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Sri Lanka had suffered series losses in New Zealand and India before being knocked out of the Asia Cup. They showed glimpses of improved form, however, during their World Twenty20 warm-up games against Pakistan and New Zealand, despite losing both.Lahiru Thirimanne, a late change to the squad, top-scored for Sri Lanka in both games, while Dinesh Chandimal made a brisk 30 at the top against Pakistan on Monday. Following Sri Lanka’s 15-run loss to Pakistan in Kolkata, coach Graham Ford said he was pleased with the intent shown by Chandimal and Thirimanne and believed a big knock from one of the batsmen or a substantial partnership could have paved the way for a win.”I think we have been making good progress,” Ford said. “If you look at the last game we controlled a lot of it. After 16 overs they [Pakistan] were 106. If we’d closed down a little bit better, we would certainly have had a good chance of winning that game.”We showed some good positives and intent with the bat having lost [Tillakaratne] Dilshan early on. It’s good to see [Dinesh] Chandimal and [Lahiru] Thirimanne play so well and we really played ourselves into a good winning position after ten overs, but in the next five overs – between 11 to 15 – we scored 36 but lost five wickets.”We needed one of them to get us a 70 or 80 and that would have won us the game, or some sort of partnership in the middle which we failed to get. But apart from that, those four overs when we were bowling, and the five overs I’ve mentioned we played a lot better cricket than what we’ve been playing. The chaps are talking a lot and are really determined to put things right and I am seeing some green sheets of progress, which is pleasing to see.”While Ford admitted that Sri Lanka, who are defending champions, were not currently as good as the other teams, he believed they had it in them to trip up the opposition.”We have to be realistic and got to understand that we are behind some of the teams at this stage, but it’s not to say that we can’t all come right very quickly,” Ford said. “The lads are determined to work hard. It’s more about putting 40 overs of good cricket together. The opposition teams are very good we just can’t afford to drop our standards or drop our guard for a couple of overs because T20 cricket changes so very quickly. That’s what happened against Pakistan. They were so behind us at the end of the 16 overs but the last four overs put the pressure back on us.”In eight matches against Full Member oppositions this year, Sri Lanka have lost seven. Ford pointed out that Sri Lanka’s inexperience was one the major factors behind their recent run.”If you are looking at a complete 40 overs you will have periods of guys who have played very few cricket at this level,” Ford said. “It can mean that when it comes to pressure moments there can be some let-ups. But I am hoping that with every opportunity we have, the lads will put up much better performances with experience. You can’t buy experience, it’s something you have to guard and hand over.”Ford also welcomed the return of Lasith Malinga, who has been under an injury cloud after taking four wickets against UAE in the Asia Cup, and hoped that he would regain fitness. The fast bowler, who is suffering from a knee injury, joined the team at practice on Monday, but is still doubtful for Sri Lanka’s opening match against Afghanistan on March 17.”He is actually a match-winner we saw in that one game in Bangladesh, the way he bowled,” Ford said. “He had not bowled competitively for four months and he had hardly done anything in between, but he bowled brilliantly in that game. The whole camp knows how big an influence he can be to the game. I am really hoping like crazy that he is going to be okay and get out and put in some special performances for the team.”What did Ford think about the pitches in India? “Mumbai had a bit of grass on it and the New Zealand bowlers had it easy but yesterday [Monday] the pitch was turning a bit,” he said. “We would expect similar ones we played yesterday in the tournament. It might be different from venue to venue and bowlers will have to be a bit smart.”

سلطت صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية الضوء على إصابة لاعب وسط فريق آرسنال، محمد النني، في مباراة اليوم ضد آيندهوفن.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وشهدت المباراة مشاركة المحترف المصري محمد النني كأساسي رفقة آرسنال، خاصة وأن كتيبة ميكيل أرتيتا ضمنت تأهلها إلى دور الـ16 منذ الجولة الماضية.

ولكن الأمور لم تسر بشكل جيد بالنسبة لـ محمد النني، الذي عانى من الإصابة في الدقيقة 60، واضطر المدرب ميكيل أرتيتا إلى استبداله في الدقيقة 62، ودفع بزميله مارتن أوديجارد.

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية، فإن إصابة محمد النني تبدو في أوتار الركبة، مع العلم أن أرتيتا لم يدلِ بأي تصريحات عن ذلك الأمر حتى الآن.

