Archive for England
Pietersen positive and targets return in Cardiff opener
Posted by: | CommentsKevin Pietersen batsman has set his sights on featuring in the Cardiff opener, which gets under way on May 26 as he maintains he will be fit in time for England’s first Test against Sri Lanka this summer.
After being diagnosed with a double hernia and went under the knife in mid March, Pietersen was forced to cut his World Cup campaign short. The Surrey right-hander, who has previously suffered with Achilles tendon trouble, is confident he will recover in time for the start of the international summer.
England coach left ‘disappointed’ but Strauss’ effort praised
Posted by: | CommentsAs England’s World Cup came to a sorry end, Andy Flower felt England had paid the price for being tentative with the bat against Sri Lanka. The quarter-final clash in Colombo turned out to be a procession as unbeaten centuries from openers Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga saw the co-hosts to an emphatic 10-wicket win.
While Sri Lanka goes on to face New Zealand at the same venue on Tuesday, England will now fly home after a disappointing end to a gruelling winter.
Strauss admits England was poor on the day
Posted by: | CommentsThe England Captain, Andrew Strauss admitted England had “not been good enough” at the World Cup after Sri Lanka emphatically ended their campaign in Colombo. Having battled their way to 229-6 in the quarter-final clash at the Premadasa Stadium, England was put to the sword by Sri Lankan openers Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga.
The co-hosts, roared on by a capacity crowd, coasted to a 10-wicket win with 63 balls to spare as both their opening batsmen finished up with unbeaten centuries.
The heavy defeat put an end to a topsy-turvy tournament for England, with an honest Strauss acknowledging they had been beaten by a better side.
England crawls to the Quarter Final
Posted by: | CommentsIt was a finale that would have been remarkable in any other context, but coming from a team that has managed to turn each of its six qualifying fixtures into horror-shows best viewed from behind the sofa through cracks in the fingers, it was a conclusion that teetered towards self-parody. Following a schizophrenic batting performance, in which Jonathan Trott shed his demure image to crash six fours from his first nine balls, England themselves crashed from 121 for 2 to 151 for 6, before Luke Wright justified his first call-up of the campaign with a vital 44. Their eventual total was at least 30 runs below par, but not for the first time, the team’s fighting spirit made up for it lacked in planning and application.
West Indies’ reply was a tale of three cameos. Between them, Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy slammed 84 runs from 50 balls, while Andre Russell launched his own innings with 45 from 29 before going into his shell after a hugely controversial reprieve on the long-on boundary. While those three were cutting loose, aided and abetted by a string of silent partners, not least the obstinate Ramnaresh Sarwan, it was clear that England had no option but to take all ten wickets to progress.
In a campaign of ludicrously slender margins, England gave themselves a fighting chance of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals after emerging victorious by 18 runs in a monstrous battle of wills against West Indies at Chennai. In a contest that fully lived up to the arse-nipper billing that Graeme Swann had given it beforehand, England once again teetered on the brink of oblivion before the spin of Swann and James Tredwell hauled them back into contention in a sensational denouement. Needing 244 for victory, West Indies were coasting on 222 for 6, before losing their last four wickets for three runs in 20 deliveries.
Pietersen had a successful surgery
Posted by: | CommentsPietersen’s departure from the England squad followed a crucial eight-over bowling spell in the team’s six-run victory over South Africa at Chennai last week, but the circumstances were frowned upon by England’s coach, Andy Flower, who had hoped such a key player would take a few painkillers and bite the bullet to get through the remainder of the tournament.
Kevin Pietersen has undergone routine surgery to repair the hernia that led to his early departure from England’s World Cup campaign, but is expected to be ready for the Sri Lanka Test series which gets underway in late May. Following a period of recuperation, Pietersen will begin a rehabilitation programme with his county Surrey, in conjunction with the England team medical staff.
Collingwood concerned about next match
Posted by: | CommentsEngland’s unbalanced campaign has left them with the need to beat West Indies if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals, but the ECB had to insist on Sunday that suggestions Andrew Strauss would retire from one-day cricket at the end of the tournament were unfounded.
England’s Twenty20 captain, Paul Collingwood, had to make similar statement about his own future after his decline in form led to him batting No. 8 in the recent two-wicket loss to Bangladesh. His only concern is the next game against West Indies and feels England’s lethargic start to the tournament is similar to their experience at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. There, they ended as champions despite some scrappy showings in the early stages.
