Bowling conundrum for England selectors

RICHARD SYDENHAM

England face a tricky selection dilemma ahead of Thursday's third and final test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl.

Paceman James Anderson has recovered from a side strain and will come back to lead the attack after missing the second-test draw at Lord's, meaning Steven Finn, Stuart Broad or Chris Tremlett must stand down.

"I've felt fine for a couple of weeks now. I felt fine before the Lord's test," Anderson said.

"It would have been a risk to play in that game and I've had plenty of time to recover, get stronger, do a lot of bowling, so I'm feeling pretty comfortable."

The likelihood is the 22-year-old Finn will make way as he was the fast bowler who originally came in for Anderson.

Broad has taken just 13 wickets in six tests but his all-rounder status should help his cause.

Surrey quickie Tremlett is hoping to return to the venue where he used to play with Hampshire.

England, who are 1-0 up against Sri Lanka, are looking to claim a fifth-straight series win.

Captain Andrew Strauss's team last failed to win a test series when they drew 1-1 in South Africa in 2009-10.

England have since beaten Bangladesh twice, Pakistan and Australia. Their last test series defeat was a 1-0 reverse in West Indies in early 2009.

- Reuters

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Experience and youth for cricket training camp

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has named a 15-strong New Zealand A-squad for a winter training camp ahead of August's emerging players tournament in Brisbane.

"We have taken the opportunity to reward the performance of some more experienced players while providing an opportunity for some young talent who will be important to New Zealand's future," national selection manager Mark Greatbatch said.

"A training camp prior to the EPT will give the players an opportunity to settle into their roles and develop skills at their pace.

"The emerging players tournament is a great way to end the winter programme and provides the players with competitive cricket before they start work with their domestic teams."

The other three teams in the tournament are the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and emerging cricket teams of South Africa and India.

The tournament will now see the teams completing a round of three-day matches to determine the winner.

Previous tournaments have featured Twenty20 and 50-over matches but the participating nations felt the longer version was more beneficial for overall development.

Allrounder Ben Wheeler, 20, is the only fresh face in the squad. Wheeler, who plays for Central Districts, graduated from under-19 ranks to make his first-class debut against Auckland in March last year.

The New Zealand team will assemble for their training camp in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast on July 18 before heading to Brisbane on July 26 for the emerging players tournament.

New Zealand A squad for winter training and the emerging players tournament: Graeme Aldridge, Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Neil Broom, Dean Brownlie, Derek de Boorder, Daniel Flynn, Anaru Kitchen, Bruce Martin, Andy McKay, BJ Watling, Ben Wheeler, Brad Wilson and Luke Woodcock.

- NZPA

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Vaughan Johnson to 'give it a crack' with Volts

JONATHAN MILLMOW

Former Wellington cricket coach Vaughn Johnson is playing down the emotion of returning to the Basin Reserve next summer.

Johnson was appointed coach of Otago yesterday, a surprise only in the fact that he had not applied for the position.

Johnson was headhunted by Otago and now has to find someone to run his Dunedin coaching academy and give away his hobby as an unpaid harness racing stablehand.

"I didn't apply for the job, they came and talked to me and that got me thinking that maybe I can add something," Johnson said.

"But I wouldn't have taken it on unless I wanted to do it. I've had one gig in Otago before and one in Wellington so I know what I'm getting into."

Johnson had six seasons in Wellington, winning two championships, a one-day title and four Cricket Max titles.

However, he never got to leave on his terms and some resentment is still evident, no doubt fuelled by the lack of results Wellington achieved under his replacement, Anthony Stuart.

"I guess we'll come to Wellington a few times but I'll get on with it and stay away from the people I don't like," Johnson said.

"By the time I finished in Wellington, Wellington cricket was a small part of my life and you move on."

Johnson is 50 and seems prepared for the stress and long grind that come with being a provincial coach for a season that stretches close to five months.

"The Otago people are pretty passionate so I started to get a bit excited.

"I spent two to three days late last week making phonecalls to people I respect and then after another meeting with Otago I decided to give it a crack."

Johnson regards Otago as a "strong unit with depth in their quick and slow bowlers, and batsmen".

Otago's leading players are the McCullum brothers – Brendon and Nathan – and South African born left-armer Neil Wagner, who becomes available for New Zealand in April.

- The Dominion Post

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Crunch time looming for Jacob Oram

DANIEL RICHARDSON

Jacob Oram may know on Friday whether he features in New Zealand Cricket's plans for the future.

The 1.98m all-rounder has been back in Palmerston North for three weeks following his stint in the fourth instalment of the IPL in India.

There he was an injury replacement for England's Paul Collingwood with the Rajasthan Royals.

With the New Zealand contract list of their top 20 players set to be announced on July 1, Oram has his meeting with the top brass in Christchurch on Friday, including new director of cricket John Buchanan, coach John Wright and interim selector Mark Greatbatch.

Following some handy performances at the World Cup in the sub-continent earlier this year, Oram said he was keen to play for at least another season if he was wanted.

"My body isn't too bad and I still feel like I've got something to offer," Oram told the Manawatu Standard.

"Maybe more in terms of a mentoring-type role ... For this season at least. I'm not looking past this season."

Oram said if he was given the bad news that he was not required in the top 20 list, he would still pull on the Central Districts uniform this summer.

"I'd probably like to play one last game, or series or season with them."

Oram has been enjoying some down time at home following the IPL and said he had not done anything too strenuous during the past couple of weeks.

The next Black Caps assignment is not until October, with a scheduled tour of Zimbabwe and Oram said he will not get in to cricket-specific training until August, although fitness work is on the horizon for next month.

A former junior representative football goalkeeper, the 32-year-old said he had fielded a few requests to don the boots and gloves, but he wasn't about to play his first competitive game since 1996.

"I've had a couple of offers already from various teams and guys."

The IPL was certainly something that flew under the radar in New Zealand, courtesy of no TV coverage, but Oram said it was still played with a lot of fanfare in India.

Rajasthan's home stadium in Jaipur was sold out for every game, with just under 20,000 punters turning up.

Following the retirement of leg-spinning legend Shane Warne, Oram said it was great to get the chance to take the field with him during Warne's last hurrah where he was player-coach for the Royals.

"It was awesome and that was one of the reasons I chose Rajasthan."

Oram only featured in two games for the Royals and it remained unclear if he would play for them next year as he was signed on an injury-replacement deal.

