Hampshire’s Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell produced another explosive innings to carry Hampshire to victory in the Twenty20 South group clash against Essex at Chelmsford.

30-Jun-2012
ScorecardGlenn Maxwell produced another explosive innings to carry Hampshire to victory in the Twenty20 South group clash against Essex at Chelmsford. The 23-year-old Australian smashed an unbeaten 60 from only 24 balls as the visitors overhauled their opponents’ total of 176 for 4 with six wickets and 12 balls to spare.Thirty of those came in one over against left-arm spinner Tim Phillips, the 17th of the innings. Maxwell smashed him for three sixes, all of which went out of the ground, and he was to win the match with his fourth, a mighty blow over mid-wicket against Graham Napier.Keeping him company during the blitz which also included six fours, was Simon Katich. He stroked the ball around in a more orthodox manner while scoring 42 from 38 balls and taking part in an unbroken stand of 83 in six overs.Maxwell’s explosion of shots came a few days after he struck a match-winning 66 from 32 balls in the victory over Kent and leaves Hampshire well on course for a place in the quarter-finals.Essex had looked set for a much bigger total as openers James Franklin and Mark Pettini scored at around 10 an over during an opening stand of 83, brought to an end when slow left-armer Liam Dawson had Pettini caught in the deep for 38.Pettini’s effort off 26 balls contained three sixes but it was Franklin who went on to play the starring role with an innings full of quality. His 78 from a 49 deliveries included five sixes and he was looking set for a century when he drove Sean Ervine into the hands of James Vince at long-on.James Foster predictably added momentum late on with a quickfire unbeaten 30 from only 14 balls, striking two sixes in the final over of the innings sent down by Maxwell. But Maxwell was to have the final word.

Tatenda Taibu, the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman, has announced his retirement, stating that he wants to focus on working for the church

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2012Tatenda Taibu, the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman, has announced his retirement, stating that he wants to focus on working for the church. Taibu played 28 Tests and 150 ODIs for Zimbabwe and has quit aged only 29, usually a cricketer’s prime.The decision comes as even more of a surprise as, earlier in the day, he was named in Zimbabwe’s provisional squad for September’s World Twenty20. It ends an 11-year international career, during which he became the youngest Test captain in history. A finger injury kept him out of top-flight cricket since the tour of New Zealand early this year.”I just feel that my true calling now lies in doing the Lord’s work,” Taibu said, “and although I am fortunate and proud to have played for my country, the time has come for me to put my entire focus on that part of my life.”Since making his debut at the age of 18 in 2001, Taibu was an automatic pick for Zimbabwe, except for the times when he clashed with his country’s cricket board. He had stepped down as captain and quit the national side back in 2005 following threats against his family. Taibu moved to South Africa in 2006 with the intention of going through the four-year qualification process to be eligible for international cricket for them. However, he reappeared for Zimbabwe in 2007.One of the highlights of his career was his Man-of-the-Match performance in 2005 against Bangladesh, when he made 85* and 153 to help Zimbabwe draw the Test. His only other Test victory was against Bangladesh last year, when Zimbabwe returned to the format after a six-year exile. Taibu’s outspoken nature was highlighted before that match as he slammed the board for not doing enough to promote cricket in the country.He was picked while still in his teens as a potential long-term successor as wicketkeeper-batsman to Andy Flower, and while he didn’t reach the heights Flower did, he forged a solid career. He finishes as the country’s fourth-highest run-getter in ODIs, and only Flower has effected more dismissals than him as a one-day wicketkeeper for Zimbabwe.

Graeme Smith believes his side can push for victory after battling through a difficult spell to post an ’emotional’ hundred in his 100th Test

