Andy Flower has insisted Ian Bell’s limited-overs international career is not over, despite the batsman having been omitted from the England squad to face Pakistan in four ODIs and three T20Is in the UAE.

George Dobell07-Feb-2012Andy Flower has insisted Ian Bell’s limited-overs international career is not over, despite the batsman having been omitted from the England squad to face Pakistan in four ODIs and three T20Is in the UAE.Bell, a 29-year-old veteran of 108 ODIs, has been left out as England offer opportunities to younger men such as Jos Buttler, the Somerset batsman, and Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow as England seek to improve their modest limited-overs form away from home of 12 wins in 38 matches since December 2005. Bell has passed 50 only once in his last 14 ODI innings and had looked uncomfortable against Saeed Ajmal’s spin in the recently concluded Test series.”Ian Bell is a very fine player, who has had a hard time in this Test series and hasn’t had that many chances recently in one-day cricket for us,” Flower said. “I spoke to him yesterday about the one-day situation and he was very mature in his acceptance of it.”What I did say to him was that this doesn’t mean that his one-day career is necessarily over. He’s not too old to fight his way back into the side. He’s a very fine international cricketer. It depends how this group of players play and whether any gaps open up in the future. If he can fight his way back in, then good on him.”It is not the first time that Bell has been dropped. After the debacle of Jamaica in February 2009, when England were bowled out for just 51, Bell was omitted from the Test side until July of that year and did not reappear in the ODI side until July 2010.He may also have suffered for England’s surfeit of players of a similar tempo. With Jonathan Trott having scored prolifically at No. 3 and Alastair Cook having been appointed captain, Bell had been out of position at No. 6. While Bell is as sweet a timer of the ball as anyone in the team, his style is not best suited to the somewhat more agricultural requirements of the last overs of an ODI innings, as a strike-rate of 73.31 suggests.Flower also confirmed Kevin Pietersen will open the batting for England. Pietersen, who batted at No. 4 in recent times, has not made a score of 80 or more since November 2008 and has only passed 50 three times in 34 innings. One of those half-centuries came during a four-match spell during the World Cup when he opened the batting. In those four games he averaged 32.75 at a strike-rate of 96.32.”He is going to be opening the batting for us in this series and that should be really exciting to watch,” Flower said. “We started with him in that position in the World Cup and unfortunately he got injured and had to go home early. But he showed glimpses of what he could do.”He’s a very, very fine cricketer – a very dangerous cricketer – and someone we’d like to give the option of facing as many balls as possible in the limited-overs game. If he stays in long enough, he will win games for us in that position.”It hasn’t worked out well for him at No. 4 recently, but I’m really excited to see him embrace the challenge of opening.”In order to help England’s batsmen prepare for the further trial by spin they anticipate in the limited-overs games, Monty Panesar will remain with the squad for another week. It is anticipated Pakistan will field four spinners in their ODI side, meaning England’s batsmen may face as many as 40 overs of spin per innings.Flower also reflected on the 3-0 whitewash Pakistan inflicted upon England in the Test series. It was the first series England had played since they assumed the No. 1 Test ranking. Flower admitted he was disappointed with the performance of the batsmen but expressed his confidence in their ability to resolve their problems against spin bowling.”The batsmen are lower in confidence after the Test series against this type of bowling, so it will be a serious challenge for us. I expect better things from the batsmen, and I really expect to see us improve with our knowledge and method of how to combat their spin.”Of course, there is a cut-off line where it would be stupid to continue along the same path if it’s not being successful. In the main, I don’t think we’re there with this group of players.”This is not a closed shop – everyone’s aware of that – but this group of batsmen have done an outstanding job for England and have very good international records over the past few years.”

