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MS Dhoni said that he didn’t think of the results when he pressed charges against James Anderson

Sidharth Monga at Old Trafford06-Aug-2014Judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis’ verdict, and the ICC’s response to it, have made it quite clear that India didn’t have the evidence to get James Anderson successfully charged under Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct, but MS Dhoni – the man instrumental in driving the proceedings – has said he has no regrets about what has transpired. By all accounts, he went against the grain of the law and also pacifying efforts made by the BCCI, ECB and ICC, but had to make do with what many think was an embarrassing result for the Indian team. Dhoni said that he didn’t think of the results when he pressed those charges.”I did something that was right and I stand for what’s right and what’s wrong,” Dhoni said. “If something wrong is happening, I will go against it, irrespective of who is doing it. If one of my players gets fined and if he has not crossed the line I will definitely go and defend him. If he has crosses that line I won’t come with him, and he will have to face the consequences alone.”Dhoni conceded the evidence was not satisfactory and that it was time to move on, but a positive side-effect of the whole episode has been that the amount of inane and personal abuse that goes on cricket fields has become public. Dhoni made it clear that his main problem was physical contact in this case, but said cricket needed to sort the problem of abuse out. It has been mentioned in the lead-up to the Test that this is not a children’s field and that in Test cricket you have to become tough. Dhoni wasn’t entirely of the view that being tough equates to having to go through abuse.”There are quite a few tournaments where we talk about the spirit of the game, but it is up to each individual to respect that and keep moving forward,” Dhoni said. “A lot of time we need to think what really is spirit of the game, and it’s very easy. One of our coaches says that whatever you don’t want your children to watch on TV and follow it, that is against spirit of the game. Spirit of cricket is not about just the guidelines provided.”The world has changed, and a lot of emphasis is put on winning games. It is called killer instinct but it has been misinterpreted a lot. Because at the same time we need to realise about MCC guidelines and spirit of game. At times officials are quite generous to individuals when they feel that in the heat of the moment someone has said something. They go ahead because it is a one-off. The kind of competition and pressure that we face today, an individual may neglect it to some extent. But if someone is consistent with his abuse he should be punished. Doesn’t matter who he is. Once the umpire goes and tells him we have had enough, foul language should not be used. That’s the point where if the individual doesn’t curb himself, he needs to be punished. But the way cricket is played it’s constantly on the move. We have to monitor it constantly but at the same time it’s important that we play strong cricket.”Dhoni again put the emphasis on the umpires to make sure it doesn’t get messy. “Strong characters are needed in the game,” Dhoni said. “And it doesn’t matter whether he is him [Anderson] or any other player in any other side, it can be someone from my side. What needs to be done is for umpires to step in when the individual crosses the line. What matters is that they stay within the guidelines and that’s important for the game and the spectators.”Dhoni did point out that David Boon’s Level 1 sanction of Ravindra Jadeja didn’t quite go well with the side. “That’s very interesting,” Dhoni said. “Good thing that came out was that Jadeja was fined and as I said there is not even 1% mistake committed from his side. So that’s good for us. After that it becomes all about evidence and it’s really interesting what David Boon found out on the basis of which he fined 50% of his match fee.”One desired effect of the appeal has been the series has been played in pretty decent spirit after that first Test. When asked if England needed to control Anderson’s behaviour, Dhoni said: “No need to control Anderson really. Vast difference between the way he played the first Test and the last couple of Test matches. He only needs to be controlled if something wrong is happening. You don’t want everyone to be that one kind of thing because individuals bring character to the side. It’s because of the 18-19 players that character of the side is made. Everybody is different in their own way. But there are certain guidelines (which) need to be followed and as long as they are following that it is okay.”Dhoni was gracious enough to put aside the incident when asked about Anderson the bowler, who is primed to become England’s most successful bowler in Tests. “Terrific bowler,” Dhoni said. “What is good about him is that how he comes up and confuses batsmen and gets his wicket. When we came here on the 2007 tour, he was working on his inswinger and didn’t have much control on it. But now if you see, he is a different bowler and uses inswinger as his strength. So overall he is a terrific bowler, and from crowd’s perspective this is the kind of bowler you want to see because he keeps on working out the batsmen and bowling aggressively.”

Fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle have signed for Melbourne Renegades for the next two seasons of the BBL

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2013Fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle have signed for Melbourne Renegades for the next two seasons of the BBL. The franchise also re-signed the former Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan for one year and confirmed two-year deals with legspinner Fawad Ahmed and batsman Alex Doolan.Both Pattinson and Siddle are expected to be on national duty for the 2013-14 Ashes and may only play for the franchise after the fifth Test ending January 7. The BBL, extended from this season, will run from December 20 to February 15.”I want to get back into playing short-form cricket,”Siddle said. “To have that opportunity again in four over bursts, having a crack and getting the pace up there. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”The Pakistan-born Ahmed, was recently granted Australian citizenship, clearing the way for a possible call-up to the Test squad for the Ashes. Though originally part of the touring squad in England, he is currently with the Australia A squad in Zimbabwe. Ahmed played one game for the Renegades last season.”I worked really hard with the Renegades last season. It was a good six or seven weeks and they really helped me through BBL 2,” Ahmed said. “I [then] got an opportunity with the (Victoria) Bushrangers and it really clicked. For me, I was nervous at one stage but it was a good summer.”The Renegades have now signed 15 of 18 players for the forthcoming season, with the final three places to be filled by December 6.

Fawad Ahmed, the Pakistan-born legspinner who was granted asylum to live in Australia last year, has been named in the Prime Minister’s XI to take on West Indies in Canberra on January 29

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2013Fawad Ahmed, the Pakistan-born legspinner who was granted asylum to live in Australia last year, has been named in the Prime Minister’s XI to take on West Indies in Canberra on January 29. Ahmed, who made his Big Bash League debut for the Melbourne Renegades on Wednesday, was initially denied asylum but that decision was overturned late last year.He is part of what Australia’s national selector John Inverarity called a side that reflected the cultural diversity in Australia’s cricket pathways, with the fast bowler* Gurinder Sandhu, and the Pakistani-born Usman Khawaja also in the team. Ricky Ponting will captain the side with Brad Haddin as vice-captain.”The PM’s XI game is a special fixture on the Australian cricketing calendar,” Inverarity said. “It provides a unique opportunity for many of our most talented and promising cricketers to showcase their skills. Captain Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Brad Haddin are two players who bring with them leadership and enormous experience on the international stage, and will be excellent drawcards.”Usman Khawaja has been in great form this summer and James Faulkner, who made his international Twenty20 debut for Australia against India last year, will also be keen to make his mark.”The team also features emerging leg spin bowler Fawad Ahmed, who was born and raised in Pakistan. Fawad is playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the KFC T20 Big Bash League and grade club Melbourne University, and we are encouraged by his ongoing development.”We have also been very pleased with the progress of … fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu, who has performed well for the Sydney Thunder following strong performances for Australia in last year’s Under 19 World Cup. With two Pakistani-born and one Indian-born player in the team, these talented players reflect the cultural diversity that exists within our pathway systems.”Prime Minister’s XI Ricky Ponting (capt), Brad Haddin (vc, wk), Fawad Ahmed, Jono Dean, Alex Doolan, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Kane Richardson, Gurinder Sandhu, Ashton Turner, Nick Winter (12th man).* 09:35 GMT, January 11, 2013: The story has been edited to remove “Indian-born” from the description of Gurinder Sandhu. The same description has also been removed from John Inverarity’s quote.

