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Sometimes fairy tales do happen in sport. Geraint Jones, Ashes winner in 2005 turned priceless county pro – via Papua New Guinea – signed off his professional career by being chaired around Lord’s

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's19-Sep-2015Sometimes fairy tales do happen in sport. Geraint Jones, Ashes winner in 2005 turned priceless county pro – via Papua New Guinea – signed off his professional career by being chaired around Lord’s after Gloucestershire secured the Royal London Cup with an epic come-from-behind victory.Jones had dragged Gloucestershire to a competitive total with 50 off 65 balls, using his wealth of experience to assess the conditions, before being bowled as the first of Jade Dernbach’s hat-trick wickets. For 34 overs of Surrey’s chase it appeared Dernbach’s 6 for 35 would be the headline act, but then Kumar Sangakkara clubbed a full toss to mid-on and Gloucestershire, evoking the spirit of the one-day sides which dominated from 1999-2004, strangled Surrey and took the match to the final over.”I just feel very lucky to be honest,” Jones said. “To finish this way, very few people get the chance to walk off holding a trophy and look back on a great day. Personally I couldn’t have asked for any more. Since the knockout stages I’ve been saying to myself, dare to dream and who knows. And it couldn’t have worked out better.”My family was here, although I had to keep batting because the boys had swimming lessons this morning and then had to get the train up so I couldn’t get out until they showed up – that spurred me on. To finish this way, with a group that has given such energy back to my cricket, it’s a pleasurable way to finish.”Jones was not actually on the field the moment the match started to change as Jack Taylor’s full toss found the hands of substitute Will Tavare at mid-on. “Thankfully when I popped off for a toilet break is when Sangakkara hit that ball to Tavs, because I knew they were trying to hit it my way,” he said.”I must admit at half time I was very nervous that we were 15-20 shy especially with the way Sangakarra has been playing. But once we got into it, I knew the way our spinners have been bowling all summer has been exceptional and the wicket was going to be good for them because Batty showed when I was batting that it wasn’t easy to score off them.”Michael Klinger, the Gloucestershire captain, also pinpointed the role of his spinners – Taylor and Tom Smith who combined to take 5 for 85 in 20 overs – plus the unfortunate absence of Zafar Ansari for Surrey as a key part of the match. He said he, too, would have bowled with the 10.30am start but also backed the strength of his team’s bowling if they were able to get a score on the board.”They were a little bit light on their batting playing a lot of allrounders,” he said. “We talked pre-game that if we could get through the top they were quite inexperienced and it just so happened the two wickets we got were the two in batters. We knew it would be tough to score against our spinners. In the end, two spinners was the advantage for us. Unfortunately Ansari’s injury hurt them a little bit as well.”Klinger also paid tribute to Jones. “It was fitting that he was our best batter in his last game and to finish his career the way he did.”For Jones, who celebrated with his children on the outfield as Gloucestershire enjoyed a lengthy lap of honour in front of a large number of travelling supporters, this victory will take a special place in his career highlights.”It’s right up the top, purely for the fact I was able to contribute and the group of lads have added more than I can put into words because they’ve made my last few months in cricket so enjoyable.”He will certainly be remembered for more than just that one catch.

Nathan Lyon, the Australia offspinner, believes Australia should field two spinners in the Test series against India, which begins in two weeks’ time

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2013Nathan Lyon, the Australia offspinner, believes Australia should field two spinners in the Test series against India, which begins in two weeks’ time. Lyon was one of eight members of the Australia Test squad who landed in Chennai on Thursday, to acclimatise ahead of the series.”I personally think so [that two spinners should play]. It’s going to be a big challenge for all of us in the different conditions over here,” Lyon said. “Hopefully there’ll be an opportunity where two spinners will be able to go out on the field together for Australia.”Lyon pointed to the success the English slow bowlers enjoyed in India last November-December as evidence that more spinners is a strategy that is likely to work. He took note of a few things that he would like to emulate, he said. “I certainly watched [Monty] Panesar and [Graeme] Swann. They bowled quite well. I did watch Swann very, very closely and I hope to take in a few things and put the same method into practice against India. And India, they even played four spinners in the last Test against England.”Both India and England had played at least two spinners in all four Tests of that series, with India playing only a single quick in the second and fourth matches. The wicket charts, expectedly, were dominated by the spinners: Swann and Panesar took 20 and 17 wickets respectively, comfortably ahead of the next highest for England – James Anderson with 12. For India, while Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin took 34 wickets between them, all their other bowlers combined tallied 17.Australia have a second spinner in left-armer Xavier Doherty, and spinning allrounders in Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell. The squad also includes 19-year-old Western Australia left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, in a development capacity: he will bowl at the touring batsmen in the nets and is likely to play the first warm-up game. This abundance of spin options will create healthy competition, Lyon said. “It’s going to be a good challenge for all of us, and it’s going to be really good pushing each other along for spots in the first Test side.”Dennis Lillee, the former Australia fast bowler, is in Chennai too and will work with the Australian team, researching why several of their young fast bowlers seem to be breaking down. “I’ll be consulting when there are technical issues or injuries, but I’m not going to be travelling with the team,” Lillee told the . “I’m looking into a lot of things, certainly their training methods, but also technique. My focus is on fitness, strength, and flexibility. So there’s a lot I’ll be researching and thinking about.”Australia will play the first of two tour games from February 12, against the Indian Board President’s XI in Chennai. The first Test starts on Feburary 22, also in Chennai.

