All posts by n8rngtd.top

If Sunday’s third match at Old Trafford follows the pattern of the series so far, then England will back themselves to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead with two games to come

The Preview by Andrew Miller26-Jun-2010

Match facts

Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen have a lot to smile about as the mid-point of the series approaches•Getty Images

June 27, 2010, Old Trafford
Start time 10.45am (9.45GMT)

Big picture

Anyone who questions the relevance of this isolated five-match ODI series should have been present at Cardiff on Thursday to witness the darkening of Ricky Ponting’s features when it was put to him by a fellow Australian that England are on the verge of claiming bragging rights in all three formats of international cricket. His response was abrupt and prickly, and betrayed the frustration he feels after two contests that were significantly more one-sided than their eventual four-wicket margins suggested.If Sunday’s third match at Old Trafford follows the pattern of the series so far, then England will back themselves to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead with two games to come, and will have gone a long, long way towards wiping the memory of their 6-1 reversal in September last year. And while Ponting rightly inferred that such an achievement hardly matches the trio of World Cups and back-to-back Champions Trophy titles that his men have racked up over the past decade, he is clearly concerned by the extent to which his team’s standards have slipped in the past week. It is the price you pay for sustained magnificence.Paul Collingwood, who became England’s leading run-maker in ODI history on Thursday, has found himself talking the sort of talk that no English ODI team in living memory has felt sufficiently confident to put into words. “It’s not arrogance,” he declared. “We are the better side at the moment,” and it’s hard to disagree with that assessment. A bullish batting line-up has men for all occasions, not least Eoin Morgan’s finishing skills, while the bowlers who thrived at the World Twenty20 have taken the urgency of the shortened format, and learned to adapt their tactics on the hoof.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England WWWWW

Australia LLWLW

Watch out for…

Until Friday, Shaun Tait was plying his trade for Glamorgan in the FP t20, but now he’s right back into the thick of the Aussie squad, and given the threadbare nature of their attack, it would be no surprise to see him pitched straight in at Old Trafford, especially given the pitch’s pacy reputation in recent years. Tait is regarded as the ultimate short, sharp shock. His searing speed and penchant for the yorker have made him a fixture in Twenty20 cricket, although his last fifty-over game came in February 2009.After two years of finding his feet, Luke Wright is coming into his own as an international cricketer. His belligerent batting is still arguably a place too high at No. 6 in the order, but an uncomplicated approach is no bad thing in a side that’s brimming with confidence. His bowling, on the other hand, has been a revelation in recent weeks. An up-and-at-’em run-up, and a tight and aggressive line has proven extremely hard to dominate, and he has a belief in his own abilities that transcends any skill or subtlety. He, more than anyone else, epitomises the positive approach of this new-look England team.

Team news

No changes are anticipated to Australia’s top six, who have acquitted themselves well without quite kicking on to the impregnable totals needed against England’s powerful line-up. Their bowlers, however, have been on a bit of a merry-go-round, with three changes after the first match, and further alterations now required following Hauritz’s withdrawal. Steven Smith, who removed Kevin Pietersen in his first over of the series, will have an important role to play with his legspin.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Steven Smith, 9 Shaun Tait, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Doug Bollinger.No need to tinker for England, and no likelihood that they will do so either, especially seeing as Ryan Sidebottom and Ian Bell were released to play for their counties on Friday.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.

Pitch and conditions

Old Trafford didn’t quite live up to expectations during the recent Test against Bangladesh, but there’s enough life in the surface for all the quicks to enjoy themselves, and for the spinners to obtain that extra bounce that makes the difference to their impact. The weather is expected to be glorious once again, so it’s another win-toss-and-bat scenario.

Stats and Trivia

• England have now won seven ODIs in a row, their best performance in 50-over cricket since 1997-98, when they beat Australia 3-0 in the Texaco Trophy, before Adam Hollioake’s men stormed the desert in Sharjah. What happened next, however, didn’t make for such pleasant reading …
• There have been 37 ODIs at Old Trafford, dating back to 1972, but England’s recent record on the ground is indifferent. Though they won their most recent fixture, against India in 2007, their only other victory since 1996 came against Zimbabwe in 2000.
• At Cardiff, Paul Collingwood became England’s leading run-maker in ODI history, surpassing Alec Stewart’s tally of 4677, and finishing the match on 4693. That figure, however, places him a lowly 62nd on the all-time list.

