england vs new zealand

Finn leads England to series win

England 186 for 5 (Cook 46, Morgan 39) beat New Zealand 185 (McCullum 79, Finn 3-27) by five wickets
Scorecard

	Steven Finn was unplayable and lead England to a resounding win in the final ODI ©

If occasionally knocking over the bowler's end bails can be deemed a weakness, it is the only blemish against Steven Finn at the moment. His new, shorter, run up is designed to address that issue and it has taken none of the pace and aggression away from him, qualities which were too good for New Zealand as England comfortably won the deciding ODI.

The win secured their first ODI series in New Zealand since 1992 and was the result of a fine bowling display led by Finn. His excellence included three wickets that laid a platform for England to dominate in the field. He and James Anderson conceded just 18 in the opening 10 overs and New Zealand never recovered, being bowled out for a total nowhere near competitive on a dry, hard, flat surface.

England should have completed a rout but stuttered slightly towards the end of the chase. For the most part they played with the fluency expected on an excellent drop-in pitch. Brendon McCullum also did justice to the conditions with another fine captain's innings, his third consecutive half-century, but the rest of New Zealand's batsman were undone by England's dangerous, disciplined attack, the best of whom was Finn.

The wicket was tailor-made for him and he was often unplayable. His opening spell went for just five and created a crawl through the Powerplay. A regular fall of wickets stymied the recovery and Brendon McCullum's 79 in 68 balls was a lone hand.

England could have asked for no better after Alastair Cook decided to bowl. On a tiny ground - boundaries so short the venue would not be ratified by the ICC if it were a new ground - it was a remarkable performance with the ball. Finn and Anderson produced another opening 10 overs where New Zealand went nowhere and the mood remained throughout the innings.

Only when McCullum opened up in the second Powerplay did New Zealand ever look like making the progress demanded of them to be competitive. But when he was superbly taken by Anderson at deep midwicket to be last man out, New Zealand had wasted seven overs of their innings and were looking down the barrel of defeat.

Chasing such a small target against an attack with few threats, England encountered few problems. New Zealand's seamers are at least five-miles-an-hour slower than England's and provided none of the control that saw the first innings so stifled. England went at five an over in the Powerplay.

They allowed the chase to descend from overwhelming to workmanlike with some lazy strokes - Cook and Jonathan Trott both caught behind driving outside off - but it was beneficial that Eoin Morgan was able to enjoy time at the crease. He drove well off Tim Southee before lifting him over midwicket for six and striking Nathan McCullum over long-on: 39 from 24 balls was a strong reminder of Morgan's ability at a time when everyone's place is under scrutiny because of Joe Root's emergence. Root again led England home with a composed, mature innings.

england vs newzealand

I'm a bit more versatile now - Fulton

	Peter Fulton has not played a Test since December 2009 but enjoyed a fine run of form in domestic cricket this season ©

Peter Fulton has admitted he has "a pretty average" Test record, but hopes a new found versatility will help him grasp his latest opportunity in international cricket. Fulton has not played a Test since December 2009 but, having enjoyed a fine run of form in domestic cricket, finds himself back in the New Zealand Test squad to face England.

Fulton has averaged just 20.93 from his first 10 Tests but, as the second-highest run-scorer in this season's Plunket Shield, has forced his way back into contention. Fulton scored 902 runs in nine Shield matches, with three centuries, seven half-centuries at an average of 56.37. Had the recurrence of a knee injury not forced him home, he would have opened the batting during the series against South Africa.

"Getting selected is great, but now I need to work hard, play well and score runs to keep myself in there," 34-year-old Fulton said. "I've always looked at my international career in two parts. There's the ODI stuff, where I played 49 games and compiled a pretty handy record. Then there's the 10 or so Tests I played. I never really got going and had a pretty average record.

"I do think my game has changed a bit though and I'm a bit more versatile now. I've scored a few runs this season, some quite quickly and some I've really had to grind out."

He is not the only mature face in the New Zealand squad. Bruce Martin was first called into the New Zealand squad as a teenager in 2000 but, 13 years later and aged 32, remains without an international cap. Now, like then, he owes his call-up in part to injury to his fellow left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori but, while he missed out to Darly Tuffey on that occasion, looks certain to play this time.

