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Chris Silverwood proud of environment that has allowed young players to thrive

Valkerie Baynes21-Jan-2020You gotta love it when a plan comes together. While Chris Silverwood didn’t even have his A-Team on the park in Port Elizabeth, his players gave their best impression of a formidable outfit that fell off TV screens before many of them had even been born. Either way, their coach could be forgiven for reaching for a cigar and channelling his inner Hannibal Smith.While the protagonists of that 1980s hit show were driven by the desire to clear their names, England’s youngsters, in particular, have looked hell-bent on making a name for themselves in South Africa and Silverwood is proud of the squad environment that has allowed them to play that way.”We saw the template that we are trying to put into place in this game,” Silverwood said after England’s innings-and 53-run victory at Port Elizabeth which handed them a 2-1 series lead with one Test to play in Johannesburg from Friday. “Heavy first-innings run, then scoreboard pressure to try and take 20 wickets. It sounds really simple but there’s a lot of hard work gone into that.”The great thing is we are moving towards the template we want to use in these matches. We are learning, that’s the top and bottom of that. We are assessing conditions really quickly, we have a lot of skills in that bowling attack we can use at any given point. We are learning.”I knew the youngsters were there, that’s the thing. My job is to create the environment that they can thrive in – feel comfortable in, confident in and go out and express themselves.”One of the pleasing things for me is those guys have talked about that in their press interviews so it means what we’re doing behind the scenes is working. It’s still a work in progress, we haven’t cracked everything by a long way and still have lots to learn to get where we want to. But at the same time there’s some real positives coming out.”Chris Silverwood shares a joke with Mark Wood•Getty Images

The third Test featured a good balance of success between England’s newcomers and old hands. On the bowling front, Dom Bess’s first-innings five-for was followed by Joe Root’s four-wicket haul second time around (only mildly soured by that record-equalling 28 runs off an over in the closing stages). While England’s solitary innings was underpinned by centuries for Ollie Pope (his first) and Ben Stokes (who passed 4000 runs in the process). In the second Test, another emphatic victory for the tourists after their defeat at Centurion, it was Dom Sibley who stood out with his first hundred in just his fourth match at this level.In a further boost for the good vibes in England’s camp, South Africa appear unsettled, rattled even, with captain Faf du Plessis suggesting the Wanderers Test could be his last on home soil and Kagiso Rabada banned for one demerit point too many after his forceful celebration of Root’s wicket on a frustrating first day in Port Elizabeth.But it may not be all bad for the hosts, who gain strength in the form of Temba Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keegan Petersen and Beuran Hendricks returning to their squad from the domestic ranks, where Bavuma struck a first-class career-best of 180 last week.And, as Silverwood is at pains to point out, England are not the finished article.There are question marks over the fitness of Jofra Archer following his elbow injury and fellow speedster Mark Wood’s readiness to play back-to-back Tests will be carefully monitored after Port Elizabeth marked his return to action since suffering a side strain in the World Cup final in July. That said, Chris Woakes is said to be training well and is yet to play a part in this series.ALSO READ: ‘It’s my team, the guys are listening to my message’ – Root“We’ve got a couple of sessions coming up so Jofra will bowl then and if he’s fit that’s another great headache isn’t it? I’ve got to find a way that potentially he comes back in and at the same time we’ve got Woakesy sat there as well. He’s been bowling beautifully,” Silverwood said. “So we’ve got options available to us that is again superb. Jofra today felt good so hopefully he’s going the right way.”You look at the bench we’ve got, they’re working incredibly hard and there’s so much talent there and so much experience. We need that as well. We talk about the youngsters a lot but we need the experience dotted in amongst it as well so they can learn by getting it right rather than making mistakes all the time.”The England bench also includes Jonny Bairstow, dropped after scores of 1 and 9 in the first Test, while Jos Buttler is struggling after failing to reach 30 in five innings this series. So long as the top three can continue to do a job for the tourists, albeit a “boring” one as du Plessis put it, the plights of Bairstow and Buttler are less pressing concerns.”If we keep getting 490 I’m happy with that,” Silverwood said in response to what was actually praise from du Plessis. “They’re picked to play in their way – it’s as simple as that. They don’t get told how to play.”We pick a team that will try and get us big first-innings runs and the top three have laid some fantastic foundations time and time again for us to go on and get the big scores. We’re learning to do that now. As I’ve said before we’re not the finished article by a long way but for them to go out and do it in this game and win will give them a heap of confidence. The team is picked to get us where we want to go.”