Quotes

“If that’s what you think, that’s fine. Have a look at our head-to-heads in Test cricket, one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket and tell me who has the bragging rights.”

“It’s very encouraging, and we all feel like we are part of something that can grow, and grow, and grow.”

Andrew Strauss is enjoying the winning feeling that England are cultivating at the moment

Marcus Trescothick blasted 83 off 38 balls to lead Somerset to a 79-run Friends Provident t20 win over Middlesex at Taunton

04-Jul-2010

ScorecardMarcus Trescothick blasted 83 off 38 balls to lead Somerset to a 79-run Friends Provident t20 win over Middlesex at Taunton. A 7,000-strong crowd saw the former England opener smash 11 fours and four sixes as his side ran up 204 for 5 after losing the toss. James Hildreth hit 48 and there were two wickets each for Owais Shah and Tom Smith.In reply, Middlesex were never up with the required rate as their former player Murali Kartik claimed 3 for 37 to check their progress. Jackson Thompson top scored with 32 and the visitors slumped to 125 all out in 17.4 overs. Mark Turner returned 2 for 23 from four overs and Kieron Pollard 2 for 20 from 2.4.Somerset’s lively fielding was characterised by a brilliant running catch taken by Alfonso Thomas, racing in from long-on to dismiss Gareth Berg. Opener Thompson hit six fours in his 22-ball innings, while Shah offered brief hope with 26 off 15 deliveries before being stumped off Kartik, departing with an exchange of words with Somerset’s celebrating players.Earlier, Trescothick had clearly been intent on making up for lost time in a competition which had previously seen him average less than 18. His first scoring shot was a six over extra cover off the opening over sent down by Tim Murtagh. Further sixes followed off Pedro Collins, Smith and Shah as, after the early loss of Nick Compton, Trescothick and Hildreth added 108 in eight overs of sparkling strokeplay.Somerset were flying along at 11-an-over when Shah interrupted their progress by having Trescothick caught at deep square sweeping and Pollard taken at mid-on off a skier, having made only a single.Zander de Bruyn was bowled by left-arm spinner Smith and Hildreth followed having hit seven fours in a fluent 35-ball innings. Jos Buttler (22 not out) and Arul Suppiah (26 not out) saw Somerset past 200, but it was not as big a score as looked likely when Trescothick and Hildreth were in full flow.The result left Somerset with 14 points from 11 South Division games and still well positioned for a quarter-final place.

Ramnaresh Sarwan has been named Guyana captain for the Caribbean T20 tournament and will lead a squad that does not include Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Cricinfo staff14-Jul-2010Ramnaresh Sarwan has been named Guyana captain for the Caribbean T20 tournament and will lead a squad that does not include Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Sarwan, who missed the Test series against South Africa due to an injured hamstring, makes a return to competitive cricket in the competition starting July 22. The tournament comprises seven other teams from and the winner qualifies for the Champions League Twenty20 in September.Meanwhile, Darren Sammy, the Windward Islands captain, has said he’ll be banking on the team’s bowling as it prepares to compete in the same tournament.The Windwards team includes several players with international experience. Among them are openers Andre Fletcher and Devon Smith; pacer Nelon Pascal; off-spinner Shane Shillingford and leg-spinning all-rounder Rawl Lewis.”I don’t see why we can’t come out on top. Our strength is in our bowling and overall I would say the selectors have picked a very good all-round team,” Sammy said. Our batting will rely mainly on the experienced players – such as Smith, Fletcher, Lewis, Liam Sebastien, and myself. Most of the players in the team have the ability to bat and bowl so we have players who can contribute in two departments.”We have Shillingford, Sebastien, and Lewis who are very economical bowlers
and I know they will do very well for us. We also have a number of players
who are coming through, and I’m very satisfied with the squad assembled. I
am confident we can go to Barbados, qualify for the final four, and take it
from there.””We have seen over the years that teams are closer together in the Twenty20
format. Whoever plays the better cricket on the day will win. Our chances
are very good,” Sammy said.”The Champions League is a massive incentive. All the teams will fancy their chances and will be gunning to make it to South Africa in September. We saw what Trinidad and Tobago did for the region in India last year and that should be a form of motivation for all teams – to go out and represent on the world stage. In the Windwards camp we are very excited. We will take it one game at a time and enjoy every moment.”Guyana squad: Ramnaresh Sarwan (capt), Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Sewnarine Chattergooon, Lennox Cush, Christopher Barnwell, Davendra Bishoo, Derwin Christian, Esaun Crandon, Royston Crandon, Jonathan Foo, Assad
Fudadin, Steven Jacobs, Paul Wintz.Windward Islands squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Devon Smith, Andre Fletcher, Rawl Lewis, Liam Sebastien, Johnson Charles, Donwell Hector, Craig Emmanuel, Lindon Lawrence, Keddy Lesporis, Gairy Mathurin, Nelon Pascal, Shane Shillingford, Deighton Butler.

