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Alastair Cook’s career-best 137 and Steven Finn’s four wickets propelled England to a 130-run victory against Pakistan

The Report by David Hopps13-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteve Finn was rampant with the new ball, removing the Pakistan top order•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook’s right to the England one-day captaincy is routinely questioned, but he could have hardly done more in Abu Dhabi to end the carping. His highest one-day score reasserted his right to the job and stilled suggestions that Pakistan’s whitewash in the Test series would be followed by another mismatch in the one-day format as England secured a convincing 130-run victory.Cook’s 137 from 142 balls was the only innings of substance in a match comprehensively won by England as Steven Finn took four wickets in a hostile new-ball burst. Cook’s Essex team-mate, Ravi Bopara, managed 50, but needed some good fortune; only two other batsmen reached 20. England’s captain has given this series a new flavour.The figures spoke for themselves. Only his Essex and England mentor, Graham Gooch, has made a higher England one-day score against Pakistan. This was the first England hundred on a troubled tour of the United Arab Emirates. Cook also made the highest ODI score at the Sheikh Zayed stadium. Beneath the roof of a stand that looks like the body of the Starship Enterprise, as captains go, he was beginning to rival the intergalactic kudos only normally given to James T Kirk.Cook aside, the bowlers prospered. Saeed Ajmal, who took 24 wickets in the three-Test series, went unrewarded until his seventh over, but he then rounded up England’s innings with 5 for 15 in his last 23 balls, his menace briefly suppressed but never eradicated. Cook was his penultimate victim, cleverly bowled behind his legs as he planted his leg outside off stump to sweep.For Finn, who carried the drinks during the Test series, it was then not as much ‘lights, action’ as lights, traction, as he put weeks of inactivity behind him to settle the match, making full use of the encouragement brought by evening dew under the floodlights and a fresh breeze in an incisive new-ball burst of 4 for 20 in six overs.Criticism is never far away when it comes to the assessment of Cook’s worth as England’s captain in 50-over cricket. Moments after England had been trounced 3-0 in the Test series, Ian Botham called for him to be replaced by Stuart Broad in the one-day series. England had not played a shot in anger all series, said Botham, and under Cook’s one-day stewardship nothing was about to change.When Cook fell, 23 balls from the end of the innings, the rest of the batsmen had made 78. His one-day striking rate is not far short of a run a ball now and that he can achieve this while looking so orthodox is testimony to his resourcefulness.That his game is developing is undeniable. He tucked the ball confidently into the legside, stretched into some pleasing off-side drives and opened up gaps with subtle footwork and shrewd placement. If his slog sweep against Shahid Afridi to reach 50 was an example of a newish shot in his armoury, his cut to reach a hundred when Saeed Ajmal dropped short was conventional punishment of a poor delivery won by a batsman whose consistency of thought and deed had gradually asserted his authority. If he still looks stilted at times, at least he can now do it in 100 different ways.England’s restive batting otherwise had little else to commend it. Shahid Afridi must have watched England’s distress against spin during the Test series and licked his lips at the fun to come in the ODIs. He was not to be disappointed. He bamboozled Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott in successive balls, a quick legspinner and googly respectively, and he also had Bopara stone dead lbw on two only for the umpire, Ahsan Raza, to turn down the appeal.Smart stats

The 130-run victory margin is England’s third-highest against Pakistan in ODIs. Their highest is the 192-run win in Nottingham in 1992. It is also the highest for England against any team at a neutral venue.

Alastair Cook’s 137 is his highest score and third century in ODIs. Since his return in 2010 to the ODI team, he has scored 893 runs in 19 matches at an average of 52.52 and strike rate of 93.21.

Cook’s 137 is also the joint fourth-highest individual score by an England batsman in an ODI outside England. It is also the third-highest score by an England captain after Andrew Strauss 158 and 154.

