England batsmen embarrassed by Dutch in final World Cup match.

Bopara's 18 was the highest by any England
player as they were bowled out for 88.

England were bowled out for 88 as they were beaten by the Netherlands by 45 runs in their final World Cup match, bringing a disappointing winter to an apt conclusion.

Ravi Bopara's contribution of 18 was the best of
any England player as they chased 134, a seemingly achievable target, but were bowled out inside 18 overs by the associate nation.

England's bowlers gave a revitalised account after a sloppy tournament, with conditions appearing to favour the likes of Tredwell who afforded just 23 runs from his allocation.

Bopara completed an all-round account, finishing with 1-15 and Stuart Broad played a captains role, claiming 3-24, proving to be the pick of England's bowlers.

England's fielding was far from perfect and a total of three drops proved to be costly in a low-scoring match.

The Dutch innings lost all momentum after a fast start. Stephan MyBurgh became the tournaments leading run-scorer with his contribution of 39 but fell soon after at 84-2. His opening part, Michael Swart (13) was the first wicket to fall, after a tame shot to Stephen Parry gave Broad his first victim.

Wesley Barresi contributed a reluctant 48 from 45 balls, but his innings proved to be the difference as he guided the Netherlands to a competitive score, until he was bowled by Chris Jordan (1-13).

England dominated the first half of the match with an impressive display with the ball, but this was to be utterly eclipsed by their response.

England's chase never got going, and a capitulation of epic proportions unfolded before the Chittagong crowd. Alex Hales (12) and Michael Lumb (6) failed to make good of the power play and England stumbled to 18-2 as Muddasar Bukhari (3-12) inflicted early damage to England's chances.

With a surplus of experience to call upon, the game was still believed to be in England's grasp, but the loss of wickets at regular intervals prevented any hope of winning the match.

Eoin Morgan (6) and Moeen Ali (3) both fell cheaply and Jos Buttler (6) completed a disappointing day after his error cost England the opportunity to remove Peter Borren, as he dislodged the bails before taking the ball.

At 42-5, a familiar groan was given by the England faithful, who have become accustomed to watching England's lack of quality across the board in a horrid winter, one they will be keen to forget, but must first learn from.

Bopara and Jordan (14) offered a dim amount of light at the end of a long tunnel, but with the run rate escalating out of England's control, they could do little to prevent the inevitable.

Logan Van Beek removed both batsmen as he finished with 3-9 and a heavy defeat soon became apparent as England lost their last four wickets for 14 runs.

After consecutive, re-assuring displays with the bat, this match puts England back to square one. To be bowled out for 88 by an associate nation, regardless of how promising they may be, is inexcusable.

The Bowlers benefitted from the dry conditions and Bopara was finally used to the full extent by England after a certain amount of resistance to utilise his full allocation of overs.

A target of 134 should have been achieved with comfort, but England managed to make it look difficult with one indifferent batting display after another from a number of experienced players.

England eliminated by rampant South Africa

Hales and Lumb got England off to a good start
but it was not enough to see them home.

England's World Cup hopes were ended after a superior South African outfit earned a three-run victory to advance from the group stages, as England's bowling was once again called in to question.

South Africa posted 196-5, meaning England would once again have to break records if they were to successfully chase down the target, but fell desperately short despite a good start from Nottinghamshire duo, Michael Lumb and Alex Hales (38) and a late flurry from the tail-end.

AB De Villiers punished poor bowling as he made 69 from just 28 balls, reaching the fastest fifty for South Africa in a T20 International and shared a crucial stand worth 54 with David Miller (19) as South Africa added 68 runs in the last four overs.

A partnership worth 90 for the first-wicket saw South Africa get off to a good start despite the loss of regular captain, Faf du Plessis, who was banned from this fixture after a slow over rate in the previous match versus the Netherlands.

Hashim Amla led the charge with 56 from 37 as he made his first half-century in this format at international level, but was fortunate to continue his innings after Jos Buttler missed a stumping chance when the opener was on just 19.

Players from both sides became frustrated by a fault to one of the floodlights, which caused delays on two occasions in the South African innings, but England had faults of their own, namely the seam bowlers, who were treated with disdain at both ends of the innings.

Hales became the first England player to score a century in their previous match and with Lumb (18) England were keeping up with the run rate, but their partnership was ended by Wayne Parnell who finished with 3-31.

Parnell removed England's first three batsmen as they lost two wickets in successive deliveries. Hales and Moeen Ali (10) failed to advance after good starts as England fell to 73-3 and the match was slowly slipping out of their hands.

Attempts to rebuild after this blip were blocked by one of the tournaments leading wicket-takers, Imran Tahir (2-27) and his spin earned South Africa their fourth wicket as Eoin Morgan feathered the ball to Quinton de Kock, who had earlier made 29.

