Robin Peterson hadn’t been able to stem the runs when Pakistan were batting, but on the third day it was Pakistan who couldn’t stop the runs when Peterson was batting

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran16-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Robin Peterson slammed 84 to cut into Pakistan’s first-innings lead•Getty Images

A fascinating Test in Cape Town provided its third day of unexpected twists as the man who was the weak link for South Africa on the first day made amends with his first Test half-century in almost a decade to even up the contest. Robin Peterson hadn’t been able to stem the runs when Pakistan were batting on the second day, but on the third it was Pakistan who couldn’t stop the runs when Peterson was batting. With AB de Villiers also scoring a half-century, South Africa showed their resilience as what could have been a game-deciding lead for Pakistan was trimmed to just 12.In their second innings, Pakistan’s top order once again folded cheaply and South Africa were threatening to run away with the game. However, they were thwarted by a patient partnership between Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq in the final hour-and-a-half before stumps to leave the match evenly poised. The day ended with a bit of bad news for the hosts, as Morne Morkel sustained a leg injury. He is unlikely to bowl again in this Test.In the morning, de Villiers had survived another intense examination from the outstanding Saeed Ajmal to play an innings that married classical drives and cuts with chutzpah, as shown by an inventive dink over the slips for four when the ball was banged in short. He reached his half-century off a rare poor ball down the leg side from Ajmal, and if he was beginning to feel comfortable in the middle, Ajmal followed up with a ripping delivery similar to the one that accounted for Faf du Plessis. De Villiers got the edge again but the keeper couldn’t hold on to the catch.Ajmal had begun the day by adding Dean Elgar’s wicket to make it six out of six and briefly raised visions of him joining the elite club of Jim Laker and Anil Kumble as the only bowlers to take all ten wickets in an innings. Thoughts of that spectacular feat came to an end when the seven-footer Mohammad Irfan struck with the new ball to dismiss de Villiers for his first Test wicket. He then showed that even in the intense battle of Test cricket there is space for levity, as the towering fast bowler raised his arms in celebration after his team-mates huddled around him, forcing them to jump to high-five him.Pakistan could have taken total control of the match once de Villiers was dismissed but Peterson again showed how much his batting has improved. He swept Ajmal when the ball was on the pads, cut powerfully when width was provided, and generally began to look more and more settled in the middle. With the help of Vernon Philander, he brought the deficit below 100 before lunch.Peterson had just begun, though, and opened out after the break with a series of drives as 77 runs came off 13 overs. Besides the scorching drives, there was even a switch-hit off Ajmal. As the score went past 300, Peterson set his sights on a maiden hundred, going for his shots even as he lost his partners. The crowd loved it, and when last man Morne Morkel solidly defended a few deliveries, the fans welcomed it with rousing cheers. Peterson finally perished on 84 as he looked to clear long-on, though he had already done enough to hurt Pakistan by then.The turnaround continued when South Africa had the ball in hand as, yet again, they removed both openers cheaply. Pakistan’s opening stands this series now read 0, 10, 7 and 9. Steyn struck in his first over, with an indipper that had Mohammad Hafeez lbw. Philander joined in with a wicket in his first over, sending back Nasir Jamshed lbw for a duck. Though South Africa’s quicks kept asking questions around off stump, Younis Khan and Ali negotiated the new ball till tea. A pumped-up Steyn then delivered the quickest spell of the match, regularly threatening to hit the 150kph mark, and it culminated with him getting Younis to chop on to the stumps.While the second session was full of runs, the third was the opposite. Ali began with a boundary past square leg that took him to 23 off 23 balls, but he then went into a shell, especially against Peterson, playing out maiden after maiden. He couldn’t work the singles, at one stage had managed only five runs off 53 deliveries against Peterson, and just survived a confident lbw appeal.At the other end, Misbah wasn’t in any hurry either, and the pair went through 34 scoreless deliveries early on in their partnership. Misbah was patient as ever, except when he pulled off three of those out-of-the-blue straight sixes he loves to hit.Many times, the strategy to just block everything against a high-quality attack doesn’t work because the lack of runs means the pressure isn’t lifted, and when there is a breakthrough, the batting side hasn’t made much progress. It worked for Pakistan on the day, though, as it sucked the momentum from a rampant South Africa attack, and steadily increased the lead above 100, setting up an intriguing fourth day.