ويترقب منتخب مصر إصابة محمد النني عن كثب، حيث من المتوقع أن يكون اللاعب جزءًا من كتيبة روي فيتوريا التي ستشارك في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا في كوت ديفوار في يناير القادم.

ScorecardThe new-ball pair of Sumit Narwal and Parvinder Awana took no time to dismiss the Maharashtra tail in the morning. Captain Gautam Gambhir then ground it for nearly six hours to end the day unbeaten on 93. Yet, the star of Delhi’s dominant performance on the second day of their Group B clash against Maharashtra was Virender Sehwag.Batting at his favoured No 4 position, Sehwag made 66 in just over two hours in trademark fashion, entertaining easily the biggest crowd for a non-IPL game at the Maharashtra Cricket Association ground on the outskirts of Pune.When Sehwag came into bat 16 minutes before tea, Delhi were precariously placed at 41 for 2. Though Gambhir was looking solid, any other new batsman would have preferred to see the session out. Not Sehwag.The first ball he faced from Domnic Joseph, who was extracting bounce from the surface, Sehwag timed through covers to get going in style. Maharashtra then placed a sweeper cover for the entire duration of Sehwag’s innings.Samad Fallah, the leader of Maharashtra’s pace attack, is one of the most vocal bowlers on the domestic circuit. Sehwag not only got involved in banter with the left-arm bowler but also dismayed him by standing more than a foot outside the crease in the last over before the break.As the crowd swelled during lunch, all those who had made the effort to make it to the stadium – not the easiest in terms of accessibility – were treated to a Sehwag and Gambhir show. While the captain laid the anchor, Sehwag went after anything short. Until Sehwag was adjudged lbw off Chirag Khurana nine minutes before tea, Maharashtra preferred an in-and-out field for him – with at least three fielders on the boundary.The field made it easier for Sehwag to find gaps. Though his innings contained only seven boundaries, there were plenty of twos. The only false stroke he played was when a cut shot against Fallah flew wide of a lunging Kedar Jadhav at first slip.Just as Sehwag looked set for a century, he was given lbw when offspinner Khurana got one to hold its line. While Sehwag was stunned to see the finger raised, the crowd turned into silent for a moment, before giving the batsman a rousing farewell.Nine minutes later, Fallah got Mithun Manhas with the ball of the day, one that pitched outside off and came in sharply to thud into off-stump after Manhas had shouldered arms. Gambhir and Rajat Bhatia then played sensibly for an unbroken 91-run partnership for the fifth wicket.There were hardly any cheers for all these achievements, though. Most of the spectators had disappeared following Sehwag’s dismissal. At the end of the first day’s play, the MCA officials had needed a couple of their strongest members of the dog squad – a unique security feature in Indian sport – to disperse the crowd. On the second day, there was no such need.

A round-up of the matches played in Group B of the Ranji Trophy on December 7, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2014Group B
ScorecardFile photo: Gautam Gambhir struck 14 fours and two sixes during his 123 not out•BCCI

