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Patrick Saddler will lead Scotland in the Under-19 World Cup in Australia in August, with Matthew Cross as his deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2012Patrick Sadler will lead Scotland in the Under-19 World Cup in Australia in August. A fast bowler, Sadler had also lead Scotland in the Under-19 World Cup qualifiers, during the course of which Scotland lost only one game in 14, and finished in top spot in the global category.Scotland’s squad for the U-19 World Cup

Patrick Sadler (capt), Mathew Cross (vice-capt), Aman Bailwal, Freddie Coleman, Henry Edwards, Nick Farrar, Gavin Main, Tom McBride, Scott McElnea, Ross McLean, Sam Page, Peter Ross, Kyle Smith, Ruaidhri Smith, Andrew Umeed

Top-order batsman Mathew Cross was named vice-captain of the 15-man squad announced by Cricket Scotland. Sadler and Cross have both impressed in the MCC Universities programme so far this season, for Cambridge and Loughborough respectively.Freddie Coleman, a batsman who has played in England’s domestic 40-overs tournament this season for Scotland, has also been included.”We are in an extremely fortunate position with this group, in that we have real strength in depth,” Scotland’s coach, Craig Wright, said. “In particular, some of the younger players have made real progress and forced their way into the squad.”The lads have earned the right to test themselves against the best age-group players in the world, and I believe they have the attributes to give a good account of themselves in the competition.”Scotland will fly to Australia on July 24, and have a week’s preparation in the lead-up to the tournament. Their first World Cup match is against New Zealand on August 12.

Warwickshire have allowed their 23-year-old wicketkeeper Richard Johnson to go to Derbyshire on a month’s loan

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2012Warwickshire have allowed their 23-year-old wicketkeeper Richard Johnson to go to Derbyshire on a month’s loan.Derbyshire’s first choice keeper, Tom Poynton, is out of action with an abdominal strain and, with an important Championship match against Yorkshire looming, Derbyshire were keen not to expose their reserve keeper, 20-year-old Chris Durham, too early in his career. Durham has played just one List A and one T20 game and is not a full member of the Derbyshire squad. He also has, at this stage of his career, few pretensions with the bat.Derbyshire enjoyed an excellent start to the Championship campaign and currently top the Division Two table with Yorkshire in secondJohnson has developed through the Warwickshire youth system since the age of 10 and has been on the brink of the first team for several years. The return to form and fitness of Tim Ambrose has limited his opportunities, however, and Warwickshire feel he will benefit from more first team cricket.

Ross Taylor has said New Zealand’s capitulation to R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha in the Hyderabad Test was more to do with a mental block against spin than technical shortcomings

Abhishek Purohit in Hyderabad26-Aug-2012Ross Taylor has said New Zealand’s capitulation to R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha in the Hyderabad Test was more to do with a mental block against spin than technical shortcomings. New Zealand lost 18 of their 20 wickets to Ashwin and Ojha to begin their tour with an innings defeat, in stark contrast to their previous visit here when they had put India under pressure in the drawn Ahmedabad Test.”A little bit of technique but I think most of it is probably in the mind,” said Taylor, who made 2 and 7 in the game and fell both times to Ashwin. “[It’s about] trusting your defence and trusting your attacking shots. When you get bogged down, it puts a lot of pressure on you and there was a lot of pressure going out there. It’s about rotating the strike, finding your single options. We are not big players of using our feet, so we need to create lengths in different ways.”Taylor pointed to New Zealand’s highest partnership of the game – Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum added 72 for the second wicket in the second innings – as an example of showing an ability to survive against spin. “I guess any time you are bowled out for 160 [159 and 164] both times, you have got to be disappointed. We have three-four days to rectify that. Obviously spin is an area we need to work on and come back harder and stronger for Bangalore [in the second Test]. I thought Kane and Brendon applied themselves really well for a long period of time and showed that it can be done.”McCullum and Williamson had batted through the truncated morning session on the fourth day, but the former was given out leg-before when on 42 soon after lunch by umpire Steve Davis off Umesh Yadav. Replays indicated the ball had hit the bat and pad simultaneously even as a furious McCullum stormed off swishing his bat.Taylor was asked about the absence of the Decision Review System. “Obviously [there is] no DRS. The umpires are human and make mistakes. It’s a part and parcel of cricket. Different parts of the world have different rules in different sports. It’s part and parcel coming to this part of the world.”New Zealand crumbled after McCullum’s dismissal, losing their last nine wickets for 66 runs, and their last seven for 26. Taylor said India had put a lot of pressure on the New Zealand batsmen and praised the efforts of Ashwin and Ojha. “Not only Ashwin, Ojha bowled very well and they bowled well in tandem. They put a lot of pressure on us, bowled in very good areas. They are both very good spinners in turning conditions. When the ball does turn and bounce a lot – when it does turn, it is a lot easier to play but when it bounces [as it did in this game], it’s a different ball game.”I guess when you enforce a follow-on and have got a big total, you can have a lot of men around the bat and [MS] Dhoni did that. Come Bangalore, we need to be as positive as possible, clear the mind, trust our defence, but also find a way of scoring runs.”Ashwin felt Bangalore won’t be as easy for India as Hyderabad was, and was pleased with the winning start. “Last time when New Zealand were here, they batted really well and almost drew the series. But this is a good start. We knew this was not a venue where we had won the last time, so came here with a lot of apprehension but at the end of the day, I thought we did really well as a unit and won the Test in four days.”I think there will be a much stiffer contest in Bangalore, the [New Zealand] batsmen will come out with better plans. So we will also have to be up for it. The team had a tough year [in 2011] but it happens with every team. We have to put that behind and we are starting on a good note. Hopefully we can continue and have a great season.”

