3 key differences from 2005 to 2006-07

The 3 biggest differences between the Australia XIs of 2005 and 2006/07:

1. Michael Hussey for Simon Katich

The batsman with no footwork, who plays around his front pad and has poor judgement of his off stump has been replaced by the one of the most technically correct batsmen in the world. Unlike some other technically correct batsmen in the game, Michael Hussey has every shot in the book and is willing to play them regularly. He has been a fine addition to the Australian middle order and is comparable to a wall. He has vast reserves of mental strength, never takes playing for his country for granted and no one knows how to get him out. It is not just his batting either. It's his buzzing energy on the field and his sharp cricket brain that has already seen him captain Australia.

2. Stuart Clark for Jason Gillespie

When Glenn McGrath was injured, Stuart Clark, playing county cricket was called up to the squad. Unfortunately he did not get a game. Frequently, when Ricky Ponting looked around the ground, searching for a bowler with control, he found Shane Warne and a one-legged Glenn McGrath. Jason Gillespie was rightly targeted by England, and his 3 wickets @ 100 with a healthy economy rate was synonymous with Australia's lack of control in that series. When McGrath pulled out of the South Africa tour, Stuart Clark stepped in. The decision drew criticism, but the selectors were proven right as Clark enjoyed a Man of the Series performance. Selecting Clark for Brisbane was the obvious decision, but the selectors did well to ignore the media hype of Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait. His selection did not impress everyone, Ian Chappell thought that Clark was too similar to McGrath. What is wrong with being similar to arguably the best fast bowler the game has seen? Most teams would kill for one McGrath - two McGraths is absolutely brilliant. In the first 3 Ashes Tests, Clark has been by far the best bowler on either side, giving Ponting the control that was lacking in England.

3. Michael Clarke Mk II for Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke had been hyped by the NSW press. He had a dream Test debut, as he played the innings of his life at Bangalore. He followed that with a hundred on home debut. Everything was going well for the brilliant young batsman from Western Sydney. His rise was so quick and so steep that he was destined for a fall. The talented Clarke was raw in England, desperate to score a hundred on Ashes debut and frustrated by England's 7-2 field, Clarke lost his head and his wicket for 91. Though Clarke appeared to be Australia's best batsman in the series, he could not push on with his regular starts. Often, he played across the line, or hit in the air. Dispatched back to state cricket after 3 personally unfulfilling Tests after returning home, he sharpened his technique, hit the ball through the field and bided his time. He knew his time would come if he scored runs for his state - which he did, averaging 394 for NSW. Following Shane Watson's injury before Brisbane, Clarke responded with mature innings of 56, 124, 21*, 37 and 135*. It has been impressive viewing and Clarke will play for many years to come.

2-0? England will hit back.

Against all odds, Australia went 2-0 up in Adelaide. The story of the day's play has been told to death, so I won't retell it.

However, I must comment on the post match reaction in the media. It appears that the press in both Australia and England have written off England's chance of retaining the Ashes. This is simply not true. The England team of the 1990's and even Nasser Hussain's men in 2002 would crumble from this position.

Not Andrew Flintoff's men of 2006.

There are strong characters in this team: Flintoff, Collingwood, Pietersen, Hoggard, Strauss, etc and a culture that is not easily diminished.

Though this loss must have been demoralising, England can take plenty of positives from this game (like Lord's 2005) - Paul Collingwood's supreme double century, Kevin Pietersen's outrageous 158, Matthew Hoggard's persevering 7/106 from 42 overs and Andrew Flintoff's bowling in the fourth innings.

The first thing England must do to fight back, is to drop Ashley Giles. The Australians, rightly, don't rate his bowling and he poses little threat. Monty Panesar, meanwhile, has the ability to embarass our batsmen but can't do it if he's not selected.

I expect England to fight back and retain the Ashes, with Flintoff, Pietersen, Panesar, Collingwood, Hoggard and Strauss the main contributors.

The Ashes - First Test Review

I've been too busy watching the cricket over the past few days to write about it! What follows is a complete recap of the match, and I've tried not to let hindsight change my views.

Day 1

At Lord's 2005, Steve Harmison's first delivery was a fast, on target delivery outside off stump. His second delivery smacked Justin Langer square on the elbow. He continued aggressively, badging Matthew Hayden, then splitting open Ricky Ponting's cheek, on his way to 5/43. That set the tone for the series and was a harbinger for the relentlous fast bowling to come in the remaining matches.

16 months later, Andrew Flintoff gave the ball to Steve Harmison, aware that a similar statement of intent had to be made. Unfortunately, Harmison gave it straight back to him, with a wild delivery that went straight to second slip. The second ball, was short and a metre down the leg side. From then on, it was all Australia as Langer took calculated risks and edged his way through the cordon early in the innings, but was 68 at Lunch.

36 runs were taken after lunch in the 4 overs before Langer was out, to the inspirational Andrew Flintoff, who had removed Matthew Hayden with a beauty earlier.

Damien Martyn came in, batted like Mark Waugh for a while, then gave his wicket away, in a similar way to Waugh.

Meanwhile, Ponting was playing a flamboyant, flawless innings, the likes of which only batsmen of his calibre are capable of. From the start, his usually sluggish footwork was sharp and decisive, and one sensed that he was settled in for stumps. He got off the mark with his 1000th four in Test cricket, as Harmison invited his swivel pull with a short ball, then caressed another four off the next delivery, a delightful shot with both feet in the air to a ball at the top of its bounce through cover.

Ponting raised his inevitable 32nd Test century in the final session, as he and Michael Hussey put on an unbeatable 148 run partnership. Hussey had to endure yet another stirring spell from Flintoff, but wore him down and struck a textbook off drive from the last ball.

Australia finished on a dominant 3/346 - a far cry from being bowled out for 190 at Lord's last year. Flintoff was the only bowler that looked like taking a wicket, and while the fieldsmen were sharp, the other bowlers did not create enough chances.

Day 2

The day started as the previous had ended, with both Ponting and Hussey batting freely on what was seemingly a road of a wicket. The partnership was extended beyond 200, before Andrew Flintoff again made things happen. After being cut to the point boundary by Ponting, Flintoff responded with a devastating ball, which spat off a length and had the little Tasmanian leaping for his life. In the process, he may or may not have gloved it to the wicket keeper - Steve Bucknor said not out.

Flintoff, though, was convinced and hardly celebrated when he bowled Hussey through the gate with an off cutter from around the wicket. Hussey fell short of a maiden Ashes century by just 14 runs.

Michael Clarke nearly fell first ball, but was not good enough to edge Flintoff to the keeper. He battled hard for 56 and his play of Ashley Giles was excellent. Surely the selectors must keep him for Adelaide, if only because he plays spin infinitely better than Shane Watson.

Ponting continued on his march towards a fifth double century, until his innings was cut short when he again played across a straight delivery on 196. The frustration showed upon dismissal said a lot about the man, not least his hunger for runs and his determination to personally bury the nightmares of 2005 through the weight of runs.

From then on, the tail had a bit of fun against some luckless England bowlers. Twice in two balls, Lee struck fours off Flintoff - albeit off the back of his bat, and then its edge. Stuart Clark batted like a tailender from yesteryear, as he swung his bat for a quickfire 39.

The declaration came at 9/602.

The pitch looked a different one when England came out to bat.

