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He started out as a natural talent who lost his way. Now, able to marry venom and control, Steven Finn finally feels back to his best

George Dobell at Edgbaston30-Jul-2015Just over a year ago, Steven Finn sat in the dressing room at Edgbaston and wept. The pace and rhythm were gone. The England place, too. There were no guarantees that any of them would be back.At the time, Finn had been reduced to bowling first change for Middlesex. It wasn’t that he minded; it was that he didn’t understand what had gone wrong. He didn’t understand why the game that had once come so easily had suddenly become so hard. He didn’t understand why all his hard work was getting him nowhere.But as he sits in the same pavilion, he may reflect that the experience has been the making of him. He may reflect that, where once he was a talented kid, he is now an experienced professional. He may reflect that the whole experience, painful though it was, was a necessary process that helped him develop from something raw into something quite special. He’s not a brute hurling a ball now; he’s a fast bowler.And yes, he is fast. Finn has bowled faster than anyone – including Mitchell Johnson – in this Test. His speed, in both innings, has gone above 90mph, with a first-innings high above 93mph. With his height, that presents an uncomfortable challenge for a batsman. Even a batsman as good as Steven Smith, rated No. 1 in the world, who Finn has dismissed twice in this match.Just as importantly, he has gained swing. While the Finn that first represented England swung the occasional ball, the version that has come back into the side appears to have control and regular away shape. The wicket of Mitchell Marsh – bowled by a full delivery – even seemed to tail in just a fraction. It has made him a far more complete package as a bowler.And, most importantly, he has hit the seam and maintained a good length. His spell of 8-1-25-4 either side of tea, in which he dismissed Smith and Michael Clarke, squared up by one that left him slightly off the seam, may well have settled this game. His obvious happiness afterwards – “it feels pretty darn good,” he said in what might have been considered a pretty good Hugh Grant impression – was understandable. There have been some dark days on the journey.In the beginning, fast bowling came easily to Finn. While his school friends were doing their GCSEs, he was making his first-class debut. For a 16-year-old to play professional sport is impressive enough; for a fast bowler to do so is remarkable.Six years later, he was celebrating becoming the youngest man to claim 50 Test wickets for England. He hadn’t had to think about the game; it all came naturally.

Like fixing an engine, Finn was forced to understand how each part of his action worked and how to gain the best from it

But then came the obstacles. His propensity to leak four runs an over made him something of a liability in a four-man attack who prided themselves on attrition and control. Then, after his habit of knocking the stumps in his delivery stride became more than an irritation in 2012, the attempts to alter his action and approach started.The results were, initially at least, wretched. The run-up was shortened, then lengthened again. The pace dropped – Finn continues to deny this, but the statistics brook no argument – the control disappeared and a man who once looked natural and confident then appeared deliberate and diffident.He played his last Test at Trent Bridge in 2013 – he bowled especially poorly in the Lord’s nets ahead of the second Test of that series and was dropped – and, by the time England reached Australia later that year, looked a shell of the bowler he had once been.The image of him alone in the nets at the SCG, bowling delivery after delivery in agonisingly arrhythmic fashion, growing slower the more effort he applied, was one of the sadder sights of the tour. By the time Ashley Giles sent him home suggesting he was “not selectable” – a phrase that had been used throughout the tour by the coaching staff away from the microphones – it was a kindness. He needed a break.What he gained, in reality, was time and space and support. Back at Middlesex, in a more benevolent environment without some of the “banter” that was not always helpful in the England dressing room, Finn worked for hour after hour with the club’s bowling coach, Richard Johnson.There was, for a long time, little sign of improvement. But perhaps at Finchley Cricket Club, where Finn started bowling off two paces, then built it up off three, then four and more, perhaps at Lord’s in May, when Jonathan Trott said Finn was back to his best, or perhaps at Merchant Taylor’s School earlier this month, when Finn and Johnson both came to the same conclusion, Finn started to bowl with the venom of old and the control of new. And, just as importantly, he started to believe in himself again.The process of rebuilding that action will prove priceless. Like fixing an engine, he was forced to understand how each part of his action worked and how to gain the best from it. He was forced – prepared might be a better word; plenty wouldn’t have bothered – to confront technical lapses that his natural talent had, for a while, allowed him to ignore. He was prepared to do the hard work to come again.”Trying to improve hindered me for a while,” he said recently. “But overall it’s been a beneficial experience. I came home and reassessed where I was. I feel good now. I feel I can do myself justice.”That may prove just as well for England. There seems a very strong chance that James Anderson will miss at least the Trent Bridge Test, providing a peek into England’s future. Anderson will surely prove irreplaceable but, at least if Finn is fit and firing, the future does not look quite so worrying.It is not a unique story. The likes of Anderson, Matt Prior and Ian Bell were also selected young only to then struggle and benefit from a spell back in the county game. Gary Ballance will surely prove the same.Bearing in mind the occurrences of players struggling in the England environment, it does provoke reflection on the ECB’s belief in the academy at Loughborough. While millions are spent on a centre that appears to produce little – there are several examples of players who feel their career was detrimentally affected by its coaches – the ECB is drawing up plans to cut the County Championship schedule by 25%. To do so risks weakening the foundations of everything good in the English game.Finn, himself, credits the endless support of Johnson and, to be fair, the ECB’s Kevin Shine. “I’m indebted to those guys,” he said. “They put in hours and hours of early mornings with me bowling through to a mitt, or to a stump and watching and giving feedback. I’m very grateful to the way those guys have given their time so selflessly to me after the last 18 months.”Steven Finn found an irresistible rhythm to rip through Australia’s top order•Getty ImagesBut he also credited a refreshed atmosphere in the England dressing room. More comfortable in the less intense environment, Finn is not thinking so much at the runs he must avoid conceding as the wickets he wants to take. It is a subtle difference, perhaps, but it has helped him relax and produce the cricket that he had shown for Middlesex this summer.”I’m enjoying playing cricket at the moment,” he said. “I used to put myself under a huge amount of pressure. But now we just want to play with smiles on our faces.”We’re playing with a can-do attitude. Before, we were playing some very attritional cricket because it suited the players that we had. Now we’re trying to be a team of people who can showcase our talent. It seems to be working.”It was not as if he had things all his own way. His first over was hit for 14, mainly by David Warner, and he was quickly whipped out of the attack and brought back at the other end.It proved a masterstroke by Alastair Cook. Two ball later Smith, perhaps trying to pile the pressure on to a bowler who has sometimes been suspected of cracking when he is targeted, top edged an attempted pull. Shortly after tea, Finn was on a hat-trick and Australia were the ones under pressure. He had been tested and he had come through.”There have been dark times along the way,” he said. “But it makes those good times all the more satisfying.”Indeed, it will. And, in the long-term, his hard work and increased understanding of his art will serve him and England well.

