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Andrew Hudson has been reappointed as convener of the national selection committee of South Africa, which also includes Shafiek Abrahams and new members Linda Zondi and Hussein Manack

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2013Andrew Hudson, former South Africa batsman, has been reappointed as convener of the national selection committee, which also includes the incumbent Shafiek Abrahams and new members Linda Zondi, a former KwaZulu-Natal wicketkeeper, and Hussein Manack, a former Gauteng allrounder. Russell Domingo, South Africa’s head coach, is an ex officio appointment on the panel that will serve until the 2015 World Cup.CSA high performance manager Vincent Barnes and transformation manager Max Jordaan will also serve on the committee in a non-voting capacity. Barnes and Corrie van Zyl were released from the panel to make way for Zondi and Manack.”The board felt the need for a stronger independent component to the selection committee,” CSA’s acting chief executive Naasei Appiah said. “The previous panel had a majority of members who were employed by CSA. The national coach is the only voting member of the new panel who is employed by CSA.”As part of their mandate, there will have to be a selector on duty at all franchise matches in all the different competitions. Linda Zondi is succeeding Shafiek Abrahams as convener of the national Under-19 panel and he will have a key role to play as the Under-19 group is a vital area of our talent catchment area.”Zondi, a former first-class wicketkeeper, has been involved with Kwa-Zulu Natal’s development program, and has worked with the national Under-19 side. He was among the three black African candidates who were in the running to be nominated to the panel.Maneck, the other appointee, played first-class cricket for Gauteng (formerly Transvaal) and was one of the non-playing members of South Arica’s inaugural post-readmission tour to India in 1992. He has served on the Gauteng Cricket Board and is a selector at the Lions – the franchise which won the domestic T20 cup, shared the one-day cup, and finished second in the first-class competition.Van Zyl, who was released from the panel, was appointed selector in 2010, when he was also the interim coach of the South Africa team. After Gary Kirsten took over as coach in 2011, van Zyl moved on to the high-performance program and stayed on as selector. Barnes, who will serve on the committee in a non-voting capacity, was appointed to the panel in June 2011.Hudson, who was first appointed convenor of selectors in 2010, will lead the new panel in their first assignment to pick the South Africa team for the series against Pakistan in October. The tour begins on October 14 in the UAE, and consists of two Tests, five ODIs and two T20s.

ESPNcricinfo previews the ODI between Scotland and Australia

The preview by Alex Winter02-Sep-2013

Match facts

September 3, Edinburgh
Start time 1045 (0945 GMT)Matthew Wade faces an important time to secure his credentials as Australia’s No. 1 in ODIs•Getty Images

Big Picture

Scotland haven’t been able to develop a compelling case for more top level cricket, as Ireland have, and as such, their appearances against the big boys of world cricket don’t carry the same “point-to-prove” status. So there should be no ramifications for labelling this fixture an Australian warm-up for the NatWest series against England.Australia need to regain credibility in ODIs. They were roundly written off for the Champions Trophy, thumped by England in their opening match and never realistically threatened the semi-finals. A 3-0 Ashes defeat will have done nothing for their confidence but Ashes losers have recently found solace in the one-dayers that follow. A confidence-boosting defeat of the Scots will gee Australia up nicely.So will a longer memory. In February Australia shrugged off a West Indies side high on their World T20 success which, before last week’s win in the Twenty20 at the Ageas Bowl, was their previous taste of any victory. They can certainly play in their home conditions; a factor which will shorten their odds for the 2015 World Cup. And unless something quite remarkable happens, they should cast Scotland aside.That said, Pakistan were given a scare north of the border back in May and when Scotland can select their first XI, they are a useful side – currently lying joint third in the World Cricket League Championship with two games in hand on second-placed Netherlands. Their posse of county cricketers return for this match although captain Kyle Coetzer is ruled out with a wrist injury.Coezter could also miss the three World Cricket League Championship matches against Ireland which follow this fixture; crucial matches in Scotland’s quest to qualify for the 2015 World Cup. So you could say, Scotland are treating the Australians as practise opponents too.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)Scotland WWLLL
Australia LLWWW

Players to watch

Without Coezter, a huge hole is left in the Scotland batting line-up but a player who can take up the slack is Matt Machan. At 22, Machan could be a Scottish international for some time and hinted at what he could become with 114 against Kenya in June. His recent form for Sussex is also healthy with two half-centuries in the final two Yorkshire Bank 40 matches – form which saw him called up to the four-day side last week.Matthew Wade was billed – predictably – as the new Adam Gilchrist when he first appeared and when he took the gloves in the Test side, looked set in as Australia’s No. 1 wicketkeeper. But Brad Haddin wasn’t seen off and he confirmed his status as Australia’s best gloveman in the Ashes. Haddin also has his sights set on the 2015 World Cup, so Wade needs performances to deter the selectors from going back to the tried and tested.