It's understood Rajasthan, who finished sixth of the 10 teams, have the first rights to him.

- Manawatu Standard

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We were outplayed, says White Ferns coach

SAM WORTHINGTON

RARE JOY: New Zealand celebrate the wicket of Australia's Jessica Cameron during yesterday's Rose Bowl match in Brisbane. However, there was little joy at the end, with Australia winning by six wickets.

Can't bat, can't bowl, can't field.

That was the brutal assessment of disappointed White Ferns coach Gary Stead after watching his charges slump to a six-wicket loss against Australia in Brisbane yesterday.

With the first one-dayer washed out, Australia's win in the second match means the best New Zealand can do is draw the series with a win in the third Rose Bowl match tomorrow.

Batting first, the White Ferns were rocked early by the loss of the free-scoring Lucy Doolan and Suzie Bates for ducks and never recovered, limping to 181 all out in 48.5 overs.

Australia were ruthless in their reply, Leah Poulton (54) and Shelley Nitschke (48) ensuring the hosts could make dinner reservations, reaching the target with 18.3 overs to spare.

"We just didn't put in a performance in any of the three facets of the game," Stead said. "We were certainly outplayed in all areas so lots to work on for the next game."

Australian medium pacer Clea Smith took 4-32 but Stead was more concerned with the "timid" approach to playing spin.

"It's pretty frustrating when you see the batsmen looking so good and then just doing some really silly things at times. We weren't positive enough with the bat to take the game to the bowlers a little bit more."

Stead, a former Black Caps batsman, did manage to find two glimmers of light among the gloom, in the form of Canterbury debutantes Frances Mackay and Lea Tahuhu.

Mackay top scored with 36 before being run out, although the opener did take 77 balls, while Tahuhu impressed with her aggression in claiming 1-38 from seven overs.

"Frankie looked as though she's got the goods to score heavily at this level," Stead said.

"And Lea bowled with some real heat, picked up an early wicket and had another one dropped in the slips. She was very, very promising."

- The Dominion Post

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Afridi could regain NOC

Last Updated: June 14, 2011 5:36pm

Afridi: Reportedly cleared to play outside Pakistan

Shahid Afridi could be cleared to play overseas again after his No Objection Certificate was reportedly reinstated on Tuesday.

The former Pakistan skipper had the NOC revoked when he criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board as he announced his retirement from international competition.

He had been set to play for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20, but the PCB's sanctions have resulted in him being unavailable for the start of the defending champions' campaign.

Afridi filed a petition against the decision, with a court hearing into the matter adjourned until June 16.

But after a meeting between Afridi and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, Geo Television say Afridi will withdraw the petition in return for having his NOC put back in place.

PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar confirmed that the meeting took place but did not confirm any further details on the outcome.

Marcus Trescothick has moved ahead of the injured Ben Stokes in the FTI MVP rankings.

Somerset continue to dominate the Sky Sports Sixes League with Peter Trego in top spot.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

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Ajmal set for Pears debut

Last Updated: June 14, 2011 5:56pm

Ajmal: delayed arrival at New Road

Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal is set to make his belated Worcestershire debut in in Friday's Twenty20 clash with local rivals Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Ajmal had originally been scheduled to link up with the Royals on June 5 after Pakistan's tour of the West Indies.

But delays in processing his visa mean he has only just obtained clearance to fly to England.

"The visa is sorted and we are hoping Saeed will be here for Friday's game (with Warwickshire)," said Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale.

"We are excited about what he can do for us after a successful tour of the West Indies.

"He will give us control in the County Championship and something different in Twenty20 cricket."

Ajmal returned 5-82 against England at Edgbaston last summer and had two five-wicket hauls in the Windies.

He will stay with the Royals until at least the end of August although he could miss the climax of the season as Pakistan have to tour Zimbabwe.

Ajmal will link up with Bangladesh skipper and fellow spinner Shakib Al Hasan at New Road.

He replaces Australian all-rounder Damien Wright, who was Worcestershire's overseas player for the first two months of the campaign.

Marcus Trescothick has moved ahead of the injured Ben Stokes in the FTI MVP rankings.

Somerset continue to dominate the Sky Sports Sixes League with Peter Trego in top spot.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

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Positive spin from Dragons

Croft: still going strong at 41

Middlesex Panthers crashed to a four-wicket loss against Glamorgan Dragons at Richmond after being put in a spin by the visitors.

Veteran slow bowlers Robert Croft (3-18) and Dean Cosker (3-11) took advantage of a low, slow wicket to take three wickets apiece as Middlesex were bowled out for 102 in 19.1 overs - their lowest ever Twenty20 total.

Opener Chris Rogers, with 30, was the only batsman to make a contribution of note in a disappointing effort.

Glamorgan's run chase was not entirely plain sailing; they slipped to 30-3 in the fifth over as seamer Ryan McLaren (3-7) made inroads.

Dragons skipper Alviro Petersen had initially stood firm with 39 from 32 balls but his dismissal, bowled by opposite number Neil Dexter (2-26), left the match back in the balance with 44 still required.

Mark Wallace, however, guided Glamorgan across the winning line from the first ball of the 17th over with 40 not out from 41 deliveries.

The Welsh county are now up to fourth in the South Group after their second win of the campaign, while Middlesex have lost four out of five and are second bottom.

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Yardy to take a break

Last Updated: June 14, 2011 4:16pm

Yardy: Will take another break from cricket

Sussex skipper Michael Yardy will take another short break from cricket as he continues his recovery from depression.

The 30-year-old spinner came home early from England's World Cup campaign due to the illness before returning to county action in May.

But he has now decided to have another spell away from the game, starting with Sussex's Friends Life t20 clash against Somerset on Tuesday.

"He's just taking some time out - whether that's a day, a week or longer, we don't put a timescale on it," said Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson.

"He's done really well. He's had a busy period and he's taking the opportunity to make sure he keeps on top of it.

"He's got a condition which is very common. What he's doing is learning to understand it so he can continue to play the cricket he wants."

Murray Goodwin will take charge of the side in Yardy's absence, something the county have prepared for.

"We have to make sure we have things in place to make sure we can continue without him," added Robinson. "But the main thing is to support the player."

Yardy remains a member of England's performance squad.

Marcus Trescothick has moved ahead of the injured Ben Stokes in the FTI MVP rankings.