Let the umpires do their job. Walking – even when done with the best of intentions – undermines them

Jack Mendel17-Jun-2014In this era of technology and television replays, it’s about time that decision-making was concentrated entirely with umpires. Walking is undoubtedly done with the best of intentions but ultimately, it helps nobody.When Rangana Herath seemingly edged the ball behind in the tense final over of the Lord’s Test, the umpire Paul Reiffel was motionless. Herath thought he was out and walked, and the umpire signaled to the appealing Stuart Broad that the batsman had chosen to exit of his own volition. With only a handful of balls to negotiate to save the Test, a wicket was potentially a match-defining event; and in a series of just two games, potentially a series-defining event.Replays showed comprehensively though, that like with Edgebaston 2005, the ball had hit Herath’s glove when his hand was off the bat. He was technically not out, but had voluntarily walked off anyway. This was the equivalent of someone being falsely accused in a court of law, and admitting to doing wrong because they aren’t aware of their own innocence.In hindsight, Herath looked very silly. If that had led to a Sri Lankan loss, it would have made him public enemy number one.But what does this have to do with the laws and spirit of the game?The perception of the image of cricket; particularly Test cricket, is very important to the ECB and the MCC.Lord’s has the spirit of cricket plastered on numerous boards, on the ground; and it is of course the body that makes the rules and holds the traditions of the game. It wants to preserve those traditions that they purport to have established, such as sportsmanship and playing fair.The integrity of the game is thus crucial, so it is baffling that the laws and traditions are often at times at loggerheads. One such example is walking, whereby the umpire is essentially superseded by a player deciding on his own that he is out, even – like in this case – when he isn’t.If an outsider saw this, she would think – “why not just let the umpires do their job?”There are systems in place too. The umpire should be allowed to function without the need for intervention by players. Each team has a number of reviews to challenge what they deem to be bad decisions.This does not undermine the umpire though, because each team has a limited number of reviews [rightly so], and all reviews are relative to the original decision; with only the most compelling circumstances demanding an overturning of the decision.The DRS system is in there to change bad umpiring decisions using available technology; but it maintains a healthy role and respect for the umpire.Walking doesn’t.In football, a player cannot pick up the ball and overturn the referee’s decision for the sake of playing ‘fair’. In no other sport can the players decide their own fate; so given this fact, it seems odd that in cricket, players are allowed to walk off and decide they are out, and be berated as immoral if they don’t.If an umpire say’s not out, it should be not out. If the fielding side thinks the batsman has hit it, then the fielding side can challenge the decision. If the umpire gives him out wrongly; the batsman can challenge it.That’s how it should be, as that maintains respect for the authority of the umpire, and ultimately that is the cornerstone of playing fair and having an even, respectful game.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

Michael Hussey’s latest century was another example of the hardworking, fluent and busy innings that have typified his style of play over his career

