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Virender Sehwag has said his shoulder is feeling better and he hopes to return to the India side for the Test series against West Indies that starts on November 6

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2011Virender Sehwag has said his shoulder is feeling better and he hopes to return to the India side for the Test series against West Indies that starts on November 6. Sehwag played for Delhi in a domestic Twenty20 match against Jammu and Kashmir on October 21, his first competitive game since returning prematurely from the tour of England. He was dismissed for 1 but notably bowled two overs, something he was not able to do before undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in May.”This game helped me test my fitness,” Sehwag told after the match. “I can bat and bowl as well. I am still having trouble with my throwing. I am doing my strengthening exercises and following the fitness routine.”Sehwag had been rushed back into the India Test team after his surgery, but after poor performances in the last two Tests in England it was determined that his shoulder had not fully recovered and he returned before the one-day series. Sehwag said he wanted to be completely fit before making his next comeback.”My target is to get fit for the West Indies series,” he said. “But before that I need to undergo a fitness test. I will play only if I feel fit and fine.”Sehwag will not play in Delhi’s next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Punjab on Saturday but may play against Hyderabad on Monday or Services on Tuesday.

Says she wants to get the best combination ready for the T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2020India women’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur is all for experimenting with the side by giving chances to youngsters in the ongoing tri-series against England and Australia, in order to get the “best combination” ready for the upcoming T20 World Cup, starting February 21.”We went out to Australia earlier than a lot of teams and are in the midst of a tri-series with England and Australia, which will be a perfect platform for us,” she wrote in her column for the ICC. “We’ll also be able to experiment with selection and we’ll look to find our best combination during that series. One thing is for sure – we won’t be afraid to give chances to newcomers.”While 16-year old batter Richa Ghosh was rewarded for her good run in the Women’s Challenger Trophy by earning a call-up for the tri-series as well as the T20 World Cup, Shafali Verma, the 15-year old opener who has been impressive for India since her debut last year, will also be playing her first big tournament.”We have brought Richa Ghosh into our squad recently on the back of her great performances in the Women’s Senior T20 Challenger Trophy. We have to find out what our best team is and those games will give us a chance to decide that before the World Cup,” Kaur wrote.India, who have won just one out of the three games so far in the tri-series, will be facing hosts Australia on Saturday, where a loss will put them out of contention for the final. They’re yet to find a solution for their long-standing middle-order issues, which has affected them in this series as well. They’ve been impacted by the form of Veda Krishnamurthy and Taniya Bhatia, who average 18.75 (10 innings) and 6.66 (eight innings) in T20Is respectively since last year. Even in the ongoing series, they’ve made just 17 and 19 runs respectively in three games.Following the tri-series, India would be playing the warm-ups ahead of the big tournament, and with middle-order options in Harleen Deol and Ghosh, India could make some changes in the line-up.”If I look back two years, India’s 50-over side was doing well and our T20 was struggling. But in the past two years, we have transformed as a T20 team and are very positive going to Australia. We haven’t always managed to deliver on our potential as a team and winning games is always about how well you’re able to execute your skills.”While Kaur has been a lynchpin for India in the ODIs with her big-match temperament, she has not shone through as much in T20Is, registering only three 40-plus scores in her last 17 innings. She smashed her career-best 103 in the format in November 2018 after which her form has not been as impressive, but she hopes to “step up” soon and win some games for her team.”Each and every member of the squad has a part to play and we need to give our all to win any game,” she said. “I’m just hoping I can step up and win some games for my team when they need me.”

Ajantha Mendis turned tricks beyond the grasp of six Australian batsmen as Sri Lanka completed an eight-run victory for a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 internationals against Australia at Pallekele

The Report by Daniel Brettig08-Aug-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThere was no stopping Ajantha Mendis today•Associated Press

