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Adam Lyth’s unbeaten half-century carried Yorkshire to a five-wicket win over the Unicorns in a close Yorkshire Bank 40 match at Chesterfield

19-May-2013
ScorecardAdam Lyth’s unbeaten half-century carried Yorkshire to a five-wicket win over the Unicorns in a close Yorkshire Bank 40 match at Chesterfield.Rich Pyrah took 3 for 34 as Yorkshire restricted their hosts to 189 for 9, Aneurin Norman top-scoring with a rapid 38 not out from No. 9. But Yorkshire then slipped to 24 for 2 and 88 for 4 and looked to be progressing too slowly, until Lyth produced a late barrage of boundaries to take them to their target with seven balls to spare.The Unicorns chose to bat after winning the toss, but lost openers Tom New and Tom Lancefield to Steven Patterson in the seventh over to leave them 22 for 2. Michael O’Shea made 26 and put on 42 with Garry Park before both were dismissed in the same Pyrah over, and another pair of wickets fell on 103 as Adil Rashid removed Scott Elstone and Vishal Tripathi in successive balls.Captain Keith Parsons made 28 before being run out by Lyth, and Glenn Querl scored 23 at close to a run a ball but was then bowled by Ryan Sidebottom. But it was Norman who lifted his side to a competitive total, smashing four fours and a six in a 26-ball effort.Warren Lee removed Pyrah and Andrew Gale in successive overs before Yorkshire rebuilt with a stand of 56 between Phil Jacques and Gary Ballance. The pattern of the day, with wickets falling in pairs, continued as Norman had Jaques caught by Parsons and Ballance, six short of a half-century, was bowled by Luke Beaven.Lyth found an ally in the in-form Rashid, who contributed 32 to a stand of 55 before becoming Beaven’s second victim. Lyth had scored the more slowly of the pair and was also outpaced by Andrew Hodd’s run-a-ball scoring rate in the early part of their sixth-wicket alliance.But having made only 24 from his first 46 deliveries, Lyth then cracked 34 from his next 14 – with five fours and two sixes – to secure Yorkshire’s first victory in the competition.

Shane Watson has likened his new opening partnership with Chris Rogers to the union with Simon Katich that represented the most productive phase of his career

Daniel Brettig at New Road02-Jul-2013Only one innings into his Ashes opening partnership with Chris Rogers, Shane Watson has likened it to the union with Simon Katich that represented the most productive phase of his career. Punishing in power and unimpeachably correct in technique, Watson felt so assured in his strokeplay with Rogers at the other end that he coshed a century before lunch against Worcestershire, ultimately finishing with 109.Watson also said that Rogers had proved a valuable ally in the middle, offering advice on English climes and also gee-ups whenever he felt the allrounder might have been flagging in concentration. Having never batted with Rogers before, it was not difficult to imagine Watson wondering why it had taken so long. Whatever the reasons, both can now make up for lost time in the Investec Ashes.”It’s great to be able to bat with Chris, it was my first experience of batting with him and we had a good start.” Watson said. “He’s certainly a very experienced and knowledgable cricketer and to be able to bat with him he certainly kept me going and just through how he’s able to sum up conditions and continue to provide his knowledge while we’re out batting.”I thought he gave me a few really good pointers out there, especially early on, with him understanding the English conditions even better than I do. My combination with Simon Katich in the past was maybe along similar sorts of lines so it was really nice to be able to get a good partnership going the first time we got a chance to bat together.”Batting alongside Katich in 15 Tests from mid-2009 to late 2010, Watson compiled his two Test centuries and a host of other sizeable scores, before injury and the start of Michael Clarke’s captaincy conspired to bring an end to Katich’s international career. Watson opened with Phillip Hughes before shifting down the order, but coveted the position now returned to him by the new coach, Darren Lehmann.”It brings out the best in my personality … it really does get me up and going,” Watson said. “Every time I go out to open the batting I know I’m going out to face a brand new ball and it’s always going to be doing something whether it’s swing or seam. The bowlers are also at their freshest as well. It certainly gets my blood going and gets my mind switched on immediately as well.”That switching on appeared to happen the moment he walked out to bat first at Taunton last week, a swift 90 followed up by an even more brazen display at New Road. While the preceding six months had been largely barren for Watson as a first-class player, he said the period had helped him develop a few elements of his batting and may now be reaping the benefits.”I felt like over the past six months, even though in Test cricket especially I haven’t been able to score the runs that I’ve wanted, the things I’ve been working on with my batting have been coming together,” he said. “I just hadn’t been able to put them into practice.”I definitely feel like in my game I’ve been able to iron out a few of the issues I’ve had over the previous year or so. You never know, it’s not going to guarantee me success, that’s for sure, but I feel batting-wise I’m in a really good place.”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has asked the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit to submit its report on the alleged corruption in the Bangladesh Premier League after the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, which would mean any day after August 12

