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Marlon Samuels feels West Indies cricket is “going back on top” after years of disappointment and that while there is a long way to go yet, the side’s game is “where we want to be” at the moment

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2013Marlon Samuels feels West Indies cricket is “going back on top” after years of disappointment and that while there is a long way to go yet, the side’s game is “where we want to be” at the moment. Following their early exit from the Champions Trophy, Samuels backed West Indies to do well against strong ODI opponents India and Sri Lanka in the tri-series beginning in Jamaica on Friday.”We are not going to blow our horn about it but at the moment if you look at the West Indies set-up we have some wonderful players with a lot of experience,” Samuels said. “So you can’t rule us out. The great thing about West Indies cricket right now is that we are competing and winning games, not like back then when we were losing games. And not just in the Caribbean but also outside it, the fans are coming back. So that is motivating us to win more games so that we can win back the fans’ hearts plus put West Indies cricket back on top.”Samuels tempered his optimism by acknowledging that West Indies, currently ranked No 8 in ODIs, needed to show progress in numerous aspects of their game. “It is a steep corner to turn but the good thing is that we are on the corner, we have not turned it as yet, so there are a lot of areas we need to improve.” he said. “We need to have more match-winners and get balls in the (right) areas consistently. As a unit we are getting stronger and better and the strength in the group will, in the long-run, see us winning games non-stop and beat the best teams in the world.”For me, when I finish I want to know that West Indies cricket is No 1 again.” Samuels said.West Indies exited from the Champions Trophy in heartbreaking circumstances following a rain-hit tied match against South Africa, leaving Samuels to wonder what could have been. “The way I saw it we should go back into the finals and meet India and then it would be perfect, we would just play a T20 and finish off the tournament, we are the T20 champions. It never happened.”India, the Champions Trophy winners, are the No 1 ranked ODI side and Sri Lanka are positioned three places above the hosts but Samuels was upbeat about West Indies’ chances. “India and Sri Lanka are very good teams, big names and some young players coming through in good form and playing well, but I am still backing the unit that I have a lot of belief in.” he said.”We are playing some serious cricket right now and gaining a lot of respect, individually and as a team. Playing in maroon is more special than anything else for us.” he said. “Our cricket is where we want it to be at the moment but there is room to improve.”Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, said they were a bit unfortunate in the Champions Trophy and wanted his side to put the “little mistakes” behind.”I think we were starting to shape up to do well in that tournament. It’s just to kick on from there,” Gibson said. “It’s to put those little mistakes that we made in England, put them away. We felt we had a good opportunity to win that tournament and we want to win this one and prove ourselves right.””It is good to be back home. It is the first time we are playing a tri-nation tournament in quite a while so we are looking for positive results.” he said. “There’s more balance in the side and we are starting to believe a lot more that we can be the team that we want to be. We are starting to show the application and hopefully we will continue to show that development and progress.”

Following on after they could only muster 256 in reply to India’s 503, Sri Lanka’s No. 8 Ramesh Medis and No. 11 Lakshan Jayasinghe held firm till close of play to save the game

