Sehwag, Gambhir, Zaheer to play West Indies A

Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan have been picked to represent India A in two four-day games against West Indies A later this month. Gambhir and Zaheer were dropped from the Test side late last year, and Sehwag last played a Test in March. All three were ignored for subsequent A squads, but this call-up - coming just before the start of a fresh season - will give them hope for a national comeback. Also back in the fold was the 32-year-old Mohammad Kaif, who last played a Test in 2006.

These matches clash with the Champions League T20, which could have played a part in some or all of these selections. Missing from the India A four-day side that toured South Africa last month are M Vijay, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Shikhar Dhawan and Wriddhiman Saha, who will all be playing in the Champions League T20.

Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped for the Champions Trophy and the tri-series in the West Indies, was chosen to lead the one-day side against West Indies A, and also India Blue in the Challenger Trophy, the domestic season opener. Irfan Pathan was picked to lead India Red. Delhi are the third side in the tournament by the virtue of being defending Ranji Trophy one-day champions, and are expected to pick their team and coach soon.

Zaheer and Yuvraj have spent the time outside international cricket working on their fitness in France. Not picked for the A sides, Gambhir represented Essex in county cricket.

India A squad for the first four-day game: Cheteshwar Pujara (capt), Jiwanjot Singh, KL Rahul, Manpreet Juneja, Rajat Paliwal, Harshad Khadiwale, Parvez Rasool, Bhargav Bhatt, Ishwar Pandey, Mohammed Shami, Ashok Dinda, Rohit Motwani (wk), Dhawal Kulkarni, Paras Dogra

India A squad for the second and third four-day games: Cheteshwar Pujara (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sheldon Jackson, Abhishek Nayar, Paras Dogra, Uday Kaul (wk), Parvez Rasool, Bhargav Bhatt, Dhawal Kulkarni, Zaheer Khan, Ishwar Pandey, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Kaif

India A squad for the three 50-over games and one T20: Yuvraj Singh (capt), Unmukt Chand, Robin Uthappa, B Aparajith, Kedar Jadhav, Naman Ojha (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Jaydev Unadkat, Praveen Kumar, Sumit Narwal, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mandeep Singh, Rahul Sharma

India Red squad for the Challenger Trophy: Irfan Pathan (capt), Robin Uthappa, Abhinav Mukund, Saurabh Tiwary, Gurkeerat Mann, Kedar Jadhav, Smit Patel (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Abhimanyu Mithun, Umesh Yadav, Suraj Yadav

India Blue squad for the Challenger Trophy: Yuvraj Singh (capt), 2 Akshath Reddy, 3 Naman Ojha (wk), 4 Mandeep Singh, 5 Ankit Bawane, 6 Abhishek Nayar, 7 Manish Pandey, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Ankit Rajpoot, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 12 Iresh Saxena

Indian cricket has reached a level where they have so many playing options to try and test. We have witnessed it recently when the squads for the SA A tour and Nz A tour were announced. It did not feature any player in common and it also facilitated to conduct the tournaments without any gap. Indian domestic season's start is colliding with the Champions League T20. But it did not stop the selectors in picking up the best possible squads. The selectors have been wise in timing the axing of the seniors when they were under performing. It makes it clear to the players that they have to be on the money irrespective of their stature. Just before the tours of SA and Nz which are really testing, they are giving the under performing players to prove their worth. Overall very happy with the bunch of players picked and the timing of their selection. But one thing I would like to add here is , not to play musical chairs when they have too many to choose from. Good Luck Cricket India. 

With Sachin set to retire in some time, India's middle order needs at least one experienced campaigner for 3-4 years. While youngsters are performing in ODIs, tests are different proposition altogether. Also whenever Sehwag comes back after being dropped he comes back a changed man. From 2008 to 2010 his record was beyond comparison.

Moving Sehwag into the middle order where he has batted for most of his career in Ranji can be a good move. Maybe at no. 5. He can take the bowlers to the cleaners in their tired state and really convert some draws into wins with his scoring rates. Also he'll get to face those spinners more who used to be like fodder to him at one time. It will be wrong to disturb the opening pair of Dhawan and Murli and they should be given a long run.

