Pietersen back in England fold after apology

Updated October 03, 2012 21:12:19

Kevin Pietersen can return to the England fold after making peace with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in a row over "provocative" text messages.

The ECB released a statement outlining Pietersen had apologised to former England captain Andrew Strauss and could potentially return to the squad for the tour of India later this year.

"Agreement has been reached concerning a process for his re-integration into the England team during the remainder of 2012," the statement said.

"Upon completion of the program, the England selectors will consider Kevin for future matches.

"Kevin Pietersen has apologised to Andrew Strauss and wishes to express to all those who support England his regrets at the impact the recent controversies have had on the England team.

"He now wishes to put the events of the summer behind him and to focus on regaining his place in the England team."

Pietersen, who has averaged nearly 50 in 88 Test matches, was dropped in August after admitting sending messages to members of the opposing South Africa squad, which he conceded were provocative but denied were derogatory about Strauss.

He said he had deleted those messages and the ECB claimed the issue had been "successfully concluded through a binding assurance provided by Kevin".

Pietersen has been commentating on the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Reuters

Tags: cricket, sport, england, united-kingdom

First posted October 03, 2012 21:12:19

View the original article here

Southern Stars into semis despite defeat

Updated October 02, 2012 09:48:09

Defending champion Australia has lost its last group match of the women's World Twenty20, going down by seven wickets to England in Galle.

The Southern Stars won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 5 for 144 from 20 overs with opener Meg Lanning scoring 39 runs from 31 balls and veteran Lisa Sthalekar contributing 38 off 28.

Despite an early breakthrough by Julie Hunter, England knocked off the runs with 11 balls to spare.

Sarah Taylor, the number one ranked women's T20 batter, played a great innings hitting 65 off 53 balls to help England's successful chase.

Southern Stars captain Jodie Fields, who took a great one-handed catch, was disappointed with the loss.

"It felt like we were right in the match right up until the last couple of overs. Our batting innings went the way we wanted it to do, we aimed for 140 and we got that target," she said.

"We have a really strong batting order and we can bat from one to 11 and I was really happy with the batting performance today.

"I guess we need to come out of this loss now and train hard over the next two days and look towards the next match."

Australia will play the West Indies in the semi-finals on Friday.

"The West Indies are a strong team and we were lucky enough to play them in a warm-up match which gave us an idea about how we can play against them," Fields added.

Tags: twenty20, cricket, sport, sri-lanka, australia

First posted October 02, 2012 08:15:15

View the original article here

Aussies to go hard at Gayle

Updated October 05, 2012 09:40:48

Australia hopes to remove big-hitter Chris Gayle early to put the West Indies under pressure during their World Twenty20 semi-final in Colombo tonight.

The belligerent left-hander holds the key to his team's batting success and Australian captain George Bailey said it was important not to let Gayle settle down at the crease.

"Their (West Indies) batting is no doubt their strength," Bailey said.

"If you can knock Gayle over early it really does put pressure on the rest of their batsmen to step up."

Gayle hit 54 to help West Indies to 8 for 191against Australia in their group match, before Shane Watson scored a 21-ball 41 to steer his team home via the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Gayle also smashed 58 during a 103-run opening stand with Johnson Charles to set up a 15-run win over defending champions England in the Super Eights in Pallekele.

But when the opener fell for 2 against Sri Lanka, the West Indies crumbled for a paltry 129 to lose by nine wickets.

Bailey, smarting against the unexpected 32-run defeat by Pakistan, wanted an aggressive attitude by his team against the West Indies bowlers - even if it costs Australia a place in the final.

"I'd rather see us throw caution to the wind. If we get knocked over, we get knocked over," Bailey said and hinted that David Hussey could be back for the semi-final in place of Glenn Maxwell.

"I saw (coach) Mickey Arthur had weighed up those two players and that's probably the only one to be weighed up. But the structure doesn't change in terms of a like-for-like," the captain said.

Australia's four wins in five matches so far in the tournament have been made easier by a sensational all-round display by Watson, who has scored 242 runs and taken 11 wickets.

The West Indies, in contrast, have just two wins from five matches and need to lift their game if they are to stop Australia from making its second successive World Twenty20 final.

Skipper Darren Sammy insisted his team's success did not hinge on Gayle alone.

"It's not only about Chris," said Sammy.

"Obviously he sets the momentum for us at the top of the order. But to win the game, it will need a total team effort.

"In any cricket match, you get one individual doing something brilliant. But it will take a collective effort to win the semi-final."

Sammy predicted a close game with the result depending on who wins the key moments in the game.

"It could be a spectacular catch somewhere, or guys out in the middle making the right decision at a crucial time," he said. "I think the team that wins at the end of the day is the team that will make less mistakes.

"But it's two evenly matched teams and it promises to be an exciting game."

AFP

Tags: twenty20, cricket, sport, australia

First posted October 05, 2012 09:40:48

View the original article here

Pattinson stars as Vics skittle WA

Updated September 30, 2012 21:52:01

Test paceman James Pattinson made an impressive start to the new season by helping skittle Western Australia cheaply on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield clash at the WACA ground.

