It was like bereavement: Dravid on spot-fixing

Rajasthan captain Rahul Dravid said dealing with the turmoil caused by the spot-fixing scandal, which has left his team's reputation in tatters, has turned out to be as tough as handling "bereavement in some ways".Speaking to reporters after Rajasthan's win against Hyderabad, Dravid said his team has been going through a very tough phase."I would not lie it was a very tough phase for us. It was a blow to the team. It's something I have never experienced anything like it. It's like bereavement in some ways," Dravid said at the post match press conference.Rajasthan, who secured a four wicket in in the low-scoring eliminator in Delhi, will take on Mumbai in the second qualifier in Kolkata.Dravid, for the first time, seemed like opening up to the fixing chapter as he talked about the subject and allowed his emotions to flow. Rajasthan were in the news for all the wrong reasons after three of its players, including India pacer S. Sreesanth, were arrested by the Delhi Police for indulging in spot-fixing."You feel real sadness, disappointment and anger. There are so many emotions. We had a day (after the Mumbai match) and the next day, we were playing Hyderabad in Hyderabad and everyone was in a daze. It was a difficult week for all of us," he said.Dravid informed that two days they spent in Jaipur after their match against Hyderabad helped them unwind and engage in "honest" discussions with each other."I think the two days we had in Jaipur after that game was fantastic. We spent two-three days in Jaipur and there were some really open, honest conversations among the players, among the coaching staff. A lot of emotions were shared. In some ways, it was amazing for me to see the way they came out and expressed their feelings. There was range of emotions that we had experienced over the last few days," he said.The former India skipper thanked coach Paddy Upton and the support staff for reuniting the group just ahead of the crucial play-off stage."Paddy and the coaching staff slowly handled this campaign. We knew we had four days and we gave a couple of days to the people to let go their emotions. We started focussing on the team day before yesterday and then zeroed down our focus on to this game," Dravid said."We enjoyed our time in Jaipur, just the night before the game we landed in the city (Delhi). I can't thank my support staff enough, Paddy and his team and everyone around the Rajasthan. The way they managed the last four days was great," he added.Throwing more light on Upton's role in shaping the team, Dravid said he had always wanted to work with the Indian team's former mental conditioning coach on a "one-on-one" basis."Paddy has been really useful. He has been fantastic for us. Not only in the last week but I think the whole tournament. I was always very keen on working with Paddy, working with him on a one-on-one basis. We are glad that he's been with us this year (he was the performance director of Pune in 2012)"The boys have really enjoyed Paddy's company. They have loved him, so many guys came up to me and said he is fantastic. Paddy has played a great role in creating a good team environment."We have a very small support staff, Zubin Barucha and Monty Desai (coach for the last two seasons), just three of them. They are our unsung heroes and add so much value to the side. We don't believe in having bowling coaches and fielding coaches. These people have done a fantastic job for us," he added.Dravid said the win against Hyderabad was important for the team after what had happened over a last couple of days."It was an important win regardless of what has happened. It's the knock-out stage of the tournament, you lose and you pack your bags and go home. There are no second chances in these types of games. It's nice to get over the line and win the game. We are still alive in the tournament," he said.The 40-year-old also lavished praise on T20 specialist Brad Hodge for the way he anchored Rajasthan's victory over Hyderabad with his brilliant unbeaten 29-ball 54."We needed something special, I think we were dead and buried. We needed something absolutely special and Brad Hodge provided that. I think it was one of the finest T20 innings in a low-scoring game chasing the target I have ever seen. We needed something special and Hodge's innings was special," he said.On fielding an all-pace attack for the match despite knowing the slow nature of the surface here, Dravid said, "I would make a joke if I tell you the truth. We were short of spinners for various reasons. We had Pravin Tambe injured as well; in fact we did not have anybody to choose from."It was not an ideal combination for this track but the game shows our resilience. We knew in an ideal scenario we should have been playing a spinner but with injury to Pravin, we did not have that option also. I think the bowlers did a really good job to restrict them to 133. They were a dangerous team and our team did a good job," he said.Asked about their next match against the formidable Mumbai side, Dravid said, "Mumbai are never easy, they are a very good side. There are all stars. There's nothing to lose, go out there, have some fun and see what happens."Dravid said he will decide on his future as a cricketer after the tournament gets over."I don't know, there are couple of games. I have not given it a thought that this would be my last Indian T20 League and there would be no more cricket after this. There is couple of months' time before the Champions League," Dravid said."I don't know, let me finish this T20 tournament, then I will sit down with the franchise and see what they want to do. But I am also mindful of the fact that we also need to start looking ahead as a franchise as well. Let's see," he added.Dravid described the sixth season of the Indian T20 League as a fruitful one for the franchise as they were able to find some new talents like Sanju Samson among others."It's been a really good season from that point of view, whenever we found ourselves on the back-foot, whenever we found ourselves in trouble; somebody has stood up, put his hands up. I think that largely also due to the environment created around the team, it's been a really good team environment."I would like to believe that youngsters feel pretty comfortable out there, there's not much of a pressure, we don't have big stars, there are not many people breathing down their necks, we have given them a lot of freedom, we have given them a clarity of roles what each one has to play. That makes easier for them to perform," he signed off.

Mumbai police in Chennai operations

 The IPL crisis took a twist today with officials of the Mumbai Police reaching the house of Gurunath Meiyappan, chief executive of the Chennai Super Kings. Meiyappan is the son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, whose company India Cements owns the Super Kings franchise.It was not immediately clear why they were there, and there has been no official statement by either the police or the franchise.However, CNN-IBN quoted Mumbai's joint commissioner of police Himanshu Roy as saying that Meiyappan had been summoned for questioning in connection with betting and asked to appear before the Crime Branch in Mumbai between 11 am and 5 pm on Friday. The summons had been affixed to the door of Meiyappan's Chennai residence and been served to, and accepted by, a manager at the Super Kings office.The news follows reports circulating in the Indian media since Tuesday on the proximity of Virender "Vindoo" Dara Singh, who was arrested that day in Mumbai for links with bookies, to the Super Kings franchise. Those reports, which included pictures of Vindoo watching IPL matches in the company of Super Kings captain MS Dhoni's wife, have not been denied in the 48 hours since.The police crackdown on bookies continued in other parts of the country. In Kolkata, ten people, including one bookie, were arrested for being allegedly involved in cricket betting. "We have arrested 10 people, including a bookie last night. We are investigating the case. They will be produced before a court today [Friday]," deputy commissioner Santosh Pandey told PTI.Initial investigations said they had betted on a match between Mumbai Indians and Super Kings

Cook expects hard work against NZ at Headingley

England captain Alastair Cook believes Headingley will be far from the bowling-friendly ground of old when the second Test against New Zealand starts on Friday.England shot out the Black Caps for just 68 in their second innings at Lord's last week to set-up a 170-run win which put them 1-0 up in a two-match series.Stuart Broad, with a Test-best seven for 44, and James Anderson -- who took his 300th Test wicket at Lord's -- did the bulk of the damage.But Cook said Thursday he did not expect the new-ball duo to have things all their own way on a Headingley pitch once renowned for aiding seamers."Over the last couple of years there have been some high-scoring games here and it's quite similar to Lord's," Cook told Sky Sports News. "If it's sunny it can be a nice pitch to bat on and we will have to work hard in every session."Before their Lord's encounter, England had been held to a 0-0 draw in a three-match Test series in New Zealand.And last week's clash at Lord's saw the Black Caps push England hard until an hour before lunch on the fourth day when they collapsed to 29 for six."If you look at it without the emotive side of last week's game, it was nip and tuck for three days," said opening batsman Cook. "We had to work very hard in those three days to get ourselves in a position to win the game."We piled through that door pretty hard in the end -- but we know how hard and tough this New Zealand side are."New Zealand are pondering a recall for former captain Daniel Vettori, out of Test cricket for nearly a year because of Achilles trouble, after fellow left-arm spinner Bruce Martin suffered a tour-ending calf injury at Lord's."He's been an absolute stalwart for New Zealand. He's a very tough competitor," Cook said. "We're looking forward to locking horns again with him, and he brings some added quality and experience to the New Zealand side."The Headingley clash will be England's last Test before they begin the defence of the Ashes, where they will be attempting to win a third straight Test series against Australia for the first time since the 1950s.However, Cook insisted England were looking no further forward than this Test match with New Zealand."Winning is vitally important, we want to win every game and series we're involved in," he said. "That's the challenge, we want to try and win. It sounds simple but it will take a lot of hard work.

