Anderson best in the world - Wasim

Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, ManchesterDate: 1-5 AugustStart time: 11:00 BSTCoverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and via the BBC iPlayer Radio app, BBC Sport website & BBC Sport app. Live text commentary on BBC Sport website, app & mobile devices

Pakistan great Wasim Akram believes England's James Anderson is the best bowler in the world.

Anderson has taken 13 wickets in the first two Ashes Tests to help England to a 2-0 lead over Australia, ahead of the third at Old Trafford on Thursday.

The 31-year-old has 320 Test wickets, placing him third in England's all-time list behind Ian Botham and Bob Willis.

Test debut: v New Zealand in Auckland, 25 January 1985

Test appearances: 104

Test wickets: 414 at 23.62 (ninth highest Test wicket-taker of all time)

Counties represented: Hampshire, Lancashire

"Jimmy Anderson is leading from the front. For me he is the best bowler of this era," Wasim told BBC Sport.

"He does it consistently, with the new ball and the old ball."

Left-arm quick Wasim and his Pakistan team-mate Waqar Younis tormented opposing batsmen in the late 1980s and 1990s with their expertise in reverse-swing bowling and Wasim recognises Anderson as a fellow master of the craft.

"Jimmy is up there with me and Waqar because of the control he has," said Wasim, who played for Anderson's county side Lancashire between 1988 and 1998.

"He was always good with the new ball, but with the old ball he is intelligent. He bowls five away-swingers, then one inswinger and takes a wicket.

"Other England bowlers like Steven Finn and Stuart Broad try to alternate inswingers and outswingers, but if you do that your line or length won't be the same every ball you bowl."

The International Cricket Council's Test bowler rankings have Anderson joint fifth, with South Africa's Dale Steyn at number one.

Although Anderson's career average of 29.66 is significantly inferior to Steyn's 22.65, Wasim believes the Englishman has edged ahead in 2013, a year in which he has taken 32 wickets in seven Tests at 23.12.

"I have seen Dale Steyn bowling with the old ball and he only bowls one delivery - the inswinger to the right-hander," added Wasim.

1. Dale Steyn (South Africa) 2. Vernon Philander (South Africa) 3. Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) 4. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan) 5= Peter Siddle (Australia) 5= James Anderson (England) 7. Graeme Swann (England) 8. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) 9. Morne Morkel (South Africa) 10. Pragyan Ojha (India) "Steyn is one of the best in the world as well, but Jimmy is slightly ahead because he does a lot more with the old ball."

Former England seamer Andy Caddick believes the world has still not seen the best of Anderson.

Caddick, who played 62 Tests for England between 1993 and 2003, said: "He is in his prime now but he has got a few years left in him yet.

"I think we will see a lot better bowling from Jimmy.

"Now he is the finished article, he knows his game. When you start knowing your game as a bowler you are going to continue doing well."

Anderson's next challenge is to help England clinch a victory at Old Trafford that would win them the Ashes with two matches to spare.

It would be Australia's third successive Ashes series loss and former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff believes it could be some time before they regain the famous urn.

"Australia seem very much a work in progress and they are a long way away from competing - we are probably talking years," Flintoff told BBC Sport.

"We have seen from England that it can take a while and I think they are playing for pride more than anything at the minute.

"England should dominate for a few years now."

Chris Tremlett, the 6ft 7in Surrey fast bowler, has been called into England's squad for Old Trafford, which traditionally produces quick and bouncy wickets.

But Flintoff believes England should keep faith with Tim Bresnan, who took four wickets and scored a second-innings 38 in the 347-run victory at Lord's.

"Everyone goes on about Old Trafford bouncing and being quick but it does suit bowlers that attack the stumps," said Flintoff, who was part of the England side that regained the Ashes after an 18-year wait in 2005.

"I would stick with Bresnan for this one because the pitch should be quite flat.

"They have sold out five days of Test cricket so the club will want five days of Test cricket so they get rewarded financially. You have to work hard to win at Old Trafford."

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Are Australia set for years as underdogs?

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Arthur reaches Australia settlement

Mickey Arthur has reached a settlement with Cricket Australia (CA) after the South African began legal proceedings over his dismissal as national coach.

The 45-year-old was sacked in June, just 16 days before the Ashes started.

The settlement is confidential but Arthur said he had "significantly reduced" his £2.4m compensation claim.

Born: 17 May 1968 in Johannesburg Major teams: Griqualand West, Orange Free State, South Africa A First-class batting record: 6,657 runs at 33.45 Teams coached: Griquas, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Western Australia, Australia Test record as Australia coach: won 10, lost 6, drew 3 "Both Mickey and CA agree that it is unfortunate that the dispute was not settled prior to the issuing of legal proceedings," read a joint statement.

"Cricket Australia appreciates the efforts that Mickey applied to his coaching role, and wishes him the very best in his future career."

Arthur, who took over as Australia coach in November 2011, had suggested there was a "deliberate campaign" against him after his sacking.

The latter stages of his tenure were affected by problems both on and off the field.

Four players were dropped for the third Test against India in March for failing to submit presentations on team strategy and Australia went on to lose the series 4-0.

Batsman David Warner was fined in May for posting abusive comments to journalists on Twitter, then suspended and fined for punching England's Joe Root in a bar during the Champions Trophy in June.

Arthur was replaced by Darren Lehmann, whose side trail England 2-0 in the Ashes ahead of the third Test match, which starts at Old Trafford on Thursday.

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Chopra agrees new Warwickshire deal

Batsman Varun Chopra has agreed a new three-year deal with Warwickshire to keep him at Edgbaston until the end of the 2016 season.

The 26-year-old, who joined the Bears from Essex in 2009, has hit over 1,000 first-class for the last three seasons.

He was also part of the Warwickshire side to win their first County Championship since 2004 last term.

Chopra has hit 818 runs in the County Championship in 2013 at an average of 58.42

"He has a proven record of scoring big runs in all formats of the game," director of cricket Dougie Brown said.

"He is a great role model for all the Warwickshire youngsters to aspire to and securing a player as highly thought of as him for the next three years is a massive boost for everyone connected with Warwickshire."

Chopra has also stood in as Warwickshire captain this season while Jim Troughton has been on the sidelines with injury.

His form in the County Championship also saw him called up to England's Performance Programme last winter and the provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.

"Since joining from Essex I've enjoyed a great four years at Edgbaston, where the club has won trophies and I've been able to contribute runs at the top of the order," Chopra said.

"We've got a strong squad, great coaching team and I'm looking forward to at least three more years here, where I hope to contribute towards winning more trophies for Warwickshire and its supporters."