Jos Buttler tried to make up for his error with the gloves, smashing 34 from 24 balls and a late surge from Ravi Bopara (31) kept England's hopes alive till the death.

But the match had been lost by England's poor bowling and the efforts of Buttler were thwarted by Tahir who pushed England back to 131-5, still needing 67 runs to win with a lack of batsmen to call upon.

Chris Jordan (16) and Tim Bresnan (17) made quick-fire contributions to assist Bopara as England attempted to prevent the inevitable but England were unable to get over the line, falling desperately short of their target of 197.

After a summer of woe with bat and ball, England will be pleased to see their one-day form receive a boost, particularly in the batting department, but the list of shortcomings continues to exceed the reasons they have to smile in spite of their bravery with the bat.

England's campaign will end on Monday when they play the Netherlands, in a match which has nothing but pride resting on it, but England could do with a healthy dose of this after a disappointing day with the ball.

Hales century leads England to unlikely victory.

Hales became the first player to score a century for
England in this format of the game.

Alex Hales became the first player to score a century in a T20 International for England as he led his side to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in England's second World Cup match in Bangladesh.

The Nottinghamshire opener finished unbeaten on 116 off 64 balls and shared a crucial partnership worth 152 for the third-wicket with Eoin Morgan (57) as England claimed a vital win with four balls to spare.

Hales struck a total of seventeen boundaries as he made history and saw England to an improbable victory, one which keeps their hopes in this tournament very much alive.

Sri Lanka thumped 189-4 in their 20 overs, led by Mahela Jaywardene who made 89 from 51 balls and made 145 for the second-wicket, aided by Tilakartne Dilshan who added a steady 55 to dishearten the England bowlers.

Chasing such an imposing total, England were in need of a good start, but were 0-2 after their first over, Michael Lumb and Moeen Ali both falling without troubling the scorers and a heavy defeat seemed to be beckoning.

But Hales overcame a run of poor form to lead England out of a desperate position, as they achieved only their second win in nine T20 Internationals.

Nuwan Kulasekara finished with 4-32 and proved to be the key source of frustration for the England batsmen. His return ended the partnership between Hales and Morgan, the highest partnership of any England pair in this format of the game, after Morgan had reached his fifty.

England's chase was their highest successful run chase in the history of this format, but, in truth, they were chasing more than they might have been, had they held catches at pivotal times.

A total of four drops and a missed run-out allowed Sri Lanka's second-wicket stand to continue for the majority of the innings and a quick-fire 23 from Thisara Perera added to England's misery.

Chris Jordan proved to be the pick of the bowlers with 2-28 from his allocation, including the crucial wicket of Jayawardene, but didn't face a great deal of competition from the rest of the England attack who were average to say the least.

Tim Bresnan continued to struggle with the ball as he finished with 0-48 from four overs and fellow seamer, Jade Dernbach (2-42), was similarly expensive despite removing both of the Sri Lankan openers.

England will feel aggrieved after a key decision seemed to go against them despite television replays showing Lumb had cleanly caught Jayawardene and the Sri Lankan would have been out for a golden duck.

Rather typically, luck didn't favour England and the decision led to Jayawardene establishing a crucial partnership with Dilshan and, most significantly, scoring 89 as England's chances for victory were eroded after they had won the toss and decided to field first.

England's task became almost impossible after a woeful start, but Hales and Morgan launched a response which will silence many critics, who feel England have forgotten how to win matches.

But England's batsmen proved otherwise and, despite losing Morgan and Jos Buttler (2) in quick succession, were able to clinch victory as Ravi Bopara (11*) assisted Hales in his match-winning performance.

This win will not distract England from the long list of problems still facing the camp, but a win will give them a massive boost in confidence as they look to hit a run of form against South Africa on Saturday.

Prince retirement set for end of county season.

Prince's two-year contract with Lancashire expires at
the end of the 2014 campaign.

It has been announced that Ashwell Prince is set to retire from all forms of cricket at the end of the 2014 English domestic season.

The 36-year-old batsman has played 66 matches at Test level for South Africa and was a big part of Lancashire's success in Division Two last season, scoring 1,169 runs as they made an immediate return to the top-flight.

His last appearance at International level was in late 2011 and since then he has been an integral part of Peter Moores' plans at Emirates Old Trafford, providing experience in a squad with a majority of young, home-grown talent.

With the lack of a replacement overseas for Simon Katich in the 2014 campaign, Prince will be crucial this season as Lancashire attempt to not only avoid an immediate return to the second division, but perhaps challenge for the title.

In his first stint with the Red Rose outfit, Prince was the only Lancashire player to score 1,000 runs or more in the 2009-10 season and since making his return he has continued to play a significant role in the team.

