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Ian Bell continued his excellent recent form with a half-century at Edgbaston as he returned to red-ball cricket

Jon Culley at Edgbaston12-Jul-2012
ScorecardSteve Magoffin eventually forced a mistake after Ian Bell had made a half-century•Getty ImagesSeven of the last 12 days of scheduled cricket at Edgbaston had been complete washouts, including four days of international cricket, so in a summer in which spectators have been grateful for any entertainment, the 65 overs possible before another wet weather front announced its arrival were well received, not least because they contained more evidence of the wonderful form in which England’s Ian Bell currently finds himself.The only disappointment was that it amounted only to 57 runs, ending unexpectedly with a mistimed pull that went straight to the fielder at midwicket. The ball before had been driven past mid-off with superb timing, bringing him his 10th boundary, but Steve Magoffin, Sussex’s Australian seamer, then served up a shorter delivery, effectively a long hop. It should have been despatched but perhaps Bell was taken a little by surprise.Nonetheless, Bell had served his own purpose, which was to keep himself ticking over ahead of next week’s opening Test against South Africa. After a run of six scores of 53 or above in eight innings, including the brilliant 126 at the start of the one-day series against West Indies, he has hardly looked a batsman in need of practice and was given the option to miss this match, in common with his clubmate, Jonathan Trott, who chose to rest.But Bell took the view that form against the white ball is not necessarily the same as form against the red ball and decided to play, which was all the more commendable given that his wife, Chantal, who is expecting their first child, had a morning appointment to undergo a routine ultrasound scan that he also wanted to attend. In the event, aided by a 12 noon start, he was able to do both.”It’s all down the individual, whatever gets you in the right frame of mind for a Test match,” he said. “With the weather we have had it is good to get any time in the middle. I have been feeling in good nick and I just want to keep that going.”I’ve never felt that nets give me the best preparation for a Test match. I don’t know whether that makes me a bit old school but I always feel that if I can get 50 in the middle it gets me in a better place than a hundred nets. If we go to The Oval and we have to train indoors, say, at least I’ve got this under my belt.”It was a bit of a scramble getting here. I didn’t arrive on the ground until half an hour before the start and Jim Troughton was ready to go in at three if necessary. But Ashley Giles and Jim were brilliant. They said to take all the time I needed and slot in where I could, but it worked out well in the end.”It took Bell a while, in the event, to shake off his one-day instincts, as Monty Panesar discovered when his erstwhile England colleague went down the pitch to him twice in his first few deliveries. Panesar had been bowling well, as he has for much of the season, and it looked as though Bell wanted to take an aggressive approach, perhaps to knock the left-armer out of his rhythm.In fact, Bell had to fight against himself, to rein himself in, but it did make for entertaining viewing and Panesar’s figures took something of a hit as a result.Troughton, as captain, would have been pleased to be 175 for 3. His decision to bat first, given that the field has taken so much water, looked to be a slight gamble, but Varun Chopra and Will Porterfield batted sensibly and had put on 66 before the latter, looking well set, was leg before to Panesar, playing back to a ball that skidded through the rough.James Anyon and Naved Arif Gondal struggled with their line for Sussex but Magoffin was dangerous and Panesar tight and challenging. He had Chopra well tied down at one stage and claimed him as his second victim just after lunch. Chopra seemed unhappy with umpire Steve Gale’s leg before verdict, perhaps thinking he was too well forward, but these days the benefit of the doubt is less readily awarded.

Steven Finn was confident of a smooth transition between the England captaincy regimes of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook

George Dobell30-Aug-2012If there were any doubts about the smooth transition between the captaincy regimes of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, they should have been largely dispelled by the comments of Steven Finn ahead of the third ODI of the series between England and South Africa at the Oval.Finn, in many ways, represents the new England. Aged just 23, he has the talent to represent the international team in all formats for much of the next decade. While still perceived as a relatively junior member of the attack, he is quickly emerging as the most dangerous bowler and, having come through the England system from Under-16 level, he is well-placed to speak about life as part of the England development programme.Finn’s experience as an England player also reflects that of many of the next generation. Like Jonny Bairstow and James Taylor, Finn has played under the captaincy of Strauss and Cook and understands that, while the personality of the captain may have changed, the policies and principles that have governed this side for some time have not.Finn actually made his Test debut under Cook, called into the England squad for the tour of Bangladesh in early 2010. But, as a county colleague of Strauss at Middlesex, he has known him for even longer.”The first time I met him was when I was 14,” Finn said. “I was bowling in the indoor nets just before he was going off to the West Indies for a one-day tour, I think.”I jagged one down to him, he ducked under it and fell over. I remember the coach shouting from the back of the net, ‘You just got put on your arse by a 14-year-old!’ That was the first time I ever met him. It was quite a surreal scenario: a 14-year-old bowling to an England player and eventually being in the same team as him.”But Cook was the one who told me I was making my Test debut, so that always holds a great place in my heart. He made it very easy for a young player to come into an England team and just settle in, go about my business. That was the first experience I had of being in an England dressing-room and Alastair was excellent at welcoming me in and making me feel like one of the boys.”I think the transition between the two will be smooth. Alastair has been used to working with Andy Flower as one-day captain. Alastair may have his own plans to introduce to the Test team but I would imagine the fundamentals will be very similar. We won’t see a drastic change and I think that’s good for us as a team.”Finn, like most of the England players, was only informed of Strauss’ decision to retire after the ODI on Tuesday night. He was also among those to be given a letter from Strauss.”It was a surprise,” Finn said. “There were some shocked faces in the dressing room when we were told. Obviously it’s a disappointing time when somebody who has been so great and inspirational for us as a team and a sport steps down from their position. Yes, there were some sad and disappointed people.'”He’s been a massive part of my career. It’s been great to have him there at first slip when he’s come back to Middlesex and to have him there to bounce ideas off and talk about different scenarios has been fantastic.”He didn’t want to be influenced by other people. That’s part of the reason he didn’t talk to the players before his decision. The letter just said he’d had a great time leading us and has been very proud leading us. We’ve been very proud to have him as our captain.”But Cooky is a similar sort of leader to Straussy. He leads from the front as an opening batsman. He goes out and sets the tone, which is very good for a captain. He’s grown into his role as a one-day captain and we’ve played quite aggressive cricket, especially with the way we’ve attacked people with ball and bat. I have a slip quite a lot when I’m bowling, which you don’t always see in ODI cricket. That can only bode well for the future.”While the end result of Tuesday’s ODI was a thumping win for South Africa, Finn made the perfectly reasonable point that the margins between the sides were perhaps not quite as big as might be presumed from the scorecard. England’s opening bowlers, Finn and James Anderson, beat the bat frequently in the early overs and might, with a little bit of luck, have claimed several early wickets.”Amla had a couple of lives,” Finn said. “We could have had either him or Graeme Smith quite early. I thought we bowled well up front and we could have taken a couple of wickets, but it wasn’t to be. Amla is obviously in very good form at the moment and people are allowed to play well against us and we have to find a way to counteract that.”As an opening bowler who has played a fair amount of county cricket in recent times, Finn might be expected to have well-informed views about the potential top-order replacement for Strauss in the Test team. While he was reluctant to be drawn on the issue, it was interesting to note the two names he mentioned: Nick Compton, who is enjoying a prolific season for Somerset, and Michael Carberry, who enjoyed a brief taste of Test cricket alongside Finn in 2010.”There are some excellent guys out there,” Finn said. “Nick Compton has had an excellent season, Michael Carberry has played international cricket as an opening batsman in Bangladesh. We made our debut together. So there are definitely guys out there are more than capable of coming in and playing Test cricket.”