Ireland have made two changes to their squad for the two-match RSA series against Netherlands that begins on Monday

Cricinfo staff15-Aug-2010Ireland have made two changes to their squad for the two-match RSA series against Netherlands that begins on Monday after they comprehensively beat the same opposition in the Intercontinental Cup.Following Allan Eastwood’s successful debut in the win against Netherlands, where he took 4 for 62 in the second innings, he retained his place in the squad ahead of Craig Young who hasn’t recovered from a side strain. Elsewhere Andrew Poynter returns to the squad following the shoulder injury he picked up in the final of the World Cricket League last month in place of James Hall who will instead play for Ireland A in a three-day game against Hampshire which begins on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl.Ireland Squad: Trent Johnston (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Andrew Poynter, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson (wk), Allan Eastwood, Nigel Jones.

Betting in cricket and other sports should be legalised in India, a Delhi court has said

Cricinfo staff01-Sep-2010Betting in cricket and other sports should be legalised in India, a Delhi court has said, pointing out that the police have failed to curb illegal betting in the country. Legalising betting, the court said, would help the government keep track of the transfer of funds and even use the revenue generated for public welfare.”It does not need divine eyes to see that ‘satta’ in cricket and other games is reaching an alarming situation. The extent of money that it generated is diverted to clandestine and sinister objectives like drug trafficking and terrorist activities,” said additional sessions judge Dharmesh Sharma, of a Delhi trial court. “It is high time that our legislature seriously considers legalising the entire system of betting online or otherwise so that enough revenues can be generated to fund various infrastructural requirements for the common man and thus check the lucrative business in organised crime.”The judge cited a media report that claimed more than Rs. 20,000 crores (approximately US$4.27 billion) were pumped in by illegal betting syndicates during the IPL last year.”A little surfing on the internet would reveal that in Delhi alone there would be operating as many as 2,000-3,000 bookies at any given point of time when cricket matches or even other matches are played all over the world. This could not be done under the very nose of police without their knowledge,” the judge said.The court was also critical of the police for its laxity in trying to keep a check on the illegal business. “The half-hearted and lackadaisical approach of the police in nabbing the perpetrators of this organised crime on business leaves an irresistible impression that police is not only ill-equipped to deal with such cases but probably they have higher stake in continuance of the same under their patronage.”The court made its remarks while allowing an appeal by two people held guilty by a lower court for betting under the Delhi Police Gambling Act. It said there was not enough evidence to convict the two, who were prosecuted for organising betting on the 2007 World Cup match between Australia and South Africa.

After playing just eight Tests, Darren Sammy finds himself catapulted to the forefront of West Indies cricket in a time of upheaval and change, but none of this appears to faze him