Mohammad Isam27-Jul-2013The Bangladesh Cricket Board has asked the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit to submit its report on the alleged corruption in the Bangladesh Premier League after the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, which would mean any day after August 12. According to BCB president Nazmul Hassan, the report will be ready within the next nine days.He also hinted that two other players, who have been mentioned extensively in Bangladeshi newspapers ever since Mohammad Ashraful confessed to the ACSU investigative officers, could be implicated in the BPL corruption charges.”I understand that the report will be completed by August 5,” Hassan said. “They [ACSU] wanted to submit it on August 8 or 9, but we asked them to come just after Eid, on August 12 or 13. Whatever names I have read in the paper, that is what I have been hearing unofficially. I haven’t heard of anyone of Ashraful’s stature [being implicated].”Hassan also suggested that the ACSU could be lenient towards Ashraful because of his confession and help during the investigation. “Just like all the other cricket boards and the ICC, we also firmly believe in zero tolerance towards match-fixing. Because Ashraful has admitted to his involvement and helped the ACSU, he may get some benefit. This is strictly my opinion, I am not sure if that is what the ACSU will do.”Ashraful has found sympathy from sections of the public, especially after he apologised in the media last month. Among his team-mates there has been a mixture of pity and commonsense, with Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim asking for exemplary punishment.

Glamorgan gave themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-finals after easing to a 68-run win over Leicestershire at Swansea.

25-Aug-2013
ScorecardChris Cooke top-scored for Glamorgan•Getty ImagesGlamorgan gave themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-finals after easing to a 68-run win over Leicestershire at Swansea.The win over the Foxes was their seventh in the competition this season and their most comprehensive. Glamorgan now have to beat Yorkshire at Headingley in their final Group C match on Monday and hope other results go their way to make the last four.In front of a big crowd, Glamorgan cracked 303 for 6 from their 40 overs with Chris Cooke top scoring with 85 from 76 balls. In reply Leicestershire could only make 235 for 6 with Niall O’Brien making 92.For Glamorgan there were also useful contributions from Murray Goodwin, who struck 48 from 19 balls, including four sixes and Mark Wallace and Gareth Rees. The only Leicestershire bowler to emerge with credit was off spinner James Sykes, who claimed 2 for 37 from his eight overs.Glamorgan, who won the toss, were given a positive start by Wallace and Rees who amassed 84 in the opening 12 overs – 60 from the opening eight-over Powerplay – before Wallace was bowled by Ben Raine. Cooke and Rees continued the good opening, reaching 100 in the 17th over. But with the total on 148 Rees went leg before to Sykes, who struck again to have Jim Allenby caught at shot extra-cover.Cooke reached his 50 from 49 balls and struck Rob Taylor over midwicket for six as Glamorgan reached the 200-mark in the 32nd over.Glamorgan lost captain Marcus North caught behind but that heralded Goodwin’s productive innings. He began with a four and glance for six over deep square-leg, followed by a lofted off-drive for six before Cooke was caught at long-off off Raine.Goodwin carried on his assault hitting a no-ball from Raine for six and then scooping a four to long-leg, before clipping Shiv Thakor for yet another maximum. He seemed on course to equal the record of Stewart Walters, who posted a 19-ball fifty against Lancashire in 2011 at Colwyn Bay, but in looking for a six he was caught on the deep midwicket boundary off Nathan Buck.Leicestershire suffered a major blow in their reply when they lost captain Josh Cobb in only the second over after being caught behind off Jim Allenby. In the next over Greg Smith was also caught behind, this time off Michael Hogan, to leave Leicestershire struggling on 12 for 2.In trying to push the score along Ned Eckersley was bowled by Allenby as the visitors further slipped to 28 for 3. That became 53 for 4 when off-spinner Andrew Salter bowled Thakor. By the halfway stage of their Leicestershire had limped to 68 for 4 needing 11.75-an-over.O’Brien reached his 50, but from 84 balls with only two fours, and he was followed to the landmark by Michael Thornley from 53 balls with a six and four fours before he holed out to midwicket five overs from the end. O’Brien perished eight short of his century caught at mid-on off Allenby, who finished with figures of 3 for 37.