Prince has scored a total of 3,153 first-class runs for Lancashire at an average of 46.43, including seven centuries and 22 fifties.

In 2012, Prince's accumulation of 1,008 runs was not enough to prevent relegation, but Lancashire took Division Two by storm last season and made an immediate return, led by Prince, Katich and Luis Reece, who recently scored 85 for the M.C.C squad in Abu Dhabi.

His continued contributions in four-day cricket have somewhat eclipsed his one-day potential, but Prince has proved to be a more than useful asset on a number of occasions for the Lightning during his time at the club.

His accumulation of 506 runs was, once again, the highest by any Lancashire player, and his efforts were rewarded with the one-day player of the year award.

One of Prince's finest hours came at Canterbury last year, where he scored centuries in both innings, becoming one of only a handful of Lancashire players to do so.

With Lancashire facing an ambitious task this season, he is certain to be a key performer and will leave a large void to fill when his time at the club reaches an end.

Lancashire bowlers prosper in final tour match.

Simon Kerrigan finished with 3-36 and was the pick
of Lancashire's bowlers on a productive day with the ball.

Lancashire finished the first day of their final game in Dubai on 140-4 from 48 overs, as they made steady progress after a successful day with the ball against Sussex.

In the same amount of overs Sussex posted 188-8, after Lancashire won the toss and invited Michael Yardy's men to bat first.

With the possibility of rain threatening tomorrows play, both teams agreed to make good of the 96 overs and shared the allocation to get even practice ahead of the new season.

Luke Procter (46*) and Tom Smith (25*) ended the first day unbeaten in a partnership worth 53 as Lancashire recovered their innings after a disappointing start with the bat which saw them slip to 87-4.


Lancashire's bowlers enjoyed the conditions in Abu Dhabi, Simon Kerrigan finishing with the best figures (3-36) and fellow England teammate, James Anderson, claimed 2-14, proving to be very economical from his nine overs.

Sussex struggled to make progress after being restricted to 14-2 early on, with Anderson and Kabir Ali claiming early wickets for Lancashire, including Ashar Zaidi (0) and Luke Wells (8).

Matt Machan made a brisk 22 before he was caught behind, giving Wayne White his first breakthrough of the day, as Sussex stumbled to 30-3.

A fourth-wicket stand between Yardy (26) and Rory Hamilton Brown (34) gave Sussex a route back into the match, but the introduction of Kerrigan proved to be vital as he ended this partnership and subsequently removed both batsmen.

Kerrigan struck with the first ball he bowled and Yardy was the first to depart, after he was caught at slip by Paul Horton and Hamilton-Brown soon followed, caught at short-leg by Andrea Agathangelou as Sussex slipped to 101-5.

Anderson returned after the lunchtime interval and removed Ben Brown for 13, giving Alex Davies his third catch of the day and Tom Smith trapped Steffan Piolet LBW for 15 with Sussex struggling on 121-7 after 35 overs.

Will Beer made the highest score of the innings with an unbeaten 37 and Alex Davies finished a successful day with the gloves, stumping James Anyon for eight, completing Kerrigan's impressive haul as he targets a return to the England Test team this summer.

A ninth-wicket stand between Beer and Magoffin (14*) ensured that Sussex would not suffer total embarrassment as they crawled their way to 188-8 after their allocation of 48 overs.

Lancashire's reply certainly lacked urgency, but was good practice for life back in Division One of the Championship against one of the stronger bowling attacks in their division.

A repeat of sussex's innings began to unfold as Lancashire were pinned back to 13-2, with both of Lancashire's openers falling cheaply.

Agathangelou (2) was the first to depart after he was caught at third-slip by Hamilton-Brown, giving Jon Lewis his first and only wicket of the day and Horton soon followed for nine, edging behind off Piolet.

Steven Croft and Karl Brown added 33 for the third-wicket, but Lancashire's progress was once again halted by Piolet who removed Brown for 14.

Luke Procter joined Croft and the pair enjoyed an uninterrupted spell of success, Croft in particular excelled as he approached a half-century, but fell LBW to Zaidi for 40. After 30 overs Lancashire had limped their way to 87-4 and were in need of a noteworthy contribution from somewhere.

Tom Smith joined Procter and they were able to resist the Sussex bowlers for the remainder of play closing on 140-4. Lancashire are expected to continue batting tomorrow, assuming the weather permits play to continue.

Lancs defeat MCC Universities in Dubai.

Tom Smith made 83 as Lancashire posted 282-5.

Lancashire cruised to a 144-run win over the MCC Universities, giving them their third win on their tour of Dubai.

Openers Karl Brown and Tom Smith made 166 for Lancashire's first-wicket and the Lightning didn't look back, posting 282-5, which proved more than enough to capture victory.