Daniel Brettig in Hobart15-Dec-2012Almost without exception, every man to enter the Australian team has described the sight of Ricky Ponting at training as close to their greatest education about what was required of an international cricketer. His intensity was unwavering, his spark ever-present, his attention to detail minute.Seldom would a session conclude without one brilliant moment of Ponting fielding, like a staggering slip catch or a precision throw to knock back one stump. Similarly, never would Ponting finish in the nets without a sense of progress around his batting, even if in latter days that was not reflected in the middle.On days one and two in Hobart, in the first match since Ponting exited the training and playing grounds for life beyond the dressing room, Michael Hussey gave a similarly comprehensive education in the ways of mature batsmanship. At 37, having watched Ponting’s decline into retirement, Hussey appears remarkably undimmed by advancing years, and remains the foremost Australian batting technician of his time.Every piece of Hussey’s game, which has so confounded Sri Lanka across six Tests dating back to 2007, was fitted into the considered and accomplished whole after careful consideration and often painful experience. Starting life as an opening batsman, he gilded his technique and mental approach with additional knowledge when dropping down the order during county matches in England. When Hussey belatedly debuted for Australia in late 2005, he was 30 years old, and had learned even to temper his customary intensity, the better to profit on the journey.”When I got to 30 and I was in the Western Australia team I had almost given up hope of playing for Australia,” Hussey said. “I was always someone who put a lot of pressure on myself and tried very hard. Almost when I took the pressure off myself and said ‘I’m not going to worry about playing for Australia, just relax’, that’s when I started performing more consistently and got my opportunity.”Once I got into the team, that was the challenge for me, to keep that mindset, try to stay relaxed, just keep enjoying my game, keep playing my way, and hopefully the same consistency would come. It’s a challenge because it’s something you want so badly and you want to do so well, it’s hard to stay relaxed, but I think that’s where I’ve been able to play my best cricket, when I’m calm.”

‘I just want to enjoy it while it lasts’

Michael Hussey knows he cannot elude the march of time forever. Having scored a century and taken a catch at gully, Hussey earned the plaudits of Sri Lanka’s coach Graham Ford, who reckoned the 37-year-old could keep going for at least another two years. But Hussey himself was careful not to laugh in the face of his advancing years, noting Ricky Ponting’s final series.

“I thought watching Ricky he’d been batting really well, his Sheffield Shield scores were fantastic, and watching him bat in the nets, and this game sometimes it just can really sort you out,” Hussey said. “I’m under no illusions that I’m sure that’s going to happen to me as well. It just takes a couple of good balls, a couple of bad shots, or a couple of things not to go your way, and you can feel under pressure as well. At the moment it seems to have been going my way, but understanding how the game goes it can turn very quickly, and I just want to try to enjoy it while it lasts.”

Possessing a startling record against Sri Lanka, Hussey said he had learned to enjoy series that began well but also rebound in those that began badly. “You get confidence from good scores if you can start a series well it does help you to relax,” he said. “I’ve been through the different sorts of challenges along the way where you haven’t started well and you can feel the pressure building. To be able to keep coming back to what you know has worked for you in the past and just believing in that, and eventually it comes back around your way.”

That delayed entry to international company filled Hussey with desire and resourcefulness to expand on his undoubted natural talent, and knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses that allowed him to grow remarkably quickly into something approaching the complete player. This is perhaps best illustrated by his still critical role for Australia in all three formats of the game – as valuable in the helter skelter of Twenty20 as he is in the extended cut and thrust of a Test.The latter was very much on display at Bellerive Oval, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers did their best to corral Australia on a pitch that was presentable on the first day but has grown subtly more difficult with each hour, and will continue to deteriorate. In recent times Hussey has shown his ability to guide Australia out of one top order crisis after another in the company of the captain Michael Clarke, and this time his commission was eased slightly by a tally of 4 for 198 when he walked to the middle.”It was sort of a pitch where you never really felt in on,” Hussey said. “There was definitely quite a bit of variable bounce, and if you get enough balls in the right area there’s a little bit of seam movement as well. It didn’t really swing as much as what I was expecting, but there’s certainly enough variable bounce there, and a couple that took off from nowhere, and that made it hard to feel really in. It’s difficult to score freely.”One of Hussey’s greatest attributes as a batsman is to score unobtrusively at times, but always regularly enough to keep himself from becoming inert. This was very evident here, as his innings contained no fewer than 49 singles. On a second morning of careful batting following Clarke’s early departure to a lively Shaminda Eranga, Hussey sustained himself at one point with 14 runs in succession collected the hard way. This had the dual benefits of keeping Hussey’s tally ticking but also rotating the strike, posing different challenges for Sri Lanka’s attack, which remained diligent throughout the period up to lunch. Apart from everything else, Hussey is an outstanding runner between the wickets.After rain lengthened the interval significantly, Australia’s priorities were changed. The time sucked out of the match, and the prospect of more delays over the next three days, lifted the emphasis on runs collected quickly, and the attack to be taken to the bowlers. Hussey and Matthew Wade lifted their rating, and after notching only two boundaries in going to his 50, he cuffed six balls to the fence and heaved another over it on his way to 115 not out.The only moment in the entire innings when Hussey lost noticeable poise was on 96, when he pulled at Shaminda Eranga’s short ball and offered a chance to Angelo Mathews on the boundary. It was the sort of chance that might have been taken this summer if offered by Ponting, but like Clarke, Hussey’s luck appears to be in. Some good fortune for Hussey was altogether fitting anyway, given the quality of the innings, and the quality of the player. Right now there is no better man in the world for an aspiring young batsman to watch.