The 131-run stand between Cook and Ravi Bopara is the second-highest third-wicket partnership for England in ODIs against Pakistan after the 135-run stand between Mike Gatting and Bill Athey in Karachi in 1987.

Steve Finn’s 4 for 34 is his best bowling performance so far in ODIs and the fourth-best by an England bowler against Pakistan in ODIs outside England.

Saeed Ajmal’s 5 for 43 is his first five-wicket haul in ODIs. It is also the fifth-best bowling performance by a Pakistani bowler against England and joint-seventh on the list of best bowling performances by spinners against England.

Pietersen, at the top of the order for the fifth time in an ODI, might have been run out on nought if Imran Farhat had not fumbled at mid-on and also needed a reprieve from DRS when he wandered across his stumps to one that Umar Gul cut back. Pietersen’s incredulity at Raza’s lbw decision summed up his desperate state of mind. Never has a man formally tapped the top of his bat to request a third-umpire ruling with such a BAFTA-winning performance.Cook needed a reprieve himself, on 30, when Simon Taufel’s decision that Hafeez had dismissed him lbw was overturned because of a big inside edge. He reviewed in a quiet, matter-of-fact manner, lacking Pietersen’s penchant for the theatrical.Ajmal then reminded England that he was around. Eoin Morgan perished to a reverse sweep, his preferred one-dayers bringing no immediate sustenance. Craig Kieswetter was spared the ignominy of the Test series and has wintered on the sub continent, attending to his method against the spinners, but he was the latest England batsman to have little inkling against Ajmal and fell to a desperate heave.England’s 260 was only a few runs above par in Abu Dhabi, but Finn swung the match in England’s favour, touching 90mph at times and maintaining a straight, fullish length. Two of his four victims, Mohammad Hafeez and Asad Shafiq, fell lbw and Younis Khan’s inside edge was athletically grasped by the wicketkeeper, Kieswetter, who then held a second catch to dismiss Imran Farhat. The coltish look about Finn in his early England games has all but departed, the improvement shown during England’s 5-0 ODI trouncing in India in October when he was one of the few successes of the tour rousingly confirmed.Worse followed for Pakistan as the captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, who was dismissed lbw five times in the Test series, was against struck in front, this time by the left-arm slows of Samit Patel. Shoaib Malik had been called up to Pakistan’s squad on the insistence of his captain, Misbah, and a confused innings, 7 from 23 balls, did nothing to justify the captain’s choice.Add the fact that Umar Akmal was struggling with a strained back, for which he could not have a runner because of ICC playing conditions – a ruling that the MCC, custodians of the Laws, strongly opposes – and Pakistan were out of contention. Afridi brought cheers from the Pakistan supporters with a few ebullient shots, but most interest in that came from a Nottinghamshire sideshow. After Patel dropped Afridi off Graeme Swann at long-on, Swann then caught Afridi off Patel at long-off. On the coach back to the hotel, Patel would have been well advised to put his headphones on.

Italy captain Alessandro Bonora believes Michael Di Venuto can transom his amateur Italian side and help them leave an impression on the World T20 qualifiers which begin on March 13 in the UAE.