Tariq Engineer21-Oct-2010Darren Sammy never dreamed of being the West Indies captain. He once said his goal was to be the workhorse of the side. Yet after playing only eight Tests, he finds himself catapulted to the forefront of West Indies cricket in a time of upheaval and change, with a tough tour of Sri Lanka on the horizon, but none of this appears to faze him.”I am going to be bold and frank,” Sammy told ESPNcricinfo. “I will let the players know what I expect and I, myself, will set an example. I will bring out the passion, the energy, and the commitment to West Indies cricket.”Sammy was given the captaincy after his predecessor Chris Gayle, and vice-captain Dwayne Bravo chose not to sign central contracts last month. The pair, along with Kieron Pollard, have forged lucrative Twenty20 careers in domestic tournaments, including the IPL, and refused WICB’s contracts which stipulated that they must make themselves available for the West Indies team at all times.The selectors decided it was important to have a captain who wanted to make that commitment, and placed Sammy and the Australian-born batsman Brendan Nash in charge of the Test squad until the end of the 2011 home series, ending Gayle’s three-year period at the helm of the team. Gayle and Bravo are in the squad that is headed to Sri Lanka, and Sammy is confident of having his former captain’s support.”Ever since I started my career in 2004, Chris has been the one who has made me feel comfortable. I have a good relationship with him, and with most of the players. He has said he will give me and the team his full support, which I know he means.”Sammy said he doesn’t feel any pressure to justify his place despite not being a regular member of the Test squad since he marked his Test debut in 2007 with 7 for 66 at Old Trafford. Since then he has been in and out of the side, averaging 19.40 with the bat and 27.74 with the ball. “I have full confidence in my ability,” Sammy said. “When I have been given the opportunity to play Test cricket, my stats show that I have done well.”West Indies have slipped to seventh place in the ICC Test rankings and eighth in the ODI chart and Sammy, obviously, is keen to lead the side back up the table. To do this he talks about thinking clearly on the field and executing properly, about doing the right things. But most of all, he talks about playing with pride and passion – something West Indies teams of recent vintage have often lacked.”I vow to represent the West Indies with pride and dignity,” he said. “Whatever we do, whether we are fielding, batting or bowling, you do with pride.”He realises this is no overnight task, that West Indies are in a rebuilding phase, and the Sri Lanka tour is merely the first step in what will be a long journey back to prominence. He remains optimistic though, that everyone is on the same page. “It will take a strong work ethic and discipline to get us there. We have to work as a team. We have to enjoy what we do. When we do that, and when we play well, it brings lots of smiles to the Caribbean people.”Sammy is acutely aware of the heritage of West Indies cricket and the responsibility of the current generation to live up to it. “I am taking on a mountain that carries so much legacy,” he said, “and I will also remind the guys of the great legacy that we carry.” He talks about the honour of following in the footsteps of Frank Worrell, Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards as the captain of the side. Sammy’s comments are in contrast to Gayle’s, who has said more than once that he does not want to be captain, and that he wouldn’t be sad if Test cricket were to disappear.Sammy plans to pick the brains of Lloyd and Richards, as well as senior players in the current team, to help him become a better captain. However, he makes it clear he will ultimately be his own man.His expectations for the tour of Sri Lanka are simple – to compete. The squad contains a lot of new faces and he cites Shivnarine Chanderpaul as someone who sets “an excellent example” as a batsman and a cricketer that newcomers can look up to. Gayle is another player he feels can inspire the youngsters in the squad. Although Sulieman Benn will miss the first Test due to suspension, Sammy is confident the team has the bowling resources to trouble the Sri Lankan batsman.But beyond the mathematics of wins and losses, Sammy wants to put the smiles back on the faces of West Indies fans. He wants to make them feel the same way he felt when he first started watching cricket with his father. “That’s what Darren Sammy wants to do. Bring back the joy.”

A round-up of the action from the third day of the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge where West Indies, South Africa and Pakistan all recorded victories

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2010
ScorecardStafanie Taylor scored her third straight half-century•International Cricket Council