Firdose Moonda at The Oval21-Jul-2012Graeme Smith is due to leave England before the second Test to attend the birth of his first child but, as he marked his 100th Test with a century, his wife, the Irish singer Morgan Deane, joked on Twitter that her waters had broken already.Smith, who will return in time to lead South Africa again at Headingley on August 2, laughed it off and said he tries not to read all her posts these days. “She’s very impulsive, I’m trying to calm her down a bit,” he said. “She’s been very supportive though, considering she is going to give birth so soon.”If there was doubt about Smith’s abilities as a batsman and leader, they have surely all been squashed. His 25th Test hundred was also his seventh against England, fifth in England and made him the seventh player to have scored a century on a landmark 100th Test.Having also brought up big scores on both South Africa’s previous tours here, combined with the fact that the team have never lost a Test when Smith has crossed the three-figure mark, his reputation is at its peak. The actual magnitude of what he has achieved hasn’t formed a solid memory quite yet but he is starting to grasp what significance it has.”It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It was kind of surreal at the time. A lot of thoughts and emotions went through my head,” Smith said. “It was a dream come true to come out and have the chance to do that. At one stage when Graeme Swann was spinning it past my bat, the hundred looked a long time away but once I fought through those tough times, it became a reality.”Smith said he expected a tough passage of play up front but knew that if he could see it through, there may be an opportunity to wrest control of the match. “It was a battle of attrition out there really,” he said. “There weren’t many scoring opportunities available to me so it was about being strong in my game plan. We expected that tactic from England this morning, that they would try and squeeze us as much as possible and cause us to make a mistake. We felt that if we could hold the game in that period of time we would be able to get a release somewhere.”After a cautious start, in which “the key factor was the way I left the ball this morning”, Smith and Hashim Amla took 72 runs off the 13 overs before lunch, which included Smith’s century. “When I got to 100, there was so many emotions: from the battle with Swann to knowing my wife is giving birth in three days’ time,” he said. “All those things were coming through. I don’t even think I realised how I was celebrating. It is a blank moment in my mind.”There is still work to do before he turns his mind to fatherhood. “The way we bounced back with the ball has been probably the biggest achievement of this Test match so far,” he said. “On day one, we were 50-50, we were solid without having an X-factor in our game. It’s so easy to let the game drift from that position and be playing the rest of the Test match under massive pressure but we were able to keep England under pressure.”Now, Smith wants to go for the kill. He has already considered South Africa’s strategy for closing out this match but was careful not to reveal too much. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. We’ve got two guys, Amla and Jacques Kallis, close to milestones tomorrow and I would love them to get there,” he said. “It’s been a difficult wicket to push on and score greater than three runs an over but if we set up a good base, hopefully we can do that.”Although Smith expects a tighter effort from England, he was bullish in his assessment of whether South Africa has what it takes to win. “We need to respect our opponent, they have the ability to bounce back,” he said. “But we want to have a chance to push for a victory. I believe we have the ability to win, if we set the game up right. If we give ourselves the chance to bowl out England, I believe we’ve got the armoury to do that.”David Saker, England’s bowling coach, called the pitch “subcontinental” and expects it to deteriorate, which could set the stage for the legspinner Imran Tahir to ignite his South Africa career. Smith was hopeful that would be the case. “It is quite dusty and quite dry. There is a turn available and it will be a good opportunity for Imran to get in,” he said. “His form looks pretty solid. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but, on day five, if we are bowling for the win, he will have to play a prominent role.”

There are few more determined cricketers than Paul Collingwood and he
is now utilising the desire and experience that once helped England to
spearhead Durham’s unexpected rally to avoid relegation.

Myles Hodgson at Chester-le-Street08-Aug-2012
ScorecardPaul Collingwood made his highest score of the season•Getty Images

