Andrew Hall struck his second century in consecutive County Championship games as Division Two leaders Northamptonshire’s clash with Hampshire predictably petered out into a draw.

01-Jun-2013
ScorecardAndrew Hall made his 14th first-class century•Getty Images

Andrew Hall struck his second century in consecutive County Championship games as Division Two leaders Northamptonshire’s clash with Hampshire predictably petered out into a draw.Hall, who also made a ton against Leicestershire at Wantage Road two weeks ago, piled on an unbeaten 130 from 295 balls, as Northants eventually declared on 425 for 9, prompting the two captains to shake hands.Wicketkeeper David Murphy also made a career-best 81 off 119 deliveries with James Tomlinson the pick of Hampshire’s bowlers, taking 3 for 75 as his team-mates were made to toil in the field.Northants began the day on 159 for 5, 47 runs behind their opponents, with former South Africa allrounder Hall resuming on 29 and James Middlebrook on 8. But Middlebrook added just two to his overnight total before Tomlinson’s delivery crashed into his off stump in the fifth over of the day.Tomlinson struck again in his next over when David Willey edged him to former Zimbabwe international Sean Ervine at first slip to depart for a six-ball duck. But Hall stuck around to complete a patient half-century from 116 deliveries as part of a 117-run partnership with Australia international Trent Copeland.Copeland was given a second chance on 34 when he was dropped at second slip by Liam Dawson off David Balcombe before he raced to 50 off 63 balls. He and Hall surpassed Northants’ previous record eighth-wicket stand against Hampshire of 95, made between Nigel Felton and Winston Davis at Bournemouth in 1990.Copeland eventually departed on 63 from the third ball after lunch when he was trapped lbw by Danny Briggs before Hall completed his 14th century in first-class cricket off 209 balls. He had now been joined at the crease by Murphy and he comfortably completed his first half-century of the season off 80 deliveries.The pair went on to set a new record ninth-wicket partnership for the hosts against their opponents, going past the 97 shared between Gordon Williamson and Keith Andrew at Northampton in 1961.Northants resumed after tea on 390 for 8 with seeing out time the only priority, although Murphy did exceed his previous best of 79, which he struck against Glamorgan in May 2011. He finally perished when he launched Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams to Ervine at mid-on to break the partnership on 132.The draw was then agreed 10 minutes later at 4:50pm, with Northants coming out of this contest with nine points and Hampshire six.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating a series-by-series deal with broadcasters for their forthcoming matches in this season

Umar Farooq10-Jul-2013The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating a series-based deal with broadcasters for the forthcoming matches in this season. Pakistan are scheduled to play two Tests, five ODIs and two T20s against South Africa in Sharjah and Dubai, from October 14. They are also scheduled to play Sri Lanka in the UAE, although the two boards have not confirmed the dates.The PCB is yet to finalise a broadcasting deal after its five-year contract with TEN Sports, worth $140 million, ended last month. However, the PCB incurred a loss of nearly $80 million on this deal, following the cancellation of bilateral series against India between 2009 and 2011. The broadcasting deal is one of the major sources of income for the PCB and, with no series against India scheduled until 2020, these could be testing times for the board as it may be hit by a financial crunch following a long-standing budget-deficit. In 2011-12, the deficit was nearly 700 million Pakistani rupees.The PCB’s Governing Board, in their emergency meeting at the National Cricket Academy, has decided to appoint the former ICC president Ehsan Mani as their advisor on their television deal.”We are yet to issue a tender for the broadcaster after finishing our five-year deal last month,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “It requires a specific procedural time and systematic restructuring of the bidding process and finalising the deal. But we have an alternative, i.e. to go with a series-by-series deal – in case we need that for any of our upcoming home series – before going into a long-term deal with a broadcaster.”The interim setup of the PCB may also be affecting its chances of securing a long-term deal. The suspension of Zaka Ashraf as chairman led to a delay in the PCB budget this year and the process of renewing the broadcasting deal was also delayed as a result. The PCB’s functions were on hold for almost a month, until the appointment of interim chairman Najam Sethi. The Islamabad High Court has ordered Sethi to hold elections within 90 days but has not given a detailed order. Although the PCB refused to comment on its internal functioning, it has confirmed that the bidding process for a broadcaster is currently on hold, with various other issues taking precedence. It is likely the board may look to secure a six-year deal next year, once a more stable administrative setup is in place.

