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Paul Mullin has revealed how Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney's generosity played a part in the unbeaten run that helped Wrexham seal promotion.

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McElhenney chartered flight after royal visitPlayers struck air travel dealUnbeaten run ended after coach tripGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The club were placed in a tricky situation when a royal visit to the Racecourse Ground delayed their travel plans for their 2022-23 fixture against Eastleigh in Hampshire. Facing a less-than-ideal five-hour coach journey much closer to kick-off time, McElhenney decided to charter a flight. An outcome that delighted the squad.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT PAUL MULLIN SAID

"Thank goodness for Rob McElhenney," Mullin wrote in his autobiography, . "He came up with the perfect answer: we’d shave hours off the day by flying down to Hampshire. A quick thirty minutes on a plane compared to five hours on a bus would make a massive difference to our preparation, not least because it’s obviously not good for elite sportspeople to be sat in one position all that time. The plan paid dividends when we won 2–0. Afterwards, a couple of people were on at me – ‘Ask Rob if we can fly back as well!’ It wasn’t total laziness: we had another game on the Tuesday and flying back would massively aid our recovery. Rob not only said yes but came up with a deal: keep winning and we could fly to all our away games more than two hours away by road. He might not have counted on us then going on that twenty-eight-game unbeaten streak! When finally we were beaten at Halifax, a game we’d travelled to by road, it was all the proof we needed that coach travel was bad news and air transport was the way forward if we were going to fulfil our potential."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With Wrexham entrenched in an epic battle with Notts County for the one automatic promotion available from the National League, every little advantage was vital. During that unbeaten run, trips to Gateshead, Bromley and Dagenham were reduced from arduous bus trips to short flights and undoubtedly kept players fresher over the relentless 46-game schedule.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PAUL MULLIN AND WREXHAM?

With this season's promotion race shaping up to be another nail-biter, it will be intriguing to see if McElhenney gets his players airborne once more. Wrexham are up to second in the League Two standings after 20 games, only five points behind leaders Stockport County.

International cricket’s future can only be secured by making it the financial pinnacle for players currently torn between Tests and domestic Twenty20 leagues, the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has declared

Daniel Brettig26-Apr-20165:23

Need for greater financial remuneration in Test cricket?

International cricket’s future can only be secured by making it the financial pinnacle for players currently torn between Tests and domestic Twenty20 leagues, the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has declared.Having returned from a round of ICC meetings he considered as constructive as any he had witnessed in 15 years as CA’s CEO, Sutherland argued that any changes to the schedule or additions of championships or league formats had to run parallel with extensive work to ensure that the financial rewards for Tests outstripped the cash on offer in T20.Outside of Australia and England, most players can currently earn far more for a few weeks’ work in the IPL or BBL than their contract retainers or match fees to play international matches. This trend was underlined last summer in Australia when the payments for New Zealand and West Indies were lined up against those of the home side. Sutherland said players should not feel they are being shortchanged by putting international cricket first, meaning new ways must be found to pay them more generously for Tests in particular.”I’m genuinely excited about the progress that’s been made and the collective will that appears to be in the room among Full Members to improve the context around international cricket and the quality of international cricket,” he said. “Some of the key things there are about trying to make way to ensure the best players play international cricket, that they’re available and they don’t feel under pressure to go and chase money in T20 leagues.”Part of that is elevating the primacy of all forms of international cricket but particularly Test cricket, and looking to build context. Whether that’s through leagues or championships or whatever it might be, it’s too early to say, but I can honestly say that in terms of ICC meetings I’ve attended and we’ve discussed these sort of matters, these were as a good a meetings as I’ve ever been to.”Another option raised in recent weeks has been the establishment of ironclad windows in the calendar for domestic T20 events, which Sutherland is opposed to. CA have managed to engineer a home summer where the BBL runs parallel to Test matches, and Sutherland said any move towards domestic T20 windows – apart from the unofficial gap that has grown around the IPL – would serve mainly to diminish the international game.”It’s for others to state their position, but my view is that international cricket comes first,” he said. “International cricket must be protected and it should be the form of the game that is the priority for players. I don’t support creating exclusive windows for T20 domestic competitions; there may be an exception for IPL which almost seems to have created its own exclusive window, but to that end irrespective I still maintain the position that international cricket must come first, and there shouldn’t be any exclusive windows for domestic T20 competitions.”Among Sutherland’s priorities while in Dubai was to further prosecute his case for a day-night Test against South Africa in Adelaide next summer. He said discussions with CSA and the South African players’ association had revolved around ensuring South Africa’s players had the maximum possible opportunities to get used to playing with a pink ball under lights before they arrive in Adelaide. The former captain Shaun Pollock has raised the possibility of a day-night Test at home against New Zealand in August, before the Australian tour begins.”I maintain my position that I continue to be optimistic about the Adelaide Test match being played as a day-night Test match,” Sutherland said. “In a timing sense we probably won’t have any firm decisions on that until after the IPL’s over, when their [South Africa’s] players get back home, but certainly constructive discussions and I think things are heading in the right direction.”As we know from last year we’ll see an enormous attendance at a day-night match in Adelaide. It’ll be a bigger crowd than the South African players have ever seen before. To some extent that can add a little bit of extra trepidation when they haven’t played under lights before; hopefully as part of the plan here we’ll provide as much opportunity for them to prepare with pink balls and under lights both back at home and leading into the Test match. It’s a lot about making sure they have a comfortable preparation to get themselves ready for that game.”

