Cricket Kenya has created a piece of history by electing Jackie Janmohammed as its new chairman

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2012Cricket Kenya has created a piece of history by electing a woman as its new chairman, the first female to head a national cricket board.Jackie Janmohammed, a Nairobi-based lawyer, was unanimously elected to replace Samir Inamdar, who held the post for seven-and-a-half years.”I take this opportunity to thank the cricket fraternity for placing their trust for leadership under me,” Janmohammed said. “I would like to make a covenant of uniting everyone for the benefit of the sport and my only agenda will be to grow the sport and achieve measurable results.”She served as a legal advisor to the old Kenya Cricket Association and will be responsible for implementing the findings of a comprehensive review that was carried out in the wake of Kenya’s disastrous 2011 World Cup campaign – their worst performance in a World Cup.Kenya were hammered by New Zealand – who bowled them out for 69 – Pakistan and Sri Lanka, handsomely beaten by Australia and, of most concern, swept aside by Zimbabwe and comfortably beaten by Canada – an alarming set of results only eight years on from a semi-final in 2003.”My short term plans are to ensure both the national Under-19 and the senior men’s team qualify for the next World Cup,” she said. “Kenya play Canada in the UAE in March, in a match we need to win to stay in contention for the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.”Kenya currently lie sixth in the ICC World Cricket League Championship, with the top two teams in the group automatically qualifying for the 2015 World Cup. Kenya have six points with two matches to play. Ireland top the table with 13 points, Scotland are second with 11.Should Kenya miss out on automatic qualification, they will still have a route to the World Cup via the qualifying tournament in 2014.

James Faulkner has replaced fellow allrounder Moises Henriques in the Australia squad for the first two ODIs against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2013James Faulkner has replaced fellow allrounder Moises Henriques in the Australia squad for the first two ODIs against West Indies. Henriques was ruled out for those games after undergoing surgery on his right index finger on Saturday.Faulkner, 22, who plays for Tasmania, has played one T20 international for Australia, against India last year. He’ll join the Australia squad on January 30, after playing for Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra the day before.The first two ODIs of the five-match series will be played in Perth, starting February 1.

There’s nothing big at stake but for a subcontinental cricket fan, especially in a small town like Cuttack, an India-Pakistan match is a major event

Amol Karhadkar in Cuttack06-Feb-2013Minutes after India’s humiliating exit from the Women’s World Cup, following a shock defeat to Sri Lanka in Mumbai, their captain Mithali Raj was asked during the media briefing about Thursday’s “big match” against Pakistan. Despite being teary-eyed, Raj managed a smile and said, “I am not in a state of mind to think about it right now.”There’s nothing big at stake in the match at the Barabati Stadium – it’s a playoff for seventh place and the loser will finish last in the World Cup – but for a subcontinental cricket fan, especially in a small town like Cuttack, an India-Pakistan match is a major event.After Pakistan’s loss to South Africa had put them out of the tournament hours before India’s exit, a policeman said to his colleague that it was only two more days until the neighbouring women left. But after India were upset at the Brabourne Stadium, and were going to travel to Cuttack to play Pakistan, the security personnel were taking all sorts of precautionary measures for the game to go off smoothly.”An India-Pakistan match is always an interesting affair. Even if it’s a seventh place playoff, it has generated excitement in town,” Odisha Cricket Association president Ranjib Biswal. “I am sure there will be a sizeable crowd in the stands tomorrow.”Regardless of their number, the people who come to watch will not be cheering the team they had adopted over the last week. A crowd of about 500-1000 was neutral during Pakistan’s opening game against Australia, and then cheered their good shots against New Zealand. By the time Pakistan played their must-win encounter against South Africa on Tuesday, the crowd had started cheering them on.”It was really a nice feeling to see the crowd cheering for us,” Pakistan captain Sana Mir said after their loss to South Africa. “This shows that when it comes to cricket, the rest of the problems are set aside. We have been taken care of very well and would love to come back to Odisha and explore the state, something that we couldn’t do this time around.”After a disappointing week, neither India nor Pakistan trained ahead of their final match of the World Cup. Pakistan will hope their batsmen improve on their best total of the tournament so far – 104 – while India will be desperate to avoid finishing last in a World cup they are hosting.