Somerset continue to dominate the Sky Sports Sixes League with Peter Trego in top spot.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

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Hussey mix-up costs Notts

Last Updated: June 14, 2011 12:50pm

Hussey: Played for Nottinghamshire while unregistered

The ECB have fined Nottinghamshire for fielding Australia batsman David Hussey in a Friends Life t20 match without registering him.

The cricket discipline commission ruled that although the Outlaws had gained clearance from Cricket Australia, an "administrative oversight" was responsible for Hussey being unregistered for the clash against Derbyshire.

As a result the county have been fined £600, although Hussey, who went on to score 60 in the victory at Trent Bridge on June 3, was cleared of any wrongdoing.

An ECB statement read: "The ECB today announced that Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club has been fined £600 by the cricket discipline commission in respect of an offence of playing an unregistered player in a Friends Life t20 match earlier this month.

"After investigation, it is accepted by the commission that the failure to register was an administrative oversight on the part of the county and that the player - now registered for that county - was at all relevant times eligible to be registered to play for Nottinghamshire and that Nottinghamshire had obtained the necessary No Objection Certificate from Cricket Australia.

"The player himself, David Hussey, is entirely blameless.

"In these circumstances the matter has been dealt with by way of summary procedure.

"However, the commission wishes to underline the need for counties to ensure that players are properly registered and in timely fashion.

"Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club apologised for its error, accepted the financial penalty and have put in place measures to ensure that such an error is not repeated in the future."

Marcus Trescothick has moved ahead of the injured Ben Stokes in the FTI MVP rankings.

Somerset continue to dominate the Sky Sports Sixes League with Peter Trego in top spot.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

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Rayner cuts down Somerset

Last updated: 14th June 2011  

Rayner: took five wickets and hit winning runs

Sussex Sharks came through a nervy run chase to win a low-scoring Friends Life t20 encounter with Somerset by four wickets at Hove.

Off-spinner Ollie Rayner recorded the third best Twenty20 bowling figures in Sussex's history, claiming 5-18 as Somerset's much-vaunted batting line-up imploded to 90 all out in 17.2 overs.

The Sharks were without skipper Michael Yardy, who is taking a break from the game to continue his recovery from the depression which forced him home early from England's World Cup campaign in April.

Yardy's deputy Murray Goodwin opted to field and Somerset skipper Marcus Trescothick gave the visitors' innings early momentum with 33 off 23 balls, including three sixes - the first of which came off Rayner in the opening over.

But Craig Kieswetter's departure for three in the fourth over, skying a heave at seamer Chris Liddle's bowling, was the start of a spectacular meltdown.

Rayner was the chief destroyer, his haul included the big wicket of Trescothick, brilliantly caught on the boundary by Luke Wright, who juggled the catch to ensure he could regain his balance and avoid stepping over the rope.

The spinner, who was recently recalled from a loan spell at Middlesex, completed his five-for by having Jos Buttler (4) caught-and-bowled with the final delivery of his four-over allocation.

Faced with such a modest target under floodlights, Sussex were reduced to 22-3 by new-ball pair Gemaal Hussain (2-18) and Steve Kirby (2-17).

Goodwin steadied the ship with 27 and, despite two wickets for left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe (2-15), the hosts got home from the third delivery of the 17th over, Rayner (4no) hitting the winning boundary to cap a man-of-the-match display.

Sussex have won four of their five matches in the competition to sit second in the South Group, while Somerset remain third after suffering their second defeat.

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Durham end Outlaws streak

Mustard: Brutal knock

Durham inflicted a first Friends Life t20 defeat on North Group leaders Nottinghamshire with a 33-run victory at Chester-le-Street.

Durham opener Phil Mustard lashed 75 off 41 balls as the hosts racked up 187-6, Darren Pattinson taking 3-31.

The Outlaws' chase started brightly as they reached 105-1 inside 12 overs but they crumbled to 128-6 soon after before settling on 154-8.

Durham had 67 on the board after the six-over powerplay and Mustard reached 50 off 28 balls by driving Andy Carter over mid-off for his eighth four in the eighth over.

He departed in the 12th over when he drove at a slower ball wide of off stump from medium pacer Steven Mullaney and was stumped by Chris Read.

Paul Collingwood made only eight before going down the track and having his stumps splattered by Carter.

The runs were really drying up when South African David Miller declined Ian Blackwell's call for a leg bye and the ex-Somerset man was run out for 43, made off 27 balls.

Dale Benkenstein became the third run out victim when he drove to mid-off and had no chance of beating Pattinson's direct hit.

Alex Hales got the reply off to a flyer with four boundaries and a six before Adam Voges and Riki Wessels put on 68 for the second wicket when Voges fell for 46, clipping Blackwell to Collingwood at mid-wicket.

When David Hussey tried to get off the mark off the next ball he succeeded only in running out Wessels for 32 and the rest perished to a series of frantic strokes as the Outlaws fell 33 runs short.

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Bad break for Dilshan

Last Updated: June 14, 2011 3:08pm

Dilshan: Has suffered a broken thumb

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan will miss the third Test against England with a broken thumb.

Dilshan suffered the injury after being hit twice by deliveries from England fast bowler Chris Tremlett during the second npower Test at Lord's.

Dilshan went on to score 193 in the draw, but team manager Anura Tennekoon has confirmed the injury means he will miss the final Test at the Rose Bowl.

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Tennekoon said: "He definitely won't be playing.

"The main reason we've kept him out of this Test match is that, had he played and got another blow while fielding on that thumb, he might have been out for the rest of the tour.

"So as a precautionary measure, we have kept him out."

Kumar Sangakkara will captain the side in his absence with Sri Lanka needing a win to tie the series.

Bob Willis says Stuart Broad should be the man to miss out in the third Test against Sri Lanka.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo are aiming to climb the Sky Sports International Sixes League.

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Strauss eyes 2-0 win

England captain Andrew Strauss is delighted to have pace bowler James Anderson back in the line-up for the third Test against Sri Lanka.

Anderson has returned to England's squad following the slight side strain he suffered in the first Test win at Cardiff and is expected to play on Thursday.

Strauss told Sky Sports News: "We all know what an important part of our bowling he is.

"He's been very consistent and accurate in his performances for a long time now, so hopefully he'll be fit and leading the attack.

"We'll pick the side in the morning. We'll have a look at the wicket in the morning and make the decision then.

