All posts by h716a5.icu

Kolkata Knight Riders’ chase of 161 in 14.2 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, according to Gautam Gambhir, had given them the belief they could chase 200 in the IPL final

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-20145:20

Gambhir: Yusuf’s 72 the turning point for us

George Bailey called Manish Pandey’s 50-ball 94 a “ballsy” innings•BCCIHalfway through the league phase, Kolkata Knight Riders had only won two matches out of seven. Few would have imagined they would pick themselves up, win nine in a row and go on to lift their second IPL title in three seasons. After Knight Riders chased down 200 to win the final against Kings XI Punjab, their captain Gautam Gambhir credited his players for being able to absorb pressure and come up with crucial individual performances whenever called upon.”A lot of credit needs to go to the entire team,” Gambhir said. “I think they were ready to absorb a lot of pressure, and where we were after the first seven games, not a lot of people must have given us that chance that we’re going to be here, lifting the cup. It’s been unbelievable belief and contribution from everyone. Guys really chipped in when they needed to.”Asked what the mood in Knight Riders’ dressing room was like after Kings XI had posted 199, Gambhir said he always felt they could chase it down. Knight Riders had extra belief, he said, after their chase of 161 in 14.2 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad to seal a top-two finish in the league phase.”This is such a ground where it’s difficult to defend,” he said. “You always have that belief, if we can get the target to five overs, 50 or 60, we can always win the game, and I think Manish [Pandey] played an unbelievable knock, supported by Yusuf [Pathan], and then guys chipped in, someone like Piyush [Chawla] hitting that very important six. I think 199, we always had the belief we’re going to chase that down, especially after what we did against Sunrisers.”Pandey, batting on his home ground, smashed 94 off 50 balls to take Knight Riders to the cusp of victory. Having received the Man-of-the-Match award for his effort, Pandey said the IPL was a fitting end to a superb domestic season for him – he had been part of the Karnataka side that had won the Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.”We have got four achievements, and IPL is the cherry on the cake,” he said. “I thought this was an opportunity to get runs. I’ve been playing here for a very long time, I think it was great scoring in the final game.”Gambhir said the decision to buy Pandey at the auction paid off. “When we picked Pandey, we had a lot of faith and trust in him. He has delivered when it mattered the most,” Gambhir said. “Not many franchises would have continued with him because he had struggled with his form. But we always felt he had the talent and fearlessness to go out and play this kind of an innings.”He added that the franchise got the balance right at the auction. “When we went into the auction, we wanted a good bowling attack,” Gambhir said. “A lot of teams might have thought of having a very good batting line-up in the T20 format. A strong bowling attack takes a lot of pressure off batting.”George Bailey, the Kings XI captain, was magnanimous in his praise for the winning team and for Pandey. “That was certainly a game worthy of being called a final. It was outstanding,” Bailey said. “Hats off to Kolkata and in particular Manish. That was a hell of an innings. The amount of times we took a wicket and he hit the next ball for six, it was ballsy batting and it really paid off. Full congratulations to them, they really deserved it.”Kings XI had topped the league table on their way to reaching their first final in seven seasons, and Bailey said he was proud of his team’s achievement.”It’s been an amazing ride,” he said. “We’ve got a very, very special bunch of guys. We’ve got a wonderful feeling. We have had a wonderful tournament, and another great game tonight, so our boys can really hold their heads up very, very high.”