The Bangladesh A batsmen struck out for the third straight time in England, resulting in a 7-wicket loss to Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2013
ScorecardThe Bangladesh A batsmen struck out for the third straight time in England, resulting in a seven-wicket loss to Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester. Bangladesh had earlier struggled to chase down modest totals against Hampshire and Yorkshire, and this time, their first attempt to set up a competitive total also fell flat.Bangladesh had earlier won the toss and elected to bat, but the stand-in captain Naeem Islam’s decision backfired immediately, as Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque and Marshall Ayub were all dismissed inside 40 minutes.However, Naeem and Shamsur Rahman revived the innings with a 85-run fourth-wicket stand, the pair striking seven fours and two sixes in total. Offspinner Arron Lilley put an end to the brief recovery by dismissing Shamsur for 51, on his way to figures of 3 for 24.Shamsur’s wicket triggered a collapse, as Bangladesh lost all the remaining six wickets for just 55 runs. Offspinner Steven Croft took three wickets, while medium-pacers Kyle Hogg and Oliver Newby picked up two each, as Bangladesh, struggling against spin, were bundled out for 171.Lancashire had little trouble in their pursuit of 172, with opener Stephen Moore anchoring the innings with a 63-ball 61 that included nine fours. Paul Horton remained unbeaten on 43 to take Lancashire home with 16.5 overs remaining.Bangladesh next take on Nottinghamshire on August 14 in their penultimate tour game in the lead-up to a three-match series against England Lions.

The full list of posts handed out at the BCCI’s 84th annual general meeting in Chennai on September 29, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2013Office-bearers for 2013-14President – N Srinivasan
Secretary – Sanjay Patel
Joint secretary – Anurag Thakur
Treasurer – Anirudh Chaudhry
Vice-president, north zone – SP Bansal
Vice-president, central zone – Rajiv Shukla
Vice-president, south zone – Shivlal Yadav
Vice-president, west zone – Ravi Savant
Vice-president, east zone – Chitrak Mitra

The statutory committeesSelection committee
Sandeep Patil, west (chairman), Rajinder Singh Hans, central, Roger Binny, south, Vikram Rathour, north, Saba Karim, east, Sanjay Patel (convener)

Junior selection committee
Connor Williams, west (chairman), Pritam Gandhe, central, Aman Kumar, north, K Jayaraman, south, Arup Bhattacharya, east, Anurag Thakur (convener)

Women’s selection committee
Shanta Rangaswamy, south (chairperson), Gulshan Sharma, north, Gargi Banerjee, east, Amrita Shinde, west, Rita Dey, central, Sanjay Patel (convener)

Finance committee
G Ganga Raju (Chairman), Arun Thakur, north, Chetan Desai, south, Biswarup Dey, east, Niranjan Shah, west, Kishore Dewani, central, Anirudh Chaudhry (convener)

IPL governing council
Ranjib Biswal (chairman), TC Mathew, Amitabh Choudhary, Chetan Desai, Nilay Dutta, Subir Ganguly, Ravi Shastri, GR Viswanath, Arindam Ganguly (special invitee), CK Khanna (special invitee), plus all the office-bearers of the BCCI and the finance committee chairman (G Ganga Raju)

National Cricket Academy board
TC Mathew (chairman), Sunil Dev (vice-chairman), S Lotlikar, Rajiv Singh, Rakesh Parikh, Gyanendra Pandey, KS Viswanathan, Sujan Mukherjee

Umpires sub-committee
Ravi Savant (chairman), Sunil Dev, north, Sudhakar Rao, south, Rajesh Verma, east, Devendra Solanki, west, Bhagvandas Sutar, central, S Venkataraghavan (director), AV Jayaprakash (retired Test umpire), Anurag Thakur (convener)

Junior cricket committee
SP Bansal (chairman), Mehboob Iqbal, north, TN Ananthanarayana, south, Malay Chakraborthy, east, Raju Kane, west, Shoaib Ahmed, central, Anurag Thakur (convener)

Tour programme and fixtures committee
Rajiv Shukla (chairman), GS Walia, north, P Yadgiri, south, Satya Mohanty, east, Nitin Dalal, west, Mahendra Sharma, central, Sanjay Patel (convener)

Media committee
Vinod Phadke (chairman), Ravi Jain, north (vice-chairman), RN Baba, south, Anil Patel, west, Sharad Padhye, central, Siba Prasad Tripathi, east

