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A year ago, Nick Compton and Steven Finn would not have envisaged spending these four days at Uxbridge. They would have anticipated playing against India at Trent Bridge tomorrow.

Tim Wigmore at Uxbridge08-Jul-2014
ScorecardNick Compton played a vital innings when Somerset were under pressure•Getty ImagesA year ago, Nick Compton and Steven Finn would not have envisaged spending these four days at Uxbridge. They would have anticipated playing against India at Trent Bridge tomorrow.Even with a schedule that may be the most absurd in cricketing history – five Tests in 42 days – it seems inconceivable that England will find use for either against India. Perhaps there is more depth in the English game than many realise.Finn began Somerset’s innings with a spell of snarling, aggressive fast bowling. His default length was short of good, but not unthinkingly so. So accurate was Finn that he made it difficult for the batsmen to refrain from playing.Within four overs, Finn had two wickets, including Marcus Trescothick prodding at a sharp lifter. He also had Trescothick dropped in the slips. This was a fast bowler letting rip. It was also exactly why Finn elicited such enthusiasm among England followers.After England had capitulated to Mitchell Johnson at Brisbane, Nick Compton tweeted a photo of his backward defensive. It might be a distinctly unglamorous shot, but it is a non-negotiable against Finn in this mood. And Compton played it copious times as he withstood Finn’s opening burst.”I had to strip things back a bit,” Compton reflected. “Steven’s a quality bowler and he’s come back to form and was charging in there. It got my juices going. You don’t often find that in first-class cricket when you have someone of his pace running in and getting it above your head. So that was exciting and it was nice to get into that battle.”That Compton certainly did: 86 balls into his innings and he was still short of 20. If it was not exhilarating, it was enthralling. And it was exactly what Somerset required after the debris of 28 for 3, still 310 runs behind.Middlesex had good reason to feel stung. When Eoin Morgan’s neck suffered an unwelcome encounter with a bee, Paul Stirling replaced him in the slips. On 16, Compton nicked a delivery from Neil Dexter to him: it seemed regulation enough, but was less so to an auxiliary slip fielder.Compton soon unfurled a more expansive array of shots, including some pristine hooks. When he reached his half-century, he promptly drove Ravi Patel for a straight four down the ground, as if to affirm that he will return with the intention of adding plenty to his unbeaten 58 tomorrow.Still, Compton’s innings would have counted for far less had it not been for James Hildreth. While Compton left with impeccable judgment, Hildreth counter-attacked with grace and gusto, scoring 48 of the first 55 runs in their partnership, including 16 off 16 deliveries he faced from Finn. Some exquisite drives were a reminder that there exists few more aesthetically pleasing players on the county circuit. It was an innings that promised far more than being terminated at 53, clean bowled by Dexter.When Middlesex reached 203 for 2 on Monday evening, their innings also promised far more than it delivered. But, after an erratic display on the first day, Craig Overton showed why he is held in such regard by Somerset. Though he is slightly slower, Overton extracted bounce to rival that of Finn: quite a feat for someone who regards himself as a batting allrounder.The upshot was four wickets in the day and a reminder of the damage that well-directed short bowling can afflict on a batting tail. But it was a fuller delivery that got the crucial wicket of Stirling, as 319 for 6 – a position from which Middlesex could eye a first innings score to come close to the ground’s average of 478 – rapidly became 338 all out.Stirling has been regarded as a limited-overs specialist at Middlesex, despite the evidence of quality provided by two ODI centuries for Ireland against Pakistan. As he produced some attractive offside punches and late cuts, it was odd to reflect that this was only his fourth Championship game. But with three half-centuries in four innings this season, he has belatedly established his position in the side. It seems inconceivable that Stirling can remain at No. 7 in Middlesex’s order for long.