Andrew Strauss' fallibility with his pull shot had been noted by Shaun Tait in the Prime Minister's XI match. The trap was set with Hussey specifically positioned 3/4 of the way out to the square leg boundary, and Brett Lee at fine leg. It was so obvious that Australia might well have put flashing lights out there to signal their intent. Yet Strauss fell for the bait, and hooked Glenn McGrath into that region. As Hussey and Lee converged on the skied pull, my mind's eye kept replaying images of the infamous Steve Waugh/Jason Gillespie collision of 1999, which landed them both in hospital (and the chance was dropped). When Hussey came up with the catch, I was pleased - but Lee was lying on the ground after being spiked by Hussey's boot! Australia will be pleased that it was only a cut.

McGrath took the wicket of Alastair Cook with his next ball as he looked to play through the leg side, and in two balls, McGrath had claimed the wickets of his assigned "bunnies".

Stuart Clark worked Paul Collingwood over and put England into deeper trouble as they finished 3/53 - many, many runs behind the follow on target.

Day 3

Glenn McGrath announced his rearrival into the Test arena with 6/50.

What was previously a batting paradise for the Australians became a minefield for the English, according to one Mike Selvey. In truth, it was just the huge gulf between the quality of the bowling. McGrath, with unrelenting accuracy maintained a good length just outside of off stump and kept hitting the cracks in the pitch.

Kevin Pietersen looked in poor touch as he was worked over by balls jagging away, or jagging back off the cracks and in the end was leg before padding up to a ball that would have missed off stump. However, he had already used up his luck as he miscued a pull shot off Lee and was dropped.

Australia's good luck continued as Andrew Flintoff was caught behind off yet another undetected no ball from Lee, who was generally poor.

Ian Bell batted with a lot of fight, and I saw a bit of Rahul Dravid in him. Against good bowling, he put his head down and kept the good balls out with excellent technique, and hit the bad balls away with attractive shots. Bell has definitely improved out of sight since his miserable 2005 series, where he averaged 17 with 7 single digit scores in 10 innings and a pair at The Oval.

Geraint Jones played well, smacked Warne straight into Billy Bowden's radio for the day's loudest cheer, before being claimed by a ball that darted in and kept low.

Stuart Clark bowled as well as McGrath, if not better, and took an excellent 3/21 as England were dismissed with a 445 run deficit.

Surprisingly, and against all the judgements in the commentary box, Ponting elected against the follow on and sent England out to field again. I would have prefered to put a shellshocked England back into bat again, but I'm no Test captain!

A past Test captain, Ian Chappell, was quite vocal in his disagreement, saying that if he had done it in his own time as captain, that his players would've given him hell for delaying the celebrations! Presumably, Ponting wanted to rest his ageing bowlers, let the sun shine on the pitch a bit more, make England run around again before putting them into bat when the wicket is at its worst. On the other hand, the break allowed England to regroup, allowed their bowlers to get more match practice and with a thunderstorm forecast for late Day 5....

There are two sides to every argument.

As Australia went out to bat again, the Selvey minefield was replaced by a batting paradise as Australia went to stumps at 1/181 - the only wicket coming from a run out.

England's fieldsmen were utterly demoralised as they dropped catches, misfielded, and gave away overthrows. Their shoulders were down as Australia's batsmen collected some of the easiest Test runs they will ever get.

The apparent difference in the pitch for each batting team was reminiscent of Ashes 2005. From Edgbaston onwards, England looked like they were batting on featherbeds as they amassed large first innings totals. Then, the pitch would appear to change when Australia batted as Simon Jones and Flintoff employed the reverse swing, that Australia could not get. Then, as it is now, it was just the bowling.

Day 4

Finally, an intriguing day of Test cricket after Ponting declared Australia's innings closed at 202, an overall lead of 647. The thirty minutes of batting in the morning was enough for Justin Langer to record his 23rd, and probably least memorable Test hundred, and for Ponting to strain his back.

There were good signs for England before the declaration as Matthew Hoggard beat an injured Ponting 4 times in 5 balls outside off stump. The fifth ball was guided just above a jumping gully.

However, this was tempered by Andrew Strauss, gifting his wicket on the pull for the second time of the match, and Ian Bell's failure against Warne - again trapped lbw by a slider.

Stuart Clark bowled a magnificent spell before lunch that Collingwood was fortunate to survive, after being dropped on 1.

What transpired after lunch would have given a lift to the England dressing room. Collingwood, rather unexpectedly, and Kevin Pietersen took the attack to Warne and made him look ordinary.

With Ponting injured in the sheds, Australia looked flat in the field as Collingwood and Pietersen dominated the session. At one stage, Warne was going at 5 runs per over against the pair.

Meanwhile, McGrath was on and off the field as he received treatment for a painful blister on his left heel. This injury was a result of McGrath's lack of bowling in the lead up to the Ashes and probably vindicated Ponting's decision not to enforce the follow on, knowing that McGrath's workload had to be carefully managed.

Pietersen completely dominated Warne as he danced down the pitch and struck several blistering on drives. When the line was changed towards off stump, Pietersen took out his slog sweep and smacked Warne to square leg. Frustrated, Warne threw the ball petulantly towards Pietersen, who hit it away before replying "f*** off"! More unpleasantries were exchanged, though I'm not sure if one should call a friend a "f***wit"! So much for being too friendly on the field.

The fun lasted over 153 runs, until Paul Collingwood's brain exploded as he went down the pitch to Warne, attempting to reach his maiden Ashes century with a glory shot.

Flintoff replaced him and played some delightful shots through cover, before committing suicide against Warne as he swiped across the line to long on, where Justin Langer celebrated before taking the catch.

Pietersen appeared to tire towards the end of the day as he swiped across the line on several occasions and was fortunate to survive to the end of the day. The win is out of the equation, as England require a further 355 to win with only 5 wickets in hand.

Day 5

Ponting recovered sufficiently to lead his players onto the field as his team took the last 5 wickets in only 90 minutes.

The last resistance, Pietersen, fell to the fourth ball of the day, an ordinary leg side half volley from Brett Lee that Pietersen managed to hit to short midwicket. Thereafter, against the lower order, Lee went back to his thoughtful habit of short and full balls - and not the good length deliveries that made him successful last summer.

Geraint Jones played a sprightly innings with some elegant cover drives, before trying one too many against a McGrath ball that kept low.

Stuart Clark was again the best of the Australian bowlers as he cleaned up the tail with intelligent and consistent bowling. He was the best bowler in the game over both innings.

Final thoughts

Australia go 1-0 up with a 277 run victory, but there were enough signs in England's second innings that England will fight hard, not least Pietersen's genius and Collingwood and Cook's determination.

Strauss' pull shot might be a problem, but he should be fine at Adelaide with its short square boundaries. He's a smart cricketer anyway and is due for the rest of the series.

With a niggling injury to McGrath, and Warne bowling below par - can Australia carry Brett Lee in a four man attack? He took two wickets for 149 runs at an economy rate of 4.02. One was a no ball and the other was a gift. Will Brett Lee be this year's Jason Gillespie?

I still expect England to retain the Ashes, but it will be difficult. England will hope that Flintoff wins the rest of the tosses and England bat Australia out of every remaining game.

ICC Awards (part 2)

A fair way back, when the long lists were released, I tried my hand at tipping the winners.

As usual, my tips were mostly wrong, and I only got 3/7 - and the three that were correct were obvious. The results are below:

Player of the Year: Ricky Ponting (AUS)

Test Player of the Year: Ricky Ponting (AUS). I was expecting a tie between the guys who win Test matches, bowlers Muralitharan and Warne. Mohammad Yousuf would also have been a worthy winner after scoring runs for fun. I believe he's scored 2 or 3 Test double centuries in this period.

One-day Player of the Year: Michael Hussey (AUS). Yuvraj wuz robbed, and I am very shocked that he did not get it after a tremendous year with the bat including several match winning hundreds.

