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Shane Watson believes that DRS has upstaged the act of giving the benefit of the doubt to the batsman in this Ashes series

Brydon Coverdale07-Aug-2013Shane Watson believes the concept of giving the benefit of the doubt to the batsman has disappeared from the game with the advent of the DRS. The Australians have used the DRS poorly through the course of the Ashes, and Watson was one of the main offenders during the first two Tests.He failed to have two lbw decisions overturned on review and, surprisingly, asked for a review when he was plumb in front to Tim Bresnan in the first innings at Lord’s. But his review at Trent Bridge, when the ball was shown to be just clipping leg stump, was a more realistic one.That decision cost Watson the chance to go on to make a big score, for he was on 46 at the time, and although replays suggested it was a very tight call, the DRS had been set up to support the on-field umpire’s decision in such circumstances. On one hand Watson was supportive of the DRS for not overturning decisions unless they were howlers, but on the other hand it was difficult for the batsman not to have the benefit of the doubt.”There’s supposed to be the benefit of the doubt going to the batsman,” Watson said. “Bowlers get a chance to come back and bowl another ball, but for a batsman, if they’re out, they’re out. DRS, for me personally, makes things pretty complicated when the rules of the game were set up to be as uncomplicated as possible. Batting-wise, if there’s benefit of the doubt, the benefit goes to the batsman. As a bowler you accept that.”So it’s going to be interesting to see how DRS evolves. At the moment, there’s no doubt that for the amount of airtime the DRS has got over these last three Test matches, it’s certainly not working to how it was supposed to be set up to work.”The players from both teams have appeared uncertain of whether to ask for reviews at times during this series, not knowing whether edges will show up on Hot Spot, or if lbws are as close as they seem. There have been times when the system has worked as intended, for example when Chris Rogers was given out caught behind in the second innings at Lord’s and his review showed the ball brushing his leg, but at other times both teams have gambled on close decisions.”It was [intended] to eliminate the really bad decision that could significantly turn the events of a game, not for the 50-50 ones,” Watson said. “That’s not what it’s there for at all, and that’s why I’ll never ever complain if it’s a 50-50 one because that’s not what DRS is set up for. And that makes me realise I’m not a good umpire because the 50-50 ones, sometimes I think they are definitely not out, or definitely out, and they aren’t. So it is a bit of guesswork for the players, and the umpires are doing the best they possibly can.”There was one occasion, on the final day at Old Trafford, when the Australians were pleased that the on-field umpire’s call was trusted when Kevin Pietersen was given out caught behind, and the decision was upheld despite no mark showing on Hot Spot. Watson said it was pleasing to see the back of Pietersen via DRS, given the earlier banter between the pair.”One of my strengths so far throughout this series hasn’t been the DRS,” Watson said. “And he (Pietersen) certainly has reminded me of that a few times throughout this Test series, and that’s why his two dismissals in this Test match were with DRS going against him. So, I found that quite funny.”The Australians could have had Pietersen out earlier in his first innings had they reviewed an lbw appeal when Watson was bowling, but Pietersen was a long way down the pitch. HawkEye showed that had a review been used, Pietersen would have been given out, but Watson said even he as the bowler felt there was enough doubt.”I’m not the person to ask about DRS really,” Watson said. “One thing I have learnt over these three Test matches is that I don’t have a career in umpiring after I finish. I’ll certainly leave it to the experts to be able to do it. Look, in the end he was a long way down the wicket and we all thought there’s a bit of doubt there, as the umpire did as well.”

Daniel Vettori has said that legspinner Ish Sodhi was one of the most promising bowlers he had seen, and that he could have a bright international career

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2013Daniel Vettori, the former New Zealand captain, has said that Northern Districts legspinner Ish Sodhi was one of the most promising bowlers he had seen. Sodhi was named in New Zealand’s Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh on Friday.”He’s probably one of the most talented bowlers I’ve ever seen,” Vettori told . “His skill level is incredibly high. I think there’s something special about him. I’ve been trying to spread the message to our guys for a while. He loves bowling and has really worked hard on not becoming one-dimensional. He’s the sort of guy who loves cricket and just wants to bowl and bowl. He’s got a fantastic attitude.”Sodhi and Vettori go some way back. Sodhi had been invited to bowl at Vettori during an Auckland playing trial and then they became team-mates. He currently plies his trade with Northern Districts. He was also part of New Zealand’s Under-19 team that made the semi-finals of the 2012 World Cup in Queensland.Sodhi is presently in India as part of the New Zealand A squad after taking 20 wickets in 10 matches during the first-class season at home. He took two wickets in the first unofficial Test in Visakhapatnam but was wicketless in the second, although he made a career-best score of 57.”In the last game I didn’t get a wicket but got through 24 overs and felt really good,” he said. “I guess it was all about the process than the outcome in that game. I’m going to try and live in the moment. I’m going to learn but I want to contribute to the side, and hopefully win a game.”

