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Sri Lanka will head into the first Test at Lord’s generally fortified in their hopes of scalping England at home for the third series in a row and a little wiser about their starting line-up

Alan Gardner at Wantage Road08-Jun-2014
ScorecardDhammika Prasad, whose last Test appearance came at the start of 2013, took four wickets in Northampton•Getty ImagesSri Lanka will head into the first Test at Lord’s generally fortified in their hopes of scalping England at home for the third series in a row and a little wiser about their starting line-up after a gentle workout in one of the quieter corners of the county circuit. Dinesh Chandimal, promoted to open the second innings, managed only a single-figure score but Dimuth Karunaratne’s scratchy 38 did not quite cement the batting order. Four wickets for Dhammika Prasad, however, suggested at some clarity in the bowling.Karunaratne was dropped at slip on 32, slashing hard at David Willey, and then played a delivery from Matthew Spriegel on to his stumps shortly before Sri Lanka called a halt to their batting practice and the game was declared a draw. The decision to send in Chandimal ahead of Kausal Silva, whose 152 on Thursday assured his place for Lord’s, suggested at a final opportunity to stake a claim but neither he or Karunaratne managed to build an unequivocal case.Lahiru Thirimanne, Sri Lanka’s Test vice-captain, said afterwards that there were still some decisions to make on the final XI, while indicating he would bat in the middle order rather than return to opening. Neither Thirimanne, who also made a first-innings hundred, or Silva were required to pad up again in the 31 overs the tourists were afforded on the final afternoon, with only Kumar Sangakkara hinting at fluency before holing out short of a half-century.”Batters had the chance to bat through the innings and the bowlers did well, because it was not a bowling-friendly wicket,” Thirimanne said of the match, which became a three-day contest after Saturday was washed out. “Dhammika bowled really well, good areas and he bowled with some good pace. We have some experienced bowlers but we don’t have that extra pace.”That Sri Lanka’s second innings became a rather desultory affair was down to Northamptonshire’s unexpected resistance, as they passed 300 for only the second time this year. Rob Keogh made an impressive century before falling to Prasad, who was more threatening than his seam-bowling colleagues largely thanks to an effectively deployed bouncer. Shaminda Eranga, who did not feature against Northants, is already pencilled in as a member of the Test attack, with Chanaka Welegedara and Nuwan Pradeep seemingly contesting the third seamer spot.”It’s really tough [in England] because this is the early summer and we haven’t had that much practice. We’ll expect some tough conditions in the Test matches,” Thirimanne said. “We have to take 20 wickets to win matches, that’s the main thing we have to work on.”Confidence levels are really high. We haven’t had much luck in the past, we want to win a Test series here so that is the main concern. Boys are really confident.”There were a couple of encouraging firsts for Northants, two months into a season that has repeatedly given optimism a cold-water dunking. Keogh reached three figures, the first Northamptonshire batsmen to do so in first-class cricket in 2014; and Willey took his first senior wicket since September, bowling with encouraging pace and swing. He also clubbed 48, including a couple of sixes, before impetuosity got the better of him and he was stumped.Keogh’s landmark was indicative of the club’s travails in Division One, as much as his own promise. A broken finger – inflicted by another man who could be playing in the Lord’s Test, Liam Plunkett, during pre-season – had ruled him out of the early fixtures but he should have earned himself a run in the first team with this innings, notable for regular appearances of a vengeful cover drive, against an attack with 41 Test caps between them.Having navigated his way steadily from an overnight 26, Keogh was on 80 when the eighth and ninth wickets fell to Dilruwan Perera. Confident that first-class debutant Chad Barrett had the minerals to hang around, Keogh took his time before opening up with three fours through the off side against Pradeep to bring up the second hundred of his career. Barrett, initially nudging and blocking before becoming emboldened, hung around to help add 64 in little more than 12 overs.Sri Lanka had already expressed a preference for batting again ahead of the Test series, despite Northants starting the day well adrift of passing the follow-on target of 408. The hosts were not quite as accommodating as they had been in the first half of the match, however, with Keogh gluing together the lower order and 119 runs coming for the loss of just two wickets during the morning session.Dilruwan bowled an extended spell, tossing the ball up but extracting little turn, while Thirimanne rotated his seamers. Welegedara’s left-arm angle of attack appeared to test Keogh the most but he watched the ball well, picking up boundaries driving square of the wicket, to pass fifty in first-class cricket for only the third time.His stand with Spriegel was worth 86 when Dilruwan made the breakthrough – though it was more like leaning heavily on a partition wall than battering down the front door at Fort Knox. Spriegel had survived the only chance of the first hour when a nick off Prasad skipped low past Prasanna Jayawardene but he eventually fell chipping tamely to mid-on, giving Sri Lanka their first wicket in more than 30 overs.