 

Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare, 1st day

Masakadza-Taylor stand lifts Zimbabwe

Hamilton Masakadza, in company of Brendan Taylor, made sure that Zimbabwe consolidated after yet another poor start in the second Test in Harare as the pitch, which had seemed unplayable in the first hour, eased out in the second session. The century partnership between the two was a story of two halves; first, dominated by Masakadza and second, by Taylor. Zimbabwe scored 100 in the second session for the loss of just one wicket as Pakistan's spinners couldn't impose themselves on the first day as they had over the first Test.

Masakadza and Taylor had come together at the dismissal of Vusi Sibanda with the score on 31 and had watchfully played out till lunch. But in the second session, Masakadza looked to score freely while Taylor soaked up the deliveries at the other end. The batsmen weren't challenged enough by the spin of Abdur Rehman as the spinner didn't receive any assistance from the pitch. Masakadza played most of the flatter deliveries from the crease, but was quick to pounce on anything tossed up, preferring to hit over the infield. One such shot took him to his first half-century against Pakistan. Two overs later, Masakadza punched a quicker one to the cover boundary to bring up the fifty of the partnership, with Taylor scoring only 7.

In the next half though, Taylor assumed the role of the aggressor, announcing his intentions with a scooped one-bounce four off Saeed Ajmal to long-on. In the next over, he chipped one over Rehman's head for yet another boundary. The run-rate hovered around 2.5, but when the opportunities came, Taylor made sure he was ready. He reverse-swept an Ajmal doosra, then creamed a full delivery from Rahat Ali to the cover boundary. As the two batsmen crossed the 100 of the stand, Taylor had taken over the scoring, with 32 runs coming of his bat in the second fifty.

Masakadza, who had gone into a shell in the second session even though he remained solid, was finally dismissed for 75 when he edged a doosra to a diving Mohammad Hafeez at first slip. If Pakistan thought that the wicket was an opening for them to attack the fragile middle-order, they were thwarted for the remainder of the session by some attractive strokeplay from Malcolm Waller.

The second session was in complete contrast from the first session during which only 65 runs were scored. Zimbabwe, after choosing to bat on a fresh pitch, were at sea against the Pakistan fast bowlers in the first hour as the ball darted around. The lost their first wicket off the second delivery of the day and only two runs were scored in the first 40 minutes.

The first delivery of the day bowled by Junaid Khan cut across after pitching and whizzed past Tino Mawoyo's outside edge. The second was a touch fuller and squared up the batsman again with the away movement and the umpire was convinced the ball had taken the edge after the Pakistan team went up in a loud appeal. Replays showed that the ball might have hit the thigh pad along the way and not the bat, but Mawoyo, who has had a poor run of scores opening in Tests, had to go. Pakistan may have been lucky with the first decision, but Zimbabwe had plenty of fortune their way as the session unfolded.

Masakadza misread the first delivery he faced to be an outswinger as he shaped to leave, but saw the ball swung back into him. To the naked eye, it appeared plumb, but the umpire adjudged it was going over the stumps, and rightly so. The next two deliveries of the first over left the batsman before the last one jagged back again. They were the sign of things to come.

Rahat Ali started in the same vein from the other end and with plenty of movement on offer, kept the batsmen guessing, as ball after ball, the batsmen played and missed. He bowled a slightly fuller length and a wider line than Junaid, but induced as many errors.

However, as the pitch started showing some benevolence towards the batsmen and the bowlers started to lose the initial zing, Masakadza took the first initiative and drove Junaid through the on side. The score, for the first time in the day, had some signs of life. Pakistan introduced Younis Khan in the 14th over to bowl first change but the batsmen started picking up singles and hit the odd boundary.

Just when the two batsmen were getting comfortable, Sibanda went for an ambitious pull shot to a delivery outside off and ended up dragging it back on to his stumps, giving Rahat his first wicket in an impressive opening spell. Rahat bowled 10 consecutive overs, seven of which were maidens, and only went for 10 runs. Ajmal, the chief-destroyer from the last match, was introduced in the 18th over, but Masakadza was ready to impose himself every time the ball was tossed up. In Ajmal's second over, he slog swept one into the deep midwicket stands and in the next, thwacked one over the bowler's head.

 

France's New Love for 'Criquet'

The French government is introducing the most English of sports into the school curriculum

LONDON—It's the quintessential English sport, often dismissed as a pastime for eccentrics with its origins dating back centuries, but now cricket is being taken up by one of the most unlikely nations of all: France.
Children across the country are slowly taking up the sport thanks to a government pilot project aiming to introduce the sport to around 200 schools over the next eight years.
According to figures released by the International Cricket Council, there are just 69 cricket clubs in France. Trivial compared to the 5,000 in England and Wales, but half of those playing the game in the nation of football and rugby are French, rather than expatriates or the children of immigrants from traditional cricketing countries such as Australia and England, and that number is growing.

