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With Australian cricket at a low, Tasmania’s model of strong results and stronger team culture stands out like a beacon

Daniel Brettig27-May-2011Tasmanian cricket is the little engine that could. Lacking the size, the population and even the favourable weather of its mainland cousins, the Tigers have nonetheless established the strongest team culture in the Sheffield Shield, and proved it by lifting the venerable trophy at the end of 2010-11 – the second time the state had done so in the past five years.Such success from modest means says much for the leadership of the captain, George Bailey, the coach, Tim Coyle, and the now-departing manager of cricket, David Boon. But it should also serve as a lesson for the rest of the states and the national team, as Australian cricket wrestles with itself via a pair of wide-ranging reviews in the wake of a desolate home Ashes summer.Bailey, a man of unfailingly sunny countenance but also plenty of grit and shrewdness on the field of play, learned his trade under the likes of Dan Marsh, Michael Di Venuto and, occasionally, Ricky Ponting. He believes the Tigers have succeeded by building a strong and stable team over several years, avoiding short-term decisions and melding home-grown youth with a smattering of interstate acquisitions. Some to the north have sniggered at Tasmania’s penchant for poaching, but Bailey’s response to this is pragmatic.”I think the whole argument of where your players come from is a bit out of touch,” Bailey told ESPNcricinfo. “Whatever football team you follow, if you go for a team from Victoria, they don’t all come from Victoria, do they? In terms of Australian cricket, you just want the best 66 players playing. If that means one year that 15 of those guys are from Tassie and one year eight of those guys are from Tassie, then that’s how it is.”I don’t want to play in a competition where you’re only getting a game because of where you’re born. In our environment, the people who walk in the door know they’re playing for Tasmania and they know the culture we’re trying to provide and they know the set-up that we have and the way we play our cricket. That’s something I think we do very well. We’ve got a very strong coaching staff – as good as any in the country.”And then our senior group of players, who are in that late-20s age group and played a lot of cricket together – we’ve got a huge amount of people in that age group. Because they’ve played so much cricket with and against each other down the years, it just makes us a really strong group, and [there’s] an opportunity for younger guys to come in, whether they’re Tasmanian-born or from another state, to know the standards we’ve set and what’s expected of them.”One roundabout measure of Tasmania’s culture is the first season of Mark Cosgrove, perhaps the most talented but least disciplined batsman in the country. In South Australia he was hounded for his ample waistline, and he was expelled from the Centre of Excellence in 2007, with Aaron Finch and David Warner, for slovenly treatment of his accommodation.”He’s a very natural eye player. His hands would be as good as anyone going around at the moment. He’s a bit like Darren Lehmann I suppose – just his ability to manipulate the ball around the field. And last season, on wickets that were quite challenging, at times it was like he was playing on a different wicket to the rest of us,” Bailey said.”The runs speak for themselves but just the way he fitted into the group from the moment he walked in the door, what he contributed, he’s obviously a great talent, and we just tried to make him feel really comfortable and get him enjoying his cricket as much as he can.”That’s something we do quite well, I think we enjoy each other’s company and we’ve got a pretty good bunch of blokes down here, so it was good to see Cossie grow into a role. There were times during the year when we asked him to do different things – there was a game where he opened – but that role for him in the middle order is so important for us. He’s so devastating, he can really put teams on the back foot.”Tasmania spent the post-Christmas phase of the season almost exclusively on the front foot, shrugging off a middling start to go on a six-match tear that culminated in a seven-wicket defeat of New South Wales in the final. Success bred further success.”One of the big things in Shield cricket is just getting confidence up throughout the year,” Bailey said. “By the time we’d got to the Shield final we’d won five games on the trot and we had a really good belief in the group that we were a pretty good cricket team. No doubt the fact that we had a really good bowling year and we kept finding ways to take 20 wickets every time we played – I think that was probably the key to it as well.”Tasmania’s startling bowling figures said as much about a damp summer as the sporting wickets the team often played on, where Luke Butterworth, James Faulkner and others zipped the ball about. Bailey acknowledges the contribution of the conditions to his side’s strong summer, but also hopes for more equitable surfaces in the future.”I can’t imagine it’ll be another summer as wet as it was last year, which no doubt had a huge influence on the curators’ ability to prepare the surface they wanted, so I think there’ll be some natural changes there,” he said. “The concern for me is that I think states have worked out that a wicket like the Gabba, where you have a result every time you play, means that Queensland, who play five games a year there, are always going to be somewhere in the hunt.Tasmania factfile

