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An unbeaten century from in-form Alex Hales enabled Nottinghamshire to maintain their challenge for the Championship title with a five-wicket success over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road

Press Association18-Aug-2014
ScorecardAlex Hales’ hundred helped Nottinghamshire overcome a tricky position•Getty ImagesAn unbeaten century from in-form Alex Hales enabled Nottinghamshire to maintain their challenge for the Championship title with a five-wicket success over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.A mighty six from Hales took him to 102 not out and lifted Nottinghamshire to their victory target of 211 with more than a session to spare on the final day.The 25-year-old Hales, who also struck 16 fours as well as that maximum off Andrew Hall, had shared in a stand of 122 with James Taylor to take the match away from the home side. His only life came on 89, with the finishing line in sight, as Hall put him down at slip off Neil Wagner.Wagner, on debut, had bowled 21 overs without success in the first innings and a further 12 in the second before he rekindled Northamptonshire’s hopes of a shock win by removing Taylor and then Samit Patel in quick succession.However, they gave Hales a second chance and Riki Wessels helped bring the match to a swift conclusion as 21 came off the next Wagner over, the 28-year-old striking three fours and a huge six over long on en route to finishing unbeaten on 29.That proved to be the penultimate over of the match as Wessels and Hales took 11 runs from Hall to seal the match. Hales, who has also scored centuries against Middlesex and Sussex in recent weeks as well as a hundred for the England Lions, believes he is in the form of his life.”I’m absolutely delighted to get us over the line like that. That’s such an important victory in our season but even after losing those early wickets we were still confident and I thought James Taylor played absolutely beautifully,” Hales said.”Riki Wessels totally took the game away from them at the end there and I thought I was running out of chances to get to a hundred. Following the tons for the Lions last week, at Lord’s on Thursday and now today I feel I’m in the best form of my career and I hope it continues.”Northants had made a positive start to the day with Mohammad Azharullah removing both openers for ducks in his first two overs.Steven Mullaney fell to the fourth ball of the day, edging behind to Ben Duckett, who was keeping wicket in place of the absent Adam Rossington. The first runs then came courtesy of two lots of four leg byes but the third time Ajmal Shahzad was hit on the pads was enough for umpire Nick Cook to uphold a successful lbw appeal against him.Worse was to follow for the title contenders as Michael Lumb went for 6. Lumb had scored 99 in the first innings, so his early departure after wandering across his stumps to expose his leg stump to David Willey gave the hosts another massive boost.However, Hales and Taylor then combined to transfer the complexion of the post-lunch session.With Hales repeatedly battering the boundary boards by punishing anything with width, and Taylor cleverly rotating the strike and turning ones into twos, they gradually turned a challenging day into a race for the line with their 29-over stand.The home side had competed as equals for much of the four-day contest but having let Nottinghamshire escape – the visitors having been 25 for four on the first evening – the outcome was ultimately predictable.Nottinghamshire’s victory, their sixth of the season, earned them 23 points and keeps them hard on the heels of leaders Yorkshire, whilst Northamptonshire, still looking for their first Championship success of the season, took only four points from the contest and slipped to their 10th defeat in 12 matches.Despite the loss, Northants coach David Ripley was able to take plenty of positives from the match.He said: “Over the four days it reminded me of the Somerset game where we were competitive over a number of those days, winning at least two, but on the one that we lost Notts made significant strides in getting away from us.”We’ve played against one of the best teams in the country over four days and we’ve got a lot to be positive about. In the Championship, our last two games have been good, competitive games of cricket, not getting hammered by an innings and we’ve had chances to win.”

Yuvraj Singh unleashed trademark pick-up sixes and lofted drives to hit an unbeaten 77 off 35 and haul in the target of 202 with two deliveries to spare

The Report by Abhishek Purohit10-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYuvraj Singh hunted down the target of 202 with the calm of old•BCCI0:00

Aakash Chopra: ‘Yuvraj, the perennial comeback man’