Christopher Bartlett

Immigrants and expatriates like Rory Gribell, an Englishman seen playing for France, above, will be joined by more French players if new plans succeed.

France Cricket, the sport's ruling body in the country, says there are only 850 registered players, but the lack of numbers has not prevented some success. France won the ICC's under-17 championships in Corfu in 2001 and the nation is also the reigning Olympic silver medal holder in cricket—though the sport was last played at the Games in 1900, and the country currently ranks a lowly 49th in the world rankings.
There have even been suggestions that cricket's roots may lie in France. The game's origins remain a mystery—it is believed that a primitive form of the sport was being played in England in medieval times—but the name may have originated in France. According to the ICC, records in the French national archive show "criquet" was being played in the north of the country in 1478 with an incident in one match leading to the death of a batsman.
Centuries later, a planned tour by the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1789 had to be cancelled due to the small matter of a revolution, while a team of Parisians later toured Nottinghamshire in 1899.
Over a century on, the French sporting authorities are now hoping a boost in funding could improve the country's performance. Following the ICC's sale of its broadcast and sponsorship rights for $1.5 billion France received around $300,000 to help promote the game in the country.
"Thanks to the extra funding, [France Cricket] is looking to establish cricket as a main sport in the country," said Richard Holdsworth, regional development manager for Europe at the ICC in London. "They are trying to increase the participation three or four times."
Mr. Holdsworth said the push to increase the sport's popularity in France was part of a bigger strategy. "We launched 13 years ago a development program to bring awareness to places where there is no culture of playing cricket," he said.
"One of the biggest challenges is that people don't understand the game with 42 different laws and a lot within that," he said, adding that some in France see cricket as completely alien to their own culture. "France is also a tough market to penetrate with cricket still being perceived as a very gentleman's game. But cucumber sandwiches and tea [traditionally served at cricket clubs in England] are long gone. We have a massive product to sell across the world."
There are now more popular formats of cricket designed to make the game faster, simpler and more appealing to wider audiences. One of cricket's most recent successful variations is Twenty20, a shortened version of the sport usually completed in about three hours. And cricket is now played well beyond the borders of the major cricketing nations with the ICC boasting 105 members from Australia to Peru.
David Bordes, a coach for the national under-17 and under-19 teams, points out that by introducing cricket to people at an early age the potential for growing interest is huge. As an adviser for the French Sports Ministry, Mr. Bordes has been overseeing a pilot project designed to teach children how to play cricket at schools in central France as part of their school curriculum.
"We are training new coaches in areas where there are no expat English communities. If this project goes well we would expect to have it in around 200 schools at a national level in eight years," he said.
Admittedly, the take up will be slow. "This program will either take about 10 years to gain track or we need a miracle almost to get a lot of places interested at once," said Tony Banton, manager of France Cricket. "It is going to be hard work and the progression will be slow."
Some lovers of the game still struggle to explain to people in France what cricket is all about. "Most French wouldn't even know that cricket is even played in their country," explained Christopher Bartlett, head coach of the under-17s. "It is perceived as a very English thing and some even confuse it with croquet or even polo."
There are some skeptics too. Stefan Szymanski, a sports economist at London's City University and a former consultant on the establishment of the Indian Premier League, said: "It makes sense for Commonwealth countries to want to beat England at their own game, but why would any self-respecting French want to learn cricket? That would be the ultimate collapse of the French, who have a very strong sense of national identity."
Despite skepticism, young players in France are simply enjoying the game. Waseem Bhatti, a 31-year-old Pakistani cricketer who has been living in France since 2000, said he had seen the rising popularity of the sport among French teenagers. "Young boys are more and more interested in the game. They want to know the rules and they are very crazy about putting the cricket kit on," says France's senior national captain.
And following the poor performance by the French national football team at the World Cup, learning a new sport might not be such a bad idea.

 

French cricket's Olympic legacy: France Cricket

French cricket's Olympic legacy

A match between France and MCC to mark cricket's inclusion at the 1900 Olympics highlights attempts to grow the game across the Channel

The scene could hardly have been more incongruous. In the gardens of a château, deep in the French countryside outside of Paris, Richie Benaud is watching a cricket match between France and the MCC. Occasionally the roar of a lion from the château's wildlife park rises above the sound of bat and ball and birdsong.