Team news

Coetzer’s absence leaves Scotland searching for another opening batsman. Hamish Gardiner, Australian-born to a Scottish mother, is set to take Coezter’s place and make his international debut. Neil Carter is also unavailable due to work commitments. Preston Mommsen takes over the captaincy from Coezter.Scotland (possible) 1 Hamish Gardiner, 2 Freddie Coleman, 3 Richie Berrington, 4 Matt Machan, 5 Preston Mommsen (capt), 6 David Murphy (wkt), 7 Rob Taylor, 8 Majid Haq, 9 Gordon Goudie, 10 Iain Wardlaw, 11 Gordon DrummondAustralia’s squad is trimmed to 15 for the ODIs with David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Steven Smith leaving the tour. Warner’s absence means Shane Watson is likely to open the batting and creates an issue at No. 3. Shaun Marsh could play or perhaps Wade will be given another chance up the order. Michael Clarke could probably use an innings having not played for a week and it’s a good chance to have another look at Fawad Ahmed.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 George Bailey, 6 Adam Voges, 7 Matthew Wade (wkt), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Fawad Ahmed, 11 Clint McKay

Pitch and conditions

The ODI which survived the weather against Pakistan produced a low-scoring match with wickets tumbling early in both innings. That was the last major match to be played on this ground. No rain is forecast and conditions should be warm and sunny.

Stats and trivia

• Scotland’s cricketers arguably created the finest piece of Scottish sporting history with victory of Australia in 1882.
• The only time Australia have visited Scotland for an ODI was in 2009 when they triumphed by 189 runs.
• In addition the sides met at both the 1999 and 2007 World Cups with both fixtures somewhat one-sided with six wicket and 203-run victories.

Quotes

“They are still a relatively new unit, with some pretty young players, and they don’t know each other 100%, so this is probably a good time to be taking them on.”
“We will do a little bit of homework on Scotland. We certainly won’t be coming in blind – that’s when trouble can occur.”

Kane Williamson and Peter Fulton were comfortably dealing with the Bangladesh spinners, until they found their mojo in the final hour as New Zealand went to stumps on 280 for 5

The Report by Mohammad Isam09-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kane Williamson’s fourth Test century had put New Zealand in the ascendancy until the last two overs•AFP