Technical committee
To be chaired by Anil Kumble

Marketing committee
To be chaired by Amitabh Choudhary

Museum committee
To be chaired by CP Joshi

Anti-corruption and security committee
This newly-constituted committee will be chaired by Amitabh Choudhary, former additional director general of police, Jharkhand

Cricket Coaching School were demoted from Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for arriving late to their match against Brothers Union on October 8

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2013Cricket Coaching School has been demoted from the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for arriving late for their match against Brothers Union on October 8 . They will play First Division Cricket League next season, and all points scored against them or by them will be removed from consideration as had happened last season when Surjo Tarun were relegated for a similar reason.They were reportedly were stuck in a traffic jam on Jatrabari road while en route to Fatullah Cricket Stadium from Kalabaga. According to match referee Samiur Rahman, who was travelling with the team on the 20km journey, a lorry had collapsed on the other side of road, approximately 10km from the ground, forcing one lane to be closed and a collision between two buses caused more delay.CCS reached the ground ten minutes before the toss, but about 45 minutes after their scheduled arrival time. The match referee asked for a delayed start, because a provision for a 30-minute grace period had been added to the by-laws because of the Surjo Tarun incident last year – they had arrived late to BKSP ground and were demoted to the First Division Cricket League. But Brothers Union refused to take part in the toss and boycotted the match.The tournament was closed for Eid holidays but, on Wednesday, the league’s organisers Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, who were investigating the matter, announced the verdict and said it was taken according to the tournament’s rules.The Dhaka Premier League will resume on October 27 and CCS’s demotion means that only one other team will face relegation this season. Currently, Khelaghar and 17-time champions Abahani are at the bottom of the table, with one win each, but since Abahani’s win was against CCS, those points will be taken away, leaving them winless.

Kevin Pietersen has promised any success he has in his 100th Test to the memory of a boyhood friend who died recently

George Dobell in Brisbane20-Nov-2013Kevin Pietersen has promised any success he has in his 100th Test to the memory of a boyhood friend who died recently.Pietersen, who will become the 10th England player to reach the 100 Test landmark when England begin their Ashes campaign in Brisbane on Thursday, was granted compassionate leave at the start of the tour to fly to South Africa to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of Jon Cole-Edwardes who died from a rare form of cancer on September 27 aged just 33.”I got to say goodbye to him 18 hours before he passed away and left us,” Pietersen said. “He left his wife and twins behind.”He was my best mate who I grew up with as a kid and losing him has really hurt me over the last month or so. It has been bad. I grew up with this guy since I was a baby and every single holiday we went on together, literally he is like my brother and saying goodbye to him 18 hours beforehand was just so tough.”I will be thinking about him if I get a big one here, I’ve been thinking about black armbands and stuff, but I don’t want to get the violin out and all that. I’d rather just concentrate on things. I’ve been speaking with his mum and yesterday she said ‘Jon will be watching’.”Pietersen admitted the bereavement had put his cricketing career into perspective.”This cricket malarkey is simple,” he said. “I had to go and do a eulogy at his funeral on the Saturday when the guys were already here. I was a shambles there.”He also admitted there had been times during the ‘text-gate’ episode in 2012 when he thought he would never represent England again. Now, though, he insisted the dressing room environment was “fantastic” and, as well as crediting improved communication, also accepted that all parties had “grown up”.”There probably were a few occasions [when I thought I may not play again], yes,” Pietersen said. “Emails were flying around and telephone conversations were being had. I think this stuff is for when I finish my career. I will give a very good explanation as to how things were and how things weren’t when I’m done.”It’s a nicer environment now I think. I’ve seen comments from the players that we all made mistakes last year. And we’ve all grown up and actually grown a lot tighter.”If you look at the environment now it’s absolutely fantastic and I’m not lying I’m being dead straight. We’re all having so much fun and that front page [of an Australian tabloid which suggested Pietersen was unpopular with his England teammates] was so funny because 10 hours before that we’d all had an amazing team dinner. We all had such a great time in Sydney, such a great time together, that when you see a front page like that it just makes me laugh.”Last year there was a bit of treading on eggshells and pussy-footing around, whereas now the boys have acknowledged that it is time to do some business as an England team and that is what we are here to do.”While Pietersen reiterated his desire to play on until at least the 2015 World Cup, he accepted he may require minor knee surgery at some stage as an indirect result of the bone bruising he suffered in New Zealand early this year. “Clearly the knee is something that I will have to get looked at and get sorted,” he said. “But if it does need an op it won’t be a big one because the bone damage is all sorted. It’s just a little bit of niggly bits and pieces, which is actually minor. It just causes a bit of discomfort on delivery when I bend down but since I’ve had the injection it’s been fine. That just masks the issue so it’s up to me to make sure I do all the hard yards and all the bits and pieces to keep me good.”I want to enjoy the next two or three years of international cricket for England because last year wasn’t fun. I can make it a lot more fun and so can the team, and we’re all doing that at the moment.”