A press officer interrupts Richie: "Could we take you to the elephant enclosure for an interview about cricket in France?"

"Of course," says Richie, with the good-natured, phlegmatic air of a fellow who had been interviewed about French cricket in elephant enclosures on numerous occasions. "Are we walking?"

"No, an antelope might attack you," the press officer replies. "Or a lion might eat you. And that's not really the sort of publicity we're after."

Were an unicycling unicorn to take a turn at umpiring, the whole scene could hardly be any more odd. Or appealing. Château de Thoiry, the backdrop for this game, which was staged to commemorate cricket's only appearance at the Olympics (in Paris in 1900) is an achingly beautiful place. The Count and Countess de la Panouse, who own the château, have welcomed cricket teams into their gardens for 20 years ("They keep the grass down beautifully," the countess says. "It's true that I could have bought goats, but cricketers tend to eat fewer flowers.") and Thoiry Cricket Club has established itself not just as an idyllic venue for touring teams but a beacon of excellence in instilling a love of cricket in young people.

Yet, beneath the beautiful but somewhat surreal surface, there is a real - and rather heroic - battle for survival in progress. Cricket in France is at a crossroads. Thwarted by a lack of facilities, particularly pitches, and its perception as the epitome of Englishness - and, round these parts, it is deemed better for your daughter to marry an axe murderer than an Englishman - the game has progressed little over the last 20 years; 50 years, even.

There is hope, though. Inspired by a new general manager, Mark Moodley, and his group of volunteers, a new team and a new spirit is emerging. Indeed, Moodley might just be the architect of a quiet miracle.

Unsurprisingly the French team is overwhelmingly (though not exclusively) comprised of first-, second- and third-generation Asian immigrants. A few, such as 17-year-old legspinner Zika Ali, who will shortly return for a second trial at Kent, possess extravagant talent. Just as they lost in the 1900 Olympics (they took silver to Britain's gold), France lost the 2012 Olympic commemoration game - a T20 encounter - by 35 runs on Saturday to a strong MCC team containing Josh Marquet, who was once thought of as one of the fastest bowlers in the world, and Rob Turner, who was a key part of the Somerset team of a decade or so ago. France's flaws were tactical more than technical and their commitment in the field bordered on the insane. There was plenty of talent.

Next week France travel to La Manga in Spain to play games against Belgium ("Our bogey team," Moodley says), Gibraltar and Austria. If they win all three, they will be admitted to Division 8 of the ICC's World Cricket League (WCL). They would have taken a step on the road that leads, eventually to ODIs, World Twenty20s and, one day, perhaps even Test status.

Elevation would bring its own challenges. Promotion to the WCL would not bring an increase in funding from the ICC, which currently provides around €250,000 ($315,000) per year, but would demand commitments costing around €800,000 ($1 million) per year. While Moodley insists that France would not - unlike at least one of their rivals - decline the invite into the WCL, cricket in France desperately requires extra funding. The search for a sponsor goes on.

The Olympics presents one obvious solution. As is the case with many nations, the government provides funding for Olympic sports from seven years ahead of the event. It would also bring widespread exposure for a sport that often talks with self-satisfied pomposity of its global reach but can act with small-minded parochialism.

There are several substantial impediments to cricket's return to the Olympics. For a start, it seems unlikely that the ICC will even bid for cricket's inclusion. Such is cricket's reliance on broadcast revenues that the Future Tours Programme is packed for many years ahead. You may as well try to convince one of the lions at Thoiry of the virtues of vegetarianism as attempt to persuade some of the major figures within the ICC to compromise their short-term commercialism for some long-term vision.

Besides, even if the ICC applied for Olympic inclusion, it seems unlikely that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would receive the application with warmth. Cost is one issue. It is unlikely that any cricket-playing country will bid for an Olympic Games in the foreseeable future and so a future host might be reluctant to put on a stadium sport like cricket, even T20, in addition to football, due to difficulties in finding venues. The Games are already unwieldy, containing 27 sports.

