ESPNcricinfo present the plays of the day from day five at The Oval

George Dobell and Jarrod Kimber at The Oval25-Aug-2013Record of the day
Brad Haddin entered this match needing four dismissals to pass Rod Marsh’s 1982-83 record of 28 in a Test series and he finished the first innings level with Marsh, having picked up three catches. That might have been that, had the match petered out to a dull draw but when Australia set England a target at tea it gave Haddin one session to pass Marsh. His opportunity didn’t take long. In the fifth over of England’s chase, Joe Root flashed outside off stump and tickled Ryan Harris behind, Haddin gloving the chance cleanly to register a world record 29th dismissal in a Test series. Marsh, the selector-on-duty for this tour, said: “I’m delighted for Brad, I just wish he had have broken it by plenty more which probably would have meant we also won the series.”Reception of the day
There is no disguising the fact that Simon Kerrigan has endured a horrid Test debut. But, rather than hounding him, the crowd at The Oval empathised with his pain and encouraged his every involvement in the game. Coming in at No. 11 in England’s first innings, he was afforded the sort of rousing reception usually given to greats of the game playing their last Test on the ground – which is a possibility in Kerrigan’s case – and, when he got off the mark with an almost involuntary jab to deflect a ball heading into his ribs into the legside, he was rewarded with the sort of ovation usually reserved for players reaching a century.Catch of the day No. 1
James Anderson has typified the England approach in this series. Despite looking distinctly jaded at times in the last couple of weeks, he has continued to give his all and here was rewarded for a fine piece of commitment and athleticism with the wicket of David Warner. The batsman, perhaps surprised by a bit of extra bounce, prodded the ball off the splice only to see Anderson, somehow changing direction in his follow-through, diving to his right and holding on to an outstanding, one-handed catch despite jamming his forearm into the pitch as he landed. For a fast bowler with many miles in the legs, it was an outstanding effort.Snub of the day
Australian indignities this series have been many and varied, but the Tasmanian debutant James Faulkner received a curt lesson in English “courtesy” to Ashes opponents when he went to collect a ball that had run away to the boundary towards the Vauxhall End on the final morning. A local spectator, wearing an egg and bacon MCC tie, had picked up the ball and shaped to offer it to Faulkner, before brusquely dropping it to the ground in front of him. It was an un-gentlemanly act, and the notably feisty Faulkner did well to contain his indignation.Tune of the day
As the realisation dawned in England’s second innings that a win really was a possibility, Billy Cooper, the Barmy Army trumpeter, summed up the mood perfectly when he played the Louis Armstrong riff from the song We Have All The Time In The World, from the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s secret service. It was a moment that perfectly encapsulated the feel of the ground as it became apparent that Kevin Pietersen was not in a mood to be denied. Cooper was not allowed to play in the first two Tests of the series (at Lord’s and Trent Bridge), but has been an amusing and sometimes calming presence in every game since.Catch of the day No. 2
Matt Prior finally found some form when the series was deader than Abraham Lincoln. Prior had been in hibernation this series. He hadn’t just failed to make a hundred, he had failed to make a 40. So he must have been happy to be smashing the ball around with confidence today, then he skied one that went straight up on the air. Mitchell Starc ran around to catch it as it swirled away from him. Eventually he dived and caught it with his mouth inches away from the sawdust. Prior was left half-centruryless.

Sri Lanka was Russell Domingo’s fact-finding mission and he seems to have discovered how much South Africa has to do to become contenders for the forthcoming ICC tournaments