Sri Lanka’s slapdash day in the field reached its nadir just when they needed to be at their most ruthless

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2018Sam Curran said that his crucial tenth-wicket stand with James Anderson had been “quite a bit of fun”, as England overcame another mid-innings wobble to post a hugely competitive 285 on the first day of the second Test at Pallekele.Curran had been playing a supporting role to Adil Rashid on 16 from 64 balls when Anderson came out to join him with the score on 225 for 9. But he went into overdrive thereafter, crashing a total of six sixes and a four before being last man out for 64, his third half-century in just seven Test appearances.And, when Jack Leach struck before the close to demonstrate the demons that could be lurking within the surface in the coming days, the true value of that late volley of runs had been amply demonstrated.”It was crucial,” said Curran at the close. “You saw in the evening how much it spun. Getting close to 300 was massive for us.”Rash [Adil Rashid] played beautifully before tea and I tried to take over where he left off. We got a nice score on the board, and it was a great positive for Leachy to bowl a beautiful ball to get rid of the opener this evening.”Anderson’s contribution to the last-wicket stand was seven runs out of 60, but having successfully overturned a first-ball lbw decision, he was made to face just 12 balls as Sri Lanka allowed Curran to dominate the strike through some lacklustre field placings.”I was a little surprised,” said Curran. “I gave myself a chance to take a few balls up top. They weren’t bringing in the field.Jack Leach made the initial breakthrough•Getty Images

“But me and Jimmy had quite a bit of fun out there. He was probably the one telling me to calm down and trust him. It was real good fun out there. It’s a nice score on the board with the surface breaking up and cracks getting a bit bigger.”Curran also paid tribute to Jos Buttler’s earlier half-century, a sweep-heavy 63 from 67 balls that had kept England’s score moving in spite of the top-order wickets falling around him.”Jos came in and played the way we know he can do: sweeping, reverse sweeping, running down,” he said. “They looked like they started to panic a little bit almost. It got to the stage after lunch he was almost reverse-sweeping or or sweeping every ball, with the field all over the place.”There’s a ball in that wicket that generally is going to get you out. You’ve got to back your ability and take those risks when you can,” he added. “Rooty’s been massive in the dressing room saying ‘don’t worry about making mistakes’, we’re just trying to go out with a positive mindset.”Malinda Pushpakumara, Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner, admitted that, as a consequence of their positive approach, England’s total had been significantly higher than his side had bargained for.”We thought we should restrict them to 200,” he said. “But the last pair added 60 runs and that’s a big bonus for them. It will be tough for us. Our batsmen need to score all those runs. Our plan is to get 350 plus. We have to go for that plan.”Curran, however, was confident that England had the bowling attack to cement their dominance going into the second day’s play.”The spinners are going to have a huge role tomorrow,” he said. “We’ve got three great spinners all bowling very nicely. The wicket is starting to turn from the straight which is a great sign for us, with a score we are fairly happy with.”The next couple of days are going to be exciting for spin bowlers and batters are going to be on their toes.”