Captain of the Year: Mahela Jayawardene (SRI). Not bad for a stand-in captain! The end of Marvan Atapattu's captaincy?

Women's Player of the Year: Karen Rolton (AUS)

Emerging Player of the Year: Ian Bell (ENG). Alastair Cook has performed well from the start and I expected him to get the award. Bell, however, rebounded nicely from a horror Ashes and scored 3 eye catching Test centuries in a row last season.

Spirit of Cricket Award: England. I was expecting either India or Sri Lanka to get this one, but have no qualms with England getting this one.

Umpire of the Year: Simon Taufel (AUS). Third year running for Taufel. It is a shame that he is Australia, and can't stand in Test matches involving Australia.

World Test Team of the Year 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Rahul Dravid (capt), 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Shane Warne, 9 Makhaya Ntini, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Glenn McGrath. 12th man: Brett Lee.

World ODI Team of the Year 1 Adam Gilchrist (wkt), 2 MS Dhoni, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan. 12th man: Andrew Symonds.

Australia v England: The Key Battles

The decisive battles between key players in the upcoming Ashes series.

The battle of the captains:
Flintoff v Ponting. The two knockabout players who used to waste their talents years ago square up against each other. Ponting is the one under severe pressure, can he stand up and perform? As Michael Slater said, whoever performs better will take the Ashes home.
Verdict: Flintoff, no question. Might as well put money on England now.

The battle of the middle order batsmen:
Kevin Pietersen v Michael Hussey. The two players who've lit up international cricket with their batting prowess in the past year or so. Their success will be important to both teams.
Verdict: Equal. Hussey can do no wrong at the moment, and Pietersen performs on the big stage - and can the stage get any bigger than now?

The battle of the spinners:
Shane Warne/Stuart MacGill v Monty Panesar/Ashley Giles. Since the kookaburra ball is unlikely to offer much help to the fast bowlers, the spinners will have to make the major breakthroughs.
Verdict: The legspin duo, no contest. Now that depends on the Australian team selection. Will they go with one or two spinners? If they are smart, two.

The battle of the key players:
Flintoff v Gilchrist. In 2005, Flintoff had the series of his life scoring runs and taking wickets. But the best thing he did for England was to keep Gilchrist quiet, with an around the wicket attack. When Gilchrist has a poor series with the bat (India 2001, India 2003, England 2005), Australia invariably lose. Can Flintoff do it again?
Verdict: Gilchrist may just get his revenge, especially if he gets the captaincy.

The battle of the good friends:
Kevin Pietersen v Shane Warne. Pietersen played Warne with aplomb in 2005, sweeping across the line, mainly in the air, on the small English grounds. Would he do it on large Australian grounds?
Verdict: KP. Pietersen is an excellent player of spin as he has tremendous reach. The big grounds won't deter him from the slog sweep.

Series prediction: England to retain the Ashes.

Chris Broad's blog

Apparently Chris Broad, the former England cricketer and current Match Referee runs a cricket blog. So far it has got a few posts about the matches, non-match days, and his son Stuart.

Can anyone confirm if it is indeed Broad? The content of his entries seems to be very believable.

The Australian view

All is not well in the Australian camp.

First, there were reports of in-fighting, or at least, disagreement between the boss and the main protagonist.

Now, the press has got in on the act, however implausible the former player might be.

England must be chuckling at the Australians' ability to self destruct just 50 days away from the biggest series of their lives.

Katich, the ODI opener

I see Ricky Ponting has backed Simon Katich as an ODI opener. This is usually the kiss of death, and I expect Katich to be dropped fairly soon.

Ponting's justification of Katich's continued selection is questionable: "Kato's been pretty steady at the top of the order for a while now and he deserves his chance to open the batting in the Champions Trophy."

Fine. Yes, Katich is making consistent runs at the top of the order, but this is not the issue with Katich, it's the manner in which he scores them. Yes, Australia have been winning their matches, but it is not Katich's contributions which are leading to those victories. In fact, a typical innings of 30 from 50 balls is a hindrance to the rest of the batting order.

Just watch the increased risks the likes of Gilchrist and Ponting take to make up for Katich at the other end. Also the number of run outs Katich is involved in is alarming.

Anyway, why must a team like Australia with 4 of the top 5 ODI batsmen in the world need an anchor like Katich? Any one out of Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, Symonds can stabilise the batting after a collapse. Why is the anchor opening the batting during the fielding restrictions? So he has more fieldsmen in the circle to hit to? What good is an anchor who soaks up valuable balls at the top of the order due to an inability to rotate the strike? So the middle order batsmen take more risks to rectify the run rate?

The theory of an anchor batsman in this Australian team is impractical at best and nonsense at worse. There are far better options; Jaques, Hussey, Watson. This ploy will be exposed when we play against top class competition.

God?

I'm not sure if God exists, but if he does, then it must be Michael Hussey. What an incredible player!

Captain Freddie

Ashes squad Andrew Flintoff (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones, Sajid Mahmood, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Chris Read, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick.

I'm rather surprised with the appointment of all rounder Andrew Flintoff over opener Andrew Strauss as captain. If I was the ECB, I'd have picked Strauss, if only to let Flintoff focus on his own game. England needs Flintoff the player more than Flintoff the captain.

The captaincy does not seem to affect Strauss' personal performances, but Flintoff might over bowl himself if given the opportunity. Coming back from injury, it is not ideal.

Either way, best of luck to both players as I am a fan of both.

Watch your words

Ponting fined entire match fee

September 12, is again a bad day for Ricky Ponting.

In 2005, his team relinquished the treasured urn for the first time in 18 years.

In 2006, he lost his head and his entire match fee. An incident like this typically only carries a 50% match fee fine, but this is his second incident in 6 months. A third incident in 12 months will result in a ban.

How do they do that?

Calypso collapso

One of the most remarkable scorecards I've seen, and this was against an Australia second XI! What a waste of Chanderpaul's and Gayle's effort at the top!

I went to bed shortly before the second wicket of West Indies' innings fell, and was expecting to wake up to an 8 wicket defeat. Imagine my shock when I saw the result. I am still not sure how/why the rest of the WI batsmen threw the match away.

ICC Awards

The following are the nominations for the annual ICC awards. I've got out my crystal ball and tried to predict the winners, presented in bold. The interest is not really who wins which award, but how many predictions I get correct.

Test Player
Michael Hussey (Aus), Ricky Ponting (Aus), Mohammed Yousuf (Pak), Andrew Flintoff (Eng) Shane Warne (Aus), Muttiah Muralidaran (SL), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Rahul Dravid (Ind), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Younis Khan (Pak), Matthew Hayden (Aus), Makhaya Ntini (SA).

ODI Player
Yuvraj Singh (Ind), Michael Hussey (Aus), Ricky Ponting (Aus), Shane Bond (NZ), Irfan Pathan (Ind), Andrew Flintoff (Eng), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Muttiah Muralidaran (SL), Rahul Dravid (Ind), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Mohammed Yousuf (Pak), Herschelle Gibbs (SA), Brett Lee (Aus), Shahid Afridi (Pak), Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak), Adam Gilchrist (Aus), Kumar Sangakkara (SL).

Emerging Player
Monty Panesar (Eng), Alastair Cook (Eng), Denesh Ramdin (WI), Malinga Bandara (SL), Mohammed Asif (Pak), Upul Tharanga (SL), Ian Bell (Eng), Shahriar Nafees (BD).

