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Leicestershire finally broke Worcestershire’s Gareth Andrew-inspired resistance to claim their fourth County Championship win of the season by seven wickets with a day to spare at New Road

30-Jun-2010
ScorecardLeicestershire finally broke Worcestershire’s Gareth Andrew-inspired resistance to claim their fourth County Championship win of the season by seven wickets with a day to spare at New Road. Al-rounder Andrew made 79 – the highest score of the match – as the home side reached 315 in their second innings and then took 2 for 24 before Leicestershire cruised to their target of 182.The closing phase was the most comfortable as Paul Nixon completed his fifth half-century of the Division Two season and gave his county a significant boost in a competitive promotion race.At the start of the third day Leicestershire’s first objective was to break a century stand by Daryl Mitchell and James Cameron. The fifth-wicket pair eventually put on 138 before falling in quick succession to Nadeem Malik. Mitchell (77) stepped in front when the former Worcestershire seamer cut one into his pads and Cameron was half-forward when he tickled a catch behind the wicket after posting a career-best 75.Frustratingly for Leicestershire, this was not a passport to an early wrap-up. Andrew saw to that with another example of how his batting has improved since moving to Worcestershire in 2008. At the start of this season the former Somerset player had scored three half-centuries in his career. Now he has doubled the tally – and all at the expense of Leicestershire.At Grace Road in May he made 53 in a comfortable victory and in this match he was top scorer in both innings, starting with an undefeated 53 when Worcestershire collapsed for 175 on the opening day.An uncomplicated left hander who knows how to dispatch a loose ball, he saw his side to the highest total of the game with two sixes off Malik before he was last out. In an error of judgment, he offered no stroke when a ball from Jigar Naik clipped the off bail.Andrew made three-quarters of the 106 runs added in his time in the middle. James Benning dismissed Ben Cox and Richard Jones within three overs but Matt Mason – eventually caught in the deep off Claude Henderson – and last man Jack Shantry faced 42 balls between them.Having worked so hard to get back into contention, Worcestershire let things slip again as Leicestershire’s openers, Will Jefferson and Paul Nixon, punished some erratic new-ball bowling in a stand of 61. Jefferson (32) looked in good form until Phil Jaques held a diving catch in the gully. Jacques du Toit, who did not field in the morning because of a damaged finger, was next to go, lbw for 11 as Andrew claimed his second success.Nixon, dropped twice off Mason in making 55, was caught behind off Shantry after hitting 10 boundaries but James Taylor, unbeaten with 43, and Benning saw the job through.

A round-up of the play-off fixtures from the Under-19 World Cup

Cricinfo staff25-Jan-2010India eased past England in the 5th place play-off semi-final, beating them seven wickets at Hagley Oval. India’s captain Ashok Menaria grabbed four for 35 to help skittle out England for 176. Opener Jos Buttler struck six fours in his 78 but, barring a 59-run stand with Ateeq Javid for the third wicket, failed to receive support from the others. Maneria was backed up well by left-arm seamer Jaidev Unadkat, who picked up two wickets. India’s reply was led by opener Akshath Reddy’s 116-ball 94 who, supported by important contributions from the middle order, ensured victory was sealed with more than 13 overs to spare.South Africa‘s humbling of hosts New Zealand in Lincoln sets up a 5th place play-off final against India. New Zealand, boosted by half-centuries from Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson, would have thought they had done reasonably well to post a challenging 250. But their bowling simply failed to measure up to the South African top order. Dominic Hendricks smashed an unbeaten 107, adding 124 with opener Josh Richards, who made 67. David White continued the attack, smacking 72 off 71 balls to ensure victory was achieved with 11 balls to spare.The ninth place play-off semi-final between Canada and Ireland at Palmerston North was abandoned as a result of persistent rain.Hong Kong upstaged Afghanistan by four wickets in the 13th place play-off semi-final in Napier. Irfan Ahmed and Waqas Barkat starred with half-centuries in Hong Kong’s chase of 152 in a truncated 32-over fixture; the pair added a match-winning 95 for the sixth wicket after their side had been reeling at 49 for 5 due to Aftab Alam’s early burst. Barkat, the wicketkeeper, was the more aggressive of the two, scoring at better than a run a ball and remaining unbeaten to see his team home. Afghanistan’s innings had centered around a knock of 61 by captain Noor-ul-Haq but the effort was in vain.Zimbabwe brushed aside USA in the other 13th place play-off semi-final in Napier, coasting home with 12 overs to spare. USA never really recovered from Nathan Waller’s triple-strike early in the match, which reduced them to 40 for 3 in the 10th over. There was another triple-blow later in the innings, by legspinner Natsai Mushangwe, which sawed off USA’s revival efforts at 90 for 5 – they were soon 99 for 9. Chasing 116 in 41overs, Zimbabwe were rarely in trouble, especially after the openers put on 42 by the 10th over. Legspinner Saqib Saleem took four wickets but couldn’t stop Zimbabwe from winning by five wickets.