Zaheer Khan has been hailed as the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian bowling as their captain, MS Dhoni, seeks to rouse the confidence of his leading strike bowler

David Hopps22-Sep-2012Zaheer Khan has been hailed as the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian bowling as their captain, MS Dhoni, seeks to rouse the confidence of his leading strike bowler in India’s final Group A match against England at R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.The match is meaningless in terms of qualification, with both sides through to the Super Eights, but it holds much significance for India as they look for the sort of improved form from Zaheer that will enable them to stay true to their policy of fielding only four frontline bowlers.If Zaheer is to mark his 34th birthday by playing in the final of World Twenty20, both he and India will need to discover better form.”It is easier to go after a bowler,” Dhoni said after a practice session at P Sara Stadium. “If you look at his performances he should get equal respect that Sachin gets. He is the Sachin for us when it comes to the bowling department.”He has led out attack for the last few years; he has been our best bowler whatever the format. Maybe in the last few games he has not got the wickets whether it be Test cricket, ODIs or T20 formats.”Zaheer’s three overs cost 32 in an uncomfortable India win against Afghanistan and you have to go back to the Sydney Test against Australia in January to discover a match in which he has taken more than two wickets. That was 19 matches ago, in all competitions.Until Sri Lanka’s pitches begin to tire, and become more conducive to turn, Zaheer’s form leaves a flaky Indian bowling attack particularly vulnerable. In comparing him to Tendulkar, Dhoni has played his biggest card of all.Zaheer is likely to play against England, and India are likely to retain their seven-batsmen balance, but there will be changes in personnel. L Balaji might be rested, as might R Ashwin, enabling Piyush Chawla and Ashok Dinda to advance their claims. But it is Zaheer whose performance will come under most scrutiny.”We have a chance of giving Zaheer a few games because we are in that stage where we can look to do that,” Dhoni said, “But other players who are part of the side we also want to give games to them so that in the knockout stage everybody has had a few games.”We are looking to make a few changes to our playing X1 so that most of the players get at least one game before going into the next stage. Later on if we are looking to play with the fifth bowler we will be able to play the fifth bowler who suits the conditions the best.”It may happen in this game but see how it goes in the coming game and then we will be in a better position to decide in the next stage whether we have to play with five bowlers or we can manage with four.”India still feel constrained by the fact that it was their seventh batsman, Rohit Sharma, who made runs in the 12-a-side warm-up against Pakistan and so is not easily disposable when so many other batsmen are yet to strike form.The warning to Zaheer was clear. “If you are playing with four bowlers and a part-timer, one of the bowlers can have an off-day at any time,” Dhoni said. “But if one becomes two then there is considerable amount of pressure about how you will manage the resources. It is only a few games that we have in our hand. We hope being the experienced cricketer he is, he gets back and really works for us.”

In conditions that will bear no resemblance to those in the first Test, England are learning little from their warm-up matches