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the third ODI between West Indies and Australia in St Vincent

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale20-Mar-2012

Match facts

Sunil Narine has been a tricky customer for Australia to handle in the first two games•Associated Press

March 20, Arnos Vale
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)

Big Picture

If there were any doubts about how much Sunday’s win meant to West Indies, who had not beaten Australia in an ODI since 2006, consider the reaction of the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Ralph Gonsalves, who has been in the crowd during the first two games, declared Tuesday a public holiday and as a result, the third match had already sold out by Monday. If West Indies can parlay that support into another victory, they will have a 2-1 series lead ahead of the final two games in St Lucia, and will have a terrific chance to beat Australia in a one-day series for the first time since 1995.To avoid that scenario, Australia need more from their batsmen, especially given they have weakened their batting depth by leaving Peter Forrest out to accommodate the offspinner Nathan Lyon. In the first two matches they had nine scores above 20 but no batsman has managed a half-century. That is not easy on a slow pitch, but they must find a way, especially if they have their full allotment of overs to bat. They scored at less than four an over in the second match and only marginally above that in the first game, and finding a way to handle the spin of Sunil Narine will be one of their major challenges.West Indies have also been bereft of half-century makers in this series but Kieron Pollard was well on the way to one when the winning runs arrived on Sunday. Their batsmen played poorly in the first match and the task is to make sure Sunday’s efforts are repeated in this game, not the batting from the opening encounter.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
West Indies WLLLW
Australia LWWLW

In the spotlight

Sunil Narine‘s 4 for 27 on Sunday was the second-best analysis ever recorded by a West Indies spinner in an ODI against Australia. Only Chris Gayle has bettered those figures, when he took 5 for 46 in Antigua in 2003. Narine’s changes of pace and flight, and the variety of spin in his armoury make him a difficult proposition in one-day cricket. Further success in this series will also boost his chances of a call-up for the Test matches that follow.Clint McKay doesn’t draw the headlines like some of his team-mates but he has made himself an important part of Australia’s one-day side, filling a Nathan Bracken-style role. His changes of pace are challenging in the 50-over format and his variety and accuracy makes him well suited to the slower Arnos Vale pitch. Almost inconspicuously, McKay has put himself in a position to reach 50 ODI wickets quicker than most Australians. He has 47, and is about to play his 26th ODI. Dennis Lillee reached the mark in 24 matches and Shane Warne in 25, and should McKay get there this game he will be equal third-fastest with Len Pascoe, who took 26 games.

Team news

West Indies will be reluctant to alter a winning side, with changes more likely ahead of the fourth and fifth matches when the teams move on to a new venue.West Indies (possible) 1 Kieran Powell, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Carlton Baugh (wk), 9 Darren Sammy (capt), 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach.Australia have announced their side and there will be one change, the inclusion of the offspinner Lyon at the expense of the batsman Forrest. Lyon should enjoy working on the slow Arnos Vale pitch, where Sunil Narine was so difficult for the Australians to handle in the second match.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson (capt), 3 Matthew Wade (wk), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Clint McKay, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Pitch and conditions

The slow Arnos Value surface has proved difficult for batsmen over the past two matches and the same is expected in this third game. Thunderstorms have been forecast, so the sides might face another abridged contest.

Stats and trivia

• Sunday’s victory was the first time West Indies had beaten Australia in an ODI in 14 matches, stretching back to the 2006 Champions Trophy
• Excluding matches where they have been bowled out, Australia’s run-rate of 3.85 on Sunday was their lowest in an ODI in four years

Quotes

“We have shown that we can win and now the aim is to repeat the performance.”

“The conditions make it a little bit more difficult [for batsmen]. You’re definitely never in.”

