All posts by n8rngtd.top

Shane Watson has reiterated his desire to stay at the top of the order for Australia but said that if he has to bowl more overs for the team he may need to be played in a different role

Daniel Brettig in Colombo 13-Sep-2011Shane Watson has reiterated his desire to stay at the top of the order for Australia but said that if he has to bowl more overs for the team he may need to be played in a different role.Watson has managed a highest score of just 36 during Australia’s ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, but as a bowler has had a significant influence. He took three middle-order wickets in the first innings in Galle, which tilted the match decisively towards Australia, then offered excellent support to Trent Copeland and Ryan Harris as they sought to spoil the hosts’ efforts to save the Pallekele Test on the final day. This takes a toll on Watson’s batting, but he said he must find a way to better balance the two roles.”It’s easy to say that [my bowling is affecting my batting], but really in the end I’m in the team as an opening batsman; my primary job is to score runs and I’ve just got to get better at it,” Watson said. “There’s no doubt being an allrounder and bowling does take a lot more out of you than guys who just bat, but that’s part of being an allrounder.”I really do enjoy opening the batting and taking on the quicks with the new ball, but it does depend on what my role is. If the new dynamics of the team require me to bowl more, as I did in this [the Pallekele] Test match, then my role may change and I’m happy to bat anywhere to make sure we’ve got the best people in the right positions. I feel my body is really coping and handling the overs a lot better as well.”Watson enters the final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo without the runs he believes his batting touch has warranted. In something of a microcosm of Watson’s Test batting career, first-innings scores of 22 and 36 gave Australia a start, but were not the match-shaping tallies he and the team crave.A career ledger of two Test centuries, against 15 half-centuries, rather sums up his present state of frustration, despite spending plenty of time in this year’s Indian Premier League at the feet of Rahul Dravid, who he quizzed in some detail about the art of concentration.”It’s been disappointing,” Watson said of his batting performances in Sri Lanka. “After not playing Test cricket over the last seven or eight months I’ve been really excited about getting into the Test cricket side of things, the batting especially. I’m hitting the ball alright. Hopefully I can turn that into a big score.”That’s the most frustrating thing, not being able to capitalise when I’m batting really well. I know within the team I’m a more senior player now so it is my job as a top-order batsman to be able to score big runs, and unfortunately I haven’t been able to do that consistently. It’s something I’ve got to get better at.”

A solid performance from Bangladesh’s batsmen on a placid track marked the start of the Test series in Chittagong, leaving the bowlers potentially facing five days of hard work

The Report by Siddhartha Talya21-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Tamim Iqbal squandered a chance to reach three-figures•Associated Press

