All posts by h716a5.icu

New South Wales lost Ryan Carters in the closing minutes of play to find themselves in a precarious position against Victoria entering the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2014
ScorecardPeter Handscomb and Dan Christian stretched Victoria’s lead with a 206-run stand•Getty ImagesNew South Wales lost Ryan Carters in the closing minutes of play to find themselves in a precarious position against Victoria entering the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.Carters was well set on 58 but fended a bouncer from Marcus Stoinis to gully to leave the Blues two wickets down and still needing 35 runs to make the Bushrangers bat again.The majority of the day was dominated by Peter Handscomb and Dan Christian, who put together a free-spirited, sixth-wicket partnership of 206 to stretch Victoria’s lead over an inexperienced Blues XI.They took particularly heavy toll on the untested spin duo of Patrick Jackson and Will Somerville, who returned combined figures of 0 for 195 from 38 overs. The Bushrangers’ legspinner Fawad Ahmed will hope for better on day four.

Cardiff will host the opening Investec Ashes Test Match next summer, reviving memories of the ground’s inaugural Test in 2009 when England’s last pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar clung on for a famous draw

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2014Cardiff will host the opening Investec Ashes Test Match next summer, reviving memories of the ground’s inaugural Test in 2009 when England’s last pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar clung on for a famous draw on the final day of a nervewracking Ashes encounter.The chance to launch the series is another fillip for Cardiff, which has had mixed results with weather and attendance levels since financial support from the Welsh Assembly raised its profile as an international venue.The city is also in contention with London and Singapore as a potential headquarters of the ICC in succession to Dubai.The commitment to award Cardiff an Ashes was made three years ago, since when the ground’s ability to implant itself as a major international venue for cricket has had a mixed reception. The city was also chosen as one of the three venues for last year’s Champions Trophy.Lord’s, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and The Oval will also stage Tests as England attempt to recover from their 5-0 mauling in Australia last winter and regain the Ashes urn. That would demand that they won a fourth successive home Ashes series following their previous triumphs in 2005, 2009 and 2013.Confirmation of the schedule is again a sharp reminder for some of what is perceived as a creeping north-south divide in English cricket. An Ashes Test is the premier attraction in English cricket, but there are no Ashes Tests for Old Trafford, Headingley, or Chester-Le-Street – even though the first two grounds are replete in history and expensively upgraded.The ECB disputes such a notion, stating that Chester-le-Street and Old Trafford both gained Ashes tests in 2013. “Over a long-term cycle, ECB is committed to ensuring an even spread across the nation,” an ECB spokesman said.Headingley, which is the only venue where Australia have beaten England in the past two tours, does not appear by mutual consent because Yorkshire, heavily in debt, dare not risk the financial outlay. Old Trafford chose 2013 above 2015 when presented with the choice, but it will feel its absence heavily. The city is on the up, the ground transformed, but the Australians elsewhere.After the Ashes, England and Australia will meet in a NatWest T20 in Cardiff before five 50-over matches at the The Ageas Bowl, Lord’s, Emirates Old Trafford and Headingley hosting matches in the Royal London one-day series.New Zealand’s tour of England will begin in May with tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire before the two countries meet in Tests at Lords and Headingley. ODIs are scheduled for Edgbaston, The Oval, The Ageas Bowl, Trent Bridge and Chester-le-Street. Old Trafford hosts a T20.New Zealand itinerary: May 8-11: Somerset, 4 days, Taunton; May 14-17: Worcestershire, 4 days, New Road; May 21-25: 1st Test, Lord’s; May 29-June 2: 2nd Test, Headingley; June 6: Leicestershire, 50 overs, Grace Road; June 9: Royal London ODI (D/N), Edgbaston; June 12: ODI (D/N), Kia Oval; June 14: ODI, Ageas Bowl; June 17: ODI (D/N), Trent Bridge; June 20: ODI, Chester-le-Street; June 23: NatWest T20I (F), Old Trafford.Australia itinerary: June 25-28, Kent, 4 days, Canterbury; July 1-4, Essex, 4 days, Chelmsford; July 8-12: Test, Swalec Stadium, Cardiff; July 16-20: 2nd Test, Lord’s; July 23-25: Derbyshire, 3 days, Derby; July 29-Aug 2, 3rd Test, Edgbaston; Aug 6-10: 4th Test, Trent Bridge; Aug 14-16: Northants, 3 days, Northampton; Aug 20-24, 5th Test, The Oval: Northants, Northampton; Aug 27: Ireland, ODI, TBC; Aug 31: NatWest T20I, Swalec, Cardiff; Sep 3: Royal London ODI, Ageas Bowl; Sep 5: ODI, Lord’s; Sep 8: ODI, Old Trafford; Sep 11: ODI, Headingley; Sep 13: ODI, Emirates Old Trafford.