A round-up of the Faysal Bank One-Day Cup matches played on March 17, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2013

Group A

Karachi Dolphins chased down Multan Tigers’ 346 in a high-scoring match in Multan. Multan were put into bat, and were led by a 95-run stand between Zeeshan Ashraf and Usman Liaqat. Sohaib Maqsood scored a maiden List-A century, finishing on 156 off 95 balls, which included 13 fours and ten sixes. The rest of the order chipped in as Multan finished on 346 for 7 at the end of their fifty overs.Karachi Dolphins’ openers started well, putting on 69. Shazaib Hasan and Saeed Bin Nasir were then involved in a 181-run stand for the second wicket. Hasan finished with a career-best 135, while Nasir finished on 114. Contributions from Fawad Alam (24) and Sarfraz Ahmed (20), ensured they would finish the chase inside the 49th over, with five wickets to spare.Contributions from Mukhtar Ahmed and Mansoor Amjad led Sialkot Stallions to an eight-wicket victory over Hyderabad Hawks in Hyderabad. Hyderabad were put in to bat, and found themselves in trouble at 23 for 3. A 54-run stand for the fourth wicket between Rizwan Ahmed and Faisal Athar helped regain some stability. Contributions lower down the order from Lal Kumar (36), Mir Ali (34) and Kashif Bhatti (53*), pushed their total to 244. Bilawal Bhatti had the best figures of 4 for 59.After losing Yasir Aziz for five, Sialkot were guided by opener Ahmed and Mansoor Amjad, as they put up a 99-run partnership for the second wicket. Ahmed eventually fell for 91 off 68, as Shahid Yousuf came in to help Amjad steer the chase. Ultimately the two would finish not out, with Amjad reaching his century, and Yousuf contributing with 45. With this win Sialkot moved to the top of the table in Group A.Lahore Eagles successfully chased Bahawalpur Stags’ target of 202 in Ghari Khuda Baksh, Bahawalpur were put in to bat, and the top order, barring Rafay Ahmed’s 44 and Mustansar Hussain’s 54, did not contribute much to their total. Kamran Hussain’s 21 and Waqas Khan’s unbeaten 26 pushed them to 202 for 7 at the end of their 50 overs. Asfan Mehran picked up the best figures of 3 for 45.Lahore Eagles’ top order, in comparison, were much stronger in reply. Contributions from Sami Aslam (53), Abdul Wahab Dar (38), Abid Ali (37) and Jahangir Mirza’s unbeaten 55, ensured they chased Bahawalpur’s target inside of the 48th over. Bahawalpur used seven bowlers, but none proved incisive enough.

