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Once again, you couldn’t predict with much confidence what Australia’s batting line-up will look like come The Oval Test, and in what order the batsmen chosen will slot in

Brydon Coverdale in London19-Aug-2013Guessing at Australia’s batting order from Test to Test has become as difficult as tipping the Big 6 on a day at the races. There are always one or two dead certs, perhaps even enough for a quadrella. But correctly predicting all six winners? Good luck with that. So it is again as the Australians prepare for their final match of this campaign at The Oval, where they might become the first Australian team in 35 years to lose four Tests in an Ashes series.Chris Rogers will open, that much is clear. David Warner will presumably partner him. Michael Clarke will probably bat at No. 4, but who’s to say he won’t shuffle down or up a position. Shane Watson will slot in somewhere; he suffered a groin injury in the fourth Test but bowled unscathed in the nets at The Oval on Monday, albeit largely below full pace. Usman Khawaja is unlikely to hold his place at No. 3. Steven Smith is no certainty.Phillip Hughes might be recalled, or he may not. Ed Cowan could be, though that is highly improbable. Matthew Wade is being considered by the selectors as a specialist batsman, which in some ways makes sense given his record of two centuries and three fifties from 12 Tests. The inclusion of Wade, perhaps at No. 6, is just one of many possible Australian team permutations for The Oval Test.Wade was bowling alongside Watson in the nets on Monday, sending through his skiddy seamers at a much nippier pace than would be expected of a small gloveman. The national selector John Inverarity has made no secret of the fact that he likes “multi-skilled” cricketers, but including Wade as a non-keeping batsman who could send down the occasional over would be something different, even for him.Australia have occasionally played two keepers alongside each other in one-day cricket – Haddin played nine ODIs as a specialist batsmen when Adam Gilchrist had the gloves, and five of Gilchrist’s early one-dayers came when Ian Healy was keeping – but it is a rarity in Test cricket. Not since Tim Zoehrer kept and Wayne Phillips batted at No. 3 in Auckland in 1986 have Australia had two glovemen in the one Test team.Ironically, if Wade does play it will leave James Faulkner as the only man from the 18-man Ashes squad not to play a Test on the tour – ironically, that is, because taking the tour matches into account, Faulkner has topped the batting averages having been dismissed only once for 111 runs. But his only real chance of playing at The Oval would have been had Watson struggled to bowl. The Australians need to see how Watson recovers on Tuesday but they are confident he will play.Whatever the case, it seems certain that the batting order will change – again. Not since the first two Tests of the tour of India earlier this year have they used the same top six in the same order in consecutive Tests. Not surprisingly, during that same period Australia have lost seven of eight Tests, though whether the losses cause the flux in the batting order or vice-versa is much like the chicken-or-egg debate.From Chennai to Chester-le-Street, every specialist batsman but Rogers and Khawaja – neither of whom were in the side in India – has moved positions at least once, perhaps more. Staying still has helped Rogers, who has averaged 43 on this Ashes tour, but not Khawaja, who has 114 runs at 19.Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Ian Healy have all spoken out in the past couple of weeks about the need for Australia’s selectors to show patience, to pick their best line-up and stick firm with it. In a losing outfit, that’s easier said than done. Not to mention, how can they be sure of their best line-up if the players they choose fail to perform?Whatever the case, if the team keeps losing and the batsmen keep failing, the order and the personnel will keep changing. Whether it’s Wade, Smith, Khawaja or Hughes, this Test will be a chance for someone. Eventually at some point, someone somewhere will stand up. Somehow.

