrew Strauss, on 34, edged Darren Sammy between the keeper and the wide first slip, the game was already decided. England were 64 without loss and required only another 44 for victory. By the fact that Denesh Ramdin did not even attempt the chance that flew a little way to his left provided an illustration of the ebbing spirit within this West Indies side. While they have, once again, fought hard for sustained periods, they have now lost six of their last eight Tests and have won only two of their last 32. After all that, do they really believe they can win?Delay of the day
Jonathan Trott’s ritualistic marking of his guard has been known to delay – and irritate – a few bowlers. While most have contented themselves with a few words and a mean glare, Marlon Samuels decided to make Trott wait for him. Having watched while Trott took guard, surveyed the field, adjusted his thigh guard to ensure it was comfortable and then checked his guard once more, Samuels could see the batsman was finally ready. Instead of bowling, though, Saumels aimed a practise delivery towards mid-on to leave a bemused Trott in the unfamiliar position of waiting for the bowler.Frustration of the day
With only one wicket to his name and well over a hundred runs conceded, Shane Shillingford could not be said to have enjoyed a good match. But, as England closed on victory, there were a few signs of what might have been had West Indies top-order been able to deliver a larger target. Shillingford beat the bat on several occasions and, by drawing a bat-pad edge from Jonathan Trott that flew past short-leg, showed the skill that helped him take 10 wickets against Australia in his previous Test. He also beat Alastair Cook’s forward grope with one that turned sharply past the batsman’s outside edge. Had West Indies not endured that awful final session on day three, Shillingford might have been a dangerous proposition on the final day.

Alviro Petersen is the latest South Africa opener to be tested by English conditions – but that may play to his strengths

Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2012Big series, big names. When the battle for No. 1 was played on keyboards and in broadcasters’ studios before the first Test, it was reputation that won. So far, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn have proved them right. The four put in performances worthy of their statuses and left some of their own team-mates, and every England squad member bar Alastair Cook, behind them.Not that there are many small fry. England probably only have one in Ravi Bopara, who didn’t play a Test for almost a year and has to perform under a cloud of pressure that is about to burst into a monsoon. South Africa have Imran Tahir, who finally made a significant impact after seven Tests without shaking the world. Two others, Jacques Rudolph and JP Duminy spent the match contesting who stomped on more grass, though Rudolph did have a job in shining the ball and carrying hats and caps while Duminy bowled a few overs.But the performance of Alviro Petersen, South Africa’s No.2 in the batting line-up, is the one that cannot slip away quietly even if only because it sticks out so obviously. Petersen’s duck is sandwiched between a score of 131 and another of 311. Below that is Kallis’ 182.It would be easy to write off Petersen as “that other guy who opens the batting” but to do that would be unfair. What happened to Petersen could just as easily have happened to Smith and it did happen to both Andrew Strauss and Cook. He was on the receiving end of a very good ball, a James Anderson inswinger that struck him on the pad. In his column on a South African website, Petersen called it “the best ball of the match”.Steyn, Morne Morkel and even Tahir may disagree but Petersen’s point remains. England has shown itself to be one of the most difficult places to open the batting and, apart from Graeme Smith, South Africans have struggled historically in here. Andrew Hudson managed just 30 runs in four innings in 1994 and Gerhardus Liebenberg fared little better four years later, with 59 runs in six innings. Smith prompted the improvement in recent tours, which took the spotlight off his partners. Three of them, Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs and Neil McKenzie all averaged over 30 in England but relied on a handful of big innings rather than a series of consistent performances in the country.Gibbs and McKenzie have had the most fruitful pairings with Smith, for any opening partner who has played more than 20 innings with him. The next most successful is Petersen, who has opened with Smith 25 times. Together, they have put on half-century stands seven times and three-figure partnerships twice – 153 against Pakistan in Dubai and 111 against India in Centurion. While both stands were impressive, they fall short of being called iconic.England could change that. While the two pace attacks have been described as the ones to watch in this series, whoever can withstand the packs will also be worth keeping an eye on. Smith has already done that, Petersen still has to.His has been a career build on performance under pressure. In his 13 Tests, he has already scored three centuries, all of them to prove a point. The first came on debut in India, the second on comeback in Cape Town and the third after he was thought to have fallen off the wagon a little in Wellington. “If you look at my career, even my first-class career, most of the time I’ve done things under pressure.” Petersen said.After two lean seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08, he came back to average 57.33 and 55.70 in consecutive southern summers, to force his way into the national team. After being dropped for Jacques Rudolph, he responded with a hundred on a green-top against Australia in a tour match. After being criticised in New Zealand for making a strong statement in his comeback against Sri Lanka but fading a little after that, he made a stronger one with 156 in the third Test.It was that lull in New Zealand that led people to think Petersen can only perform when he is being targeted and he recognised that may be the case. “I’ve really tried to find a way of doing things even if there is no pressure. I try and get the edge and perform and prove a point to myself,” he said. “In the past, it was always about proving points to other people. Now it’s about proving it to myself. Sometimes I ask myself questions and challenge myself – can you do it, can you really do it?”He may be asking himself the same question now. Petersen prepared for this series with a stint at Essex, but does not place too much emphasis on that. “Test match cricket is mostly about mental preparation,” he said. “Sometimes in county cricket or first-class cricket you can’t get to that standard of Test cricket in terms of firing yourself up and really getting battle-hardened. For me, it was really about trying to perform and knowing that when I come to face England it would be a different challenge.”Different because there will be pressure, more so now that the first Test has gone and Petersen was not among its performers. It may not be the same as the individual demands he has faced in the past; but the bowlers, the conditions, the occasion and the success of the team will all add different degrees of that pressure he has thrived on before, and could help him be among the big names of the series and the future.

