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News :  Cricket

Alastair Cook omitted from England World Twenty20 squad
England have named five uncapped players in a provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20.Seamers Steven Finn, Peter Trego and Chris Woakes, batsman Michael Lumb and left-arm spinner David Wainwright have all received call-ups. But there is no place for Alastair Cook, the man currently leading England's 50-over team in Bangladesh. Paul Collingwood will lead the side in the Caribbean, with the tournament taking place between 30 April-16 May. The final squad, which will be whittled down to 15 players, will be announced before the end of the month. Asked about Cook's omission, national selector Geoff Miller said: "The message is that originally we said we didn't think Alastair was a Twenty20 player - and we still stick by that. 606: DEBATE Not sure why Mahmood even makes it into this group, he has shown time and again he is not up to this level, and that is from a Lancashire fan choppingwood "He has to prove us wrong. He's played very well out here [in Bangladesh] - and if he can carry his career into that area then we'll reassess. "But at the moment we don't see him as a Twenty20 player, and that's why he's not in." There is strong competition for places as England continue their search for a first victory in an International Cricket Council multi-team event. Miller added: "We have a number of young players knocking on the door, which underlines the depth in talent currently available, and I know all concerned will be hoping they make the final squad for what is a highly anticipated tournament. "All players named have shown their ability in the shortest form of the game, and the selectors have some difficult decisions to make when reducing the squad to 15 players." South Africa-born Hampshire batsman Lumb put himself in the reckoning with a match-winning, unbeaten half-century as England Lions snatched an unexpected Twenty20 victory against their seniors in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago. He also scored a century in the second one-day game against Pakistan A last week. Yorkshire's Wainwright too has put in some eye-catching performances in recent times for the Lions and Performance Squad teams. James Anderson, currently sitting out England's tour of Bangladesh to aid his recovery from a knee injury, is in a squad which contains few surprises. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------England provisional squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies (30 April-16 May):P Collingwood (capt), J Anderson, I Bell, R Bopara, T Bresnan, S Broad, S Davies, J Denly, S Finn, C Kieswetter, M Lumb, S Mahmood, D Mascarenhas, E Morgan, G Onions, K Pietersen, L Plunkett, M Prior, A Rashid, O Shah, A Shahzad, R Sidebottom, G Swann, J Tredwell, P Trego, J Trott, D Wainwright, C Woakes, L Wright, M Yardy.
Ottis Gibson leaves England to coach West Indies
West Indies hope Gibson can bring about "gradual improvement" Ottis Gibson has been appointed as the new head coach of West Indies after resigning from his post as England bowling coach.The England and Wales Cricket board says it has granted Gibson's request to be released from his contract. The 40-year-old represented West Indies at Test level but had been part of England's coaching team since 2007. He will take charge of the West Indies for the home series against Zimbabwe, which begins at the end of the month. West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Ernest Hilaire confirmed the move to a Caribbean radio station. "He will be the head coach of the WICB, not just head coach of the senior team," Hilaire told CBC. "He will have responsibility for coaching right across all of our representative cricket teams. This will give him an opportunity to stamp a particular style of coaching, a West Indies way, across all the teams. "This is really important because by the time our players reach the senior team, they should be the finished article, and they really ought to be focusing mainly on their strategy, tactics, how they win games, and being able to execute." Former fast bowler Gibson, who was born in Barbados, played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for West Indies.Give your reaction to Gibson's appointment He ended his playing career with county side Durham in 2007 and was immediately appointed as a bowling consultant by England, which led to a full-time staff job with the England and Wales Cricket Board. Gibson had a crucial role last summer when England beat Australia to regain the Ashes, with James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff among those to pay tribute to his influence. Last month, Radio Jamaica carried a report that he was set to succeed John Dyson, who was sacked as West Indies coach last August. The following day the ECB denied that any deal had been agreed, but last weekend confirmed that Gibson had been given permission to hold talks with the WICB. Gibson handed in his resignation on Monday and England coach Andy Flower said: "Ottis has been a valuable member of my management team and we will all be sorry to see him leave. "However, we recognise that being offered the chance to be head coach of your country was an offer that would be hard for Ottis to resist. We wish him well in the future.' Gibson told BBC 5 live: "Judging by what we did in the summer, winning the Ashes back, I think England are on the verge of doing something really special. "It would have been nice to be a part of that but West Indies is in the blood and once they came calling and I couldn't say no." We are not asking Ottis to turn around the West Indies fortunes and make them a winning team overnight WICB chief Ernest Hilaire Gibson now faces the task of trying to restore West Indies to their former glory after a troubled few years. "The ability's still there, the talent's still there," he said. "There's been a lot of off-the-field stuff that has created unnecessary problems for the team. "If we can get ourselves focused and have a period of stability, the team have showed, like in Australia just now, that we can put some good results together. "There's some obvious talent there and that just needs to be found and nurtured. That's going to be the key role for me over the next couple of years." Gibson will be assisted in his new job by David Williams, who is in charge of the West Indies team for their current tour to Australia. And together, they will have the responsibility of trying to improve the team's performance. West Indies are eighth in both the Test and one-day rankings and Hilaire acknowledged that Gibson had been handed a "long-term project". He added: "We are not asking Ottis to turn around the West Indies fortunes and make them a winning team overnight. There has to be a gradual chain of development. "He is a new era coach, and someone who has been exposed to all of the technologies and new approaches to coaching. "We are hoping that he will bring to this task an understanding of West Indies cricket. He will have all requisite knowledge and skills." England, meanwhile, must find a replacement for Gibson and England and Wales Cricket Board's managing director Hugh Morris said: "Now Ottis has confirmed his departure, Andy Flower and I will begin the process of identifying the right individual who can join the England set-up and build on the foundation laid by Ottis.'