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Clarke says Ashes win still possible

Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, ManchesterDate: 1-5 AugustStart time: 11:00 BSTCoverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and via the BBC iPlayer Radio app, BBC Sport website & BBC Sport app. Live text commentary on BBC Sport website, app & mobile devices

Captain Michael Clarke admits "people may laugh" at his claim Australia can still win the Ashes, but he insists his team can turn the series around.

Australia need to win the third Test at Old Trafford, which starts on Thursday, to keep the five-match series alive.

The tourists have lost six Tests in a row but Clarke believes victory in Manchester will give them momentum.

"Our backs are against the wall but I honestly believe we can still win the series," he said.

"I know a lot of people will laugh at that but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think we could - we can shake up this series."

After their narrow defeat in the first Test, Clarke said Australia could still win the series.

When he repeated the claim in a pitch-side interview after the tourists had been crushed in the second Test at Lord's, the crowd burst into laughter. 

The Australians have recalled batsman David Warner, who was suspended after punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in June, to their squad after he scored 193 for their A team in their recent match with South Africa A.

But Clarke, who stepped down as a selector in the wake of former coach Mickey Arthur's sacking, is unsure whether the 26-year-old will earn a recall.

"I think David was extremely apologetic at the time," said Clarke.

"He knows what the expectations are for Australian cricket and I am very confident he has learned from what has happened in the past."

All-rounder Steve Smith did not train on Wednesday as he nurses a bad back and Warner could replace him if he fails to recover in time.

Spinner Nathan Lyon is widely expected to replace 19-year-old Ashton Agar, who has struggled with the ball in his first two Tests despite scoring a Test record 98 as number 11 at Trent Bridge.

England's hopes of retaining the Ashes by avoiding defeat at Old Trafford were boosted on Wednesday by the news that batsman Kevin Pietersen's chances of being fit are "pretty good", according to captain Alastair Cook.

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England wary of past mistakes - Cook

By Sam Sheringham BBC Sport at Old Trafford Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, ManchesterDate: 1-5 AugustStart time: 11:00 BSTCoverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and via the BBC iPlayer Radio app, BBC Sport website & BBC Sport app. Live text commentary on BBC Sport website, app & mobile devices

England captain Alastair Cook said his team will learn from past mistakes as they look to complete an Ashes series win over Australia at Old Trafford.

In the last two series, England went 1-0 up but lost at Headingley and Perth before recovering to win the series.

This time, England take a 2-0 lead into the third Test but Cook is refusing to look beyond Thursday in Manchester.

"It is a great opportunity we have but you can't start thinking about anything other than the first hour," said Cook.

Ashes Tests: 28 (England won seven, Australia won seven, with 14 draws) First Ashes Test: 10-12 July 1884. Highest Ashes total: 656-8 declared by Australia in 1964. Lowest Ashes total: 70 by Australia in August 1888. Highest individual Ashes score: 311 by Australia captain Bobby Simpson in that drawn fourth Test in 1964. Most Ashes runs: 416 by former Australia skipper, Allan Border. Best Ashes bowling (innings): 10-53 by England's Jim Laker in 1956. Most Ashes wickets: 23 by England fast bowler Tom Richardson. Victories in the first two Tests have put England in a commanding position to seal their third Ashes series victory in a row.

Don Bradman's 1936-37 Australians are the only team to have come back from 2-0 down to win a Test series.

But despite history favouring his men, Cook is eager to guard against complacency after experiencing major slip-ups on the road to Ashes victories in 2009 and 2010/11.

On home soil four years ago, England went into the fourth Test at Headingley with a 1-0 lead, but were bowled out for 102 on the first day and slumped to a defeat by an innings and 80 runs.

In the 2010/11 series down under, England were thrashed by 267 runs in the third Test in Perth as Australia levelled the series.

"At Headingley we did start thinking too far ahead," said Cook. "I admit I do remember saying 'if we win here we win the Ashes'. There was that mentality and we forgot about the hard work.

"In Perth, I think you have to give credit to the way Australia played in that game. I don't think it was anything to do with it being 1-0 in the series. It wasn't a do-or-die game as such and they outskilled us."

England have won six of their last seven Tests at Old Trafford, narrowly missing out on a victory over Australia in the 2005 Ashes when final pair Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath batted out four overs for a draw.

The hosts will wait until Thursday morning before deciding on the fitness of batsman Kevin Pietersen, who has been receiving treatment for a calf strain suffered during the second Test at Lord's.

England have never whitewashed Australia in an Ashes series of five or more matches. They won a three-Test series 3-0 in 1886. The best results that England have had in Ashes series of five or more matches are 5-1 in a six-matches series in 1978/79 and 4-1 in three five-match series: 1911/12, 1928/29 and 1932/33. England have never won four matches in an Ashes series at home. The only times England have won the first three matches of an Ashes series are in 1886 (three matches) and 1928/29, when they went on to win 4-1. Cook said the Surrey batsman had a "pretty good" chance of playing but that the final decision would rest with Pietersen himself.

"At the end of the day it is pretty much the player's responsibility," Cook said. "You can have as much medical advice and technology as there is today but only the player deep down knows what he is thinking.

"He has always been desperate to play for England. Over the past week he has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes at rehab, which is not the most fun thing to do, to get himself hopefully right for Thursday."

Australia have selection issues of their own, with off-spinner Nathan Lyon likely to replace Ashton Agar and batsman David Warner poised to return at the expense of either Chris Rogers, Phil Hughes or Steve Smith, who has been battling to overcome a bad back.

Warner was fined and suspended for punching England's Joe Root in a Birmingham bar, but scored 193 for their Australia A against South Africa A last week before being recalled to the squad.

Australia captain Michael Clarke refused to confirm whether Warner would be selected, but insisted the combative batsman would "look forward" to any verbal taunting from England.

Despite being outplayed in the first two Tests, Clarke still thinks Australia can turn the series around.

"I honestly believe we can win this series," he said. "I know there are a lot of people out there who will laugh at me saying that but I wouldn't be here today if I thought this team wasn't good enough to have success.

"The reality is our backs are against the wall but if we play our best cricket I think we will give it a real shake for the rest of the series."

Old Trafford will be hosting its first Test since 2010 following a £44m redevelopment.

The refurbished ground features new dressing-rooms and media centre at the Statham End, a hospitality suite and a temporary stand of 9,500 seats taking the total capacity to 25,000.

The first four days of the match are sold out, with the exception of restricted view seats, while tickets are still available for day five.