In his second comeback after recovering from cancer, a leaner and fitter Yuvraj Singh was called upon to do a job he has done numerous times for India in ODIs – revive a floundering chase, with MS Dhoni for company, and only the lower order to follow. Only, this was a T20 and Yuvraj did not have the luxury of building his innings before accelerating. He duly cut out the building part, and unleashed trademark pick-up sixes and lofted drives to haul in the target of 202 with two deliveries remaining. India were facing an asking-rate of nearly 12 at 100 for 4 in the 12th over, but Yuvraj’s response was so forceful, that all Dhoni needed to do was give him the strike. By the end, the partnership was 102 at exactly two runs a ball, Yuvraj’s 77 off 35 showing his dominance.Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli had all failed to kick on from starts and India’s innings was in danger of going Australia’s way, who had lost too many wickets in maintaining a frenetic pace of scoring, and had run out of steam at the death. Aaron Finch seemed set to carry Australia way over 200 but his exit in the 17th over for 89 off 52 helped India keep the visitors to 201, as only 29 came off the final four. India themselves needed 49 off the final four, but Yuvraj was in such flow that the big shot was always at hand.Yuvraj first took 18 off Clint McKay in the 14th over, and then, when the pressure escalated again, carted James Faulkner for successive sixes in the 17th. The timing on the boundaries was vintage Yuvraj, as was the effortlessness and grace. George Bailey’s preferred field of three men in the ring around point worked to Yuvraj’s advantage, as did the fact that Australia bowled too full to him.Dhoni did his bit, constantly scampering twos and ones as he does in ODI chases, and coming up with the crucial boundary, a typical stretch-and-club to cover, when it came down to six needed off four.Yuvraj’s cool assault meant Finch’s innings, and Australia’s electric start, were in vain. After being put in, Finch and debutant Nic Maddinson had kickstarted the innings with a 56-run partnership inside five overs. It was the manner in which the openers attacked the offspin of R Ashwin that stood out. The highly-rated Maddinson, 21, calmly stepped out to Ashwin’s first delivery and lofted it cleanly over extra cover for four. Finch set about cutting and lofting with intent, and Ashwin’s first over cost India 17.Maddinson made 34 before missing a slog to be bowled. Vinay Kumar got both Shane Watson and George Bailey in the eighth over. Finch, meanwhile, kept battering boundaries, generating immense power and finding gaps consistently. He was swift and brutal on the cut, played the lofted drive repeatedly and when he went to cow corner, it was more timing and placement than slogging.Glenn Maxwell showed Australia were in no mood to relent even momentarily, swinging Ashwin for three sixes in the tenth over as the score zoomed to 114 for 3 at the halfway stage of the innings. Ashwin’s figures read 2-0-41-0, and Dhoni was forced to turn to Virat Kohli’s mediums for a couple of costly overs.Australia stalled after Finch clubbed a high full toss straight to Vinay. The blow split the webbing on the bowler’s left hand, but did not deter him from sending down a couple of tight overs. A last-ball six from Faulkner took the score past 200, but Yuvraj hunted it down with the calm of old.

Virat Kohli says Rohit Sharma has the capability of captaining India some day

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2013Virat Kohli has said India batsman Rohit Sharma has the potential to captain the side one day. Kohli’s potential as a future captain of India received another tick with a 5-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe in the recently concluded ODI series and he cited Rohit as a contender to step into MS Dhoni’s shoes.Kohli and Suresh Raina have, in the recent past, captained India in Dhoni’s absence in certain tours. Rohit had enhanced his captaincy credentials when he led Mumbai Indians to the 2013 IPL title and is still establishing a permanent place in India’s limited-overs sides.”Rohit has a tremendous cricketing brain,” Kohli said at an event in Lucknow. “I often take his advice during matches. He has shown his capability while leading Mumbai Indians in the IPL.”Kohli, who was nominated for the Arjuna award on Tuesday, has amassed 332 runs in 8 matches as captain, including two centuries. The first, an attacking 102 off 83 balls, sparked a turnaround that helped India win the West Indies tri-series in July. He is second only to Shikhar Dhawan among India’s representatives in the top-five run scorers for ODIs this year.”I like to be a captain and take responsibility,” Kohli said. “As batsmen, we focus only on ourselves. But as a captain we have to look into every aspect. We have to deal with each and every player. Though the responsibility increases manifold it is a great challenge.”

Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, believes that the Ross Taylor captaincy controversy might have helped him become a “better” coach

Nagraj Gollapudi10-May-2013Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, believes that the Ross Taylor captaincy controversy has helped him become a “better” coach.Hesson, who replaced John Wright as New Zealand head coach last July, was a key figure in pressing for a change of captaincy from Taylor to Brendon McCullum. Consequently Taylor opted out of the South African tour before returning for the home series against England in February.”I learned a lot during the whole experience and it might make me a better coach,” Hesson told ESPNcricnfo in Leicester as New Zealand continued their preparations for the return series.Speaking on a wide range of issues in an extensive interview, Hesson spoke about his coaching philosophy, the challenges of managing players, the mistakes committed on the road, as well as giving an insight into the game plans that worked in the drawn Test series against England.Asked specifically whether the way Taylor was removed as captain was a mistake, Hesson said: “Whenever you make a decision like changing a captain it is difficult decision to make. All I want to say is at no stage during that process you want to upset anybody or put someone in a difficult situation. That obviously occurred, which was unfortunate.”It was an emotionally difficult moment for everyone involved, Hesson said. It has been six months since the incident and according to Hesson the relationship with Taylor, the best batsman in the New Zealand squad, is on the mend.”We certainly are developing our relationship nicely. The circumstances have been well documented. We have been working well together.”Hesson pointed out that Taylor’s success as a batsman was very important to New Zealand because that would help the inexperienced youngsters to play their own game with more freedom.”Ross is a huge part of our group,” Hesson said. “He is our premier batsman and he has performed very well in England in the past. We are a far better team when Ross Taylor is in the team and performing well. It is great to have him back.”It is important for Ross to impose himself. He is quite an imposing batsman. Once he has got that level of confidence he is actually quite hard to bowl to. So it is matter of getting the confidence, getting that imposing nature at the crease. And also he works with some of younger batsmen as well. So the more comfortable he can feel about his own game the more comfortable he will feel helping others.”

Nawroz Mangal will lead Afghanistan against Australia in their one-off ODI in Sharjah on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2012Nawroz Mangal will lead Afghanistan against Australia in their one-off ODI in Sharjah on Saturday. Mangal, Afghanistan’s regular captain, had missed their previous international assignment – the Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League Championship matches against Ireland in July.Afghanistan squad for one-off ODI v Australia

Nawroz Mangal (capt), Mohammad Nabi (vice-capt), Mohammad Shahzad, Karim Sadiq, Javed Ahmadi, Asghar Stanikzai, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shenwari, Gulbodin Naib, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Izatullah Dawlatzai, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Sami

Mohammad Nabi has been named vice-captain, ahead of Karim Sadiq who stood in for Mangal in the Ireland games. The squad includes batsman Javed Ahmadi, who had captained Afghanistan Under-19s at the ongoing World Cup in Australia.The only player to miss out from the XI that played the World Cricket League Championship (the ICC’s 50-overs competition for Associates) game against Ireland, is left-arm spinner Hamza Hotak.The ODI against Australia will be Afghanistan’s second against a Full Member, following the game against Pakistan, also in Sharjah, in February. Australia are in the UAE for a limited-overs series against Pakistan, and Cricket Australia said that they had agreed to play the match against Afghanistan in an effort to assist with their cricketing development.

Shikhar Dhawan stroked his way to a breathtaking century, its 85-ball duration the swiftest ever by a Test debutant

