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“The England attack today was Ashley Giles,” said Brian Lara after West Indies were bundled out for 267 on the fifth day at Lord’s. Giles, who took 5 for 81 in that innings to go with his four wickets in the first, will now have his name painted in gold on the honour boards at Lord’s – the first English spinner to take a five-for there since Phil Tufnell against Sri Lanka back in 1991. The British papers were united in their praise for Giles, once derided as a “wheelie bin”, but now acclaimed as “the next Steve Harmison”.”To England the spoils; to Ashley Giles the plaudits,” wrote Mike Selvey in The Guardian. “Given a pitch offering assistance, a bag of runs with which to play and the opportunity to book himself in at the Nursery End as something other than the ice-cream salesman in the interval, the Warwickshire left-arm spinner bowled his side to victory in the first Test by 210 runs.”In the same paper, David Hopps summed up Giles’s last few months. “Baited last month, feted this: the summer has brought quite a transformation for England’s senior spinner. He began it burdened with criticism, so much so that he half-toyed with retiring from Test cricket. Now he is burdened with wickets and is probably the only player for whom Thursday – and another Test on his home patch at Edgbaston – cannot come soon enough.”However, Hopps was quick to point out that despite Giles’s excellent performance against touring sides this summer, some fans were still not convinced of his use to England before his matchwinning effort on the fifth day. “Do not blithely presume that the criticism of Giles has entirely abated,” he said. “Late on Friday, as West Indies saw out the day, a desultory chant of ‘Giles, you’re boring’ sounded in the Compton Stand. By Sunday the hosannas from the Mound Stand as he began his dismantling of West Indies’ second innings were edged with English irony. Only yesterday was the applause simple and heartfelt.”In the Daily Telegraph, Simon Briggs put England’s latest win, their seventh against West Indies in the last nine meetings, down to Michael Vaughan’s ability to “combine commitment with contentment. Put simply, he has got England smiling again”.Briggs went on: “No-one exemplified this trait more than Ashley Giles, a man who told the current issue of a leading cricket magazine: ‘I’ve been a miserable bugger at times.’ Having secured the match award for his nine wickets, Giles came to last night’s press conference with Vaughan, his captain and close friend, and could hardly stop cracking jokes. That is what happens when you have just castled Brian Lara, the world’s most remorseless destroyer of spin, with the kind of wonderball more usually associated with Shane Warne.””It’s smiley Giley!” gushed The Sun’s headline, continuing the theme, as John Etheridge applauded Giles’s sharp turner that bowled Lara yesterday. “It turned at least two feet, and Warne or Muralitharan could not have purveyed a more deadly delivery. When Lara’s stumps were disturbed, Giles embarked on a manic sprint in the general direction of Notting Hill, pursued by joyous team-mates.””This was Giles’s match,” stated The Times‘s Christopher Martin-Jenkins, before going on to put Giles’s performance in perspective. “Damned with the faintest praise since he made his first Test appearance on a typical modern pitch at Old Trafford in 1998 (he took 1 for 106), he has always been underestimated, criticised for a lack of flight largely because of his height and for a lack of spin less because he does not give the ball as much of a tweak as orthodox finger-spinners of old. That is to some extent a false impression, however, because covered pitches, heavier bats and the more aggressive approach of the average batsman have combined to make life significantly harder for all bowlers of his type.”The last England spinner to take more wickets than this in a Lord’s Test was Derek Underwood on a drying pitch against Pakistan in 1974. Those were days when rainwater often seeped under the covers down the Lord’s slope overnight. Now the unique hover-cover … ensures pitches as dry as old bones.”Martin-Jenkins concluded that it was Giles’s “curving arm balls and skilful changes of pace and trajectory” that brought him his first five-wicket haul in England, and his fourth overall. “The other three came in places a few miles east of St John’s Wood: Faisalabad, Ahmedabad and Kandy. He will treasure his Man of the Match award all the more for that.”