A solid performance from Bangladesh’s batsmen on a placid track marked the start of the Test series in Chittagong, leaving the bowlers potentially facing more days of hard work. The morning was slightly overcast but the sun didn’t take long to break through the clouds, confining whatever assistance was available for the bowlers to the first hour of the day. Deciding to bat without hesitation, Bangladesh, led by half-centuries from Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal, built a platform for a formidable first-innings score but suffered a few jolts along the way, some self-inflicted.The lack of assistance from the pitch meant Darren Sammy had to shuffle his bowlers, get them to bowl from different angles, change ends and rely heavily on variations. The attacking instinct of a couple of well-set Bangladesh batsmen helped West Indies break through but they didn’t do themselves much good by employing defensive fields for far too long immediately after lunch and tea. The spread-out fields enabled the hosts, Mushfiqur and Raqibul Hasan especially, to rotate the strike comfortably – 136 runs came in singles (102) and twos, more than half the score.Once the sun was out, the swing didn’t last long, and movement off the pitch was limited. Tamim’s solidity was an obstacle for the West Indies bowlers at one end but Imrul Kayes’ occasional extravagance gave them a window of opportunity.Kayes was beaten a couple of times while trying to drive on the up and his first boundary was an uppish chip over Darren Sammy’s head. A change of angle from Rampaul gave West Indies their first breakthrough. He bowled from round the wicket, produced an outside edge from Kayes that went for four, followed by a failed drive. The next ball squared the batsman up, angled in and then nipped away just a hint to kiss the edge.Shahriar Nafees settled in quickly with a couple of confident shots against Sammy followed by a lovely drive off Fidel Edwards. Nafees survived a close shout for lbw against Edwards, though a good part of the ball appeared to have pitched outside leg, before his stay was cut short by a bloody blow to the nose. Edwards slung down a bouncer from round the wicket that forced its way between the peak of the helmet and the grille, forcing Nafees to retire hurt.Bishoo, who probed away in search of turn, doled out a few long-hops that Tamim duly dispatched through the off side. There were, however, some signs of encouragement for the spinners after lunch. The batsmen were unsettled by a few deliveries that kept low and experienced the odd moment of discomfort when the ball turned. West Indies made their next breach when Tamim attempted a slog-sweep against Marlon Samuels, and top-edged a catch to midwicket; a healthy dose of slow bowling with the fielders pushed back had allowed the pair to work singles and twos but a rush of blood cost the well-settled Tamim a century.Raqibul looked assured during his stay, solid in defence and punishing the bad balls, and built a promising stand with Mushfiqur, who was his usual busy self, creating opportunities to score by using his feet, making room against straight deliveries, and running well between the wickets. Bishoo almost had Mushfiqur when he edged one that turned but was let down by Sammy, who failed to get down in time for a low chance at slip. Sammy made amends somewhat when he trapped Raqibul in front with a ball that nipped back in but Bangladesh were still in a strong position.Despite the wickets, the momentum never swung West Indies’ way due to the easy access to runs. Even Shakib Al Hasan’s initial scratchiness was offset by Mushfiqur’s fluency at the other end. He stepped out of his crease to loft Bishoo and Samuels when mid-on was brought in and employed the sweep, paddle and his favoured cut to ensure there were no extended periods of silence. Shakib grew in confidence, slapping Bishoo through the covers and pulling Sammy for consecutive fours. Having added 79 with Mushfiqur, Shakib then chased a wide delivery from Samuels to be caught behind with stumps in sight.It wasn’t until the 90th over that Sammy took the second new-ball, after Edwards’ reverse-swing had been dealt with by Mushfiqur and Naeem Islam. The hosts lost more wickets than they should have in friendly conditions, but will back Mushfiqur to break the trend of well-set batsmen giving it away.

James Anderson wants to play in the IPL and has spoken out at the limited opportunities for English players in the competition.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2011James Anderson, the England pace bowler, wants to play in the Indian Premier League and has voiced his concerns about the limited opportunities for English players in the competition.Anderson is currently the No. 2 bowler in the Test rankings but was overlooked in last year’s IPL auction. He believes giving England’s players the chance to play in the IPL would help their chances of defending their World Twenty20 title next year.”I would like to play in the IPL,” Anderson told the. “I got back into England’s Twenty20 squad at the back end of the summer because of an injury to Stuart Broad, but I would like to get back into the side on a regular basis. I see the IPL as a way of showing I can play Twenty20 cricket and that’s why I want to go out there.”The 2012 IPL season gets underway on April 5 with the county season set to begin a day later. However, a major issue for Anderson – and other England players – is that the closing stages of the IPL overlap the first two Tests of the summer against West Indies.”The availability is obviously an issue and it is quite frustrating for us,” he said. “We want to keep our position as world champions in Twenty20 cricket. The more Twenty20 cricket we play the better. This summer we only played three matches, how are we supposed to keep improving as a Twenty20 side when we only play three games?”England players who have been involved with the IPL include Eoin Morgan, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011, Kevin Pietersen, who became the most expensive cricketer in the world in 2009 when he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for $1.55million, and Ravi Bopara.England will play four T20s next summer, one against the West Indies and three against South Africa. The World Twenty20 takes place in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7.

The USA Cricket Association has announced that it is delaying regional and national elections by at least three more months to allow member leagues to meet eligibility requirements

