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Water and Power Development Authority‘s third defeat of the season – by 82 runs to National Bank of Pakistan – cost them a place in the Quaid-e-Azam Division One final. Set to chase 304 on the final day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, a win would have given WAPDA six points and taken them to first place in the table. After losing opener Asif Khan for a duck, Rafatullah Mohmand and Imranullah Aslam set about building their chase. They scored briskly, taking WAPDA to 93 for 1 before left-arm spinner Raza Hasan had Aslam caught behind for 38. After Bilal Khilji fell quickly, Hasan struck again, bowling Mohmand for 51, to reduce WAPDA to 102 for 4.Ammer Sajjid and Ali Azmat attemped to revive their side’s fortunes, adding 57 before Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz bowled Azmat for 33. Hasan’s fellow left-arm spinner, Qaiser Abbas, took over from that point, taking four of the final five wickets to fall – Hasan grabbing the other – as WAPDA capitulated for 221 from 63.1 overs. Abbas ended up with 4 for 57, and 8 for 111 in the match.The result means the QEA final will take place between Pakistan International Airlines and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the National Stadium from December 20 to 24. The final will be a day-night game, and will be played using pink balls.Mohammad Imran and Prince Abbas took eight wickets between them to set up Sialkot‘s 185-run win over Faisalabad at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Needing to make 380 on the final day for victory, Faisalabad were never in with a realistic chance of winning the game but instead of their batsmen settling in for the long haul, most of them chose to attack the bowling. Zeeshan Butt made 50 from 59 balls and Shoaib Shah a more patient 44 from 79, but given the approach of the majority – nine of the 11 batsmen had strike-rates over 60 – Faisalabad succumbed in 50.3 overs. Abbas ripped through the lower order to finish with 4 for 95, while Imran finished with 4 for 77.Battling half-centuries from Faraz Patel and Javed Mansoor helped Karachi Blues secure a draw with Islamabad at the National Stadium in Karachi. Having begun the day still trailing by five runs, Karachi needed a strong batting effort to save the game. Yasir Mushtaq fell early on the final morning but Patel and Mansoor were up for the fight, scraping together 98 runs before Mansoor fell leg-before to Nasrullah Khan for 56. At that point, the lead was only 93 but Patel fought on, batting for four hours and five minutes for his 77 as Karachi posted 303 and set Islamabad 170 to win. The openers added 78 in 25 overs as the game meandered to the close.

Zimbabwe Cricket will face minimal monetary losses in the hosting of its popular Twenty20 tournament which starts on Friday, ZC managing director Ozias Bvute has said. The 10-day event features five franchises and 16 foreign players, and has been the highlight of the domestic calendar since its inception three seasons ago. It is also a sign of the growing financial viability of cricket in Zimbabwe after a period of instability.”We will be very close to breaking even this year and we are not too far from making it a sustainable and profitable tournament,” Bvute told ESPNCricnfo.ZC made losses on each of its three incoming tours this summer, when it hosted Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand and made a historic comeback into Test cricket. They have secured major sponsors in recent times, to cushion the blow, and are also making inroads into the television rights market.South African-based broadcaster SuperSport has bought the rights to the T20 tournament and all 14 matches will be screened live across the continent. The company has made a name for being one of the most comprehensive sports broadcasters in the world and secures rights to most major events.Clinton van der Berg, SuperSport communication manager, said they viewed the series as important to their African objectives. “SuperSport is a Pan-African broadcaster and Zimbabwe is one of our key areas,” he said.Alistair Campbell, chairman of the ZC cricket committee, said that he hopes SuperSport’s involvement will be able to “increase the profile” of the tournament. “As it becomes more popular, we will able to leverage more on the sale of the TV rights,” he said. “Everything can’t be funded by sponsors but we are working on this, it will happen down the line.”For now, the focus is to grow the competition and ZC appears to be willing to accept lesser revenues in order to do that. While van der Berg could not reveal the specific numbers, he admitted that SuperSport were “very satisfied with the commercial arrangement” they made with ZC.The event is expected to be well attended, with Campbell predicting “packed crowds on the weekends, especially the finals weekend, which will fall over school holidays”. Viewership figures are also expected to be on the up, after ZC secured big names such as Chris Gayle, Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes and Ryan ten Doeschate to play in the event. “Being a new tournament, it may struggle initially, but the big names ought to help,” van der Berg said. “Given the popularity of T20 elsewhere, we would expect it to do reasonably well.”ZC and Gayle have both confirmed that they were “unable to pay him what he could command elsewhere” but that players such as him were willing to play in the short event, for less money than usual. “He knows we don’t have the resources to pay him what he may deserve, but he was willing to help us out and we are most grateful,” Campbell said. “As the event grows, we will be able to get more big names and pay more.”Although money is one of ZC’s main concerns, Bvute said the primary aim of the competition is to promote cricket in the country, which has only just started to become more inclusive to the majority population. “We are transitioning from a period when cricket was an exclusive sport played by less than 600 people in a population of well over 13 million; to a place where cricket is a majority sport accessible to everyone – players and spectators alike,” Bvute said. “From the onset, this competition has been a major success, generating record numbers of spectators.”

