Steve Waugh has undergone a lie-detector test to show how the system could be used to help track down players involved in fixing cricket matches

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's19-Jul-2011Steve Waugh has undergone a lie-detector test to show how the system could be used to help track down players involved in fixing cricket matches.Waugh, a member of the MCC Cricket Committee who were meeting at Lord’s this week, proposed that polygraphs could be used to tackle corruption during the group’s last meeting in Perth late last year. Initially there was much scepticism but Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, offered his support and a committee was formed with Waugh, Bradshaw, Courtney Walsh and Barry Richards.Waugh then felt he should find out what the procedure involved and he passed the test conclusively. “As a former captain I wouldn’t ask my players to do anything I wasn’t willing to do myself, so I thought the same should apply here,” he said. “I thought I needed to find out what a polygraph test is and go through the process to see if it was a possibility for the future.”It was very nerve-wracking to go through the process, being sat in a room having your heart rate monitored, your blood volume, your blood pressure, your perspiration. There were a lot of devices I was attached to. The test went for two hours and by the end of it I was fairly convinced that if someone had something to hide they would be found out.”The test was conducted by Steven van Aperen, a former senior policeman in Victoria, who has also worked in the United States. However, any use of polygraphs in the future faces a huge number of hurdles and remains unlikely. Even if it passed all the legal battles it could never be made compulsory and there are doubts about the reliability of tests, although van Aperen said there was “96-98% accuracy.””We know how hard it is to catch players,” Waugh said. “There have been a lot of rumours about what is going on so it’s about looking to the future. We’ve looked at different options and one of those might to get some younger players to pledge to do a polygraph test to lead the way.”We know we haven’t got all the answers but think this may be a piece of the puzzle that will help the game move forward. It could be a good tool for those wrongly accused. Maybe if there are cricketers out there doing the wrong thing it will make them think. We want to further explore that closely with the ICC.”The other anti-corruption measure put forward by the cricket committee was that the ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) should have the power to perform sting operations similar to that staged by the News of the World last year against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, had previously talked about that possibility earlier this year. “I thought when this issue came up last year that perhaps we could have a ‘mystery shopper’,” he said. “In other words, some people posing as bookmakers approach players and see if those players report along with our codes of conduct.”Waugh said that such operations had shown their effectiveness. “In the past players have been caught. I don’t think it’s ideal, but if that’s the way that wrongdoers can be caught then it could be an option but I don’t think it should be the No. 1 option.”Tony Lewis, the MCC Cricket Committee chairman, said the group was only set up a few months ago, and that the problem of corruption wasn’t going to be solved quickly. “It’s a brave lead by Steve Waugh because having his name attached to it means it will be taken seriously.”The committee was also very strong in its belief that any captain or coach found guilty of corruption should face life bans. “They are the leaders of the team,” Waugh said. “They need to shape the values of the team and should be taken out of the game for life.”Among the other issues discussed by the committee was the prospect of day-night Test cricket, which the MCC have been at the forefront of. Rahul Dravid, a member of the committee who played against the pink ball in the MCC-Champion County game in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, gave a presentation and said the one issue he had was the twilight period, with a suggestion that the problem could be avoided by scheduling an interval.Martin Crowe said he would be trying to get the format introduced into New Zealand’s first-class cricket next season. The committee believes the pink ball has now shown its durability, and produced an 80-over ball which had retained its colour as evidence.They expressed their frustration that the ICC continued to drag its heels in the process but admitted further trials were needed. “It’s going to take a couple of more years unfortunately, despite the fact we think it’s a viable format,” John Stephenson, the MCC’s head of cricket, said. “There probably hasn’t enough enthusiasm so far. The ICC have to be more proactive as an option for member countries to use then the momentum will gather.”The MCC also offered itself as an independent body, along with Imperial College London, to help the ICC undertake the testing off DRS in order to prove its accuracy.