Preview of the second match of the Champions Trophy, between West Indies and Pakistan

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-Jun-2013Match factsFriday, June 7, The Oval
Start time 9.30am GMTICC Champions Trophy 2004: West Indies seal a famous victory at The Oval•Getty ImagesBig PictureWest Indies have fond memories of playing in the Champions Trophy, famously winning the tournament in 2004 at The Oval, the venue where they will be beginning their campaign on Friday. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Ramnaresh Sarwan played that game almost nine years ago and are part of a side that can go all the way in this competition. West Indies seemed to gel well under the leadership of Darren Sammy, who led them to the World Twenty20 title, but poor returns in the ODI format meant Bravo was appointed his replacement as captain in 50-over cricket. This Champions Trophy will be his first major assignment, starting against opponents who have consistently been strong contenders in ICC tournaments.Even though Pakistan are missing players who’ve been key members of their side in the past, and just barely managed to beat Ireland ahead of the Champions Trophy warm-ups, they’ve grown accustomed to the conditions and have a strong bowling attack to defend competitive scores. Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan have been dropped; Umar Gul is out due to injury; Mohammad Hafeez has been solid at the top of the order; there’s the experience of Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq in the middle, and Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan have been impressive as seamers.A defeat is a significant setback in a short competition such as this, so expect both sides to be high on intensity, also in part because of the support they are likely to receive at the ground. West Indies, in their pomp, were best supported at The Oval when they played in England, and Pakistan are never short of followers wherever they go.Form Guide(most recent first)
Pakistan: WTWLW (last five completed games)
West Indies: WWWLL
Watch out for…Ramnaresh Sarwan was once the most important member of West Indies’ top and middle orders, but didn’t play ODIs for almost a year-and-a-half until his return against Australia in February this year. Though that series was a disappointment, he struck a century in the three-match series against Zimbabwe, followed by a stint with Leicestershire, which would have helped him get used to the conditions.Wahab Riaz could be a handful in favourable conditions in England. He bowls with pace, can swing it and can be effective in the shorter format with his ability to bowl the yorker on target. He is more than handy with the bat, having played a key role in Pakistan’s close victory over Ireland followed by a three-for in the warm-up win over South Africa.Team newsWest Indies could have some tough choices to make. They have plenty of depth in their batting, and it’ll be interesting to see if they pick Sammy in the playing XI. They opened with Sarwan in the ODI series against Zimbabwe in February, but Johnson Charles is fresh from two straight half-centuries in the warm-ups. Would they prefer going in with an extra specialist batsman?West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach/Tino Best.Pakistan played just one warm-up game (their first was washed out) and gave Umar Amin a go in the middle order, but it remains to be seen if he’s picked tomorrow.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Saeed Ajmal, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Asad Ali/Ehsan Adil.Pitch and conditionsOn a sunny day, The Oval track could cater to a high-scoring game, and take a bit of turn. The conditions may not support much swing. There hasn’t been an ODI played at The Oval in almost 10 months; scores of 238 and 252 were chased down comfortably by West Indies and England there last year.Stats In ICC ODI tournaments, Pakistan have beaten West Indies on four occasions and lost eight times. They won the last two encounters between the teams in ICC tournaments – in the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa and the World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka. Chris Gayle has scored 840 runs against Pakistan in ODIs, at 31.11. Sarwan has a good record against Pakistan in the format, scoring 514 runs in 14 games at 46.72.Quotes”The plan should be that Imran Farhat plays as an anchor and last for 40 overs or so and the boys around him play freely but sensibly. Pakistani batting always comes under pressure if the openers fall early.”

A fearsome spell of inswing bowling from Nuwan Kulasekara was the definitive performance in a bizarre third ODI at the Gabba, where both captains would have batted first, but 100 may have been a winning total