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2013
ScorecardFile Photo: Vijay Zol’s 173 powered India Under-19s to 503 for 7 in the first innings•ICC/GettySri Lanka’s final-wicket partnership withstood 55 balls to salvage a draw against India in Dambulla. Following on after they could only muster 256 in the first innings in reply to India’s 503 – a total courtesy a magnificent 173 from captain Vijay Zol – Sri Lanka’s No. 8 Ramesh Medis and No. 11 Lakshan Jayasinghe held firm till close of play.India were asked to bat first and their top five all passed fifty. Shubham Khajuria dominated a 79-run opening partnership, striking 10 fours during an innings of 52 off 61 balls, while his partner Akhil Herwadkar collected his 71 runs at a more sedate pace. But India’s innings revolved around Zol’s century, which included 21 fours and two sixes. He and Sanju Samson, who made 89, put India on top with a third-wicket partnership of 200 runs. Samson was denied a century by Chamika Karunaratne, who also accounted for Zol and finished as Sri Lanka’s best bowler with four wickets. Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 65 as India declared at 503 for 7.Sri Lanka needed one of their batsmen to emulate Zol, but their top score was a patient 76 from Kavindu Kulasekara. Having begun gingerly, they lost Kusal Mendis in the eighth over, before opener Hashan Dumindu and Kulasekara steadied the innings. Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up four wickets in the innings, broke their 76-run stand for the second wicket. Minod Bhanuka was the only other batsman to cross fifty but after he became the fourth wicket to fall with the score at 197, India wrapped up remaining batsmen for an additional 59 runs and invited Sri Lanka to follow-on.Mendis fell early again and was followed by Kulasekara in the 13th over. Iyer compounded Sri Lanka’s problems by removing Dumindu and Bhanuka off successive balls before Sri Lanka recovered through Sadeera Samarawickrama, whose 88 off 141 balls included 15 fours and a six.But the home side were staring at defeat when Samawickrama fell, soon after notching up Sri Lanka’s only century partnership in the match with Thilaksha Sumanasiri. Sumanasiri’s half-century continued the resistance, though, and he ate away enough time before he fell for 62 off 133 balls for the last-wicket pair to hold on till the end of day’s play.

South Africa A are likely to be without Wayne Parnell as they attempt to defend 307 and level the two-match unofficial Test series against India A

Firdose Moonda26-Aug-2013South Africa A are likely to be without Wayne Parnell as they attempt to defend 307 and level the two-match unofficial Test series against India A. Parnell will spend his second night in hospital after complaining of shortness of breath and seeing a cardiologist. He is expected to receive the results soon.Parnell bowled only two overs in India A’s first innings before leaving the field. He was taken to a hospital where he has been since. He bowled 33 overs in the first match last week and took three wickets and was described as being as “strong as ever” by South Africa A coach Vincent Barnes a few weeks’ ago.He was also part of South Africa’s T20 squad that traveled to Sri Lanka and performed admirably in the three matches. Parnell showed his ability as a death bowler, which was particularly heartening to South Africa, who have long looked for someone who can pitch it up at the death.This is not the first injury setback Parnell has suffered. A severe groin strain he picked up in May 2010 had an effect on the number of matches he could play the following summer and he had only just started looking as though he made a full recovery. His inclusion in the A squad was part of a plan to have him playing regular cricket and eventually making a more sustained comeback for South Africa.In his absence, South Africa A will rely on another left-armer, Beuran Hendricks, who took five wickets in the first innings, Kyle Abbott and Andrew Birch to level the series.