Group B

Rawalpindi Rams thrashed Peshawar Panthers by 165 runs in Islamabad to win their third match and move to third place in Group B. Electing to bat first, Rawalpindi were 96 for 3 but Umar Waheed scored 96 off 93, which included 10 fours and a six, which laid the platform for a big score. Among the lower-order batsmen and the tail, Mohammad Nawaz (55 off 43) Jamal Anwar (41 off 27) and Akhtar Ayub (29 off 18) made sure Rawalpindi set Peshawar a target of 317.Peshawar could not score even half the runs required as their top order was reduced to 25 for 4. Only No. 3 batsman Gauhar Ali resisted with a knock of 41 but he did not get enough support and Peshawar did not get many partnerships going, the longest one being of 60 for the fifth wicket. Three bowlers from Rawalpindi took two wickets each – Umar Amin, Ayub, and Nawaz – which made Peshawar crumble under pressure as they were all out for 151.Faisalabad Wolves sneaked a two-wicket win against the Islamabad Leopards in a topsy-turvy match in Rawalpindi. After Islamabad lost their openers cheaply, Babar Azam (49) and Umair Khan (39) steered them to safety with a 66-run partnership. However, Imran Ahmed removed both of them and took two more wickets to finish with figures of 4 for 22. He was ably supported by Asad Ali (3-37) and they wrapped up Islamabad for 159.The Faisalabad batsmen got off to starts but could not convert them into big scores. Ammar Mahmood (28) and Imran Ahmed (24) took them to 50 but they were soon 90 for 5 as Raheel Majeed and Imad Wasim dented their top order. However, their captain Mohammad Salman stayed unbeaten till the end with a run-a-ball 32 and ensured a victory with 26 balls to spare even though they lost eight wickets.Lahore Lions trounced the Abbottabad Falcons by 197 runs at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium. Lahore Lions’ openers Umar Siddiq (101) and Azhar Ali (107) put together 208 for the opening wicket as Umar struck his first List-A hundred. Their partnership was followed by a fifty from Saad Nasim (57 off 37) but they lost four quick wickets after that, moving from 285 for 2 to 303 for 6. A cameo of an 11-ball 24 from Fahad-ul-Haq took them to 327 for 7 in the end.Their bowlers made sure the Abbottabad batsmen did not settle down and struck at regular intervals. No. 3 batsman Rameez Ahmed top scored with 30 but this was followed by three single-digit scores that kept the pressure mounting. Khalid Kail and Yasir Shah resisted for a while in the end but could not avoid a huge defeat when they were dismissed for 130 in 35 overs.

James Harris, the most sought-after player of the winter in county cricket, is one of four uncapped players in England’s provisional 30-strong squad for the Champions Trophy.

David Hopps04-Apr-2013James Harris, the most sought-after player of the winter in county cricket, is one of four uncapped players in England’s provisional 30-strong squad for the Champions Trophy.But once again England remain determinedly opposed to Matt Prior’s return to one-day international cricket as the Sussex wicketkeeper batsman does not even make the 30 despite a series of attacking displays for England in the Test arena.His one-day record is mediocre, although arguably he is a much superior player these days. Measured against that was the desire of England’s selectors to follow a consistent path and, as much as they desire a first England win in a major ICC 50-over event, to leave Prior to concentrate on reaching the start of the Ashes series in perfect fettle.Prior made a bristling unbeaten hundred in the Auckland Test to give England a face-saving draw against New Zealand last month, and a share of the series, but it has not swayed the conviction of England’s selectors that Jos Buttler or Craig Kieswetter offer better options in the 50-over format.Harris will be one of the most eagerly-studied players in early season as he seeks to make a big impression with his new county, Middlesex, who won the battle for his transfer fought out by a dozen counties after he left struggling Glamorgan.Harris is joined in the squad by the Warwickshire opening batsman, Varun Chopra, Yorkshire’s belligerent middle-order batsman Gary Ballance, and the Warwickshire seam bowler, Chris Wright.Although none of the four have strong chances of making the cut when the final 15 is named by the May 5 deadline, the long list is nevertheless more intriguing than the conservative list of 30 players announced earlier this week in the England Performance squad.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “This is a balanced squad which will provide the selectors with strong options in all areas and reflects players’ performances for both the senior England teams and the England Lions and EPP squads over the winter period.”With this country hosting the tournament for the first time since 2004, there will be every incentive for England to perform well and we anticipate intense competition for places in our final squad which will be named early next month.”England have never won a 50-over trophy at a major ICC event. The Champions Trophy features the best eight ODI teams in 15 matches between June 6-23 at The Oval, Edgbaston and Cardiff.With just over two months until the opening game in Cardiff, additional tickets for all 15 matches will go on general sale at 10.30am on Monday 8 April, via icc-cricket.com or 0844 249 2013.England provisional squad for Champions trophy
Alastair Cook (Essex), James Anderson (Lancashire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Hampshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Somerset), Varun Chopra (Warwickshire), Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), James Harris (Middlesex), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Stuart Meaker (Surrey), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Graham Onions (Durham), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Chris Wright (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

Australian newcomer George Bailey marked his debut by making 93 as Hampshire recovered to 286 for 4 after losing both opening batsmen without a run on the board.

