All posts by n8rngtd.top

An injury-ravaged England side overcame a stiff target of 280 to beat South Africa A by four wickets and with 11 balls to spare

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta17-Nov-2009
ScorecardEngland were taken to the wire in a tense victory over South Africa A in their warm-up match at Potchefstroom. In a fluctuating contest, fifties from Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior ensured a
depleted England took the spoils against a strong South African opposition.Strauss, returning after sitting out the Twenty20 series, led
England’s chase, dominating a 68-run opening stand with Joe Denly.
Denly is short of runs after failing in the Twenty20 series and
despite being dropped on 12 by Morne Morkel, could only manage 24 today.
His place at the top of the order could be under threat from Trott,
who has done the job for Warwickshire.In his short international career Trott has demonstrated a calmness
rarely seen in England’s one-day cricket. He shared productive
partnerships, first with Strauss and then Matt Prior, as his 89-ball 78
gave England a great chance. However, when Trott fell to Morkel in 44th over, England were
still 49 runs short and it took a decisive 46-run stand between
Prior and Luke Wright to secure the result.The day didn’t start well for the tourists as Alastair Cook joined the
lengthening injury list with a bad back. It left England short of five
senior players and South Africa A captain Hashim Amla, keen to
test England’s inexperienced bowlers, batted first after winning the
toss.Having lost their lengths, lines and heads in the second Twenty20, England needed to demonstrate better resolve today. If they
needed assistance, Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach was on field
as 12th man at one point. But he was powerless as Sajid Mahmood, Tim
Bresnan and Adil Rashid proved expensive again.In windy conditions reminiscent of Chester-le-Street, Amla and Andrew
Puttick put on 77 in 14.4 overs as Graham Onions and Bresnan were frequently punished for over-pitching. It
took Wright to finally make the breakthrough when he had Amla
brilliantly caught by Strauss at mid-wicket for 37. Seven overs later,
Wright was again at the centre of the next dismissal when his sharp
throw beat Rilee Rossouw’s dive.Puttick, who played a single one-day
international for South Africa in 2005, passed his fifty from 57 balls
before mis-timing a slog off Denly when he had made 62. It was a
needless dismissal that characterised the innings. Every one of the
South African A top five reached at least 24 but none could hammer
home their advantage.Herschelle Gibbs, pressing for an international recall, struggled for
fluency and his dismissal sparked a good period for England in which they
took four wickets for 27 runs in 7.1 overs. Gibbs played on trying to
run Wright to third man and Onions returned for an improved second
spell in which he claimed the impressive Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Dean Elgar
in quick succession.Just as England looked to control the innings, Morkel joined
Heino Kuhn, the wicketkeeper who made his international debut in
Sunday’s Twenty20, to put on 40 runs in their 5.4 over stand. Morkel
unveiled an extra string to his bow with an array of strokes through
the off-side in a 22-ball 29.
Kuhn batted smartly with the tail and pushed South Africa A to 279 for 9, but in the final analysis, it wasn’t quite enough.

Kumar Sangakkara has said that the three-match contest was the best advertisement for having the review system