Graeme Swann & Stuart Broad set up England victory bid
Second Test, Durban:South Africa 343 & 76-6 v England 575-9d (day four, stumps)Play resumes Wednesday: 0730 GMTCoverage: Listen to Test Match Special on BBC Radio Four Longwave, Radio 5 live sports extra, the Red Button and BBC Sport website; text commentary online and on mobile phones. Also live on Sky SportsMatch scorecard England will need to take just four wickets on the final day in Durban to win the second Test and seal a first victory in the city since 1964.A remarkable wicket-taking burst from Graeme Swann (3-22) and Stuart Broad (3-18), which saw four wickets fall for seven runs, left South Africa 76-6. They were still 156 runs behind when bad light and rain ended play early. England had earlier declared on 575-9, 232 ahead, with Ian Bell making 141 from 227 balls and Matt Prior 60. As South Africa then reached a fairly comfortable 27-0 from their first nine overs in their second innings on a wicket with a reputation for going flat, the draw looked the likeliest result by a long way. 606: DEBATE It brings a wry smile to every Englishman's face when the cameras focus in on Mickey Arthur as the precession of SA wickets continues! Hilarious. ViewFromTheKop But Swann removed Ashwell Prince with his second ball, thanks to a sharp catch from Bell at silly point, and clean bowled Hashim Amla on the stroke of tea. Jacques Kallis, so often the bane of English supporters, suffered a temporary aberration as he chose to leave a Broad inswinger which ripped out his off-stump. AB de Villiers, who watched that dismissal from the pavilion, failed to learn the lesson. He padded up to another Broad delivery, England pleaded for lbw and umpire Amiesh Saheba upheld the appeal. A referral failed to save De Villiers' bacon as replays showed the ball bending back to clip the top corner of off-stump. A hurried chat between skipper Graeme Smith and the incoming batsman JP Duminy failed to stop the momentum. Duminy tentatively prodded at a ball he could have left and the inside edge crashed into his stumps to give Broad two wickets in two balls. The hat-trick ball was a good one, but Mark Boucher defended it safely. Swann has had a brilliant 12 months for England in Test cricket Smith perilously avoided running himself out for the second time in the match as England continued to crank up the pressure, but was the next to go when Swann arrowed one past his bat and into his pads. South Africa's skipper used up his final referral, but it was a futile gesture as Swann won his fourth lbw appeal in the match. In the circumstances, Boucher and Morne Morkel did well to survive a further 11 overs of Broad, Swann and James Anderson - the only blemish coming when Prior dropped Morkel off Swann in the final over of the day. Thick cloud cover was in place when England resumed their innings on Tuesday morning with the scoreboard showing 386-5. Bell was on 55 and Prior 11. The two compact right-handers were completely untroubled by the South African bowlers and confidently played their shots. Prior moved into top gear against the occasional spin of Duminy, launching him for a four and a slightly fortuitous six in an over which saw England's wicketkeeper reach his half-century. Duminy had his revenge when Prior chopped onto his stumps, but the two batsmen had by then added 112, putting defeat out of the equation for England. Ian Bell's ninth Test century put the seal on a fine batting performance Bell, whose place has been under intense scrutiny, reached his ninth Test century and first since July 2008 with a lofted on-drive for four off Paul Harris, but the run-up to lunch was otherwise a dull passage of play, with neither Bell nor Broad showing much adventure. Thankfully, that all changed after lunch as Broad muscled Harris onto the grass banks for six in an over costing 15, before edging Duminy to slip. Swann wasted no time playing himself in, pulling Makhaya Ntini for a huge six in making 22 from 14 balls, and Bell added two post-lunch boundaries before finally chasing a wide one from Dale Steyn. The declaration followed 10 balls later. Wednesday, which should provide at least two full sessions of clear weather should they be needed, is likely to see Centurion man of the match Swann take centre stage once again. It has been quite a 12 months for the Nottinghamshire man, who on Tuesday became the first English spinner to take 50 wickets in a calendar year. Paul Collingwood, meanwhile, dislocated a finger in the warm-up on Tuesday and is unlikely to play any further part in the match. However an X-ray has confirmed there is no fracture and he may be available for the third Test in Cape Town from 3 January.
