Ricky Ponting has told his team to maintain its newly-found high standards after Australia’s breakthrough victory ended a five-Test winless streak and squared the Ashes series

Peter English at the WACA19-Dec-2010Ricky Ponting has told his team to maintain its newly-found high standards after Australia’s breakthrough victory ended a five-Test winless streak and squared the Ashes series. The crushing 267-run success gave the hosts some much-needed momentum as the sides heads to Melbourne for a Boxing Day Test that will now be a blockbuster.”We got a nice old hiding in Adelaide last week and so to bounce back as drastically and dramatically as we have done, it says a lot about us and where we’re at,” Ponting said after missing the final morning with a broken little finger. The result caused a dramatic shift as the campaign swung in a similar way to the see-sawing 2009 Ashes in England.”There was a lot of emotion in this win, we hadn’t had much to celebrate up to now,” Ponting said. “We have now set a new set of standards this week, this is the best way for us to play our cricket, and we have to maintain those standards. We have had a better team performance here than we have for a long time and it is important we don’t take this for granted, but make sure this win is significant.”Australia have picked an unchanged 12 for Melbourne and have the option of adding a standby player if Ponting’s injury continues to be a problem. Phillip Hughes and Steven Smith held their spots after unconvincing contributions and Michael Beer retains his place as Australia seek stability.Beer, the left-arm spinner, was released to play for Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield loss to Tasmania and went wicket-less in 11 overs. Australia had huge success with a four-pronged pace attack at the WACA but will need more variety on the drop-in surface in Melbourne, where Beer is in line to debut in front of a crowd that could top 90,000.”He’s grown up in Melbourne his whole life, so he’ll know what the conditions are going to be pretty much down there,” Ponting said of Beer. “Whether he plays or not will depend on what the wicket looks like a couple of days before the game.”After the innings thrashing in Adelaide, Ponting thought “here we go again” when Australia slumped to 5 for 69 on the first day, but they recovered through the batting of Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson. Johnson then surged Australia ahead in England’s first innings before he and Ryan Harris finished off the match.The Australians were the target of fierce criticism after their performances in the first two Ashes Tests and this was the first time they have sung the team song since they beat Pakistan at Lord’s in July. “It has been warranted,” Ponting said of the public and media reaction over the past month. “Yes, it has been pretty harsh, but you expect that when you’re not performing the way people want you to perform. That is the way the team has taken it.”We’ve not been that worried about it, we’ve just tried to be better to give you guys something good to say about us and we’ve done that this week. The feeling around our group has been great and nothing has changed. I’ve just waited for it to click together like it has done this week and that is what makes me so proud of the guys.”The last Ashes series had a handful of key turning points and this campaign has a familiar feel as two solid sides trade blows without any knock-outs. England won the second game at Lord’s after being out-played in the drawn opener, while Australia drew level in the fourth Test before losing the match and the urn at The Oval.Ponting said his side had gained momentum and confidence after failing to grab it in Brisbane and Adelaide. “We’ve got the tide going back in our direction now and, more importantly, we’ve got some of our key players going well,” he said. “Like Mitchell, who is on top of the world and has as much confidence as he’s ever had in his career.”Mike Hussey is in the same boat, as is [Shane Watson], Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus and Brad Haddin, so we’ve got a number of guys playing somewhere near their best and that is why I’m confident in this group. It is amazing what impact confidence and that winning feeling amongst the group can have. It can make the team achieve some special things.”Australia squad Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Miller has played in 12 ODIs and averages 26.50, slightly more than Kallis did at the same stage, but has not set the stage alight as much as was expected