Sa'adi Thawfeeq06-Dec-2009Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka’s captain, has lamented the absence of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in the Test series against India, which he said cost Sri Lanka “over 500 runs”. The UDRS – or lack of it – once again figured prominently at the media conference after India beat Sri Lanka by an innings to become the top-ranked Test team, with Sangakkara saying that the three-match contest was the best advertisement for having the review system.”Not having the review system cost us over 500 runs and a lot of wickets. It always puts a lot of pressure on the inside,” he said. “You’ve got to accept the fact that we were outbowled and outplayed but not to have the review system when every other side in the world is using it and when the ICC had said yes that all sides will be playing with it, it becomes an extra handicap. It cost us quite a huge amount of runs in this Test and the last one.”India’s captain MS Dhoni has yet to play in a series where the UDRS was used and found it difficult to comment too much. “I don’t think it is foolproof still. It has its own advantages and disadvantages,” he said. “We can try and get it foolproof by at least try and make it give 90 percent correct decisions.”The system is being used in the two other Test series currently under way, between Australia and West Indies and New Zealand and Pakistan. The decision not to use the system in India was made known shortly before the series began and Ratnakar Shetty, the Indian board’s chief administrative officer, said at the time there was “nothing to explain” about the BCCI’s decision to not use the system for the series. India originally supported the implementation of the UDRS but were reportedly dissuaded by the players, who have reservations about the effectiveness of referrals.Sangakkara was of the opinion that Sri Lanka were a better side than what the 2-0 series score line indicated. “2-0 is a realistic score line the way the Indians played and the way we played especially in the last two Test matches. But we are a better side than what the score line says,” he said. “We got to accept the fact that if we don’t play well enough we are going to be placed in situations like these. We need to put big totals on the board but at the same time you’ve always got to find ways to bowl the opposition out under those totals. In this case in all three Test matches we were unable to do that.””We were mostly outbowled. We created chances right along but catching at crucial times let us down. We were never able to continuously put pressure on the Indian batsmen. Our fast bowlers sometimes created chances but then onwards it was a tough graft. India was always ahead of the game when it came to their batting.”Sangakkara admitted that Sri Lanka’s bowling lacked firepower. “The ability to bowl maiden overs is a huge plus that’s the entirety of your bowling plan,” he said. “You try and keep the batsman on strike for as long as possible. In the second Test we bowled only five maiden overs in our entire bowling innings.”That just goes to show that it’s always tough when you cannot tie a batsman down for more than an over from one side it becomes very difficult to exert continuous pressure. It’s more the singles and stopping the singles and keeping batsmen on strike. If singles are going as well as the boundaries then you are in a bit of trouble. We tried as many fielding options as we could in the Tests but it didn’t work.”One of the biggest disappointments for Sri Lanka was the form of Muttiah Muralitharan, who ended the series with five wickets after conceding 591 runs. Sangakkara singled out Murali’s inability to bowl with the SG ball as a factor. “That handicapped him with the bounce and the amount of turn that he can expect off the pitch,” he said. “That’s probably the main factor and [also] India are the best side in the world against spin. That’s the two main reasons why he hasn’t been successful.”

A round-up of the third day’s play of the second round of the RBS Pentangular Cup

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2010Karachi Blues 172 for 6 (Kamal 39, Yasir 4 for 66) and 272 lead Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited 400 (Hafeez 110, Mughal 98, Haroon 4-87) by 44 runs
Scorecard
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited are in an excellent position to force a win over Karachi Blues at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Though they were able to add just 73 more to their overnight score, losing five wickets, they had gained a substantial lead of 128; soon enough, their bowlers, led by legspinner Yasir Shah’s 4 for 66, had added significant pressure on Karachi, limiting them to 172 for 6 at stumps, just 44 ahead.SNGPL captain Saleem Mughal, the overnight batsman, missed his century, dismissed for 98 but his team was backed by other important contributions, including the 41 extras, to reach 400. Karachi, in their second innings, had struggled from the outset, losing their first three wickets with just 40 on the board, and though Ali Asad (23), Asim Kamal (39) and Azam Hussain (37) got starts, they failed to consolidate. Karachi lost their sixth wicket just before stumps, and have much to do to achieve a draw tomorrow.
Scorecard
The Rest have reached a position of control at the National Stadium after bowling Sialkot out for 280, and extending their lead to a healthy 302 with five wickets in hand at stumps on the third day. Sialkot had competed well on the second day, reaching 280 for 5, but a five-wicket haul from fast bowler Tabish Khan allowed them to add just 65 more to their overnight score. As a result, The Rest secured a first-innings lead of 67, and their batsmen, in the second innings, ensured the advantage remained with them.They did suffer an early wobble, however, with three wickets down for 52, but Aamer Sajjad (88) and Naved Yasin (71), the stars with the bat from the first innings, continued their excellent form, adding 132 for the fourth wicket. Though both were dismissed before stumps, the lead remains substantial and some quick runs from the two unbeaten batsmen, Saeed Bin Nasir and Naeem Anjum, on the final day could prompt a declaration in an effort to bowl out Sialkot.

Tim O’Gorman and Peter Wright have been nominated to replace Jack Simmons, the former Lancashire player, as chairman if the ECB

Cricinfo staff28-Jan-2010Tim O’Gorman and Peter Wright have been nominated to replace Jack Simmons, the former Lancashire player, as chairman of the ECB.Wright, currently chairman of Nottinghamshire, was proposed by Warwickshire and seconded by Surrey and Yorkshire, while O’Gorman was proposed by Derbyshire and seconded by Kent and Leicestershire.Ballot papers will be sent the chairmen of the 18 first-class counties and the MCC on Thursday and have to be returned by February 12. The winner will be then be recommended to the 41 members of the ECB for election.O’Gorman, 42, played 117 first-class games for Derbyshire and Don Amott, the Derbyshire chairman, feels this experience is important. “Our committee are firm in their belief that a candidate with experience as a professional cricketer should be nominated. That coupled with Tim’s enthusiasm to do the job makes him, we believe, the perfect candidate.”John Morris, the Derbyshire head of cricket, added: “Having played in the same Derbyshire team as Tim for many years, and then having continued to see his valuable work with the PCA, I believe Tim to be an outstanding candidate for the position.”

