England 320-6 against Sri Lanka

LEEDS: England were 320 for six in reply to Sri Lanka´s first innings 257, a lead of 63 runs, at stumps on the second day of the second Test at Headingley on Saturday.

Matt Prior was three not out and Chris Jordan on four after Australia-born opener Sam Robson had made 127 -- his maiden Test century.

The two-Test series is level after the opening match at Lord´s was drawn on Monday.(AFP)

Costa Rica beat Italy to advance and put England out

RECIFE: Costa Rica beat Italy 1-0 on Friday to secure their progress to the World Cup knockout stage from a Group D containing three previous winners and guarantee England´s first-round exit.

Captain Bryan Ruiz met Junior Diaz´s cross from the left with a great 44th-minute header to cap an excellent first-half display by his team, who had a strong penalty claim turned down moments earlier.

Mario Balotelli wasted two good early opportunities for the four-times winners but Italy failed to impose themselves on the game as the group outsiders played with confidence and control to claim their second victory.

Costa Rica lead the group on six points and go into the knockout stage for the second time.

Italy and Uruguay, who meet on Tuesday, each have three points but Italy´s superior goal difference means they need only a draw to go through. England, on zero points, are now certain to go out at the group stage for the first time since 1958. (Reuters)

Sri Lanka 257 all out against England

LEEDS: Liam Plunkett took his Test-best figures and Stuart Broad his second Test hat-trick as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 257 by England on the first day of the second Test at Headingley on Friday.

Fast bowler Plunkett, on his Yorkshire home ground, took five for 64 in only his second Test in seven years after he was recalled for the drawn first match of this two-Test series at Lord´s.

Broad, who previously took a hat-trick against India at Trent Bridge in 2011, became the first England bowler, and only the fourth in all to perform the feat twice in Tests, when he removed Kumar Sangakkara (79), Dinesh Chandimal (45) and Shaminda Eranga with successive deliveries split across two overs.

It was only the third Test hat-trick at Headingley after Broad´s England predecessors J.T. Hearne (against Australia in 1899) and Peter Loader (against the West Indies in 1957) also performed the feat at Yorkshire´s headquarters. (AFP)

England and Sri Lanka in thrilling first Test draw

LONDON: England and Sri Lanka drew the first Test at Lord´s in dramatic fashion on Monday to leave their two-match series all square at 0-0.

Sri Lanka, set 390 to win after England captain Alastair Cook declared before play on Monday´s fifth and final day, were left clinging on at 201 for nine come the close.

Last man Nuwan Pradeep survived the final five balls of the match from Stuart Broad, including the penultimate delivery where he was given out lbw by Australian umpire Paul Reiffel only to successfully challenge the decision after replays confirmed an inside edge.

James Anderson led England´s attack with a remarkable return of four wickets for 25 runs in 19 overs but it wasn´t quite enough to secure a stunning win.

England piled up 575 for nine declared on the back of Joe Root´s unbeaten 200 not out -- his maiden Test double century.

Sri Lanka, however, responded with 453 featuring Kumar Sangakkara´s 147 and captain Angelo Mathews´s 102 -- both batsmen scoring their first hundred in a Lord´s Test.

England slumped to 121 for six in their second innings before Gary Ballance´s 104 not out, the Yorkshire batsman´s maiden Test century, took the side to 267 fot eight declared.

The second and final Test starts at Headingley on Friday. (AFP)

Robson out for 19 in second England knock

LONDON: Australia-born Sam Robson fell for 19 in the second innings of his England debut in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord´s on Sunday.

The opener, on his Middlesex home ground, had been in for over an hour when he was late pushing forward uncertainly to Sri Lanka seamer Shaminda Eranga and was bowled off the inside edge by a delivery that nipped back after he´d left a significant gap between bat and pad.Robson faced 50 balls and struck two fours.

His exit meant Robson´s first Test had seen him score just 20 runs in total after he was caught behind for one off Nuwan Pradeep in England´s first innings 575 for nine declared.

Robson´s dismissal on Sunday left England 51 for two, an overall lead of 173 in the first of a two-match series.

Previously, Eranga also had England captain Alastair Cook caught behind for 28 as he removed both openers in a burst of two wickets for one run in 10 balls.

The 24-year-old Sydney-born Robson, the son of an English mother, was selected for a Test debut after England dropped Michael Carberry following their 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia.