Firdose Moonda08-Aug-2013Like Russell Domingo, Gary Kirsten lost his first ODI series in charge of South Africa. It was not as dramatic a defeat: 2-1 to Australia at home with AB de Villiers out injured in his first series as captain and Hashim Amla reluctantly leading in his place compared to a 4-1 drubbing courtesy of Sri Lanka away with de Villiers looking as though he cannot handle being captain anymore and senior players such as Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn recovering from niggles.Unlike Domingo, Kirsten was all smiles in the aftermath. He said the series was merely about getting players “game-ready,” ahead of Tests, which was ultimately Kirsten’s major focus. Domingo wore a stern look and issued a surprisingly strong criticism of his team.Sri Lanka was his fact-finding mission and he seems to have discovered how much South Africa has to do to become a team that can realistically challenge for an ICC trophy in Bangladesh next year and Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Before anyone could ask Domingo about what he has learnt, he delivered a soliloquy answering questions about everything from the opening partnership to the inability to take wickets in the middle overs. The seriousness he showed was best-summed up in one simple statement, “We were found wanting in those conditions.”Apart from a brief visit to Sri Lanka for the World T20 last year, South Africa had not toured the island since 2006. The seven-year gap meant the only members of the squad to have played an ODI in the country prior to this tour were Robin Peterson and JP Duminy. Turning tracks, heat and noisy crowds are not new concepts to any cricketers but they were foreign to many of those on this tour and combined with inexperience, they proved intimidating as well.”Sri Lanka is a hell of a tough place to tour. The record shows that more experienced sides have gone there and been turned over,” Domingo said. “And it has highlighted shortcomings in that format that we need to address going forward.”In short: all of them. That would suggest a major overhaul of South Africa’s current structures but Domingo emphasised he did not want to dump his chargers onto the used pile. “All the players that are there are not bad players, they just had a tough tour,” he said. “I can’t see too many drastic, dramatic changes. Unless somebody does what Quinton de Kock did and smashed down the door, I’m happy with the group of players I’ve got.”De Kock caught the national selectors’ eyes with his form at Under-19 level and by finishing in the top five run-scorers in the 2011-12 domestic T20 competition and his ability to also keep wicket saw him fast-tracked into the South African side. While he has showed promise and even improved, it’s likely the “exciting player who is still learning his trade,” may be sent back to the franchise system to hone his skills.The 20-year old was one half of a problematic opening partnership that also rotated between Colin Ingram, Alviro Petersen and Amla in the ODIs and Henry Davids in the T20s. South Africa went the entire eight-match tour without a single first-wicket stand of 50-plus.Domingo identified not having Amla fit for all the ODIs and missing Smith as one cause for that failing. But he also blamed those that were used for not being able to grab their opportunities. “The players who did come in did not cement a place and did not make the impacts we were hoping for,” he admitted. Amla will retain his position there but it seems clear Domingo is hopeful of Smith’s return to add stability.Domingo did bring in a degree of consistency by sticking to a middle order throughout the series which saw JP Duminy at No.3, de Villiers at 4 and Faf du Plessis at 5 throughout the tour. The trio initially struggled for runs with Duminy coming good in both formats, de Villiers scoring a half-century in the final ODI and du Plessis doing the same in the last T20.They lacked fluency together which left the middle order at the mercy of Sri Lanka’s spinners. “It was a massive problem for us and the lack of experience was highlighted. There were times when our middle order was exposed against their quality spinners under those testing conditions,” Domingo said.De Villiers said he “does not have to panic,” about his lack of runs because he “felt in good form,” while du Plessis admitted he was weighed down by his inability to contribute with the bat. “I’m at that stage where I want to performing for South Africa consistently and it was a tough time,” du Plessis said. “We needed to pull each other through the tour.”The bowlers faced exactly the same dilemma. On surfaces which required a different set of skills to what they are used to – slower balls, cutters and spin as opposed to bouncers on spicy surfaces at home – they were unable to find lengths at first, never mind wickets. With 58 wides bowled in the ODIs, Domingo said that was one of the biggest disappointments. “As South Africans, we pride ourselves on being meticulous and in the way we plan. It was unacceptable the way we started.”But he was also concerned that they allowed Sri Lanka’s batsmen to settle in because there was an “inability to take wickets after the new ball had been used.” Domingo bracketed overs 15 to 35 in which South Africa took just ten wickets across the five matches.Their bowling improved in the T20s, with the inclusion of both Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir and Domingo indicated both have made cases for consideration in other formats. “Wayne is an x-factor player and he is as strong as he has ever been,” he said. He added that the legspinner has “massive value to add.”Many critics questioned why Tahir did not play the ODI series but Domingo explained he had to “be fair.” With Peterson and Aaron Phangiso the most recent spinners to play for South Africa, Domingo said it would have been “grossly unfair,” to allow Tahir to usurp one of them, without giving them a chance to continue in the role first.His decision in that regard shows that under him, the players can always be assured they will get a decent run to prove what they can do but they should also expect a thorough critique of their efforts during their time.

Australia’s plan against left-hand batsmen in this series has been simple – Unleash Mitchell Johnson and pepper them with short deliveries