George Dobell in Ahmedabad10-Nov-2012
ScorecardRahul Dewan became only the second Haryana batsman to carry his bat in a first-class match•AFPLike studying for a maths exam by brushing up on the names of the Tudor monarchs, England will have gained little benefit from the third day of their gameagainst Haryana. On a pitch that bears no comparison to that on which the Test will be played and against opponents with little in common with those in theirnational team, England were obliged to spend four sessions in the field under a hot sun. They could be forgiven for having moments when they wished this wasa three day match rather than four.The day was not completely wasted. England’s bowlers, the second string though they are, will have all benefited from a thorough work-out, while RahulDewan enjoyed a performance he will never forget by becoming just the second Haryana batsman to carry his bat in first-class cricket. His unbeaten 143 helpedHaryana to a total of 334 – their highest total this year – and ensured that his side avoided a rout. Only two other men passed 17.Later, with England 188-ahead but eschewing the chance of enforcing the follow-on, Jonathan Trott and Nick Compton opened the batting and, utterlyuntroubled, posted an unbroken 118-run partnership to take their lead to 305 with a day remaining. But, offered only a diet of unthreatening seam bowling, theywill have learned little from the experience. They faced just two overs of spin.The conditions on offer in this match will bear little relation with those in the Test. While this game is being played on an even-paced pitch offering nothing tobowlers, the pitch in the main stadium – this game is being played on the ‘B’ ground – has been re-laid as recently as September. The clay content in the surfacehas been changed – from pond clay to farm clay – and reduced – more sand has been added – with a view to it breaking up more quickly. While no-one canpredict with any certainty how a new pitch will play – there has been no game of any note on it as yet – it appears that batting could become far more difficult asthe match progresses. Winning the toss and batting first would appear to offer a disproportionate advantage.It remains to be seen if any of England’s bowlers in this game make it into the team for the first Test. While neither Steven Finn or Stuart Broad bowled inpractise, they were both able to train as planned. The England camp is increasingly confident that Finn will be fit for the Test, while they remain insistent thatGraeme Swann will have returned to India in good time and that Broad, too, will have recovered. Matt Prior, having recovered from his stomach upset, was also able toplay a full part on day three.Stuart Meaker was the pick of the England bowlers on the third day, but he may have to pay his dues for a little while longer. It is not in the nature of thisEngland set-up to fast-track any player into the side. But Meaker, called into the squad only a week ago and short of bowling since the end of the Englishdomestic season, has been the only bowler on either side to generate anything at all out of this benign surface. Amit Mishra was caught behind off one thatbounced a little more expected, Jayand Yadav was beaten for pace and Chanderpal Sani’s enterprising innings – he helped add 60 for the ninth wicket – was ended when thebatsman played across a straight one.”I certainly haven’t done myself any harm by taking a few wickets,” Meaker said, while accepting that his chances of forcing his way into the Test team wereslim. “Looking at how Steven Finn is going, he’s getting closer and closer to being ready. But I look at it more long term: it’s a great chance for me to show thenew Test captain I can perform in these conditions and that will bode well for a future Test call.”Tim Bresnan, too, could feel satisfied with his performance. He soon dismissed Sandeep Singh, who edged a tentative prod, and will have pushed himself intocontention for the Test side.Graham Onions was not at his best. Both short of bowling and increasingly weary, he struggled with his line and was outbowled by both his seam bowlingcolleagues. He enjoyed little luck, though, and was most unfortunate to see Compton put down a straightforward chance at gully offered by Amit Vashisht.England’s catching – or, more accurately, their lack of catching – remains a concern. Three times the ball flew between Prior and Alastair Cook, at first slip,with Cook far from convincing in the cordon. Trott, who was the unfortunate bowler on one occasion, also put down Sanjay Budhwar at first slip, off KevinPietersen, the ball before he was caught at second slip. As Pietersen put it afterwards “I should be on a hat-trick.”Still, it was a special day for Dewan. Once deemed a bright enough prospect to win the Indian under 22 player of the year award (for the 2007-08 season), hehas a first-class score of 254 not out to his name but, in the T20 age, has struggled to progress. While not blessed with the widest range of strokes, he was disciplinedand, generally waiting on the back foot, proved particularly effective at steering anything short through point. Typically he brought up his century – the sixth ofhis first-class career – with a cut to the boundary off Samit Patel. He was dropped on day two when he had 14 and, on 87, might have been caught by Cook offTrott. Instead Cook failed to react and the ball sped to the boundary. Jitender Singh, who made 107 out of a total of 270 against Karnataka in 1998-99, is theonly previous Haryana player to carry his bat in a first-class game.”This attack is a notch higher than first-class attacks,” he said afterwards. “All the bowlers bowled well. They bowled in the right areas and didn’t give manyloose balls. They were all on the money I would say. But there was nothing for them in the wicket, so it wasn’t very tough to handle them.”

England’s bowling coach David Saker has turned down an offer to become director of cricket at Warwickshire, saying that he still has “unfinished business”.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2013David Saker has turned down a chance to become director of cricket at Warwickshire, saying that the prospect of back-to-back Ashes tours in the next year and the 2015 World Cup has left him “unfinished business” with England.Saker first revealed to ESPNcricinfo last month that he was attracted by the role relinquished by Ashley Giles last month after he took over day-to-day coaching duties with England’s one-day sides and Warwickshire were interested enough to pursue the matter.However, exploratory talks over the weekend have not come to fruition, leaving Saker to commit his future to England as he prepared to leave on Thursday with the team for their tours of India and New Zealand over the next three months.He told the : “I had talks with Warwickshire and it was certainly an attractive offer they made. But it has come a little too early for me. I have unfinished business with the England team and I would like to take that through at least until the end of the 2015 World Cup.”Warwickshire’s chairman Norman Gascoigne insisted that a firm offer had not been made. “We contacted David to clarify the situation with him and ask whether he wanted to apply or not. He came back to us and said that the timing was not right for him and that he intended to continue with England. That is as far as it went. I can categorically say that at no stage did we offer him the job.”Saker, lives south of Birmingham and, as a fulltime member of England’s backroom staff, still must withstand the heavy travelling demands that have caused Andy Flower to relinquish day-to-day management of England’s one-day sides to Giles.Since funding his own flight from Australia to be interviewed for the job, he has played a leading role in England’s home and away Ashes wins as well as victory in the Test series in India. He must be due a refund on his original ticket.His emphasis on the psychology and methodology involved in fast bowling, rather than biomechanics, has had a positive effect on England’s fast-bowling attack.His decision to stay with England increases the likelihood that Warwickshire will follow Giles’ initial recommendation and appoint somebody with links to the county.