Cricketer of the Year
Ricky Ponting (Aus), Shane Warne (Aus), Muttiah Muralidaran (SL), Michael Hussey (Aus), Andrew Flintoff (Eng), Mohammed Yousuf (Pak), Rahul Dravid (Ind), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Younis Khan (Pak), Monty Panesar (Eng), Brett Lee (Aus), Makhaya Ntini (SA), Adam Gilchrist (Aus).

Captain of the Year
Michael Vaughan (Eng), Rahul Dravid (Ind), Ricky Ponting (Aus), Mahela Jayawardene (SL).

Umpire of the Year
Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar, Rudi Koertzen.

Women's Cricketer of the Year
Karen Rolton (Aus), Cathryn Fitzpatrick (Aus), Anjum Chopra (Ind), Neetu David (Ind), Claire Taylor (Eng), Katherine Brunt (Eng), Emily Drumm (NZ).

Who will be Australia's next coach?

John Buchanan announced today that he will not be renewing his coaching contract with Cricket Australia, which expires after the World Cup next year.

The current favourite to replace Buchanan is Tim Nielsen, one of Australia's assistant coaches and the head coach of Australia A.

Greg Chappell (India) and Tom Moody (Sri Lanka) have also been mentioned, though I believe they have years to go on their current contracts with their respective countries.

In the seven hours since the announcement, former NSW and New Zealand coach Steve Rixon has declared his desire for the top job.

My preference is to see someone like Rod Marsh take the reins, but he has unfortunately taken a job with the ICC in Dubai. Given Marsh's achievements at the Australia and England Cricket Academies, I think he would do a fantastic job with the national team, during a time where our big name players retire and new, inexperienced blokes come in.

For those wondering why I have not blogged about the Hair/Pakistan/$500,000 issue, it is because I haven't seen the footage and think the coverage has been done to death by the international media.

McGrath and the media

Glenn McGrath has again selected his "bunnies" for the upcoming Ashes series, Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss. McGrath has been doing this for years, and it has become a ritual, for both McGrath and the media. Well, not really. McGrath did not once refer to the pair as bunnies, but revealed the young batsmen who he thought were doing well.

The day after McGrath had uttered those words, Mike Selvey, usually so fair in his journalism, wrote an article of bias and ridiculous animosity. That Selvey was being serious makes it utterly laughable. Give yourself a laugh here.

At least Alex Brown, the Australian journalist, had the sense to acknowledge McGrath's constant toying with the media. Excerpts below:

Here's the problem with speaking to Glenn McGrath: he is seldom serious. Drop in on a press conference and you'll hear Australia's most prolific paceman, a grin barely concealed, rattling on about how "the body's feeling better than ever", "the ball's coming out better than ever" and "the focus is better than ever."

Another line fed to the press. Another cause for chortling over the morning papers with teammates. And this is hardly a one-off gag. A Google search of "Glenn McGrath" and "better than ever" comes back with no fewer than 590 responses.

Unearthing McGrath's genuine sentiments, therefore, is often near impossible. Over a decade in the spotlight has taught him to hide his true feelings from the public, without coming across surly or secretive. Crack a joke, feed 'em a headline and you're away. Media, bowled McGrath 0.

Mike Selvey, bowled McGrath 0.

No, not Freddie too!

Things are looking very bleak for England. News has just arrived of Andrew Flintoff's latest ankle injury, which requires surgery next week, and a further 12 weeks of rehabilitation. He will not play another match in the English summer, and he will come to Australia without any match fitness - if he makes it on the plane at all.

With already three players of the Ashes Winning XI with fitness problems - Michael Vaughan, Flintoff and Simon Jones - one has to wonder if the series will be as huge as it has been anticipated. How many more players, from either team, will be removed from the contest?

Yousuf comes of age

I've been waiting until the England v Pakistan match finishes until blogging about the game and the performances within it.

I shall be honest. I have always regarded Yousuf Youhana to be one of those batsmen whose statistics flatter him, who would make runs only in easy circumstances.

But Mohammad Yousuf, who converted to Muslim earlier this year, has been a vital part of Pakistan's batting line up. He has made runs in tough situations, albeit on very flat wickets, but it is an improvement. I did not witness his 202 and 48 at Lord's, so I will quote from Kamran Abbasi's article on Yousuf's new steel from cricinfo:

His double-hundred was one of the best innings ever by a Pakistani in Tests, a complete contrast to Mohsin Khan's dashing, excitable, sometimes reckless, double-hundred twenty-four years earlier on this same ground. Yousuf was composed, almost flawless, and wonderfully graceful. Beneath MoYo's short-sleeve jumper and short-tangled beard it was a struggle to find YoYo, a gifter of his wicket and betrayer of his graceful talent.

Yousuf's critics label him a flat-track bully. While the wicket was placid here, the situation was one of high pressure, pressure enough to dismiss forever any barbs about him being an easy rider. Pressure enough, too, to conclude that only a player of immense inner calm could play an innings of such exquisite serenity.

Lovely words to describe one of the most talented batsmen in the world, and certainly one that I enjoy watching very much.

Vaughan won't be coming to Australia

The news England dreaded arrived last night. Michael Vaughan's troublesome knee is more damaged than was previously thought, and he will now definitely miss England's Ashes defence down under later this year.

This is a massive blow for England. As an inspirational and tactically astute captain, he was the player who provided serenity to the English dressing room, which lifted the performances of his players. Without Vaughan, England have lost their way. The ruthlessness is gone, the authority on the field is gone and they just don't look the same. More than that, on England's last tour of Australia, Vaughan was the only England player to achieve anything, with 633 runs from 5 Tests and the Player of the Series award. He will be missed.

I was reminded of an article I read four months ago, written by Tim de Lisle on cricinfo, which noted the curse of English Ashes winning captains. Excerpts below:

Michael Vaughan finds himself in a funny position. It's the fact that he hasn't won a Test since the Ashes, and now he won't have the chance for some time.

He is in distinguished company. England's last Ashes-winning captain, Mike Gatting, never won a Test again after that series in Australia in 1986-87. The one before was David Gower in 1985, and he never won another Test either, chalking up scores of 0-5 in the West Indies and 0-1 against India before being sacked in favour of Gatting, only to return, three years later, for a 0-4 drubbing by ... Australia.

The Ashes winner before that was Mike Brearley, master choreographer of the famous 1981 series. He too never won another Test.

Which begs the question - is Michael Vaughan's career over, at the tender age of 31?

The rest of the article is here.

Cricket grounds (continued)

Sydney Cricket Ground, one of the most beautiful grounds in the world. Above the SCG is Aussie Stadium. Both grounds are managed by the SCG Trust.

Melbourne Cricket Ground, home of cricket in Australia. Commonwealth Games 2006 was also held here.

Gabba, Brisbane. In the last Test match played at this venue, Brett Lee hit a massive six, which sailed over midwicket and landed in the practice nets to the left of the stadium.

Bellerive Oval, Hobart. Lovely, scenic ground.

Adelaide Oval. Gorgeous! This picture was taken before the Chappell stands, and the Victor Richardson Gates were built.

WACA, Perth.

Jayawardene and captaincy

Mahela Jayawardene has come of age. He appears to be one of those rare characters who flourish with the responsibility (some would say burden) of captaincy. He pushed himself up the batting order to number 3 with success, where he could dictate the innings. More importantly, his players played with a confidence rarely seen in recent times, as they dismantled an injury plagued England.

In truth, the spirit of Sri Lanka's tour of England started when Jayawardene's doggedness at Lord's in the first Test stopped a certain England victory. His younger players must have witnessed his steely resolve, his quiet confidence, which would have rubbed off on them. From that moment on, Sri Lanka played better cricket which shows that they have a bright future.

