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Luke Ronchi played a second consecutive match-winning innings to not only win the Twenty20 series for New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium but also indicate that his flagging international career might have turned a corner

The Report by George Binoy15-Jan-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThis win gave New Zealand the series•Getty ImagesLuke Ronchi played a second consecutive match-winning innings to not only win the Twenty20 series for New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium but also indicate that his flagging international career might have turned a corner. His 51 off 28 balls, a maiden T20 half-century scored at a similar pace to his blitz at Eden Park, and his 68-run partnership with Ross Taylor revived a stumbling chase, ensuring West Indies could not make a late comeback to level the series, like they had in the ODIs.Their efforts backed up clinical spells from Nathan McCullum and Adam Milne, who had conceded less than a run a ball and taken wickets round the halfway stage of West Indies’ innings, to limit them to a par score on a ground with large boundaries. That the visitors got to 159 was only because Denesh Ramdin, who replaced Kieran Powell, also scored his maiden T20 fifty, in his 36th game.Ronchi had averaged only 15 in 13 ODI innings for New Zealand and it’s arguable that he lasted this long only because Brendon McCullum hasn’t been fit enough to keep wickets. He was Man of the Match in the first T20 and he began his innings today with New Zealand having slipped from 36 for 1 to 79 for 5, needing 81 off 57 deliveries.He was watchful for his first few balls, before moving back into his crease to hoist Nikita Miller’s spin into the stands beyond midwicket. Ronchi then changed the game in the 15th over. With New Zealand needed 54 off 36, he carted Dwayne Bravo over deep midwicket and glanced to fine leg to take 16 runs off six balls. He continued to score boundaries off Sunil Narine and Jason Holder in the overs that followed, so when New Zealand’s anchor Ross Taylor fell, there was not much more to do.The equation had come down to 13 off 12 balls and Tino Best began the penultimate over with two dots. Jimmy Neesham then got an outside edge that screamed to the third-man boundary and put the next into the midwicket crowd, before hooking to finish the chase with an over to spare.Had West Indies taken the numerous opportunities they created, however, they might have finished their tour on a high. Ryder was dropped by Johnson Charles off the third ball of the chase, and went on to make 23 off 9; Brendon McCullum scored 7 more after he was dropped by Chadwick Walton on 10; and Taylor was on 5 and yards out of his crease when Walton missed a direct hit from cover. Taylor went on to be the steadying hand New Zealand needed, shelving his penchant for leg-side lofts during his 39 off 41 balls.Unlike West Indies, New Zealand were ace in the field. Martin Guptill set the standard when he ran to his left on the deep backward square leg boundary to catch Charles on the hook. And when Lendl Simmons’s was caught at point, West Indies were 37 for 2 after six overs with both Bravo and Andre Fletcher yet to score.Nathan McCullum bowled Bravo and did not concede a boundary in his spell, while Milne combined pace with accuracy to not concede more than six in any of his overs. They reduced West Indies to 67 for 4 in the 11th over, but the rest of New Zealand’s bowlers were expensive.Fletcher hit Corey Anderson for two consecutive fours, and Ramdin took him for consecutive sixes in successive overs, and he finished with figures of 4-0-50-0. Ramdin and Fletcher also ran hard between the wickets – keeping the number of dots in the innings to 41 – and they were eventually separated by a run-out. West Indies had scored 58 off the last five overs, but their top order had scored too few before that and their fielders let them down.

Mitchell Johnson took 12 wickets as Australia crushed South Africa by 281 runs in the first Test in Centurion

