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Match facts

September 11, 2015
Start time 10.30am local (0930 GMT)3:11

McGlashan: Both captains would like to bat first

Big Picture

England’s win at Old Trafford kept alive hopes of beating Australia in an ODI series for the first time since 2012, as well as eased fears that they will fall below Bangladesh in the ICC rankings. Even a 4-1 defeat will see England remain in sixth, for now, while two more victories would drag them up to within range of Sri Lanka in midtable.The last time England managed consecutive ODI wins over Australia was also three summers ago. That 4-0 win was among the peaks of Alastair Cook’s roundhead reign as captain but the ODI world has shifted dramatically since then – and England have at last shown signs of catching up. Only Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn remain from the 2012 NatWest Series (with Stuart Broad’s future undecided) and pulling back the No. 1-ranked side from a 2-0 lead would be worth a campaign medal for Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace and their new model army.They will attempt to do so in front of a packed house at Headingley, home of the back-to-back County Champions, Yorkshire. The locals have sometimes struggled to work up enthusiasm for England visits – and a significant number will be at Lord’s hoping to see their team lift the Championship pennant on Friday – but, having paid their shilling, they will demand England maintain the standards on display across the Pennines.Australia, too, can claim a strong Yorkshire connection, from the coach, Darren Lehmann, through to Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell – both of whom have had to make do with representing Yorkshire’s 2nd XI this season. Coming towards the end of a long tour that has yielded rather less success than was promised, Australia would surely like to tap into the prevailing mood of celebration by sealing the series with a game to spare.Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and Jonny Bairstow are likely to play on their home ground•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLWW
Australia LWWWW

In the spotlight

Alex Hales is hot-and-cold player. Having come into the one-day series on a blazing run of scores for Nottinghamshire – 85, 9, 81, 58, 189 and 62 – he has felt the chill of Autumn more than most: four innings against Australia, including the T20, have tallied 52 runs and a high score of 22. Hales has still only played 17 ODI innings and, with a couple of blistering half-centuries against New Zealand earlier this year, looked to be finding his feet. He has, however, lost form at the wrong time and has been outshone by his opening partner Jason Roy in the series so far.Pat Cummins, 22 years old and with 16 ODI caps to his name, could find himself the most experienced member of the Australia pace attack on Friday. If Mitchell Starc is rested, then Cummins – comfortably the quickest bowler on either side – will be required to step up and lead the way. He has impressed with his pace, steepling bouncer and impressive control; he is the leading wicket-taker in the series, with the best average and, among pace bowlers to have delivered more than eight overs, the lowest economy. Perhaps more importantly, he has avoided injury – this will be his fifth consecutive ODI and his longest run in the side.

Team news

Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a thigh injury, so England will be forced to change their attack – David Willey seems the most likely candidate, offering a left-arm angle as well as the potential for bludgeoning runs lower down the order. Mark Wood and Reece Topley are the other pace-bowling options in the squad.England (possible) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 James Taylor, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Steven FinnAustralia have already had three players withdraw from their squad and look set to give Mitchell Starc a rest after playing in all 12 of Australia’s international fixtures in the West Indies, England and Ireland. John Hastings, called up as cover from Durham, could come in for his first ODI appearance since 2011.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Ashton Agar, 9 John Hastings, 10 James Pattinson, 11 Pat Cummins.

Pitch and conditions

England, in their stodgy former mould, still managed to knock up 294 under clear skies against India at Headingley last year and Lehmann said he expected the pitch the good for batting. The forecast is good, if a little cool, for Friday but an early start and any passing cloud cover could interest the seamers.

Stats and trivia

• England and Australia last contested an ODI at Headingley in 2005 (the scheduled fixture in 2013 was washed out)
• Australia have won 11 out of their last 13 ODIs against England
• Steven Finn needs two more wickets for 100 in ODIs
• If they play, Cummins, James Pattinson and John Hastings will form an Australia pace attack comprised of 41 caps between them

Quotes

“I was keeping tabs on the score on Twitter, looking every five minutes and there were texts flying around.”
Adil Rashid couldn’t join in with Yorkshire’s Championship celebrations but enjoyed from afar“We’re all tired, but that’s international cricket, that’s what you do when you’re representing your country.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Robin Peterson’s five-wicket haul wrapped up a win © AFP