Martin's Plunket Shied record this season is modest - he averages 40.40 runs per wicket - but, having narrowly missed out to Jeetan Patel for selection in the Tests against South Africa - will play unless New Zealand opt for an all-seam attack.

"I worked hard in South Africa and I was disappointed I didn't get a run there," Martin said. "I knew I was thereabouts and I had to keep working hard. It was still a nice surprise. It's going to be good fun and I can't wait.

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england vs newzealand

Watling chases down uncertain England

New Zealand XI 349 (Rutherford 90, Anderson 67, Swann 2-53) and 334 for 7 (Watling 89*, Root 2-42) beat England XI 426 (Bell 158, Cook 60, Neesham 4-72) and 256 (Prior 68, Gillespie 4-87) by 3 wickets
Scorecard

	BJ Watling played two crucial knocks to down the England XI in Queenstown ©

England's bowlers will know plenty about BJ Watling going into the first Test, after the wicketkeeper guided New Zealand XI to an excellent three-wicket victory with eight balls to spare in Queenstown, to leave the visitors in far from perfect form heading into the series.

It was England's first defeat in a first-class warm-up match on tour since they lost by eight wickets against an India Board President's XI in Vadodara in February 2006. The attack, except for Graeme Swann, struggled for consistency on a surface that, while offering a hint of turn, remained true for batting throughout.

At tea, England were favourites with New Zealand XI 167 for 5. Watling and Corey Anderson, who together bludgeoned a 105-run stand in the first innings, produced a repeat performance in the second innings by adding 89 runs in 19 overs. Graham Onions again came in for punishment, as a two-over spell went for 23, on another dispiriting day for him. He claimed forgettable match figures of 1 for 213.

Joe Root was given an extended bowling spell during the evening session, partly because Swann was off the field for a few overs, and also probably with a view to have him filling in for a few overs during the Tests. Root struck twice to keep England in the hunt. Anderson advanced down the pitch to Root and ended up yorking himself. After a 46-run stand for the seventh wicket, Jimmy Neesham picked out Stuart Broad at deep square-leg.

However, Watling, who was dropped in the gully on 47 by Swann, shortly after he came back on the field, provided a calm head as the home side ended up winning with time to spare. Neil Wagner, after being added to New Zealand's squad for the first Test earlier in the day, did not need to be shielded from the strike and played some handsome strokes, including a top-edged hook for six off Broad, and a boundary that leveled the scores, to ease the pressure on Watling in their match-sealing stand of 52

England declared overnight, leaving the New Zealand XI a full day to chase the target. As in the first innings they made a solid start, seeing off the new ball through an opening stand of 56. Hamish Rutherford showed his intent by upper-cutting Broad over point for six, before departing playing a similar shot off Chris Woakes, which was taken by Nick Compton at point. Broad returned for a second spell and pitched the ball a touch fuller, which brought reward when Carl Cachopa was caught on the crease and lost his off stump.

For the next 23 overs either side of lunch, Tom Latham and Neil Broom resisted solidly and kept the score ticking over. Onions was given another extended chance to bowl himself into form, but never suggested he would find his groove.

Swann broke the partnership when he removed Latham while playing the sweep, and there was a touch through to Matt Prior who held on while in the process of appeal for lbw. Broad, who again maintained his pace throughout each spell, removed Broom offering no shot and when Dean Brownlie fenced to second slip the game looked to be England's. Instead, they will travel to Dunedin on Sunday with another reminder of the fighting qualities of New Zealand cricketers.

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india vs austrila

ractice helped me master spin - Laxman

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Hyderabad

March 1, 2013

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VVS Laxman, in a discussion with Harsha Bhogle and ESPNcricinfo editor Sambit Bal, at the launch of Talking Cricket in Hyderabad ©

VVS Laxman, in his 16-year Test career, established himself as one of the best players of spin bowling in the world but, by his own admission, it wasn't a talent he had acquired when he first picked up the bat. Failures early in his career taught him to respect spin bowling more and after hours of practice his batting had evolved to the point where he could master any attack.

Laxman was speaking at the launch of Talking Cricket, a compilation of the best Q&A long-form interviews published by ESPNcricinfo and Walt Disney. The book features 22 interviews with current and former players speaking on specific topics such as captaincy, swing bowling, commentary, batting etc. Those interviewed include Sachin Tendulkar, Ian Chappell, Mahela Jayawardene, Barry Richards, and Laxman himself.