McCullum to keep gloves at Leeds

Brendon McCullum is not the sort to shirk a challenge so when New Zealand's wicketkeeper, BJ Watling, was ruled out of the second Test at Headingley because of injury, he wasted little time in deciding to take up the gloves that he supposedly relinquished for good in Test cricket nearly three years ago.McCullum kept for part of England's second innings at Lord's - without pads on day three - after Watling injured his left knee attempting to run out Joe Root with a dive. Watling left the field and speculation began over who would take the gloves at Headlingey.Watling seemed to come through practise on Wednesday reasonably well to most observers, which begs the question whether New Zealand viewed his bruised knee as an injury of convenience after what McCullum himself described as their "hour of madness" - the collapse to 68 all out as England forced an abrupt victory in the opening Test at Lord's.Watling's absence allows New Zealand to slot in Martin Guptill, who has extensive experience in English conditions with Derbyshire, as an extra batsman at No. 6, rather than as an opener in place of Peter Fulton whose tour of England has so far brought 34 runs in five knocks.Captain, wicketkeeper and New Zealand's most pugnacious batsman: McCullum will not be short of roles when the second Test begins in Leeds on Friday. All this with a back complaint which puts him under strain whenever he returns to the keeping role.McCullum announced that he would only keep wicket for New Zealand in limited-overs cricket after the IPL in 2010. In New Zealand's next Test against India in Ahmedabad, Gareth Hopkins deputised and in 24 subsequent Tests, the role has passed between Hopkins, Reece Young, Watling and Kruger van Wyk. Watling has been the only one to suggest he might make a long-term go of it and he can expect to return after this series.Such heavy demands upon McCullum make it almost inevitable that Dan Vettori, a former New Zealand captain, will make his Test comeback for the first time for almost a year's absence with Achilles trouble. McCullum, an "ideas" captain, likes to keep lines of communication open with his bowlers, but he feel less need for endless dashes up and down the pitch in the middle of an over if he sees the familiar figure of Vettori fielding.One of the New Zealand bowlers to recognise the advantage of that was Neil Wagner. He is a garrulous sort - a refreshing change in the sanitised media conferences of today - and it was all he could do to stop himself pronouncing that Vettori would definitely get the final place ahead of Doug Bracewell and an all-seam attack. These days at Headingley, the temptation to rely on pace bowling alone should be resisted because the pitches can show extremes of character and are just as likely to go flat if the clouds lift. Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner, took five wickets in the second match of the season at Headingley, so it should not automatically be assumed that a spinner has no role here.
"Brendon's back has been playing up a bit, but he is going to grit his teeth and do a job for the team, that's just the sort of guy that Brendon is," Wagner said. "There is going to be quite a bit of running up and down because he likes to talk to the bowlers about plans but having the opportunity maybe to have Dan at mid-on and mid-off and pick his brains and pass on messages will be pretty awesome."It's exciting seeing Dan around the changing room and training with us again. He is just one of those guys you can always rely on. He brings a good spirit into the team, and brings in humour in tough situations sometimes, but he also has such massive experience. If as a bowler you want to pick someone's brain, he is going to be the one you want to talk to."Vettori will be a like-for-like replacement for his fellow left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, who has left the tour because of a calf injury he picked up at Lord's. That will at least stop the England fans wondering - as they have for the past three months - why nobody is clobbering him down the ground.Vettori, veteran of 112 Tests, bowled for half-an-hour, had a bat against some throw-downs and took some high catches on a middling Leeds morning, dry and largely overcast. Mike Hesson, New Zealand's coach, then rejected requests to speak to him, leaving the bowling coach, Shane Bond, to indicate that Vettori himself would be trusted to make the call on his fitness."He's the sort of guy who will know whether he can do it or not," Bond said. "He's got that experience and he knows how he's going physically. Either way I'm sure the right decision will be made."Vettori's last Test came against West Indies in Antigua last July. After an inactive time in the IPL, even a long-haul flight from New Zealand could not disguise the feeling that he was itching to play again.Vettori would join an attack that has come close to breaking England's batting on several occasions over the four Tests stretching back to March, something Wagner takes comfort from."We have come close a couple of times so it has been a bit frustrating for us as a bowling unit," he said. "At Lord's we got ourselves into a perfect position and then two guys came out with serious class and bowled unbelievably well."Jonny Bairstow at the moment is trying to find his feet a bit. Nick Compton played a bit of a rash shot in the first innings after showing a bit of patience. Matt Prior hasn't got a run in two innings. There is stuff we can thrive on."

Ireland eye another chance to shine

Contests between Ireland and Pakistan are rare - this will be only their fourth meeting - but the fixture has a place in cricket folklore. Labelled as minnows, Ireland produced a monumental upset to send Pakistan crashing out of the 2007 World Cup in the group stage. Pakistan's pain has healed over time but the memory of that embarrassment lingers.Pakistan put the record straight with victories in their last series against Ireland - two matches in May 2011, both won comfortably - and will hope for similar success as they warm up for the Champions Trophy.They are in good spirits but would like their top-order batting to find some form. An extra opener has been drafted into the XI so Mohammad Hafeez can move to No. 3, hoping to solidify the batting which can be brittle, as seen against Scotland last week when they slipped to 115 for 5. It took Misbah-ul-Haq to anchor the innings but a score of 231 would not be enough against better sides, and Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer admitted that, from a similar position, Ireland would likely to have gone and won the match.Keeping Pakistan to a similar total will be key for Ireland to try and upset the odds. After cruising through the latest round of World Cricket League Championship matches in March, they are desperate to prove they belong at the top table of international cricket. It is important Ireland seize on any opportunity to impress. Last year's ODI against Australia was a damp squib but this year, two matches against Pakistan and the biennial fixture against England are three more chances to put on a good show on and off the field.They have a bowling attack capable of troubling Pakistan, likely to be spearheaded by Tim Murtagh who has shown sublime form for Middlesex and is the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship. Ireland's batting will also be led by a man bang in form for his county; Ed Joyce has averaged 72.75 in six Championship innings for Sussex.But Pakistan's attack will ask more testing questions of Joyce and Ireland's line-up. Junaid Khan proved he is capable of leading the attack with 3 for 19 against Scotland. He assumed the senior role from Umar Gul, who remains sidelined with a knee injury. The threat of Saeed Ajmal remains, albeit in less helpful conditions.Kevin O'Brien might have no specific plans to tackle Saeed Ajmal but appeared confident to deal with the world's No. 1-ranked ODI bowler. He is one of the senior players and has been the backbone for the side. His role in the middle order is pivotal.Mohammad Irfan is very tall already but his stature as a bowler at least, continues to grow. He is better than his 1 for 28 against Scotland and the Ireland batsmen must be wary of deliveries sent down from over seven feet.Ireland named an unchanged squad from their two victories in the World Cricket League Championship in March. John Mooney is serving the final game of a three-match ban and Tim Murtagh, picked for Ireland's last two home ODIs, is likely to return to the XI.Ireland (possible): 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O'Brien (wkt), 5 Gary Wilson, 6 Kevin O'Brien, 7 Andrew White, 8 Alex Cusack, 9 Trent Johnston, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 George Dockrell Since Pakistan's outing in Ireland is a part of their practice for the Champions Trophy, they are unlikely to make any major changes to the XI that defeated Scotland on May 17.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Amin, 7 Kamran Akmal (wkt), 8 Saeed Ajmal, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Mohammad Irfan, 11 Ehsan Adil/Wahab RiazIreland will be hoping for better weather than their marquee ODI last year against Australia, where rain only allowed 10 overs of the match to be played. The moist climate will make swing bowling a big factor but just two years ago, Ireland racked up 328 on the ground, suggesting the wickets at Clontarf are not just bowling paradises.Since the beginning of 2010, Ireland have a 17-15 win-loss record in ODIs, bettered only by Afghanistan (12-10) among non-Test-playing teams.Paul Stirling, the Ireland opener, is the only player to score a century in ODIs between these two teams: he scored 109 in Belfast in 2011, in a match Ireland lost by five wickets.In two ODIs and one T20I against Ireland, Saeed Ajmal has taken 11 wickets at an average of 5.54 and an economy rate of 3.58. In two ODIs, he has seven wickets at an average of 6.00 and an economy rate of 3.23

Pune Warriors pull out of IPL

Sahara India, owners of the Pune Warriors franchise, have pulled out of the IPL over financial differences with the BCCI stemming from the valuation of the annual franchise fee it has to pay. The decision, the latest crisis to hit the IPL, comes three years after it bought the Pune franchise for $370 million - the highest price paid for any of the IPL franchises.It seems the immediate cause was the BCCI's decision to cash the bank guarantee from Sahara that that it was obliged, under its contract, to furnish at the start of each season. The guarantee is equivalent to the amount to be paid annually to the BCCI and can be cashed in case a franchise fails to honour its commitments.In this case, Sahara had furnished a bank guarantee worth Rs 170.2 crore (approximately $30 million). Since the deadline for paying the franchise fees was May 2, the BCCI waited till Sahara's IPL 6 commitments were over and cashed the guarantee on May 20.Reacting to the development, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the board cashed the bank guarantee according to the rules. "Yes, it (Pune Warriors) has pulled out. As per the rules and procedure of the BCCI if a franchise fails to pay the fee then we cash the franchise's bank guarantee. We are extremely sad by their decision to pull out. This should not have happened," Shukla said.Pune Warriors finished eighth in the current IPL season, winning four out of their 16 matches.Deccan Chargers - Terminated on September 14, 2012 due to financial problems as the owners were unable to service their debt obligations to lenders, eventually leading to its attempted sale and dissolution.Pune Warriors - Owners Sahara India had cut its ties with the BCCI on February 4, 2012, withdrawing sponsorship from the Indian team and ownership of the franchise. However, the two patched up later, ending the dispute by issuing a joint statement.Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Terminated on September 19, 2011 for breaching the terms of agreement - their inability to furnish a new bank guarantee for 2011.This is the second time Sahara have pulled out of the IPL; they quit on the day of the 2012 auction and withdrew from sponsorship of the Indian team.This time, though, Sahara will continue its sponsorship of the Indian team until the end of December 2013, when their present contract expires. "We share an excellent relationship with the players and will not want such dedicated and good human beings who serve the country so committed to get harmed financially due to unsporting attitude of BCCI. So we have given time to BCCI to get the new sponsorship in place from January 2014."Sahara's actual franchise fee has been a contentious issue ever since they bought the Pune franchise for Rs 1702 crore ($370 million) in March 2010. Sahara had been demanding that the franchise fee from their original agreement should be recalculated since the minimum matches per year have been reduced to 14 from the 18 promised to them.In a lengthy statement, Sahara detailed its dispute with the BCCI over franchise fees. It said it was "disgusted" by the BCCI's attitude towards it and would not rejoin the league even if the entire franchise fee was waived."In 2010, Sahara had bid Rs 1700 crore for the IPL franchise on the basis of revenue calculation on 94 matches. But we got 64 matches only," it added."We and the Kochi team [also bought at the 2010 auction] immediately protested and requested the BCCI to reduce the bid price proportionately for viable IPL proposition. Nothing was heard. We waited with confidence that such a sports body should have sportsmanship spirit," it said.

