South Africa’s much-vaunted bowling attack endured a tough opening day of the series that left them scratching their heads for inspiration

Firdose Moonda at The Oval19-Jul-2012Not since 2001 has Jacques Kallis been given the new ball for South Africa. Today, he was presented with the second one. As incongruous a sight as it was, it was an act that summed up the day for the visitors and emphasised their need to innovate as compensation for having their plans being pulled out of shape.Do not mistake that for confirmation of the suspicion that they were undercooked. South Africa did not come into the match underprepared. They were short of match time but long on tactics and research which initially paid off.Morne Morkel took the new ball for the first time in eight Tests, since Vernon Philander made his debut, solely because of his record against Andrew Strauss. He had dismissed Strauss six times before today and it took him only four balls to do it for a seventh time. Allan Donald confirmed that it was a strategy South Africa specifically prepared because Morkel “wanted to front up to Strauss. He knows that he has got a little bit of a psychological advantage over him.”By pairing Morkel with Philander, South Africa also avoided using Dale Steyn against the left-handed opening pair. Steyn’s average against southpaws is 31.50, considerably lower than his 18.94 against right-handers.What it did not do was stop South Africa from being exposed against left-handers. Donald had discussed with his attack ways of “suffocating the left-handers” but admitted that at times, their execution of those plans was not entirely correct.Even with the situation not entirely under control, the thinking was still evident. A short midwicket was put in place for Jonathan Trott, who has a habit of dragging balls from outside offstump to the leg-side. He does not have a habit of doing it rashly though, but South Africa were hopeful as Smith kept the close catcher in place.That was where the South African scheming erred. Trott bats in a bubble as dense as a diamond and the idea of being able to pierce that with mind games proved naïve. Instead, South Africa should have tried to remove him in the most literal way rather than through a complex and multi-layered strategy that involved frustrating Trott into getting himself out.It would have meant better use of the short ball, which South Africa stayed away from with alarming regularity. Morkel, the seamer with the most deadly bouncer of the pack, bowled his first at the end of his fourth over. By mid-way through the second session, South Africa had only bowled a little more than an over worth of short balls.

Tahir had developed a defensive side to his game before this match but abandoned it in the quest for wickets.

They allowed the batsmen to get on the front foot too often and to leave comfortably on too many occasions. Donald said they knew “width was not an option”. Still, they continued to bowl wide of offstump, making the opening pair’s powers of judgement appear precision perfect as they left with ease. By the time Cook had scored his half-century, he had left just under half the balls he had faced.Despite the dry, unresponsive surface which offered South Africa almost nothing, their attack also lacked the intensity and aggression that Allan Donald has been infusing in them since he took over.Steyn was battling with either a physical niggle or a bruised ego, although Donald was adamant it was not an injury which appeared to affect the way he bowled. On previous tours, and most recently in New Zealand, he unashamedly showed his annoyance when he did not see immediate success and glimpse of that emerged again today. During his first spell, he constantly and perhaps even desperately clutched the advertising boards in between overs, he had his ankle strapped later on in the day and conducted a publicly-viewable animated chat with Gary Kirsten in the changing room shortly before the second new ball was taken.Philander lacked dynamism. He plugged away with line and length and was able to keep the run-rate under control but the small bursts of magic he produced to capture his 51 Test wickets were missing. The subtle seam movements and nip was not there. Increasingly, he also grew frustrated and it showed when he flung the ball back to Cook a spell after the England centurion had driven him down the ground for four.Imran Tahir could not have been expected to produce much on a first-day flat deck but he did less than that with an assortment of full tosses and long hops that became free runs. Tahir had developed a defensive side to his game before this match but abandoned it in the quest for wickets. He got some turn which could be promising for later on in the match but did not result in too much today.Kallis and Morkel stood out as the most effective bowlers on the day, the former with late swing and the latter with the way he accepted greater responsibility. Kallis had to bowl more than his quota of overs, which has stood at between 10 and 12 a day in recent times.Morkel was the man that “stood up” as Donald put it. He grew in confidence as the day went on and was the only one actually deserving of wickets. For the rest, it was the day of tough Test cricket they needed to remind themselves of exactly what it will take it to dethrone the No. 1 ranked team in the world.”The only thing that really lacked was the moment that we could pounce,” Donald said. To succeed over the next 14 days in the series, they will have to create, not wait, for those moments.