The preview for the second ODI between South Africa and Pakistan at Centurion

The Preview by Firdose Moonda14-Mar-2013

Match facts

March 15, 2013, Centurion

Start time 1430 local (1230GMT)It may be better for Mohammad Hafeez to drop down a place in order to provide either security or the ability to accelerate•AFP

Big Picture

It has been five days since South Africa delivered one of their more convincing ODI victories but the time in between matches means it’s likely the only momentum around will be the sponsors’ name. The hosts enjoyed a short break with the most important change being that of regaining their premier strike bowler while Pakistan have had time to digest and regroup.The series is almost starting anew this weekend with a double header on the Highveld which could end with the contest being decided by Sunday. For South Africa, that would signal the Champions Trophy preparation is well on track. Pakistan have to derail them to ensure next week’s fixtures in Durban and Benoni provide a fitting end to the summer.To judge Pakistan’s one-day side on the Bloemfontein effort would be as unfair judging their Test outfit on the 49 all out at the Wanderers. As they showed in the longer format, they improved steadily as the contest went on and they can be expected to do that and more in the shorter version.Tactically, they made poor decisions in the first match particularly in the make-up of their bowling attack. But crucially, they lacked energy, so much so that they asked stadium management to place a case of Red Bull in their dressing room hours before the match. The lethargy resulted in a mediocre showing in all departments and Misbah-ul-Haq conceded that a collective improvement is needed if they hope to compete.South Africa, on the other hand, had a near-perfect showing. Their opening batsmen were slow and steady, the middle order piled it on and the bowlers finished off with enough menace and skill to satisfy captain AB de Villiers.He still wants them to improve, not on anything specific as much as on consistency. Their recent one-day form has seen performances like theirs on Sunday, followed up by performances like Pakistan’s. De Villiers wants to see them continue to apply themselves throughout the three weeks this five-match series goes on for. Only then will he consider them properly prepared for the challenges to come.

Form guide

(Most recent first)

South Africa: WWLLW
Pakistan: LLWWL

In the spotlight

It has been a quiet few matches for Faf du Plessis , who has not scored a half-century since the home series against Pakistan began. If there is a venue where he would like to change that, it must be Centurion. Du Plessis grew from a boy to a man at the venue and has played all his domestic cricket for the Titans franchise. Although the South Africa middle order looked decidedly firmer in Bloemfontein, it is far from completely solid and du Plessis will play an important part in firming it up.Mohammad Hafeez is one half of the alleged battle for power in the Pakistan setup. Although any suggestion of strife has been dismissed by the team management, if anything was simmering below the surface the loss last Sunday could have made it boil over. Hafeez claims he would prefer to open but, as in the Twenty20 squad, it may be better for him to drop down a place in order to provide either security or the ability to accelerate. Hafeez’s bowling will also be important to Pakistan’s chances of successes and he will be depended on to squeeze the hosts when needed.

Team news

Morne Morkel is still nursing his hamstring strain and will not be risked for this match but Dale Steyn has returned from Los Angeles and is available. Steyn has not had many overs under his belt over the last two weeks and with training washed out on Wednesday, he may be held back until he has had more time to prepare. Should that happen, Kyle Abbott will keep his place. David Miller was released to play for the Dolphins on Friday and will probably miss out again, with Farhaan Behardien keeping his place.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 Faf du Plessis, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Rory Kleinveldt, 10 Dale Steyn/Kyle Abbott, 11 Lonwabo TsotsobeGiven their batting problems, Pakistan may look to make changes and the possibility of Kamran Akmal opening may come up. He could either be a straight swap for Nasir Jamshed or he could slot into Hafeez’s spot, and Hafeez could move down into Asad Shafiq’s place. They should play an extra seamer on a spicier surface after the lack of one cost them in Bloemfontein and Mohammed Irfan would be the ideal replacement.Pakistan: (probable) 1 and 2 Nasir Jamshed/Kamran Akmal/Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Mohammed Irfan

