All posts by csb10.top

Clint McKay has been called in to Australia’s squad as cover for Ben Hilfenhaus, who remains in doubt for the second Test in Leeds. Hilfenhaus hurt his left shoulder during Australia’s win over Pakistan at Lord’s, when he dived to save a boundary on the fourth and final day.Australia’s physio Alex Kountouris has been working with Hilfenhaus since Friday’s victory, and the bowler was reported to be feeling better on Sunday. Hilfenhaus was the most convincing of Australia’s fast bowlers at Lord’s, where he finished with match figures of 3 for 74 and swung the ball with excellent control.Although Australia remain hopeful that Hilfenhaus will be fit for the Headingley Test, which begins on Wednesday, the selectors have covered their bases by calling for McKay, the Victoria seamer. McKay was part of the one-day squad that lost to England in the lead-up to the Tests and he won’t have far to travel, as he has been playing for Yorkshire in the Friends Provident Twenty20.McKay was playing in Derbyshire on Sunday afternoon and was expected to join the Australians in Leeds on Sunday evening. Although McKay has already played Test cricket, the more likely scenario if Hilfenhaus is ruled out would be a debut for Peter George, the South Australia fast man.George, 23, was a late addition to the squad when he replaced Ryan Harris, who flew home after the one-day series with a knee injury. George bowled in Australia’s warm-up match against Derbyshire but did not collect a wicket.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar put paid to the notion that Twenty20 is a young man’s game, with their fleet-footed running (file photo)•Associated Press

Triple play
The sight of Sanath Jayasuriya, well past the age of 40, and Sachin Tendulkar, nearly 37, scampering two threes in the first over of the game was something else. On both occasions it was Tendulkar, with the gusto of a twenty-something, loudly urging his partner on for the third run, each time turning around before Jayasuriya. No country for old men? Yeah right.In the same over, after giving chase to a well-placed clip from Tendulkar through midwicket, a 28-year-old Gautam Gambhir pulled up with a sore hamstring. He had to leave the field before the start of the second over, while the two old men continued stealing ones and twos from under the fielders’ noses.Lord of the fans
Gambhir pointed out how crucial the home fans would be for his team tonight, even going as far as to say they would be the 12th man, but the crowd’s reaction to each run Tendulkar gathered made it sound more like Dadar than Delhi. When Tendulkar clipped three runs, collecting the ball from outside off and working those wrists, the fans showed their appreciation. When he walked down the track and put Farveez Maharoof away for four, they went wild. And when Tendulkar steered a lovely four, opening his hands and placing it past the infield, well that was just what you’d expect from fans of this man. Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, had spoken before the first season of how he had envisioned city-based loyalties. That’s not going to happen anywhere in India when Tendulkar is batting.Catching on
Yogesh Nagar, the substitute fielder for Gambhir, pulled off the catch of the tournament while fielding at mid-off. Jayasuriya drove Maharoof on the rise and it appeared destined for the boundary, but Nagar stuck his right hand, while airborne and leaping backwards, and pulled off a ripper. Nagar was in the thick of action later, running in and taking a neat low catch to cut off Tendulkar for a splendid 32-ball 63.Maharoof suffers again
Maharoof was lucky to get the wicket of Jayasuriya, and his habit of leaking runs continued. He entered this game as Delhi’s most expensive bowler in the tournament and his troubles preceded him. His first over saw Tendulkar and Jayasuriya pick up a boundary each. His second over began with Tendulkar collecting two fours, and Jayasuriya’s exit had no bearing on him either, as he hit the next two balls as if he was facing a spinner, using his feet and wrists and displaying impeccable placement. Maharoof came on to bowl his third over, the tenth of the innings, and promptly sprayed the ball down the leg side for five wides, bringing up the fastest 100 of the IPL. For good measure, Tendulkar finished off by taking him for another four that gave him figures o 3-0-40-1. Maharoof’s bemused expression, drooping shoulders and lethargic walk back to his fielding position said exactly what state of mind he was in.Carry on Tiwary
Saurabh Tiwary has not been able to match the achievements of some of his fellow 2008 Under-19 World Cup-winning team-mates, namely Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Ravindra Jadeja, but in two IPL matches this season he’s been blazing like wildfire. Tiwary hails from the same state as MS Dhoni, Jharkhand, keeps wicket, and once admitted that Dhoni was his batting hero. This evening, as he did against Rajasthan Royals, Tiwary played some shots straight out of the Dhoni manual. The long, dyed, straightened hair might be so 2007, a la Dhoni, but the shots that flowed from Tiwary’s bat were very much in keeping with the current format.Wake-up call
Kieron Pollard, the most expensive buy in this year’s IPL auction, barely had enough time to get over his jetlag – he and Dwayne Bravo arrived in Delhi late last night – before he was out in the middle needing to really swing his bat in the last two overs of Mumbai’s innings. If he was a bit groggy, the second ball he faced sure as hell woke him up. It slipped out of Dirk Nannes’ hand and ended up a nasty beamer that very narrowly missed knocking off Pollard’s head. Such was the gravity of that illegal delivery that Virender Sehwag, fielding at square leg, gasped and cupped his mouth with his hands. Pollard’s reply? Biff the next ball down the ground, where Mishra spilled a tough chance.Sweet, but far too shortTillakaratne Dilshan had faced three deliveries in IPL 2010 and was out twice without scoring a run. Hardly a fluent start to the season, but when he came out to open in place of an injured Gambhir, Dilshan realized it was time to flex his muscles. Seeing a length ball first up, he smashed Zaheer Khan over mid-off for four. More frenetic hitting followed as Dilshan slashed and inside-edged four before steering a boundary behind point. Seventeen runs in 11 balls was exciting stuff, but unfortunately it was too exciting to last long, because he swiped at the next ball and was bowled.Playing for keeps
It was called a wide, but little did that matter. Harbhajan Singh’s delivery spun down the leg side, Dinesh Karthik fell over trying to play it, and before you could say Jack Robinson, the wicketkeeper Aditya Tare broke the sticks with an excellent reactionary flick. It was brilliant work down the leg side. Tare’s reaction to the dismissal was equally mind-blowing because he charged toward the bowler, laughing and leaping like he’d just hit the winning penalty kick in a World Cup final.

