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Selected at the age of 30 with only four T20s to his name, the legspinner quickly impressed on his debut

Alex Malcolm06-Oct-2022Yannic Cariah looked like he belonged. Thirty years old, on T20I debut, bowling to Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell in Australia for the first time. Picked ahead of Akeal Hosein. Selected ahead of Fabian Allen and Hayden Walsh.He bowled like a veteran with impeccable control, forcing a mistake from Maxwell who can maul inexperienced legspinners in his sleep.In just his fifth career T20 game, Cariah took 1 for 15 from four overs, bowled 13 dot balls and conceded one boundary against the reigning world champions on their home patch.Was he surprised?”The funny thing about this, when you work your entire life for something, the work you put in, confidence goes within yourself,” Cariah said. “I’m very confident in my ability and what I can do. What I believe in. Nobody can take that away from me.”Yannic Cariah has spent his entire career hiding in plain sight. It’s all been there for anyone to see yet few have seemed to notice.Related

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An unbeaten 110 in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup third-place playoff against Sri Lanka, playing alongside Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder. A member of the famed Queen’s Park Cricket Club in Trinidad, home of some of West Indies’ greatest-ever players. Five first-class centuries for Trinidad and Tobago. Leading run-scorer in West Indies’ first-class competition in 2016-17. Two first-class five-wicket hauls. Captain of the West Indies Emerging Team that won the domestic 50-over competition in 2019-20. An impressive List A bowling record.Yet he hasn’t played in the CPL since 2016.”That’s not my fault,” Cariah said. “That’s the people picking the sides. I have no control over that.”When you meet Cariah, you can see how he might be underestimated and even overlooked. He is very softly spoken. He doesn’t carry himself with a swagger.But there is an inner confidence and belief in his ability that only begins to show the longer you speak to him.It’s a confidence and a belief that shouldn’t surprise anyone given he has learned the game through watching videos of Shane Warne and Brian Lara. But it took a little while after the Under-19 World Cup to find his place in domestic cricket.”I’m a genuine allrounder,” he said. “But when I started off, I made my Trinidad debut as a legspinner. And then I found it difficult to maintain my spot as a legspinner because of other bowlers. So I put some more emphasis on my batting. I made my comeback as a batter, and then after my batting took off, my bowling was always there. I never neglected [either] of them. I just kept getting better and better over a period of time.”Despite leading the West Indies Emerging Team to their title in 2019-20, Cariah then went two years over the Covid-19 pandemic without playing a single domestic match. But his self-belief never abated during that time.”I’m blessed with a gift to play cricket,” Cariah said. “I always believe that I can make it to the top without giving up. Once I don’t give up. I guarantee I’m going make it.”Yannic Cariah made his international debut against New Zealand•AFP/Getty Images

After a two-year absence from domestic cricket, he made 72, 72, 18 and 100 in his first four first-class innings for Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year. He also bagged 4 for 59 against Leeward Islands. After years of no one noticing, someone finally did. West Indies selector Desmond Haynes noticed.Cariah was picked for West Indies A against Bangladesh A in a first-class match in August and acquitted himself well enough to be called up for his ODI debut against New Zealand, which led to his selection for Australia. Cariah noted the jump in intensity from domestic to international level.”You have to think a lot faster and have a lot of clarity in what you’re doing, to execute your skills and be decisive in what to do,” he said. “Because if you bowl a bad ball it will be put away easily. They ain’t going to miss any bad balls.”But there were hardly any bad balls on Wednesday. He beat Maxwell and Finch four times in his first two overs. His length was immaculate, a product of his maturity and his ability to read the conditions quickly on his first trip to Australia.”I figured out which lengths were best for me to bowl and my style of bowling and I adapted really, really quickly,” he said. “What made it even better for me is Australia bowled first. And I saw [Adam] Zampa bowl and I saw the lengths he was bowling, so I know with my style of bowling once I hit my areas it’s going to be difficult for anybody to play.”It’s the type of attitude his hero Warne would have been proud of. Cariah might not have the bluff or bluster or swagger of the late, great legspinner, but he has the same mindset.”Whatever I do, I play to win,” Cariah said. “I don’t play to compete. I play to win.”I’m a very quiet person. But if they get to know me, I’m very cool. I do my best in everything I do. Good things happen to me. I have a positive mindset. I’m very confident within myself.”