Australia’s new coach Darren Lehmann has pushed enjoyment and a balanced perspective on life as part of his remedy for a team culture that has variously been described as toxic, insular, selfish, undisciplined, and just plain stupid

Daniel Brettig in Taunton25-Jun-2013Australia’s new coach Darren Lehmann has pushed the importance of fun and a balanced perspective on life to remedy a team culture that has variously been described as toxic, insular, selfish, undisciplined, and just plain stupid. Lehmann has openly desired the national coaching job for quite some time, but given that it has fallen into his lap a mere two weeks before the first Investec Ashes Test, his initial message to the touring team could not afford to be elaborate.Upon the squad’s arrival in the medieval town centre of Taunton, Lehmann sat down his players and staff to set out a simple but clear direction for the Australian team, both on the field and off it. Relieving the tension of the past few days in Bristol and London was high on Lehmann’s list of priorities, while also ensuring focus shifted instantly to Wednesday’s tour match against Somerset.”Hopefully with the enjoyment factor, we’ll get that going for a start,” Lehmann said of the culture he wished to create. “When you start winning games you have a lot of fun so we need to start winning some games, simple as that. It’s about getting all the lads and everyone in a direction we want to go. We’re going one way and that is forward and everything starts afresh.”It’s about life as well, it’s a game of cricket. It’s important we have success and play well but it’s a small part of your life, so we’ve got to make sure we are helping them grow their lives on and off the ground, that is really important to me. Family is a big part of it, enjoying each other’s company while we’re away, and learning about ourselves and different cultures and different people we have in the team.”I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a job I loved and wanted to do because I fell in love with coaching the first day I started with an IPL franchise. It just probably happened in different circumstances that it comes across my path right now.”That path will now include grappling with the various complications of mentoring a national team in 2013, including the influx of Twenty20 money that has muddled the priorities of numerous young players. The absolutes of Lehmann’s time, as a player who had to carve out nigh on 10,000 first-class runs before making his Test debut, have been replaced by greys like the lavish IPL money on offer to cricketers who have not yet grooved their games.When referring to numerous matters of club versus state versus country issues, Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard remarked last summer that “no-one owns the players now”. Lehmann though spoke with typical confidence about sculpting the natural talent at his disposal into competitive, thoughtful and loyal cricketers.”The priority for us is Australia, that’s every player that is playing any form, their first right is with Australia,” Lehmann said. “We want to pick the best side each and every time and we’ll worry about the other franchises and issues as we go through.”We’re guided by CA and selectors along the way and that’s part and parcel of being a new-age cricketer. One thing I will say, they’re a lot better athletes that I was in my day and it’s just about teaching them and coaching them the best way to play the game in different situations.”Brad Haddin, Australia’s vice-captain, said Lehmann’s imprint on the team should soon be evident, starting with the respect he already engendered for his playing career and domestic coaching. “Darren’s got experience at all levels, as a player, a successful coach and a good person, and he’s known for that around Australian cricket and world cricket,” He said. “I think he’ll come into this environment comfortable with where he’s at and comfortable with where he wants to take the team.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the third Investec Ashes Test at Durham

The Preview by Daniel Brettig08-Aug-2013

Match facts

August 9-13, Chester-le-Street
Start time 1100 (1000 GMT)Will David Warner be laughing his way back to the top of the batting order?•Getty Images

Big Picture

At Old Trafford England remained unbeaten for the 11th consecutive Test, while Australia failed to win for the seventh match in a row. The result also ensured the Ashes would remain in English possession, yet the evidence of the eyes tended to conflict with that conveyed by the scoreboard and the record book. Australia appeared to have turned a significant corner, putting near enough to five days of staunch cricket together for the first time in recent memory, and England looked more than a little exhausted by their earlier efforts in the series. At the same time their batsmen showed increasing signs of frailty in the face of the tourists’ admirable pace attack, a reliance on Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen to extricate the top three from bother growing more apparent with each match.So with the series moving to a venue less familiar to both sides, though the pitch is again straw-coloured, the question is how much the trends of Manchester will have an impact on proceedings at Durham. England were by far the better of the two sides in coping with the quick onset of another match so soon after the Nottingham epic, and this time also have the added relief of not having to worry about retaining the urn anymore. They should thus be capable of playing with a little more freedom of expression, not least the young opener Joe Root, who looked near enough to paralysed during two soporific innings in Lancashire. The unrelenting seam-up stylings of Graham Onions appear a likely reinforcement for the hosts’ bowling attack, which lacked a certain pep last week.For Australia, the gains of the third Test will mean little if they are not followed up with a pair of equally compelling displays in the final two matches. Given how inconsistent the side has been throughout Michael Clarke’s captaincy, bottoming out with a horrid display in India, the habits of successful teams need to be re-established with a strong sequence of performances. The team’s belief in their bowling attack is considerable, but the batsmen now need to show that they can maintain the standards set by Clarke, Chris Rogers, Steven Smith and Brad Haddin. It cannot be forgotten that the next campaign for the Ashes is but three months away.

