Paul Collingwood retires from Test cricket
England batsman Paul Collingwood said on Thursday that he will retire from Test cricket after the final Sydney Ashes Test against Australia.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said Collingwood, 34, would remain as England’s Twenty20 captain and play for England’s one-day team. Collingwood’s announcement comes in the midst of a poor Ashes series, scoring just 83 runs from six innings at the number five batting position. Collingwood’s announcement comes in the midst of a poor Ashes series, scoring just 83 runs from six innings at the number five batting position. Representing England at Test level has always been a dream of mine and I’ve been fortunate enough to have enjoyed some amazing highs throughout my Test career, Collingwood said in a statement. I am proud of the fact that I have always given my all for the England Test team, he added. Collingwood made his Test debut in 2003 against Sri Lanka at Galle and has earned 68 caps. The Durham right-hander has scored 4,259 runs in Tests at 40.95 and taken 17 wickets. England retained the Ashes after beating Australia in last week’s fourth Melbourne Test and is on top in the current final Sydney Test, set to become the first England team to win a series in Australia for 24 years. Collingwood led England to their first-ever success in a global tournament when his team defeated Australia by seven wickets in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados last May.
Collingwood, England’s ‘Blue Collar’ man
SYDNEY: Paul Collingwood earned a reputation as a flinty ‘blue collar’ competitor and an outstanding fielder in his 68 Tests for England.
Collingwood, who announced his retirement from Test cricket during the final Sydney Test on Thursday, was an integral part of England’s Ashes series victories in 2009 and in the current contest in Australia.
Collingwood, 34, will remain as England’s Twenty20 captain and play in the one-day team at next month’s World Cup on the sub-continent.
He played in the last Test of the 2005 home series as Michael Vaughan’s team won back the Ashes and played in all five Tests of the 2009 and 2010/11 series. He also was in all five Tests on the 2006/07 Down Under, which Australia won 5-0.
England beat Pakistan by 121 runs to claim ODI series
England 256-6 (Morgan 107*, Shoaib 3-40)
Pakistan 135 (K. Akmal 41, Swann 3-26)
Pakistan loses 5th ODI and the series to England. Poor batting performance once again gives opposition the upper hand as they bowl-out Pakistan on 135 and protect their total of 256 by a massive 121 runs.
Pakistani openers were indeed off to a great start as Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Hafeez sent every loose ball, also some brilliant ones to the boundary. They gave an opening stand of 63 when suddenly they looked to have lost confidence over each other. A couple of times Hafeez wanted a quick single – but half way through the pitch Akmal sent him back shouting at him. Hafeez then, in an attempt to make quick runs by hitting boundaries, played a high ball on the off side that landed in the hands of Collingwood. Asad Shafiq came in to replace Hafeez but caught behind on the first ball. Both, Hafeez and Shafiq fell prey to Broad. New comer, Muhammad Yousuf avoided the hat-trick by a quick single. Kamran Akmal was then victimized by the poor umpiring judgments when English Umpire, Ian Gould gave England a treat by giving the in-form batsman LBW on a clear bat-pad which also showed on the hot-spot screen. Graeme Swan bowled Fawad Alam in the 20th over. Yousuf and Afridi were bowled out on consecutive deliveries of Swann in the 28th over. Razzaq then came in to avoid another hat-trick off English bowling. On by one they were all laid down and after the first wicket, English bowlers never gave Pakistani batsman a chance to develop a good partnership.
Earlier, England winning the toss decided to bat first. English batsman made 256 for six from their 50 overs in the fifth and final one-day international against Pakistan at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Eoin Morgan made an unbeaten 107 to help England to a decent score. Openers Andrew Strauss and Steve Davies gave England an encouraging start in the day/night encounter but the hosts found themselves in trouble as they were reduced to 47 for 3. 35-year-old Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar turned back the years with a devastating spell of 3 for 40 off ten overs. Akhtar dismissed the England captain for 25 and then bowled Jonathan Trott for just 3. England suffered further problems when Paul Collingwood left the field because of a migraine while Ian Bell picked up a groin injury while batting – he made 28. But Morgan together with the returning Collingwood helped steady the ship. The Durham all-rounder made 47 while Morgan went onto reach three figures.