The MCC youngsters made just 138 in response as they were bowled out inside 45 overs, with Kabir Ali taking 4-22.

Brown top-scored for the Lightning with 93 and was supported by Smith who also came close to a century with 83, as Lancashire made 166 after 35 overs.

Smith was the more aggressive of the two, reaching his half-century in 59 balls and Brown took almost twice as long, taking 106 deliveries to reach the same milestone.

Contributions from Liam Livingstone and Jordan Clark boosted the Lancashire total further after the first-wicket stand was finally broken, but by this stage the Lightning had already made enough to compete.

Smith and Brown shared a 71-run stand in Lancashire's first tour match against a Fly Emirates XI, where Smith led the innings with 70 from 41 balls.

An eventual target of 283 would be more than enough to secure victory, but Lancashire proved to be brutal in the way they went about this match, as was reflected by the margin of 144 runs between the two sides.

Lancashire inflicted an even heavy defeat on the MCC Young Cricketers yesterday, with Luke Procter making 125 as the Lightning won by 149 runs.

Kyle Jarvis and Kabir Ali claimed early wickets as the MCC Universities reached 37-2 after nine overs and Lancashire continued to constrict the flow of runs for the remainder of the innings.

Smith added to his efforts with the bat as Lancashire made further progress, reducing the opposition to 74-4 after 21 overs, giving him cause to be named man of the match.

Simon Kerrigan and Luke Procter each chipped in with a wicket in the middle of the innings, setting the youngsters the improbable task of scoring a further 190 runs with just four wickets remaining.

Ali returned and claimed another wicket and a run out set the MCC Universities back to 136-8 after they had showed some defiance with the bat.

But, after a brief period of resilience, Lancashire overcame the opposition, with Ali claiming the last two wickets, as the MCC Universities added just two more runs to their total.

Lancashire have now won three out of their four tour matches and will play Sussex in a 2-day match starting Tuesday, as they seek revenge for the 25-run defeat which they suffered on Friday.

Lightning strikes as England lose World T20 opener.

Moeen Ali made 36 as England posted 172-6, a score which may well have won them the game.

England lost their first match of T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in harsh circumstances, after New Zealand were awarded a nine-run win on the Duckworth Lewis method, with heavy rain, hail and thunder preventing further play in Chittagong.

England had posted an impressive total of 172-6, the highest total by any team at this ground in a Twenty20 International, after they were inserted by Brendon McCullum and were on top at the halfway stage despite no stand out performances with the bat.

But the Kiwi's reached 52-1 after 5.2 overs and consecutive boundaries ensured that New Zealand were ahead on D/L, much to the anguish of Stuart Broad who felt that his side had done enough to win.

The match commenced in a fashion which England fans had become accustomed. Alex Hales played the ball to mid-off as he was out for a second-ball duck thanks to a stunning catch from Corey Anderson with the score at 1-1.

Defiance against this early set back came from two of England's more inform batsmen, Michael Lumb and Moeen Ali, the latter leading the England assault, as they added 72 for the second wicket.

Ali struck a total of seven boundaries as England reached 55-1 at the end of the power play and Lumb followed suit with successive boundaries in the seventh over.

England seemed to be going strong and were playing in a style reminiscent of their 2010 World Cup success, scoring boundaries to all four corners of the ground, but New Zealand's bowling also left something to be desired.

They were, however, given some respite when Ali was caught on the leg-side boundary for 36 which proved to be the highest score in England's innings.

Lumb followed soon followed for 33, Mitchell McClenaghan taking the wicket as he finished with 1-22 from four overs, after he had taken the catch to remove Ali, causing England to lose two wickets for the addition of three runs.

Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler steadied the innings after this blip, but England struggled to score at the same rate at which they had started this tie. Buttler managed to find the boundary, but Morgan's poor form continued as he fell for 12 with England 102-3.

But with plenty of time remaining in this tie England set their sights on a daunting total, one which was achieved but not vindicated courtesy of biblical weather.

Buttler made 32 from 23 balls but was dismissed at a crucial time and with just over four overs to bowl England were still short of a competitive score. But the England batsmen were able to add 42 runs in the last four overs, Bopara finishing not out on 24 and Chris Jordan adding a quick-fire eight.

Tim Bresnan struck consecutive boundaries as he finished unbeaten on 17 from eight deliveries and England breathed a sigh of relief after they posted an encouraging score of 172-6.

Early wickets were key if England wanted to put New Zealand on the back-foot and, when Martin Guptill fell for 11 in the fourth over, England were beginning to seize the tie, with runs on the board often putting unnecessary pressure on the opposition.

But one man who knows how to deal with this sort of pressure is the New Zealand skipper, McCullum, and his vast experience in this format proved to be vital in seeing the Kiwi's over the line.