Ajantha Mendis turned tricks beyond the grasp of six Australian batsmen as Sri Lanka completed an eight-run victory for a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series at Pallekele.Playing his first, but surely not last, match against the Australians on this tour, Mendis plucked 6 for 16, the best figures in international T20 history, including three of the four wickets to fall for four runs in a frenzied 16-ball phase in the middle overs. All this after Shane Watson’s belligerent 57 from 24 balls seemed to have set the visitors up for a series-levelling victory.The pivotal moment of the evening came thanks to Angelo Mathews’ remarkable feat of athleticism, when he collected a David Warner heave on the edge of the midwicket boundary, and then threw the ball back into play for Mahela Jayawardene to complete the catch.Watson was close to lbw in the first over of the chase, the umpire ruling that Nuwan Kulasekara’s extravagant inswing would have taken the ball past leg stump. After three overs of pace, Australia were rolling nicely at 30-0, but their momentum would increase violently against the spinners.Dilruwan Perera’s first ball was reverse-punched past cover by Warner, before Watson began to target the arc between long-on and midwicket in much the same manner as he had done to record-breaking effect against Bangladesh in Dhaka in April. Five times he cleared the ropes, and by the time Mendis’ introduction brought a skier and a wicket, Australia needed a decidedly manageable 87 from 85 balls. Watson had not, however, done enough to put the result beyond question.The Sri Lankans sensed something when Warner followed, brilliantly pouched on the boundary by Mathews who then threw the ball – in the split-second he had before going over the rope – towards an alert Jayawardene. Shaun Marsh again looked all out of sorts against spin and was stumped for a duck wandering down the wicket to Mendis, who went on to complete a dual-wicket maiden.Next, David Hussey played around Rangana Herath to be bowled, leaving the visitors in dreadful trouble despite a manageable required-rate. Cameron White and Steven Smith tried to keep their heads from spinning, but were initially unable to do more than poke the slow bowlers around in the face of occasionally extravagant turn.A pair of sixes to White seemed to push the innings back into a state of health, but as if on cue Mendis returned to bowl a dancing Smith and a groping Brad Haddin off consecutive balls. Mitchell Johnson eluded the hat-trick, but eventually became Mendis’ sixth victim. White reached the final over needing 15 for victory, only to be bowled off an edge by Thisara Perera, and the task proved beyond Australia’s last pair.Earlier, Sri Lanka were unable to conjure the partnerships they managed in game one, but Jayawardene’s 86 provided a centrepiece to stand with Tillakaratne Dilshan’s effort on Saturday. Hampering the hosts’ batting was an outstanding spell by John Hastings, who returned 3 for 14 from his four overs. Brett Lee also nabbed a trio of victims.After enduring a couple of nervy moments, Jayawardene surged through the gears, driving through the covers and then playing an easy pitching wedge down the ground for boundaries. Two more Jayawardene strokes sent the new ball whistling through square leg and point before Lee won an lbw verdict against Dilshan with a delivery that might have flicked leg stump, but that did not stall Jayawardene’s flurry of shots.White used Steve O’Keefe for a solitary over before replacing him with Johnson, just as he had done in the first game, and the formulaic approach suited the Sri Lankans. Jayawardene punctured a packed offside field three balls in a row before White posted a deep cover.O’Keefe was recalled to the attack as the fielding restrictions ended, and after his over quelled some of the scoring, Smith’s introduction reaped Dinesh Chandimal’s wicket. Thisara Perera, promoted ahead of Kumar Sangakkara, collected one boundary from an O’Keefe misfield, before slicing Johnson to third man, and on 53 Jayawardene appeared rather more lbw than Dilshan had been. However Smith’s appeal was denied, and the next ball was swept for six. At times Jayawardene’s placement seemed so precise, he appeared to be mocking Australia’s fielders, and Sangakkara soon joined the attack.Their stand of 46 was broken by Hastings, who followed up a tidy first over by coaxing a miscalculation from Sangakkara. Jeevan Mendis did not last the over before cuffing on, and at 123 for 5 Australia had wrested the upper hand. In his next over, Hastings splayed the stumps of Angelo Mathews, sapping the innings of further momentum.Dilruwan Perera miscued O’Keefe down the ground, where Smith held an admirable catch diving forward, though Jayawardene remained for the final over. He was caught off a ball declared a no-ball for height, and picked up a boundary through the leg side before perishing off the third delivery.Lee’s finish was, however, spoiled by the concession of five wides from what should have been the final ball of the innings, and his error was made more significant by the closing margin of a rollicking match.