Anisa Mohammed took four wickets and Stafanie Taylor starred with the bat yet again, as West Indies turned in their third straight dominating performance in the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge, cruising to a nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the North-West University No.1 ground in Potchefstroom.Sri Lanka chose to bat and were immediately in trouble when Hiruka Fernando was run out without scoring off the second ball of the innings. Wickets fell at frequent intervals after that, with Mohammed taking three of the next four to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 89 for 5. It was soon 99 for 8, but Dilani Surangika and Sripali Weerakkody added 65 to push Sri Lanka’s total past 150. Surangika’s unbeaten 29 took 69 deliveries, illustrating the problems the West Indies bowlers posed to Sri Lanka.It was a different story when the West Indies batted. Taylor and Juliana Nero got off to a quick start, putting on 91 in 12 overs before Shashikala Siriwardene had Nero stumped for 52. Taylor was joined by West Indies captain Merissa Aguillera, and two shared a 75-run partnership to see West Indies home with 21.2 overs to spare. Taylor remained unbeaten on 68, her third fifty-plus score in a row. The win takes West Indies to the top of the points table, ahead of South Africa on net run-rate.
ScorecardSouth Africa made it three wins a row with a crushing eight-wicket defeat of Ireland at the Wiltrand Cricket Field in Potchefstroom. Ireland elected to bat but struggled to score quickly from the off. Opener Cecelia Joyce crawled to 19 off 64 balls, while fellow opener Clare made 22 from 40. Laura Delany topscored with 40 not out, but also struggled to up the tempo, finishing with a strike-rate of 48.19.Medium pacer Marcia Letsoalo was the strangler-in-chief, giving away just 12 runs off her 10, overs while picking up a wicket.South Africa made quick work of the small target, despite losing both openers early. Cri-zelda Brits and Mignon du Preez came together with the score at 37 for 2, and both of them went on to make half-centuries in a 126-run unbroken partnership as South Africa reached their target in the 35th over. Brits’ 60 came off 64 balls, and contained four fours, while du Preez made 66 off 86 balls, with seven fours.
ScorecardLegspinner Sana Mir led Pakistan to a comfortable 45-run win over Netherlands at the North-West University No.2 ground in Potchefstroom. Mir took five wickets as the Netherlands were bowled out for 213 in 45 overs chasing 259.Pakistan got off to a decent start after choosing to bat, with Javeria Khan and Marina Iqbal putting on 54 for the first-wicket, before Iqbal was bowled by allrounder Esther Lanser. Nain Abidi fell to Lanser as well soon afterwards, but Bismar Mahroof anchored the innings with a patient 52 and the last-wicket pair of Kanwal Naz and debutant Shurmaila Qureshi threw their bats around at the end, plundering 22 off the last two overs, to take Pakistan past 250. Lanser was the pick of the bowlers, with 2 for 22 from her 10 overs.Netherlands lost Violet Wattenburg early, but Lanser and captain Helmien Rambaldo added 118 for the second-wicket to put Netherlands in a strong position. Rambaldo was trapped lbw by Nidi Dar, before Mir got into the act by having Lanser stumped for a career-high 75 from 116 balls, with nine fours. Lanser’s wicket sparked a collapse as the Netherlands slipped from 146 for 2 to 167 for 6, with Mir taking three of the wickets, including two in two balls.Mir added the wicket of Merijn Nijman to finish with 5 for 32 from her 10 overs, and Iqbal Asimavia chipped in with 2 for 53 from eight overs. The win moved Pakistan to third in the points table, behind West Indies and South Africa.

Contrasting hundreds from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers pulled South
Africa out of strife and into a position of considerable comfort at the
Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi

The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin20-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jacques Kallis’ counterattack turned the tables after South Africa had been reduced to 33 for 3•AFP