What the IOC calls "gender parity" is another issue. In the London Games, the IOC hopes, for the first time, that there will be equal participation in all sports between men and women. The ratio was 42:58 in Beijing. Women's cricket, though developing, has not taken root everywhere, and the IOC is unlikely to sanction a sport that would set back their efforts. Realistically, if cricket could not win inclusion at London, it will not win inclusion anywhere. The chances of cricket becoming an Olympic sport before 2032 are very, very slim.

That is a shame. In France, as elsewhere, it would bring new sources of funding and new levels of exposure. If cricket is serious about developing into a global sport, it is exactly the sort of step the ICC should take.

But there is still Moodley's miracle. Preposterously unlikely though it sounds, Moodley has persuaded schools in France - well, 200 of them, anyway - to not just allow him to expose their children to cricket but to introduce it as part of the curriculum. By the end of this year, he hopes to have 3900 French children playing cricket. In three years' time, he aims to have reached 200,000.

At first glance that might sound surprising. At second glance, too. But football's reputation - particularly among teachers - has waned considerably. It has developed - or regressed - into a sport where role models do not just question authority, they snarl and sneer and swear in its face; where fair play is seen - like penny-farthings and shire horses - as a charming relic of a bygone age. It is seen, by some teachers who have to deal with children copying the actions of their heroes, as ugly and disruptive.

That is not the case in cricket. Despite the likes of Cronje, Butt and Westfield, the reputation of cricket is still synonymous with fair play and respect. Those are qualities that any teacher would like to instil. Moodley has recognised that and taken advantage. Given some investment, he could reap a rich harvest on soil that once seemed inhospitable to the sport.

Relations between England and France will always be tinged with that love-hate dynamic that is inevitable in neighbours who have been to war over their boundaries. But amid the lions and limes of Thoiry, it seemed the entente was more cordiale than ever.

"The English lead the world at three things: binge drinking, teenage pregnancy and cricket," a French spectator said as the match came to a close.

"Yeah, but we were expecting you to surrender as soon as the umpires called 'play'," replied his English companion.

The pair laughed heartily and departed together for tea - pâté, brie and cucumber sandwiches. Wherever you find yourself - Los Angeles, the Caribbean, Afghanistan or Europe - cricket's power to unite and heal remains quite remarkable.

Pakistan v South Africa 2013-14

Smith, Steyn return for Pakistan series

Graeme Smith, who has been out of competitive cricket since May, is set to lead South Africa against Pakistan in the Test series in the UAE, which begins on October 14. Smith suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury while playing county cricket for Surrey, which required surgery. He is not 100% fit yet but, at the squad announcement, Smith said: "I'm feeling on track and I feel I will be there on the tour."

Dale Steyn, who missed much of the Champions Trophy and the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka due to several niggles - including side strain, groin, glute, neck and ankle problem - will be fit to play. Wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile was picked, while Jacques Rudolph missed out. Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson were both named, meaning South Africa will have two frontline spin options for the tour.

JP Duminy, who had missed South Africa's previous Test series - also against Pakistan, at home in February this year - due to the Achilles tendon injury that ruled him out for several months in the first half of the year, returns to the long format.

Smith and Steyn also feature in the ODI squad for the tour, but Jacques Kallis - who opted out of the Champions Trophy and the limited-overs games in Sri Lanka - does not feature, despite confirming his desire to play the 2015 World Cup.

Cricket South Africa said their T20 squad would be named after the Champions League T20, which ends on October 6.

South Africa play two Tests, followed by five ODIs and two T20s, on the tour. 

SA squads for the Pakistan series

• Test squad
• Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile
• ODI squad
• AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, , Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, David Miller, Wayne Parnell,

My squad would have been: Smith (c), Amla, Kallis, DeVilliers (wk), Duminy, DuPlessis, Steyn, Morkel, Philander, Tahir, A Petersen, Elgar, Hendricks, R Peterson, DeKock.

In my opinion, kleinveldt will not remain in the sa setup for much longer, he has not done a lot and there are a lot of younger talent like parnell and Hendricks who in time will take his place. Tsolekile whilst he is useful is old, de kock should tour with these guys to gain experience as he is def one for the future. Future SA Test Team; Elgar, Amla, De Villiers, Duminy, Du Plessis, De Kock (wk), McLaren/Parnell, Philander, Steyn, Morkel, Harmer

Tsolekile and Kleinveldt still in the test squad ?! An ageing pair of players who will never be international class. Take Harmer, Abbott and de Kock on tour to get experience as at least they have a chance of becoming good international class cricketers.