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2012Italy captain Alessandro Bonora believes Michael Di Venuto can transom his amateur Italian side and help them make an impression in the World T20 qualifier, which begins on March 13 in the UAE. The squad will come together for an extended camp in Dubai ahead of their first game against Oman.Di Venuto, 38, played nine ODIs for Australia and Bonora is looking to his international experience to help guide Italy, the fourth-lowest ranked side in the tournament.”We are hugely excited about Michael joining up with the team,” Bonora said. “The Di Venuto’s have had a long standing relationship with Italian cricket, with Michael’s brother Peter having played for Italy in the recent past. Just the opportunity to see how a true professional goes about his job will have an immeasurable influence on the guys.”The squad is very similar to the one we have had over past tournaments. The coaching structure is unchanged too, so the guys know what to expect and what is expected of them. The difficulty, as with many of these tournaments, will be for the guys coming out of the northern hemisphere winter to have their skills and games honed by the time we start.”Di Venuto also brings a wealth of first-class experience. He spent 17 years playing for Tasmania before becoming a British-qualified player for Durham, after a stint as overseas player for Derbyshire. He is one of a number of new faces in the Italian squad that Bonora is excited about.”Middlesex allrounder Gareth Berg will also be joining us and offers some exciting variation with his right-arm swing bowling and strong batting,” Bonora said. “He’s featured strongly in the Middlesex T20 team over the last few seasons and will also bring great experience and lessons for us from the county circuit.”The other exciting addition is the off-spinning allrounder Carl Sandri who has been working towards joining up with Italian cricket for a number of years now and it’s great for us that he will be on this tour. Carl has been playing grade cricket in Melbourne for many years and will certainly bolster our ranks tremendously.”A place in the final of the qualifying tournament and a berth at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka is likely to prove beyond Italy, but Bonora believes his side demonstrates what is great about amateur cricket.”We have limited resources and spend a limited time together as a squad, but when we get together for these tournaments we play with passion and a strong desire to do well for one another,” Bonora said. “We play with discipline and structure and always look to implement the key skills of the game. If you give us a sniff of a win, we love nothing better than a team song to celebrate victory.”Italy have been drawn in group B, with Ireland, Scotland, Uganda, Oman, USA, Kenya and Namibia.

South Africa rode another irresistible performance from Vernon Philander to take a 1-0 lead in Hamilton, vanquishing the hosts by nine wickets inside three days

The Report by Andrew Fernando17-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kane Williamson battled hard but was one of Vernon Philander’s six victims•Getty ImagesSouth Africa rode another irresistible performance from Vernon Philander to take a 1-0 lead in Hamilton, vanquishing the hosts by nine wickets inside three days. Philander continued his phenomenal success in a sublime six-Test career, demolishing New Zealand’s lower order to finish with 6 for 44 in the second innings, and 10 for 114 in the match. His fifth five-wicket haul shrank his bowling average to 13.6, and Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla finished the win for South Africa with a smooth 98-run partnership in a chase of 101.Having resumed the day with four wickets down and still trailing by three runs, New Zealand’s hopes of setting a competitive target for South Africa rested primarily on the overnight pair of Kane Williamson and Daniel Vettori. Though the pair batted resolutely through the opening spells of South Africa’s frontline seamers, a sleepy scoring rate never had the opposition under pressure and they were able to continue attacking until the breakthrough came. By the lunch, two superb pieces of old-ball bowling had exposed the hosts’ long tail.Williamson resisted South Africa for 193 deliveries, going past 50 for the first time in five Tests, but when Philander had him caught behind in the first over of the second session, New Zealand’s dwindling hopes were snuffed out entirely. Philander’s off-stump line had Williamson playing at the ball, and a hint of movement was enough to catch the outside edge.Williamson began the day watchfully, as Dale Steyn found the reverse-swing that had undone Ross Taylor late on day two. Balls outside off stump were left alone – even those short and wide or overpitched, while the deliveries angled at the stumps were defended firmly or worked towards the leg side. Williamson had ended the previous evening on 41, but took a further 43 balls to score the nine runs for his half-century.Smart stats

Vernon Philander picked up his fifth five-wicket haul and second ten-wicket match haul in just his sixth Test. His bowling figures of 6 for 44 are his best so far.

Philander, who finished with 45 wickets after his first six Tests, narrowly missed out on equalling the record for becoming the fastest to reach the 50-wicket mark. This record belongs to Charles Turner of Australia, who achieved it in 1887.

Philander’s 6 for 44 is the fourth-best bowling performance by a South African bowlers against New Zealand and the best since South Africa’s readmission.