ScorecardEllyse Perry claimed two wickets to limit West Indies in their run-chase•Getty Images

Australia’s women maintained their 100% record, and booked themselves a slot in the first semi-final in St Lucia on May 13, by seeing off West Indies by nine runs in a tight contest in Basseterre.There was little at stake except for pride, with both sides already assured of their progression to the last four, but it was Australia who finished the group stage the stronger, thanks to a disciplined allround display.After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Australia posted a solid but unspectacular 133 for 7 in their 20 overs, with seven of their eight batsmen reaching double figures. The captain, Alex Blackwell, was the top-scorer with 28 from 26 balls, while Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed, with three wickets apiece, were the pick of the West Indies attack.In reply, West Indies suffered an early setback when Juliana Nero and Cordel Jack were both dismissed within three balls of one another (16 for 2), but Stafanie Taylor led the revival with an unbeaten 58 from 54 balls, adding 46 for the third wicket with Britney Cooper, who made 27.However, Australia’s bowlers held their nerve and kept their discipline, with Ellyse Perry claiming 2 for 19 in three overs to peg West Indies back in mid-innings. Her wickets included Deandra Dottin, who fell for her second first-ball duck in consecutive matches, having launched the tournament with a 38-ball century.

After a protracted period of speculation and discussion, Rory Hamilton-Brown will join Surrey next season, where he will become captain, after signing a three-year contract with the London club.Hamilton-Brown, 22, will become the youngest captain on the country circuit, returning to the club he left only two seasons ago. Shawn of opportunities at the Oval, Hamilton-Brown moved to Sussex in 2008 and made eight first-class appearances and was an important member in the club’s recent one-day success.Leaving Sussex was a difficult decision for Hamilton-Brown but he returns to Surrey to fulfil a life-long ambition. “It has taken a considerable amount of soul-searching to reach this decision and I’d like to place on record my sincere thanks to Sussex for the fantastic support they have given me and their understanding of my final decision,” said Hamilton-Brown.”I leave the club with great memories and the club, the players and the coaches have played a major part in my development as a player. It’s no exaggeration to say that returning to Surrey as captain is the dream of a lifetime for me personally as well as a massive honour and a huge responsibility. I will make sure I fulfil the confidence that Surrey and specifically Chris Adams have shown in me and I am determined to help bring the club success in the future.”Chris Adams, who is now the director of cricket at Surrey, captained Hamilton-Brown at Sussex in 2008 and has said he wanted a captain to unite the players following former-skipper Mark Butcher’s retirement last season. He believes Hamilton-Brown, despite his inexperience, is the man for the job.”To me, captains have to have certain attributes such as charisma, a galvanising spirit, intelligent and tactical brains and the ability to inspire people to follow them – Rory Hamilton-Brown has these in abundance,” said Adams.”I’m sure that the addition of Rory to our squad will give us stability, unity and strong leadership for many years to come and enable us – for the first time in two years – to provide consistent leadership on the field of the play. I am confident that the return of Rory Hamilton-Brown to Surrey at the start of a new decade will come to be seen as a defining moment in the turnaround of this club.”Hamilton-Brown has been with England Performance Programme in South Africa recently, on the back of the promise he displayed last season, and Sussex were reluctant to lose such a bright prospect. However coach Mark Robinson said that once the player decided he wanted to leave, it would have been detrimental to the team to force him to stay.”Our aim since we signed Rory was to work on his undoubted potential to create an England cricketer and we believe that we have made good progress along that