Form guide

England: DWWWW
Australia: DLLLL

Players to watch

Jonathan Trott has been on something of a charm offensive this summer, appearing in plenty of interviews and doing his best to sound like the world’s most fascinating individual. However somewhere along the way his ability to bat boring seems to have been lost. Near enough to impassable during the previous Ashes series in Australia, he failed to capitalise on some free-scoring form at Trent Bridge, albeit partly due to an incorrectly given lbw decision in the second innings. From there his form has ebbed away, and at Old Trafford he looked lost, stumbling across his stumps in the manner of sundry English batsmen in 1989. Within the team, Trott is admired for his consistency and even temper. Perhaps he needs to remember that being dull is an asset, not a weakness.Plenty of observers were surprised by the vim with which Chris Rogers batted in Manchester, but not those who had seen him play precisely those kinds of innings for Middlesex and Victoria. No fussiness, but plenty of feistiness, as a succession perfectly reasonable deliveries were cuffed to the boundary. The ability to play with aggression and decisiveness at a point of the game where others may be nervous or unsure is one of Rogers’ great attributes, but another is the fashioning of hundreds. So far, despite serviceable contribution to the series, he has fallen short of that goal. Nonetheless, Rogers is Australia’s best hope of finding someone other than Clarke to push on to the kind of score an innings may be built around.

Team news

Graham Onions and Chris Tremlett are both in the England squad, and it appears most likely that the former will shuffle into the XI, perhaps at the expense of Tim Bresnan. There will be some temptation to withdraw one of Stuart Broad or James Anderson from the firing line after their efforts so far in the series.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Joe Root, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan/Graham Onions, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James AndersonHaving tried no end of permutations since Michael Hussey’s retirement, Australia appeared to settle on a batting order they may keep from the second innings in Manchester. David Warner looked comfortable at the top with Rogers, while Shane Watson’s bowling may again lead to his demotion. One of Ryan Harris or Mitchell Starc will most likely make way for the fresher Jackson Bird.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Chris Rogers, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Shane Watson, 6 Steve Smith, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jackson Bird.

Pitch and conditions

The surface unveiled for the fourth Test maintains a pattern of dry, hard pitches prepared more or less to the specifications of the England coach Andy Flower. The forecast for Durham is for the occasional shower amid periods of friendly, if cloudy, weather.

Stats and trivia

• This is the first Ashes Test to be played in Durham, making it the ninth ground to host a Test between England and Australia in the UK
• The last Ashes series to be drawn 2-2 took place in England in 1972
• Michael Clarke needs 103 runs to pass Justin Langer and move into sixth place on Australia’s list of all-time run-makers

Quotes

“We want to win the Ashes and we haven’t yet done it. Along the way we retained them pretty quickly so that is a great achievement and something to be mighty proud of. We want to go on and win the series. The way the lads are, the way we are as a team and the way Andy Flower operates, there will be no let up of the standards we set ourselves.”
“I don’t think anyone is here to ‘give them a go’. That’s not in any Test cricket and certainly not an Ashes series, especially the position we’re sitting in now. It’s about picking your best 11 players.”

Luke Fletcher bowled Nottinghamshire into a position from which they could, if the weather is kind to them, go on to win tomorrow.