India have already pocketed the series, giving them a chance to test their bench strength against South Africa

The Preview by Sriram Veera26-Feb-2010

Match facts

February 27, 2010
Start time 14.30 (09.00GMT)With India fielding a young batting line-up, there will be added responsibility on MS Dhoni•Associated Press

The Big Picture

India have made the challenge of accomplishing their first clean sweep against South Africa much harder by resting regular openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Their absence means India will line up at Motera on Saturday without seven of their first-choice XI.South Africa will be relieved to not have to deal with the openers but they still have puzzles in their own game to solve. They were soundly beaten in Gwalior and got close in the first ODI only because of Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell’s performances – with the bat. Their batting order, apart from AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, hasn’t pulled its weight. They will hope Hashim Amla can build on the momentum he showed in a cameo in the second ODI but, in the absence of Graeme Smith, much depends on Herschelle Gibbs.It’s not just their batting, though, that has been a cause of worry. The bowlers have been a let down as well. The fast bowlers have gone for pace and erred in line and length and have leaked runs on flat pitches. Surprisingly, for a team that prides itself on preparation, South Africa haven’t bowled many cutters or slower ones to make batsmen fight that little extra bit to find their timing.The Indian seamers have had their problems too but have been shored up by slower bowlers such as Ravindra Jadeja and Yusuf Pathan, who have succeeded in choking runs in the middle overs.

Form guide (last five completed games, most recent first)

India WWLWW
South AfricaLLLWL

Watch out for…

Dinesh Kartik:
He played well in the second ODI but fell attempting another pull against a delivery outside off stump. He got out in the similar fashion in Jaipur and faulty shot selection has often been Karthik’s undoing in the past. There is no question about his talent as a batsman – he has nearly all the shots in the book. Saturday offers another chance for him to get to a big score but will he be able to exercise self control?Hashim Amla: He is a classy, stylish batsman in rich form. Of late, in Tests, he has combined grace with steely determination with successful results. Amla averages 46.42 in 23 ODIs at a strike rate of almost 85. He has enough talent to become a good ODI player as well and the third ODI gives him a chance to cement his place.

Team news

India have rested several players and have brought in the likes of M Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Abhimanyu Mithun. With three of India’s first-choice openers – Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gambhir – missing, Vijay is in line for an ODI debut.India (probable) 1 M Vijay 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Sreesanth, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Sudeep Tyagi.JP Duminy has headed home to South Africa because of a finger injury sustained in Gwalior, opening up a spot in the middle order. It’s a toss up between Loots Bosman and Albie Morkel, who could get the nod because he provides a bowling option.South Africa: (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Alviro Petersen, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Van der Merwe, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

Pitch and conditions

“There’s not going to be much grass and a score of 250-260 would be a good total,” Dhiraj Parsana, the curator, said. The toss could prove crucial as dew is expected to play a big role later in the contest. “Over the last two days the dew fall has been quite heavy because of clear skies and little wind. If it’s windy it drives away the dew.” The curator said a run-fest was unlikely and there would be something in for the bowlers. If so, it would make for an interesting change from the high-scoring games that have become the norm in India.

Stats and trivia

• Ahmedabad should offer hope to South Africa. India have lost six of their 11 ODI games here, including all of the last three.
• This is the first time South Africa have lost three one-dayers in a row since their dismal showing in the 2008 ODI series in England

Quotes

“The bowlers are quite young, so it is pretty tough for them coming out here and bowling to some of the best players in the world. I think the most important thing for our young bowlers is to learn and I think they did that.”

