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Chris Gayle believes that that Twenty20 cricket is West Indies’ best chance of achieving major international success

Brydon Coverdale20-Feb-2010Chris Gayle believes that that Twenty20 cricket is West Indies’ best chance of achieving major international success and sees the world tournament at home this year as a big opportunity to take a step up. Gayle won the Cricinfo Twenty20 batting award for 2009, but he is far from the only star West Indies have in a format in which they made last year’s ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals before Trinidad & Tobago stormed into the Champions League final.The powerful allrounders, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, are well suited to Twenty20 and even Lendl Simmons emerged in England last year as a dangerous batting allrounder. This year’s World Twenty20 in the Caribbean begins in late April and Gayle will be aiming to take his side one stage further than last year.”When you look at our team we’ve got a lot of allrounders in our team so the shorter form of the game definitely can suit us and we can be a bit more dangerous in the T20 games,” Gayle said. “The guys have been playing more T20 cricket so they’re getting more experience which is very good.”It should be easier to go out there and chance their arm and take it to international level,” he added. “All the guys are making good progress at this point in time and we have a World Cup coming up, so we’ll see how well we can do in that.”West Indies’ hopes will soar if Gayle produces another innings like the 88 against Australia at The Oval that won him Cricinfo’s award. It was a display of strength, timing and judgment the likes of which The Oval had rarely witnessed. Brett Lee finished with 1 for 56 from his four overs and watched one of Gayle’s six sixes land on the roof of the Bedser Stand.”I remember it quite well,” Gayle said. “It was a good innings. I’m happy to be the winner of the award and hopefully in the future I can get a few more. Also I heard that Jerome Taylor has won the best Test bowling as well so I must send my congratulations to him.”Up against the best team, the attack was very good as well. It was Mitchell Johnson from the other end, Bracken, Brett Lee, so it was a good strong bowling line-up. To get the runs against such an attack is good. That’s the format of the game. When it’s early it’s good to capitalise on. From a batting point of view I won that battle against Australia and Brett Lee got hammered but he came back and got me out, so that’s the game.”Nobody handles the Twenty20 game better than Gayle, who remains the only man to have struck an international century in the format. Once he starts firing he can be nearly impossible to stop and he said the way he begins an innings is the key to how well he will perform.”The start is very important and it’s more a momentum thing,” he said. “Once you’re on the go, sometimes as a batter it doesn’t matter what comes at you, you can close the eyes sometimes and play a particular shot when things are going your way. It’s just a matter of time before you get another century. Dilshan went close in the semi-final with his 96 and Herschelle Gibbs got 90s and Smith and those guys.”Gayle was speaking after West Indies’ loss in the fifth ODI against Australia and despite a record low crowd for MCG one-dayers between the teams, he said five ODIs was not too many in a series and it would be hard to squeeze in many more Twenty20 internationals. However, he is keen to see a separate window created for the IPL.”It’s jam-packed at the moment,” he said. “We’re not playing a lot of T20s, most tours you get one or two T20s. More international and Test matches take over. I don’t know what will happen in the future but it’s up to the ICC to debate what they can fit in.”It has been said since the first IPL that there should be a window for that, so everyone can take part in it. Maybe that’s something they will look in to. All players should be able to participate in that so I’m sure they can work with the boards and come up with something.”

England are facing the prospect of going into next week’s first Test against Bangladesh without any of the four fast bowlers who played a part in the recent drawn series against South Africa

Andrew Miller in Chittagong04-Mar-2010England are facing the prospect of going into next week’s first Test against Bangladesh without a single one of the four fast bowlers who played a part in the recent 1-1 drawn series against South Africa, after the squad’s build-up to the final ODI at Chittagong began to resemble a scene from MASH.With James Anderson resting back at home after experiencing knee problems in South Africa, England confirmed on Thursday that Ryan Sidebottom will be joining him on the sidelines after failing to recover from a thigh strain. Meanwhile, there are serious concerns about Stuart Broad and Graham Onions, both of whom have been sent for MRI scans after sustaining injuries to their lower backs.The upshot is that England’s seam attack for the first Test at Chittagong in eight days’ time could be one of their least experienced since Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard led the line in India in 2001-02.Liam Plunkett, with nine Test caps (but none since 2007) is now the senior seamer still standing, with the promoted Tim Bresnan (two) coming next. Ajmal Shahzad and Middlesex’s Steven Finn, who will link up with the squad in the next couple of days, have yet to make their Test debuts.The situation forced England’s coach, Andy Flower, to mount a determined defence of the team’s training methods, which have led some former players – including members of the travelling media – to suggest that too much emphasis is being placed on physical fitness, and not enough on bowling fitness.”The pace in which the game is played is such that there is a lot of
stress put on bodies,” Flower told reporters at Chittagong. “I’ve heard some criticism of the amount of work the guys put in, but to play at the intensity required, people will continue to seek a constant peak in their physical shape.”I think the intensity at which the game is played ensures that,” he added. “We’re always trying to find the right balance between high intensity training and too much. But fast bowlers are going to get injured. And that’s the nature of their job.”

