Pakistan and Australia would clash each other in two Twenty20 internationals

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that Pakistan will host Australia for a Test and T20 series between July 5 to July 25 next year.

The itinerary released by the ECB has a packed summer session, with England beginning the season with a two match Test series against Bangladesh followed by a three match one-day international series.


The itinerary for 2010 international matches in England:

Pakistan and Australia would face each other in two Twenty20 internationals and two Test matches in England in 2010.

England v Bangladesh: May 27-June 17

England v Australia: five one-day internationals, June 22-July 3

Pakistan v Australia: two Twenty20 internationals, two Tests, July 5-25

England v Pakistan: four Tests, July 29-August 30, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals, September 5-21.

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4:11 AM

England clashes Australia in decider to regain Ashes in style

Andrew Strauss and his men proved me right by outclassing the once mighty Australia in the fifth and final Test at The Oval to reclaim the Ashes in style. With 197 runs separating the two sides in the all-important battle there could not be any argument who was better equipped to tackle the pressure.

The experts as well as the bookies firmly believed that the momentum was with Australia entering the fifth Test but I had concluded my write-up on August 11 having said: England, I feel, can still turn it around in the decider at The Oval because there’s not much to pick between the two sides.

I don’t think many people agreed with my observations as they were unwilling to England a chance after the debacle in the fourth Test at Headingley where Australia had registered a comprehensive innings victory.

The reason why I backed England even after their massive defeat in the previous game was my conviction of Strauss being an inspiring leader with the team right behind him. I had a feeling that the Australians would be found wanting if challenged by the scruff of their neck.

I expected England to post at a least 400 on the board when Strauss himself led the charge on the first morning. With just one wicket down and over a hundred runs in the bank in the first session the platform was set for the hosts to put together an imposing total.

It was a bit surprising to find Paul Collingwood take so many deliveries to get a feel of the pitch in at a stage when the Australian bowlers were looking ragged after being counter-attacked by Strauss and Ian Bell.

Australia pulled it back by dismissing Bell and Collingwood in quick succession. The run out of debutant Jonathan Trott didn’t help England cause either and they must have felt let down by the middle-order when bowled out for 332 early on second day.

Stuart Broad’s sensational spell later in the day destroyed Australia and the home side was in great position to seal the fate of the game. The ever-improving Broad swung the ball appreciably to bring about the collapse that literally ensured the return of the ‘urn’ to the Mother country.

It was the turn of debutant Trott to steal the limelight in England’s second innings. He scored a magnificent century to stretch the overall lead past the magical figure of 500. The youngster took the lead from his captain whose second half century of the game was equally crucial as the first one.

Australia had more than two days to get to the target and when they ended the third day at 80 without loss there were quite a few people who thought they could still rewrite history.

The records are meant to be broken and the history is ought to be rewritten. But with available resources it was next to impossible to anticipate one coming at The Oval on August 23.

Michael Hussey played his best knock of the series but never did he look in a position to change the course of the match. The run outs of Ponting and Michael Clarke were resulted by the alertness of the England fielders who sensed blood and meant business.

Steve Harmison operated at over 90 miles an hour to demolish the tail quickly to prevent the game entering the final day. Off-spinner Graeme Swann was rewarded for his good work and it was probably in the fitness of things that he took the final wicket.

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2:45 AM

England in a great position to win Ashes says Broad

Fast bowler Stuart Broad believes that England are in a great position to win the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval after bundling out the Australians for 160 and taking an overall lead of 230 runs on the second day of the game.

Broad who contributed significantly to the Australian collapse by claiming five wickets for 37 runs, said: "We are in a great position. It was a fantastic experience for me, everything we did seemed to work.”

"The first hour in the morning will be crucial. We have some big hitters with the likes of Freddie Flintoff and Matt Prior and if we can get some more runs, we can build a great platform," he added.

While admitting that England did not want to lose wickets in its second innings, he said: “But to see what the ball is doing off the pitch gives us great encouragement. I``ll take setting them 400 to win.”

"It was great to have my family here. My mum lost her voice and I could see her in the crowd. My sister works for the ECB so I guess she played her part too. My dad has his Ashes story, I hope to have my own by Monday,” he was quoted as saying.