Contrasting hundreds from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers pulled South
Africa out of strife and into a position of considerable comfort at the
Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi. Debutant seamer Tanvir Ahmed had reduced
South Africa to 33 for 3 but Kallis and de Villiers punched back with
a 179-run stand that left South Africa handily placed on 311 for 5. For
Pakistan, only Tanvir could look back on the day with similar pride.The Kallis-de Villiers stand was the tenth century partnership in 32
innings between the pair and it was done with such aggression it suggested
were in trouble when they came together. Kallis’s fight
began the moment Graeme Smith became the third victim of a hectic morning
and though his mien remained as expressionless as usual, his game was
unusually expressive.He had hooked an uncontrolled six by the time a swish of fortune sashayed
in. Mohammad Sami’s first over captured an entire career: one unplayable
delivery, honest endeavour but batsman ultimately supreme. Having been
beaten by a beauty, Kallis coolly cover drove the next two balls for four
and the day’s mood changed.Sami was plundered repeatedly, everywhere and anywhere and even Umar Gul
wasn’t spared a fine pull and efficient drives. Either side of lunch two
towering sixes off Abdur Rehman brought one message: ‘I am Kallis, you
are nothing’. Not a particularly attacking spinner on his best days,
Rehman immediately retreated, the supremacy in the relationship
established. By then a swift fifty had been notched up as casually as
a snap of the fingers.de Villiers was twitchier, a more impish presence and not just because he
doesn’t have Kallis’ broad-chested appearance. Whereas Kallis imposed
himself on matters, de Villiers took advantage of Pakistan’s growing
flakiness. When they pitched short, he gladly cut; when they got too full
he happily drove; when they drifted to his pads, he politely clipped away.Five overs after lunch a century partnership was registered and by this
time, the surface had lost its early morning friskiness. Boundaries were
mostly controlled, though with Sami around control remained a relative
concept. In any case, runs were so readily available no risk needed to be
taken. One flick brought up a fifty for de Villiers. As an afterthought
Kallis brought up a fifth hundred in four Tests against Pakistan, in which
his lowest score is 59; in his first 11 against them, he had only one. It
was his fastest century as well.When Kallis fell, de Villiers carried on, though with the sadness and
restraint of someone who has lost a partner. He was comatose during the
nineties, only waking up once four freebie overthrows from Gul took him to
99. It would’ve been impolite to not take a single next ball. Essentially
the day ended there for him.Pakistan were fitful, not stringing together any sustained pressure. Tanvir
was responsible for the highs, further proof that whatever hole they find
themselves in, there’s always a fast bowler to get excited about.A month shy of his 32nd birthday, he was an unlikely hero and not just
because he is probably the best bowler ever born in Kuwait. The pitch at
Test cricket’s 103rd venue had enough moisture in it early on to tempt
Misbah-ul-Haq to bowl. It was a second gesture of positivity; the first
had been to revert back to Pakistan’s traditional strengths by selecting a
three-man pace attack.Tanvir has long been a steady hand at the domestic level; sharp enough, always tight
and if conditions are right, eminently capable of exploiting them. So in
he ran as Pakistan’s oldest debutant new-ball bowler, a heavy action and a
grunt at release and did precisely that. Immediately he became the sixth
Pakistani to take a wicket in the first over and a typical scalp too,
full, searching for swing, finding an edge. It was his 400th first-class
wicket. Five balls later he had another and Test cricket was looking an
easy game, though admittedly Asoka de Silva had a greater hand in Hashim
Amla returning to the pavilion.Later, through a long afternoon Tanvir maintained a pleasant discipline and
the wicket of Kallis after tea helped Pakistan slow down the scoring. But
after the first hour the bluff had gone from the rest and the attack
looked precisely what it was: quite weak. Gul looked good in patches, Sami
a man condemned and Rehman the wrong choice.The umpires, who got four decisions clearly wrong, had a worse day.