PCB chairman Najam Sethi had earlier said that Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi would receive a farewell in Lahore, but now looks to have been given the cold shoulder by at least two of them, with Afridi also reportedly unlikely to attend

Danyal Rasool10-Sep-2017Younis Khan was almost as famous during his playing career for his fractious run-ins with the PCB as for his batting ability, and it appears his grievances with the board haven’t ended with his retirement. In a lengthy interview with a local television channel, Younis rebuffed an offer from PCB chairman Najam Sethi to attend a farewell event to honour three recent big-name retirees: Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, and Younis himself.”I don’t think this farewell matters now,” Younis said in an interview with . “What is the use after Misbah and I retired in May this year? In other countries, former captains or stalwarts are given farewells within days of their retirement. I don’t see the use of this farewell now and I’m not after any money. Someone from the PCB called me and invited me and said I would receive a handsome amount but I have decided not to go because whatever I have seen in the PCB or have gone through when I was playing is not something I can forget.”The board has been keen on a farewell for some time, but now looks to have been given the cold shoulder by at least two of them, with Afridi also reportedly unlikely to attend. There were earlier plans of a farewell for Afridi, but that was shelved after the T20I series against West Indies in 2016 did not materialise. And while Younis and Misbah had looked the picture of contentment upon their retirement after a last-gasp series win in the West Indies, it appears – at least in Younis’ view – that had little to do with the PCB.”For me nothing is more important than pride and respect. I don’t think the board has treated many players with the dignity and respect they deserved,” he said.Over the years, Younis has expressed his unhappiness with the board over a number of matters. The latest seems to centre around his contractual status immediately after his retirement. While his contract was set to expire at the end of June, he said his salary for the last 45 days was deducted because he retired on May 14. “I informed the board about this [my contractual situation] but I never expected them to deduct the amount. It is not a sign of respect for a senior player. They also did the same with Misbah.”A number of his grievances had to do with incidents strewn across his playing career that he believed showed the lack of respect the PCB afforded its senior players. “There are so many examples,” he said. “Ask Inzamam (ul-Haq) who is chief selector now. Was he not stopped at the Gaddafi stadium main gate? Ask Misbah, was he not told during a Pakistan camp at the stadium that he can’t bring his car into the stadium?”There are so many incidents and they hurt. At one time there were no LCDs, refrigerators or phones in the rooms at the NCA where the players stayed. All the facilities were for administrative block.”Pakistan is due to host a World XI side at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for three T20Is in the upcoming week, with the farewell event was tentatively planned in between the games.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season due to injury

George Dobell27-Aug-2016James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season due to injury.While neither man was named in the England limited-overs squads, both had hopes of playing county cricket with a view to helping their teams, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire respectively, avoid relegation in the County Championship.A statement released by the ECB explained that “Anderson requires ongoing rehabilitation of his right shoulder and Broad, who last played in the NatWest T20 Finals Day for Nottinghamshire last week, is recovering from an ankle problem.”The news will come as a blow to both clubs. Nottinghamshire are currently bottom of the Division One table, 35 points beneath Durham, who are in seventh position (with a game in hand). Lancashire are sixth but, having won three of their first five games, have not won any of their last eight Championship matches in a run that extends back to May. The teams placed eighth and ninth will be relegated.”Both players have managed their injuries through the summer,” the ECB statement continued. “A break from cricket is needed to best prepare the Test opening bowling pair for England’s winter campaign that begins this October in Bangladesh.”The ECB also announced that Jonny Bairstow was to be released from the ODI squad to play for Yorkshire in Sunday’s Royal London semi-final against Surrey. David Willey, who has a hand injury, is not deemed to be fit enough to play.

ECB/PA29-Jul-2015
ScorecardJames Faulkner followed his figures of 2 for 27 with a vital 35•Getty Images