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10:13 PM

Fourth Test: Ashes live score and latest summary - Headingley, Leeds

Australia's Michael Clarke (R) hits out watched by England's Paul Collingwood during the second day of the fourth Ashes cricket test match at Headingley Carnegie cricket ground in Leeds, England, August 8, 2009.

Live Scorecard
Australia win by an innings and 80 runs

England First Innings 102 all out
Australia First Innings 445 all out
England Second Innings 263 all out Batsman Runs Fours Sixes
Strauss lbw b Hilfenhaus 32 4 0
Cook c Haddin b M Johnson 30 4 0
Bopara lbw b Hilfenhaus 0 0 0
Bell c Ponting b M Johnson 3 0 0
Collingwood lbw b M Johnson 4 0 0
Anderson c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 4 1 0
Prior c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 22 3 0
Broad c Watson b Siddle 61 10 0
Swann c Haddin b Johnson 62 7 1
Harmison not out 19 4 0
Onions b Johnson 0 0 0

AUSTRALIA HAVE WON THE FOURTH TEST MATCH BY AN INNINGS AND 80 RUNS.

At the end of play day 2, England have almost all but lost the game. Australia were all out for 445 runs and England came to bat for their second innings with a massive first innings deficit of 343.

Strauss and Cook appeared to make a good start but both got out in their 30s and Bopara got out for a golden duck as expected. He is not a number 3 batsman and despite failing repeatedly to show the class and temperament required for a number 3 position the selectors continued to persevere with him. A solid number 3 position may have helped prevent an England collapse in both the innings.

Following the departure of Bopara, Bell and Collingwood followed suit getting out for 3 and 4 runs respectively.

England ended the day at 82/5 still 261runs behind. Australia will look to wrap up the match within couple of hours on Day 3.

Swann is the only English bowler to have an economy rate of less than 3 (2.63 to be accurate). Broad has 3.00, but partly due to bowling so wide to the off stump. England's main strike bowlers Anderson and Harmison have an economy rate in excess of 4 runs and Anderson has 4.94 runs per over. Not a pleasant reading if you are an English fan.

North creams two fours in an Onions over, both through the off side. One beyond square and another through the cover region.

Johnson gets a short delivery from Harmison and goes for the pull/hook shot but gets the edge and the ball goes high over the slips and the keeper for four runs.

Wicket with the new ball. England have struck with the second new ball of the innings. Harmison with a short delivery that was quick on Haddin who went for a pull but completely mistimed it and scoops it up and a nice and easy catch taken by Bell. Haddin goes for 14 runs

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10:56 AM

Confident Ponting eyes Ashes urn in series decider

Melbourne, Aug 10 (ANI): A confident Ricky Ponting is ready to erase the biggest blot on his captaincy record in next week's Ashes decider at The Oval and sees everything going in Australia's favour for a match his team needs only to draw to retain the urn.

It is for the first time in 43 years that the scores have been tied heading into the final match of an Ashes series. But England is wracked by injury and form woes coming off their innings and 80 runs fourth Test defeat at Headingley.

"It will be difficult for them to bounce back now. It'll only be that because of what we've got out of this game and what we felt we got coming out of the Edgbaston Test," said Ponting.

"We've got some of our guys that have been struggling for a little bit of touch, some of them probably in the best form of their careers which is great. Everything is heading in the right direction for us at exactly the right time of the tour," FOX Sports quoted him, as saying.

With his side firing on all fronts, Ponting said the south London clash would be one of the biggest moments of his stellar career.

It is a chance for him to atone for the 2005 Ashes series defeat that is still considered as the lowest moment in his five years in charge.

"It's a chance I've been waiting for this whole tour and a chance the whole team has been waiting for," he said.

But England has a good record at The Oval, having been undefeated in their last seven Tests at the ground. England captain Andrew Strauss insisted his side's poor show at Headingley wouldn't mean a thing next week. (ANI)

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11:23 AM

Mark Butcher announces his retirement from cricket

Mark Butcher, right, in action for Surrey. Photograph: Max Nash/PA

• Batsman played 71 Tests for England
• Surrey captain plagued with knee problems

Former England batsman Mark Butcher has retired from cricket with immediate effect due to ongoing knee problems.