Peter Della Penna05-Dec-2011The USA Cricket Association has announced that it is delaying regional and national elections by at least three more months based on a recommendation made by attorney Robert Chance, who is conducting the controversial compliance review audit of all USACA member leagues.USACA had posted a notice last month after a November 17 conference call in which Chance requested that leagues be given an additional week to turn in requested documents for his compliance review in order to help make a recommendation as to which leagues were valid and in turn eligible to vote in elections. However, the latest release on the USACA website says that at a board meeting conference call held on December 3, the board voted by a “large majority” to take up Chance’s proposal to “provide help and assistance to the leagues wanting to comply with the USACA constitution and run the elections when a majority of leagues, ideally at least 66%, are compliant. This could be done in around three months or less.”According to the release, if the elections were held now, few leagues could participate because most have been unable to provide all of the requested documentation to show that they are fully compliant. The release says that Chance “suggested that USACA should work to assist those member leagues who may prove deficient in areas such as the implementation of development programs, financial controls and written constitutions. The additional ninety days would, therefore, also allow USACA to put mechanisms in place that will allow leagues to request and receive such assistance in meeting their eligibility requirements.”After yet another delay to elections, which were constitutionally mandated to take place no later than November 30, the possibility increases that USACA could face another ICC suspension. USACA was suspended twice in the last decade after internal disputes relating to governance issues. The last suspension occurred in March of 2007 after USACA failed to meet an ICC imposed deadline to approve a constitution and hold elections. USACA did not wind up ratifying a constitution until the following January with elections taking place more than a year later in March of 2008, after which the suspension was finally lifted.As a result of the last suspension, USA was not allowed to participate in the inaugural ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Darwin, Australia in 2007 and were ultimately dropped down to Division Five upon being readmitted into the ICC fold. They were also removed from the 2005 Intercontinental Cup during their first suspension. USA qualified in July to take part in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE next March and are supposed to participate in ICC World Cricket League Division Four, which is due to be held next summer.According to USACA general manager Manaf Mohamed, the ICC had been in contact with him about hosting Division Four and officials had informed him that they expected to make a final decision on the matter in November. When contacted on Sunday night, Mohamed said he had not heard from the ICC for several weeks but said he did not see any reason why USA’s spot in either tournament would be in jeopardy.

Australia’s cricketers must be mature enough to accept changes to the team for reasons of balance or rotation will become more frequent under the new team performance regime

Daniel Brettig06-Dec-2011Be they bowlers or batsmen, Australia’s cricketers must become mature enough to accept that changes to the team for reasons of balance or rotation will become more frequent under the new team performance regime, the head coach Mickey Arthur has said.As the national selectors, Arthur among them, deliberate over whether to bolster Michael Clarke’s bowling resources with the allrounder Daniel Christian for the Hobart Test against New Zealand, the possibility of wider and more frequent rotation is dawning on the team.The senior batsman Michael Hussey has expressed reservations about shuffling batsmen in and out for fear that it would flirt with form and confidence, but Arthur said all players had to be prepared to accept the possibility, irrespective of their role. His words echoed those of the Argus review about “adult conversations” surrounding selection.”That’s a maturity that we want to try to get into the group getting down the line,” Arthur told ESPNcricinfo. “Players need to be mature enough to realise that it is a balance shift or something like that, and we’ll communicate that all very well to the guys and they’ll understand exactly where they’re at.”Christian remains a chance to become Australia’s 427th Test cricketer, pending assessments of how the bowling quartet has backed up from a comprehensive defeat of New Zealand in the first Test in Brisbane. Also a factor in discussions is the tendency of the Hobart pitch to flatten out into a strip less reminiscent of the Gabba than Allan Border Field, where the visitors batted far more comfortably against Australia A.”You always want that extra bowling option, an allrounder in the team is like gold,” Arthur said. “So with Shane [Watson] not playing there is a position there for an allrounder within our squad and the selectors have felt that he’s the next best.”We’ll just have to see when we get down to Hobart how all the different permutations work out. We need to keep rotating guys through the summer because there is just so much cricket, guys are going to break down and we need others ready to come in at any given time.”Phillip Hughes’ present troubles are less physical than technical, and Arthur stressed a balance needed to be struck between advising the 23-year-old on how to straighten his bat and granting him the freedom to indulge the appetite for runs that has already reaped 17 first-class centuries.”I think we need to see him tighten up his technique just a little bit, because he’s getting out in the same ways and that’s, not the alarming thing, but that’s an area of concern that he keeps getting out in exactly the same way,” Arthur said.”But he is an incredibly talented player with a very big future, so we just want to tighten up his technique but give him the wings to fly with the bat, because he’s still got a major role to play down the line for Australian cricket.”In planning ahead for the series against India, Arthur is aware that the problems posed for Hughes by Chris Martin are most liley going to be magnified through the lens of Ishant Sharma, who delivers with a similar trajectory and a knack for shaping the ball across left-handers.”One hundred per cent [we’re aware of Ishant coming up],” Arthur said. “Chris Martin has troubled a lot of left-handers because of his angle, and he is going to continue to do that, but it’s not going away, that is always going to be a challenge for the left-handed batters, and Hughesy in particular, so that is something we’ve got to make sure we get right.”

