Third Umpire

A good year to be an Australian debutant

2011-12-24T18:10:00.003Z

When Ed Cowan makes his Test debut in the Boxing Day Test, he will nudge the number of Australians handed their baggy green cap up to ten in 2011- more than any year since 1977. Then the selectors could blame the chaos caused by World Series Cricket; now it is the fallout to Ashes defeat.

Of those that have already debuted in 2011, four can be sure of joining Cowan in the final eleven at the MCG. David Warner carried his bat for 123* in Australia’s recent defeat to New Zealand and, though he has only played two Tests, there are legitimate hopes he can transfer his stunning Twenty20 form into the Test game. To become anything close to an Australian Sehwag, Warner will need to cope with the swinging ball, but he managed rather well against the Kiwis. The well-directed short ball will also be a challenge: Phil Hughes, remember, scored two hundreds in his second Test until found out by this.

Shaun Marsh looked a Test match natural in compiling 141 on debut in Sri Lanka: so compelling was his knock that Ricky Ponting was promptly moved away from number three, and the spot given to Marsh. Injuries mean he has only received two more caps, but given the solidity and range of shots Marsh has displayed, as well as a phlegmatic temperament, expect him to finish his career, like his father Geoff, with over 50 appearances.

Two new bowlers will also appear on Boxing Day. James Pattinson younger brother of England’s Darren, picked up 14 wickets in two Tests against New Zealand, pitching the ball up and consistently swinging the ball late. The off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been quietly successful: with his cool temperament, control and subtle variations, he enjoys more job security than any Australian spinner since Warne. This might not be saying much, but 22 wickets at less than 25 is a hugely impressive return from his first seven Tests.

Yet the most memorable Australian debut of 2011 was from a man who won’t play at the MCG. Pat Cummins’ first Test was as remarkable as they come, combining a haul of 6/79 with a calm 13* to take Australia to a two-wicket win in South Africa. Only 18, Cummins is clearly a cricketer of rare promise, combining pace and swing with a dangerous bouncer that, unlike many young quick bowlers, he doesn’t overuse. Mickey Arthur has already compared Cummins to Dale Steyn, and the new Australian coach will be frustrated Cummins will miss the India Tests through injury. That a man with only one Test appearance is regarded as a substantial loss is an indication both of Cummins’ progress and the current state of the Australian side.

Rather inevitably, the positive impressions have not extended to all Australia’s Test debutants this year. With an excellent first-class record, Usman Khawaja was much-hyped before his Test debut and, somewhat bizarrely, earned a standing ovation for his assured 37 against England in January. He has a solid technique but, like a young Mark Ramprakash, his Test batting is characterised by passivity: when scoring 7 off 51 balls against New Zealand, Khawaja appeared strokeless. He also shares a propensity for middling scores with the young Ramprakash: seven of Khawaja’s nine Test dismissals have been between 12 and 38.

Whereas Khawaja’s problems seem about self-belief, Australia’s other three Test debutants of 2011 lack the requisite class. The left-arm spinner Michael Beer has slipped back into obscurity since taking 1-112 against England at Sydney: a first-class average of 45 suggests he should remain there. Trent Copeland, better described as a medium-pacer than a fast bowler, performed well enough when injuries earned him three caps in Sri Lanka. But for all his parsimony – his economy rate in those Tests was 2.1 – Copeland lacks penetration, as three wickets in his last four first-class matches reveals. Finally, the left-arm quick Mitchell Starc is not yet 22, but didn’t look Test ready in his two games against New Zealand.

Giving Test caps away is a precarious business. As such, the Australian selectors, so derided for their haphazard selections in the Ashes, deserve credit: realistically, five of this year’s debutants could be prominent members of their 2013 Ashes side. Australia should certainly be encouraged by the displays of their debutants; it is their senior players who should concern them.

Championship team of season

2011-09-22T21:48:00.002+01:00

Marcus Trescothick

As imperious as ever, Trescothick scored 290 more runs than anyone else in either division, despite missing three games to a cruel injury. His dominance is such that it has become a cliché to describe him as batting on a different pitch from everyone else.

Mike Carberry

Though it wasn’t enough to keep Hampshire in division one, Carberry’s return, after fears his career was over, was astounding. Against Yorkshire, he hit 300*, displaying the range of shots and concentration that earned him an England Test cap only 18 months ago, while his last-day century against Warwickshire denied them the title.

Chris Rogers

Brought in to average over 50 and lead a side to promotion that finished eighth in division two in the previous two seasons, Rogers made the twin challenges seem positively easy.

Dale Benkenstein

There was no third championship in four years for Durham, but Benkenstein’s excellence remained unabated: only Trescothick exceeded his 1353 division one runs. Long established as his side’s crisis man, Benkenstein’s experience as skipper was a valuable aid for Phil Mustard.

Zander de Bruyn

In a Surrey top six that is as gung-ho as they come, de Bruyn provides stickability, and two hundreds and two fifties in the last three games allowed Surrey to claim a remarkable promotion. Somerset fans, not unreasonably, will feel they might just have won the championship had he not been lured to The Oval.

Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper)

In an otherwise bleak season for Yorkshire Bairstow’s excellence, culminating in a memorable England ODI debut, provided some solace. Attractive and calm in front of the stumps, he scored his runs at a strike-rate – 69 – that few top-order batsmen can match. With the gloves Bairstow improved but is not yet the equal of his late father.

Will Gidman

With one first-class appearance before the season began, bookmakers would have given any odds on Gidman becoming the first man for 15 years to score 1000 championship runs and take 50 wickets. But do that he did; and with a batting average (45) more than double his bowling one (21). A late developer at 26, Gidman deserves England Lions recognition.

Glen Chapple (captain)

It’s not only sentimentality that earns Chapple a place in this side, which his achievement in lifting the pennant without stars ensures he leads. At 37, his canny fast-medium bowling was effective enough to claim 55 wickets at under 20, despite often not being fully fit. Though he was uncharacteristically short of runs, Lancashire would not have won the championship without his 97 in their penultimate game.

Tim Murtagh

Unlucky to never represent England (though he may yet play for Ireland), Murtagh’s best season yet propelled Middlesex to promotion. A round 80 wickets in 15 matches highlight his potency, which is especially great with the new ball, as a three-wicket bust in 16 balls against Derbyshire illustrates.

David Masters

Lazy cricket writers have spent years describing Masters as a “nagging seamer” and “journeyman”, but he forced them to be rather more imaginative after claiming 93 wickets. Masters’ mastery of the Tiflex ball and constant ability to seam it was never more evident than when he claimed 8/10 against Leicestershire.

Gary Keedy

The mark of Keedy’s bowling is that his left-arm spin is almost as effective in April as August, while his parsimony (giving away just 2.5 an over) means Lancashire never lost control in the field. His 4-57 from 28 overs in the first innings of the victory at Taunton perfectly encapsulated his qualities.

Saving the ICC from their own stupidity

2011-04-20T00:18:00.001+01:00

Today brought the very welcome news that the 10-team World Cup format may not be so final after all. If they want to maintain the integrity of the sport by making the World Cup more than just an invitational trophy, the ICC face some difficult decisions - made all the more so by their own essential impotence. When the 10 full members run the game, it is easy to see why self-interest reigns supreme.

So it may well prove difficult for the ICC to get enough of the full members to vote for a qualification tournament; Bangladeshi and Zimbabwean turkeys are unlikely to be great fans of Christmas. Instead they may try and devise a new format. To the greatest degree possible, it must (a) match the ICC's TV contract with ESPN-Star, which requires a minimum of 48 games in the World Cup and (b) ensure India play as many games as possible. These are the depressing realities.

Within these not inconsiderable constraints, what is the best we can hope for?

My proposal would be for two groups of six, which would make for 30 round-robin games.
Ideally I would then like the group winners to progress to the semi-finals, and the second and third sides to play off against each other, but that format would mean the ICC would have to pay a lot of compensation.

Alternatively - and more financially viable (how depressing it is how finances cannot be separated from any discussion of World Cup formats) - the top four could go into a Super Eight phase. Now, I know - cricket has not had good experiences with Super Eights / Sixes in 50-over World Cups.

But two groups of four, along the lines of the format used in the World Twenty20, would possess an excitement wholly lacking in the miserable 2007 tournament, when the Super Eights seemed to never end.

These groups could consist of the top and fourth ranked side from group A in the opening stages, alongside numbers two and three from group B (and visa versa). No points would be carried forward, as this is always liable to be messy. But crucially, the positions of any sides level on points after the Super Eights would be determined by what position they finished in the first round groups. This would create a real incentive for sides to win their groups in the first round - one conspicuous by its absence in the recent tournament.

There would therefore by 12 Super Eight games (each side playing the others in their group), bringing the total number of games to 42. Add in semis, a third-placed play-off and the final and that brings us to 46, minimising the damage to the ICC.

Perhaps it's not quite ideal - what tournament structure is? - but this format both protects the full members and gives an incentive to the associates to progress. Above all, it would create a much more vibrant and exciting tournament than the current planned format for 2015.

We'll see what is announced at the ICC's meeting in June. In the meantime, what an opportunity for Ireland. If they were to win one of their two ODIs against Pakistan in May, let alone both, while getting large crowds in, the case for the reversal of the scandalous decision would grow greater still.

How a six-team Test championship would work

2011-04-18T00:32:00.000+01:00

Further to my previous post calling for two Test divisions of six nations each, here is how it would actually work:

Every side would have to play every other in their league home-and-away, in at least three match series, over a four-year cycle. This means every side would have to play a minimum of 30 Tests every four years for the purposes of the Test championship.
Sides would be free to play longer series (four or five Tests) should they please - so the Ashes could continue in exactly the same way.
Sides would also be free to play Tests against countries outside their division; New Zealand would therefore be able to play around 20 Tests against sides in the top division (when they were outside) every four years. This is only slightly less than they do at the moment. The Ashes, for example, would continue in an identical way even if Australia continued their slump and were relegated.
The points system would work as follows. For every series in the division, there would be a total of six points available. Five of these would be allocated according to the games (so there would be 1 point available per victory in a Test in a five-match series, but 1.67 per victory in a three-Test series, preventing teams getting an advantage for playing more). The points system would encourage attacking cricket - both sides would only get one-third of the points available for a game if they drew it - and also ensure 'dead rubbers' retained a real relevance. There would also be a one-point bonus for a side winning a series.
The culmination of the four years would be the play-off matches - providing Test cricket with a showpiece event it needs. Matches would be played at a country that won the hosting rights. The play-offs would consist of the top two sides in the top division playing three Tests to determine the Test champions of the tournament. During the breaks between their Tests, there would be the play-off series, also of three Tests, between the bottom (sixth-placed) side in the top division and the winners of the second division, with the winners earning the right to play in the top division for the next four-year cycle. Pitches would be prepared by an independent body, designed with results in mind. In the event of a drawn series, the winners of the second division would be promoted, thereby encouraging the higher-ranked side to play attacking cricket and prove they deserved to remain in the division.

To show how it would work in practice, here are two prospective schedules. The first is for England in division one; the second for them in division two (NB assuming New Zealand replaced them in division one)

Division One

Year 1

Home – New Zealand 2 Tests; India 4 Tests

Away – South Africa 5 Tests; West Indies 2 Tests

Year 2

Home – Ireland 1 Test; Australia 5 Tests

Away – Bangladesh 1 Test; India 4 Tests

Year 3

Home – Sri Lanka 3 Test; Pakistan 3 Tests

Away – New Zealand 2 Tests; Australia 5 Tests;

Year 4

Home – West Indies 2 Tests; South Africa 5 Tests

Away –Pakistan 3 Tests; Sri Lanka 3 Tests; then Test championship

Total number of Tests – 50

Division Two

Year 1

Home – Afghanistan 3 Tests; India 3 Tests

Away – South Africa 3 Tests; West Indies 3 Tests;

Year 2

Home – Ireland 3 Tests; Australia 5 Tests

Away – Bangladesh 3 Tests; India 3 Tests

Year 3

Home – Zimbabwe 3 Test; West Indies 3 Tests

Away – Australia 5 Tests;

Year 4

Home – Ireland 3 Tests (away, but played during English season); Bangladesh 3 Tests; South Africa 3 Tests

Away – Zimbabwe 3 Tests; Afghanistan 3 Tests; then Test championship

Total number of Tests – 52

Even in division two, England still have 22 Tests over three years against the biggest crowd-pullers – Australia, India and South Africa.

(Teams in italics are those outside England’s division)

Why six team Test divisions is the answer

2011-04-18T00:08:00.005+01:00

Amidst all the rightful uproar over the exclusion of the associates from the 2015 World Cup, Test cricket has rather been ignored. Yet the perennial issue of how games can be more competitive, and be lent real context, is only going to become more pressing when Zimbabwe return to Test cricket in a few months.

Let’s be honest – it’s going to be pretty unpalatable. Against everyone except Bangladesh, Zimbabwe will get thrashed. A 38-year-old Murray Goodwin would be their best batsman if he revoked his international retirement. Heck, if Andy Flower fancied a new challenge I’m sure he could get back in the side tomorrow. Damning evidence of how uncompetitive Zimbabwe will be came during the World Cup, especially a ten-wicket loss to a New Zealand side that lost 4-0 in an ODI series in Bangladesh five months earlier. They certainly didn’t look much like a side who have earned their Test status back – rather, one who will simply massage the statistics of their opponents.

Whenever there are some ugly mismatches in Tests, discussion of a Test championship is never far away. The usual call is for two divisions of eight, with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe joining the minnows in the second tier. Yet this really wouldn’t help the problem. In division one, thanks to the weakness of the West Indies and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand, one-sided games would remain. And they would be plenty in division too, too; Kenya, Canada and Scotland would be to that league what Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are to Tests now. These sides would have neither the levels of cricketing interest nor the quality of players to make the exercise anything other than futile.

Promotion and relegation between the leagues would provide the context for the games but imagine the repercussions if the Windies slipped into the second tier? It’s no exaggeration to say Test cricket could completely collapse. Sponsors would run; players would prioritise lucrative Twenty20 even more than they do today. Fans, used to seeing Australia, South Africa and India, wouldn’t touch games against Kenya and co. Remember, too, that England were ranked ninth as recently as 1999 – how would they have fancied five years, sans the Ashes, slugging it out with the Netherlands instead? The gap would make that notorious chasm between the football Premier League and Championship appear trivial.

A much more sensible solution, previously not suggested, is two division of six. This is how it would work.

Every four years, the Test league would take place. Each side in division one and two would be required to play every other side in their division in home-and-away series of at least three matches. Every game would count towards the league standings. The culmination of the four years would be a three-match series played between the sides ranked first and second in the top division. Simultaneously, there would be a three-match play-off series between the bottom-ranked side in the top division and the top side of division one. And there could be something similar, though not granted Test status, between the bottom-ranked side in the second division and the winner of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which would continue. This would provide Test cricket with the showpiece it badly needs, giving players and sides a tangible aim every four years. Winning the championship would captivate in a way that reaching number one in the Test rankings simply does not; sides like New Zealand and West Indies, which currently bumble along thrashing those ranked below them but struggling against the rest, in the limited Tests they play against them, would have something realistic – promotion or avoiding relegation - to aspire to.

Division two would produce some competitive and intriguing cricket. I’d much rather watch Ireland tussle Bangladesh than Shane Watson pulverise the Tigers. It would also provide those outside the current Test-playing nations the matches they need both to improve as teams and further increase the popularity of the sport. Mercifully, the charade of the best minnow players qualifying for other countries to play Tests would end; George Dockrell wouldn’t need to worry about England.

So far, so good – but surely Australia, England and India would block such a championship, fearful of how much revenue they would lose if they suffered relegation? But the great strength of this format is its openness: teams would only have to play 30 Tests every four years against those in the same division. Given that England played a total of 50 Tests in the period between the last two World Cups, this leaves ample scope for other fixtures. So New Zealand and the West Indies would not suddenly be cut-off from the sides in division one. The Kiwis played only 25 Tests against sides ranked above them between the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, and could expect to play division one sides in 20 Tests over four years under this system.

India and friends wouldn’t have to worry about losing out on revenue if they were relegated. If England were, they could still play home-and-away Ashes series of five Tests apiece, as well as, say, three-match contests against India and South Africa home-and-away over four years in division two. Relegation, though a great embarrassment, wouldn’t be the sporting and financial catastrophe it would be under eight-nation divisions.

Undeniably, this change would make Test matches a much more appealing prospect: more games would be played between sides of the same standard; there would be more overall meaning; and there would be a thrilling climax every four years. To those crying ‘but what of the statistics?’, cricket needs to get over its numbers obsession. Iran’s Ali Daei has more international goals than anyone else, but no one thinks he’s better than Pele. Besides, it wouldn’t require a degree in mathematics to see the difference in Test stats between division one and division two.

Under this system, all sides would become aspirational. Far from destroying Test cricket in New Zealand and West Indies, the challenge of getting promoted would be reinvigorating, in a way their current schedules clearly are not. There would be a very welcome bonus, too: as all league series would have to be at least three Tests, that miserable specimen known as the two-match series would become virtually extinct. If cricket is to be expanded, as it should, this is how.

See my post on How it would actually work

Gloucestershire: 2011 Season Preview

2011-04-16T10:43:00.007+01:00

2010 in a nutshell:

2010 was a somewhat disappointing year overall for the Gladiators. In the County Championship the club finished fifth in Division Two after a fairly disastrous end to the season. Once again it was generally the bowling which was the stronger suit for Gloucestershire, so much so in fact that two thirds of their 2010 County Championship wickets came from players who have been drawn away to supposedly bigger and better things. The biggest negative for Gloucestershire was undoubtedly the ease with which they were turned over on no less than nine occasions (matched only by Warwickshire). At home they won just two County Championship matches, not good enough. In the T20, Gloucestershire finished bottom of the Southern Group, enough said. It was a slightly better story in the 40 Over League, where the Gladiators narrowly missed out on the knockout stages, finishing third by just one point in Group B. Overall, it was a season to forget, although there were glimpses of the potential residing at this club of great history.

2011 prospects:

Departures galore across the disciplines will hurt the Gladiators, but not perhaps as much as people first may think. A promotion challenge is an outside possibility, but without a top quality spinner in the County Championship, and with a number of inexperienced players throughout the side, the consistency of performance will probably not match that required for a serious push. Much more likely is success in the T20, aided by the signing of the magical Murali, somewhat of a miracle for a club so strapped of cash. This alone would be a welcome change from last season, when the club faired so badly. A lot will depend on how quickly the new youngsters and new overseas signing, Kane Williamson, adapt to county cricket.

Batting:

The top order has undergone a bit of an overhaul, as in been replaced! Kadeer Ali was let go and William Porterfield is now plying his trade at Warwickshire. Allrounder Rob Woodman and very surprisingly, wicket keeper Steven Snell, were also released. Finally, James Franklin has been replaced by fellow Kiwi Williamson, a destructive player with bags of potential. Ian Cockbain, Richard Coughtrie and Chris Dent face a tough time in their first full seasons with the club and this is why I expect the batting to once again be the county’s downfall across the competitions. Will Gidman meanwhile will hope for more action than he had at Durham, now that he has been reunited with his brother once again. The burden will rest largely with Captain and talisman Alex Gidman and overseas player Williamson, who will bat at three. Hamish Marshall along with veterans Jonathan Batty and Chris Taylor will also be looked to for significant contributions across the three formats and a bit more consistency than they were able to muster last year.

Bowling:

The departures have been plentiful. Steve Kirby has moved on to Somerset in the hope of international honours as he approaches the twilight of his career. The great find of last season, Gemaal Hussain rather did the dirty on the club that gave him a chance and joins Kirby at Somerset for this season. Franklin hasn’t come back this year and even Anthony Ireland has moved on to Middlesex. However, what appears depressing to begin with could in fact become a major positive for the club. Young fast bowlers are coming through the ranks and there are high hopes for Liam Norwell (right arm fast-medium) especially, along with David Payne (left arm fast-medium) and Ian Saxelby (right arm medium, who can bat). Led by the evergreen Jon Lewis, who is fast becoming an allrounder it seems, there is real hope for the seam attack this year, so expect the bowling to remain pretty strong despite the departures. The problem then? Spin, or the lack thereof yet again. Gloucestershire will again be dependent on the inconsistent twosome of Vikram Banerjee and Richard Dawson (now also the spin bowling coach), apart from when Murali arrives for the T20 of course. If only he could play all year...

Probable side:

Cockbain
Batty (wk)
Williamson
Marshall
A. Gidman (c)
Taylor
W. Gidman
Saxelby
Lewis
Payne (Banerjee)
Norwell

An all pace attack is likely more often than not in the County Championship, given the relative weakness of the spin options available.

Key Man:

My pick is Alex Gidman, Captain, talisman and a supremely talented and dangerous player, who has been on the verge of England selection for the past few years. He can be a destructive player, whose allround contribution and leadership of those younger players will prove decisive on many occasions for Gloucestershire this year. He will have to massively improve on last years’ efforts though, when he averaged just 23.

Rising Star:

Liam Norwell is a young right arm English bowler capable of making the breakthrough this year and more than that, making a real contribution to the county’s success. If he performs as well for the Gladiators as he has for the youth team then the county will find themselves with a more than adequate replacement for the likes of Steve Kirby and Gemaal Hussain.

Captain and Coach:

Alex Gidman has already been mentioned a lot, indicating the county’s reliance on him. As a Captain he leads by example and hopefully the younger additions to the side will follow in his stride. As for the coach, John Bracewell, he has always been considered as a bit of a one day specialist, but he will be desperate to improve the clubs fortunes in the longest and shortest versions of the game. His nurturing of the young talent in this side will be key to Gloucestershire’s chances of success and he will need to get the blend of experience and youth right throughout the season.

Prediction:

Just outside the promotion places in the County Championship and progress to the knockout stages of the T20 Cup. Finals day is a possibility if the batting clicks for the Gladiators, but it rarely does. The 40 Over League will probably be used as a breeding ground for some more youngsters meanwhile.