ESPNcricinfo assesses Durham’s prospects for 2015

Alan Gardner31-Mar-2015Last season
InOut: Gareth Breese (released)Overseas: John Hastings
2014 in a nutshell
Given the thin spread of Durham’s resources, a defence of their Championship title was always an outside bet – but the odds shortened on the possibility of relegation after they failed to win a four-day game until mid-June. A one-wicket defeat to Lancashire in August left them in the bottom two but Paul Collingwood’s side reeled off three consecutive victories – including a thrashing of Northamptonshire in which Chris Rushworth took 15 wickets in a day – to pull themselves comfortably clear. Their late-season surge saw them win six in a row in all competitions and was topped by lifting the Royal London Cup on a grey day at Lord’s, the campaign lit up by contrasting Man-of-the-Match performances in the semi-final and final from Ben Stokes.2015 prospects
It would be unwise to write Durham off and they might hope for better luck with injuries this year. The squad remains much the same, with Collingwood extending his contract and John Hastings set to return after a successful spell as overseas player. Graham Onions, who has been awarded a benefit, will return following surgery on a back injury that severely disrupted his 2014 and, if an England recall looks unlikely, he should close in on Steve Harmison as the county’s second-highest wicket-taker in first-class cricket. Mark Stoneman will hope to build on a successful first season as limited-overs captain, but Durham could lose a significant asset if Stokes is called on to help revive England – though his ECB central contract should ease the financial pressures which have been emphasised by a marked lack of activity in the transfer market.Power brokers
In his first full season in charge, Jon Lewis ensured that Durham’s run of locally-sourced success would continue. Lewis, a long-time servant of the club before stepping up to replace Geoff Cook, has not sought to make dramatic changes and the positive environment was enough to convince Collingwood to play on into his 40th year, even as he contemplates a future in coaching. Collingwood will continue to lead the Championship side, with Stoneman being groomed in the shorter formats.Key player
Such is the team ethic at Durham, several names could fit the bill, from Collingwood, to Onions, to Rushworth. Stokes has plenty to prove but England’s disastrous World Cup has paved the way for a swift international return and he will miss the first month of the season with the Test party in the West Indies. The focus, then, will be on Stoneman, whose aggressive batting at the top of the order can help dictate games at seam-friendly Chester-le-Street (until England pick him in the one-day side, that is).Bright young thing
Again, Durham are well stocked in this area. Mark Wood has already made an impact with the Lions, leading to an England Test call-up, while Jamie Harrison and Usman Arshad played their part in Durham’s 2013 Championship win. Paul Coughlin might be the latest seam-bowling sensation to come through the academy. He was the youngest player on the field in last year’s Royal London Cup final but exhibited few nerves as he took the new ball; he can also bat and made 85 on Championship debut.ESPNcricinfo verdict
If they can field their first-choice XI more often than not, Durham should be comfortable enough in the top half, although the likelihood is that the squad will be stretched over the course of the season and that could be a serious concern. They could do with more runs from the top order but are always likely to win matches with the bowlers they can deploy. Whether Lewis can add further trophies to a well-stocked cabinet may depend on how often England come calling throughout the summer.Bet365 odds: LV= Championship, Div 1: 9-1; NatWest Blast 20-1; Royal London Cup 9-1

Europe's premier club competition heads to Portugal with eight of the continent's biggest sides still in with a chance of lifting the trophy

After its unplanned, coronavirus-enforced hiatus, the Champions League is back.