Jarvis, who last played a Test in January 2020, battled a trio of illnesses earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2021Zimbabwe fast bowler Kyle Jarvis has announced his retirement from all cricket after a year of illness and injury. Having made his international debut in 2009, he played 13 Tests, 49 ODIs and 22 T20Is, picking up 46, 58 and 28 wickets respectively.Jarvis battled a trio of illnesses – Covid-19, malaria and tick fever – earlier this year. At that point, he revealed that he wouldn’t be able to play cricket for up to six months. He last played in the first Test against Sri Lanka at home in January 2020, when he went wicketless in Zimbabwe’s 10-wicket loss. A back injury kept him out of the second Test and required significant rehabilitation.”I hurt my back against Sri Lanka in a Test match beginning of 2020,” Jarvis said in a media interaction. “I managed to come back and become fit again and just as I was starting to come back into it I got that illness which set me back further. After the uncertainty of that, I needed to realise I had to start looking for something for life after cricket. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could come back again, but I had my mind set to start something on the side.”Fast-tracked into the Zimbabwe side after an impressive performance in the Under-19 World Cup in 2008, he made his ODI debut in the home series against Kenya in October 2009. Jarvis subsequently made it to Zimbabwe’s squad for the series against Bangladesh and South Africa, following which he was sidelined after a spate of injuries. His comeback to international cricket coincided with Zimbabwe’s return to the Test fold. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Harare in August 2011, where he picked up five wickets across two innings.Jarvis took the first of his three Test five-fors later that season when he claimed 5 for 64 against New Zealand and took it as a sign that he belonged. “A big one that sticks out is my first Test five-for in Bulawayo against New Zealand. That was a special moment when I knew I was good enough to play at that level,” he said.However, he left Zimbabwe in 2013 to play county cricket with Lancashire. At the time, Zimbabwe Cricket was experiencing one of its many financial crises, including delays in payments to players. Jarvis sought a county deal in the hope of financial security and soon established himself as one of the club’s most valuable players. As a result of the deal, he missed the 2015 World Cup and will end his career without having played in a fifty-over World Cup. Jarvis represented Zimbabwe in one T20 World Cup, in Sri Lanka in 2012.In September 2017, he ended his Lancashire deal to resume his international career with Zimbabwe. Since then, he played 5 Tests and took 16 wickets at 25.12, including 7 for 98 in a match against Bangladesh in Dhaka in November 2018, and 25 ODIs, in which he took 31 wickets at an average of 27.96, significantly lower than his overall average of 36.00. “I felt my last three years of international cricket were my best,” he said. “I am very proud of what I managed to do at the end there.”Although his form was on the up, and he has completely recovered from both the injury and the illnesses, the 32-year old said he had already made plans for an alternate career during the period.”I made a full recovery from both. I train every day – in the gym, playing football or running. I can’t try and guess if I could play at the same level again. I think if put my mind to it, I could but I have made peace with my decision,” he said.While Jarvis hopes to become involved in coaching, he also has several other business interests for the foreseeable future. “I’ve got a vehicle import-export business and a used car dealership here in Zimbabwe and I am starting a restaurant. It’s a bit crazy to be doing a restaurant in these Covid times but hopefully we can get it together,” he said. “And hopefully I won’t be forgotten that soon. I’d like to give back and be a part of Zimbabwe cricket in some capacity going forward.”

Initial allocation of men’s Finals Day tickets sells out within 24 hours, with total sales passing 100,000