Cameron White’s unbeaten 102 set up Victoria’s first win in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup in Brisbane, helping the side chase down 300 against South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2014
ScorecardCameron White made his eighth List A hundred•Getty ImagesCameron White’s unbeaten 102 set up Victoria’s first win in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup in Brisbane, helping the side chase down 300 against South Australia.Coming in to bat in the 12th over with the score at 2 for 65, White anchored the chase at just over run-a-ball, stitching important partnerships with opener Rob Quiney and David Hussey, who contributed fifties. White’s partnership of 90 runs for the fourth wicket with Hussey, which came at a brisk clip of almost seven an over, set the base for Victoria’s reply and they went into the last 10 overs needing 66.The wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Peter Handscomb did not affect Victoria too much in the final overs as John Hastings and White kept pace with the equation. Hastings took 18 in an over off Chadd Sayers, before White ended the game in the 49th over, bringing up the win and his eighth List A hundred with a brace of fours.Earlier, fifties from Travis Head, Alex Ross and Johan Botha, and a 35-ball 49 from Tim Ludeman lifted South Australia to 8 for 299. Head, Ross and Botha shared a string of 50+ plus partnerships in the middle overs, before Ludeman provided a lift towards the end, smacking 17 runs in the last over. Hastings was the most successful bowler for Victoria, taking 3 for 37 in his 10 overs.

With Sunday's Gold Cup final set to renew the biggest rivalry in Concacaf, Goal selects the players who have been the tournament standouts

The Gold Cup final that Mexico and U.S. national team fans were hoping for is finally here, and Sunday's final will be an opportunity for players from both teams to cap the strong tournaments they have already put together.

The United States has won all five of its matches at the Gold Cup, allowing just one goal along the way while scoring a tournament-best 15. Gregg Berhalter's squad has helped ease the fears generated by two pre-Gold Cup defeats to Jamaica and Venezuela, though struggles against Curacao in the quarterfinals rekindled some of the concerns about whether the Americans have the quality to defeat Mexico in the final.

It hasn't been all smooth sailing for El Tri either, with Tata Martino's squad needing a penalty shootout to hold off Costa Rica in the quarterfinals and overtime to eliminate Haiti in the semifinals.

Despite those difficult matches, Mexico has shown the individual quality expected when the Gold Cup began, with some familiar faces shining, and some new ones impressing.

The same can be said for the USMNT, which has had some relatively new faces step up into prominent roles and enjoy breakout tournaments.

Which American and Mexican players have enjoyed the best Gold Cups so far? Here are Goal's selections for the combined USA-Mexico Gold Cup XI:

Guillermo Ochoa | Mexico | GoalkeeperWithout a doubt the El Tri No. 1, Ochoa helped Mexico to the final with a save to win a shootout against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. Though he’s 33 years old, Ochoa hasn’t dropped a bit from his form in the 2014 World Cup and has his sights set on a third World Cup as the starter in 2022. His Gold Cup campaign indicates he’s up to it.AdvertisementGetty ImagesLuis 'Chaka' Rodriguez | Mexico | Right Back“Chaka” may not be a perfect fullback, but he does what he needs to do in Tata Martino’s system. He gets forward to join the attack, scoring in a pre-tournament friendly and coming close in the tournament proper, and also defends well enough to avoid catastrophe. While Fernando Navarro also is available this tournament, it’s clear why Martino has stuck with Rodriguez as his first choice at right back.Getty ImagesAaron Long | USA | Center BackOne of the breakout stars of the Gold Cup for the United States, Long overcame a hamstring injury suffered a month before the Gold Cup to help anchor a U.S. defense that has allowed just one goal in six matches. Long's one-on-one defensive ability, range, and attacking quality as a threat to score on set pieces make him the ideal well-rounded defender. What makes Long's emergence even more impressive is that the 26-year-old hadn't even received his first national team cap until last October.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Patrick SmithWalker Zimmerman | USA | Center Back

One of the surprises of the Gold Cup, Zimmerman beat out Matt Miazga for the starting role in central defense and took full advantage, providing a perfect complement to Aaron Long. His aerial prowess and increasing confidence on the ball have helped him adapt to Gregg Berhalter's system. His growth as a player at LAFC playing for Bob Bradley is clear, and the United States hasn't allowed a goal at the Gold Cup with Zimmerman on the field.

The ECB has awarded 18 players from the England Women’s Performance Programme new contracts and hailed a move into a new professional era for the women’s game.