ESPNcricinfo presents plays of the day of the opening day of the series at Lord’s

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's17-May-2012Presentation of the dayGeoffrey Boycott is very close to the Bairstow family so it was a poignant moment to see him in the England team huddle shortly before 10.30am presenting Jonny Bairstow with his first Test cap. This has been a ceremony performed for a while by England when a new player is capped with a former cricketer addressing the squad. Boycott spoke to the group, which included all the backroom staff, for nearly five minutes before passed the cherished cap to England’s 652nd Test cricketer.Set-up of the dayEngland’s Player of the Year gave an example of why he earned that accolade earlier this week. James Anderson with the new ball at Lord’s in May is a potent combination and he was at the top of his game. The way he worked over Kieran Powell was masterful. Four awayswingers scooted past off stump as Powell shouldered arms then, on cue, Anderson sent down the inswinger. The key was how late it moved and by the time Powell was bringing his bat down the ball was hitting the stumps.No-ball of the dayDuring Stuart Broad’s previous Test at Galle he had no-ball problems and they resurfaced again here although one was only spotted when the DRS was brought in to check an lbw appeal against Adrian Barath. It meant the review became worthless (the on-field not-out would not have been overturned in any event) and, in a way, the no-ball worked in England’s favour. Under the latest playing conditions for DRS it did not cost them a review and with the seventh ball of the over Broad removed Barath for certain when he drove to gully.Juggle of the dayBarath’s wicket was not without a heart-in-mouth moment for England. Anderson is a wonderful all-round fielder, especially considering he is a fast bowler, but the thick-edged drive by Barath was parried at gully and looked as though it would evade his grasp. However, Anderson retained his composure – and his balance – long enough to hold the rebound, much to the delight of his team-mates.Mix-up of the dayIt was widely predicted that Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo would hold the key to West Indies’ batting and they were together shortly after lunch. However, the stand did not last long. Chanderpaul swept a ball to short fine-leg and Bravo set off for a single, only for Chanderpaul to barely move out of his crease. Before he knew it Bravo was level at the striker’s end, but Chanderpaul tapped his bat back in fractionally before Bravo crossed the crease. Even when Matt Prior produced a terrible throw to Graeme Swann, as England did their best to mess up the chance, there was no way back for Bravo.Review of the dayChanderpaul was given out padding up in the second innings against England Lions last week. It almost happened again. Facing Anderson he misread the line from around the wicket and did not offer a shot. After a prolonged appeal, Marais Erasmus raised his finger and Anderson launched into celebration. Chanderpaul briefly asked Marlon Samuels, the non-striker, what to do – although Samuels did not appear too aware – before opting for the DRS which proved the ball was missing off stump.

For 16 years, Shane Warne was Australia’s primary match-winner. Now he hopes Australia can accept spinners whose main role is support.