Matt Roller14-Feb-2020The ECB has claimed that initial sales for the Hundred have “surpassed expectations”, with an initial allocation of men’s Finals Day tickets selling out within 24 hours of the priority window opening on Wednesday.Around 75,000 tickets were sold in the 24 hours after that window opened, on top of the 25,000 that had been purchased by county and MCC members in an earlier priority period. An ECB press release pointed to the fact that over two thirds of tickets were sold to under-45s, in an attempt to demonstrate that the new competition has succeeded in appealing to a younger audience.There are limited tickets available for the Hundred’s opening game between Oval Invincibles and Welsh Fire at The Oval, while season-ticket packages have sold out at Lord’s. A handful of season tickets remain available for The Oval.ALSO READ: Scheduling clashes set to reduce overseas player availability for the HundredECB chairman Colin Graves suggested in December that an occupancy rate of 60-65% was the minimum expectation, and that anything above that mark would represent a success for the competition. The governing body has previously denied downplaying attendances at the T20 Blast, the existing short-form tournament contested by the 18 counties, and tickets for that competition go on sale at the start of March.While it seems that there will be few problems shifting tickets at the London grounds, games elsewhere could be a harder sell. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, some venues fear that the decision to stage games on every day of the week could cause them problems, although ticket prices are generally lower for games on Mondays and Tuesdays.To take Cardiff as an example, Glamorgan’s seven games at the venue in last summer’s T20 Blast attracted a total attendance of 31,266 – an average of 4,467 at a 16,000-seat stadium – and while the county stressed that clashes with other sporting fixtures in the city and poor weather had affected their crowds, the fact that Welsh Fire’s men’s side will play two home games on Sunday evenings and another on a Tuesday is a cause for concern.The most expensive ticket for a men’s game at Cardiff is currently £22. Men’s fixtures at Lord’s and The Oval are the costliest, with the most expensive tickets currently priced at £35. That figure will rise after April 22. Tickets for children aged 6-15 are £5 each, while children under five are free with an adult. All standalone women’s fixtures have a maximum ticket price of £10.”We are pleased the competition has been met so positively by sports fans,” Sanjay Patel, the Hundred’s managing director, said. “Our ambition is always to grow cricket and bring new audiences into the game.”Our priority will now be in managing the strong demand for tickets alongside our desire to see large numbers of young families attending. Despite a busy summer sport schedule, the Hundred is clearly being viewed as an unmissable summer event.”

England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has enthusiastically backed cricket’s “brilliant” newest format after turning out for Kerala Knights in the T10 League in Sharjah

Liam Brickhill05-Dec-2018England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has enthusiastically backed cricket’s “brilliant” newest format after turning out for Kerala Knights in the T10 League in Sharjah. Morgan suggested that T10 is the closest cricket will get to baseball, and that the format might even play a role in the sport’s Olympic aspirations.”The T10 format is brilliant,” Morgan told reporters after arriving in South Africa to join the Tshwane Spartans’ Mzansi Super League campaign. “It’s probably the closest cricket will get to baseball.”It exposes a different aspect of cricket. It also attracts a different fan as well in the sense that you’d probably find a lot of people there who wouldn’t go to a normal cricket match. It’s so easy to understand because it’s arguably as simplified a cricket match as there possibly could be. I’m a huge fan.”The simplicity of T10 enhances its appeal with children, Morgan suggested, adding that tailoring cricket towards the young is vital to growing the game. It’s something he also likes about England’s go at a new format, The 100.”The more you can tailor cricket towards kids, the more you can grow the game,” Morgan said. “Cricket’s scoreboard has a million different things going on. If you’re trying to explain that to a kid and you’re a parent who’s never played cricket, this is a solution. It’s 100 balls and you need to score as much runs as you can. The parent becomes a coach.”Morgan also reiterated his feelings that T10 could provide cricket’s path to the Olympics.”You can start and finish an eight-to-ten-team tournament within 12 days. You can’t do that in T20 cricket, it’s not feasible,” he said. “If we can grow the game in this manner, I’m all for it.”

South Africa have recalled Wayne Parnell to the 13-member man squad for the Potchefstroom Test match, pending a fitness test

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2017Opening batsman Aiden Markram is set to make his international debut in the first Test against Bangladesh, which starts from September 28 in Potchefstroom. South Africa have also recalled seam-bowling allrounder Wayne Parnell to the 13-member squad for the first match, pending a fitness test, with Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Dale Steyn all ruled out due to injury.

SA squad for first Test

Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj , Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada

Markram and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo were the only two uncapped players in the format in the squad. Both were part of the Test side during South Africa’s tour of England earlier this year but did not get a game.Makram was picked for the England tour as cover for Faf du Plessis, who missed the first Test because of the birth of his child, but remained with the senior team to gain experience. He then captained South Africa A in the two four-dayers against a touring India A side, scoring two half-centuries in a series tally of 194. Markram, who captained South Africa to victory in the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, had a breakthrough domestic season in 2016-17. He was the third-highest run-getter in the Momentum One Day Cup, scoring 508 runs in nine innings with two centuries, including one that helped Titans clinch the title. He was consistent in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition, too, with two centuries and two fifties in a run tally of 565 at an average of 51.36.Nineteen-year-old Lions allrounder Willem Mulder was invited as cover for Parnell, who will undergo a fitness test next week. Parnell had missed the opening round of first-class fixtures this week after suffering a groin strain in training. He last played competitive cricket at the Caribbean Premier League. If Parnell is fit, Mulder will return to the Lions team for the Sunfoil Series. Parnell last played a Test for South Africa in the home series against Sri Lanka in January. He was included in the squad for the New Zealand tour in March, before being dropped for the England tour.Linda Zondi, the convener of CSA’s selection panel, lauded Markram’s maturity and said that Phehlukwayo and Parnell were picked to give the team balance.”Aiden has been knocking on the door for some time now,” Zondi said. “He gained valuable insight into the Proteas team culture during the tour of England and he has shown maturity beyond his years, having captained South Africa to victory in the Under-19 World Cup and as captain of the South Africa A four-day side.”The inclusion of Andile and Wayne provides the necessary all-rounders to give options as concerns the balance of the starting XI. The selection of some younger players is part of the process to build for the future and at the same time maintain our hard core of experience.”

R Ashwin, whose 5 for 62 helped India dismiss West Indies for 196 on the opening day of the second Test at Sabina Park, said he was “pretty surprised” by Jason Holder’s decision to bat first

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Kingston31-Jul-20161:32

‘Ashwin exploited the spin and bounce from the pitch well’ – Manjrekar

R Ashwin, whose 5 for 62 helped India dismiss West Indies for 196 on the opening day of the second Test at Sabina Park, said he was “pretty surprised” by Jason Holder’s decision to bat first. Speaking to the media after India had moved to 126 for 1 in their reply at stumps, Ashwin said the pitch was a “bit sticky” early on, and that it might have suited West Indies’ strengths more to bowl first.”I was pretty surprised that they won the toss and batted first today,” Ashwin said. “Like Virat mentioned at the toss, there was a bit in it, it was a bit sticky. Maybe I would’ve batted as well. But with their strengths, I thought it was a bit surprising.”Despite India ending the day on top, Ashwin cautioned that there was a long way still to go in the match. “I was really taken aback by the counterattack that [Jermaine] Blackwood did,” he said. “It sort of put the game in the balance. And we had to break [through] twice and brought the game back. It’s clearly a game where the experienced side is seizing the more opportune moments. I would put it that way. With a little bit of experience and nailing the right moments, the game could get closer.”This game has a lot of uncertainties. We just saw one when Sri Lanka pulled it off against Australia [in the Pallekele Test]. And they did the same against us in Galle [in 2015], so we can’t be lacklustre with that, we will have to keep doing our process properly.”Ashwin said his variations of pace had been key to picking up five wickets on a damp first-day pitch.”A little bit of bounce and speed variation, that was important, I thought. Most of the dismissals were brought about by difference in speeds rather than much of spin, actually. It was initially damp and there was some turn, but after that it flattened out a bit and started going straight. This ball, once it gets older, it becomes easier to bat. There’s a lot more time. I think it was more about bounce and speed variation that created the problem.”Playing only his 34th Test match, Ashwin has already picked up his 18th five-wicket haul. At this moment, his rate of taking five-fors is even better than that of Muttiah Muralitharan, who picked up 67 in 133 Tests.”Everybody wants to start playing cricket one day to achieve what nobody else could achieve,” Ashwin said. “I am happy to be there, at some stage of my career where I am better than everybody else who has played the game. It feels nice, but the only thing that is constant is trying to improve from wherever you are. I think change is very very important. Keeping on benchmarking yourself is more important. This is good, but tomorrow is a different day and you have to keep improving.”Coming in for the injured M Vijay, KL Rahul got India off to a near-perfect start to their reply, and ended the day batting on 75. Ashwin wasn’t surprised by his performance, and said he had nicknamed him ‘batting machine’ for the amount of batting he does in training.”We all know that he’s a quality cricketer,” Ashwin said. “He’s made a lot of runs in first-class cricket. He has pretty much arrived at this level.”Beforehand, when he made hundreds for us, it has been crucial knocks. He made one in Sri Lanka which is very very memorable. As a matter of fact, the way he played in the IPL, it’s just an extension. Everybody wants Rahul to do well, which is a big tick for him.”I’ve nicknamed him batting machine. He keeps batting all the time and it’s not a surprise that he’s made runs and I’m very happy for him.”