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2014The ECB has awarded 18 players from the England Women’s Performance Programme new contracts and hailed a move into a new professional era for the women’s game.The increased support for the higher echelons of women’s cricket has been made possible by England’s success in gaining a greater share of revenue from the world game.Confirmation of the new payments follows the decision by the ECB Board in February to invest in the women’s game to record levels, with all 18 players now set to benefit from the improved financial arrangements.The ECB’s head of England women’s cricket, Clare Connor, said: “The performances delivered by Charlotte Edwards and her team over the past 12 months, including back-to-back Women’s Ashes triumphs, a historic series win in the West Indies in November, and reaching the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 final in Bangladesh, unequivocally justify the financial reward which comes with the new England women’s contracts.”The pay increase for the contracted players is significant and signals the dawning of a fully professional era in every sense for England women’s cricket. I am grateful to the ECB Board for the ongoing support they provide towards the development of the women’s game in this country.”Paul Downton, Managing Director England Cricket, added: “The England women’s team always prepare to excellent standards, and have been professional cricketers in all but name for a while now.”International women’s cricket has developed at a fast pace over the last few years and is now a year-round operation. The new arrangements will allow the 18 contracted players to train as full-time professionals.”This is a very natural next step forward for the women’s game in this country, and we hope that the move will lead to England maintaining their position as one of the most successful women’s teams in the world.”The ECB’s determination to advance the cause of women’s cricket has also been politically well received. Helen Grant, the Minister for Sport, said: “Today’s announcement by the ECB is a significant step forward, not just for women’s cricket, but for women’s sport in this country. It is fantastic that the ECB is now moving to professionalise the sport. This will demonstrate to girls and women throughout the country that a career in sport is a realistic aspiration for them.”This summer, England women will host India women in August for a one-off Test match and three one-day internationals, before welcoming South Africa women for a three-match Twenty20 International series at the start of September.England Women’s Contracts 2014-2015: Charlotte Edwards (captain), Tamsin Beaumont, Natasha Farrant, Lydia Greenway, Laura Marsh (all Kent), Katherine Brunt, Danielle Hazell, Lauren Winfield (all Yorkshire), Georgia Elwiss, Kathryn Cross (Lancashire), Rebecca Grundy, Amy Jones (both Warwickshire), Jenny Gunn, Danielle Wyatt (both Notts), Natalie Sciver (Surrey), Heather Knight (Berkshire), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Sarah Taylor (Sussex)

Gary Ballance’s century for Yorkshire set Middlesex an improbable target at Lord’s, but an excellent opening stand between Chris Rogers and Sam Robson has sustained their hopes

