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Kent prevail in final-over finish as hosts fall five runs short

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2024Rocky Flintoff became the youngest debutant in Lancashire’s 160-year history when he played against Kent in the Metro-Bank One-Day Cup but made just 12 in his side’s pulsating five-run defeat at Blackpool.Flintoff, who is 16 years 113 days old, faced 28 balls for his dozen runs before he was drawn forward by a legspinner from Matt Parkinson and stumped by Harry Finch. And the former Lancashire spinner Parkinson was Kent’s hero when he bowled last man Ollie Sutton in the final over to finish with 4 for 30 off 8.2 oversIt had seemed that Keaton Jennings’ third century at Stanley Park this season would enable Lancashire to get home but Kent battled ferociously hard to defend 209 on a tricky wicket and Beyers Swanepoel’s 3 for 26 off nine overs was another magnificent effort. Jennings finished unbeaten on 107 off 140 balls with 13 fours and a sixFinch had top-scored for the visitors with 48 and Jennings’ one-man effort revived his side after they been struggling on 96 for 5 in the 30th overKent managed only 46 runs in their ten powerplay overs for the loss of Swanepoel, who was caught at cover for 19 off Will Williams. Joey Evison and Ekansh Singh maintained this modest rate of progress until the 15th over when Evison was called for a single to mid-on by Singh and was run out for 22 by Jack Blatherwick’s accurate throw.Debutant Sutton then took a wicket with his first legal delivery for Lancashire when Singh attempted to cut a very wide delivery but only skied a catch to George Lavelle at point. However, Sutton’s joy was short-lived. Two balls later, he had to leave the field with a side strain.Sutton’s replacement, Josh Bohannon, bowled 5.3 tidy overs of offspin for 24 runs but left-arm spinner Charlie Barnard took the next wicket, his first in senior cricket, when Jaydn Denly lofted him to long- on and departed for a pleasant 32 that had included five fours.Moderately placed on 100 for 3 at the halfway point of their innings, Kent searched in vain for the substantial partnership that is so often concomitant with acceleration. Having made 24, Jack Leaning followed Denly’s example in lofting Barnard straight to Green, who then removed Charlie Stobo, caught and bowled for 5.Grant Stewart played on to Williams for nine and it was left to Finch and Parkinson to put on 33 in nine overs before Parkinson was run out for 19 and the innings ended in the 49th over when Green had Finch caught by Lavelle at deep midwicket for 48 and Nathan Gilchrist was caught by Jennings at point for 2. Green ended the innings with 3 for 38, Williams 2 for 41 and Barnard 2 for 47.Lancashire’s pursuit of 210 began poorly when Swanepoel removed both Bell, caught at slip by Stobo for 6, and Bohannon, brilliantly pouched by a diving Evison at cover for five, inside the first eight overs.Jennings and Balderson repaired the damage with a stand of 41 in 11 overs but any thought that Lancashire’s pursuit would be straightforward were removed when Stobo removed them both in the space of three balls to leave the home side on 65 for 4 after 19 overs.The Lancashire skipper then put on 31 in 63 balls with Flintoff and then 24 with Green before the Australian was leg before to Parkinson for 5. Jennings was then given stout support from Blatherwick, who lifted Kent skipper Leaning for two huge sixes, and the home side needed 47 off the final ten overs of a compelling contest.Swanepoel was recalled and almost immediately caught and bowled Blatherwick for 25 and Parkinson had Williams caught behind with 22 still needed off 26 balls. Lancashire needed 15 off two overs and Jennings then reached his century with a straight drive to reduce the target to ten off ten. But Barnard was run out for one and Sutton bowled second ball to spark joyous scenes among the visitors.