Jesse Ryder’s first century in the competition paved the way a 78-run victory for Essex over Hampshire in their NatWest Twenty20 Blast at Chelmsford

ECB/PA26-Jun-2015
ScorecardJesse Ryder struck his first T20 hundred in the NatWest Blast [file picture]•Getty Images

Jesse Ryder’s first century in the competition paved the way a 78-run victory for Essex over Hampshire in their NatWest Twenty20 Blast at Chelmsford.The New Zealander destroyed the visiting attack with an unbeaten 107 from just 55 deliveries, eight of which he smashed for six. The last of those carried him into three figures and he also scored eight fours in an exhibition that earned him a standing ovation as Essex finished on 212 for 5.

Insights

Although Hampshire have still been winning matches their seam bowling has been a concern this season. Apart from Fidel Edwards, who is now playing in the CPL, none of their seamers have an economy rate of less than 8.73. In fact other than Yasir Arafat none of them have an economy rate of lower than 9.28. Spinners Danny Briggs and Will Smith have been carrying the attack. It was not until this match that they ran into an opposition batting order who punished the weakness – although Chris Wood did keep his figures intact. With Sean Ervine still out injured Hampshire should consider an emergency signing.

Sharing the limelight with Ryder was Mark Pettini as they put together an opening partnership of 126 in 14 overs. Pettini’s share of that was 74 in 45 balls as he helped himself to three sixes among his dozen boundaries before he was brilliantly caught at deep mid-wicket by a diving Gareth Berg to give spinner Will Smith his only wicket.No other batsman managed to reach double figures but that was of little consolation for Hampshire as Essex collected their sixth success in the competition to move level with Kent at the top of the South Group table.The only visiting bowler to escape the carnage was Chris Wood, his four overs costing 29 runs and earning him the wicket of James Foster.Hampshire began their reply needing to get off to a flying start to mount any sort of challenge but it was not to be.In the first three overs, they lost as many wickets, Reece Topley bowling James Vince and then having Michael Carberry caught on the square leg boundary for eight. In between, David Masters sent back Joe Gatting as Ryan ten
Doeschate accepted a catch at deep mid-off.One-time Essex batsman Owais Shah did his best to repair the damage but having struck three fours and a six in making 26 from 20 balls, he was magnificently caught by ten Doeschate at wide mid-on after he dived to his right to pluck the ball an inch or so off the ground.After that, and with the score now 57 for 4, Hampshire were left with the task of trying to bring some sense of respectability to their challenge.When medium-pace man Ravi Bopara came into the attack he soon put Hampshire into even deeper trouble with three wickets in an over, those of Jimmy Adams, Smith and Berg to leave the scoreboard looking a sorry 66
for 7.Bopara, who was appearing in his 100th domestic T20 match finished with 3 for 23 while Topley claimed 3 for 25 as Essex ended a sequence of six successive defeats against Hampshire, dismissed for only 134, in this competition

An ability to “learn and adapt” has been identified by Andy Flower as the key to England’s series victory in India

George Dobell18-Dec-2012An ability to “learn and adapt” has been identified by Andy Flower as the key to England’s series success victory in India. By drawing the final Test in Nagpur, England secured their first series win in India since 1984-85 and inflicted a first home series defeat upon India since 2004.It was a far cry from the events in the UAE a few months earlier. At that time, as England succumbed to a 3-0 series defeat against Pakistan, England’s batsmen had no answer to the spin threat of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.But Flower, the England team director, took particular satisfaction from the way his team had accepted their failings in the UAE and worked to improve. He also admitted that an element of complacency may have crept into the squad after they had reached the No.1 Test ranking at the end of 2011.”I don’t know if lost focus is quite the right phrase to use,” Flower said, “but if there are degrees of hunger and desire perhaps we dropped off a couple after getting to No 1.”We had a tough time in the UAE against Pakistan at the start of the year, and one of the most satisfying things at the minute – certainly for me, and I’m sure for the players – is that they’ve shown they can score runs. We’ve come out here and very importantly shown that this bunch of cricketers can learn and adapt.”They have proved they have learned a lot. For some of the older players, guys that have been around and have excellent Test career achievement, that is testament to their humility and their maturity to continue their learning into this phase of their careers. They have still adapted their game and shown their game can improve. It’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of thought and a lot of skill out there in the middle. They should be very proud of themselves.”We certainly refocused on this challenge in India. We knew we would have to display that we have learned certain things about the game of cricket in these conditions if we were to prevail so it’s nice to see that has happened. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a year of decline.”Flower credited Alastair Cook as a key figure in England’s success. Cook, the England captain, led from the front with a defiant century in defeat in Ahmedabad that showed his team what could be achieved with patience and composure. While Cook also made centuries in Mumbai and Kolkata, an increasing number of his team-mates contributed decisive performances as the series progressed.”That innings at Ahmedabad was vitally important as a lead,” Flower said. “It provided evidence that runs could be scored if you use your brain, if you’ve got a reasonable method, if you show courage and discipline. He did that and for the captain to do that was especially important. He has been very influential in the series. We are very lucky to follow a quality bloke like Andrew Strauss with a quality bloke like Alastair Cook as leaders of the England side.