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg14-Jan-2011″Can you imagine if we wrote Jacques Kallis off after his first 12 ODIs?” HD Ackerman, former South Africa Test batsman, asked. It would have meant aborting a career that has, so far, spanned 307 ODIs, seen over 11,000 runs, including 17 centuries, and boasts an average of 45.84.It’s unfathomable to think that such an illustrious career should have been cut short based on Kallis’ first 12 ODIs; in those, he only managed 203 runs, at an average of 25.38, with one half-century. That’s Ackerman’s answer when he is asked if he thinks David Miller has done enough in his short time as a national cricketer to warrant a place in the South African team. Miller has played in 12 ODIs and averages 26.50, slightly more than Kallis did at the same stage, but has not set the stage alight as much as was expected.In a shaky-looking middle to lower order, that consists of Miller, Johan Botha and the tail, it seems Miller is the weakest link. Ackerman has been one of Miller’s strongest backers and said that in time, he can become the strongest member of the middle order. “The selectors and the fans are going to be have to patient with him. He is only 21-years old but he has massive potential to represent South Africa in all forms of the game.”Patience is not something South Africa can afford to have in abundance for the next few weeks, because the World Cup is looming. “People are going to ask questions about him [Miller] because of the World Cup. South Africa are desperate to win the World Cup, so they want the best side possible,” Ackerman said. Miller’s position, at No.6 or 7, will be a crucial one according to Ackerman, because it will require batsmen to be able “to play spin well.”Ackerman saw the two places being contested between Miller, Colin Ingram and Faf du Plessis, with du Plessis guaranteed a spot if Ackerman was the man choosing. “Faf hasn’t played yet but he has the advantage of being able to bowl, which neither David or Colin do. He is also a fine fielder. The other two are also good fielders, but Faf is better than both of them.”Essentially, that means Miller and Ingram will fight it out for the remaining berth and Ackerman backed Miller to take it, saying his true batting style had not been allowed to come out at national level yet, but was lurking. “The David Miller I saw get out on Wednesday was not the David Miller I know. He is a good, clean hitter of the ball and he was trying to nudge and nurdle and he got out.”Miller made a name at the Dolphins for being a big hitter but Ackerman said that didn’t mean Miller can’t rotate the strike in the middle overs if needed. “When I say he is a big hitter, I mean that he gets the ball to the sweepers, the deep covers, the mid-offs. He doesn’t just drop the ball and run, he hits it well and far. He can still take a single or a two off those shots.” As for sticking to that skill and not getting bogged down into playing differently to what he is used to, Duncan Fletcher, the team’s batting consultant, felt that ability would come with time. “All it needs is a little bit more experience I guess,” he said.Ingram, who has more of that experience at the domestic level and has fared better in his nine ODIs than Miller has in his 12, may be the more automatic choice in the subcontinent for that reason. Ingram is currently standing in for Kallis in No.3 position, and it may be a tricky task for him to move down the order, according to Ackerman. “For him to be taken to the World Cup and have to bat six could be difficult. The No.3 and No.6 roles are completely different and it will need a total change of mindset.”Kallis is not going to play any part in the ODI series, which means Ingram will probably stay at No.3 for the remaining four matches and not have any time lower down the order.
Ackerman felt that experience was vital but added that the line-up may shift as South Africa get within sniffing distance of the ICC showpiece. “If South Africa go three-nil up in the series, then we will start seeing them use their game-plan that they want to carry into the World Cup.” With conditions in South Africa very different to what they will experience in the subcontinent, they can’t afford to experiment with their World Cup combinations before securing the series. Whatever happens, Ackerman hopes Miller will be part of it.

England fought back well with the ball on the second day at the Bankstown Oval, running through Australia to put the value of Charlotte Edwards’ unbeaten 114 into stark perspective

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2011
Scorecard
Katherine Brunt struck early for England as the visitors surged ahead on the second day•Getty Images

