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Ian Bell’s third one-day century guided England to a consolation victory in the fifth and final ODI to bookend an ultimately disappointing tour with a second win

The Report by Alan Gardner27-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIan Bell scored his third ODI century as England ended the series as they began, with a victory•BCCI

Ian Bell’s third one-day century guided England to a consolation victory in the fifth and final ODI against India to bookend an ultimately disappointing tour with a second success. Although the series was already lost, a 3-2 defeat represents a marked improvement on recent efforts in the country, but Alastair Cook’s chief regret will be that his side took so long to put in a second accomplished performance, after they had taken a 1-0 lead in Rajkot a little more than two weeks ago.The bowlers, lead by Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn and James Tredwell, had made good use of Cook winning the toss to restrict India to 226, despite a fighting 83 from Suresh Raina, and England looked to have a modest hike ahead of them in order to secure only a third ODI win against India at home in 23 attempts. At times, the target seemed to loom higher than the Himalayas visible behind Dharamsala’s multicoloured pavilion but Bell is an experienced climber these days and Eoin Morgan brought along his spare oxygen canister to ease the ascent at the end.

Smart stats

• Ian Bell’s century was the ninth by an England batsman in ODIs against India in India. The last century was scored by Andrew Strauss in the 2011 World Cup game in Bangalore.

• Bell’s century was his second against India and third overall. His strike rate of 79.02 was his lowest for a 100-plus score.

• Tim Bresnan’s 4 for 45 was his fourth haul of four or more wickets in ODIs. His best bowling performance of 5 for 48 also came against India in the 2011 World Cup.

• For only the fourth time in ODIs against India, England had three fifty-plus stands for the first four wickets. All four instances have come in ODIs played in India.

• Suresh Raina’s 83 was his 11th half-century against England and second in consecutive matches. In 27 matches against England, Raina has 997 runs at 47.47.

• Raina became the fourth batsman overall and the first Indian batsman to make four fifty-plus scores in four innings in a bilateral ODI series. Only Yasir Hameed has had more fifty-plus scores (5) in a series (max five innings).

• The number of runs conceded by James Tredwell (25) is the second-lowest by an England spinner in a completed spell in ODIs against India since 1990.

Like Raina, whose fourth half-century in as many innings helped drag India from a potentially disastrous 79 for 5 earlier in the day, Bell was not entirely secure at the crease, twice edging past his stumps early on and struggling to time the ball as the surface got slower. But he stuck around as England lost two wickets for 11 runs in 6.2 overs and after a diligent, restorative partnership with Joe Root, he began to look more imposing, stepping out of his crease to hit the disappointing R Ashwin for six and striking timely boundaries whenever the asking rate began to enquire a little more urgently.Although Root was bowled by Ravindra Jadeja, slogging across the line in ungainly fashion after another level-headed knock, Morgan buckled down before adding a few flourishes of his own to ease England past their target with 16 balls to spare. At 1317 metres above sea level, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is among the loftiest international grounds in the world and Morgan seemed keen to see just how far he could hit a six in the thin mountain air.Despite being described as a match of “no consequence” in some local papers, India chose not to experiment with their line-up, again leaving Cheteshwar Pujara on the bench. They could perhaps have done with his monkish self-discipline, as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli departed to consecutive deliveries via loose drives outside off to trigger a top-order collapse. It was left to Raina, India’s leading run-scorer in the series, and Jadeja, who has also toyed regularly with England over the last month, to pull things together with a spiky, 78-run partnership, before some late hitting from the tail, combined with a rash of dropped catches, helped the score towards respectability.Before the match, Raina had expressed a desire to usurp one of his colleagues up the order and he made good use of a longer spell at the crease after coming in during the seventh over. A harsher judge, however, may conclude that he failed to construct the truly big innings that the situation provided an opportunity for.England have been quiescent opponents in the past for Raina, who improved his average against them to 47.47 with his 11th fifty, but he was allowed let-offs on 5 and 61 before pulling idly to midwicket with a hundred in sight. The first was a difficult, diving chance that would have completed a hat-trick of slip catches for Tredwell but the latter opportunity, grassed by Cook at backward square leg, was much more straightforward.Perhaps Raina was deserving of some benevolence after the fiery start England’s bowlers made in chilly, if bright, conditions. The Dalai Lama is based in exile at nearby McLeodganj but the early exchanges were far from peaceable on a hard, fast surface with enough juice in it to make a Tibetan monk sit up and blink.There was initial seam movement on offer for Finn but it was Bresnan who made the first incursion, removing ersatz opener Rohit. Having timed one exquisite square drive for four, Rohit attempted a reprise to a slightly wider delivery that drifted further away from his crease-bound push, the ball slicing off the outside edge to the right of Tredwell at second slip, where he took a tumbling catch. The very next ball produced a facsimile swish from Kohli, though Tredwell went in for a bit of variety on this occasion, juggling the ball three times in front of the kneeling Cook before grasping it for good with a giddy grin.When Yuvraj got a thick edge to point trying to turn Finn through square leg, the match was beginning to resemble an early season encounter in England – at least in temperature and bowling conditions, if not the setting. It could have been even better for England had Raina’s edge off Chris Woakes – replacing Jade Dernbach – stuck but he battled pugnaciously after being hit on the shoulder by his first ball, from Finn.Tredwell has spent the one-day series doing a passable impression of Graeme Swann, particularly to left-handers, and he had Gautam Gambhir caught by the sprawling Bell at point. The wicket came from Tredwell’s second ball, an immediate, Swann-esque intervention, and England’s delight ratcheted up further when Finn won an lbw decision against MS Dhoni. Only during the spells of the part-time bowlers, Root and Samit Patel, did India’s batsmen display any sense of comfort. Their combined 11 overs cost 80 runs as Raina gave India one last spin of the prayer wheel in pursuit of 4-1 – but he could not turn a molehill into a mountain.