Although there was some controversy regarding his decision to opt for England, Robson said last week when the squad was announced that he felt no conflict of loyalties.

"I grew up in Australia until I left school but moved here when I was 18 and have lived here for my whole adult life really," Robson told BBC Radio. "This is my home; this is where my cricket has taken me.

"I love living in London; I love England, and this is where my life is," he insisted. (AFP)

England secure 122-run lead

LONDON: Angelo Mathews became the second Sri Lanka batsman to add his name to the Lord's honours board in successive days as he completed a pugnacious century to restrict England's first-innings lead to 122 in the first Test. England quietly extended that advantage to 149 by lunch and still had the opportunity to put Sri Lanka under severe pressure on the final day.

Kumar Sangakkara had to wait until the closing phase of his career before finally making a Test hundred at Lord's. Mathews did so at the first attempt in an innings characterised by ebullient, bottom-hand blows, a vital innings which took Sri Lanka close enough to England's first innings to make their anticipated declaration on the final day all the trickier.

Mathews reached three figures with a full-blooded smite through the off side as James Anderson served up a low, wide full toss. It was his third hundred in Tests, following equally assertive affairs on similar surfaces at SSC and in Abu Dhabi. He was out in the next over, to the next ball he faced, as Liam Plunkett had him lbw with a ball of full length, Mathews' decision to review the dismissal failing to spare him.

England's attack could be satisfied with how they had stuck to their task in favourable batting conditions. The pitch remained as politely accoutred as a civilised guest at a St John's Wood soiree.

England would be satisfied to have removed Sri Lanka's last three wickets for 38 runs in 14.4 overs on the fourth morning but, as the task was undertaken, their tactics caused lots of discussion. Mathews was starting a new day, but England saw only the swagger of his unbeaten 79 on Saturday afternoon. They encouraged him to get off strike, preferring boundary riders to slips, and concentrated on battering the tail.

Of the 17 balls Rangana Herath faced, only the last one, a near-yorker from James Anderson which crashed into his middle stump, was full length. Thirteen of Broad's 14 deliveries to Herath, within the space of three overs, were short and uncompromising. One clattered into his glove and helmet, but fell safely into the off side.

Herath, in his mid-30s now, of comfortable build and gentle disposition, stared out charily from beneath his helmet. He was under assault and, as staunchly as he bore it, was getting no pleasure. Softened up by Broad, he never zoned in on Anderson who duly went second in the all-time list of Test wicket-takers at Lord's, only Ian Botham ahead of him.

For a dismissal with physical intent though, there was no looking beyond Sri Lanka's last man, Nuwan Pradeep. Failing to handle a short ball from Chris Jordan, he was struck on the right shoulder, swung around in a mixture of pain and self-preservation and was out hit wicket as he careered his bat into middle stump.

England hold firm after Bell loss

LONDON: England kept Sri Lanka at bay after losing dangerman Ian Bell in the first Test at Lord´s on Thursday.

England, after losing the toss, were 195 for four at tea on the first day with Bell having fallen early in the second session for 56. But Joe Root and debutant Mooen Ali, both 43 not out, repelled Sri Lanka with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand so far worth 75.

England had struggled to 98 for three at lunch after debutant opener Sam Robson, captain Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance had all fallen cheaply in the morning session.

But Bell, in his 99th Test, was unbeaten on 41 and looking in excellent touch. Shortly after lunch, he drove left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for six to complete a 69-ball fifty also including seven fours. But he was out soon afterwards when, hitting across the line, he was lbw to seamer Shaminda Eranga although Sri Lanka had to challenge Australian umpire Paul Reiffel´s original not out decision before Bell was finally on his way.

Ali, one of three debutants in the England side, began cautiously but the left-hander found his form in slog-sweeping Herath for six.

Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and elected to field in the first of this two-match series against an England side playing their first Test since suffering a 281-run defeat by Australia in Sydney that condemned them to a 5-0 Ashes loss in January.

Although the sunny blue skies above Lord´s suggested ideal batting conditions, the pitch was a greener-looking one than usually associated with the ´home of cricket´ at this time of year. Mathews´s decision yielded a quick reward as England lost both their openers inside the first half hour.

Australia-born Robson, playing on his Middlesex home ground, fell for one when he was drawn forward by a full-length Nuwan Pradeep delivery that took the outside edge and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, diving to his right, held a fine catch. And 14 for one became 22 for two when Cook exited for 17, the left-hander bottom-edging an intended cut off Nuwan Kulasekara into his stumps.