Documentation seen by ESPNcricinfo proves that the parody Twitter account @KevPietersen24 is not managed by a player despite Pietersen’s suspicions to the contrary

George Dobell08-Aug-2012Kevin Pietersen’s suspicions that a parody Twitter feed mocking him comes from the England dressing room are unfounded.Documentation seen by ESPNcricinfo proves that the parody twitter account @KevPietersen24 is not managed by a player. While it is true that the individual behind it knows some England players quite well, it would be misleading to suggest they are being fed information or have an agenda other than humour. None of the England players knows who is behind the account.Those behind the account are revelling in their notoriety. “You know you’re a genius when you are getting column inches during the Olympics,” one tweet said. “KP tried scoring hundreds but this is far easier.” They later assured their followers that no England player was involved.Information that no England player is involved in the account should end suggestions that have been floated that an England player could potentially be guilty of workplace bullying.For all that, perhaps the episode does highlight the uncomfortable relationship between Pietersen and several senior England players that has built up in the over the last few years and that can now no longer be explained away by routine expressions of support.The fact that Pietersen thought the account, which lampoons his sometimes self-aggrandising comments, might be the work of team mates speaks volumes of his increasing isolation within the squad.Pietersen is understood to have instructed lawyers to shut down the account and, after a period of suspension, it was reactivated with a new avatar that no longer bore Pietersen’s image.It is telling, too, that the account has been followed by several England players, including Matt Prior, James Taylor, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan, though Taylor has recently ‘unfollowed.’ While that might support the view that some in the dressing room are sharing a joke at Pietersen’s expense, it is worth noting that even Pietersen himself has retweeted some comments made by the feed.The ECB will not and cannot act against the parody account. While they did successfully instruct lawyers to act against a spoof Ian Bell account in 2009, the @KevPietersen24 feed is felt to be an obvious parody and is felt to have breached no law or Twitter regulation.Some might conclude that Pietersen’s somewhat heavy-handed response to it betrays a certain humourlessness that may be one of the reasons he finds himself an increasingly isolated figure in the England dressing room. His spells at Natal, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire also all ended under something of a cloud.Pietersen is far from the only player to inspire a parody twitter account. Andrew Strauss, the England captain, has one. The difference in those cases is that the individuals have tended to laugh along with the joke or, in the case of Strauss, rise above them.But such is Pietersen’s state of mind that he has added the Twitter account to a list of the injustices that he must face. Following the leaks about his contract talks and the fine for his own Twitter comments about Nick Knight, this issue underlines his increasing discomfort within the England set-up.As he said in Monday’s bizarre press conference “It’s not easy being me.” While such comments are easy to mock the fact is that, wherever the fault may lie, there is a real danger than unless there is a concerted effort by all concerned to reintegrate Pietersen, he may well drift away forever, convincing himself as he turns to a life on the T20 circuit that he has been wronged.News that he will not face disciplinary charges from the ECB as a result of his press conference at the end of the Headingley Test will come as scant relief.Stuart Broad, England’s pace bowler, was dismissive of Pietersen’s concerns when he spoke to Sky Sports News.”If there is a problem, it is important it gets sorted and we take the field at Lord’s with 11 guys who want to win for England,” he said.”With the rules, when we get to the ground we hand our phone in at 8am and get it back at 8pm. It would take a bit of genius to tweet from the wicket. It is not a major problem. It is a bit of fun for whoever is doing it and I don’t think it is as big a story as the papers are making out.”We spend virtually every day together, it is thoroughly enjoyable, we have a laugh. There is not a better working environment to go into. You get out of bed to go and play with your mates for your country. It is one of the biggest honours you could ever have and within that changing room everyone values that.”Perhaps the absurdity of the episode was perhaps best highlighted when a parody of Richie Benaud tweeted: “These parody accounts are a nuisance and damaging the game I love. RB.” It was a parody parodying a parody. We live in confusing times.