New Zealand’s ability to adapt to conditions has placed them in a great position to qualify for their second World Cup semi-final in as many years, but they have to get past Pakistan, a team known to spring surprises

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu21-Mar-2016Match factsTuesday, March 22, 2016
Start time 1930 (1430 GMT)Big pictureIt was not that long ago that New Zealand were seen as dark horses at nearly every world tournament. In this one though, they’ve been a bit like chameleons, changing their colours to suit their surroundings and hoodwink those higher on the food chain. A victory against Pakistan in Mohali will take them to a second semi-final at a global event in as many years.Shahid Afridi and his men, no matter how much their erratic form hints otherwise, are no pushovers. News from the camp is that the batting still needs patching up, but the area more in need of improvement is their utilisation of resources. During their loss against India, their best bowler Mohammad Amir did not complete his quota. Pakistan’s reading of the Kolkata pitch too was also incorrect, although they couldn’t help the rain that arrived later, and lent it just enough moisture for the ball to grip and turn.It is in reading the conditions offered to them that New Zealand have been impeccable. They hadn’t played in the subcontinent since the previous World T20, but they assessed Nagpur would be spin-friendly and exploited better than the hosts did. Rains in Dharamsala meant they barely had any face time with the surface before a match against Australia, yet their only change Mitchell McClenaghan produced the match-turning performance.Coach Mike Hesson and captain Kane Williamson have been unafraid to make left-field choices and their frontline players have been quite accommodating. Tim Southee and Trent Boult, two of the premier fast bowlers in the world, have not yet played a single game in the World T20, although Mohali’s reputation of being a slightly more seamer-friendly venue might change that. Pakistan and their phalanx of left-armers wouldn’t mind that eventuality either.Pakistan, however, will have to contend with a few injury worries. The team doctor has said that Mohammad Hafeez could miss the match after a bone contusion in his femur. Fast bowler Wahab Riaz was hit in the neck region by a throw at practice and had to visit the hospital. He was assessed by a neurologist who said the bowler was normal. The fitness of both players will be assessed on Tuesday afternoon.Call on Wahab, Hafeez on Tuesday

Pakistan will assess the fitness of both Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Hafeez on Tuesday afternoon before a crucial Super 10 match against New Zealand in Mohali, although it is likely Hafeez could miss the game. Wahab was struck on the left temporal region above the ear by a throw during a practice session on Monday. He was taken to a hospital for a precautionary CT scan and a neurologist’s assessment declared the bowler ‘normal’.
According to Dr Sohail Saleem, Pakistan’s team doctor, the fast bowler had “mild swelling but no loss of consciousness, vomiting or delusions and he was very well oriented in time and space.”
“His strength and reflexes were also found to be normal,” Saleem said in a PCB release. “He himself walked over to the dressing room from the ground. Subsequently he was taken to a medical facility for C.T. Scan as a precautionary measure, which confirmed that there was no fracture in the cranium and pericranial soft tissue appeared normal. He was also seen by a neurologist at the same hospital, who declared him normal. Wahab is being kept under supervision of the team doctor and physio overnight in his hotel room.”
Hafeez’s injury came to light in Kolkata a couple of days ago, according to Saleem.
“The senior batsman complained of pain in the right knee a couple of days ago. He was administered physio treatment several times but the pain didn’t subside. On examination he was suspected to be having a strain of one of ligament in his right knee.
“He was sent for an MRI immediately after arrival in Mohali from Kolkatta. The MRI report received today revealed bone contusion/edema in the inter-condylar region of the femur. There was also minimal amount of fluid in the knee joint.
“He would be further inspected on Tuesday, but it is likely that he would not be able to take part in the match against Black Caps.”