Cameron White has been dumped as Australia’s Twenty20 captain and replaced by George Bailey for the two matches against India next week

Brydon Coverdale23-Jan-2012Cameron White has been dumped as Australia’s Twenty20 captain and replaced by George Bailey for the two matches against India next week. And Australia’s selectors have announced the surprise recall of the 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, who made a T20 comeback this summer and has been the standout slow bowler in the Big Bash LeagueIn a major shake-up eight months before the ICC World Twenty20, the new selection panel under John Inverarity has sent a clear message that the T20 side needed refreshment. Australia made the final of the 2010 World T20, but since then they have lost seven matches and won only two, and sit fifth on the ICC rankings behind England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa.The appointment of White as captain when Michael Clarke retired from the format last January was made by Andrew Hilditch’s selection panel with a view to building towards this year’s World T20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September. However, White made just 55 runs at an average of 7.85 in the BBL this season and Inverarity’s panel has made the change with at least four matches on Australia’s schedule before the World T20.Bailey, the captain of Tasmania and a team-mate of White at the Melbourne Stars, has not been in outstanding form either, having scored 114 runs at 19. However, he was viewed by the selectors as the right man to lead the side, with David Warner his vice-captain, while the Test vice-captain Shane Watson was not considered for the two games against India due to his ongoing injury problems.”The Australian T20 team has been ranked a rather disappointing sixth in the world and we’ve certainly considered that the team needs refreshment,” Inverarity said in announcing the squad in Melbourne on Monday. “It would be fair to say the national selection panel has been discussing this T20 squad for six or seven weeks.”If you look at [Bailey’s] record as captain … I’m of the view that Tasmania have done particularly well in recent years because of the leadership they’ve had, the well-defined leadership of Daniel Marsh and … then George has taken over. Last season they won the Shield under George, the year before they won the one-day competition under George. The results are there.”He’s widely respected throughout Australia. Those who play with him regard him very highly as a captain and as a leader. We’ve seen from Michael Clarke’s leadership, he has done very well not least because of his astute decision making on the field and George certainly has that too.”The decision means Bailey, 29, will play his first match for Australia in any format next week, and he will do it as captain. Bailey has been part of an Australian squad in the past – he was called up for the ODIs in New Zealand in early 2010 when Clarke returned home for personal reasons – but did not win a cap.

Australia T20 squad

George Bailey (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Travis Birt, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Matthew Wade (wk)