Graeme Hick, the former England Test batsman, will be set the task of turning around Australia’s domestic batting slump as part of his appointment as high performance coach at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2013Graeme Hick, the former England Test batsman, will be set the task of turning around Australia’s domestic batting slump as part of his appointment as high performance coach at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.Hick has taken the job previously filled by Stuart Law, who in turn has replaced Darren Lehmann as coach of Queensland, and one of his first tasks will involve a batting forum next month in Sydney. At the forum, a range of former Australian cricketers and current coaches will discuss the state of batting in Australia and create a national batting programme that will be implemented by Hick.Australia’s Test batting has been the source of great concern for several years and the lack of young batsmen applying pressure with strong Sheffield Shield summers has contributed to Australia’s ongoing batting malaise. Last season, the leading run scorer in the Shield was Ricky Ponting, who is now retired from Test cricket, and the then 35-year-old Chris Rogers was third.After the end of that Shield season, Hick was given the task of working with Australia’s young batsmen to develop their mindsets for playing long innings, and he has now been added to the Centre of Excellence staff full time. Although Hick did not live up to his potential as a Test cricketer, he was an extremely prolific run scorer at first-class level, compiling 136 centuries, eighth on the all-time list.”Graeme is a highly regarded former international batsman who has been a consultant coach this past winter working with our Australian Institute of Sport scholars,” Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of team performance, said. “It is fantastic that we could secure his services full-time.”His main role will be working with our development teams including Australia A, Under-19 players and those in our current pathway system. He will also provide a dedicated batting resource to all state players and Australian players who come through the Centre of Excellence at any time during the year. He will work closely with the state coaches in this regard.”Graeme knows what it takes to compete at the top level and has had many years’ experience playing in different conditions, which will be vital to the development of our young batters. He will complement the specialist skills with Troy Cooley and Tim Coyle who are responsible for our fast bowling and fielding programs respectively, as well as all national coaching staff in our pathway system including Darren Lehmann.”One of Graeme’s first tasks will be attending a batting forum that CA is running in October in Sydney. The forum will bring together a number for former Australian cricketers and current coaches and will provide information that will feed into the creation of a national batting program that Graeme will be charged with developing and implementing.”Hick, who played 65 Tests for England over a decade-long career, and competed in three Ashes campaigns, said he was pleased to be working with Australia’s young batsmen.”Over the years I have developed a huge amount of respect for Australian cricket and the baggy green,” Hick said. “I am excited about the chance to work with Australia’s young talent and being able to assist in their growth and development. This is going to be a great challenge for me and one I am really looking forward to.”

Derbyshire coach Karl Krikken began this season believing his team could compete at the higher level and, with safety now a realistic prospect, says survival this year would be a bigger achievement than last season’s promotion

Jon Culley at Derby11-Sep-2013
ScorecardWayne Madsen gave Derbyshire a solid start•Getty ImagesThose neutrals who want Derbyshire to stay in the Division One feel that way, for the most part, not because of any particular dislike for Surrey or Somerset, but because it would be a cracking story. Who would have thought, after they had lost seven of their first 10 matches, that they would have had even a small chance of survival?They may still be relegated, given that both the aforementioned rivals have recruited from abroad again and Surrey have a game in hand, but thus far it has been a glorious, heart-warming effort from Derbyshire, bringing three wins in their last four games, in which none of the participants has been more deserving than Karl Krikken, their amiable Lancastrian coach, for whom avoiding relegation would be a greater achievement even than winning promotion last summer.Krikken began this season believing his team could compete at the higher level, even though the gap between the divisions has become harder to breach, and grew more frustrated by the match, as one poor result after another made it harder for some players to share his faith. Matters came to a head in the away fixture against Durham in July, when Derbyshire lost by 279 runs. It prompted some changes in personnel and a few harsh words from Krikken.”The Durham game was definitely a turning point,” he said. “We were shocking, really. We played very badly and the body language and attitude was just not there.”We made some tough decisions and although the next game against Yorkshire was not great, since they we have kicked on. We have been more aggressive, more in-your-face and we’ve kept going in games longer than the opposition. We have the knowledge of how to win games now and we’ve just got to carry on doing what we have been doing.”After the start we had, to stay up would be a massive achievement, bigger than last year. But with two games to go we know that two wins keeps us up.”The start Derbyshire have made to this game has been encouraging, the loss of Ben Slater in the 12th over their only setback against the new Division One leaders, whose attack, though still missing Ben Stokes, and with two inexperienced seamers in Jamie Harrison and Usman Arshad, is still seen strong enough to maintain Durham’s title challenge.Slater played solidly enough until Chris Rushworth, who did not bowl as well as he did against Sussex last week, located his off stump with a full length delivery, but Paul Borrington has looked more steadfast. It was Wayne Madsen who offered the only other semblance of a chance, an edge off Graham Onions that fell short of third slip.The choice of 22-year-old Harrison in preference to Mitch Claydon was another statement of Durham’s faith in the new order. Claydon, in the words of coach Jon Lewis, “bowled so well” against Sussex, taking six wickets in the match after interrupting his loan spell with Kent to answer an emergency call.”It was horses for courses really,” Lewis said. “Bowling first we thought it might swing a bit and Jamie being a left-armer it is a nice angle to have, and he bowled really well in the couple of games before he picked up an ankle injury. So it was not a difficult decision, even if it was a bit harsh on Mitch.”Harrison had problems with overstepping, bowling three no balls in the space of five deliveries at one time, but he has enough pace to be a handful and after eight wickets in his two matches last month, including 5 for 31 against Surrey, he has much to offer and Durham’s decision to go with his unproven potential ahead of Claydon’s reliability and experience in a match of this importance is a strong show of support for him.