As if the prospect of playing two Tests against Australia wasn’t daunting enough for Bangladesh, John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, has warned that his side won’t be easing off during next month’s two-Test series.”Our game will always be to be as aggressive as we can be, and to try and put our opposition under as much pressure as we can, right from the word go, so that won’t change,” he said. As for fatigue on the part of his players, he said, “Those players who played both the one-day and the Test matches were certainly feeling the pinch through the West Indies tour.”He explained that the prospect of playing at new venues – the Tests will be held at Cairns and Darwin – would offset any weariness in a side who have been on the road almost continuously for 18 months. “With four or five weeks off, coming to a new venue, playing a new team, in something that will begin a tradition, I think really excites them.”But Buchanan did have some encouraging words for Bangladesh, particularly with regard to Dav Whatmore, their new coach. “I think what he’ll do is bring them direction, I think he will bring them some discipline and give them some shape,” he explained. “Whether that happens immediately, time will tell. But I think that’s a very good move for them, and something that will improve their cricket a little bit quicker than maybe what it has done in the past.”

Mathew Sinclair might be starting to think about the task that awaits him in Pakistan next month, but his Yorkshire league club Cleethorpes will be looking for one more big performance from him before the end of their summer.Since returning from the Sri Lankan Coca-Cola Cup tournament earlier this month, Sinclair has struggled to regain the touch which saw him make an outstanding start to the summer, but he started to get his game back together during Cleethorpe’s three victories over the Bank Holiday weekend.His last game will be on Saturday for an important clash with York.On Saturday Cleethorpes scored 156/9 against Hull. But when defending that total left-arm slow bowler Nick White took six for 33 in a 19-over spell. Sinclair picked up a couple of late wickets as Cleethorpes took a 40-run win.Sunday proved a great day for Cleethorpes. It turned the form book on its head and Sheffield Collegiate were eliminated from the Yorkshire League Cup.Collegiate were hot favourites in the semi-final but the reigning league champions and current league leaders were met with a performance full of character and skill which took Cleethorpes through to a September final.The Meggies batted first in the 50-over contest and there was a welcome return to form for Sinclair who made 60 in a solid opening stand with Mike Smith who made 27. Cleethorpes scored 199/7.Some tight bowling resulted in Cleethorpes taking a seven run win with Sinclair again picking up wickets to take two for 41 from his 10 overs.Cleethorpes now advance to a September final against Hull or the Yorkshire Academy but Sinclair will miss the final.An outstanding weekend for the club was completed when a 74-run win was achieved over top club Scarborough.Sinclair scored 35 as his side reached 184/9.In reply, Scarborough were in trouble at 28/4 and were eventually all out for 110.Meanwhile, in the Lancashire league Tana Canning continued a late run of form with the Accrington club. On Sunday, the his club’s 24-run win over Enfield he scored 65 and then took five for 55.On Saturday, Burnley proved too good for Accrington. But of his side’s 119 runs, Canning scored 48 and took three for 53 in Burnley’s 163/8.On the previous weekend in the rain-affected game against Church he scored 47 of 155/9 and on the day before in another rain-affected match he scored 51 of Accrington’s 92 against Colne.

