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Will Gidman again proved himself a thorn in Leicestershire sides as Gloucestershire moved into a dominant position on the second day at Bristol.

04-Sep-2013
ScorecardDay two was the Will Gidman show with the bat•PA PhotosWill Gidman again proved himself a thorn in Leicestershire sides as Gloucestershire moved into a dominant position on the second day at Bristol.Having returned career-best bowling figures of 6 for 15 runs on the opening day, Gidman posted his highest ever score of 143 to propel Gloucestershire to 516 for nine declared and an imposing first-innings lead of 399.Leicestershire reached the close on 60 for the loss of Greg Smith in their second innings and are still 339 runs behind – and staring down the barrel of an innings defeat.Gidman will no doubt have his sights set on taking 10 wickets in the match to add to his superb hundred when play resumes with Gloucestershire seeking their fourth Championship win of the summer.Resuming on 210 for 4, Gloucestershire’s aim was to bat for as long as possible and wear down the pitch as well as their opponents. Certainly, the fifth wicket pair of Hamish Marshall and Benny Howell commenced in positive fashion, feeding off a series of short deliveries as boundaries flowed on the second morning.These two had already banked a second batting bonus point and were looking increasingly secure when their partnership of 69 was unexpectedly terminated in the 64th over, Howell mistiming a drive and skying a catch to mid-off to gift former Durham paceman Ben Raine his first success of the match. Howell had harvested 34 from 61 balls and mustered six fours in a stand which set the tone for the rest of the day.Not content to act as the junior partner, new batsman Gidman immediately matched Marshall blow for blow despite the pitch becoming slower and lower. Veteran New Zealander Marshall was first to 50, raising that landmark with his seventh boundary, a square cut four at the expense of Shiv Thakor.Having started the match on 856 first-class runs for the season, Marshall had three figures firmly in his sights when he was pinned lbw by Raine for 81. Especially strong off the back foot, he faced 152 balls, struck 11 fours and helped add 97 for the sixth wicket with Gidman.Maximum batting bonus points and a lead of 300 represented minimum requirements for Gloucestershire and the in-form Gidman ensured both boxes were ticked prior to the tea interval. His 50 came from 105 balls and he required a further 45 deliveries to realise three figures. He faced 183 balls in all, accrued 16 fours and two sixes and comfortably surpassed his previous career-best score of 116 not out, made in a losing cause against Northamptonshire in Bristol in 2011.On loan from Middlesex and eager to earn a contract offer, offspinner Tom Smith did his prospects no harm at all by posting his first 50 for Gloucestershire, more than holding his own in a progressive partnership of 131 in 35 overs with Gidman for the seventh wicket.Required to negotiate 15 overs at the end of the day, Leicestershire were further undermined when Smith departed for 9, trapped lbw by David Payne’s left-arm swing.

The sight of MS Dhoni jumping triumphantly as James Tredwell failed to connect with the final ball of the match will become etched in the mind just like his iconic six two years back that helped India to World Cup.

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston23-Jun-2013The sight of MS Dhoni jumping triumphantly as James Tredwell failed to connect with the final ball of the match will become etched in the mind, just like his iconic six two years back that helped India to the World Cup.But even on that April evening in Mumbai, Dhoni had not celebrated in such an exhilarating fashion as he did as India won the Champions Trophy. Dhoni later explained why he let his guard down at the end of a long, long Sunday.”This means a lot because we were playing one of the best sides and also the kind of match that we had won,” Dhoni said. “To beat England in a 130-odd game is very difficult.”Although India entered the final as the only unbeaten team, playing England on home soil against their quality fast bowling attack was a challenge that was altogether different. Add to that the pressure of playing a final of a world tournament.Questions had been asked of Dhoni on Saturday if the Indian middle order, which had not done much batting in the tournament, could stand up to the task if the top order failed. Dhoni responded by saying his batsmen would need to play the situation.Yet the Indian middle order crumbled under pressure only barring some late fire fighting from Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. The Indian target seemed small. Dhoni agreed that the frequent rain interruptions did act as a distraction.BCCI awards cash prizes for win