Evin Lewis, the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel opener, has hopes that his performances in CPL 2014 will help him make a case for his selection in the West Indies side

Renaldo Matadeen28-Jul-2014Evin Lewis, the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel opener, has hopes that his performances in CPL 2014 will help him make a case for his selection in the West Indies side. With West Indies scheduled to play Bangladesh, India and South Africa in the coming months, Lewis has stated he wants to display his talent on the international stage. The left-handed batsman has scored 192 runs in four games with two fifties in CPL 2014 and hit his second successive fifty in the game against St Lucia Zouks.”I definitely have West Indies aspirations. Always had,” Lewis said. “That never changed. Luckily for me, the last couple games, the bowlers have been putting it [the ball] in my scoring spots so that’s made it easier for me but I just want to keep going out there and keep doing my best. Yesterday we batted first and today we chased, so when we bat doesn’t matter because I just want to go out there and keep giving it my best. Not just for T20s but also hopefully, in Tests.”Lewis was also impressive in the Champions League T20 last year, where he topped scoring charts for with 211 runs at 42.20. Dwayne Bravo, the Red Steel captain, also backed the opener: “Evin came out today and played a big knock. We know he can hit the ball and he’s shown that at the [Queen’s Park] Oval time and time again.”Lewis’ 77 against the Zouks on Sunday and his 129-run opening partnership with Kevin O’Brien set up Red Steel’s nine-wicket win and helped them open up a two-point lead at the top of the table. While Bravo commended O’Brien’s good run of form, he also praised legspinner Samuel Badree, who took two wickets and held on to catches in the field.”Kevin continued to show his form with the bat and Badree stepped up not only with the ball but in the field as well taking a couple catches,” Bravo said. “We were great and had an all-round day so it’s up to us to keep that momentum going.”Darren Sammy, the Zouks captain, bemoaned his team’s lack of consistency following their fourth consecutive loss.”I think the other teams’ advantage is that they have several players stepping up. With us, it’s just Sohail Tanvir, who’s performing well with the bat and the ball,” Sammy said. “We’re too inconsistent. Hopefully, when we take the field in the next few games at home, we can turn things around.”According to Sammy, Brad Hodge’s withdrawal due to injury and Kevin Pietersen’s delayed arrival had affected the team but the allrounder was hopeful of a turnaround in form over the next three games, which are scheduled to be held in St Lucia.”Brad was integral to our plans and it was a blow when he went down. With the team remaining, I don’t think it’s a matter of talent but it’s just getting it to click on the field,” Sammy said. “We need to get a win and I think St. Lucia is where we’ll turn it around. KP should be in by then so I think we’ll be stronger and we’ll give the crowd what they want.”

Quinton de Kock and David Miller have been awarded national contracts by Cricket South Africa for 2014-15