Three days after being omitted from India’s 30-man squad for the 2015 World Cup, Delhi opener Gautam Gambhir muscled a 38th first-class hundred to lead the team to 260 for 6 on the first day of their Ranji clash against Saurashtra at the Roshanara Club Ground. Delhi, having been inserted, began well, as Gambhir and Unmukt Chand added 53 for the opening wicket. Sudeep Tyagi made the breakthrough, dismissing Chand for 28 and later having Varun Sood caught behind for 14. It brought Gambhir and Virender Sehwag together at the crease, but the pair’s partnership lasted less than five overs, as Sehwag, who was also left out of the World Cup probables, was unable to shake off his poor run in domestic cricket and was run out for nine. The hosts were precariously placed at 145 for 4, but Gambhir and Rajat Bhatia (47) led a recovery by adding 88 for the fifth wicket. Bhatia and Puneet Bisht both fell towards the end of the day, but Gambhir remained unbeaten on 123, with 14 fours and two sixes.
ScorecardFifties from Natraj Behera and Biplab Samantray led Odisha to a promising 223 for 5 at stumps on day one against Maharashtra in Pune. Odisha, opting to bat, began steadily, as Natraj shared 40-plus stands for the first two wickets with Girjia Rout and Niranjan Behera. Natraj eventually fell for 66, having hit 12 fours, as Shrikant Mundhe (2 for 61) and Domnic Joseph (2 for 29) helped Maharashtra fight back with quick blows. Odisha were struggling at 145 for 5, but Samantray and Halhadar Das put up an unbroken stand of 78 to lead the team past the 200-run mark. Samantray muscled four fours and two sixes to make his way to 64 not out.
ScorecardHaryana offspinner Jayant Yadav collected a career-best 6 for 85 to wreck Punjab’s top and middle order, and helped bowl the team out for 273 in Patiala. Punjab, batting first, were well-placed at 233 for 4, as their top-order batsmen all pitched in with handy scores. Yuvraj Singh top-scored with 59 and added 84 for the fifth wicket with Gurkeerat Singh (43), but Gurkeerat’s dismissal in the 67th over triggered a slide that saw Punjab lose their last six wickets for just 40 runs. Apart from Jayant’s six-for, Amit Mishra chipped in with 3 for 72. Haryana lost their opener Avi Barot early in their reply, and ended the day with 19 for 1, trailing by 254 runs.
ScorecardGujarat’s top three batsmen all raised fifties, helping the team to 258 for 4 against Rajasthan in Jaipur. Gujarat, after being inserted, started brightly, as the openers Samit Gohel and Priyank Panchal put up a 108-run partnership. Gohel fell for 52, but Panchal and Bhargav Merai carried on, adding 53 for the second wicket. Manjeet Singh picked up two quick wickets, including that of Panchal for 68, but another important partnership – 50 for the fourth wicket between Merai and Venugopal Rao – guided Gujarat to a competitive score at stumps. Merai remained unbeaten on 63, with five fours.

MatériaMais Notícias

Estão à venda os ingressos para o jogo entre Grêmio e Libertad, válido pelas oitavas de final da Taça Libertadores da América. Os sócios Torcedores têm a preferência até as 11h deste sábado. Logo após esse período, o clube gaúcho vai abrir a venda para Sócios Intantis e a partir do domingo, às 11h, a venda é aberta ao público geral.

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Os valores para o confronto estão entre R$ 30 (Arquibancada Norte) a R$ 190 (Cadeira Gold). Os bilhetes devem sem adquiridos no site oficial da Arena ou nas bilheterias da casa gremista.

Confiança

Empolgada pela vaga em mais uma semifinal de Copa do Brasil, a diretoria do Tricolor espera casa cheia para o jogo que pode encaminhar a classificação para os oito melhores do torneio continental.

Lembrando que as duas equipes já se encontraram nesta edição da Libertadores na fase de grupos. Em Porto Alegre os paraguaios venceram. Em Assunção, com show de Everton Cebolinha, o Tricolor levou a melhor.

Antes do Libertad, o Grêmio tem mais um compromisso pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. O adversário é o Internacional, no Beira-Rio, neste sábado.

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New Zealand have brought in seamer Neil Wagner for legspinner Ish Sodhi as they hunt their second series victory in the Caribbean

