World Ranked Number One

02/02/13
Pakistan would have been expecting more after South Africa had manage 253 on a difficult but not impossible New Wanderers track but resuming on 6/0 at the start of the second day of the First Test they were shot out for 49 - 6 wickets for Dale Steyn and 6 batsman out to catches to the World ranked number one's wicket keeper AB de Villiers - all rounder Jacques Kallis nabbing 2 wickets to add to his personal run haul of 50 in the first knock.

In their second innings, the Proteas were 73/0

Ouch!

Leicestershire declared a year's loss of in excess of one quarter of a million pounds for 2012.

Deutsch Stiefel 

30/01

 Stuart Broad has said this morning that he is unsure if his on going heel injury would limit his involvement in England's activities in New Zealand .............................. even with his bespoke German boots.

Root 1 from Sheffield

29/01

There are calls this morning for Nick Compton to step down from his role as opener in the Test XI to be replaced by Yorkshireman Joe Root................................ one voice calling this is Michael Vaughan, former England captain and Yorkshire.

Happy Birthday today Ben G

26/01/13

Briggs limps out

Danny Briggs will play no further part in England's fixtures this winter after spraining an ankle - ECB announce.

Australia, featuring Adam Voges but not David Hussey, lost a T20 to Sri Lanka by 5 wickets and 7 balls spare.

Commentators reckon they know Samit Patel will be dropped from the England test squad for the New Zealand leg of the globe-trot. Is this expected or fair? Has Samit been used by Captain Cook effectively?

Those of us in the know at Trent Bridge have seen Samit bowl a couple of average overs ,on many occasions in a one day competition, get taken off but then return later and bowl his socks off taking 2 or 3 wickets for few runs. Cook hasn't used Samit like that; in the the last match for example Samit got 3 overs which went for 21 runs then was taken off, never to return .............. this isn't the best use of a Samit Patel! A settled job in the batting order would have benefited Samit and England too not no.3 one game, then no.7 followed by 5, 4 and 6.

The same commentators have included James -I would be classed as over rated if I was rated better than average but I'm not -Tredwell .............................. not clever and is just excess baggage but Joe Root does deserve his air fare - passing every test asked of him so far.

So it proved when the squad was announced earlier today.

Tim Bresnan is to return to England to sort his elbow out, being replaced by Chris Woakes whereas Joe Root's inclusion means James Taylor is restored as England Lions captain for their Australian jolly.

England Test squad
Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

England T20 squad
Stuart Broad (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright

England ODI squad
Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, James Harris, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

England Lions squad
James Taylor (capt), Gary Ballance, Scott Borthwick, Danny Briggs, Varun Chopra, Rikki Clarke, Matthew Coles, Ben Foakes, Alex Hales, Simon Kerrigan, Stuart Meaker, Craig Overton, Toby Roland-Jones, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, Chris Wright