Mumbai Indians offspinner Harbhajan Singh said the over in which he took three wickets was the best spell he had bowled in recent months

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2013Mumbai Indians offspinner Harbhajan Singh, whose figures of 4 for 32 won him the Man-of-the-Match award and helped Mumbai claim their second Champions League title, said the over in which he took three wickets was the best spell he had bowled in recent months.Harbhajan came into the tournament with little practice, having not played a competitive match since the IPL. He was not included in any of India A’s recent squads. In a high-scoring final against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi, Harbhajan came on to bowl his final over with Royals requiring 48 off the last four overs with seven wickets in hand. Harbhajan struck with the first ball, removing the set Ajinkya Rahane for 65, caught at deep midwicket. Three balls later, with the pressure mounting on Royals for boundaries, Stuart Binny looked to slog a quicker one from Harbhajan and lost his leg stump.After conceding a boundary the following ball to Kevon Cooper, Harbhajan hit back off the final ball, beating Cooper who looked to play across the line but failed to spot the straighter one. Cooper didn’t to drag his back foot behind the line and Dinesh Karthik completed a sharp stumping. Three wickets went down for just four runs in the space of six balls and the match had turned firmly in Mumbai’s favour.”I’m happy with the way I finished, although I didn’t practice at all,” Harbhajan said at the post-match presentation. “I was travelling to the US but I didn’t practice much before this but I’m really happy with the way I have finished this tournament. I think that over where I took three wickets was probably the best over I’ve bowled in the last three months.”Chasing 203, the Royals were in the hunt via a second-wicket stand of 109 between Sanju Samson and Rahane, who both scored 60s. Royals captain Rahul Dravid too felt that Harbhajan’s spell had turned the match.”We saw some really great batting and we saw some good skills with the ball as well, from the spinners and it was a close game right till the end,” Dravid said. “I thought the couple of overs when Harbhajan Singh got four wickets for eight or nine runs probably turned the game on its head.”Incidentally, Harbhajan had starred in Mumbai’s previous title win in 2011 as well, his 3 for 20 winning him the Man-of-the-Match award against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai.”This is probably the second time and I am getting the Man of the Match in the final,” he said. “Hopefully few more. I’m looking forward to the Duleep Trophy and the long season up ahead for India.”

West Indies batsman Chris Gayle could be out of action for up to four weeks, after suffering a hamstring pull while batting during the first ODI against India in Kochi

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2013West Indies batsman Chris Gayle could be out of action for up to four weeks, after suffering a hamstring pull during the first ODI against India in Kochi. Gayle is likely to miss the remaining two ODIs and the start of the New Zealand tour immediately after this series.Gayle suffered the injury when he was run-out for zero off the second ball of the innings. Gayle failed to beat the direct hit from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and tumbled awkwardly, landing on his knee. He was in pain and had to carried off the field on a stretcher.Gayle was initially treated at the ground by the orthopedic surgeon Dr Bipin Theruvil, before he was admitted to hospital. An MRI scan found that there was a “hamstring tear on his left leg and small blood clot around”.”The injuries will take at least two to four weeks to heal,” Dr Theruvil told .The Test series in New Zealand begins on December 3 in Dunedin.