Sidharth Monga28-Oct-2013He might bowl to the left, he might bowl to the right, but in limited-overs cricket, especially against slightly suspect left-hand batsmen, Mitchell Johnson’s bowling is definitely not shite.Ask Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who have been hounded by him in this otherwise high scoring one-day series.Australia’s plan has been clear: let Johnson loose the moment Raina and Yuvraj come out to bat, even if it means bowling him for fewer overs with the new ball. Johnson to Yuvraj this series: five balls, one run, and two wickets. Johnson to Raina: 16 balls, 15 runs, and one wicket. These stats are consistent with the two batsmen’s overall record against Johnson. Yuvraj struggles against him: 76 runs off 129 balls for five dismissals. Raina hits out, but gets out: 51 runs off 47 balls, but he has got out every 12 balls.Before the ODI in Cuttack was washed out, leaving Australia a win away from taking the series, Shane Watson had spoken about getting these one-on-one contests right. “It’s important to get our match-ups right,” he had said. “When we are bowling against their batsmen, we have got our match-ups right. Mitch Johnson certainly provides a big x-factor for us. There are a couple of guys who aren’t as comfortable against the short ball when compared to some of their other batsmen.”The identities of these batsmen are no secret. Yuvraj’s first dismissal to Johnson was to a short ball outside off at searing pace. He fended and edged it, not dissimilarly to how he has done throughout his career. In the next, the ball wasn’t that short, but Yuvraj was caught on the back foot and just pushed at it away from the body. Raina just went for a big pull, and edged it.The bouncer works against these batsmen and it is a precise art. For one, it has to have Johnson’s pace. Then, he has to be fresh and ready when these batsmen come in. And then Johnson has to execute the plan with precision. George Bailey has astutely kept him ready, bowling him for only three overs at the top. Watson said it was a deliberate ploy.”It certainly has been [a plan],” Watson said. “No doubt. After seeing what happened in the Twenty20 in Rajkot, especially [with] Yuvi, when we didn’t get our plans exactly right to him … he is an extremely talented player. If we give him a chance to get away, he certainly hits the ball very sweet.”And also Suresh Raina, he is a high-quality, world-class player as well so we are very lucky to have Mitch bowling with the pace and the control that he has got at this point in time. Certainly a huge weapon for us. We know how important their middle order is for their success. You have seen it work so far throughout this series. Hopefully it can continue to work for a little bit longer.”For a team with two main batsmen suspect against high pace and bounce, India’s overall batting results haven’t been that bad. They even chased 360 successfully. Except in that game, in Jaipur, Raina and Yuvraj were not even required to bat. Watson can laugh about that. “We need to try to get to that stage,” he said. “Even in Jaipur, we didn’t get a chance to get to that middle order because the top order batted so well.”Struggling against Johnson in ODI cricket, if you are a left-hand batsman, is nothing to be ashamed of. Since he made his debut, Johnson has statistically been the best bowler to left-hand batsmen in one-day cricket. He is up there with the best overall too, but against left-hand batsmen, his 82 wickets at 17.24 are a cut above the rest.The two remaining games, with India needing to win both to win the series, are a big test for Yuvraj and Raina. Unless they come in to bat after the 35th over or so, they will have Johnson fresh and waiting for them. How they counter him might even have repercussions on how they are used in the World Cup in Australia.

The over-reliance on short-pitched bowling and lack of a penetrative spinner forced South Africa to endure their toughest day in the field in 11 months

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi15-Oct-2013On pitches that do not facilitate bounce, like the one at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, fast bowlers need to be patient and disciplined. Their reserves of guts and imagination will be tested and the levels of intensity and mental focus needed are higher than normal. That’s what South Africa’s bowling coach Allan Donald said was required of his attack before the series began. However, with Pakistan on 263 for 3, ahead by 14 going into the third day, the challenge has seemingly proved more than what the bowlers could handle.South Africa endured their toughest day in the field in 11 months, since Brisbane 2012. On day four at the Gabba, they had conceded 376 runs for one wicket. It wasn’t as bad this time but the same issues remained: an over-reliance on short-pitched bowling and the lack of an attacking spinner.The problem with length can be fixed through technical adjustments, which Donald seemed certain his charges would make in time for the first Test. He said he had impressed on them that they could not simply, “turn up, bowl back of a length and expect to take wickets.” That is the default South African way of doing things as the coach Russell Domingo admitted, but Donald will have to strategise a plan B for pitches that do not have much in the way of bounce.Donald was looking for a slightly fuller length, a line that did not stray down leg side and early breakthroughs created by making batsmen play as much as possible in the first 20 overs. South Africa’s four quicks allowed Pakistan to leave more than six overs’ worth of deliveries, 37 to be exact, in the first 19 overs.Some of those deliveries were too far outside off stump to tempt Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor, but the majority of them allowed the pair to duck underneath or watch them pass tamely over the stumps. There were 27 short balls in the first 114 deliveries. The surface did not suit the ploy and the openers, particularly Manzoor, displayed solid defensive ability on the back foot. As Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander discovered, the better plan was to bowl fuller and try to induce an edge. Steyn got it right against Masood but the chance he created was fluffed in the slips.Where the quicks, barring Steyn, did well upfront was in keeping the run-rate down. Morne Morkel and Philander were miserly and built pressure but could not sustain it because of their continued relapse into old habits. Domingo, however, did not regard the approach as a mistake even though it yielded so little. “Every time we play subcontinent sides, we always look to target them with short-pitched bowling and it’s definitely something we will continue doing,” he said.If that is the case, South Africa may only end up enabling Pakistan’s batsmen, who showed greater intent than they have done recently. Against Zimbabwe, albeit in completely different conditions and against a different kind of attack, they rarely scored at more than three runs an over. Here, that was their regular pace – a refreshing change from the mindset of survival they have had to employ in recent matches.Their scoring increased further against the slower bowlers. Robin Peterson was hardly threatening and expensive. For Pakistan, facing him was like asking a university graduate to write a high-school essay. They handled his flight with ease and brought South Africa’s selection policy into question, because they did have another option in legspinner Imran Tahir.Peterson was picked on protocol and sentiment. He has been South Africa’s lead spinner since late 2012 and displacing him was considered unfair, especially because he had not done much wrong. That policy worked when all South Africa’s spinner had to do was play a bits-and-pieces role in the shadow of the quicks, and it even helped lengthen their batting line-up.On a pitch that will suit spin, however, there is no legitimate excuse for not playing the person who can turn the ball most. Tahir is not the best spinner in the world and the practice match was evidence of that. His assortment of full tosses and needless variations bled runs in his first spell in Sharjah, but he caused problems once he got it together. In the circumstances, South Africa should have used him in Abu Dhabi.Domingo disagreed, and said Peterson had good enough performances over the last year to bounce back. “I am sure he will be the first to admit he didn’t bowl as well as he could have. We know he will get better.”Peterson’s performance will lead to deeper questions about the development of the available spin talent in South Africa – with Warriors’ offspinner Simon Harmer being bandied as a possibility for the future – but right now the situation does not merit such severe introspection.All that should be questioned is why South Africa did not use their best resource and whether they made the right decision in expecting JP Duminy to be the second spinner. Duminy has potential and was the better of the two slow bowlers today.This is not the first time they picked an XI not best suited to the conditions either. That day in Brisbane, South Africa were so convinced by the pre-match hype of a green top that they played four seamers and relied on Duminy to do the work of a spinner. The pitch was one of the flattest in recent memory, and Duminy was injured before he could play any part in the match, which was drawn after a day was lost to rain.There’s unlikely to be a similar reprieve in this Test so South Africa will have to rescue themselves, and before they can consider doing that with the bat, they have to rectify their shortcomings with the ball.”Having not played for a lengthy period of time, it always takes some time to get going,” Domingo said. “You have to go back and remind yourself why this side is No.1 in the world and how they got there.” They can start by remembering their rise up the rankings came through solid performances away from home, which were achieved by adapting to conditions quickly. They will need to do the same here.