Pakistan do not want to bat last in Bulawayo on a pitch that is expected to break up as the match wears on

Firdose Moonda in Bulawayo03-Sep-2011Pakistan do not want to bat last in Bulawayo on a pitch that is expected to break up as the match wears on. After bowling Zimbabwe out for 412, Pakistan closed day three 55 runs behind on a day of measured batting from four of the five batsmen.”That is the plan [to bat once],” Azhar Ali said. “The wicket was quite flat to start with but it’s got slower and slower and it’s become quite tough to drive the ball. Even when you do drive it, it’s difficult to get away.” Ali, whose 75 runs came off 193 balls in over four hours, thinks that batting will become more difficult and expects the spinners to play a deciding role in the result of this match.Greg Lamb, who was Zimbabwe’s highest wicket-taker with three scalps, got a fair amount of turn on the third day, but it was the veteran Ray Price who according to Ali “made the difference.” Price conceded 29 runs off his first 30 overs and proved almost impossible to get away. Ali started having trouble against him yesterday and arrived at the ground early on the third morning to work on his strategy for facing Price. He had a net session with his captain, Misbah-ul-Haq. “We were working on picking up the lengths and getting the footwork right,” Ali said.Price got no reward, in wicket-terms, for his strangling effort, but was not concerned with the number in that particular column. “It’s my job to try and keep the runs down so I have to do that,” he said. “We were happy that they didn’t score too quickly.”With the spinners proving the only threat, Price said it was a testing day for Zimbabwe’s young seam attack of Brian Vitori and Kyle Jarvis, particularly Vitori who was expensive early on. “I think he got a bit of a shock coming here from Harare Sports Club because it’s flat as a table here,” Price said. “But he is learning quickly. In his second spell he held it back a bit and his third spell tonight was very good.” Vitori took the second new ball towards the end of the day and bowled four overs for 15 runs, in which he got some to shape in to the right-hander.The three seamers have just one wicket between them so far but Price said they had been suitably warned about the conditions they will have to battle in Bulawayo. “We’ve had to tell them that there are a few seamers buried in the outfield here, it is tough work.” Their lack of success has also caused the young captain, Brendan Taylor, some frustration as he ran out of ideas to take wickets, especially after four catches were put down today.Taylor looked flustered at the time but Price praised the captain’s strategy. “He is learning to trust his gut and he is doing quite well. He is trying different field placings and a few things here and there,” he said. “With a young attack, he also has to try not to shout at them too much.”The bulk of the responsibility will rest on Price and Lamb, to skittle what remains of the Pakistan line-up. Price has called for a team effort, warning his colleagues that they have to make inroads early tomorrow morning, because “Pakistan’s spinners spin the ball more than I do and it will be difficult to bat.”Despite the danger of Saeed Ajmal, Price indicated that Zimbabwe will not go into a shell and bat for the draw. “We will definitely play for the win,” Price said. “I don’t think we can get a draw unless they bat really slowly tomorrow morning but I think their tail will play a few shots.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Twenty20 between England and West Indies as the hosts search for 2-0

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan24-Sep-2011

Match Facts

September 25, The Oval
Start time: 6.30pm (1730GMT)Alex Hales took his chance on Friday evening with his first international fifty•Getty Images

Big Picture

It was easy for England on Friday evening as they cantered to their first 10-wicket victory in a Twenty20 international and their momentum showed no signs of abating as the season comes to an end. The match was a contest for 10 overs, but from 97 for 2 West Indies subsided in dismal fashion against a combination of Ravi Bopara, Jade Dernbach and England’s outstanding fielding.Graeme Swann had to do some thinking as Dwayne Smith cut loose in the Powerplay but he remained calm and produced a number of clever bowling changes, including using Samit Patel early then entrusting Bopara with the death overs. No wonder he was in a chipper mood after the match. Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad won’t hear the end of Swann’s time as captain.For a while West Indies suggested they would present a challenge, but the batsmen struggled against spin as inexperience shone through. However, everyone knew this was a raw side coming over, and deficiencies in batting and bowling can almost be accepted. The shocking standard of fielding, though, was really embarrassing. No matter how inexperienced a team is, they should be able to compete with commitment through diving, catching and throwing.It was West Indies’ first game after their off-season, so some rustiness was to be expected, but the squad had spent time at a camp in Barbados before this trip. Ottis Gibson, the coach, must be exasperated by what he was watching. It’s hard to see much changing with one day between games, but West Indies will cling to the hope that one performance can win a Twenty20 match. In truth, though, it will take more much to stop England.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
England WWLLW
West Indies LLWLL

