SPORTS 13
Sunday, 24 May, 2015
Williamson and mccullum
earn neW Zealand lead
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SportS DeSk
ANE WILLIAMSoN moved to his 10th Test hundred - and first against England - as New Zealand took a lead on the third morning at Lord's. His thirdwicket stand with Ross Taylor was ended on 189, but Brendon McCullum batted with his trademark intent before becoming Mark Wood's first Test wicket as the visitors reached lunch on 407 for 4. Williamson, who began the day on 92, did not have to wait long for his landmark which came from 148 balls and, fittingly, with a dab towards third man in the second over. He became just the third New Zealand No. 3 to score at hundred at
Lord's and, as is tradition, his name was quickly taped up on the honours board pending the official inscribing. Much in keeping with his innings there were no histrionics on reaching three figures, just a calm salute to all parts of the appreciative ground - which was still filling up early on the Saturday morning. The ball after Williamson's milestone, Taylor brought one up for himself with a fifty from 111 balls. It was rarely fluent, but always gutsy, although he did produce a crisp drive to James Anderson's first delivery with the second new ball. His fifty made it just the second time New Zealand's top four had all made 50+ in a Test innings; McCullum's dismissal for 42 meant they just failed to match the pre-
vious occasion in Lahore, in 1965, when the top five all managed at least a half century. New Zealand's total was boosted as extras also clocked up a half-century. on a cloudy morning - when the floodlights were needed and rain brought a slightly early lunch - the new ball was vital if England were to get themselves back into the match. Anderson was, perhaps, a little short but Stuart Broad, from the Nursery End, produced a very impressive spell and it was he who broke through when Taylor gloved a short ball down the leg side which was brilliantly held, full length to his left, by Jos Buttler. McCullum entered with a dominant position to build on and drove his first ball through the covers. He is a remarkable batsman to watch and was soon using his feet to advance at the new-ball bowlers. on one of those occasions, against Broad, he got himself into a tangle and almost fended a catch into the cordon but in Broad's next over produced a thunderous back-foot drive. He brought the scores level with back-to-back boundaries off Wood - including an edge through the vacant third slip - and also deposited Ben Stokes into the Grand Stand. He could have quickly accelerated the lead away but, showing no inclination to reign himself in, scythed a cross-batted hoick to third man where Joe Root judged the catch well. Wood's
foot was behind the line this time. He was off the mark. Williamson was not as fluent as he had been on the second day - adding just 20 to his score in the session while New Zealand flayed 104 runs in 23 overs - but
New Zealand's ambitions must be to bat once in this match. on 106 he edged Anderson just short of Alastair Cook at first slip and the ball after McCullum's dismissal survived a tight review for an lbw against Wood.
'NO WORRIES' ABOUT TAKING Watson's Test availability uncertain ON CSK, SAYS PONTING SportS DeSk Shane Watson's availability for the first Test against West Indies in Dominica remains unclear as he prepares for the birth of his second child in Sydney. Watson has delayed his departure for the Caribbean due to the impending arrival of the baby, and he will miss the only warm-up match ahead of the first Test, a three-day game starting in Antigua on Wednesday. He hopes to have arrived in Dominica in time to be considered for selection for the first Test, but knows there is a possibility that by staying at home he will affect his chances. "They've said that I don't have to play the tour game, but obviously there is going to have to be a certain amount of time for me to get there, if it works out that way, to be able to play the first Test," Watson said in Sydney on Friday. "Coming off playing Twenty20 cricket, and then it's a long flight and recovering from a long flight into a Test match, I'm going to have to have a decent enough sort of lead-up anyway to be right to go. "There is no doubt there will be a certain cut-off date at some stage, but there will be physically alone to be able to be right for that Test match. But the most important thing for me right at this time is to be here for the birth of my second baby." Fast bowler Ryan Harris will miss the whole West Indies series to be at home for the birth of his first child, but he is considered a certain selection for the Ashes campaign that follows. The situation is not quite as straightforward for Watson, who faces a
challenge from fellow allrounder Mitchell Marsh and could open the door for his younger team-mate if he is unavailable. Should Watson be available for the first Test, it is possible that he and Marsh would play alongside each other, with the potential for two spinners to be included on a likely slow surface - Fawad Ahmed and Nathan Lyon. Whatever the case, Watson knows that he has the full support of the coach Darren Lehmann to be at home for the birth. "It's one of the things he said immediately when he came in," Watson said. "It's family first. Initially our partners were banned for the first couple of weeks [of the 2013 Ashes] when Mickey [Arthur] was in charge but he just said if your family is here you've got to make the most of spending time with them. "Darren has always been very much family first and this is a perfect case for myself and Ryan. In the end it is just a game even though it's a game we all love so much. I know it's a really important time in my career as well, obviously the opportunities that are going to be there aren't always going to be there, there's no question. I do have to make the most of the opportunities I get leading into the Ashes as well but there is no question [the birth] is my priority." Watson arrived in Sydney this week after his IPL campaign ended with the Rajasthan Royals. It was also announced that he had signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Thunder in the BBL, having previously been part of the Sydney Sixers and then Brisbane Heat squads.