Shaun Marsh entered the first Test in Centurion with barely any time to think. As he constructed a century that may yet provide the foundations of a famous Australian victory, it was possible to conclude it had been good for him

Daniel Brettig at Centurion12-Feb-2014Picked for Australia, ruled out by injury, rehabilitated in time for the Big Bash League final, flown over to South Africa after all, chosen to play on the strength of two training sessions, facing up to Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel on day one of the series at Centurion.That is a lot to fit into one sentence, let alone one week: the whirlwind left Shaun Marsh with barely any time to think. As he constructed a century that may yet provide the foundations of a famous Australian victory, it was possible to conclude that this rushed state of affairs had been good for him.All Marsh has been able to do is train, travel and play, living on the instincts honed by his years of batting at the similarly bouncy WACA Ground and passed on through the genes of his father Geoff and the instructions of his two coaching mentors for state and country, Justin Langer and Darren Lehmann.Described by the national selector John Inverarity as being “in a very good space” on the day he was first chosen, Marsh has not had the chance to move out of it, his sole focus getting fit and making runs.It was on this very ground two years ago that Marsh occupied a space as far from “very good” as can be imagined. He and his brother Mitchell were dropped from the Perth Scorchers team to play in a Champions League match following a pattern of drinking and poor behaviour that stretched most of the way across the team. He would later be dropped from the Western Australia Sheffield Shield side upon his return home, in the midst of an horrific slump that began during his previous spell in the national team when he cobbled 17 runs in six innings against India.At the time, it seemed inconceivable that he would return to Test cricket. But the ascension of Lehmann to the role of Australian coach last year opened up an avenue by which Marsh would again become a contender. They had worked together fruitfully at King’s XI Punjab in the 2013 IPL immediately before Lehmann was chosen to replace Mickey Arthur. Lehmann, like Inverarity, Langer and many other powerful figures in Australian cricket, was attracted by the purity of Marsh’s technique and the ease of his run-scoring when in form.Smith lauds jetlagged Marsh

Having shared an unbroken union of 199 with Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith was rich in his praise of the man who had only arrived in the country three days before.
“It took me a good week to get over [jetlag] and he’s only been here three days,” Smith said. “He’s certainly probably copping a little bit. Just the way he played today was sensational. He waited beautifully and when they got into his areas he capitalised on it he showed great maturity. The way he’s come back against arguably the best bowling attack in the world and the way he played today was just terrific. I’m really happy for him.”
As for his own burgeoning career, Smith said his game had leapt forward with the aid of greater reserves of patience. “I’ve tightened up my technique for a start, I’m a lot more patient,” he said. “They’re probably the two major factors. Just knowing where my off stump is and being able to leave a lot of balls and wait until the bowlers get into my areas when I want to score. I think that’s probably been the key to my success over the last little bit. Hopefully it carries into tomorrow and long into the future.”