Brydon Coverdale23-Oct-2012Shane Warne had a bowl in the MCG nets on Tuesday. At 43, he is slim and fit, but he has plenty of rust to shed over the next couple of months, before his first match as captain of the Melbourne Stars. Even the greatest legspinner the game has seen was unable to land his first ball, a full toss. As Warne has been saying ever since his retirement, spin bowling is damn hard. Spinners need to be treated with patience.It is nearly six years since Warne last wore the baggy green. Throughout that time he has been adamant that Australia’s selectors should choose a spinner and stick with him. Show some faith. Give him a chance to settle in. Instead, they used 11 slow bowlers in Test cricket in four years. Not even Elizabeth Taylor discarded men at such a rapid rate.But over the past year, Warne’s words have been heeded by a new panel of selectors, who have chosen Nathan Lyon for 13 Tests, flinching only when they chose four fast men who ended up demolishing India in two and a half days at the WACA last summer. Now that patience has been shown, Warne wants Australians to accept that spinners in this country are unlikely to be match-winners over the next few years.That doesn’t mean they can’t do an important job. Without question, there is depth in Australia’s pace bowling stocks at the moment, from the older, tougher trio of Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris to the stars of the future, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. If Lyon can play the kind of supporting role Ashley Mallett did to Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and co during the 1970s, he will have done his job.”We’re very lucky that we’ve got some super quick bowling, a great corps of quick bowling,” Warne said. “It might be an era where the quicks dominate and the spinner takes a bit of a backward role and just does his job. When the time comes, when the pitches start to rag, whether it be Adelaide on day five or Brisbane on day five or Sydney – although Sydney hasn’t turned for ten years – we get on a wicket that starts to really turn, that’s when it’s payday for them and they go ‘hang on, it’s my turn now’.”The idea of playing a spinner who was more foil than frontline wicket taker was common throughout the 1970s and 80s, from Mallett to Bruce Yardley to Greg Matthews to Tim May to Peter Taylor. It was only when Warne redefined legspin in the 1990s that the perception changed. The presence of Stuart MacGill as his backup re-enforced the notion that the spinner could, and should, deliver regular victories for his side.”We’ve just got to have a bit of patience with them and let them develop,” Warne said of the next generation of slow bowlers. “They’re not going to be matchwinners from day one and in their first season take 50 wickets – no one has done that for ages in Shield cricket.”Not since MacGill has a spinner really dominated the Sheffield Shield. In the past decade, there have been 86 occasions when a fast bowler has claimed 30 wickets in a Shield season. In the same period, spinners have done it only five times (MacGill three times, Bryce McGain and Dan Cullen once each). That is as much a product of green seaming domestic pitches as a decline in the quality of Australia’s spin bowlers.The lack of turning surfaces has done little to encourage legspinners in particular. Queensland’s Cameron Boyce is the only wrist-spinner currently being given regular Shield action. Steven Smith now considers himself a batsman who bowls occasionally, the same career progression that was followed by Cameron White. South Australia’s Cullen Bailey was given a few chances last summer under the state’s open-minded new coach Darren Berry, but hasn’t been sighted this season. Nor is there an abundance of legspinners coming through the junior levels.”I’ll tell you why there’s no wrist-spinners … It’s hard. It’s not easy. You need encouragement,” Warne said. “I think sometimes the captaincy at junior level that I’ve found with a lot of the kids playing is when they do get to 14 or 15 and they get smacked around the park, or they bowl a few double-bouncers, the encouragement is not there and they get taken off and they say this is a bit hard, let’s just go with a medium pacer.

“They’re not going to be matchwinners from day one and in their first season take 50 wickets – no one has done that for ages in Shield cricket”Shane Warne on the next generation of spinners

“A lot of people who had a lot of talent around 15 or 16 and wanted to do it then lose interest and go, ‘well I might go to the beach instead, this is not much fun’. Cricket back in the under-age [levels] should be fun. If they can have fun as kids and have a bit of fun with the ball and get supported by their captain and coach, be encouraged rather than ‘let’s not do that, let’s bowl really fast and don’t get hit’. That’s not really encouraging spin bowling.”It’s not just the way spinners are used in junior cricket that has occupied the thoughts of those in cricket recently. After returning home from the World T20, where unconventional spinners like Ajantha Mendis, Sunil Narine and Saeed Ajmal were stand-out performers, Australia’s T20 captain George Bailey said he hoped that Australia could one day find similarly unusual bowlers, which could only happen if they were encouraged at under-age levels. But Warne doesn’t believe it should be a major point of concern.”I don’t think in Australia we do that. We do the basics, we’re traditional,” Warne said. “Sure, we do a few things out of left field and always look to improve the players, but I don’t think we’re into all the different [styles]. How do you coach it? If someone comes along that’s really unique you’ll embrace them and encourage them, but you’re not going to go and teach doosras and all those sorts of things, because really, great if you can do it, but for me I’m all about the basics.”It’s all about the mindset and how they approach the game. Sure, you have to spin the ball if you’re a spinner… That’s the first thing you work on is spinning it and if you can make it go a few different ways, then great. But I wouldn’t be coaching different sort of techniques that might push the 15-degree level.”And that goes to the heart of Warne’s argument about the state of spin bowling in Australia. Get the basics right, play a role and don’t worry if it’s the fast men who take all the accolades. Because as Warne himself showed on Tuesday, it’s not always easy to make the ball talk. Even if you were once the best in the world.