After a marathon winter that started when they left for Australia at the end of October, England’s cricketers have looked messy of late. They conceded 23 wides in the defeat to Bangladesh but despite admitting the scheduling has been tough, Collingwood said there was no excuse for their showing so far.
Off-spinner admits offence under article 2.1.4
Posted by: | CommentsEngland spinner Graeme Swann has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct whern he got involved in a heated exchange with umpire Daryl Harper during Friday’s defeat by Bangladesh. The spinner struggled to grip a ball drenched with dew.
England skipper Andrew Strauss had to calm Swann down – but the 31-year-old was charged with a level one offence under article 2.1.4 of the code which relates to ‘using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an international match’.
Swann subsequently pleaded guilty to the charge, which was brought by onfield umpires Rod Tucker and Harper and third umpire Aleem Dar – and as such there was no requirement for a full hearing.
Strauss – We still believe four straight victories needed to lift the trophy
Posted by: | CommentsEngland captain Andrew Strauss insists his team still believe they can win the World Cup, despite Friday’s shock defeat by Bangladesh.
The two-wicket defeat in Chittagong leaves England needing to win their final Group B match against West Indies on Thursday to qualify for the quarter-finals.
And after a tie with hosts India, victory over South Africa and a defeat against Ireland, England are the most unpredictable team in the tournament.
But when asked if England can beat the Windies and then win three straight knockout matches, Strauss said: “We still believe we can. Despite their rollercoaster ride in the tournament so far, England are still alive and Strauss added: “World Cups are funny things.
Shafiul’s confidence get Bangladesh going
Posted by: | CommentsOn a sluggish track in which runs had, for the most part, to be grafted, England batted first and were bowled out for 225 – a total that was no better than par, and which owed everything to a chalk-and-cheese stand of 109 between Jonathan Trott and the fit-again Eoin Morgan. In reply, however, and in dew-laden conditions that made the ball tricky to grip – particularly for their cantankerous spinner, Graeme Swann – Bangladesh were on cruise control at 155 for 3 in the 31st over, before a calamitous run-out gifted their opponents a way back into the game.
The man who had the game in the palm of his hand was the eventual – and rightful – Man of the Match Imrul Kayes, the less-vaunted of Bangladesh’s opening batsman, who slipstreamed Tamim Iqbal during a captivating 38 from 26 balls that put Bangladesh firmly ahead of the run-rate, before settling down to play the holding role with a chanceless 100-ball 60.
In another unbearably tense finale, Bangladesh’s ninth-wicket pair of Shafiul and Mahmudullah transformed a futile situation with a glorious blaze of strokeplay, as they turned an asking rate of 57 in 62 balls into an emotional victory with an over to spare. The honour of the winning hit went to Mahmudullah, who belted a Tim Bresnan full-toss through the covers for four to cue uproar among the most passionate cricket supporters in the world, but it was Shafiul’s refusal to accept defeat that ultimately paved the way for glory.
Shafiul Islam raised Bangladesh’s World Cup campaign from the dead, as he turned yet another astonishing contest on its head with a breathtaking assault in the batting Powerplay to leave England stunned by their fifth cliffhanger in consecutive contests, and facing their own make-or-break encounter with West Indies in Chennai next week.
England granted permission to replace Pietersen
Posted by: | CommentsPietersen, who had been building a new opening partnership with captain Andrew Strauss at the tournament, did not join his team-mates on the journey from Chennai to Chittagong after it was decided he needed to undergo hernia surgery.
The Surrey right-hander has been struggling with the problem for some time but the England hierarchy felt he could play a major part in the competition if it was managed by the medical team.
England have received International Cricket Council approval to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen with Eoin Morgan in their World Cup squad.
Those hopes have not been realised and, after bowling eight overs of spin in the dramatic win over his native South Africa on Sunday, Pietersen appeared to labour in the field, leading to a re-evaluation of his condition.
England then asked for permission to draft Morgan back into the side, having previously replaced the Irish-born left-hander with Ravi Bopara due to a broken finger.
Morgan is the second player to be restored to a 15-man squad in the tournament having previously pulled out through injury, following Australia’s Mike Hussey. England team director Andy Flower had earlier welcomed Morgan’s return and urged his team to move on quickly from the loss of Pietersen.