Spotlight

Craig Kieswetter and Alex Hales both played superbly to knock off the target in the first match, but the 10-wicket margin meant there wasn’t a chance to see England’s exciting middle-order in action. Jos Buttler, the Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman, has played two Twenty20 internationals and still hasn’t got to the middle. Although a keeper by trade he has shown some brilliance in the outfield and produced a direct hit to run out Devendra Bishoo on Friday. Straight after this series is finished he is heading off to join Somerset at the Champions League Twenty20.Marlon Samuels is an experienced player amid a host of new faces for West Indies but he struggled for 4 off 7 balls before being cleaned up by Swann. He’d come in after a flying start provided by Dwayne Smith and it was disappointing that he couldn’t consolidate. It’s difficult to come in and fire straight away against quality bowlers, but Samuels could have given himself a little more time. West Indies need him to perform.

Team news

There was plenty of assistance for England’s spinners in the opening game so there will be a temptation to play either Scott Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, or Hampshire left-arm spinner Danny Briggs, although it’s hard to see how they would fit in. One option would be to leave out Steven Finn, but that would mean using Dernbach earlier in the innings.England (possible): 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann (capt), 10 Steven Finn, 11 Jade DernbachIt’s hard to know what West Indies can do, but they can’t lose anything by making a few changes. Nkruma Bonner looked out of his depth with bat and ball so Miles Bascombe may get a game, while the left-arm spin of Garey Mathurin could be used on a worn surface.West Indies (possible): 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Danza Hyatt, 5 Miles Bascombe, 6 Derwin Christian (wk), 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Garey Mathurin, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Fidel Edwards

Pitch and conditions

The same pitch will be used on Sunday so expect more assistance for the spinners. Bopara also showed the value of taking the pace off the ball and bowling straight. The weather is also set fair with the UK enjoying some belated summer weather as the season draws to a close.

Stats and trivia

• Ravi Bopara’s 4 for 10 were the best figures by an England player bowling in Twenty20 internationals, beating the previous record of 4 for 22 held by Jade Dernbach and Paul Collingwood.
• England haven’t lost a match since July 3 when they were beaten by Sri Lanka in the third one-day international at Lord’s.

Quotes

“I’ll take that, it was a dream start as captain. I asked the boys to give everything and they did that, I was delighted with the way everybody performed.”

“When you get a good start you have to capitalise. The batsmen coming in have to be more responsible.

Ryan McLaren has replaced Albie Morkel in South Africa’s squad for the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia on October 13 and 16

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2011Allrounder Ryan McLaren has replaced Albie Morkel in South Africa’s squad for the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia on October 13 and 16. Morkel is expected to be sidelined for between four and six weeks after suffering an abdominal muscle tear while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League Twenty20.”Although it is a blow to lose Albie Morkel, Ryan McLaren has always done well for us in this format,” Andrew Hudson, the convener of selectors, said. “He is one of the few bowlers to take five wickets in a T20 international. In addition he comes into the series in good form, having made a big century for the Knights at the weekend.”Mark Boucher also suffered an injury, to his hamstring, while playing for Warriors in the Champions League T20. He missed the final group game and is expected to recover in eight to 10 days, in time for the ODI series against Australia which begins on October 19.Legspinner Imran Tahir, who is also in the ODI squad, had a mild groin strain and was withdrawn from the Dolphins squad for this weekend’s SuperSport Series match as a precautionary measure. His availability for the ODI series was not in doubt.South Africa have already lost AB de Villiers, their Twenty20 and ODI captain, for the limited-overs matches against Australia. de Villiers broke his finger during a training session with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Champions League Twenty20.