Essex: 2011 season preview

2011-04-15T13:26:00.010+01:00

2010 in a nutshell

One-day fun days accompanied by self-destruction in the championship. A first season in Division One since 2003 ended, as it had done on the two previous occasions that Essex reached the top tier, with relegation. After thumping eventual champions Notts and drawing with Yorkshire in July, Essex had 107 points from 11 matches and faced relegation rivals Warwickshire (twice) and Kent in their final five games. They lost four (only drawing with Durham after relegation was confirmed), bowled out for less than 200 seven times in 14 innings, and mustering just 19 points. You don't have to be Good Will Hunting to work out that equation.

Still, there was the usual proficiency in the short forms to enjoy. Ryan ten Doeschate, despite missing a chunk of the season with injury, showcased the abilities that would later inspire the Netherlands at the World Cup, while Ravi Bopara and the ever-in-bloom Grant Flower (who notched two 40-over tons at the age of 39) also scored heavily as Essex reached the semi-finals of both the Twenty20 Cup and the CB40 competition. However, Dwayne Bravo was bussed in to fairly disastrous effect for T20 finals day, while a Trescothick-inspired Somerset ended hopes of a fourth one-day title in six years.

2010 prospects

I write this after the first game of the season (defeat to Kent) and in the midst of a first-innings collapse against Middlesex, so the forecast looks a little bleak right now. The addition of Owais Shah (currently at the IPL with Ten Doeschate) should strengthen the batting, while the return to the second tier will hopefully give the likes of Jaik Mickleburgh, Tom Westley and Billy Godleman further opportunities to develop. The bowling attack, led by the supremely reliable David Masters and with South Africa's Lonwabe Tsotsobe as overseas player, looks as good as any in Division Two - if, unusually for Essex, a little light on spin options.

However, if Bopara joins Alastair Cook on England duty for much of the summer and the likes of Mark Pettini and Matthew Walker fail to contribute significantly, captain James Foster is going to need shoulders like Atlas to lead Essex up again. The Eagles were somewhat fortunate (and probably unready) to win promotion two seasons ago, so don't be surprised to see them fiddle around in the middle of the Div Two pack in 2011. Essex's focus is likely to remain on both the one-day competitions - T20 at Chelmsford is the county's real money spinner, after all - and with Ten Does and Scott Styris in the side for the 20-over format, a real crack at lifting the trophy for the first time is expected.

Likely team

With everyone available, this would have been my first-choice line-up before the start of the season:

Cook, Mickleburgh, Shah, Bopara, Walker, Ten Doeschate, Foster (wk), Masters, Phillips/Wright, Tsotsobe, Chambers

However, with the emergence of Reece Topley (see below) and the absence of key players due to the IPL and international call-ups, the team is more likely to look something like this:

Godleman, Mickleburgh, Bopara/Pettini, Walker, Westley, Foster (wk), Phillips, Masters, Tsotsobe, Chambers, Topley/Wright

Key man

James Foster has had more than enough on his plate in recent seasons, what with keeping wicket to almost Russellian standards and maintaining a batting average in the 35+ region, all the while trying to catch the selectors' eye. Now he's got the captaincy to manage too. After the pressure proved too much for Pettini midway through last season, Foster carried out an adroit balancing act that didn't seem to greatly affect his form (he finished as joint leading run-scorer in the championship) - but he'll have to do the same in spades this year if he is not to be overwhelmed.

Rising star

Reece Topley - who doesn't even have a first-team profile on the Essex website - is a 6ft 7in 17-year-old with two five-wicket hauls to his name in as many championship appearances. The son of former Essex bowler Don Topley, Reece made his first-class debut against Cambridge at Fenners in March and is about as raw as 18 ounces of blue steak, but he seems able to extract swing as well as the bounce that comes with his lofty action. Comparisons with Steve Finn and Chris Tremlett are to be expected, though Essex should be wary of exposing such a prospect to the effects of burnout.

Coach and captain

Foster has taken on the armband, such as it is, and there is little doubt that he is the most inspirational of Essex's senior players. At 31, his England chances now appear to have receded terminally, but his nous at this level is invaluable. Paul Grayson remains head coach and he is as enthusiastic and straight-talking as ever. The Yorkshireman seems to recognise that the batting is too frequently of the papier mache variety - whether he can fix that, as a former top-order player himself, is the big question.

Prediction

Coloured by the dismal start (we're now following-on at Lord's), I'd say a four-day challenge is remote, given the amount of young players likely to make up the bulk of the side. Mid-table consolidation coupled with T20 mastery seems like the best outcome.

Replacing Colly

2011-04-15T12:16:00.006+01:00

It is a remarkable fact that of the seven batsmen who represented England in the epic 2005 Ashes series, four played in the last test match. While bowlers have come and gone, there has been a remarkably stability about the England batting order, with five of the top six in the recent Ashes series having more than 50 caps for England (and few would bet against Jonathan Trott achieving the same longevity). This has led to accusations of a closed shop in the past as the incumbent batsmen have been persevered with, but it does mean that when a place comes up in the batting order, there is a genuine feeling of “who can grasp the nettle”.

Paul Collingwood’s timely retirement from Test cricket gives the batsmen that first opportunity at permanency since Andrew Flintoff’s body decided enough was enough in 2009. Colly was an obdurate (the word “nuggety” will be a lot less used now) test batsman, averaging over 40, typically when the runs were needed most. His bowling was no more than handy at test level (only 17 wickets) but his fielding was outstanding and in the most recent series, probably his greatest asset. So who are the contenders?

Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Probably the favourite having played against Pakistan last summer when Ian Bell was injured and carrying the drinks in Australia. He did score a century last summer, but that innings accounted for more than half of his runs in his eight innings. Only seven first class tons in nearly 100 innings do not seem the form of a batsman who can go on to play the big innings required at Test level. A critical part of the One Day squad, he is clearly well thought of, but would need to put to rest the perception that he is a one day specialist quickly.

Ravi Bopara (Essex) He had an extended chance before Trott was selected and while he utterly dominant against a poor West Indies team, he was dismantled by Australia in 2009. He is probably the most like for like replacement in that he also bowls handy medium pacers, but is likely to find his niche in the One Day team. Unfortunately, not quite good enough for Test cricket.

James Taylor (Leicestershire) A young man with a very bright future, he was young cricketer of the year in 2009 he scored prolifically for Leicestershire last season and impressed with the England Lions in the winter, second in the batting averages among the recognised batsmen. His time will come, but with his runs mainly having come against Division 2 opposition, he will need to continue to impress at Lions level to press his claim.

James Hildredth (Somerset) The man to beat Taylor in the Lions averages, which he managed while captaining the squad. Hildredth has long been seen as a talented cricketer, but it is only in the last two seasons that he has put the promise into practise, being a vital cog in Somerset’s push for trophies last season. Justin Langer rates him very highly and he is a very strong contender.

Andrew Gale (Yorkshire) Another man who has captained the England Lions and had a successful tour as a player over the winter. Gale took a while to break into the Yorkshire squad, but having done so, he has flourished, particularly as captain. He is a batsman who seems to deliver when it is needed most and the pressures of captaincy have enhanced rather than detracted from his game. Should he be given the chance and take it, he is also a real alternative to Alistair Cook as the next England captain.

Adil Rashid (Yorkshire) A bit more left field this suggestion, and certainly not a like for like replacement. However, with Matt Prior averaging well over 40 in test cricket, there would seem to be little reason to suggest that he could not bat at 6, with Rashid batting at 7 as a bowling allrounder. This would allow England to play with two spinners and with the likes of Broad, Bresnan and Swann, still maintain a strong batting line up.

My choice: The Rashid experiment may need to wait until later in the season. Test cricket in May is not the time to experiment with a new leg-spinner, as Chris Schofield could probably testify. For me, Hildredth just edges it over Gale to be given the first opportunity.

A new Caribbean dawn? Pull the other one

2011-04-14T21:16:00.010+01:00

After their latest cricket humiliation - the 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan at the World Cup - West Indies coach Otis Gibson has taken some pretty serious action. From the ODI squad for the upcoming series against the same opponents, he has dropped Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and, most eye-catchingly of all, Chris Gayle.

Given that Chanderpaul is nearing 37, his omission isn't very surprising: he has no chance of playing in the next World Cup. The death of ODIs may have been greatly exaggerated, but the death of bilateral ODI series has not been. Where they are interesting, it tends to be because they are played before the Test series, lending them context. Piggy-backed onto the end of the Tests, they are essentially meaningless. So it makes sense to ditch Chanderpaul, in this form of the game at least.

Sarwan and Gayle, however, are both 30, so clearly haven't been dropped for reasons of age. Sarwan has struggled for form for some time now, and was never fluent at the World Cup. Gayle was, but the view that he doesn't care much has always lingered, albeit unfairly at times. If you are trying to build a new team with spirit and work ethic, it probably makes sense to dump Gayle. Keeping him in, for all the brilliance of his batting, risks sending a symbol that it's fine to act in such a nonchalant way with so little apparent passion for the West Indies (with his decision to arrive back from an IPL stint only two days before a Lord's Test perhaps the best example of this). To a degree, Gayle is probably slightly unlucky - he strikes me as a man for whom, like David Gower, endless hours of training would be counter-productive. Nevertheless, dropping him is a powerful symbol.

Yet the most disheartening aspect of the selection news concerns two all-rounders who should be integral to a West Indian revival. Both Dwayne Bravo and Kieran Pollard will miss international fixtures to play in the IPL - and the West Indies board don't even bother threatening not to select them in future. Of Pollard, the statement even said, "It was mutually determined that Pollard would be best served by being allowed to hone his T20 skills in the Indian Premier League, which will bring future benefit to West Indies cricket". Who do they expect will believe that?

With commitment levels like that from their best players, it is no wonder the board have said they want to make it 'special' to represent the West Indies again. And it's why talk that the West Indies won't exist as a cricketing entity in 2020, but a series of nations, continues to linger.

World Cup petition

2011-04-08T01:21:00.004+01:00

Just a quick note on the World Cup petition we've put together - so far we have had over 1300 signatures, which is a great effort. I have also had an email from the ICC's legal team (some people were using their chief executive's email address, but I've since increased security to prevent this from being possible) - that they know about it must be a good thing.

Anyway, do try and spread the word if you can. In the meantime, check out this interesting article calling for a 20-team World Cup on Idle Summers - it makes business and cricketing sense. Not sure that would be my number one option but, but I'd certainly prefer it a great deal to a 10-team tournament!

A new county season - will Somerset actually win something?

2011-04-08T01:08:00.003+01:00

So today marks the beginning of the new county season, less than a week after the World Cup final. Cricket really is a 365 day a year sport.

Somerset look like they might be able to improve on their treble of near misses last year. As well as powerful batting - Trescothick, Hildreth, Kieswetter - they have boosted their bowling attack. Steve Kirby is an astute signing, while overseas spin, in the form of Ajantha Mendis and then Murali Kartik, will get plenty of wickets, especially given that most English batsmen seem allergic to using their feet to spin. And George Dockrell could be an excellent signing too.

In the meantime, here are 10 county players to watch (click the links to read why)-
Simon Jones
Alviro Petersen
Owais Shah
Amjad Khan
Graham Onions
James Taylor
George Dockrell
Danny Briggs
Jonny Bairstow
Tom Maynard

What are your thoughts on the list? And, indeed predictions for the new season?

County men to watch - Danny Briggs

2011-04-08T00:59:00.003+01:00

Briggs is a left-arm spinner whose action evokes that of Dan Vettori. He benefited from the England Lions tour more than anyone else, claiming 33 wickets at under 20 with guile and plenty of turn. Briggs out-bowled Adil Rashid on that tour – and it may not be too long until he overtakes Monty Panesar as England’s second choice Test spinner. Unusually for a slow bowler yet to turn 20, Briggs has also fared outstandingly in the hustle-and-bustle of Twenty20.

County men to watch - Jonny Bairstow

2011-04-08T00:59:00.001+01:00

Like his father, Jonny is a Yorkshire wicket-keeper and he too could play for England. In both his seasons for Yorkshire, Bairstow (21) has averaged in excess of 40, as well as impressing on the recent England Lions tour to the Caribbean. A natural behind the stumps and a resolute batsman, Bairstow knows some long innings – he has 15 first-class 50s but is yet to score a hundred – will put him in contention for a winter touring spot.

County men to watch - Tom Maynard

2011-04-08T00:47:00.000+01:00

Amidst the chaos that saw Alviro Petersen appointed new Glamorgan skipper, Tom Maynard left the club. Though his time at Glamorgan was characterised more by rich potential than performance, fans were sad that a man of his stroke-playing ability had left. A move to Surrey could provide the spur Maynard, 22, needs to achieve more consistency, especially in first-class cricket. If he can manage that, his clean-hitting is such that the next World Twenty20, to be held in the autumn of 2012, is a realistic aim.

County men to watch - George Dockrell

2011-04-08T00:45:00.001+01:00

Dockrell starred for Ireland at the World Cup, most notably dismissing Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. Just 18, Dockrell is a left-arm spinner who gives the ball a pleasing flight, as well as getting probing turn and bounce. But his biggest attribute is his relentless accuracy. Aided by an admirable temperament, Dockrell picked up 2/23 from his ten overs against Bangladesh. Somerset recognised his potential, handing him a two-year contract last year, and he could be a huge asset towards the end of the season.

County men to watch - James Taylor

2011-04-07T20:07:00.001+01:00

Taylor may be tiny – just 5ft 5in – but so have many of the finest ever batsmen. The 21-year-old has excited judges more than any prodigy since Ian Bell, and with very good reason. So far he averages in excess of 45 in both first-class and one-day cricket, and has already displayed a relish for long innings in hitting two double centuries. The responsibility of being Leicestershire’s best batsman seems to inspire him and, after averaging 58 for the England Lions, how far away is a first Test cap?

County men to watch - Graham Onions

2011-04-07T20:06:00.001+01:00

Onions admits he watched the Ashes with no little frustration – the man who dismissed Shane Watson and Mike Hussey with the first two balls of the day at Edgbaston in 2009 could easily have been there. Having not played since January 2010, Durham will need to manage his workload sagaciously. If they do, he could soon add to his 28 Test wickets, which have come sat a very respectable 31 apiece. That he remains in England’s plans was made clear when he was named in the England Performance squad for this season.

County men to watch - Amjad Khan

2011-04-07T20:01:00.000+01:00

A bowler capable of generating reverse swing at great pace, Khan was handed a Test cap in the West Indies in 2009 – only Darren Pattinson trumps him in the ranks of unlikely England Test players over the last decade. Thereafter, he has slipped into anonymity, and the Danish-born quick will hope a winter move from Kent to Sussex can reinvigorate a career that risks being ravaged by injury. Sussex will need him to be a success to remain in Division One.

County men to watch - Owais Shah

2011-04-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

Controversially released by Middlesex last season – made all the more acrimonious because he found out through a journalist – Shah moved to Essex. With his desire to rebuild his reputation, expect Shah to score plenty of runs, mixing classical shots with his own idiosyncratic ones, though he will miss the start of the season due to IPL commitments. At 32, he says he retains ambitions of playing for England. Though he averaged over 50 in all three forms of the game as an overseas player in South Africa during the off season, Shah, seemingly blacklisted from the England set-up, will need to score monumentally to earn a recall.

County men to watch - Alviro Petersen

2011-04-07T00:21:00.002+01:00

Our second man to watch is new Glamoragn skipper Alviro Petersen.
Glamorgan played a high price indeed for his signing. After his appointment, ex-skipper Jamie Dalrymple left the club, director of cricket Matt Maynard resigned and his son, promising young batsman Tom, followed out the door. Even without the winter upheaval, Petersen already faced a tough challenge – joining a new club as captain is notoriously difficult. The best way to stabilise matters will be to make runs. Petersen, who scored a century on his Test debut in India last year, should bring solidity to Glamorgan’s top-order, and will probably bat at three.

County men to watch - Simon Jones

2011-04-07T00:17:00.001+01:00

I've picked ten county men to watch, which I'll be posting. I begin - perhaps more in hope than expectation - with Simon Jones.
Though he has had almost as many attempted comebacks as George Best, Jones is still only 32 and – until his next injury, at least – can still produce terrific spells. That much he proved with some outstanding bowling for Hampshire in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament. With yorkers, well disguised slower balls and more pace than one would expect considering his injury record, he took 12 wickets at ten apiece, prompting dreams he could again represent England – most likely as a strike bowler in the shorter formats.

2011 Season Preview - Yorkshire

2011-04-06T13:10:00.002+01:00

2010 in a Nutshell

Favourites to go down at the beginning of the season, Yorkshire nearly ended up winning the Championship, being one of three teams still in contention on the final day of the season. The capitulation to Kent when trying to push for a positive result cost in the end, but third place was a good return on the year with a young home-grown (ish) team

On the batting front, it was a standout season for Adam Lyth. Promoted to opener, he scored 1500 runs to beat Rudolph to the top of the averages. Anthony McGrath also topped 1000 runs, while Jonathan Bairstow, in his first full season, and captain Andrew Gale also got close, despite Gale missing matches to captain England Lions.

Adil Rashid topped the bowling list as well as averaging 45 with the bat. Less heralded were Steve Patterson and Oliver Hannon Dalby who took their chances and plenty of wickets while Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad were away with England.

In the One Day competitions, getting to a semi-final in the Clydesdale Bank trophy was almost exclusively down to Rudolph, who scored 755 at nearly 95 opening the batting. He will be missed this year. The less said about the 20:20 campaign the better.

2011 Prospects

Jacques Rudolph has gone, while Ryan Sidebottom has come back. This obviously strengthens the bowling considerably while weakening the batting. It also means that there is likely to be an all Yorkshire team this season. Joe Root or Joe Sayers (hopefully now fully recovered from illness and injury) are likely to be those to benefit from the additional batting place. However, with Lyth and Gale looking at the vacant place in England’s middle order, the likes of McGrath and Bairstow will also need to step up to the plate to make up the missing runs.

The return of Sidebottom could mean a pace attack of Sidebottom, Bresnan and Shahzad. In reality Bres in particular will not be seen much in Yorkshire this season following his excellent winter with England, which may give a chance to the promising Moin Ashraf. The spin attack also looks strong with Adil Rashid looking for force his way back into England reckoning, with David Wainwright and Azeem Rafiq as back up.

Likely team

I’d go with

Joe Root, Adam Lyth, Anthony McGrath, Andrew Gale, Jonathan Bairstow (wk), Adil Rashid, Tim Bresnan/ Steve Patterson, Ajmal Shahzad, David Wainwright, Ryan Sidebottom, Oliver Hannon-Dalby

With Joe Sayers and Moin Ashraf in waiting.

Key Man

With the return of Ryan, Adil Rashid’s runs may be more critical than his wickets this season. However, in the absence of Bresnan, Rashid is the critical part of this team with bat and ball. A standout season could see the Pennant return to Headingly and England working out how they can play him and Swann in the same team.

Rising Star
Over the last three years, Andrew Gale, Adam Lyth and Jonathan Bairstow have established themselves as highly promising batsmen. This year, it is the turn of Joe Root.

Coach and Captain
Same as last year, with Martyn Moxon and Andrew Gale. Gale won a lot of plaudits for his captaincy as well as his batting last year. He's a strong contender for Paul Collingwood's spot in England's middle order and it's not beyond the realms of possiblity that he could be England's next captain.

Prediction
Yorkshire, Durham, Somerset and Nottinghamshire will be the top 4 in the Championship in some order. I don’t expect any excitement in the shorter form of the game though!

Petition - Keep the world in the World Cup

2011-04-05T14:01:00.002+01:00

In my outrage at the ICC's decision to (a) limit the next World Cup to 10 teams (meaning Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will be ensured of nine games each) and (b) make the tournament a closed shop - even though Ireland are ranked above Zimbabwe - I have made a petition.

Please sign it here - and spread the word if you can.

World Cup 2011 Dream Team

2011-04-05T13:32:00.006+01:00

Ignoring for a moment the controversy about the ICC's quite outrageous decision to exclude the minnows from the 2015 World Cup, here is a team of the tournament.

Sachin Tendulkar
An inevitable pick. Tendulkar batted as well as he did in the 1996 World Cup, when he was top scorer. He was 18 runs off being so in 2011, and his centuries against England and South Africa were both magisterial, showing how devastating orthodox batting can still be in ODIs. It’s unlikely he will play in 2015 – but not completely preposterous either.

Tillakaretne Dilshan
Though there was barely a Dilscoop in sight, Dilshan consistently got Sri Lanka off to brilliant starts, scoring two centuries and a disciplined 73 in the semi-final. No one scored more runs than his 500, and there were also eight wickets with his canny offspin, including a spectacular caught-and-bowled in the final.

Jonathan Trott
Certainly not a fashionable selection, but Trott was simply the most consistent batsman in the tournament. In six of his seven innings he managed at least 47, unobtrusively accumulating at the formidable average of 60. To those who deride him for being too slow, it’s worth pointing out that Trott’s strike rate was 80, eight more than those of Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis.

Kumar Sangakkara
Sangakkara averaged 93 with the bat; always a model of calm at the crease, his off-drive is one of the finest sights in cricket today. He also kept well and captained intelligently, utilising his spinners to suffocate England and New Zealand in the quarter and semi-finals, and would have hugely deserved to be a World Cup winner.

AB de Villiers
It was de Villiers’ run out in the quarter-final that had everyone mentioning South Africa’s history of chokes. He batted so serenely all tournament, able to change tempo at will, that all looked well with him at the crease. De Villiers hit two centuries and a 39-ball 52 in the win against India, combining finesse with six-hitting ability, as well as fielding with his trademark vivacity and athleticism.

Yuvraj Singh
It’s remarkable to think he was dropped less than a year ago, seen as unfit and unfocused. Yuvraj was deservedly named man of the tournament. With the bat, he was explosive yet possessed a calm it has often lacked, as a tournament average of 90 proved. As India’s fifth bowler, he was terrific, bowling his left-arm spin with control to claim 15 wickets.

MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper, captain)
Dhoni’s nerveless 91* was one of the greatest innings ever seen in a World Cup final. While he played big shots, these were done with selectivity and an absence of risk. Winning the man of the match award in the final was reward for leading India superbly throughout, shuffling his bowling intelligently and being more willing than most skippers to keep slips in during the middle overs.s

Shahid Afridi
No one knows quite was happened to the batting but as a pure spin-bowler Afridi was the tournament’s best. His top spinners were consistently hard to dominate, while he surprised batsman with quicker balls and occasional googlies. In total he claimed 21 wickets at fewer than 13 apiece. He also proved a good leader of Pakistan, with players seeming to genuinely enjoy playing under him.

Tim Southee
Few expected New Zealand to make the semi-finals; that they did was in large part down to Southee, who provided the wicket-taking threat his side have lacked since Shane Bond’s retirement. With good pace, late swing and a useful bouncer, Southee claimed 18 wickets. The 2015 tournament will be in New Zealand; Southee will be 26 then and should cause great damage.

Zaheer Khan
India were nothing like as formidable with the ball as with the bat, making Zaheer’s performance critical. He rose to the challenge magnificently, bowling with subtle variations – including a bare-knuckle slower ball that dismissed Mike Hussey – and great skill from both over and round the wicket. Zaheer relished bowling during powerplays, and his match-turning yorker to Andrew Strauss was a contender for ball of the tournament.

Dale Steyn
Steyn’s spell to transform the game against India – five wickets for four runs in 2.4 overs – was the product of one of the game’s most lethal Yorkers, which were lethal throughout the tournament. He is also a thinking bowler – more so than he sometimes gets credit for – and used slower balls and bouncers with selectivity to thrive on the subcontinental tracks. Steyn’s twelve wickets cost just 16 apiece, with a parsimonious economy rate (4.15) too.

Twelfth man: Ray Price
A surprising pick, but Price was outstanding for Zimbabwe, going for just 3.44 runs an over during the six games, as well as claiming nine wickets. His guile means he is well-suited to bowling his left-arm spin during the powerplays, as was illustrated with 2/21 against Pakistan. Price’s facial expressions after deliveries also never failed to provide humour.

See how it compares with our XI of the last World Cup.

Helping out the ICC – and boy do they need it

2011-04-05T08:11:00.004+01:00

Tim has covered the main points that are wrong with the ICC’s decision to restrict the number of teams in the next World Cup. I would only point out additionally that the next World Cup is in effect a closed tournament. There is no scope for anyone to qualify and in my mind is not a genuine world tournament.

However, where the ICC have got something right is that the tournament needed changing. The tournament goes on for far too long, there are still too many games and until something more positive is done to help the likes of Kenya and Canada, too many of the games involving the Associate teams were non-contests. Given the current spirit of “We’re all in this together”, here is my format for the next World Cup.

Number of teams: 12
The eight quarter finalists from the 2011 tournament qualify automatically. The other four have to compete against other interested nations to qualify. In future years, nine teams will qualify from the previous tournament Teams to be split into two groups of 6 playing round robin. The top four teams go into quarter finals. The other two teams go into a play off.

Two games per day. This gives 15 days for the first round of matches, but allows for 3 weekends of play.

The two play off matches between teams 5 and 6 in each group come before the quarter finals, filling the off days.

One quarter final per day(Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Play off final for a place in the next World Cup on the following Tuesday

Semi finals Wednesday and Thursday

Final on the Sunday

This gives us a tournament in four weeks, gives the best teams the best chance of winning the tournament but also gives the developing teams something to play for all the way through the tournament. More importantly, it means that the World Cup is not a closed shop for the established teams, but other countries get the chance to play on the biggest stage.

Oh ICC, what have you done?

2011-04-05T00:06:00.003+01:00

So two days after the end of an enthralling World Cup, what do we get? The decision to limit the 2015 World Cup to ten teams and, moreover, give no opportunity whatsoever for other sides to qualify is staggering in its closed-mindedness. It suggests the ICC is nothing less than a cartel motivated solely by money. Which is probably about right.

There is simply no justification for the decision. Cricket should be allowed to grow in the countries that have shown progress - none more so than Ireland. Imagine, if you will, how well Ireland could have done with their best player - Eoin Morgan - not taken away from them by England?

Instead, the associates have effectively been told they are wasting their time trying to improve in the longer formats of the game. The message from the ICC is that they should stick to Twenty20 - made into a 16-team tournament in the most futile of gestures. Just when Ireland and a few others - most notably Afghanistan (who would have qualified for this tournament had the qualification process not been concluded two years ago, and almost certainly given a better representation of the minnows than Kenya and Canada, another mistake on the ICC's part)- seemed on the cusp of genuine progress, they have been told it's all a waste of time.

Instead we will witness a 10-team round robin, which will actually be more shorn of drama than this World Cup. Unless they improve a great deal, we will have to witness Bangladesh, ZImbabwe and even the West Indies being continually thrashed. A different format with more teams would actually have reduced the number of games between the best and those outside the top eight.

Today is indeed a dark day for the game, just as the Irish are proclaiming. As an interesting aside, I'd be fascinated to see the TV ratings for the games this tournament. Fans love underdogs and upsets, and I'd wager that Ireland's victory over England, as well as the Netherlands' game with England, pulled in significantly more than, say, New Zealand's game against Zimbabwe. It may actually be that, in limiting the tournament to ten and creating no scope for any sort of fairytale qualification (such as Afghanistan's to the last World Twenty20) the ICC are actually reducing the commercial value of their product - and how apt that would be.

William Porterfield was right when he said the 2015 tournament will now be nothing more than a "glorified Champions Trophy". It will be much the poorer for that.

Tell the ICC what you think - email enquiries@icc-cricket.com or complain on their twitter account. The Cricket With Balls campaign against the decision can be found here.

Tournament review: India

2011-04-04T18:01:00.001+01:00

Concluding our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how the winners did.

The pre-tournament favourites proved triumphant, their batting strength simply proving overwhelming, even when their two star batsmen made a combined 18 runs in the final. Sachin Tendulkar scored more runs than any other Indian by a distance, but this side does not lean on him as previous ones did. India’s bowling and fielding were considerably weaker, but the excellence of Zaheer Khan, aided by Yuvraj Singh’s surprising 15 wickets, prevented this from costing India. They were highly worthy winners.

Star man

Hard to look beyond Tendulkar, but Yuvraj’s performances were so brilliant you have to. He averaged 90 with the bat, with four half-centuries, including a match-winning one against Australia, and a century against Australia. Yuvraj’s bowling was almost as important, and his two-wicket hauls in the last three games, prevented the lack of five bowlers from hindering India.

Disappointment

Yusuf Pathan entered the tournament amid much hype, having just hit a 70-ball 105, with eight sixes, against South Africa. But his power lacked any selectivity in the World Cup. An average of less than 15 before being dropped was the miserable result.

Prospects

Gary Kirsten will be hard to replace as coach, but with MS Dhoni so formidable as a captain, expect good results for India to continue. They will need to be sagacious managing the workloads of players, something they have done superbly with Tendulkar of late.

Tournament review: Sri Lanka

2011-04-04T17:55:00.001+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how losing finalists Sri Lanka did.

Brilliant top-order batting and an array of bowling options that always threatened meant few were surprised by their run to the final. Had Muttiah Muralitharan been fully fit, they may have won. Still they have much to be proud of, led by an opening pair that twice added more than 200. Kumar Sangakkara was exceptional as skipper, Lasith Malinga always exhilarating to watch.

Star man

Though several excelled, it’s hard to look past Tillakaratne Dilshan. His explosive batting earned 500 runs – more than anyone else in this World Cup – while he also chipped in with eight wickets with his canny off-spin.

Disappointment

Hard to pick one, but Chamara Silva was never fluent with the bat, and was dropped for the final.

Prospects

Several spinners will aim to be the ‘new Murali’, with Ajantha Mendis, omitted for the final, perhaps the most promising. With Dilshan, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena all at least 33, new batsmen are probably an even bigger priority. They are also looking for a new coach.

Tournament review: West Indies

2011-04-04T17:09:00.002+01:00

Bowling Bangladesh out for 58 was perhaps the most impressive feat any bowling side managed but West Indies still can’t win against the ‘big eight’, having failed to do so since 28 June 2009. They seem to lack belief against the best, as the manner in which they subsided against Pakistan after Chris Gayle’s dismissal was testament to, and weren’t helped by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shiv Chanderpaul enduring grim spells. The bowling was better, with leg spinner Devendra Bishoo impressing.

Star man
Kemar Roach showed himself to be a genuinely incisive quick, and claimed 13 wickets – but he needed more support.

Disappointment
Sarwan and Chanderpaul failing to manage a 50 in 11 innings between them, utterly lacking in any fluency.

Prospects
They look a better-balanced side without skipper Darren Sammy – Andre Russell is a similar player but superior with bat and ball – so his position may come under threat. Coach Ottis Gibson has promised big chances after the quarter-final humiliation, and this side does have better players than the performances suggest. Vivacious all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be key on his return.

Tournament review: Bangladesh

2011-04-04T16:56:00.000+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Bangladesh did.

Hosting World Cup games for the first time, Bangladesh recorded a memorable win over England – but were bowled out for 58 and 78 either side of that game. As that stat makes apparent, their batting retains a penchant for spectacular implosion. Their array of spinners were hard to get away, but they too seldom possessed wicket-taking venom. Many expected Bangladesh to reach the quarter-finals, and they were a disappointment, even if the England win was amongst the most memorable in their history.

Star man
Shafiul Islam was unheralded before the tournament, but proved Bangladesh’s biggest match-winner. A brilliant spell of 4/21 secured a tight win over Ireland before he belied any batting degree to loot 24* against England. But his performances were woeful in Bangladesh’s three defeats.

Disappointment
Tamim Iqbal has been called the ‘Bangladeshi Sehwag’. He sparkled intermittently, but an average of 26 was extremely disappointing. His first-over dismissal against the West Indies precipitated the lowest score of the entire tournament.

Prospects
Should continue to improve, albeit not at the rate the ICC would hope after all they have invested there. Their batting needs more to learn more discipline, but that has been said for the last decade.

Tournament review: Canada

2011-04-04T16:49:00.002+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Canada did.

Did as well as could reasonably have been expected. Canada beat Kenya convincingly – the only game they were expected to compete in – and reached 150-2 in the 29th over against Australia, as well as bowling Pakistan out for 184. In Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra, they had a pair of fluent stroke-makers, while Harvir Baidwan’s seamers and Balaji Rao’s leg-spin were a threat.

Star man
Stylish and never overawed, Ashish Bagai took them to victory over Kenya, and then scored a commanding 84 at almost a-run-a-ball against New Zealand. He also kept wicket with great skill.

Disappointment
John Davison clubbed a brilliant 111 against the West Indies in the 2003 World Cup but, at 40, could barely muster a run.

Prospects
Cricket needs to expand beyond the expat communities in Canada, and some respectable displays may have helped to do that. There are real plans to spread the sport in Canada, but it will be no easy task, especially as this could be their last ever appearance at a 50-over World Cup.

Tournament review: England

2011-04-04T16:39:00.002+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how England did.

A plain side, batting and bowling with orthodoxy, England were nevertheless
described as the tournament’s entertainers, and that is what they were. England produced a series of enthralling games in the group stages and, in conspiring to lose to Ireland and Bangladesh, helped to preserve interests in the tournament. But their thrilling run ended with an ignominious 10-wicket defeat in the quarter-final, with a depleted bowling attack lacking in threat. In the final analysis, a lack of power in the batting and the absence of good spin options to complement Graeme Swann were hurdles they couldn’t have overcome even had they had the best preparation in the world.

Star man
He seldom oozes star quality, but Jonathan Trott produced a tour de force, with 422 runs at 60, and, though you wouldn’t know it, a strike-rate of 80. Critics of him should acknowledge he played his role brilliantly, but was let down by a lack of support.

Disappointment
Jimmy Anderson’s role in the Ashes win isn’t about to be forgotten but he lacked any control in this tournament. By the end, even his captain was saying he was burned out.

Prospects
Andrew Strauss is likely to resign as one-day skipper. His successor will find a side well-suited to English conditions but in need of more oomph with the bat and variation with the ball.

Tournament review: Kenya

2011-04-04T16:36:00.001+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Kenya did.

How far they have slipped since reaching the semi-finals in 2003. Kenya were the worst side in the tournament, the side damaged by factionalism as well as an absence of skill. Getting bowled out for 69 in their tournament opener was a start they never threatened to recover from.

Star man
Collins Obuya deserved a century against Australia but was left stranded on 98*. He handled Tait, Lee and Johnson with the assurance of a Test player, and scored 243 runs in the tournament, 110 more than the next most for his side.

Disappointment
Having scored 74 against South Africa in only his fourth ODI, Seren Waters, who is part of the set-up at Surrey, was viewed as Kenyan cricket’s great hope. He still is, but managed only 38 runs in four innings before being dropped.

Prospects
Given how far they’ve slipped, they may not even qualify for the 16-team World Twenty20 next year. The board have announced a review into their World Cup, which at least acknowledges all is not well with Kenyan cricket.

Tournament review: Netherlands

2011-04-04T15:49:00.001+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how the Netherlands did.

Began the tournament so well against England, but that proved their high point. Thereafter they struggled, twice losing by over 200 runs, with the side overly reliant on Ryan ten Doeschate. The bowling was a real problem, though left-arm spinner Pieter Selar has promise. In the final game of the tournament, Ireland overhauled their total of 306 with absolute ease.

Star man
Ten Doeschate came into the tournament with a reputation as the best associate player in the world, and, with a century that fused brawn and finesse against England, he quickly went about justifying it. He later scored a 50 against Bangladesh and another century against Ireland, as well as bowling usefully.

Disappointment
Alexei Kervezee is a regular for Worcestershire, with an array of classy shots. He was expected to back up ten Doeschate, but the 21-year-old seemed overwhelmed, averaging only 13.

Prospects
Cricket remains a minority sport in the Netherlands and that isn’t about to change. A few more ODIs and Twenty20s against the big sides, and regular appearances at World Twenty20s, is probably the summit of their ambition.

Tournament review: Zimbabwe

2011-04-04T14:33:00.000+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Zimbabwe did.

With their array of spinners, Zimbabwe had realistic hopes of achieving an upset, probably against New Zealand. In the event their batting folded against the Kiwis, who raced to a 10-wicket win. It was much the same throughout, with Brendan Taylor’s clean-hitting 80 against Sri Lanka the exception. The bowling was a little better, albeit over-reliant on Ray Price. That Ireland did markedly better in a tougher group told its own story.

Star man
Ray Price is renowned for his on-field theatrics, but he is also a left-arm spinner of great guile. Adept opening the bowling or operating in the middle overs, he claimed nine wickets whilst going for only 3.44 an over.

Disappointment
Skipper Elton Chigumbura has a reputation as a big hitter, but he averaged less than 20, while his bowling went for over seven an over. The stats suggest the captaincy has reduced his effectiveness.

Prospects
Their return to Test cricket this year could be painful if their World Cup performances are a good guide. With batting prone to collapsing and an abject shortage of quick bowling they need to entice players like Sean Ervine, who has chosen Hampshire over his country, back to protect their competitiveness.

Tournament review: South Africa

2011-04-04T14:29:00.001+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how South Africa did.

The cliché that South Africa always choke in World Cups was given new credence by their spectacular implosion against New Zealand. In topping their group ahead of India, South Africa showed they possessed a range of wicket-taking options they have not always possessed, with Imran Tahir exceptional. The batting, led by AB de Villiers, was also powerful. Yet they were ultimately exposed by a weak lower middle-order, with Johan Botha (ODI average of 19) never good enough to be a number seven.

Star man
It could have been de Villiers, Tahir or even Robin Petersen, but Dale Steyn showed his class again. His bowling against India, when he claimed five wickets, part of a total of 12, to trigger a collapse of 9/29, showed off the brilliance of his yorkers.

Disappointment
Outgoing captain Graeme Smith failed to score a half-century in the tournament, suggesting he may find it hard to continue to merit a place in the ODI side.

Prospects
They remain an excellent side in all three formats, but the c word will remain their biggest nemesis. Need some allrounders – Albie Morkel, perhaps? – to ensure they bat deeper. In search of a new coach too, Gary Kirsten would do very nicely.

Tournament review: Pakistan

2011-04-04T14:25:00.001+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Pakistan did.

An honourable semi-final defeat was better than many had expected of Pakistan – and if they hadn’t given Sachin Tendulkar so many lives, they could well have made the final. Key to their success was their varied bowling attack, with Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul superb until the semi-final. But their batting always looked prone to collapse.

Star man
Shahid Afridi finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, the subtle variations and accuracy of his leg breaks claiming 21 scalps in just eight games. But don’t mention the batting.

Disappointment
It was hoped that 19-year old Ahmed Shezhad would bring much-needed solidity to the top order. Instead he managed 44 runs in five innings.

Prospects
Invariably hard to assess. If they can shore up their top order they will become even more dangerous but, with Younis Khan and Misbah ul-Haq nearing the end, it could get even worse.

Tournament review: New Zealand

2011-04-04T14:22:00.002+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how New Zealand did.

Did better than probably even they expected to reach the semi-finals, beating Pakistan and South Africa. Ross Taylor’s 131* against Pakistan was one of the innings of the tournament but Jesse Ryder and especially Brendan McCullum did too little to support him. With the ball, Dan Vettori disappointed somewhat, but the unheralded Nathan McCullum was outstanding in the victory over South Africa, as was Jacob Oram. And, in the great Kiwi tradition, the fielding was terrific.

Star man
Bowling coach Allan Donald’s praise – that Tim Southee “could become the best swing bowler in world cricket” is understandable. With late movement allied to pace, Southee was never short of wicket-taking venom, taking 18 wickets at an average of 17, including 3/25 against Pakistan.

Disappointment
Opening the batting, McCullum was too often guilty of injudicious shot selection, failing to pass 16 in five innings against quarter-final qualifiers.

Prospects
The wily John Wright has already made a difference as coach. Though Vettori has quite as ODI captain, with Taylor the likely replacement, New Zealand will be optimistic about continuing their improvement, especially if Southee, Ryder and Kane Williamson develop.

Tournament review: Australia

2011-04-03T19:40:00.001+01:00

Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Australia did.

Their 34-game unbeaten run in World Cups was ended by Pakistan, and they were then beaten by India in the quarter-final, prompting Ricky Ponting to resign. Ultimately they paid for having no spinner worthy of the name, with Jason Krejza invariably ineffective. Their policy of having three wicket-taking quicks worked to an extent, but always risked being one-dimensional in the sub-continent. Australia’s batting was over-reliant on Shane Watson and Michael Clarke.

Star man

Brett Lee, 34 but as ebullient as ever, claimed 11 wickets, including 4/28 against Pakistan.

Disappointment

Cameron White has a reputation for late-order destructiveness, so a tournament average of 17 proved a major hindrance for his side.

Prospects

They now have a new captain in Michael Clarke; don’t expect their rut to go on too long. Never seem short of batsmen, but their one-day bowling will suffer after Shaun Tait’s decision to only play Twenty20, especially with Lee ageing. Need a spinner from somewhere.

Tournament review: Ireland

2011-04-03T18:46:00.002+01:00

Beginning our assessment of how each of the 14 teams fared in the World Cup, this is the verdict on Ireland.

Ireland's remarkable victory against England, inspired by Kevin O’Brien’s blade, was a stunning riposte to the ICC’s decision to limit the 2015 World Cup to ten teams. Yet, in spite of that, Ireland will reflect on the tournament with genuine disappointment – had they beaten the West Indies, as they may well have done had they not dropped Kieran Pollard early on, they would gave qualified for the quarter-finals. Their top-order batting disappointed, with the top four only scoring two fifties between them in the five games against Test opposition, and panicking against Bangladesh when Ireland should have won. With the ball Ireland were always combative, though Boyd Rankin disappointed - and they were arguably the best fielding side in the whole tournament, with an admirable ability to conjure direct hits.

Star man

With flight, guile and unrelenting accuracy, George Dockrell claimed 2/23 against Bangaldesh and two more wickets, including Sachin Tendulkar, against India. Aged just 18 and with a Somerset contract, Ireland will be nervous of him following Eoin Morgan’s path.

Disappointment

Paul Stirling hit a spectacular 72-ball 102 against the Netherlands but the opener only managed 56 runs in Ireland’s other five games opening.

Prospects

Proved they are the best associate – and they showed themselves a better side than Zimbabwe to. Need more games against Test-playing sides, and they have four to look forward to this summer, to build on their excellent progress. They will await the ICC’s decision on qualification for 2015 with interest – it will be an outrage if Ireland are denied the chance to qualify.

Glamorgan: 2011 Season Preview

2011-04-03T08:54:00.010+01:00

2010 in a nutshell .

With 4 games to go, Glamorgan were in the box seat to secure the 2nd promotion place along with Sussex from Division Two, but 3 draws and a defeat (along with a last day Worcestershire run chase against a generous Sussex) meant that it was another season of Championship disappointment. . The 40 over cricket was woeful and directionless. In the T20, three early victories flattered to deceive and hopes disappeared around the time that Shaun Tait got recalled by Australia. Glamorgan's hierarchy agreed and looked overseas for a captain to replace Jamie Dalrymple. Matthew Maynard resigned as Director of Cricket in protest, and his son Tom left for Surrey.

2011 prospects .