The head coach said previous series results had convinced him Pakistan were on the right track

Umar Farooq14-Jul-2021After losing 3-0 to England’s second-string side, Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has admitted he was left shell-shocked, citing the “poor performance” as a collective failure of the players and support staff. He said he was left looking for answers on what went wrong.”You can never defend such performances, it was poor and disappointing,” Misbah said in a virtual press conference. “In the first game, we couldn’t handle the conditions with the bat. In the last match, the batting did well and got a good total which we should have defended but then the bowling and fielding was disappointing, and that has been a problem throughout the series. So overall I think nobody can defend it and we need to pick it up.”Pakistan haven’t won an ODI series in England in the last 47 years, their last win coming in 1974. But despite England’s historical dominance over Pakistan, the 3-0 reverse represented a chastening defeat for Pakistan because of the inexperience of their opposition. England were forced to name a complete new ODI two days ahead of the tournament following a Covid-19 outbreak among the original selections. There were eight uncapped players in the England squad, and a further nine with fewer than five ODI caps to their name, with stand-in captain Ben Stokes the only player with 100 or more games.Related

• Misbah-ul-Haq admits Pakistan have 'same problems' with middle order

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• Misbah: 'Couple of positions we need to focus on for next two series'

Pakistan, on the contrary, came into the series with a full-strength squad but lost all three matches, slipping down the World Cup Super League table in the process. The visitors were thumped heavily in the first two games after effective no-shows with the bat, while England chased down 331 in the final ODI, with Pakistan captain Babar Azam critical of the bowling and fielding efforts.After the 2019 World Cup, Pakistan won three consecutive ODI series, one against a depleted Sri Lanka team, and the other against Zimbabwe, in which Pakistan lost the final game. They were followed by a 2-1 series win in South Africa, which Misbah believed had helped Pakistan gain momentum, but struggles in the middle order have persisted.”If you look back to our recent series, we were satisfied that we are on a right track,” Misbah said. “We had covered almost every department, whether batting, bowling, or fielding, and performed outstandingly. But this series panned out differently and seems like we are still standing where we started and it’s very disappointing. We couldn’t pick up the same thread where we left. There are different reasons and we have to figure that out how and what really effected and how we can move ahead from this point. Why suddenly we had such a poor series [is a mystery], otherwise this team has been doing great for the last four-five series.”I don’t know what changed in the last month. There was nothing much other than just the PSL and now the boys are totally off-colour. So it’s a worrying sign for me as a head coach. I am not looking for an excuse but somewhere we lost the momentum and are struggling to regain it. We have very important T20 series ahead against England, then West Indies and we are looking to sort this out before it.”Misbah, however, urged people to refrain from the blame game.”You can’t just blame coaches or players alone because it’s a team game and you work as a team,” he said. “If they didn’t execute well, then we are equally responsible as well as the players. We do make plans and practice, too. Those bowlers who have to bowl in a certain area and had to hit certain lengths, it was all planned, just not executed on the day. Even when it was executed well, then the fielders didn’t support it. If you drop straight catches in crucial stages then I don’t think you can win. No one individual is to be blamed but we failed collectively as a team, even players or supporting staff.”

“Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” his retirement post read on Instagram

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2018Allrounder Grant Elliott, who starred in New Zealand’s historic win in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, has quit all forms of cricket after finishing his stint as the captain of Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast in England. After finishing sixth in the North Group in the T20 tournament and not being able to qualify for the quarter-finals, Elliott announced his retirement on his Instagram account on Tuesday evening.”Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” his post read. “I remember being 12 and writing down my life goals. To play in a World Cup, play international cricket and play county cricket. 27 years on and I have loved every minute of it. Thanks to all the memorable people I have met that have made this journey special. To family and friends who have given me unwavering support despite all the sacrifices I have had to make that have impacted them.”This game is a special one but it doesn’t define us. Looking forward to the future with great excitement and sharing a drink with those selfless players I shared a change room with.”Elliott’s form this year in the Blast was highlighted by his bowling performance, being the leading wicket-taker of his team with 19 scalps from 14 innings with an average of 19.57 and economy rate of 7.91. With the bat, he managed only 80 runs in 10 innings.Elliott, 39, had signed with the Bears last year when he retired from international cricket and signed a Kolpak deal to play in the T20 tournament only. He had earlier retired from ODIs in 2016, two days after New Zealand were knocked out of the World T20 by England in the semi-final.He continued as a T20 specialist to represent Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, Chittagong Vikings in the Bangladesh Premier League, Wellington in New Zealand’s domestic T20s (Super Smash), and was part of the World XI squad that toured Pakistan almost a year ago for three T20 internationals.Born in Johannesburg, Elliott began his first-class career more than 20 years ago, in South Africa in 1996-97. He then moved to New Zealand in 2001 in search of new challenges and made his international debut for New Zealand in 2008. He played five Tests, 83 ODIs and 17 T20Is. His six off Dale Steyn in the dying moments of the rain-curtailed 2015 World Cup semi-final will probably be the highlight of his career. He top-scored with 83 in the final too, against Australia, but New Zealand finished runners-up.

Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard

Daniel Brettig14-Oct-2016Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard on an emotion-charged final day.Counsel assisting the coroner, Kristina Stern SC, submitted that the inquest should conclude that this was a case of “accidental death”, which was not made more likely by the nature of play on the day of the Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. Hughes was struck in the side of the neck on day one of the match, November 25, 2014, suffering an arterial injury that resulted in his death at St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.However both Stern and Greg Melick SC, for the Hughes family, recommended that the wording of the laws around unfair bowling should be examined in light of the episode, citing earlier testimony from former umpire and ICC umpires training manager Simon Taufel. Law 42.2.1 of Sheffield Shield playing conditions, adapted from the MCC’s laws of cricket, states as follows:

“A bowler shall be limited to two fast short pitched deliveries per over. A fast short pitched delivery is defined as a ball, which after pitching, passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease. The umpire at the bowler’s end shall advise the bowler and the batsman on strike when each fast short-pitched delivery has been bowled.”

Following his own independent analysis, Taufel had told the inquest that of 23 short balls bowled on the day, 20 had been directed at Hughes. However he also submitted that many of these deliveries did not meet the definition of a “fast short-pitched delivery” because they would not have passed Hughes above shoulder height.The gulf between Hughes’ family and Cricket Australia was starkly illustrated when his father Greg, mother Virginia and sister Megan all left the courtroom in the midst of CA counsel Bruce Hodgkinson’s final submissions, leaving his brother Jason to audibly register his incredulity at proceedings.Hodgkinson had recommended to the coroner, Michael Barnes QC, that the “unsworn and unsubstantiated” statement submitted by the Mosman cricket captain Matthew Day on Wednesday be disregarded when he deliberates over the events of the day and how the game of cricket might be made safer. Hodgkinson also insisted that the players who took the stand this week were honest witnesses.Melick had earlier questioned the veracity of the evidence submitted by players on the field that day: Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger, Tom Cooper and David Warner. Melick stated that while “words didn’t kill Phillip Hughes”, their denials of any sledging cast doubt on other evidence about the nature of play. Later, Melick clarified his final submission by stating that he didn’t mean to suggest players had “fabricated” evidence.Though Melick acknowledged that the use of short-pitched bowling was a “legitimate tactic”, he contended that the volume of short balls bowled to Hughes, including an estimate of nine in a row in the lead-up to the ball that struck him, was “going too far”. These words followed on from letters from the Hughes family, which formed part of the inquest and were published on Friday in the . In his letter, Greg Hughes wrote:”Their tactics changed after lunch, which started to slow the run rate down, and this was by bowling short at my son for a good majority of the time. This certainly did restrict the run flow and started to change the game… The umpires did not call them ‘no-balls’ under the Sheffield Shield cricket laws. Those laws are different to the MCC rules. By those balls not getting pulled up, of course this kept the bowlers continuing to target my son in an ungentlemanly way.”Among other recommendations made by the Hughes family were a desire to see neck guards on the back of batting helmets made mandatory, and also the removal of any dismissals for “hit wicket”, should a neck guard detach from the helmet and fall onto the stumps.Stern had recommended wider first aid training, and also work towards greater clarity in signalling between players and officials on the field and medical staff off it. The fact that ambulance services had reached the scene only 20 minutes after the incident illustrated the need for this. However she also concluded that Hughes’ death was inevitable from the moment he was hit and should be ruled accidental.”It is abundantly clear that once the tragic accident had occurred, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent Phillip’s death,” Stern said. She also went on to say that neither the number of short balls bowled to Hughes, nor any alleged instances of sledging, had exacerbated the risk to the batsman, and submitted that no recommendations should be made over the nature of play that day.Outside court, CA’s head of team performance, Pat Howard, spoke about events of the week and defended the conduct of the players who spoke at the inquest. He also stated that the game’s governing body would continue to offer whatever support it could to the Hughes family.”This week provided a confronting reminder of the sad reality that Phillip Hughes is no longer with us,” Howard said. “Our thoughts continue to be with the Hughes family during what is a difficult time for them. Our thoughts are also with Phillip’s cricket friends and his team-mates, all of whom have had to deal with the loss of a great mate as well as the ordeal of being on the field at the time of the incident. I’m very proud of the conduct of the players, the officials and staff throughout.”Formal findings from the coronial inquest are set to be handed down on November 4.