SportS DeSk Ricky Ponting, the Mumbai Indians coach, said the team has "no worries" about taking on Chennai Super Kings in the IPL final on Sunday at Eden Gardens, Ponting also expected things "not to change much" from when they beat Super Kings in the first qualifier at Wankhede. The Mumbai players were given a couple of days off after their win on Tuesday and the team held its first training session ahead of the final only on Friday. "There is only a certain amount you can train when you are two months into a T20 tournament," Ponting said. "It is more about tactics and mindset rather than the skills. We are playing Chennai and we played them in the last game. So, things won't change too much. It is a matter of execution now." Ponting, who took over as coach at the start of the season, said he faced no problems asserting himself in the role despite the presence of a large support staff. Among those in the Mumbai camp are team icon Sachin Tendulkar and chief mentor Anil Kumble, who Ponting said were "not a constant around the team." "It is hard to define their (Tendulkar & Kumble) roles. They are mentors and help out the guys if required," he said. "Sachin has been to a few of our team meetings and so has Anil but they have not been a constant around the team. We want to make sure that there are not too many voices going around and one message is passed to the team and individual players. It is important that the younger guys do not have too many messages going into their minds." Ponting credited Tendulkar and Kumble for knowing when to "step back" and "waiting to be spoken to rather than trying to impose themselves on the group." Now with just one winner-take all game to play, the former Australian captain is hoping to pass on the knowledge he has acquired on how to put your best foot forward in big finals. "Having been there and done that along with some individual success as well, I think I have good little points that I can pass on to the team," he
CMYK
said. "The players have a good idea already as I have said a lot of things along the way about facing challenges and playing in big games. You prefer to have players in your team that have done that before as that experience is undeniable and we have got some of those players." "You can't go from being a high level of competitor to nothing and you need to have something in your life. Coaching in a tournament like this gets the competitive juices flowing again" Having stood down in favour of Rohit Sharma as captain of the franchise in their run to the title in 2013 and having worked in close proximity with him this season, Ponting is convinced India can invest in Rohit as part of their leadership group. "You can see the growth in Rohit, especially in the second half of this tournament, where he has had to make crucial decisions with the bowling changes and the strike bowlers," he said. "He has done well under pressure. He has played at different positions for the team, be it opening the batting or batting at number three and four. He has not had the smoothest of years, but you would not know because he is quiet. He has the steely determination to be the best that he can be. If he continues to grow and keeps learning the way he is, I have no doubt that he can
captain at a higher level." Among the potential challenges Ponting faced as coach was his relationship with Harbhajan Singh. The pair were involved in several high-profile skirmishes over their international careers, and Ponting admitted there was "animosity" between the two when he first joined the franchise in 2013. However, he insisted those issues were put to bed very early and now there was a "healthy respect" between them. "It was up to both of us to stand up as men and break down that barrier. We wanted the best for the team and we did that," he said. "I think I was the first one to congratulate him on his selection to the Indian Test squad for Bangladesh." Having tasted success as coach in his first stint itself, Ponting said you can "never say never" to him taking up a position as coach of an international team in the future. "If the team starts winning a few IPLs, people might start thinking of me as an international coach," he joked. "The cricket runs in my blood and I want to do the best that I can do to enjoy that competitive feeling. You can't go from being a high level of competitor to nothing and you need to have something in your life. Coaching in a tournament like this gets the competitive juices flowing again."