Australia Under-19 edged New Zealand Under-19 by four runs in Townsville as the visitors lost three wickets in the last over while chasing 286

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2012Australia Under-19 edged New Zealand Under-19 by four runs in Townsville as the visitors lost three wickets in the last over while chasing 286. New Zealand needed ten runs off the final over bowled by Gurinder Sandhu, who trapped Ish Sodhi lbw off the first ball, and two run-outs followed off the third and fourth balls to leave New Zealand on 281 for 9. New Zealand had been 183 for 2 at one stage following fifties from Joe Carter (77) and Will Young (59) but the pressure of a climbing asking-rate led to wickets falling regularly thereafter. Cam Fletcher, who had smashed 42 off 33 deliveries to get New Zealand close, was the ninth batsman to fall with seven needed from three.Australia had been reduced to 230 for 9 in the 45th over after being put in, but Pat Cummins hammered seven boundaries in making an unbeaten 50 off 24. Cummins ensured that Australia batted the full 50 overs to post 285. Australia, like New Zealand, had had a solid start, with Jimmy Peirson (54) and Kurtis Patterson (76) making breezy fifties. Sodhi picked up 4 for 41 while Jacob Duffy took 3 for 44.India Under-19, who had lost all their three league games, surprised table-toppers England Under-19 in the second semi-final. Unmukt Chand (94) and Smit Patel (53) held together a faltering innings to help India to 239. Mohsin Sayyed (4 for 31) and Sandeep Sharma (3 for 32) then ran through England, who crumbled to be dismissed for 176 in the 45th over. They had been 65 for 6 at one stage and were it not for some resistance from the lower order, the margin of defeat would have been much heavier.

It has emerged that the touring West Indies squad, due to face England in a three-Test series starting in less than two weeks’ time, currently comprises only 11 fit men

George Dobell at Hove05-May-2012It has emerged that the touring West Indies squad, due to face England in a three-Test series starting in less than two weeks’ time, currently comprises only 11 fit men, with three players still to arrive in the UK. Assad Fudadin, Narsingh Deonarine and Marlon Samuels have been delayed by visa issues while Fidel Edwards has a “back niggle” and will not play in their three-day match against Sussex, which was due to begin on Saturday but fell victim to the weather.Samuels, who has been playing in the IPL with Pune Warriors, is expected in the country imminently, but Fudadin and Deonarine are in Jamaica trying to resolve their visa issues. “The rules have become more stringent due to the Olympics,” a West Indies spokesman said, “and we’re still working on getting that sorted.” The pair do not have a confirmed arrival date.Under normal circumstances, you might expect a team with just seven days of cricket ahead of a Test series in which they are the overwhelming underdogs to be champing at the bit to gain every chance to acclimatise to their new conditions. But West Indies reacted with an understandably phlegmatic attitude to the abandonment of the first day at Hove, where it was bitterly cold and a far cry from the conditions in they played barely a week ago against Australia in the Caribbean.While it would be premature to dismiss the prospects of a talented but raw West Indies squad, this does not represent the smoothest start to a tour. The original party was only 15 strong and may require strengthening. The team management insist they have yet to think about reinforcements, but it speaks volumes for their current predicament that 50-year-old Richie Richardson, West Indies’ tour manager, admitted he may be obliged to act as 12th man in the current match.The fast bowler Corey Collymore, 34 and currently plying his trade with Middlesex as a Kolpak registration, might represent another local option, though he would surely be reluctant to turn his back on county cricket for a short-term flirtation with the touring squad.The niggle to Edwards may prove the most significant issue. The 30-year-old fast bowler, easily the most experienced member of the tourists’ attack, missed the final Test against Australia due to the same problem and has long been hampered by back problems. He played no cricket in 2010 after undergoing back surgery.”It’s not bad,” Darren Sammy, West Indies’ captain, said. “We came here knowing Fidel would be rested for this game; he was rested for the last match. Come the first Test, everybody will be ready.”Fidel is somebody I know what to expect from. I know what he’s going to give and whenever he plays will be ready. Last time he played a game at Lord’s he was very unlucky – a few catches went down – and I know he’s going to give us 100%, just like all my team-mates. Whether he plays the Lions game or not, I know when that bell rings on the 17th, he will be ready. He’ll be the first one to say ‘give me the ball’. It will be up to Fidel himself to say how he feels, and what the physio recommends.”Barely a drop of rain fell at Hove after 9am on Saturday, but play was abandoned for the day at 1.40pm. It seemed an oddly ambivalent decision.”Everybody wants to get on the park,” Sammy said. “But that’s the weather; we don’t have control over that. We’re not in the Caribbean, where it’s nice and warm. This is England, where it’s going to be cold. So we’ve programmed our minds to get over it. I’m quite used to these conditions, but it’s been a while since we’ve played cricket here. Most of the guys have experience here. It’s England; you know it’s going to be cold, the ball’s going to sting your hands; all that stuff.”Sammy will hope that this tour does not go the way of their disastrous visit in 2009, when West Indies arrived as late replacements for Zimbabwe, lost the first Test inside three days and ended up defeated 2-0 in both the Test and one-day series.