The Report by Andrew Fernando18-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNuwan Kulasekara destroyed Australia with lethal inswing•Getty ImagesA fearsome spell of inswing bowling from Nuwan Kulasekara was the definitive performance in a bizarre third ODI at the Gabba, where both captains would have batted first, but 100 may have been a winning total. Kulasekara took a career-best 5 for 22 as he damned Australia to 74 all out, with the aid of Lasith Malinga, who tore down the tail.Sri Lanka’s run chase shaped as a straightforward one, but they lost six wickets before they reached their target, meaning 16 wickets had been lost in the day for 149 runs. Had Australia held early chances off Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne, they may have won early the momentum to spark a heavier collapse, but instead the visitors limped home in the 20th over, with their last recognised batting pair at the crease.Having rested several key players for the first two matches, Australia returned to near-full strength at Brisbane, with Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade arriving to bolster the batting, but none of them could make it to double figures. In fact, only the last pair of Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty did.The captains shared the opinion that the pitch was full of runs at the toss, but both men seem to have underestimated the effect of Brisbane’s humidity. It was in the air that Kulasekara won the battle, not off the pitch. Few batsmen are equipped to negate the amount of movement he achieved, particularly in the middle of his spell, but the lateness of Kulasekara’s inswing made him almost unplayable, and Australia will perhaps feel there is little they could have done better to counter bowling of that quality.The deliveries that bowled Clarke and Moises Henriques began about a metre outside off stump, and only began to move around halfway down the pitch, when the batsmen were already committed to the stroke. Both men played for big inswing, but as the ball swerved hard at the stumps like a snake suddenly smelling prey, they still had their inside edges passed and their woodwork rattled. George Bailey had made a similar mistake first ball, only he had offered no stroke to a delivery he believed to be passing safely outside off stump, and it struck him flush on the front pad and would have hit middle and off.Sri Lanka’s bowlers only mustered modest swing to begin with, but Angelo Mathews used a little extra bounce to dismiss Warner, who holed out to mid on playing a cross-batted stroke that was ill-judged in any case. Warner had been among the runs during the Test leg of the tour, and the manner of his dismissal in Brisbane may add heat to the debate about Australia’s rotation policy, and whether batsmen are being done a disservice by being rested when they are in form.Kulasekara worked himself into a honeyed rhythm after that dismissal, and by the 12th over, had embarrassed Australia’s first-choice team. His first two scalps were the result of fine catching as well as great bowling, as Jayawardene held on to a tough chance off Phillip Hughes’ bat at third slip, before wicketkeeper Kushal Perera dove to his left to snaffle David Hussey’s inside edge.Malinga also found movement in the air when he came into the attack at 6 for 30, and removed Mitchell Johnson with an outswinging yorker in his second over, before taking a wicket in each of his two next overs.Doherty was circumspect at the crease to begin with, leaving the strokemaking to Starc, who was intent on making the best of a bad situation, and the pair rode their luck for eight overs, before Shaminda Eranga ended the innings with a slower ball. Had they survived five more overs together, it may have been their side that took the series lead.Dilshan’s innings of 22 was populated almost exclusively by booming drives, most of which failed to make contact – many by quite a distance. Faced with a small target and difficult conditions, Sri Lanka’s batsmen appeared to have opted for a hyper-aggressive approach, reasoning that if just one of them came off, victory would come easy.However at 4 for 37, that strategy had only delivered them jitters and handed the opposition momentum. Kushal Perera and Upul Tharanga chose then to reserve their belligerence only for the poor deliveries, and in a match where even minuscule contributions with the bat were invaluable, two wicketless overs before the tea break eased Sri Lanka’s nerves, and three quick boundaries after resumptions hurtled them close to safety. Starc picked up two more scalps before Sri Lanka reached their target, but with so few to get, neither breakthrough gave rise to real hope of a famous win.The action moves to the SCG now, where Sri Lanka have flourished in ODIs, and the visitors will hope to wrap up the series there, and maintain their dominance of Australia in their own conditions in recent years.

Netherlands and Ireland will want to sign off on a note that tells the world they are better, and that they deserve more opportunities, provided the wretched Dharamsala weather lets them do so