Lancashire secured their first Royal London Cup win at the third attempt, withstanding a fine spell from Junaid Khan, their former team-mate, to win a fascinating affair by two wickets at Blackpool.After a washout at Sussex on Sunday and Monday’s heavy defeat to Essex at Chelmsford, Lancashire kick-started their Group B campaign but it was far from easy as they crept across the line with two overs to spare despite bowling Middlesex out for 161.After winning an important toss, James Harris top-scored for Lancashire with 32 on an uneven surface. But Junaid, the Pakistan left-armer on debut for Middlesex, helped the visitors recover with two early wickets, and the chase stumbled to 93 for 6 in the 24th over.James Faulkner, however, backed up his earlier figures of 2 for 27 by making a crucial 35 in a stand of 47 with Jordan Clark, whose 29 from 63 balls was instrumental in seeing Lancashire home.Tom Bailey struck three times in an impressive six-over spell with the new ball having come into the Lancashire side for Kyle Jarvis, with the visitors slipping to 36 for 3 in the ninth.Dawid Malan was caught behind off a Bailey delivery with extra bounce; Sam Robson chopped on from one that kept low and Nick Compton was caught at midwicket after a top-edged pull.Bailey, with 3 for 31 from eight overs, was ably backed by new-ball partner Gavin Griffiths, whose only wicket was that of Ollie Rayner, who was caught behind to leave Middlesex reeling at 83 for 7 in the 28th over.In between, Faulkner had Eoin Morgan caught behind and James Franklin caught at short cover by Bailey off a leading edge, while Clark had Nick Gubbins caught at first slip.Steven Croft struck with his third ball of off-spin in the 37th over when John Simpson was lbw, leaving Middlesex at 111 for 8.But Harris and Toby Roland-Jones, who made 29, shared 50 in 61 balls for the ninth wicket to give themselves something to bowl at.Roland-Jones hit Stephen Parry’s left-arm spin for successive boundaries in the 47th over before holing out to deep midwicket. Harris then miscued a sweep to square leg next ball.Khan had Ashwell Prince caught at point in the third over of Lancashire’s innings and Karl Brown caught at second slip for a fluent 36, while Harris had Alviro Petersen caught at mid-off.Wickets continued to fall. Franklin had Croft, on his home ground, caught behind and snared Paul Horton caught at second slip.When Alex Davies edged Roland-Jones behind, Lancashire still needed 69 with Faulkner and Clark at the crease.The pair united for just short of 18 overs and Lancashire needed 22 to win when Faulkner gloved a lifter to slip as Junaid finished with 3 for 32. Clark then fell the same way to Harris, leaving Lancashire 15 short with two wickets left.But Parry settled their nerves before hitting the winning runs off Rayner’s off-spin, leaving Middlesex with only one point from two matches.

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the fourth ODI between Australia and Sri Lanka in Sydney

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale19-Jan-2013

Match facts

Michael Clarke will be aiming to lead from the front after Friday’s debacle•Getty Images

January 20, SCG
Start time 1420 (0320 GMT)

Big Picture

Just as the Test series between these two teams was decided with one match still to play, the one-day battle could be done and dusted before the teams fly to Hobart for the fifth and final game. Through outstanding swing bowling over the past two matches in Adelaide and Brisbane, Sri Lanka have positioned themselves so that in Sydney on Sunday they can become the first team ever to secure bilateral one-day series triumphs against Australia in Australia. South Africa have done it once, in 2008-09. So have Pakistan, in the winter of 2002. Sri Lanka did it with a 2-1 success in early 2010-11. But no team has done it twice – yet.Sri Lanka were disappointing in the Tests, no question, but a one-day series win would at least allow them to fly home with some pride restored. At the very least they have shown that their pace attack, pilloried during the Tests, is a much more dangerous proposition in the one-day format. The presence of Lasith Malinga helps, of course, but in Brisbane on Friday it was Nuwan Kulasekara, who was here for the Test series, who destroyed Australia with the kind of prodigious swing most bowlers could only achieve with a half-taped tennis ball. It was brilliant stuff, and Australia’s batsmen will need to show more of a willingness to fight through such swing if it is again present in Sydney, although the conditions are unlikely to be as helpfully humid as in Brisbane.For Australia, this match is as much about regaining pride as it is about keeping the series alive. If their 170 in Adelaide looked bad, their 74 all out at the Gabba was as embarrassing as it gets in one-day cricket. Only the final batting pair, Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty, reached double figures. It was only due to their 34-run stand that Australia avoided their all-time lowest ODI total. The match was nearly over by 5pm, the time that should have been the change of innings. Those numbers cannot be avoided. Nor can they be repeated.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia LLWWL
Sri Lanka WWLWW