“It is great to have a lot of young players in the side and it is a good opportunity for them to prove their mettle. The more these players respond in a pressure situation the better for Indian cricket.”
India coach Gary Kirsten isn’t too concerned that India are missing many of their experienced players

Brett Lee has said goodbye to the Test arena but at 33 is desperate to recover from elbow surgery to represent his country again in the game’s shorter forms

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2010″This is not the end of me. It’s a cricket choice and it’s a lifestyle choice.”Brett Lee has said goodbye to the Test arena but at 33 is desperate to recover from elbow surgery to represent his country again in the game’s shorter forms. Lee has not added to his 76 Tests since he fractured a bone in his left foot late in 2008 and if he thought his aching body could deal with the demands he would be pushing for more time under a baggy green.But after dealing with long-term foot, ankle, side and elbow injuries over the past 15 months he knows his body can’t take the strain. Despite his decision to focus on the one-day and Twenty20 formats – he hasn’t decided whether he will go to the IPL yet – Lee does not want younger fast men to give up on Tests.”Obviously, there’s specialist one-day and Twenty20 bowlers,” he said at the SCG. “But for me, Test cricket is where it’s at. There’s a lot of luck in Twenty 20, a lot of skill and a bit of luck in one-dayers. But Test cricket is a test for the bowlers and a test for the batsmen.”Lee said his best memory was his first Test wicket, which came when he bowled Sadagoppan Ramesh in his opening over on debut at the MCG in 1999-2000. “At that point I could’ve hung up the boots just then,” he said.He exploded on to the scene with 46 wickets in seven Tests before needing surgery following a severe elbow injury that threatened his career. After his recovery he went on to support Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie before becoming a first-choice weapon for Australia between 2005 and 2008.After surgery early in 2009 he was committed to coming back for the Ashes campaign and made the tour squad, but strained his side having proved his potency in the final warm-up match. Another elbow operation was required when he was sent home from the one-day tour of India and he spent the summer working out what to do next.”This hasn’t happened overnight,” he said. “This has been a long process. I’ve had the time to step away from cricket and what I want to achieve. It’s been about a three- to four-month decision that I’ve made and finally I went with it.”Ricky Ponting said Lee, the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Australia, should be remembered as one of the game’s greats. “If we all just take a minute and think about what he’s put himself through in that 10 or 12 years,” he said. “Running 35 metres to bowl every ball, bowling every ball at close to 150kph, and putting his heart on the line every ball he bowls, this bloke deserves a massive pat on the back.”Lee is still not sure when he will be back and is in no hurry to decide on whether he goes to India for the IPL. The security situation in India has led to the Australian Cricketers’ Association combining with other player unions to demand more information from the IPL.”It’s just waiting and seeing,” Lee said. “We’re not in a rushed situation to make a call. We are not experts in that field.” Lee has a US$900,000 contract with the Kings XI Punjab franchise and is a popular figure in India.

Plays of the day from Bangladesh v England, 2nd Test, Dhaka, 4th day

Andrew Miller in Dhaka23-Mar-2010Swipe of the day
Poor Tim Bresnan may never get a better chance to post a Test-match century. The pitch was flat, and with James Tredwell (one of the game’s more competent debutant No. 10s) alongside him, England were in no apparent hurry to get a move on as he edged towards his landmark. Bresnan duly moved his career tally to exactly 100 runs, but alas, only 91 of those came in this particular innings. With the century in sight, Abdur Razzak ripped one out of the rough as Bresnan aimed to slot a big heave over long-on, and he knew he was gone long before the third umpire confirmed the stumping.Drop of the day
Of all the batsmen in the Bangladesh team, the one you don’t want to give a sniff to is Tamim Iqbal. He has the class and the range of strokes to punish all indiscretions, so when Jonathan Trott shelled a chance that Mike Atherton described as one of the three worst drops he’d ever seen in international cricket, it seemed England’s victory hopes had been grassed at the same time. Tamim, as it happens, had already survived two tougher chances, but this was an absolute shocker. A gentle lob off a slashing swipe outside off, and Trott barely even had to backpedal as he made to collect the ball in front of his face. But instead of cashing in, Tamim seemed flummoxed by all this good fortune, and seven overs later, Stuart Broad showed how a catch should be taken, low in the gully.Fluke of the day
Alastair Cook has not enjoyed himself in the field in this Test. Three clear-cut chances fizzed through his fingers in the first innings, while his second-day captaincy left a whole load to be desired. But at least his boot has been in full working order. On Saturday, Shakib Al Hasan survived a trial by TV after a firm drive ricocheted off his toe and into Matt Prior’s gloves, but was deemed to have touched the turf en route. Today, however, there was no doubt at all. Cook’s toe was once again on hand (to pardon the phrase), as Junaid Siddique’s firm push turned into a gentle lob to the bowler, Tredwell.Shot of the day
Jahurul Islam was a nervous man as he made his way out to the middle. On Saturday he picked up a duck in his first innings in Test cricket, and with a pair in prospect, England parked four men around his bat right from the moment he arrived. Five tense dot-balls ensued, as he drove with defiance but failed to pierce the field. But then, he decided, what the heck. A firm plant of the front foot, a massive swing of the blade, and his first scoring stroke in international cricket was a straight six down the ground off Graeme Swann. Eight balls, and one half-chance later, he repeated the dose and doubled his tally, this time off Tredwell.Appeal of the day
Stuart Broad attracted a heap of criticism for failing to look at the umpire while appealing for lbw against Razzak in the first Test, but he was on his best behaviour today. Twice in two balls, he remembered his manners and turned to address Rod Tucker – firstly when the umpire turned down an lbw shout against Mushfiqur Rahim that looked from the replays to have been better than marginal, and then, moments later, when he squeezed a delivery through bat and pad and into the base of the stumps. Presumably he was unsighted, but perhaps he was just making sure.Departure of the day
Every England trip has its forgotten man, and few members of this particular tour party have been as anonymous as Liam Plunkett. His tour of Bangladesh consisted of two ineffectual overs in the second ODI at Dhaka, and a whole load of drinks-carrying thereafter, and now he won’t even be on the same flight home as his colleagues. An ECB spokesman confirmed that he had experienced “minor discomfort” in his right elbow while throwing, and would be heading home a full 24 hours before the end of the tour to seek further medical advice, before jetting off on holiday.