After the culmination of the last 16 saw heavyweights Juventus and Real Madrid eliminated, the competition is down to its final eight sides.

The quarter-finalists have travelled to Lisbon for the final stages, all of which will be played as one-legged matches rather than the normal double-headers.

With the draw all mapped out, clubs know who their prospective opponents could be all the way through to the final. But who are the favourites, and which teams still have work to do?

Goal has ranked the runners and riders to work out who is in the best shape to lift the famous trophy on August 23…

Getty8Lyon

Despite holding a narrow advantage from the first leg, very few observers believed an undercooked Lyon side would have enough to knock Juventus out in Turin.

Rudi Garcia's side, however, stunned the Bianconeri as they just about held off Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. to seal their place among the quarter-finalists.

There they will face an in-form Manchester City, and as the clear underdogs on their side of the draw, it is difficult to see them progressing much further.

But then we said that before the last round, so…

AdvertisementGetty Images7RB Leipzig

They may not be able to call upon talisman Timo Werner in Portugal after he opted out of playing following his move to Chelsea, but RB Leipzig's chances may actually have improved over recent days.

Their quarter-final opponents, Atletico Madrid, have been thrown into chaos this week after two players tested positive for Covid-19, and Julian Nagelsmann's side will hope they can take advantage in Lisbon on Thursday.

Getty Images6Atalanta

Despite the three-month break from football, Atalanta have shown no signs of slowing down since football's resumption, with the free-scoring Bergamo outfit setting Serie A alight on their way to a third-place finish.

They now return to the Champions League with a quarter-final against PSG awaiting them and a potential path to the final which is far less daunting than what faces more established sides on the opposite side of the draw.

Josip Ilicic, who scored five goals across the two legs of their win over Valencia in the last 16, will miss the mini-tournament due to personal reasons, but Gian Piero Gasperini's side still have plenty of firepower to cause opposition defenders problems.

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Getty5Barcelona

It was far from a vintage performance from Barcelona, but Quique Setien's side got the job done against Napoli to book their place among the final eight.

This is where things get difficult though. A quarter-final meeting with many people's favourites, Bayern Munich, awaits them on Friday in a match some are predicting could get ugly for the Blaugrana.

Manchester City are also in their half of the draw, and thus Lionel Messi will likely have to be at his very best for Barca to even have a chance of reaching the final.

However, if any player can single-handedly drive his team forward through adversity, it is the Argentine magician.

Some have shared concerns about the Colombian, but she’s already shown she can link up with Lauren James, Fran Kirby and more to be a Blues star

Mayra Ramirez’s arrival at Chelsea was a surprise, certainly. After the news that star striker Sam Kerr would miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury, many thought the Blues would resist the urge to dip into the notoriously difficult January market because they already boasted attacking assets such as Lauren James, Fran Kirby and Mia Fishel. They had the options to be able to cope without Kerr, right?

We’ll never know the answer to that question because Chelsea did sit down to do business, the kind of which was record-breaking. The fee which brought Ramirez to London is the most a British club has ever paid for a player in the women's game, with the criteria for add-ons expected to be met to take the total paid up to £426,000 ($537,000). That would've been a world-record fee, even, until Bay FC's eye-watering acquisition of Racheal Kundananji earlier this week.

Ramirez shone for Levante after joining the club in the summer of 2022, scoring 22 goals in 38 games, and she played a crucial role in Colombia’s historic run to the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals last summer. At 24 years old, she’s still got a lot of room to grow and develop, too, such is her potential. She’s strong, she’s versatile and she’s talented.

Yet, her arrival has come with surprisingly little fanfare and even some scepticism. Why? As Chelsea look to send manager Emma Hayes off on a high, with her to take the United States women’s national team job this summer, Ramirez is an outstanding signing ahead of the business end of the season. Indeed, it’s much more than that – she can be a star for the Blues for years to come.