“It has [come out of the blue] in some ways but it’s something I feel like I’m ready to do and I’m very excited by,” Bailey said. “I think once you have been captain and played in the team for a little while, any time you’re on the field you’re always thinking. I haven’t captained during this Big Bash but even so I’ve always been thinking about what I’d be doing in similar circumstances, who I’d be bowling and field placements and things like that. I don’t think that part of you ever goes away.”When he walks out as leader for the T20 at Sydney’s Stadium Australia next Wednesday and the match at the MCG two days later, Bailey will be in charge of a new-look side. The fast-bowling allrounder James Faulkner will be in line for his debut, while the batsman Travis Birt has earned a recall nearly two years after his last international appearance.But the big talking point, besides the captaincy, was the recall of Hogg, whose left-arm wrist-spin has been a major reason the Perth Scorchers have made the BBL final. Hogg retired from all cricket four years ago but made his T20 comeback this summer, and Inverarity said if all went well, Hogg would be part of Australia’s squad at the World T20 in spinning conditions in Sri Lanka this year.”In my conversation with Brad it was that it would be the World Cup and that if he was selected our interest with him wouldn’t go beyond that,” Inverarity said. “Of course it could change. But that’s the general intention … Two months ago we probably weren’t thinking about Brad Hogg. [BBL] games have changed when he’s come on to bowl. He has been outstanding.”The inclusion of Hogg meant there was no room for Steven Smith or Steve O’Keefe, two slow bowlers who had been part of the T20 side in recent months. Xavier Doherty was the other specialist spinner named to take on India. Brett Lee, Clint McKay and Daniel Christian will round out the attack, while Matthew Wade was not surprisingly named as the wicketkeeper.Michael Hussey was not named in the squad but Inverarity clarified that his exclusion was a workload issue. Hussey almost singlehandedly blasted Australia into the final of the World T20 in 2010 with a brilliant innings in the semi-final, and although he has not played a T20 international in a year and a half, he is expected to be part of the squad when Australia play two matches in the Caribbean in late March.”Mike is being rested for this,” Inverarity said. “Mike has had a pretty gruelling schedule of Test matches – Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and India. I had a chat to Mike in Perth about a week ago and we’re looking to give him a little bit of a break here, and probably in the early stages of the ODIs so he comes out fresh. We’re also keen to try some of these younger players. But at this stage there’d be no doubt that Mike Hussey would be playing in the T20s in the West Indies.”

Several leading players have added their voices to the debate over the involvement of Associate nations in future World Cups

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2011Several leading players have added their voices to the debate over the involvement of Associate nations in future World Cups, with England offspinner Graeme Swann asking: “Why would you want to take the world out of the World Cup?”Under current ICC proposals the Associate nations could be excluded from future World Cups from 2015, when the tournament could be reduced to just 10 teams, but Swann and a number of other cricketers from Test-playing nations interviewed by disagree with the move. “Yes, of course the emerging nations should stay in it,” added Swann. “Shocks can happen.”While a bloated World Cup schedule and a preponderance of one-sided, uneven games in the early stages of the world tournament have drawn criticism in the past, it appears that the players themselves would not like to see the so-called ‘minnows’ excluded.”There’s no reason why you can’t have those teams in the competition,” added Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait. “To play against the best players and sides in the world is massive and I wouldn’t want to take that away from anyone.”AB de Villiers added that he saw value in the smaller nations’ involvement in major tournaments. “It makes it more colourful and it’s good for the growth of the game,” he said. “Playing on the subcontinent levels things out and they can be harder than the best teams because their bowlers are slower and it makes it tough for batsmen.”Brendon McCullum was not unequivocal in his backing of Associate involvement in the World Cup, but did highlight the potential for smaller nations to inflict embarrassing defeats. “It’s great from their perspective that they’re there,” he said. “Does it diminish the value of the tournament? I’m not entirely sure. They’re in at this stage, so we should respect that. It’s a little bit scary actually. All you think about is playing the knockouts, winning the big games. But to be part of the big moments you’ve got to overcome the banana-skin games.”Indian batsman Suresh Raina added that he believed it was only fair that the Associates play in the World Cup as they don’t take part in big international series and need some way to learn and improve, and veteran Kenya batsman Steve Tikolo strongly echoed his sentiments.”The World Cup offers us the chance to test ourselves against the Test nations which we rarely do nowadays,” said Tikolo, who was part of Kenyan teams that beat West Indies at the 1996 event and reached the Semi Finals in 2003. “If we can do well, then we can really push our case to have more games against the bigger teams. They’re the matches that everyone will judge us by.”The ICC have indicated that they are yet to make a final decision on qualification procedures for the 2015 World Cup and have made the seemingly placatory move of announcing plans to expand the World Twenty20 to 16 teams. “How the 10 members are to be determined is still to be decided,” insisted Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager for cricket. “It could be the full members only but it could be not.”

A round-up of final matches from the ICC World Cricket Leauge Division 5, where Nepal took the title with victory against USA