Kane Williamson and Peter Fulton were looking quite comfortable, until the Bangladesh spinners found their mojo in the final hour. New Zealand went to stumps on 280 for 5, having lost their last three wickets in 10.1 overs in the first Test in Chittagong.After controlled batting had kept all three spinners out of the game on a newly-laid pitch, the fourth and the fifth wickets came in the last two overs, when Williamson, having made 114, and captain Brendon McCullum were adjudged leg-before to Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak respectively.The visitors’ progress throughout the day was a fair reflection of the conditions. There was no pace in the wicket even at its freshest, and it didn’t change much throughout the day. But the two batsmen, as well as Hamish Rutherford and later Ross Taylor, made friends with the straw-coloured surface quicker than the bowlers would have hoped.Bangladesh included Abdur Razzak for his first Test match in more than two years in hopes of fielding a more rounded attack and just after the first hour, all three spinners had been brought in. But the wickets did not materialise.The swiftness with which the New Zealand top four acclimatised must have been encouraging for the next batsmen. Williamson was the most impressive, adjusting quickly as if he suddenly remembered how he had scored his first ODI hundred in Dhaka. Even then, his timing was noticeable.Today he was as tight in defence as he was forceful when the ball was off line. Coming at the back of a first wicket which was needlessly given away by Rutherford, Williamson avoided rash strokeplay. A backfoot dab through mid-on off the first ball he faced, from Shakib Al Hasan, was perhaps the most elegant shot of the day, but the best one of his 12 boundaries came four balls later – another light punch off the back foot to turn the ball past mid-wicket. The two shots set him up for the rest of the innings, as the Bangladesh spinners struggled to push the ball through, or use the slow nature of the wicket to their benefit.Williamson’s next seven boundaries were all examples of how a batsman’s patience is more often than not rewarded. A majority of them were off short balls, as the bowlers lost their discipline, and soon he reached his half-century off 94 balls.Fulton struggled early on when he repeatedly tried to work the ball in front of the leg side. But after surviving some close calls, he too reached his first fifty since his twin centuries against England in Auckland. His 73 came off 198 balls, with seven fours and a six as he became increasingly comfortable knocking the spinners around, finding the gaps and bringing out the sweep shot once in a while. It was a slow innings, but one that laid the foundation for New Zealand’s dominance on the day.Their 126-run stand – New Zealand’s highest for the second wicket in Bangladesh – wasn’t exactly unexpected because the hosts are used to being on the backfoot when bowling first. But given their attack, it was expected that the pair would be forced into a mistake, which eventually came off Nasir Hossain’s part-time off spin. Fulton had a century in his sights when he smashed a half-tracker straight to cover and walked off the field looking very distraught.Williamson reached his century off 175 balls, a confident knock that was pleasing to the eyes, particularly when he punched the ball off either foot. But it was his strong-willed defence that contributed to his innings the most.Along with Ross Taylor, he added 61 runs for the third wicket, which ended when Taylor’s flick found a leading edge and fell safely into cover’s hands while Rutherford, the day’s first wicket, was another batsman being defeated by his own impetuousness.Williamson was dismissed for 114, having batted more than four hours. His forward prod at Shakib missed the bat, and he was given out leg-before in the penultimate over of the day. McCullum fell in the final over, having played back while trying to flick a ball off Razzak, who was bowling quicker than he had done all day.Despite the five wickets, the day’s play promises much for New Zealand looking ahead in the series. They started off quite well on a new surface, which might not impress their pace bowlers much. The plan from the home side would be to diminish the pace and movement of Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, and hope the wicket gets better as the match progresses.

Kent opening batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond struck his second County Championship century in five days to give his winless, Division Two basement side, a solid start to their four-day clash with Glamorgan.

Press Association10-May-2015
ScorecardMichael Hogan was the pick of Glamorgan’s attack and kept them in the match•PA Photos

Kent opening batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond struck his second County Championship century in five days to give his winless, Division Two basement side, a solid start to their four-day clash with Glamorgan.The 21-year-old, fresh from his 103 against Leicestershire in Canterbury on Wednesday, mastered a very different pitch to post a season’s best 123 in Kent’s first-day total of 330 for 8 from 95.1 overs.Batting first on an unusually green pitch that had been cut to 5mm, rather than the 3mm norm here, Bell-Drummond soon looked at home on the surface to feature in a season’s best opening stand with Joe Denly.The pair added 68 before Denly became the sole casualty of the first session. Fencing at a Michael Hogan leg-cutter, he edged to third slip to be caught low down by Jacques Rudolph.Bell-Drummond joined forces with Brendan Nash to add a further 66 either side of lunch before Nash perished during an excellent seven-over stint of 1 for 12 from the Nackington Road End. Aiming to drive on the up at a length ball, the left-hander edged to the keeper and trudged off castigating his own shot selection.Sam Northeast, Kent’s acting captain in the absence of Rob Key who asked to be omitted following a run of poor form stretching back to last summer, followed soon after for 8. Having hit half-centuries in Kent’s opening three fixtures, Northeast played around a Craig Meschede off-cutter and went lbw to make it 145 for 3.Fabian Cowdrey, Key’s replacement in the home batting order, had 14 to his name when he drove loosely against David Lloyd and feathered a regulation catch into the gloves of Mark Wallace.The hosts re-grouped either side of the tea break through Bell-Drummond and Darren Stevens, with a fifth-wicket stand worth 85. Bell Drummond pulled a loose one from Meschede for four to the ropes at midwicket for a 16th boundary that hoisted his 249-ball century.He jumped for joy and then removed his helmet to accept the acclaim from the crowd and players’ balcony, but was soon removing his helmet for a very different reason after being hit on the head by an accidental beamer from Lloyd.Though the delivery was called a no-ball by umpire Nick Cook, Bell-Drummond was clearly shaken by events and only continued after treatment and with a replacement helmet. He was out soon after, leg before when half-forward in defence to the second delivery with the second new ball from Hogan.Glamorgan continued their fightback with gusto thereafter by picking up three more Kent scalps in the final 12 overs of the day.
Stevens, having just recorded a breezy, chanceless 50 from 75 balls, fell into Rudolph’s leg theory trap by glancing one off his hip from Graham Wagg into the hands of the Glamorgan captain who had just stationed himself at backward short leg.Sam Billings’ cameo stay for 26 ended when he skied a Meschede bouncer to Chris Cooke at gully, then, in the day’s final over, Calum Haggett fenced at one from the excellent Hogan to again pick out Rudolph in the cordon. Hogan, the pick of Glamorgan’s attack, finished the day with 4 for 53.