David Warner has been handed a suspended one-match ban by New South Wales and ordered to play the next three grade matches for his club Randwick Petersham after skipping their most recent fixtures

Daniel Brettig08-Oct-2013David Warner has been handed a suspended one-match ban by New South Wales and ordered to play the next three grade matches for his club Randwick Petersham after skipping their most recent fixture for a private training session and an afternoon at the races.After meeting with the NSW chief executive Andrew Jones on Tuesday morning, Warner was informed that he had avoided the ignominy of another suspension – he was ruled out of the first two Ashes Tests earlier this year for punching the England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar – but was reminded of the importance of grade competition by the instruction that he must play in the next three games, the Blues’ domestic limited-overs schedule permitting.Warner must also visit two other Sydney clubs to promote the state association’s anti-drink driving sponsorship message. Following the outcome of his meeting with Jones, Warner conceded he should not have defied NSW orders to play for his club. “I believed I was doing the right thing by focusing on my training and batting, but in hindsight I should have played,” Warner said. “I remain determined to score runs for NSW and Australia and am also looking forward to taking the field for Randy-Petes this round. “Jones levied the penalty after speaking with all parties concerned, including NSW team management, Randwick Petersham officials and Warner’s manager Tony Connelly. While another episode in Warner’s year of misadventure, the meeting was an early test of Jones as the state’s new CEO, having replaced David Gilbert.”This has been an unfortunate episode,” Jones said. “Like most cricket fans, I and all at Cricket NSW would like nothing more than to see David Warner achieve his potential on and off the field. However, in order to do this David needs to ensure that he is doing the right things and working closely with the organisation in all areas. We believe the suspended sentence demonstrates our good faith and gives David the opportunity to prove his commitment to NSW’s fans and stakeholders, including the Grade clubs. We are hopeful that this is the last incident of this nature so that David and Cricket NSW can focus solely on cricket for the remainder of the season.”Irrespective of his disciplinary record, Warner’s most pressing concern now is finding a way to return to strong run-making form, having recorded innings of four and a duck in the Blues’ two limited overs matches so far.

Scott Borthwick’s unbeaten 97 saw off Sussex at Chester-Le-Street and ensured that Durham preserved their unbeaten record

Srihari Daivanayagam at Chester-le-Street29-Apr-2015
ScorecardScott Borthwick was there at the end alongside his captain Paul Collingwood•Getty Images

Scott Borthwick might still insist that he sees himself as a legspinner first and foremost, but his batting continues to make an impact. It was his unbeaten 97 which ensured that there were no twists on the final day of an eventful match at Chester-le-Street which Durham won to go second in the Division One table with the league’s only unblemished record, five points behind leaders Sussex with a game in hand.Needing 147 on the final day to win, Borthwick took the responsibility of seeing his side home for the second time this season, following his unbeaten fifty against Somerset in the first game.Borthwick had a conversation with Paul Collingwood about getting to his hundred and waved it aside in peremptory fashion. “We needed 11 to win and Colly said to me ‘do you want to get your hundred?’ I said of course, but there is no point messing around, if it is there to hit, just hit it for four. He did that and it was nice to get over the line.”After a tentative start by Borthwick and Michael Richardson, Ajmal Shahzad struck early as he struck Richardson’s leg stump in the fourth over of the day. Shahzad’s early-season form at his new county meant he started the day top of the PCA’s MVP list, but on a pitch was still offering something for the bowlers, Borthwick and Calum MacLeod batted sensibly for the first hour, before accelerating close to lunch.”Runs weren’t that important in the first session,” Borthwick said. “We knew that if we batted long enough runs would come and that’s what we did.”MacLeod was out on the stroke of lunch but not before he compiled a curious 26, which included five fours and took 75 balls. He took 25 balls to get off the mark, but one glorious cover drive off Matthew Hobden and he was away. After starting like he wanted to bat through till the end of the day, he perished trying to accelerate, caught at third man off Shahzad.In between, there were a couple of scares, both from Hobden’s bowling. First was an edge that should have been taken at first slip by Ed Joyce, but instead went between both him and Ben Brown. The second fell just short of second slip and raced to the boundary.After his dismissal, Collingwood came in and kept things solid until lunch before making light work of the chase and finishing unbeaten on 35.Although both sides bowled well at times, the difference was the pressure the hosts managed to exert throughout their innings. Shahzad finished with four wickets in both innings and ending the match the Division’s leading wicket taker with 22 scalps, but a lack of support hurt Sussex’s hopes of making it three wins out of three.Despite making it a dream debut with the bat in the first innings, when he scored his maiden first-class hundred, there was no fairy tale finish for Robinson, who went wicketless in the fourth innings and conceded the winning runs off Borthwick’s bat.
Both sides are up against Middlesex in their next game. While Durham head to Lord’s next week looking to keep their winning start going, Sussex host them in two weeks’ time as they look to get back to winning ways.