The man with the most runs in this form of the game at International level hit Stuart Broad for 16 runs off an over, but would not face another ball due to the rain which came down in instalments Chittagong.

Kane Williamson also proved to be a tricky customer and his unbeaten 24 off 17 balls aided the Kiwi's cause, putting New Zealand ahead of D/L as the players left the field.

Despite suffering their eighth T20 loss in nine matches, England will take solace from the resilience of their batsmen to post such a competitive score, but it will be hard to swallow a defeat of this nature after they started so well.

Procter century guides Lancs to victory.

Luke Procter made a match-winning score of 125 as
Lancashire thrashed the MCC Young Cricketers by 149 runs.

Luke Procter made 125 as Lancashire defeated the MCC Young Cricketers by 149 runs in Dubai after the Lightning had made a daunting total of 312-5.

Contributions from Lancashire captain, Paul Horton (76*), and Andrea Agathangelou (40) ensured that the Lightning had more than enough runs on the board, as they successfully acquired their second tour win.

The efforts with the bat were backed up by England stalwart, James Anderson, who claimed 4-11 from eight overs and the young crickets were overwhelmed by their experience opponents.

The toss of this 50-over competition was won by the Young Cricketers who inserted Lancashire, claiming the wicket of Karl Brown for 10 to make early progress.

But after this breakthrough they experienced a onslaught from Agathangelou and Procter who made 104 runs for the second wicket to establish a commanding position, one which, in reality, was expected from Lancashire in this match.

Lancashire's Cypriot all-rounder made a useful 40 from 63 deliveries before his time at the crease came to an end, but he was ably replaced by skipper Horton, who continued Lancashire's progress with the bat.

Procter had made his way to 85 by the time this partnership was broken, but played with the same level of confidence with Horton at his side. His century came up in 107 balls and form with the bat will be useful to Procter ahead of a tough season in Division One.

Horton followed suit with a half century of his own as Lancashire added 151 runs in the last 16 overs.  Procter eventually fell for 125 and the Young Cricketers were also rewarded with the wicket of Steven Croft.

With more than enough runs already of the board, Wayne White added insult to injury, striking his first two balls for six, as he finished unbeaten on 18 from just five balls, with Horton making a useful contribution of 76 not out.

Lancashire made an exhibition of the match, with the MCC Young Cricketers faltering to 50-4 after 16 overs. Anderson claimed two wickets in his first spell, both bowled, and a wicket for Oliver Newby ensured that Lancashire's seam attack gained depth ahead of the 2014 campaign.

The Lightning's opponents recovered to 100-4, but Anderson's return spelt trouble. He picked up a wicket with the first ball of his second spell, another bowled and after this the game fell into Lancashire's hands.

Soon enough the Young Cricketers were 144-8 with Anderson claiming another wicket and were eventually bowled out for 163 inside 48 overs, as Lancashire claimed a gigantic victory to give them a boost of confidence after they were beaten by Sussex Sharks in yesterdays semi-final.

Lancashire were due to play an MCC Universities team today, but will now play them in a 50-over match tomorrow, where they hope to replicate their performance from todays match.

County Cricket - Week Five - News and WT20 prediction without KP.

England's World Cup Woe.

Lumb and Hales will need to get England off to good
starts if they hope to challenge in this tournament. 

With an appalling winter behind them, England will be eager to shock the world in Bangladesh as they take on the T20 World Cup and hope to regain the title which they won which such conviction in 2010.

It is hard to believe how quickly England’s fortunes have turned around and the shortest form of the game is a good example of how sudden these changes can happen.

England will go in to their opening match versus New Zealand tomorrow having lost seven of their last eight T20 fixtures and, as preparation for a major tournament goes, England have experienced a horrid period recently.

Preparation for this tournament in particular has been poor, with a 2-1 defeat to the current holders of the tournament, the West Indies, and defeats to India and the West Indies in warm-up matches have served to diminish the spirit in camp, if one still exists that is.

Despite their modest preparation, Moeen Ali and James Tredwell have both made it clear that England will go in to this tournament aiming for nothing less than outright success.

Whether or not you agree with England’s decision to part company with Kevin Pietersen, it would be foolish to say that England would not benefit from having him in the squad, with England’s batsmen failing to excite throughout the winter.

He is leaps and bounds ahead of all other England players in this format of the game, with an unassailable batting record and the decision to appoint him as captain of the Delhi Daredevils for the IPL demonstrates how he is still regarded as a significant player on a global stage.

England’s current squad is one with experience and the capacity to win in this tournament. The likes of Lumb, Hales, Wright and Morgan, just to name a few, all have vast experience in the shortest form of the game, but the England camp have lost confidence and lack the same level of belligerence as other teams.