The Report by Brydon Coverdale15-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Johnson was too good for South Africa, taking 12 wickets in the match•AFPAs good as Mitchell Johnson was during the Ashes, he was never good. South Africa are the world’s No.1-ranked side, by a distance. They entered this match having lost only one of their past 19 Tests. Johnson not only dismantled them as a team, he almost dismembered them as individuals. He took a career-best 12 wickets as Australia cruised to a 281-run victory but just as important were the physical blows he landed. South Africa will not forget how intimidated they felt.As in the first innings, AB de Villiers was the only South Africa batsman who looked truly comfortable against Johnson. The rest were ill-equipped to handle his speed and bounce. He smashed Hashim Amla on the grille of the helmet first ball. He made Ryan McLaren bleed from the side of the head with an accurate bouncer. He jarred Vernon Philander on the fingers, then broke his bat. Those South Africans who merely lost their wickets were lucky.Johnson claimed 12 of them throughout the match, for 127 runs. He was the first Australia fast bowler since Bruce Reid in 1991 to take that many in a Test. Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle chipped in with two wickets each in the second innings and their contributions were valuable. But this was about Johnson. His pace was matched only by the speed of Alex Doolan’s reactions at short leg, where he took two of the most remarkable, reflex catches under the helmet.South Africa’s target of 482 never really looked anything more than a theoretical goal. Michael Clarke declared after 3.2 overs on the fourth morning because he had seen enough from the pitch to know that batting on it would be difficult. There were cracks, there was variable bounce, there was movement, there was danger. South Africa did not manage to see out the day; Australia’s sixth consecutive Test victory was secured when Morne Morkel was run out an hour into the final session.Graeme Smith was left to ponder his decision at the toss, when he sent Australia in and, in doing so, consigned his own men to batting last on a seriously tricky surface. Not that the pitch accounted for all the batsmen. Alviro Petersen edged behind in Johnson’s first over of the innings because he had to play at a well-directed ball angling across him. Smith himself departed in Johnson’s second over to the first of Doolan’s two outstanding takes.Clarke had placed Doolan in close, but slightly behind square and a touch deeper than usual, and Smith obligingly flicked the ball straight in that direction. Doolan’s reflexes kicked in and he grasped the catch with the kind of split-second reaction that was the trademark of another short-leg from Launceston, David Boon. Smith had middled the ball but could only shake his head as he walked off with the score at 12 for 2.That brought Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis together and they steadied somewhat during a 37-run partnership. Amla had done well to compose himself after being greeted first ball with a searing Johnson bumper that smashed into the grille of his helmet as he failed to get his bat up in time. Perhaps du Plessis should have been grateful that he was done by a ball that stayed low, not one that rose sharply. Siddle came wide of the crease and angled the ball in, hitting a crack just outside off and skidding into the shins of du Plessis, who was lbw for 18.Amla and de Villiers looked reasonable for a while but Amla’s solid resistance ended on 35 from 71 deliveries when he drove at a Harris delivery that just straightened enough to take the edge through to Shaun Marsh at first slip. JP Duminy stuck around for a while before he became the second of Doolan’s victims, this catch even better than the first. Duminy flicked Johnson off the middle of the bat and Doolan, in a more regular short-leg position, did not flinch. Instead, he moved his hands just enough to his left to parry the ball up and clutch it on the second or third grab.That left de Villiers with only the allrounders and bowlers to accompany him, and the end seemed nigh. Two balls before tea, McLaren was struck a vicious blow on the side of the helmet when he ducked into a 148kph Johnson bouncer. He bled but survived, although when he returned after the break he did not last long, tickling a catch through to Brad Haddin off another searingly fast short ball from Johnson, who at times was unplayable.The resistance shown by de Villiers ended on 48 when he was sharply taken by Steven Smith at cover off Johnson and from there the rest fell quickly. Robin Peterson was bowled by a Siddle ball that stayed so low it was almost a grubber, and Dale Steyn was taken at slip off Harris. Johnson broke Philander’s bat and nearly his hand but did not claim his wicket as Philander remained unbeaten on 26 when the final run-out occurred.Along the way, Johnson had become the seventh Australian to claim 250 Test wickets and not surprisingly picked up his fourth Man of the Match award from the past six Tests. South Africa might take solace from the fact that the next Test is in Port Elizabeth, where the pitch is generally slower. But they should note that Johnson’s finest Ashes Test of this summer was in Adelaide, on a sluggish surface. They have four days to work out how in the world to play him.