Form guideNew Zealand: WWWWL (last five completed matches)
Pakistan: LWWLWIn the spotlightBefore Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, Ross Taylor captured the imagination of Indian fans and a lot of that was down to how destructive he can be in the latter overs. That leg-side swipe over square leg and midwicket had been his go to shot in Twenty20 cricket, but now he has an all-round game to rely on. Taylor is coming back from injury and hasn’t hit his best form yet, but he remains a key member of this New Zealand batting line-up.Sharjeel Khan is a powerful man. Pakistan have kept him at the top of their order in the hope that he fires like he did in the PSL. But beating the ball into submission has not been the most productive tactic at this year’s World T20. In seven innings since the Asia Cup, Sharjeel has gone past thirty only once. He hasn’t faced 30 balls even once. Perhaps giving himself a little more time at the crease might help sort that out.Team newsNew Zealand kept their cards to their chest about their team combinations. “We will look up that pitch tomorrow, the pitch will covered overnight and will dry up a bit,” Hesson said. “We will pick a side that suits the conditions and the opposition, but won’t be thinking too far ahead.”New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan/Trent Boult, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Adam Milne/Tim SoutheePakistan could be forced to make changes due to their injury concerns. Perhaps that may make room for left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz or Imad Wasim. Khalid Latif could come in for Hafeez.Pakistan (probable) 1 Sharjeel Khan, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez/ Khalid Latif, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Imad Wasim/ Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Mohammad Irfan, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Mohammad AmirPitch and conditionsThe World T20 pitches have kept everyone on sharp notice. The one in Mohali was barely distinguishable from the outfield on match eve, although that may just be to keep the pitch from crumbling as a result of the prevalent hot and dry weather. So very little fear of rain, and very little fear of dew as well. “Mohali is probably more like New Zealand conditions than perhaps Nagpur and Dharamsala,” Hesson said.Stats and trivia Mitchell Santner’s economy rate of 5.95 is the second-best by a New Zealander in T20Is under condition of at least 20 overs bowled. The man at the top is the one he is trying to emulate, Daniel Vettori, 5.7 after 131.1 overs. Ish Sodhi is third with 6.32 and Nathan McCullum is fifth with 6.86. Pakistan average 25.40 for their opening partnership in all T20Is, among Full Members only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have fared worse. New Zealand’s 36.31 is the highest. Quotes”They are unpredictable, but very skilful. We are fortunate to have played them recently. Whether that makes them less predictable or just gives us more information. As a batting unit, they are relatively predictable in the way they play and that gives us more opportunity with the ball.”
“In cricket, generally the team that makes fewer mistakes wins. India made fewer mistakes than us. We have to cut down on our mistakes.”

The stadium that is being built in Cox’s Bazar for the World Twenty20 next year will only be a temporary one, the country’s civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan said

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2013The stadium that is being built in Cox’s Bazar for the World Twenty20 next year will only be a temporary one, the country’s civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan said. The stadium near the beach will make way for a proposed five-star hotel, although BCB president Nazmul Hassan said a permanent stadium will eventually be built in the beach town.The announcement was made after an inter-ministerial meeting held on Thursday in Dhaka, with the BCB chief and acting CEO Nizamuddin Ahmed being present, among others.”Under the PPP [Public Private Partnership] it has been confirmed that an international-standard five-star resort will be built at stadium’s current location,” Khan said. “The project is now in the PPP office but there will be no problem in hosting the World Twenty20 matches. All the structures have been designed on a temporary basis. We will decide later where the proper stadium will be built.”Earlier in the year, the country’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina ordered that the land, formerly a golf course, be handed over to the BCB but the land has remained with the civil aviation ministry.The ground which is being planned to be used for the women’s World Twenty20, is only going to have a boundary wall and temporary pavilions.BCB chief Hassan later said that they have to follow the ministry’s plan because transferring the land would involve a long process. “We didn’t meet formally earlier so there remained some confusion between us. But now we will do everything it takes to finish the work on the stadium in time. I believe there will be a beautiful stadium in Cox’s Bazar.”There were a few issues regarding the location. We have to go with the government’s master plan and since there is a long procedure for the land transfer, we can hardly wait for all the formalities to take place. Plus, the BCB cannot afford to pay for an international-standard stadium itself.”For work on the temporary stadium to finish, BCB has taken over the construction job so that the ICC inspection team due in August will see enough progress.

Alastair Cook has acknowledged that time may not be on his side as he battles to turnaround his form after two more disappointing innings against Sri Lanka