This is the 12th time since their readmission that South Africa have won a Test by a margin of nine wickets or more and the first such occasion against New Zealand. The run-rate of 5.19 is the second-highest for South Africa for a successful chase of a target between 100 and 200.

In the period since 1991, New Zealand have lost 12 Tests against South Africa. They have lost more only against Australia (17) and England (14) in the same period. Overall, South Africa improved their head-to-head record against New Zealand to 21-4.

Kane Williamson’s 77 is his second-highest score and his fifth fifty-plus knock in Tests. His highest score is 131 against India in Ahmedabad in 2010.

Vettori was almost as reticent, scoring significantly slower than his characteristic busy pace despite a disposition to be more punishing on bad deliveries. A clipped boundary through the leg side had his innings under way, and though Philander troubled him with the ball that darted back in, Vettori’s hand-eye coordination was good enough to get bat on ball, even if his footwork was often muddled.Smith moved methodically through his arsenal as he searched for a breakthrough, as the New Zealand pair saw out spells from Philander, Steyn and Morne Morkel. But the hosts were reminded of the relentless nature of the opposition attack, when Kallis produced a terrific effort ball that reared sharply, and took Vettori’s glove as he attempted to evade it.Kruger van Wyk partnered Williamson astutely for his 20, negotiating Kallis and Imran Tahir with confidence, before surviving a short-ball barrage from Steyn. But he could not see out Philander to end the session unbeaten; Philander swung the ball away to beat the edge, then brought it back in to rattle van Wyk’s off stump.Morkel found dramatic, late reverse-swing on his return to the crease, against which New Zealand’s tail was clueless. Doug Bracewell was lucky to get an inside edge on one that struck him in front, but the rapid, tailing inswinger that sent his off stump cartwheeling might have got the better of most top-order batsmen. His dismissal was the second instance in the day where a New Zealand batsman had left a ball that moved in viciously to clip the stumps – van Wyk being the other.Mark Gillespie swung wildly, hitting three boundaries off Philander’s next over – but he was caught behind off the last ball. Chris Martin didn’t last long against bowling of such quality, and New Zealand had slumped to their second sub-200 score on a flat surface. Having set South Africa only 101 to win, the hosts were on course for their second successive loss inside three days at Seddon Park.Alviro Peterson’s poor series with the bat continued, when he edged Bracewell’s first ball to slip, but Smith and Amla closed out the game unperturbed, striking at over five an over as they wiped the target inside 20 overs. Amla flayed New Zealand’s seamers through the off side, unfurling an array of drives off the front and back foot, while Smith bettered even Amla’s scoring rate as he exemplified how true the pitch was still playing. Smith had time to make a half-century before hitting the winning runs.

Varun Aaron, the India and Delhi Daredevils fast bowler, has almost recovered from the injury that has kept him out since December last year and is expected to be able to bowl in the IPL within a week

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2012Varun Aaron, the India and Delhi Daredevils fast bowler, has almost recovered from the injury that has kept him out since December last year and is expected to be able to bowl in the IPL within a week, according to franchise mentor TA Sekar.Aaron had to pull out of the Test squad for the Australia tour with a stress injury to his back. His last game was India’s second ODI against West Indies in Visakhapatnam in December 2011. He impressed with his pace and control before his short stint with the Indian team was ended by injury. Aaron has had a history of back trouble, having suffered two stress fractures soon after he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Jharkhand in the 2008-09 season.Sekar said that while Aaron was on the verge of regaining full fitness, Daredevils were not willing to take any chances with him. “He is getting very close to 100 percent fitness,” he said. “I think, in maybe a week, he should be ready to bowl in the IPL.””These fast bowler’s injuries, you cannot rush, because if it recurs, then he goes back by another two months. We are playing it very safe. He is almost ready to bowl, but we want him to be mentally [prepared], because he hasn’t played for a long time. Mentally also he should be match fit.”