England’s injury woes

James Anderson – Rested from the tour after being troubled by a knee injury during the South Africa tour
Stuart Broad – Went down with a back injury during the second ODI and very doubtful for the rest of the trip
Ryan Sidebottom – Picked up a thigh injury in Dubai which he aggravated in the first one-dayer in Mirpur
Graham Onions – Arrived for the Test series with a back problem having not been part of the one-day squad

Prior to England’s arrival in Bangladesh, Flower had insisted that the squad would not be using the tour as a fitness “boot camp”, as Michael Vaughan’s men had done on their last visit to the country in 2003-04. He also said that, under the supervision of their new physiologist, Huw Bevan, the players were arguably as fit as any group of players in recent memory.But that does not square with the glut of injuries to which the squad has succumbed, and while it is still possible that Broad and Onions will recover sufficiently to play a part in the Test series, Sidebottom’s tour is confirmed to be over. At the age of 32, and following a string of setbacks that limited him to a solitary Test and nine ODIs in the past 12 months, it’s questionable whether he will be risked in an England squad again.For now, however, Flower is retaining faith in a bowler who carried England’s attack through a difficult 2007-08 season which ended with him being named as their Player of the Year. “As long as Ryan’s bowling well enough he’ll definitely get a chance,” said Flower. “I don’t know if that can be seen or not, but he’s put a lot of hard work into his physical fitness.””Unfortunately he has not been able to sustain fitness for very long – he’s a fast bowler in his early 30s so he is going to pick up more niggles. But he’s still a quality bowler and we will assess his condition as we go along.”In the short term, however, the bulk of England’s concern centres on Stuart Broad, whose allround abilities have made him an integral part of their plans in all three formats. His mobility was visibly restricted as he arrived in Chittagong with the squad on Wednesday evening, a situation that had not been helped by a four-hour delay en route, and Flower was braced for bad news when the results of his back scan return.”Broady’s really struggling,” said Flower. “He’s done something to the facet joint in his lower back. He and Onions have been playing successful Test cricket for a while now so they will be losses. But if they get injured there’s nothing you can do about it and it’s an opportunity for someone else.That someone could yet be Finn who, like Shahzad, caught the coach’s eye during a training session in Pretoria before Christmas, when the High Performance Programme trained alongside the senior squad. With his 6’7″ frame, Finn’s lanky frame would ensure unsettling bounce even on Bangladesh’s unresponsive surfaces, as Steve Harmison demonstrated with nine wickets at Dhaka on England’s last tour.”I’ve only seen Steven Finn twice,” said Flower. “Once in the nets in Pretoria and then when the Lions played against England in Abu Dhabi. I thought he bowled really well there too. He’s got natural pace and height, but I’ve only seen him on those two occasions so it will be interesting to see him close-up.”

Deccan Chargers continued to climb up the points table by beating Chennai Super Kings comprehensively by six wickets at their “home” venue in Nagpur to draw level with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and the losing side

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter10-Apr-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outR Ashwin was the pick of the Chennai bowlers•Indian Premier League

Deccan Chargers continued to climb up the points table by beating Chennai Super Kings comprehensively by six wickets at their “home” venue in Nagpur to draw level with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and the losing side. The win was set up by their bowlers, after MS Dhoni decided to bat on a scorching afternoon, who restricted Chennai to 138, allowing the batsmen to chase at a comfortable pace despite two early jolts and the sapping heat. Deccan struggled against spin initially, losing three wickets to the slow stuff, but rode on another fifty from T Suman and Andrew Symonds’ cool head to seal victory with five balls to spare.The only bit that really went right for Chennai was the toss, which Dhoni won and had little hesitation in choosing to bat. When Chennai accelerated from 21 after three overs to 55 for 1 from six it seemed a run-fest was on the cards. As it turned out, Chennai had little to celebrate thereafter. In the eighth over, M Vijay called for a suicidal second run and that momentary brain freeze changed the complexion of Chennai’s innings. It was another example of the schizophrenic series he’s had, with aborted starts amid some match-winning knocks, and from there Deccan never let the initiative slip.From 65 for 2 in eight overs, Chennai slowed down to reach the half-way stage at 74 for 2 with Symonds and Pragyan Ojha keeping a check with stump-to-stump bowling. Chennai’s predicament had been brought about by their batsmen’s urge to dominate and as wickets fell around him, Suresh Raina began to improvise cleverly. He moved to leg to clip the ball fine and walked down the pitch to upset the bowlers, but also reined in his attacking instincts, knocking the ball in the gaps during the middle overs.Gilchrist put down a tough chance when Raina was 27 and he broke a 38-ball period without a boundary by stepping out and launching Ojha for a straight six and repeated the shot to Symonds in the following over. Raina struggled to keep a partner at the other end, as Michael Hussey pulled Symonds to deep midwicket and S Badrinath fell for 6.When Raina fell for 52, Chennai only had 122 on the board with 16 deliveries to go and no recognised batsman to follow. Deccan never allowed matters to slip their grasp as Harmeet Singh stymied runs and Ryan Harris returned to pick up wickets in the last over. In a team which had more experienced names in their bowling line-up, the hero of the innings was Harmeet, who bowled with excellent control, changing his pace and offering the batsmen no width to score off. His dismissal of Matthew Hayden with his first ball, drawn into a drive, and final two frugal overs were a blow to Chennai’s hopes of getting a challenging total on the board.A target of 139 meant than Chennai had to strike early to have any chance of a successful defense. The very impressive R Ashwin’s dismissal of the Deccan openers in the fifth over, with lovely traditional offspin, gave Chennai a sniff but Suman emphasised how crucial his presence at No. 3 was with a sensible innings. Against Bangalore two nights ago, Suman had batted aggressively because Deccan where chasing 185 but today he focused on staying at the crease.He reined in the big shots and along with Symonds -after Rohit Sharma fell to another aerial shot outside off stump – he stablised the innings, allowing himself to gain confidence against spin. Suman chipped Shadab Jakati for four and swung Raina for six, Symonds launched Jakati down the ground for maximum to negate the pressure, and the equation came to 49 from 36 balls. Dhoni had to turn to Sudeep Tyagi for his first over, the 15th, and Suman greeted him with four and six to cross fifty, the striking point being the use of a straight bat and clean swing. He fell with 32 needed from 24, a task which Symonds made sure was accomplished without too many jitters.Deccan’s win means the match to follow tonight will break up the tie between Kolkata and Bangalore.