Jodie Grewcock fifty not enough as visitors breeze to small target

ECB Reporters Network01-May-2023Lauren Winfield-Hill maintained her remarkable Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy record with another commanding half-century to put Northern Diamonds back on track as they saw off Sunrisers by five wickets.The Diamonds opener passed 50 for the eighth time in her last 10 innings in the tournament to ensure the defending champions – defeated by Central Sparks on Saturday – responded with a comprehensive win at Chelmsford.Seam duo Lizzie Scott and Jessica Woolston laid the foundations with two wickets apiece before legspinner Katie Levick’s 3 for 23 ensured Sunrisers were bundled out for 157, despite Jodie Grewcock’s second half-century of the tournament.Winfield-Hill then top-scored with 51 from 43 balls and Bess Heath struck an unbeaten 32 from 25, as the visitors chased down their target with 21.3 overs to spare.Scott and Woolston, opening the attack after Diamonds had lost the toss and surprisingly been invited to bowl in overcast conditions, established control as they made the ball swing from the start. Woolston brought one back to uproot Cordelia Griffith’s off stump in her second over and then found movement in the opposite direction to clip the bails and pick up the prize scalp of Grace Scrivens for 11.Mady Villiers departed for a second-ball duck, clipping Scott to the diving Katherine Fraser at midwicket and, when Saskia Horley’s pull off Abi Glen flew straight to Hollie Armitage, Sunrisers were deep in the mire at 32 for 4.Grewcock and Jo Gardner dug in for a concerted rebuilding campaign during the middle overs, clawing their way back into the game with a spirited fifth-wicket partnership of 65. Gardner had just begun to open up, drilling Fraser back past the stumps for an isolated boundary, when she miscalculated a Chloe Tryon delivery and was bowled for 32 – after which Sunrisers’ innings hit the buffers again.Teenage left-hander Grewcock, having battled hard to complete her half-century from 91 balls, was then caught behind off the 93rd – the first of two wickets in three deliveries for Levick.Kate Coppack’s breezy unbeaten 16 at least hauled Sunrisers above the 150 mark before they were bowled out with four overs unused – but the total never looked like one they could defend with any degree of confidence.Winfield-Hill immediately set the tone for Diamonds’ response, slamming Coppack to the midwicket boundary twice inside the opening over as she and Sterre Kalis built a belligerent partnership of 53. Coppack’s luck seemed to be out, with Kalis edging her just over the stumps for four, and it was Sunrisers skipper Kelly Castle who eventually achieved the breakthrough, trapping the opener in front with a slower delivery.With Winfield-Hill striking the ball confidently and Armitage in no mood for caution, as she cracked Abtaha Maqsood to the rope three times in her first over, Diamonds appeared to be coasting towards their target.They were held up by Villiers, whose wily offbreaks brought her figures of 3 for 42 – the trio of victims including Winfield-Hill and Armitage, who until then had been highly effective against the slower bowlers in her knock of 30 from 32. However, Heath clubbed Villiers over long-on for the first six of the match – and then flayed the second off Eva Gray to seal Diamonds’ victory in style.

The injury-hit club have had their final bid for the Australia batter rejected

AAP28-Jan-2022Steven Smith will not play in the Big Bash League final after another request to make him available for selection was rejected by Cricket Australia.
Besieged by injuries and Covid-19 cases in their playing group, the Sixers made a third appeal for Smith to be able to play in Friday night’s final against the Perth Scorchers.However, AAP has been told that was knocked back late on Thursday, with Smith no longer on stand by for the clash and the Sixers having since moved on.It’s believed officials determined that there was adequate batting cover available for the Sixers in the local replacement pool, despite them being without three players through Covid and up to another two through injury.Josh Philippe, Mickey Edwards and Jack Edwards are all infected by coronavirus while Jordan Silk has been ruled out of the final with a hamstring injury.Related

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Daniel Hughes will need to pass a pre-match fitness test on his ankle to play, after missing Wednesday’s win over the Adelaide Striker due to injury.Captain Moises Henriques and retiring veteran Steve O’Keefe will both play through calf injuries in the decider, after being declared fit to play.It means the Sixers will again use a member of the player replacement pool and assistant coach Jay Lenton behind the stumps.Fellow pool member Jake Carder will play in the final, while a third replacement from the pool in Nick Bertus will also come into the side for Silk if Hughes is unavailable.Sixers had made an application to contract Smith before the finals last week, when he suddenly became available with the New Zealand ODI series postponed.However, that was dismissed by Cricket Australia and the clubs, after it was agreed mid-season new players could only come from the replacement pool set to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks.Steven Smith will not be part of the BBL final•Getty Images

A fresh request was made before the Sixers’ clash with Adelaide when Philippe contracted Covid-19 and Hughes was injured, but it was again knocked back.The spate of injuries from the mid-week match had then prompted a third bid, before its denial on Thursday spelled the end of any hopes of Smith playing.Several Sixers players have voiced their frustration on the issue, with Dan Christian posting a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Thursday asking if anyone could fill in for the club as long as they weren’t a Test player.Henriques admitted he was “clueless” about the situation on Thursday, while Perth captain Ashton Turner claimed he would have liked for Smith to play.Friday’s final will be contested on neutral ground at Marvel Stadium and across-town from Australian Open tennis, with Perth unable to host the BBL game in Western Australia.

