04:59 Posted by Unknown No Comments

England v Sri Lanka: Chris Woakes replaces Ben Stokes for second Test

7 hours ago
Source: FOX SPORTS

ENGLAND all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the second Test against Sri Lanka at his home ground starting Friday with a left knee injury.

The England and Wales Cricket Board ruled Stokes out on Monday and said he will see a consultant to decide on his recovery and whether he will be able to play in the third test at Lord’s, which starts June 9.
Stokes was replaced in England’s squad for the second Test at Chester-le-Street by Chris Woakes.
Woakes, also an all-rounder, will vie with uncapped seam bowler Jake Ball for Stokes’ place.
Stokes had a scan on Sunday and will see specialists on Tuesday to verify the extent of his injury. The ECB did not specify what the exact problem was.
Stokes jarred his knee on the second day of the first Test at Headingley and, after trying to play through the pain, wasn’t able to bowl in Sri Lanka’s second innings. England won by an innings and 88 runs inside three days.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, called wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera back into its squad ahead of the second Test after doping charges against him were dropped by the International Cricket Council this month.
A doping laboratory in Qatar withdrew two positive tests for steroids against Perera, who had been suspended since December.
He was cleared to play again and Sri Lanka Cricket said Perera will join the squad in England as soon as possible.
Watch the second Test between England and Sri Lanka LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on Fox Sports, starting with red button coverage from 8pm Friday (AEST).

England's Chris Woakes will get another crack at Test cricket. Picture: Phil Hillyard.Source: News Corp Australia

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04:58 Posted by Unknown No Comments

JAMES Pattinson’s Test career has once again been interrupted by injury.

The Victorian quick has been ruled out of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka due to a recurrence of stress fractures in his back.
Peter Siddle is also unavailable having suffered the same injury, discovered after the first Test of Australia’s tour of New Zealand in February.
Pattinson, who replaced Siddle in the second Test in New Zealand, took six wickets for the match but finished the game complaining of shin soreness, and scans later revealed a “bone stress injury.”
He has not played since that tour, and on Tuesday Cricket Australia revealed the 26-year-old will spend more time on the sidelines because of a back complaint from the same match.
“James experienced lower back pain during the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch and was given some time to rest,” CA physiotherapist David Beakley said. “Unfortunately his back pain continued during this time and after further investigation it confirmed that he has had a recurrence of a back stress fracture.
“James will continue to spend the winter recovering from this injury, at which point we hope to have a clearer view of timelines for his return to play.”

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James Pattinson has suffered a recurrence of stress fractures in his back.Source: Getty Images

Pattinson, who has 70 Test wickets at 26.15, has endured a torrid time with injury throughout his career.
The quick burst onto the scene with a five-wicket haul on debut in December, 2011, but has only played another 16 Tests since.
He returned to Test cricket in Hobart last year against the West Indies after almost two years away from the game because of stress fractures, and it was hoped a new side-on action would prevent further injury.
However, Pattinson ended up with a hybrid action that combined his new and old bowling motions against the West Indies, and it proved fruitful, with the quick finishing the series with 13 wickets at 22.46 in three Tests.
“In the second innings, I just released the ball in a better position and it sort of felt like I was back to my old action,” Pattinson said after the match.
“But then looking at some vision after the Test match, I wasn’t back there, I was in between. My shoulders are definitely not as front-on as they were, which is a great feeling for me because I feel like I’m feeling really comfortable with it now.
“That’s really pleasing for me because I know it’s starting to feel natural now and it’s starting to feel really good.”
He went on to play four Tests over the summer, snaring 19 wickets at 23.68 before the shin complaint ended his season.

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04:56 Posted by Unknown No Comments

Keith Bradshaw with the pink cricket ball for day/night Test cricket at Adelaide Oval. Photo: Simon CrossSource: News Corp Australia

You can’t avoid pink ball forever, says Keith Bradshaw

3 hours ago
by RICHARD EARLE
Source: The Advertiser

MOTHBALLING Adelaide’s pink-ball Test won’t hold back the imperative winds of change sweeping Test cricket, warns trailblazer Keith Bradshaw.