GettyKey absentee

Losing Kerr is a huge blow to Chelsea. One of the best centre-forwards on the planet, if not the best, the Australian doesn’t just rack up a lot of goals, she’s also excellent on the big occasions. Supremely-talented, a wonderful character and someone who doesn’t shy away from pressure, it’s hard to replace someone of Kerr's ilk. It’s even harder when you’re trying to do that in January, in a transfer window that is really difficult to operate in.

That’s part of the reason why many thought Chelsea wouldn’t sign someone to fill Kerr’s shoes. Another reason is because the squad is stacked with superb attacking players already. After all, they have Fishel, the USWNT star who was quite literally signed to step up when Kerr wasn’t available or needed a rest. They have Aggie Beever-Jones, the talented England youth international who has been incredibly prolific in her limited minutes this season. They have James, a dynamic and versatile forward with the tactical intelligence to adapt her role if needed, and they have Kirby, who is also incredibly- talented and capable of doing different jobs for the team.

Between them, and with the sublime service provided by wingers Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, many thought there was enough there for Hayes to work with to adapt to Kerr’s absence.

AdvertisementGetty'Not sure she's Kerr’s ideal replacement'

Ramirez’s arrival felt like a massive statement, then. To splash such cash on one of the game’s hottest properties showed that Chelsea mean business. They want to be sure that they have a team that can lift as many of the four trophies they are still competing for in the next few months.

Yet, it’s been met with mixed reactions. "I'm not sure she's the ideal replacement for Sam Kerr in the short-term,” Fara Williams, England’s most capped footballer, told . “Will she still play alongside Sam Kerr if Kerr signs a new contract after this year when she comes back from an ACL? How [will] that look for her as a player fighting in this Chelsea team?

"Fishel can play up there and I think she gives them a different dynamic when they play. Play into her, she's very good at holding up the ball, players can work off of her, something Chelsea have never been able to do before. Lauren James as a false nine, Fran Kirby, who for whatever reason isn’t really playing that much at Chelsea. If they can get her playing regularly I think she's a good enough replacement, between her and James."

But Ramirez delivers certainty. What if Kerr doesn’t sign a new deal when her current contract expires this summer? And what if James or Kirby struggled in a more central role? Fishel, who is still inexperienced at the highest level, would need some help with the goal-scoring burden, too.

Ramirez is a proven No.9, she’s got real potential to go with her already excellent talent and she’s got so many different facets to her game that the idea of putting her and Kerr in the same team, or having them pushing each other for the same shirt, sounds like an exciting problem to have.

All the tools

So, what exactly does Ramirez bring to the table? It might be easier to list the things she’s not so good at. Boasting impressive strength and excellent footwork, the 24-year-old holds the ball up well and links up nicely with team-mates, drawing on her futsal upbringing while boasting good movement and understanding of where the space is. She’s dangerous on the move, too, because she’s explosive and difficult to dispossess.

These traits mean that, while she is best as a No.9, she can also play a little wider if needed, so any concerns about how she could play with Kerr if the Aussie stays shouldn’t be too great.

“She seems to me to be a player with a growing potential, with still a lot to give,” Levante coach Jose Luis Sanchez-Vera told last year. “We are seeing a Mayra who has exploded, especially because of her physical criteria, but she gives us a lot in different situations in the game. She's a player who people say runs into space for us, but she almost gives us more with how well she fixes the opposing defensive lines, how she allows us to support from the top, play with second line players, open doors, play with her feet, with her first touch. I think she is the player that allows us to give different contexts to the interpretation of the game.

“Right now, Mayra is exploding in the media, but she has so much room for improvement, in finishing situations, etc. If she continues like this, I think she's going to be a determining factor, not only in Spanish football, but also at European level.”

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GettyStar on the world stage

Sanchez-Vera would’ve hoped to have had Ramirez with him at Levante for longer, there’s no doubt, but during her outstanding World Cup campaign with Colombia last summer, rumours of interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon started to emerge. It felt like only a matter of time until Ramirez would leave the Spanish club, one which has become used to high player turnover in recent years such is the good job it does scouting, but also the status it holds as a club without the finances of Europe’s elite.