Alastair Cook went past Graham Gooch as England’s leading Test run-scorer as he and Adam Lyth made his maiden Test hundred before New Zealand fought back in the evening

The Report by Alan Gardner30-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:36

Lyth hundred cements Ashes opening spot

Alastair Cook erased another long-standing entry in the England records books and Adam Lyth recorded a maiden Test century in front of an appreciative home crowd as the second Investec Test briefly settled back on to a more even keel. England’s approach was more in keeping with the steady rhythms of Test cricket but New Zealand continued to harry them, taking 3 for 9 late in the evening session to shake things up again.New Zealand had toiled through much of the day, managing to remove just two England batsmen – one via a run-out – before rediscovering their sharpness with the second new ball. With the floodlights on, Headingley once again bestowed its favour on the bowlers and Trent Boult ended a tentative innings from Gary Ballance with a curling delivery that defeated his crease-bound prod. Tim Southee then removed Joe Root fifth ball with another outswinger; the Western Terrace was as quiet as it can ever have been at 6pm on a Saturday.Ben Stokes, the hero of England’s victory at Lord’s, was then dealt with efficiently in the penultimate over, again caught in the cordon, as New Zealand roared back. England have not passed 400 in the first innings at Headingley since South Africa’s visit in 2012 and New Zealand, seeking to extend their unbeaten run in Test series and hold on to the No. 3 ranking, may still harbour hopes of forcing a first-innings lead, with more unsettled weather forecast for Sunday.Until those interventions, it had looked as if England would take a firm grip on the match. New Zealand’s innings, which finished with a few more fireworks on 350, lasted only 72.1 overs; at the same stage, England were a comparatively frill-free 215 for 1. After a fluctuating first day, England’s openers, Cook and Lyth, restored a sense of equilibrium, cruising past 150 in only their third innings together in comfortable batting conditions.While they were in harness, England assumed the controlled, dominating mode of a few years ago, putting on a first century opening stand at home since Cook and Andrew Strauss added 186 against India at Edgbaston in 2011 – the Test after which they went No. 1 in the world. They were eventually separated on 177 – England’s fourth-highest partnership for the first wicket against New Zealand – when Cook was trapped lbw trying to sweep Craig, after S Ravi’s not-out decision was overturned by the DRS.A few weeks after James Anderson broke Ian Botham’s Test wicket-taking record – he took his tally past 400 on Friday – Cook overhauled the run-scoring mark of Graham Gooch, one of his predecessors as England captain and a man who has contributed much wisdom and plenty more throwdowns during Cook’s professional career. It moved him up to 13th on the list of Test run-scorers, at the age of 30 and with the potential for a few thousand more to come.Lyth’s first significant innings for England was more fluent than that of his vastly more experienced partner, although he did weather a couple of difficult passages. Lyth spent 16 balls on 47 as New Zealand tested him with a series of short deliveries and then another 45 minutes in the 90s. He survived chopping the ball down on to his stumps, failing to kick the ball away as it deflected back off his pad – but the contact was gentle enough to leave the bails undisturbed.Realising that the pressure was building, he skipped out to Craig and was lucky that Neil Wagner, the substitute fielder at mid-on, did not pick up the flight of his lofted shot and initially moved the wrong way. That boundary moved Lyth on to 98 and he reached his hundred with a more convincing stroke two balls later, sweeping high over midwicket before soaking up the applause of a boisterous crowd. When he was run out, after a careless call from Ballance, his disappointment at not being able to make an even bigger statement was palpable.Cook began his innings 32 runs from passing Gooch. Yorkshire might be the bedrock of English cricket’s strength – and the performance of Lyth added weight to such local arguments – but for peerless accumulation, you need to call the Essex boys.A crisp square drive half an hour after lunch took him past Gooch’s 8900-run mark, which had stood for almost 22 years. Once again his game has a sense of maximum-level security about it, the Cook machinery well oiled and in fine working order – although it was with a top-edged cut over the slips that he went past 50 for the 68th time in Tests.There was initially no let up in the pace of the game, as England paid dearly for the last two wickets in the first half hour. New Zealand continued to freewheel along, adding 53 runs to their overnight total in just 7.1 overs. Matt Henry clobbered Stokes for four off the fourth ball of the day and put Stuart Broad into the stands a deep midwicket before nicking another short delivery through to the keeper. He also managed to top-edge one pull into his own helmet and away for a couple more runs – a stroke symbolic of New Zealand’s dauntless approach.Craig and Boult then lashed a further 40 for the last wicket, as England persisted with a policy of trying to bounce them out. Both took on whatever was thrown at them, with Craig striking another six down the ground off Stokes, before Boult played one slog too many and was caught at point. That gave Broad the colourful figures of 17.1-0-109-5 and the least-economical five-for in Test history.