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has said there will be no room for complacency after his side beat Delhi Daredevils by six wickets on Monday to claim the top spot in the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2012Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has said there will be no room for complacency after his side beat Delhi Daredevils by six wickets on Monday to claim the top spot in the points table.”As long as I lead KKR there will never be any complacency, as every game is as important as the first game or the final,” Gambhir, who has has led Knight Riders to eight wins from 11 matches, said. “We play Mumbai Indians twice, then Chennai and Pune, so the important thing is to keep winning games. It’s important to play as a unit. If we play like we have been playing then the results will go in our favour. “Knight Riders’ bowlers put on an impressive show on Monday, with Jacques Kallis dismissing Virender Sehwag and David Warner early. Rajat Bhatia and Sunil Narine then choked the run-rate in the middle of the innings. “It’s not only about Sunil Narine,” Gambhir said. “He can only bowl four overs in a T20 game but the other 16 overs matter. Brett Lee, Rajat are the unsung heroes. Sunil can only bowl four overs, those are important but we need to have other people who can complement Sunil, so credit goes to the whole bowling department.”Gambhir and Brendon McCullum led Knight Riders’ chase with their fourth fifty-plus partnership in six innings’. “I was hitting the ball well and had no intention of being aggressive. Whenever I looked to hit, it was going off the middle. When you’re playing well you don’t need to be aggressive, you just need to keep your shape and watch the ball.””(McCullum) has been hitting the ball well. Even in the last game he got 42 and we had a hundred-runs partnership. That is more important rather than individual scores. He was always a key player and hopefully he keeps batting this way.”Gambhir, who has scored 457 runs from 11 innings, said the onus was on him and Kallis to adapt their game to the match situation. “If someone has to change their game, it should be Kallis or me. We don’t want McCullum or Yusuf Pathan to change their game. It’s our responsibility because we are the experienced players,” Gambhir said. “You don’t want them to stop playing their natural game.”

Australian cricket will be in search of a new Test match sponsor ahead of the 2013-14 Ashes series, after Vodafone announced it would end a union that has lasted 11 years

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2012Australian cricket will be in search of a new Test match sponsor ahead of the 2013-14 Ashes series, after Vodafone announced it would end a union that has lasted 11 years and furnished the game with more than Aus$10 million in financial support. The telecommunications company will end its relationship with Cricket Australia following the end of next summer’s series against South Africa and Sri Lanka.Vodafone first chimed in as Australia’s major Test-match backer when Ansett Airlines collapsed just weeks ahead of the 2001-02 home summer, and has promoted the brands Orange, Three and Vodafone in turn over more than a decade. However the company’s recent series of network and customer service problems in Australia has prompted a change in focus; the network is also withdrawing its presence in Australia’s V8 motor racing competition.”Like all sports’ sponsorships, there comes a time when the sponsor achieves its partnership objectives and moves on with new strategic priorities,” CA’s commercial general manager, Mike McKenna, said. “We understand that Test cricket has helped Orange, Three and Vodafone become Australian household names, and we look forward to continuing to work with Vodafone next summer in what will be the final season of our successful relationship.”Our partner, via these brands, has helped us promote Test cricket and the sport is better for their long-term support.”While McKenna stressed CA’s view that “the Australian team playing Test cricket at home is possibly the most valuable sports’ sponsorship asset in Australia”, the search for a new major sponsor may yet prove vexing.CA is already heavily reliant on alcohol and fast food sponsorship to maintain the corporate slice of its revenue, and Twenty20 Big Bash League teams all complained last year of the difficulties in finding new sponsors in an increasingly competitive and financially frugal marketplace.However the lure of a home Ashes series in 2013-14 to begin the new partnership is CA’s ace in their pursuit of a new name to emblazon on the Test shirts of its players and sight screens of the country’s grounds.