Former New Zealand cricketer and Northern Districts’ batsman James Marshall announced his retirement from first-class cricket after a 16-year-long career

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2013Former New Zealand cricketer and Northern Districts’ batsman James Marshall announced his retirement from first-class cricket after a 16-year-long career. Marshall, who played for New Zealand between 2005 and 2008, led Northern Districts for the last two seasons of the Ford Trophy.”These are never easy decisions to make, and after 16 years it’s going to be a big change for me,” Marshall said. “But it’s the logical one for myself and my family at this point in my life. Having done a 44-day stint away from home this season, [with] my wife looking after our young son, it was time for me to re-evaluate.”Marshall played seven Tests, 10 ODIs and three T20Is for New Zealand, scoring his only ODI hundred against Ireland in his last limited-overs match. His brother, Hamish, also played for New Zealand between 2000 and 2007.Marshall, who made his first-class debut in 1997-98, became the first batsman to score 6,000 runs for Northern Districts. He is the leading run-scorer for Northern Districts at the one-day level, having scored 3,755 domestic runs. He also holds the record for most first-class appearances by a domestic player for a single province in New Zealand, with 126 appearances for Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield.Northern Districts Cricket CEO, Peter Roach was all praise for Marshall and the commitment and longevity he demonstrated at the club.”James is one of the leading players of his generation,” Roach said. ‘We will miss him after such a long and loyal association with Northern Districts and we wish him all the very best in his new career.”

Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman is confident of contributing to his team, even as he plays with Saeed Ajmal

Umar Farooq05-May-2013Picked in the Champions Trophy squad alongside Saeed Ajmal and part-time options like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, Abdur Rehman may not be a certainty in Pakistan’s first-choice XI. However, the left-arm spinner who last played an ODI in September 2012, said he was optimistic about his chances of playing in England because of his county experience.”I am not concerned about being in the playing XI, as it is a decision they [coach and the captain] take after reading the conditions before the match,” Rehman said during the ongoing training camp in Abbottabad. “But spinners have a definite role in England. Every team has at least two spinners and they have as equal an opportunity to take wickets as fast bowlers. If I get a chance to play, I will definitely make a difference.”Rehman, 33, had experience of English conditions during his short stint for Somerset last summer. In four championship matches he took 27 wickets at an average of 14.18. His best performance came against Worcestershire, when he picked up nine wickets in the first innings and finished with a 14-wicket haul in the match. He also took nine wickets in three CB40 matches, with a personal best of 6 for 16 against Nottinghamshire.”I have gained plenty of experience from my county stint last year and this gives me an edge,” Rehman said. “Though I haven’t played international cricket in a long time, I have been practising regularly. I know I will play in the shadow of Saeed Ajmal, but I will try my best to contribute to the success of the team.”Rehman made headlines last year when he was banned for 12 weeks after testing positive for cannabis during the county season. He completed his ban in December, but missed the tour to India and the Champions League T20 for his side Sialkot Stallions. He was part of the squad for the tour to South Africa but was not picked for any of the Tests or ODIs.”During the South Africa tour, I didn’t play in the team as it was a decision taken by the team management and I have no hard feelings,” Rehman said. “The combination that played there was the best possible one. As far as I am concerned, I didn’t lose hope and was equally active in South Africa and here.”On the third day of the Abbottabad camp, there were a few rain interruptions but the batsmen had ample practice. Mohammad Hafeez’s back-foot punch, perhaps his favourite shot, has brought him many runs but he has generally struggled against seam bowling outside the subcontinent. On Saturday, Hafeez had an individual batting session with assistant coach Shahid Aslam and worked on facing swinging deliveries.”I am working on my normal technique,” Hafeez said. “It’s not like we are here to do something special in these five to six days, but the main objective is to acclimatise with the conditions that we will face in the next one-and-a-half months.”As players, we have to improve performances ourselves with the help of the support staff. We have a good blend of young and experienced players in the team who are capable of producing a good result.”

Mahela Jayawardene has lauded the efforts of his seam bowlers in the ongoing ODI series, and is confident Sri Lanka can achieve a successive bilateral series win in Australia, having also won there in 2010