Injuries to Joe Root and Ben Stokes have also played there part in hampering England’s plans, but the likes of Ali and Chris Jordan have seized their opportunities well and will be crucial in this tournament.

How they’ll fare:

It would be fair to say that England will be regarded as underdogs in this competition. Teams like Australia, India and West Indies all have greater reason to believe they will challenge for the title and to progress from the group stages would be an achievement for England.

However, given the current state of affairs, it is hard to see England turning things around so quickly. Anybody can win on the day in T20's, it is one of the reasons that it has captured the imagination of punters around the world.

But at the highest level it becomes far easier to predict the outcome of major tournaments and with a severely damaged England camp aiming for such heights, they may face a terrible thud when reality hits them.

With a lack of wins in T20 cricket of late, England will need to win their opening match against New Zealand, hit the ground running and carry some sort of form throughout the tournament.

It is important that they make other teams remember that they can post imposing totals and not just settle for 160, thinking that it will be enough against vastly superior opposition.

Bowling wise, economy is the name of the game. Trying to take ten wickets is a futile goal in t20’s and constricting runs is all the bowlers can do if they want to be successful.

Dernbach and Bresnan need to find some consistency. They have tended to start innings’ well, but they need to hit more Yorkers and use the short ball in moderation, otherwise they will be made to look silly by the likes of Gayle and Finch.

Tredwell seems to be a very useful asset in the spin department, but has been put under a lot of pressure to deliver. The likes of Stephen Parry and Moeen Ali will not be expected to perform to the level of Narine, and Tredwell will have to do a lot of the work in the middle overs alongside Bopara, as he has done consistently over the last month.

Teams underestimate the value of good fielding, but one misfield can cost you the game in this format, so it is as vital as ever to get the basics right before trying to be clever.

Buttler’s role as a keeper will no doubt be overshadowed by his importance as a strong finisher and with a lack of boundary hitters in the team he is being tipped as England’s key player in this tournament.

Team:

Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad (Captain), Jos Buttler (W/K), Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Parry, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright.

Sharks eliminate Lancashire in tough semi-final.

Micheal Yardy's men made an exhibition of the semi-final in Dubai against Lancashire, cruising to a 25-run victory after the Lightning failed to replicate their excellent start to their tour,  inflicting a heavy defeat upon the Fly Emirates XI yesterday afternoon. 

Lancashire were set an achievable total of 149 to win from their 20 overs, but were overwhelmed by the likes of Chris Liddle and Jon Lewis, who claimed two wickets each, as Sussex strolled to victory over the Lightning

Jordan Clark claimed impressive figures of 4-18 from his allocation, but the efforts of Yardy, who made 59 from 41 balls, and Matt Prior (21), were enough to seal a comfortable win.

Skipper, Paul Horton invited Yardy's men to bat first and this, initially, seemed to be a good decision by Lancashire, after the Sharks stumbled to 41-3 in the fifth over.

But a 65-run partnership between the Sussex captain and young Harry Finch (20) recovered the situation and a much more competitive target was on the board soon enough.

Clark's bowling became a vital component for keeping Lancashire in the match, but Ashar Zaidi added an unbeaten 24 as Sussex finished on 148-6.

This defeat was perhaps not as damaging as the repeat fixture last season, where Chris Nash guided Sussex to an eight-wicket victory, but Lancashire's inability to keep up with the run rate was plain for all to see.

Horton's men slipped to a similarly disappointing score of 44-3, but had faced a staggering eleven overs by this stage and were already facing defeat.

Openers Tom Smith and Karl Brown had made a 71-run stand yesterday Vs. the Fly Emirates XI, but were certainly off their best today with the first wicket off Smith falling at 16.

Brown soon followed his partner and at 30-2 the Lightning were a long way off achieving what had seemed a realistic target.

Liam Livingstone, Steven Croft and Horton all fell cheaply and with Lancashire's total at 83-5, the match had become a formality.

The absence of Luis Reece, who scored 61 for the MCC, may have helped Lancashire's cause, after their batsmen failed to adjust to the conditions in Dubai.

Clark attempted a clever shot against Jon Lewis, who finished with 2-34, which resulted in his demise, but Alex Davies showed some resistance despite the inevitable nature of the result.

Lancashire finished on 123-8 after Davies and Kabir Ali were both removed and Sussex earned a comfortable win which allows them to progress to the final for the second year in a row, where they will play either the MCC or the Karnataka Premier League XI.

Lancashire dominate in first tour match.

Smith led Lancashire's innings with 70 from 41 balls.

Lancashire overwhelmed the Fly Emirates XI in their first tour match in Dhabi, cruising to an 85-run win after the Emirates XI made just 89-7 in their twenty overs chasing 184 to win.