Chris Cairns has been compared to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong for bringing shame on the cricket world. Summing up the prosecution case against Cairns at Southwark Crown Court, Sasha Wass, QC, said that the evidence he was involved in match-fixing was “overwhelming”.Cairns has been on trial for the past five weeks, during which time a number of former team-mates have come forward to give evidence against him. He denies two counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice relating to his 2012 libel case against Lalit Modi.Wass said the testimony of nine witnesses should be considered the “building bricks creating a wall of evidence” against Cairns. She warned the jury that attempts would be made by the defence to undermine the claims of Lou Vincent and Brendon McCullum, among others.Vincent has accused Cairns of ordering him to fix matches at the Indian Cricket League (ICL), while McCullum told of approaches made by his childhood “idol”. Vincent’s ex-wife Ellie Riley also testified against Cairns, saying he was confident he would not be caught because “everyone was doing it in India”.Wass said Cairns had not provided a “single, credible reason” to question their motives. Vincent’s confession to Riley about his involvement in fixing in 2008 undermined the idea that the story of Cairns’ involvement had been concocted “late in the day”, she said.”It’s unlikely he would have cooked up this plan to stitch up Chris Cairns in 2008 and spent five years working out how to bring his downfall,” Wass said of Vincent.She added: “Why Ellie Riley would lie? She has no great love for her ex husband.”Wass also referred to evidence given by McCullum, as well as Cairns’ former New Zealand team-mates Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills and Chris Harris, and Australia batsman Ricky Ponting, suggesting none of them had reason to lie. McCullum interrupted his preparation for a Test match against Australia to appear in court in London.”The defence say Mr McCullum is lying,” she said. “But not a single reason has been put forward why a man, at the height of his career, would come to the Southwark Crown Court to falsely incriminate a man he held in such high regard.”She rejected the idea that the ICC wanted Cairns as a “scalp” in the fight against match-fixing, comparing the case to that involving Armstrong and saying his actions had tarnished the sport.”Why would anyone, let alone the governing body of cricket, want the scalp of an innocent man,” she asked. “The last thing [the ICC] would want to do is bring accusations against an innocent man who has captained his country, represented New Zealand for 17 years.”On the other hand, the ICC would want to bring a cheat who corrupted others to justice.”The jury heard that Cairns had shown “arrogance beyond belief” in taking Modi to court. Wass said that he and Andrew Fitch-Holland, who denies perverting the course of justice, “should be ashamed of themselves” and that both were “guilty of the charges laid”.She added that the amount of indirect evidence against Cairns was “unanswerable”.”He has made a mockery of the game of cricket, the fans, the game,” she said. “We know not only that he cheated, he encouraged others to cheat.”We say the evidence against Chris Cairns in respect of match-fixing is overwhelming.”Cairns’ defence barrister, Orlando Pownall, QC, is expected to present his closing arguments on Monday. The trial continues.

John Bannon, the Cricket Australia board director and former Premier of South Australia, has died in Adelaide, aged 72. He had battled cancer since 2007, but been a member of the CA board since 2008.After a lengthy political career in which he was SA’s longest serving Labor Premier, Bannon served on numerous boards but was a key player in Australian cricket both with CA and the South Australian Cricket Association. He was named a SACA life member in 2014.His time on the CA board encompassed the sweeping governance reforms of 2012, which saw the board changed from a structure of 14 state-appointed directors to nine independent appointees, with at least one being based in each of the six states. Bannon, who was also a political and cricket historian of note, remained an advocate of Federalism throughout the reform process.The CA chairman David Peever said Bannon’s many achievements included his assiduous work to build cricket’s connection to indigenous Australia. “As a board, we will miss John’s stature, his knowledge and his wisdom,” Peever said. “He provided the Board with astute judgement and decades of experience navigating complex and challenging issues.”Throughout that time he championed cricket’s efforts to better engage Indigenous communities as co-chair of the National Indigenous Cricket Advisory Council, a cause he was fiercely passionate about. He also played an important role overseeing the recent governance changes to Australian cricket.”On a personal level I will miss his friendship, wisdom and guidance. He was always selfless in the way that he was prepared to share his knowledge to better other people and the game. Despite his tremendous experience and depth of knowledge he carried himself with great humility, never imposing his will on others. Our game and our country have lost a remarkable man.”We extend our deepest sympathies to John’s wife Angela and the entire Bannon family at this sad time.”Andrew Sinclair, the SACA chairman, spoke of Bannon’s contribution to the governance reform process and also the major redevelopment of Adelaide Oval, during which time he served on the SACA board before retiring earlier this year.”John made a massive contribution to South Australian cricket, Australian cricket and the recent redevelopment of Adelaide Oval,” Sinclair said. “Through negotiations of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and Australian cricket governance reforms, he was always a voice of reason; calm and considered.”His unmatched understanding of history will be sorely missed, for no sport can reflect on its current position without knowing what went before. He had enormous knowledge of Australian history, from cricket to politics.”John was driving various SACA cricket history and museum initiatives. These will absolutely come to fruition, unfortunately without John in person, but he’ll be there in spirit and in the hearts of many SACA Members. There is a very strong board resolve to continue John’s legacy. The board rooms of Australian and South Australian cricket are much poorer for his loss; he is already sadly missed.”While Bannon was unable to travel to England for the Ashes this year due to his declining health, he continued to work right up until the last few days before his death. He was at Adelaide Oval for the inaugural day-night Test match earlier this month, and had also pushed for a project to preserve and collate the CA board archives, one of many projects that will form his legacy as a major figure in Australian cricket.SA’s current Premier, Jay Weatherill, has offered the Bannon family a state funeral.