Warner fined for Twitter outburst

David Warner has been fined AUD5750 (around US$ 5600) for his Twitter outburst at two Australian journalists at the weekend. Warner pleaded guilty to breaching the Cricket Australia Code of Behaviour when he launched a tirade of tweets at the News Limited journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn during the early hours of Saturday morning, initially in response to a comment piece on the IPL written by Craddock and later as part of a back-and-forth exchange with Conn.Warner, who returned to Australia from the IPL on Wednesday, was found guilty at a Code of Behaviour hearing and received the maximum financial penalty for a first offence. He had been reported by Cricket Australia for unbecoming behaviour."In hindsight, clearly I let my frustrations get the better of me and posted some inappropriate tweets last weekend," Warner said after the hearing. "While I disagreed with the story and my image being used alongside the story, I could have chosen my words better and I apologise for any offence that my language may have caused. I'll continue to have honest conversations with all my followers and I will be mindful of the language I use in future."Warner's comments might have earned him a fine but have not had a major effect on his future leadership ambitions, according to the Cricket Australia hierarchy. Warner was briefly named vice-captain of Australia's ODI team early in 2012 and has been considered a potential future leader of the national side, although he was overlooked for the vice-captaincy this year when Brad Haddin was named Michael Clarke's deputy for the Ashes and George Bailey for the Champions Trophy."'You never rule a line through someone in terms of their ultimate leadership potential in terms of a captain or vice-captain," James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said. "There are plenty of players in the past that have tripped themselves up and gone on to become fantastic leaders in Australian cricket and I'm sure David is one of those that could continue to step up as a leader even if he never gets a title."Clarke agreed that Warner had leadership potential and said there would be no chance that the Australia players would scale back their social media output as a result of the episode."The one thing I've been very disciplined about is allowing people to be themselves," Clarke said. "At the end of the day we're all old enough and wise enough to know what you are required to do as an Australian cricketer. There's certainly been no talk of stopping players using social media, I think it's a fantastic way to give back to fans."I think Davey has great potential to be a leader of the Australian cricket team. He's a wonderful guy and wonderful player. He's learnt from this ... and if he continues to grow as he has over the last few years, there's no reason why he hasn't got the potential to captain Australia one day."

Evenly matched teams in a battle of wits

The first eliminator of IPL 2013 features two unlikely, yet similar competitors, in Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The thread of similarity extends beyond the 'underdog' status.They've had similar journeys to the playoffs. Both sides have been strong at home, with Royals finishing unbeaten and Sunrisers losing just one game, to Chennai Super Kings. Their record away from home this season has also been similar. Royals have managed two away wins in eight games, while Sunrisers have won three.Heading into the first eliminator of the IPL, that's where the similarities between the two teams end. Royals sealed their spot in the last four in great style, with a shock win against Chennai Super Kings. The losses in their next two matches, however, meant that they were deprived of a top-two finish and another shot at qualifying for the final. Heavy losses in their last two games and the cloud of the spot-fixing scandal wouldn't have done their confidence any good, but they are a determined side that have converted a good start to the tournament into a top-three finish.Sunrisers, on the other hand, are riding a wave of confidence, with two wins in their last two games. They've played a largely unchanged side throughout the tournament but more importantly, have responded well to pressure, especially in the final game against Kolkata Knight Riders, where Darren Sammy guided the side home after the side had come very close to imploding.The two teams match up evenly on the field. Sunrisers have a much better bowling attack compared to Royals, who have relied on purple cap-holder James Faulkner and Shane Watson. In terms of batting, however, Royals are clearly stronger. As Royals look to emerge winners in the first eliminator, Brad Hogg and Shaun Tait might get a look-in to strengthen the side's bowling with experience.Shane Watson's importance to Rajasthan Royals simply cannot be played down. His return to bowling has opened up an extra slot in the team for them, while his batting set up some of their biggest wins this season. Royals have used him smartly, pushing him down the order in tough chases, against Super Kings for instance, or using his big-hitting skills to set up quick starts at the top of the order.Given their lack of experience, Sunrisers' young Indian players have grown with their performances in the season. Although he has drawn criticism for his slow strike-rate, Hanuma Vihari has played to the set role of holding one end up to stem wickets. Biplab Samantray showed maturity as he guided Sunrisers to a competitive total against Royals. Legspinner Karan Sharma, too, has also done well in the opportunities he has been given, picking up 10 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 20.6 and an economy rate of 6.27.

Great chance to show what Ireland can do - O'Brien

Kevin O'Brien, the Ireland allrounder, has said the upcoming ODIs against Pakistan are a welcome chance for his team to match skills with a Full Member side. Ireland, who last played a top team during the 2012 World T20, are set to play Pakistan in two one-dayers in Dublin on May 23 and 26."It'll be a great chance for me personally and for the team to show what we can do again," O'Brien told Pakpassion.net. "It has been a while since we've played a Full Member."Following their famous victory against Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup, Ireland lost their next two encounters when Pakistan visited the country in 2011. O'Brien said the he would not be overawed by having to face Saeed Ajmal, the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler. "We played against him two years ago and we know that he's obviously a tricky customer," he said. "[But] there are no specific plans for him, just go out and enjoy facing a great spinner. We'll have to give him the respect he deserves and try to score off as many balls as we can."The question of giving Ireland Test status is one that has been floating around for a while. According to O'Brien, the team still has some way to go before they can make the step up. "We're still a few years away from being a Test team. Bangladesh, when they were given full status, were probably dominating Associated cricket for 10 to 12 years. We've only been doing it for six or seven years," he said. "We don't have as big a pool of players as Bangladesh either."Cricket Ireland needs to put a few things in place in terms of first-class cricket and multi-day cricket in Ireland, and I think they're certainly going towards that. In the future, possibly in three of four more years, Ireland could be playing a Test match against Bangladesh."He empathised with scheduling issues facing the Full Member countries when it comes to accommodating Associates. "Bigger teams need to concentrate on Test series and one-day series that are already in place, and to add an extra two or three games on the tour to play us is really difficult. England have come over two or three times in the last couple of years and Pakistan had also come here in 2011. We're getting more and more opportunities."We'd obviously like more but we can't be too greedy. We just have to bide our time and when we do get a chance, perform well and get a few victories."O'Brien was also pleased about "definite" progress made by Associate nations over the last five or six years. "Afghanistan are a good side, as are Holland who are improving all the time. Then you have the likes of Scotland who are getting better and better with their young team. It's definitely getting more and more competitive at the Associate level and it's great to see."The two one-day internationals will be streamed live on YouTube - via the Cricket Ireland channel - after the board struck a deal with Google and Quipu TV to broadcast the game online. The matches were not going to be shown on television. However, the deal is unlikely to help fans in Pakistan were YouTube is banned.