England’s testing year

v Pakistan, Dubai Lost by 10 wickets
v Pakistan, Abu Dhabi Lost by 72 runs
v Pakistan, Dubai Lost by 72 runs

v Sri Lanka, Galle Lost by 75 runs
v Sri Lanka, Colombo Won by eight wickets

v West Indies, Lord’s Won by five wickets
v West Indies, Trent Bridge Won by nine wickets
v West Indies, Edgbaston Drawn

v South Africa, The Oval Lost by an innings and 12 runs
v South Africa, Headingley Drawn
v South Africa, Lord’s Lost by 51 runs

v India, Ahmedabad Lost by nine wickets
v India, Mumbai Won by 10 wickets
v India, Kolkata Won by seven wickets
v India, Nagpur Match Drawn

“I said to him I thought tactically he has been excellent – and you can’t always say that about English sides in the sub-continent. I think he’s been a good observer of the opposition, and what works for them, and he’s used some of that to our advantage.”There was also praise for Kevin Pietersen who returned to the squad for this series having been dropped following revelations about his poor relationship with his England team-mates. Pietersen started nervously, but made a brilliant century at Mumbai which helped alter the direction of the series.”He has been excellent since he has been back with the England side,” Flower said. “The guys have enjoyed having him around and he has fitted in really easily and everyone has made an effort to make it work. It has worked.”He has played superbly. I thought his innings in Mumbai on a difficult, turning track was one of the better innings I have seen played against spinners in those type of conditions. It was a very, very skilful innings; even more skilful after he had struggled in the first Test because that piled a certain amount of pressure on him. So for him to handle that pressure, turn it round and then dominate the opposition as he did was great testament to him holding his nerve.”While the victory provided a happy ending to a difficult year, Flower was keen to stress that there had been other positive achievements among the disappointments.”We’ve had up-and-down results,” he said. “We didn’t play that well against the spin in the UAE, but we’ve also done some superb things.”We became number one in one-day international cricket; we drew an important Test series in Sri Lanka, and won one against the West Indies. And then we lost to a very good South African side in England. I don’t think there is any embarrassment in that. That happens in international sport.”Flower is now taking a break. While England return to T20 action on Thursday, Flower will be back in the UK with his family having relinquished his day-to-day involvement with England’s limited-overs squads. Ashley Giles starts in the role of England’s limited-overs coach in the New Year.But it would be incorrect to conclude that Flower is not still the man in charge in all formats of the game. The idea is that Giles will bring new energy to the limited-overs teams, allowing Flower to remain fresh and to spend more time with his family. Certainly he is still planning for challenges ahead in all formats, with the Champions Trophy, to be played in England in 2013, a particular target.”I do have a young family and they have supported me amazingly well over my playing and coaching career and it is time for me to make sure that I can give a little more time to them,” Flower said. “The purpose of the move is to make us a more efficient organisation and to use our resources as wisely as possible so certainly that will assist me to remain involved with the English side.”Ashley Giles is a smart cricket coach with very good experience of both coaching and playing and I think he can do a very good job with the limited-overs sides. We hope he can take the limited-overs teams forward. We don’t know if the system is going to work ideally, just like we didn’t when we introduced three different captains for the three different facets of cricket that we play. But our job is to make it work.”It is going to be a busy year. We’ve got the Champions Trophy – one of our priorities – happening in England and we’ll have a chance there. Then there’s the two Ashes series in the second half of the year. That’s going to be some tough, sustained cricket. But we’ve shown out here that we can play that type of cricket, and that we learn to survive in different conditions.”