Batting - looks thin. New captain Alviro Petersen is likely to forsake his Test opening role to bat at 3, but must deliver big runs to justify the controversy surrounding his cloak and dagger appointment (rumours abounded that Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith were the first two choices). . Ben Wright and Gareth Rees must kick on from promising early careers, whilst beneficiary Mike Powell should play more after seemingly falling out of favour with the previous management. Stewart Walters was recruited from Surrey and Mike O'Shea came back from the Unicorns. Mark Cosgrove's runs will be sorely missed however. . Bowling - The seam attack is highly reliant on England Lion James Harris (2010: 63 wickets at little over 20). Allenby is an excellent first change, whilst Graeme Wagg is a good recruit from Derbyshire. . Regarding spin, Dean Cosker had an excellent benefit year last season over 50 wickets at 22 apiece, and of course there is a man called Croft, 41 in May, who shows no signs of finishing. With over 1,000 first class wickets for Glamorgan, he is a superb ambassador for club and country, and, as the country's most economical T20 bowler, could not be ignored despite the ambivalence of the now departed Maynard/Dalrymple axis. .

Probable side .

Championship: Gareth Rees, Will Bragg, Alviro Petersen, Mike Powell, Ben Wright, Jim Allenby, Mark Wallace (Wk), Robert Croft, James Harris, Graham Wagg, Dean Cosker.

Pressing for places Huw Waters, Adam Shantry, David Harrison

Twenty20: Mark Cosgrove, Jim Allenby, Alviro Petersen, Ben Wright, Mike O'Shea, Stewart Walters, Robert Croft, Mark Wallace (Wk), Graham Wagg, Huw Waters, Dean Cosker .

Key Man – Alviro Petersen, as captain and Test class batsman, he has been given a difficult one year mission to repair the damage of the winter of discontent. .

Rising Star - Ben Wright, starting to move out of the promising youngster category into established county pro, 2011 will be a year in which his obvious quality needs to show itself in volume of runs. .

Managing Director and Coach - The 'global' search for a Managing Director resulted in the Chair of Cricket Review Group, former wicket keeper, Colin Metson, being (self?) appointed. Of more promise is the recruitment of Matthew Mott from New South Wales as coach. His first year can surely be little more than one of familiarisation and sorting out the wheat from the chaff. . ...and now for the fun bit... .

Prediction - As much as I am Glamorgan to the core, I can't see anything but a season of struggle. Minus Cosgrove's quick fire runs in 4 day cricket, and with the seam bowling highly reliant on James Harris, mid table in the Championship's 2nd tier would be the most realistic expectation. Supporters would like to see some direction after years of shapeless one day cricket. Like 17 other counties, a good start and a tail wind may result in a place in the T20 knockout stages.

If you'd like to write a county review please email cricketingworld(at)hotmail.com - it'd be great to get close to a full set, as we have done in previous years!

Tendulkar's remarkable turnaround

2011-03-31T23:25:00.000+01:00

There’s a lot to admire about Sachin Tendulkar: the grace of his batting; his longeveity; his fundamental decency as a human being despite being more scrutinised than perhaps any other sportsman in the world. And then there are all the runs. Yet almost as impressive as anything else is the way he has revived a career that, after the last World Cup, looked like its denouement would not befit such a great player.

Weeks away from his 38th birthday, there can be no doubt Tendulkar’s wicket is the most-cherished in world cricket. So it’s fashionable to say that his apparent ‘decline’ of the mid-2000s was grossly exaggerated, the product of media hyperbole. After all, there’s nothing like an ‘Endulkar’ headline to sell Indian newspapers.

But the truth is there was rather a lot to those headlines.

Over a period of three years from April 2004, Tendulkar averaged less than 29 from 21 Tests, if run-gorging on a Bangladeshi attack lacking any venom is discounted. In an era of flatter tracks, inferior bowlers and shorter boundaries, those are grim figures indeed.

In the same period in ODIs, culminating in the 2007 World Cup, Tendulkar averaged 30 in ODIs against Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa. India were no longer sure where he should bat, explaining his demotion to four on the verge of the 2007 World Cup. The joy in his cricket appeared to have vanished. In that World Cup, his only two innings against Test-playing opposition were a torturous 26-ball seven against Bangladesh, and a third-ball duck in India’s must-win game against Sri Lanka.

Ian Chappell has since been derided for saying Tendulkar should consider retirement but he was far from alone. Tendulkar appeared the victim of injuries, chiefly to his shoulder, and cricket fatigue – which was hardly a surprise considering he’d been playing continuously at international level since 1989. His batting was declining in fluency; he was increasingly easy for bowling attacks to contain, as a notably diminishing strike-rate in both forms of the game reflected. His decline was not a fallacy.

The 2007 World Cup appears both Tendulkar’s nadir and the catalyst for his astonishing revival. Tendulkar could easily have retired then – he turned 34 just after the tournament, after all. Yet he decided not to and, perhaps, remembered why he played the game in the first place.

He has batted with more of a sense of freedom since his miserable three years. That is not to say he doesn’t bat with responsibility, but that he has rediscovered his relish for dominance. Between 2004 and 2007, Tendulkar thought of himself as the mature elder statesman, aiming to grind the opposition down. In the process he sought to eschew risk, notably cutting out the pull and hook. But the result was he became ordinary in a way he is not; it became possible to choke him. After making one off 21 balls in a Test defeat to England in 2006, an innings defined by timidity, Tendulkar was even booed off by a section of the crowd. He wasn’t being true to himself.

Shane Warne once confessed to having nightmares about Tendulkar repeatedly hitting him for six: that is what Tendulkar is capable of doing to even the world’s best bowlers. Australians have always inspired Tendulkar, perhaps because the way in which they attack forces him to respond in kind. It was on the 2007/08 tour there that Tendulkar made it apparent he could still make ruins of international attacks, as a strike rate of 65, perhaps even more than an average of 70, showed. On the fast Australian tracks, the pull and hook returned, along with the élan in his batting. Opposition bowlers once more feared he could destroy and embarrass them, instead of merely accumulating unobtrusively – to the degree that it is ever possible for Tendulkar to be unobtrusive, anyway.

Tendulkar’s form since has been nothing short of magisterial, as eight Test hundreds since the start of 2010 are testament to. In addition to the poise, elegance and range of his shots – expanded as Tendulkar has embraced the paddle sweep - his batting has been characterised by a remarkable ability to adjust his tempo depending on what circumstances dictate.

To see Dale Steyn bowling to Tendulkar during India’s recent Test tour to South Africa was to see Test cricket at its most captivating; it may not have been Harold Larwood to Sir Don Bradman in 1932/33, but it wasn’t that far off. Steyn justified his number one ranking with raw pace aided by swing and clever use of bouncers and yorkers. Yet Tendulkar was up to the not inconsiderable challenge, combining his aesthetic extra cover drives with upper cuts to bouncers, as well as a stoic acceptance some short balls would hit his body. Two centuries in the three Tests were the result.

In lauding Tendulkar’s turnaround, the role of the Indian management must not be forgotten either. They have displayed an admirable pragmatism regarding Tendulkar’s ODI appearances – to the extent he went 11 months avoiding the one-day merry-go-round after his record-breaking 200* against South Africa last year. The aim has been for Tendulkar to focus upon Tests and this World Cup. He has succeeded magnificently, and now has the chance to secure that denouement.

England World Cup player ratings

2011-03-26T22:17:00.008Z

So, another England World Cup has ended with a humiliating defeat. However, England thrillingly defeated South Africa and the West Indies, as well as tieing with India. The ignominious ending notwithstanding, this has been England’s best World Cup performance since 1992. Here’s how all 17 players used rated:

Andrew Strauss 7/10
For so long regarded as a batsman too limited for modern ODIs, Strauss’ 158 against India was a stunning riposte: seldom has an England batsman scored at well over a run-a-ball without taking obvious risks. Yet thereafter Strauss struggled, failing to score a half century in the last five innings, and ending with a horrible innings; his first-over dismissal to Robin Petersen against South Africa appeared to weigh on his mind against Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offspin.

As a skipper he both impressed – letting Swann bowl his last over with Sarwan on strike appears a masterstroke with hindsight – and disappointed, as when appearing clueless against Kevin O’Brien and Shafiul Islam. Perhaps this simply reflects the vagaries of his bowling attack. No one would be surprised if he now resigned as ODI captain.

Kevin Pietersen 6
Pietersen’s promotion to opener, whilst an indictment of England’s lack of World Cup planning, was certainly not without promise. In three of his four innings he made starts, with his 22-ball 31 against India suggesting a man who could adapt as well to opening in ODIs as Mark Waugh. But there are now very real questions over whether he will play another ODI.

Jonathan Trott 9
Extraordinarily, Trott was both England’s most consistent player, by far, and amongst their most criticised. Yet in a tournament in which the regular 300+ scores at Bangalore were not matched at other grounds, Trott was little short of exceptional, able to score runs relentlessly, seemingly immune to the struggles around him. For a number three, whose job it is to bring solidity, an average of 60 was quite phenomenal. It wasn’t enough to impress a lot of people, especially Bob Willis, but the England management will appreciate how well Trott played his role. They simply wouldn’t have made it past the group stages without him and, by the end, he was the only Ashes winner still performing at his best, testament to his unremitting professionalism. And to this who lambast his selfishness, what of Ravi Bopara, whose strike rate was 66 against Trott’s 81?

Ian Bell 5
Forced to learn to play in the middle-order despite having a good record in the top three, Bell fared reasonably but no better. His manoeuvring of the spinners was dexterous in the tie with India, yet his form slipped badly thereafter, with innings against South Africa, Bangladesh and West Indies evoking the timid ’05 model, as opposed to the newly battle-hardened one. Promoted to open in the quarter final, where he probably should have been as soon as Pietersen flew home, he began brightly but was dismissed rather tamely. Sadly, it encapsulated his tournament as a whole.

Eoin Morgan 7
Morgan’s fleet-footed 63 against Bangladesh in his first game back was a reminder of his immense skill as a one-day batsman, and confirmed the feeling him replacing Pietersen in the squad was probably a net gain for England. Another 50 followed against Sri Lanka, albeit with some outrageous luck, and the great shame was that those around him didn’t share his penchant for using their feet.

Paul Collingwood 4
Watching Collingwood bat in this tournament, and the winter as a whole, has been a rather sad sight. He has never been attractive to watch at the crease, but it is plain for all to see that the conviction of his willow has gone, as his demotion to number 8 against Bangladesh further illustrated. Cunning wicket-to-wicket bowling helped prolong his career a little but, unless England are guilty of great sentimentality, he will remain stranded on 197 ODI caps.

Ravi Bopara 6
Originally a replacement for Morgan, Bopara’s 60 against South Africa was the sort of mature, under-pressure knock England have spent years worrying would never be seen on the international stage, but this only made his later painstaking knocks the more frustrating. With the ball he was a revelation, especially against the West Indies (2-22 off 8.4 overs), bowling as if he had absorbed all Collingwood’s experience.

Matt Prior 4
Drafted into the World Cup squad ahead of Steven Davies, who did little wrong but was felt to be deficient on slow wickets and behind the stumps, Prior has sadly not justified the faith. Tried as a finisher in the middle-order, he utterly failed to display the necessary nous. So he was then shunted back up the order – only to be dismissed brainlessly against Bangladesh – before a reasonably successful return to the middle order against Sri Lanka.

Luke Wright 6
Seemingly not trusted, Wright was given a chance when England had no more wriggle room against the West Indies – and with a mature 44 and four decent overs, he surpassed everyone’s expectations. May have been a trite offended that Swann was promoted to exploit the batting powerplay against Sri Lanka, ostensibly Wright’s great virtue.

Michael Yardy 3
Though he did very well in the World Twenty20, Yardy is a throwback to the days of Dougie Brown, Matthew Fleming and Mark Alleyne: clearly deficient with bat and ball alike. It said it all that he was comfortably outbowled by Pietersen against South Africa, but he has much more important things to worry about.

Tim Bresnan 7
Bresnan continued his fine winter with some consistently impressive performances, the highlight being a magnificent 5-48, belying unhelpful conditions, against India, though he faded somewhat in the last two games. Crucial runs against India and the West Indies also helped to prolong England’s place in the tournament.

Graeme Swann 7
At times in the group stage Swann looked like a man who had had enough travelling, but his performances held up, particularly in the crunch wins against South Africa and the West Indies. His struggles against Sri Lanka weren’t sufficient to undermine his status as the world’s best spin bowler. With bat in hand, Swann needs to learn that the switch hit is most effective as a surprise shot.

James Tredwell 7
Brought in to face the West Indies after months of drinks carrying, Tredwell was superb. Daring to flight the ball, and with some clever variations, he claimed four wickets and the man of the match award. It was inevitably tougher against Sri Lanka, but it was always going to be.

Stuart Broad 6
After consecutive five wicket hauls in the warm-ups, much was expected of Broad. But he proceeded to leak 138 runs against Netherlands and Ireland, missing the India game through illness in between. Yet against South Africa he produced a phenomenal spell of reverse-swing, winning the game with a spell of 4-15 – only to be ruled out the tournament straight after.

Ajmal Shazhad 6
Three superb deliveries should have won England the game against Bangladesh, but, those aside, Shazhad was too often erratic. Nevertheless, his reverse swinging prowess, aided to a big-match temperament exemplified by that six, all suggests we will see a lot more of him in an England shirt.

James Anderson 4
Oh Jimmy, Jimmy. What to say about a campaign in which he has averaged more than 70, leaking runs at nearly 7 an over? Just that his sterling contribution to England’s Ashes triumph should not be forgotten.

Chris Tremlett 4
Though he took an excellent catch against the West Indies, Tremlett’s World Cup was a fairly miserable affair. He seemed to quite lack the variety needed for limited overs cricket, though he was probably England’s most threatening bowler against Sri Lanka.

(England tournament averages can be viewed here)

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment

A routemap for Irish cricket

2011-03-22T18:47:00.001Z

Watching Ireland play in this World Cup has not felt much like watching amateurs. There has been a tangible chasm between their performances and those of Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and even Zimbabwe. And what India would give to have fielding as athletic, and prone to conjuring up direct hits, as Ireland’s. Having built on their progress since 2007, you would think the ICC would be doing all they could to help Ireland continue their upward trajectory.

But if the ICC do not ensure there’s a fair qualification process for the 2015 World Cup, they will undermine much of cricket’s growth in Ireland. It is World Cups that inspire players, like the 14-year-old George Dockrell in 2007. Ireland’s genuine ambitions for growth should be rewarded. Think of plans to build a large new ground in Dublin, and tireless work to increase the takeup of the sport, rewarded with some highly encouraging performances in U-19 World Cups.

The relationship of Irish and English cricket is a curious one: England are both their biggest friends and foes. England are essential if the Irish side is to improve, and Dockrell’s development can only be aided by him signing a contract with Somerset, becoming the seventh Irishman to have a county contract. But there is axiomatically a limit to how much Ireland can improve whilst their best players are continually stolen, and few would disagree that at least one of the games against Bangladesh and West Indies could have been won with Eoin Morgan in the side. But how can this be stopped? Given how much better Dockrell looked than Mike Yardy in this tournament, what’s to stop him going the way of Morgan and Ed Joyce?

Ultimately the answer is simple. Ireland must be given more one-day internationals against the major sides. As Brian O’Rourke, the Lenister Development Manager, says, “We now deserve regular games certainly against teams close to us in the rankings.” He is absolutely right to say, “We have proven ourselves to be the best associate nation in world cricket” – Ireland’s performances in this tournament have been much closer to those of Bangladesh, England and West Indies than those of the minnows Ireland are still viewed as part of. Accordingly, they should be included in the future tours programme for ODIs – after all, Zimbabwe already are, and they are ranked below Ireland.

O’Rourke also says that “the ICC are looking at our country to potentially be the next Test playing nation”. It is all well and good the ICC making positive noises about Irish cricket, but they need to put their words into action and help the sport move to the next level there. The alternative is to risk the progress of cricket in Ireland being undermined, as the collapse of the sport in Kenya after 2003 is a warning of. Only in cricket do sporting governing bodies actively prevent countries who want to play the game from doing so; as Peter Roebuck says, “cricket is altogether too precious about Test cricket. In every other sport it is possible for strong and weak to meet without the game getting into a palaver about it.” When we think of sides being awarded Test status, we need not think of Bangladesh, who suffered from playing the very best constantly, and, accordingly, constantly being thrashed. There should be a different model for Ireland and, indeed, other sides that display similar levels of progress to them in the future.

There should be an official timetable for Ireland to be awarded Test status, which should be possible with five years. This need not be the same as putting them on the future tours programme and insisting they regularly play Test series in Australia – an exercise in futility. Rather, Ireland should have a schedule that involves regularly playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and often New Zealand and West Indies too. Whenever sides tour England, they should play a Test in Ireland before (and four-day games in the meantime). This would appeal both to the tourists, who would get genuinely useful practise ahead of the Tests rather than facing under strength and demotivated county sides, and obviously Ireland themselves. A Test against Australia every four years would be a good indicator of their progress, as well as helping increase interest in the game – and, if they did well, it could even lead to more in the future. Fundamentally though Ireland would play against sides of similar ability. At a stroke, too, the threat of players switching to England would be lost.

The issue of Ireland’s domestic structure has often been held up as a reason why they are not ready for Test cricket, and obviously steps must be taken – as they already are – to improve it. Yet, looking at football, the top division in both the Republic and Northern Ireland are roughly analogous to the English conference; but this doesn’t stop success being enjoyed, like the Republic reaching the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990. There is no reason why Ireland’s players can’t continue to play in the county championship.

Ireland’s ambitions are such that, in spite of defeating England, they will leave the tournament with a strong sense of disappointment that they didn’t claim at least one more Test scalp. They deserve better than for their progress to be undermined by what their chief executive Warren Deutrom labels the ICC’s “closed shop” mentality.

Home with honour XI

2011-03-22T17:53:00.004Z

Now the 42-game group stages are over, here is an XI from the best players whose World Cup is over, featuring at least one player from the six knocked-out sides.

Imrul Kayes
Whilst Tamim fired only briefly, his less obtrusive opening partner was the nearest Bangladesh had to a reliable batsman. Seldom over-adventurous but with a good range of shots deployed sagaciously, Kayes provided the backbone for their successful chases over England and the Netherlands, winning the Man of the Match award in both games. In his own words,”I believe in the idea of hanging in there instead of making a 10-ball 30” – making him almost the antithesis of Tamim.

Ed Joyce
His long-awaited return to Ireland colours was a disappointment in many ways – how Joyce will rue his soft dismissal against Bangladesh. But his 84 against the West Indies, which begun with consecutive boundaries, was testament to his class: he is surely the most aesthetically pleasing batsman any of the associate nations possess, with his cover drive evoking that of David Gower.

Collins Obuya
He is remembered for his sharp-turning leg-spin in the 2003 World Cup, when he took 5-24 in the victory against Sri Lanka. Obuya’s bowling has since subsided, but he has reinvented himself as a top order batsman of genuine quality, as 243 tournament runs illustrates. It was a great shame he ended 98* against Australia, after he had handled Tait, Lee and Johnson with the assurance of a Test player.

Niall O’Brien
O’Brien will be extremely frustrated reflecting on this World Cup: he made starts in every innings but only once past 50. O’Brien’s relish for a challenge was illustrated by hitting Morne Morkel for six over long-on, one of the shots of the tournament, and an average in excess of 40 shows the quality of this most industrious of cricketers.

Ashish Bagai (wicket-keeper)
Bagai was one of the best wicket keepers on display in this World Cup, keeping with poise and vivacity to seam and spin alike. And with the bat he was easily Canada’s best player. Elegant and never overawed, he took them to victory over Kenya, and then scored a commanding 84 at almost a-run-a-ball against New Zealand.

Ryan ten Doeschate
Ten Doeschate came into the tournament with a reputation as the best associate player in the world, and, with a century that fused brawn and finesse against England, he quickly went about justifying it. Though runs proved harder to score thereafter, he chipped in with a half century in difficult circumstances against Bangladesh, before ending the tournament with another magnificent hundred. His wicket-to-wicket bowling also troubled England.

Kevin O’Brien
Critics will say he only played one innings of note, but what an innings. O’Brien 113 against England – including 45 off 15 balls during the batting powerplay – was a knock for the ages. As a display of brutal, calculated hitting it was phenomenal: and it was fitting he ended Ireland’s tournament with the six that sealed victory over the Netherlands.

Shafiul Islam
Belying his ODI average of under 6, and three ducks in five innings this tournament, Shafiul proceeded to smash Swann and Anderson down the ground en route to raiding England for a match-winning 24*. His pace and reverse-swinging venom previously claimed 4/21 to clinch a tight victory over Ireland. But, like his team, Shafiul was damagingly inconsistent, leaking 124 runs from 14 overs in Bangladesh’s three defeats.

George Dockrell
Dockrell’s control and big-match temperament – remarkable for an 18-year-old mark him out as a special talent. In the intense pressure of the opening game in partisan Dhaka, Dockrell’s wonderful 10 overs, in which he returned 2-23, ought to have secured Ireland victory. Thereafter, he only continued to impress, with the only shame that his skipper didn’t trust him to bowl to Kieran Pollard. What odds him representing England in 2015?

Ray Price
The man with the most theatrical expressions in world cricket illustrated his guile and skill with some admirable performances, notably 2-21 of eight overs against Pakistan, and was equally effective opening the bowling or bowling in the middle overs. Nine wickets at less than 19 deserved better support from his disappointing compatriots.

Harvir Baidwan
Canada’s bustling seamer was impressive throughout, making up for a lack of express pace with nagging consistency and a touch of late movement. He will be rightly proud of his haul of thirteen scalps – three more than any associate bowler managed - which included Brendan McCullum, Shane Watson and Younis Khan.

England hope to continue momentum

2011-03-01T15:57:00.001Z

If England's performances at the cricket World Cup continue their upward curve then Ireland should be annihilated on Wednesday in their Group B encounter

That, of course, won't happen but after two shaky warm-up games and an equally nervy opening game win against the Netherlands Andrew Strauss' men stepped it up a gear (or two, three) against tournament favourites India to match them toe-to-toe and secure a point in a thrilling tie on Sunday.

They will hope that isn't their peak in this month long competition and will go a long way towards preventing that by avoiding embarrassment against Ireland.