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has hailed the strength of character his team showed to secure second spot in the league and set up a clash against Chennai Super Kings

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2015Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has hailed the strength of character his team showed to secure second spot in the league and set up a clash against Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier on Tuesday. Mumbai beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by nine wickets in a virtual knockout because the winner of that game was going to jump straight to second place.”Ricky Ponting and myself spoke about this game as being a final for us,” Rohit told . “Had we lost this game, we would have gone home. Now, we’ve got to do what we have been doing over the last five games. Every time you go into the game and come out of it, you’ve got to think how you can improve at least by 10%. We need a little more effort going into the next game.”This just shows the character of the Mumbai Indians. We have created an atmosphere inside the dressing room that no matter what situations we are in, we never have to put our head down. We just wanted to prove to ourselves that we are much better than the results. We did exactly that and look at us now, in the top two in the table at the end of the league stage.”Reflecting on the four-match losing streak at the beginning of the tournament, Rohit said they had not played to their potential. With the help of the support staff, he said, they fought back and won five matches on the trot, before losing one and then winning two more to qualify for the playoffs.”When we were losing at the start of the tournament, we were not playing to our potential,” Rohit said. “We always knew we had a lot of talent and ability in the dressing room and it was all about getting that game to the fore. Sometimes when you lose, the guys in the team tend to drift away a little bit but the support staff did a fabulous job of holding everyone together. For us, we have finished one tournament and enter into a fresh tournament now. If we play to our potential this is what we can do.”As a captain, as a leader it is very important for me to remain positive no matter what happens on the field. The message was clear – whatever had happened had happened and you couldn’t change it and the best way to come out of it was to prepare for the following games. I wanted to lead from the front.”Mumbai now have the benefit of facing table-toppers Super Kings at home.”Finishing in the top two obviously gives us a chance to play fearlessly. We have been in this situation before in 2013 where we played against the same opposition, qualified in the top two and we had another chance.”

A stifling spell of left-arm spin by Shakti Gauchan halted a runaway start by USA to set the stage for a six-wicket win by Nepal at Stormont on Friday