Yuvraj Singh, the India allrounder, had asked the BCCI not to consider him for selection for the ODI series against West Indies because he has been recovering from what his family has called an “illness that threatened his career,” caused by an “abnormal tumour” on his lung. The tumour has been found, after tests, to be non-malignant.According to a statement released by his mother, Shabnam Singh, Yuvraj had been troubled by bouts of coughing and vomitting during the 2011 World Cup but had ignored the problem during the tournament, “assuming it was due to stress.”When the problem persisted after the World Cup, Yuvraj sought medical advice and tests revealed “a golf-ball sized” growth on his left lung, the statement said. Initial reports had suggested that Yuvraj “had what in medical terms is called an abnormal tumor called lymphoma. The danger was, we were told, that it could be malignant.”Early medical treatment and therapy led to Yuvraj feeling better than he did during the World Cup and he “was eager to resume his India duties.” However, after returning from the tour of England due to a finger injury sustained during the Nottingham Test, Yuvraj went through several rounds of tests, scans and a recent biopsy in order to ascertain the exact nature of the tumour. “Further reports have indicated that the tumour is non-malignant and non-threatening and can be treated through proper medication and therapy. In medical terms, Yuvraj is now in a much better state and on his way to a full recovery.”Yuvraj had informed the BCCI president N Srinivasan of the findings and wanted to regain his fitness. It was why he had “sought some more time … and asked not to be considered for selection in the one-dayers versus West Indies.”In the statement Yuvraj’s mother said he “did not want to rush things, wants to be 100% fit before resuming his cricket for India and has started working hard on both his fitness and his cricket. He is already preparing himself to play the one-day series in Australia.”Yuvraj was not included in the Test squad for the tour of Australia.