Captain George Bailey
Coach Tim Coyle
Where they’ve finished in the Sheffield Shield since 2001-02 second, last, third, last, fourth, first, fourth, fourth, fifth, first
Australian Test debutants since 2001 Jason Krejza, Ben Hilfenhaus, Tim Paine, Xavier Doherty
Slipped through the cracks
Travis Birt Five years ago Ricky Ponting deemed Birt a talent to watch, and he has played Twenty20 cricket for his country. But more should have been possible from this cleanest of shot-makers.
Shannon Tubb Among the first wrist spinners to emerge after Shane Warne made it cool again, Tubb’s career fizzled out into that of a frustrated journeyman. Still only 31, but long gone from the first-class scene
Future fund
James Faulkner Left-arm swing and handy batting have seen Faulkner promoted to Australia A duty. Bailey terms him “as diligent as anyone at that age, and a great cricket brain hidden behind a larrikin persona”.
Tom Triffitt Described by Bailey as a “very natural wicketkeeper”, Triffitt has emerged via Tim Paine’s Australian duties as another capable performer. Building greater innings will be his challenge next season
Alex Doolan Possessing a passing technical resemblance to Martin Love, Doolan has held down the No.3 spot for two seasons, a stabiliser ahead of stroke-makers like Cosgrove.

“The states know there’s no value in playing in draws. I saw Ricky Ponting’s comments late in the season that when he was getting picked to play for Australia, guys who were picked were averaging 50 or 60 and that was the way you had to do it.”He was also playing in an era where there were an average of 18-20 draws a year. I think now the average is seven or eight draws for the entire season. Games are being played to be won and probably on wickets that are more conducive to results. The offset is that batsmen aren’t learning the craft of being able to build big innings and bat for long periods of time.”Then when we do have to play on flatter wickets, probably at the Test level, our bowlers haven’t much experience of bowling on [those] and getting the ball to reverse-swing and finding those ways to get teams out. So there’s two things there that probably need to be addressed.”Another issue for Bailey is the problematic Futures League, a hybrid of second XI and under-age competition that he believes is failing to equip the next rung of domestic players. Among a range of complaints is that the over restrictions – 96 in the first innings, 48 in the second, of a three-day match – make it impossible to judge a bowler’s strengths over longer spells.Also, you’re only allowed to play three players over 23. “It’s become really difficult to have guys that aren’t in your best XI consistently playing good, hard cricket against other teams with that under-23 rule,” said Bailey. “I’ve got no doubt that cricket and the way the bodies are, your best cricket you play after you’re 23, and it’s much the same as the Australian team. I think the best Australian players are better for having a really strong first-class system, and the teams at this level playing good, hard cricket, and we’re much the same.”Domestic cricket is only as good as the depth in squads, and the guys who, when they do enter first-class cricket, are ready to play. So that’s been a real challenge, to keep the guys who aren’t in your immediate XI or XII playing at the level that you expect of them at first-class level.”Bailey argues the domestic season should be kept as lean as possible to maintain the high intensity of Sheffield Shield cricket that has served aspiring Australian players so well for decades.”The strength of the competition is that we don’t overplay. I think the 10 games a year means that every game is played at a really high intensity,” he said. “I certainly think that’s a real key to that, but I don’t know whether that means it is the best domestic comp in the world. It was based on the mindset that guys had to work really hard to get into that Australian side.”You knew you weren’t going to get gifted a spot in the team. You had to put multiple strong seasons together before you got looked at, and that’s one thing that you don’t want to lose sight of – that’s what has made Australian cricket strong. They’ve always picked their best players. It’s not about picking players for the future or people they think are going to be good, it’s about picking who is the best now.”

Dale Steyn has said South Africa’s bowling effort in Johannesburg was inconsistent in the morning session but improved as the day went on