They have had to ignore a record that has remained mediocre throughout a career now comfortably into its second decade. This hundred was only Marsh’s ninth in first-class matches, a tally that looks hopelessly puny when lined up against the 24 compiled by the 25-year-old Phillip Hughes. Like the similarly stylish debutant Alex Doolan, he has often flattered to deceive, including his hundred in Sri Lanka in 2011, when his first Test innings in Palakelle grew to 141 runs every bit as assured as those collected here. The evidence of the eyes conflicts enormously with that of the record book.Watching Marsh subdue South Africa at Centurion, it was easy to see why Lehmann was so taken with him. His simple but powerful method, footwork economical and bat unimpeachably straight, looks very much like that of the finest players. He is capable of judging the location of his off stump wisely also, and left a third of his first 100 balls on a pitch offering lateral and vertical movement. One drive down the ground from Steyn drew purring approval from spectators not always so generous to visiting teams – there are reinforced concrete columns in existence less solid than that stroke.If the chaotic circumstances of his return to the Test team were perversely of some benefit to Marsh, he was also aided by a few other circumstances and moments of good fortune. The faith of selectors and coaches would not have amounted to much had an early inside edge flicked the stumps instead of skating narrowly past them, had Hashim Amla held onto a chance in the gully on 12, or had a chipped drive on 57 floated in the direction of a taller man than Robin Peterson.South Africa, too, were some way short of their best. Electing to bowl first in expectation of the kind of quick kill they have invariably achieved at Centurion, the hosts were overexcited by the bounce on offer and pitched far too short on a regular basis, as evidenced by a conspicuous lack of edges or lbw shouts.Chris Rogers and Michael Clarke both succumbed to bumpers, the opener pinned by Morkel and the captain worried out by Steyn. David Warner and Doolan also perished aiming cross-bat shots to balls short of a length, but it was not an angle of attack that perturbed the WACA-raised Marsh.There would be few troubles either for Steve Smith, who joined Marsh at the uncertain juncture of 98 for 4 following Clarke’s exit. Moved down from his preferred spot at No. 5, Smith announced himself with a cracking square drive from the bowling of Ryan McLaren and went on to play with the kind of unruffled assurance he had exhibited against England on lively strips in Perth and Sydney.As a duo, Marsh and Smith made for a fascinating contrast of form and function. The younger man’s technique is far from smooth but it has become wonderfully effective over time, wrong-footing bowlers where it had once befuddled Smith himself.The only thing ungainly about Marsh was the slight limp he picked up during the innings, likely to be the aftermath of the calf problem that had first scrubbed him from the trip. A team spokesman later denied any calf trouble but said Marsh had complained of stomach muscle soreness. How that affects him over the rest of this match remains to be seen, and another poorly-timed dice with injury would be in keeping with the boom and bust narrative of his career.For now, though, Marsh can afford a moment’s reflection on the past week and what it has brought him. His natural instincts, and those of the selectors who chose him in defiance of much empirical evidence, have been richly rewarded. A very good space indeed.

Sanju Samson has shown a cool head under pressure and the skills to treat international bowlers with disdain, when given the chance by Rajasthan Royals. Come IPL 2014, he’ll have more such opportunities, having been retained by the franchise

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Jan-2014Sanju Samson recollects what happened one January afternoon last year precisely. He was in Jaipur, attending the selection trials being conducted by Rajasthan Royals. Sreesanth, the former India and Rajasthan Royals fast bowler, banned for life by the BCCI for spot-fixing in the IPL, had taken Samson to the trials.After IPL 2012, Kolkata Knight Riders, the first franchise to scout and pick Samson, had severed ties with him. Samson returned to Kerala, the state he plays cricket from, anxious.”I can never forget the day when I attended the Rajasthan Royals selection trials. Sreesanth took me there last January. After the IPL and Champions League in 2012, Knight Riders told me that the BCCI had asked the teams to trim the squads and they had decided to drop me and they were sorry about that. So I never expected another IPL team soon,” Samson told ESPNcricinfo last month, during the Ranji Trophy match between Kerala and Himachal Pradesh in Telicherry.However, Sreesanth had been impressed by Samson’s attitude and batting and wanted the 18-year-old to play for Royals. “One day I was batting in front of Rahul Dravid and Paddy Upton. I started playing strokes,” Samson said. “It was my day and I just expressed myself in front of a legend like Rahul Dravid.”Samson will always cherish what happened next. “He [Dravid] came and directly told me, ‘Sanju, you have a very special talent and I would really love to make you play in my Rajasthan Royals team. Would you play for us?’ He asked me like this. That question really shocked me. I was really surprised and excited, and wanted to record that moment in my memory. He had seen me for barely two days. So what he said to me, I never expected that,” Samson said, a big smile lighting up his face.Samson still cannot believe. But on Friday, he became one of the five players retained by Royals ahead of the 2014 season. Along with Stuart Binny (Royals) and Manan Vohara (Kings XI Punjab), Samson is one of only three uncapped India players to be retained among the 24 cricketers held back by the franchises. Samson is the youngest of them all.Before today, Samson hit the national headlines when he hit a fearless half-century, in only his second match for Royals, in an exciting chase against Royals Challengers Bangalore. Although that was the only fifty he could register in the 11 IPL matches, Samson raised his bat to three half-centuries during the Champions League T20 in September-October, where Royals finished runners-up. One of those half-centuries came in the final, which was against Mumbai Indians.Chasing a tall target of 202, Royals lost Kusal Perera quickly. It did not matter to Samson, who displayed temperament and an alert eye to pick gaps. He blazed eight boundaries in his 50. When Samson departed in the 12th over Rajasthan were 117, but they faltered. It was an evening when Samson turned franchises’ heads.