Panesar and Swann’s success in Mumbai revived memories of their first outing together, for Northamptonshire a decade ago

Alan Gardner28-Nov-2012As wickets tumbled at the Wankhede and India were swept away by the twirl-wind created by Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, England supporters were treated to a spectacle not seen for a generation. Their tally of 19 wickets in the Test was the biggest haul by a pair of England spinners since 1958, and ended an unwanted record of seven unsuccessful outings together, but it wasn’t the first time they had clicked in tandem. On a Wantage Road dustbowl in 2001, though the crowd may have been smaller, the two provided a glimpse of the future.The route from Northampton to Mumbai has been a long one. That match against Leicestershire 11 years ago was Panesar’s debut, and he and Swann claimed eight wickets apiece – but Northamptonshire’s spin revolution never quite arrived. They played just seven first-class matches together for the county where they learned their trade, and although both were identified as England prospects at an early age, it seemed they would never enjoy international success as part of the same team.By the time Panesar, already an England Under-19 player, broke into the Northamptonshire first XI, Swann was on a path that would remove him from England’s orbit for several years. A squad member on the 1999-2000 tour of South Africa, where he played a single ODI, the livewire Swann failed to impress England’s coach, Duncan Fletcher, and his resistance to authority figures led to a falling out with another disciplinarian, Kepler Wessels, at Northamptonshire, and his subsequent departure for Nottinghamshire. For a time, it seemed Swann’s biggest impact with England was to remain being punched in the face by Darren Gough while in a hotel toilet in Johannesburg. Now only Derek Underwood sits above him in England’s spin-bowling hierarchy.David Ripley, Swann’s captain during his early years at Wantage Road, and now Northamptonshire’s coach, admits that despite his good cricket sense, “Graeme was a bit frustrating sometimes”, liable to chirp away even at senior colleagues. Swann had a sense of his own destiny and Ripley, like most at Northamptonshire, was glad to see him come again, first under Peter Moores in 2007 and then as an integral part of Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss’ record-breaking England side.”You wondered if he’d missed his chance but I’m really pleased that he’s had success, and he’s kept a little bit of his cavalier attacking spirit that he’s always had and shaped it into being a top international player,” Ripley says.Panesar, too, had a quiet but fierce ambition to play for England. Andrew Radd, a journalist who has covered Northamptonshire cricket for 30 years, recalls his determination on a pre-season tour to Grenada in 2001, when Panesar’s team-mate Toby Bailey told him he would need to learn the words to the national anthem if he was to fulfil his dream. Insisting he already knew them, Panesar stood up at the table, put his hand on his chest and sang the chorus to “Three Lions”, by Baddiel and Skinner.

While Swann had self-belief and bravado and never turned up early for anything, Panesar was shy and humble, practised incessantly and asked advice from anyone willing to give it

Radd still isn’t sure whether it was a knowing mistake, self-parody or not. There is undoubtedly more to Panesar than the popular image of guileless innocence; though Swann, in his autobiography, plays it up, describing the young Panesar as not so much wet behind the ears as “absolutely drenched”. By contrast, Ripley says Swann was “like an old pro who’d played for years”.While Swann had self-belief and bravado and never turned up early for anything, Panesar was shy and humble, practised incessantly and asked advice from anyone willing to give it (to his detriment, it has been suggested, as it prevented him from developing his own plans and thought processes). But they both had natural talent, and on August 23, 2001 they were deployed together for the first time.A decade ago Northamptonshire were producing turning pitches that MS Dhoni would have been proud of. Darren Maddy, a fellow England tourist with Swann in South Africa, was part of the Leicestershire side dismissed for 85 on the fourth day, and he describes Northamptonshire’s pitches at the time as “notorious”. Leicestershire, having called up slow left-armer Richard Davis for his first match in four years, took a small first-innings lead after Shahid Afridi blazed a 74-ball hundred but Panesar made a good start, with figures of 4 for 120 from 35 overs. The dancing, high-fiving celebration was not yet to be seen, such was his reserve, but the control and the wickets were there from the start.He even managed to shrug off the gamesmanship of Leicestershire’s former England paceman Phil DeFreitas, then aged 35, who Ripley recalls trying to ruffle Panesar. “Daffy was doing his best to stare him out and give him a few verbals to unsettle him but Monty just laughed it off, really,” he says. It’s quite possible he didn’t realise he was being sledged.With less than two sessions to survive on the final day, Leicestershire should have been safe but Swann, Panesar and England A offspinner (plus one-time full tourist) Jason Brown took full advantage of a well-used surface to knock over seven wickets after tea. The three spinners took all 20 wickets in the match – Swann’s 8 for 135 remarkably similar to Panesar’s 8 for 131. Neil Burns, the former Somerset and Leicestershire wicketkeeper who now runs the London County Cricket Club, became Panesar’s maiden first-class wicket in the match and he remembers the mesmerising control the pair exerted.”Monty and Swanny created a fantastic hold over our batsmen,” he said. “The thing that stood out for me was how much spin they imparted on the ball. To see two young guys run up and really try and spin the ball was exciting.”Leicestershire’s coach, Jack Birkenshaw, who bowled offspin in five Tests for England during the 1970s, was particularly captivated, even as his side crumbled to defeat. But it was to be a fleeting moment of joint success for Swann and Panesar. Even at Northamptonshire, playing three slow bowlers was a rarity, and Swann left in 2004. Panesar made his mark at international level two years later but subsequently stagnated, his repetitive action and mechanical approach criticised, before a move to Sussex helped resurrect his England career.But Northampton will always have that late summer afternoon in 2001 and the memory described by Burns: “I actually said to Jack Birkenshaw at the time, ‘The way you’re talking Jack, anyone would think it was Laker and Lock bowling’.” Eleven years later in Mumbai, it may as well have been.