England beat Pakistan by 121 runs to claim ODI series 3-2
England 256-6 (Morgan 107*, Shoaib 3-40)
Pakistan 135 (K. Akmal 41, Swann 3-26)
Pakistan loses 5th ODI and the series to England. Poor batting performance once again gives opposition the upper hand as they bowl-out Pakistan on 135 and protect their total of 256 by a massive 121 runs.
Pakistani openers were indeed off to a great start as Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Hafeez sent every loose ball, also some brilliant ones to the boundary. They gave an opening stand of 63 when suddenly they looked to have lost confidence over each other. A couple of times Hafeez wanted a quick single – but half way through the pitch Akmal sent him back shouting at him. Hafeez then, in an attempt to make quick runs by hitting boundaries, played a high ball on the off side that landed in the hands of Collingwood. Asad Shafiq came in to replace Hafeez but caught behind on the first ball. Both, Hafeez and Shafiq fell prey to Broad. New comer, Muhammad Yousuf avoided the hat-trick by a quick single. Kamran Akmal was then victimized by the poor umpiring judgments when English Umpire, Ian Gould gave England a treat by giving the in-form batsman LBW on a clear bat-pad, which also showed on the hot-spot screen. Graeme Swan bowled Fawad Alam in the 20th over. Yousuf and Afridi were bowled out on consecutive deliveries of Swann in the 28th over. Razzaq then came in to avoid another hat-trick off English bowling. On by one they were all laid down and after the first wicket, English bowlers never gave Pakistani batsman a chance to develop a good partnership.
Earlier, England winning the toss decided to bat first. English batsman made 256 for six from their 50 overs in the fifth and final one-day international against Pakistan at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Eoin Morgan made an unbeaten 107 to help England to a decent score. Openers Andrew Strauss and Steve Davies gave England an encouraging start in the day/night encounter but the hosts found themselves in trouble as they were reduced to 47 for 3. 35-year-old Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar turned back the years with a devastating spell of 3 for 40 off ten overs. Akhtar dismissed the England captain for 25 and then bowled Jonathan Trott for just 3. England suffered further problems when Paul Collingwood left the field because of a migraine while Ian Bell picked up a groin injury while batting – he made 28. But Morgan together with the returning Collingwood helped steady the ship. The Durham all-rounder made 47 while Morgan went onto reach three figures.
England beat Pakistan by 121 runs to claim ODI series 3-2
England 256-6 (Morgan 107*, Shoaib 3-40)
Pakistan 135 (K. Akmal 41, Swann 3-26)
Pakistan loses 5th ODI and the series to England. Poor batting performance once again gives opposition the upper hand as they bowl-out Pakistan on 135 and protect their total of 256 by a massive 121 runs.
Pakistani openers were indeed off to a great start as Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Hafeez sent every loose ball, also some brilliant ones to the boundary. They gave an opening stand of 63 when suddenly they looked to have lost confidence over each other. A couple of times Hafeez wanted a quick single – but half way through the pitch Akmal sent him back shouting at him. Hafeez then, in an attempt to make quick runs by hitting boundaries, played a high ball on the off side that landed in the hands of Collingwood. Asad Shafiq came in to replace Hafeez but caught behind on the first ball. Both, Hafeez and Shafiq fell prey to Broad. New comer, Muhammad Yousuf avoided the hat-trick by a quick single. Kamran Akmal was then victimized by the poor umpiring judgments when English Umpire, Ian Gould gave England a treat by giving the in-form batsman LBW on a clear bat-pad, which also showed on the hot-spot screen. Graeme Swan bowled Fawad Alam in the 20th over. Yousuf and Afridi were bowled out on consecutive deliveries of Swann in the 28th over. Razzaq then came in to avoid another hat-trick off English bowling. On by one they were all laid down and after the first wicket, English bowlers never gave Pakistani batsman a chance to develop a good partnership.