The BCCI has announced prizes of Rs 1 crore (USD $167,530 approx.) to each member of the playing squad and Rs 30 lakhs (USD $ 50,265 approx.) for each member of the support staff

“After every few overs our batsmen had to come off,” he said. “People talk about getting set, getting used to the pace and then playing the big shots but that was never the case. Whenever the batsmen felt they were set, they had to come off and we had a break of 15-20 minutes. That never allowed us to gain any kind of momentum or build partnerships which were needed. And that was reflected when the middle order went in to bat. It was the main reason why we ended up scoring less than what we ended up scoring than what we had liked to score.”Before India began their defence, Dhoni pointed out upfront to his players that the only way India could win was by working hard and working to the plans: “Before going in I said, Let us firstly get rid of the feeling that it is a 50-over format. It is a 20-over game. We have seen in IPL that 130-run can be very difficult target to achieve.”He also asked them to not to look for the rain to act a saviour. “God is not coming to save us,” Dhoni told his team in the huddle. “If you want to win this trophy we will have to fight it out. We are the number one-ranked side so let us show it that they will have to fight for these 130-odd runs. So let us not look for any outside help.”The key was not allow England to build the partnerships, hence it was important to see the back of two batsmen, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, both classical and highly successful Test batsmen, as quickly as possible.”Trott was a very important wicket,” Dhoni said. “Cook also. They are two batsmen who look to play through the innings and the others rotate around them. That means if they get they get a good partnership going they can play freely.”The fact that he is the only captain to have won all three global limited over tournaments is something Dhoni will admit is a special feeling. According to him there were similarities in the way India won the 2007 World Twenty20 and the Champions Trophy because the players were hungry to succeed and that had helped raise the overall spirit of the squad.”There were also quite a number of players who were making a comeback and wanted to do well desperately and be part of the team,” he said. “There are a few who wanted to do well and have a settled position in the side.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second one-day international between England and New Zealand