Les Smith at Trent Bridge05-Sep-2013
ScorecardLuke Fletcher is Notts leading wicket-taker this season but it’s been a middling campaign•Getty Images

Luke Fletcher bowled Nottinghamshire into a position from which they could, if the weather is kind to them, go on to win tomorrow.It’s impossible not to like Fletcher. He’s a large unit, 6 feet and 6 inches, and not very mobile in the field. He’s also a local boy, born in Nottingham. Every time he puts a hand on the ball in the field he gets a cheer. But for all his apparent cumbersomeness, he’s Nottinghamshire’s top wicket-taker this season, and today took the five scalps that give Nottinghamshire the glimpse of a victory which would probably secure their place in Division One of the County Championship.The accuracy of Fletcher’s bowling can be seen in the way he took his wickets today: they were all bowled, lbw or nicked behind. He nags away on a good length, and occasionally shakes up the batsman with a fast short one.Speaking at the end of the day Fletcher was downbeat. “The season’s going well personally”, he said, “but as a side it’s not so good. It doesn’t really feel as good as it could do”Nottinghamshire spent the entire day in the field, finally seeing off Warwickshire in the final over of the day, leaving the home side 211 to win on a final day which is threatened by a menacing weather forecast.Chris Read is an admirable cricketer. He both keeps wicket and captains, both of which require maximum concentration. He’s taken six catches in the match while making judicious decisions about his bowling attack. He has, in David Hussey, an excellent lieutenant. Hussey, fielding at square leg and point, can often be seen making subtle changes to the field, and having a word in his captain’s ear.The mainstays of the Warwickshire innings were Laurie Evans and Darren Maddy, who both went past 60. Maddy batted with a runner having pulled a calf muscle while fielding. Evans shared valuable partnerships with Ateeq Javid and Chris Woakes, both of whom regained some self-esteem after, for different reasons, being embarrassed in the first innings. Evans was eventually dismissed when he fended off a short ball from Harry Gurney with one hand off the bat to short leg. The catcher was James Taylor, who has been parachuted into the Nottinghamshire side after being released by England, at the expense of Riki Wessels.Darren Maddy spent over three hours patiently accumulating runs before Fletcher nipped one in to him and trapped him lbw. Although hampered by his calf injury, Maddy was severe on anything loose and accumulated eight boundaries. There were useful contributions from Steffan Piolet, Keith Barker and Jeetan Patel, but if the weather forecast turns out to be inaccurate Nottinghamshire must fancy their chances.

Debates over the identity of the second spinner, reserve wicketkeeper and reserve batsmen will occupy the minds of the England selectors ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday

George Dobell21-Sep-2013Debates over the identity of the second spinner, reserve wicketkeeper and reserve batsmen will occupy the minds of the England selectors ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday.While it is possible to predict, fitness permitting, nine of the 11 that will represent England in the first Test in Brisbane, the choice of the remaining members of the squad is as open as it has been for several years. Several players face agonising disappointment or great elation.There is little prospect of England picking two spinners in any of the Tests in Australia. While there was a time when such a scenario was a possibility in Sydney, those days have largely gone. When Australia beat Sri Lanka there in January, their spinner, Nathan Lyon, claimed only two wickets.So the second spinner in the Ashes squad is there in case Graeme Swann suffers injury. Whoever is selected must be capable of performing the role of lone spinner for England in an Ashes Test.The experience of Simon Kerrigan at The Oval illustrates what a hard task that is and how small the pool of candidates remains. While James Tredwell is the type of character – calm, low-maintenance and reliable – that this England management favour, his record in red-ball cricket this season is modest. He has taken only 13 wickets at a cost of 55.76 in the Championship. The form of other experienced players, the likes of Gareth Batty, is similarly modest.Kerrigan’s debut is likely to deter England from considering a similarly untried spinner in Australia. While the likes of Scott Borthwick and Moeen Ali may well be included in performance squad that will shadow the full team for part of the tour, it would be asking a bit much to expect them to fill-in for Swann just yet. Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, is an attractive option, but he does not, at this stage, offer the control England require from their Test spinner.With Kerrigan, for now, out of the picture, Monty Panesar may be the best available reserve to Swann. So long as his off-field issues – and the England management will need assurances about his mental fitness to tour before committing to him – can be controlled, Panesar has the experience and qualities as a bowler to warrant selection. Besides, it may be that a prolonged return to the England camp revives his spirits. Taking him would be a risk, but England are not flush with options.Indeed, the difficult of the second-spinner selection highlights a major issue: the excellence of Swann continues to mask deficiencies within the reserves of England’s spin bowling. His eventual retirement will leave a gaping hole.England have far more options when it comes to selecting a pack of fast bowlers. While Stuart Broad and James Anderson are certainties, Tim Bresnan is also highly likely to be included, possibly as a 17th man, with a view to him regaining full fitness in the opening weeks of the tour.Boyd Rankin, too, looks certain to travel. Rankin’s pace and hostility in the ODI series against Australia was impressive and, as he relaxes in the England environment, will only grow. He just could prove to be a key player in the Ashes.The final two fast-bowling spots could be taken by Steven Finn and Graham Onions. While Onions would be, in essence, providing injury cover for Anderson, Finn remains a player of great potential who could come into the side if required. Realistically, though, the trip would prove a chance to work with the England fast bowling coach, David Saker, for a prolonged period.That would see Chris Tremlett and Chris Woakes missing out. Woakes enjoyed a respectable Test debut at The Oval and might yet prove himself a decent No. 6 but his style of bowling is not particularly well suited to Australian pitches. Tremlett, sadly, has lost the pre-injury nip that made him such a dangerous player.There could be a couple of batting allrounders in the squad. Ben Stokes, by virtue of his extra pace with the ball, his excellent fielding and his ability with the bat, would be a fine utility player and could balance the side by batting at No. 6. At 22, he is a player in development and there will be times when he frustrates but his all-round talents are obvious and he may prove worth a prolonged period of investment. Ravi Bopara, now rehabilitated, has a strong case for inclusion and could add a few economical overs if required.The last time England embarked on an Ashes tour, in 2010-11, they did not take a reserve opener. Nick Compton remains the outstanding candidate for the role, but it may be that his reaction to being omitted earlier in the summer has damaged the relationship between him and the England management. Other options include Varun Chopra, Sam Robson and Luke Wells but all are untried at this level, while Michael Carberry has endured a modest season against the red ball. With Joe Root still adjusting to the demands of opening in Test cricket, however, it would be quite a risk not to take some back-up.The position of reserve wicketkeeper may prove equally contentious. Several players have made a case for inclusion – Steven Davies, Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler among them – but England have invested time in the development of Jonny Bairstow and may well feel that, with his ability to bat and field in several conditions taken into account, he is a decent utility squad member.Possible England squad: Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Ben Stokes, Matt Prior, Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Monty Panesar.