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers 18-Nov-2011Maybe bowlers are just not morning people. Both South Africa and Australia’s attacks waited till the later stages of the first two days to spring to life and bowl the opposition out. The explanation cannot lie in the weather conditions, the state of the ball or the physical condition of the bowlers. Instead, it appears that, just like batsmen, the longer the bowlers persist with their task the better they get at executing it.South Africa’s initial approach with the ball was all-out attack. The former new-ball partners Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were used in separate spurts rather than together, while Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis were asked to perform the dual role of restricting runs and keeping the batsmen guessing.The bowlers drew edges but the edges did not find the fielders. Phil Hughes and Shane Watson scored five boundaries with edges to third man in the morning session. They also drove 12 times, cut five times, pulled once and scored two classy boundaries with flicks to the leg side.Those boundary statistics show that South Africa bowled some good balls but could not maintain constant pressure on the openers. Some deliveries were beauties: Philander beat the outside edge while moving the ball away from Watson, and Steyn swung it at pace, but they failed to do it consistently. Hughes and Watson were allowed to pick which balls to punish and their judgment in doing so was near infallible.”We bowled well in parts. We’d bowl three good balls, a bad ball that would go for four and then two good balls,” Dale Steyn said. “It seemed that every time we bowled a bad ball it went for four, so the Aussies were cruising at five runs an over.”On the whole, the South African attack erred in length, with too many short balls turning into juicy, hittable longhops. Morkel, in particular, overused the bouncer and got it wrong more times than he pulled it off correctly. They looked in need of a genuine containing bowler, like Paul Harris, who could simply put the brakes on the scoring for a few overs, but the current composition of the attack does not allow for that.Steyn struggled to explain South Africa’s apparent lethargy in the morning, putting some of it down to simply needing to rub the sleep out of his own eyes. “I started off a bit slow this morning. Like anybody else, sometimes you wake up and you are not up for it. I’m not saying that I wasn’t up for the occasion but sometimes your body says to you, you need to take it easy, so Graeme [Smith] used me in short bursts.”At lunch, Australia were already 169 for 0 and Steyn said South Africa’s focus was on reining in the run-rate. “In the morning session, we just did not do enough and we paid for it. At lunch time, we said we have to lock in and get that run-rate down.” Instead of heaping demands on the bowlers, captain Graeme Smith, according to Steyn, shifted the focus onto the batsmen. “Graeme did say at lunch time that whatever we get them out for, it will be the batters’ responsibility to match it and give us some kind of lead to bowl at.”That instruction took the load off the bowlers. Vincent Barnes, the former South Africa bowling coach under whom the bulk of this attack was groomed, said the players would likely have talked about having an “investment session.” Barnes explained this as a period of time in which the bowlers would look to “let Mark Boucher [the wicketkeeper] catch a few balls and bring the run-rate down.”Morkel and Philander returned with a line and length that was significantly better than the one they had employed earlier. Hughes, who had scored 85 before lunch, noticed it immediately. “After lunch, their lines were very good and their areas were definitely consistent,” he said. He became the first wicket to fall, edging to second slip where AB de Villiers completed an athletic catch.Smith rotated his bowlers cleverly, giving them each only a few overs at a time, to combat the effects of heat and the frustration that can creep in when bowling on a flat pitch. Philander struggled with cramp midway through the session but Morkel, Steyn and Kallis had all lifted themselves enough to counter his absence. Steyn was among the wickets in his third spell, when he dismissed Ricky Ponting. He went on to take two wickets in his fourth spell and one in his fifth, having settled into a rythm after an erratic morning.Eventually, Smith turned to his legspinner Imran Tahir again and in his fourth spell as an international cricketer Tahir proved his worth. He had Brad Haddin trapped lbw, bowled Peter Siddle with a googly and dismissed Nathan Lyon in the space of eight overs.Tahir cleaned up the tail quicker than South Africa are normally able to. With his late burst, he displayed a brand of aggression that adds a new dimension to their attack. Tahir’s inclusion means that wickets will come at a greater cost, but it almost guarantees that they will come at some stage. “We’re probably going to go for a couple more runs than we are used to but we’re going to bowl teams out,” Steyn said. “That’s what Immi does, he bowls teams out.”South Africa conceded a deficit of just 30 runs, dragging Australia back from a position from which it looked like they would build a big lead. The pitch at the Wanderers is expected to stay batsmen-friendly for the better part of the next two days and South Africa will want to break the trend of teams collapsing after a solid start. “I don’t know what would be a good lead here, but we want to take the game a long way forward and make it as tough as possible for the Aussies to chase anything down,” Steyn said.

Sri Lanka were totally written off after their innings defeat in the first Test. Their response in Durban has got the team celebrating with joy

Firdose Moonda at Kingsmead29-Dec-2011The most endearing moment of Sri Lanka’s historic first win in South Africa will be one that took place seconds after Rangana Herath was asked his first question in the post-match press conference. He took nine wickets to earn the man of the match award and spun Sri Lanka to their first Test victory since Muttiah Muralitharan retired 16 months ago. The question was how he felt about his role in Sri Lanka’s victory.”What I have to say is that it was a great team effort,” said Herath, frowning to concentrate on his every word. “That’s why we won against South Africa, that’s why we are going to celebrate and that’s why we are laughing.”To laugh is one thing but to emit shrieks of unadulterated joy is another. Teams do it when they win in situations that no-one, even themselves, believed that they could. They do it when they’ve made a point that people thought could not be proved, when they notch up a first that people imagined would not be achieved for years to come and when they’ve made a statement of intent that will be remembered as a turning point in their sporting history.When Sri Lanka did it in Durban, they curved around a corner that may have as much significance as Castle Corner does to the average South African fan. They registered their ninth victory outside the subcontinent and beat a team that was expected to clean sweep them. So much so that the host broadcaster branded the tour on Twitter as the #noexcuses series, because they believed South Africa could not justify anything but a 3-0 win.Before Sri Lanka arrived in South Africa, they were written off. When they arrived and performed without much peneteration in the tour match in Benoni, the line was smudged and when they lost in Centurion by an innings and 81 runs, they were erased right off the page.Tillakaratne Dilshan said being spoken about disparagingly only served to motivate the team to perform in the opposite fashion. “We proved we are good,” said Dilshan, with a streak of defiance in his voice. “I said at the start of the series that if we play our brand of cricket we can beat any team in any conditions and we did it.”