Going to be one helluva series, too bad it is only 2 tests.

As far as SA selection goes, how did Kleinveldt get in ahead of Abbott who took a 9-fer on test debut? Also, do we really need two bowlers who turn the ball away from the right-hander? How about some variety and throw in off-spinner Simon Harmer who has played brilliantly for SA "A"?

Tsolekile as back-up keeper...if age is not an issue for a keeper, then that spot should be Morne van Wyk's who is the better gloveman and better batsman. On the positive side for SA cricket, what this move will do is allow QdeK some time behind the stumps for the Lions during the opening rounds of the Sunfoil Series and a chance to prove his worth in the first-class arena, and in time for the home series' against India and Australia.

Lastly, it is time CSA named a vice-captain and groomed him to take over for the future. My pick is Dean Elgar, who captained SA Schools.

Predictable test squad but the one-day squad could have used more imagination. Tired of seeing the same old Smith Amla Kallis line-up. This side is due for some younger fresher faces. The next time Smith and Amla are out we might have a repeat of the last 6 months. There should be at least one new cap a tour then we're not forced to bring in the likes of Petersen and Ingram to open the batting when injuries occur. Also elgar is not likely to play in the tests and should have been given more time in the ODI's if we're serious about him. Bringing Steyn and Philander to the ODI squad are signs that the selectors are keen to address the current slide in rankings which is good but a poor reflection of the next wave of bowlers we have.

Pity its just a two test series. I'm sure many of us would have loved to see at least 3 or 4 test between these countries. Especially to gauge how good this SA side are remembering that when Eng were no.1 their decline from the top started with a failed test against spin against Pak in the UAE. With India not intent at playing SA away from their backyard it would be nice if CSA and the Pakistani cricket board were to add one or two tests to the series.

 

England v South Africa, 1st Investec Test, The Oval, 5th day

The most comprehensive Test victory

The most stunning aspect of South Africa's win at The Oval is that they won a Test match against arguably the best bowling attack in the world losing just two wickets. Last season, this attack had decimated India's much-hyped batting line-up, averaging 25.55 runs per wicket over four matches. Against South Africa in this game, they took two wickets for 637 runs, an average of 318.50 runs per wicket. England's batsmen, on the other hand, averaged 31.25 in the match. The difference of 287.25 is the highest in a Test which has produced a result, which makes this the most comprehensive win ever.

In fact, for South Africa, this is sweet revenge for the humiliation they had suffered at Lord's in 1924 in a Test match with similar numbers: England racked up 531 for 2, and dismissed South Africa cheaply on either side of their batting effort. In that game, South Africa had averaged 25.65 runs per wicket compared to England's 265.50; the difference between the two averages was 239.85, which was the previous record for the highest difference between averages in a decisive Test.

Biggest difference in runs per wkt between winning and losing teams

Winning team	Runs per wkt	Losing team	Runs per wkt	Difference	Venue, year
South Africa	318.50	England	31.25	287.25	The Oval, 2012
England	265.50	South Africa	25.65	239.85	Lord's 1924
West Indies	263.33	Pakistan	34.22	229.11	Kingston, 1958
Sri Lanka	237.67	Zimbabwe	22.95	214.72	Bulawayo, 2004
South Africa	235.00	Bangladesh	20.50	214.50	Chittagong, 2003
England	229.50	India	19.05	210.45	Edgbaston, 1974

This is only the fifth time in a Test that a team has won a Test losing two wickets. For South Africa, this was the second such instance - they'd beaten Bangladesh in a similar manner in 2003 - but the last time any team had inflicted this humiliation on an opposition not named Bangladesh was in 1974, when England thrashed India by an innings and 78 runs at Edgbaston, scoring 459 for 2 in their only innings. In fact, England and South Africa are the only teams to win Tests losing two wickets: England achieved these results against South Africa (1924) and New Zealand (1958). South Africa, though, are the only side to achieve this overseas - all three of England's wins have come at home.

Winning a Test match for the loss of two wickets

Team	Opposition	Result margin	Venue, year
South Africa	England	Innings and 12 runs	The Oval, 2012
South Africa	Bangladesh	Innings and 60 runs	Chittagong, 2003
England	India	Innings and 78 runs	Edgbaston, 1974
England	New Zealand	Innings and 71 runs	Headingley, 1958
England	South Africa	Innings and 18 runs	Lord's 1924

Click here for the statsguru page.