The two teams are scheduled to play a World Test Championship series in Sri Lanka starting October 23

Mohammad Isam14-Sep-2020Disagreements over Covid-19 protocols continue to dog Bangladesh’s World Test Championship series in Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to begin in late October. Last week, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that the Bangladesh players would need to be in quarantine for one week upon landing in the island, before being able to train.SLC has now increased the quarantine period to 14 days, and BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said it won’t be possible for his players to be confined to their hotel rooms for that long. Immediately after the BCB had spelled out its stance, Sri Lanka’s sports minister Namal Rajapaksa tweeted that he has asked the SLC to consult the Covid task force to reconsider the matter.After an emergency board meeting, Hassan said that they had been working on a schedule with a seven-day quarantine in mind. But a 14-day period would mean that the Bangladesh Test squad, all of whom haven’t played a competitive match in six months, will get just one week to prepare for the first Test scheduled on October 23.”We cannot play World Test Championships with these term and conditions,” Hassan said. “Until their letter yesterday, both boards were having discussions along the lines of a seven-day quarantine,” Hassan said. “But now their terms and conditions are nowhere near those discussions, and neither are they anything close to what other countries hosting cricket in the pandemic are doing. There are three or seven-day quarantines in those places where the players can either train among themselves or use the gym.Hassan said that the SLC’s limiting of their entourage, while at the same time refusing to give them net bowlers, would be further troubling for the touring side.”[SLC] have told us that our players can’t even step out of the hotel room. Not even for food. They have also chosen Dambulla as the venue for the initial training camp which would leave us isolated in any case. They can have the domestic league with so many players nationwide but we have to face such tough restrictions. I have found out that other teams haven’t faced such conditions. We are astounded.” When the tour was first agreed upon, the BCB had planned to send their High Performance team over as well so that they can play the Test team and help them prepare over the first two weeks of their tour. The BCB would bear all costs even if it meant at least a 60-member contingent traveling together from Dhaka, and then returning from Colombo, after both teams’ tour ends in mid-November. Bangladesh’s first two practice matches were also scheduled against the HP side, after which the SLC was supposed to take over and host one practice match before the Test series. But the SLC was handed these stricter conditions by the country’s health authorities this week, which they conveyed to the BCB.”Seeing that they started domestic cricket, we informed the SLC that we are coming with a big squad so that we can have our training camp there,” Hasan said. “But they will not allow us to train when our players have been inactive for seven months. They won’t even let us take net bowlers and neither are they going to provide us with any net bowlers. How can we play World Test Championship without any training? So it is not possible for us.”Bangladesh were scheduled to leave for Colombo on September 27, with the first Test slated to begin on October 23.

Beard grabs four top-order wickets with first 15 balls, Jamie Porter chimes in with five-for