Andrew Fernando22-Jan-2013Mahela Jayawardene has lauded the efforts of his seam bowlers in the ongoing ODI series, and is confident Sri Lanka can achieve a successive bilateral series win in Australia, having also won there in 2010. Sri Lanka have earned an unassailable position in the series, leading 2-1, with the final match to be played in Hobart on Wednesday.The visitors looked likely to wrap up the series in game four in Sydney, but an hour’s drizzle rendered playing conditions unfair, by the officials’ reckoning, and that was deemed just cause for abandonment. Sri Lanka have gained the ascendancy in each of the last three ODIs through their bowlers, who have restricted Australia to 170, 74 and 222 for 9, primarily through skilful swing bowling.Jayawardene praised his fast bowlers’ exploitation of the two new balls in ODIs, as he cut a relaxed and assured figure ahead of his final match as captain of Sri Lanka. “Given the way we have played and how we’ve controlled things, the boys will be pretty happy and I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to close this series in Hobart,” Jayawardene said. “The quality of the bowling has been pretty good. A lot of the batsmen in world cricket will struggle with the way our guys have delivered. With the two new balls, that’s always going to happen going forward. That’s something we’ve spoken about as well – how we’re going to navigate the new rules. All over the world, you’re trying to get wickets up front and it’s vital that you bat well in the top four.”Nuwan Kulasekara has been the best of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, having reaped 10 wickets at an average of 12.90 and an economy-rate of 3.30. His astonishing spell of inswing bowling consigned Australia to their third-worst ODI total ever in Brisbane, and he was again the best of Sri Lanka’s bowlers in Sydney, taking 3 wickets for 30 from his 10 overs. But although he has been the series’ most penetrative bowler, Kulasekara had gone wicketless in the Hobart Test match at the beginning of the tour. Jayawardene said Kulasekara’s return to his favoured format likely sparked a resurgence in form.”He had the control in the Test match, but not the success,” Jayawardene said. “He had a two-week layoff with injury, but he’s come back into the one-dayers very strongly with the white ball. He’s got a lot of confidence with what he’s doing with it. Both he and Lasith [Malinga] have a very good partnership for us, and I’m looking forward to how he’s going to go about it in Hobart as well.”Sri Lanka view this series as a chance to build familiarity with Australian conditions in preparation for the 2015 World Cup, and Jayawardene was pleased with the results his side had been able to put together in their last three limited-overs series in the country. Sri Lanka followed up their 2010 series win with a finals appearance in the 2012 tri-series, and have beaten Australia 8-5 at home in that time.Encouragingly for the visitors, it has largely been the younger players, who will likely feature in the 2015 World Cup, who have been the primary architects of their success. Dinesh Chandimal scored heavily in last year’s tri-series, and also notched a 73 in his only innings in the ongoing one, while Lahiru Thirimanne made a maiden hundred at No. 3, to close out the second match in Adelaide. Angelo Mathews has also played some memorable innings in Australia, in addition to impressing with the ball, and even Kushal Perera has been assured with the bat and behind the stumps in his appearances so far.”The last three or four tours that we’ve come here with the one-day squad, we’ve been pretty consistent,” Jayawardene said. “We’ve played a lot of good cricket. That’s something very positive for the team. The youngsters like Chandi, Thiri and Angelo have learnt a lot playing here. That’s a great investment for the future.”Jayaywardene was also pleased at his side’s mettle to come back from a poor Test series and a heavy defeat in the first ODI, to now be in a position where they cannot lose the series.”I think the turnaround has been fantastic. The Test series was disappointing and we never played to our potential. In the one-dayers, we had new guys coming to a settled set-up, but the Melbourne game was disappointing. But the guys have shown determination and character over the last few one-dayers. Hopefully we can finish it on a very positive note.”

Australian opener Ed Cowan has said he raised concerns with the coach Mickey Arthur and captain Michael Clarke about the slipping standards within the squad