Given how Bangladesh were terrorised by the short ball in this Test, it was entirely appropriate that South Africa wrapped up the match and series with one. And unlike the five-wicket defeat in Mirpur, there was nothing remotely heroic about the innings-and-205-run capitulation in Chittagong, with a world record partnership between Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzieillustrating the huge chasm that still separates Bangladesh from the best practitioners of cricket’s most demanding form.When Mashrafe Mortaza couldn’t avoid fending one to the left of McKenzie at gully, it was the final act of a match that once again didn’t go into the fourth afternoon. With Aftab Ahmed unable to bat after a sickening injury on Sunday, South Africa needed only four more wickets to set theseal on a very satisfactory outing.An eighth-wicket partnership of 56 between Abdur Razzak, who remained defiant on 33, and Shahadat Hossain briefly halted the victory charge, but with Robin Peterson scalping an unexpected five-for, the result was never in doubt. Bangladesh managed a few half-century partnerships during the course of the Test, but the fact remained that their tally over twoinnings didn’t even come close to matching Smith and McKenzie.The batting frailty was all too evident at the start of the fourth day. Razzak’s periscope approach to batting resulted in a comical four over the wicketkeeper off Dale Steyn, and South Africa didn’t have very long to wait for the breakthrough. Peterson was aiming at the cracks from the outset, and Mushfiqur Rahim edged his first ball of the morning to Jacques Kallis at slip.Enter Mohammad Rafique to tremendous applause in his final Test innings. Two balls later, exit Rafique – a biff back to the bowler that Peterson was never going to drop. Shahadat, with a few sorties down the ground, and Razzak with his patented carves over slips added runs in a hurry, but the South Africans were amused rather than annoyed, and when Shahadat holed out to long-off to give Peterson number five, the Last Post could begin.South Africa now look to India, and a series that will really be a test of their mettle in subcontinent conditions. As for Bangladesh, they have three one-dayers to look forward to. The format suits their hit-and-miss batsmen, and they did hammer South Africa at the World Cup last year.Jamie Siddons just won’t be expecting any miracles in Tests, especially not with an FTP that barely gives them matches to iron out the many kinks that continue to bedevil their play at their highest level.

Scorecard
Sri Lanka A secured a tremendous advantage by putting up 335 for 2 against Bangladesh A on the opening day of their first four-day match at the Colts Cricket Club in Colombo. Malinda Warnapura and Thilan Samaraweera struck unbeaten hundreds in a partnership of 313 for the third wicket.After choosing to bat, Sri Lanka A got off to a disastrous start, losing both their openers for 22. Fast bowler Nazmul Hossain removed Mahela Udawatte in the third over for 5 and then had Michael Vandort caught for 10 in the seventh.However, if Bangladesh thought they would seize the day, they had another think coming.Once Warnapura, the nephew of Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapurna, and captain Samaraweera got together it was all one-way traffic. Warnapura struck 177 off 291 balls with 11 fours and a six. Samaraweera last played a Test for Sri Lanka against England in 2006 and today he accumulated 129 off 232 balls.Bangladesh used seven bowlers but only Hossain met with any success. Khaled Mashud, one of Bangladesh’s most experienced Test cricketers, was playing for Bangladesh A after being dropped from the World Cup squad.

‘We have agreed to play from 2009 event on’ – Sharad Pawar © Getty Images

Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, today said India was yet to decide on its participation in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa next year.”We will take it up in the board’s Working Committee which will decide on this,” Pawar said at a media conference in New Delhi today. He added that because of a previous resolution the board had to annually ratify the ICC’s proposal to hold a Twenty20 World Championship. And, as such, it had sought time to embrace the new format of the game.”The ICC did not compel us to play in the 2007 Championship, but we have agreed to play from 2009 event on,” Pawar said. “The BCCI members had resolved in a working committee meeting recently that they were not happy with the Twenty20 version and will not play it.”At the ICC meeting [in Dubai last week] we went through the previous records and found that a unanimous decision had been passed in October 2005 in Sydney and we were party to it. Any resolution which had two-third majority of the ICC members was binding.”The resolution referred to by Pawar allows for an annual Twenty20 World Championship under the aegis of the ICC. Pawar also clarified that the Pakistan board had informed the Indian board of its inability to play in a triseries at Abu Dhabi in September. “The dates were not suitable to them because it came immediately after their England tour,” he said. “But we will have a triseries in Abu Dhabi, the dates will be different though.”