Salman Butt looks back at four crazy days at Headingley and ahead to the England series

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jul-2010It is a good sign that you are not getting carried away despite a good win in Headingley?
We all know it is a very young side and nobody expected us to do what we did [level the series]. It is very important to stay calm, relaxed and focused because there is a much more important series coming up against the home team who know the conditions much better than anyone else. So we need to work very hard, work on every opportunity we get and make use of the conditions as far as possible. That way we can try to give England a tough time.Watching the games it seems the players have done well to stay calm and devoted despite the rumblings in the aftermath of the Lord’s defeat. Has that played a role in you slipping into the captaincy role easily?
It is wonderful to see the boys stick together as a unit in the second Test and they all fought really well. They need to do the same now in every game they play. We as humans can only make efforts and that is all I require of them.Did this camaraderie among the team strike you as surprising?
It is not something that just came to me during or after the Headingley Test. I have always had faith in this unit right through this tour. I’ve played with most of these guys from my Under-19 days and quite a few of them play with me at National Bank and Lahore in the domestic cricket. So I know they all have the capability to become match-winners. Yes, it will take some time to really make a name in international cricket but the quicker they can adapt, the quicker they start playing to their potential, the greater the chances of Pakistan winning more and more games.One youngster who has shown that potential is Azhar Ali. He stood strong at a crucial stage in Leeds’ chase and played his natural game. How hopeful are you of him?
He is a wonderful prospect. The best thing about him is he is never seen off target. He is never seen playing shots which he wouldn’t do normally. He plays his cricket in his limits. He knows his shots, his scoring areas. In the four innings so far, three times he got out a very good ball which any good batsman might have found hard to negotiate as well. Azhar is a very good talent and if he can carry on this way he has the ability to stabilise the Pakistan batting. He proved that during the fourth innings at Headingley where he showed great temperament and resolve against the Aussies as well as a good technique in tough conditions. But you should not forget Imran Farhat’s contribution. He kept the scoring rate high and kept hitting the boundaries at the other end, which helped Azhar to not take pressure. So, full credit to Imran, who built the crucial partnership with Azhar in the run chase.Farhat is a peculiar case. He has been under pressure in every match he has played after his comeback in New Zealand last year. Yet without scoring massively, or prettily, he has helped form a decent opening partnership with you. How important a cog is he in your wheel?
He has been playing really well from the time of his comeback in the New Zealand last year. It is really fun to bat with him as we help each a lot and share a lot of ideas while we bat. Imran did the same with Azhar. I don’t have enough words to praise them because the situation they built the partnership came under lot of pressure and had a greater importance.Imran is a senior to me, having started to play for Pakistan three to four years before me. So he has a few things to add to my knowledge and vice versa. Each time the one of us makes a mistake we are honest to point it out to the other. Both being left-handers, we understand each other, which is an added advantage. The best thing about our partnership is we are both approachable. That is the only way forward for us and this applies to every other player in the team.Salman Butt was full of praise for the efforts of his opening partner, Imran Farhat, who made crucial runs at Headingley•Getty ImagesBut there still remains this lingering doubt about his temperament. Do you agree?
In the last few years he has strengthened his defence. In the past he used to pounce on the short ball straightaway. He has cut down on that now which is very essential in international cricket and I think him having a control over his shots has helped him score a bit more regularly. It is one of the strengths of any great batsman: if you know what you need to do on a particular wicket it only makes you more confident. I just hope Imran goes playing the same way. He has got the ability, the temperament and the shots. So if he keeps on playing the same way he will be a big asset for Pakistan.How big a factor was getting advice from seniors like Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal?
I was very lucky in this regard. Not only those two, but every single player including the first-timers had something to say to me all the time. The way they ran around the ground, cheering the fast bowlers, picking their sweaters before passing on to the umpires, chatting all the time and motivating the bowlers created a positive bubble and lifted the team. I asked [Umar] Amin to bowl and he did not hesitate, so the players were ready and willing to do anything.Was it an instinctive decision or planned out to bowl Amin?
I had told him two days before the Test that he might be asked to bowl if need be. I told the part-timers like Farhat and Azhar to be ready because I know as a batsman it is really distracting to face somebody who is not a regular bowler at a crucial time on a difficult pitch. Yes, the Marcus North example at Lord’s where he got me out at the stroke of lunch did play at the back of my mind. But captains, if they have options, are always are willing to take a chance.So you are not afraid to dare?
