Captain Clarke deliver series victory

Sri Lanka 473 (Mathews 105*, Dilshan 83, Sangakkara 79, M Jayawardene 51, Siddle 4-91) and 7 for 0 drew with Australia 316 (Hussey 118, Marsh 81, Eranga 4-65, Welegedara 3-75) and 488 (Hughes 126, Clarke 112, Hussey 93, Herath 7-157)

Michael Clarke reflect back on one of the best days of his career after secure his first Test series victory as Australia captain and ending his long wait for a century.

Clarke led from the front as his 112 on the fifth day of the third and final Test in Colombo help Australia record a draw that preserved the series 1-0.

That destined a maiden Test series success at the first time of asking for Clarke after he replaces Ricky Ponting as skipper after this winter's 3-1 Ashes beat.

It also follows on from Australia's 3-2 success in the one-day international matches next to the Sri Lankans and, speaking after the draw, Clarke said: "I'm attractive happy and I'm not the only one in that altering room, all the boys are stoked.

"It's been a fantastic tour, both the one-day series and this Test series have surely gone to plan.

"I said before the start of this Test match that our goal was to win every game we play, unluckily that didn't happen but we got the two major results, we won both series, so I'm actually proud of how the boys have played and for myself it was nice to finally get those three figures.

"Everybody has contributed and that's almost certainly the most pleasing thing." He added: "It's as special a day as I've had, no doubt. We put in a lot of work to come on this tour and perform well. It's surely very special, as special as I've had in my career."

The tourists were ultimately bowled out 40 minutes before the scheduled close for 488 today, a lead of 331, with Clarke adding a century to the ton scored by opener Phillip Hughes (126) and Mike Hussey falling for 93.

Rangana Herath claim career-best figures of seven for 157 but he could not halt the Australian charge in time to give his team a possibility of victory.

After Australia was dismissed, Sri Lanka had to bat out two over’s before the captains could shake hands, which they did with the hosts on seven for no wicket.

It was Clarke's 15th Test century but first since his 168 next to New Zealand in March 2010, and the 30-year-old admit it was long overdue.

"It's been a long time since I'd scored a hundred. I've not scored as many runs as I would've liked during this Test series, so to get those three figures is such a huge feeling after so long," he said.

Clarke started the day winning on eight but he soon lost overnight partner Hughes during what the Australia skipper admit was a testing period.

"The start of today felt pretty tough batting, I said to the boys when they ran the first drinks out that's as hard a 20 runs as I've scored in my career," said Clarke, who survive a missed stumping by Prasanna Jayawardene off Herath when on 15.

"Then things got a little bit easier from there, batting with Huss (Hussey) makes a big difference, he's in some huge nick and that allowed me to play my way."

Clarke also admitted he was keen to try and set Sri Lanka a target but felt the wicket was still too good to take any big risk when leading the series 1-0.

"In the back of my mind I was still trying to play positive, if we could get the runs in a quick sufficient fashion to try and set up a bit of a game, but as you've seen as the day outspread the wicket was very good to bat on still. There was a bit of spin and bit of reverse swing, but still a very good batting wicket," he said.

"I'm stoke to have made a hundred; it's been way too long. It’s regarding time I guess. It's a very pleasing and a great feeling to have scored it below tough circumstances."

Read more »

Australia Coach Tim Nielsen quit from his position

Australia cricket team’s Head Coach Tim Nielsen has step down from his position after serving the national team for last four and half years.

Nielsen coached Australia between 2007- 2011. He coached Australia in 15 Tests series, won 9 of those, lost 5 and drew 1 series. Australia are at present ranked number 1 in ODI cricket and Nielsen coached Australian in 25 ODI series, overseeing 17 winning series, 7 lost series and one drawn ODI series.

Announcing his decision Nielsen said: “It has been an honor and a freedom to work with the Australian cricket team in the role of Head Coach for the last four and half years.

“All through that period we have had some great success as well as experience some tough times. I have enjoyed every minute of working hard with the playing group, aiming to give ourselves the best likely chance of representing Australia to the very best of our ability.

“I look forward to the challenges that lay ahead in my coaching career and have no doubt the experiences I have gain working with the Australian cricket team will hold me in good stead moving forward.”

Following Nielsen’s declaration, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland congratulated retiring coach in a statement released on his presentation during a mainly challenging time for Australian international cricket.

“Tim has been national coach during a period in which we have had a long list of great champions leave the game and has been a strong carry for new players coming into the side over that period,” Sutherland said.

“I was delighted when he decided to renew his contract last year and had confident him to apply for the new, extended and redesigned Head Coach Role that the CA Board accepted last month after the tabling of the Australian Team Performance Review.

“However, I have spoken to Tim and appreciate and respect his decision to now begin a new episode in his professional life.

“He has contributed greatly to Australian international cricket in roles as assistant national coach, head coach at the Centre of Excellence and during four years as national coach. We all wish him well in the future,” Mr Sutherland added.

Nielsen has advised CA he is due to take up a new Australian cricket role that will be announce soon, Cricket Australia said in a statement.

Mr Sutherland said CA would move to appoint an interim, acting national coach for the coming October-November VB Tour of South Africa while recruit a new Head Coach.