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Samson is the younger of the two sons of a former constable in the Delhi Police, who now runs a petrol station near Trivandrum – his father moved back to Kerala when Samson was 10. A friend of his father introduced Samson to Biju George, who has remained his coach since.Living in Vizhinjam, a harbour town south of Trivandrum, Samson and his brother Sally would commute roughly 25 kilometres every day, changing two buses to attend George’s camp, which is held at the Medical College Grounds in Kerala’s capital city. “We would travel almost two hours to get to the nets. It was not boring on the way there because we were excited to get there. On the return leg, though, it would be tiring,” Samson said. But he never shirked training.

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It is easy to see Samson is a hard-hitting batsman. But that is just one part of his skillsets. Samson plays strokes all around the wicket. According to Kerala coach Sujith Somasunder, Samson has become better with his shot selection. He is very decisive with his shot-making now, the coach said: “If there is a shot he thinks is on, he will play it.”Another factor that aids Samson, is his ability to stay in the present, which allows him to remain sensible at crucial moments. That was on show last week in the Under-19 Asia Cup final, which India won. Samson was one of his team’s two centurions.It is this cool temperament that has allowed him to play international bowlers in tight situations, without getting affected by the atmosphere and occasion. Remember, Samson has just turned 19. But in a one-on-one communication with him, you can plainly see his clarity of thought. He seems to listen to every word, but only respond to what is important.Last week when Royals sent him the offer letter for retention, Samson did not have any doubts. He signed it instantly. He explained why that is: “Within 20 days spent with Royals last year, I realised it was like playing for my home team. That is when I decided I was going to stick with them as long as possible.”

The cricket world reacts to the ECB ending Kevin Pietersen’s England career

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2014″They’ve distanced him – he fielded at fine-leg for the whole [Australia] series. I thought he could have been managed in a better way. England lost 5-0 and need a huge scapegoat. He didn’t have a great series, by his own record, but the ECB need to explain what he does that they can’t manage any longer. You have to be able to manage mavericks. You can’t have clones around.”
“He was quite outstanding. Many people enjoyed watching him bat – a box-office cricketer – and now sadly it has all come to an end. When we were winning, we didn’t hear anything. When we lose, everyone is pointing fingers at KP – and I find that unfair and unjust.”
“[Alastair] Cook and [Andy] Flower haven’t been able to manage him and have to accept some responsibility. He was an individual; I was one [as well]. You can be an individual within the team but not an individual full stop – take it or leave it. They’ve taken it for long enough and now they’ve said they’ll leave it.”
“It’s time to move on. A line in the sand has been drawn. Captains and team directors have all suffered because of Pietersen’s behaviour. No man is bigger than the game and England have decided Kevin Pietersen got too big for his boots.”
“It’s a bold move when you go without one of your best players … so there must have been things that were happening behind the scenes that Flower and Cook weren’t amused with.”
“It was coming, I think. There was a unanimity of views there from the people that count, so ultimately I think Kevin Pietersen found himself friendless. He had no allies amongst the management, the hierarchy and the senior players as well because Paul Downton [the new ECB director] would have been taking soundings from them at the end of the Ashes tour. It was a pretty horrific Ashes tour and there have been a few victims along the way, but I think he just found himself friendless and with no allies.”
“Can’t believe what I’m hearing and reading tonight! Sad day for English cricket fans, Love or hate him, KP is still the best player we’ve got! The only people who are losing in this whole situation is the England fans! [Giles] Clarke statement yesterday and this today shows poor management!
“No KP for the Caribbean tour later this month against West Indies? That’s really sad for English/international cricket! Don’t let the fans suffer. Was really looking for the hype of having KP in the Caribbean, would be big tickets sales for us. #Sad – Learn to MANAGE Big Names!”
“That’s a big call regarding a big player, a big-ticket item. He is a guy who believes in his own ability as much as anyone I’ve ever come across and he outwardly expresses that unashamedly. That does divide opinion. Some people think that’s too brash and too arrogant and it’s not the way you go about being in a team sport. For me it’s a personality better suited to an individual sport, [but] there is a lot of those qualities and traits required in cricket.”
“KP no longer English property but will remain hot property on the T20 circuit around the world. #IPL #CPL #BBL #RAMSLAM to mention a few!”
“Can’t believe what’s happening with KP! Stay strong boss!”
“I think he is [a loss to international cricket], he was their highest run-scorer, a world-class player, but we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors and in their camp, so we can’t talk on their behalf … I know through playing with KP at Delhi, he likes to encourage the other guys coming through. His door’s always open if you want to ask him a question, or if you need to work out a plan for the next game, say you’re playing Malinga and you’re a young kid, he’ll give you advice on how to approach that. He’s always been helpful to me.”