After heavy rain on Wednesday, the weather is forecast to be dry and sunny for Thursday's opening day, with showers on the cards for Friday and Saturday.

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Pietersen Test chances 'pretty good'

Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, ManchesterDate: 1-5 AugustStart time: 11:00 BSTCoverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and via the BBC iPlayer Radio app, BBC Sport website & BBC Sport app. Live text commentary on BBC Sport website, app & mobile devices

England batsman Kevin Pietersen's chances of being fit to play in the third Ashes Test are "pretty good", according to captain Alastair Cook.

Pietersen has been a doubt for the Old Trafford match, which starts on Thursday, after suffering a calf strain in the second Test victory 10 days ago.

He was unable to field in Australia's second innings as England won at Lord's to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Cook said they would decide on Thursday morning whether Pietersen plays.

"He has come through training the last two days," said Cook. "He has worked incredibly hard with the medical team so fingers crossed."

But he added: "If it flares up during a match, then it leaves you disadvantaged. You're either injured or you are not.

"It is a difficult game to go into if you are not 100% fit."

James Taylor is in the squad as cover but the Nottinghamshire batsman may not be required as Pietersen trained on Wednesday with little indication his injured calf was hampering him.

Pietersen batted for 15 minutes as England's preparations mostly took place indoors because of the wet weather in Manchester.

The 33-year-old did venture outdoors briefly, for three 30-yard shuttle runs on a damp outfield, but quickly went back inside.

Pietersen returned to the England fold for the Ashes after a knee injury in the second Test against New Zealand in March ruled him out of action for three months.

Cook gave no indication as to whether 6ft 7in pace bowler Chris Tremlett would return to the team for the first time since England lost to Pakistan in Dubai in January 2012 following his call-up to the squad at the expense of Steve Finn.

"It's great for us as a squad that he is back," Cook added. "He has been unlucky with injuries since his last Test match.

"He has been working hard. It is great for competition for places."

England can retain the Ashes if they avoid defeat at Old Trafford, but Cook is refusing to get swept along with talk that a whitewash could be on the cards.

He said: "It's dangerous to start thinking of a 5-0. We are a very good side but we take games one step at a time."

The third Test will see Ashes cricket return to Old Trafford for the first time in eight years, with the redeveloped ground now holding 25,750 - second only to Lord's (30,000) in capacity among England's Test grounds.

"It's a good cricket wicket," Cook added. "Since the remodelling of the pitch [the square has been rotated through 90 degrees] it might have lost a little bit of that Old Trafford pace that used to be here.

"But it is a great place and with the new development it is looking very nice. We usually get the break of the ball here and hopefully that can help us again this week."

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Sreesanth charged in fixing scandal

30 July 2013 Last updated at 18:00 GMT Fast bowler S Sreesanth has represented India in many international matches Indian cricketer S Sreesanth has been charged with 38 other people over a spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the Indian Premier League.

Prosecutors brought charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against Sreesanth, two of his Rajasthan Royals team-mates, and other non-cricketers.

Spot-fixing involves players bowling wides and no-balls at certain times arranged beforehand with bookmakers.

Sreesanth and team-mates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan deny the charges.

They were arrested in May along with scores of bookmakers.

A separate spot-fixing investigation by cricket officials led to cricket chief N Srinivasan stepping aside last month pending the outcome of the probe.

He left his post as the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested for suspected spot-fixing.

He and his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise were exonerated by the inquiry, but the Bombay High Court has now ordered a "re-investigation".

Correspondents say the ruling could delay the return of Mr Srinivasan.

The scandal broke in May when Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila were arrested.

Sreesanth and Chavan were later freed on bail, but Chandila remains in jail.

The trio, all bowlers, were suspended by India's cricket board and the Rajasthan Royals.

The IPL is considered to be the world's showcase for Twenty20 cricket.

Top Indian and international players take part, contributing to what is the world's richest cricket tournament.

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Sussex finish bottom after Kent loss

Kent 117-2 (13.1 overs) beat Sussex 113 (20 overs) by eight wickets

Kent's eight-wicket victory at Hove condemned Sussex to bottom place in the FLt20 South Group.

Both sides went into the game unable to qualify for the knockout stages and Sussex were skittled out for 113.

Only three players, including Matt Machan (31), reached double figures for the hosts, while Mitch Claydon (3-22) took three wickets in the final over.

Matt Coles hit three sixes and three fours in his 40 off 23 balls as Kent won with 41 balls to spare on 117-2.

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Sri Lanka Seal Series Thanks To Spinners

Sri Lanka Seal Series Thanks To SpinnersTillakaratne Dilshan hit an unbeaten century to ensure Sri Lanka capitalised on their spinners' good work. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte. Picture Supplied by Action Images

Sri Lanka 239-2 (Dilshan 115no) beat
South Africa 238 (A Mendis 4-51) by 8 wickets
Fourth One-Day International, Pallekele
Scorecard

Sri Lanka eased to an eight-wicket victory over South Africa in the fourth One-Day International in Pallekele and so secured the series win with a match still to play.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara added 184 for the second-wicket as the home side cruised to their target of 239 in the 44th over. Dilshan notched up the 17th century of his ODI career off 119 balls, while Sangakkara departed shortly before the end for 91.

Robin Peterson was again a bit of a disappointment with the ball for the Proteas on a slow pitch in Pallekele. He returned figures of none for 46 from eight overs and was out-bowled by off-spinner JP Duminy (10-0-34-0). The seam-bowlers were arguably the most effective part of the bowling attack, with Rory Kleinveldt, playing in place of the injured Ryan McLaren, particularly parsimonious and conceding just 33 runs from eight overs.

Hashim Amla had earlier marked his return from a groin injury by hitting a fluent 77 off 71 balls and adding 101 with Duminy for the second-wicket. South Africa lost Quinton de Kock early to Lasith Malinga (3-52) after winning the toss, but Duminy and Amla gave them the upper hand during their stand which spanned just 115 balls.

However, Sri Lanka’s spinners made the going difficult and the visitors lost three wickets for one run two thirds of the way through their innings. Amla had been trapped leg-before by Dilshan, with AB de Villiers then falling to the same bowler, before a brief partnership between Duminy and Faf du Plessis.

Du Plessis, though, was removed by Rangana Herath to trigger the pivotal collapse. Ajantha Mendis then dispensed with David Miller and Farhaan Behardien on the way to figures of four for 51, while Malinga polished off the tail as South Africa were all out for 238.

© Cricket World 2013

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Taylor And Bird Enhance Test Claims

Taylor And Bird Enhance Test ClaimsJames Taylor enjoyed playing for his new county against the Australians on day two at Hove.