Vernon Philander became the fastest South African to 100 Test wickets, at the Wanderers on Friday, when he had Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan caught at second slip

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg20-Dec-2013Vernon Philander became the fastest South African to 100 Test wickets, at the Wanderers on Friday, when he had Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan caught at second slip. Jacques Kallis, stationed in the cordon, collected the catch to ensure Philander reached the landmark in his 19th Test, one quicker than his new-ball partner Dale Steyn.He accounted for Dhawan in typical Philander fashion, getting the batsman to push at a short of a length ball outside offstump, and then celebrated the feat with a tailor-made salute to the dressing-room. First he held up both index fingers and then cupped his hands into a circle twice. He was signaling the number of batsmen he has sent on their way.Speaking after the day’s play, Philander said he hoped to keep his form going for his team. “I was reminded a few times of how close I was [to the landmark], like recently in the UAE. But to me, today was just another game,” he said. “Hopefully I can grab a few more sticks in the future for South Africa.”Philander lies joint-sixth on the all-time list of fastest to 100 wickets, behind George Lohmann, who brought up the landmark in 16 Tests, Charlie Turner, Sydney Barnes and Clarrie Grimmet, who did it in 17 Tests, and R Ashwin, who managed it in 18. Philander was also the joint second-fastest to 50 wickets, having achieved that in just seven Tests.Vernon Philander was the joint-sixth fastest to 100 overall•AFP”It’s a very important milestone. He has proved he can be successful in all conditions. Now he does not have to prove anything; he has that self-belief,” Makhaya Ntini, the former South Africa quick, told ESPNcricinfo.Apart from his bowling landmark, Philander also scored his third Test half-century in this match, rescuing his tottering side and helping lift them to within 50 of India’s first-innings total. All three of his fifties – the other two being against England at Lord’s and against Pakistan in Centurion – have come when his team was in a tough spot. Philander said he consciously works on his batting. “I spend a lot of time of my batting. I take great pride in it I enjoy those moments when the pressure is up.”Philander made his Test debut in Cape Town in November 2011 against Australia – the first Test South Africa played under Gary Kirsten’s tenure. His took his first wicket in his third over, squaring Phil Hughes up to induce the edge and give Mark Boucher his 500th Test catch.In that match, Philander finished with eight wickets, including the first of his nine five-wicket hauls. A second five-for in Johannesburg in the following match saw him named Man of the Series in his first outing as a Test cricketer. He followed up with the first of two ten-wicket hauls, against Sri Lanka, in Centurion. His other ten-for came in Hamilton the following March, where Doug Bracewell became his 50th wicket.At that stage, Philander had only played in South Africa and New Zealand, and some expected things to get much tougher for him in other conditions. In his first two Tests in England, it seemed they had a point. He took just five wickets before surging to seven at Lord’s, including a match-winning five-for in the second innings. With that series win, South Africa became the No. 1 ranked team in the world.Overall, Philander’s record is only slightly less impressive on the road than it is at home. Forty-three of his 100 wickets have come in New Zealand, England, Australia and the UAE at an average of 22.00, while the remaining 57 were picked up in South Africa at a touch over 14. His most successful hunting ground is his home venue, Newlands, where he has 30 wickets at an average of just 12.00.”What’s made Vernon so successful is that he is consistent. He bowls good areas all the time, he hardly delivers a bad ball and he moves it just enough. If he keeps going like this he will be at 150 in no time but the real pressure will be for him to get to 390,” Ntini, whose Test career ended with him 10 short of 400 wickets, joked. The fastest to 150 wickets in Barnes in 24 Tests, which means Philander will have to take 10 a match to beat that.That may be a tough ask but Philander has already surprised many. When his Test career began, Philander had the lowest average of all active bowlers on the South African first-class circuit but plenty of doubters who believed he was not quick enough and did not do enough with the ball to make an impact. Nineteen Tests later, not many of them will have that opinion anymore.