Pitch and conditions

More bounce and carry than in Bloemfontein but the biggest difference will be the size of the field. SuperSport Park’s outfield is not as large as the one the teams played on on Sunday so singles and twos are less likely to be on offer than boundaries. Afternoon thundershowers have made an appearance all week and are likely to visit the ground again, although the interruption should be brief.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have played 28 matches at SuperSport Park, won 18 and lost 10. They have won batting first exactly half the time. Pakistan have won two matches at the ground, in 1993 and 1994.
• Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers still sit at No.1 and No.2 on the ODI batting rankings. Pakistan’s highest ranked batsman is Umar Akmal at No.15 although he did not play in Bloemfontein.

Quotes

“You get value for your shots in Centurion. In Bloemfontein, the strategy was to run Pakistan off their feet and we did that well but you have to protect the boundary here. It should be a high-scoring game.”

“Normally wherever you go in one-day cricket, conditions are good for batting. The second T20 was really a wicket that suited Pakistan so if it is like that, it will really suit us.

A round-up of matches of the Campus Cricket World Final 2012-13 played on April 5

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2013A late charge from the University of Moratuwa middle order was not enough to haul in the tall total set by DAV Chandigarh, who have booked a place in the Campus Cricket final, with a 16-run win in the first semi-final. Chandigarh made 210 for 4, batting first at the Premadasa Stadium, thanks to an impressive start and an explosive finish. Wicketkeeper batsman Gaurav Tandon made 53 from 33 deliveries after arriving at the crease in the third over, and put on 81 runs in 48 balls alongside opener Jaskaran Singh, who made 47 from 32 balls.Once both batsmen had departed, Chandigarh were well on the way to a large total, and heavy hitting from Gurinder Singh, who struck five sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 60 from 25 balls, ensured his side crossed 200. His unbeaten fifth wicket partnership with Simran Singh was worth 86 runs from 42 deliveries. Of the Moratuwa bowlers, only Sahan Perera emerged from the onslaught with respectable figures, having taken 2 for 29 from his four overs.Early wickets of Chandigarh’s opening batsmen then nearly scuppered the chase inside the Powerplay, as Moratuwa sunk to 26 for 4 in the fifth over, and then 53 for 5 in the eighth. However, a valiant sixth wicket stand between Randika Perera and Rumesh Madhushanka, who put on a tournament-high 141 together, revived Moratuwa’s hopes. Randika made 72 not out, from 47 balls and Madhushanka hit 69 from 39, bludgeoning five sixes and six fours. Despite their heroics, Chandigarh had got too far ahead in the game by the time their resistance began, and Moratuwa only made 194 from their 20 overs.Karachi University then confirmed themselves as the other finalists, as they brushed aside Great Britiain Combined University Team by 76 runs, in the second semi-final. Batting first, a half-century to opener Faraz Ali helped set a strong foundation for Karachi, before Nabeel Khalid and Shahzaib Khan made useful contributions from the lower-middle order, to help Karachi score 154 all out in 20 overs. Simon Watkins was the best of Great Britain Combined’s bowlers, taking 4 for 27 from his four overs.In response, Great Britain Combined lost opener Harry Bush on the first ball of the innings, and it hardly got better from there. Chris Wakefield and Luke Blackaby began a recovery, but could not sustain their innings long enough to make a difference, and after their demise, the remainder of the batting order succumbed quickly. Shahzaib Khan and Mirza Jamil took three wickets apiece, to help dismiss the opposition for 78, in 15 overs.

Muttiah Muralitharan has expressed disappointment at the BCCI’s ruling to disallow Sri Lankan players from participating in matches in Chennai