Tom smith made 70 from 41 deliveries as he led the Lightning's first innings of 2014 and a late surge from Steven Croft added 53 to boost Lancashire's total to 183-4.

Kyle Jarvis and Simon Kerrigan each claimed two wickets to propel Lancashire into a commanding position, one which was established after they reduced the opposition to 8-3 and continued throughout the game.

Karl Brown and Tom Smith shared a first wicket stand worth 71 runs, with Smith leading Lancashire's assault. He raced to his half century in just 32 deliveries and after six overs the Lightning had established a demanding platform on 51-0.

Brown was the first man to fall in the ninth over of the innings as he was caught at backward-point of Raza's bowling for 21, but by this point Lancashire had already inflicted a lot of damage.

Smith put his foot on the accelerator as he hit two fours and a six to take Lancashire pass 100 inside the thirteenth over. Smith's charge was cut short as he attempted to reach the boundary once more and was caught at long leg for a match-winning effort of 70.

Steven Croft and Jordan Clark continued to diminish the efforts of the fly emirates bowling attack, adding a further 40 runs in four overs, before Clark fell for 17.

It was ultimately Croft's 53 off 41 balls which put the game beyond the opposition and Lancashire finished with a daunting total, one which proved to be too much for the fly emirates side.

Jarvis and Oliver Newby struck early blows as the Fly Emirates faltered to 8-3, with young wicket-keeper Alex Davies claiming two catches in the early passages of the run chase.

A recovery saw the Fly Emirates reach 44-3 after six overs, but the efforts of Smith and Croft were now starting to toll as the run rate weighted against the opposition.  

Any hope of a dramatic comeback were halted by Simon Kerrigan who removed Pawar, with Andrea Agathangelou taking a smart slip catch at 50-4.

Kerrigan and Croft then struck in successive overs and at 66-6 the match was all but over with eight overs still to bowl.

One more wicket fell before the close of play, allowing the Emirates team to redeem a shred of pride, but the deficit of 85 runs said all you needed to know about the gulf between the two teams today.

Lancashire will play Sussex  in a twenty20 match tomorrow morning.      

All-round Jordan saves England.

Michael Lumb got England off to a great start
with the bat as they reached 98-0.

England edged a nail-biting fixture in their final T20 encounter with the West Indies, as they held their nerve to earn a five-run victory, giving their T20 World Cup preparations a much-needed boost.

If it hadn’t been for Chris Jordan’s late surge, England may have been facing a score well below par, but the Sussex all-rounder was able to smash four sixes in the final over to rescue England and set the West Indies 166 to win.

The visitors accelerated to 96-0 after 10 overs, with Michael Lumb doing most of the damage as he raced to his fifty in just 27 balls, but was assisted nicely by Nottinghamshire team-mate, Alex Hales who continued to impress after making 40 in the previous fixture.

The first-wicket stand launched the visitors into a confident position and a score of 200 seemed to be on the cards. But England lost six wickets for the addition of just 40 runs as the run rate dropped dramatically.

England reached 98 before losing their first wicket, a rare achievement of late, as the Nottinghamshire duo struck a combined total of 16 boundaries to get the visitors off to a flier.

Lumb top-scored with 63 but his wicket opened up the floodgates as a cluster of wickets fell and the runs dried-up. Hales soon followed for 38 as Sheldon Cottrell claimed the wicket of both of England’s opener’s.

England then lost three wickets for six runs as Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes all fell cheaply and yet another batting collapse unfolded.

Krishmar Santokie returned impressive figures of 2-27 from his allocation, removing Buttler and Stokes after Sunil Narine returned to the squad and dismissed England’s stand-in captain, Morgan.

At 129-5 England’s hard work had been made redundant and were now heading for a mediocre score as the removal of Moeen Ali (3) exacerbated England’s concerns.

With one over to face England were 139-6, but the efforts of Jordan ensured that England would finish in the ascendancy with 26 runs coming from the final over.

The visitors seemed to carry this newfound confidence into their defense, removing the dangerous Dwayne Smith from the first first ball as he played-on to his own stumps off Jade Dernbach.

The absence of Chris Gayle left the West Indies short of aggressive batsmen at the top of their order and his replacement, Johnson Charles, skied the ball back to Jordan as the hosts reached 4-2.

Jordan continued to have a fine day with bat and ball, claiming the wicket of Marlon Samuels (15) and at 28-3 the hosts were struggling to stay in the match.

Thankfully these wickets allowed the more experienced contingent of the West Indies batting line-up to be introduced, but more good bowling from Ravi Bopara halted the host’s recovery.

His spell of 2-28 contained two key wickets, both of which came in the same over, the first, that of Dwayne Bravo and then Andre Russell just four balls later and at 67-5 the match was firmly in English hands.