England fought back well with the ball on the second day at the Bankstown Oval, running through Australia to put the value of Charlotte Edwards’ unbeaten 114 into stark perspective. England’s tail clung on stubbornly in the morning session, Holly Colvin stretching her stay to 98 balls, and the bowling attack then combined to reduce Australia to 9 for 159 before the hosts declared. England’s openers then negotiated a tricky couple of overs to increase the lead to 57 at stumps.Edwards’ ton propped England up on the first day, and she remained firm on day two, receiving good support from a determined Colvin. Their partnership was worth 49 when Colvin missed one from offspinner Lisa Sthalekar to be bowled for an obdurate 15 with the score at 196.Lauren Griffiths managed to stick around for 23 balls before she fell to Sarah Elliott, and she was back in the action – behind the stumps this time – shortly afterwards as England’s new-ball bowlers nipped out a couple of wickets before lunch.Katherine Brunt, opening the bowling for England in her first Ashes Test in Australia, found the edge of Shelley Nitschke’s bat and Isa Guha then dismissed Elliott in similar fashion as Australia slipped to 2 for 8 in the eighth over and reached 2 for 16 by lunch.England continued to chip away after the interval, reducing Australia to 6 for 68 before a battling partnership between Jess Cameron and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy. They carried Australia to 6 for 105 at tea but Guha then struck back with two wickets in two balls. Ellyse Perry clung limpet-like to the crease for 90 balls as Healy played a few shots to reach 37 on Test debut before she top-edged a pull to be caught at mid-on.Australia extended their innings for just over six overs before the declaration came. That left Heather Knight and Caroline Atkins with 10 overs to face before the close, and they opted for watchful defence to ensure England go into the third day with all 10 wickets intact.”Things didn’t quite go right for us today but we’re all really positive and we’re looking to play a nice aggressive style of cricket,” said Healy. “We declared 50-runs behind because we wanted to have a crack at them tonight and although we didn’t get a break through we’re really confident that we can take 10 more wickets and chase down the target.”England were up and bowling really, really well today but we know when get a second crack we can turn it around and chase whatever they set us. We know we can win from any position.””I’m really pleased with how we have performed today,” said Guha, who picked up 3 for 27. “It’s been a real team effort with wickets shared amongst the bowlers. I think that shows the strength and variety in our bowling attack. We’ll be looking to have a good day with the bat tomorrow.””It was a great feeling to pick up my first Test wickets,” said Danielle Hazell, playing in her debut Test. “There was good energy in the field and support for all the bowlers. It was an interesting decision for them to declare but they know they have to win. We too are playing to win and I would personally love to pick up some more wickets along the way.”

Sri Lanka’s batsmen amassed 351 and their bowlers did an efficient job as they cruised to a 156-run victory in their World Cup warm-up match against Netherlands in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2011
ScorecardDilhara Fernando picked up four wickets as Sri Lanka bowled Netherlands out for 195•AFP

It was a perfect day for Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo, as none of their senior players had to strain while the younger batsmen and back-up bowlers got some handy runs and wickets under their belts. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka amassed 351 without requiring either captain Kumar Sangakkara or vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene to have a bat.The opening combination of Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan showed what they are capable of with a 117-run stand. The two have five century partnerships in ODIs and average 51.20 as an opening pair. The brisk start allowed Sri Lanka to experiment with their batting line-up. Thilan Samaraweera was pushed up to No. 3 with Angleo Mathews, Chamara Silva,
Chamara Kapugedera and even Nuwan Kulasekara batting ahead of Sangakkara and Jayawardene.Dilshan led the way, his 78 coming at a run a ball, with 12 boundaries, including some typically unorthodox shots. Samaraweera, who is often accused of batting too slowly to be successful in ODIs, got his 60 in just 59 balls, a fair clip faster than his career strike-rate of 68.67. Silva and Kapugedera both got quick half-centuries; something that will please Sri Lanka as the inexperience in their middle order has been a bit of a worry.The Sri Lankan innings was paced perfectly, with the batsmen making maximum use of the batting Powerplay, smashing 61 runs between the 44th and 48th over.From Netherlands’ point of view, only a couple of their bowlers managed to come out of the onslaught with respectable figures. Seamer Mudassar Bukhari took 2 for 52 in his 10 overs, while left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar was the most economical of the bowlers, going at 4.40 in his 10 overs.Sri Lanka’s back-up bowlers had recently done the job for them in the third ODI of the home series against West Indies and continued their form in the warm-up match. Dilhara Fernando took 4 for 43, while Rangana Herath picked up a couple of wickets.The one positive Netherlands will take out of the game was the form of Tom de Grooth, who scored 76. Their top order didn’t contribute much, with their star player Ryan ten Doeschate falling to Thisara Perera for one.De Grooth’s knock ensured Sri Lanka were at least given a full-day’s work-out, as Netherlands lasted till the 48th over in their chase.