"I never got to play quality spin bowling when I was growing up," Laxman said in a discussion with Harsha Bhogle and ESPNcricinfo editor Sambit Bal, responding to an extract from an earlier interview. "As a kid I always enjoyed playing fast bowling. I neglected playing spinners. At the end of the practice session I got extra throw-downs, asking the coaches to throw from ten yards so I could play quicker bowling. I used to practice on cement wickets using a plastic ball or a wet tennis ball.

"When I started playing the Ranji Trophy, there were some quality spinners in domestic cricket and I remember I would invariably get out to Sairaj Bahutule (former Mumbai legspinner), playing against the spin and getting caught at midwicket. That's when I came back to the nets and luckily Hyderabad had some quality spinners like Arshad Ayub, Venkatapathy Raju, Kanwaljit Singh. I practiced hard at the nets against them and I always felt that the hard work you put in the nets will reap results. Within a span of six months to one year I became an excellent player of spin. In domestic cricket we used to get tough wickets, like the one in Chennai for the Test (against Australia), and my confidence grew."

Laxman's admissions could be a lesson for the touring Australian team, whose batsmen struggled against spin in Chennai. "You react to the ball that is coming at you," he said. "If you focus on the guy holding the ball, your thought process changes. You should remove things like the state of the pitch from your thought process and only react to the ball. If you think too much about the wicket, you're only expecting a certain kind of delivery and in the bargain you lose out on the shot you could have played."

Laxman also spoke at length about how it's a bigger challenge for youngsters today to strike the balance between their game and their personality, compared to the scenario at the time he was growing up. He felt it is a challenge for the modern cricketer to manage distractions better, given that players nowadays have plenty on their plate to deal with.

india vs austraila

Australia crumble despite Clarke 91

India 5 for 0 trail Australia 237 for 9 dec (Clarke 91, Wade 62, Jadeja 3-33, Bhuvneshar 3-53) by 232 runs 
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck three times in his opening spell ©

Before the start of the match, the local organisers performed a religious ceremony in the middle and if, like bowlers around the world, they had asked for answers on how to dismiss Michael Clarke, they had no luck. Clarke was once again Australia's standout batsman, top scoring with 91, but the innings crumbled either side of his hold-it-together stand with Matthew Wade to leave India in control.

And if his batting wasn't enough to leave connoisseurs raving, Clarke sprang a surprising and enterprising declaration just before stumps - the first time a team had declared on the opening day since 1974 - to give his bowlers a shot at India.

The first day of the Hyderabad Test was a seesaw affair, with India dominant in the first and final sessions, and Australia unshakeable in the second. After tea, India's spinners again proved too difficult to read for the visiting batsmen, and the home side reclaimed the advantage after Clarke and Wade had levelled the game with a century stand. The pair had to do a repair job due to seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's new-ball breakthroughs.

Bhuvneshwar had made his debut on a dustbowl in Chennai, the worst sort of surface for a quick bowler. He didn't even get to bowl in the second innings, and the speculation was that he could make way for left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in this Test. Not only did he play, though, his skiddy bowling accounted for three top-order batsmen in the first session. Those strikes were his first wickets in Test cricket, and the first for an Indian seamer in this series.

The pitch was dry, there were puffs of dust when the ball bounced, and it had plenty of cracks that should excite the spinners as the match progresses. Ishant Sharma's first ball jumped off one of them and swerved dramatically away from Ed Cowan, but Ishant didn't pose much of a threat otherwise with the new ball.

Bhuvneshwar did all the damage, using his ability to get the ball to snake back towards the left-hand batsmen. David Warner inside-edged after looking to play across the line, and speculation over Cowan's place is set to resume after he was adjudged lbw for 4, though the ball pitched just outside leg.

Two potential contenders for Cowan's place, Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes, set about bringing some stability to the innings. Watson began by middling plenty of deliveries, while Hughes got going with boundaries in his favourite point area. The pair had been together for about an hour, when Watson misjudged how much a Bhuvneshwar delivery would bounce and attempted a powerful swipe to midwicket. He missed, and the stroke that served him so effectively in Twenty20s, left him looking like he lacked patience on the first morning of a Test. Hughes had begun briskly, moving to 17 off 21, but was again skittish against spin, playing out several maidens to R Ashwin. He scored only two runs off his next 36 deliveries before being caught behind.