James Anderson plays down record England haul
Anderson produced his best figures in one-day internationals England match-winner James Anderson said his career-best haul of 5-23 in the fourth one-day international in South Africa was not his best bowling.The 27-year-old Lancastrian captured a maiden five-wicket haul in his 120th international to put England 2-1 up with only one game remaining on Friday. But he said: "I think I've bowled better and got less rewards. "I bowled a few wicket-taking balls and catches went to hand but it was more the pressure we built up as a unit." Anderson was also full of praise for his seam bowling colleagues as England dismissed the hosts for 119 in Port Elizabeth. "Tim Bresnan's spell was fantastic from the bottom end and Stuart [Broad] got an early breakthrough as well which was a huge help. "It was nice to get a wicket that was a little bit conducive to seam bowling - and thankfully I made the most of it." Skipper Andrew Strauss was delighted for England's man of the match Anderson as his side rallied admirably from a seven-wicket reverse last Friday."We had a good chat about what went wrong in Cape Town," said Strauss. "James Anderson was outstanding, creating pressure and bowling wicket-taking deliveries." Bresnan (1-15), Broad (2-30) and Paul Collingwood (2-20) provided admirable support. "It was a brilliant day for the bowling unit as a whole," the captain said. "We wanted to clarify our plans against their batsmen and I think we got that pretty much spot on. "The key was to start well and it was a good toss to lose if I'm honest. But I was pleased with how the bowlers reacted to the conditions. 606: DEBATE A superb performance from Jimmy Anderson and the England bowling unit as a whole on a normal pitch - which looked flat enough before the toss for Smith to bat on jonnyb192 "You have got to adapt quickly and make sure that if there's anything in your favour then you use it. I think we did that." Anderson, who removed Hashim Amla and JP Duminy in his first six overs before returning for a devastating second spell, said: "We had a chat after the last game because we didn't bowl as well as we could have done. "We wanted to come here and bowl a lot better, and luckily we got a wicket that helped us with our plans." South African skipper Graeme Smith, who fell in the second over to Broad, said his team had failed to adjust to the wicket. "I'm generally very disappointed. We didn't assess the wicket and bled throughout the innings," said Smith."Jimmy Anderson came back and bowled a very good second spell, but if we had posted 220 or 240 that would have been a good target to defend. "We have got a lot of young guys who need to learn how to make key decisions in the course of the innings and they just didn't do it. "They're not all guys with 80 or 100 matches, it's more like three, four or five. They need to learn to analyse conditions." The one man he exempted from blame was Alviro Petersen, who hit a third successive half century of the series to finish last man out for 51. "Nobody else put in the hard yards with the bat," bemoaned Smith.
Tahir and Chopra sign for Bears
Tahir and Chopra are Warwickshire's first signings of the winter Warwickshire have stepped up their preparations for next season by signing Pakistani leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Essex opening batsman Varun Chopra.Tahir, 30, who has 382 first-class wickets, will be the Bears' overseas player for 2010. Chopra, 22, a former captain of the England Under-19 side, has signed a three-year deal at Edgbaston after leaving his home county. He played 48 first-class and 34 one-day games for Essex. Tahir claimed 96 first-class wickets for Hampshire during two seasons at The Rose Bowl - 44 of those coming in just seven matches in 2008 as he helped them avoid relegation. He has also had spells with Middlesex and Yorkshire. Warwickshire director of cricket Ashley Giles said: "Imran brings with him knowledge and experience that will add much to our young developing squad. "Varun is a skilled young batsman with scope to develop further and we are delighted that he has chosen to commit his future to Warwickshire." Chopra said: "The combination of joining one of the country's biggest clubs, playing at a Test match ground and working with Ashley Giles was too good an offer to refuse."
Sri Lanka cruise to opening win
Dilshan's 106 featured 16 boundaries and a sixTillakaratne Dilshan's 106 inspired Sri Lanka to a 55-run rain-affected win over South Africa in the opening match of the Champions Trophy in Centurion.The opener put on 158 with captain Kumar Sangakkara (54), while a brutal innings from Mahela Jaywardene (77) took Sri Lanka to 319-8 in Group B.Graeme Smith's 58 gave the hosts a strong start, but a devastating Ajantha Mendis spell ended their victory hopes.Mendis finished with 3-30 with the hosts 206-7 before rain ended play.The thumping victory made a mockery of South Africa's ranking as the world's best one-day team as they were dismantled by the match-winning abilities of Mendis and Dilshan.The result means the hosts will need to win their next match against New Zealand on Thursday to stand any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament.With Sri Lanka in total control at 70-1 after 10 overs, captain Smith must have questioned his decision to bowl first on a good batting wicket as Dilshan launched an astonishing aerial assault in the mandatory powerplay overs.Despite losing Sanath Jayasuriya, lbw to Steyn in the third over, the opener meted out punishment to South Africa's fast bowlers, including the first "Dilscoop" of the tournament, shovelling the ball high over wicketkeeper Mark Boucher's head for four off Wayne Parnell.Batting serenely with Sangakkara, Dilshan brought up his 17th one-day half century off just 38 deliveries.A crunching cover drive and a fine cut allowed Dilshan to record his third one-day century in the 28th over, but he lost Sangakkara almost immediately after when he chipped a return catch to off-spinner JP Duminy.Dilshan's epic innings was eventually brought to an end in the 30th over when a rank long-hop outside off stump from Steyn was upper cut into the hands of the relieved Albie Morkel at third man.But an intelligent fourth-wicket partnership of 116 between ex-captain Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera gave Sri Lanka the impetus to set a daunting target of 320 under the floodlights.slogger_6The hosts' riposte began in the worst possible fashion when a thick inside edge off the bat of Hashim Amla dislodged his leg stump at 9-1.But Smith and new batsman Jacques Kallis punched boundaries on both sides of the wicket, with the Proteas captain bringing up his 50 in just 40 deliveries with a deft glance for his eighth boundary.But his innings was brought to a close when a beautiful delivery in Mendis' first over totally bamboozled him.The spinner quickly dispatched Kallis (41) and Duminy for a golden duck, while the dismissal of AB de Villiers (24), caught top-edging and attempting to pull a Lasith Malinga short delivery, effectively ended the run chase.Late hitting from Johan Botha and Morkel took South Africa beyond 200 but a heavy storm forced the game to be abandoned in the 38th over with South Africa comfortably short of their Duckworth/Lewis target of 261.