The Zimbabwe batsmen gave a good account of themselves on the second day at Harry Barker Reserve, taking a 56-run lead

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2012
ScorecardFile photo: Malcolm Waller and Regis Chakabva got good batting practice with half-centuries•AFP

The Zimbabwe batsmen gave a good account of themselves on the second day at Harry Barker Reserve, taking a 56-run lead. The tourists were carried by half-centuries by Tatenda Taibu, Malcolm Waller and Regis Chakabva, who remained unbeaten on 87 with the No.11 Ray Price for company.Resuming on 38, the Zimbabweans lost the early wicket of Tino Mawoyo for 26. There was further trouble for them as they lost Foster Mutizwa and Hamilton Masakadza in quick succession. At 55 for 3, Taibu and Waller weathered the storm with a stand of 119 for the fourth wicket. Neil Wagner, the left-arm fast bowler, removed them both, as well as Elton Chigumbura first ball to leave the tourists in need of another recovery at 186 for 6.Both Taibu and Waller spent valuable time at the crease, hitting 11 and eight fours respectively. The tail rallied around Chakabva as he went on the attack, hitting 12 fours and two sixes. Shingirai Masakadza put on 46 for the ninth wicket with Chakabva, before Price helped add 72, off 83 balls, for the final wicket to frustrate the hosts. Chakabva was slow to begin with but later dictated terms with his aggression.Wagner picked up three wickets but was a tad expensive, going at 4.52 runs per over. Andy McKay and Chris Martin picked up two wickets each. Daniel Vettori, however, bowlerd just six overs.

Yuvraj Singh has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the United States

Sharda Ugra05-Feb-2012

Sportsmen who came back from cancer

• Lance Armstrong The American cyclist was diagnosed with Stage 3 testicular cancer in 1996, but he recovered to go on to win the sport’s most prestigious race, the Tour de France, an unprecedented seven times

• Mario Lemieux One of the greatest ice hockey players, Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the height of his powers in 1993. He returned after radiation treatment and remained prolific for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• Simon O’Donnell Soon after he helped Australia win the 1987 cricket World Cup, a lump on his rib was found to be cancerous. He underwent chemotherapy and made a strong comeback to international cricket in 1988-89

• Dave Callaghan The South Africa allrounder was treated for cancer in 1991, but returned to full health and earned a place in the national squad in the next year. He played 29 ODIs in his South Africa career before retiring from cricket in 2003.

• Eric Abidal A tumour was detected on this France and Barcelona defender’s liver in March 2011. He underwent surgery and two months later played the entire duration of Barcelona’s masterclass in the Champions League final.

Yuvraj Singh has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the US. A member of Yuvraj’s medical team, Dr Nitesh Rohatgi, informed ESPNcricinfo that Yuvraj’s condition is called “mediastinal seminoma,” a germ-cell tumour located between his two lungs. The condition, Rohatgi said, is neither lung cancer nor a tumour that had spread into the lungs. Mediastinal seminoma is a rare tumour which forms less than 1% of cancers on the whole.Rohatgi, a senior medical oncologist at a Delhi hospital, said: “We are very lucky to know that this is a seminoma variety of germ-cell tumour which are mostly curable with therapy and moreover would be unlikely to cause any detriment to Yuvraj’s career in the long term.”On Wednesday Yuvraj will begin the third of his nine weeks of chemotherapy in the USA. “In the first few days Yuvi may not feel very good,” Rohatgi said, “he may feel nauseous, but starting this week he will be on the mend and may even do a bit of training as he improves, under the guidance of a specialist physiotherapist from the BCCI.”The chemotherapy has been planned, Rohatgi said, with the aim of ensuring Yuvraj can return to full fitness and readiness for cricket. He said Yuvraj should be able to start active training in about ten weeks. “If I was asked: will Yuvraj Singh the person be cured, I will say very likely yes. If you ask: will we see the return of Yuvraj Singh the cricketer, I would say most likely yes and he will return with the same fervour that he had when he left. In all likelihood, he should be on the field on May 1.”Rohatgi said Yuvraj’s family had been reluctant to divulge his whereabouts because, “it is important Yuvi has time to himself to focus on his recovery. He has been reading; he has read Lance Armstrong’s books, he is playing video games, he is committed to his therapy and recovery.”Yuvraj’s doctors in the USA, working in collaboration with his team in India, were confident of his recovery. Rohatgi said that in their vast experience with sportsmen with a similar condition they have had many positive outcomes and even seen athletes return to the field. Germ-cell tumours are found to be more common in young people and in athletes.Rohatgi denied that there had been a wrong diagnosis by an Indian hospital, as was reported, or that Yuvraj’s chemotherapy dose was reduced following Ayurvedic treatment. “The diagnosis that was given in India,” he said, “was precise and reconfirmed by doctors in the USA without needing a repeat biopsy. It had helped to get the chemotherapy started almost immediately.” The doctor said Ayurveda had not influenced Yuvraj’s present treatment and that it was “wrong” to send out a message that Ayurvedic treatment cures cancer or can effectively supplement chemotherapy.Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since the Tests against West Indies last November, when news of his tumour became public. He had originally hoped to make a comeback in the tri-series in Australia, but last month it was announced that he would not be fit in time for the IPL, which begins in April.

