www.UKCRICKETTICKETS.com welcome the arrival of the Australians for the 2009 Ashes Tour, starting at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on July 8th.
With the current poor form of the Australians and the inconsistency of England this is surely going to be one the most exciting and fiercely fought Ashes Tours.
The first cricket Test match played in England was at the Kennington Oval, in south London, in September 1880. There had already been three test matches pitting England versus Australia in Melbourne in 1876 and two years later. But Test cricket arrived in England with a victory for the hosts by five wickets, played on September 6th, 7th and 8th. W.G. Grace, batting alongside his two brothers, top scored for England with a match-winning 152, compiling the first hundred partnership in Test cricket. ...Read full article>>
Cricket Headlines
England v Australia, The Ashes Tickets 2009
England have named their 16 man squad for their Pre-Ashes training camp.
Squad: A Strauss (captain), J Anderson, I Bell, R Bopara, T Bresnan, S Broad, P Collingwood, A Cook, A Flintoff, G Onions, M Panesar, K Pietersen, M Prior (wkt), A Rashid, R Sidebottom, G Swann
(June 22nd, 2009)
Early Exit Prompts Practice!
Much to the jubilation of all the Twenty20 World Cup teams, Australia has been knocked out of the tournament after only 2 matches. The premature exit will provide the Aussies with more preparation time for the Ashes on 8 July. England meanwhile has made it to the Super Eights round of the 20/20 World Cup which will keep the key players match fit. However, Kevin Pietersen has been diagnosed with a back injury which is affecting his achilles. The injury best heals with a few months’ rest, but Pietersen will instead be playing in the Ashes by means of pain-killing injections.
(June 7, 2009)
England Wins ODI Series
A solid top order performance from England resulted in their highest ODI score against the West Indies. Strauss (52), Bopara (49), Prior (87) and Shah (75) were the main contributers of a huge total of 328/7 after being sent in to bat.
In reply the West Indies lost Gayle early for 11 and was struggling on 99/4 in the 23rd over. A good middle order performance had West Indies reach a decent score of 270, but it was still 58 runs short of the required total.
West Indies has a lot of work to do after losing both the Test series and ODI series in England without a single win, while England will look to take the momentum with them to the Ashes.
(May 27, 2009)
Bangalore Makes Final
In a surprising turnaround of last year's IPL results, Royal Challengers Bangalore will face the Deccan Chargers in the final.
Bangalore, won the toss and sent Chennai in to bat, restricted the super Kings to 146/5 from their 20 overs. Patel (36) and Hayden (26) started strong, but the run rate never recovered once Kallis and Vinay Kumar removed both openers.
The Royal Challengers lost a couple of early wickets, but Pandy (48 from 35) and Dravid (44 from 39) chased down the target with little incident. Koli and Taylor hit the winning runs with 4 wickets and 7 balls remaining and secured an IPL final against the Deccan Chargers.
(May 24, 2009)
Deccan Chargers Through To IPL Final
The Deccan Chargers have upset tournament leaders Delhi Daredevils in a match that was dominated by an incredible innings from captain Adam Gilchrist.
Delhi had one of the worst starts to their innings by losing both Gambhir and Warner in the first over before troubling the scoreboard. Dilshan's 65 led the Daredevils to recovery, but they never had the big overs to post the huge total they needed to defend.
When Deccan was sent in to bat, Delhi could not have prepared for the onslaught that Gilchrist had in store. It served as no deterrent when Gibbs was bowled by Nehra in the second over; Gilchrist went on to blast his way to 85 from only 35 deliveries before being caught by Nannes off Mishra.
The Deccan Chargers won by 6 wickets with more than 2 overs remaining and will face the winner of the semi final match between Chennai and Bangalore.
(May 23, 2009)
IPL Semi Final Time
Royal Challengers Bangalore's win over the Deccan Chargers was their third consecutive win and put them safely into the IPL semi finals.
Bangalore will face the Chennai Super Kings, while Deccan will be up against table leaders Delhi Daredevils. Deccan just managed to make the semi final after the loss, thanks to a better net run rate than Kings XI Punjab.