Richard Pybus believes that more than the two stints as Pakistan coach, his experience in South Africa will serve him in good stead for his new role

Firdose Moonda30-May-2012Newly appointed Bangladesh coach Richard Pybus believes that more than the two stints as Pakistan coach, his experience in South Africa will serve him in good stead for his new role. Pybus was in charge of three South African teams, provincial side Border and franchises, the Titans and the Cobras. He won eight trophies with the two franchises and could be regarded as the most successful coach on the country’s domestic scene.”Working in Africa helps you understand a lot of things. You are surrounded by diversity and multiculturalism,” Pybus told ESPNcricinfo from Cape Town, where he was packing his bags for the departure to Dhaka. “Working with the franchises also helps, you learn about what it takes to win and how to build winning teams and winning mindsets. I worked with two franchises with a lot of international players and we did very well. In Pakistan, I gained a lot of cultural understanding because you can make faux pas if you are naïve.”Pybus has not coached an international side since his time with Pakistan in 2003 but was handpicked by the BCB as a replacement for Stuart Law. He is known for his innovative coaching methods, such as teaching players to juggle to improve their peripheral version, and he believes he is ripe to take up the “fantastic challenge” of coaching a national team again.Although the Bangladesh job could be seen as unenviable one, given the country’s status as bottom ranked Test team and lowest ranked-Test team in ODIs, Pybus sees it as an “engaging and unique” task.He said his most pressing job will be combining the need to develop with the ability to win, and that he is prepared to take the time he needs to get that balance right. “Because Bangladesh are a young side, there may be an acceptance that is all about development, and that is not right,” he said. “I will work on a system based on excellence. I want to be playing winning cricket, to create multi-format players, to focus on being competitive enough to be able to win series.”Pybus acknowledged that to create a winning culture, he will have to overcome mental barriers before concentrating on technical aspects of the game. “Bangladesh are only just starting to discover their self-belief, you could see that in the Asia Cup,” he said. “When you start to win games, you build that ability to cross a mental bridge and winning becomes something tangible to you. They have a history of coaches who have helped them build the platform and I will have to continue building on it.”The first thing will be to sort out what incremental steps needs to be taken to ensure there is competition for places and a sense among players that there will be opportunities for them if they consistently perform and put pressure [for places in the national side].”Pybus visited Bangladesh earlier this month to negotiate his contract with the BCB and said he was excited by what he saw. “The facilities are world-class, they have a nice indoor centre but more than any of that, it was the incredible passion and lovely sense of energy about where cricket in the country is going.”He will begin work next week and his first assignment will be an unofficial Twenty20 tri-series in Zimbabwe, which will also feature South Africa. Pybus knows the vast majority of the South African players and said the series will give him a good opportunity to assess the team, “get to know the players and find out what makes them tick.”His family, including two young children, will remain in South Africa for now, but Pybus has not ruled out the possibility of moving them to Bangladesh once he has settled in.

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to franchise the seven teams that will comprise the Sri Lanka Premier League through a tender process that began today, and hold a draft to allocate players to each franchise

Tariq Engineer13-Jun-2012The Sri Lanka Premier League has undergone a significant structural change, adopting a franchise system, with teams coming under private ownership instead of the SLC’s control, and a draft system for those franchises to pick their players. The changes were announced on Wednesday by Sri Lanka Cricket, which also started the tender process for the franchise system. The SLC would have owned all seven teams had the tournament gone ahead as planned in 2011, but ESPNcricinfo understands that private commercial interest in owning teams has led the board to change its stance.Icon players