path. Our view remains that he would have been best served remaining with Sussex as a key part of our first-team squad, in all forms of the game for 2010, to achieve that ambition,” said Robinson.”However, Rory is adamant he would like to take this opportunity to captain Surrey and given the importance of our strong united team spirit in the dressing room, myself and the captain believe it is best for Sussex to allow him to move. Rory has been a pleasure to work with during his two seasons at Sussex and the whole coaching staff wish him all the best in his new role.”Jim May, the Sussex chairman, echoed the feelings of disappointment but confirmed that Sussex have been compensated for the lost. “We are disappointed that Rory has made this choice. It was only the exceptional circumstances – Rory’s opportunity to become captain – that led us to reluctantly grant consent to his departure. We are able to confirm a significant compensation payment has been made by Surrey to secure Rory’s release.”

David Dwyer, Pakistan’s fitness trainer, has decided to part ways with the team after two and a half years with the side because of personal reasons.Dwyer, who is from Sydney, has been a popular member of Pakistan’s support staff and has become very close to most of the players in the side. “I have simply decided to move back to Sydney after two and half great years with the team purely for personal reasons,” Dwyer told Cricinfo.”It was a very difficult decision to make because I can see that we have made very good physical improvements in all of the players over the course of my time with the team,” Dwyer said. “Most importantly the friendships that I made with the coaches, players and all of those involved with the team.”Dwyer’s contribution is widely hailed within Pakistan’s set-up; a number of players have spoken of the benefits he brought to them and former captain Younis Khan, in particular, has benefitted in terms of his fitness and diet.Dwyer came to the Pakistan set-up with former coach Geoff Lawson in 2007 on a two-year contract and stayed on for over a year after Lawson was removed late in 2008. It was believed at the time that Younis and other members of the side were key in having him stay on. Dwyer’s background is in rugby – he played club rugby and his uncle Bob has coached the Australian rugby team.Though Dwyer was set to leave at the end of Pakistan’s current tour to Australia – there remains a Twenty20 in Melbourne on February 5 – it is believed that he is considering a request from the PCB to stay on and work with the side in preparing them for the World Twenty20, due to be held in the West Indies in April.

Lions opening batsman Stephen Cook has entered the record books after he made 390, the highest score in the history of South African first-class cricket, against Warriors in East London. Cook, whose score is the twelfth-highest overall in first-class cricket, overtook Daryl Cullinan’s unbeaten 337 for Transvaal against Northern Transvaal in Johannesburg 1993-94. Cook’s father Jimmy Cook had made 313 not out for Somerset against Glamorgan in Cardiff in 1990, and the pair are the first father and son to make triple-centuries in first-class cricket.Cook’s 390, laced with 53 fours and a six, came off 648 balls and in 838 minutes. In terms of time spent at the crease, his innings ranks as the fourth-longest in all first-class cricket. The game, though, was a high-scoring draw. Warriors, led by Ashwell Prince’s 154, posted 542, and Lions bettered that effort, drawing the match to a close at 690 for 9. Cook, who was trapped in front by Johan Botha, was involved in another record. He added 365 for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, playing in his 100th first-class game; the stand is the highest for that wicket in first-class cricket in South Africa.Cook, 26, has played 76 first-class games, averaging 39.51 with 14 centuries and 20 fifties. His father, Jimmy, said: “Stephen recently told me he was playing the best cricket of his life so I told him to go out and make it count and he certainly did that. Naturally I am delighted and proud.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMohammad Aamer got the first two wickets with no runs on the board…•Getty Images