Stats highlights from Australia’s comfortable nine-wicket win in Perth

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan01-Feb-2013

• The number of balls remaining after the win (244) is the second-highest for Australia in an ODI and their highest against a Test-playing team. Australia also surpassed Sri Lanka’s record for the most deliveries remaining after a successful chase in an ODI against West Indies. The match lasted a total of 199 deliveries. This is the lowest number of deliveries in a completed match in Australia (matches with results). In matches played among top Test teams (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe), this match has the second-lowest number of deliveries after the Pakistan-West Indies game in Cape Town in 1993.
• West Indies’ total of 70 is their third-lowest ODI score and their lowest against Australia. Their lowest total overall is 54 against South Africa in 2004. The total is also West Indies’ second-lowest batting first. There have been only two previous occasions (India in 1981 and South Africa in 1993) when teams have registered lower totals in an ODI in Australia.
• The highest score in the West Indies innings was 16. This is only the second time for West Indies that none of the batsmen passed 16. The previous such occasions came in Cape Town (2004). It is also the 12th time overall and the first since the World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan in 2011 that a West Indies innings has had four or more ducks.
• Mitchell Starc’s 5 for 20 is the second-best bowling performance by an Australian bowler against West Indies after Glenn McGrath’s 5 for 14 at Old Trafford in 1999. It is also the second-best bowling display in Perth after Ryan Harris’ 5 for 19 against Pakistan in 2010. Starc’s performance, however, is only eighth on the list of best bowling displays against West Indies.
• For the first time, three left-arm fast bowlers bowled in an innings for Australia. India was the previous team to field three left-arm fast bowlers (against Sri Lanka in 2008).
• Glenn Maxwell’s strike rate of 145.71 is his second-best for a fifty-plus score and the sixth-best for an Australian batsman against West Indies (50-plus scores). Maxwell’s strike rate is seventh on the list of top strike rates for fifty-plus scores in Perth. Surprisingly, Michael Holding is fourth and sixth on the list. The number of runs scored in boundaries by Maxwell (48) is the joint fifth-highest by an Australian batsman in the first ten overs of an innings (matches since 2000). Adam Gilchrist is on top with 60 runs against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2006.

Issues facing England’s short-format cricket include too much differentiating between ODI and T20 players and the below-par seam attack