More stats

• Dale Steyn's second-innings haul of 5 for 56 is his first five-for in a Test in England. It improves his career record against England to 38 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 32.05. Of his 18 five-wicket hauls, 14 have led to victories, while three have come in draws and one in a defeat. (Click here for Steyn's Test career summary.)
• South Africa's win is their 12th in England, but their first at The Oval in 14 attempts. It's also their sixth by an innings against England, and the second such result in that country.
• Hashim Amla won his fourth Man-of-the-Match award, and his first against England. His previous three had been against Pakistan and India (twice).
• This was the first taste of a Test defeat for Tim Bresnan, after 13 wins and a draw in his 14 previous Tests.

Yes statistically speaking SA might have been the most successful side but we were talking about the number of games played. Keep in mind that if SA had played more games and become no 1, the going would have been that much tougher for them. e.g. if SA go to SL as a no 3 side and manage a 1-1, they would probably stay on the same number of points but if they manage such a result as a no 1 side, they might well end up losing some points. Point being, as you climb the rankings, the win ratio required is higher to maintain your ranking which is not necessarily made any easier by playing more games. This only confirms the general saying in life that it's hard to reach the top but harder even to stay there.

the_best with all due respect over the last 4 years SA have lost 1 series only 1 and that was against Australia. SA have beaten or drawn with everyone most of those away from home including pakistan india and australia. Stats don't liemeaning statistically SA are the most successful team over the last for years purely on the basis that they've only lost 1 series. Name another team over the same period with a better record.

Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare, 1st day

Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare, 1st day

Zimbabwe bat, Taylor and Vitori back

In what could be Zimbabwe's last international match before the World T20s next year, Brendan Taylor, who missed the first Test due to the birth of his first child, chose to bat on a fresh Harare pitch that had questions raised about it on the eve of the Test. Taylor said they competed well for three and a half days of the first Test and hoped the team could raise its game one last time.

"We were basically outplayed by two of their players," Taylor said at the toss in reference to Younis Khan and Saeed Ajmal. With the team batting first, Zimbabwe have at least avoided facing the Pakistan spinners last. But the pitch had a greenish tinge on it and facing the fast bowlers will remain a challenge for Zimbabwe's top order.

Zimbabwe brought in Brian Vitori in place of Shingi Masakadza and Sikandar Raza missed out with the captain coming back into the side. Taylor confirmed that he was not going to keep wicket, so Richmond Mutumbami kept his place in the side.

Pakistan retained the XI that won the first Test.

Zimbabwe 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Tino Mawoyo, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt), 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Tinashe Panyangara, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Brian Vitori

Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Khurram Manzoor, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Rahat Ali, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Abdur Rehman

For Zimbabwe though, apart from Masakadza and Taylor, none of the batsmen were able to apply themselves against Pakistan's tenacious bowling. Masakadza and Taylor had come together at the dismissal of Vusi Sibanda with the score on 31, but added 110 to settle the nerves after initial jitters. The century partnership between the two was a story of two halves: the first dominated by Masakadza and the second by Taylor.

In the initial phase, Masakadza looked to score freely while Taylor soaked up the deliveries. He stayed back against the spinners, but was quick to pounce on anything tossed up, preferring to hit over the infield. One such shot took him to his first half-century against Pakistan. Two overs later, he punched a quicker one to the cover boundary to bring up the fifty of the partnership, with Taylor scoring only 7.

In the next half though, Taylor assumed the role of the aggressor, announcing his intentions with aerial boundaries off Saeed Ajmal and Rehman. The run-rate hovered around 2.5, but when the opportunities came, Taylor made sure he was ready. He reverse-swept an Ajmal doosra, then creamed a full delivery from Rahat Ali to the cover boundary. When the partnership reached 100, Taylor had taken over the scoring, with 32 runs in the second fifty.

The free-scoring came after the batsmen had warded off the threat from Pakistan's seamers in the first session when the ball was darting around. Zimbabwe lost their first wicket off the second delivery of the day and only two runs were scored in the first 40 minutes.

The first over, bowled by Junaid, was almost unplayable and accounted for the wicket of Tino Mawoyo as the batsman was squared up by one that cut across him. The umpire was convinced the ball had taken the edge after the Pakistan team went up in a loud appeal. Replays showed that the ball might have hit the thigh pad along the way and not the bat, but Mawoyo, who has had a poor run of scores opening in Tests, had to go.