Usman Khawaja scored an unbeaten 182 as Queensland pulled off the second-highest chase in Sheffield Shield history, stunning South Australia by chasing down their target of 471 with five wickets in hand

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2014
ScorecardUsman Khawaja finished unbeaten on 182 (file photo)•Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja scored an unbeaten 182 as Queensland pulled off the second-highest chase in Sheffield Shield history, stunning South Australia by chasing down their target of 471 with five wickets in hand. The Bulls had started the final day at 2 for 170, still needing another 301 to win, and the early loss of Nick Stevens for 25 hurt Queensland’s dreams of achieving their goal.However, Khawaja had other ideas and combined with Peter Forrest for an 81-run stand that ended when Forrest was caught off the bowling of Daniel Worrall for 35. The Queensland captain James Hopes took up the challenge and joined with Khawaja for a 114-run partnership that pushed the Bulls to within 100 of their target when Hopes was caught off Gary Putland’s bowling for 58.But with 163 needed off 36 overs in the final session, Khawaja started scoring more freely and struck 23 boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 182 and had important help from Chris Hartley, who made 48 not out as they reached their target with 8.4 overs remaining. The win was comfortably Queensland’s highest ever chase and was second for all teams, only bettered by South Australia’s 6 for 506 against Queensland in 1991-92.

South Australia coach Darren Berry has expressed his frustration that a trial of pink balls and day-night Sheffield Shield cricket could help decide the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2014South Australia coach Darren Berry has expressed his frustration that a trial of pink balls and day-night Sheffield Shield cricket could help decide the tournament. All three matches in the next Shield round will be played as day-night fixtures trialling a pink ball against a black sight-screen as Cricket Australia remains keen to pursue night Test cricket in the coming seasons.The day-night round was announced in August and Cricket Australia said at the time that if successful, more day-night Shield games would be scheduled next summer with a view to hosting a night Test in 2015-16. Berry said that while such a trial was justified, he would have preferred it take place earlier in the summer.”All teams have got the same situation and whoever adapts best … but, yeah, round nine in Shield cricket – interesting timing,” Berry said. “If we’re going to experiment with anything, do it earlier rather than late. But both teams have got to do it. What we are going to get, I can’t tell you … it is unknown. No one really knows.”Only two rounds of the Shield campaign remain and the competition at the top of the points table is strong, with Western Australia and South Australia both on 26 points and New South Wales close behind on 24. South Australia are hoping to reach the Shield final for the first time since their 1995-96 triumph, although they have already shown vast improvements on their wooden spoons in the past four seasons.South Australia host New South Wales at Adelaide Oval in the day-night round, which starts next Monday. In the other pink-ball games, Victoria will play Tasmania at the MCG and Queensland will host Western Australia.

Sri Lanka’s selectors have reconciled with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, after their displeasure at not being informed of the senior players’ Twenty20 retirement plans had played out in public

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Mar-2014Sri Lanka’s selectors have reconciled with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, after their displeasure at not being informed of the senior players’ Twenty20 retirement plans had played out in public. Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said he had spoken to both players at length and eased the tension.”I had a very good chat with Sanga and Mahela. There was a small miscommunication from their part also, but nothing like that will happen again,” Jayasuriya said. “They have never had any problems with the selection committee, and they had always wanted to be in touch with me. But after this we had a very good talk.”Both Jayasuriya and fellow-selector Pramodya Wickaramasinghe had publically expressed dismay at learning of the retirements through media. Sangakkara had told a local paper “I won’t be playing T20 internationals after [World T20],” in the days before the team departed for the tournament, before Jayawardene announced his retirement through the ICC’s Twitter Mirror campaign, around 24 hours after the team touched down in Bangladesh.”Sanga said he didn’t mean to officially announce his retirement, and he only said it was his last tour,” Jayasuriya said. “So I know what happened, and we understand each other.” In the same interview in which Sangakkara had spoken of quitting T20s, he had said he would consult with selectors and the board before finalising the timing of his ODI retirement.In a response to a local report on Jayasuriya’s reaction on learning the news second-hand, Jayawardene had said he had decided to announce his retirement just ahead of the tournament in Bangladesh, and also “in an informal manner as I had always planned”. Both players had repeatedly suggested they would wind down their international careers over the next 18 months, with the 2015 World Cup likely the see the last of them in ODIs.Neither Sangakkara nor Jayawardene have made substantial contributions to Sri Lanka’s World T20 campaigns so far, but the team have won both their matches, with a victory over England on Thursday likely to secure a place in the semi-finals.