Skillful, rousing bowling from Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif evoked New Zealand’s famous second-innings collapses against Pakistan, and almost neutralised the disadvantage of a 97-run first-innings deficit. Pakistan held all the momentum after a dramatic fourth day, which featured swing, reverse-swing, cutters, two wickets for no run, the last six for 53, drama over reviews, rain, and bad light. New Zealand began the day looking to give themselves enough time to take 10 second-innings wickets. By the end of it they were thankful that time was actually lost.During the third innings, the Test seemed reminiscent of the Basin Reserve affair in 2003-04, when New Zealand squandered a 170-run first-innings lead by collapsing from 95 for 3 to 103 all out. But this one was different: Pakistan came back not through blinding momentum and sheer pace, but by planning and persisting. Aamer bowled two superb spells of swing bowling, the conventional variety getting the first two wickets, and the reverse leaving the middle order befuddled. Asif took 2 for 2 in his spell before tea, following it up with two more after the break.Pakistan also improved in previously slack areas: fielding and reviews. Khurram Manzoor hit the only stump he could see from square leg and ran out Ross Taylor, the only man who looked like he could score runs. Asif successfully challenged an lbw decision to dismiss Tim McIntosh, and nearly got another against Grant Elliott overturned in unique circumstances. New Zealand were 113 for 5 when a reversing delivery caught Elliott in front, but Asif couldn’t get the decision from Billy Doctrove. The replays revealed a marginal no-ball. It appeared a minute part of his heel had landed behind the line and then slid onto it, but third umpire Rudi Koertzen thought otherwise.If this was unique, Peter Fulton – low on form and confidence – enacted the bizarre. Suspecting an inside edge when given lbw off Umar Gul, he walked back unimpressed, holding his bat upside-down, but was reminded of the existence of reviews by his team-mates only when he was about to cross the rope.Fulton was the fourth man out, with the score on 91, minutes after Taylor’s attempt at arresting the all-too-familiar slide ended in a misunderstanding. Yes, no, yes, no, and he was run out for 59 out of the 87 runs scored until then. He was edgy, uncomfortable, and fortunate at times but still battled and scored quickly. Playing and missing against Aamer, getting hit twice on the body, edging to short of slip twice, Taylor even resorted to slogging Gul out of the ground. But just when he looked comfortable in the middle, having passed 50 off 69 balls, the run-out happened.That doesn’t take away, though, from the quality of bowling on display. Martin Guptill, on a warmer, stiller day, kept McIntosh – on a king pair – away from Aamer and took strike. But because it was warmer, Aamer got the ball to swing for the first time in the match. Four balls into the innings, New Zealand were 0 for 1 for the second time, the ball swinging in enough to take the inside edge onto the stumps. Daniel Flynn continued his horror Test – eight runs and a crucial dropped catch in the first innings – when he played across the line to a straight delivery, and was caught dead in front…. and Mohammad Asif tore the middle order apart•Getty Images