Earlier, England winning the toss decided to bat first. English batsman made 256 for six from their 50 overs in the fifth and final one-day international against Pakistan at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Eoin Morgan made an unbeaten 107 to help England to a decent score. Openers Andrew Strauss and Steve Davies gave England an encouraging start in the day/night encounter but the hosts found themselves in trouble as they were reduced to 47 for 3. 35-year-old Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar turned back the years with a devastating spell of 3 for 40 off ten overs. Akhtar dismissed the England captain for 25 and then bowled Jonathan Trott for just 3. England suffered further problems when Paul Collingwood left the field because of a migraine while Ian Bell picked up a groin injury while batting – he made 28. But Morgan together with the returning Collingwood helped steady the ship. The Durham all-rounder made 47 while Morgan went onto reach three figures.
England beat Pakistan by 121 runs to claim ODI series win
England 256/6 (50 ov)
Morgan 107, Collingwood 47
England made 256 for six from their 50 overs in the fifth and final one-day international against Pakistan at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
Eoin Morgan made an unbeaten 107 to help England to a decent score. Openers Andrew Strauss and Steve Davies gave England an encouraging start in the day/night encounter but the hosts found themselves in trouble as they were reduced to 47 for 3.
35-year-old Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar turned back the years with a devastating spell of 2 for 17 off six overs.
Akhtar dismissed the England captain for 25 and then bowled Jonathan Trott for just 3.
England suffered further problems when Paul Collingwood left the field because of a migraine while Ian Bell picked up a groin injury while batting – he made 28.
But Morgan together with the returning Collingwood helped steady the ship. The Durham all-rounder made 47 while Morgan went onto reach three figures.
England had won the toss and decided to bat first.
Pakistan lose 3 for 15 chasing huge 435 runs
NOTTINGHAM: Matt Prior”s unbeaten century left England well placed for victory inside four days in the first Test against Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Pakistan, at stumps on the third day, had collapsed to 15 for three – still needing a further 420 runs for what would be a new world record fourth innings victory total of 435.
The most any side has ever made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the 418 for seven scored by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
Pakistan”s equivalent record is the 315 for nine they scored against Australia at Karachi in 1994.
Prior”s 102 not out was the major contribution to an England second innings total of 262 for nine declared, made after he came in at 72 for five.
Stuart Broad, on his Nottinghamshire home ground, then had Pakistan captain Salman Butt, flashing outside off-stump, well caught by Paul Collingwood at third slip.
Two balls later, Broad had Azhar Ali lbw for nought and by stumps had taken two wickets for 14 runs in three overs.
Ali, who hadn”t asked for a referral when he might have done in the first innings, requested one under the Decision Review System (DRS) but replays upheld New Zealand umpire Tony Hill”s decision.
Umar Amin was then lbw for one to James Anderson as Pakistan suffered their latest top-order collapse, losing three wickets for one run in seven balls.
Earlier, wicketkeeper Prior was some distance from a century on 63 when last man Steven Finn came to the crease.
But Finn showed a fine defensive technique and good temperament to hold an end up for 50 minutes on his way to nine not out in a last-wicket stand of 49.
Prior hoisted leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for two sixes in three balls but also took a single off the first ball of an over seven times with Finn at the other end.
But Prior”s faith in Finn was rewarded when he late cut-off spinner Shoaib Malik for three to complete a third hundred in his 32nd Test and first against Pakistan, with both his previous centuries against the West Indies.
England captain Andrew Strauss then declared with Prior having faced 136 balls with two sixes and seven fours in over three hours at the crease.