Darren Stevens took five wickets and Joe Denly scored a painstaking half-century as Kent battled their way back into contention on the second day against Leicestershire.

Press Association04-May-2015
ScorecardDarren Steven rifled out the Leicestershire lower order•Getty Images

Darren Stevens took five wickets and Joe Denly scored a painstaking half-century as Kent battled their way back into contention on the second day against Leicestershire.When bad light forced a halt with 13 scheduled overs remaining, Kent had reached 155 for 3 – a deficit of 231 – with Denly unbeaten on 56 and Sam Northeast with 38. The fourth-wicket partners added an unbroken 79 as Kent fought back from 76 for 3.Responding to Leicestershire’s impressive 386, rounded off this morning when Stevens ripped out the lower order for figures of 5 for 88, Kent lost Daniel Bell-Drummond for 14 to a catch in the slip cordon off Clint McKay. Then after looking out of sorts in scoring eight, home skipper Rob Key played around one from McKay to go leg before and make it 40 for 2.Brendan Nash, another member of the Kent top order to have made a miserable start to the summer, then aimed an expansive cover drive at Rob Taylor to go for 21 and with only 76 on the board.Denly, back at his home club after a mixed three-year stint with Middlesex, dug in thereafter in tandem with vice-captain Northeast in a combative fourth-wicket stand and registered his second successive championship fifty from 149 balls. He reached the milestone with a rare moment of flamboyance; rocking back to pull a short one for six over square leg to go with his five fours. Denly added only five more before fading light and faulty floodlights forced an early finish just after 5.30pm.”It was tough going because Leicestershire bowled pretty well in pretty gloomy conditions for the last hour or so and we had to graft hard for those runs,” Denly said. The light was poor just before tea and coming out and re-starting was tough. Clint McKay’s a decent bowler and we know full well at Kent what Charlie Shreck can do, so we were made to work for every run.”If we’re honest, we didn’t create enough pressure with the ball on the opening day but Darren Stevens’ spell this morning has got us back into things.”Leicestershire started the day sitting pretty on 300 for 5 in their first innings and that they were restricted to only 86 more runs was solely down to the naggingly accurate seamers of Stevens, who claimed Kent’s first five-wicket haul of the summer.The former Leicestershire batsman was barely trusted to bowl during his eight years at Grace Road but his low, medium-paced slingers can cause havoc at the Spitfire Ground, as his 5 for 28 return of the opening session proved.Ben Raine played all around an in-ducker, McKay sliced a slower ball into the hands of deep extra-cover, then Lewis Hill, after marking his first-class bow with a 79-ball half-century, chopped on when attempting to cut.Though frustrated at getting out to an ill-judged shot, Hill was delighted to
mark his first team debut with a 50. “I was honoured to get selected and so proud to get my cap yesterday, so to get a 50 as well was brilliant,” he said. “It would have been nice to go on and get three figures and, looking back at the replays, I have to be disappointed with the shot. But, if you’d offered me 57 yesterday, I’d have gladly taken it.”Having bowled Hill, Stevens polished off Leicestershire’s innings just before lunch by bowling Jigar Naik after the tail-ender padded up then by having his former Kent team-mate Shreck held at short mid-off without scoring after a tame checked drive.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been left out of England’s first ODI squad since the disastrous World Cup campaign. Moeen Ali has also been left out to concentrate on red-ball cricket ahead of the Ashes that begins on July 8.