Jon Kent and Yusuf Abdulla will not be retained by the Dolphins franchise while the Titans’ Blake Snijman had retired from the game

Firdose Moonda05-Apr-2011The Dolphins will not renew the contracts of allrounder Jon Kent and left-arm seamer Yusuf Abdulla for the 2011-2012 season. The decision was made in keeping with the franchise’s policy of blooding young talent, which started in February 2010 when they axed five senior players, including Andrew Hall.Kent, who will turn 32 next month and represented South Africa in two ODIs, has played for the Durban-based team for 11 seasons. He has a first-class batting average of 35.77 and was one of their strike bowlers. Although an experienced campaigner, he will be out of contract because the Dolphins have decided that they need to focus on development.’Unfortunately for Jon, the focus of Dolphins is to develop a team that will be successful in a couple of years. In order to achieve this, opportunity needs to be given to younger players to develop their skills and gain match experience,” Jesse Chellan, chief executive of Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union said. “Going forward, it is a concern that Jon would block the path of a young player.”Abdulla, who made his name during second season of the IPL in 2009 in South Africa with the Kings XI Punjab, has played two Twenty-20s for South Africa, but has seen his career slide downhill in the past 18 months. He has struggled to recover from injury, battled with his weight and failed to make the Dolphins team this season. “Yusuf has struggled with fitness and form for the past two seasons and moving forward we will be investing in a younger generation of bowlers,” Chellan said.While both Kent and Abdulla have fallen out of favour with their franchises, up north at the Titans, Blake Snijman has voluntarily opted to end his career. Snijman announced his retirement, even though he is only 25 years old, in order to further his business interests. Snijman made his debut for Gauteng in the 2003-04 season, where he become an accomplished opening batsman. He leaves the game with a first-class batting average of 31.36 and a List A average of 32.75.He moved to the Titans during the 2006-07 season and was part of the squad that won the SuperSport Series in 2008-09, the MTN limited-overs competition twice and the Standard Bank Pro20 in 2007-08. “I have been giving my career much thought over recent months and have decided that I will be retiring from cricket at the end of the current 2010/2011 season. I would especially like to thank the players. I have loved spending time with them and building friendships,” Snijman said.

Pakistan have lost eight of their last 10 T20Is, including a series defeat to Sri Lanka last October

The Preview by Mohammad Isam23-Jan-20202:51

When a bowler bowls 140-plus, nobody can ignore him – Haris Rauf

Big picture

The sight of Bangladesh players walking down from their chartered aircraft at the Allama Iqbal Airport in Lahore, late on Wednesday evening, was an assuring sign for cricket lovers from both countries. Not too long ago, the tour was nearly called off after the BCB stuck to their position of only playing T20Is, while Pakistan sent a fresh proposal of only Tests.But it all changed dramatically when, over the course of a meeting in Dubai last week in the presence of ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, the two parties reached a deal. Bangladesh are on the first of three legs of touring Pakistan over the next three months, this time to only play the T20Is.Bangladesh will be without Mushfiqur Rahim, who opted out of the tour due to his family’s concerns, while five members of the coaching staff have also been excluded from the travelling party. It has unquestionably made Bangladesh a lesser side, with added responsibility on Tamim Iqbal and captain Mahmudullah. Bangladesh have an experienced pace attack to call upon, but lack a genuine spinner. The batting line-up has form, but needs careful organising and reshuffling.Bangladesh performed admirably in the T20Is in India in November, where only a sensational Deepak Chahar spell stood between them and a famous series win. The same cannot be said about Pakistan, however. They have lost eight of their last ten T20Is, including a series defeat to Sri Lanka at home in October last year.In the need to improve their record, the coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has included some newcomers like Amad Butt, Ahsan Ali and Haris Rauf, as well as veterans Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik to beef up the batting line-up.

Form guide

Pakistan LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh LLWWW

In the spotlight

Sixteen wickets at a strike-rate of exactly ten, economy rate of 6.89 and 11.56 bowling average in the BBL has not only landed Haris Rauf a place in the Pakistan T20I side, but his tape-ball to BBL story has made fans quite excited to see him bowl at home.Mohammad Naim’s 81 against India in Bangladesh’s last T20I made heads turn, and he followed it up with an impressive BPL campaign for Rangpur Rangers. Naim, too, is a virtual unknown in Bangladesh cricket, but fans have noticed the youngster’s unassuming strokeplay.