New South Wales gained the advantage over Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, bowling them out for 150 and reaching 2 for 48 in response

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2011
ScorecardNew South Wales gained the advantage over Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, bowling them out for 150 and reaching 2 for 48 in response. After most of the first day was washed out, 20-year-old fast bowler Josh Hazlewood caused problems on the second morning. He bowled Marcus Harris with an offcutter and then dismissed Travis Birt. Wes Robinson fought and got a half-century but Hazlewood took two more wickets and Josh Lalor grabbed three to bowl Western Australia out for 150.Nathan Rimmington struck early but Tim Cruickshank and Phil Jacques steadied the innings before Cruickshank was dismissed just before play ended for the day. Captain Simon Katich joined Jaques, who finished the day 38 not out.

Marcus Trescothick believes Alastair Cook can go on and break a host of batting records after his monumental unbeaten 235 against Australia

Andrew McGlashan30-Nov-2010Marcus Trescothick believes Alastair Cook can go on and break a host of batting records after his monumental unbeaten 235, against Australia in Brisbane, which enabled England to save the opening Ashes Test. Cook beat Don Bradman’s Gabba record for an individual score as he and Jonathan Trott added a mammoth 329 for the second wicket.In many ways Cook has been the long-term successor to Trescothick at the top of England’s order. Although he made his debut as an opener before Trescothick’s enforced retirement from the international scene, Cook only took that position permanently during the 2006-07 series in Australia.”You can just see from the way he approaches his cricket that it was only ever going to be a matter of time before produced this sort of performance,” Trescothick told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s a young and could go on and break all sorts of records in the years to come.”The early end to Trescothick’s Test career is often cited as one of the key reasons for England’s whitewash on that trip as the top order struggled to impose themselves against a formidable attack. Cook, despite a second-innings hundred at Perth, ended with a disappointing 276 runs at 27.60.In one Test he has surpassed that tally, after beginning with a battling 67 in the first innings, and Trescothick never had any doubt in Cook’s ability even when he was going through his summer slump against Pakistan. Turning 26 on Christmas Day – the same birthday as Trescothick – Cook appears set to finish his career as England’s leading Test scorer, a position currently held by his mentor Graham Gooch.”It shows the quality of the player. We know the sort of character he is and he’s an important member of the team,” Trescothick said. “He’s always worked hard. All he needed was to get that big score and he’s been building up to it during the warm-up matches, then got fifty in the first innings at the Gabba before finishing off with a brilliant double hundred.”Cook’s opening stand of 188 with Andrew Strauss set England on their way to saving the opening Test and it was the positive approach they took, led by Strauss, that indicated the visitors weren’t going to back down from a huge challenge. As a fellow opener, Trescothick understands the mindset needed to overcome huge deficits and believes it’s the strong back-room set-up within the squad that enable the openers to play the way they did.”The vital thing is how solid the team is,” Trescothick said. “If you have that grounding in the dressing room then you can go out and try to be positive. You can’t die a death and end up not scoring runs because you have to get ahead of the other team. When the bad balls come you have to put them away and attack certain bowlers. Eventually you are going to lose wickets, but that’s what didn’t happen this time.”The build-up to the opening Test centred on Australia’s strong record at the Gabba and, although they remain unbeaten since 1988, the nature of England’s great escape means they head into the second Test buoyed while it’s the hosts under pressure. In 2002-03, Trescothick was part of an England team hammered by 384 runs in Brisbane and, despite the best efforts of Michael Vaughan who scored 633 runs in the series, they never recovered and lost 4-1. Now, having departed Queensland unscathed, Trescothick believes England have secured a vital advantage.”It was a great achievement. Our history at the Gabba wasn’t very good,” he said. “Generally if you get 500 you are losing at least half the side so to get it for just one down was a fantastic effort. It was a great achievement, and to bounce back as well from being 200 behind is a great effort.”The pitch was certainly different to before but the team is in such better shape. We know the team we want to play, the batters are getting runs and the bowlers doing OK. But I think we can produce even better results and going into the second Test we often get better as a series goes on.”Marcus Trescothick was speaking at his new signing with Mongoose Cricket www.mongoosecricket.com