Australians 366-5d (Smith 102no) v
Sussex 228-5 (Hamilton-Brown 73)
Tour Match, Hove, day two

There were several men who, heading into this match, might have viewed it as something of an audition for the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford. James Taylor was aiming to secure his place as next in line of England’s batsmen, while Jackson Bird and Mitchell Starc were seemingly engaged in a bowl-off to find out who would replace the injured James Pattinson, and Nathan Lyon would have been hoping to pile pressure onto Ashton Agar.

All of them either greatly enhanced or pretty much laid to rest their hopes of starting in Manchester on Thursday. Taylor ensured that he will play if Kevin Pietersen fails to recover from his injury, while Jackson Bird leapt ahead of Starc in the pace-bowling race. Lyon and Agar, though, were both mauled by Rory Hamilton-Brown, who hit 73 off only 51 balls, with Lyon’s inferior batting ability surely seeing him continue to lose out to Agar at Old Trafford.

The day began with Steve Smith rubber-stamping his place as Australia’s number five. He brought up three figures in the third over of the day, at which point the Australians declared on 366 for five.

Bird and Starc were then given the new ball and proceeded to deliver opening spells that were entirely different in nature but remarkably similar in result. Both bowled seven overs, with Starc taking one for 16 and Bird two for 16.

That didn’t tell the whole story, however, as Bird was far more threatening and found more movement, while Starc was relatively inaccurate and lucky to benefit from a top-edged hook shot by Michael Yardy. Bird, meanwhile, earnt both of his wickets. He clean-bowled talented Sussex opener Luke Wells for four and then tormented his opening partner Chris Nash before having him caught behind for 27.

That made it 33 for three, but Hamilton-Brown rather changed the complexion of the day by taking a liking to Lyon and Agar. The pair would repeatedly be hit to the boundary and conceded 113 runs from 26 overs for Agar’s sole success, when he finally had Hamilton-Brown caught behind.

A rain delay followed Hamilton-Brown’s departure, with Taylor unbeaten at the crease and joined by Scotland all-rounder Matt Machan. Both were fortunate to still be there, with the former having been dropped by Smith at second slip on 23 and the latter having benefited from a fumble by Matthew Wade when he had yet to score.

The rain relented to allow time for some more play in the evening before arriving once again at around 5.30 pm to bring an early close. Taylor is unbeaten on 64 off 146 balls and has looked fairly assured throughout his innings, surely having done all that was asked of him by the England selectors. He is partnered by Chris Jordan on 23, with Machan having been caught off James Faulkner for 16.

© Cricket World 2013

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Thailand Win Completes Play-Off Picture

Thailand Win Completes Play-Off PictureMonali Patel led Canada's run chase but her dismissal, pictured here, helped Thailand get back into the game

Thailand beat Canada by 13 runs in their ICC Women's World T20 Qualifying Event Shield semi-final to make it to the final, where they will play Zimbabwe.

The match was extended into a second day after Thailand's innings of 92 for six in 18 overs was as far as the match advanced before heavy rain caused an abandonment.

Canada then reached 79 for eight in reply despite Monali Patel cracking a quickfire 20 at the top of the order.

Wickets from Thailand slowed their progress, Nattaya Boochatham taking two for 11 to finish as the pick of the bowlers.

As Thailand prepare to line up against Zimbabwe with a fifth-place finish as their target, Canada will meet Japan in a match-up to avoid finishing in last place.

Meanwhile, Pakistan play Sri Lanka in the final and the one remaining qualifying place for the ICC Women's World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in 2014 will go to either Ireland or Netherlands, who meet in the third/fourth place play-off.

© Cricket World 2013

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Tremlett And Panesar Earn Ashes Recalls

Tremlett And Panesar Earn Ashes RecallsChris Tremlett will be hoping to play his first Test of 2013 at Old Trafford.

As expected, England have named both James Taylor and Kevin Pietersen in an enlarged 14-man squad for Thursday’s third Ashes Test at Old Trafford, with the latter hoping to recover from a calf strain in time to take his place in the eleven.

Elsewhere, in a slightly more surprising move, both Graham Onions and Steven Finn have been dropped, with Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar taking their places. Tremlett has been battling to regain full fitness for much of the season and trained with England during the Lord’s Test, obviously impressing them. Panesar, meanwhile, will provide an extra spin option should the pitch in Manchester look like taking turn. However, with Root’s off-spin, it seems very unlikely that he will make the final eleven.

National selector, Geoff Miller, said: “The players worked hard at Trent Bridge and Lord’s to get into a very good position in this Investec Ashes Series but will be fully aware that there is still a great deal of cricket left in the series. The players have had some time this week to recover following back to back Tests and an opportunity to work on aspects of their game and they will arrive in Manchester determined to build on their performances over the last two Tests.

“Kevin Pietersen is continuing his recovery from a calf strain and he will be assessed by the medical team closer to the start of the Test and we have therefore included an extra batsman in James Taylor who has been in good form for Nottinghamshire this season. Chris Tremlett has worked hard to regain fitness and form following a couple of injuries and his performances for Surrey this season have been very encouraging. Including an additional spinner in Monty Panesar who has plenty of international experience provides Alastair Cook and Andy Flower with a number of options.”

England Test squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar.

© Cricket World 2013

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Tremlett And Panesar Earn Ashes Recalls

Tremlett And Panesar Earn Ashes RecallsChris Tremlett will be hoping to play his first Test of 2013 at Old Trafford.

As expected, England have named both James Taylor and Kevin Pietersen in an enlarged 14-man squad for Thursday’s third Ashes Test at Old Trafford, with the latter hoping to recover from a calf strain in time to take his place in the eleven.

Elsewhere, in a slightly more surprising move, both Graham Onions and Steven Finn have been dropped, with Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar taking their places. Tremlett has been battling to regain full fitness for much of the season and trained with England during the Lord’s Test, obviously impressing them. Panesar, meanwhile, will provide an extra spin option should the pitch in Manchester look like taking turn. However, with Root’s off-spin, it seems very unlikely that he will make the final eleven.

National selector, Geoff Miller, said: “The players worked hard at Trent Bridge and Lord’s to get into a very good position in this Investec Ashes Series but will be fully aware that there is still a great deal of cricket left in the series. The players have had some time this week to recover following back to back Tests and an opportunity to work on aspects of their game and they will arrive in Manchester determined to build on their performances over the last two Tests.