Preview of the fourth ODI between West Indies and New Zealand in St. Kitts

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria13-Jul-2012

Match facts

Saturday, July 14
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)
West Indies No. 3 batsman Dwayne Smith has often given his wicket away in this series•WICB

Big Picture

For the first four games of the tour, West Indies were clobbering New Zealand as they haven’t clobbered any Test nation in a long time. However, a familiar collapse by the hosts in St Kitts opened the door for New Zealand, who have Brendon McCullum back in the side and probably their captain Ross Taylor as well.West Indies’ success was partly due to the rustiness and inexperience of New Zealand and partly due to Chris Gayle. There is probably no harder job in limited-overs cricket than to plan for Gayle, and New Zealand’s stand-in captain Kane Williamson can’t be faulted for his team failures. It looked like West Indies would wrap up the series in the third ODI, but then Gayle failed.The manner in which West Indies collapsed to an 88-run loss showed why, despite looking unstoppable at times, they remain a work in progress. This was their chance to secure a first ODI series win against top-flight opposition in more than four years, and build on their performance during the drawn home series against Australia earlier this year. The target was modest, the bowling attack manageable, the ground small, and the track full of runs, but they capitulated.On the other hand, New Zealand could have found the belief they need to compete in the series. To keep challenging West Indies, though, they will need a stronger effort from their batsmen, especially after the loss of BJ Watling, who made two half-centuries in three matches

Form guide

(completed games, most recent first)
West Indies LWWLL
New Zealand WLLLL

Watch out for…

Brendon McCullum was not part of the original ODI squad, but joined the tour because of a spate of injuries in the team. He hasn’t played for New Zealand since the home series against South Africa in March, and his last competitive fixtures were in the IPL, so he will want to shake off the rustiness as soon as possible.Dwayne Smith made a comeback to West Indies’ one-day squad after two years, in England. In five matches since, he scored two half-centuries – a marked improvement over three fifties in his previous 77 matches. He had batted in the lower order for most of his career, and often made the wrong choice of shot, and even in his new avatar as a No. 3, Smith’s fifties have been flanked by innings where he has again given it away too easily.

Team news

Taylor, who hurt his shoulder during the first Twenty20, has recovered faster than expected and is likely to play. “I did say two to six weeks and I’m fortunate that it’s come down to just two weeks,” he said. “The stiffness and the pain has been going slightly and all going well it’s looking very likely I’ll play tomorrow.” Watling, however, suffered a leg injury while batting during the third ODI in St. Kitts and is unavailable for selection. Brendon McCullum’s return to the squad as wicketkeeper means Tom Latham is likely to play as a batsman. Fast bowler Doug Bracewell and medium-pacer Andrew Ellis will be available for selection after recovering from their injuries.New Zealand: (possible) 1 Rob Nicol, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Brendon McCullum (wk), 4 Kane Williamson, 5 Ross Taylor (capt), 6 Tom Latham, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Doug Bracewell, 11 Kyle Mills.West Indies are likely to continue with their strongest XI. However, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin will miss the match to get married and has been replaced by Devon Thomas.West Indies: (possible) 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Dwayne Smith, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Devon Thomas (wk), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sunil Narine

Stats and trivia

• Brendon McCullum has scored 213 runs in 13 games against West Indies at an average of 23.66. His ODI career average is 30.47.
• West Indies have a 26-21 head-to-head record against New Zealand in all ODIs. However, in the last 10 years, New Zealand lead 11-4.
  