Despite being a non-test playing nation the Irish still contain a number of county players and even an ex-England player in Ed Joyce, so they are no mugs when it comes to handling bat and ball.

The will be looking to bounce back at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium following their disappointing opening game defeat to Bangladesh, a game they had perhaps targeted to cause a shock.

If England fail to take the game seriously then a surprise is definitely possible – just ask the Pakistan team who were humbled by the Irish at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. Fans will no doubt be keeping a nervous eye on the live match score.

England will hope main strike bowler James Anderson will finally find some form in the competition. The leading wicket taker during the Ashes series has been disappointing so far, taking 1 for 91 against India, the equal second-most expensive figures ever by an England player in an ODI. Anderson had also cost 72 from his ten overs against the Netherlands in Nagpur. If he does that again, Ireland could be on for one of their higher cricket live scores.

With Stuart Broad battling illness the pressure is on the Lancastrian to hitting the ground running at the top of the order. But as long as England are getting result Strauss won't mind his players feeling their way into a tournament that still has over a month to run.

New Zealand look to bring some relief

2011-02-25T12:54:00.001Z

New Zealand will go into their massive group game against Australia after spending the week trying to cope with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake back home. Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori has expressed his intention of trying to bring some "light relief" to his fellow New Zealanders with a good showing in their World Cup campaign.

"The biggest thing we can do for people is win our next game against Australia. That will bring a little bit of light relief to some people going through a tough time," he said.

The Black Caps will line-up for their second group game this week, taking on fierce rivals Australia looking to pick up their second win of the tournament. The Kiwis can be assured of a much firmer test than they faced in their opening game against Kenya. The African side only managed to rack up 69 in their innings with New Zealand's pace attack taking little time in establishing their superiority in the match, although the ICC cricket world cup betting always suggested they'd win.

Openers Martin Guptill and Brendan McCullum had no issue reaching their target and the game won't have been a fair assessment of what this squad can achieve in this tournament. The Aussie batsmen will be a different proposition and they were given a good run out batting first against Zimbabwe with most of the top order getting time at the crease.

Wish you were here XI

2011-02-18T18:57:00.003Z

This is an XI from current cricketers who, for various reasons, will not be gracing this World Cup.

Hershelle Gibbs
His autobiography may have been a gripping read, but its vivid depiction of the cliques in the South African dressing room helped end his international career. Which is a great shame, because, even at 36, Gibbs’s panache and audacity at the crease, best illustrated in his 111-ball 175 against Australia, have the capacity to thrill – as does his fielding.

Marcus Trescothick
For a man often described as ‘stand and deliver’ in his style, Trescothick is remarkably nimble on his feet. Of all the examples of his clean striking in the opening overs of ODI innings, perhaps the best was against Glenn McGrath in the Champions Trophy in 2004: Trescothick, happy to charge virtually any quick, drove McGrath for four consecutive boundaries. If he made himself available, there is no doubt Trescothick would have been opening for England: Andrew Strauss’s forays down the wicket look almost apologetic in comparison.

VVS Laxman
Too orthodox for ODIs? Perhaps, but tell Australia, against who he’s scored four centuries at an average of 46. If Hashim Amla can become the top-ranked one-day batsman in the world, it seems strange that there is no place for Laxman in India’s side. His classical style looks incongruous in Twenty20, certainly, but a man with his range of shots and ability to accelerate could be invaluable in ODIs.

Brad Hodge
Despite seven centuries in his past 20 Australian domestic one-day games and a limited overs know-how few batsmen can match, there’s no place for Hodge at the World Cup. Labelled the “hard-luck story of the century” by Matthew Hayden, it’s pretty hard to argue – rumours that he never fitted into the Australian dressing room are one potential explanation.

Owais Shah
Overly intense and a shoddy fielder he may be, but Shah has a six-hitting ability England appear to lack in their middle-order. That much was epitomised by an 89-ball 98, with six maximums, against South Africa in the 2009 Champions Trophy. And his ease against spin helped him average 59 in England’s last one-day series in India. In the absence of Eoin Morgan, could Shah have been England’s finisher?

Zulqarnain Haider
Remembered for fleeing mid-series against South Africa last year, promising to blow the whistle on match-fixers, Haider retired from cricket aged just 24. Those who saw his superbly gritty 88 on Test debut last summer will know he should be in south Asia now, rather than England.

Albie Morkel
The ‘next Klusener’ will not be appearing in the World Cup. For a fifth bowler, he was always too liable to be expensive with the ball. Nevertheless, South Africa may long for him when chasing eight-an-over: Morkel can exploit the batting powerplay like few others, most notably when looting Australia for 40* (off 18) and 40 (off 22) in two match-winning innings down under in 2009.

Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan’s skipper will rue the change in the format from 2007: if 16 teams were permitted as they were then, he would be appearing in the World Cup. An off-spinning all-rounder who also has a first-class hundred to his name, Nabi is a useful cricketer who, with 13 wickets at 10 in the World Twenty20 qualifiers last year, did more than anyone to secure Afghanistan’s place in that tournament.

Mohammed Amir
Yes, yes, we know why he won’t be playing, and that is right. But there’s no denying the sight of Amir’s mastery of the left-arm craft would have added to the tournament. Facing him under lights is not a prospect any opener would relish.

Simon Jones
The notion of a fit Jones may seem ridiculous, but his performances in the Carribbean Twenty20 competition, including claiming 4-10 in four overs, served as a reminder of his reverse swing mastery of ’05, as well as his oft-ignored subtleties. Still capable of touching 90mph, could he yet play for England again, if used in a manner akin to Australia with Shaun Tait?

Shane Bond
A slight cheat of a selection in that he’s retired, but what a shame it is. His last series – nine wickets at 21 against Australia last year – suggested Bond still possessed a genuine threat at international level. With express pace and canny use of bouncers, yorkers, cutters and slower balls alike Bond, even at 35, would have provided New Zealand’s attack with the cutting edge they are conspicuously lacking.

Strauss – “we’re here to win the World Cup”

2011-02-14T16:51:00.000Z

England Captain has declared his team’s intentions of making an impact at the World Cup, which begins later this week. England endured a torrid time during their one-day series against sports betting favourites Australia at the tail end of their prolonged winter tour, but Strauss insists his side are capable of competing with the best in the world.England are the last of the teams to arrive at the tournament, which lasts six weeks, and Strauss insists the tournament coming so soon after the long Australian tour won’t have an effect on his side. He said: “We're here to win it and we're excited.”

“The 6-1 defeat by Australia was not ideal, but in some ways we might have benefited from the fact that five or six of our players picked up some injuries and therefore had an opportunity to rest for two or three weeks.”

The Middlesex batsman also believes his team can learn from their Twenty20 counterparts, who are reigning World Twenty20 champions.

"I think the guys took a lot of confidence from winning the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean last year." He said.

England have a chequered past in the World Cup since reaching the final in 1991. Under Nasser Hussein and coach Duncan Fletcher they withdrew from a game against Zimbabwe in 2003 for political reasons, a move which eventually cost them as they missed out on qualification from the group stage. In 2007 they also left the competition early after a heavy defeat against South Africa.

Strauss and his side will have to do it the hard way after losing Eoin Morgan for the tournament with a finger injury, while bowler Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad are in a race to be ready in time. Graeme Swann looks to have overcome a knee injury.

England received a boost earlier this week after Kevin Pietersen announced on twitter that it was not his intention to retire after the tournament. Amid reports in the media that this tournament would be his last, the South African-born batsman tweeted: “Just to set the record straight.. I have NO intention of retiring from ODI's after the World Cup!!”

Strauss bullish over England's World Cup hopes

2011-02-14T13:45:00.000Z

With the cricket World Cup under a week away it has been interesting to hear the respective press conferences from the team captains as they seek to build up – or play down – their sides hopes and expectations.

England skipper Andrew Strauss, whose team is the last of the 14 competing sides to arrive in the sub-continent, was confident about his side's chances and believes they are capable of springing a surprise.

He quite rightly cited last spring's T20 World Cup success as a sign England can finally win the matches that matter in ICC tournaments. That first ever tournament win has relieved a burden that was growing ever heaver since the first ever ODI World Cup in 1975 and the goalwire latest scores don't suggest things will be tough again.

But Strauss brings with him a squad battered and bruised following a gruelling three month tour of Australia with some key players like Eoin Morgan ruled out of the tournament completely.

There is also the small matter of a 6-1 hammering at the hands of the Aussies in the one-day series down under, meaning the squad carries the unenviable hat-trick of being depleted, half-fit and out-of-form, fans will no doubt be hoping for an improvement in the live cricket scores over the next few weeks.

Strauss was keen to find the positives in what was a press conference very much designed to put a positive spin on his side's recent troubles. He claimed the injuries suffered by the likes of Graeme Swann, Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad means they will be well rested by the time the action kicks off (I would say they will not be match-fit but Strauss is obviously a glass half-full kind of guy at the moment).

Those players will need to hit the ground running as they face a tricky opener against the Netherlands on February 19th. Though not a test playing nation, the Dutch did manage to beat England at Lord's in the 2009 T20 World Cup, a sign of their increasing competitiveness on the world stage.

It is easy to gloss over your team's troubles with comforting words and a beaming smile in front of the media. But when the action kicks-off in the white hot atmosphere of a sub-continent cricket
ground, those words will help very little.

West Indies rally to see off Kenyan threat

2011-02-14T09:31:00.000Z

The West Indies were thankful to a Ramnaresh Sarwan century as they saw off Kenya by 61-runs in their pre-World Cup friendly in Colombo. Sarwan's hundred helped his side post a total of 253-8 from their 50 overs and that was always too much of an ask for an albeit determined Kenya side, who were all out for 192 with four overs left.

Kenyan seamer Thomas Odoyo claimed the wickets of openers Devon Smith and Adrian Barath to put the West Indies on the back foot inside the first 10 overs. Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul quickly followed to leave them struggling on 65-4 before Sarwan settled the innings down with a fifth-wicket partnership of 94 with Dwayne Bravo. Sarwan pushed on with an array of shots to finish on 123 from his 125 deliveries, including 11 fours and five sixes.

After a strong start by the Kenyan top-order which saw Collins Obuya hit 68 and Seren Waters hitting 43, the West Indian bowlers found their rhythm and took wickets at regular intervals. Uncapped youngster Andre Russell made a huge claim for a starting spot when the tournament starts later this month, the fast bowler taking 4-43 to put the Kenyans on the back foot. The rest of Kenya's batsmen failed to put up much resistance and were all out for 192 from 45.3 overs. The Cricket World Cup betting suggests they'll have to improve significantly if they're to make any sort of impact at this year's competition.

Despite the Kenyan's showing some determination in all aspects of the game, the real test for the West Indies will come when the tournament starts for them on February 24th and the 2011 Cricket World Cup betting reflects this. That's the day of the first group game and it will be against another African country, although a significantly stronger one in South Africa.

The West Indies will go into the match as overwhelming underdogs but there are a number of players capable of winning games on their own. If those key players can show what Sarwan showed here, then the West Indies could spring a surprise or two in this tournament. An opening game win against South Africa would really show the rest of the competition that the West Indies mean business this year on the sub-continent.

Luck of the Irish could carry them through

2011-02-11T15:51:00.001Z

The Irish haven't been handed an easy group this year as they look to repeat their heroics from 2007. Four years ago Ireland sprung the shock of the tournament by reaching the Super Eights stage, after a famous St Patrick's Day victory over a stunned Pakistan side. This year the Irish will have to compete with England, South Africa, India and the West Indies who are all expected to reach the next stage. There is also the threat of the vastly improved Bangladesh, who will also have the backing of their home fans and the latest cricket betting indicates they could take full advantage.

There is a different look about this squad from the party from four years ago, with Jeremy Bray and Dave Langford-Smith retiring from international cricket and Eoin Morgan switching allegiances to England. There has been exciting additions to the squad though, with young players Paul Sterling and George Dockrell making names for themselves and the return of Ed Joyce in the green colours of the Irish.
While there was a big amateur influence in previous Irish teams, this one has 13 of the 15 players playing professionally and skipper William Porterfield feels that will help his squad to reach the Super Eights stage.

"We have been able to improve our games by playing day in, day out. The professional set-up is where we've really moved on. I think we have a great chance of getting out of our group. We'll be pretty well prepared come our first match group match (against Bangladesh) on 25 February," he said.

It would still be classed as a major achievement if Porterfield could lead through the group stage and it is likely Ireland will need to rely on poor performances from their rivals rather than their own ability.

ICC right with trio's punishment with World Cup looming

2011-02-07T14:03:00.001Z

The ghastly spectre of match-fixing, that hovers menacing in the background of all major cricket matches, has been in the centre of attention again this week when punishments were finally handed down by the ICC on three Pakistani cricketers - former captain Salman Butt and the fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
Butt was banned for 10 years with five suspended if he undergoes anti-corruption education, Asif was banned for seven, two of them suspended for the same reasons as Butt.

Amir, just 18 years old don't forget, was banned for five years. They were all for incidents during the fourth Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's last August.
They were accused of spot-fixing - the pre-planning of individual events in a cricket match, such as no balls or batting out a maiden over for the purpose of illegal betting scams. The problem when trying to spot such incidents is that they are insignificant to the pattern of the game (unlike say giving your wicket away or dropping a catch) so are virtually impossible to recognise as being deliberately pre-planned. No one watching the goalwire livescore wants to have these sorts of doubts in their minds.

The story has rocked Pakistan cricket, already bruised from a series of other scandals in recent years. There is also the individual tragedy of three young cricketers careers permanently tarnished after succumbing to the temptations of quick cash offered by shady businessmen lurking in the shadows.

The ICC hope this sends out a strong message that they will not deal with match-fixing lightly, especially with the World Cup in the horizon.

The tournament, held in the cricket mad sub-continent, will be examined closely by officials and fans alike for more instances of apparent spot-fixing and those keeping track of the live cricket scores will hope nothing is uncovered.

Who knows how many incidents have gone unnoticed in the recent past and whether, despite these punishments, it will continue.

It is a shame that we are talking about things like this at all on the eve of what should be an exciting tournament. But it is at least encouraging to see the ICC take a defiant stand against corruption rather than bury their heads in the sand, which I feel has been the case in years gone by.

Let's hope the reviews of the World Cup will be about dramatic wickets and last-gasp runs, not deliberate no-balls and pre planned batting strokes.

Pakistan looks to Afridi to lead them to glory

2011-02-04T09:59:00.001Z

Pakistan will be desperate for an improvement on their recent World Cup form after going out at the first stage in the last two tournaments but the PCB are still yet to name a captain that will lead the team in the competition. Shahid Afridi is widely expected to be handed the role by the PCB after being backed by the majority of senior and retired players.

Bowling legend Wasim Akram has been the latest name to put his weight behind the cause to hand Afridi the role to lead the side that has just picked up a series win in New Zealand although Misbah ul-Haq could be another contender.

"I would go for Afridi any day. Misbah (ul-Haq) is performing well, but he's not a magician. In my opinion, Afridi should be named captain. I don't know what the PCB is doing," Akram said.

Despite Afridi's various run-ins with the PCB the experienced all-rounder is the resounding choice of the senior players in the squad. Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal have all reportedly lent their support to Afridi and that could well be the deciding factor behind any choice. The cricket odds indicate Pakistan could make an impact at the World Cup, but they will need to get their squad selection spot on.

Pakistan will go into their opening match of the tournament against Kenya on the back of their impressive one-day series win against the Kiwis and will need to build on that momentum. A good showing at this World Cup could be a major ingredient in the country's plan of returning to grace with the cricketing community after such a horrendous 2010.With Afridi leading the team Pakistan would stand a much better chance of achieving that.

England stumble to third ODI loss

2011-01-25T15:13:00.001Z

England’s batting line up failed again as Australia eased to a four wicket victory in Sydney and moved into a commanding 3-0 series lead. David Hussey led the way with an unbeaten 68 as the home side reached their target with four overs to spare.Under pressure Matt Prior failed once more after being given out LBW having faced just five balls as England got off to the worst possible start. The mood darkened for England as captain Andrew Strauss was run out for 23 in disastrous fashion by Jonathan Trott. The South African-born Trott called for a single but having changed his mind half way down, both batsmen ran for the same end meaning Strauss was heading back to the pavilion.

Trott looked to make amends for his role in the run out and hit an 83 not out as England posted their sub-par total. Eoin Morgan (30) and Luke Wright (32) offered their support but Brett Lee’s 3 wickets took the game away from England. At the half way stage, big free bet would have seen England’s total as well short of a competitive score.

Australian opener Brad Haddin ensured their response moved along at pace and hit 54 off 59 balls before the wicketkeeper batsman was caught off the bowling of Paul Collingwood. Australia found themselves in trouble after losing Haddin and Captain Cameron White, who was also caught out by a Collingwood delivery, in quick succession. David Hussey soon steadied the ship and, with the help of Steve Smith who hit 26, moved Australia away from 100-5 towards their target.

England Captain Andrew Strauss bemoaned his team’s lack of application and will now look to make amends in the fourth ODI in Adelaide on Wednesday. Strauss and team coach Andy Flower will point to the absence of Tim Bresnan, Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Swann through injury as reason for their poor performance, but with the World Cup looming, bigfreebet will hope England improve their form ahead of the competition.

India in good shape for World Cup

2011-01-18T10:03:00.001Z

India, currently second in the one-day world rankings, were handed a boost with the news that the injured Sachin Tendulkar has been included in their fifteen-man squad for the upcoming World Cup next month. Despite straining a hamstring in this weekend's ODI win against South Africa, he has been included in the squad expected to travel – great news for both him and for India as a whole.

Tendulkar is the world's top run scorer in ODIs with over 17,000 runs, including 46 centuries and 93 half centuries, and as well as being a fantastic athlete, he is also a national icon back in his homeland, and his availability will be seen as a key component to winning a tournament which many pundits and fans around the globe fancy them for and the Cricket World Cup odds reflect this.

India are looking in good shape for the World Cup with their latest warm-up reaching a thrilling and satisfying climax as they beat South Africa by just one run on Saturday. Despite the hosts having seven overs left to find their required runs for victory, a catch by Yuvraj Singh meant that India managed to level the series. This winning habit – which seemed to have deserted them following their heavy defeat in the first ODI – will be essential when it comes to building confidence in time for the World Cup.

The Indian selectors are hoping to put a great deal of emphasis on their reputation as a nation of great spinners, as they name two extra spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin and Piyush Chawla – in addition to the spin king that is Harbhajan Singh, and chairman of selectors, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, has admitted that they are expecting to really make a mark on the tournament.

"This team has been doing brilliantly in the last few years… Of course, there will be tremendous pressure on the players – I really pity them! Let's hope and pray that the team wins the World Cup," he said.

Many people have made India 2011 ICC World Cup tips, and on home soil they should make a big impression.

Whatever happens with the fitness of Tendulkar, expect India to be one of the teams that qualify for the semi-finals – but should the man who has scored a massive 4,000 more runs than his nearest challenger in the one-day form of the game be fit, they seemingly have it all.

Pakistan's eye World Cup glory

2011-01-17T12:37:00.001Z

The cricket World Cup is fast approaching, and one of the teams which must be fancying their chances - regardless of what the 2011 cricket World Cup odds suggest - are Pakistan. Despite having a reputation as something of a surprise package, they certainly have enough in their locker to produce an upset in the same manner as they did in 1992.

As a batting line-up they have plenty of individuals that can win a match on their own. Shahid "Boom-Boom" Afridi showed during the 2009 T20 World Cup that he can be a genuine match-winner when their backs are to the wall, and as well as their more experienced performers, the likes of Umar Akmal are showing that there is a real strength in depth to their batting line-up. In addition, Abdul Razzaq's ability to smash bowling attacks at the end of an innings is second to none - a point highlighted by his incredible 109 runs from 72 deliveries, which included 10 sixes and 7 fours, against South Africa in 2010.

Their bowling attack is still has a formidable, albeit ageing look about it, with 35-year-old Shoaib Aktar leading the line, and despite shortening his run-up, the Rawalpindi Express is still capable of bowling consistent spells upwards of 90 mph. Umar Gul too will be looking to show more of the form he displayed at the last T20 World Cup when his accurate bowling and intelligent use of the slower ball made runs exceptionally hard to come by for their opponents, and Saeed Ajmal will be looking to use variation in both pace and turn.

An interesting factor for the selectors will be the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to send a list of probable World Cup players to the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ASCU) so that they can be cleared of any chance of wrong-doing in the wake of the recent spot-fixing scandal before they are allowed to represent their country on the world stage.

Although this approach will no doubt be seen as a step in the right direction, it will not help their chances of lifting the trophy - especially when you consider that Danish Kaneria was not given clearance by the PCB to travel to the UAE for the Test series against South Africa despite being cleared by Essex police of his alleged involvement in a spot-fixing case for Essex earlier this year.

Brilliant England ready for final moment of glory

2011-01-06T16:21:00.000Z

In a series that has been near-perfect, England are preparing for a final hurrah at the SCG as they look to seal the series in style as well as holding onto the Ashes.

Those following the Latest scores know that only the rain can deny England the victory in Sydney, but with the visitors already 2-1 up, a draw will still mean they have triumphed in the backyard of the old enemy for the first time in 24 years.

They enjoyed another dominant day on Thursday, sparkling with the bat, hitting 644 – a record high for an English side in Australia – and then ripping through the Aussie line-up with the ball.

As Ian Botham said in commentary, the fact England made a record score and then left the hosts reeling on 213-7 on the same pitch, shows the gulf in class between the two sides.

The blip at Perth aside England have been dominant in every department. Six of the top seven batsmen have scored centuries during the series, with record breaker Alastair Cook leading the way at the top of the order.

With the ball every front-line bowler has contributed – often working as teams to hunt down the Australian batsmen. Graeme Swann is a prime example of this. The Aussies may have designed the pitches to try and nullify his threat but his tight, disciplined bowling holds up one end, strangling the scoring and allowing Strauss to rotate his seamers at the other.