After the wickets of Taylor and Fulton, Aamer came back for a spell of reverse-swing that brought back memories of Wasim Akram. From round the wicket he angled the ball into Elliott, and got it to move away. Repeatedly. And not just by fluke. McIntosh, who avoided the pair but didn’t care much about scoring, survived twice by shouldering arms to deliveries that jagged back in. After a spell of 4-2-2-0 from Aamer, Asif took over and did that extra bit to get the wickets.The ball that got McIntosh pitched just within the stumps and straightened a touch, and the confidence and awareness showed in how Asif called for the review. Moments after the Elliott review fiasco, he ended Brendon McCullum’s painstaking stay with a beauty, pitching one short of a length, just outside off, and getting it to move away a touch. Rain, then, was a relief for New Zealand who had scored just eight runs in their last 13 overs.Rain and bad light continued to frustrate Pakistan for the rest of the day, but there were two brief spells of play and they took a wicket in each. In the first, Asif dismissed the dangerous Daniel Vettori. After an offcutter took an edge and was dropped in the slips by Umar Akmal, Vettori whipped one straight to midwicket. How the game treats people differently. Flynn and Imran Farhat were still ruing their dropped catches, but Umar was relieved in just one delivery’s time.Another offcutter after the break and Shane Bond looked to move his bat out of the way, the ball followed, and the inside edge cannoned into the stumps. Another glance at the light meter, and the umpires relieved the tailenders of their torment.

Getting the little things right in order to maximise the opportunity for victory is something Daniel Vettori has stressed repeatedly over New Zealand’s stay in Sri Lanka. Today, having lost the toss on a notorious batting track at a ground where, since 2000, Sri Lanka averaged a staggering 453 in the first innings, New Zealand began well but then let slip. In the build-up to this Test they had talked about goals for the SSC, but after a tough first day those goals became something to talk about instead of doing.If the morning session was shared by the two teams largely due to Chris Martin and Iain O’Brien, who really tightened their lines from Galle, then the final was highlighted by a dip in control. The only bright spot was Vettori crossing 300 Test wickets, the first left-arm spinner to do so, but it seemed that after that landmark New Zealand’s intensity waned.Vettori put up his poker face when addressing the day New Zealand had, saying it “wasn’t a bad day”. “Two more wickets in it would have made it a good day for us. It’s a flat wicket, everyone knew that, and [Mahela] Jayawardene and [Thilan] Samaraweera gave us another lesson on how to bat on wickets like this. They showed an immense amount of patience and batted long sessions and in a lot of ways I hope our batsmen take a leaf out of their book.”With their figurative fortress here, and a real-life one in Galle, it is understandable why Sri Lanka have won 14 of 20 home series since the turn of the millennium, losing just four. Fast bowlers have not been known to wait in line for service at the SSC, where phrases such as “road” and “comatose” often pop up and tend to sum up the reputation the venue has. Bowling here was always going to be tough for the fast-medium contingent, especially one that first played a Test in Sri Lanka just last week, and the three seamers employed on day one found out the hard way. Between Galle and Colombo, Vettori demanded more from his bowlers. The results weren’t entirely disappointing but the lack of diffusion told.”Apart from the period after tea, we had about three quarters of an hour when we backed off and gave the momentum back to them,” said Vettori. “Iain O’Brien bowled very well, Jacob Oram was pleasing; myself, being able to bowl and contain and try and take wickets. Not a bad effort but we’d have liked to put two more wickets into that.”Having had Sri Lanka at 115 for 3, New Zealand allowed Sri Lanka to progress – first dourly, then leisurely – to 262 without further loss. “We definitely would have liked to cashed in and we acknowledge that the batsmen to come aren’t of the quality of the top five,” said Vettori, “And we wanted to try and get into the middle order like in the first Test. But we had two quality batsmen at the top of their game.”Top of the game they were, with Jayawardene looking ominous on 79 from 210 deliveries at stumps. He took his time to settle the situation and then, with an obdurate display bound to rankle New Zealand overnight, he took control. “It looks very easy for him,” said Vettori. “The good thing about him is that he doesn’t take many risks. On a wicket like this quality batsmen know they have to make runs and you can almost sense from him that he wants to come out and score a hundred. In the two innings of substance he’s played he hasn’t taken risks and he’s so determined to do well.”Knowing how to win in tight situations is an art, and the more often you are in that position, the more often you should be able to win. Sri Lanka pulled it off today. New Zealand knew what they wanted to do, but didn’t quite know how to go about doing it.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Daniel Vettori’s innings panned more deliveries than any New Zealand batsman this Test•Associated Press