AB de Villiers’ South Africans will revisit opposition to fronting in a decisive day-night Test against Australia in November at Adelaide Oval following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League on Sunday at Bangalore.
Australian skipper Steve Smith this week reiterated player support for just one day-night Test this summer while nominating Adelaide as the preferred venue ahead of Brisbane.
South Australian Cricket Association chief executive Bradshaw believes there’s overwhelming support for pink ball Tests featuring Pakistan and the Proteas this season in a critical boost to a format fighting flagging attendances worldwide.
“I think we are going to see more and more day-night Test cricket. We need to innovate and cater for our fans who voted with their feet last time,” said Bradshaw, referring to the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand last summer which attracted 123,000 fans at Adelaide Oval over three days.
Cricket Australia and SACA remain cautiously confident of Adelaide hosting the third Test between Australia and South Africa under lights from November 24-28. Brisbane’s series-opening day-night Test featuring Pakistan is locked in from December 15-19.
CA will ensure grass is cut shorter on future day night Test strips in a concession to player concerns about an even contest between bat and ball.
However a cash grab by players will inevitably be linked to public posturing against day-night Tests. South Africa’s players are paid less than their Australian counterparts. Moreover, the rich bounty New Zealand received for fronting in the Adelaide Test against Australia last November will have been noted.
CA has prioritised two day-night Tests for the 2016-17 season while chief executive James Sutherland argues the host nation should decide the schedule and playing times. South Africa could also feel heat from India which supports the pink ball concept.
The International Cricket Council is scheduled to meet in Edinburgh next month where day-night Test cricket and four-day Tests loom as hot issues. Progress is coming insists Bradshaw who has strived to move cricket with the times since serving as Marylebone Cricket Club secretary from 2006-2011.
“There’s no doubt we look at all formats to see how they evolve and we could see four-day Test matches. I think we need to move forward and consider other options as well as day-night Tests,” Bradshaw said.

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04:55 Posted by Unknown No Comments

Steve Smith: Mitchell Starc ready to fire in the Caribbean

a day ago
Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN captain Steve Smith says West Indian and South African batsmen should be scared of pace spearhead Mitchell Starc’s impending return.

Left-armer Starc has not played since suffering a stress fracture in his foot last November but Smith said he’s back at his imposing best ahead of next month’s one-day tri-series in the Caribbean.
“It’s nice to have Mitchell Starc back bowling the way he is,” Smith said on Monday.
“He’s looking fresh and bowling at good pace.
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Steve Smith is confident Mitchell Starc will be fully fit in June’s tri-series.Source: Getty Images

“Hopefully some of the South African and West Indies batsmen are a little bit scared at the moment.

“It’s exciting to have him back and hopefully he can have some success straight away, or pick up where he left off.”
Starc has been training at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane along with the handful of other Australian ODI squad members who aren’t currently playing in the Indian Premier League.
Five Australians came home from the IPL early due to injury, among them Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, who Smith said should be fit for the tri-series opener against the West Indies in Guyana on June 5.
Both players suffered side strains, with Maxwell’s coming only last week, but both trained well on Monday and are in little doubt.
“I think they’re both going to be right to go,” Smith said.
“Maxy’s had a chance to recover and I think he’ll be fine for the first game.
“We’ll wait until we get over there and the medical staff can assess him then but I think he’s tracking really well.
“Mitch Marsh has been getting through his loads up here this week, he’s been bowling well and batting well.”
Smith said he had also fully recovered from the wrist injury that cut short his IPL season earlier this month.
“It’s coming along good, it was nice to rest it for a couple of weeks and not pick up a bat or catch any balls. It’s done it the world of good,” he said.

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