Those seamers, be it Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad or James Anderson – have all bowled to a tailored plan to each Australian batsmen. The temptation for a bowler is to go for a wicket with every ball, but the selflessness among the players means the team always comes first, with obvious results.

Australia clearly have problems, the shadow of that all conquering team looms large over the class of 2011 and a lack of foresight by the Australian selectors during the tail end of that golden era is starting to bite.

Livescore cricket pundits note how England can only beat what is put in front of them and they have done so in the most convincing fashion possible – bettering Australia in every department.

In the long-term such one-sided series are not good for the game – the 2005 series was so special because it went to the wire in virtually every test.

But after all the hammerings England took at the hands of Australia over the past 20 years, you can’t begrudge them a bit of sweet, well-earned revenge.

England edge closer to series win

2011-01-04T13:57:00.000Z

What an odd contrast this Ashes series has provided. So close in many respects, England have dominated to the point of the contest being rendered one sided.

Before the fourth test at Melbourne, tote betting pundits note how Ricky Ponting was pictured on the front page of an Australian newspaper all smiles as he looked forward to building on their win at Perth by pummelling England into submission as they melted in the cauldron that is the MCG.

Fast forward to the final test at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Australia find themselves in a relatively similar situation as they did prior to their Melbourne capitulation; Able to match England in some respects, but streets behind in others.
Their batting performance at the SCG erred on the side of respectability, but a good first hour from England could well put paid to another test match.

On a surface which offered something for everyone, the Australian top order lacked any sort of batting intelligence and application to make the most of a pitch which, while giving the bowlers plenty of encouragement, has consistent pace and bounce which should allow a batsmen willing to leave alone plenty of deliveries to make progress.

With Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus adding respectability to a batting card which teetered on the brink of collapse throughout, Brad Haddin proved to be a case in point. Wafting at a wide and short ball from Jimmy Anderson, the ball should have been left well alone, but one of the most dangerous weapons Australia possesses was left walking back to the pavilion wondering what might have been.

At times the Australian innings stalled in the face of consistent bowling and looked bereft of ideas. What a contrast with their approach at the MCG; swinging blindly at balls which should have been dealt with easily and safely. The batsmen seem clueless in the face of constant pressure and lacking a game plan to execute.

Those who get free bets believe that all is not lost however. A comeback of sorts and some mindless batting from Kevin Pietersen meant the door remains open for Australia to level the series, and at least have something to take away and move forward with.

As with most mornings in this exhilarating series, the first hour is crucial. England are 113 runs behind and are three down; a decent partnership early on and England can move serenely past the Australian total with wickets in hand.

Anymore rash decision making from English batsmen would invite unnecessary pressure and spoil what was meant to be the icing on the cake. This one is England’s to lose – why can’t all test series be this engrossing?

England revel in Ashes glory

2010-12-30T19:19:00.001Z

It was a celebration 24 years in the making and England were going to
do their best to make the most of it.
The sight of the cavernous MCG empty apart from celebrating England fans is one to behold and treasure, especially since this is often a ground where England arrive as an already beaten side. After all, the livescore cricket stats pointed to the fact they were 3-0 down on Boxing Day four years ago.

But now all the work and meticulous preparation that has gone into this series has paid off as the latest scores point to a 2-1 England success with one left to play.

Captain Andrew Strauss is right to look ahead to Sydney and beyond. If England don’t go on and win this series after dominating pretty much throughout, it will be a crime.

And Strauss will also be wary of what happened in 2005, when the side became caught up in the glory of it all and lost focus – resulting in that desperate 5-0 whitewash down under in 2006/07.

But for one day at least, the players and fans can celebrate emulating an event that occurred before some of the current squad were even born.

It was also a record breaking one – from the run-filled Gabba to here, England have piled on the misery for the hosts. It is the first time Australia have ever lost by an innings twice in a series outside of England, showing the scale of the tourists’ achievements.

It can’t be denied that Australia have problems. Both captain and vice-captain are out of form, while the lack of young talent, especially compared to the all conquering side of just a few years ago, is alarming.

But credit also has to go to England – they can only beat what is put in front of them and they have done so in comprehensive fashion. It has been a real team effort, with all players contributing with the bat, ball and most notably in the field - an area where England haven’t always shone.

They deserve their moment of glory – I just hope it isn’t another 24
years before they do it again.

Hussey the key for Australia

2010-12-20T13:18:00.000Z

Without Mike Hussey England could have already wrapped up the Ashes. The batsman came into the series under a fair bit of pressure following a disappointing year. With 517 runs from five innings so far, at an average of 103.4, it's unlikely anyone still thinks Mr Cricket should be dropped. The batsman has singlehandedly kept his country in this series and the English bowlers have so far failed to work out a successful plan of attack when it comes to Australia's number five and the Ashes odds reflect this.

The Aussie's return to winning ways at the Waca has been thanks mainly to two more exceptional examples of Test batting from the 35-year-old. His 61 in Australia's first innings saved his team from what could have been a crushingly low total. The second innings century was an exhibition in the pull stroke from Hussey as England's pace bowlers were punished for anything short. Anyone looking to bet on the Ashes should bear in mind his excellent form.

The Aussie's current dependency on Hussey is obvious, with Shane Watson the next top scorer with 293. The rest of the batting line-up have so far failed to hit their strides. Marcus North paid the price for a disappointing start to this series and was dropped in favour of exciting young all-rounder Steven Smith.

On current form alone, there could be cases for Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to be drop, but don't expect that wildcard move, even from these Aussie selectors. As long as Hussey keeps performing at this level, England will need to find a way to get him out if they are going to make sure they return home with the urn.

Tremlett returns with a bang

2010-12-16T14:16:00.002Z

Chris Tremlett was not exactly the man that most commentators were desperate for England to select, but after his impressive bowling figures secured during the first day of the third Ashes Test, which have left England overwhelming favourites on odds comparison sites, many experts have been left pondering why they ever decided to back Tim Bresnan as the man to replace the unfortunate Stuart Broad.

With Tremlett proving both economical in his bowling figures and impressive in his ability to push Australian batsmen into making rookie mistakes, questions may now be asked about whether he deserves a longer run in the England side to cover more than just the current Ashes series.

Despite this, it is still early days for Tremlett and he knows that despite his and his fellow bowling colleagues' excellent work, Australia’s batsmen are unlikely to put in such awful shot selections in either the rest of the current Test or in future contests in the series. If Tremlett can show that he can be a match for Australia’s batsmen when they hit top form, then his chances of earning a longer spell in the team will only continue to increase.

However, should Tremlett follow Peter Siddle’s lead and only shine in the first innings he bowls in, then England may come to rue the misfortune that has seen Broad forced to end his time down under. In spite of this, the form that England’s batsmen have shown so far may be enough to avoid the side having to rely too much upon a potent bowling attack, with England so far having been by far the better side with the bat.

With the Ashes reaching an extremely crucial point, Tremlett knows that he must show his class if he is to help take credit for an England victory and please all those loyal England fans who backed their side in the fixed odds before the series even started.

Hughes ready to hit back

2010-12-15T10:24:00.000Z

Young Phil Hughes will know exactly what to expect when he walks out to open the batting for Australia this week in Perth. England will be convinced they have Hughes’ card marked when it comes to his weakness against a spicy short ball or two. The 22 year old has been recalled by the Test side following Simon Katich’s Achilles injury ruled him out for the remainder of the series.

Those Hughes will be desperate to put his disastrous first taste of Ashes cricket firmly in the past. In his three innings at the start of the 2009 series loss in England, Hughes scored a meagre 57 and exposed a glaring fault in his game against the short ball. Freddie Flintoff took advantage of the opener’s weakness and dismissed Hughes twice with similar deliveries.

It’s fairly certain according to those that like to bet on cricket match outcomes England will adopt a similar tactic at the WACA this week but Hughes insists he’s ready for whatever the Poms throw at him.

“They are going to come out firing against me. But I'm ready for it; I'm ready for anything they throw at me, and I can't wait for it.”

England shouldn’t underestimate Hughes though, who at the tender age of 22, has already notched up two 50s and two centuries in his seven Tests, at an average of 51.

Those who like to study the odds cricket wise note that he left-hander already has some recent success against England this summer to take confidence from, hitting a second innings 81 for Australia’s A side in Hobart, albeit facing a second string English bowling line-up.

The talented youngster clearly has the ability to silence his critics and Hughes will be determined to do just that in Perth this week.

England look at Bright side after Melbourne struggle

2010-12-14T11:15:00.000Z

England's warm-up game against Victoria at the MCG will go down as a draw in the record books and another unbeaten game on the current tour, but the fact Matt Prior doggedly had to hold on in the final session means it won't be a game that lives long in the memory.

The struggles of England's seamers was the main concern. The trio of Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad were tipped to be involved in a shoot-out to determine who will replace the injured Stuart Broad.

But combined figures of 1 for 216 in 78 overs on a lifeless wicket means the decision remains unclear and anyone who has bet on the Ashes will be anxious to find out who is selected.

England's laboured bowling was in stark contrast to the joys of Adelaide, where they ripped through the Aussie batting line-up twice to set up that historic innings victory.

Coach Andy Flower has put a positive spin on things by claiming the tricky three day match at the MCG was a "reality check". And Although I agree such matches can help keep a player grounded and focused, he surely must have wished his quick bowlers had helped him decide who to pick for Perth.

As it is Chris Tremlett looks favourite, but that in mainly due to his tall frame being suited to the Waca pitch rather than his performance against Victoria.
Matt Prior's century may hinder Tim Bresnan, who is seen as a man to strengthen the batting line-up as well as a handy bowler.

But with Prior becoming the six member of the touring party to hit a hundred Bresnan's abilities with the bat aren't rally a priority. That said anyone who has bet on top England batsman shouldn't expect Prior to grab that title.

England need someone to hit the deck and rough up the Aussie batsmen, Something Stuart Broad did well despite only picking up a couple of wickets in the opening two Tests.

For that reason I expect Tremlett to make a international return as England seek to secure the Ashes with a win at the Waca.

Hauritz set for recall?

2010-12-10T11:23:00.001Z

This Ashes is getting more and more embarrassing for the Aussies, as they look set to recall Nathan Hauritz for the Perth Test after Xavier Doherty failed to shine in the first two Tests of this series. Doherty's failure on the international stage came as a surprise as no one.

With the crazy talk surrounding Shane Warne's "comeback" still being churned out by the Australian media, Hauritz will be hoping to cement himself again as his country's number one spinner.

The off-spinner did his case no harm by taking seven wicket for New South Wales against Western Australia in Perth last week. The 29-year-old followed that performance up by hitting a career best 126 not out at the SCG, against South Australia.

The way in which the Aussie tail has folded in the opening two Tests will have given the management plenty to think about and Hauritz's century couldn't have come at a better time and the Ashes betting reflects this.

Hauritz was extremely unlucky to be dropped in the first place, despite his poor form in the recent series loss to India. Since Shane Warne's retirement, Hauritz has been an integral part of this new generation of Australian cricket and was his country's best bowler in last year's Ashes loss in England. Anyone looking to bet on the Ashes should bear this in mind.

It's true that this year Hauritz has struggled for form but the decision to pick the extremely inexperienced Doherty right before the Ashes started was seen as an odd one by many in the cricketing world. If Hauritz is recalled to the side, the England batsmen should be wary of a rejuvenated player.

Brilliant England beat Australia - and the weather

2010-12-07T13:05:00.000Z

England players, coaches and fans following the latest scores from Adelaide alike were all nervously watching the sky on the final morning of the second test.

A heavy rainstorm was predicted for the area and with England still requiring six wickets for victory, there was a very real chance the weather could, for once, work against England in an Ashes test.

However, despite the best efforts of Shane Warne and his rain dance the players awoke to blue skies in South Australia, meaning they had at least a session to try and work their way through the Aussie lower order.

In the end they only needed 90 minutes as the deadly combination of Steven Finn’s power, Jimmy Anderson’s swing and Graeme Swann’s spin rattled through the Aussie batting line up with the addition of just 66 runs.

Unbridled joy swept through the Adelaide Oval - again almost solely occupied by England supporters – with each passing wicket.

The stay-away Australian supporters’ lack of faith in their side proved well placed when last man Peter Siddle was clean bowled by Graeme Swann with still an hour of the morning session to play.

Queue another string of re-written records – England’s 100th Test victory against Australia, their first win against them by an innings for 24 years, only their ninth in 30 Tests at Adelaide and Australia’s
first innings defeat at home since 1993.

Those often following the cricket live scores believe that it is a win that symbolises a turn in the tide in England Australia relations. For a generation England were made to suffer at the hands of a brilliantly ruthless and destructive Australian team. There were more batting collapses, series defeats and ritual humiliations than I would care to count. Today is England’s long awaited wait for revenge.

The win was made even sweeter when the rain did eventually arrive just after lunch, the puddles on the pitch by late afternoon confirmation that England’s bowlers did the job just in time.

The only negative to what was a pretty much perfect display from Andy Flower’s men was an injury to Stuart Broad, who will miss the rest of the series with a stomach muscle strain. But with a clutch of bowlers itching to take his place England have a great chance of picking up where they left off at the Waca in a fortnight’s time.

Can Swann start proving himself on Aussie wickets?

2010-12-06T15:08:00.000Z

To date, Graeme Swann has endured a pretty frustrating experience every time he has been handed the opportunity to bowl on Aussie wickets. However, as the Adelaide wicket starts to show that it has some turn in it, now is perhaps the time for Swann to show precisely how good a bowler he really is.

The buoyant England camp will surely be all too aware that they need to get the Aussies out as quickly as possible if they are to stand the best possible chance of avoiding seeing the test end as a draw. They'll also know that their bowling attack will need to take full advantage of the last gasp wicket of Michael Clarke that the test's current unlikely hero Kevin Pietersen managed to take.

After watching on as Pietersen managed to find the turn in the pitch perfectly, Swann can now go on to sweep away the middle and lower order of the Aussie batsmen, something that few Ashes online betting would surely bet against him doing on an English wicket. However, with Swann aware that he has not been at his best so far in the current series, he can really steal the limelight of the test with a solid display.

If, though, Swann fails to up his game and take any wickets, he may just find himself under a fair amount of pressure from both his fellow players and the English media, which no player of any sport wishes to endure.

Despite Swann not firing on all cylinders, the English batsmen have at least been able to show the kind of form that undeniably takes a fair amount of pressure off the English attack.

However, tests are won by great bowlers and batsmen working together, and if England’s current crop of players are to be considered by those looking at Ashes betting odds as amongst the all-time greats, they will need to show that they can do just that.

England ready to pick up where they left off

2010-12-02T12:08:00.001Z

For many cricketers back-to-back test matches are an inconvenience, especially if the first match went to five days.

However, as England prepare to do just that in Australia they will be glad they have another chance to have a go at the Aussies so quickly.

The match may have been a draw but England definitely have the momentum going into the second test at Adelaide.

Their recovery from being 221 behind after day three to scoring 517 runs with the loss of just one wicket by day five, has left Australia reeling. Anyone who has bet on top England batsman will have been even more pleased by the score.

Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris have already been added to the Aussie squad as the selectors contemplate changes, with the desperately out-of-touch Mitchell Johnson (who is the Aussie media’s scapegoat following the Brisbane draw) set to be dropped.

England have no such problems, though they will hope Graeme Swann rediscovers his mojo after a below par performance at the Gabba. Swann had trouble finding the right length and also failed to cope with the Aussies deliberate attempt to blast him out of the attack.

A flat lifeless track didn't help and although Adelaide has a reputation for being a batters paradise, it could take turn on days four and five and the toss looks set to be crucial once more and the Ashes betting reflect this.

England need no reminding of what happened at the Adelaide Oval four years ago, when Shane Warne ripped through the England batting on the final day to secure a morale crushing victory for the Australians that seemed so unlikely when both sides scored over 500 in their first innings.

Revenge therefore is just another reason to motivate Andy Flower's men when the action kicks off on Friday.

Johnson lacks bite

2010-11-29T09:59:00.002Z

Australia's main strike bowler needs to be a fairly intimidating figure, a scary Merv Hughes or Dennis Lillee sort. The Aussies' current number one bowler, Mitchell Johnson, has always talked an aggressive game but against England he's always looked more bark than bite. Johnson's performances during the first Test at the Gabba have been far from what Australia are going to need if they are going to regain the urn.

With Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus both performing admirably at the Gabba, Johnson could find himself scrapping to keep his place for the next Test. Doug Bollinger has been Australia's most consistent bowler over the past year and was unlucky to be left out of the side for Peter Siddle. The Aussie management may be having a serious think about reinstating him for the Adelaide Test. Indeed, the Ashes cricket odds suggested Bollinger could be the home side's top wicket-taker.

Not only did Johnson bowl inaccurately at the Gabba, but he wasn't smart or aggressive either. Johnson's lack of swing may also come into any decision, as this is an asset that Bollinger has in his artillery. Anyone who has placed an Ashes bet on Australia will know they have to take more wickets if they are going to win Tests.

Johnson is always raved about by the Aussie media but whenever he faces England, he seems to completely lose his game. His Test record is up there with the best, 166 wickets in his 38 matches at an average of 29, while against the English its nearly ten runs higher.

Without a strike bowler, Australia look a very average bowling attack and one which England can continue to attack. That is unless Johnson can find the form that makes him so revered by the Aussies at any other point in the year.

Is Swann suited to Test cricket away from English soil?

2010-11-26T15:21:00.000Z

Graeme Swann is clearly a top-class bowler, as well as a man on a mission to show that he can perform well on Australian soil, but is he the man to perform on Aussie wickets?

Yesterday, he looked anything but and was hit for 34 runs off just four overs. Although this may not have been quite so bad in a 20/20, it's simply not acceptable in Test cricket and particularly when there is so much national pride at stake. The Ashes betting suggests England would have a good chance of retaining the urn, but players like Swann will need to do their bit.

Admittedly, it is still early days in the 2010 Ashes series, but the fact remains that this is not anything that has massively shocked the cricketing world, with many experts predicting Swann would prove to be unable to cope with Aussie wickets.

Should Swann fail to get a few wickets under his belt soon, and some better bowling figures to boot, England's selectors may have to start thinking about whether a man who has often been seen as their best bowler is worthy of retaining a place in the team. Anyone who has bet on England to win the Ashes will be worried about the situation.

However, if he can get the wicket of his tormentor Mike Hussey, then perhaps he can begin to show doubters he is not just another English spinner who can't handle Aussie wickets, but one of the best cricket players in the world.

England given short, sharp shock

2010-11-25T16:45:00.001Z

They may have had the perfect preparation and gone into the game high on confidence, but England where given a stark reminder of just how difficult it will be to win in the Ashes down under.

One day one at the GABBA, a ground Australia haven’t lost at in 22 years, England actually began well – winning the toss and electing to bat on a decent looking surface.

As those following the livescores last night will tell you, that air of optimism was blown away within three balls when captain Andrew Strauss attempted to cut a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery that was too close to his body and the ball flew to Mike Hussey at gulley.

In a series that will no doubt be close and keenly contested (hopefully) England know they will have to stand up and be counted and win mini-battles throughout each contest.

Sadly for England fans they lost everytime on day one, with Australia clawing themselves into contention on each occasion England looked to be settling into the game.

None more so than at 197-4, when with England set for a decent score Peter Siddle dismissed Alastair Cook, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad in successive deliveries for an historic hat-trick that left England reeling.

Siddle became the 11th Australian to take a hat-trick, the fifth in Ashes and the first against England since Shane Warne at Melbourne in 1994.

The Victorian paceman, playing on his 26th birthday, continued to torment England and soon snared Graeme Swann lbw before debutant Xavier Doherty finished England off with two late wickets.

It was the sort of day England feared most. A score of 260 is a poor return on what was a decent pitch and those keeping up to date with the latest Ashes scores tonight will know that England’s bowlers have to dig themselves out of a massive hole.

England look to attack Australia’s soft middle

2010-11-24T14:04:00.000Z

There is a good chance England will have been looking at Australia’s under pressure middle order and seen a chance to pile more pressure on the batsmen. Australia’s middle order has been the envy of the world for much of the past decade. The current crop have had a tough year and have all faced their own issues in keeping their places in time for the opening Test.Australia’s vice-captain Michael Clarke is still a doubt according to some studying the Ashes betting odds going into the opening match of the series, after struggling with his back injury.

That aside, Clarke has had a disappointing year by his high standards and was particularly poor in the recent 2-0 series loss in India. In the two Test matches against the Indians, Clarke’s weighed in with a whopping 35 runs, although he was clearly struggling with his back during the series.

Clarke has done enough throughout his career for England not to underestimate him. The same can be said of Mike Hussey, who came in for his fair share of criticism leading up to this week. Despite ‘Mr Cricket’ being one of Australia’s most consistent run scorers over recent years, Hussey is under pressure to start scoring runs for the Aussie’s or he could face being dropped.

Marcus North can be grateful for his gutsy 128 in the second Test against India. Before his century the batsman’s place in the side had come under intense pressure from Ashes online betting pundits after a poor run of form.

With young batsman Usman Khawaja know a member of the squad all the batsman are going to need to find their form quickly or face being dropped.

Alternative Australian Ashes XI

2010-11-24T13:37:00.002Z

Amidst all the talk of the Australians England are facing, here is a side of those who didn’t even make the 17-man squad.
1) Mark Cosgrove
A big left-handed biffer, ‘old school’ in fitness and South Australian to boot: there is rather a lot of Darren Lehman in Cosgrove. His talent, which earned him three ODIs four years ago at the age of 22, is beyond question, as is his hunger for runs – just ask Glamorgan fans – but Cosgrove’s physique just doesn’t fit the template of a modern cricketer.