Basnahira – Tillakaratne Dilshan

Kandurata – Kumar Sangakkara

Nagenahira – International player, yet to be named

Ruhuna – Lasith Malinga

Uthura – Muttiah Muralitharan

Uva – International player, yet to be named

Wayamba – Mahela Jayawardene

The reserve price for the franchises has been set at $3 million. The teams will be leased for an initial period of seven years, following which the franchisees will need to sign a fresh agreement but will have the first right of refusal. Those interested in owning a franchise will be allowed to bid for up to three teams. The tender process closes on June 25 and the bids will be opened the same day and the teams awarded to the highest bidders.Under the original system, SLC would have assigned players to each team. However, given private ownership of the teams, there will now be a draft along the lines of the one held by the National Basketball Association in the United States. In the first year, a lottery will be held to determine the order in which players are picked. SLC will determine the value of the contract for each player in advance and the franchises will be made aware of the cost of the player. The players are likely to be drafted in two groups – the first consisting of players from Sri Lanka and the second all the foreign players. The draft is being seen as the best way to ensure that players are evenly distributed among the teams, making it a level playing field.The seven provinces that will form teams are Basnahira, Kandurata, Nagenahira, Ruhuna, Uthura, Uva and Wayamaba. Each franchise will have an icon player, two of whom will be foreign players, and teams will be allowed a maximum of 18 players, out of which six can be foreign players.Teams will be allowed play a maximum of four foreign players per game. Out of the remaining seven players in the XI, one must be a Sri Lanka Under-21 international.SLC had signed a new deal with Somerset Entertainment Ventures to hold the league on May 5. Initially, the SLPL was supposed to kick off last year, with SLC’s then interim committee signing a five-year deal with Somerset Entertainment Ventures to organise the event. However, the Sri Lankan board was forced to postpone the tournament after the BCCI refused to allow its players to participate at the last minute, causing a delay in the naming of the final composition of the teams and affecting overall preparations for the event. In addition, the interim committee that signed the deal was subsequently replaced and there was criticism of some of the clauses in the contract by the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), prompting a new deal to be drawn up.

Jacques Faul, CSA’s acting chief executive, has paid tribute to Mark Boucher’s “wonderful contribution” to the South Africa team

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2012Jacques Faul, CSA’s acting chief executive, has paid tribute to Mark Boucher’s “wonderful contribution” to the South Africa team after the wicketkeeper’s enforced retirement from international cricket. Boucher was expected to step away from South Africa duty at the end of the tour of England but sustained an eye injury during the tour match at Somerset that has hastened his exit.He retires with a world record 998 international dismissals as a wicketkeeper, including 555 in 147 Tests, leaving South Africa facing a quandary as to his successor for the Test series against England that will decide the No. 1 ranking.”It is sad indeed that Mark Boucher’s retirement from international cricket has had to be announced under such untimely circumstances,” Faul said. “We were all looking forward to the contribution he was going to make to the Test series in England and the challenge for the World No. 1 ranking and to salute him on achieving the landmark of 150 Test matches.”I would like to thank him on behalf of the entire South African cricket family for the wonderful contribution he has made to the success of the Proteas over a period of 15 years. For 14 of those years he has been our first-choice wicketkeeper and has also captained the Proteas in both Test matches and the ODI format.”Faul also praised Boucher’s contributions as a batsman, which included scoring the fastest ODI century by a South African, as well as the “moral leadership” he demonstrated in the wake of the fixing scandal involving Hansie Cronje that rocked the country.”His terrier-like tenacity has always been the hallmark of his game and he has always been the consummate professional as well,” Faul said. “He was always up in the forefront of team training sessions and this was once again the case during the recent training camp in Switzerland.”But the greatest testimony to his character came during the King Commission of Enquiry in 2000 when he was the recently appointed vice-captain of the Proteas in the wake of the demise of Hansie Cronje. At the conclusion of his evidence to the King Commission, the Counsel for Cricket South Africa, Mr Jeremy Gauntlett SC, stated the following and I quote directly: ‘The United Cricket Board of South Africa will always be grateful for the moral leadership its vice-captain has shown at this time’.”Tony Irish, the South African Cricketers’ Association chief executive, added that he had received message from players’ associations around the world wanting to acknowledge Boucher’s impact on the game. “This is an indication of the mark he made with players all over the world,” Irish said.”From a players’ association point of view I want to thank Mark for his contribution to the players’ cause,” Irish added. “From the early days of SACA, Bouch was always in the forefront of standing up for players’ rights. He never shied away from a challenge. He is a former president of our organisation who was elected by the players. He has been a true professional, on and off the field.”We in South Africa love to see warriors and fighters in our national teams. Mark epitomised that for so many people. He has been the ‘bull terrier’ for longer than most of us can remember. From the past, present and future players of South Africa, thank you Mark Boucher.”

