Inbox: Rethinking the Future Tours Programme

From Andrew Sanderson, Australia An equal distribution of games should be the way to go

Written on February 4, 2011 | Posted in Cricket, ODIs, Sports, UN, US, World Cup, australia, games, icc, t20, tests, twenty20, uniform | Leave a comment

The Surfer: One-day cricket finds much-needed spark

Peter Roebuck in the Sydney Morning Herald writes that 50-over cricket is not dying, if the Australia-England series is anything to go by. Next comes the 50-over World Cup. Alas, the past few tournaments have lacked lustre. Nor can any high optimism be felt about the forthcoming shindig. After all, it’s due to last seven weeks, and the bulk of the time will be filled with redundant qualifying matches. But those insisting that the 50-over game is old hat might be mistaken. Whereas T20 provides the promise of a boisterous…

Written on January 26, 2011 | Posted in Australian Cricket, Cricket, Sports, UN, US, World Cup, australia, england, t20 | Leave a comment

Australia beat England by four runs in 2nd T20I

MELBOURNE: Australia finally had something to celebrate after recording an unlikely four-run win over England in the second Twenty20 international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. After Australia battled to 147-7 thanks to an unbeaten half-century by second-gamer Aaron Finch, England looked set to cruise to victory when they were 58-0 after six overs, with opener Ian Bell on song. However, England’’s quest to extend their record unbeaten T20 streak to nine matches, having defeated Australia on the last ball of Wednesday’’s game in Adelaide, came unstuck as their middle order failed to deliver. As was the case in Australia’’s lone win during the Ashes series, in the third Test at the WACA Ground, it was paceman Mitchell Johnson (3-29) who turned the match on its head. Johnson claimed the vital wicket of Bell (39) when the right-hander dragged a ball onto his stumps in the seventh over to end an opening stand of 60. The left-hander then followed up by having the dangerous Kevin Pietersen caught for one three balls later. Johnson also removed the dangerous Eoin Morgan for 14, while Shane Watson backed up his brilliant effort in Wednesday’’s match with a frugal 2-17 from four overs. With 13 runs needed off the last three balls from Brett Lee, young England all-rounder Chris Woakes threatened to repeat his heroics on Wednesday when he lofted the paceman into the stands to make it seven needed from two balls. But Lee got the job done as Australia snapped a run of five successive losses in T20 internationals. Man of the match Finch, in just his second international, hit 53 not out from 33 balls in a crucial performance with the bat for the home side. Australia side got off to a quick start and were 57-1 after six overs, but lost 4-17 as Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy wreaked havoc, the two English spinners recording identical figures of 2-19 from their four overs.

Written on January 14, 2011 | Posted in 2011, Cricket, International, Middle order, Sports, UN, US, ad, ads, aid, ashes, australia, cia, england, live, t20, twenty20, urdu | Leave a comment

The Buzz: Cook awarded Freedom of City of London

Alastair Cook has been rewarded for his stunning efforts during England’s Ashes win by being afforded the freedom of the City of London. Cook racked up 766 runs in the series at an average of 120 – including three centuries – as England retained the urn in dominant style. He is now back in England having been overlooked for the ODI and T20 sides, but he has not been forgotten. Cook, who will receive the accolade at a ceremony later this year, said: “I am greatly honoured and privileged to…

Written on January 13, 2011 | Posted in Ashes 2010-11, Cricket, Sports, UN, War, ad, aid, ashes, england, t20 | Leave a comment

England win thriller to set T20 record

ADELAIDE: Debutant Chris Woakes guided England to a record eighth successive Twenty20 international win as the tourists inflicted more torment on Australia with a last-gasp one-wicket victory at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday. Despite all-rounder Shane Watson’’s best efforts to single-handedly lift the home side to victory, 21-year-old Woakes (19 not out) was the hero as he hit the winning run from the final ball of the England innings. After Australia posted 157-4, with Watson top-scoring with 59 from 31 balls, England wobbled in the chase as Watson picked up four wickets, but Woakes” cool head enabled them to reach 158-9 and snatch the win. England previously shared the record for most successive T20 international wins with South Africa and Pakistan and the result follows hard on the heels of their historic 3-1 Ashes triumph over the embattled Australians. With wickets falling at the other end, Woakes kept his cool when he found himself on strike with his side needing three runs from the last two balls from Watson with only one wicket in hand. He slashed the next delivery to the cover boundary for two, then drove Watson through the infield for what would have been a boundary had he and number 11 Ajmal Shahzad not completed the winning run first. Woakes” innings came after Eoin Morgan put England on the path to victory with 43, but the match turned when the left-hander holed out to Watson, who then removed Michael Yardy with the next ball to be on a hat-trick. Watson could scarcely have done more for the home side, with 4-15 from his four overs after his solo effort with the bat. The powerful right-hander hit three sixes from the first three balls England spinner Graeme Swann bowled and took 26 off the over. But he was bowled by Yardy (2-28) and Australia failed to build on the foundation he had provided after being 76-0 after eight overs. None of the other Australian batsman looked comfortable, with new captain Cameron White, taking over from Michael Clarke, making just six. The two teams meet again on Friday at the MCG, before playing a seven-match one-day series.