A round-up of the matches on the seventh match-day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2011A tight performance in the field and a well-paced innings from Ishank Jaggi gave Jharkhand a comfortable win against Orissa in Jamshedpur, their first of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after their first two matches were abandoned due to rain. Orissa had three run-outs in their innings and got a low total of 103 for 9. Jaggi scored an unbeaten 37 as Jharkhand knocked off the total in 18.3 overs for the loss of four wickets. Orissa’s innings had no momentum at the top, with opener Sumitosh Praharaj getting his 40 at a strike-rate of 80.00. They did manage to lay a base, though, and got to 74 for 2 in the 15th over, but the late onslaught never came. Instead, wickets fell consistently and the total was never going to be competitive. Jharkhand started the chase cautiously but Jaggi picked up the pace and got his 37 off as many balls. Captain Saurabh Tiwary contributed 21 as Orissa were handed their first defeat of the tournament.Bengal’s bowlers limited Tripura to only 95 for 9 to set up a comfortable chase for their batsmen in Jamshedpur. Tripura lost their captain Rajib Saha and were soon reduced to 35 for 3. They then had their largest partnership of the match – 41 – between Kaushal Acharjee and Bappa Das. At 76 for 3 in the 15th over, Bengal began to wreck Tripura, taking four wickets for three runs. Ashok Dinda finished with 2 for 29 and Shami Ahmed 2 for 14. Bengal lost opening batsman Shreevats Goswami for a duck during their chase but Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and Wriddhiman Saha scored 30 and 35 to help Bengal score 98 for 4 in the 19th over. Tushar Saha took 2 for 15 in four overs for Tripura.

Hamish Marshall has pledged his future to Gloucestershire by accepting a contract offer dependent on the outcome of plans to develop the County Ground

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2011Hamish Marshall has pledged his future to Gloucestershire by accepting a contract offer dependent on the outcome of plans to develop the County Ground.Marshall, who has been at Gloucestershire since 2006, has been offered two deals, one based on planning permission being received and the other on it being denied. He has agreed to sign either way.”We thought we were going to have to wait until the outcome of our planning application to agree terms with Hamish, but we have now found a way around that,” Gloucestershire’s chief executive, Tom Richardson, explained.”He will be a Gloucestershire player next season whatever happens regarding the ground. He will sign a contract if we develop our facilities and a slightly different one if we don’t. Hamish has been extremely good at mentoring our young players and we see him continuing to play a key role in this as well as on the pitch as a senior player himself.””We had to offer him alternative contracts because if we don’t get our ground development through our finances will be tighter. This reflects very well on Hamish as he understands this and we wanted to reassure him he was still wanted.”

Northern Districts stayed top of the table after thrashing Canterbury, while Wellington picked up their first win of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2011Northern Districts thrashed Canterbury by 241 runs at Seddon Park in Hamilton. In a low-scoring first innings, Northern Districts gained an 18-run lead after being bowled out for 169. They capitulated against a five-for from seamer Matt Henry but Brent Arnel put them ahead with 5 for 43, skittling out Canterbury for 151.The Northern Districts batsmen ensured they consolidated that advantage, making amends for their failure in the first innings by piling up 436 for 9. No batsman from either team managed a half-century in the first innings. This time, Hamish Marshall top-scored with 138, added 163 with his identical twin James, who fell just two short of a century. Brook Hatwell, too, chipped in with a half-century. Set a target of 455, an early burst from seamer Graeme Aldridge reduced Canterbury to 67 for 5 at one stage, but there was some resistance from the lower order. Andrew Ellis fought, making 86, and was supported by Todd Astle and Ryan McCone but their efforts weren’t enough. Aldridge and Arnel shared nine wickets, bowling their opponents out for 213.Northern Districts took 16 points from the game and lead the table.