10-Apr-2013
ScorecardAustralian newcomer George Bailey marked his debut by making 93 as Hampshire recovered to 286 for 4 after losing both opening batsmen without a run on the board.Leicestershire captain Ramnaresh Sarwan decided to field first under overcast skies and was rewarded with the wickets of Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry in the first five overs. Adams was bowled fifth ball by Alex Wyatt and Carberry edged defensively to new wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien to give veteran former England bowler Matthew Hoggard an early breakthrough.But then Bailey, the Australian T20 captain, joined Liam Dawson in partnership of 141 for the third wicket in only 32 overs as Leicestershire struggled to make the best of their promising start. Sarwan used seven bowlers before lunch as Tasmanian Bailey dominated the stand, rapidly outscoring Dawson to help Hampshire seize the initiative.Dawson, the more circumspect of the two, reached 46 from 83 balls before he chased a wide delivery from medium-pacer Ollie Freckingham and gave Jigar Naik a catch in the gully. Dawson’s wicket was Freckingham’s first in first-class cricket and he followed it with another four runs later when Bailey was dismissed in sight of his century.Hampshire had reached 150 for 3 when Bailey, who led Tasmania to Sheffield Shield glory last month, was stumped as he attacked Freckingham. Bailey, fluent from the start despite only joining the squad recently, made light of the dank conditions by striking 14 fours in his 133-ball innings.His exit failed to give the frail Leicestershire attack any respite and James Vince and Sean Ervine – the hosts’ fifth-wicket pair – soon got on top every bit as commandingly as Bailey had done before them.Bad light and rain eventually intruded after 71.2 overs, by which time Vince and Ervine had added a further 136 runs without being troubled or in danger of being parted. At the premature close, Hampshire’s recovery was complete with Vince unbeaten with 77 and Ervine, who has just signed a new contract with the county, 57 not out.After their early successes, Leicestershire’s bowling fell away even though conditions were always helpful. Freckingham finished the day with figures of 2 for 71 from 14 overs but, like his team-mates, struggled to contain the free-scoring Bailey.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, the former India legspinner, is set to join Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara as a players’ representative on the ICC cricket committee, replacing the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) chief executive Tim May

Nagraj Gollapudi05-May-2013Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, the former India legspinner, has joined Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara as a players’ representative on the ICC cricket committee, replacing the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) chief executive, Tim May*. Sivaramakrishnan, currently a commentator on Indian television, is learnt to have beaten May in a fiercely contested election that saw intense lobbying by both sides.The ICC confirmed Sivaramakrishnan’s appointment in a release on Monday, saying: “Sangakkara and Sivaramakrishnan were recently elected by a vote of the 10 Test captains, and will serve on the Cricket Committee for a three-year term from 2013-15.” Former England captain Andrew Strauss has replaced Ian Bishop as ‘Past Player representative’, the release said. “Strauss is one of the two Past Player representatives (replacing Ian Bishop), while Sivaramakrishnan is one of the two Current Player representatives (replacing Tim May). The other Current Player representative is former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who has been on the committee since 2007.”Based on nominations received by it, the ICC board had proposed three names – those of Sangakkara, May and Sivaramakrishnan – for the two players’ representative positions. Sangakkara, sole current player, is expected to be elected unanimously while Sivaramakrishnan is believed to have received six of the ten votes in the other slot, for former players. The representatives are elected by the captains of the ten Test-playing countries, who cast their votes in a secret online ballot.Sivaramakrishnan had been backed by the BCCI, which, ESPNcricinfo has confirmed, contacted at least one other member country “requesting” support. He is also believed to have been backed by one more country, independent of the BCCI. Incidentally, though he has been elected as a players’ representative, India has no recognised players’ association.May, the former Australia offspinner, has been the public voice of players’ concerns globally since establishing FICA in 1998. He was, however, handicapped by the fact that FICA is recognised by only five Full Members of the ICC: Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies, the first four of whom are understood to have supported his nomination.Apart from FICA’s limited global influence, one factor that is believed to have gone against May was his sustained criticism of the running of Twenty20 tournaments including the IPL, Sri Lankan Premier League and the Bangladesh Premier League. It is believed that this won him few friends on the Asian boards.Tony Irish, the chief executive of the South African players association, criticised the BCCI’s interventionist approach to the election process. “It’s a sad day for the governance of cricket when players aren’t allowed to freely elect their representatives,” Irish was quoted as saying. “Cricket is a global game and the decisions that are made should be global decisions for the benefit of the global game, not for the benefit of one country, whichever country that is.”However, a member of a board that voted for Sivaramakrishnan contested that view. “It is disingenuous for FICA or its supporters to protest because in an election, candidates canvas votes and FICA did the same thing on Tim May’s behalf. The fact is that May didn’t have the support of many captains and that showed in the votes. Suggestions that May had the support of nine captains to start with are completely baseless.”The ICC cricket committee is a leading decision-maker for the game’s governing body in on-field matters, including playing conditions such as the use of the DRS to review umpiring decisions. It is headed by Anil Kumble, the former Indian captain, and includes Andrew Strauss and Mark Taylor (past players), Gary Kirsten (Full Member team coach representative), David White (Member board representative), Steve Davis (umpires’ representative), Ranjan Madugalle (match referees’ representative), John Stephenson (MCC representative), David Kendix (statistician), Trent Johnston (Associate representative), Ravi Shastri (media representative) and Clare Connor (women’s representative).*06.10GMT, May 6: The article has been updated after the ICC confirmed the appointments