After fantastic results of 1-1 (Tests) and 5-0 (ODIs), should Marvan Atapattu get back the captaincy once he recovers from his injury? I don't think so. Atapattu is 35, turning 36 this November, and it is time to pass the captaincy on to a younger, and very capable leader.

Cricket grounds

Cricket venues are intriguing places. The size and shape of each ground a unique property. With the help of Google Earth, I managed to find a few Test match grounds. Here are a few from England:

The Oval, South London. There is a man, presumably the groundsman, standing on the pitch and there are NatWest sponsor logos on the grass.

Old Trafford, Manchester.

Lords, London. Basically a rectangle with curved "corners." The press box on the North East side of the ground looks very out of place.

Leed's, Headingley.

Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Australia Test match grounds to come later.

Somerset and Twenty20

Somerset CCC, the defending Twenty20 Cup champions, started their campaign with a record score 3 for 250 against Gloucestershire as they raced to a huge win. Cameron White, who lead Victoria to the Twenty20 trophy in Australia last season, had a tremendous match, making 116 not out from only 53 balls, then 1/18 with his "leg spin."

Last night, they scraped together a much less imposing 9 for 151 against Northamptonshire, but still managed to tie the game. Some will say that they should have won the match, given that Northants were 5/52 at one stage. The original KP - Keith Parsons - top scored for Somerset with 40, while Northant's internationals, Sourav Ganguly and Monty Panesar, impressed with the ball. The match was a thriller and there should be more of these low scoring matches.

Vaughan to undergo surgery again

England captain Michael Vaughan's chances of playing on the Ashes tour of Australia later this year are hanging by a thread after it was announced that he needs a new knee operation.

An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement said the operation, the fourth on the Yorkshire batsman's right knee, would mean Vaughan would be out of cricket for a period of four to six months.

It now seems as if only an extraordinary recovery would allow Vaughan, who led England to a 2-1 home success against Australia last year, to take part in his team's defence of the Ashes when the series starts at the Gabba on November 23.

-AFP

And extraodinary recovery indeed, and he will do it. I expect to see both Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones in Australia, as unlikely as it looks now.

Links of interest

Harsha Bhogle, Indian commentator, has written a piece about the Test debuts of two Indian all time greats - former captain Sourav Ganguly and his successor, Rahul Dravid. Ganguly arrived on the scene with a glorius hundred on debut, while Dravid missed the mark by just 5 runs. This continued throughout their careers - Sourav Ganguly with legions of supporters and media acclaim, and Rahul Dravid, the quiet achiever, Ganguly's unassuming deputy. Read the piece here.

Cricket Australia has created six advertisements for The Ashes 2006/07, featuring a giant statue of Shane Warne travelling around London landmarks. The ads will be aired on TV from this Sunday, but they have already been made available on the internet. Get ready for some laughs. Clicky. CA and a sense of humour?! Incredible.

Kumble, the champ

Many words have been used to describe the deeds of Indian leg spinner, Anil Kumble. Tireless, whole hearted, metronomic, courageous are just a few.

Last night, he overtook Courtney Walsh's haul of 519 Test wickets, a tremendous achievement. The only players ahead are fellow spinners Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and fast-medium bowler Glenn McGrath.

Typically, in the press conference after play, Kumble stated that he did not care for milestones and would only celebrate once India wrap up the Test match against the West Indies, which they look likely to do tonight.

Kumble's worth to the Indian team goes beyond numbers. He is a senior member and by far India's most experienced bowler. Though his bowling is masterful, it is his character which impresses most. Never forget the sight of Kumble walking onto the field with his head wrapped with bandages, following a broken jaw - but not just that, he actually bowled and claimed the huge wicket of Brian Lara. It is this courage in the face of adversity that makes Kumble so endearing. This episode also showed plenty of dedication to the team cause and would have inspired his team mates to show similar commitment.

But not just courage - Kumble is also intelligent and a perfectionist. His pursuit for perfection in all aspects of his bowling is well know. Former Indian spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi said of Kumble, "You can chase perfection but you can't catch it. What happened in Kumble's case was that while chasing perfection he achieved excellence. He knew he had a weakness but he worked hard on it and conquered it. That kind of will power is a god's gift, you can practice it."

Though Kumble is India's older player at age 35, I can only hope that he plays on for a few more years and adds a few more Test wickets.

Somerset - the giant killers

Last year, English county Somerset shocked the world when they defeated Australia in a limited overs Tour match. Australia racked up a massive 342, before Somerset, with the help of the imported Graeme Smith and Sanath Jayasuriya, chased it down with plenty to spare.

Last night, there was no Graeme Smith, and Jayasuriya was playing for the opposition as Somerset again inflicted an embarrassing defeat on another major cricket nation, Sri Lanka.

Matthew Wood made a sparkling century, and was well supported by Arul Suppiah and their imported captain, Cameron White. Somerset amassed 332, before another import, Charl Willoughby, dismantled the Sri Lankan batting with 6/43 as Somerset won by a comfortable 51 run margin.

Kumar Sangakkara continued his good form with 52 after Sri Lanka collapsed to 15 for 3, and Tillakaratne Dishan again showed his good temperament with 97.

Just on Sangakkara, Will Buckley has written a fantastic piece on the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper for The Observer. Read it here.

India on course

Last night's play in the ongoing Test match between West Indies and India was predictable.

Rahul Dravid quickly gathered the five runs he needed for his 23rd Test century, and Mohammad Kaif made his maiden Test century before finishing on his highest First Class score of 148 not out.

India declared with the score on 588 as they wanted to give themselves a good session at the West Indies. Again, when faced with mammoth first innings score, West Indies collapsed. Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brian Lara were all out cheaply before the close of play. All hope will rest with Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo to get the West Indies past the follow on mark of 388, a difficult task from the perils of 65 for 3.

Bang bang Sehwag!

Sometimes pitches are deceptive. Sometimes they look dead flat, but turn out to be bowler friendly. Other times they look sporting, but turn out to be lifeless. The latter was the case in the match that started last night at St. Lucia.

The pitch was lush with live grass, in patches, and it was also uneven. Furthermore, there was also moisture in the wicket. Conditions were overcast, yet there was no sideways movement off the seam or any carry with the bounce.

A slow, dead wicket is perfect for the batting style of Virender Sehwag. In the morning session, he batted like dynamite to be 99 not out at lunch, having done 75% of the scoring in that session. His decision to target Dwayne Bravo, who has troubled India all series, showed that he has a good brain for the game. Bravo ended up bowling only 10 overs in the day as Sehwag punished him with 2 sixes and 2 fours in one over. Sehwag finished with 180 off just 190 balls, which has put India in a healthy position.

Rahul Dravid, meanwhile, blazed alway (relatively) at a strike rate of 60. At stumps, he is undefeated on 95 and eyeing his 23rd Test century, and 3rd as captain. This is an improvement on his career strike rate of 43, and further proof that there really is no help in the pitch for the bowlers.

After India finished the day at 361 for 4, Virender Sehwag spoke to the media and stated that India is aiming for 600+ in their first innings and wants to bat only once in the match. With Dravid and Mohammad Kaif at the crease, and masterblaster bully Mahendra Singh Dhoni still to come, India has a great chance of getting up to at least 550.

What just eluded India at Antigua looks likely to come at St. Lucia. A thumping victory and a 1-0 lead going into the third Test.

Langer to play for Somerset

Australian opener Justin Langer has signed a short term deal to play for English county Somerset, while another Australian, Dan Cullen, takes part in the Top End Tour.

Langer has not played cricket since his disastrous 100th Test match, which lasted precisely one ball, when he was felled and seriously concussed by a Makhaya Ntini bouncer. He has recovered though, and he will want some competitive cricket before the Ashes.