Marlon Samuels has accused Shane Warne of “desperate” behaviour after escaping with a reprimand for his part in an ugly confrontation with Warne during the Big Bash League

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2013Marlon Samuels has accused Shane Warne of “desperate” behaviour unbecoming for a legend of the game after escaping with a reprimand for his part in an ugly confrontation with Warne during the Big Bash League.Samuels also called for BBL organisers to adopt a more disciplined attitude towards player behaviour to ensure the right example was set to the family audience that the tournament is so anxious to attract.”It’s not a war, it’s a game,” he said. “We’re here to entertain people, but we’re here to show love to one another as cricketers as well.”Samuels was found guilty of unbecoming behaviour in his confrontation with Warne during the Melbourne derby between the Renegades and the Stars on January 6. He threw his bat away in frustration after he was struck on the body by a return from Warne, but the BBL’s Code of Conduct commissioner John Price ruled that he had received “extreme provocation”.Samuels has been recuperating in Australia after suffering a severe facial injury when he failed to hook a bouncer from Lasith Malinga in the same match, but it was his stand-off with Warne which remained on his mind as he spoke about the affair for the first time to .”There were a lot of kids in the ground – Twenty20 is about family – so I couldn’t afford to react in a very bad way,” he said. “I was able to come out on top with him behaving the way that he was behaving. He’s supposed to be a legend in Australia. What he did was give me the stripes so I am the legend now.”Warne’s aggressive outburst, which involved swearing, finger jabbing and tugging at Samuels’ shirt, originated from an incident much earlier in the game in which Samuels seemed to have physically hampered David Hussey’s attempts to take a second run. But the charge arising from that incident – that he “engaged in deliberate or inappropriate physical contact with a player or official” – was dismissed.Warne served a one-game suspension, and was fined $4500, for his clash with Melbourne Renegades player Marlon Samuels. He was fined for a second time on Monday, this time for breaching the CA Code of Behaviour when he handed the captaincy to James Faulkner in an effort to avoid a ban for slow over rates in the semi-final against the Perth Scorchers.Samuels said Warne had gone too far in trying to unsettle him. ”You can talk in a game and try to get into someone’s head, but you don’t get physical. That’s what he did. He took it to the next level, which was just way overboard. He was a very desperate man doing desperate things. That’s not the way you go about it when you’re the face of the tournament with kids looking on.”Samuels was infuriated that only Malinga among the Stars side checked on his welfare as he left the field bleeding from an eye wound, but he praised the support he had received from the Renegades and vowed that he would only represent them in the BBL. From the ugliest of incidents came a rare sign of player loyalty in the money-buys-all world of Twenty20.”This tournament is a very good tournament, but whoever’s running the tournament has to take some positive steps by showing more discipline,” he said. ”The behaviour is poor. Every game you have people in other people’s face. Remember, T20 is for family and kids. You’re trying to pull a big crowd. It’s not a boxing game.”The same BBL commission cleared Darren Berry, the Adelaide Strikers coach, of unbecoming behaviour when he confronted Samuels earlier in the tournament and offered a pointed critique of the West Indian’s bowling action.