If there are doubts then take the most aggressive decision because God helps the brave. My team-mates never say no to anything so I am lucky to have these guys around me.But Pakistan’s fate was scripted by the fast bowlers on the first day when you demolished Australia for 88.
Of course, I cannot deny the importance of the first innings and that was the key to the result. The way Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul bowled was brilliant. Without any doubt I can say that Aamer and Asif are the best pair in the world at the moment. Gul with the old ball is the most dangerous because he bowls the best reverse swing that I’ve played in recent times. I am a lucky person to have such an armoury and they are Pakistan’s trump card in Pakistan’s successes in the recent past and for a long time in the future.But it is a challenge now to preserve these fast bowlers with four back-to-back Tests in the next month?
We will be talking to the bowlers. We have to look after each other. But if somebody is feeling tired, disheartened, or if he feels there is any injury scare he can always come out and speak to me and the seniors. It is not only me, but the seniors and the team management who will sit and decide. It is not only this series but with the World Cup fast approaching we definitely have that, too, at the back of our minds so we will preserve key people but at the same time in the big games – Tests – we need to play our best team and plan accordingly.Pakistan’s batting is still fragile and the batsmen haven’t show their real promise. What is the message on the eve of the England series?
Batting is the most difficult job. Let it be a Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam ul Haq or Javed Miandad it only takes one good ball, one bad shot, one bad mistake to get out and sit and watch others. Batsmen do not become great overnight – you have to give them time, you have to back them and keep on backing them and telling them how good they are and how good they possibly can be. We have to be mentally ready for that. We have a good opening partnerships and Azhar and Amin are bright prospects. Then there is Umar Akmal – even if he hasn’t yet shown his true potential during the Test series, I have a lot of time for him. If he can bat for two hours he can change the game on his own. The same is the case with his brother Kamran, who has not shown his full potential but hopefully I see them clicking in the England series.Rising star: Mohammad Aamer’s form is key to Pakistan’s chances against England•Getty ImagesIn the past a bad result has led to repercussions for a captain. He gets the blame straightaway. Do you think the positive comeback against Australia might change that?
I don’t know what to say. My job is to play the team at hand, and the team they have given me I see ability in them. At the same I keep saying, and insisting, that we need to back the players. It is alright that we have achieved a good victory but there will be tough times ahead and they will make mistakes so me as a captain, we as a unit and nation need to back the players and only then we will see a change.You have tirelessly said that you are open to the inclusion of Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan if the selectors pick them. But are you open to their comeback?
It is not in my domain. It is up to the PCB and the selectors to decide. I have to play the team given to me. As far as I’m concerned nobody has spoken to me as yet about this subject so I can’t comment further on this.Are you going to ask the board on your own?
It totally depends on when they start talking to me. I am not the one who is going to start this conversation because at the moment I am playing with the team given to me.It is still early to talk about your captaincy. But what are the lessons you learnt from Ricky Ponting?
Firstly, people might think he made a bad decision batting first at Headingley, but it is very rare he has lost a Test match in this fashion. I still praise his confidence. It is a very positive statement he passes on to the other side that whenever he wins the toss he puts himself in to bat. Not often do Australia fold for 88. And it is never easy in the fourth innings for others teams to chase. He is a very bold character and a very productive captain. The way he placed his field on the last day when 40 runs were needed, and the way he mixed attack and defence, it was definitely a good lesson for me. He is a person to learn from and I always admire his skills. He has one of the best units in the world which helps any captain – if you have a good team and people with the ability to win you games you are lucky as a captain. I am lucky, too, with a very good bowling line-up and very promising young batsmen and I hope every player in my unit will rise to the occasion.Did you get a pat on your back for the Leeds victory?
Justin Langer remarked the youngsters have a good technique and showed very good match temperament. That was very heartening for the youngsters that a great player like him praised them. But then again if they keep on doing well people praise them. There are no born heroes in this world. You have to do something to make a name for yourself. The more they do well, the more people will recognise them as heroes, and the better role model they will become.Finally about this series. England will be tough opponents playing in their home conditions. What is the key now?
You can make it as complicated as you can and this includes myself too. I can use words to make it as complicated as I can or I can just say we have to put in the hard work which is more simple and straight. If we play to our potential England will not have an easy ride. So we need to put in 100 percent.