The Preview by Alan Gardner01-Jun-2013Match FactsJune 2, 2013
Start time 10.45am (0945 GMT)England’s top-order failed to build a score big enough for their bowlers to defend at Lord’s•Getty ImagesThe Big PictureLike a confident election campaign team beginning to get wind of some worrying exit poll data, England are experiencing a few pre-Champions Trophy jitters. Having glided serenely towards this year’s limited-overs centrepiece with their Bank of England top three, middle-order pocket rockets and specialist seam-and-swing attack blueprint firmly in place, there is just a hint of disquiet. And not only because defeat to New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl would mean a first ODI series loss at home in almost four years.Injury deprived England of Kevin Pietersen several weeks ago – providing grist to the mill of those who worry about their stolid approach early in the game, two new balls or otherwise, and the subsequent pressure that puts on the players to come – and “niggles” now hang ominously over two key members of the bowling attack, in Stuart Broad and Steven Finn. Chris Woakes, in particular, was treated dismissively by Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor at Lord’s and the call-up for Boyd Rankin, who played his last ODI for Ireland in February 2012, might kindly be described as a gamble. Neither Rankin or Jade Dernbach are yet in the Champions Trophy mix but Alastair Cook was noticeably unwilling to make any guarantees on the fitness of Broad and Finn.But one flutter of panic does not make an episode of and England will likely dust off those shiny new red uniforms and refocus on imposing their “skills” against New Zealand. Switching rapidly between formats can cause problems for everyone and while a one-day side largely familiar to each other through Test cricket can have its benefits, the challenge is for them all to go up in gear together. It seems unlikely that so many of the batsmen will get in and not go on again. England came from behind to win the ODIs against the same opponents earlier in the year and will undoubtedly be sharper down at the Ageas Bowl.New Zealand’s position is, by contrast, an enviable one. Unfancied for the tournament to come and dogged by indifferent form over the last couple of years, Brendon McCullum was understandably excited by victory at Lord’s (which maintained their unbeaten record in ODIs there) and what it augurs for his team. Guptill’s return to form has been timed like the lofted six over long-on during his unbeaten century and the bowling attack demonstrated variety and skill. New Zealand are the only team other than Australia to win an ODI series in England in the last five years; they are in sight of a repeat.Form guide (Most recent first)
England LWWLW
New Zealand WLLWLWatch out for…After Tim Bresnan was sent for elbow surgery over the winter, Chris Woakes was given an opportunity to audition for the No. 7 spot. He performed creditably in New Zealand and is a more accomplished batsman but doubts about whether he has the requisite level of control if the ball does not swing for him resurfaced at Lord’s. He is considered by some to be a better red-ball prospect – and going at almost eight an over is certainly one way to confine your ambitions to a different format – but he should get another chance at the Ageas.Luke Ronchi joined the ranks of dual internationals with his New Zealand debut on Friday, taking three catches in a tidy display behind the stumps. An aggressive, fast-scoring batsman, he has been tasked with opening the innings but got little opportunity to demonstrate his abilities thanks to a pearler from James Anderson that saw him off for a three-ball duck. Improving on that may not be too difficult but Ronchi has a further incentive to impress, having played locally in the Southern Electric Premier League for Bashley (Rydal) during the early part of his career.Team newsLess than a week before the start of the Champions Trophy, England have some issues to ponder. Broad and Finn will be protected again and Bresnan remains on standby to leave for the birth of his child. After the struggles of Woakes and Dernbach at Lord’s, uncertainty stalks the replacements bench. Could Boyd Rankin – valued for his height, which differentiates him from the other fit bowlers in the squad – make a surprise England debut? Will Woakes’ batting keep him at No. 7, despite a rank display with the ball? Is a two-spinner policy conceivable? Might Ravi Bopara make yet another comeback? Unlikely. But the announcement at the toss will be interesting.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Boyd RankinDaniel Vettori’s continuing fitness woes mean that Nathan McCullum will again shoulder the spinning duties – a job he proved more than up to at Lord’s, taking 2 for 34. Aside from two top-order failures and Brendon McCullum’s continuing search for form with the bat, most of the XI that won at Lord’s made contributions of some sort so an unchanged side seems likely.New Zealand (probable) 1 Luke Ronchi (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt), 7 James Franklin, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghanPitch and conditionsThe pitches in Southampton can be on the slow side but internationals are usually blessed with a true surface to bat on; barring one rain-affected match, you have to go back to 2004 to find an ODI in which there was not an individual century scored on either side. A sunny forecast means minimal assistance for the seamers.Stats and trivia New Zealand’s only previous visit to the Ageas (formerly Rose) Bowl came during the 2004 NatWest series*. The match, against West Indies, was abandoned without a ball bowled. Ian Bell has made two of his three ODI hundreds at the ground: 126 on both occasions, against India and West Indies. New Zealand have won six of their last seven completed ODIs against England in England. James Anderson needs three wickets to overtake Darren Gough as England’s most successful one-day bowler.Quotes”The signal? It’s that [baby in arms] from the balcony. Then I’ll drop my shopping and hope I’ve bowled my ten overs, then sprint off, jump in the car with my spikes on.”
“When you lose two tall bowlers you want to replace them with another tall bowler.”
“South Africa was quite similar, we came off some tough Test defeats, then we rocked up and won the first game. We’re a very confident one-day team and it was a satisfying win.”
*June 1, 20.30 GMT: The original said the match was part of the Champions Trophy. This has been corrected.

Yorkshire have been forced to deny a rift with their legspinner Adil Rashid, with the start of the Championship season only a few hours away