Tim Bresnan has undergone a second surgery on his right elbow, but is anticipated to return to competitive cricket early in the English summer

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2013Tim Bresnan has undergone a second surgery on his right elbow, but is anticipated to return to competitive cricket early in the English summer.Bresnan travelled to the USA for an operation described as “uncomplicated” by the England and Wales Cricket Board. He will now begin a period of rehabilitation in a bid to find a solution to a problem that has dogged him for well over a year.Bresnan underwent the first operation on his right elbow in December 2011 and has struggled to regain top form since. He finished 2012 with two wicketless Tests in India, following a lean series against South Africa, and often appeared down on pace. Before the operation, Bresnan possessed a Test bowling average of 25.46; since it, he has averaged 55.43.Bresnan will have his eyes set on being available for the New Zealand series at home, which starts in late May, but a more realistic aim could be the Champions Trophy where England are keen for him to take the No. 7 slot in their ODI side to enable them to play five frontline bowlers in home conditions. He also hopes to go on Yorkshire’s pre-season tour of Barbados.An ECB spokesman said: “England and Yorkshire bowler Tim Bresnan has undergone an uncomplicated operation on his right elbow to remove extra bone and scar tissue. Bresnan will now commence a 6-8 week rehabilitation and back to bowling programme before returning to competitive cricket early in the summer.”

Thilan Samaraweera has retired from international cricket after being left out of the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Mar-2013Thilan Samaraweera has retired from international cricket after being left out of the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle, which starts on March 8. Samaraweera had sent a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday informing it of his intention and the board has now accepted his decision.”I was shocked with my omission from the squad against Bangladesh,” Samaraweera said, adding he had been told by the selectors that they may need him to play Pakistan later this year.”There was no point in waiting for nine months. I respect the decision of the selectors to go with young players and decided it was the right time for me to retire.”SLC wanted him to play against Bangladesh – perhaps a farewell Test – but Samaraweera declined because he felt the time was right to retire.”I never wanted a farewell match because if you’re not good enough to be in the 15-man squad, there’s nowhere in the world you can play in the first XI,” the 36-year-old Samaraweera said. “I didn’t want to be selfish and deprive a youngster of his place by requesting to play in a farewell Test.”Samaraweera’s decision to retire was brought on as much by a lack of Test matches for Sri Lanka in 2013, as his non-selection for the first Test against Bangladesh. Apart from the two home Tests in March, Sri Lanka only have one away tour to Zimbabwe during the year, which Samaraweera was unlikely to attend in any case, before the year-end tour to Pakistan. A proposed series against South Africa was postponed to 2015.”I may not have retired so early if the Test series against West Indies and South Africa had not been postponed because as a cricketer you’d always want to play against the number one team which is South Africa at the moment.”Samaraweera will leave for England next week to represent county side Worcestershire during the 2013 season. “I will take a decision at the end of the English season whether to retire from first-class cricket,” he said.His international career comes to a close after a woeful tour of Australia, where he made 79 runs in six innings. He reclaimed form in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition since then, hitting 464 runs at 92.8 in four matches. Samaraweera was originally left out of Sri Lanka’s preliminary Test squad for the Bangladesh series, but was later called into that squad when Mahela Jayawardene’s finger injury ruled him out of the series. He could not find a place in the final 16, however.In a letter to media, Samaraweera thanked the coaches, clubs, team-mates and family who had supported him through his career, and laid out the reason for his retirement. “Although I have not lost the power of my passion to make a comeback, my ethics of reasoning does not interest me to do so at this hour where the obvious focus should be to find a balance in the prospects we have for the future,” he said.Samaraweera has played 81 Tests, and scored 5462 runs at 48.76, with 14 hundreds. He was primarily an offspinner at the beginning of his domestic career, but transformed himself into a secure, if dour, middle-order batsman, in order to break into the Sri Lanka side in the time of Muttiah Muralitharan. He also played 53 ODIs, but his conservative style of play never made him a natural fit for the shorter formats, even after he began improving his stroke range later on in his career.Samaraweera’s Test career has had several starts, most notably when he came back from being shot during the 2009 Lahore attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus, after he had made double-hundreds in back-to-back Tests in Pakistan. Samaraweera had surgery to remove the bullet which had travelled 12 inches into his thigh, and underwent months of physical and psychological therapy, before returning to the Test side four months later.He was dropped for more than a year in 2006, and again for one series in 2011, but he returned triumphantly from his second layoff to play his most memorable Test innings – a first innings 102 which enabled Sri Lanka to win their first Test in South Africa, in Durban.Though he had received a central contract from SLC, Sri Lanka’s selectors had expressed a desire to build a youthful Test side in 2013, and was unlikely to play a major role in what little Test cricket Sri Lanka had scheduled.