Bangalore's win was thanks to an incredible century from Pandey, scoring 114 not out from only 73 balls. The target of 171 proved too much for Deccan who fell 12 runs short. Gibbs top scored with 60 of 43 deliveries.
(May 22, 2009)
Bangalore Back In Semi's Race
Kallis hit a solid 58 at just under a run a ball to secure an important win for Bangalore against league leaders Delhi Daredevils.
The win places Bangalore in fourth place in what is proving to be a tough race to the semis. Man of the match Kallis also bowled a superb spell, taking 1 wicket for only 17 runs from his 4 overs.
Delhi posted a total of 134 which was always going to be tough to defend. The Daredevils remain top of the table with 9 wins from 13 matches.
(May 20, 2009)
England Wraps Up Series
The West Indies were bowled out twice before reaching the first innings target of 570 set by England on day 1. Requiring 259 in the second innings to only draw level with England, West Indies were all out after 44 overs on day 5.
England's thumping of the West Indies could have been much sooner had it not been for the 2nd day which was a complete wash out. Anderson was man of the match after taking 9 wickets in the test. Bopara was named man of the series due to scoring a hundred in both tests.
(May 19, 2009)
Flintoff Not Optimistic For Twenty20 World Cup
Andrew Flintoff has not yet fully recovered from his surgery and might very well miss the World Twenty20 next month. Flintoff will most likely not be match fit as the World Cup draws closer.
Collingwood, captain of the England Twenty20 squad, was still positive that his versatile squad can still perform without Flintoff. The next few weeks will tell whether Flintoff recovers in time, although there is also the possibility of joining the squad at a later stage in the tournament.
(May 16, 2009)
Rajasthan Wins Thriller
Rajasthan won an important match against the Mumbai Indians in Durban. The win puts the Royals in third spot in the points table as the IPL semis draw closer. The match was never certain until the last ball was bowled, constantly surprising and taunting the opposition. Rajasthan won the toss and decided to bat. A quick 51 from Quiney and 42 from Jadeja saw the Royals reach 145, by no means an impossible target at a required rate of 7.25 runs per over.
Mumbai consistently lost wickets until Tendulkar (40) and Nayar (35) gave Warne something to worry about. At the end of the 18th over, Mumbai needed just 14 off the final 12 deliveries and had 4 wickets in hand. Botha was sent in to bowl and went for 10 runs, including a 6, a wide and crucially the run out of Nayar. Patel was sent in to bowl the final over with only 4 needed off 6 and 3 wickets remaining.
First ball was a dot ball. Second ball Kulkarni out LBW. Third ball Nanda run out. One wicket left, 4 required off 3 balls. Fourth ball, one run. Fifth ball, Malinga is run out and Rajasthan win by 2 runs.
(May 15, 2009)
England In Control On Day One
Centuries from both Cook and Bopara have put England in a commanding position after the first day of the second Test against the West Indies. Strauss (26) and Bopara (108) were the only batsmen to fall during the 90 overs that brought up 302 runs.
Cook was unbeaten on 126 and Anderson (4*) batted as the night watchman. This is the second of two Tests against the West Indies in England, followed by three ODIs.
(May 15, 2009)
Challenging Ashes Decisions
Players will not be able to challenge the umpires' decisions in the forthcoming Ashes. The ability for players to have a set amount of challenges per innings has been tested in four test series.
An example of how the experiment worked is that a batsman could refer a decision of being given LBW to the 3rd umpire for a video replay.
The decision could then be overruled if the batsman was found to be not out. In the same way, a bowler could refer a not out decision to the 3rd umpire for review. The ICC will be evaluating the results from the trial period with the possibility of implementing the system in October.
(May 13, 2009)
IPL Points Update
Sixteen of the exciting IPL 20/20 matches remain until the big semi-finals start on 22 May. The Delhi Daredevils are currently at the top of the points table with 7 wins from 9 matches. Chennai and Deccan Chargers are second and third with 6 wins from 10 matches. Chennai currently has the two highest scoring batsmen in Hayden (426) and Raina (309).