Ravi Bopara batted at No. 8 with a runner in a bid to prove his England fitness as Essex and Kent failed to contrive a positive result

Charles Randall at Chelmsford12-May-2012
ScorecardMark Pettini was the only Essex batsman to master the conditions•Getty ImagesIt would have been funny if it had not been so serious for Ravi Bopara, a man with almost-certainly dashed England hopes. He batted today with a runner for just over an hour and a half, ran himself out in classic village green style and did not appear in the field for the fag end of this Division Two stalemate.Although Essex were optimistic about Bopara’s ability to be fit for the first Test against West Indies, starting at Lord’s on Thursday, the evidence of his innings suggested England would be unwise to take the gamble. He suffered a “slight tear” to his right thigh in the field on Friday and though he batted for his team, at No. 8, in pursuit of bonus points, his discomfort was clear.During an over in the morning Essex had four batsmen on the square while Bopara and Alviro Petersen used runners, a rare occurrence for a partnership at first-class level, perhaps in any cricket. Bopara looked far from sprightly when he instinctively moved into a run with a midwicket stroke off Ivan Thomas and pulled up with a ghastly stagger. After some scurried runs seemingly in all directions, and five balls without any real mishap, both batsmen sent off their assistants – though Bopara was publicly persuaded to change his mind by the Essex physio Chris Clarke-Irons. So Greg Smith trotted back on, while Petersen, hobbling on a sore ankle, did his best without Tom Westley.With no sign of declarations or targets, Essex’s innings creaked along, owing just about all momentum to Mark Pettini. The last three wickets fell for no runs when Charlie Shreck picked up two in two and Bopara ran himself out, finally forgetting his runner. Bopara pushed a Mark Davies delivery into the covers and set off for the single, reaching ‘safety’ at the other end along with his runner before realising he should have stayed at the crease. Kent did not spot their opportunity until Shreck screamed at his colleagues to get the ball back to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who removed the bails at leisure.Pettini, seeking his first Championship hundred for three seasons, batted exceptionally well, though he struggled to score against the constant probing by Davies, the pick of the Kent attack. Resuming on 61, Pettini cut effectively, concentrated well and look set for his much-needed century when Thomas seamed one back into him to win an lbw shout and the innings tailed off after that.Thomas, 20, impressed as a Championship rookie with more whip in his action than one might think. He has had first-class experience with Leeds-Bradford University this season, including the destruction of a callow Sussex side, when he took 6 for 21 in the second innings in Leeds. A memorable maiden wicket for Kent came courtesy of a flying goalkeeper catch in the covers by Brendon Nash, clinging to a full-blooded cut by Essex’s captain James Foster.Both counties harbour expectations of climbing out of this division, but it was a shame that some sort of arrangement could not be reached. Kent, 131 ahead overnight, might have persuaded Essex to chase something as they held some aces in Davies, Shreck and the England offspinner James Tredwell. Thomas could also have been added to the mix on an easing, but still helpful, Chelmsford strip.With Bopara and Petersen unfit, Essex’s batting looked depleted. “The problem with declaring overnight would have been forfeiting batting points, though as it turned out we didn’t get any,” Foster said. “We weren’t expecting to get only 181; we were hoping to get 350. A chase would have been quite a risk as the ball was nibbling about.”Rob Key felt he lost “a horror” of a toss and was elated that his Kent side had gained a first innings lead after their collapse to 9 for 5, thanks mainly to a superb century by Darren Stevens. As so often in county cricket, the effort of fighting back seemed to inflate the fear of defeat. “It was so wet on the first day and by the end it was so dry,” Key said. “We thought it was going to be hard work trying to set up a game. I felt we would have to throw up so many and we would only have two sessions, if that, to bowl. The pitch didn’t deteriorate enough to make it interesting. Essex would have been able to block out, so that the result was either a win for them or a draw.”