A burst of five wickets for 17 runs in just 30 balls shortly after lunch ensured the balance of play favoured Leicestershire at the end of the first day’s play of their Division Two against Surrey at Grace Road.

ECB/PA07-Jun-2015
ScorecardA burst of five wickets for 17 runs in just 30 balls shortly after lunch ensured the balance of play favoured Leicestershire at the end of the first day’s play of their Division Two against Surrey at Grace Road, dramatically raising their hopes that after winning their first Championship match for 992 days last week, they might add another within a week.Zafar Ansari and Rory Burns put together an impressive opening partnership after the visitors had been inserted on a well-grassed pitch, before both fell with the score on 82.Left-arm seamer Rob Taylor, in the Foxes’ side at the expense of Tom Wells, had Burns leg before on the back foot, and in the following over, Ansari padded up to an inswinging delivery from Charlie Shreck that would have knocked out his off-stump.Kumar Sangakkara and Dominic Sibley took the score on to 122 before Sangakkara, who had played and missed several times at Taylor’s outswingers, edged an attempted drive at Clint McKay and was well held by Andrea Agathangelou at second slip for 21.The Sri Lankan’s dismissal was the first of a clatter of wickets. Steve Davies, in outstanding form with the bat this season, was trapped on the crease by a Ben Raine inswinger and went leg before without scoring.Ben Foakes was unlucky to play an authentic leg glance only for Leicestershire wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien to take a fine catch diving away to his left, but Gary Wilson had already been perilously close to going leg before to McKay when he was pinned in front by a ball that seamed back in.James Burke, making his debut for Surrey, edged a Charlie Shreck outswinger to O’Brien without scoring, and at 139 for 7 the visitors were in some disarray.Sibley was batting solidly, however, and he was joined by Tom Curran in building a partnership of 82 for the eighth wicket. Curran, attacking, and at times riding his luck, went to a maiden first class half-century by launching off-spinner Jigar Naik high over long-on, but then edged an attempted reverse sweep to be caught behind for 60.Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove threw the ball to Agathangelou, and with his first delivery for his new county since being signed, the occasional legspinner spun the ball past the edge of Chris Tremelett’s bat to hit the off-stump.The innings, and Sibley’s long vigil – his 74 came off 154 balls – ended when the right-handed batsman edged Raine down the leg side to give O’Brien his fourth catch of the innings.Leicestershire openers Angus Robson and Matt Boyce then saw off eight overs before the close, to leave Leicestershire, who won their first county championship match in 38 attempts when they beat Essex last week, well satisfied with their day’s work.

Yorkshire bowled superbly, with control and discipline, as the Division One leaders, Middlesex, were restricted to only one batting point

Jon Culley at Headingley07-Jun-2015
ScorecardJack Brooks finished with 5 for 44 to help cover for the continued absence of Ryan Sidebottom•Getty Images