Seamer Ahmed Jamal put Abbottabad in control in their contest against Faisalabad, taking 6 for 25 at the Gohati Cricket Stadium in Swabi to bowl the opposition out for 74. Jamal was supported by left-arm spinner Khalid Usman, who took three wickets in an economical spell, and the pair ran through the Faisalabad line-up that lasted just 41.2 overs. Only one batsman went past double-figures, the No.8 Shoaib Shah. The extras contributed 18. In their response, Abbottabad lost three wickets before the close, Aqeel Ahmed grabbing two of them. Opener Mohammad Naeem was trapped in front for 44 but Rameez Ahmed remained unbeaten on 34. At stumps, Abbottabad had gained a 36-run lead with seven wickets in hand.On a day of low scores, Habib Bank Limited held the advantage against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Seamer Sarmad Anwar bagged six wickets to restrict ZTBL to 201. Yasir Hameed made 44 and though the lower middle-order chipped in with useful contributions – five of them reached double-figures – none were able to push on. In their reply, HBL were 33 without loss at stumps.Timely breakthroughs helped Rawalpindi gain a slight edge over Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Opener Afaq Raheem made 89 and was involved in an opening stand of 71 with Umair Khan that seemed to have set a solid platform. But allrounder Rashid Latif struck, taking four wickets and preventing another threatening stand from taking root. At one stage, Islamabad lost four wickets for 38 runs. The seventh-wicket pair of Faizan Riaz and wicketkeeper Naeem Anjum added an unbeaten 41 to take the score to 226 for 6 at stumps.A collective bowling effort from State Bank of Pakistan limited National Bank of Pakistan to 282 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Half-centuries from Aqeel Anjum and wicketkeeper-captain Kamran Akmal had put NBP in a good position at 197 for 3 but they went on to lose their next seven wickets for 85 runs. Seamers Saad Altaf and Rizwan Haider grabbed three wickets and Kashif Siddiq grabbed a couple to polish the tail. In their response, SBP were seven without loss.Pakistan International Airlines edged out a closely-fought day against Water and Power Development Authority at Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Fast bowler Anwar Ali picked up four wickets that included a couple of early strikes that left WAPDA reeling at 48 for 5 at one stage. But Aamer Sajjad resisted with 69 and received some assistance from the lower order before he was dismissed by Anwar, who helped skittle out WAPDA for 178. WAPDA, however, staged a spirited fightback, seamer Naved-ul-Hasan taking three wickets. PIA had a horror start, reduced to 3 for 3, and then 57 for 5, but Fahad Iqbal, with an unbeaten half-century, wrested the initiative back towards PIA in an ongoing 54-run stand with wicketkeeper Anop Santosh. At stumps, PIA were 111 for 5, still 67 adrift.Sialkot dominated the first day of their game against Karachi Blues at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Seamers Mohammad Imran and Prince Abbas ran through the Karachi batting, bowling them out for 166 in just 43.5 overs. The pair shared nine wickets, Imran bagged a five-for, as the failure of the Karachi batsmen to put up a fight left them at 83 for 7. Mohammad Sami dealt some big blows batting at No.9, smashing 48 off 36 balls to take his team to 166. Sialkot replied confidently, opener Mohammad Yasin making an unbeaten 58 to take his team to 98 without loss.

How closely are Royal Challengers Bangalore’s fortunes tied to those of Chris Gayle? Since he joined them midway through the IPL and revitalised a moribund campaign, he has made 25 or less in five matches – Royal Challengers have lost all five. His other ten games have been Royal Challengers wins and he has been Man of the Match in seven of them, and a plausible candidate for the award in one other match as well.Aren’t those numbers pointing to a one-man team? Royal Challengers’ captain Daniel Vettori wasn’t too concerned about the side’s reliance on the West Indian after yet another Gayle-inspired demolition job at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. “At least not as long as he’s scoring runs,” Vettori said with a chuckle, before striking a more serious note. “We’ve got a batting order that complements Chris and his ability to strike the ball so well. We saw guys come in today, [Tillakaratne] Dilshan took some pressure off Chris, Virat [Kohli] played very well, [Saurabh] Tiwary is starting to come into form, Mayank [Agarwal] came out and played his natural game, he looks like a sensational player.”Despite their captain’s nonchalance, Royal Challengers have reasons to worry. With AB de Villiers injured and out of the tournament, only Kohli remains as a reliable batting performer to support Gayle. Dilshan, bought for $650,000, has a couple of half-centuries though he is yet to put in a match-turning contribution after a dozen outings.Gayle’s extraordinary success has starved Tiwary of time in the middle but in the chances he has had, Tiwary hasn’t been able to replicate the form of IPL 2010, which bumped up his price tag to an astronomical $1.6m. Agarwal, 20, has sparkled briefly on several occasions but a headlining effort has eluded him while Mohammad Kaif hasn’t convinced too many people he can cut it in the Twenty20 format.Chris Gayle starred in another victory for the Royal Challengers•Associated Press