In the spotlight

For most of Australia’s brief innings on Friday, it looked like Michael Clarke was going to be the top scorer with 9. He was one of several men beaten by hooping inswing and as the captain, it is up to him to ensure Australia find a way to combat Sri Lanka’s bowlers on Sunday. Such has been his consistency lately that not since the opening two Tests of the 2010-11 Ashes has Clarke made two consecutive single-figure scores for Australia. Now is not the time to change that.Nuwan Kulasekara‘s 5 for 22 was the best analysis ever achieved by a Sri Lankan in an ODI in Australia and it was a performance built on controlling and directing his inswing, and in many cases swinging it late. The conditions in Sydney won’t be quite as helpful, but after Friday’s performance Australia’s batsmen will be wary of him all the same.

Team news

Jackson Bird has been added to Australia’s squad for this match as cover, just as Ben Cutting was for the Brisbane game. But it’s not Australia’s bowling that has been the problem, and Bird may find himself running the drinks if all the other fast men are fit. Glenn Maxwell will come into contention again after being left out due to the conditions at the Gabba, and might be jostling with Moises Henriques for the No.7 position.Australia (possible) 1 Phillip Hughes, 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 David Hussey, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 Moises Henriques / Glenn Maxwell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.Ajantha Mendis should be reinstated at the SCG after Sri Lanka’s selectors shrewdly judged the Gabba as a venue much friendlier to swing and seam. Shaminda Eranga would be the most likely man to miss out, having replaced Mendis for the Brisbane game. The fitness of Dinesh Chandimal remains a query but with Kushal Perera performing impressively over the past two games, there is no need for Sri Lanka to rush Chandimal back if he is not quite ready.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kushal Perera (wk), 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis.

Pitch and conditions

Both teams would be pleased the Sydney match was scheduled for Sunday instead of Friday, because while they were competing in Brisbane, the temperature in Sydney reached an all-time record of 45.8C. The forecast for Sunday is a much more pleasant 25C, with a shower or two possible.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have not only won their past two ODIs against Australia at the SCG, they have also won four of the six the teams have played there this century
• Ajantha Mendis needs two victims to reach 100 ODI wickets and if he reaches the milestone during this series he will be the quickest Sri Lankan to the mark
• In the four games (Tests and ODIs) Australia have played in 2013, they have used 23 players; Phillip Hughes is the only man to have taken part in all four matches

Quotes

“Our batting performance was very poor. We have no excuse for that … If we bat like that in any conditions, we’re not going to make many runs.”

“What happened in the last two games is fantastic but we need to start all over again in Sydney, have that intensity, have that energy.”

Mushtaq Ahmed, England’s spin bowling coach, has played down the home advantage Pakistan will enjoy during the series against England in the UAE

Umar Farooq16-Dec-2011Mushtaq Ahmed, England’s spin bowling coach, has played down the home advantage Pakistan will enjoy during the series against England in the UAE, saying his team has grown used to playing on pitches that are slower than the ones at home. England and Pakistan will play three Tests, four ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in January and February 2012.Pakistan have been hosting their home games in the UAE after the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009 forced the suspension of international tours to the country. They have played two Test series there since then, drawing against South Africa and beating Sri Lanka. Mushtaq, however, said England would not struggle against Pakistan’s spinners on the pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”England batsmen have learned to play spin bowling. They can manage spin with good control,” Mushtaq told ESPNcricinfo. “We won a World Twenty20 in the West Indies where conditions are similar. At the end, it all depends on individual players, they have to understand and learn the things to survive. And they are very hard workers.”Pakistan no doubt has improved a lot and rankings sometime don’t reflect your standing. And England has been in top form over the last two to three years. So I expect it would be a good quality series.”Spinners have played a significant role in Pakistan’s performances in 2011 and they are likely to hit England with a strong attack: Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and Mohammad Hafeez in the Tests, as well as Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik in the limited-overs matches. England may play just one spinner, Graeme Swann, in the Tests, but Mushtaq didn’t think the mismatch in slow-bowling resources was a problem.”I understand the pitches in the UAE are slow and Pakistan will obviously use their home advantage. We have Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett – all of them can bowl 90 mph. I don’t think wickets do matter these days when you have quick bowlers who can bowl with muscle.”Swann’s back-up on the UAE tour is left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, whose last Test was the Ashes opener in Cardiff in 2009. It remains to be seen whether England will alter the combination – three fast bowlers, one spinner – that helped them beat India 4-0 at home to accommodate a second slow bowler in the UAE.”He [Panesar] has been a match-winning bowler and is still a good prospect,” Mushtaq said. “His performance for Sussex brought him back to contention as he took 60 to 70 wickets in the domestic season, which is a lot for a spinner. He is the sort of left-arm spinner who bowls his orthodox delivery with force.”England open their tour with two warm-up games, the first of which begins on January 7, ahead of the Tests.