Gareth Andrew’s career-best five-wicket haul put Worcestershire in control on day two in Cardiff as they fired out Glamorgan for just 155.

Press Association05-May-2014
ScorecardGareth Andrew took a career-best haul•Getty ImagesGareth Andrew’s career-best five-wicket haul put Worcestershire in control on day two in Cardiff as they fired out Glamorgan for just 155.Visiting skipper Daryl Mitchell added only eight to his overnight 101 as his side finished on 240 – but that proved enough for a first-innings lead of 85.Andrew, with 5 for 40, ripped through the Glamorgan line-up; captain Mark Wallace’s unbeaten half-century was the only resistance of note. Mitchell and opening partner Matt Pardoe then took their side’s lead into three figures before rain and then bad light stopped play.Resuming on 232 for 9, Worcestershire, seeking a third win in four games this season, added eight in six overs before Mitchell edged to wicketkeeper Wallace to give Dean Cosker figures of 5 for 39.But if the early conclusion to the innings gave Glamorgan any encouragement, it did not last long as they lost openers Jacques Rudolph and Gareth Rees in successive overs with the score on 12. South African Rudolph made seven before edging Charles Morris to keeper Ben Cox and Rees became Andrew’s first victim, lbw for 3.He then removed Murray Goodwin lbw for a second-ball duck and a recovery to 53 for 3 at lunch proved to be a false dawn.Will Bragg and Stewart Walters’ partnership of 38 was ended when Andrew trapped the latter leg before for 18 and then added the scalp of Bragg, caught at second slip by Mitchell for 24. By that point, just two runs had been added in the afternoon session but Wallace and Jim Allenby dug in for a half-century partnership.Allenby hit spinner Saeed Ajmal for six and four, either side of a Wallace boundary off Andrew, to take the partnership past 30 as both men knuckled down to their task.Glamorgan’s hundred came up with an Allenby single off Ajmal but after Wallace hit Morris for four, Allenby fell to a juggling catch by Mitchell off Ajmal. Wallace found further support from Graham Wagg, who made 19 from only 23 balls before being bowled by Jack Shantry.Ajmal removed Cosker for 2 and Will Owen for a duck, the latter caught by on-loan England Twenty20 opener Alex Hales, before Wallace reached a 78-ball half-century from the next delivery.Andrew returned in search of his fifth wicket and, after being hit for four by Tom Helm, had the No. 11 caught behind next ball to secure his best innings figures in first-class cricket. Ajmal finished with 3 for 48.Mitchell took six from Wagg’s opening over and eight off Owen in the eighth in an otherwise low-key start to Worcestershire’s second innings. He was on 16 when stumps were drawn, with Pardoe on 4.

It tells you everything about the current climate in televised cricket that Ravi Bopara should follow his excellent matchwinning innings by fielding questions about match fixing