A combined bowling effort helped Sri Lanka level the two-match series 1-1 at St Paul’s Sports Complex. In another low-scoring encounter, West Indies stumbled to 160 chasing 199 and were primarily let down by three run-outs

Cricinfo staff21-Apr-2010
ScorecardA combined bowling effort helped Sri Lanka level the two-match series 1-1 at St Paul’s Sports Complex. In another low-scoring encounter, West Indies stumbled to 160 chasing 199 and were primarily let down by three run-outs.After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka began strongly, with their openers Chamari Atapattu and Dedunu Silva adding 68. But they lost their way, losing three wickets for 14 runs before a 48-run stand for the fourth wicket got them back on track. But Pamela Levine triggered another collapse as Sri Lanka lost three more wickets for 11 runs. Lavine wrapped up the innings in the penultimate ball to finish with 4 for 17.Lavine however failed with the bat as she was run-out without facing a ball in the first over of the chase. Suwini de Alwis, the left-arm spinner, chipped away at the wickets to leave the hosts in trouble at 61 for 5. Shanan Daley was involved in stands of 33 and 26 for the fifth and sixth wickets respectively to help West Indies recover but when she too was run-out, in the 37th over, the innings folded up. De Alwis was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 33.

Chris Gayle finished agonisingly short of becoming the first man to make two international Twenty20 centuries, but by the time he was run-out he had already swiped West Indies to a total that provided too tall for India’s batsmen who yet again floundered

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran09-May-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outChris Gayle’s 98 powered West Indies to a tall total•Getty Images