Wellington‘s new-ball pair of Andy McKay and Scott Kuggeleijn took 13 wickets between them to give their side a 286-run win over Otago at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The win was Wellington’s first of the season and got them off the bottom of the table. They had two solid batting efforts, reaching 312 in the first innings and 371 in the second. Otago had responded to their first-innings effort with 242 but, set a target of 442, crumbled to 155 all out.The 19-year-old Kuggeleijn took 4 for 50 in the fourth innings to seal the victory. Craig Cumming, coming off a century in Otago’s Ford Trophy match against Northern Districts, scored 61, but that was the only decent contribution. In the first innings it had been McKay who took four wickets, while Kuggeleijn took three. The duo had reduced Otago to 53 for 4 before contributions from the middle and lower-middle order, including a half-century from Neil Wagner, revived the visitors’ innings. Wagner’s 61 followed his seven-wicket haul in the first innings, which had threatened to skittle Wellington for a low score. James Franklin scored 50 and Luke Woodcock’s form with the bat continued as he went past fifty for the third time this season.Their second innings was steadier, with Stephen Murdoch’s 74 laying a solid base before Woodcock and Franklin again made the telling contributions. Franklin got his first hundred of the season while Woodcock’s second fifty of the match means he finished the game with an average of 99.75 after four games.

Auckland came out of their high-scoring match against Central Districts at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland with seven points, while the visitors had to settle for six. Both sides received three points each for going past 350 within 110 overs of their first innings; Auckland picked up four points for taking nine wickets within 110 overs of Central District’s first innings while the visitors managed just seven wickets in the first 110 overs of Auckland’s response.Central Districts were in trouble at 139 for 5 after being put in before Kieran Noema-Barnett’s maiden first-class century led a fightback, and they went on to score 367. Auckland’s response was led by centuries from Jeet Raval and Colin de Grandhomme. It was the second hundred of the season for both and they helped take Auckland to 447.Central Districts’ openers were back at the crease in the second session of the third day and Peter Ingram seemed to be pushing for a win with his quick century. The rest of the batsmen scored slowly, though, and they reached 367 for 6. Mathew Sinclair got his second unbeaten century of the season as the game ended in a draw.

For once, the choke was almost on the opposition in a game involving South Africa. Sri Lanka almost messed up what had been the perfect big ODI chase

The Report by Abhishek Purohit22-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kumar Sangakkara fashioned Sri Lanka’s second consecutive 300-plus chase•Getty Images

For once, the choke was almost on the opposition in a game involving South Africa. Sri Lanka almost messed up what had been the perfect big ODI chase. Their openers had blazed away and their middle order had kept up with the asking rate. Kumar Sangakkara was batting on a silken century with Sri Lanka on 274 for 3 in 44 overs chasing 313. And then came the collapse. Sangakkara holed out. It became 308 for 8 before Sachithra Senanayake, playing his second ODI, slog-swept the penultimate delivery for six to ensure the visitors left South Africa with a respectable 2-3 scoreline.Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne had looked on course to lead Sri Lanka to their second consecutive successful chase of a 300-plus target after centuries from AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith had boosted South Africa to 312. In only his fifth ODI, Lahiru Thirimanne matched Sangakkara in an ultimately match-winning fourth-wicket partnership of 100, built on the solid start given by the openers. Following a rain delay after seven overs, the bowlers found it difficult to grip the ball.But having reached his hundred off 96 deliveries, Sangakkara lofted JP Duminy straight to long-off. Fortune seemed to favour Sri Lanka in the next over when Thirimanne inside-edged Morne Morkel past his stumps for a four and off the next ball, Wayne Parnell fumbled at third man in the glare of the floodlights.With 19 needed off 24, Sri Lanka were still on top. Angelo Mathews, though, chipped a Parnell high full toss to short extra cover to bring the hero of the fourth ODI, Thisara Perera, in. Duminy sneaked in a tight penultimate over to Perera which ended with the batsman smashing another high full toss to deep midwicket.It came down to six off the final over with Sri Lanka ahead. de Villiers gambled with Robin Peterson but even he would not have bargained for the left-arm spinner taking two wickets in three deliveries. Nuwan Kulasekara missed an attempted loft over extra cover to be bowled first ball. Rangana Herath sensibly gave the strike to Thirimanne next ball but the latter charged out and sliced the third delivery to short third man. The Wanderers roared with anticipation as Senanayake stepped out to defend the fourth one but was silenced when he slammed the fifth ball for a flat six over deep midwicket. It was also his first scoring shot in one-day internationals.It was a chaotic end to what had been a well-choreographed chase. Sangakkara looked in no trouble and after unfortunate dismissals in the previous two games, carried on to play a decisive innings. Young Thirimanne showed remarkable composure in the company of his senior partner to make his maiden ODI fifty. While Sangakkara was in a zone of his own, finding all corners of the ground, Thirimanne favoured the point region whenever Sri Lanka needed a boundary.