Pietersen’s showmanship hides a liking for the battle and a rare talent for winning matches

Sambit Bal at Lord's22-Jul-2007

Give Pietersen a stage and a challenge and he’ll be up to it © Getty Images
It is said that bowlers win matches but to watch Kevin Pietersen bat at the top of his game is to watch a match-winning batsman of rare pedigree. He has been accused, and one suspects always will be, of showmanship and a singular devotion to himself, but as long as he can produce match-turning innings as he did at Lord’s on the fourth day, his team-mates will be mad to complain.Pietersen could turn out to be the most unaesthetic of great batsmen. His game is not about balance, poise, economy of movement or grace. Though his movements are exaggerated, the word flourish cannot be applied to his batting in the manner it can be to Brian Lara. He crouches in his stance, bends his knees when the bowler begins his run and shuffles to off and middle at the point of delivery. Only Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shivnarine Chanderpaul among the current batsmen are as hyperactive and as ungainly at the crease. But from that position he can manoeuvre the ball powerfully in all directions. Though the leg-side shovel remains his signature stroke, he has developed his batting sufficiently to hit boundaries all around the wicket.Not that he is a slouch between the wickets, but singles and twos are merely tactical options for Pietersen, whose game revolves around hitting boundaries. To state the obvious, boundaries keep the runs coming faster but Pietersen’s motives are far darker: he aims for subjugation. In depositing a good-length ball outside off behind midwicket, the message to the bowler is unambiguous: no length or line is safe. When Pietersen gets going, momentum shifts, the rhythm of the match changes; when he is at it for a long enough period, the match often turns in his team’s favour.England were in danger of being bowled out for under 200 today. The Indian bowlers did themselves credit in the morning session. The sun was shining and the conditions were not helpful to swing bowling as they were on the first three days but the Indian medium pacers stuck to a run-denying line, and RP Singh combined some sharp balls with the knack of picking up wickets to reduce England to 132 for five a few minutes before lunch. Considering that England had lost six for 26 in the first innings, India were in with a chance.As it happened, England lost their last five for 31. In between, though, Matt Prior stayed with Pietersen long enough after lunch for England to add 120 runs in 25 overs. Prior wasn’t a spectator, but the session after lunch bore Pietersen’s stamp. His game is based far more on calculation than on instinct and he picked his spots surgically. RP Singh was hit to cover and flicked to fine leg, Sreesanth was wristily despatched to midwicket and the hundred came with three emphatic hits in one over from Anil Kumble. The second, a straight six, took him from 93 to 99, and it spoke of a man with the confidence to live on the edge. It’s that ability to live on the edge and bring his best game to play when the match is on the line that has come to define Pietersen It’s that ability to live on the edge and bring his best game to play when the match is on the line that has come to define Pietersen. His first century came when a series – not just any series but the Ashes – was on the line. England had to bat out of their skins on the last day of the series to save the Oval Test and win back the Ashes and were five down at lunch. Pietersen ended up with 158 off 187 balls, which featured breathtaking strokes against Shane Warne and Brett Lee, Australia’s best bowlers in the match and in the series.His second hundred, 100 off 137 balls, came when England were in trouble in Faisalabad chasing Pakistan’s 462, and his fourth, 142 against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston came in a team score of 295. Muttiah Muralitharan dismissed him four times in the series, the last occasion precipitating a collapse that cost England the Test, but Pietersen dominated him otherwise, taking 134 runs off 158 balls he faced from him.In an age where batsmen resort to pretensions of playing a stroke while defending against spinners, Pietersen does it the old fashioned way, the bat distinctly in front of the pad. This makes for an interesting contest between him and Kumble. Pietersen is forever looking to come down the pitch against spinners but Kumble is not an easy bowler to come down to. And where Kumble is forever seeking to trap tentative batsmen lbw, Pietersen is unlikely to present his pad to him.At the end of the fourth day, the irony was hard to miss. Sachin Tendulkar, the slayer of spinners in his pomp and who famously, even if in jest, inscribed “Once in a blue moon, mate, never again” on the ball with which Monty Panesar had got him lbw the first time, fell the same way once again, his bat tucked behind his pad. It was only a couple of hours after Pietersen had dealt with Kumble, India’s greatest matchwinner, with a swagger.It’s early still to draw comparisons but this much can be said about Pietersen: give him a stage and give him a challenge and he’ll be up to it. Make no mistake about it, here’s greatness in the making.

Ruben Amorim insisted that Manchester United youngsters "will have space in our team" after stitching a comeback win against Hong Kong.

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• Man Utd sealed a 3-1 win over Hong Kong
• Chido Obi & Ayden Heaven were on the scoresheet
• Amorim impressed with the teenagers in his squad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United ended their post-season adventure in Asia on a high, staging a comeback to defeat Hong Kong 3-1 in their final exhibition match. Teenage striker Chido Obi grabbed the headlines with a pair of goals, before Ayden Heaven added a late third to seal the win. After a disappointing 1-0 loss to ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, the result ensured that United concluded their financially lucrative Asian tour on a positive note, with promising glimpses into the club’s future.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amorim was especially impressed with midfielder Jim Thwaites, who made an impact after coming off the bench. However, despite the positive display, the manager made it clear that performing well in friendlies is just one part of the development journey. The true test lies in whether these players can sustain their level and handle the demands of life in the Premier League.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking to the club media after the victory, Amorim said: "I really like the kids. I think Jimmy [Thwaites], in the last 15 minutes, as a midfielder, he wants to play. It doesn't matter how many minutes. These kind of young kids are really important. They will have space in our team."

  The biggest talking point, however, was Chido Obi’s clinical brace. Amorim commended the 19-year-old forward but was quick to remind that scoring goals is only part of the challenge.

  "Of course, it's a good feeling [for Obi to score twice] but he needs to continue to train really hard because the Premier League is a different world," he said. "We have to improve as a team but I'm really pleased with the kids. Ayden proved, in every game for the first team, he is ready to be an option. Of course, he has got to improve. It's important for us to control these kids, to show them to be a professional in Manchester United, it's really hard to maintain the level. He is starting and needs to continue."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Although the tour has just wrapped, Amorim revealed his mind is already shifting towards next season’s preparations.