Brydon Coverdale in Delhi20-Mar-2013Australian opener Ed Cowan has said he raised concerns with the coach Mickey Arthur and captain Michael Clarke about the slipping standards within the squad in the lead-up to the sacking of four players in Mohali. Arthur, Clarke and the team manager Gavin Dovey collectively took a hard line as a result of the general slide in behaviour and told four players, including the vice-captain Shane Watson, that they would not be considered for the Mohali Test after failing to complete a task set by Arthur.However, the team management has been at pains to explain that the decision was not the result of a one-off lapse and that standards within the wider squad had been unacceptable during the tour. It later emerged that some of the minor infractions that had built up included players being late to meetings or physio appointments, wearing the wrong uniforms and giving back-chat.Arthur has spoken of the way senior players like Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey helped maintain standards by their own work ethic and their retirements had left a gap in experience and example. As a result, Arthur said the developing group needed to be brought into line, and Cowan said he had spoken to Arthur and Clarke about what he felt were “little things” that were not being done.”A few little things had crept in,” Cowan said. “I had a few conversations with the coach and the captain and the manager about those little things and I’m sure a few other guys did as well. It wasn’t just, ‘right, this is the moment’, there had been a build-up and there always comes a time where there is a breaking point and that happened in Mohali. But now it feels there is some solidarity behind the team moving forward and we’re excited by that unity and why it has been created.”Nine days ago, unity was about the last word that would have been used to describe Australia’s squad. Not only had four players been unceremoniously stood down for a Test, one of those players, the vice-captain Shane Watson, flew home for the birth of his first child and voiced his displeasure on the way. That led to a public exchange of words between Watson and Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance Pat Howard and questions were raised about Watson’s status as a “team player”.However, over the past few days the tensions have eased and Watson rejoined the squad in Delhi for training on Wednesday and could yet captain the side for the fourth Test if Clarke is ruled out due to his back injury. Howard has also appeared in Delhi and the vibe at training on Wednesday was good, all things considered.”We have been unified by what happened in Mohali and there is no doubt the tough decisions needed to be made if we aspire to be the best team in the world, which we do,” Cowan said. “There had to be some tough decisions. It showed immense courage by the leadership group to make those decisions and the group is right behind that. It feels as though we have come together behind that and we feel quite buoyed by the concept of moving forward together.”Moving forward as one has been a key focus for the Australians over the past week, and part of that is senior men needing to show the way in a relatively young group. Although he has played only 16 Tests, Cowan is one of the leaders and if Watson does take charge in Delhi, Cowan would be a natural contender for the vice-captaincy given his mature approach. He said if the opportunity ever arose for him to captain Australia he would jump at the chance.”Everyone in the team would love to given the opportunity,” Cowan said. “My focus is to be a leader around the group, to make sure that Michael has adequate support, to be a leader in terms of how I prepare, how I carry myself on and off the field and how I contribute to bringing guys through and if the opportunity arises because a few people fall over or are injured or whatever then that’s something you would love to do, you would never turn that opportunity down.”For me leadership is much more than having a ‘c’ next to your name. It is about living the values and ideals that the team have put in place and hopefully people migrate to that. It’s not just one or two people, it’s five, six, seven core guys contributing to the team moving forward culturally and on the field.”

The first World Cricket League ODI was abandoned without a ball bowled despite pleasant conditions at Clontarf

Ger Siggins at Clontarf04-Jul-2012Ireland v Afghanistan – Match Abandoned
The first World Cricket League ODI was abandoned without a ball bowled despite pleasant conditions at Clontarf. Ireland and Afghanistan share the points which gives the home side a one point lead over UAE at the top of the table.Despite a balmy day in north Dublin, and a stiff drying breeze, the inundation of the previous week had taken its toll on the outfield. The umpires suggested to the players that they remain in their hotel till noon as the ground remained sodden after heavy rain hit the ground in mid-afternoon on Tuesday.The Irish physio remained buoyant, although he denied that he has been more concerned with trench foot than hamstrings this week.The run-ups at the Killester End were the problem on the original date, and their condition appeared to have worsened on the reserve day. The noon inspection led the umpires to resolve to meet again at 2pm, by which they decided that there was no chance of the run-ups drying sufficiently by 4.40pm to allow a 20-over game.Ireland coach Phil Simmons said: “The run ups were too wet, it was the correct decision by the umpires. It’s a good pouint for us, and it puts the Afghans under pressure. I fancy our chances over 50 overs, a shortened game is more to their advantage.”The doughty Clontarf groundstaff were hopeful that the weather would remain fine in the evening to allow the second World Cup qualifier to take place on Thursday. With most of Ireland’s home fixtures set to move to the new Malahide arena next summer, the Clontarf club is keen to say goodbye to international cricket in something more than a damp whimper.