In the run-up to the Under-19 World Cup 2012, here’s a look at some of the key numbers from previous tournaments

S Rajesh09-Aug-20123 – The number of Under-19 World Cup tournaments won by Australia, the defending champions. Apart from winning the 2010 edition, they also won the inaugural one in 1988, and in 2002. They’ve never lost a final so far. India and Pakistan have each won two World Cup finals, while England have won one. South Africa have reached two finals, but have lost them both. (Click here for a look at the history of the tournament.)3.33 – The win-loss record for South Africa in U-19 ODIs since the last World Cup in 2010, which is the best among all teams. In 27 matches, they’ve won 20 and lost six, though 13 of those matches – and wins – have been against Zimbabwe. India and Pakistan have win-loss ratios of 2.50, but Australia’s is only 0.63, with seven wins and 11 defeats during this period.42 – The number of matches won by Australia in U-19 World Cups, which is the highest among all teams. Pakistan and India are next with 38 and 37 victories. Australia also have the best win-loss ratio in World Cups – 3.81 (42 wins, 11 defeats) – with Pakistan in second place.32 – The number of matches won by Bangladesh in U-19 World Cups. Only Australia, Pakistan and India have won more matches. Bangladesh’s win-loss ratio of 2.66 is next only to those of Australia and Pakistan.27 – The number of matches Papua New Guinea have lost, out of 29 played, in U-19 World Cups. It’s the most defeats suffered by any team. Their two wins were against Bermuda in 2008, and Afghanistan in 2010. The next in line with the most defeats are New Zealand (25), and Zimbabwe and Ireland (24 each).505 – The highest aggregate in a single U-19 World Cup tournament. India’s Shikhar Dhawan achieved that feat in the 2004 edition, when he scored those runs in just seven innings, averaging 84.16 at a strike rate of 93.51. His three centuries included an unbeaten 155 against Scotland. Dhawan remains the only batsman to score 500-plus runs in an U-19 World Cup.176 – The highest individual score by any batsman in the U-19 World Cup. West Indies’ opener Donovan Pagon holds the record – he scored those runs in the 2002 World Cup against Scotland in Dunedin, in a match in which Lendl Simmons made 121. Pagon’s knock is one of nine scores of 150 or more in World Cups, but the last such score came in the 2004 edition, when New Zealand’s BJ Watling made 154, also against Scotland. In fact, four of those nine innings have come against Scotland.430 – The biggest margin of victory in an U-19 World Cup game. This was in the 2002 edition, when Australia scored 480 and then bundled out Kenya for 50. Five Kenyan batsmen were dismissed without scoring, while only one touched double digits. On the other hand, three Australian batsmen – including Craig Simmons, the opener who top-scored with 155 – made more runs than the entire Kenyan team did.273 – The highest partnership in a U-19 World Cup game. This was between New Zealand’s Watling and Brad Wilson, in the 2004 edition against Scotland. Scotland have been at the receiving end of five of the seven highest partnerships in World Cup matches.2 – The number of tied matches in U-19 World Cups. The first game was between Ireland and Namibia in the 2000 edition, while in 2002, the match between Bangladesh and Canada was tied.4 – The number of World Cup finals that have been won by the team batting first, and by the team chasing, in the eight editions so far. The first four finals (1988 to 2002) were all won by the team chasing; however, the last four have all been won by the team batting first.22 – The record tally for wickets in an U-19 World Cup. Bangladesh’s Enamul Haque jnr took 22, at home, in the 2004 edition. Enamul’s 22 wickets came at an average of 10.18 runs per wicket, and included one five-wicket and two four-wicket hauls.7 – The most wickets in an innings by any bowler in U-19 World Cups. Two bowlers have achieved this feat: Sri Lanka’s Jeevan Mendis took 7 for 19 against Zimbabwe in 2002, while Trent Boult of New Zealand took 7 for 20 against Malaysia in 2008.7 – The least runs conceded in a ten-over spell in World Cup matches. Ranjan Das of Bangladesh had figures of 10-4-7-4 against Netherlands in Moratuwa in the 2000 edition. Two other bowlers have conceded less than ten in a complete spell: Imran Tahir, the legspinner who currently plays for South Africa, conceded nine in ten overs for Pakistan U-19s against Denmark in 1998, while Ryan McLaren of South Africa had figures of 10-4-9-4 against Canada in 2002.