Wayne Parnell, the left-arm pace bowler, took a career-best 7 for 56 as South Africa A forced Ireland to follow-on on the final day of their rain-ruined match

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2012
ScorecardWayne Parnell, the left-arm pace bowler, took a career-best 7 for 56 as South Africa A forced Ireland to follow-on during the final day of their rain-ruined match. With the opening two days washed out an outright result was always unlikely, but Parnell took the opportunity to show South Africa’s selectors his form.It has been a difficult few weeks for Parnell but this was a good day as he was also named in South Africa’s World Twenty20 squad shortly before running through the Ireland middle order. Overnight he already had one wicket and resumed his haul on the final morning with two wickets in two balls, as he removed Gary Wilson and Andrew White, before quickly adding Albert van der Merwe to leave Ireland 95 for 6.Kevin O’Brien, the Ireland captain, had played an uncharacteristically restrained innings making 16 off 72 deliveries before becoming Parnell’s fifth when he edged to the Heino Kuhn.Ireland, however, did not fold and can take satisfaction from the debut of James Shannon who made 59, including two sixes, which gave the home side a chance to avoid the follow-on which had been reduced to 100 with the game not starting until the third day. He and Stuart Thompson added 56 then Shannon fell to Rory Kleinveldt and Parnell wrapped up the innings to complete his haul.Having put Ireland back in for their second innings – rather than giving their own top order another brief outing – South Africa A could not force any breakthroughs as the openers, Andrew Balbirnie and John Anderson, added 76 in 17 overs before the players shook hands. The second four-day match starts on August 13.

The bids for the IPL franchise Deccan Chargers, which has been put up for sale with its owners facing serious financial issues, will be opened in Chennai on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2012The bids for the IPL franchise Deccan Chargers, which has been put up for sale with its owners facing serious financial issues, will be opened in Chennai on Thursday. It is not yet known how many bidders have entered the fray with only Videocon, an Indian business conglomerate, coming on record with an expression of interest.The bid amount itself will be deposited with one of the franchise’s lenders, ICICI Bank, and the Bombay High Court has ruled that the money can’t be utilised by the owners without its permission. The court has also appointed an officer to oversee the sale process.Thursday’s auction will have a lot more at stake, though, than the future of Chargers and the financial health of its owners Deccan Chronicle. On trial will be the ability of the IPL model, now in its fifth year, to attract interest from potential franchise owners. Deccan Chronicle’s issues with their lenders will further complicate the matter.This is the first time an entire IPL franchise has been put on the block by its owners, although Rajasthan Royals sold a small stake in 2009 to the actress Shilpa Shetty and her partner Raj Kundra. That gave Royals an effective valuation of $140 million, more than double the $67 million the owners, Emerging Media, paid for it in 2008.Franchise valuations in the IPL have sky-rocketed in the short time the league has been in existence. Mumbai Indians were the costliest franchise at $111.9 million in the first team auction in 2008, with Chargers third at $107 million. Two years later, the Sahara group bid a staggering $370m for Pune Warriors while the now dissolved Kochi franchise was bought by a consortium for $333 million.Two years later, the outlook is not remotely as rosy. Franchises have found it is not easy to make money in the IPL. Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore have delayed payments to their players; franchises with multiple owners, such as Royals and Kings XI Punjab, have reportedly been looking at selling stakes to raise funds.The days of heady valuations seem to be over. Reports have put potential bids for Chargers in the range of Rs 800 to 1000 crores ($145m-182m). Going by the mounting woes of Deccan Chronicle in the past few days, potential bidders could still encounter several issues before a deal goes through.Tim Wright, the former chief executive of Chargers, won a £10.5 million legal dispute against the franchise in London in July and is now seeking to enforce that judgment through a Secunderabad court.That, though, is not the biggest of Deccan Chronicle’s worries. They owe their lenders, including banks and other financial institutions, hundreds of millions of dollars and the franchise itself is mortgaged to some of them. Deccan Chronicle are looking to cut their debt with the proceeds from selling the franchise. How much money they can raise to that end will be known on Thursday.