Ballance, promoted to number three in only his second Test, was on one as Bell, taking over the number four slot from the exiled Kevin Pietersen, walked in.

Bell demonstrated his class by easing first-change Eranga through the covers for four with a textbook drive.And the Warwickshire batsman also dealt well with Mathews, Sri Lanka´s fourth seamer, by cover-driving and straight driving the all-rounder for elegant boundaries.

Ballance looked less assured but the Zimbabwe-born left-hander brought up a fifty stand with Bell when he clipped Pradeep off his pads for four.

However, Ballance´s 73-minute innings ended when, to Pradeep´s fifth ball back, he drove flat-footedly and was caught behind for 23 to leave England 74 for three. (AFP)

Australia thrash England 5-0 at hockey World Cup

THE HAGUE: England's men suffered their first defeat of the 2014 Hockey World Cup after going down 5-0 against Australia at the Kyocera Stadium – leaving their semi-final hopes in the balance.

Having won two and drawn one of their opening three Group A games, England were outclassed in parts by the Kookaburras, who booked their place in the last four with victory.

Australia set about their business inside just 25 seconds as Matt Gohdes scored the second-fastest goal of this year's World Cup.

Soon after, a good initial save from George Pinner was not enough to prevent Liam De Young converting the rebound to make it 2-0.

Jamie Dwyer scored Australia's third before they extended their lead in the dying seconds of the first half courtesy of a superb volley from Kieran Govers.

Australia increased their lead early in the second half through Aran Zalewski but Pinner showed his class late on with a number of fine saves to keep the score down.

England now need to beat Belgium on Monday to secure a place in the semi-finals.

England stay in semifinal hunt with 2-0 win over Malaysia

The Hague: England played tactical hockey to overcome a strong challenge from Malaysia with a 2-0 win and stay in contention for the semifinals of the men’s World Cup here today.

England enjoyed an edge from the moment Mark Gleghorne put them ahead in the fourth minute with a field goal.

Malaysia pushed them hard, forcing a number of chances and three penalty corners, but failed to secure the equaliser as England hung on grimly.

Three minutes from close, Ashley Jackson placed a stinging penalty corner into the goal to seal the victory for England.

England now have seven points from three matches in Group A. They stay in semifinal contention with Olympic silver medalists Australia and Belgium, both of whom have won their previous two games and are to clash later in the day.

England pick uncapped trio for first Sri Lanka Test

London: England named a trio of uncapped players on Thursday in their squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's later this month.

Selecting his first Test squad since returning to the job, coach Peter Moores picked 24-year-old batsman Sam Robson and all-rounders Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali for the June 12 match.

Bowler Liam Plunkett, who last played Test cricket seven years ago against West Indies, has also been included in the 12-man squad alongside Chris Woakes.

Jos Buttler did not make the cut as Matt Prior was selected as wicketkeeper after recovering from an Achilles injury.

"We believe that this group of emerging talent will be very well complimented by the established core of experienced players that have been selected," said national selector James Whitaker. "We are expecting a tough series against Sri Lanka."

The 25-year-old Jordan, who took 12 wickets during England's 3-2 series defeat by Sri Lanka, has played 13 ODIs and seven T20s since making his England debut last September. The 26-year-old Ali made his ODI and T20 debuts earlier this year against West Indies.

Captain Alastair Cook's squad for England's opening Test of the summer also includes James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

England squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Sam Robson, Joe Root, Chris Woakes.

Sri Lanka beats England in 4th ODI, forces decider

LONDON: Sri Lanka weathered a brilliant knock of 121 by Jos Buttler to beat England by seven runs in the fourth one-day international and take the five-match series to a decider at 2-2.

Veteran left-hander Kumar Sangakkara struck 112 for his 19th ODI century as Sri Lanka posted 300-9 under sunny skies, setting England a tough target to clinch the series at Lord´s.

The big-hitting Buttler came in with his team unraveling on 111-5 but took England to the brink of victory with a 61-ball century, sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of 133 with Ravi Bopara (51).

England required 12 off the last over but wily paceman Lasith Malinga took the wicket of Chris Jordan and then ran out Buttler, a typically masterful over of line and length giving him final figures of 3-52. England finished on 293-8.