As the latest captain tasked with getting the best out of the famously enigmatic Mitchell Johnson, Australia A’s leader Ed Cowan has decided on a directive to the left-armer that may be summarised by the following four words: do what you like

Daniel Brettig26-Jul-2012As the latest captain tasked with getting the best out of the famously enigmatic Mitchell Johnson, Australia A’s leader Ed Cowan has decided on a directive to the left-armer that may be summarised by the following four words: do what you like.Cowan made no secret of his desire to help build Johnson back up to a level of confidence and wicket-taking from which he may return to the Australian Test team, and said his intention was to let the bowler call his own tune. During the senior team’s horrid ODI tour of England, Johnson said he had reconciled the fact his success or otherwise as a bowler depended largely on his mental state. To that end, Cowan wants to make him as comfortable as possible with Australia A.”The most important thing that I want from him is for him to be happy and do what he wants to do. So my opinion is what he wants, essentially,” Cowan told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the tour opener at Derby on Friday. “If he wants to run in and bowl fast, then we’ll set fields accordingly, if he wants to contain or swing, whatever.”He just needs to be relaxed and enjoy his cricket, away from the spotlight of international cricket and the pressures and the demands and the scrutiny most importantly that brings, and just get back to finding some rhythm and bowling well. Everyone knows how good he is, it’s just a question of regaining that confidence in his body and his action. His action looks great at the moment, and I’ll just be just letting him loose, let him do his own thing and have confidence to do that, that’s a big thing.”At 30, Johnson is by a distance the most experienced bowler on tour. He is also the most capped tourist in Test cricket by a distance, his 47 Tests more than the rest combined – Cowan (seven Tests), James Pattinson (five), Steve Smith (five), Tim Paine (four) and Mitchell Starc (four). Cowan said he had seen early evidence that Johnson was more comfortable offering advice these days, rather than merely receiving it.”There’s a leadership aspect to him on the tour as well, already we’ve seen him giving of himself to the younger guys,” Cowan said. “There’s a wealth of knowledge there, and he feels a bit more secure to be able to give it to this group, so really looking forward to him being a leader in that sense. I think that will help him, rather than having to lead the attack he can be a guy who can enjoy his cricket, be a source of advice to the other guys, and we’re looking forward to seeing him back to his best.”Another man edging his way back into the international game is the wicketkeeper Paine, following a lengthy and still resonant battle to repair a badly fractured finger. Cowan was with Paine last year at the time of one of his more disheartening medical assessments, and said the Tasmanian’s determination to return had been matchless, overcoming self-doubt as much as his battered digit.”I don’t think people understand a lot of the time what goes on behind the scenes for guys to get themselves fit,” Cowan said. “Not just physically but mentally, there’s a lot of moments when you’re injured for a long time that you start doubting if you’ll ever play again or play as well as you did. Those are natural thoughts he’s had to overcome, and in the last four or five months he’s proved to himself that he’s right, he’s ready to play and prove himself and push back for international selection.”He’s such a talent, such a natural keeper and such a beautiful flowing batsman when he gets going. The expectation is just for him to play some cricket, to get through injury free and see what happens. I’m not looking for him to come and blaze it straight away, because it does take time to find your feet. He takes such pride in performance that I’m sure he’ll put some great numbers on the board, but we’ll just let him play and the rest evolve.”Paine will bat and keep wicket with reinforced gloves. Like Cowan, he will be hopeful that Johnson’s deliveries are well directed.