“Kevin Pietersen is continuing his recovery from a calf strain and he will be assessed by the medical team closer to the start of the Test and we have therefore included an extra batsman in James Taylor who has been in good form for Nottinghamshire this season. Chris Tremlett has worked hard to regain fitness and form following a couple of injuries and his performances for Surrey this season have been very encouraging. Including an additional spinner in Monty Panesar who has plenty of international experience provides Alastair Cook and Andy Flower with a number of options.”

England Test squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar.

© Cricket World 2013

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Tsotsobe, Behardien Bowl Proteas To Victory

Tsotsobe, Behardien Bowl Proteas To VictoryRyan McLaren, Robin Peterson and JP Duminy all took wickets during South Africa's win

South Africa 223-7 (Miller 85no) beat
Sri Lanka 167 (T Perera 65) by 56 runs
Third One-Day International, Pallekele
Scorecard

Seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe and leg-spinner Farhaan Behardien shared seven wickets as South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 56 runs in the third One-Day International in Pallekele.

The pair combined to dismiss Sri Lanka for 167 after a brilliant late charge of 85 not out in 72 balls from David MIller had hauled South Africa up to a score of 223 for seven.

Tsotsobe almost ended up as the villain of the piece when he dropped big-hitting Thisara Perera (65 in 49 balls) late in Sri Lanka's innings but his fumble did not prove to be a costly one.

South Africa's first win in the series pegs Sri Lanka's lead at 2-1 with two games remaining.

Both innings plotted similar courses - not many runs early on as the bowlers got on top before a reliance on the middle and lower order to get out of trouble.

South Africa managed it more effectively, with Ab de Villiers making 47 in 72 balls and Miller smacking four fours and five sixes, lifting the visitors from a precarious 148 for six to their finishing score.

Ajantha Mendis picked up three for 35 and Perera two for 51 only to look on helplessly as Sri Lanka's top order was swiftly despatched by left-arm quick Tsotsobe.

Upul Tharanga (5), Tillakaratne Dilshan (6) and Kumar Sangakkara (0) were all caught out and Tsotsobe's fourth wicket came when Angelo Mathews was caught behind for 14.

Mahela Jayawardene, with 24, and Dinesh Chandimal, with 29, worked hard to rebuild the innings and put on 55 for the fourth wicket but a double-strike from South Africa as Peterson bowled Jayawardene and Ryan McLaren had Chandimal caught by Quinton de Kock reduced the home side to 78 for five.

When Angelo Perera made just one before becoming Behardien's first victim, it was 81 for six and Mathews' departure left the scoreboard reading a desperate 93 for seven.

Thisara Perera had little to lose but he showed how quick runs could be scored and he must have induced a few jitters among the South Africans until he was caught by Faf du Plessis off Behardien having put on 72 runs with Rangana Herath (12 not out) for the eighth wicket.

The end, as it so often does in such matches, came quickluy as Behardien bowled Lasith Malinga first ball and JP Duminy had Mendis caught by Tsotsobe without scoring.

The fourth game in the series, also in Pallekele, is on 28th July.

© Cricket World 2013

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Video - Anderson 'Excited' About Third Test

England fast bowler James Anderson says he is 'excited' about the prospect of playing the third Ashes Test at his home ground of Old Trafford.

It will be his first Ashes Test at Old Trafford and he recalls watching in 2005 when a tight match was eventually drawn.

With England 2-0, he also stresses that the team are trying to maintain their focus and not get too ahead of themselves amid some talk of potential 5-0 scorelines.

He adds that young players including Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, who are new to the team, are thriving on the atmosphere generated by the 2013 Ashes series.

Video courtesy of SNTV

© Cricket World 2013

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Video - Boycott On Helmets And Batting

Geoffrey Boycott talks about the difference between batting during his career without protective clothing such as helmets and the modern game.

This is a clip taken from 'An Evening With Boycott & Aggers' in Nottingham, one of four shows where the pair are celebrating the Ashes with their memories, stories and interviewing guests including Jeff Thomson - who was at Nottingham.

The remaining two shows are in Manchester on 31st August and Newcastle on 7th September. For your chance to win tickets to the Newcastle show, click here and there is still time to take advantage of a special offer for cricket clubs.

Buy 10+ tickets and get one free
Buy 15+ tickets and get two free

To redeem this offer, please call The Bridgewater Hall Box Office on 0844 907 9000.

© Cricket World 2013

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Video - Jeff Thomson Recalls Ashes Battles

Watch as former Australian international fast bowler Jeff Thomson recalls a spell of quick bowling during an Ashes match in which he came up against Dennis Amiss.

Even Amiss, one of England's finest batsmen at the time, had to work hard to get runs off Thomson in his pomp.

This clip comes from 'An Evening With Boycott & Aggers' in Nottingham, one of four shows where the pair are celebrating the Ashes with their memories, stories and interviewing guests and fellow ex-players.

You can still see the shows, either in Manchester on 31st August and Newcastle on 7th September. For your chance to win tickets to the Newcastle show, click here and there is still time to take advantage of a special offer for cricket clubs.

Buy 10+ tickets and get one free
Buy 15+ tickets and get two free

To redeem this offer, please call The Bridgewater Hall Box Office on 0844 907 9000.

© Cricket World 2013

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Pakistan And Sri Lanka Qualify For Women's World T20

Pakistan And Sri Lanka Qualify For Women's World T20Sadia Yousuf was named player of the match for her haul of four for nine against Ireland.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified for next year’s ICC Women’s World T20 as they recorded comfortable wins over hosts Ireland and the Netherlands in Dublin. Zimbabwe also won and will contest the plate final on Wednesday against either Thailand or Canada, whose match was forced into a reserve day by rain. The crucial third place play-off to decide the final qualifier will also take place on Wednesday.

Pakistan were the first of the sides on show in the ICC Women’s World T20 qualifier to book their place in the 2014 edition of the main tournament in Bangladesh. They comfortably beat hosts Ireland to progress to Wednesday’s final. Only Kim Garth of the Irish batters reached double figures in what was a thoroughly disappointing batting performance. She made an unbeaten 38 from number three but Ireland were all our for just 65. Sadia Yousuf was the pick of the Pakistan attack with four for nine from her four overs.

Garth was then the only Ireland player to strike with the ball, removing Nahida Khan for 13 in the seventh over, as Pakistan got home in the 15th over to win by nine wickets. Javeria Khan finished not out on 34 off 39 balls, with Nain Abidi on 16 off 28.