"I had some tests during the week and ... I passed with flying colours. I had my eyes checked last night, and I have got almost perfect vision, so there are no more excuses for me with my eyesight. Ironically I had the same (neurological) tests four years ago and the results were better on Monday than they were (then). I am not sure if that means I am getting smarter, or if the concussion was not as bad as we first thought."

Given that Langer wants to finish his career with at least 100 First Class hundreds (he is currently on 71), he will need to play a bit of county cricket before he hangs up his boots. What better choice than Somerset, whose home wicket is the flattest in the country? Langer will feast on those second division attacks, too.

With the Ashes coming up, it will be useful to have a senior member like Langer to spy on young, fringe, English players. Somerset is also home to Marcus Trescothick, one of England's best batsmen. It will be an ideal time for Langer to get inside Trescothick's technique.

Of course, it is reciprocated, and England will have plenty of opportunities to dissect Langer's game with county footage. But Langer is in the twilight of his career, and as much as I loathe to say it, the Australia batting does not revolve around him and his batting won't be a deciding factor come Ashes 2006/07.

Nonetheless, Langer's involvement with Somerset is yet another reason for me to follow them. Go JL, turn around SCCC's season!

Tense, thrilling draw

So tense that Brian Lara could not watch the final ball.

In the pursuit of ten wickets, India could only take nine from 95 overs. Chris Gayle and Shiv Chanderpaul fought valiantly for their fifties, while Dave Mohammed smacked a quick fifty at the death. In the end, the job was left to the injured Fidel Edwards, who was not out on 1 off 36 balls and Corey Collymore.

This has been an excellent Test match, with both teams on top at stages throughout and the match going down to the last ball of the last day. Wasim Jaffer was declared Man of the Match for his 212 in India's second innings.

Jaffer's double century

Wasim Jaffer plays an elegant square drive on his way to his maiden Test double century.

India have put themselves in a position to win the first Test match against West Indies. The fourth day saw the Antigua pitch die, and without the fiery Fidel Edwards, the Indians scored runs freely. Jaffer lead the way with 212, Rahul Dravid, though out of form, managed to scratch out 62 runs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, pleased with the lifeless wicket, blasted 70 in quick time to allow a declaration 5 overs from the close of play.

The breakthough the Indians wanted did not come, and they will have all of day 5 to take 10 wickets, while West Indies require 379 more runs for victory.

The drawn series that wasn't

Sri Lanka last night wrapped up the third and last Test match against England at Nottingham, to level the series 1-1.

Given England's usual dominance at home, and Sri Lanka's troubles abroad, this was an utterly unexpected result. Even though Michael Vaughan, Steve Harmison, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones were out of the team with injury, able and (sometimes) better replacements took their places. England will look at this drawn series as a failure, and Sri Lanka will think of it as a victory.

What was expected though, was Muralitharan's magic as he single handedly tore through England's fourth innings. Murali took the first wicket at 84, and the second at 104, before he inflicted a serious collapse as wickets fell at 111, 120, 120, 125, 132. By this time, England was 7 wickets down and Murali had 7/36. Unfortunately, Chamara Kapugedera then took the eighth wicket via a run out, and immediately apologised to Murali for wrecking his sequence. He ended up with 8/70 and 11 wickets in the match as Sri Lanka won by 134 runs.

England, who once looked like world beaters, are now looking very shaky. November 23 can't come soon enough.

The fightback

Two days ago, I blogged about the poor overseas records of subcontinental teams, after getting themselves in a spot of bother, both Sri Lanka (against England) and India (against West Indies) have clawed their way back into a position from which they can push for victory.

At the end of the third day, Sri Lanka lead by 288 runs with 3 wickets in hand. The lead was predictably set up by the experienced Kumar Sangakkara with 66, and the 19 year old Chamara Kapugedera, who is playing in just his second Test match, finished the day on 50 not out. Mahela Jayawardene made 45, before he chased perhaps the widest delivery of the day and was dismissed. Upset at wasting his start, Jayawardene smashed his leg stump with frustration. With a few more wickets in hand, and Murali looming in the fourth innings, it now seems likely that Sri Lanka will wrap up this match and square the series. Hardly believable given what transpired at Lord's and Edgbaston in the first two Tests.

After two poor days in the field, India managed to work their way back into the match, with Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer leading the way. After keeping the West Indies' first innings lead to 130 - Virender Sehwag took three wickets - Jaffer batted with application to reach his second Test century. He walked off the field with his captain, not out on 113, and he helped to transform the 130 run deficit into a 85 run lead. With Fidel Edwards, Windies' quickest bowler, sidelined by a hamstring injury, India should be able to gain a significant lead before unleashing Anil Kumble on a fifth day pitch.

Sri Lanka fight back

Well I never thought it would happen - Sri Lanka actually took a first innings lead, although slender, in the current Test match against England.

Sri Lanka was dismissed for 231, and they managed to keep England down to 229. Sri Lanka built steadily until stumps, to close at 1 for 45, but given the collapsable nature of their batting line up, a challenging 4th innings target for England is by no means a certainty. Sri Lanka will want to bat for as long as possible, until the pitch becomes harder to bat on, and then unleash Muralitharan, who is playing his last Test match against England.

Kumar Sangakkara has looked in good form all series, making starts in most of his innings, but he has not yet been able to make a meaningful score. This is his chance to set up an unlikely Test victory. Mahela Jayawardene, so brilliant at Lord's, has failed in three consecutive innings. It's time for the batsmen to contribute to a sizeable total, one that will be enough for Murali and Vaas to defend.

Out of the subcontinent

Two Test matches started overnight, England v Sri Lanka and West Indies v India.

Given that the teams from the subcontinent are playing away from home, it goes without saying that they are both struggling in their respective matches.

TRENT BRIDGE: Sri Lanka, as usual, lost an early wicket before Kumar Sangakkara combined with Upul Tharanga for a stand of 82, before an unfortunate decision by umpire Hair terminated Sangakkara's innings. From there, the rest of Sri Lanka collapsed as they suddenly found themselves at 105 for 6, a loss of 5 wickets for just 21 runs. The lower order again outscored the specialist batsmen as they carried their team to a decent 231. With Kevin Pietersen likely to score at least half of that, Sri Lanka will hope for a much better batting display in their second innings.

ST. JOHN'S: On a traditionally flat wicket, India went into the match with just 4 bowlers. Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, among India's most experienced bowlers, were bizarrely left out of the team. The wayward VRV Singh and Sreesanth were selected in their positions. Even though the West Indies are rated 8th in the world in Test matches, their bowlers do have a bit of potential. Corey Collymore and Dwayne Bravo impressed in Australia, and Fidel Edwards is too sharp for some of India's batsmen. Dave Mohammed, the chinaman spinner, gave the Indians plenty of trouble in the final ODI, and Ian Bradshaw impressed in New Zealand. All in all, this bowling attack is full of potential. This showed - India was 235 for 9 at the end of the day - and they scored at the blistering run rate of 2.67. Rahul Dravid, evidently lacking form, top scored with 49 from 173 balls (1.7 runs per over) before Collymore put him out of his misery. All of the batsmen, except for Wasim Jaffer, made a start but were unable to convert it into anything meaningful. India will hope that the likes of Munaf Patel and Anil Kumble can do similar damage in the West Indies' innings.

The top five - CA contracts

A month ago, I blogged about Cricket Australia's list of 25 players for 2005/06.