To get a fee in exchange for her departure that will be second only to Kundananji for a world-record is excellent business for Levante, but it doesn’t feel like Chelsea have overpaid, either. Finances in the women’s game are on the rise, and while Ramirez might not be a household name, to be one of the sport’s most expensive signings is only an indication of her exciting potential.

The World Cup was a great snapshot to justify this. Still only 24, she spearheaded Colombia to its best-ever performance at the tournament and earned huge praise along the way. Ian Wright, the legendary Arsenal forward, described her as “easily one of the best [No.9s] in the tournament” because of her “movement” and “link-up play”, while South Korea head coach Colin Bell dubbed her “world-class” after his team struggled to contain her in a 2-0 defeat in the group stages.

Playing for Chelsea is very different to playing for Levante. Ramirez has swapped a club that is often the underdog and needs to punch above its weight for the dominant force in English women’s football, one which has huge expectations. To have that World Cup experience under her belt and the pressure that came with it will be invaluable, then, and it was proof that she can cut it at the very top.

Chelsea have reportedly ruled out making a move for Kylian Mbappe, despite being linked with the Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

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French forward won't sign new contractHeavily linked with Real MadridBlues out of the running among Premier League clubsWHAT HAPPENED?

The France international forward has made it clear to the reigning Ligue 1 champions that he will not be extending a contract that is due to expire in the summer of 2024. PSG are, therefore, having to consider parting with the World Cup winner in the current transfer window.

AdvertisementGetty/Real MadridTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe is said to have snubbed a record-breaking approach from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal that would have included a €300 million (£258m/$328m) fee and €700m (£603m/$766m) contract. He is also said to have already agreed terms with Real Madrid regarding a potential move to Spain as a free agent in 12 months' time.

AND WHAT'S MORE

There have been suggestions that PSG are inviting offers from Premier League sides, so that a deal can be done this summer, with Chelsea considered to be a possible suitor. is, however, reporting that the Blues will not be making a move as they believe PSG are trying to drag English sides into a political battle between the French giants and La Liga heavyweights Real.

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Chelsea’s focus is currently locked elsewhere, with more big-money deals being done at Stamford Bridge, and it remains to be seen whether Mbappe will be on the move in 2023 or whether he will be forced to spend a year rotting in the reserves at PSG before hitting free agency.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth ODI between Sri Lanka and India in Pallekele

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria03-Aug-2012Match factsSaturday, August 4
Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)Dinesh Chandimal has scored 47 runs in four matches•AFPBig PictureSri Lanka handed over the series to India in Colombo with two failed attempts at defending the target but can end the series – this is also, surprisingly, their last ODI this year – on a positive note in Pallekele. They beat India in the second ODI in Hambantota and came close in the third ODI in Colombo, and if they get help from the cooler and cloudier climes of Pallekele, where India have never played, their medium pacers could be a handful.However, in conditions that haven’t favoured the bowlers, the difference between the two teams has been the batting. India have four batsmen among top five run-getters in the series to Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, who is already out of the tournament with a finger injury. With Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene not firing, Sri Lanka’s young batting – especially Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne – has lacked leadership to take full advantage of India’s weakness in bowling. In the fourth ODI, India’s part-time bowlers returned with the figures of 22-2-112-5 – a glaring example of where Sri Lanka lost their way.Although India have already won the series, the problems that have plagued them in the past have surfaced again – Virender Sehwag remains erratic, Rohit Sharma’s form has not yet returned and Manoj Tiwary is India’s second most successful bowler in the series despite playing just one game. With a tough season looming, MS Dhoni would hope for some signs of improvement- and some clues to his best XI – along with a win in Pallekele.Form guideSri Lanka LLWLW (Completed games, most recent first)
India WWLWWWatch out for…Irfan Pathan came in as a replacement for Vinay Kumar in the series but has done well with both bat and ball. He scored a crucial 34 not out in a match-winning partnership in the third ODI, but more importantly, he has got the ball to swing. He has bowled with an economy of 5, which is the best among India’s seamers, and has picked up three wickets.Sri Lanka’s fielding has consistently been the best among the Asian teams, but in the current series the fielders have dropped a number of catches at critical moments and they have also given a lot of extra runs in overthrows. In the previous game itself, the team conceded two boundaries when the fielders failed to backup shies at stumps.Team news MS Dhoni had success with his seven batsmen formula in the previous match, and could continue with the same, which would mean another chance for Rohit. Ashok Dinda has played two games without creating much impact and could be replaced by Umesh Yadav.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashok Dinda/Umesh YadavAngelo Mathews indicated in a press conference that fringe players might get a chance. It could mean a game for Chamara Kapugedara and offspinner Sachithra Senanayake, both of whom haven’t played in the first four matches.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Lahiru Thirimanne/Chamara Kapugedara, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath/Sachithra SenanayakeStats and trivia India’s bowlers have had only three five-wicket hauls in the last five years in ODIs, worst among all Test playing countries. Sri Lanka have most in this period – 19. MS Dhoni is 17 runs away from becoming only the sixth batsman to score 2000 runs in India-Sri Lanka ODIs.Quotes”The numbers [Ashwin’s figures] have not been bad; the ball is coming out really well and whatever I’ve been working on has also come out very well.”
.”We’ve dropped quite a few catches in this series and I think that cost us the series. Especially, against the Indian batting line up, you can’t drop that many catches.”
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However diligent their preparation and practice, Somerset cannot exert any control over rainfall that they feel afflicts the west country more than anywhere other than Old Trafford. A third severely interrupted day ensured that there was no time for their