“He handled things really well in the middle. He is learning quickly and I feel he is one of the greatest youngsters in Sri Lanka. He can get to 10,000 runs in Test cricket.”Tillakaratne Dilshan on Dinesh Chandimal

Kingsmead did not present just any conditions. The pitch allowed for a more balanced contest between bat and ball than its predecessor at SuperSport Park. The quicks had early morning bounce, the batsmen had a flattening strip in the sun, the spinners had the rough and the few cracks and Test cricket had an opportunity to end the year on a high. “Centurion was only for the fast bowlers but this wicket was a 50-50 wicket for batsmen and bowlers so I think this was a great Test wicket,” said Dilshan.Sri Lanka were given a chance to compete with South Africa on more even terms and they did not stop at competing. After dismissing the hosts for 168 in the first innings, through the skill of Chanaka Welegedara and the guile of Herath, their until-now under-performing batting line-up gave them a lead that would require South Africa to break a world record to claim victory. Their attack, which was criticised for not being able to take 20 wickets, then dismissed South Africa a second time, presenting the team with victory with a day to spare.South Africa’s batsmen collapsed after lunch, losing five wickets for 45 runs. Two of those dismissals, the ones of Jacques Rudolph and Jacques Kallis, were via poor shots and Hashim Amla was run-out in a comedy of errors. But Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher were the recipients of crafty deliveries. Dilhara Fernando removed Prince with a sharply rising delivery, similar to the one he bowled to Graeme Smith, and Herath had Boucher trapped lbw.The left-arm spinner used the old-fashioned values of flight, turn and doggedness to claim his five-for. Even when it looked like Sri Lanka would drag the match into a fifth day when they appeared unable to remove one of AB de Villiers or Dale Steyn, Herath kept plugging away. He said he knew he would have to bowl a lot of overs and he did in miserly fashion. Although he credited a team effort for the victory, a large part of the thanks belonged to him.While Herath was named man of the match, Dinesh Chandimal who scored twin fifties in his debut match, took three catches, effected a stumping and was involved in a run-out received some of the highest praise. “He was involved in two century partnerships,” Dilshan said, referring to the first innings effort with Thilan Samaraweera and the second innings stand with Kumar Sangakkara. “He is one of the finest youngsters we have had. We gave him an opportunity and he grabbed it with both hands, not only batting but his keeping was also fantastic. He provided great support for the bowlers and the fielders and I firmly believe he is one of the best cricketers we have produced.”The one milestone in this match that was overshadowed was Mahela Jayawardene becoming the first Sri Lankan to score 10,000 Test runs. Dilshan said Chandimal, 22, may be able to do the same after the current crop have retired. “He can get to 10,000 runs in Test cricket,” he said. “He handled things really well in the middle. He is learning quickly in Tests and one-dayers and I feel he is one of the greatest youngsters in Sri Lankan cricket.” Chandimal is part of Sri Lanka’s new beginning, a start that could be borne from the efforts in Durban.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the third Test in Dominica

Daniel Brettig in Roseau26-Apr-2012Drought-breaker of the day
When Ben Hilfenhaus popped a close-in catch to Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Shillingford became the first West Indies spin bowler to claim 10 wickets in a match since Lance Gibbs against England at Old Trafford in 1966. The haul of 10 for 219 was a just reward for Shillingford’s persistence, albeit in conditions ideally suited to his art. Since being recalled for the second Test in Trinidad, Shillingford has bowled with consistency, skill and patience, foxing plenty of batsmen with his top spinner though dismissing far more with his offbreak. As a sponsor’s ambassador, Gibbs has been watching it all unfold from the stands.Snare of the day
Commonly posted at short leg, Ed Cowan’s fall-back position is often at square leg, alongside the umpire. He was posted there for Ben Hilfenhaus at the start of the West Indies second innings, and when Adrian Barath flicked a full length ball to the legside with plenty of timing, Cowan swooped to grasp a low, diving catch. It was a particularly good take given that Cowan has been nursing a sore wrist since the second day, when he was struck flush by a screeching stroke when fielding close-in. Barath certainly could not believe his fate, as he waited momentarily at the crease before trudging off.Referral of the day
Brathwaite had made three consecutive ducks entering this innings, but was making a decent start at Windsor Park before Michael Clarke introduced himself to the attack. Though Clarke gained some turn, it was a delivery that whirred through straight that undid Brathwaite, beating his rushed attempt to pull and striking him just in front of off stump. The Australians all went up and so did the umpire Tony Hill, leaving Brathwaite to call for a referral. In keeping with the West Indies’ ill-fortune across the series, replays had the ball striking him in line with the stumps, while Hawk-Eye indicated the ball would have grazed the top of the bails. There was some dismay evident in the hosts’ viewing area as Brathwaite returned to the pavilion.Direct hit of the day
As a partnership developed between Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, David Warner’s leg spin was brought on in an effort to buy a wicket. Cowan was brought into short leg, though he had spoken on the third evening about the trepidation he felt at times given Warner’s occasional lapses in line and length. Sure enough, Warner served up a delivery to Bravo that was short enough to be on its way back down by the time it reached the batsman, who pulled convulsively and struck Cowan a percussive blow to the helmet. Cowan reeled away momentarily before gathering his composure, but he quickly retreated to deeper on the legside for the next delivery. Bravo offered some apologies for hitting him, but it was Warner who shall owe his opening partner a drink of some description.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day at The Oval