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-2013Yorkshire have been forced to deny a rift with their legspinner Adil Rashid, with the start of the Championship season only a few hours away.Rashid was quoted in the on Tuesday as saying that if his season did not go well he would insist on going to another county on loan – the same route followed by Ajmal Shahzad, whose disenchantment with Yorkshire led him to play out last season with Lancashire before joining Nottinghamshire on a three-year deal.A statement from Yorkshire said that the interview had taken place on January 24 and that Rashid had apologised to the captain, Andrew Gale, for the embarrassment caused.Rashid only took 16 wickets at 41 runs each in 10 Championship matches last season and his batting fared equally badly – 129 runs at 16.12. His reputation as an exciting England legspinner in the making has collapsed, as he has even fallen out of recent Lions squads.”Now is the time to draw the line, and if it happens again I’ll say: ‘OK, I’ll go out on loan somewhere else to play’,” he said in the original interview. “I hope it doesn’t come down to that. I’ve been playing here seven years and I want to stay. But I have a career and I can’t waste another year.”It’s hard to come straight on and hit your length and line with every delivery if you’re hardly bowling and the coaches and people around you don’t give you the backing.”Rashid said that he accepted some of the blame, but it had to be shared with the captains and the coaches. “If a player’s not performing, don’t just all of a sudden disrespect him, or think: ‘Oh, he’s nothing now’ then as soon as he starts playing well: ‘OK, I’ll respect him again now’.”The captain knows what I can do because I’ve got 200-plus first-class wickets. He should have thought: ‘OK, he’s done this in the past, I need to back him.’ If I don’t get that from the captain obviously my confidence is going to go down.”In response, Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said: “It is disappointing and frustrating that this article has been used on the eve of the season. Although an interview was conducted in January, the way Adil has worked and behaved throughout the winter would not suggest to me that we have a problem.”Adil has worked extremely hard and has been a vibrant member of the squad. He is someone who is valued at the club and all the staff here are committed to helping him become a consistent performer and fulfil his obvious potential.”There was also the sound of backtracking from Rashid. “It was an error of judgement to make those comments to the media back in January,” he said. “Yorkshire is a great club and there is a very positive atmosphere within the squad. I just want to concentrate on my game and work hard to be part of Yorkshire’s aim for success in 2013.”

Ryan Harris conjured a sizzling final over to snatch for Queensland a domestic limited overs final that Victoria seemed to have in their keeping

Daniel Brettig27-Feb-2013
ScorecardRyan Harris delivered victory for Queensland with two wickets in the final over of the match•Getty ImagesRyan Harris conjured a sizzling final over to snatch for Queensland a domestic limited overs final that Victoria seemed to have in their keeping after a night of many fluctuations on a lively MCG surface kept fresh by rain.Needing five runs from 10 balls with three wickets in hand following a pair of sixes swung by Clint McKay, the Bushrangers lost Will Sheridan without addition but still needed only five from Harris’ final over of the match. It was a task he had been saved for while the hosts took advantage of some wayward bowling by Cameron Gannon.After a pair of singles, Harris whizzed down a lifter that McKay did well to edge and Chris Hartley better still to catch, leaping well off the ground to claim the chance. Next ball Fawad Ahmed pushed apprehensively at a delivery of immaculate line and length and Peter Forrest held another sharp chance at second slip, a cue for jubilant Bulls and disconsolate Bushrangers.Under the astute yet uncomplicated helmsmanship of the coach Darren Lehmann and the captain James Hopes, the Bulls now hold both the Sheffield Shield and limited overs titles, while the Brisbane Heat carried off the Big Bash League in January. They have shown a knack for finding something extra in tight moments.In a strong reminder that he will be a more than useful Ashes tourist should his fitness hold up, Harris made a lively start to the innings also, nipping out Aaron Finch while keeping the runs down. Along with James Hopes, Alister McDermott and Gannon, Harris ensured regular wickets always kept the Bulls in the match, until McKay’s sixes had threatened to finish it.Peter Handscomb and Cameron White came closest to establishing a match-winning stand, but the Bushrangers captain succumbed to one of several short balls that leapt threateningly across the evening – symptomatic of a contest in which no batsman passed 50.Queensland had seemed unlikely winners when the match was stopped for rain after 20.1 overs in the afternoon, a scoreline of 4 for 69 relating how their batsmen struggled on a pitch offering movement and bounce to the seamers.The delay reduced the match to 32 overs per side, and for some time after the resumption the Bulls did not look like setting any sort of total for Victoria to chase, slipping to 7 for 97 when Ahmed deceived Peter Forrest in the midst of another teasing spell of leg spin.However Jason Floros summoned his cleanest hitting to capitalise on Victorian errors of length in the closing overs, crashing the first three balls of the final over, bowled by John Hastings, for six, four and six. In all 18 came from that final over, runs that would give Harris just enough room to seal a thrilling victory.

