The roars that greeted the moment of victory spoke volumes: Warwickshire knew that had struck a telling blow in the battle to avoid relegation

George Dobell at Edgbaston 02-Sep-2010
ScorecardChris Woakes registered career-best match figures of 11 for 97 to bowl Warwickshire to a 95-run win at Edgbaston•Getty Images

The roars that greeted the moment of victory spoke volumes: Warwickshire knew that had struck a telling blow in the battle to avoid relegation. The 95-run win sees Warwickshire move 18 points ahead of Kent and out of the reach of Essex. Hampshire, too, are now in the thick of the fight.Warwickhire are not assured of safety but, with one game remaining, they have their fate in their own hands. They’ve won three of their last five championship games and will be strengthened by the return of Ian Bell for their final championship game at The Rose Bowl.”We’ve given ourselves a great chance,” Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, said after the game. “It’s not a done deal, but we’re getting there. It’s getting towards being miraculous.”But, if we do stay up, we’re not going to let it paper over any cracks. We still know that we have to recruit and develop and I want to see more competition for places in the batting department.
“But one thing I am pleased about is that we haven’t just died. We’ve shown a lot of fight and, in the last couple of games [against Essex and Kent] I’d say the difference has been that we’ve been the side who wanted it more.”I know some people have compared this team to one we had here in 2007 [that suffered relegation under the leadership of Mark Greatbatch]. But there’s a big difference. In 2007 the side rolled over. This time we’ve showing some fight.” It’s worth noting, too, that Warwickshire have now won as many games this season as they did in 2004, the year they won the championship.It was entirely typical of this extraordinary game that Kent’s tenth-wicket pair should have thwarted Warwickshire for an hour on the final morning. A century from Martin van Jaarsveld showed, once and for all, that this pitch holds no particular demons, while for the second time in the match, Matt Coles showed a well organised technique.Their colleagues showed far less fight. Darren Stevens clipped to midwicket, Azhar Mahmood tried to work an outswinger to the leg side and edged to slip, while Simon Cook became the eighth Kent ‘duck’ of the game when he was utterly bamboozled by a swinging delivery that struck the batsman on the boot.While Kent’s batting – the admirable van Jaarsveld apart – was surprisingly brittle, the bowling of Chris Woakes and Neil Carter was simply irrepressible. The pair took 19 wickets between them, with Woakes finishing with career-best match figures of 11 for 97 and Carter taking his fourth five-wicket haul of the summer and to finish with 8 for 106 in the game.It’s been a remarkable summer for Carter. The final wicket, that of Coles, who spooned a catch to cover when he changed his mind about pulling, gave Carter the fourth five-wicket haul of the season while the wicket of Alex Blake, drawn into edging a perfect delivery that swung away from him, gave Carter his 50th wicket of the campaign.It was the first time in his ten-year county career that the 35-year-old has achieved such a feat and the first time a Warwickshire seamer had taken 50 championshiph wickets in a summer since Tim Munton did so in 1999.For Woakes, however, this performance may prove well timed. He has shown rare class with bat and ball in this match and, aged 21, underlined the impression that he has the skill and temperament to go far. That may well include a trip to Australia in the Academy squad this winter.If England are looking for back-up for James Anderson, they need not look much further than Woakes. He may not quite have Anderson’s pace – though Woakes has certainly added a yard this season – but he’ll swing the ball in most conditions and has the ability to score vital runs at Test level.Kent, meanwhile, have to regroup quickly if they are to avoid relegation. They have two games left – against Hampshire and Yorkshire – but, on this form, will struggle to alter the momentum of their season.Their batsmen would do well to follow the example of Van Jaarsveld. His century (147 balls, 14 fours) was not littered with glorious strokes or outrageous moments, but rather showed up the merits of playing straight and remaining patient. They are qualities which any batsmen, regardless of talent, should be able to replicate. The ease with which he recorded his second championship century of the season showed what might have been if only his colleagues could have matched his resilience and determination. Kent will need such qualities in abundance if they are to escape relegation.

Jacob Ball, the medium-pacer, who was part of the England Under-19 team at the World Cup earlier this year, has signed a two-year deal with Nottinghamshire

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2010Jacob Ball, the medium-pacer, who was part of the England Under-19 team at the World Cup earlier this year, has signed a two-year deal with Nottinghamshire. In his second game for the Notts, he grabbed 3-32 against Leicestershire in the domestic 40-over competition. His achievements also include a five-for against Sri Lanka in an Under-19 Test in Scarborough in July this year.”This contract means everything to me because it shows that the work that I have put in over the past couple of years has helped to push my case,” Ball said. “Spending last winter in Australia really helped me to improve my strength and conditioning and my bowling technique and I want to keep progressing at Notts.”Ball, 19, is the nephew of former England and Notts wicketkeeper Bruce French. “Jake has made good progress and his selection for England Under 19s earlier this year demonstrates that he is one to watch,” said Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell.

Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the Indian team’s selection committee, has termed the victory over Australia in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam as a confidence-booster ahead of the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2010Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the Indian team’s selection committee, has termed the victory over Australia in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam a confidence-booster ahead of the World Cup. India went into the game without five first-choice players and their inexperienced bowling attack conceded 289, but the young batting line-up responded calmly to complete India’s highest successful chase against Australia.The victory was set up by Virat Kohli 118, and there were half-centuries from Yuvraj Singh, who has struggled for form and fitness over the past few months, and Suresh Raina.”It was an important win in the context of the World Cup because it creates confidence in the team,” Srikkanth told the newspaper . “When you win against the No. 1 one-day team in the world chasing a record total, it is all the more satisfying.”The way we approached the game was fantastic. The good sign is that the youngsters are putting up their hands and taking up responsibility. It has proved that we have strong bench strength. It’s always heartening to see youngsters winning matches for you. It is a good sign for any country.”Injuries and fitness concerns have meant India have only sporadically fielded top players like Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in recent one-day tournaments. With the 2011 World Cup set to begin in four months, the selectors have a rotation policy in place for one-dayers to ensure the first-choice stars are fit and fresh for the competition.Following the Australia series, India play five ODIs at home against New Zealand and five more in South Africa, apart from three-Test series against both teams. Srikkanth said there was a plan in place to manage the personnel in the lead-up to the World Cup.”We have held meetings with the captain, coach, team management and the BCCI,” Srikkanth said. “We know what they are doing with the board. We have drawn up a beautiful plan in coordination with all sides concerned. We’re on track.”

Harbhajan Singh has criticised the Hyderabad pitch that was prepared for India’s second Test against New Zealand, saying India is developing a reputation for batsmen-friendly pitches

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2010Harbhajan Singh has criticised the Hyderabad pitch that was prepared for India’s second Test against New Zealand, which offered no help to the fast bowlers or spinners and produced a draw, saying India is developing a reputation for batsmen-friendly pitches.”These days foreign teams come to India secure in the knowledge that it is the best place to get runs,” he told the . “Gary Kirsten told me that when he came to play a Test series in India, the best place to bat was as an opener, because once the spinners came on, batting became difficult. But now, every wicket has been re-laid and the black soil has made the wickets pretty firm. It just doesn’t turn and the wicket plays well even on the final day.”He was critical of the curator, saying he “deserves to be given the contract to build national highways”.Harbhajan has had more success with the bat than the ball in the series, having scored back-to-back centuries but taken just six wickets in the first two Tests. In the Hyderabad Test, he and Sreesanth put together a 105-run partnership for the last wicket in India’s first innings, which Harbhajan thinks signifies how flat the wicket was. “Even our No. 11 was playing like Sachin Tendulkar,” he said. “So we should give all the credit to the groundsmen.”India’s bowlers have failed to take 20 wickets in each of the two Test matches and India captain MS Dhoni had blamed the pitches for failing to produce results and said teams would “have to play 10 days” to get a result.

Rain foils India’s practice session

India’s preparations for the third Test against New Zealand on Saturday are being scuppered by the Nagpur weather, as a heavy downpour washed out Thursday’s practice session. New Zealand finished their practice session before the weather struck on Thursday and have the afternoon slot for Friday’s nets. The Regional Meteorological Centre predicted that the clouds would clear by Friday afternoon

Harbhajan said flat pitches had become a recurring problem in Test series in India. “I can’t remember the last time I bowled on a turning track where the ball spun and bounced,” he said. “I think Kanpur was the last and we got the desired result against South Africa in 2008. I don’t suggest we play on bad wickets. But we should play to our strength, and our strength, over the years, has been spin bowling.”India go into the deciding Test at Nagpur, on Saturday, without Zaheer Khan, which will increase the pressure on Harbhajan to spearhead the attack. Harbhajan’s centuries have elicited suggestions he is turning into an allrounder, but his bowling has received criticism from some quarters. “I think I have bowled well in the last two Tests,” he said. “But the way our critics think, you bowl well only when you take wickets. When I took four wickets in the first innings in Hyderabad, I bowled well. But on the final day, when I took just one wicket, I was in the line of fire. Some days, I can bowl a few full tosses and get five wickets. Figures do not always do justice.”India came into the series ranked No.1 in the ICC Test rankings, with New Zealand at No.8, and having recently beaten Australia 2-0 at home, anything less than a win in Nagpur would be considered a disappointment. But Harbhajan still has his hopes up. “Hopefully, Sachin Tendulkar will get his 50th Test hundred, I’ll get another hundred and pick up 7 to 8 wickets and India will win.”