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2015James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ian Bell have been left out of England’s ODI squad to face New Zealand in the most obvious sign of England moving on since the disastrous World Cup campaign. Moeen Ali has also been left out to concentrate on red-ball cricket ahead of the Ashes that begins on July 8.Moeen will go back to play Championship cricket for Worcestershire having struggled to find his form since returning to the England Test side for the second Test against West Indies in Grenada. Moeen may be retained as England’s specialist spinner for the Ashes but took only five wickets at 50.00 in the two Tests against New Zealand. From the World Cup squad, Gary Ballance, Ravi Bopara and James Tredwell have also been dropped while Chris Woakes remains injured.A potential replacement for Moeen, the Yorkshire legspinning allrounder Adil Rashid, is included in the 14-man ODI squad along with a number of names that featured in the squad for washed out ODI against Ireland. Kent’s Sam Billings, Jason Roy of Surrey, David Willey, the Northamptonshire allrounder and paceman Mark Wood – the latter three who made their ODI debuts in the match – will hope to get a chance to impress ahead of the arrival of England’s new head coach, Trevor Bayliss, in the lead-up to the Ashes; Bayliss said he may arrive for some of the one-day series against New Zealand too.”This series presents an excellent opportunity to look at players we believe can play a key role for England over the next four years as we build towards the next World Cup,” the national selector, James Whitaker, said. “We have opted to rest Moeen Ali from this series and he will play cricket for Worcestershire in preparation for the Ashes next month.

England ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, David Willey, Mark Wood

“A number of players involved in the recent World Cup including James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell and Stuart Broad have been left of the squad for this series. It is important to point out that none of these players have been ruled out of playing a role for England in limited overs formats in the future. This squad allows us to look at a group of players who have performed well both at county and England Lions level in recent years.”Despite assurances from Whitaker, it could yet be the end of Anderson, Broad and Bell’s ODI careers. The pair took five wickets at 49.00 and four at 63.50 respectively at the World Cup and with England’s heavy schedule of Test cricket, with 12 more Tests to come before the end of next January, both could be stood down from ODI duty. Anderson will be 36 and Broad 32 by the time of the 2019 World Cup. Bell, though, was England’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup with 262 runs at 52.40 but England have finally realised the need for a more dynamic top order.But one career that is safe for now is that of Eoin Morgan, who returns to captain the side having missed the Ireland ODI while away at the IPL. Many considered him fortunate to be retained as captain following the appointment of Andrew Strauss as England director of cricket but he will attempt to regain form – he has averaged 19.23 in ODIs in the past 12 months – and begin England’s revival against a New Zealand side who blazed a trail to the World Cup final and have gone a long way to transforming 50-over cricket.Steven Finn will also line up against the man who smeared his reputation with a ferocious assault at the World Cup. Brendon McCullum slammed Finn for 44 in just 10 balls in Wellington and the spell played a part in Finn being left out of England’s touring party to the West Indies. Finn, like Morgan, will be eager to atone for the World Cup as England attempt to begin a new era with the long-term goal of being competitive at the 2019 World Cup to be staged in England.England v New Zealand ODI series
June 9, 1st ODI, Edgbaston D/N
June 12, 2nd ODI, Kia Oval D/N
June 14, 3rd ODI, Ageas Bowl
June 17, 4th ODI, Trent Bridge D/N
June 20, 5th ODI, Chester-le-Street

AB de Villiers was named South Africa’s cricketer of the year and four other awards at CSA’s annula awards function, while Hashim Amla was awarded Test Cricketer of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2015AB de Villiers was named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year for the second successive year at Cricket South Africa’s annual awards on Wednesday. He was also awarded the ODI Cricketer of the Year, Player’s Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year.