England women’s captain Charlotte Edwards has called for more Test matches in the women’s game ahead of her team’s departure for an Ashes tour of Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2010England Women’s captain Charlotte Edwards has called for more Test matches in the women’s game ahead of her team’s departure for an Ashes tour of Australia. Unlike the men’s team, who play a five-Test series on trips down under, England’s women will play three one-day internationals, five Twenty20s and just one four-day Test.”Having watched a lot of the men’s Tests I’m kind of envious that we don’t get to play three- or five-match series because I think that is a true test, real Test match cricket,” said Edwards. “But it’s not the way at the moment. The Twenty20 and ODI formats have been deemed more important. But hopefully in the long-run we can start getting a three-match series, which will make our Test cricket a lot more enjoyable.”Janette Brittin, the former England opening bat, has more Test caps than any other player but took part in just 27 Tests between 1979 and 1998. In comparison, Sachin Tendulkar has played 175 Tests and 50 men have played 100 Tests or more.”We don’t play any Tests or four-day cricket domestically, so it’s really difficult for us to say what we prefer because we don’t play enough of it,” added Edwards. “In 14 years I’ve played 12 Test matches. I think ODI and Twenty20 cricket is the way the women’s game is going and we fully understand that. Especially Twenty20, that’s what most TV stations want to cover now these days, so we have to go with that. When I play for England it’s all important, but hopefully in the future we can play more Test cricket.”Edwards spoke ahead of England’s departure for Australia for a defence of the Women’s Ashes, which will coincide with the men’s series. England won the 2007-08 Ashes series in Australia 2-0, and retained the women’s urn with a drawn series in 2009.”It’s a hard act to follow at the minute, the men, but also we’ve been really successful in Australia so we’re going out there with a huge amount of belief and confidence that we can play well,” said Edwards. “We also know we’re going to come up a very good Australian team, but we’re ready for them.”They’re quite a young side; they’ve picked a few young players but from all accounts some very talented players. I think we’ll be very evenly matched. We know a lot about them and they know a lot about us, and Ithink at the moment we’re the best two teams in the world so it’s going to be one of our toughest tests out there this winter, but one we’re really looking forward to.”England depart for Australia after an unbeaten tour of Sri Lanka, during which several newer players gained valuable experience. Fast bowler Katherine Brunt, who missed that trip in order to undergo strength and conditioning training, has returned to the squad for the Ashes, as has Left-arm spinner Holly Colvin, who took time off for her university studies, and right-handed batter Beth Morgan.”That tour to Sri Lanka has really been crucial for this tour to Australia, to give the likes of Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt, Susie Rowe and Heather Knight the opportunity to play some cricket before this Australia trip and to get them gelled into the team has been vital. We’re also bringing back Katherine brunt and Holly Colvin for this trip as well, so we’re going out there as strong as we possibly can.”The 1st and 2nd Twenty20 matches of their trip will be played directly before England men play Australia on January 12 and 14, at the Adelaide Oval and the MCG respectively.

A Twenty20 masterclass from Western Australian openers Shaun Marsh and Chris Gayle blasted the Warriors to a 19-run victory over the Blues in a rain interrupted match in Sydney

Andrew Fuss09-Jan-2011
Scorecard
Chris Gayle smashes a boundary during his record breaking innings•Getty Images

A Twenty20 masterclass from Western Australian openers Shaun Marsh and Chris Gayle blasted the Warriors to a 19-run victory over the Blues in a rain-interrupted match in Sydney. A quick start saw the visitors reach 0 for 62 off the first six overs but it was the seventh over that proved to be match-defining. The laconic Gayle took to medium-pacer Scott Coyte, smashing 32 runs off the over (6, 6, 6, 4, 4, 6) – a KFC Big Bash record.The Blues’ skipper Stuart Clark combined with David Warner to get the vital wicket of Gayle for 61, but when the dust settled, Man of the Match Marsh also emerged swinging. He pummelled the midwicket and mid-on boundary on his way to the highest individual score for this season’s Big Bash, 85 off 45 balls, as the Warriors chalked up a massive total of 5 for 205.The hosts’ run-chase got off to a disastrous start as they lost Daniel Smith for a duck in the first over before Brad Haddin was dismissed softly in the third over, lofting a weak drive to Marcus North at cover. Warner started firing in the fifth over before a rain delay halted any momentum the Blues had begun to gather. The revised total of 189 off 18 overs looked unlikely but with Warner and Phil Hughes at the crease, anything was still possible.It was a run-out that ultimately proved costly, Hughes involved again just days after his mix-up with Shane Watson in the fifth Test, although this time it was more a case of Warner and the Blues’ desperation, rather than poor calling. Saj Mahmood struck shortly after the runout, dismissing Hughes for 24 before rain ended the match – the Warriors deserved victors.It was confirmed after the match that New South Wales batsman Nic Maddinson, who had been part of the Prime Minister’s XI side to take on England in Canberra on Monday, would no longer play any part in that match after injuring his thumb in the field against the Warriors.Maddinson will have scans on Monday to determine the extent of his injury, and has been replaced in the Prime Minister’s XI by local Australian Capital Territory top order batsman, Sam Miller. Miller, 22, moved from country Victoria in 2009 to play with ACT in the Futures League, this year scoring a breakthrough 102 against Tasmania.The points table is now interestingly poised, with all six teams sitting on one win after two rounds, the Warriors still in last place due to their poor net run rate. Western Australia will host South Australia on Thursday while New South Wales travel to play Queensland next Saturday.