Team news

Pakistan are going with a whole host of changes from the side that last played a T20I. Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Shaheen Afridi are likely to return while Ahsan Ali and Haris Rauf are set to be handed T20I debuts. Three places would obviously open up in the absence of Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir and Haris Sohail who don’t feature in the squad.Pakistan (possible): 1 Ahsan Ali, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Imad Wasim, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Haris Rauf, 10 Shaheen Afridi 11 Mohammad HasnainBangladesh’s team management will have a tough time replacing Mushfiqur Rahim, and maneuvering the five openers within the line-up. Coach Russell Domingo said a few days ago that many of them may have to bat out of position, although the bowling line-up is likely to be similar to the one that faced India in November.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Afif Hossain, 4 Liton Das (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Soumya Sarkar, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Aminul Islam, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Al-Amin Hossain

Pitch and conditions

The brownish wicket is projected to be a belter, giving the chasing side enough of an advantage to go after even a 200-plus total. The weather forecast seems perfect, with a high of 17 degrees.

Stats and trivia

• This will be only be the second T20 to be played during the day at the Gaddafi Stadium in the last six years.
• Only Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah have played in Pakistan from this current Bangladesh side.
• Mohammad Hafeez, who has made a comeback into the Pakistan T20I side, is 92 runs short of 2000 T20I runs, while Shadab Khan is four scalps away from 50 T20I wickets.

Delhi, Baroda and Punjab also register victories in Syed Mushtaq Ali Super League matches

Saurabh Somani21-Nov-2019Karnataka, Delhi, Baroda and Punjab opened their Syed Mushtaq Ali 2019-20 Super League matches with victories on Thursday. The first day of the Super League games had several teams putting up big scores, while Karnataka were the only team to win while chasing. Among others in attendance for the matches were John Wright and Malolan Rangarajan, both on scouting duty for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively, with the IPL auction slated for December 19.In other news, Shikhar Dhawan suffered an injury while batting when he dived for his crease to avoid a run-out, and will miss Delhi’s next game.Karnataka v Tamil Nadu
Unbeaten half-centuries by captain Manish Pandey and opener KL Rahul led Karnataka to an easy nine-wicket win after Tamil Nadu had been restricted to 158 for 7. This was the only game played at night, and dew was a factor in the chase, with Tamil Nadu’s bowlers unable to grip the ball properly at times. However, the target was too meagre to challenge a strong batting line-up.Put in to bat, Tamil Nadu sent in the makeshift opening pair of Hari Nishanth and B Aparajith, but the move didn’t work with both batsmen struggling for timing and not picking the gaps. Both fell in the sixth over, Aparjith caught in the circle and Nishanth run out via a direct hit by Pandey, to leave Tamil Nadu 26 for 2. Dinesh Karthik and Washington Sundar led the recovery, immediately hitting their stride and lifting the sagging run rate. They put on 76 in 7.4 overs before Karthik became Ronit More’s second victim for a 29-ball 43. Tamil Nadu’s hopes of a finishing kick were dealt a further blow when Washington was caught off J Suchith for 39 off 25 balls. Vijay Shankar sparkled briefly and dragged the score past 150.Karnataka’s in-form opening pair of Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal then raced to 70 in seven overs, with none of the bowlers troubling them. Padikkal fell against the run of play, sweeping M Ashwin straight to short fine leg for a 20-ball 36. However, Pandey joined Rahul for an unbroken 91-run stand in only 9.2 overs. Rahul ended with 69* off 46, while Pandey had 52* off 33.Delhi v Maharashtra
Nitish Rana took a career-best 4 for 17 to bowl Maharashtra out for just 90 in 17.2 overs and hand Delhi a 77-run victory.Put in to bat, Delhi’s opening pair of Dhawan and Hiten Dalal were steady more than spectacular, and when both fell within a few minutes of each other, the score was a shaky 44 for 2 in the seventh over. Dhruv Shorey, the Delhi captain, played a crucial knock, steering the innings with an unbeaten 48 off 37 to ensure Delhi’s second half was much better than their first. Rana, who had a good all-round day, made 21, while Himmat Singh gave the innings the boost it needed with a 16-ball 32.Maharashtra’s innings stuttered from the start. Only Ruturaj Gaikwad got into double figures, and his 42 off 32 stood in stark contrast to the rest of the line-up. Kedar Jadhav being run out for 8 didn’t help Maharashtra. Gaikwad was the eighth wicket to fall, bowled by Rana, who then picked up the remaining two batsmen too.Delhi’s only sore point in the match was a gash on Dhawan’s thigh, acquired when he dived to make his crease while completing a run. Dhawan was taken to a nearby hospital to be patched up, and ESPNcricinfo understands that he is likely to miss only one match for Delhi.
Baroda v Rajasthan
A high-scoring thriller saw Baroda edge Rajasthan by 15 runs. The foundation was laid by Baroda’s opening duo of Kedar Devdhar, the captain and wicketkeeper, and Aditya Waghmode.Devdhar (64 off 44) and Waghmode (88 off 50) put on 150 runs for the opening wicket at almost ten runs per over, as Baroda racked up 201 for 5. Aniket Choudhary was the only Rajasthan bowler to emerge unscathed, picking up 2 for 27 in four overs.Rajasthan had useful contributions throughout the order, with opener Ankit Lamba (54 off 37) and middle-order batsman Arjit Gupta (41 off 21) leading the way, but they needed one of their batsmen to go big. The required rate eventually proved too much for them, as they ended on 186 for 8. Atit Sheth was the most impressive bowler, with 3 for 34.Punjab v Jharkhand
Punjab routed Jharkhand by 109 runs, the bowlers completing the good work started by the opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Mandeep Singh.Jharkhand’s decision to field backfired with Abhishek (72 off 44) and Mandeep (81 off 52) piling up 124 runs in 12.3 overs, setting the stage for Punjab to eventually reach 199 for 4. Jharkhand’s two left-arm spinners – Shahbaz Nadeem and Anukul Roy – were the only ones to have a measure of success, with Nadeem taking 2 for 27 and Roy returning 1 for 35.Jharkhand’s reply was punctuated by a rash of wickets, as they were all out for 90 in just 14.2 overs. The highest score was opener Utkarsh Singh’s 24, with no other batsman crossing 20. Leggie Mayank Markande spun a web around Jharkhand, picking up 3 for 13 and dismantling the chase in the middle overs.