  Quotes

  “We won’t let one game dampen the spirit of the boys.”

  “It’s nice to have Brendon in the camp and hopefully Ross is looking good for the next one. It was a real shame to lose BJ [Watling], who has been our stronghold in the batting order down at six.”

That Bangladesh have made it through to the quarterfinals of the Under-19 World Cup by finishing second in Group D may surprise most people, but it hasn’t surprised them

George Binoy in Townsville18-Aug-2012That Bangladesh have made it through to the quarterfinals of the Under-19 World Cup by finishing second in Group D may surprise most people, but it hasn’t surprised them. They are a competitive team at this level and neither the captain Anamul Haque nor coach Sarwar Imran considered beating Sri Lanka to book their places in Townsville, where they will face Australia on Sunday, to be an upset.”We are a capable Under-19 team,” said Anamul after arriving in Townsville on Friday afternoon. “At Under-19 level, we aren’t very different from other teams. We’re equal. We beat Sri Lanka, it’s not a big deal. We are capable of beating any other team.”Bangladesh were pooled in perhaps the toughest group of the tournament along with South Africa, Sri Lanka and Namibia. They played four warm-up matches in the lead-up to the group games and had positive results. Led by Anamul’s century, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in the first group match but lost comprehensively to South Africa. They then swept past Namibia to book their tickets out of Brisbane and relegated Sri Lanka to the Plate Championship.They’ve got to Townsville by overcoming ongoing challenges both on and off the field. It hasn’t been uncommon to see players carrying bags of groceries to their rooms during this tournament and that’s largely due to the difficulty they’ve had in eating the unfamiliar breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. For all but one – Noor Hossain – of the Bangladesh players, this is their first trip to Australia and they took a while to adjust to the cold weather in Brisbane, the food, having to cook meals and do their own laundry. These may sound like menial concerns but every bit of discomfort is accentuated when you’re in the environment of a global tournament for the first time. Some of them still haven’t adjusted entirely, said the coach Imran, but they’re getting there.The higher hurdle has been the cricket and to their credit the Bangladesh players haven’t let their off-field issues affect their performances too much. They knew the conditions in Brisbane, a world away from those in Mirpur, Chittagong and Fatullah, would demand that they adapt techniques and approaches.”I’m happy we’ve reached the quarterfinal. The wickets we’ve played on, it hasn’t suited us,” Imran said. “The bounce is more in Brisbane; we don’t have the kind of pace bowlers [to exploit it]. We aren’t as good as the others as a pace bowling team. Some of the pitches had no turn, it was easy to go on the back foot even to good length balls [against spinners]. Here [Townsville] it is hot, and that might help us.”The Bangladesh batsmen were instructed too, to temper the approach they use at home. “On a subcontinent wicket, we go for power play in the first 15 overs, but in this tournament I said you play 50 overs,” Imran said. “We told them to leave the ball early, when it is swinging. You keep wickets in hand as much as possible and go for it in the last ten overs. They did that against Sri Lanka.”Apart from the game against South Africa, a couple of top-order batsmen have performed. Anamul made a hundred against Sri Lanka, while Asif Ahmed scored a half-century, and the opener Liton Das made 70 against Namibia. Imran said Anamul, Das and Soumya Sarkar, who made a double-century against Qatar in the Asia Cup, could play the short ball well. But Sarkar, in his opinion, has a penchant for playing one shot too many, and hasn’t performed in the group stages.Anamul holds his team to high standards. According to him, Bangladesh were better than they had been. “Not too happy with batting, two or three batsman are scoring, but not everyone,” he said. “I’m not fully happy with spinners, they try hard but are not yet up to the mark. Everyone can improve.”Against Australia, however, the responsibility of steering Bangladesh to a competitive total, or controlling a chase, will rest largely on Anamul. He is their most experienced batsman, having been part of the senior team during the Asia Cup and the tour of Zimbabwe, although he did not play. He’s also had the experience of playing international bowlers in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he plays for Dhaka Gladiators.”I am very positive, I go for big runs, I like to play long innings,” Anamul says when asked how he approaches his innings. “I’m very confident and have a strong mind.”Stuart Law, who coached Bangladesh before taking up his present role with Australia’s Under-19 side, knows Anamul and said he’d been one of his favourite players. “He’s wonderfully talented, he made a big impression during the Bangladesh Premier League last year,” Law said. “He’s one to watch. He got a hundred in the first game against Sri Lanka, so he’s definitely a player of class.”That compliment, however, will mean Australia’s bowlers – and there are four fast ones – will go hard at Anamul, looking to strike the body blow early in the contest. Bangladesh have had one day to come to terms with Townsville, while Australia played all their group matches here, as well as a quadrangular series in April. If Bangladesh should get past Australia, it will most certainly be an upset.