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria25-Jun-2014Match factsJune 26-30, 2014, Barbados
Start time 1000 (1400 GMT)Brendon McCullum scored only 31 runs in the first two Tests•WICB Media/Randy Brooks PhotoBig PictureA six-Test winning streak and the World T20 title had signaled the possibility of a change in fortune for West Indies in 2012 and 2013. It was not to be. They lost four of the next five Tests; Darren Sammy lost the captaincy and retired from the format. The wholesale changes – a revamped bowling attack – did not produce immediate success in the first Test against New Zealand in Jamaica, but West Indies battled through five days to level the series in Trinidad. The third Test in Barbados brings with it the hope of a morale-boosting win for the hosts.There’s a lot at stake for New Zealand too. They have won only one series in the Caribbean, in 2002, and arrived for this tour with a reputation that has gained weight over the last two seasons. They added to it with a “nigh perfect” performance – in Brendon McCullum’s words – at Sabina Park but faltered in Port-of-Spain, highlighting the difficulty of winning an away series. New Zealand will be raring to take the opportunity and need the captain McCullum, their only batsman without runs, to lift his game.West Indies were heartened by the manner in which their batsmen responded after the problems in the first Test. They brought in two in-form players for the Trinidad Test – Kraigg Brathwaite and the uncapped Jermaine Blackwood – and reaped immediate rewards. Brathwaite scored his maiden Test hundred while Blackwood impressed with 63. The others chipped in too – Darren Bravo made his first Test century at home, Kirk Edwards’ aggressive fifty was a statement of intent, and Chris Gayle smashed his way through to the target. With Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor, the bowling looks in good shape.If the Bridgetown pitch promises to be as seamer-friendly as it is said to be, the contest may be decided by which team handles pace better. New Zealand, with more technically sound batsmen, would consider that to be a head start.Form guide (Most recent first)
West Indies WLLLD
New Zealand LWDWWWatch out forJerome Taylor’s return to Test cricket has been positive. He is the leading bowler in the series with 10 wickets and has kept batsmen under constant pressure with his accuracy. Taylor has swung the ball, old and new, at pace, and on more fortunate days he would have had more wickets to show for it. He is eight short of 100 and will hope the Bridgetown curator prepares the ideal surface for him to reach the milestone.Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor were the stars of New Zealand’s home summer prior to this West Indies tour. Taylor’s three centuries, including a career-best 217, set up a 2-0 win against West Indies, while McCullum 224 and 302 helped beat India 1-0. They have had no success in the Caribbean though. Despite getting some runs, Taylor has appeared scratchy. McCullum’s form has been worse – 31 runs in four innings. Considering how long the offspinner Mark Craig batted in the second innings at Port-of-Spain, similar resolve from the New Zealand captain could have helped his team save the game.Team newsWest Indies are unlikely to tinker with the XI that squared the series irrespective of the availability of offspinner Shane Shillingford, who missed the last Test due to a niggle. Shannon Gabriel, who replaced Shillingford, was the least threatening of the three West Indian seamers, but he found life on a dying pitch towards the end of the Test. With Barbados likely to have the most pace-friendly conditions, and Shillingford blunted due to the ban on his doosra, Gabriel’s case is stronger.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), 8 Sulieman Benn, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shane Shillingford/Shannon GabrielThe difference between West Indies and New Zealand’s XIs in Port-of-Spain was the make-up of their bowling attacks. New Zealand played two spinners to West Indies’ one. The visitors have changed that for Barbados, bringing in left-armer Neil Wagner as the third seamer in place of the legspinner Ish Sodhi, whose four wickets were expensive in Trinidad. Mark Craig was wicketless in the second Test but his marathon batting effort in the second innings went in his favour.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham, 2 Hamish Rutherford, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Neil Wagner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mark Craig, 11 Trent BoultPitch and conditionsRain is likely over the next five days, but if forecasts are to be believed the weather will not disrupt the Test too much. It is the pitch the teams will be keeping a careful eye on. “Kensington always has a little bit in it for the bowlers as well,” Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, had said. New Zealand will not mind that either.Stats and trivia This will be West Indies’ 50th Test at Kensington Oval. They have won 22, lost 10 and drawn 17 New Zealand registered their first Test win in the West Indies in 2002, at Kensington Oval New Zealand beat West Indies six times in 30 Tests till 2000, and six times in 14 games after the turn of the centuryQuotes”It’s beautiful, a great atmosphere. Good wicket to bat on at all times. Barbados is very passionate about the game. A fantastic ground, love playing here personally, you get quality for your shots.”
“The opposition is not going to allow you to play that sort of cricket (second Test) all the time but that’s the cricket we want to play and that’s what we will set out to do.”

Shoaib Akhtar is likely to start his coaching career with State Bank of Pakistan for the coming season, the has reported. According to Zaheer-ul-Hassan, the department’s team manager, Shoaib has agreed to take up the role of the head coach and is awaiting a clearance from the bank’s sports committee.”It will be a huge bonus for us to have a cricketer of his stature in the support staff as the head coach. We are extremely happy that Shoaib has expressed his desire to play his role in uplifting the State Bank cricket team,” Zaheer told the . “Shoaib has shown deep interest when we approached him. At the moment, we are in the process of formalising the contract details.”State Bank of Pakistan avoided relegation from the departmental first-class competition after they finished tenth in the 11-team competition. Zaheer said that the team was looking to beef up the support staff to improve the performances in the coming season.”Yeah, it was a very close call [to avert relegation] last season,” he said. “At times the entire squad was under great pressure to survive the drop. Had that been the case, it would have been pretty hard for us to run the team because a colossal amount is spent each season.Considered one of the fastest bowlers of his era, Shoaib made his debut in November 1997 and retired after the 2011 World Cup in a career marred with controversy and injuries. He had expressed in 2012 his interest in taking up the role of bowling coach in the Pakistan national team set-up, under Dav Whatmore, but such a deal never materialised.