2) Phil Jaques
Fearless and superb at scything the ball through the offside, Jaques was likened to Adam Gilchrist by Steve Waugh. When given his Test opportunity in 2007/08, Jaques proved he had his technique was good enough, but was injured at the most inopportune of moments; despite averaging 47 in Tests and making 108 in his last innings, he now lacks even one of the 25 Australian contracts. As he scored two hundreds in three days in tour matches during England’s last visit, England may be slightly relieved.

3) Brad Hodge
There are strong suggestions in Australia that Ricky Ponting does not get on with Hodge: conspiracy theories are needed to explain how someone averaging 56 in Tests, including scoring 203* against South Africa, could have been limited to six. Having retired from first-class cricket last year, Hodge’s one-day form has been jaw-dropping, with seven hundreds in his last 16 games and an average of 86 over these, yet he hasn’t played an ODI for three years.

4) David Hussey
Many are saying one Hussey in the Aussie Test side is one too many – but it might be one too few. David is the Stuart Law of his generation – except Law at least got one Test cap. He averages an extraordinary 55 at first-class level, while plundering his runs at a strike-rate of 71, but perceived weaknesses to the short ball have counted against him.

5) Cameron White (captain)
Apparently you need to be more than cocky, blonde and Victorian to be a successful leg-spinner. White played all four Tests in India in 2008, whilst batting at number eight – but if another Test appearance comes, it will be in the middle-order, where his propensity for six-hitting in the limited over’s formats is so impressive.

6) Andrew McDonald
A wicket-to-wicket bowler who puts the military in military medium, MacDonald is not the most glamorous cricketer Australia has ever produced. But his nagging style proved effective in four Tests against South Africa in 2009, whilst his batting is adaptable and increasingly effective, as three state centuries at 93 this season so far attest to. He made his Test debut at six, and is a much better player now; the perception that he lacks sufficient talent may just need revisiting.

7) Luke Ronchi (wicket-keeper)
New-Zealand born, Ronchi’s audacity with the bat resembles the best of Brendan McCullum. That much was shown as he blitzed 64 off 28 balls in his second ODI innings, against West Indies in 2008. A collapse in form followed, but an average of 47 in state cricket last season suggested he could rival Tim Paine to succeed Brad Haddin.

8) Jason Krezja
Krezja is the owner of probably the most extraordinary Test debut figures in the history of the game: 12 for 358. On debut in India two years ago, he bled runs but always turned the ball enough to threaten the perennial tormenters of spin bowling. Still raw, Krezja needed confidence instilled in him, but was instead dispensed with after one poor Test. Self-belief shattered, a place in the Tasmanian side now often eludes him. His career is a textbook study of how not to handle a spinner.

9) Brett Lee
With his arch competitiveness and generous sporting spirit, this Ashes series would cherish Lee – and how he would cherish it. Reoccurring injuries have forced his first-class retirement but he could well terrorise England in the ODIs after the Tests, just as he did last year in England.

10) Shaun Tait
After the 100mph slingers, hostility and stump-shattering accuracy in the ODIs in England this year, there was much talk Tait would end his premature first-class retirement, with Ponting encouraging him to showcase his reverse-swinging skills in Tests. The rumours were ended by the realisation his body wouldn’t be up to it. As with Lee, English fears over the ODI devastation he could cause will be outweighed by relief he won’t be appearing in the Tests.

11) Darren Pattinson
Pattinson could conceivably have been appearing for either side this winter, having lived in Australia from the age of six before playing a Test for England in 2008; and his brother will play for Australia within a few years. Made a scapegoat for England’s defeat, Pattinson has enjoyed a brilliant few months, including a championship for Notts and 8/35 in a game for Victoria. England should be getting advice from him on bowling to Australia’s batsmen in their conditions.

If Freddie says we'll win - we will!

2010-11-23T12:08:00.002Z

He often got his own way on the field and England fans will be hoping he gets his own way off it.

Andrew Flintoff has boldly predicted England will win down under and retain the Ashes for the first time in 24 years.

The 32-year-old, who retired in September following a long battle with a knee injury, believes England simply have the better players and singled out Graeme Swann, Kevin Pietersen and James Anderson as potential match winners.

Indeed Swann is highly tipped to be among the top wicket takers in the series. The 31-year-old has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and is now one of the best spinners in the world and the Ashes betting offers reflect this.

For the first time in decades England now have the better spinner going into an Ashes test, the looming spectre of the legendary Shane Warne will hang heavy over debutant Xavier Doherty at the first Test in Brisbane.

James Anderson is another who has added consistency to his game in recent years, but questions still remain about his ability to bowl in non-swing-friendly conditions.

A master under cloudy damp skies on green tinged pitches, the challenge is on for the Lancashire star when bowling under the bright blue skies of Australia.

Kevin Pietersen goes into this game perhaps under more pressure than anyone in the England side. The England batsman, who has just signed for Surrey for the 2011 season, has been in patchy form for his country this year and was dismissed cheaply in the final warm up game against Australia A and anyone looking at the Ashes best odds would have been worried by this.

That dismissal, from left arm spinner Steve O'Keefe, has reportedly prompted the Aussie selectors to go with Xavier Doherty for the first Test in the hope Pietersen's woes will continue.

But if Pietersen is one thing it is a fighter and nothing motivates him more than a clash with Australia. I wouldn't bet against KP being amongst the runs when the action kicks off in Brisbane on Thursday.

Hussey finds timely form

2010-11-19T16:12:00.001Z

Australia batsman Mike Hussey may have saved his Ashes spot by hitting a timely century for Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the MCG. The left-hander has struggled this year and in the recent series loss to India he failed to post a significant score, averaging only 20 from his four innings as Australia suffered a 2-0 defeat.

With some calling for Hussey to be dropped the Australia side, his innings of 118 from 160 could well have saved his spot in the team for next week's opening Test at the Gabba. Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson had both been mentioned as possible replacements, but it looks as though the experienced campaigner will cling onto his place after the youngsters failed to impress while turning out for Australia's A side in a match the cricket betting now makes England strong favourites to win.

It seems a trifle unfair on Hussey that his place in the side is being considered. Over the past few years Hussey has probably been Australia's most consistent performer and their fans will be hoping his recent poor form will prove to be nothing more than a blip. The cricket odds suggest a tight series and Hussey could swing it in the home side's favour.

Hussey’s record in Test matches is as good as anyone in world cricket. In his 54 Test appearances, Hussey averages just under 50, with 11 centuries and 21 half centuries. Although England will be staying out of the debate over Hussey, it's fair to say the English bowlers would be delighted to see the batsman's name absent from the team sheet when they line up in Brisbane next week.

Siddle eager for recall

2010-11-17T11:28:00.001Z

Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle is hoping to return to the Test side for the opening Ashes Test after ten months out with a back injury.

Siddle is one of five seamers in the squad of 17 named for the Brisbane Test. His last appearance for the side came at the start of the year, when he took a five-wicket haul against Pakistan before fractures to his back ruled him out for a significant spell. With the Ashes cricket odds suggesting England are in with an excellent chance of retaining the urn, Siddle could be vital for the home side if he's back to his best.

With Siddle absent from the Test side for much of this year, other bowlers have stepped up and now the Victoria bowler will face a battle to get back in the side, something he is more than aware of.

"I've obviously been out of the game for ten months, and not playing, and those blokes that have come in have performed well and done very well for Australia," he said.

With Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson likely to be named in the side, Siddle may be in a battle with one of those bowlers who has impressed in his absence, Doug Bollinger. The left-armer has looked good since coming into the Test side following Siddle's injury, taking 22 wickets, at an average of 23.40. Bollinger was suffering with an injury picked up in the recent series loss to India but has been declared fit in time for next week's series opener. The Ashes cricket betting suggests bowlers will be vital in the first Test, so the selectors will have to choose wisely.

With the Gabba looking as though it will once again prove to be a seamer friendly pitch, all the Aussie fast bowlers will be desperate to take advantage of it. The Aussie management will now have a week to decide which way they are going to go.

Katich winning fitness race

2010-11-09T14:58:00.001Z

Australia batsman Simon Katich looks set to win his battle to be fit for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. The opener is due to represent New South Wales against Tasmania in next week's Sheffield Shield match after recovering from a fractured thumb.

Katich sustained the injury in the build-up to last month's series loss in India. After passing the injury off as bruising, Katich played in the series but was obviously affected by the injury, averaging just 27 Australia went down to a 2-0 series loss.

If the Aussies are going to regain the Ashes then there key batsmen will have to perform. Katich is certainly one of his side's most consistent performers, scoring 4,091 in his 54 Tests including ten centuries. However, only one of those centuries has come against the English and Katich will be determined to add to that total during the upcoming series.

Although Australia's form over the past few months has been far from their usual standards, the openers have consistently put on decent partnerships and the English will be fully aware of the danger posed by Katich and Shane Watson. The openers came together during last year's Ashes series and have given Australia valuable runs at the top of the order, scoring 1,356 runs in their 13 Tests at an average of 56.5 together and the cricket betting reflects just how dangerous they can be.

The ability of the openers to put runs on the board at the top of the order was one of the features that made Australia such a dominant force when Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer led the line. Watson and Katich have so far produced the goods with three centuries and eight half-century stands since coming together last year and could prove to be a thorn in England's side this winter. Anyone thinking about placing a cricket bet should remember this.

If England can find and early breakthrough and expose the fairly soft looking Australia middle order at an early stage in the innings then they will stand a very good chance of winning their first Ashes series on Australian soil in 24 years. Katich certainly won't be giving his wicket away easily and the English will have to be creative when bowling to the opener.

Gabba pitch set to be a 'minefield'

2010-11-02T10:10:00.001Z

With the first Ashes Test looming Kevin Mitchell, the groundsman at Brisbane's Gabba cricket ground, has warned it could contain a few surprises for both sets of batsmen.
The same track was in use for a domestic Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland in which the home side Queensland lost 18 wickets in just two sessions, mainly due to a lush green surface on top of the pitch as well as humid dry weather providing ideal bowling conditions.

If similar weather occurs in the next few weeks the moisture will stay in the surface, keeping its green tinge, meaning it will get unpredictable bounce as well as movement and swing - a worrying combination for batsmen and one that could have an impact on the Ashes betting.

Sunny weather however, will help it dry out and produce a hard, bouncy pitch the Gabba is famous for.

It is hard to say who would benefit more from a greener surface, both sides have talented fast bowlers who would relish bowling on such a friendly surface.
The main winners could be the spectators, who would be treated to plenty of action as it would clearly be a wicket- favouring surface. Anyone looking to bet on top England batsman should bear this in mind.

Australia have Dougie Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson, while England have Stuart Broad and Steven Finn all of whom will relish the prospect of such a pitch.
If a green tinged wicket emerges on November 25th, expect that quartet to be among the wickets from the off.

Can Eoin Morgan prosper down under?

2010-11-01T09:32:00.000Z

Eoin Morgan, England's adopted Irishman, took his time to break into the Test circuit, but such is his progress he could find himself in the starting XI come the first Ashes match in Brisbane.

Born in Dublin, Morgan originally played hurling but eventually converted to cricket, though his aggressive, sweeping stroke play still echoes back to his past in the Gaelic game.

He established himself as an expansive left hander in the World Cricket League with Ireland, though he endured a difficult World Cup in 2007, despite the success of his team mates.

Despite that disappointment he was selected for the England one day team in 2009. He hit a 34-ball 67 in the Champions Trophy in September 2009 before an unbeaten 45-ball 85 in the opening Twenty20 match of England's tour of South Africa to establish himself as a key player in the short form of the game - as well as earning comparisons to fellow import Kevin Pietersen.

The selectors saw Morgan as a finisher - the kind of player who can wrap up a one day victory or, if batting first, blast key runs at the end of an innings to add an extra 30-40 runs to the total. This was shown in early 2010 when he played a key role in England's World T20 success, their first ever ICC international trophy.

Morgan's success in the short from of the game led to a Test call up for the series against Bangladesh in this summer, he has since played in the Test series with Pakistan and has an average of 32. However, those considering a bet on top England batsman should bear in mind that he may not get a huge amount of time at the crease if the top order do well.

His biggest test lies ahead though as he heads down under to take on Australia. An Ashes debut is tough for any player and Morgan won't be alone in feeling the heat. But when on form he adds steel and bite to England's middle order, and he doesn't carry the baggage from that disastrous 5-0 whitewash four years ago. The best Ashes odds make Australia favourites, but the like of Morgan will feel they have a point to prove.

If he can help prevent any more legendary English batting collapses by holding up the middle order, then Strauss' men have a great chance of retaining the Ashes down under.

Strauss looks to find his feet

2010-10-27T11:01:00.001+01:00

The contrast between Andrew Strauss playing an Ashes series at home and one playing over in Australia, couldn’t be more marked. In familiar conditions, he looks comfortable and with a supportive ground of spectators, he looks like one of the most talented men ever to pick up a lump of willow. But over in Australia, on their dry and dusty tracks, a crisis of confidence appears to strike once he realises that he’s made a start, and he suddenly looks like he’s not even sure which end of the bat he should be holding.

Like every captain-batsman in the world, questions are inevitably asked by those looking at cricket betting tips about his ability to juggle personal performances with his other role whenever he posts a low score, and it’s hard to argue that it’s easy – possible even – to truly focus on the bigger picture rather than one’s own personal problems, and not see a dip in performance. But with only one half century from his tour down under at an average score of 25, it looked as though that demon had claimed another victim.

Fast forward to 2009 however, and we saw the real Andrew Strauss – a man leading by example and conviction, backed up with the bat. His choice of which bowler to employ in any given situation and more aggressive field placements showed up the more experienced Ricky Ponting and suddenly we were in with a sniff. But if England were going to win the series then he knew he would have to push home this advantage by putting in a shift at the crease too, and promptly delivered with 474 runs across his 9 innings, resulting in an average of over 53.

The question remains amongst those placing a cricket free bet this winter as to whether or not he can battle the demons which plague him when he sets foot in Australia – he has admitted to the previous success of the Aussie’s mind-games which in 2006 included leaving a banner to welcome the England plane which simply read: “tonk a pom” – but England need him to stand up and be counted if our bowlers are to have some respectable totals to defend.

Bell eyes Ashes spot

2010-10-26T09:13:00.001+01:00

One of the issues that will need resolving before next month's opening Ashes Test is who bats at number six for England. Eoin Morgan currently fills that role and he has quickly gained a reputation throughout world cricket as being one of the most exciting batsmen around. Morgan's breakthrough into the Test side was down to Ian Bell's broken foot, which kept him out of the Pakistan series. Morgan stepped up from the one day side and took to the longer format of the game like the proverbial duck to water hitting a century in his debut match.

With Bell returning to action for Warwickshire in the final part of the summer and carrying on his previous good form, the England selectors need to make a decision on who takes the number six spot.

It looks as though Bell's experience may be the deciding factor in the decision, although anyone looking to place an Ashes bet should bear in mind this isn't set in stone. Bell has shown his quality over the past year, after going through a difficult spell. Bell was part of the Ashes squad of 2006/07 that got given an old fashioned spanking, losing the series 5-0 and thankfully the Ashes betting tips suggest a repeat of this should be avoided.

Since then Bell has showed that he has added a toughness to his game to accompany his world-class talent. After being dropped from the Test side, Bell returned to the team to help England reclaim the Ashes in the 2009 series, with two battling performances, where he scored 53 and 72 as he proved character on cricket's most pressurised stage. His first century against Australia still eludes Bell and he will be determined to put that right this series.

Giles backs Swann to prove a hit down under

2010-10-25T12:09:00.000+01:00

Former England spinner Ashley Giles has backed Graeme Swann to prove to be the difference during the upcoming Ashes series. Giles played in two unsuccessful Ashes tours in Australia before retiring to become Warwickshire's director of cricket, he is also a part of the English selection committee.

Although Giles was always a very decent spin bowler, he was never truly world class and has admitted he wasn't in the same league as Swann is now.

"Graeme Swann will play a lot bigger role than I ever played in Australia, I think he's a phenomenal bowler at the moment," Giles said.

Giles was part of the 2006/07 squad that suffered the humiliating 5-0 series whitewash but is convinced the same won't happen with this group of players.

"I think it's the most realistic chance we have of going there and winning the Ashes in quite a while, including some of the trips I went on," he added.

Swann is looking likely to be the difference between the two sides going into the opening Test at the end of next month. On paper both teams look pretty even, with the only real edge lying with England in the spin department, although the Ashes cricket betting makes the home side strong favourites.

While England have the current world's best spin bowler in their ranks, Australia are struggling to decide whether to play the out of form Nathan Hauritz or replace him with the youngster Steve Smith. Anyone thinking about placing an Ashes bet should remember this.

Certainly in the Brisbane Test, it looks as though the Aussie's will pack their team with fast bowlers, who will be more likely to get something out of the bouncy Gabba pitch, leaving their spinner to plug the gaps while they have a rest.

England selectors must be pragmatic

2010-10-22T10:35:00.000+01:00

England rightly head downunder with high expectations. This confidence is not entirely due to their own form, as Australia’s limitations provide nearly as much encouragement. The Baggy Greens have just lost three successive Tests for the first time since 1988, which suggests England should be less daunted ahead of an away Ashes series than they have been for some time.

Many cricket betting observers suggest recent results should not have too much emphasis placed upon them. This is partially true – England’s regular batting collapses have not been reflected by their results against South Africa and Pakistan this year, just as losing in India is no disgrace for any visiting team – but the recent form of players cannot be ignored.

Both teams are keen to give the incumbents as much time as possible to return to form. There are plenty of batsmen living off past records and whilst Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen in particular deserve the chance to rediscover the form that served them well downunder in 2006/07, the selectors cannot afford to place blind faith in them.

Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior and Ian Bell are the only batsmen to have good figures behind them over the last few months, although Andrew Strauss is playing well without proper reward. The captain remains the most important batsmen in the team according to the latest cricket odds.

Eoin Morgan’s runs dried up after a dazzling century in his third Test, but if he, the only batting reserve, is thought to be a better prospect for runs than Pietersen, Collingwood or Alastair Cook, then he must be selected promptly.

It might seem harsh to discard a batsman after twin failures at Brisbane, but England so often start slowly downunder that that they must be proactive this time around. Similarly, an out-of-form bowler cannot be carried through the series.
Chris Tremlett has been recalled to pose a different threat and it should not be ignored until it is too late, especially as three proper warm-up matches prevent the excuse of lack of preparation being used.

Can Graeme Swann make the difference?

2010-10-18T10:54:00.001+01:00

Graeme Swann is making the most of a second chance at international level, and he has a key role to play in Australia.

The 31-year-old made his international debut against South Africa all the way back in 1999 after being called up - but not selected - for the Test series with New Zealand the previous summer.

However, his cheeky-chappy persona was perceived by some as over confidence and even arrogance. The selectors were not impressed with Swann's attitude and he was dropped from the international squad the following summer.

It was five years later that his form began to pick up. After leaving Northamptonshire for Nottinghamshire he became a key member of the side that won the 2005 County Championship. His domestic form eventually earned him a recall to the England one day squad in 2007's tour of Sri Lanka and he soon made his Test debut the same winter against India in Chennai.

To say Swann has never looked back is an understatement. He found consistent bounce and turn, regularly taking key wickets that saw him quickly become England's first choice spinner in all forms of the game. During the 2009 Ashes series he grabbed four crucial wickets in England's two victories - including the famous removal of Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting's middle stump. His batting lower down the order also adds crucial runs to England's tally. The best Ashes odds make England strong favourites, and he will have to be at his very best.

His recent performances in South Africa and at the T20 World Cup - where he was England's leading wicket taker - has sent him up to number three bowler in the world and for the first time in decades England have the better spinner going into a series against Australia and the Ashes betting offers reflect this.

Swann remains a joker and often likes to have a laugh, but unlike in 1999 he now also has the ability to perform when it matters.

The shadow of Shane Warne looms large over Australian cricket and they may miss him just a little bit more when they see Swann line up against them this winter.

Ponting still the right man

2010-10-15T11:27:00.001+01:00

Ricky Ponting has come under pressure this week from an two Aussie legends. The Australia captain has been criticised by Shane Warne and Geoff Lawson, after India beat the Aussies by seven wickets, to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 2-0.

The loss maintained Ponting’s record of never captaining a series winning side in India.

Warne’s main point of contempt was with the Aussie’s field positions whenever Nathan Hauritz’s was bowling. The off-spinner was spanked to all parts of the Bangalore ground and wasn’t helped by the baffling field positions. Ponting has come out saying Hauritz himself was responsible for setting the field, as well as attempting to play down Warne’s comments. While Hauritz may have set his field, as captain, Ponting should have taken control when it was clear things weren’t working out as planned.

Former paceman Lawson has gone further with his comments, claiming Ponting should step down from skippering the team and hand over power to Michael Clarke before next month’s Ashes series starts. Lawson’s criticism come during Australia’s worst losing streak in 22 years. The fact the it’s been a three test losing streak, shows the dominance of Australia in world cricket for that 22 years.

The result of the loss in India, was that Australia’s ICC world ranking dropped down to fifth, ironically elevating England up a place into fourth. The ranking is Australia’s lowest since 1988, coincidently a year after England had won the Ashes on Aussie soil.

Those looking at Ashes cricket odds note how England will be looking at the Aussie’s situation with a wry smile on their faces. This is surely England’s best chance of winning their first series in Australia in 24 years. Australia’s loss against India, highlighted a host of weaknesses that the English will be hoping to exploit when the Brisbane Test starts on the 25th of November.

Although the Aussie batting line-up is far from the intimidating force of a few years ago, it shouldn’t be underestimated. Ponting is still one of the best batsmen in the world and Marcus North’s century in the Bangalore Test proved he’s back to his best.

Clarke has proved to be a thorn in English sides on more than one occasion will be keen for the battles to start. England’s best chance is to take advantage of their opponents suspect bowling attack. Hauritz isn’t enjoying the best spell in his career and the Aussie’s don’t currently have a fast bowler who those placing a cricket bet would back to consistently perform at a high level.

Ashes player preview - Andrew Strauss

2010-10-04T09:50:00.000+01:00

Andrew Strauss is hoping to do what no England captain has done for over 20 years - retain the Ashes down under.

