World-Cup 2011 Best Images

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Hussey not reluctant to Big Bash rule changes

Michael Hussey has given a vigilant thumbs-up to some of the planned new rules for next season's Big Bash League. The eight-team competition might comprise features such as a super-over in which the batting team has its runs double, and the opportunity that spectators could keep balls hit into the crowd.

Cricket Australia asked fans to voice their opinion on the ideas via an online survey last week, seven months before the event is expected to kick off. Hussey has just arrived back in Perth after playing a key role in the IPL final victory for Chennai Super Kings, and he said the concept of the super-over "sounds all right".

"Who calls which over it is? The captain? I'd like it if I was batting, I'd call the super over as soon as I got out there," Hussey said. "I haven't reflection about it too much but the concept sounds all right, particularly if there was a Chris Gayle at the crease. He had a couple of overs in the IPL where he went for 27 and 34 runs off overs. It could approximately be game over if he had one of those overs."

Hussey said the idea of fans being able to keep balls hit into the crowd had some merit. However, he said it was important the batsman was not deprived for having cleared the fence.

"It depends how green the wicket is," he said. "If it gets to the 15th over and the wicket is still green, I don't want a new ball coming out, that's for sure. But I think it's a good idea, a bit like baseball, maybe a souvenir for a kid out there. They are going to need a lot of back-up balls of the same over range. I don't think it's the worst idea."

"It won't be of the same magnitude because of the quantity of money they spend on their tournament compare with what we could use on ours," Hussey said. "But I think in terms of the excellence of cricket we can definitely compete, attract some overseas players.

"I guess we are a little limited in that we can't draw all countries because when they play nationally clashes with our summer. But we can attract some real quality international players and we know that our first class system and our core players are very, very good."

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Pakistan just border past Ireland

Opener Paul Stirling's century was not sufficient as Pakistan did just enough to strike Ireland by five wickets and claim a 2-0 one-day international series win in Belfast.

Stirling hit a striking 109 to lead a vastly-improved Irish batting exhibit after they had been bowled out for just 96 in Saturday's opener. Ireland this time manage 238 for eight, a total that might have been bigger but for some clever bowling from Saeed Ajmal (four for 35) at the finish which prove crucial as Pakistan made heavy work of the chase.

The tourists crawl past 100 in the 30th over but half-centuries from Younus Khan and Umar Akmal, who provide the much-needed late hitting, saw Pakistan across the line with eight balls to spare. Defeat for Ireland destined they failed to claim a timely win over a full-member nation with their, and the connect nations', World Cup hopes still up in the air.

The ICC chief executives' committee is due to meet next month to talk about the opportunity of over-ruling their omission from the 2015 tournament. Today's presentation was, however, more thoughtful of the form that had led to extensive calls for Ireland to be given a route back into the World Cup, while 20-year-old Stirling's impressive century - his first next to a full-member nation - underline the young talent rising from the country.

It looked like his heroics with the bat might be satisfied with victory when Pakistan initially made hurt progress in their chase after Mohammad Hafeez chipped Trent Johnston to mid-on before he had scored.

A prudent 63-run stand between Kumar Taufeeq (31) and debutant Azhar Ali (39) then allowed the necessary rate to climb before they both fell in quick series to put the pressure on the middle order.

Despite that, old hands Younus and Misbah-ul-Haq remained unfazed at the start of their 68-run stand as Pakistan crawled past 100 in the 30th over, before they finally upped the tempo.

Misbah launch Kevin O’Brien backs over his head for six though his dismissal, wedged behind off John Mooney for 32, and kept Ireland alive. At that stage there was abundance of work still to be done, with Pakistan needing 91 from the last 12 overs, but Younus and Akmal combined effectively.

Akmal provide the youthful violence, hitting a victorious 60 off 47 balls, while Younus played the role of calm veteran adding 64 from 74 balls before he was out two runs from victory.

Ireland captain William Porterfield had earlier made the brave choice to bat first on the same Stormont wicket his unaffected team had disappointed so forcefully two days ago.

His decision was soon satisfied as Ireland surpasses their horror opening-game 96 for the loss of only Ed Joyce (17), who edged behind off Ajmal. Stirling was rapidly in his stride swiping both Junaid Khan and Umar Gul over the square boundary, but his innings was not all about aggression.

After his skipper Porterfield (15) was bowled by Hafeez, Stirling sensibly worked the ball approximately the field as he dug in for the big score his side needed. It was grown-up batsmanship from one of Ireland's most talented young players and he was satisfied for it with a century from 94 balls, which integrated seven fours and a six.

He was finally bowled trying to thrash Junaid in the final over of the batting powerplay, before the bright Ajmal frustrated Ireland's late hitting by remove the dangerous O'Brien (10) and Mooney (six).

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Dilshan taken aback by Sri Lanka collapse

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan was at a loss to give details how his side had drooping to beat in the first Test against England at Cardiff.

Sri Lanka was skittle out for just 82 on the final afternoon to misplace by an innings and 14 runs. There had appear to be little prospect of a result at the SWALEC Stadium, particularly when rain washed out the morning session for the fourth time in five days.

When play got under way at 3pm, with almost a day-and-a-half of time lost in total, England batted for just two over’s to permit Ian Bell (103 not out) to complete his 13th Test century before declare on 496 for five, a lead of 96.

That left the tourists needing to bat for 51 overs to secure a draw, but they were not up to the task as Chris Tremlett (four for 40), who was brilliant with the new ball in the absence of the injured James Anderson, and Graeme Swann (four for 16) ripped through the Sri Lankan line-up in an astonishing 24.4 overs in front of a final day crowd of just 922.

And a shell-shocked Dilshan was completely confused by his side's presentation, which included losing eight wickets for 49 runs after tea, mainly in the wake of the reputable 400 they had compiled batting first.

He said: "It's very hard to explain, I can't believe we got out in just 25 overs with such a good batting line-up like we have. We lost the match because we batted really badly today.

"We knew we would be batting for at least 45 or 50 overs. We knew looking forward in the morning that they would announce, everyone knew that after Bell's hundred they would declare, but I cannot give details what happened.

"Our batting line-up has guys like Mahela (Jayawardene), Kumar (Sangakkara), Thilan (Samaraweera) and myself, we are experienced players and we need to regroup as soon as possible and come back for the next Test on Friday."

Their 82 was Sri Lanka's lowest Test score in England, and their joint-fourth lowest of all time, but Dilshan, who was dismiss for 10 after giving a return catch to the towering Tremlett via his glove and thigh pad, said his side could have no complaint about the wicket.

"It was a very good wicket with a little bit of turn and a bit of bounce," he said. "It was a very good way. In the last two days it was good for batting, but we didn't bat well, that was the main issue, but it was really good for Test cricket."

It was a very much unsatisfactory way for Dilshan's first game as captain of his country to end, but he insist he will remain calm with such a short rotate until the second game of the three-match series at Lord's on Friday.

He said: "I am really calm, I can't be angry. We have to reorder and talk about it and try and get the maximum out of the young players and learn from the experience.
"We have another Test match on Friday. We can forget about what has happen in the last five days and look forward to Friday.

"It will be not easy to forget this Test match but we have to stick jointly as a team, do whatever we can exterior of cricket to get jointly and forget about everything."

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