Dav Whatmore: “Can’t do any more than to win two out of two, but it’s good to have the experience of the Super Over leading up to the World Twenty20”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2012Dav Whatmore, the Pakistan coach, is pleased with his team’s performance in the Twenty20 series against Australia so far, after they won the first two matches to make the third and final T20 on Monday a dead rubber. Pakistan routed Australia in the first game, bowling them out for 89, but the second game was a much closer affair, with Pakistan prevailing off the final ball of the Super Over.”I am very much delighted,” Whatmore said. “Can’t do any more than to win two out of two, it was an exciting finish (in the second T20), different from that I thought it would be, but it’s good to have the experience of the Super Over leading up to the World Twenty20. We haven’t played too many Super Overs, so that was good.”The current series was a chance for Pakistan to prepare for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka later this month and Whatmore said his side were where they wanted to be going into the tournament. “You want to have some confidence going into it, no point entering a big competition without having some wins under your belt. Where we are in the world standard, there is a world ranking but it is still difficult to gauge. I think it boils down to who can play their best cricket over a small period of time.”Whatmore wanted Pakistan to win Monday’s final T20 and sweep the series. “You cannot say it is as big a game as if the series was 1-1, but it still important for us,” he said. “The pressure is off, we will be a bit more relaxed. There will be a change or two in the team, it is an opportunity to look at one or two other players but to remain as competitive as possible as winning is important.”Whatmore also said allrounder Shahid Afridi is unlikely to play on Monday as a precautionary measure, and that offspinner Saeed Ajmal had recovered from his shoulder problem. “Afridi has an impact injury (on his left hand), I reckon he might be close to playing, but I don’t think we will risk that. Another knock on that left hand might put him back another couple of weeks, which will be very bad for us. Saeed has a recurring problem with that left shoulder, but I am confident that he will play.”

Ravi Bopara failed, as did the rest of his England team-mates, as South Africa’s bowlers made good use of a slow, turning pitch

The Report by David Hopps08-Sep-2012
ScorecardJP Duminy shared a match-winning stand with Jacques Kallis•PA Photos