Jeremy James at Taunton20-Aug-2011
Scorecard
However diligent their preparation and practice, Somerset cannot exert any control over rainfall that they feel afflicts the west country more than anywhere other than Old Trafford. A third severely interrupted day ensured that there was no time for their second innings at Taunton. A draw, the probable outcome on the third evening, became an inevitability once no play was possible before lunch. It was a question thereafter of how many points could be gathered in.For Somerset, that amounted to a mere six, for Samit Patel, called up by England for the one day international in Ireland next week, collected the 30 runs he needed to reach his century and finished with 128 in all off 163 balls with 20 fours and a six. Long before then, there was fulmination over the weather from Brian Rose, the director of cricket. It is undoubtedly true that Taunton suffers more rainfall than most other grounds in the country – but best not to tell him that this is a part of the charm of cricket.It remains to be seen whether poor weather will prevent Somerset becoming county champions for the first time, a repeat, in their opinion, of what happened last year. Yet they neither batted well nor bowled accurately in this match. Whereas Andre Adams had maintained a disciplined off stump line in bowling them out for 177, their own quicker bowlers were more profligate when bowling at Patel and Riki Wessels, who struck 82 from 79 balls with ten fours and two sixes, entertainment indeed.Still, there were two wickets in successive balls for George Dockrell, the slow left arm bowler who should play against England for his native Ireland. He dismissed Patel and had Steven Mullaney taken at the wicket, but was unable to take a hat-trick not least because Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire captain, has become accustomed to coming to the crease in such circumstances. Dockrell was a little expensive, but will have an opportunity for so long as Murali Kartik is injured and there is indecision over his future with Somerset.Nottinghamshire, unable to make runs sufficiently quickly to enable them to attempt to bowl out Somerset a second time, as was the intention of Mick Newell, their coach, batted out the day. For all Somerset’s concerns over their antiquated drainage system, which according to Rose is 120 years old, there is nothing that can be done about rain weekly, monthly and perennially sweeping across their county from Cornwall.”This was a pretty average day for us,” admitted Marcus Trescothick, the Somerset captain. “We did what we could to salvage something from losing 225 overs in the match and were pleased to pick up three bowling points. We now have two massive matches to come – against Hampshire here, Yorkshire at Leeds – followed by playing the leaders, Lancashire in our final fixture. Realistically, we need to have two victories by the time we face them.”