Lunch
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Vaas has fond memories of Napier © Getty Images

The tsunami-postponed Test series started with a battling first session after New Zealand, relieved to have waved goodbye to Ricky Ponting’s formidable Australian team, made a watchful start with the bat after winning the toss. Sri Lanka’s bowlers, still missing their injured talisman Muttiah Muralitharan, probed away accurately and both teams left the field for lunch satisfied as New Zealand reached 61 for 1.The only casualty of the morning was Craig Cumming (12) as Chaminda Vaas, swinging the ball a smidgen and cleverly working the angles, zeroed in on a perceived susceptibility to being trapped lbw after a difficult series against Australia. Eventually, Vaas, having changed ends to bowl into a fresh breeze, landed a perfectly pitched full-length inswinger that would have curved into middle-and-off stump (35 for 1).Sri Lanka could have earlier claimed the wicket of James Marshall, as Sanath Jayasuriyia, partially obstructed by a flailing dive from wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, grassed a straightforward chance at first slip off an attempted forcing stroke in Nuwan Kulasekera’s first over of Test cricket. James Marshall capitalised on the reprieve, resisting Sri Lanka’s bowlers until lunch and finishing on 24 not out.All three of Sri Lanka’s seamers bowled well, maintaining a tight line and length and forcing the Marshall Brothers to graft hard for their runs. Vaas created question-marks with his inswing, Kulasekera bounced in with refreshing enthusiasm and nipped the ball in, and Lasith Malinga always threatened to take a wicket with his remarkable science-defying catapult action, generating bounce and pace and very nearly finding the shoulder of Hamish Marshall’s bat with a nasty lifter just before lunch.Before the start, New Zealand confirmed the call-up of allrounder Kyle Mills, who replaced Daniel Vettori who decided to rest a sore back. Vettori wasn’t New Zealand’s only injury problem either with Scott Styris (knee), Jacob Oram (back), Ian Butler (back), Darryl Tuffey (bicep) and Michael Papps (finger) all unavailable for the two-Test series. Sri Lanka also have injury problems with Murali and Nuwan Zoysa both recovering from surgery.Sri Lanka, who have fond memories of McLean Park in Napier having won their first-ever Test outside the subcontinent at the same venue back in 1995, were positive in their selection, resisting the safe option of selecting seven frontline batsman so they could play five bowlers, including two spinners. Shantha Kalavitigoda, Farveez Maharoof and Ruchira Perera were the players omitted from the touring party.New Zealand team:1 James Marshall, 2 Craig Cumming, 3 Stephen Fleming (capt), 4 Nathan Astle, 5 Hamish Marshall, 6 Lou Vincent, 7 Brendon McCullum, 8 Kyle Mills, 9 Paul Wiseman, 10 James Franklin, 11 Chris MartinSri Lanka team:1 Marvan Atapattu, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Upul Chandana, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Nuwan Kulasekera, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Harbhajan Singh successfully underwent surgery on his injured right index finger in Melbourne on Friday (Dec 19). In all likelihood, the rest and rehabilitation process will take three months, putting him out of the tour of Pakistan.Dr Greg Hoy, a finger specialist, operated on the injury Harbhajan sustained during a one-day international in Dhaka earlier this year. Harbhajan was described as being “in a cheerful mood” by Shivlal Yadav, the Indian team manager, after the hour-and-a-half-long surgery. A decision on his return to India will be taken when the squad reaches Melbourne on December 22.The operation could have taken place earlier, but for Harbhajan’s fear of going under the knife. The aggravated injury forced him to sit out the Adelaide Test.

The Australian cricket team for the first Test against South Africa startinghere on Friday was announced today.Australia: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Andy Bichel (12th man).