"But Steven Finn did some good things at Lord's and got four wickets, which was a good effort. We all know he's got a big future."

England lead the three-match series 1-0 and a draw will be enough to make sure they wrap it up.

But Strauss added: "We are determined to make it 2-0 and finish the series off.

"There's been some good cricket played by both sides amongst the showers we've had but we want to build on what we've done so far.

"We've got into decent positions in the two games so far and we want to get the victory this time."

Tourists Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be captained by Kumar Sangakkara in the absence of the injured Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Strauss added: "Dilshan batted exceptionally well at Lord's but Sri Lanka have always got depth in their batting.

"We're going to have to deal with what we encounter on the day and do the hard yards again."

Strauss continued: "The first two games have been very stop-start, it's been hard to build rhythm.

"But we've made five centuries in the first two games and if you do that you're going to win more games than you lose. There have also been some really good bowling performances and good catching. We haven't quite been at 100% but hopefully we'll improve.

"What Lord's showed is the quality of our bowling over the last 18 months, we were a bit down and it became very obvious. You can't expect to platy the perfect Test every time but we need to improve."

Strauss has struggled for form with the bat and although he insists the emphasis remains on the team's result, he added: "I want to win the series, most importantly, and hopefully get runs myself so I can head off and watch the one-dayers having secured the series."

"We are determined to make it 2-0 and finish the series off. There's been some good cricket played by both sides amongst the showers we've had but we want to build on what we've done so far. We've got into decent positions in the two games so far and we want to get the victory this time."
Andrew Strauss Quotes of the week

On the misfiring Stuart Broad, he said: "He's bowled some really good balls, some really good spells, and he hasn't got the wickets to show for that.

"We all need to perform, there are people pushing to take your places.

"That's been an important part of our success over the last couple of years, you're always likely to encounter an injury to your bowlers and you need that back-up there.

"Steven Finn is an outstanding bowler and we've got Tim Bresnan recovering from injury as well, so it means no-one can rest on their laurels."

Strauss praised the job of staff at the Rose Bowl, saying: "We're excited about it, they've done an amazing job with the stadium and there is an enthusiasm about the Rose Bowl's first Test.

"They've put a lot of time, effort and money into the ground. When it was first built the wickets weren't very good and now they're excellent, so they've answered all the questions asked of them."

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Cook admits he got it wrong

Last Updated: June 15, 2011 8:37am

Alastair Cook: Admits he scored too slowly on the final morning at Lord's

Alastair Cook has admitted he didn't score quickly enough when England were pushing for a declaration in the recent second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's.

The Essex star managed just 26 runs in the morning session of the final day as the home side tried to set up an unlikely victory.

And now Cook - preparing for Thursday's rematch with the tourists at the Rose Bowl - says he got it wrong.

He told The Sun: "In the last 30 to 45 minutes of that session, I probably did get the tempo wrong if you look at the number of runs I scored.

"The team scored 111 runs in the two hours which was roughly what we were looking for. But I was late to react to the need to score quickly.

"Luckily, Kevin Pietersen scored some runs. I didn't react quickly enough and I must learn from that."

Bob Willis says Stuart Broad should be the man to miss out in the third Test against Sri Lanka.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo are aiming to climb the Sky Sports International Sixes League.

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Anderson sure of fitness

Last Updated: June 15, 2011 7:22am

England bowler James Anderson is confident he will be fit to play in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl.

The 28-year-old paceman is set to return to the side on Thursday after missing the second Test at Lord's with a side strain.

He has not seen competitive action since picking up his injury in Cardiff, but has spent a lot of time in the nets with Lancashire before travelling down to the Rose Bowl.

"I did come down yesterday (Monday) and had a bit of a bowl in the nets - I felt fine after that. The next couple of days are going to be pretty important to get through," Anderson told Sky Sports News HD.

He added: "I've felt fine for a couple of weeks now, I felt fine before the Lord's Test but obviously it would have been a risk to play in that game.

"I've had plenty of time to recover from that and get stronger, do a lot of bowling up at Lancashire, so I'm feeling pretty confident."

England are 1-0 up in the series after a remarkable finish saw them win the first Test in Cardiff, while the second match petered out into a draw.

Only a defeat in Hampshire will prevent them from taking an overall series victory, but Anderson says the bowling attack will have to work hard in order to end on a winning note.

"It's been a tough series so far. Obviously there was that fantastic innings at Cardiff - the second innings there that helped us win the game," Anderson said.

"It's going to be hard for us to get 20 wickets here, especially if it's going to be as flat as it looks."
James Anderson on the Rose Bowl Quotes of the week

"But Sri Lanka batted fantastically well in the last game and it's going to be hard for us to get 20 wickets here, especially if it's going to be as flat as it looks.

"It's going to be a hard job for us, but something that we've come up against in the past and we're going to have to cope with again."

Steven Finn is the most likely candidate to make way for the return of Anderson, who is glad that the selectors are having to deal with a surplus of quality.

Anderson added: "It's good that the selectors are going to have a tough decision, I think they have a tough decision quite a lot of the time.

"That shows the strength that we've got in the squad and the strength of the guys that can't even make it into the squad at the moment."

Bob Willis says Stuart Broad should be the man to miss out in the third Test against Sri Lanka.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo are aiming to climb the Sky Sports International Sixes League.

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England pacemen fired up

Last Updated: June 15, 2011 8:34am

Anderson (R): Has praised Tremlett for the improvements he has made

James Anderson believes both he and Chris Tremlett will be comfortable with leading the England attack against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Along with Stuart Broad, the pair are set to provide the pace threat as England look to round off a series win over the tourists in the third Test at the Rose Bowl.

Unlike Broad, however, both Anderson and Tremlett have sometimes seemed reluctant to show the brashness required of front-line international pacemen.

Anderson thinks Tremlett, who will return to the ground where he learned his trade at Hampshire, is now a much more complete bowler than he was when he made his Test debut against India four years ago.

"I thought he was brilliant in that India series," the Lancashire bowler said.

"He's become a lot more skilful, can swing the ball both ways, reverse swing as well - and obviously his height is a massive advantage."
James Anderson on Chris Tremlett Quotes of the week

"I think he got injured after that and got forgotten about. Since he came in (last winter) in Australia, he's done fantastically well.

"I think the move to Surrey has helped him. He's become a lot more skilful, can swing the ball both ways, reverse swing as well - and obviously his height is a massive advantage."