There are few more determined cricketers than Paul Collingwood and he
is now utilising the desire and experience that once helped England to
spearhead Durham’s unexpected rally to avoid relegation. Apparently
marooned at the foot of Division One when he took over as captain last
month, his best score of the summer has put them in sight of a second
successive victory.After representing England in 68 Test matches, 197 one-day
internationals and having led them to the World Twenty20 triumph in
Barbados two years ago, Collingwood was the obvious candidate to
approach when Phil Mustard stepped down at the mid-way point of the
summer. They had lost four of their first eight championship matches
and looked like a side preparing for next summer in Division Two.This is Collingwood’s third match as captain, during which time Durham
have narrowly lost against Sussex at Arundel, secured their first
championship win of the season over Middlesex and are closing in on an
emphatic win over Surrey, one of their relegation rivals. It has been
a staggering turnaround in fortunes, even for a player used to
confounding expectations during his international career.”The spirit has been excellent over the last few weeks, they guys are
ready for the challenge and we know it’s going to be a hard end to the
season,” Collingwood said. “We have to get ourselves off the bottom of
the table, but in many ways it’s an exciting time because it is a
good challenge and we believe we can do it.”Durham were indebted to Collingwood’s know how, in tandem with the
equally experienced Dale Benkenstein, which ensured they wore Surrey
down and instead of contemplating a narrow advantage, stretched it
into a commanding 181-run first innings lead. Both players scored
half-centuries during their 132-run stand, with Collingwood scoring 78
while Benkenstein’s 69 was his first time past 50 this summer, but
equally importantly it provided confidence within the dressing room
that it was possible to score runs on a pitch that claimed 14 wickets
on the opening day.That was underlined with Mustard and Callum Thorp adding an equally
valuable 72 for the eighth wicket, although not without controversy.
Mustard was given lbw when Zander de Bruyn angled the ball into his
pads but Jeff Evans, the umpire, changed his mind after consulting
with colleague Michael Gough after concluding he had got an inside
edge.Surrey’s irritation rose significantly and although Mustard only added
three more runs to his total before falling lbw to Jon Lewis, it was
an illustration of a difficult day in the field after their gamble to
bat first on the opening day backfired spectacularly. Jason Roy,
possibly still seething after his run out in the first innings,
illustrated that frustration by questioning the decision to give him
lbw shortly before the close.”I think Jason thought he’d hit the ball and we thought the two noises
were two pads, but we don’t have the DRS and all that sort of stuff in
county cricket so hopefully we won’t get too nit-picky about umpire’s
decisions,” Collingwood said. “They tend to equal themselves out
during the season.” That may be of little comfort to Surrey, who
should be expecting Roy to receive disciplinary action for his
reaction.Of greater concern to Chris Adams, Surrey’s director of cricket, may
be how Surrey struggled to develop a partnership similar to that
established by Collingwood and Benkenstein. They are lacking anyone
with that experience in their top order, but from the moment Zafar
Ansari, their young opener, flashed a wide delivery from Graham Onions
straight to Durham’s captain at slip, it was a struggle.Ben Stokes, Durham’s emerging allrounder, claimed two lbws in an
impressive nine-over spell including a wicket with his third ball and
any little hope of Surrey battling back into the match appeared to
have been lost when Steve Davies edged behind only eight balls before
the close.”It was a great effort by the bowlers,” Collingwood added. “There were
periods when we were batting when it felt really flat but we managed
to get the ball swinging and this Riverside pitch always seems to have
something in it.”

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia in Sharjah

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale03-Sep-2012

Match facts

Saeed Ajmal has taken 7 for 62 from 20 overs so far in this series•AFP

September 3-4, 2012
Start time 1800 (1400 GMT)

Big Picture

Pakistan and Australia return to Sharjah for the third one-day international, which has become the series decider after Australia took the first match and Pakistan won the second. For Pakistan, this is a chance to end a decade-long era without a one-day series win over Australia. Last time they beat Australia was in 2002 and it was also the last time Pakistan came back from losing the first match in a three-game series to win. They will rely heavily on Saeed Ajmal, who has caused real problems for Australia’s batsmen in the first two games and has taken seven of the 15 wickets collected by Pakistan bowlers so far, at the remarkable average of 8.85. The Australians will consider attacking Ajmal more in this game, but if they continue to misread his doosra it may make little difference.Australia need more runs from their openers, Matthew Wade and David Warner, and they might be keen to take a more aggressive approach after Warner took 19 balls to get off the mark in the second game. They also need to work out the best make-up of their attack should Mitchell Starc be ruled out due to injury after he left the field late in the second match. Choosing a frontline spinner, Xavier Doherty, would not be a bad option, although if they end up bowling second and find the conditions as dewy as they were on Friday in Abu Dhabi, it might not matter. Both matches have been won by the team chasing and Michael Clarke is unlikely to make the mistake of batting first again should he win the toss.

Form guide (Complete matches, most recent first)

Pakistan WLLLW
Australia LWLLL

Watch out for

Saeed Ajmal has taken 7 for 62 in the series so far and is far and were in not for his fine work on Friday, the Australians could well have posted a much heftier total. His variations leave the Australians muddled, and after they chose to be cautious with him in the first two games they might be considering a different approach this time. “He’s a fantastic bowler. But we have to change our game plan,” David Hussey said on Sunday. “We’re defending him a little bit and to our peril. Maybe the best form of defence is attacking him. We’ve seen the Sri Lankans play him, we’ve seen the Indians play him, and we might think that’s the better route to go.”There is no question that Australia have found a dynamic and useful one-day player in Glenn Maxwell, but his challenge is to finish the series by displaying his all-round talents. He made 38 from 38 in the first game and a brisk 28 from 27 in the second game, which featured two mighty sixes. Both were impressive short-burst innings for an ODI No.7. But he is yet to take a wicket and by offering a little more with the ball he could help himself stay ahead of Steven Smith in the minds of the selectors.