The fifth ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday will settle an oscillating, unpredictable series that peaked at the home of cricket thanks to two superb innings from players at the opposite ends of the careers.

The 36-year-old Sangakkara hit some delightful, flourishing shots to the boundary, mainly through the off side, in his 104-ball knock that contained 14 fours.

He came to the middle following Kusal Perera´s departure for 19 and shared a second-wicket stand of 172 with Tillakaratne Dilshan (71).

They reached their half-centuries in consecutive deliveries before the ever-entertaining Dilshan tried his trademark "Dilscoop" — a paddle shot over his head and behind the wicketkeeper — three times in one over, picking up boundaries from two of them.

Dilshan succumbed to the same shot against James Anderson, however, when he bent down to scoop the ball over his shoulder, missed it and was bowled. Sangakkara´s knock ended after advancing down the wicket to smash spinner James Tredwell, but missed the ball and got stumped.

Mahela Jayawardene´s miserable series continued when he was dismissed by Harry Gurney (4-55) for 7, helping to slow Sri Lanka´s scoring rate. But the tourists averaged 10 per over off the final four overs as they scrambled to the psychologically important 300-run mark.

In the third ODI in Manchester on Wednesday, the tourists had been skittled out for just 67.Malinga removed Alastair Cook (1) and Ian Bell (7) inside the first 20 balls of England reply, and the hosts were further unstuck by losing Gary Ballance for 42 and Joe Root for 43, exposing the middle order.

Eoin Morgan´s departure for 12 brought Buttler to the crease for what was one of the best ODI innings by an Englishman. He kissed his helmet when he reached his maiden ODI century — the fastest ever at Lord´s — and went on to make the highest ODI score by an English wicketkeeper.

With five overs left, England required 56 but Buttler hit 19 off five balls from Ajantha Mendis in the 46th over to give the hosts renewed hope.Malinga — arguably the best death bowler in cricket — shot down their chances, though, and kept the series alive. (AP)

Sturridge shows worth as England sink Peru

LONDON: England will head to the Americas with optimism intact after overcoming Peru 3-0 in their final pre-World Cup friendly game on home soil at Wembley Stadium on Friday.

In the first of his side´s three warm-up matches, manager Roy Hodgson saw man-of-the-match Daniel Sturridge put England ahead with a sweet 20-yard strike midway through the first half.

Centre-backs Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka got on the scoresheet in the second period to complete a straightforward evening for England, who travel to Miami for a pre-tournament training camp on Sunday.

They will face Ecuador and Honduras there next week before opening their World Cup campaign against Group D rivals Italy in the Brazilian city of Manaus on June 14. "It was a wonderful send-off to the World Cup by a quite incredible crowd," Hodgson told ITV. "We had to be patient, but we were dominant throughout. It is the perfect end to a perfect two weeks. I am delighted that 85,000 fans came here to wish us well on our way. When you play against teams with 10 men behind the ball you have to be patient, but I had no doubt we would win."

Hodgson was also able to hand a debut to young Everton defender John Stones, while he will have drawn encouragement from the performance of Adam Lallana and a late cameo from the fit-again Jack Wilshere.

Defeat took Peru´s run of games without victory to seven, but new coach Pablo Bengoechea had selected an experimental squad shorn of big-name players such as Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan. "We were playing against a top side, who were saying goodbye to their fans before the World Cup," said Bengoechea. "They had more possession than us and we struggled to get it off them, but in the first half they didn´t hurt us."

Hodgson opted to select Danny Welbeck instead of in-form Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, with the Manchester United man lining up on the left flank in a conventional 4-2-3-1 system.

It was the teams´ first meeting since 1962 and Peru threatened first, with Joe Hart leaping to field a deflected shot from Montpellier youngster Jean Reza, but England cranked into gear in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

Having wastefully lashed wide with his weaker right foot following a buccaneering run from Lallana, Sturridge made amends in the 32nd minute with an excellent strike that took his international goal tally to four.

After collecting a throw-in from Glen Johnson wide on the England right, he worked his way inside two defenders to the edge of the box before whipping a glorious left-foot shot into the top-left corner.

Cahill headed in from a Leighton Baines corner in the 65th minute to give England breathing space.

Five minutes later Jagielka stabbed home the third goal after visiting goalkeeper Raul Fernandez allowed another Baines corner to squirm from his grasp.