George Dobell at Lord's29-Apr-2014
ScorecardThe last 56 runs of Gary Ballance’s innings came from only 21 deliveries•Getty ImagesAs each round of Championship games progresses, so another piece slots in to the jigsaw for Peter Moores and co. An England Test line-up that looked as uncertain as at any time in history a few weeks ago is gradually staring to come together. Arguably only injury will change the first-choice XI at this stage.Whereas in earlier rounds the likes of Chris Jordan made their claim, over recent days it has become ever more likely that Sam Robson and Gary Ballance will fill the batting vacancies.While Ballance’s likely inclusion at No. 5 is not ideal – it may well force Ian Bell or, more realistically, Joe Root to bat at No. 3 – it is becoming almost impossible to suppress his inevitable rise. If Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Matt Prior are fit and Moeen Ali, perhaps batting as low as No. 8, is picked as the spinner (he has taken 88 first-class wickets at 31.10 apiece since the start of 2012), England have their side.It is a shame to dwell on such matters when this game between Middlesex and Yorkshire, a fine encounter that has fluctuated in fortune each day, deserves attention in its own right. It has been an excellent advert for the quality and entertainment offered by county cricket. But if the county game exists to serve the England team – and that is certainly a key function – then it is probably wise to keep an eye on the bigger picture.There may also not be quite as many opportunities to compete for a Test place as had been thought, either. It is likely that several of the participants in this match could be withdrawn from the next round of Championship matches to prepare for international duty.The England squad for the ODI against Scotland is currently scheduled to be announced on Thursday and will meet for white-ball training sessions at Loughborough next Tuesday and Wednesday. While that would allow squad members to play the first two days of the next round of games – they could be substituted under the Championship competition regulations at the halfway stage – it does mean that their opportunities to impress the selectors in the red-ball game will be limited. The international season is, these days, almost endless.It seems all but certain that Ballance’s days as a county player are numbered. While no young player comes with guarantees, Ballance has the record, the hunger, the technique and the temperament to suggest that he will play at the highest level with distinction.While a first-class average of 54.42 might be mitigated, partially anyway, by some success at a modest standard in Zimbabwe, it is harder to explain away the fact that he is the only man playing Division One cricket to have scored more than 1,500 Championship runs since the start of 2013 or that he has 406 runs already this season. He has scored four centuries in his last seven Championship matches.Equally, there is the evidence of his strokeplay. While the final part of this innings came against modest bowling – Neil Dexter and Ollie Rayner were thrashed for the majority of the tenth-wicket stand of 66 in five-and-a-half overs – the power and range of stroke exhibited by Ballance was reminiscent of Kevin Pietersen at a similar stage of his career.Ballance thumped 56 off 21 balls during that partnership, including five sixes and four fours, with one Rayner delivery slog-swept over the grandstand and out of Lord’s and one fairly respectable Dexter delivery picked up and deposited over square leg in a manner that would have pleased Viv Richards.Besides, Ballance had earned the right to such luxuries. By demonstrating the restraint and technique required to survive Middlesex’s fine trio of mainline seamers earlier in his innings, he had worn down the attack and played himself in. By the time he late cut to third man – becoming Tim Murtagh’s 500th first-class wicket in the process – he had helped his team set an improbable 472 for victory.Only once have Yorkshire conceded more to lose a first-class match, when a Peter Trego-inspired Somerset made 479 for 6 at Taunton in 2009. While Cambridge University once chased 507 to win here against MCC in 1896, the highest successful chase by Middlesex at Lord’s is 366 for 5 against Sussex in 1926.But an opening stand of 181 in 38.4 overs has given them a chance. Chris Rogers, positive from the start, rushed to a century at almost a run a ball, driving crisply and proving merciless off his legs, while Robson survived a nervous start to lend increasingly assured support. The Yorkshire attack, so impressive the previous day, allowed their desire to get the better of them just a little and erred in both line and length on a pitch that has slowed in pace and eased in character, but still offers bowlers encouragement.Robson might have gone without scoring. Drawn into prodding outside off stump, he edged low to slip off Jack Brooks where the ball appeared to not quite reach Adam Lyth, before settling in to play an innings full of the cuts and back-foot drives that may well become familiar to spectators of Test cricket over the coming years. He is not, at this stage, the complete player, and was eventually drawn into pushing at one he could have left to end the partnership but, as England look to the future, it is proving hard to ignore him.There is, at some stage, a legitimate debate to be had about the reason players developed in Australia and southern Africa, in particular, appear to mature more quickly than those brought up only in England – the lack of cricket in state schools is surely a huge issue – but in Ballance and Robson, England have two 24-year-olds from southern climes who could serve them for much of the next decade.

Peter Nevill’s fourth first-class hundred put New South Wales on target for victory before they tightened their grip on the match with a remarkable new-ball effort that left Victoria at 3 for 0