George Dobell17-May-2014Essex 181 for 2 (Pettini 95*, Bopara 45*) beat Middlesex 180 for 5 (Malan 86*, Morgan 77, Topley 3-26) by five wickets
ScorecardRavi Bopara’s matchwinning innings was overshadowed by talk of spot fixing•Anthony Devlin/PA PhotosIt tells you everything you need to know about the current environment in which televised cricket is played that, moments after an excellent game of T20 cricket played in front of a large audience at Lord’s, that Ravi Bopara should find himself fielding questions about match-fixing in a press conference.It is not that Bopara or anyone else involved in this match is in the least bit suspected of anything untoward. It is that, as cycling and athletics have found, that once a sport is shown to have a problem with corruption, that it casts a shadow over everything else, however good and innocent and clean.Bopara produced a gem of an innings to clinch this game. With his Essex side required to chase a daunting target of 181, he came to the crease with 69 more runs required and seven-and-a-half overs left.But he timed his assault so perfectly – he thrashed 24 from the final six deliveries that he faced; albeit against some wretched death bowling – that Essex were able to open their NatWest T20 Blast campaign with a victory with an over remaining.But it was not his calm head or clean hitting over mid-wicket that interested the media afterwards. It was the spectre of match-fixing. And while Bopara spoke eloquently about the desire to stamp out corruption, he did suggest that more could be done at county level.”It’s a beautiful game,” Bopara said. “The last thing we want to do is put the fans off. We want to keep it as clean as possible and keep the fans enjoying it.”It’s horrible when the fans are questioning everything that happens. As far as I know, everyone I’ve played with has played the game cleanly and we should do everything we can to keep the game clean.”If there is any odd behaviour it should be reported. It can be drummed into county cricket a bit more just how important it is to report it. That is key.”Bopara also backed Ian Bell’s suggestion that county players should be prohibited from communicating with the outside world during limited-overs games; especially televised limited-overs games. So any mobile phones or laptops should be confiscated ahead of matches.”You don’t need to speak to anyone over half a day,” Bopara said. “If there is a problem, people can always phone the coach or the manager of the team. But if that’s what is required to keep the game clean then let’s do it.”As it happens, mobile phones are already taken off players at several clubs, including Essex, during games. But that is more to encourage the players to focus on the game and communicate with their teammates than an attempt to combat corruption.”The talk of corruption partially obscured the excellence of a match-winning innings by Mark Pettini. The Essex captain made an unbeaten 95 from only 54 balls, helping his side to a blistering start to their reply despite a laboured contribution from Alastair Cook.While Cook limped to 22 from 21 balls, Pettini thrashed a wayward Middlesex attack to all parts as Essex reached 71 without loss by the end of the sixth over. It was the perfect start to a demanding run-chase.Essex had actually stolen the momentum about half-an-hour earlier. Reece Topley, the tall left-arm swing bowler who missed the first month of the season as he recovered from a stress fracture of the back, delivered two excellent overs – the 18th and 20th – that conceded only eight in total and claimed the wickets of Joe Denly, who looks horribly out of form, Dan Christian, who missed a horrid swing across the line to his first delivery, and Andy Balbirnie, who was caught behind as he tried to pull a slower ball.”It was an absolutely brilliant spell,” Pettini said afterwards, “especially as it was his first serious game back after four months out with a stress fracture.”It meant that Middlesex, who had seemed on course for a total of around 200, scored only 27 from the final four overs and failed to capitalise on a score of 153-2 after 16 overs.That Middlesex had set such a platform owed much to outstanding innings from Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan. Morgan, exceptionally strong through mid-wicket, provided a reminder of why he is such a valuable limited-overs player as he thrashed four sixes over the leg-side and punished an attack that could not quite hit the desired full length. Malan, who enjoyed a fine T20 campaign in 2013, also impressed and showed the value of batting through the innings as the middle-order failed to build on the pair’s foundations.Perhaps, had Steven Finn been available, Middlesex might have managed to defend their total. But the fast bowler was rested from the back-to-back T20 games on Saturday and is most unlikely to feature in the Championship match starting on Sunday in Northampton. He has a minor side strain.This was a fine win for an Essex team stilling missing a couple of senior bowlers and Monty Panesar playing his first T20 match since August 2011.For a Middlesex side facing back-to-back matches, it was tough to take. They will take little comfort from the knowledge that the experiment with two games in the day seems to have attracted an audience of around 15,000 despite Arsenal playing at Wembley.

Time-keeping has been a bit of an issue for Essex of late. So when Tymal Mills trotted onto the field some 80 minutes after his colleagues, a few in the crowd may have wondered whether another disciplinary ruling could be expected.

