New dad Swann ready to fly out and join England squad

LONDON: England spinner Graeme Swann will soon fly out to join the rest of the World Cup squad after his wife Sarah gave birth to their first child on Thursday.

Australia beat England by 4 runs

Australia finally had something to celebrate after recording an unlikely four-run win over England in the second Twenty20 international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

After Australia battled to 147-7 thanks to an unbeaten half-century by second-gamer Aaron Finch, England looked set to cruise to victory when they were 58-0 after six overs, with opener Ian Bell on song.

But England’s quest to extend their record unbeaten T20 streak to nine matches, having defeated Australia on the last ball of Wednesday’s game in Adelaide, came unstuck as their middle order failed to deliver.

As was the case in Australia’s lone win during the Ashes series, in the third Test at the WACA Ground, it was paceman Mitchell Johnson (3-29) who turned the match on its head.Johnson claimed the vital wicket of Bell (39) when the right-hander dragged a ball onto his stumps in the seventh over to end an opening stand of 60. The left-hander then followed up by having Kevin Pietersen caught for one three balls later.

Johnson also removed the dangerous Eoin Morgan for 14, while Shane Watson backed up his brilliant effort in Wednesday’s match with a frugal 2-17 from four overs.

With 13 runs needed off the last three balls from Brett Lee, young England all-rounder Chris Woakes threatened to repeat his heroics on Wednesday when he lofted the paceman into the stands to leave seven needed from two. But Lee got the job done as Australia snapped a run of five successive losses in T20 internationals.

Man of the match Finch, playing in only his second international, hit 53 not out from 33 balls in a crucial performance with the bat for the home side.

Australia side got off to a quick start and were 57-1 after six overs, but lost 4-17 as Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy wreaked havoc, the two spinners recording identical figures of 2-19 from their four overs.

The two sides now meet in a seven-match one-day series and Australian captain Cameron White was hopeful the hope side finally had some momentum.

Ashes series:England secures opening-day honours

Australia v England, 3rd Test, Perth, 1st day
Australia 268
England 29/0 (12.0 ov)
England trail by 239 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Stumps – Day 1
England captured the last four Australia wickets for 89 runs to limit the hosts to a first innings total of 268 before stumps on the first day of the third Test in Perth on Thursday.
After resuming on 179/6, Australia’s rearguard was halted by paceman James Anderson in the fourth over after tea when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin nicked a thick edge to Graeme Swann at slip to go for 53.
Anderson then bowled paceman Ryan Harris for three in his next over to leave Australia 201/8 before fast bowler Mitchell Johnson produced a fighting half-century in a solid return to the side after being dropped following the first Test in Brisbane. Johnson’s heroics were ended by Steve Finn, however, who dismissed the paceman for a top-scoring 62 after enticing him into a poorly hit pull shot straight to Anderson at square leg. Spinner Graeme Swann then had Ben Hilfenhaus out for 13, caught by Alastair Cook at short leg to leave Siddle stranded on 35 not out.

England thrash Australia A by 10 wickets in final warm-up

SYDNEY: Skipper Andrew Strauss smashed a four through midwicket to give England a 10-wicket victory over Australia A in their final warm-up match for the Ashes in Hobart on Saturday.

The tourists again had plenty to be cheerful about in the last of their three matches in Australia before their defence of the Ashes begins on Thursday in Brisbane.

Batsman Ian Bell hit 192 and England’s back-up bowlers Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan grabbed seven and six wickets respectively.

England’s likely bowling attack for the first test, Stuart Broad, Steve Finn, Graeme Swann and James Anderson, are already in Queensland acclimatising. AGENCIES

England bowlers skip warmup to head for Brisbane early

HOBART: England signalled the probable makeup of their first Ashes test bowling attack on Monday with the decision to send four players to Brisbane early rather than playing a warmup match in Tasmania.

Pacemen Stuart Broad, Steve Finn and James Anderson, and offspinner Graeme Swann would leave Hobart on Wednesday, after the first day of England’s four-day match against Australia A, to begin preparations for the Nov. 25 test, coach Andy Flower said.

“The conditions in Hobart are very different in Brisbane and the ones we will be facing in the first test,” Flower told reporters in a wet and chilly Hobart.

“We want to give that group of bowlers a little head start in those conditions so they’re going three days earlier than the rest of us.”

Flower added while they had signalled their likely bowling attack for the first test there was still a possibility

ICC Awards 2010

ICC Awards 2010: ICC has short-listed the nominations for ICC Awards 2010. Sachin Tendulkar dominates the nomination as he is listed in 3 major categories.Sehwag and Amla are both included in test cricketer of year as well as ODI cricketer of the year. Grame Swann is the late inclusion in ICC awards 2010.

Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Virender Sehwag, Graeme Swann and Sachin Tendulkar

Test Player of the Year: Hashim Amla, Virender Sehwag, Dale Steyn and Sachin Tendulkar

ODI Player of the Year: Ryan Harris, Sachin Tendulkar , AB de Villiers, Shane Watson

Emerging Player of the Year: Umar Akmal, Steven Finn, Angelo Mathews and Tim Paine

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year: Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Trent Johnson (Ireland), Kevin O’Brien (Ireland) and Mohammed Shahzad (Afghanistan)

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Michael Hussey 60* v Pakistan, Mahela Jayawardene 100 v Zimbabwe, Mahela Jayawardene 98* v West Indies, Ryan McLaren 5-19 v West Indies and Brendon McCullum 116* v Australia.

Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Katherine Brunt (England), Shelley Nitschke (Australia), Ellyse Perry (Australia) and Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

Umpire of the Year: Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Tony Hill and Simon Taufel

Spirit of Cricket: India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe

England win fifth ODI against Pakistan by 121 runs

SOUTHAMPTON: Eoin Morgan’s latest match-winning Rose Bowl century saw England to a crushing 121 run-victory against Pakistan as they took the five-match one-day series 3-2 on Wednesday to end a scandal-marred season.

Success meant England had won consecutive Test (3-1), Twenty20 (2-0) and limited overs series against a Pakistan side whose tour was overshadowed by ‘spot-fixing’ allegations.

Man-of-the-match Morgan made 107 not out in a total of 256 for six after England had slumped to 47 for three following captain Andrew Strauss’s decision to bat first.

Former Ireland left-hander Morgan had previously made an unbeaten 103 as England beat Australia by four wickets in the first one-dayer at the Rose Bowl in June.

Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 135 with 13 overs still left, seamer Stuart Broad taking three for 25 and off-spinner Graeme Swann

Gul’s magic continue, Pakistan draw level against England

Pakistan 265 for 7 (Hafeez 64, Swann 4-37)
England 227 (Strauss 68, Gul 4-32)
Pakistan beat England by 38 runs.
Pakistan draw level against England with a 38-runs win in the fourth ODI. England in chase of a total of 266, were bowled out on 227. Magical Gul waved his wand again and took 4 wicket in the nail-biting moments of the game and Abdul Razzaq for his vital contribution of 44 was awarded man-of-the-match.
Pakistan scored 265 for seven from their 50 overs in the fourth one-day international against England at Lord’s. Pakistan reached 265 for 7, an innings lit up first by Shahid Afridi and then by Abdul Razzaq and also dominated by Graeme Swann, who claimed 4 for 37 in a superb display of offspin. Mohammad Hafeez remained top scorer with 64, followed by a blistering innings of Abdul Razzaq who scored 44 on just 20 balls. Fawad Alam and Kamran Akmal made 29 and 28 respectively.
English captain Strauss top scored 68, Steve Davies fall prey to Ajmal on 49, Bell 27 and Morgan 28. No other batsman made a countable contribution from English side.Five match series have now tied 2-2. Decider will played on Wednesday.

Pakistan set 266 runs target against England

Pakistan 265 for 7 (Hafeez 64, Razzaq 44, Swann 4-37)
Pakistan scored 265 for seven from their 50 overs in the fourth one-day international against England at Lord’s on Monday.
Pakistan reached 265 for 7, an innings lit up first by Shahid Afridi and then by Abdul Razzaq and also dominated by Graeme Swann, who claimed 4 for 37 in a superb display of offspin.
Mohammad Hafeez remained top scorer with 64, followed by 44 by Razzaq. Fawad Alam and Kamran Akmal made 29 and 28 respectively.
England lead 2-1 in the five-match series.

Swann in race for top ICC award after earlier snub

DUBAI: Initially overlooked, England off-spinner Graeme Swann on Monday made it to the shortlist for this year’s top International Cricket Council (ICC) award.

The Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and South African batsman Hashim Amla are also in the running for the Sir Garfield Sobers Cricketer of the Year trophy, the ICC said in a statement.

Swann was included in the long-list only after the Clive Lloyd-headed selection committee admitted to a “genuine oversight”.

Tendulkar, Sehwag and Amla have also been shortlisted for the Test Player of the Year award, alongside South African pacer Dale Steyn.

Tendulkar is in the fray for the one-day international Cricketer of the Year award as well, along with the Australian duo of Ryan Harris and Shane Watson and South African AB de Villiers.

Katherine Brunt of England, West Indian

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