Anderson is enjoying a growing reputation as an aggressive fast bowler and says the intimidating aspect of his game is something he has been working on over time.

He added: "I've always had it. But I'd never been able to channel it.

"I've often in the past got quite emotional, lost concentration on what we're actually doing and been sucked into a battle with the opposition - and not bowled very well.

"What I've started to do, and what I felt I did really well in Australia was to be able to have a battle with that batsman or two batsmen - and also be able to concentrate and keep calm when it came to delivering the next ball."

The 28-year-old charts his emergence as the country's premier seamer to the exits of Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard in the post Duncacn Fletcher era.

"It's only since 2007, when Peter Moores was in charge, and there was a shift when we played India and then that New Zealand tour that I felt a real part of the team," he said.

"Now I feel like I've got to a position where I'm confident in the Test team, I have a lot to offer both on and off the field - whereas before 2007 I was in and out, and I had injury problems.

"That left me as the senior bowler in the side - I had to step up and be more of a leader. I do remember a change in New Zealand in 2008. Hoggy and Harmy missed out, and Broady came in

"I certainly felt a lot more responsibility. I've moved on from there."

Bob Willis says Stuart Broad should be the man to miss out in the third Test against Sri Lanka.

Paul Allott and his panel are back to bring you the stories behind this week's cricket headlines.

Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo are aiming to climb the Sky Sports International Sixes League.

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Guptill behind Falcons win

Guptill: Set the tone

New Zealand international Martin Guptill inspired Derbyshire to a five-run Friends Life t20 victory over Durham on Friday eveing.

Guptill struck 60 from 43 balls, while Wayne Madsen added a maiden half-century as Derbyshire scored 183-3 on home soil.

Gordon Muchall led the Durham chase with 62 but the Dynamos came up short on 178-5.

Guptill reached his maiden fifty for Derbyshire off 35 balls as he and Wes Durston put on 88 in 11 overs for the opening stand.

The latter was caught behind off Gareth Breese for 25 and Guptill followed in the spinner's next over, clubbing a full toss to extra cover.

Chesney Hughes hit a brisk 23 off 14 balls before Breese took a fine running catch off the bowling of Graham Onions in the 15th over.

The Falcons were in danger of falling short but Madsen improvised well in reaching 50 off just 28 balls with 53 coming from the final four overs.

The reply started promisingly with Muchall and Phil Mustard putting on 88 in 10 overs, Muchall's 50 coming off 30 balls.

Mustard gave Hughes (1-28) the charge and was stumped for 36 and with the Derbyshire bowlers keeping the pressure on, both Ian Blackwell and Paul Collingwood failed to reach double figures.

Muchall skied one to cover leaving the Dynamos requiring 56 off the last four overs, and despite Dale Benkenstein and David Miller taking 18 from Durston's third over, the momentum was lost when Benkenstein pulled Steffan Jones to deep mid-wicket.

Breese pulled Tim Groenewald for six but 15 off the final over proved too much as Jones kept runs to a premium.

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Get Carbs on board

Andrew Strauss is not the most flamboyant of captains but you sense he's a good man for a crisis.

He didn't panic after his team was bowled out for 51 in Jamaica so you can bet he won't panic after England scored twice as many at Headingley.

True, the stakes are much higher in an Ashes series but wholesale change is not the Strauss way; neither is sitting on his hands, however. Ian Bell was axed in the Caribbean and the same fate could await Ravi Bopara, the latest incumbent of the number three position.

All Oval it: Croydon-born Carberry began career at Surrey

Bopara is a fine player with a huge international future ahead of him but the same could be said of misfiring Aussie opener Phil Hughes.

Ricky Ponting recognised Andrew Flintoff had got the better of Hughes and the decisive call was made: promising young tyro out; more senior man with a lot still to prove (Shane Watson) in. Watson has gone a long way to repaying the faith with three fifties in three knocks; Strauss will have looked on with interest.

But knowing who to get rid of is only part of the equation. You have to know who you want to keep, and then the trickiest part of all: knowing who should come in.

England need a player who can land a haymaker or two. Carberry gets his runs quickly and would be electric in the field.

David Fulton
Quotes of the week

If we again use Australia as the example, we must credit their selectors for sticking with the previously out of sorts Mitchell Johnson. Ponting's 'go-to' man in their previous two series against South Africa, Johnson had become a liability by the end of the Lord's Test leaking more than six runs per over, whilst rarely threatening the stumps.

Ponting's answer was to shield him from the limelight and the new ball, the fielding equivalent to moving a batsman down the order. That tactic and a lot of hard work from the player himself and the bowling coach, Troy Cooley, has seen a resurgent Johnson impact the series as we suspected he might at the outset.

That he bowled so well at Headingley might also be explained by the presence of a fourth seamer, something conspicuously absent in the first three Tests. Australia's success in the aforementioned South Africa series was based on four quicker bowlers and the part time spin of Marcus North, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke.

Four quality seamers ensures there is no respite for a batting side as there is less need for rotation and less need for the bowlers to have to pace themselves. If one of the four is having an 'off' day you can cover him. In a three-man attack it is nigh on impossible to manage such a situation.

Nathan Hauritz's inclusion was necessary at Cardiff but he should have been discarded for Stuart Clark thereafter. Hauritz's name will be in the mix for the Oval, however, given the playing surface's propensity for taking turn. Ponting will have selection headaches once more.

Strauss was bold at Headingley opting for five bowlers. I would take issue with anyone who said it backfired. It didn't. Bat that badly and you could have played eight batters. What didn't help was the continual speculation about Flintoff's fitness.

An earlier decision was needed as the sight of him limping through the eve of Test nets would not have been helpful for team morale. The 'will he won't he' scenarios would have permeated through the squad when clarity of thought and role were important for some of the other players.

The good news is that Flintoff appears to be on course to play a full role in the final Test. His ability to extract bounce from the Oval surface and to seize the key moments of any Ashes contest are huge factors for England.

Where there's Freddie - a fully fit one - there's always hope. I'm sure he was gutted to have been left out at Headingley but sometimes captains and coaches have to step in to save players from themselves. Strauss' dose of 'tough love' for England's talisman, albeit a touch belated, might just give him the chance to bow out of Test cricket as an Ashes winning hero once more.

This leaves the question of who comes in at number three should Bopara be relieved of his place.