A spectacular 15 wicket match haul by Jai Prakash Yadav sent Vidarbhatumbling to an innings and 176 run defeat against Madhya Pradesh atthe Nehru Stadium in Indore. The 26 year old medium pacer from Bhopalwho grabbed 7/31 in the first innings went one better in the secondwith a haul of 8/80 as Vidarbha, following-on, were dismissed for 219.The visitors began their second knock on Thursday, having conceded astaggering 395 run first innings deficit. After Maninder Singh came onfirst-change to strike the first blow, removing opener and wicketkeeper V Naidu at 21, it was Yadav all the way. Beginning with thewicket of Adwait Manohar, he ripped the innings apart with the onlynotable resistance coming from the eighth wicket pairing of SA Khareand Amol Jichkar who added a doughty 51.Khare’s topscore of 44 off 55 balls was studded with six fours. No.10Abhijeet Piprode provided some late entertainment with a lusty 32 off29 balls, including five fours and a six before Yadav in his 25th overhad him caught by skipper Chandrakant Pandit to close out the matchfor Madhya Pradesh. The win took the hosts to the top of the pointstable with 14 points from three games while Vidarbha are yet to opentheir account in two engagements.

Several failed to hide their disappointment as Manchester United, while rampant in attack, could not contain Bournemouth on Monday night, as they were held to a frantic 4-4 draw by Bournemouth.

Neville tells Amorim to "forget" system in "stunning" draw

If there was ever a way to make up for Man United’s lack of goals in their last two Old Trafford appearances, it was with four against Bournemouth. The only problem was that the Cherries also managed to find the back of the net four times to create one of the games of the season on Monday night.

There were several positive signs for the Red Devils even after dropping more points at home. This was not a game met with boos, it was one met with optimism at full-time.

Old Trafford legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville shared that optimism, saying on Monday Night Football: “It was a stunning watch. I was really critical after the Everton and West Ham games because of just the nature of the performance. I thought it was really bland.

“This was the complete and utter opposite. I can live with that all day long in terms of a performance and a standard because they played with real intent, played the ball forward, always played at full pace.

“When United went 3-2 down, Ruben Amorim then went to 4-4-2 and did the right thing. Forget the system, he did the right thing. He got the right players on the pitch and were a massive threat.”

It was a particularly good night for Matheus Cunha, who scored just his second goal for the club since arriving for around £63m from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. It was a deserved strike for another dogged display from the Brazilian in front of his new home fans.

The same can’t be said for Bryan Mbeumo, however, who faced criticism from several United media personalities on Monday night.

Mbeumo frustrates during Bournemouth draw

Whilst fellow attacker Cunha set Old Trafford alight, Mbeumo was hugely frustrating. He missed several wonderful opportunities, notably firing a volley over the bar from inside the area in the first half and then sending a wild effort over from just a matter of yards out in the second half. For those efforts, he was criticised by The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst who bemoaned the player’s “wayward” finishing while United YouTuber Alice Talks Footy who simply said that he was “playing with [Alejandro] Garnacho’s finishing”.

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Furthermore, he took fewer touches than Ayden Heaven and recorded an XG of 0.48 despite taking four shots. For his recent standards, it was a disappointing display.

Mbeumo vs Bournemouth

Minutes played

89′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

43

Possession lost

9x

Shots (on target)

4 (2)

Accurate passes

21/27 (78%)

Chances created

2

Dribbles

0/2

Recoveries

1

Tackles

0/1

Duels won

5/13

Data via Sofascore

What should be most alarming for Amorim is that it’s now one goal in five Premier League games for his £150,000-a-week forward, who is now heading to AFCON off the back of a frustrating display.

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Man United’s attack has been improved, there’s no doubting that, but there’s also no denying that they’re yet to see Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko click as a front three and that must change after AFCON.

Man Utd ready to move quickly to sign £280,000-a-week Real Madrid star

	Wasim Akram would like to see Pakistan take on Australia at home © Getty Images

Wasim Akram has urged Australia not to pull out of their scheduled tour of Pakistan despite further unrest in the lead-up to next month’s elections. Australia have a tentative plan to play three Tests and five ODIs in Pakistan starting in mid-March but the visit will not go ahead unless a Cricket Australia security delegation decides the players will be safe.Despite further bomb attacks in Pakistan this week, Akram believes Australia’s cricketers would have nothing to fear. “I think everything will be fine after the elections,” Akram told the . “Things will settle down.”Australia should play in Pakistan. They will be safe there, and there will be so much security around them. It is not sporting figures who are being targeted.”After the assassination of the former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto in late December some Australia players were concerned about proceeding with the tour. However, Stuart MacGill was one who remained keen to go ahead with the visit, provided the unrest in Pakistan eased after the February 18 elections.