The 33-year-old is not only burdened with that particular statistic, but also the lingering memory of 2007 when England suffered a humiliating 5-0 whitewash at the hands of the Aussies, meaning they lost their short grip on the urn won in such style in 2005. The best Ashes odds suggest England will be in for a tough time again.

Strauss was merely a squad member back then, albeit one that opened the innings with Alastair Cook. He endured a miserable series however, making only one notable score - 50 at Melbourne in the Boxing Day Test, though he will be remembered more for becoming Shane Warne's 700th test victim in that game.

Strauss was eventually dropped from the test squad the following year after an extended dip in form but he returned refreshed and revived for the 2007 visit of New Zealand and South Africa.

A rift between then captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores saw Strauss take the captaincy in early 2009. With the Ashes on the horizon Strauss and new coach Andy Flower had a job on their hands to unite the squad in time for the series - a poor early performance in the West Indies didn't help.

Thankfully for England the team and Strauss were much improved by the time Ricky Ponting and co arrived in England in May. Two tense draws sandwiched a historic win at Lord's, where Strauss claimed the highest individual score of the series - 161.

With the series tied at 1-1 going into the final game at the Oval a convincing 197 run victory meant the Ashes returned into England's grasp and Strauss was named man of the series by Australia coach Tim Neilsen. Anyone who wants to bet on top English batsman this time around should bear him in mind.

Australia may not be the all conquering team they once were, but on the hard pitches of their home grounds they are a formidable team, and wounded by the events of 2009, they will be as determined as ever to reclaim the urn. For Strauss, the hard work starts here.

McCullem shifts focus

2010-09-17T09:43:00.001+01:00

Brendon McCullem is probably the best wicket-keeper/batsmen since Adam Gilchrist. The New Zealander has now decided to hang up his gloves and focus on his batting. This is a brave call from McCullem, who won’t be guaranteed a place in the side on his batting alone. The Kiwi knows the risk he is taking stating "You go from being one of the major certainties in the team to now being in the mix and being relatively unproven. It's a huge challenge and hopefully it'll be the right decision."

Luckily for the 28 year old has proved his quality over the years and should keep his place. The hard hitting batsman was just awarded his country’s best ODI batting prize along with the best all-rounder award but will still need to perform to keep his place.

While McCullem will carry on behind the stumps during the shorter forms of the game, he will give up the gloves for Test matches. The main reason is that as a keeper, Online Cricket Betting pundits note how McCullem very rarely gets the chance to bat higher than number seven in the Test side.

His current average of 35 indicates he could do a good job for the Kiwi’s further up the order. Giving up the extra pressure of keeping should extend McCullem’s career with his national side.

While New Zealand will miss McCullem’s glove work behind the stumps, Gareth Hopkins will be a very capable replacement who should maintain the team’s Cricket odds in matches.With McCullem further up the order in their Test side, they will go into future matches knowing their batting line up has been significantly strengthened.

Magnificent seventh would be welcome distraction from off-field dramas

2010-09-07T10:01:00.001+01:00

England's seamless transition from Test cricket to T20 was achieved with only the minimum of fuss on Sunday as they lived up to their mantle of T20 World Champions with an ultimately comfortable win over Pakistan in Cardiff.

It wasn't a totally straightforward victory though - a mid-innings wobble saw them reduced to 62-5, with Luke Wright failing with the bat again, before Michael Yardy and Eoin Morgan dug England out of a hole. The Three Lions weren't totally convincing in the field either and the two dropped catches were a disappointment. However, there was some good work out on the boundary and the bowling of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann stood out.

It was the sides sixth consecutive T20 win and a seventh would secure a 2-0 series victory to go with their Test series triumph, the England cricket odds suggest they should wrap up the win.

It is a shame that the series will be tainted by the ongoing spot fixing controversy, and also hasn't been helped by the Twitter outbursts of first Kevin Pietersen and Dimitri Mascarenhas, who have both subsequently been fined.

But the fact England have stayed focused and adapted to the short form of the game so quickly is testament to the players and the coaching staff.

All they can do is go out and try to win matches and try to put off-field distractions to one side. Pakistan are understandably coping worse with the scandal. They are no strangers to chaotic off-field preparations though, and the rumoured recall of Younus Khan as test captain - despite the lifetime ban he received in March - is symptomatic of their inconsistent management.

With a one-day series still to come there is plenty of cricket left in this tour, but given what is going on between games, I get the impression both sides just want it over and done with.

Meanwhile, the Ashes cricket betting suggests England are in for another tough series Downunder.

They will have to iron out several problems in their game if they are to retain the urn.

Sri Lanka destroy India

2010-08-26T11:17:00.001+01:00

Sri Lanka have secured their place in the final of the triangular series, which features themselves, India and New Zealand.

The hosts booked their place thanks to a convincing eight wicket victory over India in Dambulla and now wait to see who they will face – keep checking the latest cricket betting for odds on the match.

Thisara Perera’s career best of 5-28 helped restrict India to a meagre 103 all out. Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara also got involved with two wickets apiece as India were skittled out in a disappointing 33.4 overs.

Yuvaj Singh was the only Indian batsmen to put up any real resistance with his 38 from 64 balls, which featured five fours and a six. He had little help from his colleagues though, with Virender Sehwag’s 12 the second highest score until he was trapped lbw by Kulasekara.

India never settled into their stride after they lost their opening wicket for 20. 21 year old Thisara Perera completed his first international five wicket haul by clean bowling number 11 Ishant Sharma to end the Indian innings.

Sri Lanka exploded out of the traps as they looked to knock off 104 with minimum fuss. Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene put on 50 inside the opening six overs but Sharma got both of them in consecutive balls with the score on 75. It was therefore left to captain Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga to see their side home in the 15th over to secure the emphatic win.

India will have another chance to reach the final when they go head to head with New Zealand in the remaining match of the tournament but for those who bet on cricket match outcomes, you will wonder whether a smarting India can bounce back.

Will England learn from the Mad Professor?

2010-08-17T14:22:00.001+01:00

England are once again utilising an Australian expert in order to gain insider knowledge on the opposition ahead of this winter's Ashes aeries. For Troy Cooley in 2005 read John Buchanan in 2010.

Five years ago it worked with devastating effect with Cooley forging the four-man pace attack that ripped through the Australian top order during that thrilling summer.
Now Andy Flower's side have employed another man from down under, controversial former Australian team coach Buchanan, who is nicknamed the Mad Professor.

His slightly off-the-wall methods when in charge of the all-conquering Aussie team of the late 90s and early 2000s were often derided in the media and sometimes by his own players as being the ideas of a crackpot. Whatever the reason, Australia dominated the cricket odds during his time in charge.

A forward thinker, Buchanan sought to keep his team of winners motivated by methods such as poetry, the teachings of fifth century Chinese warlord Sun Tzu, lectures on a range of bizarre subjects including Hulk Hogan and the Bee Gees and even a military-style bush boot camp.

I would be surprised of any such methods filtered through to the England side, even though Buchanan is set to take on a major role. But his knowledge of the Australian players and perhaps crucially the Australian pitches could be, as former England batsman Mike Gatting said, "that extra one per cent that might help them win a match or two". The Ashes cricket betting make the home side firm favourites, so England need to try something to swing things in their favour.

Matches nowadays are won off the field as well as on it and I think it is encouraging that the ECB are seeking to gain every possible advantage ahead of the series.
On the other hand it could be more like what Shane Warne called it: "a load of verbal diarrhoea".

I guess we will find out at the Gabba in November.

Pakistan recall Yousuf

2010-08-16T10:11:00.001+01:00

After losing the first two tests due to some seriously suspect top order batting, Pakistan look set to recall former captain Mohammad Yousuf for the third test at the Oval.

Yousuf was initially called up before the last test match at Edgbaston but wasn’t included in the team as he only arrived in the country 18 hours previously. Yousuf had been unable to practice in Pakistan due to the severe floods there but he has been able to do some work since arriving in England and looks set to be named in the team.

Cricket Betting pundits note how none of the Pakistani top order has made a 50 in the four innings they’ve batted. With their bowlers producing the goods, the batting has been the main reason for Pakistan being so comprehensively beaten in the opening two tests, along with their fielding. Yousuf will add some much needed quality and experience to his teams batting to boost their Cricket Odds for the Oval.

His record in test cricket is up there with the best. Yousuf has scored 7,431 runs at an average of 53.07 in his 88 Test matches. England have sufficient reason to be a little bit worried about Yousuf’s return to the team, on his last tour of England in 2006, the 36 year old posted scores of 202 (Lord's), 192 (Headingley) and 128 (The Oval).

Yousuf’s return comes just four months after he retired from international cricket. The reason for his retirement was due to a falling out with the PCB resulting in the player being banned indefinitely from playing for his country. He has seemingly made up with those in charge of the team and will look to restore some pride for his country in this series.

Swing master Anderson does it again

2010-08-03T14:23:00.001+01:00

Cloudy skies, moist air and a green tinged wicket - perfect conditions for England's James Anderson.

The 'Burnley Express' can be infuriatingly inconsistent but when he is on form there are few better bowlers out there.

This is certainly the case on a swing friendly pitch like the one at Trent Bridge last week. The 28-year-old blitzed his way through the Pakistan batting line up, taking 5-54 and then 6-17 to finish with impressive looking figures of 11-71 and his first ever international ten wicket haul.

He is not quite the complete bowler and I suppose very few are. But what coach Andy Flower is keen to develop is a varied attack capable of adapting to different bowling conditions. And Anderson is the undisputed star of the show when it comes to swing - Broad can get some movement but not to the same extent.

The key for the Lancastrian is to not try too hard when the conditions aren't in his favour, this will be true in Australia and it's probably why the Ashes betting still favours the home side.

Too often in the past his determination to do well has turned to frustration, leading to a wayward and erratic line and consequently expensive figures.

There will be times when Anderson will have to play the support role - ably filled by Steven Finn and Stuart Broad this week - in order for England's bowlers to act as a unit, rather than individuals. This would boost their cricket betting odds no end.

If he can do that then coach Flower will have a talented set of bowlers collectively far greater than the sun of their parts.

Strauss issues social media warning

2010-07-29T13:52:00.001+01:00

England captain Andrew Strauss has issued a warning to his players about using social networking sites such as Twitter. The comments come after Azeem Rafiq’s rant on the site about being dropped for an England Under-19 match.

The Yorkshire bowler used his Twitter account to launch an explosive attack on Coach John Abrahams after being left out for disciplinary reasons.

Strauss’ advice for Rafiq and other England players was to “be careful” and “be aware that what they write is going to be seen by people they might not want it to be seen by.”

Cricket Betting pundits note that several England cricketers have Twitter accounts now. James Anderson and Graeme Swann have been on there for a while, Paul Collingwood has had a go and recent additions include Kevin Pietersen and Steven Finn.

Then there is Tim Bresnan who got in trouble with the ECB after swearing on his page last year. All of these players should certainly take Strauss’ advice of being careful, especially during a series against Pakistan, which online sports betting odds expect to be incredibly tight.

Chennai expecting Flintoff comeback

2010-07-21T15:30:00.000+01:00

It would be harsh to describe Andrew Flintoff as the forgotten man of English cricket. However, after his retirement from tests, his continued injury problems and the success of the national team in recent months – it is fair to say that England have moved on.

This doesn’t take anything away from what Flintoff achieved for England. He was their talisman for a number of years and one of the most influential all-rounders to ever grace a cricket field.

It is good that England have moved on too. Had Cricket Betting pundits been been waiting on the fitness of Flintoff at this stage, you just know that it would have been an unsuccessful few months in limited overs cricket.

That has been far from the case though, with the World Twenty20 title in the bag along with ODI series victories over Australia and Bangladesh. In truth, it is hard to see where Flintoff would fit into the team at the moment.

Anyway, back to the man himself and his plans for the future. Well, one team expecting to come back into the fold before long is the Chennai Super Kings. They have included Flintoff in a preliminary 20-man squad for the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa in September.

They will be forced to trim their squad down to 15 on the 9th August and online sports betting experts would expect them to assess Flintoff’s fitness then.

The 32-year-old is said to be a fortnight away from making a comeback, so he is cutting it fine in terms of proving his fitness before the Champions League Twenty20 final squad is announced.

As ever, all England fans will be wishing him well and hope that he can have an impact for the Chennai Super Kings this year, even if a return to the England squad seems a long way off at the moment.

Muralitharan prepares for final bow

2010-07-20T12:18:00.002+01:00

One of the world's greatest and most controversial cricketers, Muttiah Muralitharan, is finally set to bring the curtain down on an illustrious Test career.

Why the greatest? Well the stats speak for themselves: A world record 792 test victims from 132 matches at an average of less than 23. He picked up a further 515 in the one day games with an average of just over 23 and he has even had time to squeeze in 13 wickets in 11 T20 matches at an average of less than 21.

Whatever the pitch, whatever the venue and whatever the game, Muralitharan has been the man every Sri Lanka captain has called on in a crisis - and he more often than not delivered. He certainly helped the side upset the Test cricket odds on a few occasions.

Why controversial? Because of the long standing debate about throwing was ripped open again each time a fussy umpire questioned his unusual action.

A deformed elbow was part of the reason but he also had exceptionally flexible wrists and a shoulder that rotated as rapidly as a fast bowler's at the time of delivery. This allowed him to achieve an exceptional level of spin. His killer delivery though was the doosra - the one that went the other way or held its line.

All of a sudden Murali could tee up his victims before bamboozling with a wicked delivery, putting him up there with the greats.

Umpires haven't been so kind to him though. Darrell Hair called him for throwing on the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne 1995 and the same happened in Brisbane and Adelaide. Another umpire Ross Emerson followed suit three years later. Even former Australian prime minister John Howard once labelled him a chucker - though he later apologised.

Murali even bowled on television in a special cast, going through his entire repertoire of deliveries to try and convince the critics.

He finally won the day and despite the controversy he has kept a dignified stance throughout. He is often accused of lacking that passion and fire in the belly that marks out the great players.

And although I agree that determination often put the elite players above the rest, Murali's unassuming nature betrays his devastating affect with the ball. He has no need to shout and bawl - his actions speak for themselves. Sri Lanka's cricket odds will no doubt take a hit after his departure.

He finally brings the curtain down on his Test career against India this week - I'm sure much to the authorities and opposition batsmen's relief.

Derbyshire v Surrey

2010-07-01T21:18:00.002+01:00

Chance lost for me.

200 to win, even on the last day at Chesterfield, should be attainable with 9 wickets in hand hand.

Very disappointing, especially for Wayne Madsen with two tons and still on the losing side.

More in due course but thought we had that sussed at lunchtime with their bowlers limping.

England hold all the aces over Australia

2010-07-01T11:01:00.002+01:00

England find themselves in an unusual position at the moment. After securing the one day series against Australia with two games to spare they can now laud it over their great rivals in every format of the game.

The Ashes are in their possession after last year's dramatic home victory, while their first ever ICC trophy was secured in the form of the World T20 where they beat the Aussies in the final.

The feel-good factor among the players is in stark contrast to England's footballers, whose 4-1 hammering by Germany threatened to ruin the afternoon for the supporters packed into Old Trafford on Sunday, before Tim Bresnan's late pushed nervously sealed a series deciding victory. Graeme Swann even went as to say they were the "golden generation" of England cricketers, a title rather embarrassingly applied to England's failed footballers.

The football side, who were third favourites in the World Cup online odds, could learn a thing or two from their cricketing counterparts.

Swann's argument certainly seems to hold water as the side are backing up their talent with results. England are historically weak at the shorter forms of the game but it appears they are flourishing in all forms of the game - don't forget this is just a year after England lost to the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup and were hammered by Australia in the post-Ashes One day series.

Each win in this series was achieved via different methods. The first at Rose Bowl was all about the bat with Eoin Morgan's superb century leading them comfortably home. The second in Cardiff was all about the bowlers, with the short bouncing, skidding deliveries of Broad and co skittling through the Aussie top order. The third was achieved with grit, determination and nerve.

Too often in the past England have bottled it at the crucial moment so a win of this nature is another sign of an emerging side determined to win at all costs. This is reflected in the cricket odds.

Andy Flower deserves a lot of credit for setting England on a path to complete cricket domination. Flower gathered his players last year and stated his ambition to be number one at all forms of the game. It sounds ambitious but the self-belief and confidence flooding through the players suggests they agree with his vision and ethos.

Don't write off the Aussies yet though. Listening to Ricky Ponting after the game suggested he is as determined as ever to gain the last laugh and that could come when the Ashes kick off next November.

But the fact we have barely mentioned Freddie Flintoff shows just how far England have come and the genuine threat they pose in the world game.

Steven Finn latest victim of England Ashes hype machine

2010-06-02T10:03:00.000+01:00

A battling Bangladesh side, who showed they are rapidly improving as a Test outfit, were eventually defeated by England on the final day at Lord's.

The eight wicket win hides the fact that England's bowlers were made to toil for much of the game, with the decision to only field four strike bowlers brought into question.

However, the biggest positive to come out of the game was the performance of paceman Steve Finn, who was the standout bowler of the match, claiming 5-87 in the second innings to achieve match figures of 9 for 187.

The 21-year-old is 6"7', so is clearly earmarked for a key role on the hard, bouncy pitches of Australia next winter. His huge frame and solid action mean he will be able to achieve plenty of pace and bounce, something our often swing dominated attack has failed to do in recent excursions down under. The Ashes betting will make England second favourites for the contest, so they will need some special performances to pull off a win.

But Finn also displayed encouraging versatility - sensibly slowing his action down on the final morning in order to take advantage of the extra swing and movement the cloud cover above Lord's would bring. The Test series odds always suggested Bangladesh would be defeated, but Finn did well to ensure this happened.

Like any young player in this country who displays even a glimpse of potential a series of sensational headlines soon splurge out from the newsstands. Some of the articles regarding the Middlesex bowler have compared him to Glen McGrath and Curtly Ambrose.

I don't think I need to tell you that Finn is not at the level of those all-time greats, few Englishmen have ever got close to their sky-high standards.
But given the figures he has achieved so far, plus the maturity he displays on and off the field, he is certainly a great talent to be nurtured and one that is one the right track. He's definitely one to watch this summer.

England hit on winning formula

2010-05-18T09:40:00.002+01:00

England fans are still taking in their side's dramatic World T20 final win on Sunday, their first ICC triumph in a one-day tournament after 35 years of trying.
What made the win more satisfying was the manner in which it was achieved. England played the best cricket in this tournament by a distance and no one can argue with their win.

In the West Indies, England upset the cricket betting odds but they did it with such ease you would have thought they were favourites before the start of the competition.

The old question marks that hung over the team in recent years England have been eradicated and credit has to go to the selectors for dealing with those problems.
Firstly, England's repeated failure to take advantage of the powerplay was solved by the selection of Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb. The pair may not be technically the best cricketers in the country, but they know how to hit a ball and aren't afraid to do so.

Their lusty blows at the top of the innings gave England a solid platform on which to build on. They duly did so with the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan ensuring that the momentum gained by the openers was not lost. This is backed up by the statistics which reveal all but one of England's batsmen had a strike rate of over 100.

The pressure was kept on the opposition in the field as well. England had no 'out' bowlers, a player who the opposition knew would bowl a few loose ones allowing them to hit a few boundaries to release the pressure.

The opening pair of Sidebottom and Bresnan were on the money from the off, no looseners there. While Stuart Broad as first change bamboozled the batsmen using the full compliant of deliveries in his armoury.

With the powerplay out of the way spin pairing of Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy choked the middle of the innings, meaning when the pacemen were brought on at the end they were bowling to frustrated batsmen. Desperate to boost their side's low score they took more risks, usually resulting in their dismissal.

Coach Andy Flower was quick to put things in perspective and urged calm, saying this was only one format of the game. But the confidence taken from this win should spur the players on to greater things in 50 over and test matches. With the Ashes on the horizon, that is definitely something to get excited about.

Meanwhile, the England football team will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of their cricketing compatriots this year when they travel to South Africa for the World Cup.

The World Cup betting makes the Three Lions third favourites for the tournament, but they will face some stiff competition.

England see both sides of Duckworth-Lewis

2010-05-05T12:17:00.001+01:00

Being in Paul Collingwood's company would not have been pleasant had the complicated maths involved in the Duckworth-Lewis method gone against England once more.

The England captain couldn't hide his frustration after England lost to the West Indies under the method, despite posting a tournament high of 191 in their 20 overs. But a sloppy start by England's bowlers was compounded as the rain came down in Guyana.

The mathematical system, which was introduced in 2001, set the Windies a target of just 60 from six overs with all their wickets in hand. The system isn't ideal, but it was also designed with 50 over cricket in mind, not T20.

As Collingwood said a score of 191 would win the game 95 per cent of the time so for the system to skew the odds the other way is proof it is flawed in this format.
England then had a dreaded sense of deja vu as the rain came down again during their match with Ireland. In truth they weren't as impressive with the bat as they were against the Windies, and credit has to go to the Irish, in particular pace bowler Trent Johnson and young leg spinner George Dockrell.

However, it was Irish-born Eoin Morgan, who made a composed 45, who dragged England to 120-8.

Ireland were 14-1 from three-and-a-half overs in reply, but found themselves dodging the rain. There was a real worry in the England dressing room that the maths would fail then once more. The cricket betting suggested England are in with an outside chance of winning the competition, but had things gone wrong they could have fallen at the first hurdle.

After a prolonged break, Ireland were set a revised target of just 47 from 33 balls before a final burst of rain ended the contest without a result being reached.
No one would argue against using Duckworth-Lewis to decide a game - using run-rate ratios or best scoring overs is unthinkable, as past experience shows.

However, the past two games have shown adjustments need to be made for its use in the T20 format of the game. After all, losing a match because a formula needs rejigging is not what cricket is about.

Meanwhile, in other sports news, England remain third favourites in the FIFA World Cup odds as this year's tournament approaches.