Auckland were hurt when they failed to move out of CLt20 qualifiers last year and this time around have made sure they a better prepared

Firdose Moonda07-Oct-2012When Auckland failed to qualify for last year’s Champions League T20 main draw, they were so downcast that a reporter who attended their press conference felt too bad to ask them anything. The journalist said she had never seen a team take defeat so seriously.This time Auckland have done as much as they can to ensure they do not suffer a repeat of 2011 because they see their participation in the CLT20 as reflecting on the state of cricket in their country as a whole. “As a team, we are representing New Zealand domestic cricket out here and we have a responsibility to do well for the rest and showcase our strength as a nation,” Gareth Hopkins, Auckland’s captain said. “We’re putting a lot more emphasis on preparation.”Auckland arrived in South Africa two weeks ago and have spent their days training at Pretoria’s High Performance Centre, known as one of the world’s top sporting facilities. Given that most of the players are coming out of a quiet period they saw the extra work as necessary to get themselves match ready. “We’re coming out of winter, so we haven’t played a game as a team in the last six months,” Hopkins explained. “We’ve played some warm-up games now, more than we had done at the same stage last year.”They have also acquired the services of Zimbabwe bowling coach Heath Streak, who is working as a consultant for them and has an intimate knowledge of conditions in this part of the world. “Heath was always going to be a good fit for us. He speaks the local language,” Paul Strang, Auckland’s Zimbabwean coach who seemed to have forgotten that English is spoken in Africa, said.Their trump card could be the inclusion of overseas players, Azhar Mahmood. Apart from experience, Mahmood will have inside information on some of the Sialkot Stallions, the Pakistan side who both Auckland and Hampshire admitted to knowing very little about. “We’ve seen three of four of the Sialkot players in the World T20 but the rest we’re not too sure about,” Hopkins said.Auckland know Hampshire fairly well. They even share a player in Jimmy Adams who has played for both teams. But they begin their qualifying campaign against Sialkot on Tuesday and see the match as a must-win. They hope Mahmood will be a key figure in that fixture, not only because of his knowledge of the opposition.”He’s just a great guy. He fits into our team culture very easily and he brings a lot of knowledge about the game of cricket,” Hopkins said. “He is more than happy to help our young players with techniques and with tactics of the game and he’s not afraid to open up and share that with them.”Other experience will come from veteran bowler Chris Martin, who Hopkins also anticipates will make a major impact. “He is quite a calming influence on the unit and the bowlers. And being in South Africa with the bouncier and quicker wickets than what we had in India, his pace and bounce could come in handy. He is also good against left-handers and Hampshire have a fair few of them.”Auckland’s intense focus is a result of what Hopkins called and “increased emphasis,” on the 20-over competition at home, the HRV Cup, and they are confident it will pay off, in more ways than one. “A lot of teams back home are striving to win to get into the position that we are in right now,” Hopkins said. “If we do well, players know they can get noticed by the national selectors or by an IPL team and then, who knows?”

Peter Trego lit up Somerset’s 50-run win over Hampshire with a big-hitting innings of 61 and then took two top-order wickets

14-Aug-2012
ScorecardPeter Trego got Somerset off to a flying start•Getty ImagesPeter Trego lit up Somerset’s 50-run win over Hampshire with a big-hitting innings of 61 and then took two top-order wickets when the home side responded.Trego’s flamboyant battering of the Hampshire attack, which included nine fours and three sixes, overshadowed a valiant attempt by Hampshire opener James Vince to reverse the outcome.Vince was last out after making 95 in an increasingly hopeless cause as Somerset coasted to their fifth Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B victory to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the later stages of the competition.Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams chose to field first and must have wondered if he had made the right decision as Trego took apart the bowling in a whirlwind of boundaries.Marcus Trescothick lost his wicket in the second over but then Trego was joined by Chris Jones in a partnership of 73 for the second wicket in only seven overs. Trego’s assault lasted only 31 balls before he hoisted spinner Danny Briggs into the deep, where Chris Wood held the catch.Somerset’s run blast halted after Trego’s departure and the rest of the innings was sedate by comparison with Briggs taking two wickets for 39 runs and Sean Ervine applying the brakes with figures of 3 for 35.Ervine bowled James Hildreth and then removed the potentially dangerous Arul Suppiah and Abdur Rehman. But Somerset were revived by Jos Buttler, who made 51 off 59 balls, and Gemaal Hussain who hit two sixes in his brief innings of 18 not out.When Hampshire replied they again found Trego in inspired form, having Adams caught at slip by Trescothick in his second over and finding a gap in Neil McKenzie’s defences in his third.With Rehman having Simon Katich caught behind without scoring, Hampshire were 15 for three and then 49 for 4 when Ervine was bowled by Steve Kirby. Then Vince was joined by Liam Dawson in a stand of 73 for the fifth wicket in 12 overs to begin the process of a Hampshire recovery.Even after Dawson had gone at 122, Michael Bates helped Vince add another 40 for the sixth – but Hampshire were always struggling to match the required run rate. Kirby came back to bowl Bates and later did the same to Briggs, marooning Vince short of his century.Vince lifted Hussain for six and added two more runs to take his score to 95 but in the same over was leg before wicket from the last ball of the 36th to confirm Somerset’s superiority.