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2014Quinton de Kock and David Miller have been awarded national contracts by Cricket South Africa for 2014-15. The new list has been trimmed from its usual 20-plus names to 17 following an agreement between CSA and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA).Marchant de Lange, Dean Elgar, Colin Ingram, Aaron Phangiso and Thami Tsolekile are the five players no longer on CSA’s books. Test retiree Jacques Kallis has been given a one-year contract “to recognise his immense contribution to South African cricket over a long period of time and to secure his availability for the ODI squad”, according to a CSA release.In addition to the current list, CSA will also offer 12 top-up contracts for “aspiring Franchise players who could be regarded as potential Proteas in the future”. Those players will only be identified once the franchises have completed their own contracts.While no official reason has been given for the cut in the number of contracts, ESPNcricinfo understands that the trimming is linked to an expected shortfall of R54 million (US$5m) in CSA’s budget. CSA reportedly incurred a significant loss on the curtailed 2013-14 India tour – though the final figures are yet to arrive – and it is possible the effects are starting to show. The board had hoped to earn R318 million (US $29m) from India arriving to play three Tests, seven ODIs and two T20s; instead a shortened itinerary included just two Tests and three ODIs.De Kock made his mark on the India one-dayers, becoming the fifth player to score three consecutive ODI hundreds. Both he and Miller are regular members of South Africa’s limited-overs squads and, at 21 and 24 respectively, should have big roles to play in the future.Elgar’s omission comes despite his involvement in the ongoing Test series against Australia. He remains in the squad as the back-up batsman, having made one century in seven Test appearances, and could come into contention for the second Test in Port Elizabeth. Tsolekile is also in the squad, though it appears South Africa may now look beyond him as the reserve wicketkeeper – a role de Kock can also perform. De Lange took 7 for 81 on Test debut two years ago but has since struggled with injuries.”I am delighted that we recently signed a new Heads of Agreement with SACA,” the CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, said. “As expected, negotiating player terms that include earnings will always be challenging, but I was really pleased with the positive and mature way in which the negotiations were conducted.”The 17-man list did not include Kallis’ name, as his contract was specially drawn up. Kallis retired from Test cricket after the Boxing Day Test against India but hopes to be involved in the 2015 World Cup. “We are well aware of the incredible stature of Jacques and his personal desire to play in next year’s ICC World Cup,” Lorgat said. “We want to help him as best as we can.”The new list includes eight players given two-year deals, although CSA did not specify who the recipients were. SACA said it was happy with the reduction in the number of contracts, because the average number of players to represent South Africa on an annual basis is 17.CSA contracted players for 2014-15: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Bangladesh are virtually out of their home World T20 tournament but Mushfiqur Rahim, as he has done since the Sri Lanka ODI series, hoped for a better tomorrow

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur28-Mar-2014Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, has been the team’s mouthpiece for much of their slump, turning up after pretty much every defeat to sum up how badly they have done, defending a selection or two, and appealing to the fans to stay with the team. He has used the word “alarming” a number of times and expressed exasperation at the dropped catches. Even more worryingly, he has been frank on a few occasions about being a bit lost in trying to find out a way to improve his team.After yet another insipid performance, one wondered just what else could he say.Against India, Bangladesh made 40 runs more than they did in the last game (98 all out against West Indies). Anamul Haque made 44, Mahmudullah returned to some form with an unbeaten 33 and Mashrafe Mortaza finished his quota of overs without getting injured. But to post 138 for 7 against India’s batting line-up was never enough. The team’s senior batsmen Mushfiqur, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal once again failed to contribute significantly. It has been six games now that the No 3 batting position has hardly put a dent to the team’s score.Bangladesh are virtually out of their home World T20 tournament but Mushfiqur, as he has done since the Sri Lanka ODI series, hoped for a better tomorrow.”We wanted to start well, but we didn’t do it in these two games,” Mushfiqur said. “There was a bit of improvement today, but we still have lots of areas to work on. We are playing against top teams, we need to play smarter cricket. Hopefully we will come up with good plans tonight and do better in the next two matches.”Given the lack of good starts from the openers and the continued struggle of the middle-order, Mushfiqur said that there is going to be a shuffling of the batting order in the next match. “Our plan was for Shakib to play at three, and myself at four,” he said. “But because Nasir [Hossain] and [Mahmudullah] Riyad were not in good form and Sabbir is a new guy, we didn’t want to risk Shakib going in very early and expose the middle and lower-order. Shakib plays his shots and could get out early too. The same could have happened with me. But we are going to think about it again.”On March 26, the BCB president had said the team could undergo changes after the World T20. He didn’t elaborate on which areas, but Mushfiqur has made it clear that he won’t be leaving the job of captain.”No one wants to leave the captaincy at a bad time, leaving your responsibility,” he said. “I enjoy captaincy, it is a big honour. If we do well, nobody thinks of us. But when we do badly, you have to work and come back to good form. The change is up to the administrators. If they make 20 changes and it helps the team, it is going to be good for the team.”