George Dobell at Headingley24-Jun-2014Alastair Cook has insisted he has no intention of resigning the England captaincy despite his side slipping to the first home series defeat in their history against Sri Lanka.Under Cook’s captaincy, England are now without a win in eight successive Tests – six of which they have lost – which is their worst run since 1996-97. They have also dropped two places to fifth in the Test rankings.Cook’s own batting form is also causing concern. Since the start of the 2013 Ashes series, he has played 12 Tests and batted 24 times without making a century. In that period he has averaged just 25.04.But, asked about his position after England slipped to a 100-run defeat against Sri Lanka at Headingley, Cook was adamant that, unless the ECB decide to sack him, he will not step down.”I’ve never quit on anything I’ve done,” Cook said. “I’ve given it my all, all the time. Every 104 games I’ve played for England, I’ve left everything out there”It’s the same situation here. Until that moment somebody tells me they don’t want me to be captain, I’ll still be here. I’m incredibly proud to be England captain. I’ve been selected to do it.”If someone decides I’m not the right person for the job and the results don’t justify me doing it, then fine. But until that moment, I’m desperate to try to turn English cricket around.”Cook conceded, however, that his batting form was a concern and accepted that the pressure on him to justify his place in the side was mounting.”No one’s guaranteed a place in this England team,” he said. “You’ve seen with the young players around now, they’re pushing for places. That’s the way it should always be.”When you’re not batting well, you start to look at a few things technically. I’m sure there’s something not quite right there I can work on.”With runs at the moment hard to come by, it does put more pressure on me. I think I’ve got to go back to what I’ve done in the past. Bowlers do get tired. I’ve got to be so strong mentally and let them come to my areas, I believe. But it comes down to being mentally strong at the crease. I’ve done it in the past. I’ve just got to drag that mental strength out again.”It’s an incredibly tough challenge, a tough job, there’s no doubt about it, especially opening the batting.”While Cook accepted that aspects of England’s play in this game – especially their batting and bowling on the fourth day – had fallen well below standard, he did find some encouragement in the performances of some of the younger players. During the match both Sam Robson and Moeen Ali hit their maiden Test hundreds.”I don’t think you can fault any of the guys with the way they’ve played on the final day,” he said. “We lost this Test match with a really bad day yesterday. We had one of our worst days, with both bat and ball, and lost this game because of it.”Obviously, as a captain, you are responsible. We didn’t bowl very well. It wasn’t for lack of trying. We knew we had to bowl that fuller length. We knew what we were trying to do, but we just didn’t get it right.”If you look at the whole series, I think we probably had the better of eight, maybe seven, of the 10 days.”With the fifth ball of the last day of the first Test, it was taken away from us and with the fifth ball of the last over, we’ve lost this Test match.”It doesn’t change the fact we’ve lost the series. But I think it would be wrong to look at it as such a negative series, just because we lost it.”We’ve seen some amazing things from some young players who’ve come in, and announced themselves in international cricket. It was an incredible effort on the final day, with Moeen’s hundred. To play like he played, for a free-flowing batsman to be so controlled, measured and calm under that pressure can only bode well for the future.”But we can’t look past the fact that, in this game, we were 300 for 3, with a lead of 60, and we haven’t been able to nail Sri Lanka down. We should have got more than 360. We needed 450, 500 on that wicket. That’s what’s cost us.”It was noticeable on the final day that several of England’s batsmen, notably Matt Prior and Joe Root, struggled against the short ball. But while Cook admitted that a hangover from Australia, and the beating that England took at the hands of Mitchell Johnson in particular, might still be affecting some players, he took comfort in the obvious pain that defeat caused his players, suggesting it showed the passion that remained within his side. James Anderson, who battled for more than 20 overs as part of the tenth-wicket stand with Moeen, was in tears at the post-match ceremony.”Probably what happened over the winter is still there, getting hammered in Australia,” Cook said. “There is that lasting effect, even with a different side. It’s still the England side.”But you saw Jimmy, right at the end. I think that just shows to everybody who doesn’t really know us as blokes what it means to us to play for England.”You sometimes get accused of not caring that much, especially when things don’t go that well. But that was the raw emotion to a guy who has put everything into 83 minutes of batting. If it was 84, we’d be sitting here with a smile on our faces.”