David Lloyd at Canterbury07-Jun-2014
ScorecardDarren Stevens scored his first century of the season•Getty ImagesTime-keeping has been a bit of an issue for Essex of late. So when Tymal Mills trotted onto the field some 80 minutes after his colleagues, a few in the crowd may have wondered whether another disciplinary ruling could be expected.County cricket being what it is, no announcements were made. And those spectators not in the know were presumably doubly mystified when Mills – one of the domestic game’s most exciting young fast bowling prospects – was then made to wait until midway through the afternoon session before being called into the attack.Happily, unlike Essex team-mate Monty Panesar – left out of the county’s last Championship match, against Glamorgan, for not being in the right place at the right time – Mills was entirely blameless. And, boy, he could not have tried much harder to make an explosive impact before being subdued by Darren Stevens, whose rollicking century put Kent firmly into the driver’s seat.The facts of the matter are that Mills was not supposed to be playing at all. Having only recently recovered from a side strain, the 21-year-old had been left out of the squad for this match and was at home in Chelmsford this morning when the call came to head for Canterbury.Fellow pace bowlers Reece Topley (knee) and Matt Salisbury (back) both failed fitness tests after waking with aches and pains following the previous evening’s NatWest T20 Blast game against Surrey, leaving Kent coach Paul Grayson with a bit of a crisis to sort out.”We phoned Tymal to get him here as quickly as possible,” Grayson said. “But as this is his first four-day game after injury he won’t bowl a huge amount of overs.” Five overs too many in his first spell so far as both Brendan Nash and Ben Harmison were concerned, it turned out.A pleasant if somewhat sleepy afternoon of medium-pace, spin and steady run-scoring was turned into an altogether more riveting contest once Mills – having “qualified” to bowl through being on the field for as long as he was off it – had the ball thrown to him by Essex captain James Foster.The left-armer, who has roughed up several England batsmen during recent Ashes preparations, began by whistling a quick bouncer past Nash and then, with his fifth delivery, ended a third wicket stand of 113 with a delivery which the former West Indies batsman tried to pull but merely top-edged.It was some start by Mills, especially as the ball was 45 overs old and Nash had played with such certainty in reaching 82 that he looked odds-on to complete his second hundred of the season. Next over, Mills’ pace almost did for Daniel Bell-Drummond as well with an edge flashing past third slip to complete the opener’s half-century. And, just for painful measure, he then forced Ben Harmison to retire hurt with a finger injury.Until that brief burst, Jesse Ryder – the New Zealand batsman and medium-pacer – had been Essex’s most potent weapon. Indeed, when Ryder claimed a third wicket by ending Bell-Drummond’s painstaking innings, it looked as though the visitors might take control.But Stevens, as he has done so many times in his career, changed a day’s play with sound defence when required and joyful, uncomplicated hitting against any delivery giving him even a hint of encouragement to attack.Stevens had not managed a fifty in eight completed Championship knocks before today but here he reached that minor milestone at only slightly slower than a run a ball – and then accelerated to reach three figures from 94 deliveries.No wonder the 38-year-old looked delighted with his efforts. His fun ended when he swung once too often to give Ryder the first five-wicket haul of his first-class career but neither that statistic nor the promise of more Mills meteorites in the weeks ahead was much consolation for Essex at the end of a trying day.

As well as England’s attack performed on the final day at Lord’s, they were screaming out for a specialist spinner especially while they waited for the ball to reverse swing