David Hopps24-Jun-2019<Hampshire rounded up for 118 last week; Somerset sent packing for 131 this. Essex's bowlers have made such light work of the Championship's top two that the most optimistic phrase of all, "Fortress Chelmsford", was uttered around the ground on the second day. They have not seen off Somerset yet but if the muggy weather continues to favour the pace bowlers then a lead of 249 with four wickets left is a considerable one.It was an airless, decaf sort of day, but Essex claimed a sizeable advantage when their young pace bowler, Aaron Beard, grabbed four top-order wickets with his first 15 balls with Somerset crumbling from 63 for 2 to 73 for 6 in the process.Not since his eye-catching first-class debut against the Sri Lankan tourists as an 18-year-old three years ago has he had such a memorable day and he surpassed those figures with a career-best 4 for 23 in only five overs. Jamie Porter, not to be outdone by the young buck, dealt with the tail to collect 5 for 51, his best figures of the season, and Essex had an 85-run lead. Essex took the chance to announce that both had agreed new two-year contracts.Before bad light trimmed the last nine overs from the day, Essex consolidated well enough with Alastair Cook again the bedrock with 47 from 94 balls. Continuing a first-class career after international retirement does not suit everybody but he has looked addicted enough to batting in this match.Tim Groenewald produced a good delivery to dismiss him, turning him round with one that left him and having him caught at first slip. Ravi Bopara's dismissal eight balls from the end of the day as he clipped Jamie Overton forcefully to short midwicket gave Somerset just a glimmer of a chance.Fortress Chelmsford was a term coined by Ronnie Irani during his days as Essex captain. He was a gregarious soul and had probably been watching too many football matches, but it suited the rise of Twenty20 and somehow it caught on, even for those who uttered it with tongue firmly in cheek which was nearly everybody else.As Fortresses go, this one was a sedate one. The Essex and Somerset flags hung limply, gratefully even, at half mast, out of respect for Somerset's chairman Charles Clark, and during the tea interval a spectator twanged his braces so wearily that there was no certainty they would have the energy to hit his chest on their return trip.For the past four years, Irani has been chairman of Essex's cricket committee and, in the committee rooms, there won't be much talk of Fortress Chelmsford, which sounds a bit like a second-rate American actress or maybe a greyhound trailing in last on an evening meeting in Romford.But they are relishing the season in the committee room and in front of Anne's gourmet burger bar (aren't they all these days?) because if Essex go on to win it will be their fourth home win out of four. Can a side win the title without ever winning away? We might yet find out.Somerset, who appeared to be better equipped to deal with the offspin of Simon Harmer, who took remarkable match figures of 12 for 61 against Hampshire, instead capsized against swing and seam. The captain, Tom Abell, handled his promotion to opener well with 36 from 78 balls before Porter had him lbw – his 300th first-class wicket – but George Bartlett was the only other batsman in the top seven to reach double figures.That was largely down to the whippersnapper Beard, about 5ft 10ins but a little stockier these days with gym-toned biceps that bulge in defiance of his stature. He dashes in from a wide angle and achieves a decent amount of pace and was only playing because of a side strain suffered by Sam Cook in the previous Championship win against Hampshire, but if he keeps playing like this then A Change is Gonna Come.Beard's arrival tempted the nightwatchman Groenewald, who had resisted 52 balls for six, to fancy that a release might be at hand, but all he managed was an edged drive. In his second over he then picked up James Hildreth, a brilliant run and dive behind square by Nick Browne to retrieve a botched pull.Tom Banton should have gone to the fifth ball he faced when Ryan ten Doeschate dropped a straightforward in-out chance at short leg in Harmer's first over of the day, but he failed to take advantage and edged a wideish outswinger he had no need to play at.When a slower ball caused Steven Davies to pop up a catch to mid-off, Beard danced around with the delighted realisation that it was a day when he could do no wrong. But the daftest dismissal was that of Jamie Overton who was suckered by Porter into a pull to deep square. His late-order terrorising is always hit-or-miss but this was a waste.

The former Australia spinner has criticised the board’s decision to expand the Big Bash League next summer

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2018Former Australia spinner Shane Warne has criticised Cricket Australia, saying that “greed” is the main reason behind the board’s decision to expand the Big Bash League next summer.An extended BBL – with an increase in fixtures from 35 to 43 – is set to stretch into mid-February next year, with games played at four new venues. It has been reported that an expanded BBL, with more focus on the finals, would offer more value to broadcasters. Earlier this month, Channel Seven and Fox Sports clinched the broadcast rights to Australian cricket for the next six years, in a deal worth AUD 1.2 billion with CA.Warne took to Twitter on Saturday to express his displeasure, saying expanding the BBL would “dilute a wonderful product”.”Australian Cricket should be an equal partnership between the players & the board, then everyone would be on the same page, sure they won’t always agree – but if both parties attitude is what’s best for Australian Cricket & not themselves, then Cricket & the fans would b happy,” he tweeted.
The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), which was involved in a protracted pay dispute with the CA over last season, had also voiced concerns against the expanded season, saying such changes needed to find the right balance to keep all stakeholders happy.CA CEO James Sutherland meanwhile had told ESPNcricinfo that more fixtures had been added not with the intention of expanding the tournament, but to find the “right balance” and build up to the tournament’s climax properly.