Saeed Ajmal took 6 for 124 to bowl Worcestershire to their third County Championship victory of the season at Horsham, despite a brilliant 122 by Murray Goodwin for home side Sussex

13-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Saeed Ajmal took 6 for 124 to bowl Worcestershire to their third County Championship victory of the season at Horsham, despite a brilliant 122 by Murray Goodwin for home side Sussex. Offspinner Ajmal and seamer Alan Richardson held their nerve to dismiss Sussex for 302 just inside the final hour.Worcestershire’s 34-run win lifted them out of the Division One relegation zone and up to seventh place, their 21-point win taking them to 102 points – four above Yorkshire with a game still in hand. Sussex remained sixth on 123 points.Ajmal, in his last Championship appearance as Worcestershire’s overseas player this season, shared the second new ball with Richardson, with Sussex at 265 for 6 and looking like emerging as winners themselves following a superb 151-run stand for the fifth wicket between Goodwin and Mike Yardy.But Richardson struck the vital blow with his second delivery with the second new ball, Goodwin finally being beaten by an off-cutter to be lbw after hitting the 66th first-class century of his career.Goodwin had faced 193 balls, hitting 14 fours, and it was his fourth century in 16 first-class innings at Horsham, where he now averages almost 75.Richardson then ended a stubborn eighth-wicket partnership of 27 between Kirk Wernars and Wayne Parnell – in which South African fast bowler Parnell had driven Ajmal straight for six – by having Wernars well held by a diving Ben Scott as he snicked behind for 24.Monty Panesar edged a wild drive at Ajmal to go for 1, leaving Sussex 299 for 9, and the end soon came when Richardson, who finished with figures of 4 for 54, angled one across left-hander James Anyon to have Sussex’s last man caught at first slip by Vikram Solanki.Worcestershire made the better start to the final day, which began with Sussex on 17 for 1 and needing another 320 runs for victory, by taking three wickets inside the first hour. Ed Joyce was caught off bat and pad for 14, off Ajmal, and the spinner also ended a plucky innings of 17 by nightwatchman Will Adkin, who fell lbw missing a sweep at a quicker ball with the total at 52.In between, Richardson was rewarded for a typically wholehearted spell from the Railway End as he swung one away just enough from left-hander Luke Wells to have him superbly caught for 9 by Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell, diving to his right at second slip.Goodwin and Yardy, however, then took Sussex to 125 for 4 at lunch, with Goodwin plundering three fours from one over by Gareth Andrew, who had replaced Richardson in the attack while Ajmal kept wheeling away from the Church End.The pair continued to flourish after the interval, too, with Goodwin going to 50 from 72 balls and Yardy completing his own half-century with a swept four off Ajmal, from 89 balls. Both batsmen had hit six boundaries in their fifties, and runs began to flow as Ajmal was at last rested.At 199, though, Ajmal was recalled and although Yardy almost immediately slog-swept him for his eighth four it proved to be his last shot in anger. On 63, having faced 120 balls, he was undone later in the same over by a ball from Ajmal which bounced and turned to take the inside edge of the bat and loop up to short leg off his pad where Alexei Kervezee leapt to hold a well-judged catch.Ben Brown had only made 10 when he went back to a quicker ball from Ajmal and was lbw, leaving Sussex at 231 for 6 just before the tea interval.