Earlier Umar Gul ensured Pakistan avoided the follow-on with a Test-best 65 not out, and then took three wickets for seven runs in 21 balls.
The only downside to an otherwise fine day for England was Kevin Pietersen”s dismissal for 22 – the 21st Test innings in a row where the star batsman had failed to score a century.
England, 49 for two at lunch, were 66 for four soon afterwards.
Pietersen got an inside edge off seamer Gul and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal held a superb one-handed catch after diving to his left.
However, next ball Collingwood cut flat-footedly and Kamran Akmal dropped a catch that would not have carried to first slip despite getting both gloves on the ball.
In the first innings, Kamran Akmal had missed a chance to stump Collingwood on 48.
Collingwood went on to make 82 and share an England fifth-wicket record stand against Pakistan of 219 with Eoin Morgan.
But that Kamran Akmal”s luck was turning was clear when Gul had Collingwood lbw for one.
Morgan”s first innings 130, his maiden Test century, put England in a strong position, but the left-hander was run out for 17 second time around after a mix-up with Prior.
Before lunch, England lost Strauss for a third ball nought.
He edged left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer to second slip where Umar Akmal fumbled the chance and then, flailing away, knocked the ball up and Umar”s brother Kamran reacted well to complete a diving catch.
Gul”s spirited innings ensured England would have to bat again.
The highlights were when he casually pulled fast bowler Finn for two sixes in as many balls.
Swing bowler Anderson, who took five wickets on his 28th birthday on Friday, finished with five for 54 in 22 overs.
Pakistan lose 3 for 15 chasing huge 435 runs
NOTTINGHAM: Matt Prior”s unbeaten century left England well placed for victory inside four days in the first Test against Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Pakistan, at stumps on the third day, had collapsed to 15 for three – still needing a further 420 runs for what would be a new world record fourth innings victory total of 435.
The most any side has ever made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the 418 for seven scored by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
Pakistan”s equivalent record is the 315 for nine they scored against Australia at Karachi in 1994.
Prior”s 102 not out was the major contribution to an England second innings total of 262 for nine declared, made after he came in at 72 for five.
Stuart Broad, on his Nottinghamshire home ground, then had Pakistan captain Salman Butt, flashing outside off-stump, well caught by Paul Collingwood at third slip.
Two balls later, Broad had Azhar Ali lbw for nought and by stumps had taken two wickets for 14 runs in three overs.
Ali, who hadn”t asked for a referral when he might have done in the first innings, requested one under the Decision Review System (DRS) but replays upheld New Zealand umpire Tony Hill”s decision.
Umar Amin was then lbw for one to James Anderson as Pakistan suffered their latest top-order collapse, losing three wickets for one run in seven balls.
Earlier, wicketkeeper Prior was some distance from a century on 63 when last man Steven Finn came to the crease.
But Finn showed a fine defensive technique and good temperament to hold an end up for 50 minutes on his way to nine not out in a last-wicket stand of 49.
Prior hoisted leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for two sixes in three balls but also took a single off the first ball of an over seven times with Finn at the other end.
But Prior”s faith in Finn was rewarded when he late cut-off spinner Shoaib Malik for three to complete a third hundred in his 32nd Test and first against Pakistan, with both his previous centuries against the West Indies.
England captain Andrew Strauss then declared with Prior having faced 136 balls with two sixes and seven fours in over three hours at the crease.
Earlier Umar Gul ensured Pakistan avoided the follow-on with a Test-best 65 not out, and then took three wickets for seven runs in 21 balls.
The only downside to an otherwise fine day for England was Kevin Pietersen”s dismissal for 22 – the 21st Test innings in a row where the star batsman had failed to score a century.
England, 49 for two at lunch, were 66 for four soon afterwards.
Pietersen got an inside edge off seamer Gul and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal held a superb one-handed catch after diving to his left.
However, next ball Collingwood cut flat-footedly and Kamran Akmal dropped a catch that would not have carried to first slip despite getting both gloves on the ball.