Kevin Pietersen will undergo surgery on a hernia following the World Cup and has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2011Kevin Pietersen will undergo surgery on a hernia following the World Cup and has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League. Pietersen’s injury was confirmed after the team returned from Australia last month and will be managed through the rest of the World Cup.Pietersen will be out of action for around six weeks which means he won’t be able to take up his contract with Deccan Charges, but is expected to be fit in time for England’s first Test of the home season against Sri Lanka, at Cardiff, on May 26.”I’m obviously extremely disappointed to have picked up this hernia injury but I’ve been able to manage it so far throughout the World Cup and will continue to do so under the guidance of the England team’s medical staff,” Pietersen said. “It will no doubt impact my preparation but careful management should see me still play a significant role in the team’s campaign.”Representing England in a World Cup is something I’ve been looking forward to for the past four years and I’m excited by the prospect of helping the team achieve something special here on the sub-continent against the best teams in the world. I’m bitterly disappointed to be missing the IPL but can take comfort from the fact that I will be fit for the start of a very exciting English summer against Sri Lanka and India.”Pietersen picked up a groin strain during the one-day series in Australia but only missed one match. However, with only three days back at home between that tour and leaving for the World Cup there was little time for players to overcome any injury concerns.”Following an MRI scan on return to the UK after the Australia ODI series a diagnosis of a hernia was established. The nature of the injury is such that it can be managed for the duration of the World Cup,” Dr Nicholas Peirce, the ECB chief medical officer, said. “As the symptoms have been getting worse a decision has now been made that the appropriate course of action is for Kevin to undergo a routine operation upon his return to the UK after England’s World Cup campaign.”Kevin will continue to be managed through the World Cup and we would expect him to make a full recovery following a recuperation and rehabilitation period of approximately six weeks after the operation.”Pietersen has taken on a new role at the World Cup, having being promoted to open the batting alongside Andrew Strauss. He has looked in good form during his three innings with scores of 39, 31 and 59 but England need him to convert those starts. Pietersen spent time off the field during Ireland’s run chase on Wednesday but now that his injury is public it will be interesting to see if he is allowed a substitute should he need to leave the field again.England’s next World Cup match is against South Africa, in Chennai, on Sunday.

Ashish Nehra has fractured the middle finger on his right hand putting a question mark over his selection for the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday

Nagraj Gollapudi 31-Mar-2011Ashish Nehra has fractured the middle finger on his right hand putting a question mark over his selection for the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Ranjib Biswal, the Indian team manager, confirmed the development but said the team would only take a call on Friday about whether or not he could play. “Nehra has a fractured finger, which was revealed from the scans taken this morning,” Biswal said. But Gautam Gambhir, who went off the field during Pakistan’s innings in the semi-final having felt some pain and did not return, is expected to be fit for the final. Biswal said they would clarify the position on Gambhir tomorrow.Nehra picked up the injury while attempting a catch against Pakistan. He was fielding at deep midwicket when he attempted to pick up a pull by Shahid Afridi against Yuvraj Singh. Nehra, not known so much for his deftness in the field, charged forward to pick the ball that was dying on him at the very last minute. Replays confirmed the ball had bounced in front of him but Nehra’s attempt drew applause from his team-mates as well as the fullhouse. Unfortunately, Nehra was grimacing in pain and immediately had his finger taped.Since the injury was on his non-bowling hand, Nehra was able to get through three more overs in the match. However, there are worries he will not be able to field.It was a bit of a surprise to see Nehra in the first XI during the semi-final, given that the man he replaced, R Ashwin, had been impressive in the two matches he had played in the tournament. Despite Nehra’s performance of 2 for 33, and Munaf Patel’s 2 for 40, India captain MS Dhoni said after the game that India had misjudged the pitch and should have played another spinner.Ashwin may well have returned in place of either Nehra or Munaf for the final in any case, and will almost definitely be in the side if Nehra does not recover. The only other pace option India have is Sreesanth, who has been left on the sidelines since the first game of the tournament.Nehra had missed the first two matches of the tournament with a sore back and was brought in for the group-stage game against Netherlands. Against South Africa in Nagpur, he went for 65 runs in 8.4 overs, 16 off which were scored in the last over of the game, consigning India to defeat. He was then left out for India’s next two games, before returning for the semi-final.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians in Jaipur