Gautam Gambhir has said that he should be fit in time to play the first match of the Indian Premier League against Delhi Daredevils on April 3

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2013Gautam Gambhir has said that he should be fit in time to play the first match of the Indian Premier League against Delhi Daredevils on April 3. Gambhir, who was dropped from the Test squad against Australia for the first two Tests and then missed out due to a bout of jaundice, had resumed training and was keen on getting back into the groove.”I started out slowly as I hadn’t played for 10 days, and the fatigue is still there,” he said in an interview to the . “But I should be available for the first match (April 3). We have a long break after that, which should give me enough time to recuperate.”Gambir, who captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title last year and was the second-highest run-getter in the season, said that he didn’t regret not being part of the side that beat Australia by a historic margin of 4-0. “Playing for India is my biggest motivation, but not the only one,” he said. “As a sportsperson, I want to keep performing. I hadn’t played for Delhi in a long time, so it felt great to be back. That we won the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 17-18 years made it doubly special. I just want to make runs that help my team win. I don’t want to complicate things. I want to keep my cricket and my life simple by scoring runs.”His lack of match practice going into the IPL, however, isn’t a cause for concern. KKR coach Trevor Bayliss said that Gambhir and Jacques Kallis were players who would prove their experience once the competition begins. “At the same time, we have a squad with highly effective players in the middle order, who can handle the responsibility they have been entrusted with,” Bayliss added.Bayliss also admitted there would be pressure on KKR in the tournament as they seek to defend their title. “In a way, our achievements last season do bring in a bit of extra pressure,” Bayliss said in an interview to the . “But at the end of the day, it’s a good feeling to start a competition as the defending champions. We need to carry on with the momentum we had gained last year.”England batsman Eoin Morgan, Lakshmipathy Balaji and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla joined the team in Kolkata on Thursday.

He may have had to accept a draw in his maiden match as Surrey captain, but Graeme Smith welcomed the first steps on his new journey with cautious optimism.

George Dobell at The Oval20-Apr-2013
ScorecardGraeme Smith, sharing a laugh with Marcus Trescothick, enjoyed his first game with his new club•PA PhotosHe may have had to accept a draw in his maiden match as Surrey captain, but Graeme Smith welcomed the first steps on his new journey with cautious optimism.Perhaps, if Steven Davies had held on to a tough chance from Alviro Petersen early in his second innings, and perhaps, if Surrey had included another seamer, they might even have forced victory in this game. Perhaps it was simply the loss of more than a session to rain on day two that was decisive.But, after everything that has happened at Surrey in the last 12 months, it would be wrong to judge success purely by winning or losing. Smith, a mature leader who had seen his share of triumph and disaster, knows this. He is committed to the club for the long haul and saw plenty to encourage him in the display of his new team-mates.”Everyone is speaking a lot about last year,” Smith said. “So for the players it is good to have taken the step into the new season and set those new parameters and boundaries. It’s good to move away from the experiences of last year.”We want to get the enjoyment back. We want to play good tough cricket. That’s what we are trying to instil in the club.”I certainly enjoyed the four days. We have got a lot out of it – a lot of positives – and I think we finished the four days the stronger team. It was good to see that character from them.”As it was, this match petered out. Or Petersened out, if you prefer. The South African opener came within nine of becoming the first man to score a century in both innings of his maiden first-class match for Somerset. As it is, he will have to be content with overtaking Cameron White as the highest aggregate scorer in his first game for the club. The last man to score 100 in his maiden first-class game for Somerset was, unlikely though it sounds, Andrew Strauss. He made an unbeaten 109 against the Indians at Taunton in 2011.While Petersen has quickly proved himself a decent overseas signing – with the only caveat being that he will play on many trickier surfaces than this – perhaps of more long-term significance was the performance of Jos Buttler. It would be wrong to read too much into one innings on a flat track but, at a time when Somerset were threatening to coax some drama out of a routine situation, he held firm against some demanding bowling and with his team under some pressure. With time running out, he fell to a catch on the long on boundary attempting to reach his third first-class century with a six.