A round-up of the second day of the third round of Pentangular Cup matches

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2012Mohammad Khalil ripped through Baluchistan to allow Punjab to enforce a follow-on on the second day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Punjab, resuming on 335 for 4, added 105 runs before declaring on 440 for 8. Harris Sohail missed his half-century by two runs, and Mohammad Zohaib and Raza Hasan played useful cameos of 23 and 27 runs respectively. Rahat Ali was the most successful bowler for Baluchistan; he took 5 for 138 in 35 overs. Baluchistan got off to a poor start, losing their openers with only 4 runs on the board. Rehan Rafiq, along with Saeed Anwar Junior, steadied the early wobble but both failed to capitalise on starts, and were dismissed by Khalil. Punjab kept picking up wickets and bowled Baluchistan out for 107. Baluchistan were 10 for 1 in their second innings at stumps.A century from Shan Masood, and half-centuries from Umar Amin and Babar Naeem, gave Federal Areas a lead of 248 at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province had to toil in the field, and only managed to take six wickets in the day, with Waqar Ahmed and Khalid Usman taking two each. Afaq Raheem and Masood resumed the day on 130 for 1. Raheem missed a century – he was dismissed for 83 – but Masood and Amin put together a 76-run partnership to take Federal Areas past Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s total of 205. Masood went on to score 127, and a quick 57 from Naeem cemented Federal Areas’ dominance. They ended the day on 453 for 7 and could extend their lead on the third day.

Brad Haddin spent his first full day as Australia’s vice-captain insisting Michael Clarke, his new master, is the right man for the top job

Peter English31-Dec-2010Brad Haddin spent his first full day as Australia’s vice-captain insisting Michael Clarke, his new master, is the right man for the top job. A new cricket leader is usually a time for celebration in this country, but Clarke’s appointment for Monday’s fifth Ashes Test at the SCG has been greeted with extreme caution.Ricky Ponting is missing the match due to a broken finger and Clarke enters the fixture in poor form and with only pockets of public support. None of that matters to Haddin, who says the team is 100% behind the leader.”He is ready to do this job,” Haddin said at the SCG. “He’d be excited about the prospect of captaining Australia and he will do a very, very good job. We’re 100% behind him and, being a good mate of mine, I’ll support him in any way I can. He deserves to be in this position … he’s the best man for the job.”Haddin, 33, said the public reaction to all the Australian players changed from week to week. However, Clarke’s rating among large sections of the community, particularly in his home state of New South Wales, has been more consistent. His lack of runs in the series – 148 in eight innings – hasn’t helped endear Clarke to the detractors and the lukewarm response adds to the pressure on the country’s 43rd Test captain.”You are one good innings away, or sometimes one good cover drive away, from the support being with you,” Haddin said. “Michael is a very strong character so things will be okay. He has got a very good cricket brain and you saw that through the T20 World Cup [when Australia made the final]. He thinks a lot about the game, he is going to do a very good job.”Haddin, who hopes his elevation is temporary, has played 31 Tests since replacing the retired Adam Gilchrist in the middle of 2008. He has leadership experience with New South Wales and gets a close-up view of the game as wicketkeeper. It will be interesting to watch how he juggles his post as one of the team’s verbal enforcers with his new responsibilities.The first aim for Australia is to show some signs of collective improvement after being thoroughly out-played in three of the four matches. The hosts are upset to have failed in their push to regather the urn – Haddin said the results were “unacceptable” – but they will aim to take comfort in a victory in Sydney.”It’s disappointing we have lost the Ashes and we are disappointed in our own performance, but you have to move on pretty quick in sport,” he said. “We have to win this Test match to make this series 2-all.”

Rachael Haynes and Shelley Nitschke helped Australia continue their winning run in the Rose Bowl series as they set up a 102-run victory in the fifth ODI

Cricinfo staff18-Feb-2010
ScorecardRachael Haynes made an unbeaten 75•Getty Images

Rachael Haynes and Shelley Nitschke helped Australia continue their winning run in the Rose Bowl series as they set up a 102-run victory in the fifth ODI. Haynes made an unbeaten 75 as Australia posted 8 for 240 before Nitschke grabbed 4 for 24 and Ellyse Perry took 3 for 33 to skittle New Zealand for 137.The match was reduced to 45 overs a side following an unusual delay shortly after Australia’s innings began. The umpires called a temporary halt to the game due to concerns about the pitch after some balls reared violently off the surface, but play resumed and Haynes had no trouble with the conditions.She and Nitschke (43) put on 50 for the third wicket and useful lower-order contributions from Jess Cameron with 33 and Perry (30) kept the pressure on the visitors, whose best bowler was Abby Burrows with 3 for 27. In reply, New Zealand’s batting failed to show much improvement at the end of a disappointing 50-over campaign.Nicola Browne’s 37 was the major innings but she had too little support as Perry and Nitschke caused problems. The teams now head to Hobart for three Twenty20 internationals.