James Anderson’s scheduled fitness test became a victim of the weather when Lancashire’s Friends Life t20 fixture against Worcestershire at New Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled

12-Jun-2011
James Anderson’s scheduled fitness test became a victim of the weather when Lancashire’s Friends Life t20 fixture against Worcestershire at New Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Recalled to the England squad earlier in the day, the 28-year-old seam bowler was hoping to confirm his recovery from a side strain by bowling four overs for his county.But a steady downpour set in at dawn and with up to an inch of rain forecast for the Worcester area, it was no surprise when umpires Jeff Evans and David Millns called the game off at 2.30pm. Having missed the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka because of his injury, Anderson will now be without competitive match practice before the selectors have to decide on the final XI for the third and final match in the series at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.For Worcestershire the loss of a crowd-pulling fixture was another setback, coming on top of the complete washout a week earlier in the their opening Twenty20 home game against Durham.The only other year in which they lost two home matches in the competition was 2007, when they had to leave New Road in the second half of the summer because of flooding at their headquarters.

Stuart Broad may have to call time on his England Twenty20 career to give him a better chance of staying fit for Test and one-day international cricket

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge26-May-2014
ScorecardStuart Broad required injections in his knee to get him through the World T20•ICCStuart Broad may have to call time on his England Twenty20 career – and with it the “kudos” that goes with being captain – to give him a better chance of staying fit for Test and one-day international cricket.The 27-year-old fast bowler is playing competitive cricket for the first time since the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh as Nottinghamshire take on Durham at Trent Bridge and bowled six overs in no obvious discomfort after suffering tendonitis in his right knee.But Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket and now one of the England selectors, said that the likelihood the problem would flare up again placed a question mark over Broad’s involvement in all three formats at international level.Given his importance in England’s Test and ODI attacks, managing his workload would probably mean sacrificing his place in the Twenty20 side.”Stuart is a key man for Test cricket and one-day internationals, so in terms of managing his fitness I think we are going to have to look at Twenty20 for Stuart,” Newell said.”The last two or three years he has picked up a lot of little things and he would want to have played more cricket than he has.”There is a lot of ODI cricket coming up and how you manage the workload for players like Stuart through the summer and as you prepare for the 50-over World Cup next February is something that will have to be looked at.”Broad needed painkillers to get through the World Twenty20 and was rested for England’s current one-day series against Sri Lanka. Earlier this month, speaking at the launch of Royal London’s sponsorship of English one-day cricket, Broad expressed a desire to continue in all formats but Newell believes he would accept the need to give one up to give himself a better chance of prolonging his Test career, even if it means relinquishing the captaincy.”Of course there is kudos in being captain, but I think he will get his head around [losing] that,” Newell said. “He is proud and ambitious, but captaincy in a longer form of the game, perhaps in one-day cricket, would remain a possibility.”In the shorter term, Newell expressed concern that the poor weather forecast for the remainder of the current round of matches would not help either Broad or Ben Stokes in their plans to prove themselves match-fit ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka next month.Broad has the current match against Durham and Nottinghamshire’s next Championship fixture, against Sussex next week, to get some overs into his legs. Stokes, who is back in action in this match following his self-inflicted broken wrist, is scheduled to play also against Middlesex at Chester-le-Street. The first Test begins on 12 June.”I was quite impressed with what Stuart did,” Newell said. “He bowled a good length, the full length we talked about on this pitch and swung the ball early on to the left-handers.”But the forecast for the next two days is poor and if he comes out of this game with only six overs it will be disappointing and there will be a need for him to bowl a lot of overs at Hove.”Newell said that the same would apply to allrounder Stokes, although in his case he simply needs to demonstrate overall fitness. Although he still has some residual pain from needing a screw inserted to help his damaged scaphoid bone knit together, his bowling mechanism is not affected.”Ben has that bit of magic about him, he makes things happen,” Newell said. “He is a real competitor, he has a bit of fight, as you could see in Australia when he took it to the Aussies and stood up for himself. Once he is fully fit, as a fourth seamer he gives England what Shane Watson gives to Australia.”He is desperate to start playing again and the only danger is that he rushes back too soon. Durham play Middlesex next and we will be looking at how much cricket he can get in.”Matt Prior’s chances of regaining his place as wicketkeeper will also depend on how much cricket he can play in this and the next round of games. There was no play at all in Sussex’s match against Middlesex at the Merchant Taylors’ School Ground in Northwood on day one and the question mark over Prior’s Achilles tendon means that he will have to demonstrate not only that he can keep wicket without discomfort but to show no reaction afterwards.”After what happened in the winter, the first Test against Sri Lanka is a massive game for England and you have to go into that match with people who are 100 per cent fit,” Newell said. “You don’t want to be worrying about injuries or managing fitness.”Newell, who was interviewed for the England coach’s job, has put aside his disappointment at missing out to Peter Moores and his relishing his involvement as a selector, a role in which his willingness to share his thoughts with frankness and clarity can only be welcome.”It is a challenging time,” he said. “There are probably only four or five players who are inked in, which is interesting given the history in the last few years.”He identified the wicketkeeper’s position and the debate over replacing Graeme Swann as the spinner in the side as the biggest of the immediate challenges.”Swanny not being around is one of the biggest headaches,” he said. “Are you going to pick an out-and-out spinner, in which case you go for the best spinner, or is there a balance of team to be had? If your spin bowler is a batsman of quality, such as Moeen Ali or Samit Patel, and you have an allrounder such as a Stokes or Chris Woakes or Ravi Bopara type, then the wicketkeeper could come in as low as eight.”The ‘keeper situation is massive. If you are going to have high-quality seam bowling you want to have a good man behind the pegs. There are two camps of keeper – there is the Kieswetter, Buttler, Bairstow group and there is the Foster, Read group, more the old-school wicketkeeper. I watched Foster last week and he was terrific. There will be an interesting debate there.”What has come out of the winter is a complete rethink with five, six, seven spots up for grabs, which is a bit scary but exciting at the same time.”