Peter Della Penna in Belfast10-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA stifling spell of left-arm spin by Shakti Gauchan halted a runaway start by USA to set the stage for a six-wicket win by Nepal at Stormont on Friday. A double-strike in the 13th over removed the well-set Akeem Dodson for 39 and Japen Patel for 1 to peg USA back at 86 for 6 and from there they stumbled to a meagre total of 121 which Nepal overhauled with two balls to spare.USA won the toss and elected to bat first under bright sunshine at Stormont as Fahad Babar pulled a four off Sompal Kami in the first over and hooked Karan KC for six in the second to give USA an early lift. He scored 23 of the first 27 runs before he middled a pull straight to backward square leg off Sagar Pun to end the third.Dodson picked up where Babar left off and pumped Karan for two fours and a six over mid-on in the fourth over to take USA to 41 for 1. That was the last double-digit over of the innings for USA though as Nepal captain Paras Khadka produced a series of bowling changes to put USA off balance.Shiva Vashishat fell to Kami – beaten for pace trying to flick – for 3 to make it 51 for 2 before Basant Regmi further dented USA’s middle order by getting Mrunal Patel lofting to long-off in the ninth over for 7. Regmi struck again in the 11th when Timil Patel tamely prodded back a return catch to make it 73 for 4.But Gauchan generated the biggest momentum shift by prising out Dodson, getting extra bounce to induce a thick edge to short third man and followed it up shortly after by pinning Japen on the crease. Karan Ganesh and Adil Bhatti kept the Nepalese attack at bay for four overs before Ganesh’s patience ran out as he slogged Gauchan to Pradeep Airee at deep midwicket, who claimed an excellent catch over his head just inside the rope to make it 107 for 7.Another mini-collapse followed with Ganesh’s wicket – the first of three to fall for just four runs. Captain Muhammad Ghous chipped Kami gently to Gyanendra Malla in the circle at midwicket before Bhatti finally opted to hit out before he lost any more partners and was clean bowled missing a slog sweep for 14. Jasdeep Singh and Hammad Shahid were left with 11 balls to negotiate and they lasted until the final ball when Singh was run-out going for a third.Singh gave USA hope at the start of the chase with a gem to knock back Pun’s off stump for 6 for his maiden international wicket. USA had a chance to remove both openers when Anil Mandal offered an edge on 8 to Dodson off Shahid but the keeper couldn’t hang on to a one-handed diving effort.From there, Nepal were cautious not to take any risks with the low total in mind and USA responded by staying disciplined in the field. They ended the Powerplay at 27 for 1 and 45 for 1 after nine overs with Gyanendra Malla on 18 off 20 and Mandal 19 in 29 balls. Pressure eased off in the 10th over though when Malla tucked into a meaty full toss from Adil Bhatti and deposited onto the pavilion balcony, 25 yards beyond the rope at midwicket.The six loosened up Malla as he cracked Ghous for a pair of boundaries in the 12th over and lofted legspinner Timil Patel over extra cover in the 14th for another. Karan Ganesh finally broke the 78-run stand when Mandal pulled to Singh who took a sliding catch at deep midwicket but Malla brought up his fifty off 40 balls on the next delivery with an elegant cut behind point.Singh breathed air back into his side with a yorker to trap Malla in front for 52 at the start of the 16th over. When Binod Bhandari mistimed a pull off Shahid to start the 19th over, Nepal still needed 13 off 11. The equation was trimmed to eight off the final over bowled by Bhatti but Khadka smashed the first ball over extra cover to deflate USA’s fielders and three balls later the winning run was scampered off a leg bye.Singh was USA’s standout bowler on the day with 2 for 23, but with not enough runs to defend, his efforts turned futile. Nepal comes back to Stormont on Saturday to take on Namibia while USA has a day off before they face Ireland in their next match.

Hours after being suspended by the BCCI for making corrupt approach to a Mumbai team-mate, batsman Hiken Shah has stressed he is “innocent”