India’s batsmen have not only surpassed expectations, they have flown in the face of suggestions that they might be scarred and scared after the battering in the ODIs. Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored his first overseas century to almost bat South Africa out of the Johannesburg Test, feels there is work is yet to be done, though.”I think we have,” Pujara said, when asked if India had answered the concerns around being scarred and sacred. “But I think it is still early and we need to do a lot. But it is a very good start for us considering the position we are in. So we just have to take confidence from it, and look to gain from whatever we have achieved in this match and carry forward from this.”That is typical Pujara, though. Always level-headed, always hungry for more runs in an understated way. Sixteen of his 25 first-class hundreds have been scores of 150 or more. “I always like to score big runs, and being a top-order batsman it’s my responsibility,” Pujara said. “When I score a hundred and I’m set, I should try and play longer and achieve big total for the team. So, whenever I am set I feel that for the team’s purpose as well as my own achievement I should try to bat as long as possible.”Cheteshwar Pujara’s 153 was the bedrock of India’s strong second-innings total•Associated Press

Pujara was extremely cautious at the start of his innings, but once he got used to the conditions and the bowlers, he cut loose. “I was initially trying to look through the conditions as the ball was new and was doing a bit,” he said. “I was being patient, and was waiting for the opportunity to accelerate. I knew the start was important, and I was batting well even in the first innings. So it was important to see through the new ball and then play my shots.”Pujara’s celebration on reaching the hundred was different to his usual peaceful ones- a little more pumped up. This was his first century away from home. “There was a lot of talk about this tour, especially the Indian batsmen not doing well overseas,” Pujara said, agreeing that this ton was extra special. “But I think everybody took the responsibility and did it as a unit. It was an important innings for me as well because I wanted to score runs in South Africa, considering the conditions here are a little difficult.”India ended the fourth day needing eight wickets, but South Africa are not a team to be written off. They are capable of batting a day out, or even scoring 320 runs. Pujara, though, was quietly confident about India’s position because of the bounce on offer. “I think the wicket has variable bounce, and we have seen the cracks have been opening up,” he said. “We are expecting that we will get more movement tomorrow from the ball that will hit the crack. Even while I was batting in the morning, I felt that the odd ball was going up and down.”I think we are very happy with the two wickets we have got, and the conditions will be a little more difficult tomorrow. We have got enough runs on the board, and I think it will not be an issue for us. It’s important for us to get a few wickets in the first session so that we can capitalise later on.”

Matt Prior has provided a boost for the England team by coming through a long training session unscathed a few days ahead of the first Ashes Test