Owen Edwards25-Feb-2013Issues facing England’s short-format cricket -1). Too much differentiating between ODI and T20 players: There will always be specialists but, recently, it seems that players are being unnecessarily pigeonholed as specific T20 or ODI players.There are a couple of examples that jump out here, particularly Ian Bell and Alex Hales. Bell’s form since he moved to the top of the order in 50-over cricket has been sensational. His recent struggles in Tests have generally seen him getting bogged down and reigning in his naturally attacking instincts against spin. When the shackles are off, he has looked as good as anyone in the world during the last 12 months and there is no reason why this form can’t be transferred to T20 cricket.Hales has suffered from the opposite dilemma where a very bright start to his T20 international career has not resulted in an ODI debut. After 14 matches he has 418 runs, averaging just shy of 35. Those are impressive stats, especially considering he strikes at 127.43 as well. While Jos Buttler, Luke Wright and Jonny Bairstow have all been trialed in both formats on the back of much less impressive numbers, Hales is still waiting for his chance.It could be argued that, with Bell, Cook and KP all scoring heavily, there is no room for Hales. But he would be a great addition to the middle order where England have sometimes lacked the ability to clear the ropes.2). The below-par seam attack: England’s fast-bowling stocks have been healthy for a few years now, but there are still significant voids to fill in the shorter formats. James Anderson is a wonderful Test bowler, but he has been unable to spearhead the ODI attack in a similar way.It’s generally considered that the taller, hit the deck bowlers, are more effective than him and Steven Finn has shown this more than anyone. Finn is probably the only seamer to really merit his spot and is justifiably ranked No. 6 in the world.Tim Bresnan’s form has dipped for England and it will be a surprise if he’s still playing international cricket by the end of 2013. His superb contributions for England should not be forgotten, especially in the 10/11 Ashes victory, but he doesn’t look like replicating those displays.Stuart Broad has faced a similar dip in form. Hitherto his batting ability has kept him above Graham Onions, Finn, etc. in the pecking order, but patience may rightfully be running out with him. It’s worth noting that he averages 12.57 in 93 ODI matches with the bat and just 6.60 in T20s.A general lack of control and clear gameplan can be attributed to Bresnan and Broad’s shortcomings, but they are not the only ones. Jade Dernbach’s bag of tricks is a great weapon, but his stats clearly show they aren’t enough alone. His 27 ODI wickets cost 36.62 and more worryingly come at more than 6-an-over. His T20 numbers are better, but won’t frighten any batsmen around the world. Whether he is genuinely international quality is doubtful.There is a plethora of seam bowlers on the cusp of the England set up, but none have really shown anything to excite the selectors. Aside from Finn, James Anderson (14th) is the only England seamer in the top 29 ODI bowlers in world cricket, with Broad coming in at 30th. In T20 cricket it is even worse, where England’s highest-ranking quick bowler is Broad at 19th. Chris Woakes and Stuart Meaker have both been trialed – the former a rival to Broad’s bowling allrounder spot – but neither really impressed. This outlines England’s six seam options in current usage, of which only one can really justify his selection.Alex Hales has made some useful contributions already in T20s•Getty ImagesThe positives for England in shorter formats:1). The run-hungry top-order batting: England’s top order looks in great shape. The ODI opening combination of Cook and Bell oozes class and consistency. Although both players struggled to secure their spots initially, they have formed a quality partnership now and do not look like taking a backward step. It could be argued that KP should open after his centuries last winter but England are getting good starts without him doing so and he is the most capable six-hitter when the field is back later in the innings. Bell is able to play the anchor role, the explosive starter or both and Cook is the perfect anchor, especially considering he strikes at 80 as well.Jonathan Trott’s contributions to date cannot be questioned. But whether he is picked or not, whether he becomes a specialist ODI batsmen when playing in seam-friendly conditions or not, it is a rare luxury that England could consider omitting someone who averages over 49 in 50-over cricket.The waters are a little muddier in T20s, but the signs are still positive. Alex Hales has made the opening spot his own and looks a fine prospect. The statement he made with a 52-ball 89 on his Big Bash debut underlines his credentials and will enhance his reputation around the world. Michael Lumb is a steady performer, but is likely to be usurped by Pietersen at the top of the order in the big matches.The number three spot poses more questions, but the players are there to answer them. The jury is constantly out on Luke Wright whose international stats are inflated by runs against weaker opposition. Whether he can make the difference often enough against the South Africans, the Aussies etc, is still to be seen.Regardless of Wright’s position, England have the talents of Eoin Morgan to call on and the exciting potential shown by Jos Buttler in the last six months, not to mention Bell who surely deserves a chance in this format.2). The classy spin bowling: This is a simple one because Graeme Swann is brilliant. He is rated number seven in the world in ODIs and is up at third in T20s. He is a consistent threat, taking wickets and restricting the scoring. His respective economy rates are 4.47 and 6.36, which sets him light years ahead of all of England’s other bowlers and his averages are just as impressive.Swann is the key to England’s shorter-format bowling attack. The role of spin in T20 has always been important and England will nearly always look to play two spinners, probably in ODIs too. There are multiple options to support Swann. James Tredwell has been rewarded for years of consistency in county cricket. His recent four-for against India highlighted his ability and there is no reason that he and Swann can’t play together. Hopefully Tredwell doesn’t get labeled purely as Swann’s backup because he is proving that he’s better than that.After these two, Danny Briggs is currently the emerging youngster who has been very effective for Hampshire. After impressing in his first few outings for England, his confidence has taken a knock of late with some poor returns against South Africa last summer and India this winter. However, he is only 21 and time is on his side.The other left-arm option is Monty Panesar who is a fine Test bowler but, frustratingly, his fielding shortcomings will probably prevent him adding to his 26 ODIs. It should be noted that he performed reasonably well in these with an economy of 4.49, although he only took 24 wickets.The dilemmas for England’s short format cricket:1). Figuring out who does the wicketkeeping: Matt Prior is arguably the best wicketkeeper-batsman in world cricket, but doesn’t play any short format cricket at all for England. With an average under 25 in both ODIs and T20s, not to mention just three half centuries in 62 ODI innings, it is understandable that he lost his place but, considering the degree of his maturity over recent years, a recall is overdue.Kieswetter’s stock has fallen of late. He was first choice in ODIs and T20s for some time, but his block or bash mind-set has drawn criticism and he’s been to blame for some slow starts that have cost England dear. His ability to hit a long ball can’t be argued with, but it’s the balls in between that cause concern.Buttler’s elevation to wicketkeeper in the T20 format is forward thinking move. His keeping looks raw, which is a concern, but he is an exciting batsman and could develop into the role.2). Allrounders: Avoiding the bits and pieces players. England may have left behind the dour late nineties obsession with ‘bits n pieces’ players, but the lack of a genuine allrounder still causes problems. Andrew Flintoff was a dream ODI cricketer, but England have not filled that void, while Paul Collingwood left a big hole as well.The allrounders in the England set-up are currently limited to Samit Patel, Chris Woakes and Luke Wright. But none of them look capable of winning a match with either bat or ball.Of the three, Patel is top of the pecking order but he is a funny case. For much of his international career he has been picked as a second spinner, often batting as low as number eight. Yet he is really a batting allrounder who averages 39 with bat and ball in first-class cricket.Does Woakes fit the bill that Bresnan and Broad are failing to? He is a more accomplished batsman, but shoe horning him in at number seven or eight won’t solve the seam bowling woes. England have to accept the lack of a genuine allrounder and decide how to formulate a winning side. Is there really any value in sacrificing the quality of their bowling attack by picking numbers 6 to 8 as useful contributors, but not match-winners? Ideally an ODI side has two or three allrounders, but England should consider the merit in picking batsmen to bat and bowlers to bowl in the absence of a Flintoff, a Watson, a Kallis etc.My teamsODI
1. A Cook 2. I Bell 3. K Pietersen 4. E Morgan 5. A Hales 6. M Prior (wk) 7. C Woakes 8. J Tredwell 9. G Swann 10. J Anderson 11. S Finn T20
1. K Pietersen 2. A Hales 3. I Bell 4. E Morgan 5. J Buttler 6. M Prior (wk) 7. L Wright 8. S Broad 9. J Tredwell 10. G Swann 11. S Finn