  "Of course, to spend time with my family," he said. "But, like I said in the press conference, I am ready to start the next one. We have a lot to do. A lot to prepare. We have to think of the squad and we are changing building. It needs to be that everything is ready for the new season."

Transfer fees are getting ridiculous nowadays, but you can still negotiate your way to a bargain in the market

Alexander Isak for £125 million. Florian Wirtz for £117m. Benjamin Sesko for £73m. Nick Woltemade for £69m. Bryan Mbeumo for £65m. Eberechi Eze for £60m. You get the idea – big money gets you big players.

That's the way the world's going. You generally have to open your wallet to find quality stars – but that's not the only way to get yourself a good deal. There's still room for a bargain here and there. Just because you have lots of cash doesn't mean you necessarily need to blow it all at one.

GOAL has ranked the 10 best value-for-money deals of the 2025 summer window, paying our dues to the teams who squeezed every penny in transfer talks:

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  10Gabri Veiga (Al-Ahli to Porto, £12m)

  If you cast your mind back to the 2023 summer transfer window, there was a certain Spanish playmaker who dominated the gossip columns. Fresh off a breakout season with Celta Vigo during which he scored 11 goals and provided four assists, Gabri Veiga was expected to join one of Europe's big boys. Barcelona and Chelsea were among the clubs tipped with an interest, which is why it was such a surprise when he opted to move to Saudi side Al-Ahli instead.

  After two seasons in the Middle East, Veiga, who is still only 23, is back in Europe after signing for Portuguese giants Porto at a snip £12m – just over £20m less that what Al-Ahli paid to Celta. With Benfica and Sporting CP dominating Liga Portugal in recent years, he's the sort of player who could help the Dragons become the dominant force in the country again.

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  9Rayan Cherki (Lyon to Manchester City, £32m)

  Sure, Rayan Cherki has endured a mixed start to his Manchester City career, but let's not judge him too quickly in that direction. After all, he's the sort of flair player that will take some time adjusting to the Premier League once he returns to full fitness in the coming months.

  Manchester City's rebuild saw them stump up an initial £32m to sign the French wizard from Lyon as they look to replace the genius of Kevin De Bruyne with a few players rather than like-for-like. The 22-year-old brings with him an ingenuity that has been missing in their recent plight, and his ability to strike a ball on either foot only adds to his unpredictable dribbling.

  There are few Premier League players who can match Cherki when it comes to technical ability. Now, it's about whether he and Pep Guardiola can put his skill to good use.

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  8Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia to Arsenal, £12m)

  Alright, so we just said we shouldn't overreact to a few games into a new season, but holding your own away at Liverpool in place of William Saliba is a hard ask of any centre-back, let alone one who's only 21. That's enough of a reason to think that Cristhian Mosquera represents fantastic value for money.

  Amid Valencia's financial woes, Arsenal were able to muscle their way to the front of the queue and sign the versatile defender for an initial £12m. In this market, it's conceivable to make a significant profit on that even if performances don't live up to the hype.

  Regardless, Mosquera was solid in La Liga last season and with his profile, it's easy to see him further adapting to the rigours of the Premier League too. Whatever you say about Arsenal and their defensive nature nowadays, you have to give it to them that they know what they're doing.

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  7Pervis Estupinan (Brighton to AC Milan, £17m)

  It wasn't too long ago that Pervis Estupinan was in the conversation for one of the Premier League's best left-backs. Such is the value in Brighton's trading model that they decided to move him on for young blood this summer.

  The lucky team on the other end of the deal were AC Milan, who decided to accept an offer from Saudi outfit Al-Hilal for Theo Hernandez. In need of a top-quality replacement, they found Estupinan up for sale and were able to acquire him for £17m, immediately coming in as a standout left-back in Serie A.

  For the first time, the Rossoneri have an Ecuadorian in their ranks, and if he can replicate his performances from the Amex Stadium at San Siro, then he will easily win over the Rossoneri faithful.

Mumbai could only muster 144, a total that wasn’t anywhere close to enough

Alagappan Muthu30-Apr-20241:06

Jaffer: ‘LSG trust Naveen to bowl the tough overs’

Having lost more wickets (4) than they hit boundaries (3) in the powerplay, Mumbai Indians were always going to struggle. Four of the first six overs cost a run a ball or less. Two of the last four suffered the same fate. A total of 144 did not look like it would be enough and so it proved as Lucknow Super Giants secured victory with four wickets to spare and moved into third place on the points table. Really, the only thing that didn’t go according to plan for KL Rahul – well two things – was Mayank Yadav leaving the field early on the very night he returned from injury.Mohsin’s missilesThere is almost no relation between Mohsin Khan’s amble up to the crease and the ball that he sends down. At times, he gets big on the batter. Other times he gets swing that they aren’t expecting. He uses his height to great effect and must have incredible strength in his shoulder. It seems to be where he gets all his pace, which deceived pretty much everybody. He was producing a false shot roughly once every three deliveries.MI fined for slow over rate

MI captain Hardik Pandya was fined INR 24 lac as his team maintained a slow over rate for the second time during IPL 2024. The rest of the members of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each fined INR 6 lac or 25% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser. A third such offence will result in Hardik being banned for one match.

