Report
Sri Lanka edge a last-ball thriller
Sri Lanka kept their cool under the lights to secure a thrilling two-run victory off the last ball of the Twenty20 international at The Rose Bowl
The Bulletin by Andrew Miller
15-Jun-2006
Sri Lanka 163 (Jayasuriya 41, Collingwood 4-22) beat England 161 for 5 (Trescothick 72) by two runs
Scorecard & ball-by-ball details
Scorecard & ball-by-ball details
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It was the end of an epic day's sport-watching for the Rose Bowl crowd, who had packed the stands two hours ahead of the game to watch England's footballers take on Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup. The festive spirit was marred after just two overs of the match, when Ed Joyce landed awkwardly while attempting a catch and had to be taken to hospital for X-rays on his damaged ankle, but fortunately he suffered only soft-tissue bruising and a sprain.
Sri Lanka won the toss, which was held at half-time of the football, and chose to bat first before the floodlights had had a chance to kick in. With England perhaps affected by Joyce's injury, they made a flying start through Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya, racing to 75 for 0 in the eighth over, but the introduction of the slower bowlers turned the innings.
Full postCork swings it Lancashire's way
Dominic Cork rolled back the years with a menacing display of seam and swing bowling on the first day at Edgbaston as Lancashire took a grip against Warwickshire
Andrew McGlashan at Edgbaston
14-Jun-2006
Lancashire 7 for 1 (Sutcliffe 4*, Loye 0*) trail Warwickshire 173 (Frost 63, Cork 6-53) by 166 runs
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Scorecard
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Dominic Cork rolled back the years with a menacing display of seam and swing bowling on the first day at Edgbaston as Lancashire took a grip against Warwickshire. He had four wickets before lunch and completed his first five-wicket haul for two years as the Warwickshire batting again struggled. For the third time in recent matches it was left to Tony Frost to perform the repair act, but his fighting 63 could only push them to 173.
Cork has his own feature on the Sky Sports show Cricket AM, called Champagne Cork, and this effort would not be out of place getting a mention. He led from the front, taking on the responsibility as the leader of an attack which is shorn of three first-choice pacemen. James Anderson is a long-term absentee while Glen Chapple and Sajid Mahmood are with the England one-day squad.
Full postLara helps Windies cling on to a draw
Brian Lara scored his second Test century against India, his fourth slowest innings ever for a score of 20 or more, to help salvage a draw for the West Indies
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
14-Jun-2006
West Indies 215 and 293 for 7 (Lara 120, Kumble 3-98) drew with India 588 for 8 dec (Sehwag 180, Kaif 148*, Dravid 146)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Brian Lara scored his second Test century against India, his second slowest innings ever for a score of 50 or more, and though it was not typically brilliant and free-flowing, it was an innings that typified his character and showed just how good a batsman he is under any circumstance. He gave up the big drive for failsafe defence, blunted rather than bludgeoned the bowling into submission and ensured that West Indies pulled off a rousing draw as the tail hung on at the death. They finished on 293 for 7, and garnered a result that they can well be proud of.
Lara's acumen was apparent early on when he decided to bat more than a foot out of his crease to the fast bowlers. This not only cut out any swing that the bowlers might be able to get, but also ensured that the umpires could barely consider giving an lbw decision in the favour of the bowler. What's more, the bowlers were forced to alter the length they operated on, and this meant that it was Lara who controlled the proceedings.
Full postRain fails to dampen impressive Jayawardene
Sri Lanka's rather faltering preparations for the NatWest Series were stymied by rain which limited their Twenty20warm-up game against a PCA Masters XI at Arundel to 16 overs
Cricinfo staff
14-Jun-2006
Sri Lankans 180 for 3 (Jayawardene 79) v PCA Masters XI - match abandoned
Scorecard
Scorecard
Sri Lanka's rather faltering preparations for the NatWest Series were stymied by rain which limited their Twenty20 warm-up game against a PCA Masters XI at Arundel to 16 overs.
After a week of sweltering heat in the south of England, the weather broke an hour into Sri Lanka's innings and while the players gamely soldiered on for a few overs, they soon had to seek shelter. Although the rain did eventually stop, no more than a cursory inspection was needed to confirm that further play would not be possible.
Against a PCA Master's XI which contained nine internationals, past and present, Mahela Jayawardene shone with a 35-ball 79 after the Sri Lankans had made a faltering start, reaching 24 for 1 after five overs.
Full postOut of town but not out of favour
Ed Craig enjoys a day off the beaten track at Stockton
Edward Craig at Stockton
13-Jun-2006
Durham 76 for 2 trail Kent 179 (van Jaarsveld 59) by 103 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Out ground cricket these days is not particularly fashionable for counties: too expensive to move all the required technical support; too much of a lottery when it comes to quality of pitch; too many moans from county staff that the changing rooms are too small. It is much more bother than its worth.
Yet it was something equally unfashionable that had driven Durham to schedule this week's fixture against Kent at Stockton - Elton John. Thanks to a concert on Saturday at the Riverside (and an impending one-day international), this suburban district played host to a Championship game for the 11th time since Durham became a first-class county.
Stockton is a suburban town, just outside Middlesbrough and the ground,
while clearly not blessed with the architectural beauty of Durham City or
even the Chester-le-Street ground, has a gentle, picturesque atmosphere.