Paul Collingwood has serious ambitions to regain the England place as he jets around the world playing Twenty20

Firdose Moonda13-Feb-2012Paul Collingwood has insisted he isn’t jetting around the world playing Twenty20 cricket just to inflate his bank account but has serious ambitions to regain the England place he lost after last year’s World Cup.On Monday he was unveiled as captain of a new franchise in South Africa’s Twenty20 competition, named Impi, where he will ply his trade before linking up with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL having recently completed his stint with Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. Then there is his county career with Durham which will resume in mid-May following the spell in India.Collingwood remains the only England captain to win a global one-day trophy with the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. In September, England defend their title in Sri Lanka and, although chances of a recall are remote, Collingwood hasn’t given up hope of being there.”I am very ambitious and motivated to try and get back in. I know I will have to have six amazing months if I want to do that though,” Collingwood told ESPNcricinfo. “England know what I can do when I am in form and I know when I am out of form, I look pretty horrible.”Collingwood actually had a lean BBL, scoring 113 runs in seven innings and bowling three overs in nine matches, but believes his experience could play a part in turning around England’s one-day fortunes. They have struggled away from home, losing all five matches in their ODI series in India last October and going down 6-1 to Australia in January either side of the quarter-final exit at the World Cup.With a not-so-subtle hint towards England’s recent problems in India and UAE, Collingwood said he was “a decent player of spin” and admitted it wasn’t easy to see his former team-mates struggle.”They are still hunting for the right formula and it is a bit frustrating watching from the sidelines,” Collingwood said. “But it’s nice for players to have some security like I did when I was playing.”For now, though, he is concentrating on furthering his 20-over career in as many ways possible. “I see the IPL as a great learning curve because you get to play with against players from around the world, some of them who you have never even spoken to before,” he said. “You can take a lot of confidence from playing in a tournament like the IPL. I see it as a six-week crash course in 20-over cricket.”Although England did not get a single player sold in the recent IPL auction, Collingwood said he thought that was only as a result of schedule clashes and did not reflect the pedigree of English talent.Twenty-over leagues have mushroomed around the world with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh also launching marquee competitions but Collingwood does not think the franchise concept will work in England. “Cricket has a lot of tradition in England and the counties have been around for a long time. It’s very difficult to change traditions like that.”

Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan batsman, has said that he’s still passionate about playing cricket and would relish the chance to play Test cricket again

Umar Farooq26-Apr-2012Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan batsman, has said that he’s still passionate about playing cricket and would relish the chance to play Test cricket again. He took a fitness test under Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Tuesday in a bid to stage a comeback to international cricket.Yousuf, 37, last played a Test in 2010, when Pakistan took on England in the controversial Lord’s Test that was marred by spot-fixing. Yousuf has not featured in international or domestic tournaments in more than nine months due to personal reasons. “I never lost my passion for cricket,” Yousuf told ESPNcricinfo. “There were certain commitments in my life that got higher priority for a while, but now I am hungry to play.”He made his debut 14 years ago and has played 90 Tests (scoring 7530 runs at an average of 52.29) and 288 ODIs (scoring 9720 at 41.71). He says he wants to focus only on Test cricket in the future. “I am least concerned about ODIs. My focus [right now] is Test cricket, I want to play it. My basics are right and I have lots of experience under my belt.”Yousuf, whose career has been plagued by controversy in the past, was banned by the PCB twice in 2010. First, for his poor performance on a winless tour of Australia and then for differences with Younis Khan, which the PCB said was a bad influence on the team. “I don’t want to live in past, people learn from mistakes. I have always tried to do my best, but sometimes things go wrong,” he said. “I can’t change the past, but I can only hope to revive my career.”With younger players like Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq now featuring regularly in the side, some feel Yousuf will find it difficult to break into the team again. “I am not against new blood being inducted in the side – it’s good,” Yousuf said. “No one plays forever, but I still have cricket left [in me] and I have a role to play.”Pakistan are slated to tour Sri Lanka soon after the IPL to play two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests. PCB’s chief selector Iqbal Qasim said that the board would discuss Yousuf’s future during their next meeting in May. “He is training and that’s what all players must do, but that doesn’t mean he will be selected in the team,” Qasim said. “If a coach is interested in a player he must convince the selection committee [first].”