The Report by Daniel Brettig16-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShikhar Dhawan’s century was the fastest by a Test debutant•BCCIShikhar Dhawan could possibly have been out before he had faced a ball in Test matches. The first delivery of the innings slipped out of Mitchell Starc’s hand and landed on the stumps with the debutant out of his ground at the non-striker’s end. There was no appeal, but if made it would have sent many running for the law book and coming back with varying interpretations of two laws: mankading and dead ball.Dhawan, though, felt he was out, and took full advantage of what he felt was Australian generosity with a breathtaking century, its 85-ball duration the swiftest ever by a Test debutant. By the close he was still there on a commanding 185, looking utterly impassable while gathering runs with the kind of rare ease that invoked memories of Mark Waugh’s debut against England at Adelaide Oval in 1991.*Australia’s tally of 408 had been swelled by Mitchell Starc’s 99, but it was made to look laughably puny by how Dhawan set about his task in the company of the neat and tidy M Vijay. They formed a beautifully balanced union that did not take long to become plainly disdainful of the visiting bowlers, and by the close it was comfortably India’s best opening stand against Australia.On the way to what was also the highest total by an Indian debutant, Dhawan’s stroke range was awe-inspiring, no fewer than 33 fours and two sixes streaming from his bat to all parts of the PCA ground. He was most savage through cover, piercing gaps no matter how many fielders Michael Clarke employed to patrol the region.In doing so, Dhawan laid waste to a touring attack that should have been feeling quite haughty about prolonging Australia’s innings on the third morning. The worst punishment was saved for Moises Henriques, Nathan Lyon and most of all Xavier Doherty, who in one over conceded an eye-popping 18, all to Dhawan’s impudent blade.Among the liberties taken in that over was a reverse sweep, conveying just how little Dhawan thought of the visiting spin bowlers. At the age of 27, Dhawan had been made to wait 81 first-class matches, 5679 runs and 16 centuries for this chance, coming in at the expense of Virender Sehwag. The flourish with which Dhawan took it was supreme, and indicated that India have not given up hope of forcing a victory over the remaining two days.Vijay meanwhile constructed another innings entirely suitable to the occasion, settling in quietly and safely in Dhawan’s slipstream but never becoming so tied down as to suggest the Australians had him covered. He too attacked the slow bowlers for a pair of sixes, and it was possible to imagine India have found an opening partnership to last for some time.Clarke exhausted all of the bowling options except his own, though this is at least partly to spare his problematic back. At no point were his bowlers able to deliver spells consistent enough to create pressure, despite the fact that both Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc extracted reverse swing and there was enough bounce and spin for Lyon, Doherty and Steven Smith.Most of all Australia missed James Pattinson, their most dangerous bowler in the first two Tests and an absentee here for punitive disciplinary reasons. Mitchell Johnson, another suspended bowler, has enjoyed success on this ground in the past, and it is difficult to imagine Clarke not wondering who else he might have called upon had team management not chosen to rule out four players for failing to follow the instructions of management.Only once did Dhawan give the ghost of a chance, a thick edge on 94 flying through the hands of Phillip Hughes in the gully from Peter Siddle’s bowling.The Australians might have had some inkling of how swiftly the runs might flow when India batted after watching their own tail wag furiously. Starc assembled a brave 99, Smith managed 92, and in all 157 runs were added for the final three wickets.For most of his innings Starc played nervelessly, hitting with power and pushing through gaps with finesse, while also defending when necessary. But he tightened up noticeably with one run to get for a hundred, beaten twice outside off stump by Ishant Sharma then edging an attempted drive behind after MS Dhoni brought the field in.In that moment Australia were denied their first centurion at No. 9 since Ray Lindwall in 1946-47, and a rare chance to feel a rush of shared jubilation on this tour. So even during a session in which India were dominated, the hosts still managed to deny the tourists a feeling of achievement.Smith’s innings reached a similarly flat conclusion after he had also played with great assurance at No. 5, demonstrating a steadier approach and straighter bat than he had shown in his earlier Test match appearances in 2010 and 2011. It was a chanceless innings, and took a practically perfect ball from Pragyan Ojha to dislodge him.*07.00pm GMT, March 16: The copy has been updated after reviewing the laws of the game.

Bangladesh Richard Pybus has said there are a few spots to be claimed in the national Twenty20 side

Mohammad Isam10-Jul-2012Following Raqibul Hasan’s 61-ball 140 for Bangladesh A in the last of the three Twenty20 practise games, Bangladesh coach Richard Pybus has said there are spots to be won in the national squad for September’s World Twenty20.The match in Mirpur, at a ground with short boundaries, was an ordeal for bowlers. Bangladesh A chased a 244-run target with five balls to spare, Raqibul smashing eleven sixes and fourteen boundaries in an out-of-character batting performance. This knock would have helped Raqibul – who last played for Bangladesh in 2011 – regain some lost ground, but he should not get too excited; Pybus’s comments about “open spots” could also have alluded to the bowling unit or even one of the batting spots in the middle-order, as both have shown a lack of Twenty20 skills.”There was good stuff that came out of [the tri-series] Zimbabwe. [But] I still have some spots that are open,” Pybus said. “It’s important for me, as a head coach, to see what depth we [have] got in the system. I have been waiting for guys to put their hand up under pressure and show what they can do.”Our bowling was obviously not as good as it should have been today. I want as much competition for the spots in senior side as possible. That’s what going to make the team stronger in future, three-four guys must be waiting for the same spot.”The series was a prelude to Bangladesh’s trip to Europe, where they will play five Twenty20s in the next two weeks, including a three-match Twenty20 series against Ireland, and a game each against Scotland and the Netherlands at the Hague.Captain Mushfiqur Rahim agreed with Pybus, about places in the squad being up for grabs. “Coach isn’t too far off the mark, because we only have four or five players who are guaranteed in the Twenty20 team. If we can raise our game at an individual level, it will help the team,” he said. “We batted well today, but the bowling didn’t go as planned.”Pybus said Bangladesh needed to play more Twenty20s to improve in the format. “To learn a format, as a team, you have to play [it] a lot. Just like the domestic sides playing competitions year after year. We need to play as much Twenty20s as possible and once that is sorted out, guys need to decide their [roles].”Then they will learn to play in combination and according to the right game plan in different environments. The thing that I was very pleased about [in] Zimbabwe was that we got out from the subcontinent and went to the southern hemisphere, where we got some bouncy wickets. We adjusted very well and played the conditions very well.”Mushfiqur and Pybus were wary of their European hosts, especially after losing to both Ireland and Netherlands in ODIs in 2010, and to Ireland in the 2009 World Twenty20. “We do have an idea about their cricket. There aren’t any big or small teams in Twenty20s; the [team] which does well on the day usually wins,” Mushfiqur said.He was, however, confident of positive performances from his side. “While we don’t have a good record playing against Ireland abroad, we are a stronger side now, since we have played together for quite a number of years. Our target will be to win the series, stay balanced and consistent ahead of the [Twenty20] World Cup, and stay confident.”Bangladesh will leave for Europe on July 11 on what is their second tour in preparation for the World Twenty20, following last’s months tri-series featuring Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Rojiblancos' record signing turned in a match-winning performance to keep Xavi's side within striking distance of the league leaders