Steven Smith’s new tally of 939 rating points puts him at sixth in the all-time list of highest points, behind Don Bradman, Len Hutton, Jack Hobbs, Ricky Ponting and Peter May

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2017Australia captain Steven Smith reached a career-high 939 points to extend his lead at the top of the ICC Rankings for Test Batsmen after the first Test between India and Australia. His new tally of 939 rating points puts him at sixth in the all-time list, behind Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs and Ricky Ponting (both 942) and Peter May (941). Smith surpassed Garry Sobers, Viv Richards and Kumar Sangakkara, who all had career-high ranking points of 938.Smith, who struck crucial knocks of 27 and 109 in the Pune Test, has a 66-point lead over second-placed Virat Kohli and leads third-placed Joe Root by 91.A strong outing for Josh Hazlewood – who went up to 860 points – moved him to joint-second in the rankings for Test bowlers with Ravindra Jadeja. R Ashwin remained at the top with 878 rating points.Matt Renshaw’s gutsy knocks of 68 and 31 saw him move by 18 places to 34, his career-best ranking, while Steve O’Keefe’s career-best performance of 12 for 70 in the Pune Test saw him climb to a career-high ranking of 29.Mitchell Starc, who struck a crucial first-innings half-century and took two wickets in Pune, moved three spots up to fourth in the rankings for Test allrounders, where Ashwin leads the pack as well.

The BCCI Ombudsman, Justice (Retired) AP Shah, has asked independent journalist Niraj Gunde to clarify which rule would specifically apply in his complaint alleging a conflict of interest between BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and national selector Vikram R

Arun Venugopal30-Jan-2016Justice AP Shah, the BCCI ombudsman, has asked independent journalist Niraj Gunde to clarify which rule would specifically apply in his complaint alleging a conflict of interest between BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and national selector Vikram Rathour.Gunde confirmed that he had received the communication from the ombudsman’s office. “Even assuming that the facts in the complaint are true, the Ombudsman wants me to quote the specific conflict-of-interest-related rule under which the complaint can be entertained,” Gunde told ESPNcricinfo. Gunde said he has been given time till February 2 to respond.Gunde had written a mail to Shah on Thursday alleging that Thakur and Rathour had “business connections.” The mail further contends that Rathour was appointed and re-appointed as national selector when Thakur was an office-bearer.”Mr. Rathour was appointed in the senior selection committee when Mr. Thakur was the Jt. Secretary of the BCCI representing North Zone at the behest of Mr. Thakur,” Gunde wrote in the mail, which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo.”And [Rathour was] re-appointed in November 2015, when Mr. Thakur is the Hon. Secretary of BCCI. It is found that Mr. Rathour &/or his family members and Mr. Thakur &/or his family members are directors in various companies.”It is clear that both these administrators are connected through business commercial relationship that either of them failed to disclose. It is a clear case of conflict of interest.”Gunde also attached a set of documents that sought to establish that Thakur was a director in companies which also had Rathour’s relatives as its directors. This is the second complaint against Rathour, who was earlier alleged by Gunde of being a British citizen and hence his “loyalty” to the BCCI was conflicted.Thakur contended it was a smear campaign and raised doubts over Gunde’s motivations. “I think with the appointment of the ombudsman certain people are busy making false allegations,” he told reporters after the meeting of the World T20 managing committee on Friday.”Unfortunately these are limited number of people who have been involved in such activity with a certain motive and agenda in their mind. But we have to look at the overall advantage of having an ombudsman in place. The BCCI wants to be more transparent and accountable.”Thakur was also quoted by as saying that his business relationship with Rathour had “nothing to do with cricket”, and that their families knew each other for four decades.This is the latest in a series of complaints lodged by Gunde, who has also filed complaints with the ombudsman against Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, media manager Nishant Arora and junior selector Rakesh Parikh.

Alastair Cook believes his England side are ready to create history and shed their unwanted record as they prepare to meet India in the final of the Champions Trophy.