Team news

Shahid Afridi missed the second match due to back soreness but is believed to be fit for the third game and a straight swap with Abdur Rehman seems the most likely scenario.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid KhanMitchell Starc left the field late in the second ODI with what was later revealed to a problem with his side/chest and if he doesn’t play, the Australians can bring in the uncapped Alister McDermott or one of the spinners, Xavier Doherty or Steven Smith, as his replacement. Doherty would appear the most likely candidate given the conditions and the lack a frontline spinner in their line-up in the first two games.Australia (possible) 1 Matthew Wade (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc/Xavier Doherty, 11 James Pattinson

Pitch and conditions

After the extremely dewy conditions in Abu Dhabi on Friday, the teams return to Sharjah for this third match. In the first two matches of the series it was the chasing team that emerged triumphant, so don’t expect the captains to rush into a decision to bat first at the toss.

Stats and trivia

• Should Pakistan win the third match it will be their first ODI series victory against Australia in ten years, since they took the honours in a winter series played in Australia that included two matches under the roof of Melbourne’s Docklands stadium
• In the past 12 months, only Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has taken more ODI wickets than Saeed Ajmal’s 44 at an average of 20.38
• In the same period, Australia’s leading ODI wicket takers have been Xavier Doherty, Clint McKay and Brett Lee – none of whom has played a match in this series
  

  Quotes

  “We played really well and we fought really well in the first game in Sharjah so we can take some confidence into that.”

Jonathan Trott has said that he would prefer to stay at No.3 during England’s Test series in India after the late inclusion of Kevin Pietersen

David Hopps21-Oct-2012Jonathan Trott has said that he would prefer to stay at No.3 during England’s Test series in India after the late inclusion of Kevin Pietersen had encouraged debate about whether he should be asked to open the innings.Andrew Strauss’ retirement from Test cricket had left England contemplating a choice between two uncapped openers – Yorkshire’s Joe Root and Nick Compton of Somerset – alongside Alastair Cook at the top of the order.But the addition of Pietersen to the squad after his long-standing dispute with the England hierarchy was settled has given England the option of opening with Trott, tried and trusted, and giving Pietersen the No.3 spot that he has made his own in averaging more than 50 over 34 Tests, but whose form has faltered in the past year.”I’ve enjoyed batting No.3 in my career, since my second Test match when I was put in that position, and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job there,” Trott told . “But, if asked to open I’d have to – or I’d like to – do what the team wants me to. No.3 is my preference but we’ll just have to wait and see. I don’t think it will come to that.”With Pietersen then likely to bat at No.4 and Ian Bell regarded as a certainty in the top six, retaining Trott at three would leave Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow and Samit Patel vying for the final batting spot.Trott became the latest player to voice support for Pietersen’s return after a 73-day exile following his outburst after the end of the Headingley Test against South Africa that he might have played his last Test for England.”Kevin is a world-class player and if you want to be a successful team you need your best players playing,” Trott said. “As long as everything has been straightened out between Kevin, the ECB and the management squad then hopefully everything can be laid to bed – and I think everything has been.”We had our meetings with him – I think that’s been widely reported – and everything went pretty smoothly. I’ve never really had any problem with Kev, I’ve always enjoyed playing with him and it’s time to get back playing some good cricket.”

New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has been fined $750 for showing dissent towards the umpires during a Plunket Shield match

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2012New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has been fined $750 for showing dissent towards the umpires during a Plunket Shield match for Wellington against Central Districts in Napier late last month.New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed today that Ryder was reported by the umpires for a Level One breach of NZC’s code of conduct for using language that was offensive and insulting to the umpires Evan Watkin and Chris Gaffaney, after having an lbw shout off his bowling turned down.The incident marred Ryder’s stirring comeback to competitive cricket, having scored 117 and 174 in Wellington’s five-wicket win. In March, Ryder had taken an indefinite break from the game to resolve his personal issues, but in July committed to a full season of first-class cricket.