Sri Lanka had to contend with the rain that arrived in Dublin in the afternoon, but they still made it through to join Pakistan by beating the Netherlands by 33 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method. Deepiak Rasangika made 47 off 50 balls and added 52 with Yasoda Mendis (26 off 22 balls) for the second-wicket. Eshani Kaushalya then added some late impetus by ending not out on 33 off only 16 balls as Sri Lanka ended on 157 for six from 19 overs.

The Dutch were then set an imposing 85 in nine overs to win. They began promisingly thanks to openers Miranda Veringmeier (14 off 15) and Helmien Rambaldo (22 off 24) and reached 39 for one in the sixth over. However, the spiralling required run rate got the better of the new batters and they finished well short on 51 for four. Sandamali Dolawatte, Shashikala Siriwardene and Chandima Gunaratne each picked up a wicket for Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe made it back-to-back wins in the competition by defeating Japan in a low-scoring game to progress to the plate final. Sharyce Saili took three for 15 from her four overs, while there were wickets also for Tasmeen Granger (1-14), Precious Marange (1-10), Josephine Nkomo (2-9) and Christabel Chatonzwa (1-4) as no Japanese batter made double figures. Extras were the comfortable top-scorers with 21. Zimbabwe then also struggled with the bat and limped to their target to win by three wickets. Opener Loren Tshuma made 12, while Marange hit 13 from number eight. They had found themselves 30 for six at one point as Mai Yanagida took four for five from her four overs.

Thailand and Canada will have to return tomorrow to find the identity of Zimbabwe’s plate final opponent after their match was interrupted by rain at the halfway point. Canada will require 93 to win from 18 overs when the match resumes at 0900 GMT in the morning. Thailand made 92 for six from their 18 as Chanida Sutthiruang top-scored with an undefeated 17-ball 23 and four other batters reached double figures. Monali Patel was the pick of the Canadian attack with two for 23 from four overs.

© Cricket World 2013

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Pakistan Win Last-Ball Thriller In St Vincent

Pakistan Win Last-Ball Thriller In St VincentZulfiqar Babar celebrates one of his three wickets with captain Mohammad Hafeez and team-mates.

Pakistan 158-8 (Amin 47, Afridi 46) beat
West Indies 152-7 (Babar 3-23) by 2 wickets
First Twenty20 International, St Vincent
Scorecard

Debutant left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar was Pakistan’s unlikely batting star as they triumphed over the West Indies from the final ball of the opening T20 International at the picturesque Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent.

With six needed from the final over and only the weak Pakistan tail for company following a moment of madness from Shahid Afridi, Babar hit the first ball for four, before struggling and then, with one needed, launching a Marlon Samuels full toss over his head for six.

It would be unfair to criticise Afridi, however, for one ill-judged shot that ended his innings when on 46 off 27 balls. Up until that point, he had been remarkably restrained in his strokeplay and helped Pakistan recover from the loss of Umar Amin that had left them 86 for five.

Amin himself, also on debut, had helped the tourists recover from the loss of both openers, Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad, within the first two overs. He displayed maturity and top-scored with 47 off only 34 balls as the West Indian spinners proved less effective than their Pakistani counterparts on a St Vincent pitch that offered appreciable turn throughout.

For the West Indies, it had been a case of if you bowl seam we’ll hit you, if you bowl spin we’ll struggle. Six overs of seam - three each from Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan - yielded 73 runs, while the other 14 overs, all bowled by spinners, returned figures of five for 74. All of which made the decision by Pakistan captain and off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez (2-4) to give himself just two overs all the more mystifying.

Babar, Pakistan’s second oldest ever debutant at 34 years of age, took three for 23 from his four overs and helped reduce the home side to 42 for four. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, though, began the recovery with a stand of 56, before Darren Sammy teamed up with Pollard to give the innings some much-needed runs and momentum. The pair added 54 runs from the final four overs, with Sammy hitting three sixes and ending on 30 off 14 balls and Pollard on 49 off 36.

The second and final match in the series is tomorrow, also in St Vincent.

© Cricket World 2013

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Cricket spectators ejected for bookmaker links during Worcestershire Friends Life t20 game

It is understood that those ejected were overheard commentating on mobile phones on the match, which was being televised by Sky, and exploiting the time delay between live action and television broadcast in India to manipulate the illegal betting market on the sub-continent.

The England and Wales Cricket Board’s team of anti-corruption officers, all of them former police officers, have been particularly vigilant this season and have already ejected suspected ‘court siders’ from more than a dozen county grounds.

The ECB has drawn up a blacklist of those ejected from grounds to make identification easier for their anti-corruption officers, but some of those removed from one ground are known to have re-appeared at another venue.

The latest ejections, for breaching ECB and ground regulations rather committing a criminal offence, come at a time when more matches are being investigated by cricket’s anti-corruption officials.

The ECB’s anti-corruption unit has confirmed that Sussex’s CB40 match against Kent in August 2011 remains a live investigation while the recent one-day series between West Indies and Pakistan in the Caribbean is also understood to be under scrutiny from the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit.

The ICC originally investigated the Sussex v Kent match for claims that the match was fixed in favour of a Kent win because the ECB did not then have its own anti-corruption team.

The ECB unit, which was established in late 2011, took over the investigation and has continued to probe claims that some Sussex players were approached by bookmakers with a view to fixing the result.

Sussex confirmed in a statement last November that approaches were made to their players but they declined to comment furtheron Sunday night.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said that it was “obviously extremely concerned” at the recent allegations. In a statement the organisation said: “The PCB maintains zero tolerance towards corruption but investigations in this matter falls within the purview of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit.”

The ICC are likely to request information from legitimate bookmakers to establish whether the series was subject to unusual betting patterns.

Identifying suspicious betting patterns is only the start, but establishing a direct link between bookmakers and players has proved more difficult for cricket’s anti-corruption officials.

Last year Essex pace bowler Mervyn Westfield became the first English player to be convicted of spot-fixing when he was jailed for four months for accepting £6,000 to under-perform in a one day match at Durham in 2009.

Westfield was arrested after he showed his then county team-mate Tony Palladino the money and Palladino reported him to Essex.

Westfield has been banned from county cricket for five years but he will be permitted to play club cricket again from April 1 next year provided he helps the Professional Cricketers’ Association in its extensive anti-corruption education programme.

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ICC proves it still cannot organise a World Cup with marathon schedule for 2015 tournament

Has the International Cricket Council learnt from this experience? No. The next World Cup in 2015 is going to be precisely the opposite: long and blunt, 49 matches spread over 44 days, and no game will really matter until the quarter-finals.

Exactly the same as last time, in other words. Pfaffing around south Asia in 2011 for more than a month of qualifying matches produced the most stunning results in the history of international sport.