Butcher played 71 Tests between 1997 and 2004, scoring 4288 runs at an average of 34.58. He is is perhaps best remembered for his match-winning 173 not out against Australia at Headingley in 2001.

The 36-year-old also captained Surrey and made 38 centuries in his 17-year career.

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11:52 AM

Ashes - Day Five: As it happened

Relive all the action from the final day of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston where Australia secured a draw against England.

The third Ashes Test at Edgbaston has ended in a draw, and England still lead the series 1-0 after their win at Lord's! Australia have batted superbly to see out the game on the final day, with Michael Clarke unbeaten on 103 and Marcus North having fallen on 96.

113 THE MATCH IS DRAWN, AND IT IS HAND SHAKES ALL-ROUND! Australia 375-5 (Bopara 0-4): CLARKE FINALLY BRINGS UP HIS 100! It has been a very fine innings from Clarke and, after dragging his innings out for as long as possible, gets the run which gives him his century, and Australia the draw.

112 Australia 371-5 (Collingwood 0-1-0-0-2-1): The crowd are beginning to drift away as Collingwood continues and Strauss, understandably at this point, does not want to expose any of his front-line bowlers to further toil. A neat clip through midwicket from Clarke takes him to 99 at the end of the over.

111 Australia 367-5 (Bopara 0-0-0-0-0-nb-0): BOPARA HAS CLARKE CAUGHT AT GULLY BUT IT IS A NO BALL! That really is schoolboy stuff from Bopara to no ball at his pace! It really is Clarke's lucky day, and he gets another reprieve on 96. Drinks come out on the field, and this is just a very unnecessary delay. The players are keen to wrap this up now.

110 Australia 366-5 (Collingwood 0-2-1-0-0-1): Collingwood has the dubious pleasure of bowling to Clarke with the Australia vice-captain on 95, and Swann comes in to field at gully with the slip removed. Flintoff is enjoying a fair bit of banter with Clarke as he trots through for a single off the final ball of the over.

109 Australia 362-5 (Bopara 0-1-1-0-1-1): Four singles come off Bopara's latest over, and the medium-pacer is simply being milked around a sparse outfield now as Australia's batsmen coast along merrily. Paul Collingwood finally enters the fray from the other end.

108 Australia 358-5 (Broad 4-0-0-0-0-0): Broad races through is over in a pretty haphazard fashion, and Clarke appears to have the entire match resting upon his 100, because there is very little else at stake apart from his personal milestone. Manou gets four with a lavish pull through midwicket.

107 Australia 354-5 (Bopara 0-1-0-nb-1-1-0): Bopara continues as Clarke moves to 93 with the third single of the over as Manou intelligently gives his partner the strike at every opportunity. England are pretty lifeless out there now, and you can hardly blame them given that this match is - sorry to say - dead.

106 Australia 350-5 (Broad wd-2-0-0-0-0-0): Clarke misses a ball from Broad which grazes the off stump but does not remove a bail - that was tantalisingly close. It is all light-hearted stuff out there now, with Brett Lee coming out with drinks and having a laugh with Flintoff. /// Barrie is questioning why Paul Collingwood has not been given a trundle, and many others have flagged that up too - it is strange to see Bopara bowl ahead of him, but they are similar bowlers.

105 Australia 347-5 (Bopara 0-0-0-0-0-0): How on earth is Ravi Bopara still bowling? What does a bowler have to do to get a rest these days - going for 17 runs off one over is not enough? Either way, the Essex batsman vindicates Strauss's patience with a solid maiden over which would be best described as tidy. England have mustered three wickets today - it has been hard graft for the bowlers.

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12:38 PM

Clarke hundred sees Australia to draw

BIRMINGHAM: Michael Clarke's unbeaten century guided Australia to a draw against England in the third Ashes

Test at Edgbaston on Monday.


Scorecard

The result kept Australia's defence of the Ashes alive, although it also meant England remained 1-0 up in the five-match series ahead of the fourth Test at Headingley, which starts on Friday.

The Australian vice-captain was 103 not out in a second innings total of 375 for five, a lead of 262, when a draw was agreed in the fifth day's final session without England needing to bat again in this rain-marred match.

Together with left-hander Marcus North (96) he shared a fifth-wicket stand of 185 that made the game safe.