From boom to bust for Daredevils

Ninth in a league of nine teams, a shocking result for a team that dominated the league stages last year. But their ranking is not entirely out of place when you look at Delhi Daredevils' standings across all six seasons. For the second time in three years they've finished at the bottom of the table, after being semi-finalists in 2008, 2009 and 2012. Much like a roller coaster at an amusement park, sharp dives always seem to be just around the corner for the team.What went rightIn a largely gloomy season, there were some bright spots. Daredevils halted their disastrous run of six straight losses in this season with a performance that revived memories of their dominance last year; Against Mumbai Indians, Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayawardene took advantage of some shoddy bowling to post a thumping nine-wicket win.They also had a pleasant outing at their 'adopted' home venue in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, winning both games there against Pune Warriors and Kolkata Knight Riders. The common contributing factor in both wins: David Warner.What went wrongKevin Pietersen's knee problem and the grevious assault on Jesse Ryder left Daredevils without two big-hitters but they suffered more on account of other injuries and inconsistency. Virender Sehwag missed a couple of games at the start due to back trouble, while Mahela Jayawardene, Umesh Yadav and Irfan Pathan were coming into the season after injury lay-offs.The sight of key players scratching around for runs and wickets didn't do much for their confidence. Morne Morkel struggled for form and the South African ended up with a bowling average of 47.85, the worst among bowlers (a minimum of 10 innings) in the league stage of the IPL. Umesh Yadav finished as the highest wicket-taker for Daredevils but also conceded 508 runs, the first bowler in the history of IPL to concede 500 runs in a single season.Their batting woes were just as exhaustive. The younger batsmen found themselves under pressure after Sehwag and Jayawardene ailed to get going and, apart from the occasional knock from Unmukt Chand and Warner, a collective failure took the wheels off their campaign.Daredevils may also have under-utilised their foreign signings in Johan Botha, Roelof van der Merwe and Ben Rohrer.Best playerIn the previous season, David Warner blasted 256 runs in eight matches. This season, by his T20standards, was a sedate one. With 410 runs in 16 matches at an average of 31.53, Warner was easily the best of the Daredevils' batsmen in spite of his own up-and-down form. He was expected to get Daredevils off to roaring starts but as they suffered loss after loss, he was bumped down to the middle order where he scored more than half his runs.Poor performerHaving led the team since the Champions League T20 last year, after Virender Sehwag steppeddown, Mahela Jayawardene was expected to guide the side through to the playoffs, at least. Things, however, went quite wrong for him as a batsman and a captain. An injury during a first-class game forced him out of Sri Lanka's series against Bangladesh, meaning he came into this tournament cold. He went on to score 331 at an average of 22.06, his runs coming at a poor strike rate of 105. 75. He also struggled as a captain, failing to inspire his team as they stumbled from one loss to another.Surprise packageBefore this season, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem had played 17 matches for Delhi Daredevilsin two years. This time, Nadeem and another young left-arm spinner, Pawan Negi, were the only specialist spinners in a squad filled with part-timers and allrounders. The highest wicket-taker for Jharkhand in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy, Nadeem carried his form into the IPL. Playing 12 out of Daredevils' 16 games, he picked up nine wickets at 28.77 (the average being second only to the experienced Ashish Nehra among the Daredevils bowlers who played 10 or more games) and kept the runs in check to finish with an economy rate of 5.88 - the best for the team.

England Women v Pakistan Women

England Women v Pakistan Women
1st July - 1st ODI at Louth CC, Lincolnshire 10.45am
3rd July - 2nd ODI at Loughborough University 10.45am - free entry, no ticket required
5th July - 1st & 2nd T20I at Loughborough University10.00am, 2.30pm - free entry, no ticket required
England Women v Australia 2013
11-14 August - Test match, Wormsley Cricket Ground
20 August - 1st ODI, Lord’s
23 August - 2nd ODI, The BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground, Hove
25 August - 3rd ODI, The BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground, Hove
27 August - 1st T20I The Ford County Ground, Chelmsford
29 August - 2nd T20I Ageas Bowl, Southampton
31 August - 3rd T20I Emirates Durham ICG

Narine stands tall amid the ruins

Seventh. After winning the title last year, marked by a celebratory open-top bus ride through their home city, Kolkata Knight Riders were happy with the squad they had, buying only two players at the auction this season - spinner Sachithra Senanayake and seamer Ryan McLaren. That confidence proved misplaced though, as their batting failed to fire, and the bowling support for Sunil Narine wasn't adequate. The defending champions struggled for consistency, and it wasn't till the final week of the league phase - when they had only a remote chance of qualifying - that they managed to string together two wins in a row.What went wrongWhat didn't? Right at the start of the tournament, Knight Riders were deprived of two important overseas players. Australia fast bowler James Pattinson, who has the sheer pace and hostility to scare most batsmen in the IPL, was ruled out due to an abdominal problem. Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder who could have been useful on the slow surfaces in Kolkata and added balance to the side with his batting contributions was unavailable due to the Zimbabwe tour.The batting was disastrous: Gautam Gambhir began brightly but eight of his final nine innings were scores under 15, Jacques Kallis plodded along at less than a run-a-ball, Yusuf Pathan showed traces of form towards the latter part of the tournament but didn't replicate the match-deciding form that he showed at Rajasthan Royals, and Manoj Tiwary had a disappointing season.The fast bowling was nothing to boast about either. Kallis had an acceptable season, but L Balaji leaked two runs more per over than he did last season, Brett Lee was a fringe performer and the pacy Shami Ahmed got surprisingly few opportunities.What went rightA topic under which there was slim pickings for Knight Riders. Their spin department, when they played Narine and Senanayake in tandem, rivalled the best in the competition. Otherwise the faithful at Eden Gardens had little to cheer about.Best playerKnight Riders' best investment over the last two seasons has been Sunil Narine, on whom they took a big punt in the 2012 auction though he was a little-known player. In his first year, Narine walked away with the Man-of-the-Series award; there was no second-season syndrome in 2013, nor was his mystery decoded as he remained a strong contender for the purple cap through much of the season. He was the only bowler to send down the full quota of 64 overs in the league phase, finishing with a bounty of 22 wickets and a tournament-leading economy-rate of 5.46 (min. 10 overs).Poor performerA wide selection to pick from, but in a tournament where young Indian batsmen are the most sought-after, Manoj Tiwary has struggled to make an impact. Much was expected from the chhota dada - the most high-profile player from Bengal - but he could only muster 146 runs in 10 matches as Knight Riders' middle order dithered.Tiwary had missed out a large chunk of the home domestic season with injury, and was left out of India's Champions Trophy squad. The IPL presented the perfect opportunity to convince the selectors of his limited-overs prowess, but he it is a chance he has wasted.Surprise packageAt the time of the auction, Sachithra Senanayake was just another of the many spinners trying toestablish themselves in the Sri Lankan side. It took virtually everyone by surprise when he was bought for a hefty $625,000 but he showed he was worth the money by emerging as Knight Riders' second-best bowler, constantly tricking batsmen with his variations. He played only half the matches this season, as Narine had already cornered one overseas spot, and playing two specialist imported spinners would hamper a squad needing cover in several other departments.

Daniel Vettori called up by New Zealand as Bruce Martin ruled out

But the 34-year-old may replace Bruce Martin, who will return home with a calf injury suffered in the first Test defeat at Lord's.Vettori in numbersDaniel VettoriStatistics include one Test for the ICC World XIAn Achilles tendon injury has prevented Vettori from playing Test cricket since July 2012.The second and final Test at Headingley starts on Friday.With 360 victims, the former captain is New Zealand's second highest Test wicket-taker and the most successful left-arm spinner in history.The return of a player who has scored 4,516 Test runs at an average of 30.10 would also bolster a side that were bowled out for 68 in the second innings at Lord's."Daniel's come over 24 hours earlier for us to have a chance to have a look at him," said New Zealand coach Mike Hesson."We won't risk Dan for the sake of a Test but, in saying that, it is an important Test match for us."We won't be pushing Dan if he's not ready but if he is we'd certainly love to have him."Vettori's most recent Test was the nine-wicket defeat by West Indies  in Antigua almost a year ago, and his only international cricket since was at the World Twenty20 in October.He returned to action for domestic side Northern Districts  in March before travelling to the Indian Premier League, where he failed to make an appearance for Royal Challengers Bangalore.New Zealand tourNew Zealand also play in the Champions Trophy from 6-23 JuneShould he line up at Headingley, Vettori will become New Zealand's most-capped player. He and Stephen Fleming share the record of 111 Tests for New Zealand, but Vettori also made one appearance for the ICC World XI."He's done plenty of bowling in the last couple of months in the IPL, albeit in the nets," added Hesson. "It's a matter of whether we think he's going to be able to get through five days of a Test match."The tourists also have concerns over wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who suffered a knee injury at Lord's.He will be monitored ahead of Headingley, with Tom Latham his likely replacement.However, if NewZealand opt to strengthen their batting, Martin Guptill could play and captain Brendon McCullum take the gloves.McCullum took over from Watling during the first Test, but has not kept in a full Test since 2010. 16-20 May: 1st Test, Lord's - England won by 170 runs
24-28 May: 2nd Test, Headingley
31 May: 1st ODI, Lord's
2 June: 2nd ODI, Southampton
5 June: 3rd ODI, Trent Bridge
25 June: 1st T20, The Oval
27 June: 2nd T20, The Oval

Kevin Pietersen still a doubt for Ashes series against Australia

England batsman Kevin Pietersen is still not sure he will be fully recovered from his knee injury in time to face Australia this summer.Pietersen, 32, suffered bruising on the bone in New Zealand and has not played since the second Test in March.Continue reading the main story“Until he knows he can run around and it doesn't flare up, he can't have an answer”England bowling coach David SakerHe will miss the Champions Trophy but was set to be back by mid-June ahead of the first Ashes Test on 10 July."He was really excited about the Ashes, but he said he is still not sure," said England bowling coach David Saker."I just asked him if he thought he would be all right and he said he thinks he will. It was probably the only answer he could give. He doesn't know."Until he knows he can run around and it doesn't flare up, he can't have an answer on that. He hopes he will be ready."England beat New Zealand by 170 runs in the first Test at Lord's with Stuart Broad taking 7-44 and Joe Root top-scoring with 71.Following the home New Zealand series, England host the Champions Trophy tournament from 6-23 June and then compete in a five-Test Ashes series against Australia, beginning at Trent Bridge.England then travel to Australia for another Ashes series, which runs from 21 November until 7 January 2014.