It just had to be Joao Felix. On Sunday, the Barcelona loanee showed exactly why he is still rated so highly despite everything that has happened in his up-and-down career. Playing against his parent club Atletico Madrid, Felix turned in his best performance for the Blaugrana to date, and bagged the winning goal in a 1-0 win for Xavi's side.

Barca created a number of chances early, with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski missing clear opportunities to put their side ahead. Felix, though, grabbed the much-deserved opener, darting down the left and dinking the ball over Jan Oblak — and he didn't hold back with his celebration, either!

The Portugal international was their primary outlet for the rest of the clash, as he darted at defenders, caused problems down the wing, and tracked back with the kind of vengeance he's been lacking since he arrived in Catalunya.

And although Atleti made things uncomfortable at times, the Blaugrana looked mostly composed in key areas. Their midfield trio — Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong — simply played through the Rojiblancos', and ensured that Barca never really lost their control of the game.

By the 76th minute, Felix was exhausted, grabbing the back of his hamstring, and half-limping off the pitch. For the first time since he arrived late in the transfer window, Barca fans rose to their feet to applaud what had been a special showing.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Olympic Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Inaki Pena (7/10):

Had little to do before making immense saves from a Depay free-kick and a Correa shot from point-blank range late on. Who needs Marc-Andre ter Stegen, eh?

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Moved back to a right-sided role. Didn't have loads to do in a defensive sense, and kept the ball moving when needed.

Ronald Araujo (8/10):

Immense in the air, and put his body on the line with regularity. Loves these kinds of physical contests.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

A late replacement for Inigo Martinez after the warm-up. Atleti tried to attack his side of the pitch, but he handled things well.

Joao Cancelo (7/10):

Completed a solid percentage of his passes, created one big chance, and got his defensive positioning mostly correct. Doesn't have to be assisting every game to make an impact.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Pedri (7/10):

Silky on the ball, composed in central areas. Still looked tired towards the end. Much improved after a rough run of form.

Ilkay Gundogan (8/10):

Immense at the base of midfield. Cut passing lanes, and broke away from pressure. Pedri did the pretty stuff, Gundogan went about the dirty work with aplomb.

Frenkie de Jong (8/10):

Impactful all over the pitch. Covered loads of ground and put in an excellent block to deny Griezmann shortly before half time. Worked well with Gundogan. He makes Barca tick.

Getty ImagesAttack

Raphinha (7/10):

Really raised his level for the big game. Could have scored early on, and was a constant menace on the wing. Looked tired late — which was understandable.

Robert Lewandowski (4/10):

Missed a couple of chances early, and was handled far too easily by the Atleti defence. Should have made it 2-0 towards the end of normal time. Well off it.

Joao Felix (9/10):

Probably his best showing in a Barca shirt. Kicked around from the first minute against his former team-mates but it didn't seem to get to him. Direct, skilful and a joy to watch at times. Took his goal wonderfully — and seemed to enjoy it, too!

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Ferran Torres (6/10):

A good shift on the left to relieve a tired Felix.

Lamine Yamal (6/10):

Didn't shy away from the physicality of things.

Fermin Lopez (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Xavi (8/10):

After a series of poor showings, Barca were excellent from the get-go. They created chances aplenty, got contributions from their main men, and held on at the end. A good day, right after a series of bad ones.