Gloucestershire coach Richard Dawson to lead eight-match tour to Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2019Marcus Trescothick and Jonathan Trott will form part of the England Lions’ coaching staff in Australia next year as batting coaches for the white-ball and first-class legs of the tour respectively.Both men worked with the England set-up during this summer, joining training ahead of Test matches in unofficial batting consultant roles.Richard Dawson, the Gloucestershire coach, will lead the tour, while Somerset coach Jason Kerr (pace bowling), Carl Hopkinson (fielding) and Bruce French (wicketkeeping) form the rest of the staff.Mo Bobat, who was appointed as David Parsons’ replacement in the performance director role at the end of the summer, said that the tour will give the ECB a chance to look at the next generation of English coaches coming through.”This tour provides us a good opportunity to recognise two coaches who have excelled in their roles in county cricket in Richard and Jason, as well as two high potential newcomers in Jonathan and Marcus,” he said.Richard Dawson coached Gloucestershire to promotion in 2019•Getty Images

“I’m delighted to have Richard on board as head coach for the Lions’ tour of Australia. He’s an excellent leader and provides great technical knowledge as a spin-bowling coach.”Richard, Marcus and Jonathan all have experience of touring Australia with England as players so the advice they can pass on to our players will be invaluable.Dawson, whose Gloucestershire side won promotion from Division Two of the County Championship this season, said: “I’m excited for this opportunity to coach the England Lions, working alongside some excellent coaches.”It will be a challenging tour and one that the coaches and players will all learn a great deal from. Australia is a testing place to tour as an England player, both on and off the field. I look forward to working with some of this country’s best young cricketers as they progress on the Performance Pathway.”The tour comprises five one-day games and three four-day games, with a day/night game against Australia A at the MCG the highlight.England Lions tour of Australia, 2020February 2 – One-day match v Cricket Australia XI (Metricon, Gold Coast)
February 4 – One-day match v Cricket Australia XI (Metricon, Gold Coast)
February 6 – One-day match v Cricket Australia XI (Metricon, Gold Coast)
February 9 – One-day match v New South Wales XI (Drummoyne Oval, Sydney)
February 11 – One-day match v New South Wales XI (Drummoyne Oval, Sydney)
February 15-18 – Four-day match v Cricket Australia XI (Blundstone Arena, Hobart)
February 22-25 – Four-day match v Australia A (MCG, Melbourne, D/N)
March 2-5 – Four-day match v New South Wales XI (North Dalton Park, Wollongong)