The Preview by Sidharth Monga in Dharamsala12-Mar-2016Match factsSunday, March 13, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)Both Netherlands and Ireland will want to sign off on a note that tells the world they are better, and that they deserve more opportunities•Getty/ICCBig Picture
In the last World T20, these two teams played the match that decided the qualification. The match featured a sensational chase by Netherlands, and an innings that went a long way in getting Stephan Myburgh into the ICC team of the tournament. This year they had brief blips in their first matches followed by rain in their second match, and are now playing each other in a dead rubber. They have worked hard, played high-pressure matches because they are fighting for their status all the time, but have practically had their campaigns ended in three hours.These are two really devastated and angry teams going against each other. The target of their anger is the same: those in the ICC who are reducing their opportunities even as all sports look to expand. They will hope to channel their anger into the game, and collude to produce an entertaining game. They like playing each other, they fight for the same cause, they are brothers in arms, they need each other in one final attempt to put on a show on the world stage.They are both disappointed because they feel they got themselves into a position to win their only game so far. In such a short, sharp tournament, that makes all the difference. They will want to sign off on a note that tells the world they are better, and that they deserve more opportunities. Provided the wretched weather lets them do so. It rained pretty much consistently for 36 hours before the groundsmen could finally remove the covers at around 4pm on Saturday. More rain is forecast for Sunday.Form guide
Ireland LLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Netherlands LLWWWWatch out for
On Friday Kevin O’Brien became the first Ireland player to play 50 T20Is. In his 49th, he all but set up a win for Ireland with his canny medium-pace bowling, which featured a generous use of cutters when bowling the yorker wasn’t the best option with dew around. Ireland will look to him to sign off with a big performance in his eighth world event.Peter Borren has already said that it is highly unlikely he will be playing another world event now that the World T20 has become a four-yearly event. Borren is 32. Another of his 32-year-old team-mates, the recognisable Mudassar Bukhari, could well be playing his last world event too. He will look to lead Netherlands with the ball, and also chip in if late runs are required. There will be general wistfulness around, though.Team news
Since they hardly took the field on Saturday, Netherlands could go with the XI they named to play Oman.Netherlands (probable) 1 Stephan Myburgh, 2 Wesley Barresi (wk), 3 Ben Cooper, 4 Tom Cooper, 5 Peter Borren (capt.), 6 Roelof van der Merwe, 7 Pietar Seelaar, 8 Mudassar Bukhari, 9 Ahsan Malik, 10 Timm van der Gugten, 11 Paul van MeekerenIreland could do the same since they didn’t get to play a full game either.Ireland (probable) 1 William Porterfield (capt.), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Gary Wilson, 4 Niall O’Brien (wk), 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Aandy Poynter, 7 Andy McBrine, 8 George Dockrell, 9 Max Sorensen, 10 Tinm Murtagh, 11 Boyd RankinPitch and conditions
While the HPCA Stadium has taken a lot of rain, and is likely to take more, the pitches have been kept covered well, and shouldn’t change from their slow and low nature. It was evident in the eight overs bowled by Ireland to Bangladesh.Stats and trivia
After five Twenty20 internationals against each other, Ireland and Netherlands are tied 2-2 with one match washed out With the stumping of Soumya Sarkar on Saturday, Niall O’Brien reached 24 dismissals in Twenty20 internationals. Ten other wicketkeepers have reached the landmark of 25. One of them is opponent Warren BarresiQuotes
“We probably haven’t played as well as we can do, but we are getting closer. We just don’t get the consistent tough cricket that the full nations, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe do, but that’s not an excuse. We have enough to compete, we just haven’t performed well enough. Sometimes the guys fight so hard that they forget to play the game.”
“We have got a T20I in two days time against Ireland. Hopefully the weather plays its part. We play about nine games in a year. And in two days that’s one of them. It’s a big game. We love playing against Ireland. We have a bit of success against recently. It’s always a good game of cricket. Hopefully we can put on a real show. It might be a free-flowing game. Everyone can see what teams like Ireland and Holland are capable of. We have got that opportunity. I don’t think it will be too tough to motivate the boys for that opportunity.”

England have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley following their 170-run victory at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2013England squad