The romantics have called for Mark Ramprakash but why now? It's not like he's suddenly batting better than he has for the last four years! Rob Key, the Kent captain, is another name much mentioned by the media. I opened the batting with him for nearly 10 years and know he'd be up for the fight.

He has the right character for Test cricket and was harshly dropped before the Ashes of 2005, but how well is he playing? A poor season by his high standards has only partly been remedied by a double century against Glamorgan in division two of the championship. He did score a hundred the previous week at the Oval - perhaps a good omen - but so did three other Kent players against a depleted Surrey attack.

My vote would go to Michael Carberry of Hampshire. He's an opening batsman but versatile enough to bat three or four in the Hawks' one-day side. He was brought up on the true bouncy pitches at the Oval and most importantly he's the form player in the country having scored three hundreds and a double hundred in his last four matches in the championship's top flight.

It would be a tough environment to make your debut but not any tougher than that faced by Graham Thorpe, who made a century at Trent Bridge against Warne and company in 1993.

Carberry would be a punchy call, but Strauss knows England need a player who can land a haymaker or two. He gets his runs quickly and would be electric in the field. It's a gamble for sure but a calculated one and now is not the time for playing safe.

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All-conquering heroines

The England Women's cricket team are fast becoming the Roger Federer of their game, sweeping all before them with an air of inevitability.

On Sunday, they added the ICC World Twenty20 to the 50-over World Cup and the Ashes after clinically despatching New Zealand in a one-sided final.

I'm sure the England girls couldn't give a stuff but I'd like to add my own personal congratulations. Not only were they excellent on the field but they were a credit to themselves off it: professional, polite, media friendly and they looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Party time: England celebrate their World Twenty20 win

Now, I never thought I'd be writing about women's cricket. I used to have a love/hate relationship with the female version of the game - I basically loved to hate it. My rationale was that if the best female players in the world couldn't beat the fourth XI of a men's Kent league side then I wasn't that interested.

Women's golf: brilliant. Women's athletics and tennis: likewise (although why the female tennis players should get the same money as men for playing fewer sets I'll never know); I even admit to having enjoyed women's rugby (albeit for many of the wrong reasons) and I can appreciate the precise skill of women's football when it's played well.

Women's cricket, though, has never floated my boat. You see coaching the University of Kent's women's team left me scarred for life. I had high hopes for the side. We possessed a pair of ferocious opening bowlers, a couple of spinners (ok, that's stretching the truth - they lobbed it up there on a length) and a couple of hockey players who gave the ball a mighty thump.

Our first competitive match in the inter university competition was against a Sports College from Brighton, whose batsmen all played with immaculate techniques to amass 250. We'd done well early but the fifth bowler was my then girlfriend who lost the plot when I called her for overstepping the front line. Thereafter, in between glaring at yours truly, she dished up a series of wides then longhops, which were all pummelled to the boundary; once they'd got the taste of smashing 16 per over those Brighton girls never looked back.

I still felt we had a chance of chasing the total down if our hockey players came off but during my team talk between innings, batters three and four decided that was the time for a spontaneous show of lustful affection. Previously never more than just friends, they were suddenly rolling around in a passionate embrace. Apparently my desire for a 'top-order partnership' had been misinterpreted. From that moment on we never regained our composure: bowled out for 69 would you believe!

I was reminded of the narrowing of the gap between our national cricket teams when I launched my book 'The Captains' Tales - Battle for the Ashes (available in all good book shops!) We advertised the fact David Gower, Mike Gatting, Alec Stewart and Bob Willis would be in attendance along with other former England captains and Phil Hughes the precocious Australian opener. I also said we were hopeful Clare Connor and Charlotte Edwards might be able to make it. One TV crew phoned to say that if the England women's captain past and present were definitely going to be there they would attend - they clearly had no interest in some of the greats of the men's game! Neither girl could make it due to prior commitments but both wrote lovely emails wishing me all the best.

I hope the example set by Charlotte Edwards and her team and the work they do through the Chance to Shine project will encourage the game at grass roots level for both sexes. They, too, will now contest a series against Australia but unlike their male counterparts they will start as clear favourites. It is something they are fast becoming used to.

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No play at Taunton

Last updated: 12th June 2011  

Somerset's Friend's Life t20 game against Hampshire Royals was called off an hour before the scheduled start due to torrential morning rain in Taunton. The umpires inspected at 1.30pm, shortly after the Hampshire team had arrived, and decided no play would be possible with the outfield saturated.

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Rain ruins Anderson's return

Last updated: 12th June 2011  

Anderson: will have to wait to make his comeback

England seamer James Anderson was denied the chance to prove his fitness ahead of the third Test against Sri Lanka, as Lancashire's Friends Life t20 clash at Worcestershire was washed out.

Umpires Jeff Evans and David Millns called the game off at 2.30pm, meaning both sides pick up a point apiece.

England, who lead the series 1-0, recalled Anderson to their 12-man squad, with Jade Dernbach the man to make way.

The 28-year-old had missed the second Test at Lord's after suffering a side strain whilst bowling in the series opener in Cardiff.

He had been due to test out the injury ahead of this week's match at the Rose Bowl with a four-over burst for his county at New Road.

However rain ruined Anderson's planned comeback as the North Group contest was called off without a ball being bowled - though he insisted he was still ready to play international cricket.

"Getting my four overs of action would have helped that bit more, but unfortunately it's not to be," he told Sky Sports News.

"I'd quite like to get the overs under my belt because a match situation's very different to bowling in the nets. Unfortunately it's not going to happen, but I feel fine and hopefully I'll be fit for Thursday's Test.

"It was a very minor (strain). I think it was more precautionary and if I'd carried on bowling in the Cardiff game it could have got a lot worse."

As for Worcestershire, the loss of a crowd-pulling fixture was another setback, coming on top of the complete washout a week earlier in their opening Twenty20 home game against Durham.

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Up for grabs

Few season-openers have been as mouth-watering as the one that awaits us this week as County Champions Durham take on a strong MCC side at Lord's.

It's Ashes year for starters and with Andrew Strauss, who remains the boss in the longer forms despite his omission from the 30-man Twenty20 squad, saying he knows 9 of his best Test 11 it would appear there's a batting spot and a fast bowling place up for grabs; the likely candidates from outside the current England squad to fill these two spots are all on show at Lord's.

Vaughan: England return?