The duo had come together with Australia just 48 runs in front at 161 for four and still in danger of defeat after Michael Hussey was caught behind for 64 off paceman Stuart Broad before lunch.

North was in sight of his second century of the series when he was brilliantly caught right-handed by a leaping James Anderson in the gully off Broad to end a 159-ball innings featuring 15 fours.

But Clarke, who made 136 in England's 115-run second Test win at Lord's, pressed on to a hundred in 192 balls in nearly five hours with the match ending when he pulled occasional medium-pacer Ravi Bopara for his 14th four to go to three figures.

Clarke did have two lucky breaks in the 90s.

On 92, a ball from Broad flicked the outside of his off-stump without disturbing the bails.

And Clarke was caught by Anderson at slip on 96 off a Bopara no-ball.

He'd previously been dropped on 38 off a difficult chance by England captain Andrew Strauss.

That England had a shot at winning was remarkable given that, in effect, two days' play had been lost to bad weather, including Saturday's wash-out.

But the swing that had been so potent for them earlier in the match proved elusive and, in good batting conditions, England's attack struggled.

Clarke, whose footwork was a feature of his innings, stiffened Australia's resistance with several driven boundaries off Graham Onions.

And with Australia 203 for four, 90 ahead, Strauss turned to inspirational all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who had already starred with the bat.

However, there was a worrying moment for England when Flintoff, who has been struggling with a right knee injury, saw his left foot give way underneath him as he fell in his delivery stride.

Fortunately for England, Flintoff - their bowling star at Lord's - continued his spell although in this match he did not take a single wicket.

Strauss brought on occasional medium-pacer Bopara and his second ball almost yielded a wicket when Clarke, on 38, pulled fiercely only for the captain to drop the tough chance at short mid-wicket with Australia 106 ahead.

And that was as close as England came to reigniting their victory bid with the new ball not providing any breakthroughs.

Left-hander Hussey (18 not out overnight) fell to Broad's 12th ball of the innings - and first from around the wicket - when he edged to wicket-keeper Matthew Prior after two-and-a-half hours at the crease.

Earlier, Anderson - with his sixth ball Monday - had Shane Watson caught behind for 53. It was the makeshift opener's second fifty of the match after he'd come in for dropped left-hander Phillip Hughes.

Australia resumed Monday on 88 for two, still 25 runs behind.

England had all but ended any Australian hopes of victory on Sunday with Onions dismissing Simon Katich and Graeme Swann's classic off-break bowling Australia captain and star batsman Ricky Ponting for five.

England had been struggling at 168 for five on Sunday in reply to another inadequate Australia first innings, this time of 263.

But Flintoff revived the hosts with 74 off just 79 balls in a total of 376 as England built a first innings lead of 113.

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12:31 PM

Aussies relishing Ashes adversity says Ponting

BIRMINGHAM, England — Australia captain Ricky Ponting saluted the resilience shown by batsmen Michael Clarke and Marcus North to guide his side to a draw here in the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Vice-captain Clarke made 103 not out, his 12th century in 50 Tests and second in as many matches and shared a stand of 185 with North (96) to make the game safe.

The duo had come together with Ashes-holders Australia just 48 runs in front at 161 for four and still in danger of defeat after Michael Hussey was caught behind for 64 off paceman Stuart Broad before lunch.

But by the time a draw was agreed Australia had moved on to 375 for five in their second, a lead of 262, with no time left for England to bat again in a match where bad weather effectively took out two days' worth of play.

This result still left England 1-0 up in the five-match series with two to play ahead of the start of Friday's fourth Test at Headingley but Ponting said: "We knew what job we had in hand this afternoon, we knew it would be hard work but the North and Clark partnership was pretty special

"It was good to get through the game the way we did.

"After we lost all that time it was pretty evident there was only one team that could win but full credit to our bowlers, they stuck at it and stopped England getting too far ahead."

Ashes holders Australia are not used to being behind this far into a series against England but Ponting said: "All the guys in our dressing room don't mind this. I've always said about the Australia team that we play our best cricket in adversity."

England came into this match without star batsman Kevin Pietersen, out of the series with an Achilles problem and while key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff starred with the bat in their only innings at Edgbaston, the bowling hero of the 115-run second Test win at Lord's went wicketless in this match.