The Maharashtra seamers Samad Fallah, Shrikant Mundhe and Anupam Sanklecha picked up 10 wickets between them to bundle Mumbai out for 129 in the second innings and set themselves a target of 252

The Report by Amol Karhadkar at the Wankhede Stadium10-Jan-2014
ScorecardFile photo: Shrikant Mundhe picked up three wickets to help dismiss Mumbai for 129•K SivaramanMaharashtra rectified their mistakes of the first two days to stage a great fightback and give themselves a chance to not only register a rare victory against Mumbai, but also enter the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the first time in two decades.Starting the day with their backs against the wall, Maharashtra waged a stunning counterattack. First, their last three wickets contributed 61 vital runs to their overnight total of 219 for 7. Then, despite conceding a lead of 122 runs, Maharashtra’s pace triumvirate ran through Mumbai for a paltry 129 in 38.1 overs in the second innings, to get themselves back into the game.Had it not been for Chirag Khurana’s lazy slash outside off stump in the last over of the day that landed in Wasim Jaffer’s hand at second slip, Maharashtra would have been in a much stronger position chasing 252 on a Wankhede Stadium wicket that offered consistent movement off seam even on day three.While admitting that his batsmen lacked application, Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni said that the pressure was on the Maharashtra batsmen to score the runs. “Scoring 250 is quite a task on this wicket and it up to them to go for the target. If they get it, all credit to them,” he said. Elated with his bowlers’ performance, Kulkarni’s Maharashtra’s counterpart Surendra Bhave was far from being in a celebratory mood. “Let the fat lady sing first and then we’ll think about it,” he said.Despite Bhave’s cautious approach, it was a day to cherish for Maharashtra’s bowlers who rectified their mistakes committed in the first innings. If they were wayward on the opening morning, they were on the ball on the third afternoon. If they were listless on the second morning to allow the Mumbai tail to add almost 100 runs and cross the 400-run mark, they were relentless in attacking the Mumbai batsmen and persuading them into false strokes on the third afternoon. The manner in which the Maharashtra slip cordon backed their bowlers with exceptional catching was indeed heartening to watch.If Mumbai had hoped to kill the game after garnering a sizeable 122-run advantage in the first innings, with Shardul Thakur adding two more wickets to his kitty to register his personal best 6 for 86 in first-class cricket, they would have needed a sound start from Kaustubh Pawar and Jaffer. However, both the Mumbai openers were sent back into the dressing room during a five-over short burst before lunch by Anupam Sanklecha and Samad Fallah. While Sanklecha started the rot by forcing a nick off Jaffer to Chirag Khurana in the second over of the innings, Fallah induced Pawar into an edge to Sangram Atitkar at third slip.Sanklecha continued to maintain the pressure after the break and was backed by aggressive field placements. He was rewarded for his immaculate line outside off stump in the fifth over after the break by getting rid of Vinit Indulkar and Abhishek Nayar off successive balls, with the latter’s dismissal sparking a celebratory sprint that almost saw Sanklecha cross the Sahayadri ranges. Even though Suryakumar Yadav, the only centurion of the match, avoided the hat-trick by driving a full delivery outside off stump past the bowler, Fallah dismissed Tare in the next over to leave Mumbai reeling at 29 for 5.When Shrikant Mundhe, the third musketeer of Maharashtra’s pace troika, got Iqbal Abdulla caught in the slips after he had put on 48 runs with Yadav, Mumbai were in danger of being knocked out for double digits. All the six batsmen had been caught behind the stumps. Though Yadav’s delicious strokeplay helped Mumbai get close to 100, he was stranded in front of the wickets after missing one from Mundhe that was pitched at full length.Thakur then showed his batting prowess by scoring 33 with two sweetly timed sixes to set up a target in excess of 250- a knock that could very well prove to be a decisive factor. However, the young and impressive Maharashtra batsmen would be hoping to negate the hosts’ slender advantage and turn day four into a super Saturday.