Dave Nosworthy, the former Lions coach in South Africa, has been named Somerset’s new director of cricket

Andrew McGlashan20-Dec-2012Dave Nosworthy, the former Lions coach in South Africa, has been named Somerset’s new director of cricket.Nosworthy, 44, who played 29 first-class games for Border and Northern Transvaal, resigned from his Lions post in June, having previously coached Titans and in New Zealand with Canterbury.He has also worked with South Africa A and the South Africa Under-19s team. He will replace Brian Rose, who stepped down at the end of the 2012 season when Somerset again failed to win a trophy, finishing second in the Championship and again suffering disappointment on FLt20 Finals Day. Nosworthy is due to take up his position in February”I am absolutely delighted to be coming to Somerset along with my family,” Nosworthy said. “The club has a proud tradition, is currently in great shape, and is clearly an exciting place to be. I personally am really looking forward to the challenges of building on the current strengths of the club, the many proud traditions, and the great work done by the many that have passed before me.Vic Marks, the chairman of the cricket committee said: “We interviewed candidates from all over the world, those with exceptional playing backgrounds and international coaching experience, but there was no doubt that Dave Nosworthy was the outstanding candidate and the panel were unanimous in their decision.”The director of cricket’s role is a very broad one requiring excellent cricketing knowledge and experience, combined with strong leadership and communication skills – Dave demonstrated all of these during the extensive selection process and he is undoubtedly the right man to take the club forward.”Nosworthy led Canterbury to the State Championship title in 2007-08 and the State Shield and T20 competition in 2005-06. While he failed to win a trophy with Lions, he did oversee their progress to two domestic T20 finals and two Champions League appearances. He has previously been on the short-list for the coaching roles of India and New Zealand.Nosworthy’s appointment follows confirmation of two overseas signings for 2013. Alvrio Petersen will join for the first part of the summer and Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan spinner, will play the latter part of the campaign.

Phillip Hughes has been chosen to fill the gulf left by the retired Ricky Ponting, taking his place in Australia’s Test squad to face Sri Lanka in the first Test in Hobart

Daniel Brettig06-Dec-2012Phillip Hughes has been granted the Test match equivalent of a soft landing, chosen to fill the gulf left by the retired Ricky Ponting in Australia’s top order against Sri Lanka after the selectors preferred to spare him the rigours of the recently completed series against South Africa.When Shane Watson’s calf troubles opened up a batting vacancy ahead of the South Africa Tests, the panel headed by the national selector John Inverarity had chosen Rob Quiney as a mature and ready-made option for No. 3.However Quiney’s elevation was brief, and the more modest opposition expected from Sri Lanka has been deemed more suitable as the best circumstance in which to recall Hughes, a little more than a year after he was dropped, coincidentally after last year’s Hobart Test against New Zealand.Australia Test squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Ed Cowan, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner

Speaking with typical candour as he named the Australian squad for the Hobart Test, the national selector John Inverarity said Hughes had always been seen as a long-term part of the national team’s planning, and that there had been a desire not to expose him to South Africa’ bowlers at the top level while he continued to build confidence with South Australia.”We felt that for the South African series that Quiney was the right man,” Inverarity said. “We look to Phil Hughes to be one of our players of the future, a real long-term player, so when we were considering the South African series we were very keen for Phil Hughes to come in when his form was absolutely right, and the right circumstances for him.”We did feel that throwing him into the Tests against the world No. 1 with their attack was probably not the ideal set of circumstances for him, and we feel the time now is absolutely right for him. We needed to be convinced that his game was absolutely cherry ripe. It was just recently at the MCG that he got a big hundred [158 for SA v Victoria] and I think that was further proof that he’s in absolutely the right place.”Rob Quiney is a wonderful man, I think he was very grateful for the opportunity, and who knows what’s round the corner. He’s not one to hold grudges or think he’s hard done by, I think he was very grateful for the opportunity and looks forward to the time when he might get an opportunity again.”Since he was caught Guptill, bowled Martin in four consecutive innings against New Zealand, Hughes has spent countless hours refining his technique and clarifying his mental approach. Inverarity had said earlier this year that the selectors were looking for evidence of development from both Hughes and Usman Khawaja, another contender for the space vacated by Ponting, and the panel has concluded that at 24 Hughes has made the most rapid strides.”If you watched him closely 12 months ago and now, his scoring range is very different,” Inverarity said. “He’s scoring through the leg side off his pads much better, driving on the on-side, and pulling short balls, which wasn’t the case 12 months ago. So I think he’s developed his game, and it is much harder for bowlers now in a sense to corner him.”Last year when he was dropped from the Test team he decided not to play BBL and to work on his technique an get himself into a better space. We didn’t select him for the Australia A team because he had a long-term opportunity with Worcestershire, where he did very well. I think being there and out of the spotlight and working in a very consistent environment, has done him a great deal of good.”Then moving to Adelaide and a fresh environment there, I think as a young man he’s in a very good place and his game’s in good order, and the circumstances are absolutely right for him to be selected.”Apart from Hughes’ recall, the balance of Australia’s bowling attack for Hobart is another point of conjecture. Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus have been deemed fit enough to return, though Inverarity said the selectors needed to see further evidence that the latter’s bowling methods were returning to those he showed against India last summer.”The history with Ben, he was doing well then the last series against England in Australia [in 2010-11] he didn’t bowl to his highest level,” Inverarity said. “He got things sorted out, a few niggles were sorted out and he got his bowling action right, and his bowling last summer was superb. He bowled at good pace and very well.”His bowling in the first Test was a bit like against England, it wasn’t as good as he’d hoped. So he needs to get 100% fit to perform, and his action so that he bowls like he did against India last summer, and we’re hopefully that during this little break he’ll be back to that sort of form.”Irrespective of who plays against Sri Lanka, all will have a challenge ahead to make up the gap left by Ponting in terms of leadership, experience and training example. “The dressing-room will be different without the presence of Ricky Ponting,” Inverarity said. “His absence creates both the opportunity and the necessity for others to grow and fill the gap.”Ponting’s contribution to the game will be marked by a lap of honour at Bellerive Oval during the lunch break on day one of the Test.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between South Africa and New Zealand in Potchefstroom