With Buttler, it is the strokes he does not play that are as relevant as those he does. No-one doubts his ability to hit the ball cleanly or conjure outrageous strokes. It is his ability to defend and deny that remains in doubt

With Buttler, it is the strokes he does not play that are as relevant as those he does. No-one doubts his ability to hit the ball cleanly or conjure outrageous strokes. It is his ability to defend and deny that remains in doubt. So, while the last 40 or so runs of this innings might linger longest in the memory – he produced some of those trademark straight drives and several powerful pulls as he accelerated in search of his century – it was the first 50 that really impressed. It showed a young man responding to his team’s needs with a restrained, mature performance that exhibited a decent defence and an ability to leave and play straight. The runs that followed, with the game saved, were soft.The cause of Somerset’s earlier predicament was Stuart Meaker. After a disappointing first innings display, he bowled with pace, swing and accuracy in the second. He dismissed two England opening batsmen – Marcus Trescothick drawn into playing at one that left him and Nick Compton punished for playing slightly across an inswinging yorker – on the way to the ninth five-wicket haul of his career. The ability to dismiss such high-quality players on such flat pitches is precious.Had he enjoyed more support, Surrey may well have prevailed. Jade Dernbach continued to bowl well, but the selection of a second spinner instead of a really effective third seamer hampered Surrey. Gary Keedy bowled 37.5 overs in the match and claimed only one wicket – caught on the boundary – for 116 runs.Later Meaker beat Alfonso Thomas for pace, when an understandably timid forward prod brought an inside edge on to the stumps, and sustained Peter Trego’s grim run of form – he has suffered three ducks already this season – by inducing an outside edge and then beat Jamie Overton for pace, too. The only concern was that he was forced off with a thigh strain and must be considered a doubt ahead of the next game.”Stuart is an X-factor cricketer,” Smith said afterwards. “He has the pace; he has the skill. He has an interesting winter – going on tour with England but not really playing – and confidence is very important. He’ll go on to be successful.”At one stage, with Somerset on 82 for 4 and leading by just 98, it seemed he might have earned his side an unlikely chance of victory. But Davies dropped Petersen down the leg side – Zander de Bruyn was the unfortunate bowler – when he had scored only 13 and he and Buttler added 111 for the fifth-wicket to make the game safe. Petersen has already scored more runs (235 at an average of 21.36; he only passed 20 once in 11 innings) than he managed in his seven-match stint with Essex last year. Essex’s record of reducing their team to far less than the sum of its parts is remarkable.”Alviro was the difference in this game,” Smith said. “His runs kept Somerset ahead of the game. He is an outstanding player and he showed that in both innings.”The pitch didn’t deteriorate as much as we thought it would. We thought it would turn more. Maybe we could have with an extra seamer. But we were under pressure at the end of day two but have finished the match the stronger of the two sides, so that is very pleasing. We would love to have wickets with good pace and bounce. It’s been a long, rough winter for the surface.”We were looking at big improvement from the batting unit from last year, so to have two guys make centuries under pressure was very good.”I thought Rory Burns handled the pressure really well. He is a young guy, but he seems to understand his game and understand what it takes to be successful. And Steve Davies looked like he enjoyed his four days. His batting was controlled; his glovework was excellent. He was very tidy. If you don’t notice a keeper they’ve done well. I think he went unnoticed. If he can bat like that and keep like that it will be a very successful season for him.”Smith, meanwhile, is already hinting that he may like to extend his stay. While he dismissed any suggestion of any imminent retirement from international cricket with South Africa, he did not rule out the possibility of registering as a Kolpak or extending his deal as an overseas player in the future.”At the end of your career, if the opportunities come, you never know,” Smith said. “Obviously I have three years at Surrey and if things go well I would love to extend that opportunity. I have signed for three years for a reason. If I have more to offer then I’d love to stay.”It was easy to see why. On a perfect summer day, a crowd of just under 1,400 witnessed the conclusion of a good quality game between two fine sides. The club has been through a harrowing episode that will never be forgotten but quietly and respectfully, the smile is returning to the face of Surrey cricket.