Andrew McGlashan17-Jun-2014As well as England’s attack performed to push them within a wicket of victory on the final day at Lord’s, they were screaming out for a specialist spinner, especially while they waited for the ball to reverse swing.Moeen Ali did little wrong on his debut, picking up a notable maiden Test wicket in Kumar Sangakkara, and was not overawed by the situation. But nor did he cause the Sri Lankans many concerns, apart from one delivery on the final day which nearly took Sangakkara’s edge to gully.The ideal plan in the post-Graeme Swann era would have been to return to Monty Panesar, who played second fiddle to Swann but still has 167 Test wickets at 34.71. However, such are his problems, some form-related yet mostly off the field, that it appears he is further from consideration than he has ever been.Peter Moores, the England coach, made it clear he was not in their immediate thoughts. “Monty is the most experienced Test match bowler but through other issues he has made it very difficult to look at him at the moment as an option,” Moores said. “The key is to … put himself up for selection like anyone else. Monty has to get himself in that place.”Panesar was given a second chance by the previous selection regime when he was named in the Ashes squad to tour Australia despite a season which had seen him fined for urinating on a bouncer outside a nightclub. That incident prompted a move from Sussex to Essex, where he then signed a permanent two-year contract, but this season he was dropped for timekeeping issues.His figures in first-class cricket this summer are 26 wickets at 26.00. That puts him second among England-qualified spinners, behind Kent’s Adam Riley, who has 33 wickets at 27.24. In the , Andrew Strauss touted Riley as an option for the India series while Kerry O’Keeffe, the former Australia spinner turned renowned commentator, has been impressed by brief glimpses over the internet.Moores, too, has noted Riley’s progress – which has kept James Tredwell out of Kent’s Championship team – but has not forgotten Simon Kerrigan, who until six weeks ago was under Moores’ charge at Lancashire.”Kerrigan statistically has been the most prolific in first-class cricket,” he said. “If you take that as one of the gauges it puts him in the frame. Obviously Riley has come on the scene.”We are going to have to identify our next spinner, there’s no doubt about that. All sides need the option of a frontline spinner. [One, or a couple] are going to have to play for us to be able to cover all options … otherwise it is going to be a weakness in our ranks that people will be able to try to exploit.”Moeen’s bowling has developed significantly over the last two seasons with Worcestershire, during which time he has averaged 32.56 in the Championship compared to 40.43 overall in his first-class career, but he was only given 12 overs on the final day while Joe Root was used shortly before the second new ball was taken.It remains to be seen how much of role Moeen will play in the second Test at Headingley, but Moores said he could still be the option when India arrive.”I think he has the chance at the moment,” he said. “He is getting better quite quickly. He is going to have to adjust to take wickets as a Test match bowler.”

A woeful batting display on the third afternoon, significantly worse than their opening-day effort, meant India subsided to 161 and handed England victory by an innings and 54 runs despite Stuart Broad being in hospital