Yes, South Africa, India, England, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand proved to be better at cricket than Zimbabwe, Kenya, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ireland and Holland.

Was not that a turn up for the books? Who could have dreamed that the quarter-finalists would be those first eight teams? It is just as well that we will have to go through the same process all over again in 2015, in 14 cities spread across Australia and New Zealand.

If there is one thing to be said for the format of the last World Cup and the next one, it is that it has to be better than the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, which put in a powerful bid to be remembered as the worst-organised cricket tournament ever.

That was the one where India and Pakistan were both knocked out in the first week, to be replaced in the Super Eight stage by Bangladesh and Ireland, and West Indian fans ignored the event.

The format was drawn up by a group of people, gathered by the ICC’s chief executive Malcolm Speed, none of whom had ever played a first-class game of cricket.

So they were not unlucky when India were knocked out by Bangladesh in the first week: anyone who had played cricket could have told them that India, then, were slow starters, and the qualifying stage had to be arranged differently.

After the 2011 World Cup, in response to complaints about long-windedness, the ICC’s executive board announced the number of countries in 2015 would be reduced from 14 to 10, then abruptly reverted to 14.

They decided World Cups have to include at least four associate members: which can be done, only the two group stages should culminate in semi-finals, not quarter-finals, giving the qualifying stage an importance it now lacks.

So book your holidays now for February 2015 and make sure you do not miss epic qualifying clashes like England v Kenya or Namibia v India.

The ICC can get a good price out of broadcasters for a World Cup. It still does not know how to organise one.

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Pakistan Wrap Up T20 Series

Umar Akmal drives during his important knock of 46.

Pakistan 135-7 (Akmal 46no) beat
West Indies 124-9 (Tanvir 2-20) by 11 runs
Second Twenty20 International, St Vincent
Scorecard

Pakistan completed a series victory over the West Indies with a comfortable win in the second T20 International in St Vincent. The result means that they move up to second in the ICC T20 Rankings behind Sri Lanka, while world champions West Indies slip below India into fourth.

The home side never recovered from an appalling start to their run chase after restricting Pakistan to 135 for seven after they had elected to bat. They hit just one boundary in their first nine overs and found themselves 17 for four after eight as they struggled to get the Pakistani spinners off the square. Mohammad Hafeez delivered four overs of off-spin at a cost of only nine runs and picked up the wicket of Chris Gayle. Sohail Tanvir also bowled well, maintaining a wicket-to-wicket line with his left-arm medium-pace.

Dwayne Bravo and the surprisingly promoted Sunil Narine just about got the West Indies back into the match with a fifth-wicket stand of 47. Narine benefited from a couple of useful edges and clubbed a six over mid-wicket to make 28 off 16 balls, while Bravo favoured his usual area of wide long-off.

Kieron Pollard then came in following Narine’s departure to Saeed Ajmal (2-21) and clubbed 23 off 10 balls. However, he and Bravo fell in successive deliveries at the end of the 17th over and the game was as good as over. Zulfiqar Babar picked up both of them and ended with two for 37.

After that, it was just a case of the hosts minimising their margin of defeat and Tino Best helped their cause by hitting a brace of sixes as they ended on 124 for nine.

Pakistan had earlier found scoring difficult more or less from the outset in their innings. Ahmed Shehzad made 44 but it took 46 balls as Samuel Badree proved almost impossible to get away, returning figures of two for 16 from his four overs of leg-spin. Narine was also his usual threatening self and contributed three for 26 to the cause. Umar Akmal was the only batsman apparently able to cope and kept his side alive with a knock of 46 not out off 36 balls.

Pakistan will be pleased with their mini-tour of the Caribbean, having now added a 2-0 clean-sweep of the T20s to a 3-2 win in the ODI series.

© Cricket World 2013

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Preview - ICC Women's World T20 Qualifier Finals Day

Classification matches are often low-key affairs with little but pride at stake. Wednesday’s ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier third-fourth place playoff between hosts Ireland and Netherlands can certainly not be categorised in that bracket.

The ICC's well-received decision to expand next year’s tournament to 10 teams means that the winners of tomorrow's clash will qualify along with finalists Pakistan and Sri Lanka who will do battle in the Trophy final with their fate already sealed.

Despite its inferior status, all eyes and attention will be on the day's second game at the YMCA Cricket Ground in leafy Sandymount ahead of the so-called showpiece final as the two Associate nations attempt to reach their first Twenty20 World Cup.

It's an opportunity which both Ireland and Netherlands have been waiting to grasp for a long time. Neither have qualified for an ICC event since 2005 and both will be eager to highlight the progress they've made in the last decade by booking their place in next year’s big-hitting edition in Bangladesh.

Although Ireland suffered another heavy defeat on Monday, their seventh in the space of a month, they will go into the winner-takes-all clash as favourites taking into consideration their familiarity with the ground and the fact they’ve only lost to the Dutch once in the last 10 meetings between the sides.

Ireland comfortably overcame the challenge of both Japan and Canada to advance to the semi-finals but struggled against superior opposition in their last two games, with their batting frailties ruthlessly exposed by Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Jeremy Bray’s side rely heavily on opener Clare Shillington to build an innings around and as the tournament has progressed, the top order including captain Isobel Joyce has failed to fire and therefore exposing the inexperienced middle order.

It’s a weakness which the Dutch will look to take advantage of in conditions which are likely to suit bowling with overcast and showery weather forecasted for Dublin.

Holland scraped through to the semi-finals on net run-rate despite two defeats in the group stages. They managed to narrowly defeat Zimbabwe in a low-scoring encounter by three runs before suffering a shock loss to Thailand in their second game and a comprehensive defeat to Pakistan.

They may have a dismal recent record against Wednesday’s opponents but all form and history goes out of the window in a game of this significance.  

Speaking ahead of the game, Irish coach Bray said he was confident his side can book their place in Bangladesh.

"I think realistically we were always thinking that the third and fourth placed play-off would be between us and the Netherlands so I think we’ve got to still be upbeat, definitely,” said the former opening batsman.

"The last couple of years we’ve been a good bit better than Holland, but in saying that, in T20 cricket anything can happen and the Dutch have some good players as well.

"We have to be on top of our games, like we have been all tournament with the ball and in the field. It’s just our batting that hasn’t been skilful enough and hopefully come the Netherlands game girls can stand up and make a big total for our bowlers to bowl at," he told the Irish Times.