This was more like it from Yorkshire, who had looked out of sorts as they escaped with a draw in Somerset a couple of weeks ago. They bowled superbly, with control and discipline, as the Division One leaders, Middlesex, were restricted to only one batting point after James Franklin, on winning the toss, had been content to invite Yorkshire to field.Jack Brooks, wicketless in Taunton, advertised the restorative benefits of a 10-day break by taking 5 for 44. Brooks is in his third season at Headingley after his move from Northamptonshire but he still celebrates every wicket as if it is his first, wheeling away to his left, fists pumping, crossing at least half a dozen neighbouring strips before coming to a halt.He came up with some terrific deliveries, dismissing Joe Burns, the Australian opener, with the ninth ball of his opening five-over new ball spell at the Football Stand End before returning for the final half hour of the morning at the Kirkstall Lane End, removing Sam Robson with his fifth ball, one that nipped back and beat the erstwhile England opener’s defence to clip the top of middle and off stumps.Robson was probably a key wicket, given that he was striking the ball nicely and taking his scoring chances well, better certainly than the more cautious Nick Compton, and had he survived until lunch the day might have unfolded differently. As it was, the fillip of his dismissal put a spring in Yorkshire’s step as they emerged for the afternoon session, by the end of which Middlesex were all out for 212.Yet as Middlesex reduced Yorkshire to 52 for 4 in reply, before Jonny Bairstow and Jack Leaning laid the foundations of a recovery, the value of Compton’s three-and-a-half hour 70 was emphasised. The 31-year-old, batting at No. 3, relishes the responsibility of holding his team together in difficult situations and this was a pitch on which there was always likely to be incident.During the morning session, with Brooks at the top of his game and Steve Patterson bowling his consistently testing line from the other end, Compton went 40 minutes without scoring a run, with 25 dot balls between his seventh and eighth scoring shots. “It doesn’t bother me at all to do that,” he said. “As long as I’m still in, I’ve got a chance. You want to be scoring but I’m happy to be patient. If you go searching for it on a wicket like that you’re going to give yourself a bit of trouble.”Where he feels less patient is in relation to his England career, which was so abruptly nipped in the bud on the eve of the last Ashes series and which has yet to resume. “Patience is one of my qualities as a batsman but as a person it is not my greatest asset,” he said.”I’m desperate to get back in the England side again and I feel I have the ability and the credentials to be a thorn in the side of the Australians in this Ashes if I was picked. But I have had to reset my goals a bit, concentrate on contributing for Middlesex and whatever will be, will be.”Yorkshire had to change their plans at the last minute when Ryan Sidebottom, who was to have made his comeback here after suffering a calf injury in the opening fixture, pulled up in the warm-ups, feeling all was not well. It meant Will Rhodes kept his place. Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance came back from Test duty, neatly filling the places vacated by Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett’s secondment to the England one-day squad.Yorkshire’s spin gamble paid off. It had been supposed that James Middlebrook, who took nine wickets in the match when he stood in for Rashid earlier in the season, would take that duty again but Yorkshire chanced that Glenn Maxwell, an allrounder but primarily a batsman, could fill in and how well they were rewarded.Introduced at 108 for 4 after 45 overs, Maxwell’s off-breaks claimed two key wickets in the space of three deliveries when Franklin inside-edged to short leg and John Simpson was trapped leg before, his ball keeping a touch low, at which point the Middlesex innings was collapsing at 119 for 6. Ollie Rayner went after him, hitting five of his next eight deliveries to the fence and surviving a dropped catch at short leg, but Maxwell came back with a ball that somehow squeezed through between his legs and bowled him.Compton ultimately fell to Brooks. Required to be bolder as wickets fell around him he gave Brooks his fourth wicket when he drove at one that found the edge and was taken at third slip by Leaning at the second attempt. Patterson, reliably consistent as ever, picked up his second wicket before James Harris, whose last-wicket show of defiance with Tim Murtagh at least meant Middlesex’s effort was not pointless, hooked to long leg to give Brooks his second five-wicket haul of the season.Murtagh was back in the Middlesex side for Steven Finn, called up by England, and took two wickets as Yorkshire’s day ended with something of a backs-to the-wall effort needed. Ballance, who needs some county runs more than most, struggled again, dismissed by Murtagh for 1 and Lees’ run of low scores continued when he edged the same bowler to second slip.Lyth looked in better shape, but the ball after he had hit one delicious drive past mid-off for four he followed a ball from Toby Roland-Jones that left him late and was caught, also at second slip. Andrew Gale’s dismissal left Yorkshire in difficulties and much will depend on Bairstow and Leaning staying out of trouble in the first hour on the second day.