Plays of the day for the match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur

Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Apr-2013The promotion
If you’re a legspinner for Sunrisers Hyderabad, be prepared to bat at No.5. On Thursday, to everyone’s surprise, Amit Mishra walked in at that position and didn’t quite satisfy his role as the pinch-hitter scoring 15 off 21. In Jaipur, with Sunrisers reeling at 7 for 3 after two overs, the team management didn’t fail to surprise again, promoting Karan Sharma. For the second time, the experiment failed, as Sharma tried pulling Faulkner and got a top edge to fine leg. Any legspinners left to promote?The drop
Rahul Dravid, one of the game’s safest catchers, pulled off one of the tournament’s headline catches when he showed off his reflexes at midwicket against Pune Warriors, taking a one-handed catch. His reflexes weren’t as sharp today, when he stretched his right hand at extra cover and failed to catch Ashish Reddy. Dravid appeared to move a bit late towards the ball and only ended up patting the ball away. It was a chancy innings by Reddy, who was dropped again, by Stuart Binny, three balls later.The celebration
Darren Sammy delayed his arrival for the IPL to be at home for the birth of his daughter, who he calls Princess Skai. Never shy of showing off his colourful celebrations, usually a dance move, Sammy had a treat for his little girl when he reached his fifty, his first in T20s. He took out the baby pacifier tied around his neck and sucked on it, bringing his arms together for a cradling action.The half-hearted appeal
Shane Watson was starting to look dangerous against the spinners, punishing anything marginally short. When Mishra bowled a flatter one, Watson pounced it down the pitch and the ball brushed the stump, knocking the bails down with Dravid out of the crease. Mishra appealed half-heartedly, appearing unsure whether he got a finger to the ball. Shortly after, Sunrisers withdrew the appeal. Should be good for their Fairplay points.

With only one match left in IPL 2013, here’s a look at some key numbers from the tournament, with specific reference to the finalists