The injury-prone Flintoff, who has said this will be his last Test series, appeared to be struggling with a longstanding knee injury in the latter stages of this match.

Ponting said: "The injury was more visible over the past two days than at Lord's, I don't know what to make of it. He was their best bowler at Lord's, the wicket and conditions here didn't suit his style as much.

"Having Pietersen and Flintoff out of their side would leave two pretty big gaps on the side. He went downhill pretty quickly in the course of this game with his injury."

But England captain Andrew Strauss said: "There's obviously some soreness there but nothing deteoriated. He needs to rest-up well because back-to-back Tests are hard for any bowlers."

England are due to name their fourth Test squad on Tuesday and Strauss added: "If he's fit to play we want to play him, if not not.

"The Headingley Test is a massive Test. If we win there, we win the Ashes, the same goes for both these last two games."

Reflecting on the match at Edgbaston, Strauss said the lack of swing, which had helped England bowl Australia out for 293 in their first innings, on Monday had proved decisive.

"We came to the ground optimistic we might be able to force a result. But the conditions didn't help us. We thought it would swing more and, as we've seen all match, when the ball's not swinging it's hard to take wickets."

Clarke, who made a century in a losing cause at Lord's, was delighted his latest hundred had a more positive impact upon Australia's fortunes.

"It was disappointing when I got out at Lord's, it was good to be here at the end."

He did have a moment of good fortune on 92 when the ball brushed his stumps without disturbing the bails and Clarke said: "I have seen the ball hit the stumps and the bails not come off.

"When it's your day, it's your day I guess."

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12:28 PM

Kevin Pietersen fears for Test cricket

• Fans are abandoning Test cricket, says England's premier batsman
• Pietersen pledges six more years to England's Test campaigns


England's Kevin Pietersen is concerned that Test cricket is dying as Twenty20 becomes the game of choice for spectators. Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA

Kevin Pietersen has admitted he fears for the future of Test cricket because of falling attendances in the rest of the world. However, England's leading batsman denied that he would take advantage of the rise of Twenty20 to ignore central contracts and go freelance.

"I fear for Test match cricket simply because people are not supporting it as much as it gets supported here in England," Pietersen, who is out of the Ashes series because of injury, said in an interview with Sky Sports.

"In England we are so fortunate to play in front of full crowds all day every day. There's no other country that plays in front of full Test match crowds every day. When we go to play Australia in Australia we get full houses. I watched the South Africa series in Australia very closely because obviously we're playing them now, and you don't get full houses there. You look at the series in South Africa when Australia were there and 3, 4, 5,000 people were watching a day of Test cricket.

"And that for me shows people are now staying away from Tests to watch the Twenty20 format, which is pulling in everybody. That's the thing that frightens me because as soon as the support goes and the spectators go, it's going to be difficult to keep playing Tests. And players are going to be wanting to play the game where you get all the support."

But Pietersen dismissed speculation that leading cricketers, including himself, could soon take control of how and where they play their cricket by going freelance.

"I've played 54 Test matches for England and I've been very fortunate to have played 54 injury-free Test matches. I have a little break now for six weeks and then I've said to myself and said to my family I'm gonna try to give another five-, six-year full stint to England which I love doing and I want to do.

"I'm using this gap like a middle marker in my career to have this little break, get myself fully fit by the time I return and then continue from where I left off. I know there will be no freelance cricketer in me for years to come. I will be firmly playing for England. Test cricket is my favourite game and that's something I want to continue doing for a long time."

Meanwhile, Muttiah Muralitharan, the world's highest wicket-taker, will retire from Test cricket next November.

"We don't have many Tests next year, but I am thinking that next year's series against West Indies will be my last two Test matches," the Sri Lankan with 770 Test wickets said.

Muralitharan, 37, has been warned by surgeons that he faces long-term pain from a knee injury and the off-spinner said his body could not cope with five-day matches for much longer. "The doctors told me I have to go through the pain and train harder because an operation will mean me being out for six to seven months," he said. "They think I'll be able to play for one to two years and told me to have the operation when I finish playing. That means my career is almost over and I am not going to play for long."

However, Muralitharan plans to carry on in the shorter forms of the sport. "I still want to play on if I can to the 2011 World Cup and I will enjoy playing Twenty20 for a few more years if I can."

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12:11 PM