Those thoughts won’t be occupying the minds of the Royal Challengers fans who turned up on Monday, expecting more fireworks from Gayle. They were treated to a typical Gayle innings, as Somerset were flattened, in that it was a combination of vigorous hitting and lackadaisical running – his 86 has eight sixes and only two twos.It wasn’t the usual blast-from-the-start Gayle innings though. He began with a carve over cover for four but tempered his approach after a reprieve off his third ball and nearly being run out soon after. By the end of the Powerplay he was on a sedate 15 off 14 balls. “The wicket was a bit damp, the ball was doing a bit, you want to try and get set on this sort of wicket,” he said after the match. Unusual words from Gayle, especially in a Twenty20 match.Regular programming swiftly returned though as Gayle unleashed a barrage of sixes, most of them in arc from the sightscreen to long-on, propelling the Royal Challengers to the first 200-plus total of the tournament. Somerset’s armada of left-arm spinners were clueless against the onslaught, with 19-year-old George Dockrell pummelled for three sixes in an over.Somerset’s captain Alfonso Thomas said they were thrown off by Gayle’s watchfulness at the start. “Usually in the first six overs he goes all guns blazing but he kept himself back, which was not part of our our game-plan,” Thomas said after the match. “We thought he will come hard at us in the first six overs and that one of our seamers will knock him over before our spinners could come in. When he starts going, he will make sure that he is hitting all over. Well done, that’s what he is paid to do.”The latest Gayle tour de force has lifted Royal Challengers’ net run-rate so much that a win over South Australia on Wednesday is likely to be enough to take them to the semi-finals. Vettori said in preparation there would be an optional training session on Tuesday. “Some guys will train, some guys will have a pool session,” he began to explain, only to be interjected by Gayle, who said “and some guys will sleep”. If Gayle is caught napping against the Redbacks, the Royal Challengers need their other batsmen to take up the slack.

East Africa Premier League

Rwenzori Warriors maintained their stranglehold over the 20-over competition with a nine-run win over Kongonis, who had started the day in second place but slipped to fourth by the finish. Rain in Kampala, a feature of both tournaments to date, limited the game to a ten-over-a-side thrash. Rwenzori slogged their way to 76 for 5, and chasing a revised target of 82, Kongonis were always just behind the required rate.Nile Knights savaged Coast Pekee’s bowlers mercilessly, smashing 91 for 0 in 8.5 overs to record a ten-wicket win in Entebee and in so doing move second. In two matches Pekee’s bowlers have managed one wicket between them.Rain also was a factor in Rift Valley Rhinos’ six-wicket win over Nairobi Buffaloes. The Buffaloes only managed 65 for 8 in their 12 overs, Kenya veteran Joseph Angara taking 2 for 4 in his two overs, and Rift knocked off the runs with nine balls to spare.

East African Cup

Kongonis completed a wretched weekend in Uganda with a second defeat at the hands of Rwenzori Warriors, a result which meant they were leapfrogged at the top of the 50-over league by the home side. While Saturday’s match had been close, this was a slaughter, and to add to their woes, the TV cameras were present to witness Kongonis humiliation. Rain again delayed the start, and Kongonis lost returning international Seren Waters to the first ball of the game and it was downhill from there as they were bowled out for 72 in 27 overs. Three bowlers shared nine wickets, with Roger Mukasa returning the eye-popping figures of 6-1-7-3. The Warriors took only 14.3 overs to wrap up their seven-wicket win.At Entebbe, in another game held up by rain, Nile Knights scored 178 for 6 in 38 overs to beat Coast Pekee by 78 runs. Pekee are still waiting for their first win in either competition, while the result lifts the Knights to within two points of Kongonis.Nairobi Buffaloes joined the Knights on 12 points after a tight three-run win over Rift Valley Rhinos. Despite only making 129, the Rhinos bowlers maintained a stranglehold on a rain-interrupted innings – Hiren Varaiya, back from international duty, taking 3 for 12 in nine overs – and the Buffaloes only scrambled the winning runs off the last ball of their 33.5 overs.