Information from Cricket Australia sources was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, who printed the top five and their salaries. These figures (to my knowledge) do not include match fees, prize money, or external sponsorship deals:

1. Ricky Ponting - $750,000
2. Brett Lee - $650,000
3. Adam Gilchrist - $625,000
4. Glenn McGrath - $600,000
5. Michael Hussey - $520,000

It is astonishing to think that Hussey has only just completed his first international season and is already rated fifth by Cricket Australia. The other surprise is Brett Lee's rise up the ranks, I expected Lee to be in the top five, but certainly not above Gilchrist.

The other thing of interest is how these salaries compare with those from other countries. I wonder what the likes of Andrew Flintoff, Rahul Dravid, and Jacques Kallis are paid. The Pakistani cricketers have quite meagre salaries, with Inzamam-ul-Haq demanding for a payrise.

Michael Vaughan is back

Michael Vaughan last night made his long awaited return to competitive cricket. Since leading England to an Ashes victory nearly 8 months ago, Vaughan has been plagued by his troublesome knee and has played just two Test matches. Amongst much hype, Vaughan underwent surgery on the knee and subsequent rehabilitation.

Last night, he gave the knee a good workout in making 67 in Yorkshire's 6 wicket win over Scotland. The image on the left suggests that he was batting in full flow. Certainly after the match, Vaughan agreed, "I've felt in tremendous form with my batting, doing a lot in the nets. You know it's only nets and you have to produce it in the middle. But I felt as good as I have done for a long time in the middle today."

Though he is the England captain, I'll admit that he's fantastic to watch. In fact, he'd easily make my top 10 list of favourite batsmen to watch, but only in full flow. He's among the most elegant batsmen in the world, especially that cover drive with a handsome flourish at the end and that effortless swivel pull.

With his knee fixed, will he turn around his batting fortunes and make runs as England captain? Will he have a huge series during the Ashes defence down under at the end of this year? I'd bet on it.

Michael Vaughan has scored 4595 runs from 64 Tests at 42.94, with 15 Test hundreds. He averages 35.98 as captain.

Lions at home, lambs abroad

When India dominated all opponents at home, the Indian press proclaimed them as the best Indian ODI team of all time. The ICC ODI rankings even recognised their rise by having them at number 3 in the world rankings. Now, after four consecutive losses at the hands of the number 8 team in the world, the West Indies, the murmurs from India have stopped, and India has fallen to number 5 in the world rankings.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose performances were so vital in India's success at home, predictably failed once he left the flat tracks and the small grounds of the subcontinent. With his failures, the stability in the middle order was compromised, as was India's ability to set challenging totals and chase down moderate scores.

Rahul Dravid, who was brilliant in the first ODI with 105, could only muster a further 44 runs in his next four innings.

Irfan Pathan, such a consistent bowler in the subcontinent, had a very poor series which hindered India as he was the man responsible for taking bags of early wickets. India's best fast bowler was the unlikely Ajit Agarkar, who bowled first change. India's spin bowlers slowed the flow of runs for the most part, but did not take many wickets on these unfamiliar grounds.

Put simply, India still under perform away from home, with the team's core players the biggest culprits. With a very important Test series coming up, they'd want to fix this problem as soon as possible.

Brilliant Bravo seals the deal

By the end of Dwayne Bravo's debut Test series against England, it was clear that he was a fine player for the future. He was among his team's best players when he scored plenty of runs, took plenty of wickets, and above all, showed plenty of fight.

His reputation was enhanced when the West Indies endured a tough tour of Australia, where he scored a magnificent 113 in Hobart, then alarmed Australia with a miserly spell of medium-fast bowling which reaped 6 wickets at Adelaide.

But as promising as his Test performances were, his ODI performances were equally not promising. His ODI figures were rather ordinary, and despite his athletic fielding, his value to the West Indies was in doubt.

With the ball in the second ODI against India, Bravo bowled a nerveless over at Yuvraj Singh, who was already set, and trumped Yuvraj with a perfect slower ball, which took out middle stump. Bravo won a match that seemed lost with a moment of brilliance, a gift that precious few players have.

Two matches later, Bravo turned in a matchturning performance with both bat and ball. First, he broke the vital Mohammad Kaif/Mahendra Dhoni partnership, then took out the dangerous big hitters, Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar at the death. Then, in partnership with his friend Brian Lara, he took the game away from India with a quick fire 61 not out. The end result was a thumping win that sealed a memorable series victory.

Has Bravo turned the corner in ODIs? It's too early to say, but if he can contribute consistently with bat and ball, then the West Indies will be a far more dangerous team.

Another day, another KP ton

Kevin Pietersen never ceases to amaze.

Whether it's a disastrous hairstyle, or a few cocky and undiplomatic remarks in the press, or his superstar model girlfriends, KP brings an element of surprise in everything he does. Mostly though, it's related to his cricket - his electric hands dropping six consecutive chances at the start of his Test career, and his outrageous and rare talent with willow in hand.

Last night, he made another stunning hundred, smashing the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas with the finesse of a master butcher. It was brutal, almost inhuman batting, and the Edgbaston crowd soaked up every minute of his destruction. The groan that rumbled around the ground upon his dismissal speaks volumes for the entertainment he provides.

On a strange pitch, where no one has yet managed to pass 30, KP blasted a stupendous 142. It was his first chanceless Test hundred (a very close lbw shout before he reached 50 notwithstanding). From the time he walked out from the pavillion, he grabbed the initiative with a thrilling counter attack. Master Murali was treated with utter disdain as KP reverse swept him for six over point, or slogged him over cow corner. Nuwan Kulasekera was treated like a club bowler, and the unorthodox Lasith Malinga was also thrashed to all parts. His skill was confirmed as England lost 5 wickets for 5 runs after his dismissal.

England gained a vital lead of 154, and removed 4 Sri Lankan batsmen before the close of play. Monty Panesar impressed again with the key wicket of Kumar Sangakkara in taking 2/39.Matthew Hoggard also impressed as he completed Upul Tharanga's pair, and dismissed the visiting captain cheaply.

There is little hope for Sri Lanka, expect a thumping English victory inside three days.

The rise of Matthew Hoggard

When Matthew Hoggard claimed his 200th Test wicket a fortnight ago, he collapsed to the ground giddy with laughter. A modest smile surfaced on the face of this humble character as he was mobbed by his teammates. His teammates recognise his importance in the team as a successful new ball bowler, but not many cricket fans do.

When most fans think of fast bowling, they think of the fireworks of the superb Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison - all of whom can bowl more than 90 mph. Often overlooked is the underestimated Hoggard, who plods back to his mark, before running in with his blond mane flopping in the wind to deliver out swingers on a consistent line and length at 80 mph. For variety, he might shape the ball away, before it lands on the seam and moves in.

Heading into the second Test match against Sri Lanka, Hoggard was fifth on the Test bowling rankings, and was also England's highest rated bowler. It's astonishing to wonder why he is often not mentioned as among the best bowlers in the world, why he always seems to slip under the surface.

Perhaps part of the reason is his slightly dopey exterior, with his white sunhat covering a mop of hair. Or his rather strange stories of taking imaginary dogs for imaginary walks. Or perhaps because he does not possess the speed of a Flintoff or a Jones. Regardless, he has improved a lot over the years and is now a genuine world class bowler.

Matthew Hoggard has taken 19 wickets at 19.42 so far this season, and he took 58 wickets at 26.10 last season. He has in total 203 Test wickets at 29.07 from 52 matches.

Trinidad, and Brian Lara

Well how the tide has turned! India, after taking out the first ODI pretty comfortably, lost two thrillers, with Ramnaresh Sarwan the main destroyer. First, he made an unbeaten 98 as he emerged alone from a West Indian batting collapse as they won by one run, then he crafted a stunning 115 not out, in his 100th ODI, as West Indies won with two balls to spare.