Monty's haul, and keeper-captains

Is it true that Monty Panesar was the only bowler to take 100 wickets in 2012? asked Aaron Chaim DavidIt is true, if what you're talking about is first-class wickets. Monty Panesar took 102 in first-class matches in the calendar year of 2012, with 53 of them for Sussex and 33 in six Tests for England. Next overall was the South African fast bowler Vernon Philander with 85, and then a pair of offspinners - New Zealand's Jeetan Patel (82) and Graeme Swann of England (81). The leading Test wicket-taker was Rangana Herath of Sri Lanka, with 60.Both captains in the recent Zimbabwe-Bangladesh one-day internationals were also the wicketkeepers. Has this happened many times before in ODIs? How about in Test matches? asked Mike from CanadaThose matches in Zimbabwe provided the 36th, 37th and 38th instances of both captains in a one-day international being wicketkeepers (Brendan Taylor and Mushfiqur Rahim in this case). Of the previous instances, 14 involved matches between India and Sri Lanka, captained by MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara (Dhoni also captained twice against Adam Gilchrist, and once against Mushfiqur Rahim; Sangakkara once opposed Canada's Ashish Bagai). The double keeper-captain scenario is much rarer in Tests: it has only happened five times, twice in the New Zealand-Zimbabwe series of 1995-96 (Lee Germon and Andy Flower), in a match between South Africa and Bangladesh in East London in 2002-03 (Mark Boucher and Khaled Mashud), and in both Tests of the 2002-03 Bangladesh-West Indies series (Khaled Mashud and Ridley Jacobs). There have also been 14 cases of both captains in a Twenty20 international keeping wicket, two of them in the recent Zimbabwe-Bangladesh series. Brendan Taylor did not keep in the two Tests against Bangladesh.Which player has made the most appearances in Tests at Lord's? asked Hemant Kher from the United StatesGraham Gooch tops this list, with 21 appearances in Tests at Lord's, just ahead of Alec Stewart (20) and Andrew Strauss (18). One person who may well go past him in a few years' time is Alastair Cook: the match against New Zealand that has just concluded was his 15th Lord's Test. The most appearances by an overseas player at Lord's is nine, by Australia's Syd Gregory, who toured England eight times between 1890 and 1912. He was captain on that last tour, for the Triangular Tournament which also included a Test against South Africa at Lord's. Gooch also leads the way for Test run scorers at Lord's, with 2015, well ahead of Strauss with 1562.Was Don Bradman ever dropped by Australia for any reason? asked James Charlton from SydneyThe Don was only ever dropped once - by any side, in his whole career. It came after his underwhelming Test debut, in Brisbane in 1928-29, in which he scored 18 and 1 and Australia lost by the little matter of 675 runs. Bradman was made 12th man for the second Test, in Sydney - I've seen a photograph of him carrying the drinks. He was recalled for the third Test in Melbourne, scored 79 and 112... and the only people to drop him after that were agonised fielders.Which Test cricket ground is named after an Olympic gold medallist? asked Ashok Rajamani from the United StatesI think the only ground that fits the bill here is the KD Singh "Babu" Stadium in Lucknow, which staged India's Test match against Sri Lanka in 1993-94. It has also hosted a solitary one-day international, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the multi-nation Nehru Cup in 1989-90. There have also been four women's Tests and four women's ODIs on the ground. KD Singh was an Indian hockey legend who won Olympic gold medals in 1948 and in 1952, when he was the captain. There was also a Test between India and Pakistan at Lucknow in 1952-53 - it was only Pakistan's second official Test, and provided them with their first victory - but that was at a different ground, at Lucknow University.One of my friends says a cricketer named Nelson Mandela has recently played international cricket. Is this true? asked Debapriya Chakraborty from India
The man in question is the Kenya fast bowler Nelson Mandela Odhiambo, who has played nine limited-overs internationals, most recently a Twenty20 game against Canada in Dubai in March 2013. Odhiambo is the nephew of the long-serving Kenya allrounder Thomas Odoyo, and opened the bowling with his uncle in two one-day internationals in the Netherlands in July 2010. Nelson has also taken the new ball for Kenya with the unrelated Nehemiah Odhiambo - who, confusingly, himself has three brothers who have also played for Kenya (James and Shem Ngoche, and Lameck Onyango).

England v New Zealand: Ian Bell fit for second Test at Headingley

Ian Bell has been passed fit for England's second Test with New Zealand at Headingley, starting on Friday.The Warwickshire batsman, who suffered a bout of tonsillitis during the first Test victory at Lord's, is included in an unchanged 12-man squad.Yorkshire players Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root are both hopeful of playing their first Test on their home ground.Key man in the middle orde.Only Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott have a better batting average than Ian Bell in the England squad for the second Test. The 31-year-old has scored 5,889 runs in his 87 Tests at an average of 46."We need to produce another strong performance to secure a series win," said England selector Geoff Miller.Bell spent the majority of England's 170-run victory off the field with illness following a first-innings 31 on the opening day, and batted at number eight in the second innings.Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan is hoping to play his first Test since undergoing elbow surgery last winter, and he will be competing with Middlesex paceman Steven Finn for a place in the bowling attack.Miller believes there is still plenty for England players to work on as they seek to wrap up the two-Test series."It was pleasing to start the international summer with a win over New Zealand in the first Test," Miller added."I thought the team showed a lot of fighting spirit when under pressure to set up the victory."We are aware there are still areas that we need to improve on, and the players and coaches will be working hard before the second Test to ensure we continue to get better as a side."New Zealand showed again that they are a dangerous side."England squad for second Test : Alastair Cook (Essex, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Nick Compton (Somerset), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Matt Prior (Sussex, wk), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire).

Women's Ashes 2013 decided by all three formats

Women's Ashes Series
11-14 August: Only Test, Wormsley
20 August: 1st ODI, Lord's
23 August: 2nd ODI, Hove
25 August: 3rd ODI, Hove
27 August: 1st T20, Chelmsford
29 August: 2nd T20, Southampton
31 August: 3rd T20, Chester-le-Street
The England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia have announced that August's Women's Ashes will be decided by playing all three formats.The highest points total after one Test, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s will win the Ashes.Six points will be awarded for the winners of the Test in Wormsley from 11-14 August, with two points for each side in the event of a draw.The limited-overs games which follow will see two points for a win.The final two T20 internationals, at Southampton and Chester-le-Street, will be played before the men's T20 internationals between England andAustralia.Australia are the holders of the Ashes after winning a one-off Test match in Sydney in January, 2011.Head of England women's cricket, Clare Connor said: "We believe that this new multi-format series will gain significantly more profile and context than can be generated by playing a one-off Test match every couple of years."Cricket Australia's Belinda Clark said: "Cricket contests between Australia and England have a special place in the hearts and minds of players and the public."The new Women's Ashes series format acknowledges the past, embraces the present and takes a bold step towards the future."

The most complete fast bowler I've seen'

Wasim Akram? When I first saw him was in the 1992 World Cup... I think that between him and myself, [we] probably ended up bowling the most number of wides in the whole competition but what struck me most about Wasim was his presence. And he was pretty, pretty swift at that stage... I think his greatest attribute was the way he swung the ball and how late he swung the ball. But having played against Wasim before that... and some of the Australian guys I [had] spoken to... especially Ian Healy said he was incredibly... he had a immense presence but he also had an immense presence in... in... in the area as I would call in the hot zone. And when I played against Wasim and I faced him for the first time in Pakistan, I found out how relentless he is...And he bowled me a bouncer that hit me square on the side of my head which was... well, which was painful to say the least but the way he handled that, the way he came back in his second innings... And he bowled a spell that I'd probably never forget - in Manchester where he bowled really, really quick at me playing for Lancashire. And I think he nicked me off and the ball carried miles to the 'keeper. I just... everything about Wasim Akram was relentless... he swung the ball both ways. I think his greatest asset was... for me made him the ultimate bowler that he was... was being able to swing the ball when it was reversing both ways. He was the bowler for me that you could not tell which way it was swinging, you could not know what he was up to because he did it over the wicket and around the wicket and that to any batsman in the world was the most intimidating factor. And growing up in Pakistan on those really tough wickets, flat wickets, reversing the ball was their greatest skill and I think that that's for me why Wasim Akram was, I would say, the most complete quick bowler that I've ever come across and ever watched.Gary Kirsten would be one of those who can testify for that because not only did he use the crease so smartly when he was coming over the wicket with the new ball, he found him very tough to line up because he swung the ball so late. I think that his stock delivery - swinging the ball out to the lefties - was a tough line to cover because he swung it from about middle and off stump and he'd use his in-swinger with the new ball very, very smartly because you just never knew when that was coming... and he'd drag you across the crease for some time. But also if anyone had probably one of the best bouncers in the game, it was him. There is no question about it... and that's why he would be my No. 1 most complete fast bowler that I've ever played against and watched.