Harry Conway claimed 5 for 17 to dismantle Queensland for 153 as the ball dominated at the Gabba

Andrew McGlashan at the Gabba10-Oct-2019Cameron Gannon, the Queensland pace bowler who was playing for USA in August, did what none of England’s attack could do during the Ashes: remove Steven Smith for a duck.Smith, playing his first first-class game in Australia since January 2018, flashed at his fifth delivery and the edge was grabbed by Joe Burns at second slip. It had been 54 innings, and nearly three years, since Smith had last bagged a first-class duck.It was the second of three wickets for Gannon – who two months ago was playing against Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Canada in the T20 World Cup Americas Regionals Finals having qualified for USA through his mother’s side of the family – during an impressive six-over opening spell which brought Queensland back into the match at the Gabba after they had been bowled out for 153 with Harry Conway claiming 5 for 17.”It was pretty weird, I didn’t really know what was going on,” Gannon said of Smith’s scalp. “I was just trying to put the ball in the same spot every time then a couple of things happened which was nice. He’s an absolute weapon off the pads so the plan was go a little bit wider and fuller, but it was a drag down that got him in the end.”This is my tenth season with the Bulls so it’s been a long road but I think missing out on pre-season, going to England and playing some league cricket, then the states, really refreshed me for this year. I’ve come back really enjoying my cricket and it’s probably the most fun I’ve had playing for a long time. Hopefully that shows.”On playing for USA, he said: “It was really weird, being an Australian and singing a different national anthem, standing behind another flag. It was a bit of an uneasy feeling to be honest but it was a really good experience. We’ll see if we get the chance to do it again.”So what’s the secret? Cameron Gannon removed Steven Smith for a duck•Getty Images

By the close, New South Wales had steadied themselves somewhat to reach 3 for 50 with David Warner unbeaten on 27 having survived the around-the-wicket attack of the Queensland bowlers which didn’t quite have the same impact as Stuart Broad in the Ashes.Only Marnus Labuschagne stood out for the home side with 69 on a well-grassed surface that offered pace and carry but few demons. However, the New South Wales attack were relentless and for significant periods dried up the scoring almost completely although Mitchell Starc went wicketless during his 17 overs.It wasn’t a great day for the Test hopefuls at the top of the order. Burns and Matt Renshaw resisted for more than an hour before Burns missed a full toss from Sean Abbott then Usman Khawaja was pinned lbw on the back foot as Conway earned his first. Having played well to get through the first session, Renshaw was undone by late movement from Trent Copeland shortly after the break with Smith taking a sharp low catch at second slip.Good bowling earned the early wickets but Sam Heazlett provided a big helping hand when he pulled a short ball from Moises Henriques to long leg to leave Queensland 5 for 95.Labuschagne, meanwhile, showed great patience and excellent judgement, a boundary bringing up his half-century from 129 balls which was followed by a brief flurry of runs, which compared the day’s general rate of scoring. He could feel a little unlucky to be given out lbw to Conway with the replays suggesting the ball was swinging down the leg side. His departure marked a rapid finish to the innings as the last five wickets fell for 13 runs.