In the first innings, Kamran Akmal had missed a chance to stump Collingwood on 48.
Collingwood went on to make 82 and share an England fifth-wicket record stand against Pakistan of 219 with Eoin Morgan.
But that Kamran Akmal”s luck was turning was clear when Gul had Collingwood lbw for one.
Morgan”s first innings 130, his maiden Test century, put England in a strong position, but the left-hander was run out for 17 second time around after a mix-up with Prior.
Before lunch, England lost Strauss for a third ball nought.
He edged left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer to second slip where Umar Akmal fumbled the chance and then, flailing away, knocked the ball up and Umar”s brother Kamran reacted well to complete a diving catch.
Gul”s spirited innings ensured England would have to bat again.
The highlights were when he casually pulled fast bowler Finn for two sixes in as many balls.
Swing bowler Anderson, who took five wickets on his 28th birthday on Friday, finished with five for 54 in 22 overs.
England 354 all out against Pakistan
NOTTINGHAM: England, after winning the toss, were bowled out for 354 on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan at Trent Bridge here on Friday.
Mohammad Asif took five wickets for 77 runs as England lost their last six wickets for just 17 runs in 51 balls following a fifth-wicket stand of 219 between Eoin Morgan (130) and Paul Collingwood (82).
This is the first of a four-Test series.
Collingwood ready for Pakistan bowlers
NOTTINGHAM: Paul Collingwood is adamant there is no reason why he or his fellow England batsmen should feel daunted by the challenge of facing Pakistan”s bowlers here at Trent Bridge.
Collingwood – returning to Tests after missing England”s early season 2-0 home series win over Bangladesh with a shoulder injury – suggested Pakistan were flattered by overcast conditions at Headingley.
“I don”t want to go overboard on ”these guys are the best thing since sliced bread” – or Wasim Akram, or this, that and the other,” Collingwood told reporters on Tuesday.
Nevertheless he praised the 18-year-old Aamer, saying: “When I was 18 I was just getting a contract for Durham and playing club cricket out in Australia – so it was bare bones at the time.
“Seeing a youngster like that (Aamer) is excellent for the game.”
But Collingwood added: “If we can get through those periods where it can be really tricky, I think we can get on top of them.
“To say they”re the number one bowling attack in the world I would say was over the mark.
“They have come up in conditions recently where it”s done a fair bit.
“Their confidence is going to be sky-high. But we”re a confident team ourselves.”
England will take heart from the way an inexperienced Pakistan batting line-up lost seven wickets in pursuit of a relatively modest victory target of 180 at Headingley.
So England”s bowlers will fancy their chances at Trent Bridge, where paceman Stuart Broad and off-spinner Graeme Swann play for Nottinghamshire.
Pakistan, in what will be only opening batsman Butt”s second match as captain, are likely to go in with the same side as played at Headingley.
Meanwhile England, who have a 12-man squad, are set to stick with a policy of six specialist batsmen and four bowlers that has become standard under the regime of coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss.
Wile this might work against Pakistan, it could leave them a bowler light in Australia where they begin the defence of the Ashes in November and where no England side has won a Test series since 1986.
“We have done very well with the three seamers, and Swanny”s pivotal role in giving the seamers rest – with the wickets he gets and the pressure he puts on,” Collingwood said.
“Sometimes I tend to think that when you do have four seamers one of them never bowls too much anyway.
As batsman Ian Bell is out with a series-ending foot injury, the top six appears to pick itself.
And so will, it seems, England”s attack after Yorkshire seamer Ajmal Shahzad was ruled out Wednesday with an ankle injury.
Shahzad”s county colleague Tim Bresnan was called into the squad as a replacement but it would now be a major surprise if England fielded an attack of anything other than James Anderson, Steven Finn, Broad and Swann.
As for Pakistan, Butt said: “We know it will not be an easy ride so we have to stick together and try our best. That”s all we can do.”