Cape Cobras drew with Warriors to move to the top of the table in the Sunfoil Series. However, the draw helped them gain only a marginal lead of 0.12 points over the second-placed Lions who were defeated by Knights on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Andrew Puttick’s 241 included 39 fours and a six•Getty ImagesCape Cobras drew with Warriors to move to the top of the table in the Sunfoil Series. However, the draw helped them gain only a marginal lead of 0.12 points over the second-placed Lions who were defeated by Knights on Saturday.The Cape Cobras openers, Andrew Puttick and Omphile Ramela, vindicated the team’s decision to bat first, putting up a first-wicket stand of 79. Ramela and No. 3 Stiaan van Zyl, who hit two successive hundreds earlier in the series, were dismissed quickly by Simon Harmer, but the wickets didn’t affect Puttick who found support in captain Justin Ontong. The pair added 167 for the third wicket, a platform that was enhanced by Puttick and Yaseen Vallie once Onton was out for 87. Puttick and Vallie put together a partnership of 178 for the fourth wicket as the former brought up his first double-hundred for Cape Cobras in 370 balls. Puttick, however, missed setting a new personal best in first-class cricket by nine runs as he was bowled by JJ Smuts for 241, his 20th first-class ton. Cape Cobras declared for a mammoth 526 for 4 soon after Vallie reached his eighth first-class ton off 145 balls.The Warriors reply was powered by Ashwell Prince’s 198 and fifties from David White, Ryan Bailey and Davy Jacobs. Bailey and Prince were involved in a 140-run fourth-wicket stand, while Prince added another 107 with Jacobs before falling for 198. Fast bowler Dane Paterson picked up five of the eight Warriors wickets that fell, to finish with figures of 5 for 101. Beuran Hendricks picked up two wickets while Robin Peterson took one wicket.Cape Cobras’ second innings was jolted by Basheeru-Deen Walters, who picked up four wickets to leave them reeling at 42 for 4 before play was called off at tea.

Yasir Arafat took 2 for 1 in the One-Over Eliminator to deliver Perth Scorchers a thrilling win over the Sydney Sixers

The Report by Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2014
Perth Scorchers won the one-over eliminator
ScorecardBrett Lee picked up career-best T20 figures of 4 for 28•Getty ImagesYasir Arafat took 2 for 1 in his One-Over Eliminator to deliver the Perth Scorchers a thrilling victory over the Sydney Sixers.Following a tie to send the game into the first One-Over Eliminator in BBL history Arafat clean bowled Steve Smith with a slower ball first ball of the over. Then, after Nic Maddinson had faced a dot and scored a single, Moises Henriques sliced a catch to backward point to bag the BBL’s first-ever unofficial pair and leave the Scorchers needing two runs to win. Adam Voges struck the first ball from Brett Lee for four send the Scorchers to second on the BBL table.Arafat was the sole reason for the tied game in the first place, as he experienced the highs and lows of T20 cricket in the Sixers’ nail-biting chase.He dropped Steve Smith at third man off Alfonso Thomas when the Sixers captain was on 27. It would have left the Sixers 6 for 79 needing 75 to win from 50 balls.Instead, Smith exploded to make 65 off 48 before Arafat dismissed him with a slower ball in the 18th over. Arafat cleaned bowled Nathan Lyon two balls later to leave the Sixers requiring 23 runs off 14 balls with two wickets in hand. But Brett Lee and Chris Tremlett took 14 from Thomas’ fourth over, the 19th, to put the pressure back on Arafat.The Pakistan international conceded four runs from the first three balls of the last over when he only had six to play with. He then bowled Lee with an inswinging yorker.Josh Hazlewood scrambled a single to leave Tremlett needing two for the win and one for a tie from the final ball. Arafat misfielded Tremlett’s drive back to him and the resulting single forced the One-Over Eliminator.Jason Behrendorff was overshadowed by the adventures of Arafat. His opening burst of 3 for 21 decimated the Sixers top order. He was on a hat-trick in his second over courtesy of deliveries that found the outside edges of both the right-handed Henriques and the left-handed Marcus North.Earlier Brett Lee had produced a similar burst, taking two wickets in the first over of the match after the Scorchers won the toss. His pace was too much for Craig Simmons and Mitch Marsh. Lee finished with career-best T20 figures of 4 for 28.Between Lee’s two spells a partnership of 129 between Simon Katich and Sam Whiteman set up the Scorchers total, before Lee castled Whiteman for 54. Katich made 71. Adam Voges chimed in with 19 from eight balls to tick the total to 153. As it turned out the Scorchers needed every last run.

Hashim Amla became the third South African to win the CSA Cricketer of the Year award on two separate occasions, and picked up four awards on the night