Jos Buttler added to his burgeoning reputation as the man to close out an innings by ensuring that the NatWest Series went to deciding match as he guided England to a tense three-wicket victory in Cardiff

The Report by Andrew McGlashan in Cardiff14-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJos buttler kept his cool to steer England home•Getty ImagesJos Buttler added to his burgeoning reputation as the man to close out an innings by ensuring that the NatWest series went to the deciding match, as he guided England to a tense three-wicket victory with three balls to spare in Cardiff. On a surface where free-scoring was a rarity England struggled in their chase of 228, dented early on by Clint McKay’s hat-trick, but just when the requirement was getting out of hand Buttler and Ben Stokes produced a strong argument as to why they have packed the batting order.Buttler had earlier been given out lbw on 8 but was saved by the DRS when it showed the ball sliding down the leg side. When the seventh-wicket pair joined forces England still needed 84 off 68 balls but overs 39 to 43 brought 40 runs as the equation started to favour the home side. Buttler eased the tension further by drilling James Faulkner into the River Taff and then brought up his half-century from 41 balls.However, when Stokes was bowled by McKay the job was not quite done for England, especially as James Tredwell struggled to get the ball away. Buttler scrambled a single to take the strike for the final over (a direct hit would have found him short) then settled the contest in a grand manner with a huge six over midwicket off Mitchell Johnson, followed, two balls later, by a fierce straight drive.Although Buttler has shown his class on the international stage before, this is the first time he has completed a run chase for England in his brief career, so it was an important tick for the coach, Ashley Giles.Stokes, while not as convincing, more than played his role in supporting Buttler as he continued in the No. 8 role earmarked for him since the match against Ireland. However, there were a couple of crucial moments Australia will look back on. When Stokes had 2, Aaron Finch could not hold into a tough chance at third man when he upper cut Johnson then, on 9, he was given not out to a huge appeal for a gloved hook which Hot Spot showed had made contact. Australia had burned their review much earlier against Eoin Morgan, when he was nowhere near edging it. Next ball, Stokes clipped Johnson for a boundary.After less than three overs of the chase, England had an uphill task to level the series, despite Australia being held to 227. McKay, a key member of Australia’s one-day bowling unit but someone who doesn’t always get the acclaim, took the fifth hat-trick by an Australian in ODIs and the 33rd overall.He began by trapping Kevin Pietersen lbw as he aimed to flick through the leg side then Jonathan Trott, who has struggled in the latter half of this season, edged a drive at a wide delivery to collect his second first-ball duck of the series. A similar stroke by Joe Root, although to a delivery closer to off stump, took a thinner edge low to Shane Watson at first slip.Michael Carberry, whose ODI career has not had an easy start, watched it all from the non-striker’s end but was soon in the firing line of Johnson as the left-armer crashed a searing short delivery into his gloves at 93.6mph – the ball looped in the air via the Carberry’s shoulder but fell between three fielders. It was hard work for Carberry, as Australia’s pacemen all maintained their accuracy but he did not allow the pressure to get to him; the presence of Eoin Morgan at the other end no doubt had a calming influence.The pair added 104 in 28 overs to haul the innings back on track. Morgan was the more convincing, but Carberry started to branch out as the balls got softer and a couple of rasping square cuts – such a feature in his batting for Hampshire – stood out. He was, in fact, quicker to his fifty than Morgan, 83 deliveries compared to 91, but both departed in the space of four overs to turn the tables again.Morgan, the ball after reaching his half-century, chopped on against Watson and then Carberry tried to pull a delivery that was too straight, handing Nathan Coulter-Nile his first ODI wicket. When Ravi Bopara, who was dropped on 0, a horrendous fluff by Matthew Wade, was lbw for a scratchy 7 it left Australia favourites but England’s batting depth proved decisive.It made Australia’s late collapse even more costly. Their last five wickets fell for 18 after George Bailey had rescued the innings from 57 for 4, following impressive new-ball spells by Steven Finn and Boyd Rankin. Finn struck with the first legitimate ball of the match and Rankin produced his most impressive spell in an England as he worked over Michael Clarke. The Australia captain was rarely convincing although could consider himself unfortunate to be given lbw to Finn, the delivery shown by DRS to be just grazing the bails.Bailey took advantage of short straight boundaries to attack Tredwell, as had been Australia’s game plan at Old Trafford, and 35 runs out of his first 50 came against the offspinner. While he and Wade were adding 85 in 12 overs a total in excess of 250 was in sight but Tredwell recovered from his earlier treatment to take 3 for 5, while Rankin capped a testing 10 overs by finding Bailey’s outside edge.