Deccan Chargers lead the bowling with Singh who has the most wickets (16) after 10 matches. Malinga of the Mumbai Indians has proven brutal in the final overs with his yorkers, Nehra of the Delhi Daredevils and Abdulla of Kings XI have all taken 14 wickets a piece.
JP Duminy currently has the most fifties (4) with AB de Villiers (3) in second place. De Villiers has hit the only century in the tournament, while Gibbs has the most ducks (3). (May 12, 2009)
England Crush West Indies
England beat the West Indies by 10 wickets in the first Test at Lord's. After following on from 152 all out in the first innings, West Indies could only reach 256. Nash (81) and Ramdin (61) formed a good partnership, but what West Indies really needed where a few centuries.
England was sent in to bat requiring only 32 to win and completed the task in 7 overs with 10 wickets remaining. Ian Bell and Ryan Sidebottom have been included in the second Test on Thursday at Chester-le-Street at the expense of Monty Panesar.
(May 11, 2009)
England On Top After Second Day
After resuming this morning on 289/7, England has managed to practically secure the first test match in one day. Bopara went on to make 143 and together with Prior (42) and Swann (63*) saw England all out for 377.
The West Indies could not have been prepared for what was to follow. With no batsman reaching 50 and a middle order collapse, West Indies could only make 152 which was not enough to avoid the follow-on.
Debutant Graham Onions had a great day with the ball after taking 3 wickets in one over and ending the first innings with figures of 38/5. West Indies was sent in to bat again and lost 2 early wickets, Captain Gayle for 0 and Sarwan for 1. West Indies require another 186 runs with 8 wickets remaining just to draw even with England's first innings score. England will be looking to wrap up the first test on tomorrow on day three. (May 8, 2009)
England Twenty20 Squad Announced
Paul Collingwood will be captaining England's 20/20 squad for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament next month. Collingwood has not had much success as captain in the ODI form and does not have much to boast about from the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.
The selectors had a tough task choosing a captain, with Andrew Strauss not being considered. The World Cup team consists of: P Collingwood (captain), A Flintoff, K Pietersen, R Bopara, R Key, S Broad, J Foster (wicketkeeper), D Mascarenhas, E Morgan, G Napier, O Shah, J Anderson, R Sidebottom, G Swann, L Wright. ODI and Test match players including Strauss, Prior and Bell will feel they have missed out by not being included in the World Cup team. (May 1, 2009)
Bopara helps England to 289/7
England might feel slightly uneasy after the first day of the first test against West Indies at Lord’s. After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, England found themselves on a wary 109/4 after lunch.
Of the top order, Strauss (16), Pietersen (0) and Collingwood (8) did not trouble the run scorers. Bopara, who came in to bat at number 3, showed perseverance and was on 118 not out from 246 balls at stumps.
The West Indies let seemingly countless chances slip in the field with 6 dropped catches which may yet prove to be a pivotal factor as the match progresses. Edwards was the pick of the 7 bowlers with a well deserved 53/4.
(May 7, 2009)
Royal Upset in Centurion
The Rajasthan Royals have, before yesterday, only won one out of four matches in the 2009 IPL. By comparison, the Delhi Daredevils had not yet lost a match. The Royals had everything to play for and they more than delivered. Restricting the Daredevils to 143-7, only AB de Villiers reached the 50 mark. With an average of 88, de Villiers is currently the 3rd highest run scorer in the IPL this year after Gibbs and Hayden. Patel boasted the best bowling figures of an incredible 14-2 from 4 overs including 1 maiden. Rajasthan hardly had the best of starts, struggling on 64-5 after 10.6 overs. It was however the combination of Smith (44*) who did well to not give his wicket away and Pathan (62*) who secured the match with 9 balls remaining.