S Rajesh25-May-20130.67 – The difference between the batting run-rate and the economy rate for Super Kings, which is the best among all teams in IPl 2013. They have scored at 8.31 runs per over, and conceded 7.64 per over. Royal Challengers Bangalore are next with a difference of 0.45, while Mumbai Indians are fourth on 0.22, having scored 7.98 runs per over and conceded 7.76.16 – The number of 50-plus scores for Super Kings, again the best among all teams in this tournament. That includes one century – Suresh Raina’s 100 not out – and 15 fifties. Mumbai Indians are third on this list with 14, behind Royal Challengers’ 15.114 – The number of sixes struck by Mumbai Indians, the most in by any team in this tournament. Royal Challengers are next on 103, while Super Kings are third with 78. Chris Gayle leads the count among individual batsmen with 51, but the next two are from Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma has 28, and Keiron Pollard 26. Among the Super Kings batsmen, MS Dhoni leads with 20, followed by Suresh Raina on 18 and Michael Hussey on 17.40.89 – The percentage of dot balls bowled by Super Kings, the fourth best in the tournament. Sunrisers Hyderabad lead this list with a percentage of 44.26, well clear of the second placed Rajasthan Royals (41.13). Mumbai Indians are fifth with a percentage of 40.58.43.18 – The average opening partnership for Super Kings in this IPL, the best among all teams. Super Kings have scored 691 runs for the first wicket – the highest among all teams – at a run rate of 7.47 per over. They’ve also put together six partnerships of 50 or more for the first wicket, the most among all teams. Mumbai Indians are a distant fifth in terms of average partnership, with 27.27 runs per dismissal, at a run rate of 6.60.531 – The partnership runs added by Michael Hussey and M Vijay, the second best by any opening pair in this IPL, behind Aaron Finch and Robin Uthappa’s 606 for Pune Warriors. Hussey and Vijay have averaged 48.27 runs per dismissal at a rate of 7.46 runs per over, with one century stand and four half-century partnerships. Mumbai Indians’ best opening pair has been Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar: in nine innings they’ve added 271 at an average of 30.11, and a run rate of 6.37 per over.578 – The partnership runs scored for the second wicket between Hussey and Raina, easily the highest by any second-wicket pair. They’ve averaged 57.80 per completed partnership, at 8.96 runs per over, and have two century stands and four half-century partnerships in 11 innings. The leading second-wicket pair for Mumbai Indians is that of Smith and Dinesh Karthik: they’ve put together 273 in eight innings at a rate of 9.80 per over.6.42 – Mohit Sharma’s economy rate in the IPL, the best among bowlers on either team contesting the final (with a cut-off of 30 overs). The best for Mumbai Indians is Harbhajan Singh’s 6.59, while R Ashwin’s economy rate is 6.69.11.49 – Super Kings’ scoring rate in the last five overs of this IPL, the best among all teams. They’ve averaged 30.29 runs per wicket, also the best among all sides. Mumbai Indians have averaged 10.43, third among all teams after Royal Challengers. Mumbai Indians have struck 57 sixes in the last five overs, the best among all sides, 19 clear of Super Kings’ 38.253 – The runs scored in the last five overs of an innings by Dhoni, the highest among all batsmen. He has scored these runs in 122 balls, giving him a run rate of 12.44 per over. Next in line is Rohit Sharma, with 234 in 114 balls, a rate of 12.31 per over. The next two batsmen in this list will also be in the playing XIs for their teams on Sunday – Pollard has 222 from 136 balls, while Raina’s aggregate in the last five is 193 from 86.15 – The number of wickets taken by Mitchell Johnson during the Powerplay overs in this tournament, at an economy rate of 6.05. In second place is Super Kings’ Mohit Sharma, with 14 at an economy rate of 6.33. No other bowler has taken more than nine wickets in the Powerplays in this year’s IPL.20 – The number of wickets taken by Dwayne Bravo in the last five overs, the most by any bowler. He has taken 20 wickets in 201 balls, at an economy rate of 7.40 per over. James Faulkner is next with 16 at an economy rate of 8.10. Mumbai Indians’ main man in the death overs, Lasith Malinga, has taken 11 wickets in 152 balls at an economy rate of 7.50.

Mahela Jayawardene is adept at making hard runs when his team needs him, and he did so again in this match