Sterling, Wilshere, Chris Smalling, James Milner, Ross Barkley and Stones all entered the fray in the latter stages, while the avoidance of injuries completed a satisfactory evening for Hodgson. (AFP)

Dilshan helps Sri Lanka reach 256-8 against England

Dilshan helps Sri Lanka reach 256-8 against EnglandCHESTER-LE-STREET, United Kingdom: Tillakaratne Dilshan made a crucial contribution of 88 runs as Sri Lanka finished on 256-8 after being put in to bat for the second successive one-day international against England on Sunday.

Dilshan was involved in an intriguing battle at the start of the innings with James Anderson, who took two wickets, including his 250th in ODI cricket.

Ashan Priyanjan added an important 43 runs for the tourists and there were three wickets for Harry Gurney near the end of the innings.
James Anderson posed problems for the opening batsmen Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne and the latter faced 18 balls before finally getting off the mark.

Anderson claimed the wicket his excellent opening burst deserved when Thirimanne was caught at slip by James Tredwell after scoring only ten in nine overs.

Dilshan was in fine form, however, and after almost being run out in the 16th over went on to score his 35th half-century in ODI cricket. It was invaluable for Sri Lanka, however, and his partnership with Kumar Sangakkara provided a solid foundation. The partnership added 96 runs before Sangakkara, who hit only two boundaries in his 40, hoisted a Tredwell delivery high into the air and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler took the catch.
The new batsman, Mahela Jayawardene, survived only eight deliveries before he was run out for two by an excellent throw from Gary Ballance.
Dilshan was 12 short of a deserved century when Chris Jordan, the star of England´s success in the opening encounter at The Oval, found movement off the pitch to hit the top of his off-stump. It was a delivery that could only enhance his prospects of a Test call-up this summer.
Ashan Priyanjan now emerged as the main threat to England. He struck two sixes from Tredwell´s final over after being dropped by Harry Gurney at third man in the previous over.
His partnership with Angelo Mathews reached 50 in 44 deliveries before Mathews again benefited from poor fielding when Ravi Bopara failed to take an easy catch at deep midwicket.
Bopara did succeed when Mathews offered another chance off the bowling of Harry Gurney, ending a fifth-wicket partnership of 66 at better than a run a ball.
Priyanjan soon followed him for 43 as a catch by Eoin Morgan gave Anderson is 250th wicket in ODI cricket, while Dinesh Chandimal and Nuwan Kulasekara soon followed.
(AFP)

Giles quits as England selector

LONDON: Ashley Giles has resigned as an England selector after being passed over for the role of national team coach, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Friday.

Former England spinner Giles had been England´s one-day coach since 2012, having joined the selection panel four years earlier. But after Andy Flower stood down as head coach following the team´s 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia, England officials decided they wanted just one man in charge of the side across all three major international formats -- Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s.

And last week Giles´ hopes of succeeding Flower were ended when the ECB announced they had recalled former Lancashire boss Peter Moores for a second stint as England coach.

Unsurprisingly in the circumstances Giles, who guided Warwickshire to the County Championship in 2012, felt he could no longer continue as an England selector. He has now been replaced on the four-man panel by Nottinghamshire coach Mick Newell, also a candidate for the England head coach position before he too lost out to Moores.

"Ashley Giles has informed ECB today (Friday) that he intends to step down from the panel and I would like to thank him for all his hard work and dedication to the England cause over the past six years both as a selector, and more recently as our limited overs coach," ECB national selector James Whitaker said in a statement.

Newell, who will continue with his Nottinghamshire day job, joins a panel that also includes, Whitaker, Moores and another county coach in Middlesex´s former England seamer Angus Fraser.

"We welcome Mick to the panel and his passion, cricketing knowledge and in-depth understanding of our county game will be invaluable as we seek to identify potential international talent and develop outstanding England teams across all three formats of the game," ex-England batsman Whitaker added.

Meanwhile Newell, who has served as a coach on second-string England Lions and Under-19s tours, and has twice been a County Championship winning coach with Nottinghamshire, said: "It´s a tremendous privilege and a great honour to be invited to join the England selection panel and I am really looking forward to working more closely with James, Peter and Angus.

"I would also like to thank Nottinghamshire CCC for their support in allowing me to take on this role and play a part in shaping the future direction of the England team. "England´s next match is a one-day international away to Scotland in Aberdeen on May 9. (AFP