Stuart Broad was England’s hero after an epic but under-rewarded spell from Graeme Swann had sparked them into life, as South Africa’s bid to hunt down a mediocre total of 171 collapsed in a heap of wickets and dot-balls at Chennai

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan06-Mar-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Anderson put England back on track with the key wicket of AB de Villiers•Getty Images

What a World Cup England are producing. From a thrilling tie against India to the shock of losing to Ireland they have now conjured a stunning fightback to beat South Africa by six runs in a gripping contest on a tough pitch in Chennai. They took all ten wickets for 102 through a combination of spin, reverse swing, perseverance and the never-say-die-attitude which is such a trait of this team, with Stuart Broad sealing the victory with two wickets in four balls after Dale Steyn’s 31-ball 20 had taken his team close to the winning line.It showed you don’t need 600 runs to create an epic one-day international and the celebrations when Morne Morkel was caught behind proved how important it was for England spirits. Without it they would have faced the real possibility of heading home early, but can now approach the clashes against Bangladesh and West Indies with much greater heart. What will please Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower is that it was the much-maligned attack that won the match – after the batting struggled to post 171 – as Broad took 4 for 15, James Anderson produced a devastating burst of reverse swing shortly before the 34-over ball change and Graeme Swann bowled with guile and craft to set up the prospect of victory.Despite the tricky pitch, South Africa had broken the back of the run-chase after an opening stand of 63 between Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. However, they suffered two slumps; the first as three wickets fell for 19 – with Broad claiming the vital scalps of Amla and Jacques Kallis – then the more significant slide from 124 for 3 to 165 all out as Anderson produced some wonderful reverse swing, Ian Bell pulled off a fine piece of fielding at short leg to run out Faf du Plessis, and Broad cleaned up the tail.Swann could have dismissed Smith almost half a dozen times with spitting, turning deliveries until one finally bounced and brushed the thumb although it needed the DRS to overturn Asoka de Silva’s on-field not out decision. Amla had moved along serenely despite the testing surface until he became a little lazy against Broad and chopped into his stumps. Kallis then edged a drive and, in a rare sight, accepted Prior’s word on whether it had carried without asking for the umpires to check.AB de Villiers, who began the tournament with back-to-back hundreds, and du Plessis are normally free-flowing batsman, but they decided to consolidate rather than attack during their 42-run stand. It wasn’t a major problem for South Africa at the time with the asking rate remaining comfortable, but it conceded the momentum and when the breakthroughs came England still had runs to play with.Anderson produced his finest spell of reverse-swing since the Ashes as he trimmed de Villiers’ bails and then clattered JP Duminy’s stumps two balls after he’d been reprieved by the DRS having been given caught down the leg side. It had been a controversial moment because there didn’t seem enough evidence to overrule the on-field umpire, but Anderson soon made it irrelevant. In between those two wickets, Bell showed brilliant alertness at short leg as he stopped du Plessis’s shot and flicked it to Prior in time to complete the run out.

Smart Stats

• The 171 is the ninth time England have been bowled out for less than 200 in World Cups. Their lowest remains the 93 against Australia in the 1975 World Cup semi-final.

• Imran Tahir’s 4 for 38 is his best bowling performance in ODIs surpassing his 4 for 41 in the game against West Indies. The bowling performance is also the second best by a spinner against England in a World Cup game behind Abdul Qadir’s 4 for 31 in 1987.

• Robin Peterson’s 3 for 22 is his best bowling display in ODIs surpassing his 3 for 42 against Pakistan in Dubai.

• From a position of 124 for 3, South Africa lost their next four wickets for an additional three runs including three wickets with the score on 124.

• Stuart Broad’s 4 for 15 is the best bowling performance by ean England bowler in World Cup matches against South Africa and the seventh best by an English bowler overall in World Cups.

• The 99-run stand between Jonathan Trott and Ravi Bopara is the second highest for the fourth wicket for England in World Cups.

• Trott continued his excellent ODI form with his ninth half-century. He has now scored 1080 runs in 22 matches at an average of 54.

• England’s six-run win is their closest margin of victory in a World Cup match when thry have batted first. Their previous closest win was the nine-run win over India in the 1992 World Cup.

• The 172 is the lowest target that South Africa have failed to chase in World Cups and the third lowest in ODIs.