The fast bowler Jackson Bird has kept Tasmania firmly in the race to make the Sheffield Shield final with a five-wicket haul in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2012
ScorecardIt was another excellent day for Jackson Bird•Getty ImagesThe fast bowler Jackson Bird has kept Tasmania firmly in the race to make the Sheffield Shield final with a five-wicket haul in Hobart. The Tigers skittled the competition leaders Western Australia for 142 and by the close of the first day they were already halfway to first-innings points, having reached 1 for 72 with Ed Cowan on 46 and Nick Kruger on 5.Tasmania need at least two points from the match to have any chance of making the final, while the Warriors can still miss out should they lose the game outright. They faced a challenge when they were sent in by the stand-in captain Ricky Ponting on a Bellerive Oval greentop and Bird removed both openers for single-figure scores.Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges steadied for the Warriors until Marsh edged behind for 32 off the bowling of James Faulkner, who picked up Travis Birt two balls later. But it was Bird who really troubled the batsmen, collecting Luke Ronchi, who top-edged a bouncer, and Jason Behrendorff, who was caught at mid-off.The big wicket was that of Voges, who on 49 was taken at slip off the bowling of Bird, having already had two lives in the difficult conditions. Bird finished with 5 for 32 off 19 overs, an outstanding effort and his fourth five-wicket haul this summer, remarkable for a man who did not make his first-class debut until November.In reply, Tasmania’s top order got through until stumps for the loss of only one wicket, that of Steve Cazzulino for 18. The Tigers had made three late changes due to a food-poisoning outbreak in the side but that didn’t seem to affect their performance on the first day, and the Warriors face an uphill battle to secure their place in the final.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third T20 international between England and South Africa at Edgbaston

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan11-Sep-2012Match FactsSeptember 12, 2012, Edgbaston
Start time 6.30pm (1730GMT)England’s batsmen could do with a good showing in the third and final T20I•AFPThe Big PictureEach of the series played between these two teams this season has come down to a final-match decider but, as with the Test matches, the best England can hope for is a share of the trophy. Given they needed 13 off five balls at Old Trafford to be ahead of the D/L target that is probably a position they are fortunate to be in.The Nine9 in Manchester was a hectic affair: batsmen swinging from the hip, the ball skewing off edges, fielders slipping on a wet outfield, a couple of wonderful catches, another England drop and some impressive quick bowling. On balance it is South Africa who still hold an edge, particularly with the strength of their batting, which is in sharp contrast to the problems England have.It was instructive to watch Hashim Amla’s approach to what was basically a slog-fest. He barely slogged. Sure, he tried to hit the ball hard, and occasionally lost his shape, but his boundaries were well-timed, well-placed shots and not just the wild hacks attempted by Craig Kieswetter, Alex Hales and Luke Wright.Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn were a handful on a lively pitch – unlike what is expected in Sri Lanka – while most of England’s bowlers performed well, too. Two-over spells are difficult to analyse, but Graeme Swann did not conceded a boundary and Jade Dernbach just the one.For both sides this is their final outing before departing for the subcontinent and whoever wins will feel they can take a little bit of momentum and confidence – although it is difficult to gauge much from either camp with no players having spoken for three days. But whatever happens at Edgbaston it won’t count for much when the World Twenty20 starts.Form guide
(Most recent first, completed matches)
EnglandL WWWL
South Africa WWWWLWatch out forJade Dernbach is a bowler to watch with an open mind. When it goes wrong it can get very ugly but he has a unique set of skills that can make him a match-winner. He took wickets at Chester-le-Street but was expensive, then two overs at Old Trafford cost just 12 runs. On the slow pitches in Sri Lanka his ability to bowl yorkers and slower balls will be invaluable. However, it will not always go to plan.Dale Steyn has bowled beautifully since returning to the side midway through the one-day series, with a combination pace, control and swing. He had a wry smile on his face at Old Trafford when Alex Hales outside edged him for six over third man. With South Africa keen to manage Steyn’s workload he has not always been a regular in the T20 side – playing 23 matches – but bowling like he is, makes the attack formidable.Team newsThe indications are that England are settling on their main bowling attack having played the same combination in both matches, supplemented by Luke Wright in place of Ravi Bopara in Manchester, although they may yet decide to tinker when they get to Sri Lanka. Michael Lumb, Danny Briggs and Tim Bresnan are the three of the World Twenty20 squad yet to play.England (possible) 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Luke Wright, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Stuart Broad (capt), 10 Steven Finn, 11 Jade DernbachEarlier in the series, AB de Villiers indicated he would like to give all his players a game at some point, which would mean bringing Wayne Parnell and Farhaan Behardien into the side – but they will also want to win the series.South Africa (possible) 1 Richard Levi, 2, Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Robin Peterson, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne MorkelPitch and conditionsEdgbaston has suffered as much as anywhere from all the rain this season and the forecast suggests a risk of interruptions. When players did get on the pitch for a full Friends Life t20 innings, scores ranged from 149 to 173, which is ideal for the format.Stats and trivia If England level the series they will jump above South Africa to the No. 1 spot in the Twenty20 rankings Graeme Swann became England’s leading T20 wicket-taker when he clung on to the caught-and-bowled to remove JP Duminy in the second game England have not played a Twenty20 international at Edgbaston