Sri Lanka were expected to wrap up victory early on the final day, but had to wait until the 68th over of the day to seal a 2-0 sweep and cement their place at No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings. They had New Zealand six wickets down for 182 at stumps on day four, but were thoroughly frustrated by a century stand between Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram in a cracking morning session. When Tillakaratne Dilshan snapped an excellent 124-run partnership by dismissing Oram two minutes before lunch, it seemed likely that victory was around the corner, but Vettori found an able ally in Iain O’Brien and the pair added 69 in 78 gut-wrenching minutes.Like in the morning, Sri Lanka struck shortly before the interval and tea was pushed back by half an hour. The last wicket to fall was Vettori, excellently held at deep square leg by a tumbling Rangana Herath – who took five wickets – and New Zealand had finally been dismissed for 397, the highest fourth-innings total at the SSC. They were owned for the better part of four days, but fought back credibly on the fifth. It was not enough, for the damage was irreparable, and Sri Lanka finished deserved winners.With his back to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Vettori dipped into his reservoir of 94 Tests and summoned immense concentration to survive two of them. He helped buy time after a delayed second session – owing to a brief but fierce Colombo downpour – even as Muttiah Muralitharan returned to the field and had Jeetan Patel caught sweeping to short leg. He received tremendous support from O’Brien, who played an innings unlike any he has played in the past, plodding 75 balls for a career-best 12. There were plenty of shouts for lbws and close catches, and the umpires were tested as much as the batsmen, but O’Brien was resolute.Vettori pulled and swept boundaries off Murali and Herath to reach a most appreciable century, one that put his entire batting unit to shame. His shot selection and confidence were amazing, supple wrists and dancing feet complimenting a fierce determination. Kumar Sangakkara spread his field as singles and doubles ticked away, but the pair played on. Dammika Prasad returned and O’Brien ducked and swayed, while Vettori pulled for four between two fielders.

Vettori was always looking for doubles to get back on strike and singles to retain strike, and with some exceptional judgment and able running, managed it. Tired fielders often lugged themselves towards the ball and runs became easy. With each ball O’Brien patted back or left, and each run scampered, New Zealand’s belief soared. But Herath ended O’Brien’s stubborn resistance 12 minutes before tea. O’Brien lunged at one turning away and immediately walked off without waiting for the umpire’s verdict. In walked a notorious No. 11, Chris Martin, who played 13 balls before Vettori was dismissed for 140. He has been a hero all tour and today his innings panned more deliveries than any New Zealand batsman this Test.Beginning the day with victory 312 runs away and six down, New Zealand were not expected to pull off any miracles. But with their backs to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Vettori and Oram turned the heat on the hosts, at times defiantly and at times with fortitude, thanks to Daryl Harper and some shoddy fielding. Oram batted with assurance and the determination of a player who has started to return to form after a lean spell – his batting had been poor all tour. His sweep to Ajantha Mendis in Galle and reverse-sweep in the first innings here had been criticised. This morning he continued from last evening, presenting steadfast defence and judgment against the spinners. He shunned the bent-knee shots and refrained some sweeping and lapping the spinners, which had led to his decline earlier.He had a slice of luck, however. Prasad bowled a good first spell should have had Oram on 36 when he rapped him flush in front of middle and leg, but Harper turned it down. Prasad thoroughly improved on his performance in the first innings and got the ball to swing away from the left-handers after pitching much closer to the batsmen. In one frustrating over he got Oram to inside-edge to fine leg and Vettori to drag onto his front boot and then edge between the slip fielders, who failed to react. There were other occasions where Oram attempted forcing drives through the off side but inside-edged past his stumps. Still, he was skillful enough to rough it out.Vettori was comfortable against pace and spin, and worked the ball off the square mostly on the back foot initially, before gaining the confidence to reach out and drive. Thilan Thushara pitched the ball up but didn’t always make the batsmen play; on a slow track, Vettori had ample time to work the ball square. Thushara didn’t test Vettori with a single yorker and too often strayed down the pads to Oram, who played come fierce clips. In his first spell, Oram took 15 runs off 22 balls and Vettori 10 off 16.Oram and Vettori played exceedingly well but you expected the Sri Lankans to be sharper. Herath failed to collect a flat throw at the stumps with Vettori short and later reacted late to a top-edge off the same batsman. The second edge Vettori steered off Prasad went smack between first and second slip and nobody moved. Even if such risky shots were not necessary, they seemed to prevent the tension from bogging Vettori down. Rarely were there scoreless periods, which can often build up anxiety. Vettori got to his half-century first, off 77 balls and in 111 minutes. Oram followed with his first significant contribution all tour but, after 173 minutes of tremendous application, punched Dilshan to Sangakkara cover for 56. At the other end Vettori sank to his knees. It was a crushing blow.Vettori lost Oram before lunch and Patel soon after, yet batted on to a brave fourth century as the pressure mounted on his dependable shoulders. Ultimately, his brilliance was not enough to hold out for a famous draw.