Chris Gayle has said that all differences between him and the WICB have been resolved and his aim now is to give a lift to Caribbean cricket.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2012Chris Gayle, who played his first innings in West Indies colours since the 2011 World Cup against Middlesex on Wednesday, has said that all differences between him and the WICB have been resolved and his aim now is to give a lift to Caribbean cricket.”Everything has been rectified,” Gayle said. “The main objective is to contribute to West Indies cricket and uplift it. I’m available for all formats of the game. Hopefully I can get some runs in whites and in coloured clothes.”Gayle had been in international exile after the World Cup following the breakdown of his relationship with the WICB and was restricted to plying his trade, quite successfully, in domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world. After prolonged discussions with the WICB, Gayle eventually pulled out of a contract with Somerset to show his commitment to West Indies, following which he was selected in the squad for the limited-overs series against England.He began his comeback with 34 off 30 deliveries in the West Indians’ big win over Middlesex in the tour match at Lord’s and admitted to feeling “a bit nervous” at the start. “It is good to be back in my No. 45 jersey I represented West Indies in once. I started out a bit nervous, I am human, but things came along well after that. Unfortunately I got out. I am looking forward to the first ODI and should be in a better state of mind.”Gayle said at the moment it was very important for him to fit into the squad as quickly as possible. “Once you get settled in everything will come back to normal. You get that feel again in any environment which you have been out of for a year. Once you get back that feeling, once you get back into your comfort zone, things will be much easier.”I want to contribute more. Hopefully get a few more centuries for West Indies. The most important thing is to try and get a couple of series wins. Because the pressure has been there. Even when I wasn’t playing, the pressure has still been there outside. I am still a part of it whichever way you look at it.”Gayle has declared himself available for all three formats of the game, so should return to Test cricket on July 25 against New Zealand in Antigua – his first Test since December 2010. His return also provides a major boost to West Indies’ chances at the World T20 in September.In the absence of Gayle, and another veteran Ramnaresh Sarwan, West Indies’ focus has been on building a squad for the future under coach Ottis Gibson and captain Darren Sammy. Gayle agreed that youngsters were the future. “When you look at guys like Adrian Barath or Kieran Powell or even young Darren Bravo, they have long contributions to make for West Indies cricket. They are the future. You cannot just hide them or throw them away. You still have to keep them in the group. And hopefully with experience things are going to be well.”Looking ahead to the ODI series against England, Gayle said while West Indies have a talented squad with plenty of powerhitters, they “still have a lot to do by rotating the strike, picking up the singles and playing smart cricket.”England and West Indies play three ODIs and a T20 later this month with the first one-dayer at West End on June 16.