England edge to win over Ireland
One-day international, Stormont:England 203-9 (50 ovs) bt Ireland 112-9 (20 ovs) by three runs (D/L method)Match scorecardKent opener Denly underlined his potential with a debut half centuryEngland were given a scare in their first match since winning the Ashes, beating Ireland by three runs in a rain hit one-day international at Stormont.Only four men from the team that won at The Oval on Sunday featured in Belfast.Joe Denly, making his one-day debut with Jonathan Trott and Adil Rashid, top-scored with 67 and Luke Wright hit two sixes, but England made only 203-9.Requiring 116 from 20 overs, Ireland were well set but lost four wickets in four overs, Owais Shah taking 3-16.After Tim Bresnan picked up two wickets in his opening two overs, teenager Paul Stirling soon accelerated Ireland's scoring with two fours in Adil Rashid's first over and a six over square-leg off acting England skipper Paul Collingwood.He chipped a simple return catch to Rashid in the 10th over with 60 needed, but even after his departure the Irish were in prime position with 42 needed from 54 balls and six wickets in hand.It was very soggy out there but thankfully we didn't get any injuries out there. I would have been very angry if we came off with any injuriesPaul CollingwoodShah was the unlikely bowling hero for England, with two wickets in the 18th over.The home side still scented a dramatic victory, however, and needed 17 from the final over, bowled by Shah.Trent Johnston, in his 100th match for Ireland, hit two fours but his side fell agonisingly short.Earlier, England had made a shaky start after choosing to bat in testing overcast conditions.Johnston removed Ravi Bopara, who was caught at slip for a duck in the third over, then added the scalp of Oval centurion Trott, also for a duck.Matt Prior looked in good touch and hit successive fours off Kevin O'Brien, sharing 53 with Denly before he was caught hooking on the long-leg boundary.After Collingwood top-edged a pull straight up in the air and was caught at the wicket, Shah skipped down the track to launch the first six but perished shortly afterwards when attempting another big shot and was caught at point.606: DEBATEDiscuss the game on 606 Denly, after narrowly evading the chasing fielders in the deep with a mistimed drive when on five, calmly compiled an assured 50 before he was lbw missing a pull shot.Wright launched Johnston over long-off for six, then pulled a four and a six in the next over from spinner Kyle McCallan.He fell to a brilliant diving catch by John Mooney off the final ball of the 45th over, but Bresnan, batting at a lowly number 10, hit two fours to at least take England past the 200 mark."It was a difficult position to be in and the fight we showed in the last 10 overs was excellent," said Collingwood."As international cricketers we don't come across pitches like that too often. It was very soggy out there but thankfully we didn't get any injuries out there."I would have been very angry if we came off with any injuries. It was obviously a quick turnaround after the Ashes, let's be fair, so we are just thankful we managed to get the win."Ireland captain William Porterfield said: "It is obviously very, very disappointing. We should have won from that position - you should always win from that kind of position and that is what hurts."England lock horns with Australia again on Sunday in the first of two Twenty20 internationals.