There are two Anglo-Irish sporting fixtures in Dublin over the next few days and it’s safe to say the rugby clash at the weekend will have the nation more hooked than the cricket match at Clontarf on Thursday. However, that shouldn’t diminish the significance of the latter contest, given the recent history between the two teams, the growth in popularity of cricket in Ireland and the added twist that both sides will be captained by Irishmen.Eoin Morgan, who is making his England captaincy debut against the country he represented 23 times at ODI level, has known William Porterfield since the pair were ten but the friendship, which remains strong, will be pushed to one side from the moment the coin is tossed (at 10.15am, because England fly out the same evening). Both players, unsurprisingly, played down the significance of the event but it adds another level of spice to an occasion that is already developing the lively history that typifies sporting contests between the two countries.”It will be different going out to toss against him,” Porterfield said. “But he’s done well for himself across the water. He knows where he wants to go and what he wants to do and I think he’ll be a good captain. It’s a natural progression for someone of his quality. It doesn’t bother me. He’s been playing with them for a couple of years. I’ll be tossing the coin against a mate, but also against England in a one-day international so it doesn’t matter who it is.”Morgan, befitting a player who remains icy cool in the most intense run-chases, wasn’t getting worked up over the prospect of leadership which he believes is a continuation of the role he takes with the bat. “I’m absolutely not nervous, I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I’m proud of myself, my family are proud of me and the majority of them will be here. It’s a huge honour and privilege to be in the position I am at the moment, for this game in particular.”I wouldn’t have imagined it. I certainly enjoy playing against Ireland and I’ve done it a number of times, playing against some of the guys I’ve grown up with, so it will be an enjoyable day for me. The first time I played against them there was a bit of banter flying around but it’s got to the state where we are all quite comfortable and we don’t really bother much.”Although Morgan’s appointment will take the number of England captains this season to four, the coach Andy Flower – who is also sitting out this fixture – said that Alastair Cook was not given the option of resuming his ODI leadership role, as he was told to rest after a tough assignment of four Tests in five weeks against India. Besides, Morgan, who was named as Twenty20 vice-captain earlier in the season, appears to have depths to his game that England are eager to explore.”It is a good opportunity for him to lead the side,” said Flower. “I don’t think he’s captained much as an adult cricketer apart from the odd occasion for Middlesex. But he’s a confident young man, he is confident in his ideas about the game, he chooses his words carefully and he doesn’t waste words and I think the way he plays and approaches the game is important in a leader and people will follow a man like that.”Morgan missed the match at the World Cup with a broken finger and admits not seeing Kevin O’Brien’s thunderous innings because he as visiting the specialist. However, the scenes in Bangalore on March 2 won’t be forgotten in a hurry – certainly by anyone who was wearing the emerald green that famous evening- and there is an air of confidence around Ireland that victory can be repeated.This time they aren’t facing a full-strength England team – only Jonathan Trott remains from the 11 who took the field that night, although there’s an argument to say it looks a better one-day side than was fielded at stages during the World Cup – and, while privately it may be a disappointment not be able to take on Kevin Pietersen and company, the party line is Ireland are happy for the chance to beat any England side. They are by far the more experienced squad with 511 caps to England’s 202.”When you play any full nation you want to beat them, but in any sport Ireland against England is a big occasion and gives it an extra edge. You’ll see that when they play each other in the rugby,” Porterfield said. “We beat them last time and ran them close in Stormont [in 2009]. It’s a game we don’t struggle to get up for.”Although it has meant some star names aren’t in town, England’s shadow side is not actually a bad thing for this match. That meeting in 2009 – which England edged by three runs thanks to a brilliant piece of boundary fielding by Morgan – was a largely forgettable affair, partly because of the dank weather but also because England didn’t want to be there having completed Ashes victory two days earlier. This time, apart from Morgan and Ravi Bopara, the players who have savoured the huge high of whitewashing India have the chance to reflect and recharge, while a group of hungry cricketers can impress.”We get carried away by names of players,” Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, said. “If I was in that position I would do the same thing. We have 13 [England] players here with six or seven trying to stay in the squad for next week and six or seven trying to force them out. There will be guys here who will be hungry, so it’s not for me to say who they have sent over.”Morgan also insisted that this squad – which includes four uncapped players in James Taylor, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick – isn’t an example of England taking Ireland lightly, but rather a case of making the most of an opportunity to assess their bench-strength. “We’ve played Ireland three times recently and they have all been competitive games,” he said. “We aren’t taking Ireland for granted because we know what they are capable of and we know we have to play very good cricket to beat them.””Take nothing away from the guys who are coming in,” he added. “A lot of them have already played and the four new guys who have come in are the brightest and biggest talents in English cricket at the moment so no-one should be disappointed with the side we’ve come with. The side is always hungry. It’s why we thrive in the Test arena and what we’re looking to do in one-day cricket as well.”This, though, is no easy warm-up before the Twenty20 and one-day matches against India. Ireland will also be helped by a full house at Clontarf – the ‘sold out’ signs have been up for weeks – and the intimate ground could become quite a cauldron if the home side get on top.”It’s great to play in front of packed house,” Porterfield said. “We played against Australia a few years ago and we should get more this time. It’s right on top of you as well on the boundary edge, it’s a great atmosphere. We’ll be looking to put on a good show and give four or five-thousand people what they want.”