Cricket South Africa has been dealt another blow with acting chief executive Jacques Faul confirming he will not apply for the post full-time

Firdose Moonda08-Jan-2013On the eve of the meeting in which Cricket South Africa will restructure its board, the organisation has been dealt another blow. Acting chief executive Jacques Faul has confirmed he will not apply for the post full-time which means CSA will need to search for a new boss.”I don’t see myself doing the job permanently,” Faul told ESPNcricinfo while sources close to him said the recent infighting was the last straw. Faul has been in the position as a stand-in since March last year after Gerald Majola was suspended and then dismissed. His tenure will only end when a replacement has been found.Since Faul was appointed, CSA’s board has had multiple speed bumps on the road to transition. The latest involves a feud with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) over the composition of the new structure. In accordance with the ministerial-convened Nicholson commission, CSA’s new board must contain five independent directors, one of whom is the chairperson but SASCOC are opposed to an independent chair.Tomorrow, CSA will decide how they will make up their new board and whether they will honour Nicholson or give in to SASCOC. They will also make a call on the acting president Willie Basson against whom allegations of Apartheid-era wrongdoing were made last week. Basson’s initial threat of resignation and subsequent withdrawal has thrown the board into further turmoil which Faul has decided he can do without in the long-term.The post of CEO has been advertised but the successful applicant can only be appointed after the new board is put in place. Faul was considered the frontrunner for the job because of the positive gains made by CSA in his time in office. The organisation went from losing major sponsors across all formats during the Majola debacle to regaining corporate backing to the tune of millions of Rands.Although deals with Test-sponsor Sunfoil and ODI-backer Momentum were put in place before Faul took over, under him the former’s agreement was extended and the latter’s sewn up. Fast-food giant KFC have the naming rights to international and domestic T20 matches and Blue Label Telecoms back the T20 squad. Some of those agreements now also hang in the balance because they were conditional to board restructure.Faul was previously the CEO of the North West Cricket Union and has had a long involvement in the game. He is completing a doctorate and may walk away from cricket altogether, although he has also been linked to the Titans job, who also have an acting CEO in operation after the sudden death of their boss Elise Lombard last August.Former ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat has also expressed interest in the position but stipulated that he would only consider it if the corporate governance issues at CSA had been sorted out. Since leaving the ICC, Lorgat has worked as a consultant with Sri Lanka Cricket and is now doing work in Pakistan. Lorgat has worked with CSA before as convenor of selectors.

Sri Lanka may not have beaten Pakistan in the last five one-dayers the teams have played at the R Premadasa Stadium, but the hosts’ captain, Mahela Jayawardene, is confident of his team doing well in Wednesday’s ODI

Sa'adi Thawfeeq12-Jun-2012Sri Lanka may not have beaten Pakistan in the last five one-dayers the teams have played at the R Premadasa Stadium, but the hosts’ captain, Mahela Jayawardene, is confident of his team doing well in Wednesday’s ODI. The way Sri Lanka performed in the second match – winning by 76 runs – following the thumping they received in the first, he said, demonstrated the team’s character.”We haven’t played that well against Pakistan [at the R Premadasa Stadium]. It’s up to us to challenge ourselves,” Jayawardene said. “Pakistan are a quality team. The bowling unit, with the variations they have, has the fire power to play in any conditions, that that is why they are successful in these conditions.”But the way we played in the first ODI, I thought the guys showed lot of character in the second game when we bounced back. We need to make sure that we [continue to] play to our strength. Like in the last game, we will be challenged in certain situations and we need to handle those situations well. If we do that successfully, the results will be in our favour.”Jayawardene said he was pleased with Sri Lanka’s all-round show in Saturday’s game. “Against a quality bowling side, we had batting plans and that worked. I thought we put in a disciplined effort with the ball. If we can be aggressive, that’s good.Sri Lanka go into the next game with a tweaked squad; Rangana Herath has been rested for the final three ODIs, and uncapped left-arm spinner Sajeewa Weerakoon has been included in his place. However, Jayawardene said, they were yet to decide on the playing XI.”We just have to assess the pitch. It looks good from outside. The two side wickets we played on were pretty good. The tracks that we played the last few games on favoured the quicks. You just need to work it out in the middle.”[In the last match] we were very flexible. Upul [Tharanga] batted well and that set us a good solid platform. We don’t want to change too many things quickly. With a right-hand/left-hand combination [opening the batting], we can change the [opposition bowlers’] line, which is good.”