In Sri Lanka’s fickle cricketing landscape, Pakistan have lately been viewed as one of the friendliest foes

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Dec-2013In Sri Lanka’s fickle cricketing landscape, Pakistan have lately been viewed as one of the team’s friendliest foes. Sri Lanka fans’ admiration for Pakistan’s cricket has been founded on shared ground. Most obviously, there is resemblance in cricketing philosophy; Lasith Malinga and Sohail Tanvir are products of their unique milieu, but it is not difficult to imagine a round-arm slinger from Rawalpindi, or a wrong-footed left armer from Rathgama. No other nation, perhaps, could have easily produced either.There is also the rich recent history of spin, shrouded in mystery. Between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they have owned the progenitor of the in Saqlain Mushtaq, the man who made the ball famous in Muttiah Muralitharan, its best current practitioner in Saeed Ajmal, and a rising bowler with an improving version of the ball, in Sachithra Senanayake.Then there are the shambolic administrations, which more often appear to hinder the national sides than support them, while Sri Lanka’s newly-formed one-sided rivalry with India has bred another thread of fraternal goodwill. Coincidentally too, the tour will be both Dav Whatmore and Graham Ford’s final weeks in charge of their sides. The former was effectively let go, the latter chose to walk.Both sides also have produced alluring players of spin, many of whom have retired or are just about to, and young men are now charged with filling shoes and scoreboards. In that regeneration, though, there are mutual hints of decline.Ten months of selection policy focused on grooming the next generation has not future-proofed Sri Lanka’s batting unit yet. Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have had encouraging returns in Tests, but their limited-overs statistics don’t yet suggest they are the next Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara – whom they will inevitably be compared with. Jayawardene’s absence from the limited-overs leg of this series may allow both batsmen to bat higher up in the order, which should suit their abilities better than the finishing roles they had been saddled with.In Tests, both teams will also be fielding young, inexperienced opening pairs. Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor are at almost identical places in their career as Sri Lanka’s likely openers, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva. All four have a shot at embedding themselves in the international arena, on tracks that should not be far from those on which they excel at home.Though they are at disparate ends of their careers, there are similarities for the teams’ main captains too. Misbah-ul-Haq is an unpopular captain for some, and while Angelo Mathews has had moderate success at the helm, he is still treading lightly as a leader and his personal form has been inconsistent. A poor tour for either man might have loosened their grip on the reins, only, there are few viable alternatives.The teams are well-matched on most counts. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in their last Test series in the UAE, but Sri Lanka reversed that scoreline at home, when they dominated the three-match series last year. Sri Lanka’s batting perhaps gives them the edge in ODIs and Twenty20s, while Pakistan have just returned from a successful trip to South Africa, where the highly-rated India side is presently being humiliated.And, perhaps, that is Pakistan’s greatest advantage in the approach to the tour. While Sri Lanka have been reduced to playing matches against themselves and watching rain ruin their first meaningful cricket since July, Pakistan are fighting-fit from five months on the international treadmill. Their Test loss to Zimbabwe in September now seems a distant memory, after more encouraging results against South Africa.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have not played overseas since July, and in Tests, the New Year’s Eve match will be their first against a top-eight opposition since this year’s New Year Test in Sydney. One of the foremost reasons Sri Lanka Cricket refused Pakistan’s request to play one Test under lights is because its players would already be adjusting to playing Tests again; an orange ball and floodlights may have complicated preparation further – particularly as there are no practice matches before the Tests.There is already buzz in Sri Lanka for this tour, primarily because the public has had so long to look forward to it. It is a stage for young men of both teams to make defining plays, and with two major limited-overs trophies now on the horizon, raising stakes further, the subplots unfolding over a six-week battle may prove just as engrossing as the major narrative.