Meanwhile, Netherlands captain Denise Hannema was in positive mood ahead of the game, saying, "We were disappointed by Monday’s result, but we can take some positives out of the performance and bring that back on Wednesday, especially our positive batting. We can definitely sharpen our fielding up ahead of the next game and we are looking forward to it."

Before the third and fourth placed play-off is the small matter of the tournament final which sees top seeds Pakistan and Sri Lanka do battle for the silverware and bragging rights. As already covered, both sides are already guaranteed a place in the World Cup after near perfect campaigns to date.

Captain of Sri Lanka, Shashikala Siriwardene, was delighted to have qualified for Bangladesh in 2014 and is looking forward to Wednesday’s game with their Asian counterparts.

"We were very disappointed with our performance in the last ICC World Twenty20, so am delighted we have now qualified as well with it being in the Asian region. Looking ahead to the Trophy Final, we have played Pakistan quite a lot, so it will be a difficult match, but one we hope to win."

Also on Wednesday, Zimbabwe take on Thailand in the Shield Final at Merrion CCC while Japan and Canada face each other in the third/fourth place playoff in that same competition.

© Cricket World 2013

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Icc World Cup Schedule

Icc World Cup	2015
Cricket World Cup 2015 Schedule or Fixtures of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and Time Table		Cricket News

DATE AND TIME	MATCH	MATCH PREVIEW
Sat Feb 14	1st Match, Pool A – New Zealand v Sri Lanka Hagley Oval, Christchurch	N/A
Sat Feb 14	2nd Match, Pool A – Australia v England Melbourne Cricket Ground	N/A
Sun Feb 15	3rd Match, Pool B – South Africa v Zimbabwe Seddon Park, Hamilton	N/A
Sun Feb 15	4th Match, Pool B – India v Pakistan Adelaide Oval	N/A
Mon Feb 16	5th Match, Pool B – Ireland v West Indies Saxton Oval, Nelson	N/A
Tue Feb 17	6th Match, Pool A – New Zealand v TBC University Oval, Dunedin	N/A
Wed Feb 18	7th Match, Pool A – Bangladesh v TBC Manuka Oval, Canberra	N/A
Thu Feb 19	8th Match, Pool B – Zimbabwe v TBC Saxton Oval, Nelson	N/A
Fri Feb 20	9th Match, Pool A – New Zealand v England Westpac Stadium, Wellington	N/A
Sat Feb 21	10th Match, Pool B – Pakistan v West Indies Hagley Oval, Christchurch	N/A
Sat Feb 21	11th Match, Pool A – Australia v Bangladesh Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane	N/A
Sun Feb 22	12th Match, Pool A – Sri Lanka v TBC University Oval, Dunedin	N/A
Sun Feb 22	13th Match, Pool B – India v South Africa Melbourne Cricket Ground	N/A
Mon Feb 23	14th Match, Pool A – England v TBC Hagley Oval, Christchurch	N/A
Tue Feb 24	15th Match, Pool B – West Indies v Zimbabwe Manuka Oval, Canberra	N/A
Wed Feb 25	16th Match, Pool B – Ireland v TBC Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane	N/A
Thu Feb 26	17th Match, Pool A – TBC v TBC University Oval, Dunedin	N/A
Thu Feb 26	18th Match, Pool A – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka Melbourne Cricket Ground	N/A
Fri Feb 27	19th Match, Pool B – South Africa v West Indies Sydney Cricket Ground	N/A
Sat Feb 28	21st Match, Pool A – New Zealand v Australia Eden Park, Auckland	N/A
Sat Feb 28	20th Match, Pool B – India v TBC Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	N/A
Sun Mar 1	22nd Match, Pool A – England v Sri Lanka Westpac Stadium, Wellington	N/A
Sun Mar 1	23rd Match, Pool B – Pakistan v Zimbabwe Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane	N/A
Tue Mar 3	24th Match, Pool B – Ireland v South Africa Manuka Oval, Canberra	N/A
Wed Mar 4	25th Match, Pool B – Pakistan v TBC McLean Park, Napier	N/A
Wed Mar 4	26th Match, Pool A – Australia v TBC Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	N/A
Thu Mar 5	27th Match, Pool A – Bangladesh v TBC Saxton Oval, Nelson	N/A
Fri Mar 6	28th Match, Pool B – India v West Indies Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	N/A
Sat Mar 7	29th Match, Pool B – Pakistan v South Africa Eden Park, Auckland	N/A
Sat Mar 7	30th Match, Pool B – Ireland v Zimbabwe Bellerive Oval, Hobart	N/A
Sun Mar 8	31st Match, Pool A – New Zealand v TBC McLean Park, Napier	N/A
Sun Mar 8	32nd Match, Pool A – Australia v Sri Lanka Sydney Cricket Ground	N/A
Mon Mar 9	33rd Match, Pool A – England v Bangladesh Adelaide Oval	N/A
Tue Mar 10	34th Match, Pool B – India v Ireland Seddon Park, Hamilton	N/A
Wed Mar 11	35th Match, Pool A – Sri Lanka v TBC Bellerive Oval, Hobart	N/A
Thu Mar 12	36th Match, Pool B – South Africa v TBC Westpac Stadium, Wellington	N/A
Fri Mar 13	37th Match, Pool A – New Zealand v Bangladesh Seddon Park, Hamilton	N/A
Fri Mar 13	38th Match, Pool A – England v TBC Sydney Cricket Ground	N/A
Sat Mar 14	39th Match, Pool B – India v Zimbabwe Eden Park, Auckland	N/A
Sat Mar 14	40th Match, Pool A – Australia v TBC Bellerive Oval, Hobart	N/A
Sun Mar 15	41st Match, Pool B – West Indies v TBC McLean Park, Napier	N/A
Sun Mar 15	42nd Match, Pool B – Ireland v Pakistan Adelaide Oval	N/A
Wed Mar 18	1st Quarter-Final – TBC v TBC (A1 v B4) Sydney Cricket Ground	N/A
Thu Mar 19	2nd Quarter-Final – TBC v TBC (A2 v B3) Melbourne Cricket Ground	N/A
Fri Mar 20	3rd Quarter-Final – TBC v TBC (A3 v B2) Adelaide Oval	N/A
Sat Mar 21	4th Quarter-Final – TBC v TBC (A4 v B1) Westpac Stadium, Wellington	N/A
Tue Mar 24	1st Semi-Final – TBC v TBC Eden Park, Auckland	N/A
Thu Mar 26	2nd Semi-Final – TBC v TBC Sydney Cricket Ground	N/A
Sun Mar 29	Final – TBC v TBC Melbourne Cricket Ground	N/A