A police investigation has begun against two officials of the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) over misappropriation of funds

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2012A police investigation has begun against two officials of the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) over misappropriation of funds, with the ensuing scandal also threatening to ensnare association president, and union government minister, Farooq Abdullah.On March 10 the police registered a case filed by JKCA chairman Muhammad Aslam Goni against general secretary – and former treasurer – Ahsan Mirza and chief administrative officer Mohammad Saleem Khan for allegedly opening and operating bogus association bank accounts into which money received from the BCCI had been siphoned off. The pair had originally been asked to step down on March 7 after current treasurer Manzoor Wazir detected financial irregularities in the association’s accounts. The police are reported to have raided both the association office and the homes of the two accused, who have applied for anticipatory bail in a Srinagar court.Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the BCCI’s marketing sub-committee, was dragged into the dispute when the Jammu & Kashmir bank produced a document showing he had authorised a loan worth Rs 1.91 crores to Mirza in 2008. While Abdullah confirmed to television channel on March 12 that a case has been filed, he claimed that the money transferred to Mirza’s account was to repay the money Mirza had lent the association when the court had frozen its accounts back in 2006. “The association had to take an interest-free loan of Rs 1.91 crore for work, “Abdullah said. “This money was paid back.”According to reports, the fake accounts were opened in 2009 and money was subsequently withdrawn in cash at regular intervals in amounts ranging from Rs three lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. In all, Rs 13.29 crores has allegedly been withdrawn by Mirza and Khan from accounts over a three year period.In the state assembly, the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PPP) reportedly waved a copy of the bank letter and called Abdullah the main benefactor of the scam. They claimed that Mirza and Khan were being turned into scapegoats and called for an official government investigation into the matter.Edited by Tariq Engineer

David Balcombe has made an eye-catching start to the season and that continued when he took five Glamorgan wickets to put Hampshire in control on the first day

19-Apr-2012
ScorecardDavid Balcombe has made an eye-catching start to the season and that continued when he took five Glamorgan wickets to put Hampshire in control on the first day of their rain-interrupted Division Two clash.Balcombe recorded figures of 5 for 33 to go with his match figures of 11 for 119 against Gloucestershire last week.He was denied a sixth wicket as Glamorgan imaginatively declared their first innings on 103 for 9 during the last of three breaks for rain in an attempt to recover lost ground by making inroads into the Hampshire batting in the final hour. The tactic paid limited dividends as Huw Waters had Jimmy Adams caught behind. Hampshire closed on 29 for 1, 74 behind.Glamorgan’s batting woes continued after their consecutive defeats to Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Despite winning the toss and electing to bat, they were 68 for 5 at lunch. Stewart Walters attempted an expansive drive and was caught at second slip by Liam Dawson off Balcombe; Gareth Rees fell leg before to Chris Wood; and then Nick James, brought into the side to bolster the middle order inhis first game of the season, was neatly caught by wicketkeeper Michael Bates.Before lunch, Glamorgan lost two more wickets. Danny Briggs, their left-arm spinner, struck in his fourth over to have Ben Wright caught at short leg by James Vince and just two overs before the interval, Jim Allenby went lbw to Balcombe playing across the line.Rain during the lunch interval forced a delay of an hour. Will Bragg seemed to enjoy the break, taking two fours off Balcombe’s first over of the afternoon session to move to 42. Another break for rain, however, proved calamitous for Glamorgan as four wickets fell in the space of only three overs.They still have not made a Championship fifty. Bragg threatened to become the first, but on 45 he was brilliantly caught one-handed, low down at second slip, by Liam Dawson off Wood. Balcombe then had Moises Henriques lbw, removed Graham Wagg at mid-off, attempting to pull, and completed his haul with another lbw decision to dismiss Dean Cosker.