Alastair Cook has demanded a response from his senior players as England attempt in Adelaide to stem the feeling that power is shifting towards Australia

George Dobell in Adelaide04-Dec-20130:00

Video preview: England should pick Bresnan

It is hard to avoid the conclusion that this Ashes series could be sealed in Adelaide over the next few days.So crushing was Australia’s victory in Brisbane and so great the fall-out from Jonathan Trott’s departure from the tour that the sense grew that the balance of power had changed between these old rivals. It was only one game, but if Australia win again in Adelaide, it is hard to envisage England clawing their way back into the series. With the bounce and pace of Perth to follow, even a draw here might be considered a disappointing result.On the face of things, this could be a tough place for either side to force a win. Not only is the pitch expected to be flat, but the weather forecast is not wonderful. There are various imponderables – such as whether the new stands might aid swing and how the new drop-in pitch will play – but the biggest question remains: how deep are the scars of England’s injuries from Brisbane?England looked fragile in the first Test. A batting line-up that looks strong on paper, collapsed as if made of the stuff, leaving Alastair Cook, the England captain, to demand more from his senior players.”Our skills let us down in Brisbane,” Cook said. “We were totally outplayed and our skills weren’t up to it. The senior guys have to lead the way. We are lucky that we have players with a huge number of Test caps and people who have delivered before, not only against Australia, but on this ground as well. We are going to have to draw on that and the five or six of us who are the senior guys in the team are going to have to stand up and lead from the front.”While the normal, safe England formula would see Tim Bresnan come back into the side in place of Chris Tremlett and Gary Ballance bat at No. 6, it is clear that other options are being seriously considered. Admitting they are “desperate” for a victory in this game, Cook said picking two spinners was “a realistic option.” That might, in turn, necessitate picking the all-rounder Ben Stokes to ensure they still have some depth in seam bowling and batting. Stokes would bat and six and fill the role of third seamer.It would be a high-risk strategy, but has some logic. Even if the Adelaide surface – which looks dry – does not offer much turn, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar should offer England some control in the field. That might, in light of Australia’s commitment to an aggressive approach, force their batsmen into mistakes.Kevin Pietersen, veteran of 100 Tests, practises his switch hit in the Adelaide Oval nets•AFPWhether Panesar is in the frame of mind to play Test cricket remains to be seen. He endured a modest season in county cricket and has not played a high-profile game since the late-night incident which briefly led to his suspension. It is only a year since he played a huge role in helping England to victory in India, though, and with 48 Tests behind him, he has the experience to cope.England have not fielded two spinners in a Test in Australia since 1990-91 when they teamed up Eddie Hemmings and Phil Tufnell in Sydney. They conceded 518 in the first innings but the spinners shared eight wickets second time around and the Test was drawn.Swann, meanwhile, has taken the opportunity to talk to former Australia spinner Ashley Mallett. Mallett has been something of a mentor to Swann for some time and he had a fine record on this ground, with 25 wickets in six Tests. No finger spinner has taken more in Adelaide. While reluctant to go into details, it seems he advised Swann to bowl a more attacking off-stump line to the right-handers and use more over-spin. Swann made good use of Doug Bollinger’s footmarks to claim five wickets in the second innings to help England to victory here in 2010-11.But bowling is the least of England’s worries. They bowled very well in the first innings in Brisbane but were then forced back into the field far too quickly due to the inability of the batsmen to exploit the decent pitch. England’s weakness, at present, remains their batting. To have failed to reach 400 in 17 successive innings and yet still won many of those games illustrates the continuing contribution of the bowlers.”We know that if you want to win games of cricket, you have to score big runs,” Cook said. “And we haven’t been doing that. We didn’t do it last week and we lost the game heavily. We need to do it, simple as that. There’s no point talking about it – the stats say we haven’t got 400 and we need to get past that total.”England’s problem in Brisbane, at least, was that they collapsed so quickly, they failed to force Australia’s attack into the extra spells that would have sapped their energy. If they are to have any hope of fighting their way back in this series, the batsmen have to fully exploit Adelaide’s famously flat wicket.”In a spell like that you know it can’t last forever,” Cook said. “In these conditions, you know the third and fourth spells of guys like that will not be as quick. So you have to put miles into their legs.”In the latest episode of a relentless war of propaganda, the ECB has denied two more stories circulated elsewhere. Firstly it rejected the suggestion that the England team “failed to turn up” for a South Australia Cricket Association dinner on Monday night, pointing out that such appearances are arranged months in advance and no such agreement had been made.More seriously, it has also rubbished the suggestion that England are unwilling to play in Brisbane on future tours. It had been suggested that the ECB was so unimpressed by the hostile atmosphere experienced in the city that it approached Cricket Australia with a view to avoiding Brisbane in the future. An ECB spokesman dismissed the notion in the strongest terms.