Round-up of the fourth day of the fifth round of Division Two of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2010Peshawar barely hung on for a draw against Pakistan Television at the Arab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. A century from Raheel Majeed and his 154-run stand with Awais Zia had propelled PT to 271 for 7 in just 38.4 overs. Both scored at better than a run-a-ball and were intent on trying to force a win, as PT extended their lead to 322. And Peshawar were brave enough to make a dash for it. In a thrilling chase, opener Gauhar Ali set the tone with 48 off 54, while Sajjad Ahmed (67 in 97) and captain Akbar Badshah (80 in 100) consolidated what Gauhar had begun. At 224 for 4, there was still hope for Peshawar, on the back foot since conceding a first-innings lead, but a collapse followed where five wickets fell for 46. Seamer Saad Altaf and left-arm spinner Yasim Murtaza shared six wickets and took their side to the brink of a win, but the last-wicket pair of Mohammad Farooq and Sajjad Ahmed batted out a nervy phase to draw the game. Peshawar are second from bottom, while PT are seventh.

Irfan Pathan is not just optimistic about making a comeback to the India team; he is confident he will be back

Tariq Engineer20-Dec-2010Irfan Pathan is not optimistic about making a comeback to the India team; he is confident he will be back. It has been two weeks since he resumed bowling, as he recovers from a stress reaction in his back that kept him out of the Ranji Trophy, and, more importantly, India’s list of 30 probables for the 2011 World Cup. Despite not making the squad, Irfan remains undaunted.”I have that confidence because I have started bowling and I see it [the ball] is doing something,’ Irfan told ESPNcricinfo. “I am working on something that was missing over the last two years. I am pretty sure it is going to make a big difference. If you look at my age, I am just 26. There are lots of years left in my bag.”He is thrilled his brother Yusuf has made the 30-strong squad, saying it was great news for the family that “if one Pathan brother is not there, another one is there”. He described Yusuf’s match-winning innings of 123 in the fourth ODI against New Zealand as “one of the best innings played by any cricketer”.Irfan said he is about 20 or 30 days away from being ready to play a competitive game and is willing to play cricket outside the country if he gets an offer. His goal, however, is to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic one-day tournament that will be held in February, strangely, at the same time as the World Cup. “I want to make sure I make an impact in that,” he said.The injury, he admits, has been particularly frustrating, coming as it does before a World Cup at home. But he accepts injuries are a part of a cricketer’s life and believes he has coped with the situation well. “I knew because of my injury [I would not make the squad]. I need to first sort it [the injury] out. To be fit, and then match-fit. The BCCI knows about my injury. And I knew that if I have not played any matches due to injury, it will be difficult to get into the 30. By the time I play, it will be January-end and the World Cup is in February. I won’t be match-fit, and you have to be playing matches to be picked.”One thing that has kept his spirits up is the support he has received not just from his friends and family, but from the BCCI itself. “They have really looked after me. They sent me to Australia, and done all the check-ups. They have been really helpful. The National Cricket Academy has also been really helpful. Physios and trainers looked after me really well. That means I am still in the frame.”The Baroda Cricket Association has also extended their help to Pathan and he expects to receive his certificate of fitness from the BCCI by the end of next month and his voice conveys a definite sense of excitement and confidence as he talks about planning a couple of bowling sessions with his long-time coach, TA Sekhar to help him nail down his old form once he is fully fit.Irfan, who last played a Test for India in 2008, believes he was losing his height in his delivery stride, and has modified his workout so that he has a more stable core, allowing him to keep his shape better. He disagrees with those who claim he needs to develop more pace, saying he was never an out-and-out quick. His strength has always been his ability to shape the ball and his record proves his effectiveness. “Batsmen are not my relatives, that they have just given me wickets.”At the same time, he is focused on getting his zip back and his pace up to around 132 kph – his normal speed. “People keep quiet once you start performing. I never run away from criticism. It is always going to be there. But I am pretty confident I am going to change all the talk.”He does not believe he has anything to prove anymore but just wants to go back to being a kid who enjoys playing cricket for India, be it Twenty20 games or Test cricket. To do so he has even given up on his favourite indulgence – food – to make sure he isn’t overweight when he starts playing again. “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t go to night clubs all the time and enjoy parties. But I love food. I am a foodie. I like going to restaurants with music where I can talk to my friends. But now I am not eating too much. I am eating healthy and I feel light, I feel strong.”