Mitchell Johnson will aim to straighten out the kinks in both his head and action after being dropped from the Test team for the first time – but he will do it without leaving the squad

Peter English in Adelaide02-Dec-2010Mitchell Johnson will aim to straighten out the kinks in both his head and action after being dropped from the Test team for the first time – but he will do it without leaving the squad. Johnson, 29, is staying in the Australian camp despite being the only man cut from the 13-man outfit for Friday’s second Ashes Test.At a sombre press conference that felt more like Johnson had suffered a career-ending injury than a dip in form, he vowed to fight his way back. “It’s not the end of the world,” he said, sitting below an honour board on which his 5 for 103 against West Indies last year was the latest bowling entry. “I’ve come back from stress fractures when I was younger, with Queensland.”Johnson, who went wicketless in Brisbane, said he was looking forward to getting away from the hype of the Ashes to start the rebuilding, but he will remain on the fringes as he is counselled by Nielsen and Troy Cooley, the bowling coach. After being the attack leader for the past two years, Johnson will watch as Peter Siddle and two of Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris start in Adelaide.”In the last game I was trying to do all that work [on my action] during a game, which is obviously very hard to do,” he said. “In the end, I need to work things out, go to net sessions, get back in the gym, get my head straight, and get back into the team.”It has taken 39 Tests for Johnson to miss his first game due to form or injury, but Ricky Ponting expects him to rediscover his often magical tough. “Mitch came into the side as a youngish guy as far as cricket is concerned,” Ponting said. “He’s had his ups and downs on and off the field. I’ve seen him get the better of a lot of things he has had to face the past few years. His record speaks for itself so I am sure we will see him back with the baggy green cap on pretty soon.”Johnson has 166 Test wickets at 30.08 and while he has starred against high-quality teams such as South Africa, he has flopped in his two campaigns against England. The troubles leading to this point began at Lord’s last year, but he has been unable to sustain any improvements to his slingy action.The coach Tim Nielsen said it was important for Johnson to fix his problems away from the middle, and hoped the revamped version would be shining in time for the third Test on December 16. “We’re going to take the opportunity now to give him a spell and relax so he can hit the ground running and be as ready as he can be for Perth,” Nielsen said. “We’ll use every resource we can to ensure that he’s ready to go for that game.”Johnson, who felt he was handling the demotion well, knew that he didn’t perform when it mattered in Brisbane. “I’m a strike bowler for Australia and I need to get wickets,” he said. “In the back of your head, you’re sort of thinking [you might be dropped], but I think I’ve handled it pretty well.”In helping Johnson, Ponting talked out the times he was dropped. “There aren’t many guys in the 11 who haven’t experienced similar feelings that Mitch is feeling at the moment,” Ponting said. “He’s obviously disappointed, but we’ll let him get over his disappointment and work with him to get him back to his best.”Johnson believes the episode will make him stronger. He has spoken about his axing with Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, Nielsen, Ponting and the coaching staff. What he does next is up to him.