Cricinfo staff27-Feb-2010Rahul Vishvakarma , the Nepal left-arm spinner, produced an extraordinary display by claiming 7 for 15 as the hosts took the Division 5 trophy with a five-wicket victory against USA at Kirtipur and gained revenge for Friday’s defeat. After the controversial scenes of the previous day, when crowd trouble affected the end of Nepal’s match, the supporters were left much happier by this effort. However, when USA moved to 100 for 1 it wasn’t looking promising for the home side with the second-wicket stand between Orlando Baker and Steve Messiah on 81. The game changed when Baker was run out for 49 before Sanjam Regmi bagged Sushil Nadkarni to leave USA on 141 for 3. Then Vishvakarma began his one-man demolition job as USA lost their last eight wickets for 31 in 12 overs and Nos. 5 to 11 couldn’t reach double figures. Nepal’s chase was aided by 20 wides from the USA bowlers as Mahesh Chhetri and Anil Mandal added 85 for the first wicket. There was a minor wobble for Nepal at 140 for 5, but Gyanendra Malla saw then home with an unbeaten 28.”It’s a great thing for us to have won today as it is our first win as a senior side in a long time,” said Paras Khadka, the Nepal captain. “I think the team worked really hard today and the USA just couldn’t handle Rahul’s aggressive and crafty bowling. It’s wonderful to take home the trophy but after some celebration the focus has to turn to this August in Italy where I hope we can be equally successful.”Bahrain completed a depressing two days for Singapore with a three-wicket victory at Bhaktapur. Singapore missed out on promotion to Division 4 by a tiny difference of net run-rate and that disappointment could well have played a role in their demise to 126. Tahir Dar, who was named Player of the Tournament, took out the lower order with 4 for 29 after miserly display from Adil Hanif, who claimed 2 for 12 in 10 overs, did the early damage. Bahrain struggled, too, early in their chase and at 16 for 3 Singapore were back in the game but Imran Sajjid (34) and Ashraf Yaqoob (32) prevented a full-blown collapse. Still, at 105 for 7 it needed calmness from Dar to knock off the runs as he followed his four wickets with 13 not out as he and Fahad Sadeq completed victory.”It would have been nice to be promoted but to be recognised as the Player-of-the-Tournament is something I’m proud of and shows that I am doing something right within the team and working my hardest,” said Dar.Ryan Driver put in a captain’s performance as Jersey managed a consolation five-wicket victory against Fiji at Lalitpur but it will do little to soften the blow of relegation. Fiji were handsomely placed on 194 for 1, built around a stand of 161 between Josefa Rika (75) and Iniasi Cakacaka (78), but Driver’s four wickets meant they struggled to accelerate late on. Driver then anchored the chase with 78 from 104 balls and when he fell, Peter Gough ensured the chase remained under control with a calm 58 from 57 balls as victory came with five balls to spare.

The ECB expects Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has a groin injury, to recover in time for the three-ODI series that will follow the five-match T20I series

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2025In a blow for England, Nat Sciver-Brunt has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing five-match T20I series against India, where England are 2-1 down with two games to go. Maia Bouchier has replaced Sciver-Brunt in the squad, while Tammy Beaumont will continue to lead the side.Sciver-Brunt had initially been ruled out of only the third T20I – which England won under Beaumont’s captaincy on Friday to claw back in the series after defeats in the first two games – but scans have since confirmed that her left-groin injury wouldn’t mend in time for her to take part in the series at all. Making the announcement, the ECB said Sciver-Brunt “is expected to be available for selection” for the three-match ODI series that will follow the T20Is.Sciver-Brunt had led in the first two games, which India won by 97 runs courtesy a Smriti Mandhana century and by 24 runs after 63 each from Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur, and Sciver-Brunt didn’t bowl at all in those two games. That she wouldn’t bowl was decided prior to the series by the team management in a bid to manage her workload, and she contributed with the bat in the first game, where her 42-ball 66 was the only effort of note in England’s 113 all out. She picked up the injury during the second game, where she scored 13.When Beaumont was asked before the third T20I about Sciver-Brunt’s possible availability for the last two games, she had said, “That’s something we don’t know just yet, our medical team are doing all they can. She’s got a scan today, so we’ll know more, but I think it’s in the balance for Manchester. But, whether it’s one game or a couple, I’m just hoping to put my hand up for the team and do the best I can, and will welcome Nat back with open arms whenever she’s fit.”In Sciver-Brunt’s absence, Beaumont led England to victory in what was her first match as captain in her 247th international match. She was chosen to lead England despite Sophia Dunkley being the designated vice-captain because of her greater experience at the highest level.The fourth and fifth T20Is will be played on Wednesday (Manchester) and on Saturday (Birmingham).

The Shashank Singh they bought “was always on our target list,” Kings say; “it’s all cool,” the player replies

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-202315:25

Who had the best and worst IPL auction?

After a curious sequence of events during the accelerated round at the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday, where Punjab Kings bid successfully for Shashank Singh and then tried to convince Mallika Sagar, the auctioneer, that they didn’t want the player, the franchise has put things down to a case of mistaken identity.Kings said in a statement on Wednesday that the player they had bought “was always on our target list”. “The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list,” the statement said. “We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success.”There was indeed another “Shashank Singh”, who had also gone under the hammer and remained unsold. The Shashank Singh who was bought by Kings – an allrounder from Chhattisgarh who has previously turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL – reacted after the franchise’s statement, saying “It’s All Cool … Thank you for Trusting on me!!!!” in a post on social media.