Build-ups to Ranji Trophy matches can be pretty lukewarm, but thanks to a certain presence Wankhede Stadium has a different story to tell

Siddhartha Talya in Mumbai01-Nov-2012There was plenty of anticipation at the Wankhede Stadium on the eve of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy opener against Railways. As early as 8.15am, a small crowd had gathered outside the main entrance to the ground, hoping for a glimpse of their favourite star, the hometown boy, playing for his domestic side after three years. A vehicle passed through the Polly Umrigar Gate, with a short, stout, fair, chubby man wearing a hat seated on the back, bearing, at least from a distance, a slight resemblance to the most famous face of Indian sport. Unfortunately for the small gathering, who had already given up hope seeing that the vehicle was a Fiat taxi, it was Railways coach Abhay Sharma who paid the fare, stepped out and made his way into the ground.Sachin Tendulkar did come, but didn’t bat or practise at the nets. He was being treated for a stomach bug, but was fully expected to take the field on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy. He didn’t miss too much on the eve of the game: the warm-up on the day was relatively light, the drills not rigorous and Tendulkar’s own preparation had happened in the days before.Ahead of a major series against England, India’s Test stars are returning to their respective domestic sides. If those expectant eyes outside the entrance are anything to go by, the Ranji Trophy has been provided that early fillip it needs in its new avatar.Tendulkar’s three dismissals in almost identical fashion – all bowled – during the home Tests against New Zealand have ignited concerns over technique and the impact his age is having on his batting. But back playing for Mumbai, and gearing up for the England Tests, his training for the road ahead shows a determination to bounce back. “He comes around 8am here, does his own fitness training and then joins the team,” Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni said. “The way he is playing in the nets, he is very serious. He was batting everyday in the nets, 45 minutes to an hour, non-stop. His feet movement was going very well and I don’t remember any other player, maybe Rahul Dravid, go without a single ball break.”It is an achievement, to play five bowlers at a stretch for one hour – in 20 minutes you get 100 balls. That means around 300 balls in an hour, so you have to concentrate hard in the nets.”There were those who had a chance to share the field with Tendulkar for the first time and bowl at him in the nets while not being part of the immediate squad: guest bowlers, net bowlers, some of whom are not even part of the Mumbai probables or the Under-19 side. One of them, a left-arm spinner, has been getting special attention, and advice, from Tendulkar.However, his team-mates, some of whom have shared the dressing room with him during the IPL if not in first-class cricket, have learned to resist being overawed by his presence. “I remember, around 20 years back, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar said to youngsters in the dressing room: don’t expect sympathy, don’t give sympathy,” Kulkarni added.Zaheer Khan will also play for Mumbai – who are looking at an attack of three seamers and two specialist spinners – but did not turn up on the eve of the game. It’s not something unusual for Zaheer, who’s known to go easy on the final day of preparation.The return of two senior Test players went beyond boosting the profile of the tournament and giving youngsters an opportunity to rub shoulders with the best. “Not only will they try to get back into their rhythm for the sterner Tests ahead, but it also gives them insight into what is happening at the ground level,” said Sanjay Bangar, the Railways captain. “They can also probably evaluate whether the standards of the Ranji Trophy have gone up or down. This is also a chance for them to look at the talent available.”If they play a couple of more games they will get a wider audience, but even we can’t really complain because they are playing against us and all our boys are wanting to do well against the genius.”The last time Tendulkar played in the opening game of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy campaign was in 1998-99. Times were different then, schedules less cramped, challenges for the tournament to stay relevant for players not as serious as today. The contest against Railways may well be preparation for the England series, but his own approach to this match reinforces the significance of what first-class cricket means to those who wish for success in the toughest format.Starting November 2, watch out for the Ranji Trophy Live blog on match days