England set up chance of victory
Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston (day four): England 376 v Australia 263 & 88-2Match scorecardFlintoff played a series of superb shots as he took the game to AustraliaBy Oliver Brett BBC Sport at EdgbastonAndrew Flintoff thrilled a passionate packed house at Edgbaston by striking a memorable 74 off just 79 balls to give England an outside chance of winning the third Test.With much of the first three days lost to rain, England began day four on 116-2, trailing by 147.Flintoff, with help from Stuart Broad (55) and Matt Prior (41) took them to 376 all out, with Australia's bowling workhorse Ben Hilfenhaus picking up 4-109 from 30 overs.Australia then lost Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting, reaching stumps on 88-2, just 25 runs behind. Shane Watson, their top-scorer in the first innings, played intelligently again to finish unbeaten on 34, with Michael Hussey on 18.Though the odds favour a draw even if no play is lost to bad light on Monday's extended final day, early wickets will heap further pressure on Australia's remaining batsmen.But even if it does end in stalemate, England will still take a 1-0 lead into the fourth Test starting at Headingley on Friday, with the finale at The Oval on 20 August still to come.Seven of the 98 overs scheduled for Sunday were knocked off after the first hour was lost because of damp areas in the outfield. Saturday's deluge had ruled out the entire third day's play.Ian Bell, resuming on 26 not out, struck one boundary behind point off Peter Siddle before the bowler appealed vociferously for lbw against the right-hander. Umpire Rudi Koertzen, the bane of Australian supporters, gave the batsman the benefit of the doubt - and replays suggested height might have saved Bell.What will be the result of the Test?Andrew Strauss pulled Hilfenhaus's first poor delivery for four as England looked to play positively, but he added just five runs to his overnight 64 before attempting to cut a delivery that was a little too close to his body. Hilfenhaus had the wicket, Graham Manou accepting an easy chance to break an 81-run partnership.Paul Collingwood watched a Hilfenhaus outswinger all the way onto his bat to hit an impressive cover-drive for four as England passed 150 but he stayed on the attack into the final over before lunch - and paid the price when edging another wide outswinger from Hilfenhaus to second slip.At lunch England were 159-4, but only added a further nine runs in the extended afternoon session before losing Bell, lbw to another Johnson outswinger, umpire Koertzen - who, to give him his due, had a good day - finally upholding an Australian appeal. Bell's 53 still represented a fine return in his comeback Test.However, England were 95 runs behind with just five wickets in hand - and the onus was on Prior and Flintoff to try to get England significantly closer to the Australian total. The two right-handers did exactly that in a stand of 89, effectively putting defeat out of the equation.Flintoff's first boundary, a cover-drive off the hard-working Hilfenhaus, was greeted with rapture by the crowd.The 200 was also noisily saluted and moments later Watson had his first bowl in an Ashes Test, with Hilfenhaus's marathon spell finally at an end.Watson over-pitched, Flintoff drove him gun-barrel straight for two boundaries, and in good time he and Prior had raised their fifty partnership.While Prior's innings was full of busy ones and twos, Flintoff played the big shots, favouring front-foot drives on the off-side. Australia were desperate for a wicket when Prior tried one shot too many, pulling Siddle straight to mid-on.Broad (left) batted well and found time to exchange words with JohnsonBut Flintoff attacked Nathan Hauritz, driving him for a wonderful six over wide mid-on as England went level with Australia's 263, and then sweeping him for a boundary to reach his fifty.With Broad a willing cohort, Flintoff kept the runs flowing all the way to tea, entering the 70s with another fine cover-drive, this time off Johnson.But the fun came to an end when Hauritz got a ball to turn and bounce into Flintoff, who got his bat out of the way but not his gloves, and the ball looped tamely to slip. Flintoff took what seemed an age to leave the crease, and the crowd took a while to comprehend that their hero had been dismissed.Broad and Graeme Swann steered England to tea on 316-7, and Australia took the new ball immediately afterwards. Swann really infuriated the Aussies with a chancy 37 before Johnson's slower ball defeated him, and Anderson nicked Hilfenhaus behind.But Broad took England's lead past 100 with an on-drive for four off Hilfenhaus and pulled the now exhausted bowler for another boundary, taking him to his half-century.When he was caught and bowled by Siddle, 31 overs were left for England to make as many dents as they could to an Australian batting line-up which has looked decidedly fragile since Cardiff.Katich and Watson put on 47 before Graham Onions picked up the first wicket, Katich edging behind. Ponting made only five, and endured a torrid over from Swann - including one excellent lbw appeal - before finding himself bowled through the gate by the last delivery.Hussey was inches away from being dismissed first ball for the second time in the match, but a sprawling Onions could not quite reach a caught-and-bowled chance.The left-handed Hussey now went after Swann, who had suddenly lost his line and length, taking the spinner for three boundaries in an over. With Watson again combining solid defence and fluent driving, Australia ended an entertaining day in decent shape.