Smart stats

• Sri Lanka’s chase made it only the second instance of a team chasing 300 in two consecutive matches after New Zealand did so against Australia in 2007. It is also the 38th time overall and the seventh time that Sri Lanka have chased down a 300-plus target.

• This is the fifth time overall and the second time in consecutive matches that South Africa have lost despite setting a target of 300 or more. Their other losses have come against Australia, New Zealand and India.

• For the 11th time in ODIs, there were two centuries scored in an innings for South Africa. Seven of these occasions have come since the start of 2010.

• AB de Villiers became only the fourth South African batsman to score 300 or more runs in a bilateral series (maximum five matches). His strike rate of 125.09 is the highest among the players in the list.

• Kumar Sangakkara set up the chase with only his second hundred in the second innings in ODIs. It is also the 13th occasion overall and the second time against South Africa that a Sri Lankan has scored a century in a successful chase (only matches outside the subcontinent).

• Lasith Malinga conceded 75 or more runs in an innings for only the sixth time in his career and the second time in a game in Johannesburg, after the Champions Trophy game against New Zealand in 2009.

The duo had Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan to thank for giving Sri Lanka the start they needed in a challenging chase. Sri Lanka’s task had been further complicated by the need to keep one eye on the Duckworth-Lewis par score, with the looming threat of more rain after a thunderstorm caused nearly an hour’s break in play.Dilshan was his usual mix of plays-and-misses, on-the-up drives and whips. Tharanga was his usual self as well, timing the ball effortlessly through the off side after Morne dropped a sharp return chance with the batsman on 8. Sri Lanka had raced to 56 when the rain finally arrived in the eighth over.Tharanga launched Lonwabo Tsotsobe for consecutive fours on resumption. Two deliveries later, Tsotsobe slipped in the slower one, and Tharanga sliced his lofted stroke for Duminy to hold on a sensational catch, diving after running back from cover.Dilshan and Sangakkara kept Sri Lanka comfortably ahead of the par score but Tsotsobe struck again, having Dilshan edging an attempted steer off a short ball to the wicketkeeper. But Sangakkara kept finding the odd boundary to ensure that the asking rate did not gallop away.That Sri Lanka were faced with such a stiff chase was because South Africa blasted 209 runs in the second half of their innings, and 109 off the final ten overs, to surge past 300. Smith overcame a scratchy start to biff his first ODI hundred since September 2009; de Villers carried on his superb form in the series to breeze to his first hundred as captain. The partnership of 186 between Smith and de Villiers was the second-highest in an ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka.As he had done in the fourth ODI, de Villiers put on an incredible display of boundary-hitting; he had targeted extra cover against the spinners in Kimberley, now he added fine leg against the medium-pacers. He repeatedly scooped deliveries from three feet outside off stump over short fine leg. Smith took an eternity to find his range, but when he did, he peppered the midwicket boundary with four sixes, all against the offspin of Senanayake.There was no sign in the first half of the innings of what was to come later. South Africa had been kept down to 103 for 2 in 25 overs, with their latest experiment at the No. 3 position, Faf du Plessis, not working, and Smith struggling to find his timing. It was de Villiers who signalled the shift, launching Tillakaratne Dilshan’s first ball of the 26th over for six over midwicket.Smith soon got to his hundred with a typical nudge on the leg side and the Wanderers did not hold back the applause for their Test captain. To his credit, he was prepared to bat uglier than usual. He fell to Malinga on 125 to a brilliant leaping catch by Dinesh Chandimal at midwicket. An over earlier, Dilshan had spilled a much simpler catch off de Villiers at extra cover. de Villiers was on 84 then, he finished unbeaten on 125.de Villiers’ late assault wasn’t beyond Sri Lanka in the end, though, and left them wondering what could have been had rain not determined the fate of the third ODI.