Australia have been here before. One day to play, one bowler short, and an opposition whose top order has already been rattled. But Sri Lanka will need even greater powers of concentration to match the remarkable feats of Faf du Plessis and his South Afri

The Report by Brydon Coverdale17-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The Australians struck two important blows before stumps•Getty ImagesAustralia have been here before. One day to play, one bowler short, and an opposition whose top order has already been rattled. But Sri Lanka will need even greater powers of concentration to match the remarkable feats of Faf du Plessis and his South African colleagues, who secured a draw in Adelaide last month by batting out the final day. As stumps approached on the fourth evening in Hobart, the pitch was providing such variable bounce that even two of the world’s finest batsmen, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, could do little but chuckle with resignation.They will begin the final morning with Sri Lanka’s total on 2 for 65 in a chase of 393, with Sangakkara on 18 and Jayawardene on 5. The target appeared extremely challenging when Sri Lanka began their innings – their best chase to win a Test was 352 for 9 against South Africa in Colombo in 2006 – and by stumps it looked nigh on impossible. But with two such talented batsmen at the crease, the Sri Lankans will also know that anything can happen, and Australia will need to find the remaining eight wickets without the injured Ben Hilfenhaus in their attack.The captain Michael Clarke also battled injury on the fourth day, retiring hurt with a hamstring problem after scoring a brisk half-century. He took his place in the field during Sri Lanka’s chase and directed proceedings from the slips cordon, but did wince on a couple of occasions when forced to stretch his sore right hamstring. The injury might place him in doubt for the Boxing Day Test, but Australia will be more comfortable with that scenario if he delivers them a 1-0 lead on the final day in Hobart.Things had started reasonably well as Shane Watson struck with his first delivery, nipping the ball away from Tillakaratne Dilshan and finding the outside edge through to Matthew Wade. Dilshan’s opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne looked reasonably solid until he was bowled for 30, the victim of a Mitchell Starc yorker that sneaked under the bat.Runs came slowly for Sangakkara and Jayawardene, whose primary goal was survival, and when one ball from Watson skidded almost along the ground to Sangakkara, the enormity of that task was apparent. The Australians could have had Sangakkara on 3 when his thick edge off Nathan Lyon was dropped by Clarke at slip, and they knew he was their primary obstacle, the same man who scored 192 against them on the same ground five years ago, also in the fourth innings of a Test.On that occasion, Sri Lanka were chasing 507; this time the target was sub-400, confirmed when Hilfenhaus was the last man out in Australia’s innings shortly before tea, handing Rangana Herath his fifth wicket for the innings. Michael Hussey remained not out on 31 when Australia were dismissed for 278, with Clarke not emerging from the dressing rooms to bat again having earlier retired hurt on 57.It was to Sri Lanka’s credit that they fought back with the ball after David Warner and Ed Cowan gave Australia a strong start with a 132-run opening stand. Both men fell shortly before lunch and the Sri Lankans were able to claim the rest of the wickets before tea. Watson (5) was the victim of a sharp stumping by Prasanna Jayawardene off the bowling of Herath, before Phillip Hughes was bowled by Shaminda Eranga for 16.Matthew Wade, promoted to No.5 in an attempt to provide the Australians with quick runs, was on 11 when he holed out to long-on from the bowling of Herath and that brought together Clarke and Hussey, who so often this summer have rescued the Australians. Again they proved a strong combination and Clarke was in typically fine touch, moving the score along at a rapid rate with boundaries all around the wicket.But on 57 from 46 balls, an innings that included five fours and a six, he left the field with the team physio Alex Kountouris, and did not return. Another 40 runs came after Clarke’s departure as Hussey did the best he could with the tail-enders. Chanaka Welegedara finished with 3 for 89 and six wickets for the match when he had Peter Siddle caught behind for 4 and Starc lbw to an inswinging yorker for 5, and Herath cleaned up the rest. Nathan Lyon struck a couple of boundaries through the leg side before he was bowled, yorked by Herath as he tried another sweep, and the injury-affected Hilfenhaus was lbw for an eight-ball duck.Earlier, Warner and Cowan enjoyed their longest opening stand before both fell after reaching half-centuries. They put on 132 together and batted for 41.1 overs, the longest opening stand by an Australian pair since the end of Simon Katich’s Test career. Warner had been watchful on the third afternoon but began to play a more typical innings on the fourth day, culminating in a muscular switch-hit for four off Herath.Warner had also thumped Herath over long-on for six and brought up his half-century with a powerful pull for four off the bowling of Welegedara, from his 101st delivery, and he was clearly trying to lift the tempo as lunch approached. However, on 68 Warner’s innings came to an end when he failed to pick a delivery from Herath that turned away from him and the edge was snapped up by the wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene.Cowan, who was characteristically calm and ticked the score along with singles while waiting for the bad balls, brought up his fifty with a cut for four off Welegedara from his 125th delivery. But it was Welegedara who ended Cowan’s stay with an excellent delivery that swung in and beat the bat to have Cowan bowled for 55. And the way the pitch started playing later in the day, the half-centuries to both of Australia’s openers had become increasingly valuable.