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2014
ScorecardPeter Nevill made an unbeaten 100 (file photo)•Getty ImagesPeter Nevill’s fourth first-class hundred put New South Wales on target for victory before they tightened their grip on the match with a remarkable new-ball effort that left Victoria at 3 for 0. Nevill, Scott Henry and Kurtis Patterson all caused problems for the Victoria bowlers in Sydney on the second day, which ended with two nightwatchmen – Scott Boland and James Muirhead – both at the crease for the Bushrangers.Doug Bollinger got rid of opener Peter Handscomb in the first over of Victoria’s second innings and that was followed in the fourth over by another red-ball failure from Aaron Finch, who was bowled by Trent Copeland for an eight-ball duck. Marcus Stoinis became the third specialist batsman to depart for a duck when he was caught off the bowling of Copeland in the fifth over, leaving Victoria 234 runs behind with only seven wickets in hand.It could hardly have been a better day for the Blues, who declared at 9 for 452 after Nevill reached his hundred with seven fours and two sixes. Earlier, a 117-run fourth-wicket partnership between Patterson and Henry earned first-innings points for New South Wales, although both men fell just short of centuries.Henry was bowled by Daniel Christian for 92 and Patterson was caught at slip off Clint McKay for 94, but Nevill had enough support from the lower order to extended his side’s advantage significantly. Muirhead, the young legspinner who has been thrust into Australia’s World Twenty20 squad but is still trying to prove himself in the longer format, leaked more than eight runs an over and took 0 for 61 from his seven overs.

South Africa have called up Quinton de Kock as cover for Alviro Petersen, who is suffering from a viral infection

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2014South Africa have called up Quinton de Kock as cover for Alviro Petersen, who is suffering from a viral infection. Petersen made 2 and 1 in the 281-run defeat in Centurion and if he is unfit to play it could mean a Test debut for 21-year-old de Kock, a former captain of the Under-19s.Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, had said earlier in the day that the team had no injury concerns, other than Ryan McLaren who had previously been ruled out with concussion, and that he expected to be partnered by Petersen. There have been calls in some quarters for for Petersen to be dropped after he looked uneasy facing Mitchell Johnson’s pace in the first Test. CSA said that a decision on Petersen’s availability would be made before the toss.Dean Elgar, who can open, was the back-up batsman in the squad, although he was already in contention to replace McLaren. South Africa could be set to make several changes after Robin Peterson was spotted in a bar the night before the Test, with Wayne Parnell the likeliest to come in – leaving JP Duminy and Elgar to provide spin support for a four-man pace attack.De Kock made his international debut over a year ago but has so far only played limited-overs cricket. A diminutive left-hander who keeps wicket and opens the batting, de Kock made an unspectacular start to his South Africa career before scoring four ODI centuries in little over a month; he became only the fifth batsman to record three consecutive tons during India’s visit in December. During a three-day practice match before the Centurion Test he made 50 for a South Africa Composite XI, though followed that with scores of 1 and 7 for Lions last weekend.Petersen’s place had been under scrutiny before falling ill, having averaged 23.92 over the last year, with no hundreds. The 33-year -old has been Smith’s regular opening partner since a recall at the start of 2012 and has an average of 37.30 from 29 Tests.

Brad Haddin pointed to Jonathan Trott’s fraught innings before lunch and Nathan Lyon’s telling two wicket contribution as the keys to Australia’s dominant position at the close of day two at the Gabba