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2013Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Muttiah Muralitharan has expressed disappointment at the IPL governing council’s decision to disallow Sri Lankan players from participating in matches in Chennai this season, a result of growing political tensions in Tamil Nadu stemming from the treatment of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.”It’s a sad [day] for cricket as we are not allowed to play in a certain part of India. It is a government decision, if they cannot provide security for us, we have to be cautious,” former Sri Lanka spinner Muralitharan told NDTV. “I have spoken to Royal Challengers, they do not have any problems. I can play the non-Chennai games.”Muralitharan, a Sri Lankan tamil, said he had never felt out of place. “I played for 20 years in the Lankan team, I did not have any problems as a Tamil. The government and the cricket board always supported me throughout my career even when I went through a lot of problems. Earlier there was a time of war between the Tamils and Lankans but now people are living in peace in my country. So the concerned authorities in India must come and see how we are living in Sri Lanka and forget what happened in the past. We don’t want another war-like situation now.”If they allow us to play, we will definitely play in Chennai. Chennai is like a second home for me as my wife Madhimalar is from there. It is a sentimental situation for me. We do not want to get into politics and we just want to play our cricket and entertain our fans.”Muttiah Muralitharan retired from international cricket in 2011 after the World Cup final in Mumbai, and has since played in various Twenty20 leagues. He has played all five seasons of IPL thus far, for Chennai Super Kings (2008-2010), Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (2012).

Ben Stokes, the Durham allrounder, has been offered encouragement by the England management that he can win a return to international contention

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2013Ben Stokes, the Durham allrounder, has been offered encouragement by the England management that he can win a return to international contention after being sent home from the Lions’ winter tour of Australia for disciplinary reasons.In February, Stokes and Kent’s Matt Coles were punished for “contravening their conduct obligations” and dismissed from the touring party, after a second offence that coincided with Andy Flower’s arrival in Australia to check on the Lions. Stoke recently met with Flower, England’s team director, and Ashley Giles, who is in charge of the limited-overs sides, and was told to stay out of trouble and focus on his game.”They told me it’s not a clean slate but a cross has not been put through your name either,” said Stokes, who played five ODIs and two T20 internationals for England in 2011. “Just keep playing your cricket and keep performing, that was the message.”Stokes’ untimely return from Australia attracted unwelcome headlines for the second time in his career – in December 2011 he was arrested for obstructing a policeman in his duty, in what was believed to be a drink-related incident. On this occasion, Flower, Giles and England’s managing director, Hugh Morris, have moved quickly to remind him of his responsibilities.”People have made their minds up as to what happened and you can either believe it or not,” Stokes told the . “I’ve got to learn from it. I’m not putting it behind me, it’s always going to be on my mind, but I now know what Andy Flower, Ashley Giles and Hugh Morris want from the players they want to pick.”It was an eye-opener. It has given me a lesson not just in cricket but in life. You learn by your mistakes, I guess, and if any situation comes along again that resembles those two, I’ll know the right thing to do. We’ve got to remember we are role models for kids and think of the impression we give them as professional sportsmen.”Having long been considered one of England’s most-talented prospects, his international career stalled after elevation to the limited-overs sides as a batsman two summers ago. A finger injury that required three operations was a major setback and then a back problem hampered him in the early part of last season but his bowling has continued to develop, complementing a first-class batting average of 37.13.”You would have to run over it with a truck to damage it now,” he said of his right index finger. “Getting it fixed then was the right thing to do because otherwise I probably wouldn’t be bowling now. When I first started bowling for Durham I was a bit of an ‘I’ll-give-it-a-go’ sort of guy but last year I was given a lot more responsibility, bowling in more high-pressure situations, and that helped my confidence and consistency. I tend to swing it. Mind you, if you can’t swing it up here in Durham, you probably can’t swing it anywhere.”Batting at No. 5 and coming on first-change with the ball for Durham will give Stokes the chance to press his England case in both suits. Performances on the pitch and a more mature attitude off it will also have to go hand in hand.

All results were just about possible by the close last night but this game between two of the second division’s promotion favourites turned into the dullest of stalemates

David Lloyd at the Ageas Bowl26-May-2013
ScorecardGareth Cross made his first century for two years•Getty Images