Read more »

Somerset win thriller to eliminate Auckland from Champions League Twenty20

Somerset 126 for 6 (Snell 34*, Hildreth 34) hit Auckland 125 for 7 (Vincent 47*) by four wickets

Somerset opened their Champions League Twenty20 qualification campaign with a theatrical final-ball victory over the Auckland Aces.

Alfonso Thomas hit the last ball of the innings over a packed infield for the single the Sabres essential to secure a four-wicket win.

After restrict the New Zealand T20 champions to 125 for seven, Somerset made serious work of their chase until a 61-run stand between James Hildreth (34) and Steve Snell (34 not out).

Hildreth was brilliantly run out from the penultimate delivery to leave his side still needing one from the final ball, a task Thomas manage with a lofted drive over cover.

Victory means Somerset will reach the group stage should they win their second and final qualifier next to the Kolkata Knight Riders tomorrow evening.

After Somerset lost Saturday's Clydesdale Bank 40 final to Surrey they had less time to lick their wounds and were without Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler, who are not existing until the group stage due to England duty, as well as skipper Marcus Trescothick.

Just as at Lord's at the weekend, it looked like one more faltering batting presentation would cost them when they slip to 64 for five in their chase.

But Hildreth and Snell joint for the highest stand of the match and, when they took 15 from the last but one over, victory looked certain with five needed from the final six balls.

There was a final twist; however, as Hildreth was wedged short by Colin Munro's throw from the deep attempt the winning run before Thomas finally proved match-winner.

Somerset earlier reduced the Aces to 14 for three, with Peter Trego claim two of the early wickets as well as the dangerous Martin Guptill wedged by Hildreth at long-on.

Lou Vincent and Gareth Hopkins then put on the best stand of the Aces' innings, causal 49 runs previous to the latter was run out by Arul Suppiah's direct hit from the deep.

That left Vincent to anchor the innings with an victorious 47 from as many balls that prove just short of sufficient as the Aces, who also suffered a tight two-run loss to the Knight Riders yesterday, were eliminate.

Auckland squad: GJ Hopkins (c), AR Adams, JHK Adams, MD Bates, C de Grandhomme, MJ Guptill, RM Hira, AK Kitchen, BP Martin, CS Martin, KD Mills, C Munro, RJ Quiney, DR Tuffey, L Vincent

Somerset squad: AC Thomas (c), AWR Barrow, JC Buttler, NRD Compton, AJ Dibble, GH Dockrell, JC Hildreth, GM Hussain, M Kartik, C Kieswetter, SP Kirby, CAJ Meschede, SD Snell, AV Suppiah, PD Trego, RE van der Merwe

Read more »

Hughes hundred hurt Sri Lanka's hopes

Australia 316 and 209 for 3 (Hughes 122*, Herath 3-54) lead Sri Lanka 473 (Mathews 105*, Dilshan 83, Sangakkara 79, M Jayawardene 51, Siddle 4-91) by 52 runs

Phillip Hughes scored his first Test century in two-and- a-half years to give Australia every prospect of playing out a series-winning draw at the SSC. But at the end of a day that began with a Sri Lankan crawl as Angelo Mathews ate up valuable time in success his maiden Test hundred, Rangana Herath had disturbed Australia's top order sufficient to give Sri Lanka some hope of victory.

Sri Lanka must win the match to level the series, and their fate hinges on whether they can run through Australia's middle order early on the final day. At stump on the fourth afternoon, Australia was 52 runs in front, with seven wickets in hand, and they had a well-set Hughes still at the crease on 122 next to the captain Michael Clarke on 8.

If time does beat Sri Lanka, they will be apologetic their slow march on the fourth morning, when they added 45 runs to their during the night total but took more than an hour and a half to do so. By tea, Australia had all but knocked off the 157-run first-innings deficit and they were in no hurry during the final session, happy to bat as much time out of the match as possible.

Not that Hughes had been slow. He bring up his century from his 141st release with a push through the off side for two, and his celebration was visibly muted: there was a small fist pump and raise of the bat but none of the helmet-kissing that has marked Australian milestones in recent years. He knew that the selectors had shown great faith in him by dropping Simon Katich.

Hughes hadn't approved fifty in any of his past ten Test innings, and not since his twin hundreds in Durban in March 2009 had he reach triple figures for his country. He took 22 balls to get throughout the nineties, which built-in a nervous moment on 99 when he survive an lbw review after getting in a tangle trying to dab behind gully; the ball had hit the flap of his pad before bat, but outside the line.

Earlier, Hughes had been in fine form and his driving throughout cover whenever the seamers over pitched were particularly strong. He also cleared the midwicket boundary with a slog off Herath and brought up his fifty with another slog-sweep, this time off Tillakaratne Dilshan, from his 67th delivery. Importantly, he had support all the way.

His partnerships with Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh and Ricky Ponting were all worth sixty-something. Herath worked hard to remove all three batsmen, the removal from office of Ponting for 28 late in the day a key blow when the ball turned sharply and kissed the batsman's gloves on the way through to Mahela Jayawardene at slip.

Read more »