Anderson 'most skilful in world' - Saker

James Anderson's dismissal of Dean Brownlie was a high-class display of inswing and outswing © Getty Images.Saker has made extravagant claims over the strength of England's bowling before. Almost exactly a year ago, he suggested the England attack was "as good as" the Australian attack of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, et al. but, on this occasion, he admitted there was room for improvement from the England unit. Steven Finn, who is struggling for rhythm, is a particular concern for Saker at present."He probably isn't bowling as well as he could, but he's getting wickets," Saker said. "He's got that knack of getting wickets. He's got the pace. We're just working on a few little things but I'm sure he'll be all right and confident by Leeds."In the first 13 or 14 overs in the first innings we were good, but then we went away from what we knew was going to work. We bowled too short and we got cut quite often. It was the one easy scoring shot to play in the game. There's no trick in cricket: if you bowl a ball that's going to hit the stumps, it puts the batter under pressure. We did that really well on the third morning and in the second innings."Saker expressed admiration for the New Zealand team, too, but suggested that their impressive performance in the series between the countries in New Zealand may have contributed to England producing a much-improved showing at Lord's. Having bowled them out for just 68 in the second innings, though, Saker feared the tourists may struggle to recover their confidence before the second Test starts in Leeds on Friday."The one thing we've learned in recent months is that New Zealand are a bloody good cricket team," Saker said. "They've competed extremely well against us and we've found it really hard to get them out. And their bowlers have been as good as any bowling attack. They've been so disciplined. I think we were all surprised how good they were in New Zealand. So we had a real steely look about us as we're so impressed by the way they've played."But it can definitely hurt you being bowled out for 68. When the ball moves, we have a lot of teams' measures. We've some good skilful bowlers. Some days in England it is very tough to bat and now we have a chance to keep kicking them."

David Saker has hailed James Anderson as "the most skilful bowler in the world" following his performance in the first Test of the series against New Zealand at Lord's.Anderson claimed the 13th five-wicket haul of his Test career in the first innings to become just the fourth England bowler to take 300 Test wickets. Now Saker, England's bowling coach, believes that Anderson has every chance of becoming the first to reach 400.While Saker accepted that Anderson lacks the pace of South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, he believes Anderson's desire for continual self-improvement has helped him develop into one of the top seam-and-swing bowlers in world cricket, with a rare ability to swing the ball both ways from a well-disguised action."To me, he is the most skilful fast bowler in the world," Saker said. "I know Dale Steyn is an outstanding bowler, but when you watch the way Jimmy goes about things, he has more skills in his locker. Steyn might be a little quicker but watch Anderson deliver those skills and it's just mind-blowing. When he gets it right, there's no more skilful bowler in the world."Jimmy keeps getting better. I don't know whether his figures say that, but he's the one player I've coached that is never satisfied with what he's got. For him it would be easy to be satisfied because he has so many skills, but he keeps working on things in training. I've never met a guy as good as him who keeps wanting to get better."I remember watching him as a supporter of the Australian team. He could swing the ball but you could always get a four off him. Now it's really hard to get runs off him. He's very rarely cut. He has excellent control and he always tests the batsman. He's a class bowler."He has a body that can play for a lot longer, too. We hope he can go beyond 400 wickets and become England's greatest wicket-taker. He has a really nice action, he's a seasoned campaigner and he knows how to manage his body. We hope he can stay on the park for another five or six years."Saker was almost equally effusive about Stuart Broad. It was Broad who produced the match-clinching performance in the final innings against New Zealand, taking his Test-best figures of 7 for 44 and, though Saker admitted Broad lacked the consistency to be categorised as a great bowler, he suggested such a scenario was possible in the future."When he gets everything right, there aren't many better in the world," Saker said. "We'll be talking about that spell for a long time. It's as good a spell as you'll ever see anywhere. He has days where he just tears teams apart and he did it again there."The one thing that stands out from the greats to the very good is the greats are consistent. Stuart still has things to learn about bowling. But in my book he's still getting better every time and he's learning a lot from having some down times. He's come back bigger and better from some down times in India. Those things happen. There are a lot of bowlers who have gone through times which are a bit tough."James Anderson chipped in with the wicket of Dean Brownlie, England v New Zealand, 1st Investec Test, Lord's, 4th day, May 19, 2013

Royals to slap charges against players, BCCI sets up probe panel

Chennai : Rajasthan Royals will file a police complaint against its three players arrested for spot fixing while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) set up a panel to probe the scandal, board president N. Srinivasan announced here Sunday.Royals to slap charges against players, BCCI sets up probe panel At its emergency working committee meeting convened here in the wake of the spot fixing scandal, the BCCI also decided that agents of all players will now need to be accredited with the board while a BCCI Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) official, along with a security officer, will be assigned to each Indian Premier League (IPL) team for its regulation.S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, all playing for the Rajasthan Royals, were arrested in Mumbai late Wednesday night by Delhi Police for alleged spot fixing.“We invited the Rajasthan Royals management (to the meeting). We were informed by the management that they intend to file a police complaint against the players,” Srinivasan said. The franchise was represented by co-owner Manoj Badale.The three players, now suspended by the BCCI, have been charged under section 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Fifteen people have been arrested since the controversy broke out. They include three bookies – Sunil Bhatia, Kiran Dole and Manish Gudewa – arrested from Aurangabad Sunday.Among those attending the BCCI meeting were Ravi Shastri (IPL technical committee representative) and board secretary Sanjay Jagdale while IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, IPL governing council member Arun Jaitley and BCCI technical committee head Anil Kumble joined through video-conference.As for the inquiry, Srinivasan said that BCCI ACSU’s chief Ravi Sawani has been appointed commissioner of the probe panel.“Ravi Sawani has been appointed the commissioner to inquire into allegations against these players. His report will be submitted to the BCCI disciplinary committee in quick time. We won’t hesitate to act ruthlessly if the players are found guilty.”The board president added: “The committee also decided that all player agents have to be accredited with the BCCI. An ACSU official will travel with the team along with a security officer. Access to players will be monitored closely.”When asked at the press conference, held after the meeting, regarding the growing corruption, the BCCI chief conceded that the board was handicapped in these matters with limited resources.“The anti-corruption units of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and BCCI have got certain limitations. They cannot gather information like police can. They can’t tap phones. They have got a lot of restrictions. We must look at how individuals have made a mistake. We cannot control every bookie in the town,” he said.He also thanked the fans for turning up at stadia in large numbers despite the controversy.“For the last three-four days, there have been BCCI bashing and IPL bashing has taken place as if the whole world has fallen down. Only three players have allegedly done something. It doesn’t mean the whole IPL is bad. We are very grateful to the public that has sold out grounds despite the news.”

Another arrest in IPL spot fixing case

New Delhi   : Former Ranji player Baburao Yadav is the latest to be arrested for spot fixing in the Indian Premier League, Delhi Police said Tuesday.Yadav was arrested late Monday. He was the person who had introduced Rajasthan Royals cricketer Ajit Chandila to bookie Sunil Bhatia, who is already in custody, a police official said.This takes the total number of arrests in the case to 16.Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Chandila as well as 11 bookies have been arrested for alleged spot fixing. They were Thursday sent to five days police custody by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma.They will be presented in court Tuesday and police is likely to seek extension of the custody, sources said.

Qualifier 1 : Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians : Live Score Updates

Delhi : Chennai Super Kings will play match against Mumbai Indian in the Indian Premier League today here at The Ferozshah Kotla  Stadium.Winner of match will be directly qualified to Final while loser will play match against winner of eliminator match between Rajasthan Royals an Sunrisers Hyderabad.Chennai Super Kings Team : MEK Hussey, M Vijay, SK Raina, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni, DJ Bravo, RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, CH Morris, JO Holder, MM Sharma, JA Morkel, WP Saha, DP Nannes, SB JakatiMumbai Indians Team : SR Tendulkar, AP Tare, KD Karthik, RG Sharma, AT Rayudu, KA Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, MG Johnson, SL Malinga, PP Ojha, DS Kulkarni, DR Smith, GJ Maxwell