The fast bowler Andy McKay is itching to get back in to international cricket during New Zealand’s series in Florida after a three-month lay-off due to a foot injury

Cricinfo staff19-May-2010The fast bowler Andy McKay is itching to get back in to international cricket during New Zealand’s series in Florida after a three-month lay-off due to a foot injury. McKay had just burst on to the scene with three strong one-day performances against Bangladesh in February when he suffered a stress fracture that ended his immediate hopes of a Test debut.He is keen to play his first Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka in Lauderhill and a place has opened up in the side after the retirement of Shane Bond. McKay, a left-armer who approaches 150kph, could be the ideal replacement for Bond and it would be a welcome return to the international scene for a man who waited until the age of 29 for his first call-up.”It was obviously very disappointing,” McKay said in Florida. “I’d only had a taste of what was on offer and I felt I’d put in a couple of good performances and with the Aussies around the corner it was a good opportunity to test myself against those guys. It was an injury that took a bit longer than I thought to get right.”But now that it’s fine, it’s great to get the recall. It will be great to get the opportunity to play. I got a taste of it against Bangladesh a couple of months ago. To play against Sri Lanka I think will definitely raise the bar a little bit and it will be a good test.”The series has been cut down from three games to two, with the first scheduled for Saturday. In the lead-up the New Zealanders have spent some time training with the Florida Marlins baseball team and McKay said it was an enjoyable learning experience.”It was a superb day,” McKay said. “We were able to get on the field and do a few drills with the guys. A few of the guys had a hit. We were able to talk to some of the pitchers and talk about the way they go about things, especially throwing techniques, and worked out a few ideas on how to hit the ball out of the park a little bit further as well.”

Samit Patel’s second half-century in three days secured a third straight Friends Provident t20 win for Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they swept aside Worcestershire Royals by six wickets with 23 balls to spare

13-Jun-2010

ScorecardSamit Patel’s second half-century in three days secured a third straight Friends Provident t20 win for Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they swept aside Worcestershire Royals by six wickets with 23 balls to spare.After limiting the visitors to 150 for 7, with Dirk Nannes and Graeme White both picking up two wickets, Patel hit 63 from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes while David Hussey was unbeaten on 34, finishing off the match with a straight six.Moeen Ali top-scored for Worcestershire with 67 from 48 balls, supported by stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell (34 not out), but with Vikram Solanki missing with a pelvic injury, the visitors were always short of batting power. In particular, they were unable to deal with the pace and hostility of Nannes and England pair Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom, with the trio conceding only nine boundaries from their 12 overs.Mitchell chose to bat in this Trent Bridge contest after winning the toss but saw openers Jack Manuel and Phil Jaques both depart cheaply in the powerplay overs. Alexei Kervezee and Steve Smith also contributed little but a partnership of 64 for the fifth wicket between Ali and Mitchell gave Worcestershire a score closer to par, with Ali hitting three sixes in the 13th and 14th overs to boost the run-rate.He then hit White for a further maximum with a slog-sweep before perishing with the same shot to the next ball, while Nannes yorked James Cameron and ran out Gareth Andrew in the final over. The pedigree of Nottinghamshire’s international pace trio was amply demonstrated in the first two overs of their innings, as openers Alex Hales and Ali Brown took 26 off bowlers Imran Arif and Richard Jones.That set the tone for the chase and while Hales, Brown and Matt Wood all departed in the powerplay overs, the hosts were well ahead of the run-rate and Patel ensured they only pulled further ahead with a succession of sweet boundaries over extra cover. He was one of two wickets for leg-spinner Smith but Hussey and Chris Read completed the win to leave the Outlaws sitting pretty at the top of the North Group.