MS Dhoni has said that the bowling in the end overs and the late-order hitting of Yusuf Pathan have been the big positives for India to come out of the ODI series against South Africa

Sidharth Monga at SuperSport Park23-Jan-2011MS Dhoni has said that the bowling in the end overs and the late-order hitting of Yusuf Pathan have been the big positives for India to come out of the ODI series. Apart from that, Virat Kohli has been the only plus from a batting order than Dhoni said “struggled throughout the series”.”In the last few overs, the bowlers used their variations well,” Dhoni said. “We don’t have express bowlers, but we have got bowlers with skills. That’s what they rely on. It was a satisfactory performance, but both the teams were struggling throughout the series when it comes to the middle order, which means both couldn’t really get a prolonged slog. So that may be the reason bowlers did well in the death. [However], if we bowl like this in the World Cup, I’ll be really pleased.”A stunning 68-ball century from Yusuf Pathan pulled India back into a game in which their batting looked painfully similar to how it did on day one of the tour, when they were bowled out for 136. Yusuf’s form and the presence of other big hitters in the middle order give Dhoni a lot of confidence. “The biggest positive out of this game is that when we go into the World Cup, we will know that in the last 10 overs we can chase anything if we have wickets in hand. That lesson is more important than just the loss of the game.”Dhoni defended the top order’s approach of going for their shots, which did look reckless. “It’s a part and parcel of cricket. When you get off to a start where you get 28 runs in 10 overs for the loss of one wicket, then you are asked why there was no hurry. At the end of the day we were supposed to chase close to six runs an over. It’s always a difficult task. You want to take the opposition on. At times you lose wickets, and that’s what happened in this game.”Dhoni also defended his decision of bowling first despite picking an extra spinner in the side. It was an understandable decision, considering the rain in the air, but picking an extra spinner showed some confusion in the mindset. “Last time we played here we discussed that whatever the Centurion track has for the bowlers is in the initial period. After that, as the day progresses, it gets slightly better to bat on. And that’s what happened in the 2006 series also. The wicket was very similar.”Dhoni thought the target was still chaseable, and lamented the form of some of the batsmen. “Throughout the series our batting department has not really scored a lot of runs. It’s Virat who has done well, and down the order it’s Yusuf. Still to be in a position like this, it’s a good team effort, but we really need to perform as a unit.”However, Dhoni is confident the batsmen will return to form in the World Cup. “It’s a matter of one or two innings, and some of the batsmen didn’t get enough preparation time, which means quality batting practice sessions. A run of low scores does play on your mind, but it’s not that the experienced players haven’t gone through phases like these. It always happens in cricket. Especially, with us. We play 30 to 35 ODIs a year. We see the form going up and down in the same year, which means we are more used to dealing with situations like these.”

Kenya’s tour of India, designed to prepare the squad for the forthcoming World Cup, has only served to expose the deficiencies in a side who, barring a major turnaround, seem set for a wretched tournament

Martin Williamson19-Jan-2011Kenya’s tour of India, designed to prepare the squad for the forthcoming World Cup, has only served to expose the deficiencies in a side who, barring a major turnaround, seem set for a wretched tournament.All five matches against youthful Gujarat and Baroda sides were lost, echoing results when the Indian state teams played in Nairobi last year. In only one match did Kenya come remotely close to winning, and even then they were unable to defend a total of 293 for 6, losing to Gujarat by six wickets with more than three overs remaining.The batsmen have coped fairly well with alien conditions. Seren Waters scored the only hundred of the tour, but almost all the other front-line batsmen did enough to suggest they will cope come the World Cup, although doing more than that may be beyond them. However, Alex Obanda and Thomas Odoyo were really out of touch, and more worryingly Steve Tikolo failed to dominate in any game. For so long the lynchpin of the side, there have to be worries that a lack of high-class cricket and age are both taking a toll on his game.Collins Obuya made one good score, but in four other innings managed only 47 runs. If Tikolo is unable to hold together the innings, much will depend on him, and his form is another big concern.The real headache for coach Eldine Baptiste is with the bowling. Peter Ongondo, who has been so vital with the new ball, only played twice but leaked runs, while too many others lacked enough control to really put pressure on what were little more than inexperienced, if talented, young state batsmen. While some of the figures may not appear too bad, they have to be read in the knowledge that Baroda and Gujarat’s batsmen were rarely under pressure to score quick runs and so did not need to be overly attacking.After back-to-back wins, Gurajat completed a 3-0 clean sweep in the final match between the sides. Kenya’s batsmen finally posted a good score, a second-wicket stand of 178 between Waters (103) and Obuya (92) helping them to 293 for 6, but Gujarat’s well-paced reply enabled them to ease home with 19 balls to spare.Kenya then headed to Vadodara for two matches against Baroda. Both followed a similar pattern. In the first, Kenya were put in, most of their batsmen got starts without building a big innings, and their eventual score of 217 was not remotely enough as Baroda ambled to a five-wicket win with 20 balls in hand. In the second, Kenya again batted and scored 182, with Tanmay Mishra’s 63 saving them from a much lower score. Early wickets gave the Kenyans brief hope but Baroda knuckled down and again meandered to a well-paced six-wicket win.Kenya now head to Dubai for conditioning, while Baptiste will be left scratching his head and trying to work out how to avoid the World Cup becoming a nightmare for his side.