A study commissioned by Cricket Australia has revealed how the art of spin has withered on the vine since the retirement of Shane Warne

Daniel Brettig15-Dec-2011As offspinner Nathan Lyon strengthens his claim to be Australia’s No. 1 slow bowler, a study commissioned by Cricket Australia has revealed how the art of spin withered after the retirement of Shane Warne.Lyon’s emergence is made to look all the more remarkable by the study’s findings, which expose a crippling lack of genuine opportunities afforded to graduates of junior cricket, and a poverty of patience and understanding for spin’s subtleties.The study, conducted this year and obtained by ESPNcricinfo, was done by CA and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to better understand why spinners struggled to make a lasting impact in Warne’s wake.Following Warne’s exit from Test cricket in the first week of 2007, Australia’s selectors tried 11 spin bowlers in search of the right practitioner at the national level.In the Sheffield Shield competition, opportunities for spinners have diminished with time, their roles often limited to defensive commissions. Lyon, the most recent spin bowler to be tried for Australia, made a promising start, benefiting from a longer-term approach to his development in the team and the sympathetic captaincy of Michael Clarke.The study involved 24 Australian spin bowlers of a variety of ages, including 10 international representatives, another five first-class players, and nine state junior cricketers. Research was undertaken by CA spin coach John Davison, CA/AIS analyst Wayne Spratford and University of NSW professor David Mann.Its conclusions relate that spin bowlers were given fewer chances to grow and develop their skills relative to batsmen and fast bowlers, when the background of most spin bowlers dictated that they should be given more.”Spin-bowlers should be given more time to develop than other cricketers,” the study’s authors wrote. “In general they have played five-six years of cricket before they start to bowl spin. It is commonly acknowledged that a certain volume of practice is required to develop an expert level of performance in any given type of skill (often cited to be 10,000 hours), and as a result spin bowlers will be older than their peers by the time they have acquired a sufficient volume of practice.”Slow bowling is commonly arrived at as a cricketer’s skill of choice after other options have been tried. The study points out that spin requires more complex skills and ideas that are more easily reached and understood in adulthood.”Cricketers generally need to develop a general motor-program (‘muscle-memory’) for bowling before they can progress to bowling spin,” the study said. “This is much like a swimmer should learn to do free-style before they can specialise in other strokes.”Many of the ligaments and muscles in the shoulder, wrist, and fingers may need time to sufficiently grow and develop before children are ready to bowl spin. Junior cricketers, generally, have a preference to ‘make-it’ as a pace bowler first, and may only take up spin as a ‘default’ if they are not good enough, fit enough, or sustain injuries when bowling pace. Several of our key first-class/international spin-bowlers did not start bowling spin until they were 17-18.”Significantly, the study found that spin bowlers commonly experienced a 25% drop in the amount of overs they bowled in matches when they made the transition from junior cricket to first-class competition.”Opportunities to bowl in games diminish considerably when players transition out of junior cricket,” the study said. “Spin bowlers generally decrease their bowling by 25% when they finish junior cricket, typically at a point when they should be increasing their volume of bowling.”As spin bowlers develop in Australia, their opportunities to bowl further and gain a greater level of skill are limited by a combination of unhelpful captains, conditions and 21st century leisure habits. The study suggests that in general, young slow bowlers do not practice on their own often enough, as previous generations had done.”Many of our spin bowlers do not perform the volume of bowling that we observe performed by other sportspeople that reach high levels of achievement,” the study said. “Spin bowlers tend to be practising less by themselves and restricting most of their practice/play to official team training and games. This may be an effect of a changing society where there are less opportunities for backyard/informal play, and more distractions such as computer games and television.”