Andrew Fidel Fernando at The Oval18-Jun-2013″Power” is batting’s buzzword of the modern age. In limited-overs cricket, players are no longer measured by how well they hit a ball, but how hard and how far. That quest has spawned a subset of relatively modern phenomena – setting a stable base, not losing one’s shape, swinging through the arc. As Twenty20 salaries expand, and cricket strides close to the glamour that has eluded it in the past, only a handful of batsmen still swear by the old laws.At the Oval, Mahela Jayawardene crafted a limited-overs innings that like so many he has played before, was a triumph for romantics in an age when muscles and brutality abound. Batting lower down than is customary – for only he has the game versatile enough to fit where the team requires him – he stroked 84 of the most alluring runs in the competition, all made under pressure, at a strike rate exceeding 100.To label Jayawardene a purist is not to say he is a stickler for tradition, for he wields a slog sweep and over-the-shoulder scoop as well as anyone in the game. But although new strokes have been learnt in the last five years, the essence of his cricket remains as lovingly refined as it has always been. Twenty-first century aggression filtered through age-old method, yielding savagery that seems fashioned from silk. The reverse-sweep he hit off Glenn Maxwell in the 30th over was played late, beneath the eyes, head still, hands sure, wide of the fielder for four.Like most artists, Jayawardene is fragile too. Early in his innings, any seam bowler worth his salt should fancy an edge to keeper or slip. If he gets through that initial gauntlet, there is still risk in his progress. A creature of instinct, he does not back down to a ball he fancies, and even when well set, the hankering to attack has brought his downfall countless times. At the Oval, inside-out strokes over cover flew perilously close to fielders’ hands, and an attempted reverse-sweep off a fast bowler could easily have left his stumps splayed. The joy of his success is heightened by his daring. Every four feels like a caper, each big innings an adventure.On days where he does not mishit a single ball, like in 2011’s World Cup final, the result is fantasy come alive. There are far greater batsmen than he in the game today, but is there a more compelling force in full flow? Sachin Tendulkar perhaps, but few others. In the penultimate over, Clint McKay bowled one at his body, and Jayawardene backed away and stroked it in the two-metre gap between backward point and short third man. Both men had been placed there for exactly that kind of shot, but neither had a hope of preventing four.Even in the last three years, the fine innings that he alone among Sri Lanka’s batsmen could play are numerous. The World Cup final ton is one, the 42 against Pakistan on a World Twenty20 semi-final dustbowl is another. In Tests, the 105 against Australia on a brute in Galle, and the 180 against England at the same venue a year later will linger in the mind. Hard runs, all, though you would never know from the grace with which he beats them out. He is a big-match performer, and with bigger matches than this virtual quarter-final to come, Sri Lanka will hope Jayawardene’s hunger intensifies, as it has done in the major tournaments before.”You could see how desperate I was today,” Jayawardene said. “So I’ll be desperate for every game to win, simple as that. It’s not about trophies or whatever – it’s just to win matches. So I’ll have that same passion and same desperation to win games, doesn’t matter if it’s a semifinal or final or just a group game. As long as I have that attitude and the rest of the boys, we’ll go a long way.”It is easy to read his figures and remark that Jayawardene’s record is fairly mediocre, mistakenly assuming the one-day tracks in Sri Lanka are as conducive to stroke-making as pitches north, beyond the Palk Strait. It is Sri Lanka’s lot to be lumped with the giants of the subcontinent, but spinners have long reigned over batsmen on the island, and lately the quicks have had their days as well. In any case, Colombo’s humidity had made swing bowling effective in ODIs even before the recent renaissance in seam-friendly pitches. No Sri Lanka batsman has ever retired with an average over 40, but the team has rarely failed to be a force in ODIs since 1996.They arrive now, at another semi-final – their sixth in the last eight world tournaments. Kumar Sangakkara’s diligence and drive saw the side through the early matches, but it took a little Mahela magic to propel them in a squeeze.

Plays of the day from the second day of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Abu Dhabi

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi15-Oct-2013The scene-setter Hashim Amla and the South African tail would have hoped to take the total as close to 300 as possible, but Pakistan put paid to any of those thoughts as early as the second ball, courtesy Mohammad Irfan. After showing how well he could use his feet yesterday, Amla was stuck in his crease as he prodded at one that only just left him and offered a catch to second slip. Younis Khan collected, to become Pakistan’s joint record-holder for catches, with Javed Miandad.The butterfliesTo take first strike against the attack lauded as being the best in the world is an anxious experience for any opening batsman, much less a debutant. The first ball Shan Masood faced might only have increased his nervousness. With Dale Steyn focused on pursuing a fuller length, Masood stepped forward and got an outside edge which beat third slip and gully. The result was four runs but the way it came would have served as an indication to Masood about what he would be up against.The chanceSouth Africa did not have many of these but Masood presented one in the fifth over when he edged to second slip. Jacques Kallis’ usually quick reactions were a milli-second slower and in taking the tiniest bit of extra time to move his hands forward, the ball dropped short and scooted through his legs to give Masood a run and a lifeline.The crack Forget tuk-tuk, Misbah-ul-Haq put his first runs on the board with the fire and fury of a sports car. With Morne Morkel trying to generate something special, like the delivery that caught Younis Khan offguard, he went short and wide and Misbah smashed the ball past point. Even from behind the glass windows of the press box, which seem to be insulated from most sounds, the crack was audible. In the field, no one moved, as though they had been stunned by Misbah’s aggression.The celebrationThis was only Khurram Manzoor’s third Test since making his comeback against Zimbabwe in August and he is quickly making the opening spot his own. He followed up his back-to-back fifties in Harare with a century here and had a fitting celebration to enjoy it. Manzoor lost two of his partners during the last 14 runs needed for his ton and had to slow down. But on 91, he punished Robin Peterson with two strong sweeps, and a push through cover later, he was punching the air as he completed the first run. The 4000-strong crowd were on their feet, applauding and cheering, and Manzoor gave them a prolonged arms-in-the-air pose, before kneeling down in and embracing his captain.