Australia piled on 482 runs on the first day in Adelaide, where Michael Clarke became the first player in Test history to score four double-centuries in a calendar year

The Report by Brydon Coverdale21-Nov-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Another day, another Michael Clarke double-century•Getty Images

Pwnage. That’s the only word for it. Either that or Michael Clarke has been playing in god mode. How else could one explain Clarke scoring his fourth Test double-century this year, a feat that nobody, not even Bradman, has ever achieved? How else could Australia have piled on 482 runs, the most they have managed in a day of Test cricket since 1910? But this was no video game. Graeme Smith couldn’t switch off and start over, no matter how much he wanted to.Clarke finished the afternoon unbeaten on 224. That’s two innings in this series for two double-hundreds. David Warner struck a highly entertaining 119 earlier in the day, at better than a run a ball. Michael Hussey scored his second consecutive century, an innings that ended only when he played on to Dale Steyn from what became the last ball of the day for 103. If that wasn’t enough for South Africa, they also spent most of the day one bowler short after Jacques Kallis left the field in the first session with a hamstring injury.Kallis was in his fourth over when he pulled up while running in to bowl. He already had two wickets. That Australia’s monumental performance came after they stumbled to 3 for 55 was remarkable enough, but the most notable aspect of their day was the rate at which they scored. They finished with a run-rate of 5.55. They struck 66 fours and nine sixes, helped by the short boundaries square of the wicket, but also by some insipid South African bowling, especially from the legspinner Imran Tahir.Tahir just couldn’t land the ball where he needed to. On the occasions that he did, he built no pressure because the next delivery was likely to give the batsman a release. He finished the day with 0 for 159 from 21 overs, reminiscent of Bryce McGain’s horrid analysis in his Cape Town debut in 2009. But one thing to say about McGain is that he didn’t once overstep; Tahir’s effort was punctuated by five no-balls, unforgivable for a slow bowler.Against Clarke, Hussey and Warner, he didn’t have a hope. The Australians racked up 202 runs in the final session. As stumps approached, Hussey brought up his hundred from his 122nd ball with a slog-swept six off Tahir; the previous delivery Clarke had reached his double-century from his 226th ball with a nudge behind square for a single. It was the 82nd over of the innings. Smith could have already taken the second new ball, but instead he took it in the next over. Go figure.It was one of those days where, after the first hour, nothing went right for South Africa. Steyn left the field with hamstring tightness, although he was at least able to return late in the day to remove Hussey. The prognosis for Kallis is unlikely to be good, and the South Africans had already lost Vernon Philander, who woke up with back soreness and was replaced in the line-up by Rory Kleinveldt.In truth, it didn’t much matter who was bowling, the way Clarke and Co were batting. Morne Morkel, who picked up two wickets earlier in the day, could not contain Clarke once he was well set. Clarke took 20 runs off one over from Morkel, driving down the ground, cutting hard, and bringing up his 150 with the fifth boundary from the over, a majestic straight drive. Clarke also pulled with confidence; after a couple of early bouncers rattled him, he was untroubled by the short stuff.South Africa created few opportunities as the day wore on. On 64, Hussey was given out caught behind off Morkel, but asked for a review and Hot Spot showed no touch on the bat, giving him a reprieve. On 73, Clarke had edged Kleinveldt, but the ball flew between the two slips. Nothing was going the South Africans’ way.The Clarke-Hussey partnership was worth 272. They had come together after Warner, on 119 from 112 balls, edged Morkel to slip. Warner had done his job. He brought up his century from 93 balls with a six and a four off Tahir, a clean drive back down the ground and over the rope, followed by a confident cover-drive through the gap.As he had done all innings, Warner trusted his attacking style, flashing at anything wide and enjoying the short square boundaries – he struck 16 fours. He also enjoyed some garbage from Tahir and Faf du Plessis straight after lunch, as both men sent down full tosses that he dispatched over the boundary. Those overs undid any of the pressure South Africa had built in the first session.Kallis had been very impressive with the ball during his short spell, removing Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting by attacking the base of the stumps. On 10, Cowan was beaten by a Kallis yorker that struck him on the toe and at first appeared to have been given out lbw by Billy Bowden, but it later became apparent that he was caught and bowled. After the ball hit Cowan’s foot, it ballooned off the bat straight back to Kallis, and under the laws of the game, a catch takes precedence over lbw in deciding how a batsman has been dismissed.Kallis also accounted for Ponting with an outstanding delivery that was full and accurate, and swung away from the bat just enough to beat Ponting, who suffered the indignity not only of being bowled but of falling onto the pitch on his hands and knees after trying to keep the ball out. Ponting avoided another duck but only just – his only scoring shot was a clip for four off his pads.In between the dismissals of Cowan and Ponting, the No.3 Rob Quiney fell for an eight-ball duck when Morkel came around the wicket and forced Quiney to play a ball on off stump. Quiney’s edge was well snapped up by Smith at slip and after his 9 in his only innings at the Gabba, Quiney was left hoping desperately that he would get another chance in this, his second TestBut South Africa rued the loss of Kallis and Australia dominated the rest of the day. South Africa were pwned.