George Dobell and Firdose Moonda at The Oval22-Jul-2012Dedication of the Day
With Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis both starting the fourth day with milestones imminent, emotion was guaranteed. Amla reached 200 with a perfectly-placed back-foot drive and celebrated long, but carefully. Kallis was more emphatic when he reached three figures. With arms raised he soaked in warm applause and then gestured to his eye with a small nod of the head. Although Kallis had pointed to his right eye instead of his left, it was a tribute to his best friend, Mark Boucher, whose left-eye injury forced him to retire at the start of the tour. Kallis and Boucher, friends for almost two decades, were the longest-serving members of the South African squad and also live next door to each other.Achievement of the Day
Before today, no South African batsman had scored 300 runs in a Test match. AB de Villiers’ 278 stood as the tallest mountain and when Hashim Amla went past him, De Villiers was shown on camera cheering him on. It took 35 balls from the time Amla broke that record to the time he brought up 300. There were some nerves when Tim Bresnan trapped him on the pads and appealed vociferously but otherwise his usual calm predominated. The milestone came with a drive through the covers, Amla’s signature shot of the innings. As he jogged down the pitch, he punched the air – a first for a usually understated man. The Oval crowd were on the feet for a full minute.Big call of the Day
Graeme Smith has been criticised for sometimes being too conservative. Today, he went the other way. At tea, with South Africa 252 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand and Jacques Kallis on 182, Smith decided they would bat no more. He gave his bowlers four sessions to bowl England out and left open the possibility that South Africa might have to chase a small target. With a series lead at stake, it was a daring move.Commitment of the Day
The score was 628 for 2 when James Anderson, rushing around the cover boundary, dived full length to turn what had appeared to be a certain four into a two. For a man who had bowled 41 overs – and not taken a wicket since his second – it was a fine effort. While such episodes were of small consolation, this was a day of little joy for England and such a moment at least hinted at the spirit, the fitness and the determination of Anderson and his colleagues.Stat of the Day
By the South Africa declared on 637 for 2, England’s bowlers had taken their last three Test wickets for a cost of 780 runs, in a period stretching back to the Edgbaston Test against West Indies where Tino Best and Denesh Ramdin added 143 for the tenth wicket. For the No. 1 Test side who pride themselves on possessing a fine bowling attack, that is a major stain on their record.Telling moment of the Day:
Some England supporters argued with gateman around the tea interval after demanding their money back. Their point, as far as it was possible to tell through the somewhat inebriated slurring of words, was that they had come to watch a game of cricket but had been bored by the lack of a contest. They argued in vain. While those supporting England might have been disappointed, the pleasure of watching Amla should have provided ample compensation.

Marlon Samuels has been to hell and back, for reasons well known, but no one could have predicted the kind of second coming that he is scripting

Subash Jayaraman in Jamaica04-Aug-2012It was as though Marlon Samuels was not challenged enough by the conditions and the opposition bowlers in Antigua, as though it was not the right stage to showcase his class and sublime skill. While almost everybody helped themselves to runs there in the first Test, padding their numbers on a flat deck at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium, Samuels showed why he was always considered a special talent in the second in Jamaica, with 123 on a pitch that had bounce and pace, against a youthful yet disciplined four-pronged New Zealand pace attack.Led by Trent Boult and Tim Southee, New Zealand, with a one-side-of-the-wicket line and some short-pitched aggression, nipped off early wickets and kept even Chris Gayle quiet. The early moisture of the track helped their quicks move the ball off the pitch, and also attain a certain amount of swing in the air. Samuels walked in at 17 for 2, with Gayle plodding along.There were few early jitters for Samuels, with the New Zealand bowlers on the ascendancy, but this pitch at Sabina Park is one he knows quite well. “It is never easy to go in and start flowing [on this pitch]. You have to spend a bit of time. It isn’t the easiest pitch to bat on,” Samuels said after Friday’s play. “It seems flat but isn’t. [A] ball here and there does something, and I had to apply myself, and concentrate a little bit harder.”There were some inside edges, a couple of glides through the slip region when he was not totally in control, but once he was set, it was going to be hard to remove Samuels. Even a sightscreen that got stuck, not switching from the red sponsor ad to a white background, could not distract him today. Once settled, he got boundaries at will, making pretty decent deliveries look very ordinary. It was only when he was saddled with the desperation of being stuck alone, that he eventually succumbed.Drives straight down the ground scorching his home turf, dismissive slaps through cover, delicate nudges, powerful pulls and expert scythes through the slip cordon, they were all there. He continued his fine form from the Test series in England and attributed this knock to the technique that is required to perform well in England. “This was the kind of pitch you have to play late on, like in England, because of the bounce.”The New Zealand bowlers stuck to their task, constantly questioning the West Indies batsmen. Only those that were ready to bide their time, giving themselves a chance to get set, were going to succeed and the only one who did today for West Indies was Samuels. “Patience is definitely the key, especially on a wicket like today’s. All the New Zealand bowlers bowled well, their lengths and their lines were proper. It was tough for us to score runs. It’s a wicket you can’t just come up and play shots and dominate. You have to spend some time.”There was a brief but brisk partnership of 49 with Darren Sammy but soon, Samuels was running out of partners as he neared his personal landmark – something that he has never done, score a 100 in front of his home crowd, with family and friends in attendance. Southee – as well as he had bowled throughout – bore the brunt of that final surge from Samuels. Three back-to-back-to-back sixes took Samuels from 98 to 116 with only No. 11 Tino Best for company. A tennis forehand sort of slap over cover brought up his first Test century in West Indies. One that was deposited over the sightscreen followed and another was flayed over long off, not too violently.This week marks the 50th year of independence from the British rule in Jamaica. Kingston has been painted in black, green and gold. And the local boy chose the perfect time to put on a show for his people. “It’s a special time for Jamaica, the 50th,” Samuels said. “To come out here and put in my piece of celebration with my people [is special]”.Samuels has been to hell and back, for reasons well known, but no one could have predicted the kind of second coming to cricket that he is scripting. Even though he made his Test debut in 2000, two of his highest scores in Tests have come in the last two series, 117 against England at Nottingham and the cool, almost nonchalant century today. Another famous former resident of Jamaica would have been proud of this “redemption song”.Samuels recalled the hard times: “There were so many problems, I played [and] I quit. It is just now I am over these hurdles. I’ve been through some tough times. I’m here still playing cricket.”It’s my time to enjoy my cricket. Waking up in the morning, I don’t worry about getting a game. I know I’m going to get a game. I worry about how I’m going to start my innings. It’s a different mindset [now]. I am definitely at peace with myself.”