Only 33 deliveries were possible before rain forced an abandonment of the first ODI between England and South Africa in Cardiff

The Report by George Dobell24-Aug-2012England 37 for 0 v South Africa – Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIan Bell hit Morne Morkel for six over midwicket in a brief display of hitting•Getty ImagesOnly 33 deliveries were possible before rain forced an abandonment of the first ODI between England and South Africa in Cardiff. The result means that England, who were presented with what looked remarkably like a hub-cap but was actually the ICC’s ODI Shield before play, retain the newly acquired No. 1 ranking in this format for a little while yet.Had South Africa won, they would have usurped England as the No. 1-ranked ODI side just as they usurped them as No. 1-ranked Test team with victory at Lord’s just five days ago.The weather flirted with spectators for much of the day and, as the covers were taken on and off with each passing shower, there was little to entertain the crowd other than 50 shades of grey sky. When play eventually began, the game was reduced to 24 overs a side, with another over deducted after a further interruption after just one delivery.England, who selected Chris Woakes for his first home ODI in place of the rested Stuart Broad, and retained faith in Ravi Bopara, despite his recent absence from the game for personal reasons ahead of the in-form Jonny Bairstow, were inserted when South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss at 9.45am. South Africa recalled left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell in place of the rested Dale Steyn.The first passage of play last only one delivery – a leg side wide – before rain forced the players from the pitch and, on the resumption, batting proved hard work. Alastair Cook might have been run-out before he scored had Parnell, at mid-off, hit the stumps with his direct hit and, after three power-play overs, England had scored only four runs.The next two overs cost 28, however, as Ian Bell, in particular, launched an attack that hinted he may yet have something to offer as a Twenty20 player. Cook signalled the acceleration by cover driving Lonwabo Tsotsobe for four before, later in the same over, Bell skipped down the pitch and lofted another four over mid-off.It was a tactic Bell was to employ even more impressively in the next over. Skipping down the pitch to Morne Morkel, Bell was able to turn perfectly reasonable back of the length deliveries into length deliveries and, having heaved one six over midwicket, drove another over long-off.But then, with 33 runs having come from 15 deliveries, the rain returned and, with time running out to fit in the minimum 20-overs a side to constitute a game, the umpires too the inevitable decision to abandon the game. Spectators will receive a full refund minus a handling fee.The second match in the five match series will take place in Southampton on Tuesday.

A century from Chris Hartley put Queensland on the path towards victory on the third day against South Australia in Brisbane, where Phillip Hughes was again carrying the batting load for the Redbacks

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2012
ScorecardChris Hartley scored his seventh first-class hundred•Getty ImagesA century from Chris Hartley put Queensland on the path towards victory on the third day against South Australia in Brisbane, where Phillip Hughes was again carrying the batting load for the Redbacks. At stumps, South Australia were 2 for 111 in their chase of 463, with Hughes unbeaten on 58 and Callum Ferguson on 31, and they needed something special to avoid opening their season with a defeat.The Bulls had removed Michael Klinger for 6 and Tom Cooper for 11 after Queensland declared at 8 for 248, a total made possible by Hartley’s seventh first-class hundred. His innings was especially impressive given that he came to the crease at 5 for 64, although by that stage Queensland already had a commanding lead, having declined the option of enforcing the follow-on.Hartley finished unbeaten on 103 from 107 balls, supported in the later stages by the first-innings centurion Ben Cutting, who made 33. Chadd Sayers and Joe Mennie picked up three wickets each but it was another day that the South Australians would prefer to forget, after they began the morning by losing their last three wickets for 20 runs.Hughes had started the day on 95 not out but didn’t add to his score and was caught at slip off the bowling of James Hopes from the first over of the day. Hopes finished with 5 for 27 from his 20 overs.