19 May 2013 8 PM:Sunrisers beat KKR, storm into IPL play-offs

Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets to storm into the play-offs of the sixth Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium Sunday night.The home side achieved the 131 target with the loss of five wickets with seven balls to spare, but not before some anxious moments.Requiring 15 off last two overs, Darren Sammy hit Abdullah for two consecutive sixes to seal the match, much to the delight of the over 32,000 crowd. Sunrisers’ openers had scored 89 in 12th over and were looking set for a comprehensive win when loss of five wickets with the addition of just 22 runs in six overs made things suddenly difficult for them. Sammy’s hits, however, provided relief.Earlier, Sunrisers made a brisk start with openers Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhawan. Patel struck two consecutive boundaries in the second over bowled by Pradeep Sangwan, who was playing only the second match of this season.The wicket-keeper batsman then welcomed Sunil Narine with a boundary and hit two boundaries in a row to Yousuf Pathan in the next over.Till then all six boundaries came from Patel’s willow. An aggressive Dhawan also began to open up, hitting Pathan over the fence. That over from Pathan, sixth of the inning, went for 15 runs.The openers laid a solid foundation by scoring 45 in the first six overs.Dhawan jumped high and hit a bouncer from Kallis over covers for a delightful six. The southpaw sent the next delivery for a boundary through extra-cover. There was no stopping this 27-year-old as he blasted two more boundaries in the next over bowled by Shami Ahmed.It suddenly looked a different track from the one where KKR struggled for runs. With 74 for no loss in nine overs, the match was almost over.However, there was twist in the tale. The 89-run opening partnership was broken when Iqbal Abdullah trapped Dhawan (42 off 35 balls,3×4, 2×6) before the stumps.Abdullah gave KKR another breakthrough by sending back Patel (47 off 37 balls, 7×4) in the 14th over. Skipper Cameron White (2 of 4) was run out in the next over.Abdullah claimed another wicket when Hanuma Vihari (6 off 13) was caught while trying to slog him over point. Three wickets in three overs put pressure on the home side.Narine added more pressure by bowling a maiden over, his last and 17th of the inning. Shami Ahmed bowled Perera in the next over to heighten the home side’s anxiety. There was some relief when Biplab Samantray hit Shami to a boundary on the very first ball he faced. In the 19th over bowled by Abdullah, Sammy sealed the match for the home team.Earlier, electing to bat after winning the toss, KKR scored 130 for seven in 20 overs, thanks mainly to Pathan’s 49 not out off 29 deliveries.Bowling with perfect line and length once again, the Sunrisers bowlers did not allow KKR batsmen to free their arms. It was only Pathan who played some confident shots in his brisk knock which included three fours and three hits over the fence. The other notable contribution was made by Jacques Kallis (24 off 29 balls)Thisara Perera drew the first blood for Sunrisers when Manvinder Bisla (15 off 17 balls) tried to loft him over mid-wicket and a top edge landed in the safe hands of Cameron White, leaving the visitors at 25 for one in fifth over.Gautam Gambhir (10 off 17) failed once again. He started running immediately after a cut shot towards point and after reaching half way through realized that Kallis did not want the run. He tried to return but it was too late.Karan Sharma gave another breakthrough in the 11th over when Eoin Morgan, who survived loud LBW appeals facing the same bowler earlier, was found plumb in front of the wicket as he missed the ball while trying to go for a big hit.Pathan then joined Kallis to steer the innings. The experienced batsmen kept the score board ticking with singles and occasional boundaries. They added 30 runs for the fourth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.Dale Steyn struck on the first ball of his second spell and the 16th over of the inning to remove his compatriot Kallis, who tried to loft him but found Dhawan at deep square-leg. Kallis struck two boundaries in his knock of 24 off 29 deliveries.Ten Doeschate (1 off 5) went cheaply when Amit Sharma trapped him in front of the wicket. Steyn dealt another blow by sending back Paras Dogra (5 off 8), who was playing his first match.Steyn was once again pick of the bowlers with two for 24. Anand Rajan, playing his only second match this season and coming in for Ishant Sharma, claimed one for 22. Perera, Amit Mishra and Karan Sharma bagged a wicket each.

Big boys kick off big week

After 72 league matches - mismatches, in some cases - we're into the final week of the IPL. The most important week. The week Chennai Super Kings have negotiated five times previously, with more success than failure; they're the only team to progress past the league stage in every edition of the IPL so far, losing once in the semis, finishing runners-up twice (including last year), and winning the title in 2010 and 2011. Of the 10 playoff matches they've contested, they've won seven. They will go into the first qualifier knowing just how to win these big games, and with the cushion of having a second chance at making the final should they need it - both huge pluses.But, in Mumbai Indians, Super Kings face the only IPL line-up that is arguably even stronger than their own. While the two teams match-up on the batting front - both in terms of proven performers and power-hitting - Mumbai hold the clear edge in the bowling department. This season, especially, Mumbai's bowlers have been lethal as a unit (as opposed to Lasith Malinga being the single biggest threat), with Mitchell Johnson swinging it at pace, Harbhajan Singh striking consistently while being economical, and Pragyan Ojha and Dhawal Kulkarni providing reliable support. They've already demolished Super Kings' line-up once this season, rolling them for 79 - the tournament's lowest total - at the Wankhede.Both teams are coming off losses after seemingly letting their guard down in inconsequential matches, but before being tripped up in Dharamsala Mumbai had five comfortable wins in a row. Super Kings, on the other hand, have an up-and-down record of late after posting an record-equalling seven consecutive IPL victories earlier in the tournament. That has prompted talk of them having peaked too early.Both teams have injury concerns to key players: Albie Morkel and Sachin Tendulkar. If Morkel is fit, he is likely to slot in as one of three overseas seam-bowling allrounders for Super Kings. If Tendulkar is fit, Mumbai will have to take a tough call - his replacement, Aditya Tare, has made two handy contributions, scoring rapidly as opener for a team that has got off to slow starts more often than not. Ambati Rayudu, who has 196 runs in 16 matches at 17.81, could be the one to miss out.

19 May 2013 4 PM : Pune pummel Delhi, avoid wooden spoon

Pune : Delhi Daredevils, who topped the league standings in the last Indian Premier League, finished last this season after losing to Pune Warriors at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here Sunday.Delhi fell 38 runs short of Pune’s 172 for five, ending at 134 for nine. The home side skipper Aaron Finch slammed 52 runs off 34 balls while left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza and all-rounder Angelo Matthews snapped up three wickets each.With this match, a sorry season came to an end for both teams. Pune could win only four of their 16 matches while Delhi ended up on the right side only thrice.The hosts had the match in the bag when Delhi lost half their side for 64 runs in the 10th over.Virender Sehwag (11) was a disappointment once again and David Warner, who opened the batting with Mahela Jayawardene, departed early.A handy 54-run stand between Irfan Pathan (24) and Muralideren Gautham (30) saved Delhi the embarrassment.Earlier, Finch delivered at the top, smashing four sixes and three fours.Luke Wright (44 off 23) and Angelo Matthews (30 not out off 22) fired towards the end, blasting 71 off 37 balls.The result was a welcome one for Pune, who got the wooden spoon in 2012.

Broad's best secures crushing win

In a destructive spell of pace bowling, Stuart Broad blew away New Zealand with career-best figures of 7 for 44 as England surged to a 170-run victory at Lord's. A Test that had begun at a cautious pace hurtled to a conclusion less than hour after lunch on the fourth day with New Zealand dismantled for 68.Broad took the first five of his wickets in 5.4 overs before lunch to crush New Zealand's hopes that would have been reasonably high just an hour earlier after Tim Southee, with just the second ten-wicket haul by a New Zealander at Lord's, had instigated another collapse, England losing their last eight wickets for 54 dating back to Joe Root's dismissal on the third evening. Yet, to show that days of hard work can be undone in the blink of eye, they went to lunch six down having lost their captain, Brendon McCullum, on the stroke of the break to give Broad his eighth five-wicket haul and remove their last hope of making a dent in the target.History was still weighted against New Zealand at the beginning of their pursuit of 239. Only two sides had chased more to win at Lord's: West Indies against England in 1984 and England against New Zealand in 2004. Still, with the sun peeping through and the day a touch warmer they might have been expected to get closer than they did.Instead, Broad produced one of the eye-popping bursts that have been dotted through his Test career and which make it all the more exasperating when he appears to divert from the full length that makes him such a threat. The only wicket he took with a short ball was when Southee dimly pulled to deep square-leg. When he bowled Bruce Martin, who was suffering a calf strain that could end his tour, he had his second haul of seven at Lord's following his previous career-best against West Indies last year.For the first time since 1936, England had just two men bowl unchanged through a completed all-out innings, although Broad and James Anderson did not quite share all ten wickets. The last fell to a chaotic run out after one of the substitute fielders, Adam Dobb, had not quite been able to gather a top-edged hook from Neil Wagner, who then ended up in the middle of the pitch. It was New Zealand's sixth-lowest total against England.After bringing some solidity back to their batting, this was a reprise of the efforts that haunted New Zealand on the tour of South Africa. Peter Fulton played a big hand in his demise when he fiddled outside off to a delivery he should have left alone, completing a match that made his twin hundreds in Auckland feel a lifetime ago. Hamish Rutherford, though, could do little about the ball he received, which seamed away off middle and extracted the off stump.Two deliveries later Broad added another, the key wicket of Ross Taylor, whose aggressive approach knocked England off their stride in the first innings, with a ball that seamed away and was edged low to first slip where Alastair Cook took an excellent catch. Like Fulton, Taylor may consider that he did not need to play but the early adrenalin of an innings can be difficult to control.Broad's next success came in slightly more unconventional fashion for an opening bowler against the top order when Kane Williamson, the epitome of technical correctness and calmness, drove a fierce catch to catch to extra cover, which knocked Steven Finn off his feet.Anderson compounded New Zealand's problems by producing one of the dismissals of the match. After hooping a delivery viciously back between Dean Brownlie's bat and pad - unplayable was a term not out of place - he then made the next delivery hold its line outside off stump and the batsman edged to first slip. McCullum tried to make a statement by not resisting his shots but was taken on the pad; he used the DRS - he had to - but the impact was just in line with off stump.The final outcome was tremendously tough on Southee, whose six second-innings wickets had come in the space of 52 balls from late on the third day and placed him alongside Dion Nash on the ten-wickets honours board. In a hint of what was to follow over the next three hours, Finn (who would never have believed he would not be needed with the ball) edged the fifth ball of the day into the slips to begin a procession of 14 batsmen falling for 101.Southee's five-wicket haul came when Ian Bell, still suffering from tonsillitis, edged loosely to third slip but his personal success will be scant consolation after what followed.