There are many worse ways to spend a sunny Sunday, of course, but after teasing onlookers into believing that all results were just about possible by the close last night, this game between two of the second division’s promotion favourites turned into the dullest of stalemates.Fortunately for county cricket, it is watched, in the main, by folk who are long on patience. But if there were any first-time spectators here today then goodness knows what they made of an exercise in pointlessness for all but Steven Croft and Gareth Cross, who scored their first Championship centuries of the season.Actually, that’s not quite fair. Points were the whole point of it. Lancashire, sitting joint second in the table after this draw, remain 10 points ahead of Hampshire, an advantage which could be crucial come the end of the season. Had they pressed for a victory by declaring and lost, a gamble might have looked reckless to the Old Trafford faithful.But surely a token effort to win could have been made through the visitors giving themselves perhaps 40 overs to capture 10 wickets while denying Hampshire even a sniff of success? Instead, they batted on and on until hands were shaken, spectators were woken from their slumbers and everyone went home.Lancashire have a bit of previous on this ground. Seven years ago, at the end of a season and with nothing at stake, the then home captain, Shane Warne, was furious that the Red Rose declined to make a game of it – and he demonstrated his displeasure by bowling bouncers.This time, the only on-field retort came from occasional bowler Michael Carberry, who was tossed the ball and invited to go through a series of impressions which looked to include Makhaya Ntini and Alex Tudor.But the real villain of the piece was the weather which shortened the contest by 88 overs. And had it not been for some exciting action on the third day, no-one would have dreamed of a positive result being even remotely possible.Lancashire looked to be taking firm control when Glen Chapple struck four times in the space of six balls. Then the balance of power shifted sharply in Hampshire’s favour as they grabbed three quick wickets following George Bailey’s excellent counterattack.The best hope of a riveting contest today rested with Hampshire making regular inroads once Lancashire resumed, 100 runs ahead, on 63 for 3. But their successes were too few and too far between, although Sean Ervine did try to force the issue during a lively spell that included several sharp bouncers and he was rewarded with the wickets of Andrea Agathangelou and Karl Brown.Therafter, Lancashire made serene progress without ever suggesting they were interested in a declaration. Cross will no doubt take confidence from his first century for two years but most other people will be happy to forget the final chapter of this match.”With us being three down overnight Hampshire fancied bowling us out and we had to bat long enough to make it safe,” Lancashire coach Peter Moores said. “We had to fight pretty hard for two thirds of the day and then it was not the sort of pitch we were going to bowl them out on in 40 overs.”Moores also mentioned time lost to bad weather – a point accepted by Hampshire’s captain. “It’s a bit frustrating but losing a day to rain made it tricky,” Jimmy Adams said. “I think both sides were fairly optimistic we could have a good final day’s cricket but unfortunately it didn’t pan out that way.”

Liam Dawson’s all-round performance made the difference between Hampshire and Bangladesh A who lost by eight runs at the Ageas Bowl.