West Indies have some tricky issues to solve as they try to keep themselves in the one-day series with their preference for a host of allrounders not bringing success

Mohammad Isam03-Dec-2012West Indies’ decision to stick to a single plan in the one-day series against Bangladesh has made them overlook two important facets of the limited-overs game. They haven’t paid heed to current form and the importance of risk-free middle-order batting while at the same time have indulged on an overdose of similar skilled allrounders.West Indies lost both ODIs in Khulna, the second by a record margin against Bangladesh of 160 runs. The two defeats inflicted on the visitors have completely changed the atmosphere of the tour following the Test victories and as West Indies moved to Dhaka on Monday morning issues were piling up at their feet.Lendl Simmons’ form is the first of those problems. He has partnered Chris Gayle at the top of the order in the first two games and has had scores of 13 and 9. His last ODI fifty came a year ago but more importantly he has been through a poor time in this format. Since the fifty in India he has averaged below 10 in nine games with a highest of 36. Kieran Powell may take his place and could have justified a place in the side at the start of the series after his two centuries in the Dhaka Test. Though he has since had four low scores he would freshen up the top order.”Throughout the Test series we had a lot of performances coming from the younger players,” Darren Sammy said. “The Bravos, Powells, Ramdin, young Permaul and all the guys have done well. Cricket is a team game and you have to perform together. Obviously you have days when some individual had a brilliant moment and gets the Man-of-the-Match, but at the end of the day it takes a total team effort to win games.”Sammy, though, credited Bangladesh’s plans, particularly their bowlers’ confidence when responding to boundaries. “I think everybody would want to go out there and perform and I believe every single batsman goes out there to perform for West Indies. Credit to the way the Bangladesh team has bowled.”They have a plan for every batsman. Gazi, Razzak and Mashrafe stuck to the plan. Even though we hit a couple of boundaries you see them executing properly. That’s where we are lacking. We are not executing our plans well. So far Bangladesh have seized the moment.”The lack of runs from Gayle, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels has also hurt West Indies’ chances. Gayle hasn’t made up his mind on whether to start slowly or blaze away while Sohag Gazi has had the better of the in-form Samuels in both games. Bravo hasn’t done justice to the range of shots he possesses and his ability to play spin bowling in this series by giving away two starts. The early dismissals of Samuels and Bravo against spin have also impacted the rest of the batsmen who have still some way to go when dealing with spinners.”We have not rotated the strike against spin as much as we could over the last few years. But we get better at it when we spend time at the crease,” Sammy said. “So far none of our batsmen have done so. In order to score runs you must be present at the crease.”There are also issues around the balance of the side with a preference for allrounders, such as Andre Russell and Dwayne Smith, ahead of specialist quick Kemar Roach. Russell, Smith and Darren Sammy took one wicket between them in the second match while none of them have made the sort of contributions expected from them with the bat, especially under the new fielding restrictions.The continued struggle of Sunil Narine has been the other setback while in the opposition Razzak and Gazi thrived in Khulna where the wicket offered turn. It would not be a huge surprise if Veerasammy Permaul, the left-arm spinner, replaced Narine for the remaining ODIs.Sammy has a tough task ahead of him, both in selecting the right personnel and in making sure the attitude is right. West Indies are running out of time and defeat in this series would be a blow to their growing reputation as a returning force in world cricket.