The IPL crisis has taken a new twist with Mumbai Police summoning the Chennai Super Kings chief executive, Gurunath Meiyappan, to its Crime Branch for questioning in connection with betting

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2013The IPL crisis has taken a new twist with Mumbai Police summoning a top Chennai Super Kings official, Gurunath Meiyappan, to its Crime Branch for questioning in connection with betting. He is expected to appear between 11 am and 5 pm on Friday after the police rejected his request for an extension until Monday.The news is embarrassing – and potentially damaging – for the IPL and its parent body the BCCI, given that Meiyappan is the son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, whose company India Cements owns the Super Kings franchise. Meiyappan’s exact designation is unclear at this point but his twitter handle says “team principal” and he has been a regular on the team dugout during matches and at the franchise table during the IPL auctions.Television visuals on Friday morning showed Meiyappan leaving Srinivasan’s house in Kodaikanal, a hill resort town where the BCCI chief has been spending the last few days.The summons was affixed to the door of Meiyappan’s Chennai residence and been served to, and accepted by, a manager at the Super Kings office.”We need to verify certain issues raised and claims made by Vindoo Dara Singh during his interrogation,” the joint commissioner of police Himanshu Roy said. “It may be necessary to confront Meiyappan with Vindoo to verify whether there is any truth in the latter’s claims. It is obvious that if Vindoo was merely socialising with him, we would not have summoned Meiyappan.”There was no official statement by the franchise.However, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla did speak briefly on the issue. “The Mumbai and Delhi Police are competent authorities and let them finish the investigations before jumping to any conclusions,” he said, when asked whether Srinivasan should step down from the post of BCCI president accepting moral responsibility for the crisis. “How can you term anyone guilty before the investigations are completed? Let the police report be submitted and then we will be in a better position to talk further.”The development followed reports circulating in the media since Tuesday on the proximity of Virender “Vindoo” Dara Singh, who was arrested that day in Mumbai for links with bookies, to the Super Kings franchise. Those reports, which included pictures of Vindoo watching IPL matches in the company of Super Kings captain MS Dhoni’s wife, were not denied in the 48 hours since.Later in the evening Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI’s general manager (cricket development), met Mumbai Police’s joint commissioner Himanshu Roy. It was learnt that the meeting was primarily to seek Mumbai police’s cooperation in the BCCI’s internal investigation of the case against suspended cricketers. The Supreme Court had on Tuesday directed the BCCI to complete the internal inquiry within 15 days.The police crackdown on bookies continued in other parts of the country. In Kolkata, ten people, including one bookie, were arrested for being allegedly involved in cricket betting. “We have arrested 10 people, including a bookie last night. We are investigating thecase. They will be produced before a court today [Friday],” deputy commissioner Santosh Pandey told PTI.Initial investigations said they had bet on a match between Mumbai Indians and Super Kings.