Written on January 12, 2011 | Posted in 2011, International, Pakistan, Sports, UN, US, ad, ads, africa, aid, ashes, australia, captain, england, live, pta, t20, twenty20, urdu, uth | Leave a comment

Australia post 157-4 in 1st T20I

ADELAIDE: Australia failed to build on the foundation provided by opener Shane Watson in the Twenty20 international against England at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday. In their first clash since the tourists completed the historic 3-1 Ashes win over Australia in Sydney last week, the home side looked set for a big total after reaching 76-0 after eight overs in the replay of last year’’s World Twenty20 final won by England. However, the home side battled from there to finish on 157-4. On what appeared a perfect batting wicket, Watson set the scene for a much bigger score by hitting 59 off just 31 balls. The right-hander smashed Graeme Swann for three successive sixes from the first three balls of the eighth over, taking 26 off the spinner’’s first over. Watson and David Warner, who made 30 from 28 but never looked in good touch, put on 83 at the top of the order. However, when Watson was clean bowled as he backed away against spinner Michael Yardy, Australia lost their momentum. With Yardy picking up 2-28, none of the other Australian batsmen were able to master the English attack. David Hussey struggled with his timing before falling for 28, while new captain Cameron White, taking over from Michael Clarke, made just six. England are aiming for a record eighth straight T20 international win in the match. In-form batsman Ian Bell was recalled to play his first T20 match for England since 2008, while Chris Woakes made his debut, with Australia naming Aaron Finch for his debut and the Victorian making 15 not out. The two teams meet again on Friday at the MCG, before playing a seven-match one-day series.

Written on January 12, 2011 | Posted in 2011, International, Sports, UN, US, War, ad, ads, aid, ashes, australia, batting, captain, england, pta, t20, twenty20, urdu | Leave a comment

The Surfer: Twenty20 cricket’s damaging effect on Australia

Twenty20 cricket has affected the availability of fast bowlers for Tests in Australia, and has had a negative influence on the techniques of Australian batsmen, writes Simon Hughes in the Daily Telegraph. In fact T20 is the source of Australia’s problems. For a start the two most potent bowlers in Australia, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes, only play T20 cricket having declared themselves unavailable for Test cricket. In Tait’s case he has cited injury problems as his reason. Either would have given England’s batsmen something completely different to think about…

Written on January 11, 2011 | Posted in Cricket, Sports, Test cricket, UN, US, ad, ashes, australia, england, t20, tests, twenty20 | Leave a comment

Tour Diaries: Playing cricket in a football stadium

India will take on South Africa in a T20 game at the Moses Mabhida Stadium

Written on January 7, 2011 | Posted in Cricket, ISI, Sports, US, ad, africa, ban, india, t20, uth | Leave a comment

Desperate times for Pakistan call for a true leader

previous photo Twenty20 cricket always seemed custom-built for the mercurial talents of the Pakistan players. Unlike longer versions of the game, T20 rewards a haphazard disposition and encourages

Written on January 3, 2011 | Posted in Cricket, Pakistan, UN, US, War, t20, twenty20, unlmitie | Leave a comment

Geo Super gets exclusive rights of World Cup 2011

KARACHI: Pakistan’s first and only sports TV channel, Geo Super commemorates another landmark by acquiring exclusive rights to broadcast all the matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 over cable and satellite networks throughout Pakistan. The much sought after competition is set to commence on Saturday, February 19th 2011. The Pakistan team will begin its campaign on Wednesday, February 23, 2011, against Kenya. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also confirmed that warm-up matchesof the tournament are due to begin on Friday, 11th February 2011, but it is yet to be confirmed if the organizers are allowing their telecast. Geo Super, which was launched in 2006, is already attributed to having broadcast more ICC Cricket than any other channel in Pakistan. This recent acquisition, which is also the biggest event of the cricketing world in four years, has added to that tally. ICC events previously televised live by Geo Super, include the Cricket World Cup 2007, the ICC Champions Trophies of 2007 and 2010, along with the ICC T20 World Cups of 2007, 2009 and 2010. Top quality transmission of these, along with a lot of other international and flagship domestic cricket events has made Geo Super an obvious choice for cricket lovers throughout the country.

Written on January 1, 2011 | Posted in 2009, 2010, 2011, Cricket, ISI, International, Pakistan, Sports, T20 World Cup, UN, US, War, World Cup, ad, ads, icc, karachi, kenya, live, t20, urdu | Leave a comment

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