Sarwan has always had a lot of talent, but was prone to gift his wicket. At the age of 26, and with more than enough experience, I hope he can carry the future of West Indies batting forward, as Brian Lara has done for the past decade.

Whatever doubts anyone had about Brian Lara's third appointment as West Indies' captain have been dispelled. Following a series whitewash against Zimbabwe, Lara has continued to lead the West Indies with agression and much flair. In the infield, he appears reborn while leading the way by fielding with brilliance. Tactically, he has been impressive and some inspired bowling changes have reaped rich dividends - witness India's collapse of 7/68 at the hands of part time spin bowlers.

For a perfect display in his first real series as captain during this tenure, he must add leadership by example - and a series win. Given that the final two ODIs will be played in Trinidad - the land of Brian Lara - it seems likely that he will deliver, especially since they will be his last ODI matches on his home ground.

It will be a fitting finale for Trinidad's greatest batsman.

The magnificent Rahul Dravid

When a batsman averages 57.79 in Test cricket over 100 matches, it is obvious that he is among the very best the game has seen. Add to that, an average of 40.70 over nearly 300 ODIs, then surely, he is one of the most valuable batsmen in the world.

There are a number of batsmen worldwide whose appetite for runs match that of Rahul Dravid's, but few can match the grace with which Dravid wields his willow. Add to that, most batsmen make runs when the going is easy, but with Dravid, it is the opposite. When the going gets tough, that's when Dravid gets going. He is one of cricket's rare creatures, a batsman who responds to adversity with style and substance. Dravid has also used his deep intelligence in transforming himself from a rigid batsman, to a batsman for all seasons and situations.

Captain Inspirational, Rahul Dravid, merely added to that when he scored a run a ball 105 to lead India to a thrilling victory in the first ODI against the West Indies. As ODI captain, Dravid has been amazing in his consistency, averaging 48 over 40 matches, and has shown an innovative, gambling streak. His manoeuvring of India's powerplays, bowlers and batting order is a breath of fresh air in a game which is becoming increasingly stale. I would not hesitate to call Dravid the best, and the most under rated ODI captain in the world.

In fact, I believe that Rahul Dravid will be the man lifting up the World Cup trophy on April 28, 2007.

Impressive Sri Lanka thwart England

England were denied the victory that looked to be their's at stumps on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.

A defiant 61 and an emotional 119 from captain Mahela Jayawardene showed his team just what was possible with a bit of steel and application. Following their captain's lead, six other batsmen - Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Farveez Maharoof, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Nuwan Kulasekera and Chaminda Vaas - all produced innings of great character, in batting out time and gradually grinding away at their deficit.

The end result was a very unlikely draw, and Sri Lanka 178 runs in front with just one wicket in hand. Perhaps, with a bit more time, Sri Lanka might have won the match, as magical off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan would have been a handful on a worn pitch.

England did not help themselves by dropping 9 of the 22 chances they created. Even the normally reliable Flintoff dropped a sitter at slip in just the third over of the last day. Ironically, the normally sloppy Geraint Jones took 6 catches, including several sharp ones off the spinner.

For a cricketer who is so proactive, Andrew Flintoff's captaincy was strangely reactive on the last two and a half days of the match. Formulaic and defensive fields were set against the Sri Lankan tailenders as Matthew Hoggard and Liam Plunkett were gaining significant movement. The absence of a short leg to complement his own bowling was confusing. Monty Panesar, the impressive left arm spinner, was also criminally underbowled and he bowled only 27 of the 199 second innings overs. Flintoff himself bowled 51.

Regardless of the result, I have no doubt that Andrew Flintoff will lift his team through performance and I expect a much better performance in the remaining Tests.

England held up by dedicated Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene produced a captain's innings to delay England's charge towards victory in the first Test. After top scoring with 61 in the first innings, he scored an immense 119 as his team followed on. Dropped by Andrew Strauss on 58, Jayawardene continued to bat with an application scarcely seen earlier in his career. Wide outswingers from the impressive Liam Plunkett, that he might earlier have chased, were ignored. He was rewarded with his 14th Test century - 4th away from home, and he improved on his poor away record.

The quiet leader, Jayawardene provides serenity to the Sri Lankan dressing room, in a similar way to Inzamam-ul-Haq and his influence on Pakistan. Sri Lanka, who arrived in England without two major batsmen, captain Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, contains a number of unestablished batsmen, so there was also added pressure on Jayawardene and vice captain Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 65.

Hopefully, this hundred will be the turning point in the career of an underachiever. It will give Jayawardene a foundation from which to build innings of character instead of flair in the future.

While Sri Lanka will most likely still lose this Test match, Jayawardene should be proud of his efforts in uplifting a dispirited dressing room.

Monty!

Andrew Miller of Cricinfo has written a delightful article on the exploits of England spinner Monty Panesar. Such was England's domination of the Test against Sri Lanka, that the most entertaining things were Monty's inept displays of fielding, followed by ironic cheers from the Lord's crowd.

Tall, spindly, and unsure of what to do with his limbs, Monty in the outfield resembles a wide-eyed baby giraffe on the plains of the Serengeti. A cricket ball hurtling across the turf - or, even worse, scudding through the air - is a predator to be feared, and avoided if at all possible.

In the first session of play, Monty let a ball roll between his legs at mid on for a single. Two balls later, desperate to atone for his earlier misjudgement, he chased a straight drive valiantly to long on, made a brilliant dive and stopped the ball inches from the boundary. Alas, as he went to pick up the ball, he had absentmindedly left his left foot over the boundary. Cheers all round!

More gems in the article. Click here to read it.

KP smashes 158 (again)

Kevin Pietersen has started his home international summer the same way he ended it, with an aggressive and chancy 158.

Last summer, he was dropped three times on route to his brilliant 158 that sealed a famous series win. Again, he gave three chances on the way to 158 against Sri Lanka over the past two nights. He has yet to make a chanceless century - this was his third - and he passed 1000 Test runs in his 12th Test match, a remarkable achievement given the quality of his opponents (Australia, Pakistan and India away).

Regardless of the chances - and every aggressive batsman is bound to give some - I feel that Pietersen is the next great batsman. People will talk about his unconventional technique, his shuffling and leg side bias, but the guy has character, and in international cricket, this is what separates the Great from the very good.

As expected, England is dominating the Test match against Sri Lanka. They piled up 551 for 6 declared in quick time, before taking 6 Sri Lankan wickets for 91. But for inept wicketkeeping by Geraint Jones (again), Sri Lanka would be 7 down. Surprisingly, this match is going in the same direction of the corresponding match at Lord's last year - against Bangladesh - an innings victory within three days. Already, they look a stronger team with Andrew Flintoff at the helm and evidently they've learnt lessons from the tough subcontinent tours.

Regaining the Ashes will be hard. Very hard.

Banger returns with a bang

England's home international summer began last night, and the start was just as dominant as how the summer ended last year, having regained the Ashes.

Once again, Marcus Trescothick shone with the bat, in making his 14th Test century. Given the mysterious circumstances in which he left the tour of India and the speculation which followed, England supporters and Trescothick himself will be relieved with his century in his first innings back.

Previous failures for his English county Somerset would not have done much for his confidence. But a hundred in difficult conditions against Northamptonshire broke his drought and Trescothick has again delivered for England.

Kevin Pietersen is the man not out at stumps, on 54. The crowd will be hoping for a repeat of his crazy 158 which secured England's Ashes.

Marcus Trescothick has made 5608 Test runs at 45.96.