ESPNcricinfo handpicks from the archives a selection of articles on Graeme Smith’s rise as a leader

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-20142008
Older, wiser, leader
Graeme Smith has come a long way but the road ahead of him is steep still. By Peter Roebuck2012
Respect to Biff
Graeme Smith has been a figure easy to misunderstand. That should not hide the fact that he is among the toughest, most intelligent cricketers around – and a great batsman to boot. By Telford Vice2009
War hero Smith shadows the pain of defeat
Graeme Smith’s hobble back to the dressing room after being dismissed must rank as the most moving moment of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. It helped the local crowd overcome their great sadness to rise to applaud the valiance of the man who had battled the odds all evening. By Sambit Bal2012
The brash lad who grew up right
Graeme Smith, at 22, was an unexpected choice to lead South Africa. He learned the hard way but emerged through the tough times as an accomplished leader of men. By Firdose Moonda2012
Fourth-innings hero
Graeme Smith has handled the responsibilities of opening the batting and leading the team remarkably well over the last ten years. By S Rajesh2013
Deconstructing Graeme Smith
How has South Africa’s captain lasted so long with a technique that shouldn’t work in Test cricket? By Aakash Chopra2007
‘It is tough being accountable for decisions made for you’
South African cricket has never been short of issues and controversy – and never more so than over the last few months. Graeme Smith presents his side of the story in a forthright interview with Neil Manthorp

For the king of television hosts, Michael Parkinson, Don Bradman proved about as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel

Ashley Mallett23-Jun-2014When Michael Parkinson was 13, he rode his bike from Barnsley to Leeds to watch the 1948 Australians.That day, July 27, Don Bradman hit an unconquered 173 to set up a famous victory, and to Parky it fired his lifelong love for the game of cricket.He, of course, went on to become a successful journalist and won global fame as a television host. Over the years he interviewed an amazing array of talented people. However, a number of others “got away”.Frank Sinatra and Bradman were two superstars who slipped Parky’s grasp. “I got closer to the Kid from Hoboken [Sinatra] than I did the Boy from Bowral [Bradman],” said Parkinson.”Sinatra was the greatest star of them all. At a party in Los Angeles I was introduced to him through a songwriting friend of mine, Sammy Cahn, who wrote 17 hit songs with Sinatra and got as close to him as anyone got. I wanted to have Sinatra on my show. When I was about to leave the party I went up to the great man and said, ‘Mr Sinatra I have to go.’ ‘That’s fine,’ Sinatra said, shaking my hand, ‘Goodbye, David.’ And I thought, ‘That’s me snookered, I’m not going to do any good here at all.'”I suppose I was aggrieved and a little annoyed that I never got to interview Bradman,” Parkinson said. By the time Ray Martin of Channel Nine did an interview with the Don, then in his 88th year, in May 1996, it was far too late for anyone to get the whole story, where Bradman could tell the cricket world his innermost thoughts about Bodyline and how he set about destroying bowlers.”The ideal time to do it was when I was in Australia in 1979. More’s the pity that he went to his grave without the world getting the chance to see the definitive Bradman interview on camera. On the odd occasion I have glimpsed him in the distance and he vanished before I could reach him, like a mirage. Once, a host showed me the tea cup Sir Donald had been drinking from. The liquid was still warm and I felt like an explorer who had just found a fresh imprint of the Abominable Snowman.”While Bradman never appeared on Parkinson’s show, the cricket and wine writer John Arlott most assuredly did, and Parky believes that was the best interview he did with anyone on cricket.”Cricket is taken too seriously and life too casually. There is an inevitability about sport today, regimented and very predictable,” Arlott said to him.

“If an interview with Bradman had occurred, I would have asked him about his fame. Being famous is a bit like having the measles. It is a minor affliction and the rash soon disappears, but for some it never goes away”

It is a view Parkinson subscribes to. “Imagine today’s coaches having to deal with the non-conformist Keith Miller,” Parkinson says. “As great as Miller was, I am not convinced today’s coaches would appreciate his great talent and match-winning ability, because he wouldn’t conform: he would always do it his way.”Parky first set eyes on Miller when he saw him play in the 1945 Victory Tests in England.”He became my hero and every kid’s hero in England. By 1948, when Bradman’s side arrived, England was a drab, dour place. We were still on rations. The US was continuing to help resurrect Britain after the long, exhausting war years. Bradman’s team lit up our summer, lit up our lives in a sense. There was Bradman himself, but also an array of super-talented players such as Miller, Neil Harvey, Arthur Morris, Ray Lindwall, Don Tallon and so on.”Once on his show, Parkinson asked Miller about the pressure of Test cricket and back came the immortal reply from the ex-Flight Lieutenant war hero: “Pressure? There’s no pressure in cricket. I’ll tell you what pressure is… pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito and there’s a Messerschmitt up your arse!””He was tall, long-legged, broad-shouldered and incredibly handsome,” Parky said of Miller. “When he batted, he hit the ball with great power and in classic style. He bowled like the wind and caught swallows in the field. He was my hero then and was from then on.”I got to know him, and one occasion, when I was working for the and he mentioned that Harold Pinter, the celebrated playwright, would be on the couch with him. Trueman asked about Pinter: ‘Who’s he play for?'”Fred was my hero,” Parkinson says, “and I think the best piece I ever penned was my obituary of him, which I wrote for . Because I watched him throughout his career, knew him and loved him, I was able to weave a lot of observation and love into that piece. As an all-round bowler he was the best I ever saw. He should have played a lot more Test matches, but he missed two Australian tours he should not have missed and he never toured South Africa.”He was left out of a tour to Australia after he had taken 187 wickets for Yorkshire at an average of 14 and they took a bloke named David Larter – a big bloke who couldn’t bowl – in his stead.”Are Australians like Yorkshiremen?”Yes, I think there is something in that. When I first went to Australia it was a bit like going to a rather large, sunny Yorkshire. After you’ve been here in Australia for a while you can see clearly that cricket has the same grip on the people that football has on the people in England. Cricket is the No. 2 game in England, very much in the shadow of football. In Britain football has all the money and the crowds and the immense following.”Had Parky managed to persuade Bradman to be a guest on his show, what other guests would he have invited to accompany Sir Donald?Parkinson at a Lord’s Test in 2008•Getty Images”None. Bradman stands alone.”If an interview with Bradman had occurred, I would have asked him about his fame. Being famous is a bit like having the measles. It is a minor affliction and the rash soon disappears, but for some it never goes away. They and their family are on public display, forever.”The female superstar who got away from him was Katherine Hepburn. “I adored her from afar,” says Parkinson.”However, my all-time favourite was Muhammad Ali. I had him on the show four times, spanning 11 years. Those four interviews I did with him represent a relationship we had. He was a deeply flawed man but an extraordinary human being.”Some of his less stellar interviewees perplexed Parky. Among them was Australian batsman Doug Walters.”I spent two hours with Doug on a Friday, interviewing him for ABC TV in Australia. Next day I played golf at Royal Sydney and as I walked on to the course off came Ian Chappell and Doug Walters. We exchanged ‘g’days’, as you do, and I overheard Doug ask Chappelli, ‘Who’s that bloke?'”