Ironically, the man in possession of the vulnerable number three position, Owais Shah, will be jetting off to South Africa to play for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL at a time when he needs to be doing everything in his power to reinforce his credentials over the longer form of the game.

His absence from the early weeks of the County Championship opens wider a door that has refused to shut since Michael Vaughan's form began to decline ahead of his resignation as England captain.

Vaughan is included in the MCC line-up and will start favourite for a re-call to England colours in May if he can begin the season showing solid evidence that he is back to his best.

Along with Pietersen, Vaughan is the man Australia fear after his batting heroics of 2002-03 when he pumped out three centuries, not to mention the small matter of his positive influence as captain in England's 2005 triumph. Andrew Flintoff and Pietersen might have grabbed most of the headlines - as they've continued to do - but make no mistake: it was Vaughan in alliance with Duncan Fletcher that pulled the strings.

Vaughan reeled off a classy century for Yorkshire on their recent trip to Dubai but England will want to see consistency from the former captain; Flintoff's team was punished in the last Ashes series for too many nostalgic selections.

Also in contention are Ian Bell, Shah's predecessor at three and Robert Key, the Kent captain, who will lead the MCC team out at Lord's. The pair have jostled for selection before, most notably for the South Africa tour of 2004-05. Key rightly made that trip after a double-hundred at Lord's against the West Indies and a more vital innings at Old Trafford, where he steered England to victory with 93 not out to clinch the series.

Key was contentiously not selected for the first Test of the South Africa series, a returning Mark Butcher preferred, and his international career has not been back on track since. Now, though, Key is older and wiser, prepares better than he once did and crucially knows his game. His rise to prominence in Twenty20 cricket to the extent that he is one of the favourites for the England captaincy for the World Twenty20 will do his cause no harm.

If Key's star is in the ascendancy, the same cannot be said of Bell, who seemed to have established himself as a top international batsman in 2006 when he pumped out three consecutive centuries against Pakistan, but who looked a shadow of his former self in India this winter. In need of a mental break he spent most of the West Indies tour charging around as a substitute fielder.

At his best Bell is easier on the eye than Key and Shah but he will need to hammer some big scores for Warwickshire if he is to wrest his place back.

The MCC pace attack is a blend of old and new. Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) and Steve Finn (Middlesex) are bowlers of great potential, who will be observed keenly but perhaps more interesting in an immediate England context is how Kabir Ali and Saj Mahmood will measure up against the bristling Durham attack.

Ali has long bemoaned his bad luck at the hands of the England selectors with some justification, while Mahmood has the pace and athleticism to be a fine asset at international level if he can harness control and consistency as well as a touch more nous.

Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Flintoff are an impressive pace triumvirate in England conditions but they are on the lookout for a fourth musketeer in time for the first Test of the summer against the West Indies on May 6th.

With question marks over Steve Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom and Amjad Khan sidelined with a knee injury, Mahmood, Ali and Durham trio Liam Plunkett, Graham Onions and the underrated Mark Davies are all in contention.

It promises to be a great start to the season.

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Ashes blunder

England's hierarchy weren't exactly choking on their cornflakes as they digested the revelation of the new Australian Ashes squad over breakfast last week.

Andrew Strauss, Andy Flower & Co will know that while you must never underestimate an Australian side, never has the old enemy looked more beatable.

Where once there was Warne, read Hauritz: a very decent 'offie' but whom most counties wouldn't look at twice as an overseas player.

Symonds: Dropped

Instead of Steve Waugh or Allan Border to solidify the middle of the innings, lurks Marcus North, a gutsy left-hander, who made a hundred on debut in South Africa but who will fill England more with anticipation than fear.

And as for the all-rounder position, Andrew Hilditch and his fellow selectors have plumped for the dependability of Andrew McDonald over the enigmatic Andrew Symonds to accompany the fragile Shane Watson.

The Aussie selectors have played safe. McDonald was a very decent performer in South Africa dismissing Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiers at crucial stages in the series. He's only medium pace but he bowls straight and to a plan and poses a different threat to the twin spearheads of Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee.

Sometimes a batsman can get used to the pace of bowlers operating at 90mph and find it difficult to adjust to the demands of having to wait for the 75mph stuff, which from a technical perspective involves holding your shape for longer.

Also, having had adrenalin surging through your veins in what is often a game of courage against the quicks, facing the medium pace of a McDonald asks different questions of your temperament and concentration.

That said, England will be delighted Symonds is not in the side. As someone who has captained him and witnessed both the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde elements of his cricketing persona, I'd have him in my team every time.

I can't believe he'd be disruptive for the rest of the team as he's such a good team man: he's very loyal to his mates and would do anything for them. The psychotherapist working through his rehabilitation said as much when asked.

Symonds has the ability to turn a game on its head at any time whether batting, bowling or in the field. I've seen him swing the new ball and then return to rip the old one square bowling his off-breaks on the kind of pitch that Cardiff is likely to be.

With the bat he's even more dangerous. In Melbourne during the last Ashes series England had reduced Australia to 84-5 in their first innings but Symonds - in alliance with his old mate Matthew Hayden - counterattacked, helping his team to post 419.

He brought up his hundred with a straight six off Paul Collingwood; his joyous celebration, where he landed in the arms of Hayden, was one of the images of the series.

Symonds is an in-your-face type of cricketer who is never nice to play against. He has a huge physical presence, which is menacing as well. You sense he's always coming to get you; that he wants you out of the way and that rubs off on his team mates. It's why I believe Ricky Ponting wanted him in the side.

Ultimately the selectors thought he'd be too big a gamble; perhaps they were right. His personal problems have been too public over the last few years, while his form has deteriorated. But there can be no doubt that the Ashes will be poorer as a spectacle for not having him there.

Symonds is a box-office player for the right reasons as well as the wrong. His selection would have made England sit up a little straighter and swallow that bit harder.

Dave Fulton is the author of "The Captains' Tales - Battle for the Ashes"

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Black Cap James Franklin wants top-20 call-up

MARK GEENTY

Dropped at the World Cup, rejuvenated in the Indian Premier League. The familiar roller-coaster which is James Franklin's career rushes on as he waits anxiously to see if he features in New Zealand Cricket's plans.

A year ago Franklin was dropped from NZC's chosen 20 and considered packing in his black cap and chasing a fulltime English county career.

Then in February he was added to NZC's payroll under the new elevated contract system.