Alastair Cook, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Tim Bresnan

England have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley, following their 170-run victory at Lord’s, after Ian Bell recovered from the illness that hampered him in the opening contest.Bell was diagnosed with tonsillitis which kept him off the field for the majority of the game following his first-innings 31 on the opening day. He batted at No. 8 in the second innings.Tim Bresnan, on his homeground, will again be vying for the final pace-bowling slot alongside Steven Finn who took four wickets in the first innings at Lord’s but was inconsistent. If Bresnan does play his first Test since last December it would mean three Yorkshire cricketers in the side with Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow part of the top order.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “I thought the team showed a lot of fighting spirit when under pressure to set up the victory. We are aware that there are still areas that we need to improve on and the players and coaches will be working hard ahead of the second Test.”Finn was not required in the second innings, when New Zealand crumbled for 68, as England needed just two bowlers through an all-out innings for the first time since 1936. A few minutes after the win was completed, Finn was back out in the middle bowling on an adjacent pitch under the watchful eye of bowling coach David Saker.”He probably isn’t bowling as well as he could, but he’s getting wickets,” Saker said. “He’s got that knack of getting wickets. He’s got the pace. We’re just working on a few little things but I’m sure he’ll be all right and confident by Leeds.”There have been some high scores at Headingley this season and the batsmen from both sides will hope for slightly more favourable conditions. In the Championship match against Derbyshire, Yorkshire made 677 for 7, which included a double century from Root and Bairstow’s 186. The pair also added 231 for the fourth wicket. In the same match, Chesney Hughes, the Derbyshire opener, hit an unbeaten 270.

Jamie Cox has been dismissed from his role as South Australian Cricket Association’s (SACA) general manager, high performance

Daniel Brettig23-May-2014Jamie Cox has become the first major victim of Cricket Australia’s recently strengthened integrity unit, dismissed from his role as South Australian Cricket Association’s general manager, high performance after the SACA was made aware of an investigation into his recruitment activities.According to a SACA statement, Cox was fired after failing to comply with its code of conduct, by supposedly violating the Big Bash League player-recruitment regulations. CA’s integrity unit is currently investigating recruitment activities carried out by SA and its BBL team the Adelaide Strikers during the BBL embargo period.Keith Bradshaw, SACA’s chief executive, said the association had followed up a visit by the CA integrity unit with its own investigations, including checks on telephone and email communications made by Cox.”We were visited by the CA integrity unit [on Tuesday], they interviewed myself and Jamie Cox and alerted us to the fact there was an investigation they were undertaking regarding some possible breaches of BBL guidelines,” Bradshaw said. “We’ve co-operated with them fully throughout the process and that inquiry is still ongoing.”At the same time because I was obviously concerned to hear that news from the integrity unit, we initiated a review of our own, forensic work in terms of electronic communications and the like. We also interviewed several staff, one of which was Jamie, I have to say too that he co-operated with us fully and honestly.”Then it became apparent there were some serious breaches of our own policies, procedures and standards. So I was really in a position on Friday to call a board meeting and I reported those breaches to the board. The recommendation that followed of course was dismissal.”Last year Cox was among numerous SACA staff warned about abiding by recruiting guidelines after the state was fined $15,000 for making “improper” approaches in an attempt to lure the young legspinner James Muirhead away from Victoria.”That was certainly taken into consideration because we did incur a fine, which we were very disappointed in,” Bradshaw said. “We certainly made it very clear to people who were involved in that particular incident to reinforce the rules and regulations that needed to to be complied with. So yes that did come into consideration when we were deliberating on Jamie.”From my perspective and from SACA’s perspective I have an expectation that they will be complied with 100%. That’s a message I’ll be reinforcing to all my staff, that applies to myself and to everyone who works here.”CA’s integrity policies and procedures were the subject of a review undertaken by the former AFL executive Adrian Anderson last year, leading to the creation of a separate integrity unit within CA in December. The new unit was placed in the hands of the governing body’s senior legal counsel Iain Roy.BBL recruiting has been an area of considerable disquiet for sometime, with accusations of salary cap breaches commonly slung between teams while the bundling of BBL and state deals to attract players has been a common, though technically forbidden, practice.In April, four BBL teams – the Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades, Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat – were fined by CA for failing to complete their contract reporting duties. Their $10,000 sanctions will now appear minor next to the removal of Cox, an outcome noted by CA.”Cricket Australia (CA) acknowledges the admissions made this evening by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA),” A CA spokesman said. “In doing so CA confirms that its integrity unit is investigating the SACA for potential breaches of CA regulations relating to the contracting of Big Bash League players ahead of BBL04.”The CA Integrity Unit will hold further meetings with SACA officials next week to further investigate the matter. No further comment will be provided until that time.”Bradshaw said he expected the CA investigation to conclude by the end of the month, but could not comment on what further sanctions may be imposed or whether other members of the SACA’s high performance department, including the coach Darren Berry, will be implicated.Cox was appointed South Australia’s high performance manager in July 2008, and was also on the national selection panel from 2006 to 2011. He is yet to speak publicly about his dismissal or whether he intends to dispute the SACA’s decision.