Pattinson claimed four wickets to bowl his side into a powerful position in the match and vindicate Bushrangers captain Andrew McDonald's decision to bowl first on a green wicket.

The Warriors were dismissed for 175 before tea and the Bushrangers were 3 for 144 at stumps in reply, needing just another 32 runs to claim first innings points.

McDonald, who had faced just 46 balls, was unbeaten on 59 and Peter Handscomb was on 14.

Pattinson, 22, whose promising career has already been troubled by injuries that have restricted him to just five Tests, looked ready for a big summer when taking the new ball for the Bushrangers.

Bowling with good pace and plenty of menace, he struck with his very first ball of the new campaign, clean bowling opener Liam Davis for a golden duck.

Pattinson then claimed the crucial wicket of talented young all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (6) with the last ball before lunch.

He also removed the Warriors' last hope for a big score, veteran Adam Voges (39), on his way to 4 for 30 from 14 overs.

"I am pretty pleased with where I am considering I haven't had a lot of four-day bowling, although I have done a fair bit of one-day stuff," said

Pattinson, benefiting from a new gym program and a slightly leaner physique.

"Prior to the Australian camp in Darwin I was struggling a bit for rhythm, but it has just clicked over the last month and it seems to be going really well."

Pattinson says the Bushrangers have put themselves in a commanding position in the match.

"There was a bit of green grass on the wicket and we won a good toss to win.

"The bowlers backed it up well and the batters have set it up pretty well now."

Pattinson was well supported by fellow Test quick Peter Siddle, who also enjoyed the conditions and bowled better than his figures of 2 for 53 indicated.

The Warriors were always in trouble after losing Davis and beleaguered first drop Shaun Marsh early.

Their best partnership was just 35 runs, and only some late swinging from Nathan Rimmington and Michael Hogan added respectability to the score.

Marsh's woes continued when he survived a very confident appeal for a catch at short leg on four, but made just 10 more runs before being trapped LBW by John Hastings and he is just a shadow of the batsman that made a Test century on debut.

Wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt was the most impressive of the Warriors batsmen, making 42 from 57 balls.

The Warriors, beaten by visiting New South Wales in their season-opening Shield clash two weeks ago, fought back briefly with the ball to have the Bushrangers 3 for 82, before McDonald and Handscomb steadied the innings.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia, vic

First posted September 30, 2012 21:39:10

View the original article here

Bulls hand Redbacks a Shield thrashing

Updated October 04, 2012 20:50:25

A flurry of early wickets on day four helped Queensland dismiss South Australia for 271 and secure a 191-run victory in their Sheffield Shield clash at the Gabba.

Luke Feldman (4 for 50) and Ben Cutting (3 for 51) inspired a collapse that saw five wickets fall in as many overs for 18 runs.

Prior to this, Phil Hughes (83) and Callum Ferguson (44) looked untroubled at the crease putting on 90 for the third wicket, 37 of which came on Thursday morning, before the latter reached for the ball outside off stump and presented a catch to Cameron Boyce in the gully off Cutting.

Hughes nicked Feldman to Andrew Robinson at second slip for a disappointing end to a second impressive knock on his Redbacks debut.

With the class of South Australia's batting line-up having departed, the rest of the top order folded, as Sam Miller departed for a duck after being bowled by Feldman in the same over.

Then Travis Head prodded Cutting to Wade Townsend at short leg for 17.

The following over, Tim Ludeman shouldered arms to his first ball only to hear the death rattle as Feldman's delivery crashed into his stumps.

Nathan Lyon and Joe Mennie put up stubborn resistance adding 56 runs before the off-spinner fell LBW to Alister McDermott (1 for 75).

Chadd Sayers (1) soon followed via the same dismissal to Boyce (1 for 70).

There was time for Mennie to complete his first half-century from as many balls with a second six off Boyce over long on and he went on to hold his bat with 79 not out when Gary Putland was caught by Joe Burns off Feldman.

Mennie's cameo was no doubt of little solace to Redbacks coach Darren Berry who would have expected his team to be much more competitive, especially after winning the toss and sending Queensland into bat in the worst conditions of the match.

Usman Khawaja made a cultured 88 to guide the Bulls to 5 for 202 at the end of the first day and man-of-the-match Cutting's explosive 109 from 78 balls then took the total up to 398 all out.

In reply, Hughes played superbly before losing his wicket on the second ball of the third day for 95, but received no support from his team-mates - only two of them reached double figures in South Australia's 184.

The Bulls briefly looked in trouble when reduced to 5 for 64 in their second innings, but another lower-order hundred, this time from Chris Hartley (103 not out) set up a target of 463 that South Australia never looked likely to chase.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, adelaide-5000, sa

First posted October 04, 2012 13:55:05

View the original article here

Watson leads the way as Aussies thrash Proteas

Updated October 01, 2012 11:13:46

India crushed arch-rivals Pakistan and Australia put on another Shane Watson show as the race to the World Twenty20 semi-finals heated up on Monday (AEST).

Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten 78 off 61 balls as India, which would have been knocked out had it lost, bowled out Pakistan for 128 and then surpassed the modest target in 17 overs with eight wickets in hand.

Australia also defeated South Africa by the same margin in the first match of the double-header, after Watson claimed 2 for 29 and smashed 70 off 47 balls to win his fourth successive man-of-the match award.

Australia restricted the Proteas to 5 for 146 and won by the 18th over to record their second win in a row in group two, but will still need to beat Pakistan on Tuesday to make the semi-finals.

Australia leads the group with four points, India and Pakistan have two each, while South Africa has lost both matches so far.

India will also have to beat South Africa in Tuesday's second match to remain in the hunt.

Watson, the star player of the tournament so far, hit 10 boundaries including two sixes to cap another brilliant all-round display.

"It's nice to be able to continue playing well because I know how important my role is," Watson said.

"We are doing well but it's still hell of a long way to go in the tournament.

"Facing (Dale) Steyn and (Morne) Morkel was going to be a very big challenge. I knew if we got through the first four overs, the momentum would be with us for the rest of the innings."

South African captain AB de Villiers said he was frustrated by the second defeat after losing to Pakistan on Friday.

"We are very disappointed," he said.

"It is just so frustrating when we don't click. I just can't put my finger on one thing, because it went wrong everywhere.

"They did not allow us to get off to a flier and we lost quite a few wickets and that did not give us the momentum. Hopefully it is not all doom and gloom for us."

A sell-out crowd of 35,000 at the Premadasa stadium, including Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, also saw India continue its stranglehold on Pakistan in major world tournaments.

Pakistan has never beaten India in either the 50-over World Cup or the World Twenty20, in which the two rivals contested a thrilling final in 2007.

India lost Gautam Gambhir off the second ball of the innings, offering a tame return catch to 20-year-old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, but Kohli and Virender Sehwag denied Pakistan another immediate break.

Kohli put on 74 for the second wicket with Sehwag and 54 for the unbroken third with cancer survivor Yuvraj Singh, who followed his two wickets and a run out in Pakistan's innings with 19 not out.

The impressive win was set up by the bowlers as seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji claimed three wickets and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took two to leave Pakistan in tatters after it elected to bat.

Shoaib Malik top-scored with 28, but only one other batsman managed to touch 20 in the face of steady bowling by the Indians.

"We did not think too far ahead," said Indian captain MS Dhoni.

"I always felt that if you are desperate for a win you put more pressure on yourself.

"But I was glad to see the players were relaxed and I knew that something good will come out of it."

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez praised Kohli's match-winning innings on what he said was a difficult pitch to bat on.

"It was not easy to bat out there and we just did not get the partnerships," said Hafeez.

"Kohli was excellent. We were hoping to get him out and put pressure on the rest but we could not do that.

"We also need to improve our fielding but it is a relief that we still have a chance to qualify for the semis."

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, sri-lanka

First posted September 30, 2012 23:13:43

View the original article here

Bulls go from hunter to hunted

Updated October 02, 2012 07:30:48

Queensland captain James Hopes feels his team faces a new challenge as the Bulls begin their Sheffield Shield defence at the Gabba on Monday.

The Bulls take on South Australia in their first match of the summer, a game where new recruit Usman Khawaja will debut for Queensland and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz makes his return after six seasons with New South Wales.

But after making a flying start on their way to an unexpected Shield crown last summer, Hopes knows no-one will be under-estimating his outfit this time around.

"Last year we were in a bit of a different position," Hopes said.

"We did manage to fly under the radar a little bit and no-one really predicted us to do that well in the competition as we jumped out of the gate.

"A bit of a different story to this year. Teams know what we're capable of this time around and it's going to be harder for us to get that fast start but we're quietly confident with our first two games being at home."

Hopes said the additions of former Test players Khawaja and Hauritz brought experience as well filling gaps in the Bulls squad.

But the all-rounder was wary of a new-look Redbacks outfit, which has a former New South Wales and Test recruit of their own in opener Phil Hughes and two possible debutants in all-rounder Sam Miller and fast bowler Daniel Worrall.

Test spinner Nathan Lyon will lead the team at the Gabba in the absence of South Africa's Johan Botha, who is away playing in the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Nonetheless Hopes believes South Australia have the potential to surprise this summer.

"They're a team that is greatly improved from last year," Hopes said.

"They've always had the nucleus of what would be a pretty good team but the pieces they've added in are exceptional.

"Phil Hughes' record speaks for itself and we've heard a fair bit about the young fast bowlers they've picked for this first game."

The clash begins on Monday from 10am.

Queensland: James Hopes (capt), Cameron Boyce, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Peter Forrest, Chris Hartley, Nathan Hauritz, Usman Khawaja, Alister McDermott, Andrew Robinson, Wade Townsend (12th man to be named).

South Australia: Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Travis Head, Phillip Hughes, Michael Klinger, Tim Ludeman, Nathan Lyon (capt), Joe Mennie, Sam Miller, Gary Putland, Chadd Sayers, Daniel Worrall (12th man to be named).

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, adelaide-5000, sa

First posted September 30, 2012 12:34:41

View the original article here