Roy Keane was left fuming at Goodison Park as a fan kept filming him instead of watching Manchester United's clash against Everton.

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Keane rages at fan for filming him during Everton vs Man UtdAsked the person to stop filming and start watching the matchMan Utd thrashed Everton 3-0WHAT HAPPENED?

The United legend was seen raging at a fan at Goodison Park as the person kept filming him instead of watching the Premier League match between Everton and Red Devils.

As the fan zoomed the camera towards Keane, the former United skipper could be seen making angry gestures pointing to the ground while telling the person to concentrate on the game instead of filming him.

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On the pitch, the Red Devils picked up a comprehensive 3-0 win over the Toffees courtesy of goals from Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The Argentine youngster opened the scoring for his club in the third minute of the game with a fabulous acrobatic bicycle kick that evoked memories of Cristiano Ronaldo's famous strike for Real Madrid against Juventus in the Champions League in 2018.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Erik ten Hag's side will next take on Galatasaray in a must-win Champions League group stage clash on Wednesday in Istanbul.

The Arsenal winger scored three as a rampant England side battered North Macedonia to continue their perfect start to Euro 2024 qualifying.

Bukayo Saka bagged his first England hat-trick, turning in a star showing as the Three Lions brushed aside a helpless North Macedonia with a 7-0 win.

Harry Kane opened the scoring, firing home from short range after a surging run and cross from Luke Shaw. Two more came in the opening period. First, it was Saka, lashing into the roof of the net after a sweeping move down the right. Marcus Rashford then provided a decisive third right before the break, continuing his strong run of form in an England shirt.

And more came after half-time. The emerging connection between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Saka continued to be productive, with the Arsenal man smashing a looping ball into the top corner for a stunning fourth.

The rout only continued, with Saka, Kalvin Phillips and Kane all finding the net to complete an emphatic evening, and inflict North Macedonia's heaviest-ever defeat.

GOAL rates England's players from Old Trafford…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Jordan Pickford (6/10):

Didn't face a single shot. His quietest night in a while.

Kyle Walker (7/10):

Rapid as ever, grabbed an assist, linked up well with Alexander-Arnold. Can still be excellent at 33.

John Stones (6/10):

Back to a more conventional centre-back role, and didn't really have to do much.

Harry Maguire (6/10):

Entrusted with another England start. Made one very funny run into the North Macedonia box.

Luke Shaw (8/10):

Assisted the opener, did the necessary defensive work. A player full of confidence.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold (8/10):

Once again thrived in a midfield role. Completed all-but two of his passes, assisted the fourth, and was instrumental in the build-up for two others.

Declan Rice (7/10):

Tidy on the day, even though he didn't have all that much to do.

Jordan Henderson (7/10):

Typically energetic, won the ball a lot, but probably needs a rest.

Attack

Bukayo Saka (10/10):

Smashed one into the roof of the net with his right foot. Went even better for his second, blasting home from outside the box. Finished his hat-trick by beating the keeper in a one-on-one. A special player.

Harry Kane (8/10):

Bagged his 57th international goal to put England ahead – an easy tap in from close range. Scored his 58th from the spot in the second half. Also assisted Saka's third.

Marcus Rashford (8/10):

Grabbed the third goal, and was a menace in his standout 60 minutes. Has scored in both of his last two starts for the Three Lions.

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Subs & Manager

Conor Gallagher (5/10):

Ran around a lot, but tried to do too much at times.

Kalvin Phillips (6/10):

An unlikely goalscorer. Good to see him get some minutes under his belt.

Jack Grealish (6/10):

Came on when the game was mostly finished. Does he have Southgate's full trust?

Phil Foden (6/10):

A few nice touches on the right. Still hasn't found his best in an England shirt.

Callum Wilson (N/A):

A brief cameo. Now seems to be the preferred back-up to Kane.

Gareth Southgate (9/10):

Back to his 4-3-3, with most of his presumptive first choice XI in the squad. The opposition were poor on the day, but he will have few complaints about such a big win.