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane22-Nov-20130:00

Haddin proud of landmark

Like everyone at the Gabba, Brad Haddin did not expect England’s batting to fold quite so spectacularly as it did on day two of the first Ashes Test. He pointed to Jonathan Trott’s fraught innings before lunch and Nathan Lyon’s telling two wicket contribution as the keys to Australia’s dominant position.Having figured greatly in the match already himself, making 94 then claiming his 200th dismissal in his 50th Test, Haddin said an indifferent early bowling stint after the team’s dismissal for 295 had been turned around by the sight of Trott jumping around the crease and then falling to the unnervingly fast Mitchell Johnson in the over before the interval.”I think that was a big momentum swing,” Haddin said. “We didn’t put the ball quite where we liked, we probably just tried too hard, we searched for wickets a little bit at the start, so that was the big wicket leading into the break, and once we came out we got our lengths right and executed our plans. So that was a big momentum swing for us.”It gives your bowlers a lot of confidence. We’ve all got plans and England have plans for us. It’s no shock to anyone now with all the video analysis and TV, but the thing is you’ve got to execute them. We’ve done that now in England and the first Test here, so it’s pleasing that it worked again. It’s good when a plan comes together and it works, but the bowlers have got to be good enough.”While Trott’s departure gave the hosts a decided lift entering the afternoon session, Haddin said it took a word of advice from the pace bowling coach Craig McDermott to ensure the early gains could be followed up in the afternoon. Acting on McDermott’s advice, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle bowled an impressively tight spell after the break, leading to the demise of Kevin Pietersen and ushering the havoc that followed.”It’s good to have someone like Mitch in your side, but Nathan Lyon was the one who started it all off today,” Haddin said. “I thought we built some good pressure leading up to Nathan Lyon’s two big breakthroughs and Mitchell Johnson letting some go. You have to earn the right to have sessions like that and I thought we built the pressure quite well.”We probably didn’t start with the ball the way we would have liked, so Billy told the bowlers in no uncertain terms where he wanted things to be at lunch, and we came back after the break and got our lengths right, which was pleasing to see. Billy has come back into the system leading into this Test. He was pretty good during the break to tell the bowlers where they needed to go. Pitch it up.”Haddin’s own contribution has been significant, and he said his first innings 94 was among his best displays, even if a run out while trying to pinch the strike in the morning had scotched his chances of a century. Trott’s wicket also brought his 20th Test match dismissal, an important moment for a man who gave up cricket altogether for six months in 2012 to be with his seriously ill daughter.”That’s probably as well as I’ve played in Test cricket,” Haddin said. “I was pretty comfortable yesterday and with Mitch it was a tough period there. You would obviously like three figures but to get in a position we put the team is probably more important than three figures for myself.”When you get milestones it means you start to get more milestones behind you than you do in front of you. I’m just concentrating on where this game’s going. Those sort of stats are well and good once you’ve given the game away, but it’s important now we keep playing the cricket we want over the next three days and get us in the best position we can tomorrow.”

Alastair Cook has been removed as captain of England’s one-day side with Eoin Morgan appointed to lead England at the World Cup that starts in February.