(April 29, 2009)
Freddie ready for Ashes & World Twenty20
Successful surgery on Andrew Flintoff's right knee means the England all-rounder will have five to six weeks to be match fit for the World Twenty20 tournament in June. Flintoff has been ruled out of the three ODIs and two tests against the West Indies in May, but is expected to take part in the Ashes against Australia in July. According to the surgeon the operation went smoothly. (April 28, 2009)
IPL Action Update
Tendulkar and Jayasuriya paved the way to a huge win for the Mumbai Indians over the Kolkata Knight Riders in Port Elizabeth yesterday. Tendulkar hit 68 from 45 balls to help Mumbai reach 187-6 after their 20 overs. Kolkata did well to restrict them to only 187 after the demolishing opening partnership by Tendulkar and Jayasuriya (52 from 32). In reply, the Knight Riders were all out for 95, with Gayle (12), Hodge (24) and Ganguly (34) never posing much of a threat.
The Deccan Chargers made it 4 wins in 4 games by beating the Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets with 3 balls remaining. The Super Kings made a solid yet not impossible target of 165 on a fast outfield in Durban. Hayden top scored with 49 from 35 balls and Oram contributed with a handy 41 from 29. However it was yet again the Chargers' day and Gilchrist (44) and Gibbs (69*) proved to good for the Super Kings' bowlers. The Chargers will be facing the unbeaten Delhi Daredevils on Thursday in Centurion. (April 28, 2009)
Clarke puts Australia in series lead
Michael Clarke took Australia to a 2-1 series lead against Pakistan today in Abu Dhabi. For the second time in 3 matches Australia was unable to reach 200 runs in 50 overs. Clarke's 66 was the only half century in the match and together with his with his good bowling spell of 15-3 from 6 overs, Clarke earned the man of the match award.
A strong opening partnership between Salman Butt and Ahmed Shehzad had Pakistan on target at 95-0 before the wickets started tumbling and saw Australia win by 27 runs. The win put Australia in a strong position having only needing to win one of the following two matches to clinch the series. (April 27, 2009)
Australia levels series
Andrew Symonds played a big part in leveling the five match ODI series against Pakistan. After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bat. Salman But was the only player for Pakistan to score above 50, but was caught on 57 from 112 balls.
Shahid Afridi contributed with a useful 41 from 40 balls, but Pakistan was restricted to 207, losing five wickets between the 41st and 47th over. Doug Bollinger bowled a restrictive 28 for 0 from 10 overs on debut. A solid 58 from Symonds, who also raked in two wickets in two overs, and 48 from James Hopes helped Australia win the match and level the series with three matches remaining. (April 25, 2009)
Knee Surgery for Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the upcoming series against the West Indies in England. Flintoff sustained a knee injury during a match in the Indian Premier League in South Africa.
The England team’s prize asset has been consistently plagued by injuries every year since 2005. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) must be wondering whether it was wise to allow Flintoff to take part in the IPL this year. Flintoff will be available for the 20/20 World Cup and Ashes. (April 25, 2009)
Super Over win for Rajasthan
Yesterday's IPL match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders proved to any cricket follower why 20/20 is indeed the adrenaline fuled form of the game.
Rajasthan, featuring the likes of Graeme Smith, AD Mascarenhas and Shane Warne, posted a challenging yet achievable total of 150 for 6. Kolkata also replied with 150, losing two wickets from the last two balls to set up a draw. In the event of a draw in 20/20, a Super Over is played.
Whichever team scores the most runs wins. If the score is tied at the end of both overs, the team that scores the most sixes wins. Big hitting Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum was sent in to bat for Kolkata and made a quick fire 15 against Kamran Khan's 7 ball over that included one wide. However, it took Yusuf Pathan only 4 balls including two sixes and a four against Ajantha Mendis to secure the Super Over victory and hand Rajasthan the match. (April 24, 2009)
Indian Premier League
The action packed IPL is well underway in South Africa. England was in the initial running for hosting the 20/20 tournament after it was decided to move the event from India due to security concerns. However, factors including the weather, the limited time available for clearing players' visas and broadcasting rights favoured South Africa as hosts above England.