Tim Bresnan, the England allrounder, has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct, while England were fined for a slow over-rate

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2011Tim Bresnan, the England allrounder, has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the thrilling tie with India in Bangalore. Bresnan hit the stumps with his bat after being bowled by Piyush Chawla in the penultimate over of England’s chase.Bresnan apologised for the incident and didn’t contest the reprimand. He pleaded guilty to contravening Level 1 of the Code of Conduct which relates to the “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fitting.” All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and/or a maximum penalty of the imposition of a fine up to 50 per cent of a player’s match fee.”While giving my verdict, I took into account that Bresnan admitted his mistake, apologised for his action and that it was his first offence,” Roshan Mahanama, the ICC match referee, said. “Further, it was encouraging to note that Bresnan on his own initiative met the umpires concerned and reiterated that his action was unintentional.”England were also fined for a slow over-rate after they were found to be one over short of the target at the end of the Indian innings, after time allowances were taken into consideration. Andrew Strauss, the captain, was fined 20% of his match fee, the rest were fined 10%.

Andrew Strauss has said he knew Michael Yardy was struggling with depression before Yardy took the decision to withdraw from the World Cup and fly home

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2011Andrew Strauss has said he knew Michael Yardy was struggling with depression before Yardy took the decision to withdraw from the World Cup and fly home.Yardy became the fifth member of England’s original squad to head home early and his departure inevitably drew comparison to Strauss’s old opening partner Marcus Trescothick, who retired from international cricket five years ago after suffering stress-related illnesses. Since then England have had structures put in place to help players but they couldn’t prevent Yardy from needing to leave the tournament early.”It’s a horrible thing for him to have to go through,” Strauss said. “It’s something he has been managing for a while and there have been systems in place to help him manage it but over the last week or so, it’s got too much for him and he has had to go home.”Geoff Boycott sparked controversy shortly after the news of Yardy’s departure surfaced when he suggested the depression had come from disappointing results on the field. “He must have been reading my comments about his bowling – it must have upset him,” Boycott told BBC Radio Five Live. “Obviously it was too much for him at this level. If any blame is attached it’s partly to the selectors because I’m sorry, he’s not good enough at this level.”Strauss waved aside Boycott’s remarks and said the squad were ‘disappointed’ when they heard them. “I think they showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue. I don’t think your cricketing ability or what you have achieved has anything to do with it whatsoever.”There are significant pressures, and as you get older a lot of us have kids and what not, which makes touring harder. It’s important to draw attention to the fact that it’s different having a hard time being away from home and actually suffering from depression. They are two very different things.”The schedule confronting England players has been a major talking point of their erratic campaign. Following their shock defeats to Ireland and Bangladesh in the group stages many suggested the team looked fatigued. Strauss, however, emphasised throughout that tiredness could not be blamed and said Yardy’s condition was separate from the general demands of touring.”Obviously if you are in a hotel room for five or six months one end, you’re going to have days when you feel down,” Strauss said. “I think that’s very different from suffering from depression. International cricket is challenging in terms of how you are temperamentally equipped with spending long periods away from home. That’s something we all go through. Depression is something completely different.”Despite the setback Strauss was confident Yardy’s departure wouldn’t distract the side ahead of their knockout match against Sri Lanka. “It’s not difficult to focus our minds on this game of cricket. It’s a must-win game of cricket. If we lose we are on the plane home. If we win we are in the World Cup semi-final. I think as players you get quite used to switching on and off when the situation demands it.”