On the evidence of Shane Watson and Chirs Rogers’ opening union at New Road, this might just become another triumph out of the chaos

The Report by Daniel Brettig at New Road02-Jul-2013
ScorecardShane Watson and Chris Rogers put on 170 opening the batting together for the first time•Getty Images

Australia’s last great opening pair of Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden were unearthed only when Michael Slater was dropped for a combination of poor form and wayward behaviour. Twelve years later, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers have been thrown together as the most visible on-field consequence of David Warner’s suspension and Darren Lehmann’s arrival as coach. On the evidence of their opening union at New Road, this might just become another triumph out of the chaos.Even if the modesty of Worcestershire’s attack is accounted for, Watson made batting look easy during his domineering century before lunch and Rogers provided an immediately reassuring sight at the other end. Their first stand tallied 170 in all, precisely half of the Australians’ 340 before rain brought an early conclusion to a chilly day. Fluency came less easily to Ed Cowan and the captain Michael Clarke, though both passed 50 before falling prey to run-outs.Having wrought similar destruction in his first match restored to the top of the batting order against Somerset, Watson crashed the Worcs bowlers to all parts of the ground without ever looking like he was taking undue risks. Tellingly, it was Watson’s first hundred at first-class level since his most recent Test century, against India at Mohali in October 2010. The confidence imbued by Lehmann’s decision to publicly announce him as an Ashes opener as early as last week in Taunton has returned Watson to something like his imperious best.Rogers played with far less extravagance, but appeared an ideal partner, rotating the strike and leaving the ball with precision. Their unbeaten stand meant that Cowan, made redundant as an opening batsman after 18 months in the job, remained padded up in the tourists’ viewing area for the whole of the morning.When he did appear following Watson’s exit, Cowan found the going altogether more difficult, confirming the impression that he will struggle to impose himself on a bowling attack, a skill usually expected of a No. 3. Any hard decisions about the shape of Australia’s batting line-up can be expected to be made this week. Along with Lehmann and Rod Marsh, the national selector John Inverarity is also in Worcester, ready to submit his casting vote if required.A correct call at the toss by Clarke had given the visitors first use of a friendly, even-paced surface. This allowed Rogers and Watson to commence the opening partnership identified by Clarke and Lehmann as Australia’s best means by which to blunt England’s new-ball battery next week at Nottingham and beyond.

World-leaders … in run-outs

Australia’s unwholesome penchant for run-outs was on display again against Worcestershire, maintaining perhaps the only trend in which they have been world leaders over the past four years.
Since the start of the 2009 Ashes series in England, Australia players have been run out in Tests no fewer than 25 times, the most in the world by a margin of five. While Ricky Ponting was the most frequent transgressor with five during the period, Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes and Ed Cowan have all been caught short twice.
At New Road the causes were variable, as ever. Michael Clarke was called through by Cowan for a tight single and found short by a direct hit. Cowan stumbled and fell in mid-pitch, leaving him no chance to beat a throw from cover.
Watson is no expert on successful running, but agreed such details would be critical to the outcome of the Ashes. “It’s certainly a tough enough job to bat for long periods of time let alone giving the opposition one or two wickets,” he said. “We can’t afford to have our better batsmen run out.”