Amol Karhadkar13-Jul-2015Hours after being suspended by the BCCI after the board found him guilty of making corrupt approach to a Mumbai team-mate, batsman Hiken Shah has stressed he is “innocent”.”I am innocent. I have not done anything wrong,” Shah told ESPNcricinfo from Lancashire, United Kingdom. When asked if he had made the alleged approach to his Mumbai team-mate, who also represents IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, Shah said, “All I will say is I am innocent and I will fight to prove it.”Earlier in the day, however, Shah told the television news channel that he had met the said player for coaching-related activities. “I have no idea what is happening. I had just met him for a coaching thing and not any irregular activity,” he said.Though ESPNcricinfo has confirmed the identity of the player who reported the incident in March, his name cannot be revealed as the BCCI has not officially announced it.It is understood that approximately a fortnight before the eighth edition of the IPL commenced on April 8, Shah was training with some of his Mumbai team-mates. After training, he sat with the Royals cricketer in his car and allegedly tried to convince him to cheat during one of the games. Shah allegedly told the player he didn’t have much cricket left in him and considering he didn’t fetch exceptional price at the auction, he should think of making a quick buck by cheating in a game.The Royals player told him to stop and immediately discussed the conversation with another Mumbai and Royals colleague. The duo decided to report it to the Royals team management, since the player approached was sure it wasn’t a prank. The Royals management immediately alerted the BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit who took almost three months to investigate the matter before prima facie finding him guilty.The ACU is understood to have sent a show-cause notice to Shah and the batsman thought the ACU officials were satisfied with his replies. It is also understood that Shah had asked if he could go to England for playing minor county leagues and he was granted permission by the BCCI.Shah has been playing for Whalley Cricket Club in the Ribblesdale Cricket League, a minor county league in Lancashire, since May and has amassed eight fifties and two centuries in the 15 innings so far this season.Shah, however, is expected to return home by the weekend in a bid to clear his name. He is likely to be asked to appear before the BCCI disciplinary committee, headed by president Jagmohan Dalmiya.Shah is stunned by the BCCI’s action and he is not alone. Shah is considered to be one of the most soft-spoken and disciplined cricketers in Mumbai and coupled with his sound background – his father involved in garment business and Shah is employed with the customs department – the incident has left many members of Mumbai’s cricket fraternity shocked.While Sanjay Patil, the former Mumbai spinner who played a pivotal role in helping Shah get employed by customs, was speechless, Mumbai’s chief selector, Milind Rege, said such an activity was least expected from someone like Shah.”It is absolutely shocking. One doesn’t expect in today’s times when the vigilance level has gone up so high for such things to happen, more so from someone like Hiken,” Rege said. “One has known this boy for some time. He has always been one of the quiet ones. Least expected from somebody like him.”The BCCI suspension has become the biggest talking point in Shah’s almost decade-long inconsistent run in first-class cricket for Mumbai. The left-handed batsman made his debut in a league game against Rajasthan in 2006-07 and in his first innings, applied himself for well over an hour before stumps to see off the opening day. That prompted , a Mumbai tabloid, to carry a piece on him with the headline “He-ken bat”. First ball of the next morning, Shah attempted an extravagant on-drive to hole out to mid-on. Later in the season, he was one of five Mumbai batsmen dismissed for a duck in the semi-final against Baroda and was dropped for the final.After failing to find a permanent place in the side over the next couple of seasons, he accepted an offer from Jammu & Kashmir to play as a professional in 2009-10. He scored 242 runs in seven innings in the Plate league and decided to return to his home side the next season. He was also employed with the customs department at this time.The Mumbai Cricket Association has a rule that a home player who wants to be reconsidered for selection, after playing for another team, has to spend a one-year cooling-off period and Shah spent that time scoring heavily for his office team as well his club side, Payyade Sports Club, owned by Mumbai Cricket Association joint secretary Dr PV Shetty.By then, he had established himself as a steady batsman, someone who could hold one end together and let other batsmen rally around him. The run of form helped him make a return to Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy side midway through the 2011-12 season. The next season, 2012-13, turned out to be his standout season.With 773 runs at an average of 55.21, Shah was one of the architects of Mumbai’s 40th Ranji title. In his only Ranji final, he scored a fifty against Saurashtra. His form prompted the zonal selectors to pick him in the West Zone team but he failed against a formidable South Zone attack.He failed to achieve the same consistency in the last two seasons, and lost his place in the side midway through the last season. He questioned his exclusion in local press and, as a result, he was not considered for the rest of the season.

Whatever Trevor Bayliss’ ability as a coach – and an early Ashes victory enhances an already outstanding record – he surely has no future as a media spin doctor