Other awards winners

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Morne van Wyk
Women’s Cricketer of the Year – Shabnim Ismail
RAM Delivery of the Year – Dale Steyn (v West Indies, Cape Town)
Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season – Stephen Cook
Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season – Robin Peterson
Ram Slammer of the Season – Kieron Pollard
Coach of the Year – Geoffrey Toyana
CSA Fair Play Award – Titans
SACA Most Valuable Player Award – Dane Paterson
Umpire of the Year – Johan Cloete
Groundsman of the Year – Rudolph du Preez (SuperSport Park)

De Villiers has scored 1610 runs in 28 ODIs at an average of 80.50 since the start of 2014, including four centuries, and has had a sensational 2015. He set the record for the quickest century in ODIs (100 off 31 balls against West Indies in Johannesburg), followed by the fastest 150 in ODIs – off 64 balls – decimating the same opposition during a World Cup game in Sydney. He has also scored 779 runs in nine Tests at an average of 55.64 in the same time period.Hashim Amla, who won South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year twice in 2010 and 2013, was awarded Test Cricketer of the Year. Since January 2014, he has scored 801 runs in nine Tests at an average of 66.75. Rilee Rossouw, who made his ODI debut in August 2014 and has already notched up 626 runs in 20 matches in the format, was named South Africa’s Newcomer of the Year.Haroon Lorgat, CSA’s chief executive officer, was delighted with the progress that South Africa and de Villiers had made over the past year. “This has been another great year with truly wonderful achievements from our top players,” he said. “AB is just so special and surely he must be the best all-round cricketer in the world.”De Villiers has modestly taken limited-overs batting to a new level and he has done it with style and panache that is simply beyond the reach of most. He is a true batting genius. He now holds the world records for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI cricket.”

Ryan Harris has been effectively ruled out of contention for the first Ashes Test in Cardiff when he was unable to be passed fit for the tourists’ final warm-up against Essex

Daniel Brettig in Chelmsford01-Jul-20150:50

‘Australians have a lot of fast bowling depth’ – Bayliss

Ryan Harris was effectively ruled out of contention for the first Investec Test in Cardiff when he was unable to be passed fit for the tourists’ final warm-up against Essex, instead being sent for scans to determine the cause of greater knee pain than he has become accustomed to.In Harris’ absence the Australian bowling attack for the Cardiff Test is all but settled, with Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to accompany the spin of Nathan Lyon, as they did during two Tests in the West Indies that Harris missed to be home for the birth of his first child.The first two Ashes Tests of the series are being played back-to-back in Cardiff and at Lord’s, leaving Harris with little chance to prove his ability to cope with the stresses of bowling until the Australians play a county fixture in Derby before the third Test of the series in Birmingham.Ryan Harris’ knee problem continues to trouble him despite careful management•Getty Images

During the last week’s match against Kent, Harris experienced soreness in his right knee – a source of chronic discomfort and multiple surgeries during his Test career – and admitted he had to get used to the feeling if he was to be effective in the Tests.However his ailment was particularly stubborn as the team moved on to Essex and he was ruled out in favour of Peter Siddle on the first morning of the game in Chelmsford.This is a major blow for Harris, who had hoped to be fit for all five Tests after a careful preparation for the series. Harris has conceded his body has not got much bowling left in it, and team management will be worried that he has been unable to come through at this early stage of the tour.The coach Darren Lehmann had said Harris needed to prove himself capable of withstanding a Test match workload of around 20 overs per innings before being seriously considered for the Ashes.”Still short of a gallop but better today to be perfectly honest,” Lehmann said of Harris after the final day of the Kent match. “So he’s going to play the next tour game provided he pulls up alright and make sure he’s 100% before we make him available for selection.”Scans on the knee may not reveal much, but the puzzlement of Australia’s medical staff about the state of Harris’ knee casts a shadow over his chances of appearing once more in a baggy green cap.