England were buzzing, having taken 3 for 0, and the scoring remained at a standstill for the next three overs as Morne van Wyk and Robin Peterson struggled against spin. Michael Yardy, the weak link in the attack, then had Peterson caught behind trying to cut but the mandatory ball-change at 34 overs meant the threat of reverse swing was momentarily removed.Andrew Strauss opted to keep Swann back for one over and used Yardy and Kevin Pietersen in tandem. Both were given one over too many as Steyn took advantage, driving Yardy through the covers and lofting Pietersen straight down the ground. Slowly but surely he and van Wyk chipped out 33 tension-filled runs.However, because of the extensive use of the spinners Strauss was able to return to his quicks at the death and with 12 needed Tim Bresnan found van Wyk’s inside-edge which crashed into the stumps. Then it was over to Broad who trapped Steyn lbw with his first ball and Morkel had clearly decided to try and finish the game quickly when he got the final edge.Despite proving to be yet another thriller, the match could not have been a greater contrast to the two run-fests England were involved in Bangalore. It became abundantly clear this wouldn’t be a 300-match when Peterson stunned everyone by removing both openers in his first over. The value of South Africa’s rounded attack was again on show as the frontline spinners took seven wickets and were backed up by Morkel and Steyn with England losing their top three for 15 and last six for 37, but their failure to cross the line will raise old concerns.Smith isn’t known for out-of-the-box captaincy but it was clever to hand Peterson the new ball. Strauss tried to take an attacking approach by using his feet, but could only pick out de Villiers, who took a fine running catch at deep midwicket. If that was a bonus for South Africa they could barely believe what happened three balls later when Pietersen pushed forward and got a regulation edge low to first slip. Bell soon became Peterson’s third as he pushed a return catch back to the bowler after being beaten in the flight.Ravi Bopara, back in the side at the expense of Paul Collingwood, set about the recovery with Jonathan Trott, who was saved by the DRS after being given lbw against Imran Tahir on 20. Bopara nearly ran himself out on 26 – it wouldn’t have been the first time – but a dive just saved him, then he broke a run of singles with a handsome straight drive for six before Trott reached fifty from 87 balls.Having used up considerable time Trott needed to up the tempo but Tahir pulled off a fine return catch after deceiving his former Warwickshire team-mate in the flight. Prior had the chance to build an innings after previously needing to slog from the start but was undone by Morkel.Bopara’s 60, his first ODI fifty since November 2008, remained the top score and will have given him huge confidence for the rest of the tournament as he showed he could adapt to conditions. The lower order couldn’t build momentum against Tahir and failing to use up 26 deliveries looked like being costly. However, once again England dug deep when all seemed lost and gave the World Cup another memorable finish.

Match Timeline

Newcastle have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham after a new update about his situation.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days suggested that Steve Bruce’s side are one of the teams interested in signing the England international this summer, and it now appears that a potential deal could well be on the cards.

According to The Express and Star, Chelsea are now willing to let Abraham go, and are likely to demand a fee of around £40m to part ways with the centre-forward.

Transforming Newcastle’s attack

With Callum Wilson enduring an injury-hit campaign in his debut season at St James’ Park, making sure the Magpies are well-stocked with quality in the striking department has to be a priority this summer.

And by bringing in the £50k-a-week earning Abraham, Lee Charnley could ensure that Newcastle’s attack could well be transformed. The England ace has suffered from a real lack of game-time at Stamford Bridge, but has still managed 12 goals across all competitions, while he bagged 15 in the Premier League alone last year.

Dubbed as the “real deal” by former Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood, Abraham has a big fan in Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who waxed lyrical about him earlier this season.

He said: “I like him but I also think he has to go to the next level and to do that, that stat (only scoring four goals from crosses) has to improve. He is very good at finishing balls that come from midfield and in behind the defence. Where he can improve is when balls come into the box, he needs to have that intelligent movement where number nines score on a regular basis.

“I like him, he has great potential but where he has to go to the next level, the one thing he can improve on is that movement in the box and he can improve that. He just needs to work on it and improve.”

Having Abraham to either partner Wilson in attack, or simply compete with him, would be a major boost to Newcastle’s striking options and would ensure they don’t just fall by the wayside if the latter pulls up with injury – in the nine Premier League games that the summer signing has missed, the Magpies have scored just five goals.

Abraham’s arrival would go a long way to transforming that.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could sign a perfect midfield partner for Joe Willock in this star…