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day of the Hobart Test

Andrew Fernando16-Dec-2012The substitute


In a week in which England unveiled a batsman whose name was every sub-editor’s dream, Australia provided a pun-susceptible player of their own as a substitute fielder for Ben Hilfenhaus. Jordan Silk’s sleek running on the square fence saved Australia runs on several occasions, and though Matthew Wade’s hard hands had given Nuwan Kulasekara a reprieve on three, Silk’s fielding was cut from a different cloth when he settled under a skied sweep at deep square leg, and accepted the catch with luxuriant, soft palms. No word yet on whether he is in possession of a flowing cover drive, or if he is a batsman who often retreats into a cocoon.The shot


Australia have been the victims of ferocious Angelo Mathews pull shots in the past, but they conspired to fashion a downfall out of that strength when they put two catching men in front of square on the leg side and plied Mathews with short bowling. Not one to slink away from a challenge, Mathews regularly took the field on, but his best pull came off Shane Watson’s seventh over. Watson delivered a waist-high short ball outside off stump and Mathews stepped back and bludgeoned it hard, low and in front of square to the fence.The statement


Tillakaratne Dilshan did not take long to reveal Sri Lanka’s plans for Nathan Lyon when he stepped out of his crease to scorch the offspinner straight of mid-off, and three balls later, Mathews continued the aggression, hitting Lyon aerially down the ground this time. Michael Clarke was already hamstrung by an injury to Ben Hilfenhaus, and when Lyon disappeared to the fence again in his second over, Clarke had little choice but to bring himself into the attack. But he too was quickly pummeled out of it.The chance


Mathews and Dilshan had several close brushes in their running, but none so worrisome as the indecision that led to David Warner’s shy at the stumps in the 70th over. Dilshan hit the ball square towards Warner, who was at a deepish point, and though the pair had scampered several singles to that fielder throughout the day, this one was hit straight to him. Almost out of habit Dilshan called Mathews through, but just as his partner took off, Dilshan had a change of heart. Warner had already collected the ball when Mathews turned back, and though the batsman dived, he would have been at least a foot out of his crease had Warner’s throw hit the almost-three stumps visible to him.The covert edge


Dilshan was the recipient of some good fortune in the afternoon session, when he edged Peter Siddle to the keeper on 125, but the nick was missed by almost everybody. Siddle got one to leap up from a back of a length, and believed he had merely beaten the outside edge, even when Matthew Wade yelped out a half-hearted appeal. With no support from any of his teammates, umpire Tony Hill made little of Wade’s cry, but replays showed the wicketkeeper had been right to go up, as hotspot suggested a faint nick.