Chris Read became the first wicketkeeper since Jack Russell in 1997 to reach the landmark of 1,000 first class dismissals as Notts turned ther tables on Durham with a sterling victory

ECB/PA11-Sep-2015
ScorecardChris Read keeps wicket against Durham earlier this month•Getty Images

Chris Read reached an historic milestone on a day of high emotion at Trent Bridge as Nottinghamshire pulled off an astonishing 52-run victory over Durham.The 37-year old became the first wicketkeeper since Jack Russell in 1997 to reach the landmark of 1,000 first class dismissals and his big moment came during a passage of play where Durham threw away their overall dominance in a contest that they had bossed since winning the toss.Set to score 215 to win, thanks to a feisty hundred from Samit Patel, Durham had been well set at 57 for 1 before losing four wickets within the space of just 5.4 overs. One of those to depart was Paul Collingwood, who nicked through to the Nottinghamshire glove man to herald scenes of great jubilation, both on and off the field.”It was an absolutely extraordinary day’s cricket,” Read said. “When I woke up this morning I didn’t think I’d be stood here tonight celebrating a victory. I’d like to think we could havebatted really well in our second innings but in my wildest dreams to see us bowl as well as we have done and get the win is absolutely phenomenal.”It was a big wicket, wasn’t it? Given that Collingwood was the captain and given the run that we were on at the time, it was a big wicket, so I did chuck it a little higher than normal and the reaction of my team-mates was brilliant. They all came and gave me a big hug, which was nice.”Russell urged him to take some more. “”I’d just like to congratulate him on all that he’s achieved and urge him to keep going for as long as he can,” he said.Brett Hutton was the main thorn in the side of the Durham batsmen, completing his second five-wicket haul within the space of 24 hours, in taking five for 29, so completing match figures of 10 for 106.Earlier, after beginning the day 30 runs adrift, Patel and Riki Wessels gave the hosts a life-line with a fifth wicket stand of 153, before Wessels fell just before lunch for 85.Ryan Pringle chipped away at the Nottinghamshire middle order, on his way to figures of three for 93 but Patel held firm, reaching his second century of the summer from 154 balls, having hit 12 fours and a six.His enthusiastic celebrations were understandable but short-lived as he proceeded to help Rushworth’s next delivery into the hands of Onions at long leg.Brett Hutton and Luke Wood, who followed his unbeaten first innings score of 65, with another 35, added a valuable 53 for the eighth wicket to stretch the lead beyond 200.Jack Burnham was bowled for a golden duck in the opening over of the chase, shouldering arms to Jake Ball.
Harry Gurney removed Scott Borthwick and Michael Stoneman in his opening over to arrest Durham’s charge towards the finishing line and Hutton backed him with the wickets of Michael Richardson, Collingwood and Pringle.Ball returned to the attack to remove Jamie Harrison and Gordon Muchall, sufficient wounds for the umpires to accede to Read’s request for an extra half hour. Hutton quickly polished things off, with the scalps of Rushworh and Onions.The victory was Nottinghamshire’s fourth in a row, the first time they have achieved that since 2010. Conversely, this was the seventh match that Durham have gone without a Championship win, six of those games having finished in a defeat.