David Warner confirmed himself as a certain starter for the opening Ashes Test with a dynamic century on the second day against Victoria at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2013
ScorecardDavid Warner raced to 104 from 87 deliveries•Getty ImagesDavid Warner confirmed himself as a certain starter for the opening Ashes Test with a dynamic century on the second day against Victoria at the MCG. Warner and fellow Test incumbent Steven Smith both scored hundreds as New South Wales comfortably claimed first-innings points, but it wasn’t such a good day for baggy-green aspirant Fawad Ahmed, who struggled in taking 1 for 91 from 21 overs.Warner was one of the disappointments of the Ashes tour of England for the Australians, averaging 23 in his three appearances, but three hundreds in the Ryobi Cup last month suggested he was starting to see the ball a little better. Red-ball form was what the selectors were most keen to see from Warner, who began briskly on the second morning against Victoria and struck 16 boundaries in his innings of 104 from 87 deliveries.Warner found his runs all around the ground and bettered the score of his Test opening partner Chris Rogers, who on the previous day had ground out 88 for Victoria. The runs kept flowing for Australia’s Test cricketers after Warner pulled a catch to wide mid-on off Scott Boland, as Smith compiled a classy 107 from 169 deliveries.A centurion in the final Ashes Test at The Oval and the incumbent No.5 in the national side, Smith struck 13 fours and two sixes in his impressive innings before he was caught off the bowling of John Hastings, who finished with five wickets. Michael Clarke also spent some time at the crease, scoring 43 and contributing to a 104-run third-wicket stand with Warner.Hastings was the best of the bowlers, while Test spearhead Peter Siddle collected 2 for 66. The chances of Ahmed usurping Nathan Lyon in the Test outfit appear slim after Ahmed battled to find his rhythm, picking up only the wicket of Sean Abbott for 9. The Blues were dismissed just before stumps for 353, giving them a 117-run first-innings lead.

Sarah Elliott will sleep five runs short of an Ashes hundred after putting Australia in control on the opening day at Wormsley

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2013
ScorecardSarah Elliott batted for 90 overs to end the day five runs short of a century•Getty ImagesSarah Elliott will sleep five runs short of an Ashes hundred after putting Australia in control on the opening day at Wormsley. Her unbeaten 95, alongside useful contributions from Meg Lanning and Jess Cameron, led Australia to 243 for 3 in friendly batting conditions at the beginning of the new multi-format Ashes campaign.With the destination of the urn, currently held by Australia, decided on a combination of points across all three formats the result of this Test will not decide the outcome but victory, worth six points, would be a major leap towards success.Although Australia lost Rachael Haynes in the tenth over, to give Anya Shrubsole her first Test wicket, they made good use of having won the toss. Elliott and Lanning added 70 for the second wicket, a stand broken when Lanning was run out coming back for a third shortly after lunch, then Elliott put on a further 80 Cameron, who produced the most fluent batting of the day with 10 boundaries in her 50.When Cameron was lbw to Laura Marsh, Australia were 167 for 3 and another quick wicket or two would have brought England back but the visitors negotiated the rest of the day as Elliott and Alex Bracewell added an unbroken 76.Elliott, who is playing her first match back in international cricket after having her first child, was at the crease for 90 overs, facing 245 deliveries, and her innings followed the Ashes-winning 81 she made in Sydney in 2011 which was he previous appearance for Australia.”I’m really really pleased to be back in the team, it’s a great group to be around and it’s really nice to know that I can contribute in this format of the game,” he said. “The bowlers, I thought, did a great job bowling really tight lines. The pitch definitely had a bit in it early, which is really exciting for our bowlers. But then it’s a really great pitch once you’re in, I think it’s a great opportunity to cash in.”It was a day of toil for England’s bowlers; Jenny Gunn was economical, sending down 21 overs for 34, and Katherine Brunt also conceded fewer than two runs an over but only Shrubsole and Marsh found success.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s prospects of making an India comeback are all but over, as the pair stayed away from selection for the 15-member North Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy

PTI18-Nov-2014Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s prospects of making an India comeback are all but over, as the pair stayed away from selection for the 15-member North Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy. The team will be led by Harbhajan Singh, and the North Zone selection committee, headed by national selector Vikram Rathour, decided to reward all those who had performed well in the North Zone leg of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.It is believed that Sehwag had told some of the top DDCA officials that he did not want to block the road of promising juniors from Delhi, while the reason for Gambhir opting out is still unclear.”Today, at the start of the selection committee meeting, the chairman Vikram Rathour intimated us that Viru [Sehwag] has specifically told him that he doesn’t want to play Deodhar Trophy,” a member of the North Zone selection committee told PTI. “He has insisted that some of the promising juniors may be picked. Gauti [Gambhir] has also decided against playing but I have no clue about why he pulled out.”There are enough indications that Sehwag and Gambhir are fully aware that there is very little chance for either of them to make the World Cup squad, as India’s three first-choice openers are all in good form, with M Vijay available as cover. In any case, Sehwag and Gambhir’s selection would have come under scanner, as the pair tallied just 122 and 178 runs respectively from five matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, although they did share a 144-run stand to power Delhi to victory against Haryana.The only experienced members in the North Zone side are Harbhajan, Yuvraj Singh, Mohit Sharma and Amit Mishra, with most of the team comprising of youngsters. Former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand has also been selected despite a poor run of 36 runs from five matches due to his “promise”. Unmukt had recently scored a century for India A against West Indians in a warm-up game, and is considered to be one for the future, as is Manan Vohra.Pacer Vikas Tokas and batsman Milind Kumar are the other two players from Delhi to make the squad. Punjab youngsters Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Mandeep Singh, and Jammu and Kashmir’s Parveez Rasool have all been selected based on their recent performances. With none of the wicketkeeper-batsmen doing particularly well, Services’ Nakul Verma pipped Nitin Saini and Puneet Bisht to a place in the team.North will meet East Zone in the semi-finals on November 29 in Mumbai.Squad: Harbhajan Singh (Captain), Unmukt Chand, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Milind Kumar, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Parveez Rasool, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Nakul verma (Wk), Taruwar Kohli, Vikas Tokas.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes joked he wasn't impressed by Alejandro Garnacho's wondergoal against Everton, which earned him Man of the Match.

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Garnacho scores screamer vs EvertonBut Fernandes unimpressedJoked Argentine didn't deserve MOTMWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentina starlet scored a Puskas winner-worthy bicycle kick in the opening stages of Sunday's Premier League fixture. Garnacho rose acrobatically to scissor home Diogo Dalot's overhit cross, before a Marcus Rashford penalty and a customary Anthony Martial strike sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Toffees. The goal earned the young forward MOTM courtesy of – although captain Fernandes didn't quite see it that way.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT FERNANDES SAID

Asked about his thoughts on Garnacho's wonderstrike, the Portugal midfielder joked: "Ah, so-so! I'll give him a good note just for the goal. But that's because he knows I have big expectations for him. He's not a great player yet, but he has a big future ahead. We expect a lot from him. He knows that, even more from me – I'll always be behind him asking for more. Amazing goal though."

Fernandes also offered a sly dig when asked to present the Argentine with the MOTM award, adding: "I don't think he deserves but okay…"

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Garnacho's strike is only his first Premier League goal of the season after an inconsistent start, as both manager Erik ten Hag and United supporters will hope this can kickstart a solid run of form in the first team. It certainly set the tone for what turned out to be a comfortable victory at Goodison Park, though, as Ten Hag's side proved they could stand firm against a virulent atmosphere and win despite multiple injury setbacks.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

Both Fernandes and Garnacho will hope to feature when the Red Devils travel to Galatasary on Wednesday in what is a crunch match for their Champions League aspirations. Both teams sit outside the automatic qualification spots in Group A – United in rock bottom – meaning Ten Hag's side need nothing less than three points if they are to stay in the hunt for a place in the knock-outs.