A round-up of the fourth day’s play of the eighth-round Group A games of the Ranji Trophy 2013-14

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-2013
ScorecardLeft-arm spinner Akshar Patel’s brisk fifty and his second five-for this Ranji season helped Gujarat to 166-run win over Odisha in Ahmedabad. At the start of the day, Odisha were 345 for 8 in their first innings, but Gujarat ensured no time was wasted as they quickly mopped up the visitors for 367.The 112-run lead was then stretched by the Gujarat batsmen with their aggressive batting. Akshar was promoted up the order and the left-hander responded with an unbeaten 54 off 48 balls. His knock was peppered with one four and two sixes and ensured that Gujarat kept the score moving in spite of losing seven wickets.Their push for victory was strengthened when Odisha lost two quick wickets chasing 250. Akshar, supported by Jasprit Bumrah and Rakesh Dhurv, ran through the Odisha line-up as only three of the visiting batsmen could post scores in double figures.The win helped Gujarat overtake Mumbai on the points table to move to second place with 26 points from seven games.
ScorecardVidarbha held on for a draw in Jamshedpur against Jharkhand, thanks to a 91 from opener Faiz Fazal, who helped steer the team to 164 for 3 before the two captains decided to call it off.Vidarbha, who had collapsed in their first innings from 136 for 1 to 218 all out on day three, clawed their way back into the game with an early strike on Wednesday, as seamer Shrikant Wagh removed Ishank Jaggi with the fifth ball of the day.Saurabh Tiwary and Shahbaz Nadeem chipped in with 44 and 40 respectively, but Jharkhand’s next five batsmen only contributed 11 runs between them. Wagh finished with 4 for 39 and the hosts eventually declared at 161 for 9, setting Vidarbha a target of 276.Jharkhand had almost 60 overs to bowl Vidarbha out and secure their first win of the season, but Fazal and his opening partner Akshay Kolhar resisted with a stand of 55. Kolhar fell for 23, but Fazal put up important partnership – 53 for the second wicket with Ravi Jangid – to all but take the team to safety.

Tim Bresnan has Alastair Cook in his sights over the next two days at Lord’s as he attempts to secure a recall for the opening Test against New Zealand.