South Africa have not lost successive ODI series in five years; a score higher than 271 has never been successfully chased at Kingsmead and neither of those records changed as the hosts sealed the series in the decider

The Report by Firdose Moonda26-Aug-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
AB de Villiers struck a fifty and became the fastest player to 8000 ODI runs•Getty Images

South Africa have not lost successive ODI series in five years; a score higher than 271 has never been successfully chased at Kingsmead and neither of those records changed as the hosts sealed the series in the decider with a 62-run margin. In the process, AB de Villiers became the fastest batsman to 8000 ODI runs, reaching the milestone in 182 innings, 18 fewer than Sourav Ganguly; South Africa posted their highest opening stand in 17 ODIs, of 89; Morne van Wyk scored his first innings of substance since his recall; Farhaan Behardien’s cameo showed his ability to finish and Imran Tahir underlined why he is being regarded one of the best limited-overs spinner in operation at the moment.That’s not to say New Zealand did not turn up. Their attack adapted fairly well to a surface that did not offer the seamers as much as was expected. Adam Milne and Doug Bracewell bowled tight lines and Grant Elliott’s taking pace off the ball proved effective, but their fielding – they put down four chances compared to South Africa’s three – let them down and their effort with the bat fizzled out once they lost the men they usually rely on. Martin Guptill went early and Kane Williamson was dismissed seven balls before the halfway stage of their innings and it proved a loss from which New Zealand could not recover.After taking Tuesday off to rub shoulders with the national rugby squad instead of training to save the series, South Africa’s intent was questioned but they began answering with bat in hand. Van Wyk’s reign saw no need in his natural aggression and found his first runs with a flat-batted pull. Amla played the foil and rotated strike while van Wyk beat the ball to the boundary. He almost paid for that approach when he was on 17 and top-edged a pull off Milne that should have been caught at fine leg but Bracewell spilled an easy chance.Bracewell had salt rubbed into the wound when van Wyk took 10 runs off his next over to see South Africa through the Powerplay unscathed. He went on to survive New Zealand’s squeeze, which accounted for Amla, who sent a leading edge back to Grant Elliott, and Rilee Rossouw, who was caught at slip, and brought up a half-century off 79 balls. That score may be too late to save his international career but it played an important part in setting South Africa up.De Villiers and David Miller built on that with a fourth-wicket partnership of 86, which came in just 10 overs. Miller found some of the touch he has been missing, perhaps because he had de Villiers at the other end launching most of the attack. The South African captain reached 8,000 runs with a swipe to midwicket and upped the ante when he dispatched an Ish Sodhi long-hop over midwicket, took three fours of Milne’s seventh over and looked in the mood for a big one, particularly with time left in the innings. But he could not negotiate a Bracewell slower ball which found his off stump and left it to Miller to take over.Miller lasted less than three overs before loosely offering a catch to Luke Ronchi but Behardien was on hand to accelerate. He timed and placed the ball well for a quickfire 40 off 28 balls to ensure South Africa scored 44 runs in the last six overs and finished strongly.Behardien’s effort proved to be the major difference between the two sides, after New Zealand’s innings started in similar fashion. Guptill fell to a rejuvenated Dale Steyn, who invited the drive with a full delivery that moved away and found the edge but Tom Latham and Williamson provided stability.They did not take any risks against Kagiso Rabada, who bowled with pace and control, beat the bat and found steep bounce, but waited for lapses from Kyle Abbott and David Wiese – two bowlers who have still not become as consistent as South Africa might like. Williamson could have been out for 24 when he pulled to Miller at deep midwicket but was let off, and then again on 37 when Rabada raced in from deep cover and dived needlessly instead of being on his feet and collecting, and New Zealand looked like they were laying the platform for a victory push.Tahir changed all that with a googly that snuck under Williamson’s bat as he came down the track. Although Latham brought up his fifty three balls later, New Zealand’s fight seemed faded.Latham was run-out to bring Elliott to the crease but he could not pull off his World Cup semi-final heroics. New Zealand lost their last eight wickets for 107 runs, with South Africa’s attack including a still-wayward Wiese sharing spoils, and after their first two fell with the score on 102, it was obvious why an innings of two halves would not win them the series.