Suriname’s anticipated debut at the ICC Americas U-19 Division One championship will have to wait at least another two years after the team was forced to withdraw from the event starting on Sunday in Bermuda

Peter Della Penna06-Jul-2015Suriname’s anticipated debut at the ICC Americas Under-19 Division One championship will have to wait at least another two years after the team was forced to withdraw from the event starting on Sunday in Bermuda. According to an ICC release, the U-19 Division Two champions had to pull out after failing to secure transit visas.A source told ESPNcricinfo that because there were no direct flights from Suriname to Bermuda, the squad needed to secure visas to transit through either the USA or Canada in order to get to Bermuda. However, the visa applications were not processed in time.The tournament’s format originally stipulated that the four competing teams – Bermuda, USA, Canada and Suriname – would play an initial round-robin stage after which the lowest-ranked team on the points table would be eliminated before commencing a second round-robin stage with the three remaining teams. Instead, USA, Bermuda and Canada will play a double round-robin amongst themselves, as was the format in 2013.The first-place team in Bermuda gains automatic entry into the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The runner-up will have a second chance at qualification in a global qualifier comprised of runner-up teams from other ICC Associate regions due to be held in Nepal later this year.In addition to the 10 Full Members who received automatic entry, other teams to have qualified for next year’s U-19 World Cup include Afghanistan, Namibia and Fiji while the runner-up teams who have gained a spot at the repechage qualifier are Nepal, Uganda and Papua New Guinea. The ICC Europe U-19 Qualifier begins on July 11 in Jersey.

Sam Hain and Tom Abell gave further evidence of their rich promise as Warwickshire built a winning position against Somerset

ECB/PA20-Jul-2015
ScorecardTom Abell gave a further illustration of his rich promise•Getty Images

Warwickshire are on the brink of LV=County Championship victory over Somerset after a third day on which young batsmen Sam Hain and Tom Abell showed their rich promise.Twenty-year-old Hain completed an unbeaten 103 (169 balls, 12 fours) – his sixth century in only his 18th first-class match – to lift Warwickshire to 365 all out and a first innings lead of 100 at Edgbaston.As Somerset then folded all out for 170 in their second innings, the exception to some tatty batting was 21-year-old Abell. The Taunton-born opener, in his 15th first-class match, batted through the innings for a skilful 88 (142 balls, 13 fours).It was the second time in five weeks that he had carried his bat, having achieved the feat against Nottinghamshire at Taunton in June, and he was only denied a deserved career-best (which remains 95) and maiden century by the ineptitude of his colleagues.While Abell resisted, the rest failed to deal with the aggressive seam-bowling of Rikki Clarke (four for 43) and the astute spin of Jeetan Patel (four for 47). Their supine efforts left Warwickshire a victory target of 70 and they reached six without loss before rain lopped of the last 15 overs.After Warwickshire resumed in the morning on 319 for eight, Hain and Patel took their partnership to 83 before Patel (41, 47 balls) was bowled by Overton who then removed Oliver Hannon-Dalby first ball to finish with a career-best six for 74.If a lead of 100 looked useful, it soon appeared mountainous after Somerset, having advanced with relative comfort to 32 without loss, lost three wickets in 14 balls without adding a run.Marcus Trescothick fell lbw, sweeping at Patel, and Clarke delivered fast, straight balls too good for Michael Bates, lbw, and James Hildreth, bowled.Abell dig in admirably but nobody else passed 21. Tom Cooper was trapped in front by Hannon-Dalby and Jim Allenby edged Chris Woakes to second slip before Clarke and Patel hoovered up the rest.Clarke ousted Peter Trego lbw and Overton who thumped two fours then sent up a skier in search of a third. Patel removed Abdur Rehman, who played an appalling shot, and had Alfonso Thomas and Tim Groenewald caught behind off successive balls to finish with match-figures of nine for 136.Twenty overs remained in the day when Warwickshire set off in pursuit of 70 but drizzle forced the players off after 26 balls.

Steady rain all day threatened to cause an abandonment without the Australians even leaving their team hotel

Daniel Brettig in Northampton14-Aug-2015Steady rain all day threatened to cause an abandonment without the Australians even leaving their team hotel. They spent much of the day watching the Women’s Ashes Test at a sunnier Canterbury, before the coach Darren Lehmann and his opposite number David Ripley brokered a late start.The plan was for a toss at 4.30pm and then 30 overs from 5pm, but the rain returned just as the Australian team bus turned into Wantage Road. So it was that a three-day fixture was trimmed back to two, coincidentally the same length of the match between these two sides in 2013. Steven Smith must wait one more day to toss a coin as Australia’s full-time captain.