Facing another crisis, Clarke was in prime form, twinkle-toed as usual against the spinners and assured against the fast bowlers. There were two standout shots early on - a dance-down-the-track loft over Ashwin's head for six, and a clip off Bhuvneshwar for four that bisected two short midwickets.

Ashwin had looked good in the morning session, tossing the ball up and bowling accurately, waiting for the pitch to play its part instead of attempting too many variations too soon. Australia were helped as India held back Ashwin for more than an hour after the break, instead turning to Harbhajan Singh, who was again below his best.

It wasn't a flawless innings from Clarke. An edge off Bhuvneshwar dropped well short of the keeper, a surprise legcutter from Ishant confounded him, but the biggest chances were a close lbw shout on 32 that the umpire deemed to be sliding down and a drop on 52 as Cheteshwar Pujara put down a bat-pad chance at short leg.

While Clarke was all confidence right from the start, his partner Wade, who was deemed fit despite a suffering a cheek fracture on Friday, was more circumspect early on. Wade began to feel comfortable following a drive over mid-on off Harbhajan after almost an hour. He didn't sweep much, a shot that caused him problems in the first Test, and was harsh whenever the bowler dropped short, picking up several boundaries past point on his way to a half-century.

Just when Australia seemed to be capitalising on their decision to bat, things went awry. Wade slapped a short ball to a diving Bhuvneshwar at point, ending a 145-run partnership and starting a collapse. Moises Henriques was far less certain than he was in his debut Test, and was bowled by a peach from Ravindra Jadeja. Henriques was looking to play to the leg side but the turn beat the bat and hit the top of middle. The debutant Glenn Maxwell didn't last long either, edging behind for 13, and when Clarke missed a sweep to be bowled Australia had lost five wickets for 28 runs.

With the ball turning and bouncing, Clarke decided that the final pair wouldn't last too long and chose to test India's openers before stumps. There was no reward for the innovative move, though, as Virender Sehwag and M Vijay played out the final three overs.

The batting failure will hurt, but what made it worse for Clarke was that the changes Australia made meant their bowling was weaker than in the previous Test. Xavier Doherty, playing his first Test in two years, is the lead spinner instead of Nathan Lyon, and the two allrounders, Henriques and Maxwell, are both better batsmen than they are Test bowlers.

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india vs new zealand

India could shorten NZ tour for Asia Cup

India's tour of New Zealand next year will likely be curtailed © G

India's full tour of New Zealand in early 2014 is likely to be trimmed to two Tests, two ODIs and two T20Is to enable the team to participate in the Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in India in February-March. The ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP) has India scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a single Twenty20 international at that time and the BCCI, committed in principle to hosting the Asia Cup, has been in negotiations with NZC.

So far no formal agreement has been reached between the boards, but ESPNcricinfo understands that the new trimmed New Zealand schedule will have a maximum of 14 days of international cricket against the 21 originally penned in the FTP. Incidentally, both the New Zealand tour and the Asia Cup will be broadcast by NEO. It has been reliably learned that in the contract that Nimbus, owners of NEO, signed, it was made aware of a possible change in the original itinerary for the New Zealand tour. Nimbus announced the new deal two days ago, committing to broadcast to India all international cricket from New Zealand till 2020.

For the administrators in New Zealand, it is a matter of relief there is any tour at all: sources in NZC have told ESPNcricinfo there was concern over the tour being called off but several months of negotiations between the two boards - including one-on-ones at ICC meetings - ensured an amicable arrangement for all parties. The representatives of both boards have been individually discussing the matter during ICC meetings.

It is not yet known if the BCCI will compensate the NZC: India tours are a major source of revenue for all boards given the high TV viewership in India and a large expatriate community settled all over the cricketing world.

India have a busy first half of 2014. They return from South Africa towards the end of January, are scheduled to go to New Zealand in February, and then go to Bangladesh either side of the IPL for the World Twenty20 and a short three-ODI series. The schedule has been made tighter by the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) offer to India to host the Asia Cup in February-March, which the BCCI is likely to take up.

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