Matt Prior, the England wicketkeeper, has described defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai as “a good slap in the face”

George Dobell22-Jan-2012Matt Prior, the England wicketkeeper, has described defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai as “a good slap in the face”, as England arrived in Abu Dhabi adamant that they can recover to square the series.Prior, one of the few England batsmen to enjoy a decent game in Dubai, admitted that their pride had taken a serious dent, but said that England’s fine record over the last couple of years should not be annulled after one poor game and that confidence remains high.”It’s never nice to lose, but to lose in that fashion is even worse,” Prior said. “We’re a proud team. We’re used to walking off the pitch having inflicted the sort of defeat Pakistan inflicted upon us, so it was a very bitter pill to swallow. No-one in this team enjoyed it one little bit.”It’s taken a few days to get over it, but now there is a steely determination that it will not happen again. This performance has given us a real good slap in the face.”You don’t become a bad team over night. We’ve had one bad performance. But look at the stats. Look at the performances our guys have put in over recent years. We’re still a very good batting unit. We’ve had two bad innings, granted, but all the guys have taken that on the chin and accepted that we have to improve. We have to get better. I’ll back this team and this batting unit to come back strong.”Echoing the thoughts of his coach, Andy Flower, Prior suggested that England may have come in to the match a little underprepared, having not played a Test since August.”You can spend as much time in the gym and as much time in the nets or on the training ground as you want,” Prior said. “But until you’re out in the middle, you don’t get that ring-ready feeling. Getting used to little things takes time: the nerves; travelling into the ground; switching on and off again when batting. Having that two or three month break was invaluable. It was necessary. But obviously it is then tough to come back in and be ready.”Prior fielded what have become the obligatory questions about Saeed Ajmal’s bowling action, and reiterated the view that the England players were not allowing such issues to distract them.”It would be easy for players to make excuses after we’ve performed badly,” he said. “But we can’t get caught up in what is going on off the pitch. It has nothing to do with the players. The ICC has systems in place. We shouldn’t worry about things we don’t have to worry about.”The wicket wasn’t one of the reasons we lost, either. I thought it was a brilliant cricket wicket. You expect to come over here and find very flat pitches with very little in them for the bowlers. But the seamers had a bit of bounce and a bit of movement, there was a bit of spin and, and if you batted well and played good shots, you earned value for your runs.”The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Prior agreed that England’s priority was an improvement in the way they played Ajmal’s spin bowling.”The obvious thing we need to think about is how we play spin and how we play Saeed Ajmal,” he said. “But it’s important we don’t get caught up with just one bloke. Umar Gul came in and took wickets in the second innings, so we just need to improve our general game really.”We tend to come back strong after these sorts of losses. We’ve had that bad one now – it’s out of the way – now we’re going to come back strong. We’re behind the eight-ball now and we know we have to play good enough cricket to force results in last two matches.”The England squad – now with the wives and girlfriends in tow – and the Pakistan squad both travelled to Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Although they stayed at the same hotel in Dubai, there has been little fraternisation between the sides. If there may be little warmth, however, there is certainly respect. England know they are embroiled in a tough series against a strong side. By going 1-0 down in a three-match series, they have made life desperately hard for themselves.