From Gopal Rangachary, India While the cricketing world spent the last week rejoicing at the end of Australia’s era of domination, and celebrating the definitive Tendulkar innings, a quite extraordinary set of events were quietly unfolding

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Gopal Rangachary, India
While the cricketing world spent the last week rejoicing at the end of Australia’s era of domination, and celebrating the definitive Tendulkar innings, a quite extraordinary set of events were quietly unfolding themselves in Napier, New Zealand. No – it wasnt that Chanderpaul got a first ball duck, or that Chris Gayle batted 5 sessions – but that the Test match, and hence the Test series ended in a draw.Well – the basement battle between two uninspiring sides ended in a draw. Nothing to write home about you would think. But, especially if you were Tony Cozier or one of the long suffering West Indies cricket journalists, this was a red letter day. For the first time in 13 years, and after 17 series (since the English summer of 1995), West Indies were NOT beaten in an overseas Test series ( of course let’s leave the pseudo Tests against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh out). To put this in perspective, for the entire duration of Saurav Ganguly’s Test career, West Indies lost every overseas tour they went on.Chanderpaul is the only West Indies player to have tasted anything but defeat in this period. A closer reading is even more depressing. In the 60 matches that were played across those 17 series, West Indies won just 4, drew 6 ( of which 4 were rain-affected) and lost the other 50 matches. What is most mind-numbing is to recall that West Indies were unbeaten in 27 test series in the preceding 15 years (1980-1995). They fell off a particularly steep cliff didn’t they?There have been a few false dawns in these dark days of West Indies cricket – particularly at home. They have won Test series against Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka , England and New Zealand, and shared one with Australia. Despite the Perth heroics of de Villiers & Co., they still hold the record for the highest 4th innings target chased. Lara has played several memorable innings, Chanderpaul many valiant ones, Courtney Walsh became the leading wicket taker in world cricket and even Chris Gayle has a Test triple hundred. However, with the West Indies, it has seemed every step forward was inevitably followed by three longer ones backward.That said, there is some reason for cautious optimism in the Chris Gayle era – A first ever Test win in South Africa, a drawn Test series against a decent SL side, a Test series against Australia which was much more competitive than was anticipated, and now this drawn one in New Zealand . Of course the backdrop to this has been the Bradmanesque efforts of the under-appreciated Chanderpaul in this period, but there have been other signs of life – Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor are a handy bowling partnership, Dwayne Bravo is enthusiastic and talented, and the fielding and the general way that the West Indies seem to be going about their business has significantly improved.There are many areas to fix though, scarcely a series goes by without wrangling between Digicel and Cable and Wireless (although the toxic West Indies Players Association and the obnoxious Dinanath Ramnarine seem to have evaporated), Allen Stanford has funded the game, but muddied the waters, and the regional infighting seems to grow in inverse proportion to the team’s performance on the field. Darren Powell shouldn’t see the inside of a Test ground again, and surely there must be someone other than Dinesh Ramdin and Carlton Baugh. Chris Gayle needs to find an opening batsman who will be a partner rather than a one-night stand. However this draw against a mediocre New Zealand side may just be the beginning of the era of the era of West Indies submission.If only that maniac, John Bracewell had been around as NZ coach, the West Indies may even have won it.