Forty-two years old, and more than two decades into a journeyman career, Pravin Tambe is living the dream on the big stage

Nagraj Gollapudi28-May-2014For the first five years of the IPL, Pravin Tambe was the liaison manager for teams at the DY Patil Sports Academy ground, where he has worked since 2004. His kids would push him to get them autographs of their favourite players, and his friends would pester him to get them a picture with Sachin Tendulkar.He kept a notebook handy for the autographs. “But I would feel uncomfortable, because if a player refused I would get hurt,” Tambe says. “I am a touchy guy and tear up if people hurt me.” As for Tendulkar, Tambe did manage to get his friends pictures, but he said he could not utter a word in the batsman’s presence.Five years on, Tambe is the one signing autographs. He finished on top of the wickets table in last year’s Champions League T20. And in the current IPL season he has been Rajasthan Royals’ leading wicket-taker, with 15 at a strike rate of 19.6. He and team-mate Shane Watson are the only bowlers to have taken hat-tricks this season.Tambe’s success has gained the attention it has largely because of his age. Most people can’t believe a 42-year-old can find a role in a tournament and format designed for twentysomethings. Tambe has earned his place by taking wickets, tightening the screws in the middle overs, and being one of Royals’ go-to bowlers.Like the story of offspinner Nathan Lyon, who went on to play for Australia after working as a groundsman at Adelaide Oval, Tambe’s is a tale not written overnight, filled with two decades of hard work and passion.

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It has been 15 years since Tambe married his wife, Vaishali. When they got engaged, he made it clear to her that cricket was his passion. She supported him, but last year, before he was picked for Royals, she questioned his commitment.”We were watching TV after I returned from training,” Tambe says. “She suddenly burst out, asking how many more years I was going to carry on playing, and why didn’t I do something big. She hadn’t said anything like that before.” After he came home from the 2013 IPL, she said: “So you do accomplish what you say you will.”Tambe started playing club cricket in the 1995-96 season with Parsee Cyclists in the D division in Mumbai’s domestic league. He then moved to Parsee Gymkhana in the B division and finally to the top league when he joined Shivaji Park Gymkhana, one of the city’s oldest and most illustrious clubs, one that has produced many Mumbai and India stalwarts.In the course of his time in the game Tambe has bowled against all kinds of batsmen – the illustrious, the industrious, and mavericks. He started out as a medium-pace bowler and lower-order batsman in tennis-ball cricket, where he originally made his name, including in the once-prestigious Matchless tournament.Once, when playing for Orient Shipping in the Thosar Shield, his captain, Ajay Kadam, sensing the pitch was slow, asked if Tambe would try bowling spin, since he used to put some revs on his slower delivery.

“I was the highest wicket-taker in CLT20 and many did ask me to raise my base price to Rs 30 lakhs ($51,000 approx). But more than money, I wanted to play. My fear was: what if no franchise bought me?”

“The advantage of playing in [Take them on].” That gives me a lot of confidence.”Could this be his last IPL? “I don’t think so, because I don’t feel tired. I just want to play on.”Tambe knows his story is now a motivation for others to not give up on their dreams. Youngsters at the club where he coaches used to sulk when they were not selected for Under-16 and U-19 tournaments. “Now whenever a guy gets dropped he tells me he will get picked next time.”Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler who now commentates in the IPL, points out that Tambe has been successful because he plays every day like it’s his last match. That could be true, because Tambe is past the point of looking at his performances as a ladder to take him to bigger, better things. For him the joy of playing cricket alongside great, good and normal cricketers is his biggest dream achieved.People often ask him about how he managed his transformation. “I only tell them that if you love the game then continue playing. Don’t bother about where you will end up.”