George Dobell in Brisbane18-Nov-2013Matt Prior has provided a boost for the England team by coming through a long training session unscathed a few days ahead of the first Ashes Test.Prior has been an injury doubt for the game, starting at the Gabba on Thursday, after sustaining a tear to the left calf muscle during the tour match against Australia A in Hobart. But by batting for about an hour against a variety of bowlers in the nets and then taking some catching practice, Prior provided a strong hint that he will be available for selection.Prior was one of only four members of the England squad – Jonny Bairstow, Graeme Swann and Alastair Cook were the others – to attend a voluntary net session at the Gabba on Monday. Despite strapping to his left calf, injured while batting and later diagnosed as a grade 1 tear, he played with confidence in the nets and, perhaps keen to make a point to the watching Andy Flower, darted the first few yards of imaginary quick singles on several occasions without any sign of discomfort. Prior ended the session by giving photographers a thumbs up and saying “I’m fine” before having some catching practice on the outfield.While it was a hugely encouraging session for Prior, it may still prove a little premature to conclude that he will definitely play in Brisbane. It has yet to be seen how he responds to the session and, with it having been only 10 days since he sustained the injury, the selectors may be uneasy to risk him at the start of such an important series for fear of aggravating the problem. Bairstow, batting fluently in an adjacent net, stands by.Some might argue that Bairstow has a strong case for inclusion anyway. He averaged 29 with the bat in the Ashes in England compared to Prior’s 19 and kept nicely in the second innings of England’s victory in the warm-up game in Sydney.But in such a pivotal game, England want their most experienced players. Prior, the team vice-captain and a veteran of 72 Tests including the series here in 2010-11, remains, despite his relative dip in form, a key figure with the bat and in the field. His astute use of the DRS might prove a factor, too. If England are satisfied that Prior is 100% fit, there will be no selection dilemma: he will play.The wicketkeeping selection is one of two issues the selectors have yet to resolve ahead of the first Test. While Michael Carberry, leaving the ball with the precision required to prosper in Australia, has secured the opening berth and forced Joe Root back to the No. 6 position for a while, there is still doubt as to the identity of the third seamer.While there are, on the face of it, three candidates – Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett and Boyd Rankin – it seems most unlikely that Finn will be included. While his wicket-taking record remains admirable, his propensity to leak runs is incompatible with England’s strategy and renders him needing to improve his control if he is to break back into the side.Matt Prior took the chance for an optional net to try and prove his fitness for the first Test•Getty ImagesTremlett, by contrast, may have lacked potency – he endured a modest county season and has taken just the one wicket in two games on this trip so far – but remains a reliable man to perform the holding required to balance England’s attack. With his height, his skill and his control, he can be relied upon to maintain the pressure built up by James Anderson and Stuart Broad and should enjoy the extra bounce in the Australian wickets.Those whose memories of Tremlett are limited to Test cricket will wonder what the fuss is about: he has invariably looked a fine quality performer at this level and, on the tour of 2010-11, was arguably England’s most impressive bowler.The intervening months have not all been kind, though. Tremlett has suffered a couple of serious injuries and, though he has worked hard to recover his strength and match fitness, there is little evidence to suggest he has recovered the nip that made him such a dangerous bowler.Boyd Rankin may yet warrant selection as a compromise selection. While his form on the tour so far has been patchy, he has more pace than Tremlett and more control than Finn. He has never bowled in Australia prior to this trip and is taking a while to find the correct length, but Ed Cowan, the Australian left-hander, reckoned one of his spells in the latest tour game “screamed ‘Test bowler” and he might prove a more aggressive choice. But, in a side who tend to play ‘safety first’ cricket, Tremlett remains the most likely selection.Whatever happens, England’s struggle to settle on a third seamer underlines the value of Tim Bresnan. While the unglamorous holding role performed so often by Bresnan rarely wins many headlines, the difficulty England have had finding a replacement for him has provided a reminder of his value. He is now bowling at full pace in the nets and, all being well, will make his return in the two-day game at Alice Springs that comes before the second Test in Adelaide. Tremlett or Rankin will have to bowl impressively in Brisbane if they are to deny him a quick return to the side.While the rest of the squad took the time to enjoy the local attractions or a round of golf, Cook could have been forgiven for wishing he had joined them. He enjoyed a tough net session, being beaten several times by the net bowlers and losing his off stump to a beauty from Swann that lured him down the pitch and turned past his outside edge.Generally, however, England are in good shape, and the promising performance of Prior will have provided further reassurance that, days before the serious business begins, they remain on track.

Simon Kerrigan, the Lancashire left-arm spinner, is determined to use the chastening experience of his Test debut to make himself into a better cricketer and earn another chance in the England team.Kerrigan was handed his first cap in the final Ashes Test against Australia, at The Oval, but was treated with disdain on the opening day, especially by Shane Watson, as he bowled eight overs for 53 including a series of long hops and full tosses.He was not given another bowl in the match by Alastair Cook and Kerrigan has admitted it took a few days to feel his normal self again. But he believes quickly returning to action with Lancashire was the best thing that he could have done following some consoling words from England team director, Andy Flower.”I’m my own biggest critic and I was really disappointed with how it went. I was feeling sorry for myself for a couple of days, but getting back into things straight away with Lancashire helped,” Kerrigan told . “Andy Flower took me to one side and said ‘you are far better off having the experience you’ve had now rather than getting a go in four or five years, and it would be an even greater story if you bounced back from it and had a prospering Test career’.”As long as I keep an energy about myself, wanting to get better – an experience like that drives you on to get better, get back into the side and, if you get another chance, prove what you can do.”Kerrigan returned to Lancashire colours the day after celebrating with his England team-mates at The Oval, taking 1 for 45 in a YB40 encounter against Essex, and looked to have regained his form and confidence in the Championship match against Hampshire at Southport, where he took seven wickets and scored an unbeaten 62 at No. 11.He refuses, though, to put down his troubled debut to the easy excuse of first-game nerves. “I tried to rely on the times where I’ve been nervous but also come out of the other side and done really well from that. I wouldn’t say it was just nerves. Technically, it didn’t click. That’s what happens with young spinners. I’m 24, still learning my action and still learning the game.”