George Dobell at Trent Bridge08-Aug-2015Whatever Trevor Bayliss’ ability as a coach – and an early Ashes victory enhances an already outstanding record – he surely has no future as a media spin doctor.Certainly his attempts to play down expectations of Ben Stokes backfired. What started as an attempt to avoid comparisons with Andrew Flintoff or Ian Botham, ended with England’s new coach comparing him with England’s highest wicket-taker and praising both other aspects of his game. Even the outwardly calm Bayliss, it seems, is excited by Stokes’ potential.”We don’t want to put too much expectation on him,” Bayliss said. “We don’t want to say he’s going to be the next Botham, or the next Flintoff. He’ll be the next Ben Stokes.”But then he couldn’t help himself.”His batting is right up there,” Bayliss continued, now warming to his subject. “And with his bowling, as we’ve seen here, he could be another Jimmy Anderson.”Another James Anderson. Another man who takes 400 Test wickets and leads the attack with distinction in England, Australia and India. It is quite a claim.On the evidence of Trent Bridge, though, it is not quite so outlandish as it may sound. Stokes harnessed the conditions so expertly that he did a more than a reasonable job of standing in for the injured Anderson. Swinging the ball sharply, generating sharp pace and delivering long, consistent spells, he claimed six second-innings wickets and looked every inch Anderson’s successor.Add to that Stokes’ batting and you can understand why Bayliss is excited and why, during the Caribbean tour, Phil Simmons compared Stokes to Jacques Kallis.

Bayliss on…

Australia
“It’s a challenge for any team to win away. I think that’s the way it should be. I know how good these Australia players are, but it is probably a team in a little bit of a transition period. I’m not going to gloat. Not in front of them, anyway.
Steven Smith
“He will handle captaincy well. He has shown it already in Test cricket earlier this year. He’s a very proactive type of captain. I think he’ll do a fantastic job, and certainly has the respect of the rest of his team-mates. They know he is one hell of a player and a very good captain.”
Alastair Cook
“First of all, he’s a fantastic guy. He is very well-respected in the dressing room, not just because of his own record but the type of person he is. I think he’s captained extremely well in this series so far. He has been pro-active, not reactive and I think the results speak for themselves.”

As Bayliss put it: “On top of that he’s probably the best fielder in the team as well. To have that rolled up in one player is a good thing for English cricket.”I’m sure we’ll all enjoy watching where he’ll end up, and the performances he puts on the board over the next 10 to 15 years. I’m looking forward to it.”Stokes’ first experience of international cricket was not especially happy. Only once in his first 27 ODIs did he reach 40 and he struggled to find consistency with the ball.But now, in the more relaxed England environment, he is one of the players who appears to be thriving and seems set to play a defining role in the team over the next decade.Bayliss has played a role in creating that environment. Outwardly calm, at least – “I’m like a duck under the water, feet paddling pretty quickly,” he said – he has emphasised enjoyment and relaxation and, notably, has reintroduced football in the warm-ups where it was, in the past, considered an injury risk.It probably is an injury risk, of course. But Bayliss has reasoned that the positives – it brings the team together in a way in which they enjoy – outweighs the potential negatives.”I think if the coach is showing his emotion, or looking nervous and making comments that are not necessarily helpful, it just makes the players even more nervous,” he explained. “They are going to be nervous anyway. They just don’t need that negative feel from others as well.”You want the team to be happy. It doesn’t matter what it is – it could be a game of marbles – but as long as they’re feeling good about themselves and doing what they want to do, that’s great. The football the boys play certainly gets their juices flowing.”The “juices are flowing” in Bayliss, too. Much as he tried to minimise expectations, much as he knows his team are raw and that tough challenges loom in the not too distant future, it is clear he is excited by the potential of what he sees.”We’ll enjoy this win tonight,” he said. “But we’re not going to paper over the cracks. There are some improvements to be made with this team if we want to be the best in the world, and want to play consistent cricket over a period of time and on foreign soil.”So we have got some things we’ve got to work on. But if they keep improving, the future is bright.”

Pakistan women beat the visiting Bangladesh women by 34 runs to win the series 2-0 at Southend Club Cricket Stadium, Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPakistan women beat the visiting Bangladesh women by 34 runs to win the series 2-0 at Southend Club Cricket Stadium, Karachi.Having chosen to bat, Pakistan were struggling at 61 for 4 in 13 overs, with Bangladesh left-arm spinner Nahida Akter affecting a run-out and taking two quick wickets, including that of Marina Iqbal for 33.Like she had done in the first game, Bishmah Maroof steadied the innings with 44 off 38 balls, and with Aliya Riaz, steered Pakistan towards the modest total of 114.Bangladesh once again chased poorly, losing their first five wickets for 12 runs in 12 overs. Rumana Ahmed was the top scorer with 27 off 33 balls, but there was no momentum and the innings finished on 80 for 7.