Out-ground cricket may be dying - or regularly ignored - but here's a
prime example why it shouldn't be.
Full postCompton and Shah star for Middlesex
A round-up from the first day between Nottinghamshire and Middlesex at Trent Bridge
Cricinfo staff
13-Jun-2006
On a rain-interrupted first day at Trent Bridge, Middlesex raced to 210 for 3 from 52 overs against Nottinghamshire with fifties from Owais Shah and Nick Compton. After reaching 31, having oozed five boundaries, Ed Smith was caught behind off the bowling of Mark Ealham. Ben Hutton didn't last much longer, either, when Paul Franks trapped him for 22. Shah (66) and Compton (54*) were defiant, however, putting on 103 for the third wicket before Shah became Franks' second wicket of the day. The heavens opened, though, calling an end to the day's proceedings.
At Stockton, Durham bowled Kent out for 179 and then reached 76 for 2 at the close. A full report is available by clicking here.
Full postEngland's win fails to hide cracks
England began their one-day season with an unspectacular 38-run win in their inaugural match against Ireland at Stormont
The Bulletin by Will Luke
13-Jun-2006
England 301 for 7 (Trescothick 113, Bell 80) beat Ireland 263 for 9 (Botha 52, Harmison 3-58) by 38 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
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England began their one-day season with an unspectacular 38-run win in their inaugural match against Ireland at Stormont. Before today, Ireland had played every international side apart from England - and the sell-out crowd were rightly expecting a riotous display from England. That they were made to work so hard - both in their batting and in defending the 302 total - spoke volumes of a team out of form, not to mention a plucky Irish side brimming with determination.
Set a sizeable 302 for an unlikely win, they were given a confident start by Jeremy Bray and Andre Botha who put on fifty for the second wicket after Steve Harmison had removed Dominick Joyce for a duck in his first over. Although the early strike boosted England, it was a disappointing opening over from Harmison who twice conceded five wides, and the scattergun approach in his opening over rather set the precedent for an underwhelming 10 overs.
Full postWindies wobble as India amass 588
A solid, if not spectacular batting performance followed up by an incisive opening spell from Munaf Patel where he picked up two wickets in two balls saw India take a firm grasp on the second Test
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
11-Jun-2006
India 588 for 8 dec (Sehwag 180, Kaif 148*, Dravid 146) lead West Indies 65 for 3 by 523 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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A solid, if not spectacular, batting performance including a 23rd Test century for Rahul Dravid and a maiden Test century for Mohammad Kaif, followed by an incisive opening spell from Munaf Patel where he picked up two wickets in two balls saw India take a firm grasp on the second Test against West Indies at the Beausejour Stadium in Gros Islet, St. Lucia. Anil Kumble, never one to be left out, claimed the prize wicket of Brian Lara and West Indies were tottering at 65 for 3 in reply to India's mammoth 588 for 8 declared.
The pitch, which had played so true when India batted that the ball barely beat bat, began to do just a bit, with the ball gripping the surface just enough to afford the faster men cut and the spinner turn when India took the ball. It certainly helped that Patel was dead on target, probing away on a line attacking the stumps, seam slanting towards leg slip, the length drawing batsmen forward and yet not affording the drive. Daren Ganga was the first to suffer, trapped in front by a ball that nipped back a touch. Ramnaresh Sarwan barely had time to mark his guard when an identical delivery sent him packing, for a golden duck.
Full postIndia ride on Sehwag and Dravid
His trail-blazing innings ensured India was ahead of the game at all times, irrespective of what happened at the other end, as India took the first day on points, ending on 361 for 4.
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
10-Jun-2006
India 361 for 4 (Sehwag 180, Dravid 95*, Collins 4-75) v West
Indies
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Brian Lara signalled a thumbs-up when he heard the news that Trinidad &
Tobago had held Sweden to a goalless draw in the football World Cup. When the
first session of play was on, he might well have felt that West Indies
could count themselves lucky if they could salvage a draw in this game as Virender Sehwag blazed away magnificently, laying to rest any fears there might have been about
the pitch. His trail-blazing innings ensured India was ahead of the game
at all times, irrespective of what happened at the other end, as India
took the first day on points, ending on 361 for 4.
The pitch was a cause for concern early on - grass as even as a bad
haircut on a bald man, possible moisture under the surface, a suggestion
of softness. Sehwag seemed to listen to all this guff early on. The Indian
50 took as long as 10 overs. But it seemed like suddenly Sehwag realised
that there was no Fidel Edwards gunning for his rib-cage, much less a
Marshall-Garner-Holding-Roberts attack aiming to rip his heart out.
Full postSalisbury wraps up Surrey's win
Ian Salisbury took two wickets on the final day as Surrey wrapped up a convincing win against Leicestershire at The Oval
Jenny Thompson at The Oval
10-Jun-2006
Surrey 668 for 7 dec (Brown 215, Clarke 165, Butcher 105) beat Leicestershire 251 and 259 (Robinson 106) by an innings and 158 runs
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Scorecard
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Races against time at the Oval on a Saturday have become something of a feature of late.
Worcestershire, of course, recently chased down a mammoth 285 inside in 32 overs.
Surrey had no fears of killing off Leicestershire today, and they duly removed the last four wickets for 67 runs to complete a thumping win by an innings and 158 runs.
But, like the rest of the country, they had another match on their minds.
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