Brendon McCullum believes he has players who are now confident enough to compare themselves with the best in the world and is eager for what should be another raise in standards from the visit of India

Andrew McGlashan23-Dec-2013Brendon McCullum believes he has players who are now confident enough to compare themselves with the best in the world and is eager for what should be another raise in standards from the visit of India.Top of the pile in the captain’s estimation was Ross Taylor, who scored 495 runs in the series against West Indies, followed by his new-ball pairing of Tim Southee and Trent Boult. McCullum has seen a shift in his players’ attitudes during the year as they have begun to find some competitiveness in their Test cricket.”It’s early days, but we have some guys who are hungry to perform on the world stage and match themselves up against the best players rather than just being the best in New Zealand,” McCullum said. “If Ross was to retire now he’d go down as one of our all-time greats – and I said we should enjoy the ability to watch a guy like that who will go down as one of our greats. The other guys, give them time, but they have the makings.”New Zealand now find themselves in the position where some tough decisions will need to made over selection – but for reasons of pressure from domestic cricket, rather than under-performance in the current XI although one or two of the side will be looking over their shoulder.The return of Jesse Ryder to the one-day side has posed the tricky question of how, if he proves ready, does he fit back into the Test team. The only feasible option appears to be that McCullum reverts to opening the batting in place of the struggling Peter Fulton and Ryder slots into the middle order. However, there are other batsmen pressing their case in the Plunket Shield, led by Aaron Redmond who played the first Test against West Indies and Tom Latham, the left hander, who made 241 not out this week.”Any time there is pressure coming from below it’s a healthy state for the game,” McCullum said. “Those guys are performing nicely and banking some significant runs. I still believe the guys in this team are performing well. You have to look at the pieces of the jigsaw and how they fit into that as well.”Another senior figure who will come back into contention is Daniel Vettori. He is currently playing the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat but the New Zealand management are keeping in close contact with him. McCullum, though, continued to heap praise on Ish Sodhi, the legspinner, despite his limited role in the Wellington and Hamilton Tests. It will be a good test of the selectors’ nerve whether they stick with Sodhi against the high-powered India batting order.”I’m rapt with Ish,” McCullum said.” I know he hasn’t bowled a great deal but it’s great for his development, to be part of a side that is playing good cricket, and when he has been called on, he’s done an excellent job. The luxury of having the pace attack we’ve got allows us to have the type of bowler Ish is. I’ve got a tremendous amount of confidence in not only his ability but also his cricket awareness and his character as a person.”We’ll have to speak to Dan and see where he’s at. I know he’s managed to get a lot of cricket recently, which is great. I caught up with him the other day and he looks young, fresh, fit and healthy which is great because he’s been fighting some tough physical battles over the last few years but he looked pretty sprightly. With a bit more cricket under his belt that confidence in his body will continue to come back and it’s a question we’ll have to ponder down the track.”

Ajantha Mendis has been named in Sri Lanka’s Test squad to Bangladesh, after he had been directed to return from the Big Bash League at short notice this week

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Jan-2014Ajantha Mendis has been named in Sri Lanka’s Test squad to Bangladesh, after he had been directed to return from the Big Bash League at short notice this week. Batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage has also been named in the 15-man squad, which leaves for Bangladesh on Thursday morning.Mendis replaces offspinner Sachithra Senanayake from the squad that toured the UAE, while Vithanage is in the team for Lahiru Thirimanne, who remains sidelined with the ankle injury he sustained during the ODI series against Pakistan in December. Kusal Perera had been Thirimanne’s replacement on that tour, but having not got a game against Pakistan, Kusal has been overlooked. The 13 others in the squad for the Pakistan series are unchanged.Mendis has been increasingly regarded a limited-overs spinner, but on this tour offers variety from the orthodox spin-bowling styles of left-armer Rangana Herath and offspinner Dilruwan Perera. Both Mendis and Vithanage last played Tests in March 2013, also against Bangladesh.Vishwa Fernando, the 22-year-old left-arm quick, was among those retained from the tour to the UAE, where he did not get a game. Said to possess considerable pace, generated from a jerky action, he will support the leading trio of fast bowlers Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep, while continuing his work with the national trainer and fast bowling coach Chaminda Vaas.Positive left-handed batsman Vithanage has not been in great domestic form over the past months, but is considered among Sri Lanka’s brightest middle order prospects. He had hit a half-century on Test debut against Bangladesh, in Galle.The national selectors awaited the return of the team from the UAE before announcing the squad. The team will play two Tests, in Dhaka and Chittagong, after the tour was given the green light by Sri Lanka Cricket amid security concerns. The first Test will begin on Monday, less than a week after Sri Lanka played their previous Test, in Sharjah.Squad: Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Shaminda Eranga, Vishwa Fernando.