The Report by Andrew McGlashan09-Aug-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMoeen Ali ensured Stuart Broad’ absence in India’s second innings was barely felt•PA PhotosHurricane Bertha? From England’s point of view, she can do her worst now. India were blown away before the dreadful forecast for Sunday could play any part in the fourth Test. A woeful batting display on the third afternoon, significantly worse than their opening-day effort because conditions were not as taxing, meant India subsided to 161 and handed England victory by an innings and 54 runs despite Stuart Broad being in hospital with a suspected broken nose and an ill James Anderson.Given the way one corner of the Old Trafford outfield could not cope with the downpour yesterday, it was not beyond the realms of possibility that the final day could have been in doubt if the rain on Sunday had proved as bad as predicted. India made all the conjecture irrelevant with a performance that lacked stomach, fight and basic common sense: some shots, such as MS Dhoni’s swipe to midwicket, and the run-out of Bhuvneshwar Kumar suggested they were not even interested in trying to see if the weather could aid them. “We were not up to the mark,” Dhoni said at the presentation.India lost nine wickets after tea, including one period of 5 for 13 in 29 balls, and it was not the swing, seam and pace that caused most havoc. Instead, Moeen Ali twirled and spun his way to 4 for 39, taking his series tally to 19, just when it appeared that England’s firepower could have been crucially diminished.England were able to secure a three-day victory – their first over India since 1967 at Edgbaston – without the services of Broad in India’s second innings, after he had been forced to retire hurt after a blow to the face from a Varun Aaron bouncer which squeezed between his grille and helmet. Blood dripped onto the pitch as he was quickly attended by the physio, although it is debatable whether Broad or India’s batsmen will leave Old Trafford with the more significant scars.It took a little longer for India’s collapse to set in than the first innings – Chris Woakes claimed his first wicket of the series when he trapped M Vijay lbw before tea, before Gautam Gambhir and Cheteshwar Pujara reached 53 for 1 – but their demise to 66 for 6 was in many ways more extraordinary given England were a bowler down, the sun was out and the early new ball had been weathered.Anderson, battling what Alastair Cook termed the “lurgy”, removed Gambhir with a short delivery – far from the most vicious of the match – which was gloved through to the keeper, then to the first ball of the next over Pujara was given lbw against Moeen as he pressed forward. It was a large stride and Hawk Eye said the ball had turned enough to slip down the leg side. The fact Moeen was turning the ball considerably, and often, would soon come into play again.Ajinkya Rahane, however, was done in less by the turn but more by one of the loosest shots he has played in the series – driving a low return catch to Moeen who moved smartly to his right. England, who could not help but be aware of the forecast regardless of how little regard cricketers say they give it, could barely believe the gifts being handed out.For a moment, the carnage returned to pace; there was a familiar outcome to the Anderson v Virat Kohli battle. Kohli had indicated he wanted to hit his way out of trouble but could only provide another edge to Anderson – this time an inswinger rather than the outswinger – which found its way to second slip. The challenge of a rare five-Test series is finding out a few of the India top order. It will require a searching examination for the likes of Kohli to lift themselves for the final Test next week.Whether Ravindra Jadeja, who has been a focal point in the series for a variety of reasons, plays in the final game is another matter. His off-the-mark shot, advancing down the pitch at Anderson and swiping a short ball through midwicket, suggested he was there for a good time, not a long time – it also prompted a little sarcastic clap, even a smile, from the under-the-weather Anderson. Next over, Jadeja completed a miserable match with the bat, to follow two middling scores at the Ageas Bowl, when he lunged at Moeen and edged to slip.By now Anderson had left the field. Surely Dhoni would at least try to take the game deeper? After the Ageas Bowl, he had said the Indian batsmen had been too deferential to Moeen and should attack him more. He followed his own words with deeds, but his heave into the leg side could not beat a diving Gary Ballance at midwicket.It was now all-but inevitable that England would wrap the game up in the evening. There was momentary frustration when Jordan, who massaged his figures with the final two wickets, overstepped when Bhuvneshwar edged to second slip but another freebie was handed to England when Bhuvneshwar tried to come back for a second and could not beat Moeen’s arm – just the speed of the throw this time, rather than the spin.R Ashwin continued to look as proficient as any of India’s batsmen in this match, driving and cutting as Jordan strived for the final wickets, but an excellent piece of fielding at deep square-leg by the substitute Liam Livingstone, a young Lancashire player, meant Jordan had two balls at Aaron. One was enough for the No. 10, a short delivery gloved behind, and one more enough to end the match as a yorker defeated Pankaj Singh, who had at least managed to end a 69-over wait for his maiden Test wicket when he earlier removed Joe Root.Such was the rapid conclusion, it was easy to forget England began on 237 for 6 – a lead of 85 – with a need to be positive and keep the game moving. Root and Jos Buttler, after waiting for the new ball, performed that role perfectly to take their stand to 134 as both reached half-centuries. It was an occasion when a Yorkshireman, Root, was getting warm applause at Old Trafford and the crowd also had much to enjoy from one of their own – or at least an adopted son – as Buttler picked up his second fifty in two Test innings, but this one helped to define a Test victory.However, as much as the crowd cheered the young batting pair, there was equal appreciation when Pankaj found Root’s glove down the leg side and Marais Erasmus’ finger went up to finally give him a Test average. Buttler was soon his second scalp, driving a slower ball to mid-off, by which time thoughts were firmly turning to what would happen when England took the ball again.Those plans appeared to have suffered a significant setback when Broad, having pulled consecutive sixes off Aaron, was pinned in the face the next delivery and walked off the field bloodied and dazed. As it was, he had not returned from hospital in time to collect his Man-of-the-Match award.