Rahat started in the same vein from the other end and with plenty of movement on offer, kept the batsmen guessing, as ball after ball, the batsmen played and missed. He bowled a slightly fuller length and a wider line than Junaid, and induced as many errors, but earned the wicket of Sibanda with a short one. He came back to pick another wicket towards the end of the day with the new ball.

 

South Africa news

Amla, de Villiers dominate CSA awards

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. 

CSA 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

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.

 

Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare Taylor wants to sign off series on a high-note

Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare

Taylor wants to sign off series on a high-note

Brendan Taylor hopes that Zimbabwe can put in a better performance against Pakistan in the second Test, mindful of the fact that they potentially won't be in whites again till July next year

Brendan Taylor arrived at the Harare Sports Club at 8:30 this morning and got ready to leave more than four-and-half hours later. Save for about 15 minutes of chit-chat with a journalist, he spent the rest of that time training, first on his own in the nets before a squad practice, and then on his own again.

Grant Flower, Zimbabwe's batting coach, oversaw his individual sessions, conducting the throw-downs with a side-arm, and then his own arm as Taylor concentrated on different aspects of his game.

He spent the last 45 minutes working on left-arm spin. He swept well and then pushed away to the off-side. He asked Flower to pitch it up slightly and he looked flustered as he was occasionally beaten.

"I'm missing some match practice," Taylor said afterwards. "I found a bit of form in the one-dayers but obviously the India series was tough for me. I just want to make sure I'm ready so I've been putting in some extra hours."

Taylor managed just 35 runs in the five ODIs against India, and was out for a duck three times in the series. He slowly found form against Pakistan, and scored an unbeaten 43 and a 79 in the first two ODIs to gain some confidence. But he did not play the first Test and is worried about his longer-format form.

The birth of his son, Mason, forced him out of the game, even though he was "preparing for it like I am going to play." When his fiancee Kelly went into labour in the early morning, a day before the Test, Taylor still thought he would make it. But Mason took 17 hours to arrive and left his father without much rest.

"By the time everything was done it was 2am and I went home, got three hours sleep, and then came back to the hospital. I took the call that I wouldn't play because I was quite drained. I felt I was 24 hours off [from] being ready to play."

Despite not being in the XI, Taylor was in the change room for lengthy periods in the match, and even had a few practice sessions while his team-mates were in the field. "Kelly needed a lot of sleep and the baby was in the incubator. There's only so much time you can spend looking into a glass box so I thought I'd get down here and be around."

What he saw encouraged him as Zimbabwe had the better of Pakistan for three and a half days. "There was definitely some fight and that was so good to see, especially the way the guys batted for long periods." Malcolm Waller, Sikandar Raza and Elton Chigumbura all spent more than two-and-a-half hours at the crease in the first innings and Taylor knows the same, if not more, is expected from him.

He will likely displace Raza from the No.4 spot, despite the promise the Pakistani-born debutant showed, and has decided not to keep wicket in order to be as fresh as possible for playing a key role in the line-up. "Batting at No.4, captaining and keeping is going to be quite mentally taxing," Taylor said.

The mind games are what Taylor is focused on going into this match because he believed that is where Zimbabwe were beaten in the first Test. "Pakistan just switched on and switched off better than us. They were more mentally aware." He hopes his players have learned from that and can show the right temperament in this game. "To play Test cricket you have to be very determined."

Physical fatigue is also a worry, especially in the seam bowling department. Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara and Shingi Masakadza all bowled in excess of 30 overs each between Thursday and Friday, and if any of them needs to be rested, Brian Vitori will make a comeback, but Taylor hopes they will all be fully fit. "They've made it clear their bodies are good to go. This may be the last Test we play for a while, so I have no doubt they will get up for it."

With Sri Lanka's October tour due to be postponed at Zimbabwe Cricket's request and the next Test series scheduled only for July next year against South Africa, Zimbabwe will have a long wait before wearing whites again. They may also find they don't have much cricket in the coming months. No confirmation has been received on when their domestic season will start, although there are talks it could be in November, and some players are hoping to follow Sean Williams' lead and head to the Dhaka Premier League for a while.

Taylor himself is not sure how much cricket he will fit in over the next few months, especially with a baby to look after. That's why he hopes Zimbabwe can sign off for this season on a high note. "We'll pick ourselves up and try to do our very best for this game. After that, who knows?"