Firdose Moonda09-Sep-2013CSA Awards 2013

International Awards:
SA Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla
Sunfoil Test Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla
Momentum ODI Cricketer of the Year: AB de Villiers
KFC T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Dale Steyn
SA Players’ Player of the Year: AB de Villiers
SA Fans’ Player of the Year: Hashim Amla
KFC ‘So Good’ Award: Hashim Amla
RAM Delivery of the Year: Jacques Kallis
SA Newcomer of the Year: Kyle Abbott
Momentum women’s Cricketer of the Year: Marizanne Kapp
Domestic Awards
Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season: Johann Louw (Cobras)
Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Richard Levi (Cobras)
RAM SLAMMER of the Season: Quinton de Kock (Lions)
Coach of the Year: Geoffrey Toyana (Lions)
Domestic Players’ Player of the Year: Kyle Abbott (Dolphins)
CSA Fair Play Award: Lions
SACA Most Valuable Player Award: Roelof van der Merwe (Titans)
Domestic Newcomer of the Year: Ayabulela Gqamane (Warriors)
Professional Awards: Operations
CSA Groundsman of the Year: Chris Scott (Wanderers)
CSA Scorers’ Association of the Year: Gauteng Cricket Board
CSA Umpires’ Umpire of the Year: Shaun George
CSA Umpire of the Year: Johan Cloete

Hashim Amla has become the third South African to be named as Cricket South Africa (CSA) Cricketer of the Year on two separate occasions, after previously winning the award in 2010. Amla joins Makhaya Ntini (2005 and 2006) and Jacques Kallis (2004 and 2011) as the only dual winners of the award.That was not all for Amla, as he picked up four awards on the night, including Sunfoil Test Cricketer of the Year, SA Fan’s Player of the Year and the KFC ‘So Good’ Award for his unbeaten 311 against England last year.The awards night, organised by CSA in Sandton on Monday, sought to hail international and domestic players who put in remarkable performances over the 2012-13 season. The period under consideration ended in June, so South Africa’s poor Champions Trophy campaign and series in Sri Lanka were excluded.Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive, gave full praise to the team and Amla for their performances over the year. “This has been another amazing year for our top players,” Lorgat said. “It is not easy to keep finding special words to speak about Hashim. He has set South Africa record Test scores against both England and Australia, and he is the first player to score a Test treble century for our country. As if that is not remarkable enough, he is also the No. 1 rated player on the ICC rankings for Test and ODI batsmen.”The greatest quality he brings to the game is his attitude and humility, which aptly displays the true spirit of cricket. This transcends all his international statistics and we are indeed very lucky to have such a wonderful role model for our children to emulate.”AB de Villiers, the South Africa ODI captain, was also among the accolades as he was named Momentum ODI Cricketer of the Year and the SA Players’ Player of the Year. Dale Steyn was the KFC T20 International Cricketer of the Year, while Kyle Abbott, who picked up 7 for 29 on Test debut against Pakistan in February, was the SA Newcomer of the Year. Marizanne Kapp, who played for South Africa during the 2013 Women’s World Cup in India, rounded off the evening with the award for Momentum women’s Cricketer of the Year.On the domestic front, Cape Cobras’ Johann Louw was selected as Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season. Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions coach, who this season became the first black African coach in the domestic structure, was handed the distinction of Coach of the Year. Richard Levi, who also plays for Cobras, was awarded Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Year, while Lions’ Quinton de Kock picked up Ram Slammer of the Season.Kyle Abbott was hailed as the Domestic Player’s Player of the Year, while Lions were handed the CSA Fair Play Award. Roelof van der Merwe, playing for Titans, was awarded as SACA Most Valuable Player, while Warriors’ Ayabulela Gqamane was given the distinction of being Domestic Newcomer of the Year.

Faf du Plessis has described himself as a “morally good person” who does not want to be associated with cheating in his first comment since the ball-tampering episode