West Indies desperately needed a contribution from somewhere and the dependable Lendll Simmons obliged with 69 as he and Dinesh Ramdin made 73 for the sixth-wicket stand.

Spinners, Stephen Parry and James Tredwell aided England’s cause as they constricted the flow of runs, a promising sign ahead of the World Cup in Bangladesh.

England retained control of the game but there was always a ten percent chance that the hosts could sneak over the line, particularly with Darren Sammy still to bat.

Barbados-born Jordan returned and gave a professional display with the ball as he and Dernbach ensured that England would not suffer another whitewash.

Jordan removed Ramdin for 33 with a sublime delivery as he claimed 3-39, but this brought Sammy to the crease and the match became tense to say the least.

Striking four off his first ball, captain Sammy gave the home crowd something to cheer about and with 17 runs required from the final over, all three results remained possible.

With three balls to go Sammy smashed Dernbach for six and a wide delivery from the Surrey pace man gave the hosts a chance to win the match if their skipper could strike another maximum from the final ball.

But Dernbach held his nerve and England savored the rare sensation of victory as they crept over the line to beat a tough opponent and earn some credibility before they head to Bangladesh for an even tougher challenge. 

West Indies claim t20 series in style.

Hales return to form with 40 was not nearly enough to
give England the score they desperately needed. 

The West Indies won by five wickets with seven balls to spare, claiming the t20 series 2-0 with one game remaining, as the current world t20 holders obliterated England.

The hosts struck ten fours and eleven sixes and were on top of their run chase right from the start of their innings as they comfortably defeated England, who still have a lot to work on before the t20 world cup.

Jos Buttler led England’s innings with an attractive 67, but the visitors were not aggressive enough and were only able to post 152-7, a score which proved to be below par against a belligerent West Indies side.

England recovered from 26-3 to post a competitive score thanks to a fourth wicket stand worth 76 between Buttler and Alex Hales, but a rain delay unsettled the England middle order who struggled to find their feet after the break.

The hosts were initially concerned by the absence of inform spinner, Sunil Narine, but his replacement Krishmar Santokie, claimed 4-21, causing damage at both ends of the innings.

Michael Lumb (4) and Moeen Ali (5) were both trapped LBW by Santokie and stand-in captain, Eoin Morgan was unable to get the better of spinner, Samuel Badree, as he was also removed cheaply.

Fearful of another capitulation, opener Hales was able to steady the innings, alongside Buttler, who proved that he is capable of making an innings, as well as finishing them in style.

With both batsmen approaching half-centuries, England had recovered from their early collapse and appeared to be mounting a dangerous total, but their efforts were halted when Hales hauled out to the square leg boundary and was out for 40.

Rain started to fall shortly after this wicket fell and this untimely dismissal was followed by an uncomfortable delay, which proved to unsettle the flow of Buttler.

With just over 5 overs to face, England continued their innings, hoping to reach anywhere between 160-180, but the West Indies bowlers resumed with a renewed confidence and were able to contain runs, much to frustration of the England batsmen.

Buttler was able to pass his second t20 half-century for England in 33 deliveries, but the innings struggled to live up to the hopes of the away supporters and wickets fell in the arduous search for boundaries.

Santokie’s return proved to be useful to the hosts, claiming the wickets of Buttler and Ravi Bopara (14) in the same over, as England struggled to reach a par score.

Luke Wright (7*) and Tim Bresnan both struck late boundaries to give the visitors total a much-needed boost, but the latter was removed on the final ball of the innings as England set an average target of 153 to win.

The West Indies began in an aggressive style with both Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle taking charge against the England bowlers, reaching 58-1 at the end of their power play.

Smith struck 30 off just 16 balls and Gayle was back to his old self, effortlessly thrashing the ball over the fence as he raced to 36 with four sixes.

England were relieved to remove Smith but Gayle continued his assault and the required run rate continued to fall with every ball that passed.

The efforts of Bopara gave England hope, affording just ten runs from his four over, as he forced Gayle to chop-on to his own stumps.

Marlon Samuels found it difficult with pace taken off the ball and when his partner, Lendl Simmons (19), was out caught behind, the game became much more even as the hosts unexpectedly struggled to find boundary.

Further success for England came when Bresnan claimed two wickets in two balls, but if anything this exposed a much more dangerous opponent in Darren Sammy, who would finish the innings with conviction.

After losing three wickets for five runs, the hosts were suddenly on the back-foot but the experience of Sammy ensured that they would emerge victorious, with England’s death bowling, once again, proving ineffective.

Sammy smashed 30 runs from just nine deliveries as the West Indies crushed their opponents and gave a good account of what to expect from the defending Champions in Bangladesh for the t20 world cup.