Sri Lanka’s chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardene has said that the Test side’s turnaround from recent defeats will depend on getting the team dynamic right and on players fulfilling the roles assigned to them

Sa'adi Thawfeeq26-Sep-2015Sri Lanka’s chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardene has said that the Test side’s turnaround from recent defeats will depend on getting the team dynamic right and on players fulfilling the roles assigned to them. Sri Lanka lost consecutive Test series at home to Pakistan and India, both by a 2-1 margin, but Wijegunawardene stressed there was no need to be “unduly concerned” with the results yet.With the side gearing for a home series against West Indies, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is, Wijegunawardene was convinced the team had the resources it needed to bring the results back on track.”We don’t need to be unduly concerned because we know that the talent is there, it’s just a matter of getting all the team dynamics right and getting it together as a unit,” Wijegunawardene said. “I am convinced we have the resources that we need. The team environment with all the members fulfilling their roles is a vital thing.”Not everybody was able to deliver those objectives. There were gaps and it was very clearly reflected in the end results. There were naturally shortcomings in the delivery of one’s role. Those are things we need to work out and ensure that every member of the team fits into the role he plays in the larger scheme of things.”When asked why players failed to fulfill roles assigned to them, Wijegunawardene put it down to a combination of factors. He pointed out that the gaps were in the batting, which has been in a transition phase over the last couple of years.”It could be inexperience and players being a little over eager, lots of things that one can sight but you can’t really pinpoint and say this was the reason,” he said.
 “From the bowling side they really performed creditably, the gaps were in the batting. The six or seven batters we had in the side were not able to chip in. In all the games, if all the batters had chipped in with 25-30 runs we would have met those shortfalls, which was the winning margin for the opposition. The fact that we had those shortcomings is generally not a concern but those are little areas we need to improve on.”Wijegunawardene said the series against West Indies would be another chance to identify the right batting combination for the side and the team management and selectors could experiment with the line-up.”Every series we strategise to win whilst working towards that objective,” he said. “There is some element of experimentation also that we are compelled to carry out in order to identify the best combination with the resources at our disposal and to come up with a more sustainable long-term plan.”One of the places that needs to be filled is the No. 3 spot left vacant by Kumar Sangakkara’s retirement. Sri Lanka have tried Lahiru Thirimanne, Upul Tharanga and Dimuth Karunaratne at No. 3 in 2015, but the trio have played only match each in that position and haven’t succeeded.”We are convinced that Thirimanne’s got the talent. In fairness to him he’s hit a rough patch, which can happen to any player,” Wijegunawardene said. “Being the talented player he is, I am sure he can work his way out of the rough. Now that Kumar is no longer in the equation those are the things that we are working on.”According to Kapila Wijegunawardene, Sri Lanka’s selectors want Dinesh Chandimal to bat higher up the order•AFP

Kusal Perera was given a chance as a wicketkeeper after a string of consistent performances for Sri Lanka A and he responded with a fifty in each innings on debut in the third Test against India at the SSC. Wijegunawardene said Kusal is an exciting prospect for Sri Lanka but would have work on his wicketkeeping skills.”If you analyse our team composition in the last 15-20 years we’ve always had batsmen who deputised as keepers, because whether we can afford to have a genuine keeper is questionable, ” he said. “It’s a vital position no doubt but working out the batsmen we need to balance the side.”Kusal missed one chance but you cannot hang somebody for a mistake. He can naturally improve on his wicket-keeping. He has been a little bit rusty not keeping regularly. It has been clearly spelt out to him that he needs to work on his ‘keeping which he is doing. We all know if he had survived a few more overs we would have won that game at SSC. He is going to be a very exciting prospect for Sri Lanka in that position.”While stating that the selectors were keen on giving Kusal a more stable run, Wijegunawardene said they had also taken note of 22-year-old Niroshan Dickwella, who played four Tests last year.”Dickwella is on the ‘A’ tour to NZ. He is definitely one of the strong candidates we are looking at and he is keeping very well at the moment, but we don’t want to tinker around too much,” he said. “We will keep an open mind on how things pan out, but right now we are looking at a more stable run for Kusal in that role.”Wijegunawardene also said that the selectors would like Dinesh Chandimal to bat higher up the order. Chandimal impressed last month with counter-attacking 162 not out that lifted Sri Lanka to a win in the first Test against India in Galle.”Given Chandimal’s talent we would like him to bat higher up in the order, that is the role we have identified for him. We know that he has got the talent to do it.”