Now he heads a list including Wellington team-mates Grant Elliott, Luke Woodcock and Jeetan Patel, of those on the cusp as coach John Wright and co-selector Mark Greatbatch nut out their top 20 for the coming season, to be confirmed on July 1.

"I'm obviously hoping like a number of other people. I take nothing for granted. Last year I missed out so I'll leave it to others to speculate [on my chances]. It's a little bit nervy but that's the reality of our sport,'' Franklin said.

Having rushed back to form in India last December and featuring with bat and ball against Pakistan at home, Franklin went to the World Cup as a frontliner.

But after two DNB's in the romps over Kenya and Zimbabwe, 0 against Australia and 1 against Pakistan, then two late cameos against Canada and Sri Lanka, he was dropped by Wright and captain Daniel Vettori for the knockout stages.

"It was fairly mixed. I didn't do what I set out to do for the team and it was pretty frustrating. There were two early games where I didn't get a bat or a bowl, and because the games were spaced apart I didn't have a decent bat for 2-3 weeks. I didn't feel in great nick and that reflected in my stats.''

His stint in India extended to four months when he made his IPL debut for Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians, who signed him for US$100,000 at the player auction. After more idle weeks he got a late call-up and responded, averaging 53.50 from five innings at a strike rate of 137 as Mumbai made the preliminary final before being eliminated by Vettori's Bangalore. Franklin will return in September for the Champions League.

"I've still got belief in my own ability and my own game. It was more just getting the opportunity from the coaches and the owners to have a crack at it.''

Sharing a dressing room with Tendulkar and observing his hero status in India was a highlight.

"He's a really nice guy and it's fascinating to watch the way he trains and prepares for games under all that scrutiny. That was good fun, also getting to know him and what his interests are outside the game.'' For Tendulkar, that list is headed by cars and Formula One.

Now back home with wife Kerry and son Charlie, 2, and a second child due in July, Franklin, 30, is taking his first serious break in two years instead of rejoining Gloucestershire.

His player review with Wright and Greatbatch will focus on his bowling, which he hopes to return to the state it was five years ago. With 89 ODIs and 27 tests to his name, the premier allrounder's spot remains a big goal when training resumes next month.

"Bowling is going to be a key emphasis, to work hard and get it back to a standard where I can win games for whoever I play for. It has been a bit topsy turvy for the past two years.'' 

- The Dominion Post

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Stop whinging, Poms!

It would appear that everyone seems to be getting their knickers in a twist about Stuart Clark and Phil Hughes playing county cricket ahead of the Ashes. Can we all relax, please?

The Aussies are scoring all kinds of psychological points not because we're welcoming them into the bosom of our domestic game, but because we're so bothered about it.

Shane Warne and Brad Hodge played county cricket in 2005 as did Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds and Clark, who were ready to fill any vacancies in the original squad. Did we moan or whinge? No, we concentrated on playing good aggressive cricket and whipped their backsides.

Clark Kent: Aussie playing county cricket

If I was in charge of the England team I'd be making positive noises about Middlesex signing Hughes (regardless of what I actually thought). He is an unknown quantity with an unorthodox style, who has made a great start to his Test career scoring a century in each innings of his second Test in Durban.

South Africa have struggled to contain him because they have not known where to bowl to him.

Let's not focus on the negative of him familiarising himself with English conditions, but the positive: we have a gilt edged opportunity to work out his game and how best to bowl at him.

He's so strong through the off-side let's attack him on middle stump; the short ball needs to be directed over the top of leg stump because he likes to stay leg side. If the county attacks find a way then he could be mentally shot before the start of the Ashes.

As for Clark - and speaking as a former Kent man - I'd like to see him win some games for his new county before Rob Key bowls him 20 overs straight to induce a back spasm. Just as Australia think he's back to his dependable best he gets injured - no problem.

England have played into Australian hands by making an issue of it all. Tim Nielsen, the Australian coach, has been rubbing his hands. He said it's good to hear England 'bleating' already.

Come on lads, we might not be playing very good cricket but we shouldn't be showing our mental vulnerability.

It's a argument, anyway. New Zealand allowed Andrew Strauss and Jimmy Anderson a first-class path back to form ahead of the Test series there last year, while England players have cut their teeth in Australian grade cricket for decades.

Angus Fraser benefitted from Australian club cricket in 1994-95 before being drafted in to the England squad when it was beset by injuries.

So please: no more 'Whinging Poms'.

We have enough to be concerned about trying to win some matches in the Caribbean. The best preparation for the Ashes is not to be talking about it but to rediscover the winning habit.

There are still five one-day internationals in the West Indies before a return two-match series against Chris Gayle's side, and then the World Twenty20 - all ahead of the summer's main event.

If we remember anything from 2005 it ought to be the way the guys were mentally aggressive. At the moment we're in danger of reverting to type.

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Madsen makes fifty in vain

Madsen: Fifty before the rain

Wayne Madsen's second successive half-century for Derbyshire against Durham proved in vain as Sunday's Friends Life t20 clash was washed out mid-match at Chester-le-Street.

The South African right-hander followed his 28-ball half-century at Derby on Friday evening by reaching 50 off only 25 deliveries at the Riverside.

His entertaining cameo propelled the visitors to 169-5, 14 fewer than in Friday's five-run home win, but rain prevented Durham from beginning their reply.

By the time Madsen was out for 54 in the 19th over the drizzle which had started in the 10th over was growing heavier.

The washout left both teams in the bottom four of the northern group.

New Zealand international Martin Guptill smacked four successive boundaries off Chris Rushworth's first over of the match, and eventually made 44 before presenting a return catch to Liam Plunkett.

Graham Onions conceded only one run off the second over, when he also had Wes Durston caught at third man, and in tandem with Plunkett he kept a tight rein on Guptill after his flying start.

Plunkett's first three overs cost only 16 but his fourth went for 15 as he bowled two leg-side wides either side of Madsen flipping him for six just over the head of Ian Blackwell at long leg.

The left-handed Chesney Hughes also began to middle the ball, lifting off-spinner Gareth Breese over long-on and hitting a second six over mid-wicket off Paul Collingwood.

England's Twenty20 World Cup winning captain had not bowled on Friday but came on for the 15th over and took two for 24 in three overs.

Hughes fell for 48 in going for another big hit off Breese, then Madsen reached his 50 by turning Collingwood to fine leg for his seventh four before the same bowler had him caught behind.

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