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria24-Jan-2013Match facts January 25, 2013
Start time 2.30pm (1230 GMT)South Africa have gone from being favourites to underdogs•Associated PressBig Picture What’s better than a series win in the ODIs for a team that looked lost in the Tests not so long ago? A clean sweep, and that is what New Zealand will be aiming for when they meet a South African side that appears increasingly fragile.How the tables have turned. No one really gave New Zealand a chance and even the few reporters who had travelled to South Africa left before the series started. But the young side has a number of players who were not part of the Test failures; they showed resilience in the first ODI in Paarl, where the lower order helped the team nick a one-wicket win. The second win was more thorough: New Zealand posted 279 and applied enough pressure on the South African batting to trip them well short of the target.New Zealand have grappled hard with off-field issues in the past month but the wins have shifted focus from the missing players to those who have performed. Mitchell McClenaghan announced his entry into ODIs with a dream spell in the first game while Williamson recorded a big hundred in the second. However, a few of the bigger names would hope to put up some weighty performances and end the series on a high before England come calling.South Africa, on the other hand, find themselves in a strange position. They were outright favourites when the series started but lost key players and now the complexion of the team looks very different. No AB de Villiers, no Hashim Amla, a new captain in Faf du Plessis, fast bowlers in rotation, and they now appear to be the team lacking in focus – and are underdogs ahead of the match.Form guide (most recent first, completed matches only)
South Africa: LLWLL
New Zealand: WWLLLIn the spotlightMartin Guptill started the tour with an unbeaten century in a Twenty20 match but hasn’t done much since then. He had scores of 1, 0, 1 and 48 in the two Tests and his run got worse with two ducks in the ODIs. His place in the team is likely to come under the scanner ahead of the England tour and this match is his last chance on this tour to reiterate his value.Graeme Smith is not the captain in ODIs but he would have to be the pillar to keep the shaky batting line-up together. He scored a half-century in the previous match but his run-out triggered a collapse, highlighting the need for someone like him to be in the middle for others to play around him.Team news South Africa may consider bringing in Dale Steyn to add zing to the seam-attack, while Aaron Phangiso is likely to make his debut as Robin Peterson was pulled out after splitting his webbing in the second ODI. Dean Elgar, who replaced an injured Amla, is unlikely to feature in the XI.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Colin Ingram, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Farhaan Behardien, 6 David Miller, 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Aaron Phangiso, 9 Rory Kleinveldt/Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.New Zealand are unlikely to change their winning combination.New Zealand: (probable) 1 BJ Watling, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Grant Elliot, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt & wk), 6 James Franklin, 7 Colin Munro, 8 Jimmy Neesham, 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan.Pitch and conditionsA flat deck is expected in Potchefstroom on what promises to be yet another hot day. The venue has been a happy hunting ground for the home team, who are yet to lose a match here.Stats and Trivia The last time New Zealand won a three-match series 3-0 against a major team was in 2006-07, when they beat Australia at home. South Africa have never lost all the matches of a three-match series at home. Kyle Mills has more ODI wickets (210) than Morne Morkel (102) and Dale Steyn (96) combined. Quotes”We probably just have to be slightly more aware of what fielders are where. New Zealand have got some outstanding fielders.”
“We can’t underestimate how big a victory this is and, yes, it as a starting point but it’s still important to realise that we looked the giants in the eye and were able to come away with success.”

West Indies bowling and fielding led them to a series win against Sri Lanka with a 33-run victory in the third ODI in Dambulla

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWest Indies bowling and fielding charged them to a series win against Sri Lanka with a 33-run victory in the third ODI in Dambulla. After they managed to score only 191 for 9 in their 50 overs, West Indies defended their modest target led by Tremayne Smartt’s figures of 2 for 26 from her 10 overs and four run-outs.Sri Lanka took advantage of their decision to field when they reduced West Indies to 51 for 4 within 15 overs. Eshani Kaushalya and Chamani Seneviratna struck twice each and devoid the West Indies of a healthy run-rate. Merissa Aguilleoira and Deandra Dottin stayed together for 14 overs and scored 42 runs but Dottin was then dismissed for 16, and soon Aguilleira was stumped for 29. Shemaine Campbelle continued her good form with a 37 and after partnerships with Kyshona Knight and Shakera Selman, took the team to 191.Sri Lanka got off to a cautious start but both their openers were dismissed within a span of four runs, at 31 and 35. West Indies did not let the hosts settle down from there, striking at regular intervals. Smartt took two wickets out of the five which also included three run-outs, of Dilani Manodara, Eshani Kaushalya and Chamani Seneviratna. Sri Lanka were now 128 for 7 and a long way from winning the match and West Indies continued their habit of defending low scores from the World Cup. Only Shashikala Siriwardene provided resistance with a 78-ball 29 but could not avoid the series defeat.

Ellyse Perry is to undergo surgery on her left ankle after it was discovered that she had developed a minor infection following surgery on the same ankle

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2013Cricket Australia (CA) has announced that the seamer Ellyse Perry has undergone another ankle surgery, after it was discovered that she had developed a minor infection following surgery on the ankle recently.Perry had surgery on the injured left ankle last month, following Australia’s victorious campaign in India during the 2013 Women’s World Cup. Perry picked up the injury during the tail-end of the tournament. She took 3 for 19 and scored an unbeaten 25 in the final against West Indies.CA chief medical officer Justin Paolini said, “Ellyse had developed some pain in her left ankle in the last few days. We determined that the best course of action was to perform an ankle arthroscopy and joint washout.”This latest surgery is expected to set Ellyse’s rehabilitation timeline back an extra 2-3 weeks. Her anticipated return to bowling is another 10-12 weeks away. At this stage we still expect Ellyse to be available for selection for the Ashes series against England in August.”