Waqar Younis, the former captain and coach of Pakistan, has been interviewed for the position of Australian bowling coach, as Cricket Australia intensifies its search for the man to replace Craig McDermott

Daniel Brettig05-Jun-2012Waqar Younis, the former captain and coach of Pakistan, has been interviewed for the position of Australian bowling coach, as Cricket Australia intensifies its search for the man to replace Craig McDermott.Based in Sydney after he concluded a two-year stint as coach of Pakistan in 2011, Waqar is understood to have spoken to CA’s team performance manager Pat Howard about taking on a role that was unexpectedly vacated by McDermott at the conclusion of the Australian tour of the West Indies.Australia’s search for a new bowling coach is taking place at a time when many of the best candidates are already tied to other national teams or unwilling to commit to the travel pressures of the job. David Saker, Allan Donald, Joe Dawes and Damien Wright are all employed at international level, while the likes of Andy Bichel and Damien Fleming have said they are unwilling to devote as much time to the job as required by CA.Another possible candidate, Jason Gillespie, is in his first season as the coach of Yorkshire, while Ali de Winter, who ran McDermott close for the position in 2011, is thought to be enjoying his expanded role in Tasmania as assistant coach of the Tigers and head coach of the Hobart Hurricanes Twenty20 team.As a part-time member of the selection panel, Bichel saw the improvement McDermott brought to the team, and has said his preference would be for a mentor with proven international pedigree. ”With so many young guys coming through the system, I think you need someone who has played international cricket and who can teach them the stuff in the middle more than the technical stuff, how to get people out,” Bichel told the last month. ”That was one of the great bonuses with Craig.”Waqar has been refreshed by 10 months off cricket’s global caravan. He cited personal and health reasons – both for himself and his wife – when he exited the Pakistan coaching job, but has actively sought a return to coaching with Australia.Were he to be employed as bowling coach, Waqar would bring valuable knowledge to the Australian dressing room, particularly pertaining to reverse swing, an art the team have struggled to make best use of down the years. Under McDermott, Australia’s fast bowlers demonstrated an excellent command of the basics, bowling full, straight and moving the ball conventionally, while also showing tremendous discipline in unhelpful conditions in Sri Lanka and the West Indies.They will now be looking to build on those gains, and Waqar’s mastery of reverse swing, as demonstrated across a celebrated Test match career in which he claimed 373 wickets, would be a useful addition to the team’s database of knowledge. His coaching history has included numerous short-term consultancy roles, including with the ECB academy on a tour to India, while he has worked with New South Wales since first moving with his family to Sydney in 2005.Back then, Waqar had pointed out how much Australia needed a bowling coach, having watched Ricky Ponting’s team struggle to match England’s results in the 2005 Ashes series. He may now be in line to mentor a highly promising battery of young pacemen over a critical two-year stretch that cultimnates in back-to-back Ashes series in England and Australia in 2012-13.

ESPNcricinfo rounds up the eighth round of matches of the Premier League Tournament 2011-12