Graham Manou has learnt that a lot can change between two Ashes series. When England visited in 2006-07, South Australia dropped an out-of-form Manou from the side to face Andrew Flintoff’s men in a tour match. Nearly three years on, he is embarking on an Ashes tour of his own as the backup wicketkeeper to Brad Haddin.It’s hardly surprising that Manou was the most searched-for player on Cricinfo after the naming of Australia’s squad on Wednesday. The only uncapped member of the group, Manou was considered by most observers – and by himself – a long, long shot for the tour a few months ago.If Australia took a reserve gloveman, Luke Ronchi was clearly the man in waiting. A glut of wicketkeepers including Chris Hartley, Tim Paine and Matthew Wade were also pushing to be next in line. But timing is everything and as Ronchi’s runs dried up and he was dropped by his state, Manou enjoyed a prolific summer and scored 647 runs and grabbed 33 dismissals while captaining South Australia.He knows he’s unlikely to play a Test in England but having watched Haddin’s progress as the reserve for Adam Gilchrist on the 2005 Ashes tour, Manou is simply grateful for the opportunity. “It was really noticeable how much he took from that tour as an opposition player,” Manou told reporters in Adelaide after hearing of his inclusion.”When he came back to play in the Shield games following that tour he was really impressive the way he went about it all. If I can learn as much off him as he did with Gilly and then to also go out onto the field and display those qualities, then fingers crossed, my game will continue to go from strength to strength.”Manou, 30, has been on the first-class scene for a decade, since taking over from Australia’s coach Tim Nielsen as South Australia’s gloveman. He rose to win the state’s vice-captaincy under Darren Lehmann but after his axing in 2006-07, his future was far from assured.The next summer he returned more determined, won back his position, started making runs again – including 190 against the reigning champions Tasmania – and was eventually handed the captaincy. Manou’s work behind the stumps has also drawn praise from the notoriously hard-marking Darren Berry, the former Victoria wicketkeeper, who said this year Manou was easily Australia’s best gloveman besides Haddin.Having another experienced wicketkeeper in the squad will keep Haddin on his toes. However, the incumbent is happy the tradition of taking a reserve to England has continued and he hopes Manou returns home with plenty of lessons learned.”I don’t see him as a threat,” Haddin said. “From a personal point of view, going away with the Australian team, I think it will better his cricket coming back to Australia, seeing the way we prepare. I don’t think threat is the right word, I think you’re always just naturally trying to improve yourself.”Graham has got a pretty steady head on his shoulders. He captains South Australia now, so he’s been around state cricket a long time. He probably knows his game a bit better than the other keepers around the country at the moment.”If Manou does get an opportunity it is likely to be in one of the four tour matches peppered throughout the Tests. It could be the perfect time for Australia to rest Haddin, who is the only man to have played every Test and one-day international since the tour of India last October. Haddin is more than happy to have played all the games but by mid-tour his workload could begin to become tiring.”I think I’m a bit different to the other guys,” Haddin said. “I only really came into Test cricket in the last 12 months. If you look at the workload of [Mitchell] Johnson and guys they’ve been going pretty solidly for the last two years. The whole experience is still pretty new to me. From that point of view I feel pretty good.”Haddin broke a finger during his Test debut in the West Indies last year but played through pain to complete the series. And with the goal of being part of an Ashes triumph after witnessing first-hand the misery of the 2005 defeat, don’t expect Haddin to hand over the Test gloves to Manou unless his arms fall off.”This will be my first Ashes series where I’ll get the chance to play,” Haddin said. “I’m pretty excited and I’ve definitely had one eye on this for a long time.”