Wearing the Australia coat of arms for the first time since his one Test match in 2008, Rogers began a little nervously. He was perilously close to falling lbw to Charles Morris, making his first-class debut for Worcs, and his first few runs were snicked rather than struck. But Australia have employed Rogers for his record of making consistent runs, not the manner in which they arrive, and he was soon finding his stride, scoring at a steady trot with the occasional edge here and there.Watson had not taken part in the Australians’ second innings against Somerset, following a brazen 90 on day two that expressed his joy at returning to the top of the order more succinctly than any interview could. He continued on his merry way, gliding the first ball of the match to the backward point boundary and thereafter playing his shots with complete conviction, bordering on disdain.Several of Watson’s drives scorched through fields that did not have time to move, while the left-armer Jack Shantry had one delivery deposited beyond the sight screen with rare crispness – his preference for around the wicket provided Watson with an amiable angle by which to flick through the leg side. It was with one such stroke that Watson reached three figures, drawing strong applause from a plentiful crowd and warm congratulations from his new batting partner.The afternoon did not quite find Watson in the same flowing form of the morning, and he added only another seven runs to his lunch tally before swinging an offbreak by Moeen Ali to deep-backward square leg. Rogers reached 50 and continued on with increasing certainty, making it a surprise when he popped an off-side catch from a leading edge off Shantry.Cowan clattered one six off Moeen but was otherwise circumspect, while Clarke negotiated his first ball with a thick inside edge and had trouble locating the middle of his bat for some time. Together they negotiated 38 balls without a run during the hour before tea. The sequence was broken by a fortunate Clarke boundary, edged wide of the slip cordon, but both batsmen would fall short of the substantial scores they desired.Clarke was short of his ground when the stumps were hit from square leg by Alexei Kervezee. It appeared Cowan’s call, and Clarke looked notably miffed to depart in such a manner. Cowan followed his captain to the pavilion a little more than five overs later, stumbling in mid-pitch to turn a tight-ish run into an ignominious exit.Steve Smith and Phillip Hughes did not have much time to get established before the showers arrived, but they were batting in such a comfortable scenario because Watson and Rogers had excelled in the morning. England will be taking note.

England secured a 2-0 lead in the Investec Ashes series as they completed an inevitable victory against Australia with draining efficiency at the fag-end of the fourth day at Lord’s

The Report by David Hopps21-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJoe Root struck twice before tea adding to his memorable Test after his 180•AFP