Rory Hamilton-Brown is back in contention for the England Under-19 side after being included in the 12-man squad for the second and final Test against Pakistan at Derby. But he was not considered for the captaincy, after being stripped of the role – and banned for the first Test – following a drinking incident on the eve of the match.Whether Hamilton-Brown, who usually bats at three or four, will make the final XI this time remains to be seen with England crushing Pakistan in the opener, and all of the top four making runs.Ben Wright will resume as captain for the second Test starts at Derby this Friday, August 10. He was one of three century-makers for England as they won by an innings and 58 runs at Scarborough.The victory in the first Test against Pakistan was particularly encouraging as the team included nine players still eligible to play for the U-19 World Cup next year in Malaysia.Squad Ben Wright (capt), Billy Godleman, Alex Wakely, Tom Westley, Adam Lyth, Ben Brown (wk), Rory Hamilton-Brown, James Harris, Liam Dawson, Stuart Meaker, Chris Woakes Steven Finn

Recalled to the Indian one-day side for the first time since April 2005, Dinesh Mongia, the left-hand batsman, says he will not make the same mistakes that cost him his place in the side. With the tri-series in Malaysia, also featuring Australia and West Indies, due to start in early September, Mongia admitted he would curb his aggression and convert good starts into big scores if given the opportunity.”I was getting good starts. I should have made use of those opportunities and should have converted those 30s and 40s into bigger scores,” he told . “Now, I have worked on it. Being a professional cricketer I should always think positively. Once I start thinking negatively, the negativity will creep into my game. Life is not fair always.”Mongia, 29, enjoyed a successful county stint with Leicestershire, making runs and taking wickets. His selection, as the selectors admitted last month, was also based on his ability to bowl a few tidy overs of left-arm spin. By Mongia’s own admission, it is this feature which could mark him out as a key allrounder. “It was in 2002 that I thought of taking up bowling seriously,” he said. “In the Australian team that played the World Cup in 2003 everyone were allrounders. I knew that the future belonged to allrounders.”Mongia was also quick to point out that there were aspects of his game that needed sorting out. “I am not ashamed to accept that I was lacking fitness when I made my debut in 2001,” he said. “I would like to improve my fitness. We did not have the National Cricket Academy those days [when he made his first-class debut in 1995-96]. I built my confidence after three or four first-class seasons. I am a firm believer that the more you play the better you get.”

Darren Stevens, who was not offered a new contract by Leicestershire at the end of last season, has signed a two-year deal with Kent to bolster their middle-order batting.Stevens, 28, made his debut for Leicestershire in 1997, but failed to establish a place in the side until Aftab Habib and Ben Smith had left. He toured with the England Academy side in 2002-03, was in the final squad of 30 for the last World Cup, and has made over 600 runs in each of the last three seasons. But the feeling lingered at Grace Road that he never quite fulfilled the potential that his vibrant strokeplay suggested.”A number of counties have shown an interest in me,” he said, “but the opportunity to play on good wickets and in a side with real ambition persuaded me to come to Kent. I feel I still have much to prove and look forward to doing so in the seasons ahead.”Kent recently lost Ed Smith to Middlesex and Alex Loudon to Warwickshire, and were among the counties that failed to sign Kevin Pietersen, who eventually went to Hampshire.Graham Johnson, the Kent chairman, said: “We look forward to Darren adding to the list of Kent players who have represented their country. We know that he has the desire to fulfil his undoubted potential and felt that Kent would give him the best possible opportunity to do so. This is another important step in the development of our squad for next season.”