Former Services pace bowler, who until recently served as chief administrative officer of the National Cricket Academy, has died of a heart attack while playing golf in Bangalore on Wednesday evening

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2013Former Services pace bowler AK Jha, who until recently served as chief administrative officer of the National Cricket Academy, has died of a heart attack while playing golf in Bangalore on Wednesday evening.Jha, 57, was a fast bowler for the Services and played 52 first-class matches, taking 159 wickets at an average of 30.18, in a career that extended between 1974 and 1987. In nine first-class matches between 1981 and 1985, Jha took 10 wickets at an average of 25.50.The retired wing commander of the Indian Air Force was removed from his post at the NCA following allegations of his involvement in a Rs 50 crore NCA land deal that went wrong. The NCA, it is understood, had sought to acquire close to 50 acres of land near Nandi Hills through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for the academy. The BCCI had also paid close to Rs 50 crore, in two installments, for the acquisition. However, following a number of PILs, a Karnataka High Court ruling in June this year declared the deal illegal.

England Lions moved into a 104-run lead against the West Indians in Northampton after the visitors had fought back during the morning sessions

Andrew McGlashan at Northampton11-May-2012
ScorecardLions captain James Taylor gave the England selectors a nudge with an impressive century•Getty Images

The news coming from Chelmsford of concerns surrounding Ravi Bopara’s fitness added extra interest to events on the second day in Northampton, where James Taylor, the England Lions captain, went about reaffirming his international credentials with a superb century while Jonny Bairstow produce another eye-catching innings. The West Indians were left facing a tough challenge to avoid defeat ahead of the Test series as they closed in trouble on 28 for 3, still 166 behind.Bopara is widely expected to be given the No. 6 spot for the start of the international season, having carried the drinks during the two winter Test series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This latest injury worry appears to be at the minor end of the scale but even if it precluded him from bowling for a period that should not dent his Test chances, unlike they did in Sri Lanka when a side strain cost him a likely opportunity. On that occasion England felt they needed a reasonable fifth bowler, whereas in England during May the four frontliners will be more than enough.However, if batting cover (or ultimately a replacement) was required it would come from this Lions side so it was a timely moment to impress, although it is Bairstow who is probably ahead of Taylor at the current time, despite the latter’s hundred. Taylor has slipped down the pecking order over the last six months, to the extent that he was not included in the 26-man England Performance Squad for the season ahead, which is a rough guide of the way the selectors are thinking. He had a disappointing winter with the Lions during the one-day tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, so this was an important innings to put him back on the agenda.Last season he impressed in Lions colours with 76 against the Sri Lankans at Derby, where he opened the batting, followed by 76 and 98 against Sri Lanka A back in the middle order. Before this match Taylor said he saw himself as a middle-order player – although, as players do, he added he would bat anywhere – and it does appear his natural home. Here he was at No. 5, the same position he currently occupies for Nottinghamshire, with Samit Patel, who did not do himself any favours with a lazy chip back to the bowler, above him; although anyone with aspirations to bat top six for England should ideally bat top four for their county.This innings was exemplary and the only life he got was on 104 when he was caught at slip off a no-ball from Fidel Edwards. He had initially played second fiddle to Bairstow, but caught up as he moved to fifty off 91 balls and became increasingly dominant as he started to lose partners. The pull shot was working well and the West Indian bowlers did not always adjust their length and he was lightning between the wickets which helped with the outfield remaining sluggish.When Jack Brooks was ninth out Taylor was on 86 but Jade Dernbach, who took a painful blow on the arm from Edwards which prevented him from taking the field, hung around to see his partner towards three figures, which arrived with a thumping cover drive. The confrontation between Dernbach and Edwards was feisty and included a few words from the fielders which led to the umpires stepping in to calm the situation. The final-wicket stand was extended to a 64 in 10 overs as Dernbach and Taylor opened their shoulders and the final three wickets added 130 to take the Lions lead from useful to intimidating.During the morning session a lead of such a size was a long way off as the Lions slipped to 98 for 5, which brought Bairstow to the crease to join his captain. Entering the game in good form, having made two Championship centuries for Yorkshire this season, he stood tall and played impressively through the off side off front and back foot. His fifty came from 89 balls before, against the run of the play, he lofted Shane Shillingford to mid-off just as the tourists were starting to flag.The only member of this Lions team certain to be in the first Test squad is Ian Bell, who asked to play in this match after Ben Stokes withdrew with injury and he played confidently for his 29. At one stage when facing Shillingford he had to pull out of his stance as Andy Flower, the England team director, who is at the ground with the other selectors to discuss the squad for the first Test walked behind the bowler’s arm. Flower immediately raised his arms in apology and Bell had a smirk on his face but that turned to a grimace when Ravi Rampaul, the pick of the West Indian quicks, nipped one between bat and pad.The tourists will need to decide which of this four-man attack makes way for Darren Sammy at Lord’s. Edwards had moments when he cranked up the pace but continued to have no-ball problems and spells of lethargy, while Kemar Roach left the field after claiming his third wicket, although if all the quicks are fit it could be Shillingford who misses out. They may not get the chance of another run-out before the Test as the top order stumbled again before the close, as Brooks and Matt Coles shared three wickets, and the visitors will have to make huge improvements to be competitive next week.