Stats highlights from an incredible England victory, their second in successive Tests at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

S Rajesh26-Nov-2012 England’s ten-wicket win is their second successive Test win at the Wankhede Stadium: in 2006 they won by 212 runs, in what was Rahul Dravid’s 100th Test, while this result spoiled Virender Sehwag’s 100th. In seven Tests at the Wankhede, England have won and lost three each. For India, this was only their second home defeat in a Test match since October 2008, during which period they’ve played 23, and won 14. Their only other defeat during this period was to South Africa, by an innings and six runs, in Nagpur in 2010. Monty Panesar’s match haul of 11 for 210 is the ninth instance of an overseas spinner taking ten or wickets in a Test in India, and the second by an England spinner, after Hedley Verity’s 11 for 153 in 1934. Had Aleem Dar not erred in giving Pragyan Ojha not out, Panesar would have finished with the best bowling figures by an overseas spinner in India. Panesar’s haul is the fifth ten-wicket haul by any bowler at the Wankhede Stadium. The only Indian in that list is L Sivaramakrishnan. He is also the eighth England bowler to take a ten-for in India, but the first since Neil Foster’s 11 for 163 in Chennai in 1985. With Graeme Swann taking 8 for 113, this was only the fourth occasion that England’s spinners had taken 19 or more wickets in a Test, and the second such instance in India. The last time it happened was in 1958 against New Zealand at Headingley, when Jim Laker and Tony Lock took 19 for 109. India’s second-innings total of 142 is their third-lowest in the second innings of a home Test since 2000. All three of those totals, and five of the seven lowest, have come at the Wankhede Stadium. The lowest during this period was also against England at the same ground, when India were bundled out for 100 in 2006. In India’s second innings, the six batsmen from No.2 to No.7 (Virender Sehwag to MS Dhoni) scored a total of 44 runs, with none of the batsmen reaching double figures. It’s the lowest total by these six batsmen since 2000, and the first time during this period that none of them touched double digits.

From Paddy Briggs, United Kingdom
One of the Australian team’s sledges during England’s woeful last tour of Australia was the one directed at Paul Collingwood who had been awarded the honour of becoming a Member of the ‘Most Excellent Order of

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Paddy Briggs, United Kingdom
One of the Australian team’s sledges during England’s woeful last tour of Australia was the one directed at Paul Collingwood who had been awarded the honour of becoming a Member of the ‘Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’ (MBE) for his innings of 7 and 10 and his 0-17 in the 2005 Oval Test match. Lovely chap Colly but, as the Aussies suggested, was this performance really worthy of a gong?This brings me to the subject of honours and cricket and an invitation to you to join in a discussion of the most surprising omissions from the cricketing gong list.Let’s start with a trio of England captains, Wally Hammond, Ted Dexter and Tony Greig. When I was a kid Dexter was referred to as ‘Lord Ted’ but I was disappointed to learn that (like Geoffrey Boycott’s knighthood) this was an honorary title. Boycs has an OBE but Ted remains not even a Member of the British Empire, let alone anything more distinguished. Greigy’s involvement with Packer perhaps scuppered his chances and Hammond did have some dodgy business dealings but their cricketing achievements are surely not in dispute?There are a fair number of batsmen in the gongless list who would be close to the top of a cricket fan’s list of England batting greats. Herbert Sutcliffe, Frank Woolley and Ken Barrington to name but three, and Allan Lamb and Robin Smith wouldn’t be far behind. Add all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes and you have the core of a pretty good side. Then the fast bowling would be lead by John Snow aided by Andy Caddick, Devon Malcolm, Graham Dilley and spinners Laker, Lock and Verity would be in the frame ‘how can they all never have been honoured?’But for me the biggest omission of all on the list of cricketers unhonoured in my lifetime is the man I regard as England’s greatest ever wicket-keeper Alan Knott. Now it may be that the shy and elusive Knotty turned down an honour – but if not it’s not too late is it? But what do you think, are there even more deserving cases than his?