After taking a wicket in his first match back in international cricket, after a break of seven months, Harbhajan Singh pronounced himself satisfied. He spoke to Kolkata’s The Telegraph about what he had hoped for, and what actually happened.Anil Kumble was rested, and Harbhajan was told that he would play on the morning of the game. “It’s in the morning that I was informed Anilbhai is going to be rested and I would make the XI,” Harbhajan said. “But theek hai [that’s alright] at this level, one should always be ready for opportunities.”Harbhajan had last bowled a ball in competitive cricket during the first Test against Australia at Brisbane in December, and then, bowling with a finger that was just about to go under the surgeon’s knife, he had match figures of 1 for 169. This time though, things were different, even if they were figures of 1 for 20 in ten overs against Bangladesh.”For the first few moments, it did seem I was starting my career all over again … lekin, main khush hoon [but I’m happy]…Of course, I would have been happier had I managed a couple of wickets, but 20 off 10 isn’t bad in an ODI. I’m satisfied,” Harbhajan said. “I think the ball came out of the hand rather well and, except one delivery, I got things right. Now, it’s a question of getting more confident.”What about the magic ball, the one that he had spoken about before the Asia Cup began? “Sab time pe ho ga [It will happen when the time comes],” he said, “when I’m 100% sure of getting what I want.”

The History of Logan Park, edited by John Heslop. Published by the University Oval Development Committee. Price $29.95.It is interesting that books on two sports grounds in New Zealand should be published around the same time, especially when the subject matter is not entirely top of the pops.The Basin Reserve’s history is much more international in shape.But in the case of John Heslop’s effort of editing “The History of Logan Park”, for the University Oval development committee, anyone who has ever been associated with the ground of significance in Dunedin and the home of Otago University’s sport, will appreciate an enduring record of the Park’s development from the tidal lake to the international standard sporting complex that will be presented when the latest ground renovations are complete.It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Logan Park’s University Oval will be the next Test cricket venue to be listed in New Zealand.An extensive development has taken place at the ground, largely as the result of the continuing encroachment of rugby into traditional cricket time at the main sports ground in the city of Carisbrook.Heslop provides an in-depth record of the characters and times that resulted in the development of the ground, largely pushed through after years of debate as the venue for Dunedin’s Exhibition of 1925-26.The arguments are well documented as is the life story of the man after whom the Park is named, John Logan.An interesting style has been used in the book, to break up the material into more easily identifiable sections. And at the end of each section, an index is provided.The second part of the book records the history of the Otago University Cricket Club which was based at the Park. Compiled originally in 1978 by esteemed Dunedin historian George Griffiths, the story is completed with an addendum by Heslop and it is sad to note a touch of concern about the future viability of the amalgamated clubs of University and Grange.But Griffiths’ work provides an indelible record of the club’s place in Otago cricket history and recalls the strength of the club in the 1960s when it was able to call on a squad of outstanding strength, built around the fast bowling skill of Murray Webb and the abilities of players who had, or would, play first-class cricket in: Ray Hutchison, Murray Parker (who toured Pakistan and India with New Zealand in 1976), Richard Ellis, Graham Henry, Rudi Webster, Russell Stewart, Stewart Edward, John Mitchell and Ata Matatumua.The Albion Cricket Club also featured at the ground for a significant period of its history, shifting to its home at Culling Park in 1958. The background of this club is provided by Iain Gallaway, and he recounts a fascinating tale of a run out at the bowler’s end orchestrated by Albion’s captain of the day, Walter Hadlee. The season was 1945/46 and Hadlee was the New Zealand captain at the time.He attempted to run out former Otago fast bowler Ron Silver. The umpire said he wasn’t out but Hadlee then proceeded to tell the umpire that Silver was out.”The umpire stood his ground and so did Ron and we all waited apprehensively as the argument developed and tensions grew. Finally our skipper stated that if the umpire did not give Ron out the game would not continue so Ron was given out! Some 20 metres from the huts he threw his bat away and it crashed through one of the hut windows. He let everyone on Logan Park know in stentorian tones that he would never play another game of cricket – and he was true to his word!” Gallaway related.A similar record of the most prolific provider of All Blacks for New Zealand’s rugby teams, Otago University is also included in the book with the contribution provided by Hugh Tohill.Each section has its own collection of timeless photographs.The hope has to be that the burgeoning interest in New Zealand’s history will be the inspiration for more local sporting histories of the this type. Logan Park is certainly well prepared for the next stage of its history as a result of Heslop’s methodical work in this publication.