The Preview by Nitin Sundar28-Apr-2011

Match facts

Friday, April 29, Jaipur
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Shane Warne v Sachin Tendulkar: Delighting cricket fans since 1992•AFP

Big picture

Just for a moment, abandon all affiliations and consider the sheer magic in the following line: Tendulkar c Dravid b Warne. If that happens, irrespective of the runs against Tendulkar’s name, it will be the most poetic entry to ever make its way into a cricket scorecard. The beauty of the IPL is that it offers the possibility for something this special. The tragedy of Twenty20 is that it offers a really miniscule window of opportunity for the stars to align.
Will Warne get to bowl even a single ball at Tendulkar in Jaipur? Will he entice Tendulkar with loop and guile? Will Tendulkar just play him out and look to go after the faster bowlers? Or will Warne play defensive and bowl outside the leg stump? Will Tendulkar respond with those murderous slog sweeps against the spin, that made headlines when Australia toured India in 1998? Will Tendulkar perish first ball, edging a sharp legbreak, hurtling fast past the lone first slip? Will Dravid leap across and snap it one-handed the way he has done so often to Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh? Even if you are the biggest critic of the IPL, this is not a game you want to miss.And now for a moment, take your minds off the legends who will clash on Friday. The teams are not evenly matched. Mumbai Indians are muscling their way through the group stages, crushing opponents with their unmatched depth. Kochi Tuskers had to play out of their skins to hand them their only defeat, and Rajasthan Royals will have to do likewise if they are to shock Tendulkar’s men. In Shane Watson and Ross Taylor, they have players capable of producing the kind of high-impact performances on which Twenty20 upsets are founded. Johan Botha and Dravid are the prime-movers of the side, soaking the pressure and ensuring things go according to Warne’s grand plans. But if Rajasthan are to make a dent on Mumbai’s record, they will need their unknowns – Siddharth Trivedi, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Menaria and co. – to stand up.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai: WWWLW (first in points table)
Rajasthan: WLLLW (fifth in points table)

Team talk

Mumbai might have finally moved past their James Franklin obsession. Davy Jacobs adds spark to balance Sachin Tendulkar’s stability at the top of the order. T Suman might come in for R Sathish, who has struggled to fit with the side’s requirements. Rajasthan are expected to stick to their winning combination.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Ajinkya Rahane, like fellow domestic giant Cheteshwar Pujara, has struggled to make an impact in the IPL. Their teams have also been guilty of wasting their abilities, by pushing them too low down the order. Elsewhere, S Badrinath has been prolific for Chennai thanks to getting opportunities at Nos. 3 and 4. Will Warne promote Rahane against Mumbai, incidentally his Ranji side and former IPL team?Abu Nechim has the ability to surprise batsmen with an extra yard of pace. He also has the knack of producing extra lift from a length. Will Shane Watson look to tame him with his emphatic pull shots?

Prime numbers

• In six matches, Kieron Pollard has got to bat in only three innings, has faced only three balls, and is yet to score his first run
• Shane Warne has moved past Pragyan Ojha and is now second in the all-time highest IPL wicket-takers list. RP Singh, with 56 wickets, is three ahead of him

The chatter

“This will be the first time I’ll play against Sachin. I’ll try to have a word with him. It would be great, if I can pick up some tips from him.”