Sa'adi Thawfeeq13-Mar-2012Premier League Tier AColombo Colts CC, led by Malinda Warnapura, have secured the Premier League Tier A title after they came out on top of their crucial game against Singhalese SC, which ended in a draw at Havelock Park last weekend.The high-scoring match that saw four centuries being scored resulted in Colts obtaining first-innings points, which extended their lead in the standings to more than 14 points from second-placed SSC.SSC seemed to have the game under their control when they rattled up 401 batting first after winning the toss. Sri Lanka Test batsman Thilan Samaraweera warmed up for the two-Test series against England with a 249-ball hundred against his former club. His 160-run parntnership for the fourth wicket with Thilina Kandamby, who scored 124 off 214 balls, laid the foundation for SSC’s total.Colts lost a wicket in the 12th over of their reply, but SSC had to wait another 85 overs for their next success. Colts opener Harsha Vithana and wicketkeeper Kushal Janith Perera shared the first triple-century partnership of the season, as SSC tried as many as nine bowlers to dislodge them. The pair put on 320 for the second wicket with both batsmen making their career-best scores. Vithana scored 157 off 319 balls and Perera 186 off 290 balls as they took the game away from SSC and edged their club closer to the championship title. Colts closed at 435 for 4 and managed to grab four cheap SSC wickets in the second innings to show their complete domination. Colts have only a game against lowly placed Badureliya SC to play the coming weekend and skipper Malinda Warnapura said that they wanted to finish off the season in style, with a win.”The success of our side is not due to any one player who has been outstanding, it has been a team effort where everyone contributed at different times,” Warnapura, under whose leadership Colts have now won the Premier League twice and finished runner-up once in the past three years, said.”At the start of the season the club wanted us to give the youngsters exposure. Apart from me and Sajeewa Weerakoon who are both over 30 the rest are in their twenties. I am glad that we were able to win the championship with a young team.”SSC, whose best chance is to finish runner-up, take on bottomdwellers Nondescripts CC in their final match. First-innings points in that game will ensure the position, but NCC, who are on the brink of relegation, will try their best to grab as many points as possible. Along with NCC, Moors SC and Badureliya SC are also fighting hard to avoid being relegated.Moors lifted themselves off the bottom of the table with their first win of the season, defeating Lankan CC by 186 runs at Moors Sports Club Ground. Despite a fighting century from opener Ashen Silva for Lankan CC, Moors’ first-innings total of 304 was enough for a lead of 106. Moors went for quick runs in their second essay and reached 272 for 5, scored at 5.78 runs an over. Former Sri Lanka one-day cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige, in only his second appearance of the season, slammed 101 not out off 85 balls, including five sixes, to give the Moors innings the necessary impetus. Faced with a target of 379, Lankan CC folded timidly for 192, with former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Dinuka Hettiarachchi taking 8 for 55 in the second innings.Nondescripts CC once again slipped to the bottom of the table when they came off second best to Ragama CC/ptta-11/engine/match/534888.html in their drawn match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground. NCC’s batting failed to get past Ragama’s modest first-innings total of 217; they were bowled out for 184 by the spin of former Sri Lanka legspinner Malinga Bandara, who returned his best figures of the season with 7 for 56. An opening partnership of 217 between Udara Jayasundara, who got a career-best 154, and Ian Daniel (110) saw Ragama set NCC an imposing target of 408 to chase in the fourth innings. Skipper Jehan Mubarak’s second-successive century and his third of the season ensured NCC’s batting did not succumb twice in the match.Defending champions Bloomfield have made a late spurt, recording their third win of the season, but it seems they have left it too late to catch up with the top two. Sri Lanka spinner Suraj Randiv pressed for a Test place against England with a superb spell of offspin bowling. After going for 163 runs without success against SSC the previous week, Randiv was in his element as he made the ball talk, grabbing 11 wickets in the game, with figures of 8 for 128 in the second innings. Badureliya found, to their dismay, that totals of 226 and 379 were not enough to stop the rampaging Bloomfield side, who went onto complete an emphatic seven-wicket win.Edging closer towards the final weekend, Tamil Union’s performances began to falter as they conceded vital first-innings points to Chilaw Marians in their drawn match played at the P Sara Oval.Premier League Tier BWith their sixth win of the season in eight matches Sri Lanka Army, captained by Manjula de Soysa, have secured the Premier League Tier B crown with one match to play. Without the services of their matchwinner Seekkuge Prasanna, who has left for Dhaka to play in the Asia Cup, Army showed they had enough ammunition in store to beat Sri Lanka Air Force by an innings. Army was assured of the title when their closest rivals Sri Lanka Navy were beaten by by one wicket by Saracens in a thrilling finish. The win propelled Saracens to third spot and they have a very good chance of ending runner-up if they win their last match against Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Navy plays Air Force in their last game.Colombo CC, at the bottom of the table for most of the season, should feel safe after grabbing first innings-points off Panadura in a high-scoring game. Two good knocks of 93 and 115, by Saman Jayantha and Upul Fernando respectively, saw them overhaul Panadura’s total of 330 comfortably, with four wickets in hand. However their real matchwinner was the six foot, three inches tall offspinner from Lumbini M: Maduka Liyanapathiranage, who returned career-best match-figures of 12 for 147, which included an innings-best of 7 for 98 in the first innings. Maduka, who compares his bowling style to that of Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, was playing in only his fourth first-class match.Another offspinner, Aravinda Premadasa, made a memorable first-class debut for Kurunegala Youth CC when he captured 10 wickets for 62 including figures of 7 for 54 in the second innings as Police, chasing a tall target of 433, were bundled out for a paltry 144 and lost by 288 runs. There were also maiden first-class hundreds for KYCC’s Sisira Kumara, at the age of 32, and for 21-year-old Sajith Kalumpriya.