From Fergus Peace, Australia

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
The baton has passed in the stands as well•Getty Images“Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!” Ben Hilfenhaus’ final nick behind was ten minutes in the past and the MCG was emptying rapidly. One spectator, wandering down the ramp towards the exit, let loose that most archetypal, uninventive Australian chant, a gesture of defiance to make up for his team’s submission. On the best days, the cry is met with instant, triumphant response. Here, seconds passed and the words subsided before another fan took up the cause and returned an equally solitary “Oi! Oi! Oi!” And his hopeful words too subsided, but not into silence, for there was no silence within a mile of the hallowed turf.That was ensured by the Barmy Army, whose chants were not gestures of defiance but raucous expressions of triumph, the kind the Australian chant once signified. The baton has been passed, not only on the field but in the stands. It is unlikely to change any time soon. England’s crop of players hardly know what it is to lose to Australia: none have lost the Ashes more than once, five never at all. When they have lost – Headingley in 2009, Perth this year – it has been because England played atrociously and Australia lifted their game.There is only one dominant team, and it can be seen in the way they carry themselves. Graeme Swann, even when he has been mandated to bowl flat and fast and hold up an end, always walks with a strut and a glimmer in his eye; it is coming. Tim Bresnan, regarded by most Australians as little more than an honest toiler, turns at his mark not in fear of being crashed to the cover boundary, as did Sajid Mahmood, James Anderson and even Matthew Hoggard last tour, but eagerly anticipating the next step in his plan. Chris Tremlett, delivering a series of gems and beating the edge with regularity that can easily frustrate a bowler, smiles and in spite of his professed gentleness enjoys, or at least appreciates, the torment he is giving. Matt Prior thinks everything is out. These are signs of a team used to beating Australia and not looking to the heavens for thanks.Meanwhile, Mitchell Johnson seems to hope for a wicket rather than expecting one, and not without reason. Steven Smith bowled a good ball during the final session of day two in Melbourne, pitching on middle and leg, turning and bouncing and drawing a cautious defensive prod. What was needed was another twenty such deliveries to induce a mistake; what came was a half-tracker, pummeled to the midwicket boundary. But this crunching boundary, unlike the forward-defensive, went in the air – comfortably wide of the fieldsman, but enough to encourage Smith to bowl similarly next delivery, with similar results. Hilfenhaus avoids this impetuousness but his patience is more resigned than plotting, having accepted that he is likely to bend at least ninety deliveries a day away from the right-hander to be comfortably left, no damage done.Enough has been written about the failings of the Australian team and the strengths of the English one. In Perth in 2006, when Geraint Jones emerged on a pair, the Barmy Army – never deniers of reality – sang out Living on a Prayer. Late on day three in Melbourne, the scoreboard showing that six Australian wickets had already tumbled, the same song rang from the Army’s ranks, this time as an offering to their vanquished opponents. After so many years of pain, they are enjoying it. And Australia seems to have been almost as successful at forgetting its own greatness as England has been at forgetting the lows they sank too.Two local members of the crowd, discussing the parlous state of the batting order, offered this: “Apart from Hussey, and maybe Watson, there’s nobody else in that line-up who can score runs.” “Exactly. Although somebody the other day was talking about Ponting, I think?” Walking down from the MCG in a throng of Australian fans, there is no more talk of the cricket, past or present. A boy attempts soccer tricks with a plastic bottle on the footpath. As they approach the train station, a young man asks his friends, “Where to next?” He is not discussing the cricket, but he could be. Where to, indeed. And in a moment of silence, from inside the ground the Barmy Army can still be heard.

From Nishad Jayasundara, Sri Lanka

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
The tussle is on•AFPSixty years ago, Sri Lankan cricket used to be a gentleman’s game. Gentlemen used to be and had to be only English-speaking elite from Colombo. Wild-haired Malingas and wide-eyed Muralitharans were clinging on to metal fences outside prestigious cricket clubs watching men in white taking tea breaks.Times have changed for Sri Lankan cricket and cricketers. Since independence, if there is anything Sri Lanka has made a significant progress in, it is cricket. It has become a part of life, a topic of debate in the parliament and in the street corners. It has pierced through to the smallest village in the country, crossing socio-economic boundaries and defying ethnic barriers. Over the last two decades players from all corners have rallied together making an unorthodox yet very effective unit, ready to take on the world. And they did it in style in 1996.They named it the Sri Lankan brand of cricket; it is a blend of aggression of the Australians, efficiency of the South Africans, raw talent of the Pakistanis, passion of the Bangladeshis (now) mixed with a Caribbean flair. The Sri Lankan brand has been a treat to watch. In this World Cup, the Sri Lankan team looks more prepared than ever, with a mix of youth and experience in the likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews coupled with the flamboyance and fortitude of Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samraweera.Unlike a few centuries ago, this time they are prepared for the Queen’s team. In their own backyard, playing against a team known for its weakness on spin-friendly surfaces and looks visibly tired from being on the road for the past six months, the Sri Lankans could not have asked for a better team to play against in a crunch match. Twenty million people are hoping for a re-enactment of 1996 quarterfinals – when the English were comprehensively beaten.Although a repeat of that act appears just around the corner, there is a hint of skepticism in every fan. There is something about the Sri Lankan outfit that creates a doubt in your mind. It might be the fact that Sri Lanka, barring New Zealand, haven’t yet beaten a significant opponent this tournament. Even against New Zealand, the Sri Lankan middle order faltered. Malinga has been wayward, except for one game against Kenya, Upul Tharanga looks a bit edgy and Tillakaratne Dilshan is due a big score.Compared to 1996, England have come a long way as an ODI team. They boast a group of utility players in Ravi Bopara, Paul Collingwood, James Tredwell and Tim Bresnan. Greame Swann looks threatening on spinning tracks, except when there is dew. More importantly, England are the only team in this World Cup to not to lose a game to a bigger Test-playing nation. No matter how tired they look, regardless of the battered psychological state of the English camp, when they are up against a formidable side, they seem to pull it off.Can they do it on Saturday on a tricky Premadasa track against the quality of Murali and Malinga? Would they be mystified by Mendis? A couple of solid performances from the top order, accurate bowling from Malinga and some late over fireworks from Mathews should be enough to take Sri Lanka through. We all know Sri Lanka can do it. But no one wants to say it, every one gulps the words when they appear to come out, because you just never know. After all it is against the Queen’s team, and they invented the game.