Chris Gayle finished agonisingly short of becoming the first man to make two international Twenty20 centuries, but by the time he was run-out, he had already swiped West Indies to a total that proved too tall for India’s batsmen who yet again floundered against the short ball. The defeat leaves India facing an early exit for the third straight global tournament, and the same questions about batting technique which were raised followed the elimination from last year’s World Twenty20 will be asked again.After Gayle’s slaphappy innings, in which almost all his runs came on the leg side, India’s top-order weren’t given anything to drive by West Indies’ new-ball bowlers. They faced the barrage of bouncers promised before the match, and even the short deliveries of the gentle medium-pacers Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo discomfited them initially.The home side’s fielding was also a dramatic improvement to the error-strewn show against Sri Lanka, with Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard being exceptional. India’s batting slide started with an athletic forward-diving catch by Pollard at square leg to dismiss opener M Vijay, who again failed to replicate his IPL form on the more demanding tracks in the Caribbean. Gautam Gambhir was also having a tough time, and just after edging a bouncer from Kemar Roach in the fifth over between slip and the keeper, he failed to evade a scorching short ball to glove to Denesh Ramdin.Two overs later, Rohit Sharma, the only batsman to enhance his reputation in the pasting by Australia, was controversially dismissed after the ball lobbed off his arm to the keeper. He stood his ground and asked Billy Bowden to call for the third umpire. After consultation with Simon Taufel, Bowden upheld his original decision, and India were down to 38 for 3, and the asking-rate was in double digits.There were fitful efforts to resuscitate the chase: first by Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who showed glimpses of their top-class hitting in a 42- run stand, but both holed out in the space of five deliveries. MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, two of the quickest scorers, swung a few sixes, and with 32 needed off the final two overs, it wasn’t only the most one-eyed of fans who were hoping for a win. However, Bravo’s slide-rule throw from long-on ended Dhoni’s stay and with it, the big crowd in Barbados knew an important win was sealed.Unlike West Indies’ effort, the Indian fielding, usually a barometer of their performance, was shoddy, spilling two chances, one of which proved extremely expensive – Dhoni and Pathan colliding into each other as they went for a skier near square leg when Gayle was on 47, after which he blasted 51 off 26 deliveries.Gayle was just opening out when that catch went down; he had warmed up with a whip over long-on for six in the eighth over and followed it up in the next with the biggest six of the tournament, off Pathan, which bounced on the roof. He then extended Ravindra Jadeja’s poor tournament by smearing his second ball, a full toss, for a flat six. Next up was Zaheer Khan, who was flicked over square leg for four, then Yusuf was clubbed down the ground so flat that the non-striker Sammy fell to the ground to take evasive action.Then, Dhoni’s gamble of giving Raina the 17th over went awry, when Gayle smacked a couple more leg-side sixes. Gayle found the roof behind midwicket again in the next over, and looked set for a century when he entered the final over on 96. However, after Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan were sent back by Ashish Nehra, he tried to scramble back a second on the fourth delivery, but the end of his bat bumped in the air as he dived full-length to try and make his ground, and was run-out.He was given good support by three partners through the innings. First Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who never really hit top gear though he showed off a range of reverse-sweeps, set up the base with a steady 80-run stand. West Indies then sent in a pinch-hitter Sammy, who played an array of proper cricketing shots, the highlight of which was a chip for six over long-off, to collect 19 off 10 deliveries. Finally, Pollard showed his batting is as much about power as timing during a quick cameo.West Indies can bask in the glow of overwhelming India, but their celebrations will be tempered by the knowledge that they are still likely to need to beat a red-hot Australia to progress to the semi-finals.

Matthew Wade’s promotion to the Australia A team has confirmed him as the next wicketkeeper in line behind Brad Haddin and Tim Paine

Brydon Coverdale08-Jun-2010When Matthew Wade got the call to replace Tim Paine in the Australia A side this week, it was nothing new. He’s been following Paine all his life. The two wicketkeepers who are next in line behind Brad Haddin have a history together, from their childhood days of taking each other on in backyard cricket in the Hobart suburb of Lauderdale.”We’ve known each other for years,” Wade told Cricinfo. “We used to play games every summer in the backyard. Him and his brother and me and my two cousins used to have some pretty gruelling cricket matches in the backyard. The loser always had to go and get fish and chips at the local shop.”Wade, 22, is three years younger than Paine, which meant that when he was looking to break in to first-class cricket in Tasmania, Paine was already there. It encouraged Wade to move to Victoria, where he eventually overtook the incumbent gloveman Adam Crosthwaite in both formats, and now the childhood friends are grabbing their opportunities.”He’s a couple of years older so I’ve always been behind him and to a certain degree have always looked up to what he did,” Wade said of Paine. “Moving was a really tough decision but I didn’t want to be sitting back three or four years down the track wishing that I had have gone. I knew that Tim was always going to be a really strong player down there and I knew that I probably would have been sitting behind him.”It was a good decision for Wade, who in 2008-09 claimed a Victorian record 57 Sheffield Shield dismissals and averaged 49.54 with the bat. Last summer he tallied 677 Sheffield Shield runs at 48.35, and his strong batting combined with his youth has made him an attractive prospect for the national selectors.Over the past two years, the list of keepers behind Haddin has seemed like a game of snakes and ladders. Luke Ronchi was the No. 2 in 2008 but was then dropped by Western Australia, before Graham Manou played the Edgbaston Ashes Test and then lost his Cricket Australia contractThe consistent Chris Hartley provided cover on the Ashes tour and had an outstanding summer for Queensland, finishing fifth on the competition run tally, but Paine is the man who has seized his chance to become first reserve for Australia. In this environment, it is credit to Wade that the selectors have chosen him to take on Sri Lanka A later this month, after Paine replaced the injured Haddin in the ODI team.”It was a bit of a shock and I was really excited when I got the news,” Wade said. “The keeping is really strong in Australia at the moment. Everyone who takes the gloves is doing really well – Manou and Hartley are really good players at first-class level. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”If that allows Wade to stand in line with Paine in for national honours, it’s better than waiting behind him in the Tasmanian squad. Or in the Lauderdale fish and chip shop.