Ashes hero Vaughan calls it quits
Poor form prompted Vaughan to retireFormer England captain Michael Vaughan has confirmed his immediate retirement from cricket at the age of 34."It has been an enormous privilege to have played for and captained my country and this is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make," he said.Vaughan played 82 Tests, 51 as skipper, and scored over 5,700 runs at an average of 41, including 18 centuries.But by far his greatest achievement was the 2005 Ashes win over Australia which sparked a national celebration.His omission from the training squad for this summer's series after failing to rediscover his batting form for Yorkshire in county cricket was one of the factors which contributed to his decision to retire."I wanted to give it one last effort to get into the Ashes squad. I've given it that shot but haven't been playing well enough," he told a news conference at Edgbaston.TEST MATCH SPECIAL BLOGIt is only fair to laud the most successful captain England have had in the modern eraOliver Brett"I have not played well enough. I have not got the rhythm or form to be picked in the Ashes squad. It has to be best 16 players and I am not one of those."Two weeks ago, I was in the garden with my little lad Archie. He bowled a ball which hit a weed and knocked my off stump out of the ground - and when a three-year-old's bowling you out, it's time to move over."Wherever I've played this year I felt that warmth and crowd reaction to try to give me one more chance. I now move on and wish the team all the best in an Ashes series they can win."I know they have the drive, ambition and abilities to repeat the success from 2005. Winning that series was definitely the high point of my career."Hugh Morris, the managing director of England Cricket, hailed Vaughan as "among the very best" international captains.He said: "The way he and (coach) Duncan Fletcher forged a team capable of winning six consecutive Test series stands as testament to his ability to inspire and motivate those around him.Vaughan was also recognised as one of the game's most stylish batsmen"He was also a marvellous ambassador for England cricket, off the field as well as on it, and someone who genuinely appreciated the generous support he received from the thousands of England supporters who follow the team at home and abroad."Andrew Strauss, the current England captain, said he had "learned a great deal" from watching the way Vaughan led the side."His ability to identify a new strategy for outwitting the opposition or bring the best out of his own players was a priceless asset," he said."But more than anything we as players will miss the enormous sense of fun and enjoyment that Michael brought to the dressing room."Vaughan made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in 1993 and six years later won his first Test cap during England's winter tour to South Africa.In 2002/03 he rose to the top of the Test batting rankings after hitting three centuries during the Ashes series in Australia, and was appointed England one-day captain at the start of the following summer.By mid-summer he had taken on the Test captaincy too, following Nasser Hussain's decision to step down, and after securing a 2-2 draw with the combative South Africans, led England to six successive series victories, culminating in the epic 2005 Ashes triumph.He missed the return series in Australia in 2006/07 because of a debilitating knee injury and England were whitewashed 5-0 under the captaincy of Andrew Flintoff.Vaughan was back for the 2007 World Cup campaign in the West Indies but gave up the one-day captaincy after England's elimination.He hoped to stay in the team in both forms of the game but was never chosen for the one-day side again, although he remained in charge of the Test side and made a century against the West Indies in his first innings for 18 months in May 2007, and also made hundreds in home series against India and New Zealand.His form subsequently declined and against South Africa last summer he only scored 40 runs in five innings, including two ducks, prompting him to resign the captaincy before the final match of the series.Only Michael Atherton led England in more Tests - but Vaughan's record of 26 Test wins is the highest by any England skipper.At county level, he enjoyed his greatest moment in 2001 when, after missing that summer's Ashes series because of injury, he helped Yorkshire win the Championship for the first time since 1968."Michael Vaughan is a class act and will be remembered by Yorkshire members and supporters around the world for his beautiful stroke play and, of course, his success in leading England to Ashes glory in 2005," said the county's chief executive Stewart Regan."It has been a pleasure and a privilege for me to get to know Michael over the past three years and his presence around the club has been hugely motivational, particularly the younger players."Vaughan's final game was a Twenty20 Cup defeat by Leicestershire at Grace Road last Friday.There has been speculation that he may now take up a career as a television pundit, but Vaughan said he had not yet received any offers to join the ranks of ex-England players working in the media."I think it is important to have a little break and weigh up my options and decide what to do next," he explained.Explaining his approach to captaincy, Vaughan described himself as a "good actor".He added: "Captaining your country is a very special moment and the skill is making sure no-one knows what you're thinking."It's very important not to feel the pressure, or outwardly be seen to be feeling it."It's very difficult as England captain to completely switch off - but you enjoy it and at the end you've exhausted all your energy because you've given it everything."Australia captain Ricky Ponting, Vaughan's adversary in the 2005 series, said he was "a bit surprised" by his retirement."It is only a couple of months ago that I was thinking he might be named in the first Test squad by England. I thought he might have a bit more to offer international cricket somewhere down the line," he commented."Michael was an exceptionally skilled and talented player whose record would stack up against most top order batsmen who have played international cricket."He was a distinguished captain who led the side very well. Good luck with what he does after cricket. He was always a highly respected and skilled opponent."
Flintoff fitness vital - Ponting
Australia captain Ricky Ponting says England may be better off without Andrew Flintoff in their Ashes side, unless the key player is 100% fit.Ponting said Flintoff was not the force he had been in 2005 when he led England to a 5-0 defeat in Australia 18 months later after an injury comeback."Flintoff is obviously very important to England's set-up," said Ponting."Maybe, as we saw in 2007, if he's not 100% fit then maybe that sort of impact he can have is not there."Ponting, whose team are currently based in Nottingham preparing for the ICC World Twenty20, begin their five-Test Ashes defence on 8 July.He was happy to give his views on Flintoff, who tore knee cartilage while playing in the Indian Premier League in April - and was subsequently ruled out of all England's international cricket until the Ashes.Whether or not to field Flintoff in the first Test at Cardiff - perhaps on the back of just a game or two for Lancashire - will be "the great decision the England selectors are going to have to make," said Ponting."In 2005 and in 2007 we saw two completely different players and that had a lot to do with the level of fitness that he had under his belt going into each series."That's where they're going to have a tough decision to make."Ponting 'very confident' of Ashes successPonting said he felt "relaxed, fresh and rejuvenated" after a four-week break from cricket.And after team-mate Michael Hussey complimented England's new-found strength in depth, the Aussie skipper said his team would pose a severe challenge to the host team this summer."England played some very good cricket against the West Indies but the competition and opposition they'll be coming up against us is vastly stiffer than what they've faced in the last few weeks."I'm very confident we've got a group of guys here who will be well and truly good enough to win the series. I'm really excited about that."Australia will be without Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist this summer but Ponting warned that his country's new breed will pose a real threat to England."With the transitional phase the team's been going through, where we are at the moment is very positive," he said."To see the Phillip Hugheses, Norths, Hilfenhauses, Peter Siddles and those guys come in and have immediate success has been very pleasing for me as captain of the team and one of the more experienced players."