George Dobell22-Jun-2013Alastair Cook believes his England side are ready to create history and shed their unwanted record as they prepare to meet India in the final of the Champions Trophy.England are the only side involved in the tournament never to have won a global ODI competition. They have reached the finals of three World Cups (1979, 1987 and 1992) and one previous Champions Trophy (2004) but have always finished runners-up.While Cook accepted that India deserve to go into Sunday’s final as favourites, he expressed confidence in his team’s ability to prevail and admitted victory would rank as highly as any achievement in his England career to date.”I’m fully confident in our guys that we can upset India here,” Cook said. “India are unbeaten and have played some very good cricket. But I’m fully confident in our guys. The lads have delivered two excellent performances under pressure in the last two games and I can see no reason why we can’t do it tomorrow.”We’ve been playing some good cricket and it’s an opportunity we’re desperate not to let go. The lads are ready. I’ve never seen them as relaxed as we have been leading up to a big game. But I’m looking around in the guys’ eyes and I know they’re ready to play.”We haven’t won a global 50 over tournament, as everyone keeps reminding me. So we’re desperately keen to try and change that. It would be a great achievement if we can win and one which we will cherish. There’s certain moments in your career where you remember more than others, and if we can win this then I think that would be right up there.”It will be of little consolation if they fall at the final hurdle, but England can take some satisfaction from their progress to the final.After years of modest ODI form, England have developed a side that has shown they can challenge in global tournaments. While they were well-beaten by Sri Lanka, they have subsequently won what amounted to two knock-out games in succession and can look ahead to the 2015 World Cup knowing that the vast majority of this squad should still be available.

England’s near misses

• 1979 World Cup: Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott gave England a great start before it all went wrong chasing a Viv Richards-inspired West Indies

• 1987 World Cup: England were cruising at 135 for 2 in pursuit of Australia’s 254 but the chase blew up after reverse-sweep from Mike Gatting.

• 1992 World Cup: Again England were asked to chase and again faltered, this time to Pakistan galvanised by Imran Khan.

• 2004 Champions Trophy: England had all but won defending 218 against West Indies but Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw played the innings of their lives.

England have also progressed without two of their best players. Kevin Pietersen has missed the whole event, while Graeme Swann has played just once.It appears Swann may well not play in the final, either. Not only did Cook reiterate the view that Swann will not be risked if there is even “a slight doubt” over his fitness, but James Tredwell’s fine form has alleviated any need to rush Swann back. Indeed, there are many who feel that Tredwell deserves his place on merit, whether or not Swann is available. Swann bowled “a few balls” in the nets on Saturday and was described as “recovering well” by Cook.Tim Bresnan is also available having missed the semi-final to witness the birth of his first child. Bresnan was replaced for that game by Steven Finn, who took the vital wicket of Hashim Amla, but England have huge respect for Bresnan’s skills with bat and ball and he could well return.A new pitch has been allocated for the final but, in common with most modern pitches at Edgbaston, it is still likely to aid spin and, perhaps, reverse swing. Having been under the covers for much of the last couple of days, it may also prove helpful to the seamers for the first hour. As of Saturday afternoon, the groundstaff at Edgbaston were very happy with the state of the outfield and reported no drainage problems. But the weather forecast is not promising.A shared title – the scenario if no result is possible on Sunday – would be an unsatisfactory conclusion to a successful tournament. While it would, in theory, end England’s winless run in global ODI events, would do so in hollow fashion. The ICC insist there is no precedent for having reserve days in the Champions Trophy – there actually was a reserve day in 2002 – but it does seem a shame an extra day could not be found for the final, at least. While England and New Zealand begin a largely meaningless two-match T20I series on Tuesday, the make-up of the sides is vastly different.There are those who suggest that, so often does the weather intervene in England and Wales, that they are not suitable venues for such competitions. It is an understandable reaction, but perhaps the positives of England and Wales hosting events – full houses for games between neutral countries and enthusiastic multicultural crowds – should not be dismissed. It does rain in other countries, too. The 2007 World Cup final, in the Caribbean, was interrupted by rain, while the 2002 Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka was shared between India and Sri Lanka after poor weather interrupted play on two successive days.Cook suggested that England could take confidence from their recent home record against India, but such analysis could equally work the other way. While it is true that India failed to win a single game on their 2011 tour, England have won only five of the last 20 ODIs between the sides going back to the start of 2008. What is more, India would appear to have the batting firepower to adapt should the game be reduced in overs. For India to come to England – where their record is modest – and win such a tournament with a newly restructured team would represent a fine achievement.In some ways, this match represents a clash of ODI cultures. While the India side is packed with explosive batting talent, England possess several technically correct, patient players who will build innings in quite a different way. Their critics say it is an outdated method but, should they win, they will have strong evidence to vindicate their strategy.

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.