Rohit Sharma spooned a ball that he saw as hittable straight into the hands of short cover. The MI batter threw his head back in utter disappointment. He was still thinking that should have gone for four. But instead he was the one gone for 4, on his birthday. Nehal Wadhera had cleared his front leg looking to go big. Except he was met with a searing yorker, dipping beneath his bat before he was ready for it and crashing into his stumps.Stoinis’ utilityMarcus Stoinis has a hundred in this tournament, batting at No. 3. He also occasionally opens the bowling for LSG. Imagine what India would do to have a player like that in their T20 squad?Someone who can bat up the order and give them two or three overs every game. Stoinis knows his limitations. He knows he doesn’t have a lot of pace, but that actually worked in his favour when was bowling to Suryakumar Yadav. The attempt to flick a boundary to fine leg ended up as a feather through to the keeper. It was brave of LSG, keeping Stoinis on for a second over, long after the swing from the new ball had disappeared, against one of the most dangerous batters in the world. But that was probably the plan – deny SKY the pace he likes – and it worked.Marcus Stoinis scored quickly on a tricky pitch•AFP/Getty ImagesMI fizzleThey lost Rohit and Suryakumar in back-to-back overs. They lost Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya in back-to-back balls. MI were a sinking ship after just 5.2 overs. They could hit only three boundaries in the powerplay, the fewest this season. It was the perfect situation for Ravi Bishnoi to come in and dictate terms. He bowled four overs on the trot, giving away 28 runs and picking up Ishan Kishan’s wicket with a gorgeous googly, deceiving the left-hander as he went for a slog across the line and having him caught at short third. Wadhera tried his best from the other end, progressing from 9 off 15 to 13 off 20 to finally 46 off 41. Most of his runs came off Mayank (21 off 12, 2x4s, 2x6s)Stoinis’ warningBatting average almost 40, strike rate above 150, four wickets from 12 overs bowled, LSG have a cheat code and his name is Stoinis. This chase really got in gear when he pulled Gerald Coetzee for back-to-back boundaries in the third over. Until then the new ball was doing a fair bit and LSG’s focus was seeing that spell of play out. Rahul had dropped anchor (5 off 13, before finishing with 28 off 22). He was looking to his partner to make the play and he did. Big time.Stoinis came into this game with an average of 19 and strike rate of 128 against spin in IPL 2024. But he found Piyush Chawla and Mohammad Nabi just to his liking, taking them for a combined 29 off just 16 balls with four fours and a six. That ended up as necessary insurance because after the fall of his wicket, LSG needed 27 balls to score the remaining 30 runs, losing two wickets as well.

Allrounders Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta have been banned from all cricket for four months by Zimbabwe Cricket for recreational drug use. They have also been fined 50% of their salaries for three months with effect from January 2024.Batter Kevin Kasuza, who played last of his seven Tests in 2021, has also been suspended from all cricket activities with immediate effect after he tested positive for a banned recreational drug during an in-house doping test last week.During an in-house dope test last month, Madhevere and Mavuta tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case and were suspended immediately. They received the sanction following a hearing on last Wednesday when they admitted to charges of “breaching the ZC Employment Code of Conduct”,” a board release stated.Their rehabilitation will be overseen by ZC’s medical personnel and the duo has been ordered to train at the high performance programme. “In taking the decision, the Committee also considered some mitigating factors, with both players showing remorse and having already started working on withdrawing from the habit and getting their systems clean,” ZC said in a statement.Both Madhevere and Mavuta were part of the Zimbabwe side that faced Ireland in a home series in early December. Madhevere played all three T20Is while Mavuta played just the third T20I and the three ODIs after that. While Mavuta hasn’t played any competitive cricket since then, Madhevere featured for Mashonaland Eagles in the ongoing Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s first-class competition.

Northamptonshire have re-signed Chris Tremain, the Australia fast bowler, for the first four rounds of next season’s County Championship.Tremain, currently the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield with 34 at 15.20 for New South Wales, featured three times for Northants last season. He claimed 13 wickets, including six in the match against Middlesex – one of the club’s two wins as they were relegated from Division One.”I’m very excited to be returning to Northamptonshire in 2024,” Tremain said. “I enjoyed every moment I spent with the group last season, I hope I can make an impact for the time I’m there and help set the tone for the remainder of the County Championship.”Northants said that UK visa restrictions had prevented Tremain from joining for longer, but head coach John Sadler was nevertheless enthusiastic about the 32-year-old’s return.”I’m delighted to get Trem back on board with us for 2024.” Sadler said. “His style of bowling is very well suited to English conditions so to have him locked in for those first four games is fantastic.”He was only with us for a short stint last season but made a huge impact at the club on and off the field He’s in a rich vein of form in Australia at the moment and hopefully that continues when he rejoins us in April.”