Andrew McGlashan13-May-2013Tim Bresnan has Alastair Cook in his sights over the next two days at Lord’s as he attempts to secure a recall for the opening Test against New Zealand. The England captain could be in for an uncomfortable time.Cook briefly netted against James Anderson and Stuart Broad on Monday but practice will go up in intensity on Tuesday with Bresnan keen to show that he is worth a starting place after recovering from the elbow problem that hampered him for much of the previous year.”I would not be surprised if the net rota goes up and I’m bowling at him,” Bresnan said. “I think that is one of the things Andy Flower likes to do.”He has taken 13 County Championship wickets at 27.07 for Yorkshire this season and believes he is back “as good as ever” after having a piece of bone removed from his right elbow. But he is still expected to be the 12th man when the coin goes up and that is something he is desperate to change over the next few days.”I am not here to carry the drinks,” he said. “I am here to play the game and throw my hat in the ring for selection. I think the next two days will tell the management and Cooky a lot about where I am at and what I can do.”I probably lost three or four yards of pace to be honest. I feel I have got that back. I can sit here and say whatever but it is just as easy to show everyone. I can spin a yarn and say it is all brilliant or I can just get on the park and show you what my pace is like. I have not been in front of a speed gun but it feels alright.”Bresnan has actually only missed England’s most recent three Tests having previously played in Nagpur. But at the conclusion of that match, where he went wicketless for the second time in the India series, he had taken two wickets at 210 in his last four outings dating back to the start of the South Africa series.Tim Bresnan is hoping his early-season form for Yorkshire counts in his favour ahead of the first Test•Getty ImagesHis last telling contribution with the red ball – his one-day form had not quite suffered in the same way, with 10 overs proving more manageable – had been against West Indies, at Trent Bridge, where he took the Man-of-the-Match award for eight wickets. At that point in his career he had 52 wickets at 25.46 and his 13 Tests had all been England victories.But for him to plot a route back into the Test team for the first match of the season he will need to get past Steven Finn, who took six wickets in his last outing in Auckland, although those figures flattered him. Finn has not been at his best for Middlesex this season with seven wickets at 39.57 in three matches, which is one more appearance than either Broad or Anderson after the ECB made Finn available against Warwickshire.Just as these next few days are important for Bresnan, they are equally so for Finn. His Test record – 80 wickets at 29.60 – is far from poor, but he has yet to completely convince that he has found his stride. The work on his run-up has played a part and he was back to the longer version at Edgbaston last week, suggesting the switch has not gone entirely to plan.In Finn’s favour, when it comes to a head-to-head with Bresnan, is an impressive record at Lord’s (his home ground) where he has taken 25 wickets at 21.44 in four Tests. That included his maiden five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in 2010 and eight wickets in the match against South Africa last year in what was his most consistent Test appearance. Bresnan, by contrast, has five wickets at 66.00 from his three appearances at Lord’s.Yet, the fact that Bresnan is already back in the Test reckoning is a credit to his hard work which included a spell at the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey. Bresnan admitted he was not “deep thinker” about life, but conceded to a few uneasy thoughts before he had the operation after the one-day series in India.”A couple of hours before the operation you think this could go one or two ways,” he said. “I might never play for England or cricket again or I might be back better than ever. You have to weigh up that risk and then decide yes, put in the effort and get on with it again.”So far, that effort has been worth every hour of rehab and painful gym sessions. Now he aims to make life tough for a few of his team-mates.

Michael Hussey was denied a century as South Australia squeaked to first innings points over Western Australia on a tense day two of the Sheffield Shield match at the Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2013
ScorecardMichael Hussey was denied a century as South Australia squeaked to first innings points over Western Australia on a tense day two of the Sheffield Shield match at the Adelaide Oval.John Botha’s five wickets had put SA on the path to a comfortable lead as the visitors subsided to 9 for 166, but Hussey and Michael Hogan added a stubborn 69 to take WA to the outskirts of the lead.However, Chadd Sayers coaxed Hogan to drag an expansive drive onto his stumps in the final over of the day, consigning Hussey to an unbeaten 99 and the Warriors to a 13-run deficit. SA can go top of the table with an outright win.Hogan had earlier claimed his own five-wicket return as SA’s tail was quickly accounted for in the morning.