New rules this year include a seven and a half minute break after the initial 10 overs in each innings. Although the break serves as an ideal revenue making opportunity, some players including Sachin Tendulkar, feel it breaks the momentum of the batting team. Most players will also not benefit from home ground advantage as none of the matches are played in India this year. With big hitting International players such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen and Matthew Hayden, the multi million dollar tournament is sure to live up to expectations.
(April 23, 2009)
Pakistan takes series lead
Pakistan has made the ideal start against Australia in the first of a five match ODI series in UAE. In what is certainly a rare occurrence, Australia was struggling on 118 for 8. Had it not been for the contribution of 48 not out from James Hopes, even the total of 168 all out would not have seemed likely. In return, Pakistan recovered from 33 for 2 after losing Salman Butt in the second over. Steady and safe batting saw the team through to victory with just over 5 overs to spare and 4 wickets remaining. The pitch, unlike the Australians, favoured spin and Shahid Afridi’s career best 38 for 6 ensured a high score was never on the cards. The win was a welcomed positive in light of the recent events whereby the 2011 World Cup has been moved out of Pakistan. The tournament was moved amid safety concerns following the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. Instead, the co-hosting countries India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be sharing all the matches. A formal protest has been launched by the Pakistan board against the decision
(April 23, 2009)
Follow the Lords Light
Lord’s Cricket Ground is on track to rewrite the rules of traditional Test cricket. The famous England cricket ground, located near St John’s Wood in London, is likely to host the first Test match under floodlights in 2010. The modernisation will also include a colour ball and kit, as apposed to the traditional red ball and white kit. The plans for floodlights at Lord’s have been in the making for years and the realisation of day/night Test matches would have a huge impact on the game for players and fans alike. (April 17, 2009)
Ashes to Ashes
July marks the advent of the 2009 Ashes and this year brings the quality 5 match Test series to England soil. Australia, having won the previous Ashes in a 5-0 whitewash, will be confident after recently beating South Africa away. In doing so, Australia has secured their Nr 1 spot in Test rankings. England, currently 6th in Test rankings, will be looking to their new coach Andy Flower to help win back the Ashes. Fast bowler Simon Jones, who featured in the 2005 England win of the Ashes will most likely not be taking part this year due to knee surgery. England has lost half of the past 14 series since 2005, but they can capitalise with an experienced side and home ground advantage
It will prove to be an interesting contest between the likes of star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Mitchell Johnson. Batting depth comes in the form of Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and Rob Key all competing for the No 3 spot for England. Shane Warne commented that Monty Panesar’s wicket taking ability could play an important role in England’s game, all of which promises to form part of an exciting battle for the Ashes.
(April 16, 2009)
England to bloom under FlowerUK Cricket Tickets NEWS
Andy Flower has officially been named England’s coach. Flower was the most likely candidate for the team director role since he acted as interim coach in the recent tour of the West Indies. After losing three team captains and a coach within a 4 month period, England needs the stability of a permanent coach who can manage both the huge pressure on the team and the pressure from the media. England will be hoping that choosing a coach this close to the Ashes in July will not hinder their chances of regaining the Cup.
The South African born Flower has already built a strong bond with England captain Andrew Strauss. Flower averaged over 50 in Tests during his batting career and this has played a significant role in earning the respect of the team. The forthcoming series against the West Indies in England will be a vital step in preparation for the mighty Australians. Click Here for Tickets for both the West Indies and Ashes matches.
(April 16, 2009)
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack
Take one Englishman, one Englishwoman and three South Africans and what do you have? The 2009 Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year. The famous cricket magazine, Wisden, lists J Anderson, C Taylor, N McKenzie, M Boucher and D Benkenstein as the players to receive the honours. Claire Taylor is the first female Wisden Cricketer of the Year and also scooped up the Player of the Tournament award in the recent ICC Women’s World Cup. The Cricket Bible also published its first ever Test Dream XI of 2008. The annual accolade consists of players from India (V Sehwag, S Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, H Singh, Z Khan), South Africa (G Smith, D Steyn), Australia (R Ponting, M Johnson), England (K Pietersen) and West Indies (S Chanderpaul). (April 8, 2009)
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