A round-up of the fifth match-day’s action from the ICC World Cricket League Division Five in Singapore

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2012Malaysia slipped to a two-wicket defeat at the hands of Bahrain at the Indian Association Ground in Singapore but they managed to gain a promotion to Division Four of the World Cricket League after winning their first four matches in the round-robin stage. Bahrain, despite the win, were relegated to Division Six. They finished with the same number of points as Cayman Islands, but with a lower net run-rate.Malaysia, who chose to bat, were bowled out for 195, collapsing from 129 for 2. Suhan Alagaratnam and Anwar Arudin, who hit half-centuries, took Malaysia to a strong position at one stage but the medium-pace of Rizwan Baig – he picked up four wickets – restricted them.Adil Hanif led the way for Bahrain in the chase, making 65 off 80 balls, including two sixes and received support from the middle order. Ashraf Yaqoob, Baig and Tahir Dar chipped in with useful contributions and helped Bahrain seal victory in 41 overs after losing eight wickets.”We are disappointed, today we played the cricket we should have played all week and we knew we could win this match,” Bahrain captain Yaser Sadeq said. “We had hoped for promotion to help us to improve even further as a side and help us to push the youth through this team since it’s now in need of some fresh faces.”We’ll go back to Bahrain, regroup and hopefully we can improve and come back stronger next time we compete and regain promotion.”Malaysia play Singapore in the final on Saturday for the title. “We’ve won promotion out of this division which is what we ultimately wanted to do. We’re excited to be facing up to sides like Nepal, Tanzania, Denmark and USA – some of whom we haven’t played at all or in quite some time,” Suresh Navaratnam, the Malaysia captain, said.”Tomorrow’s game is going to be a big one no matter what for us – we may play Singapore five or six times a year, but we want to come out the winners of this event and walk away with the trophy.”Guernsey beat Cayman Islands by six wickets at the Kallang Ground, and both teams kept their place in the division. After opting to bat, Cayman Islands were bowled out for 164, the only respectable contribution coming from opener Steve Gordon. GH Smit picked up three wickets, and Gary Rich and Jamie Nussbaumer bagged two wickets each. The score was chased down with ease. Openers Smit and Tim Ravenscroft struck half-centuries and added 107. And Jeremy Frith made an unbeaten 33 to guide his team home in the 44th over.”I am happy that we have maintained our position in Division 5, however I did come here with the belief we could have won promotion back to Division 4. Now it is about regrouping as a team and looking to the younger players and seeing how we can develop and improve the game further in the Cayman Islands,” Cayman Islands coach Theo Cuffy said.”The whole side is disappointed that we have lost out on promotion from the event but we are content that we have cemented our position in the league,” Guernsey coach Andy Cornford said. “We came here to be promoted but we haven’t played out best cricket this week and it has showed.”The two teams will play each other again for the third place play-off on Saturday.The round-robin stage ended in disappointment for Argentina and elation for hosts Singapore at The Padang. Argentina lost their fifth game in a row and Singapore won their fourth game, taking the top spot in the points table and securing their promotion to Division Four. They’ll play Malaysia in the Division Five final on Saturday.Thanks to half-centuries from opener Chaminda Ruwan and Kshitij Shinde and useful contributions from the middle order, Singapore reached a competitive 239 for 8 and it proved more than adequate. The medium-pace of Shoaib Razzak was too hot to handle for Argentina, who were skittled out for 93. Razzak took four wickets and the highest score for Argentina was 20. The game was over in the 31st over of the chase.”We are disappointed at being relegated out of Division 5, however we knew this week was going to be tough for us and it’s shown us where we are struggling,” Argentina captain Esteban MacDermott said. “We need to go back to Argentina, to look at our cricket and see how we can improve and bring new faces and youth into the game and continue to develop and grow as a side.”Singapore captain Saad Janjua said: “Firstly, I’m pleased we have secured promotion to Division 4 which was our main goal of this tournament.”I was pleased with our bowling today, I think Shoib once again showed how important he is in the Singapore bowling line-up. Shinde and Chaminda scored runs today but we all need to pull together ahead of tomorrow when we face Malaysia. It would be a great end to the tournament if we were to win at home and to beat Malaysia, especially having lost to them in the league stage of the tournament.”Argentina play Bahrain for the fifth-place play-off on Saturday. Argentina allrounder Matias Paterlini will not be available for the match, having been suspended for showing “serious dissent” at the umpire’s decision.