David Hopps19-Dec-20140:58

Cook’s position had become untenable

Alastair Cook has been removed as England’s one-day captain, according to widespread but as yet unconfirmed reports, with Eoin Morgan appointed to lead England at the World Cup that starts in February.England’s World Cup captaincy was thrashed out during hours of deliberations at Trent Bridge on Friday as the selectors wrestled with a decision they had done everything to avoid. The ECB is expected to confirm Morgan as the new captain on Saturday less than two months before the start of the tournament although the man himself is currently in Australia preparing for his Big Bash League stint.Cook, 29, has struggled for a long time in one-day cricket, scoring only one half-century in his last 22 innings in ODIs. England have also lost five of their last six multi-match series and the 5-2 series defeat has seen the selectors take action.Pressure has been building for much of the past year for England’s selectors to jettison Cook, as he became a symbol for England’s conservative approach to one-day cricket both as a batsman and captain, but they repeatedly tried to bolster his position in the forlorn hope that he would rediscover his form.That desire was based not only on the wish for continuity, but upon an underlying sense of loyalty to Cook after he had unprotestingly accepted the decision to call time on Kevin Pietersen’s England career after an Ashes whitewash nearly a year ago.Alastair Cook has struggled in one-day cricket for some time•Getty ImagesNow England’s selectors have voted to replace Cook in the face of strong expressions of loyalty towards him by the managing director of England cricket, Paul Downton. As recently as Monday, Downton reaffirmed his belief that Cook was England’s “natural leader” and said he would be very surprised if he was not captain at the World Cup.Downton’s view that the selectors would take “more risks” if they replaced Cook might also have been accepted as fact by those officially charged with making the decision, even as they opted for change, but by then it had been concluded that the risk was worth taking and preferable to the sense of inertia that has settled over the England one-day side.Peter Moores, England’s coach, also expressed personal support for Cook right up to the end, but a majority feeling emerged among the selectorial quartet – the chairman James Whitaker, former England bowler and Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser, and Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell – that, however inconveniently, the case for change had become impossible to ignore.Cook was appointed in the wake of England’s failed challenge in the 2011 World Cup, a time when his place in the one-day side was not regarded as automatic. From the outset the decision was questioned; Tony Greig called it “deadly dangerous” and an error of judgment by England’s team director Andy Flower.England won 36 and lost 30 of their 69 matches under his leadership; that record, too, was worsening with only 15 victories in the last 37. The recent slump in form from both Cook and the team had threatened to make England’s World Cup challenge a non-event.Morgan’s form has been equally alarming with only one half-century in his last 19 innings, but that half-century came when he stood in for Cook, who was suspended for a match because he presided over England’s slow over rate, during the seven-match Sri Lanka series. Morgan averages 71 in his eight matches as captain and England ware now clinging to the hope that such an inspirational record will be reborn.Cook’s sense of duty and strong will meant that he was not about to stand down no matter how consuming his problems in one-day cricket began. His wish to lead England in the World Cup never wavered. But when he philosophically remarked at the end of the Sri Lanka series that it was down to the selectors to decide his future there was an underlying sense that he had invited them to act should they so wish.”If the decision goes that way I can’t do much about it. I haven’t scored the number of runs I would like and we haven’t won the number of games I would like,” he said.England are now left with three captains in three different formats, with Stuart Broad the incumbent in T20 cricket. There is no expectation at present that Cook will lose his Test captaincy and, as Morgan is a long way from the Test side, it is difficult to see how such a bandwagon could gain momentum.Instead of the constant negativity that has surrounded Cook’s tenure in recent months – with influential former England figures seemingly united in the view that there was a need for change – England’s selectors are now relying on a burst of fresh dressing room optimism and energy to carry them through. Importantly, too, the cynicism and weariness which has descended upon many England cricket supporters to a disturbing degree has been addressed.With England involved in a non-stop schedule of international cricket for the next year or more, Cook now has a chance to to restore his energy, regain certainty in his game, and lead England in Test series against West Indies immediately after the World Cup and in New Zealand and Australia next summer.

A round-up of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches that finished on December 7, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2013Group IAn all-round performance from Azam Khan gave Peshawar their first win of the tournament when they beat Karachi Blues by 118 runs at home.Peshawar were reeling at 118 for 9 after being asked to bat but Azam, at No. 10, first top-scored with 69 to take them to 213 and then took four wickets to restrict Karachi to 115. Peshawar’s second innings was led by a 49 from Jibran Khan as they were rattled by a six-wicket haul from medium-pacer Waqar Anwar, which curbed their score to 167 and set Karachi a target of 266.Karachi lost their first three wickets for six runs and never recovered much from there as they were kept to 147 by a collective bowling effort from Azam, Jibran, Afaq Ahmed and Iftikhar Ahmed. Peshawar are now third in Group I, one place behind Karachi.Group IIKarachi Whites registered their third win in four matches to lead the Group II table after they thrashed Hyderabad by an innings and 42 runs at the National Stadium. Karachi chose to bat and put on a strong total of 392 on the back of fifties from their top-order batsmen Fazal Subhan (50), Hamza Ghanchi (74) and captain Asif Zakir (88). Only Wajid Ali (44) scored from the middle order and their score was stretched from 317 for 8 to 392 with an unbeaten knock of 51 from No. 10 Faheem Ahmed.Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza dismissed Hyderabad’s openers and struck again later to not let the visitors’ batsmen settle down. With the help of all the other bowlers, who picked up at least a wicket each, Hyderabad were restricted to 174 and were made to follow-on as Hamza finished with 4 for 65.Hyderabad’s second attempt didn’t differ much as they scored 176 this time and were rocked by Khurram Shahzad’s five-for. Zeeshan Gul (42), Faisal Athar (47) and Mohammad Shehbaz (32) resisted briefly but could not avoid the big loss as Zakir (3 for 2) and Hamza (2 for 54) also chipped in to complete the win within three days.