Four wickets from Steven Finn gave Middlesex a glimpse of an unlikely victory on the final evening but after more than half a match of rain interruptions the outcome was the one that was always the easiest to predict.

Jon Culley at Lord's22-Apr-2012
ScorecardSteven Finn’s haul was a timely reminder to the England selectors•Getty Images

Four wickets from Steven Finn gave Middlesex a glimpse of an unlikely victory on the final evening but after more than half a match of rain interruptions the outcome was the one that was always the easiest to predict.An original target of 130 to win from 45 overs favoured a Durham win but heavy rain in mid-afternoon left them with a much more testing 122 off 16. While they might have backed themselves to score that in Twenty20 conditions, against Finn and Tim Murtagh coming off a full run to a cordon of slips and gullies, it was a different proposition.In the event, Middlesex came closest to pulling off a result after Finn, having rubbed off a little rustiness in the first innings, had worked up a good pace and claimed four for 43, Durham finishing six down.It meant the 23-year-old could walk away from Lord’s with a spring in his step despite the challenge thrown down by Graham Onions, whose ten wickets in the contest gave notice that he is pushing strongly for a recall to the England Test side.”I got better as the game went on. I had not bowled since the last Test in Sri Lanka so there a few cobwebs to blow away and I felt I bowled pretty well today,” Finn said.”It is great to have that competition, too. Graham was the best bowler in the match by a long way, he bowled beautifully.”He and I are in a similar position, on the fringes of the Test team. We are all fighting for the same spots but no one grudges anyone else doing well and I have huge respect for Graham, he is an awesome bowler.”In the final, shortened contest, Middlesex fancied themselves to steal a win, Finn said, given the conditions and the dilemma Durham faced over whether to chase the runs or content themselves with a draw.Yet they had been saved in effect by the ninth-wicket partnership between Tim Murtagh and John Simpson that held up Durham in an afternoon that had started with Onions, bristling with confidence after twice accounting for the beleaguered Andrew Strauss, taking two wickets in three balls.Dismissing Chris Rogers, who had looked to be Middlesex’s last hope of salvaging something, and then Gareth Berg, the Durham pace bowler appeared to have the home side by the throat at 91 for eight, with a lead of only 50.It came after a morning in which most of Middlesex’s batting had been scarcely more convincing than their returning England captain, whose second-ball dismissal for a duck on Friday was followed by a 25-ball six on Saturday, having been dropped on nought before Onions bowled him for a second time.”That sort of thing can happen,” Finn said, sympathising with his teammate. “People are allowed to bowl good balls and he got the same one twice. But that’s cricket and he’ll move on to the next game when hopefully he’ll get runs.”Onions, driven by his desire for a Test recall two years and three months after injury interrupted his international career, finished with 10 wickets in a match for the first time. But after he had taken a breather after three more overs in the afternoon session, Durham’s supporting bowlers really let an opportunity slip away.With Tim Murtagh swinging bravely and John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, batting cannily in support, the nature of the cricket changed. The edges stopped coming and in 15 overs another 82 were added to the Middlesex total before Murtagh’s luck ran out on 45 against what was, in the event, a poor legside ball from Mitch Claydon.Simpson soon fell too, attempting to lift leg-spinner Scott Borthwick over mid-wicket, but the target for Durham had swelled to 130 when it might easily have been 60.After Will Smith had fallen to Murtagh in the fifth over of the Durham chase, Paul Collingwood was beaten for pace as Finn began to work up a head of steam and, after Ben Stokes and Michael di Venuto had fallen to catches at the wicket in their attempts to force the pace, it soon became a matter of merely deciding when to shut up shop for the batting side.Phil Mustard had a go but once Dale Benkenstein and Ian Blackwell had also departed there was no option but to block. It might have been different had Borthwick not been reprieved by a no-ball when he nicked Finn to Strauss at first slip, but then Onions these days is no mug with the bat either.