Mohammad Isam06-Aug-2013
ScorecardLiam Dawson’s all-round performance made the difference between Hampshire and Bangladesh A who lost by eight runs at the Ageas Bowl. His 97 was pivotal in the 223 runs made by the home side before his left-arm spin put the screws on. The match also saw two 50-plus last wicket stands, though the second one didn’t quite finish the job for Bangladesh.The visitors’ struggled with the bat in their first match on tour, until Robiul Islam and Elias Sunny put on an unbroken 58-run tenth wicket stand which added a bit of drama towards the end.The last 35 balls saw the No. 11 Robiul smack five sixes as he made an unbeaten 19-ball 34. Sunny ended up as top-scorer for Bangladesh A with 45 not out, with seven fours and a six at the end. The pair pushed the game into the last over from which they needed 22 runs, but seamer Josh Davey gave away just three runs off the first four balls, swinging the game back in Hampshire’s favour and keeping it that way. Davey is a Middlesex player who was loaned to Hampshire for this game.Dawson’s 3 for 11 from seven overs stung the Bangladesh A batsmen. Having opened the bowling, he accounted for opener Imrul Kayes’ wicket in the seventh over before he took the wicket of captain Jahurul Islam in his next over.Anamul Haque’s 64-minute vigil ended when he was stumped by Adam Rouse off the medium-pace of Josh Davey in the 20th over, having made just 18 off 50 balls. Mominul Haque was more enterprising than the top three in his 28, but he fell to Hamza Riazuddin immediately after hitting the pace bowler for two consecutive fours.The chase fell apart when Naeem Islam and Farhad Reza were dismissed before the visitors reached the 100-run mark. Marshall Ayub tried to resurrect the innings through his 39 off 47 balls, and the 42-run eighth wicket stand with Elias Sunny. But Dawson’s return to the bowling attack brought success as he removed Marshall in the 41st over.Earlier, Dawson walked in at 86 for 4 in the 25th over and slowly recovered the Hampshire innings. He added 37 for the fifth wicket with Davey, but it was his 54-run last wicket partnership with another debutant Brad Taylor that gave them a 200-plus score.Taylor only faced four deliveries in his 30-minutes at the crease, as Dawson took charge. He blasted three fours and a six off Farhad in a 19-run over before hitting two more fours and a six in the next three overs. He missed a certain century after falling to Mominul’s left-arm spin off the first ball of the 50th over, but the 87-ball innings put Bangladesh A on the backfoot towards the end. Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain and Farhad took two wickets each while Robiul Islam, Sunny and Mominul chipped in with one each.Bangladesh A’s next match is against Yorkshire in Leeds on August 9.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI’s interim president, has said that the board will accept the Decision Review System (DRS) only when the technology used is “fool-proof”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2013Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI’s interim president, has said that the board will accept the Decision Review System (DRS) only when the technology used is “fool-proof”. Dalmiya said that the DRS has created confusion in its current form and the BCCI would adopt the technology once the system was “100% correct”.”We will accept DRS when technology is foolproof. There’s nothing in between. Full stop,” Dalmiya told the . “Let them come up with a system which is 100% correct. They couldn’t fix the Duckworth-Lewis problem in 15 years, what guarantee do we have about an error-free DRS? The Duckworth-Lewis method is beyond most of the players and administrators, let alone the common fans. I am still trying to figure out how a team total is increased on the basis of projection. The whole process is very complicated and confusing. And rather than solving the riddle, DRS creates more confusion in its present form.”Dalmiya also said that he had expected India to be isolated on the DRS matter at the ICC’s annual conference earlier in the year, but had not faced any opposition from other members.”Before going to the ICC meeting I was a bit iffy as I was told by some quarters that India would be completely isolated on the DRS issue,” Dalmiya said. “But after I was done with my presentation on that day, there was not a single voice of protest.”India were a part of the first-ever Test series in 2008 which featured DRS. But the team voted against the use of the system and the board decided to back the players. The BCCI also declined the recommendation of the ICC’s cricket committee to embrace the DRS in all formats of the game at the international level.

The Dhaka Premier League match between Victoria Sporting Club and Kalabagan Cricket Academy was abandoned without a ball being bowled, forcing the teams to split points as a result

Mohammad Isam11-Sep-2013The Dhaka Premier League match between Victoria Sporting Club and Kalabagan Cricket Academy was abandoned without a ball being bowled, forcing the teams to split points as a result. Rain over the week in Savar, where the BKSP cricket ground is located, did the damage as the reserve day too couldn’t be utilised.Victoria, the defending champions, were left frustrated, with captain Nasir Hossain questioning the choice of the ground which was soaked in water in the days leading up to the match. “If the [players] can tell that there is no chance of playing a match here, why can’t the BCB know?” Nasir told the Dhaka-based on Tuesday, the scheduled match day.The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), the tournament’s organisers, moved the BKSP ground’s next three matches. The Abahani-CCS match has moved to Fatullah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, which is located at the other end of Dhaka, a venue boasting a newly-installed drainage system.Two other matches on September 15 have also been shifted from BKSP to Bogra. But the new BKSP-3 venue nearby will be used for the next few rounds.