Vaughan & Bell seek England role
Vaughan and Bell both want the number three role this summerEngland announce their first Test squad of the summer on Wednesday, with huge interest surrounding the identity of the man to bat at number three.Owais Shah has failed to cement the role, despite chances in the Caribbean, so it could be a straight fight between Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan.Key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will miss the two Tests against West Indies, starting on 6 May at Lord's.So wicketkeeper Matt Prior could bat at six in a side containing five bowlers.Ravi Bopara, one of several England players to have spent the opening weeks of the season in South Africa with the Indian Premier League, will nevertheless hope to get a place in the squad at the very least - having been dropped after scoring a century in Barbados.The Test squad was set to have been announced on 20 April but the panel, comprising new coach Andy Flower, national selector Geoff Miller, plus James Whitaker and Ashley Giles, opted to watch another round of County Championship matches first.Bell, yet to score a Test century in 16 Tests at number three, was dropped during the winter tour of the Caribbean but has since scored two centuries for Warwickshire.bluehornetFormer England captain Vaughan had been tipped to regain his place but failed to score notable runs in his first two first-class innings.The 34-year-old did make his highest score for Yorkshire since September 2007, however, when he struck four fours and three sixes in 82 from 116 balls in a 50-over match against Sussex at Headingley on Sunday.Vaughan also has a far better record against Australia than Bell, who has never made a century against cricket's toughest opponents.Bell, 27, told BBC Sport: "Michael Vaughan's record speaks for itself. Of course I can see both sides of the argument."I feel in a pretty good place. I've enjoyed coming back to Warwickshire, training hard and scoring the amount of runs I probably needed to to get myself back in the position to get selected. I have given myself the best chance I can to push my position."The message I got was to go away and score big hundreds. I've done that."He said that he had spent his two months on the sidelines in the West Indies boxing on the beach at 6am most days with ECB security adviser Reg Dickason."I've been guilty in the past of getting fifties and not going on to get hundreds, so fitness is an area which could help me," said Bell."You can get a little bit complacent at times. It was a tough time to watch everyone else but probably I was a bit lucky to have those two months to sit back and think about what I needed to do to get back and get picked by England."I still average over 40 but I knew I hadn't performed for three months. When you don't perform as a team there has to be someone who is left out of the side and it was my time."By no imagination do I think I have cracked it but I believe I am going to play for England again and my best years are ahead of me."If England do go with five bowlers, Stuart Broad and James Anderson are certainties, while Steve Harmison - who did take five wickets for Durham against Yorkshire - is likely to be recalled yet again.With Flintoff, Amjad Khan and Ryan Sidebottom all injured, Sajid Mahmood, despite taking no wickets in Lancashire's first Championship match of the season, and Dimitri Mascarenhas will also be hopeful of selection.But seam bowlers have struggled at Lord's in recent years, so England may consider going with two spinners, most likely to be Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar.
Injured Khan leaves Windies tour
Fifth one-day international, St Lucia: West Indies v England Date: Friday, 3 April Play starts: 1430 BST Coverage: Full commentary on Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and BBC Sport website (UK only). Live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles. Also live on Sky SportsKhan played in the Twenty20 defeat but has not featured in the ODIsSeamer Amjad Khan is to return home from England's tour of the West Indies because of a cartilage injury.The Kent player will have treatment back in Britain after being ruled out of Friday's fifth and final one-day international in St Lucia.Khan flew out to join the Test squad as cover for injuries, making his England debut in the fifth Test in Trinidad.He then played in the Twenty20 international defeat, but has not featured in any of the ODIs.The series is level at 2-2 going into Friday's game, for which England duo Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff have been passed fit.West Indies - whose players' association is in dispute with the country's cricket board, amid threats of strike action affecting the game - have replaced injured spinner Nikita Miller with fellow slow left-armer Sulieman Benn.