Injured Martin ruled out of

Bruce Martin, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, will miss the rest of the England tour as a result of a calf injury he sustained during the first Test at Lord's which means Daniel Vettori could return to the Test side for the first time in 10 months. Neither Martin or wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who New Zealand remain "hopeful" will play the second Test, took the field on the fourth day during England's second innings, although both batted as the tourists were dismissed for 68 to lose by 170 runs.Vettori will arrive a day ahead of the rest of the ODI squad as a potential replacement for Martin for the second Test at Headingley, which begins on Friday. Vettori has been at the IPL but did not play a single game for Bangalore Royal Challengers and his fitness will be assessed. Jeetan Patel, the offspinner currently playing county cricket for Warwickshire, is another option for New Zealand.The morning after New Zealand were humbled, the coach Mike Hesson was left to assess the injury situation. "Daniel's come over 24 hours earlier for us to have a chance to have a look at him," he said. "We won't be pushing Dan if he's not ready but if he is we'd certainly love to have him."
"He's done plenty of bowling in the last couple of months in the IPL, albeit in the nets. He's got through plenty of work. But it's a matter of whether we think he's going to be able to get through five days of a test match. We won't risk Dan for the sake of a test. But in saying that it is an important Test for us."Vettori's previous Test appearance came on the tour of the Caribbean last July since when he has suffered a string of injuries - the most serious being an Achilles problem - with his only international outings being at last year's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.No wicketkeeping back-up has been requested for Watling, with Tom Latham an option within the squad. Brendon McCullum took the gloves at Lord's, although he has not kept wicket in a full Test since 2010 and already has plenty of responsibilities as captain and batsman. Watling was not selected for the ODI leg of the tour, in which Luke Ronchi, the former Australia wicketkeeper, is expected to make his New Zealand debut but Hesson said that Ronchi was unlikely to feature at Headingley.

IPL 2013 steps up ACSU security for top-four team

The IPL has stepped up security for the four teams remaining in the tournament by providing them officers from its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), following up a decision taken at Sunday's BCCI working committee meeting. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, who reached Delhi on Sunday for the first qualifier to be played on Tuesday, were allotted an officer each on Monday morning. The other two teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, who are set to arrive in Delhi on Tuesday, have also been allotted their respective officers."We have been told that the officer will stay with the team, travel with us and will work with the team security in-charge," a franchise official said.The BCCI's decision followed the arrest by the Delhi Police of three Rajasthan Royals players - Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - last week on allegations of spot-fixing. Their police custody ends on Monday evening and while the players' lawyers have announced their plan to move for bail, the Delhi Police are likely to apply for extension of the custody.ACSU chief Ravi Sawani, who is also heading the commission of inquiry into the allegations against the three players, met senior Delhi police officials on Monday. "I had a very useful meeting with the Delhi Commissioner of Police," he said after the meeting. "The BCCI has assured him of cooperation in the case. I also told him of Rajasthan Royals' intention to file an FIR in the case."The commissioner, Neeraj Kumar, told Times Now after the meeting that Sawani had asked the police to share information, which Kumar said it would so with court permission.Kumar also said the Royals management had informed the police of their intention to file a case but were yet to do so. "When they do, their complaint can be part of our investigation or a separate case. It's more likely to be the first," Kumar said.Meanwhile, a public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the four remaining IPL matches and an investigation into spot-fixing and other alleged irregularities. The petition, by Lucknow resident Sudarsh Awasthi, has made all IPL franchises and the BCCI party in the case, along with the federal government.

England v NZ, 1st Investec Test, Lord's, 4th day Mercurial Broad proves class again

He may be inconsistent and he may be infuriating but there is no doubt that, when the mood takes him, Stuart Broad is a terrific bowler. In front of a large crowd at Lord's, with a Test in the balance, he produced a devastating display of fast bowling that sealed his side's first victory of the year. He later agreed it was the best spell of his career to date.Perhaps there is something of the far-from-flat-track bully about Broad. Certainly there were times in India and against South Africa last year when he seemed to go missing in action, when, with the pitch looking flat and the batsmen on top, he appeared to wither in the heat of battle. Times when James Anderson carried too heavy a burden of leading the attack. Great bowlers deliver in those circumstances. As yet, Broad does not belong in that category.But when Broad bowls like this - and here he displayed pace, persistence, control and swing - he is an irrepressible force. Maintaining an immaculate length, he lookedunrecognisable from the lacklustre first-innings Broad impersonator, relishing the helpful conditions and vulnerable prey. It was a great spell.Broad's partnership with Anderson was devastating. So tight was their control, so adept were they at moving the ball in either direction and so helpful were the conditions that it revived memories of some of England's better fast bowling partnerships of the recent past: Botham and Willis; Caddick and Gough; Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Jones.Some of New Zealand's batting was tentative and flimsy, certainly, but a couple of players - notably Dean Brownlie and Hamish Rutherford - can console themselves with the knowledge that they received deliveries that were close to unplayable. Alastair Cook rated Anderson and Broad's bowling in the first hour of the New Zealand second inning s "as good as I've seen in an opening spell".Brendon McCullum agreed. "Broad's spell of bowling was high class," he said. "He swung the ball beautifully, he was able to get the odd ball to hold its line up the slope and his lengths were impeccable. He bowled at a reasonable pace as well. We weren't quite able to work out a way to get through him. So there is partial blame from our point of view but also credit to Stuart for his performance."Alastair Cook's press conferenceBroad has now claimed two five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests but the search for consistency goes on. Circumstances will not often align so nicely for him as they did here and questions remain about his potency on the flattest wickets. But if that sounds a harsh analysis it is only because, with such spells, Broad shows he has all the attributes to be a special bowler. He to whom much is given much is expected. And Broad has been given plenty.Unlocking the full potential of Broad must be a key objective for England's management team. But perhaps there was a clue to the secret in his comments following the game that he had taken confidence from his batting earlier in the day. Broad has reached 30 only once in his last 20 Test innings but, coming to the crease with England's lead still appearing fragile, he thumped four boundaries in a run-a-ball 26 that constituted the highest individual score of the day.
"Once I got to 20 I got a bit of nosebleed," he said. "I think that gave me a bit of confidence with the ball. That can happen with guys who do both things. Hopefully I can do it a bit more consistently this summer."What conclusions can we draw from such a statement? Perhaps that, while there is a perception from some that Broad is sometimes a little self-satisfied and lazy - a perception that owes more to the presumption of observers than any factual evidence - it may well be that he is actually lacking the reserves of self-confidence that have proved so valuable to players as varied as Shane Warne, Viv Richards and Kevin Pietersen. Perhaps Broad needs to believe how good he can be to deliver more consistently on his substantial promise.It is encouraging that, aged 26, he continues to look to improve. His delivery to bowl Rutherford, the ball moving up the Lord's slope to take the left-hander's off stump, was a beauty and the product of recent hard work. "It's something I worked on in New Zealand and since coming back," he said. "With Hamish you can't give any width. He thrives on that. So I wanted to pitch it on the stumps and run it across him; it was quite hard to run it up the hill but it nipped up there."I had confidence going into the day knowing, if I got the ball up there, there was enough in the wicket to help the bowlers out. I just hit my straps right away and felt in a nice rhythm" Stuart Broad on his 7 for 44"It's about rhythm as a bowler. I felt my stride pattern has been pretty good through the start of the summer. I didn't get enough balls in the right area in the first innings, but I felt in decent rhythm. So I had confidence going into the day knowing, if I got the ball up there, there was enough in the wicket to help the bowlers out. I just hit my straps right away and felt in a nice rhythm. As a partnership we built pressure, we didn't give them anything and we were rewarded with the wickets."While it is the bowlers who will gain the plaudits, it is also worth reflecting on the contribution of a couple of England batsmen. Many players can plunder runs when the sun shines and the pitch is flat, but it is in low-scoring encounters that true class shines through. Here, Joe Root (with 111 runs in the match) and Jonathan Trott (with 95) contributed 206 runs between them and, from the moment they were parted in the second innings, 18 wickets fell for the addition of just 122 runs. Their calmness under pressure, their technique and their patience played a huge role in this success. Both can take huge pride in this result."I don't think I've experienced a game that ebbed and flowed as much," Cook said. "There were times when we got ourselves in a strong position but New Zealand came fighting back."While New Zealand possessed fine bowlers - Tim Southee certainly did not deserve to finish on the losing side - they lacked players such as Trott or Root. Ross Taylor thumped a pleasing, counterattacking half-century during a period on Friday when England's bowlers dropped too short but as soon as they reverted to a fuller length New Zealand struggled. They lost their last 17 wickets in the match for only 128 runs.Certainly the result - and the fact that it was achieved with a day-and-a-half of the game unused - vindicated England's careful approach on the first day. Such cricket may not always be to the taste of a generation familiar with T20 run rates but it bodes well for England that they have batsmen prepared to display the old-fashioned virtues of graft and determination. They are dying attributes and, in an era where drawn Tests are rare - certainly in England if rain does not intervene - there is plenty of time to display them.