A round-up of matches in the Under-19 Asia Cup that took place on Tuesday, December 31

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2013Led by a century from their captain Sami Aslam and a fifty from Kamran Ghulam, Pakistan Under-19s held their nerve to secure a two-wicket win over India Under-19s. The win puts them on top of Group A, sealing a spot in the semi-finals. Faced with a target of 251, Aslam kept the chase under control with a well-paced 108 off 119 balls. Once he fell, Ghulam took over, guiding the lower order even as India pulled back with wickets. Two wickets in the 49th and 50th over put some pressure on Pakistan, who were seeking six runs off the last over, but Zafar Gohar hit two fours to seal the victory.Earlier, Ricky Bhui’s 64 helped India post 250 for 7 after regular strikes from the Pakistan bowlers prevented India’s top-order from making good on their starts. Bhui’s knock off 66 balls with three fours and two sixes.Riding on a hundred from Kusal Mendis and an unbeaten 62 from Priyamal Perera, Sri Lanka Under-19s stumbled to a two-wicket win over Bangladesh Under-19s in Abu Dhabi. The win helped them qualify for the semi-finals where they will play India. Set a target of 204, the 108-run fourth-wicket stand between Mendis and Perera put Sri Lanka in a comfortable position at 180 for 3. However, Sri Lanka lost their next five wickets for 13 runs, sliding to 193 for 8, before Perera and AK Tyronne got the required runs. Earlier, a fifty from Nazmul Hossain Shanto, and useful contributions from Mosaddek Hossain and Yasir Ali helped Bangladesh put up 203 for 6.Afghanistan Under-19s needed a total of just 26.4 overs to thump Malaysia Under-19s by 10 wickets in Abu Dhabi. Malaysia, who were bundled out for 50 and 32 in their previous two games, collapsed once again for 40 as medium-pacer Sayed Shirzad spearheaded an incisive bowling performance from Afghanistan. Malaysia’s captain Muhammad Ramli was the team’s top-scorer with 12, while their other 10 batsmen collectively contributed just 22 runs between them. Shirzad finished with 4 for 10, and Abdullah Adil picked up three scalps. to bowl Malaysia in 23.2 overs.Afghanistan’s openers Shahidullah and Ihsanullah completed the paltry chase in just 20 balls, hitting five fours and a six between them. Afghanistan will now play Pakistan in the semi-finals.A four-for from left-arm spinner Sushan Bhari and a knock of 48 from Aarif Sheikh helped Nepal Under-19s seal a four-wicket win over United Arab Emirates Under-19s in Sharjah. Nepal were struggling at 49 for 3 before Sheikh anchored the chase with useful partnerships. After Sheikh was out, Siddhant Lohani and Rahul Pratap Singh ensured Nepal ended up on the winning side, finishing the game in 33 overs. Earlier, Bhari and left-arm pacer Lalit Bhandari kept chipping away with wickets to restrict UAE to 159. Dan D’Souza was the top-scorer for UAE with 32, in an innings where a few other batsmen got starts but couldn’t play on. Bhari finished with 4 for 34, while Bhandari took 3 for 43.