Andy Flower, the England team director, has praised Alastair Cook for the way he has handled the dual challenges of batting and captaincy

Andrew McGlashan10-Jul-2011Andy Flower, the England team director, has praised Alastair Cook for the way he has handled the dual challenges of proving himself as a one-day batsman and captain in the 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka. The silverware was secured with a tight 16-run win at Old Trafford where Cook also took his personal contribution to 298 runs.Apart from the volume of runs, which included a career-best 119 at Lord’s, the impressive feature was the strike-rate of 96.75. That number was boosted by his 75-ball 95 at Trent Bridge as Cook provided evidence that he is making strides towards evolving into a effective one-day batsman to supplement his record-breaking Test credentials.Cook had to face some strong criticism both before and during the series but refused to be drawn into any war of words and constantly said performance on the field was the most important factor. The five matches helped Cook build on the positive impression he made as captain last year when he filled in for Andrew Strauss.”He had some tricky decisions to make throughout the series, and he was under pressure from a number of quarters,” Flower said. “I thought he handled that pressure really well, and made some really good decisions out there today.”He had to be very flexible, and he was. We saw him handle pressure well out in Bangladesh too, which isn’t an easy tour. He grew there as a leader, and without doubt this series will have helped him grow too.”Cook showed hints of innovation in his batting, with some dabs and scoops against the spinners, but on the whole relied on the strong shots that have brought him success in Test cricket. A comparison has been made about how Cook needs to perform a similar role to Mahela Jayawardene in the Sri Lanka team and Flower believes he has shown he can do that.”Graham Gooch has worked very closely with him on his batting for a long time – because obviously one-day cricket is very different to Test cricket,” he said. “I think he’s adapted well. It might not look as pretty as a Jayawardene, but it’s been even more effective in this series. He should feel very proud of his contribution with the bat, and how he’s handled some of the pressure he’s been under.”However, not all England’s batsmen enjoyed such a productive series. Kevin Pietersen’s lean time in ODIs since 2008 continued with 85 runs in four innings, while Ian Bell didn’t look at home at No. 6 where he made 81 runs at a strike of under 70. In an column during the series Bell admitted it was a role he was uncomfortable with, but Flower hinted it’s one he will have to get used to.”Ian Bell’s job, or anyone else’s job when they’re picked for England, is to perform,” Flower said. “Whether they’re happy or not is by the by. They are given a job, and they have got to do it. He’s had a tough series. He wasn’t the only one – not everyone can succeed at the same time.”Flower, though, will hope that Bell’s problems in the one-day arena don’t impacted his prolific Test form of 2011 when he has averaged over 300. Thoughts now turn to the four-match series against India which starts on July 21 and the one-day success means England remain buoyant.”It’s always important to win, and we’re always under pressure to do so when representing England,” Flower said. “The bottom line is we did it, we didn’t lose the series. It’s a good confidence-builder for those guys that they held themselves so well under pressure.”