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2013South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has described himself as a “morally good person” who does not want to be associated with cheating in his first public comment since the ball-tampering episode that took place during the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai last month.South Africa had five penalty runs awarded against them and the ball was changed after the 30th over of Pakistan’s second innings, when the on-field umpires identified du Plessis as the person who changed the condition of the ball. Du Plessis was later booked under law 42 and fined 50% of his match fee after he did not contest the charge.In the immediate aftermath, AB de Villiers had insisted that South Africa “are not cheats.” After du Plessis pleaded guilty and was sanctioned, team manager Mohammad Moosajee read out a statement explaining that they had decided not to contest du Plessis’ charge because they feared doing so would result in a greater penalty. They said calling du Plessis’ actions ball tampering was “harsh,” though the ICC had termed it as such.In his column for South African sports website, SuperSport.com, du Plessis insisted he did not intentionally tamper with the ball and was merely drying it. “We all know in cricket that there is a ball to be worked on and kept shiny,” he wrote. “In the UAE, the added element is that it’s incredibly hot and part of the challenge is keeping the ball dry from the sweat of the bowlers. So, in a team you have designated ball ‘shiners’ and ball ‘workers’, and I’m one of them. It’s usually the guys who don’t bowl or who don’t sweat as much as the others.”There are ways of ‘working’ the ball as much as possible within the rules, such as bouncing the ball on the wicket, trying to bowl cross-seam, and basically trying to scuff the ball as much as possible, naturally, so that it’s easier for the bowlers to grip.”So, I was trying to keep the ball as dry as possible. As the footage showed, I was on the rough side of the ball, and I’ll be the first to admit that I was working it far too close to my zip. That’s obviously what the third umpire saw on TV.”But, when the on-field umpires inspected the ball, there wasn’t a scratch mark or anything untoward on the ball. In fact, it was in excellent shape and wasn’t reverse-swinging at all. Basically, the condition of the ball hadn’t been changed, and that’s why I think my penalty was not as harsh as the sentences given out for other similar incidents.”Harsher penalties for ball-tampering include up to 100% of the players’ match fee and a ban of one Test, two ODIs or two T20s, but du Plessis escaped that. In response, the PCB, whose players have been banned from matches in the past, wrote a letter to the ICC seeking clarification for the inconsistencies in the application of the law. There has yet to be a public comment explaining the different sentences.Du Plessis indicated he wants to put the incident behind him and said he has learnt to “always make sure you are morally on the right side of things.””I pride myself on being a morally good person, and that’s why this past week has been so difficult, as people have been quick to label me a cheat. That’s not the kind of person I am and it’s not the kind of person I want to be associated with.”He also said he has become extra wary during his ball-drying duties. “When someone throws me the ball, I’m afraid to even look at it, and rather just catch it and get rid of it.”

James Taylor, Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar have all been included in an expanded 14-man squad for the third Investec Ashes Test at Old Trafford

Andrew McGlashan28-Jul-2013James Taylor, Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar have all been included in an expanded 14-man squad for the third Investec Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Steven Finn, who was left out at Lord’s in favour of Tim Bresnan, and Graham Onions have been dropped, while Kevin Pietersen is included with his calf injury, which is progressing well, due to be assessed closer to the match.The recalls for Tremlett, who last played for England against Pakistan in the UAE early last year, and Panesar reflect the conditions that are expected at Old Trafford where traditionally, pace, bounce and spin come to the fore. However, it remains unlikely that England will tinker with the bowling attack that was so impressive at Lord’s.Tremlett’s return is a significant blow for Finn, who was in the three-man pace attack just two Tests ago but does not even feature in a 14-man squad now. He has been working on technical aspects of his run-up and delivery for most of the year and in Test cricket has rarely looked completely comfortable.Tremlett trained with the England squad during the Lord’s Test as he continues to build up his workload during the season after missing the majority of 2012 with a series of injuries, the most serious of them being to his back. England are keen to have him available for the Ashes in Australia later this year after the impact he had during the 2010-11 series.Last month, he told ESPNcricinfo that he was confident his body would now allow him to get through Test matches again. “If I was picked for a Test tomorrow I’d be confident,” he said. “If you had asked me that three games into the season, my honest answer would have been that I’m not ready to play Test cricket. But now I have some games under my belt, I have my confidence back. I feel I’m ready now. I’ve no doubt.”Lofty options

Steven Finn
Tests 23 Wickets 90 Ave 29.40 SR 48.3
Chris Tremlett
Tests 11 Wickets 49 Ave 26.75 SR 54.8

Panesar, the other bowler brought into the squad, remains England’s second spinner in Test cricket despite a difficult tour of New Zealand where he had to take on the main role in Graeme Swann’s absence. He enjoyed some success against the Australians at Hove with 3 for 70, which followed a five-wicket haul against Middlesex, although his overall Championship returns this season are a modest 21 wickets at 40.09.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “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.”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.” Miller said. Taylor is currently playing for Sussex against the Australians in the tour match at Hove.It would be a quirk of fate if it were to be Taylor who replaced Pietersen, given the stories that emerged following his Test debut against South Africa, at Headingley last year, where he had an extended partnership with Pietersen, although may not have overly impressed his senior team-mate.After being abruptly dropped after his two appearances against South Africa, and not even named in the England performance squad at the start of the season, Taylor was told to churn out the runs at domestic level and work on some technical flaws which concerned the selectors, specifically his ability to handle deliveries outside off stump.His performances for Nottinghamshire, where he has made 824 runs at 58.85 in the Championship, mean he has done all he can at county level to make the selectors consider him again.Squad Alastair Cook (capt), 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