Preview of the match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria27-Apr-2013Match factsSunday, April 28, 2013
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)MS Dhoni will be key with his ability to hit slower bowlers with ease•BCCIBig PictureKolkata Knight Riders were within touching distance of Chennai Super Kings just a week ago when the two met in Kolkata. Now, Super Kings are second on the table and are cruising ahead, while Knight Riders are still struggling to take off. They are seventh on the table at the halfway stage and need a massive turnaround in the remaining matches to finish in the top four. It will have to start in Chepauk, Super Kings’ fortress that teams are increasingly finding hard to breach.With the solid presence of Michael Hussey at the top, Super Kings’ powerful batsmen are being laid ideal platforms in every game. MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja are not being pressurised to resurrect innings and when they start attacking, they are not the easiest to stop. Their bowling, however, can sometimes be slightly vulnerable and the line-up lacks a top-quality pacer up front.Knight Riders could focus on these supposed frailties, but they have plenty of their own. Yusuf Pathan’s spot in the side is both a mystery and an embarrassment and makes one wonder about the depth of patience the management have, because as an investment, he is not making any sense. Then, apart from their big three, no one really has shown any consistency for the team to rely upon. In Chennai, the focus will again be on their bowlers and their ability to counter the local batting threat. Since the game is in Chennai, the offspinner Sachithra Senanayake will have to sit out this game due to the ban on Sri Lankan players.Form guideChennai Super Kings: WWWWL
Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLLW
Players to watchIn Super Kings’ last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, MS Dhoni raised the game against a tough opposition. He single-handedly neutralised the Dale Steyn threat and bailed his team out. He is one of the few batsmen who can change gears without warning and especially thrives against slower bowlers, mysterious or not.Jacques Kallis, one of Knight Riders’ marquee players, bowled and batted with energy against Kings XI Punjab, showing no signs of the injury that had put his participation in doubt. He picked up two valuable wickets and scored a well-planned 37 just when the team needed it. Knight Riders will have one thing less to worry if he can lend similar all-round prowess in future matches,Stats and trivia Suresh Raina is one short of becoming the second batsman to hit 100 sixes in the IPL. Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine have both taken 14 wickets this season. But whereas Narine bowls at an economy rate of 5.65, Bravo is expensive at 8.47Quotes”If we keep on winning, we will be in the top half. We have the belief.”