From Darren Thompson, Australia It was yet another scintillating knock from the ‘Prince’ of Punjab, Yuvraj Singh

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Darren Thompson, Australia
It was yet another scintillating knock from the ‘Prince’ of Punjab, Yuvraj Singh. Despite a back niggle and an eyesore of a belt, Yuvraj pummeled the Poms to pieces. There were shades of Durban in some of the dazzling stroke play on display and yet again Stuart Broad and England were on the wrong side of a Yuvraj assault. He is nothing short of a treat to watch in full flow.From his memorable 84 on debut against Australia in Nairobi, Yuvraj has always set tongues wagging. The question has always remained; will the real Yuvraj Singh stand up and also be counted in the Test arena? For such a tremendously gifted player, Yuvraj goes through far too many slumps. He’s been found wanting against top class spin and at times seems a few notches short of Test quality. India needs Yuvraj Singh to come good consistently in both, no, make that all three forms of the game.There have been glimpses of his talent in Test cricket, but they have been all to brief. It must be noted that in seaming conditions against Pakistan he’s notched up two centuries. The talent has never been in doubt, but the mindset always has. His last innings of substance, 169 against Pakistan seemed to be the making of Yuvraj Singh. The timing, shot selection, power and elegance seemed to be here to stay in the Test arena. However what happened next seemed to follow the perennial script, a dismal tour to Australia and Yuvraj was dropped.Now with the ‘Fab four’ being disbanded, Yuvraj has a chance to permanently cement a spot in the Test team. Ganguly’s former number 6 slot is red hot and up for grabs. If Yuvraj is able to get his mind in the right place and work on his technical deficiencies, Indian cricket will be all the better for it. With so much talent, exemplary fielding skills and the added X factor he brings, it will be a mighty shame if Yuvraj doesn’t reach the lofty heights he is capable of.We’ve all been entertained by him in ODI’s and T20’s, what a sight it would be to see him as a permanent fixture in the Test arena. Until such a time comes to pass the question will remain, “Will the real Yuvraj Singh stand up?”

Plays of the day from third day’s play of the Colombo Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Mohammad Isam at the Premadasa18-Mar-2013Unintentional error of the dayOver the last three days, the sight of the ball reaching the boundary has had everyone at the edge of their seats with the ball regularly stopping short of the rope. When Tamim Iqbal drove Nuwan Kulasekara through mid-on, the ball stopped a few inches short. All Rangana Herath had to do was pick up the ball but, while doing so, his fingers touched the rope. It was sloppy of him, but he was honest enough to admit the mistake to the umpire.Obstruction of the dayTamim was not so lucky in the next over, however. He drove a ball straight past Shaminda Eranga, but it was too straight. The ball struck the stumps at the non-striker’s end, costing Tamim a few runs. Given the heavy outfield, one couldn’t be sure the ball would reach the boundary. Usually. the stumps are the only barrier between a straight drive and four runs but that was forgotten till this shot was played.DRS moment of the dayThe absence of the Decision Review System (DRS) during the series has so far been felt on only a few occasions. On the third morning however, it was sorely missed. Kumar Sangakkara jammed his bat into the ground and the ball had passed quite close. Naturally there was a loud appeal, and the umpire asked the third umpire for assistance. There confusion over whether the ball had bounced and taken the edge, or the sound was that of the bat hitting the ground. The camera angles were unconvincing, but the ball was very close to the bat and had changed direction after going past it. The decision went in favour of Bangladesh this time, but the ratification of universal DRS is growing louder after such incidents.Twinkle toes of the dayMohammad Ashraful was posted at long-on as Bangladesh worked dismiss Sri Lanka in their first innings. Shaminda Eranga lofted Mahmudullah for what would have been his first six of a 36-minute vigil, but Ashraful was there to intervene. He jumped and caught the ball, and turned around, nimbly skirted the boundary rope and just about managed to stay in. It wasn’t the greatest catch, but Bangladesh needed a bit of magic on a day when they were made to work very hard.Double strike of the dayWhen Bangladesh edged ahead towards the end of the day, Sri Lanka may wondered if they were letting the match slip away. They did what they have done over the last two years when looking for a saviour with the ball – they turned to Rangana Herath. The visitors were effectively 37 for 2 when Herath began his final spell but, with two terrific balls, Herath eased Sri Lanka’s worries. He spun one hard past the advancing Jahurul Islam who was stumped by Dinesh Chandimal, before dismissing Mahmudullah with a cracker that turned past the bat to hit the off-stump.