This was a flaccid England batting display which will fill them with misgivings ahead of World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Ravi Bopara’s batting, at least, suggests that he remains scarred by his recent emotional upheavals and the ability of younger batsmen to succeed on turning pitches will be further doubted after the way they were dismantled by a confident South Africa.South Africa’s pursuit of 119 on northern England’s version of a slow turner was a stroll in the park and, even though England’s new-ball attack created some ersatz excitement by taking 3 for 29 in reply, it did not last long.The one they needed was Jacques Kallis and, with a single to his name, he edged Steven Finn just short of Alex Hales at first slip. He never faltered again. Kallis and JP Duminy quietly assembled South Africa’s highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20s against England in a stand of 90 at a run a ball and a seven-wicket win meandered into view in textbook fashion with an over to spare.Kallis’ timing of the chase was impeccable, one lazy despatching of Jade Dernbach’s slower offcutter pronouncing: “I have logged your variations and have now programmed my response.” Duminy, drawing confidence from Kallis’ presence, ducked and carved alongside him. They won to barely a murmur.South Africa rested Hashim Amla and his replacement Faf du Plessis, on debut, made only 4 before he was lbw to Finn. There were two wickets for Dernbach, too. But England were roundly outplayed. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the dispute involving Kevin Pietersen, and the issue has not been short of analysis, this England team is weaker for his absence.If selecting Bopara in his current state is adamant, for him to bat at No. 3 looks increasingly delusional. He took time off last month as he was beset by relationship problems and since his return his batting has been clouded by self doubt. He does not look in a good place.England are desperate for him to succeed as his bits-and-pieces bowling balances their side, but his troubled batting run continued as he managed only 6 from 11 balls. South Africa brought Dale Steyn into the attack added a slip and Bopara, with a lack of foot movement, edged to first slip. It was adventurous captaincy by AB de Villiers to bring in a slip outside the Powerplay overs, although as Bopara has been repeatedly edging it in this direction for weeks it was perhaps less daring than it appeared.South Africa’s domination did end at Bopara. Presented by a slow Chester-le-Street turner, not too far removed from the surfaces they may encounter in Sri Lanka, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha did not disappoint. They dared to bowl slowly, turned the ball and were backed up by solid fielding.England’s surfeit of one-day internationals against three different opponents this summer had attracted criticism for overkill, but a three-match T20 series had obvious relevance. South Africa are ranked No. 1; England are defending champions with a good recent record. Even the losers in this NatWest Series will feel happier than Australia who now find themselves ranked beneath Ireland.Craig Kieswetter and Hales are beginning to have the feel of a settled opening partnership for an England side which once famously changed combinations on a whim, but they are still some way from an understanding between the wickets if Hales’ run out in the fourth over is any guide.His enthusiasm for a leg side single as Kieswetter got a thick inside edge was not shared by his partner and Jacques Kallis lumbered in to pick up and hit the non-striker’s stumps direct. Hales left the field distraught in his last T20 international when he was dismissed for 99 against West Indies at Trent Bridge. On this occasion he was cursing.There had been some spin in the preceding women’s match – England beating West Indies by eight wickets – but Botha still spun his introductory delivery enough to surprise Kieswetter, who fell lbw.Kieswetter’s six over wide long on against Lonwabo Tsotsobe had been one of the few invigorating moments for England as they reached midway at 64 for 3 and Botha defused their most explosive batsman, Eoin Morgan, as he tried to sweep and dragged on one that kept a little low.What followed smacked of naivety. England have great faith in Jos Buttler’s potential but it is yet to be rewarded. He has had few opportunities and when they do come along, such as on this occasion when half the overs were still unused, he has flattered to deceive. Like Hales, he is unproven against spin and Peterson, bowling markedly slowly, drew him down the pitch and bowled him with ease. Nine England T20s have now brought 36 runs and that is no sort of preparation for a world cup.Jonny Bairstow, needing to up the pace, plonked Albie Morkel into Botha’s hands at deep midwicket and Samit Patel fell in similar fashion against Peterson as Kallis thundered in for a good, low catch at long-on. Only some spirited late forays by Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, as England took 34 from the last five overs, gave England anything to bowl at. As for Dale Steyn, his four overs conceded only 13.The limited-overs matches mount up, but once again entertainment was in limited supply at the end of a long season. South Africa rested Hashim Amla and his replacement Faf du Plessis, on debut, made only 4 before he was lbw to Finn. There were two wickets for Dernbach, too, the straightforward approach of Richard Levi silenced at first slip and de Villiers, after two glorious boundaries, edging a little carelessly to the keeper.Swann’s offspin, delayed until the eighth over, at 50 for 3, was chipped around cautiously and the tyro slow left-armer, Danny Briggs, had not been selected. He may be more fortunate at Old Trafford.