Breezing into plush Barbados
Well after, to say the least , an eventful week or so in Antigua, the Test Match Special team have moved onto Barbados for the fourth Test in this intriguing series.There certainly will be quite a contrast between where TMS was broadcast from in Antigua and our surroundings at the Kensington Oval.The late move to the Antigua Recreation ground meant we were located in a makeshift commentary box which clearly had seen better days.Although it has to be said that the people at the ground could not have done any more to help us feel comfortable, even though they clearly had much more important priorities to work on ... like getting the rest of the stadium ready for an international fixture with a day's notice!...Although broadcasting in the open air was a little challenging at times , especially when the wind started to blow , we were able to experience all the excitement of the match -especially the dramatic final afternoon when Sir Vivian Richards simply could not sit down while commentating as he was so caught up in the action.Here in Barbados we are housed in the magnificent new media centre at the refurbished Kensington Oval which is among others named after our legendary West Indies commentator Tony Cozier. We get fantastic views from our vantage point on the fourth floor not only of the ground but also of downtown Bridgetown and beyond.This is only my second visit to the Kensington Oval. Two years ago I was here for the farcical World Cup final which provided a fitting climax to a tournament which will not be remembered fondly except by the Australians, who of course lifted the trophy.After the officials inexplicably failed to interpret the rules correctly we ended up playing out a game in almost total darkness.My overriding memory of that day was just after the last ball was bowled I went straight out onto the field to try and get some post match interviews.It was quite literally pitch black out there to the extent that as I walked onto the field I failed to notice a group of performers on stilts almost walking straight into me!They were part of a closing ceremony which sadly no-one saw because no proper lighting had been organised. It was that sort of evening.Anyway let's hope things run smoothly this week.As well as bringing you ball by ball commentary from 1330 on Thursday we also have lots of other interesting things for you.During the lunch interval on the opening day of the match you'll be able to hear Jonathan Agnew's extensive interview with Giles Clarke, who despite the controversy over the Stanford affair has this week been confirmed as ECB chairman for another two years.You will also be able to hear a fascinating chat with the man who represents the England players , PCA chief executive Sean Morris, who will have among other things the latest news on Andrew Flintoff and the IPL.Other highlights include an interview with England's bowling coach Ottis Gibson who is of course originally from here in Barbados.He'll be telling us about his debut for the island where he had the honour to open the bowling alongside West Indies and Barbados legend Malcolm Marshall.Gibson's first four overs went for 28 runs, but he remembers getting sympathetic advice from Marshall. He now tries to offer similar words of wisdom to England's fast bowling attack.Gladstone Small, another Barbados born fast bowler who went on to help England, will also be joining us in the Test Match Special box to share his memories of growing up here and helping to debate while so few recent England players come from the Caribbean community in the UK.Other guests we are expecting include two of England's most successful spin bowlers Derek Underwood and Phil Tufnell - and as always who knows which other people may wander into the box over the next five days.So join us from Thursday afternoon - and don't forget to check out the daily TMS podcast with Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott.
England bowlers toil in St Kitts
Tour match: West Indies A v England Date: 29-31 January Venue: Warner Park, St Kitts Starts: 1400 GMT each dayCoverage: Regular scorecard updates and daily reports on BBC Sport websiteMatch scorecardReport - Tough day for England in St KittsEngland's bowlers were put to the sword on day one of their three-day match against West Indies A in St Kitts, with the hosts 343-2 at close of play.Eighteen-year-old Adrian Barath (132) and Lendl Simmons (171 not out) put on 262 for the second wicket, with Simmons hitting five sixes and 19 fours.James Anderson took 1-67 from 20 overs, while Kevin Pietersen took 1-13.But Ryan Sidebottom, who has not played a first-class game for six months, was the pick of England's seamers.Sidebottom took 0-40 from 13 overs on a perfect batting track, while Steve Harmison returned figures of 0-60 from 14 overs.duyhoo"It was a fantastic feeling just to be out there," Sidebottom said. "I am chuffed from a personal point of view."The wicket is one of the flattest I have played on throughout my career and you just have to keep plugging away."There is always trepidation when you come back. As soon as you get a ball in hand you want to go at it 100% but you have to err on the side of caution."In what is effectively a bowl-off for first Test places in Jamaica next week, Anderson was the only seamer to have any success, removing Kieran Powell in the seventh over.Simmons, one of a handful of full West Indies internationals in the home side, took full advantage of the conditions to reach his hundred from the first ball after tea.Fellow Trinidadian Barath followed his lead in spectacular fashion five overs later by lofting all-rounder Paul Collingwood for six.However, Simmons, whose uncle Phil Simmons represented the Windies for a decade, was the more expansive of the second-wicket pair and, having launched a straight six off Graeme Swann during the morning session, began to pepper the stands once in three figures.Off-spinner Swann, who finished with figures of 0-96 from 23 overs, was clouted for two sixes in one over and the same fate befell Collingwood soon afterwards.Barath perished after surpassing his previous career-best of 131 when he cut lazily to point in Pietersen's first over.England would have claimed a third wicket with the second new ball but wicket-keeper Matt Prior spurned a low chance off Anderson, with Simmons on 159.
BBC renews radio cricket contract
The BBC has agreed a new four-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board for the international cricket radio rights from 2010 to 2013.The new contract, which covers ball-by-ball commentary, ensures that Test Match Special (TMS) is guaranteed on the BBC up to and including 2013."Test Match Special is one of the 'crown jewels' of BBC Sport," said BBC Sport director Roger Mosey."We're delighted that it will continue for four more years."ECB commercial director John Perera paid tribute to the work of the BBC and TMS."BBC's radio coverage of international cricket has set the standard for broadcasting across the world," he said."TMS is an iconic programme which has become a part of the very tapestry of British life."We are extremely pleased that we have been able to conclude this deal with BBC Radio and look forward to working with them for the next four years."The ECB says the deal concludes its major broadcasting contracts until 2013, and Perera expressed satisfaction with the deals."All sports are finding the tough economic times trying at present," he added. "So to be able to conclude broadcasting deals with Sky Sports, Five, ESPN Star Sports and now BBC Radio, which together show a cumulative above-RPI rise in revenues, is very satisfying."I think that this demonstrates that there is real interest and value in cricket in England and Wales."

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