England secured a 2-0 lead in the Investec Ashes series as they completed an inevitable victory against Australia with relentless efficiency at the fag-end of the fourth day at Lord’s. Australia were four balls away from taking the match into a fifth day, with England forced to take a second new ball, the extra half-hour and finally resorting to silent prayer before completing a 347-run win in the final over.Before an impatient Lord’s crowd, eager to tick a box marked victory and head home, Australia’s last pair, James Pattinson and Ryan Harris, established Australia’s second highest stand of the innings – 43 runs awash with defiance – before the offspin of Graeme Swann trapped Pattinson lbw.At Trent Bridge, Ashton Agar and Phil Hughes registered the highest last-wicket partnership in Test history, and Australia’s highest of the match. If only the batsmen could bat, they might make a fist of this series.But Australia have lost six Tests in a row. England are vastly superior. It all feels like a reverse of 20 years ago. England are now the side in a golden era, able to relish high-class players and sound planning; Australia are a basket case.Returning on Monday morning might have been a suitable mini-punishment for England after they self-indulgently batted on for 18 minutes on the fourth morning in a failed attempt to present Joe Root with a double century. He fell attempting a ramp shot with nine men on the boundary, leaving Ryan Harris with praiseworthy match figures of 7 for 103. Aside from his wonderful innings, the manner of Root’s dismissal was unique for an Ashes Test and is perhaps worthy of an Honours Board on its own.England have four Ashes victories in a row, the strategy of dry pitches is working like a dream and Root’s 180 emphasised the gulf between the sides. The youngest English player to make a Test hundred at Lord’s, unsurprisingly he took the man-of-the-match award. “I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said.They made skilful use of a wearing Lord’s surface, with Swann predictably to the fore, and with Root also making a cheery guest appearance to break the back of the Australia innings just before tea. Australia will be particularly disturbed that they have completed back-to-back wins without major contributions from the likes of Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen.Australia have only straws to clutch at – Usman Khawaja acquitted himself responsibly at No. 3 to make his second Test half-century and their bowlers are displaying commendable spirit with both bat and ball – but only one side in Ashes history has ever won a series 3-2 after losing the first two Tests. England can surely assume the Ashes are as good as retained.Only one Test side, also, has ever survived for 173 overs or more in the fourth innings to draw a match. That was England against South Africa in Durban in 1939 when a Timeless Test was abandoned after nine days so England could catch a boat home. Australia’s task was to show they were not on a slow boat to nowhere, to transform a humiliation into a defeat respectable enough to keep body and soul together for the rest of the series.That task will be made more difficult while the air remains thick with corporate emails. As Australia’s players sought consolation in another defeat, Cricket Australia and their sacked coach, Micky Arthur, exchanged public statements and David Warner’s manager felt obliged to distance Warner from his own brother after he made venomous comments about Shane Watson. It cannot get much worse.Australia, bundled out for 128 first time around, were in disarray at 48 for 3 at lunch as they faced an entirely notional 583 to win. Swann led England’s victory push. Expectation of turn was enough to befuddle Rogers, who left a straight one, and Hughes, who reviewed his lbw decision, only to be reminded that, in these days of DRS, lbws are possible for offspinners operating around the wicket even if they do not straighten the ball.Before then, Watson fell in accustomed manner, lbw, this time hunted down by James Anderson. It was not the embarrassing exit of the first innings, when he planted his front pad and whipped across one and then compounded the error by wasting a review when stone dead. This time he was more respectably beaten by a ball that nipped back and, aware that there was no chance of a reprieve, shook his head mournfully at his batting partner, Rogers, and walked off.Clarke, coming in at No 5, faced a familiar story: 36 for 3. The cricketing argument for him to bat at No. 4 is offset by the statistical evidence that when he does so it halves his average. He might have departed before lunch, too, when he came down the pitch to Swann, was beaten on the outside edge by one that did not turn, only for Matt Prior, equally deceived, to miss the stumping.Root’s memorable Lord’s Test continued apace when he conjured up the wickets of Clarke and Khawaja shortly before tea, breaking their composed 98-run stand in a spell of 7-3-9-2. Clarke, Khawaja and Steve Smith all fell within the space of 21 deliveries.Root, encouraging hopes that he could develop into the fifth bowler England need on spin-friendly surfaces, found extravagant turn out of the rough to dismiss Clarke, but his dismissal was a soft one as he tickled a ball down the leg side to be caught by Alastair Cook at leg slip. Khawaja put up staunch resistance but followed in Root’s next over when he pushed at a ball that turned and edged gently to James Anderson at gully.Nevertheless, there was enough in Khawaja’s approach to suggest that he intends to battle for the right to become Australia’s long-term No. 3. He carried the fight against some short bowling from Stuart Broad immediately after lunch, in contrast to Clarke, who was struck on the shoulder and helmet in quick succession by the same bowler. He also blocked Swann out of the footholds with determination.Swann was a touch hampered by a lower-back injury, caused when Khawaja accidentally collided with him when dashing a single to the bowler’s end, and although he regularly found pronounced turn out of the footholds, with the ball travelling more than once straight to slip or gully, he required painkillers and after 17 overs eventually gave way to Root.Smith’s departure to the last ball before tea – the batsman unsuccessfully reviewing after he had been caught at the wicket off a thin inside nick against Tim Bresnan – completed a deflating end to the session after Australia’s top-order batsmen had shown as much application as at any time in the series.Australia’s frustrations were compounded by further issues over DRS after tea. Brad Haddin was adjudged lbw to Swann as he padded up to one that turned from around the wicket and then Agar’s brief cut and thrust through point – the area where he lives or dies – was silenced when England successfully turned to the review system to win a catch at the wicket off Bresnan.The TV umpire, Tony Hill, upheld it on noise (and Snicko supported him) but there was no mark on Hot Spot, inviting more grumbles from traditionalists wedded to a simpler time when an on-field umpire’s decision was law. Simpler times have gone for ever. And, in Australian cricket, there are more pressing things to carp about.