Former England bowler Simon Jones admits Glamorgan will be underdogs in the YB40 final but says the team will be up for the challenge against favourites Notts

Alan Gardner19-Sep-2013When it comes to sport, the Welsh tend to sing whether they are winning or not. Glamorgan supporters have not had too much to fill their lungs about in recent times but, on Saturday, they will make their first trip to Lord’s for a domestic one-day final in more than a decade. The home of cricket may need soundproofing.Nottinghamshire are favourites to win the Yorkshire Bank 40, having cruised through the group stage and thrashed perennial nearly men Somerset in their semi-final, but Glamorgan are quite happy to be overlooked by the . In truth, this is unfamiliar territory for both sides – it will be the third Lord’s final appearance in Glamorgan’s history and only Nottinghamshire’s fifth, their most recent coming in 1989 – but while Notts have a surfeit of England internationals to call upon, their opponents are largely unsung outside of Cardiff.There will surely be an ode or two composed to Michael Hogan – the tournament’s leading wicket-taker – or Jim Allenby if Glamorgan manage an upset. The starting XI may be a little light on homegrown players (Allenby and Hogan are Australian) but Simon Jones will always be a household name in Wales. It is eight years since he last played for England, eight years since he became an Ashes winner, yet there are still those who whisper reverentially about his piston right shoulder and powers of reverse swing.Jones could be about to pull on a Glamorgan shirt for the final time – he announced his retirement from first-class and List A cricket last week, though hopes to maintain the club as part of a T20 portfolio – and he says they are happy to accept the underdog tag. “That’s just the way it is but we relish that, we love a challenge and hopefully we’ll surprise a few people,” he said.”It’s a bit of a Welsh trait, isn’t it – we’re tigers, as a nation. Welsh sport is really looking up, with the rugby, with the football and now we’re in a Lord’s final. We’re obviously the only Welsh team in the County Championship and it’s something we’re very proud of, once you put on a Glamorgan shirt it’s something that you treasure. We play cricket with passion and I think that’s a big key for us.”The focus at Glamorgan over the last few years has been on making their ground a credible international venue but while the faithful require their churches, it is silver rather than glass and steel that they worship. Beaten finalists in the Benson & Hedges Cup in 2000, Glamorgan won the National League in 2002 and 2004 before a lean spell, pock-marked by upheaval on and off the pitch. The YB40 campaign, building on some encouraging form in the Friends Life t20, hints at the green (and yellow) shoots of making the county competitive again.”It’s been a tough time,” Jones said. “We had a lot of success in the early 2000s, the last time we won a major cup was in 2004, so it’s been a long time coming. We’ve had to rebuild, we lost a lot of senior players in the early 2000s – Matt Maynard, Steve James, Adrian Dale, Steve Watkin, Robert Croft, Tony Cottey. These guys are huge for Glamorgan, so we were in the process of rebuilding and it is flourishing now. It has taken that time to find a settled team and have the squad of players that play the brand of cricket that we like playing.”A recognition that a successful Glamorgan, incorporating local talent, was needed to maintain public interest in the sport in Wales has driven the current strategy, which involves balancing experienced signings like Allenby, Hogan and Murray Goodwin with promising young players such as Ben Wright, Mike Reed and Andrew Salter. Jones, who counts himself among the “old buggers”, believes that the team in one-day cricket has just “clicked”, but they won’t be getting ahead of themselves, despite an impressive semi-final victory over the holders, Hampshire.”We’ve got the blend of youth and experience right in the team. We’re not going to get giddy and go to Lord’s with our heads swelling because that’s the wrong way to approach a final. We’re going to go in there level-headed, prepare like we have and see where that takes us. We’ve got a lot of self-belief but we have the utmost respect for Nottinghamshire.”Should he make the starting XI as expected, this will be Jones first Lord’s final appearance. To achieve that with Glamorgan, the county that made him and where he returned two years ago after spells with Worcestershire and Hampshire, is a “special, special feeling”. He says of the current team: “We’re a great bunch of lads, we’ve worked hard for each other all year and it’s nice to get a bit of credibility back. Hopefully we can go there and express ourselves and keep on playing the way we have.”Would victory be a new career high? Jones isn’t ruling it out. “The Ashes is history, but the feeling I think I’d have if we can win will be up there with the Ashes, maybe bigger. Because when you play with England you’ve got the cream of the crop from around the county circuit and are expected to win. Glamorgan have put out a Welsh team who fight hard and work hard and, yes, we have a lot of talent but people have always doubted us and I think that’s the key for us. We’ve proved a lot of people wrong and that’s why I’m so happy.”Simon Jones was speaking ahead of the Yorkshire Bank 40 final at Lord’s on Saturday, September 21. Tickets are available from tickets.lords.org