Scorecard
A devastating spell from Kent’s left-arm seamer Adam Ball left their County Championship Division Two game against fellow strugglers Leicestershire finely poised at Grace Road. Ball took 3 for 14 in 7.2 overs as Leicestershire slipped from 126 for 2 to 148 for 5 to lead by 186 runs at the close of the second day.Earlier in the day Leicestershire offspinner Jigar Naik also produced an eye-catching performance with figures of 5 for 34 as Kent lost their last seven wickets for 58 runs, slumping to 219 all out to hand Leicestershire a first-innings lead of 38.The hosts then looked to be moving into a commanding position, with Will Jefferson and Matt Boyce sharing their second half-century opening partnership of the game. They put on 72 in 25 overs before off-spinner James Tredwell bowled Jefferson for 37 as the batsman tried to work the ball away on the leg side.Then Tredwell trapped Greg Smith lbw before Ball was brought into the attack and rapidly turned the match in Kent’s favour again. He first had Boyce caught behind two runs short of a half-century and then removed Josh Cobb in the same fashion as the youngster went for an ambitious drive outside the off stump.Ball struck again with what proved to be the last ball of the day, having Wayne White lbw for 14 to dampen Leicestershire’s hopes of achieving their first Championship win since the opening match of the season against Northamptonshire.Kent, who began the day at 47 for 3, had a good pre-lunch session with Martin van Jaarsveld and Darren Stevens sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 114 in 29 overs. They both enjoyed plenty of good fortune in the first hour of the day, with Stevens dropped at slip and several other shots flying through the cordon to the boundary.Both reached their half-centuries, with Stevens making it off just 60 balls and hitting 11 fours before finally edging Naik to slip shortly before lunch having made 67.But the afternoon session went Leicestershire’s way, with Naik the star performer. He picked up the big wicket of van Jaarsveld, who was also caught at slip, and then added the scalps of Tredwell, Ball and Geraint Jones to the list to claim his second five-wicket haul of the season.Nathan Buck also returned to something like his best form, picking up 3 for 49, with Kent’s last six wickets going down for 43 runs in nine overs.

Andy Flower, the England team director, has praised Alastair Cook for the way he has handled the dual challenges of proving himself as a one-day batsman and captain in the 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka. The silverware was secured with a tight 16-run win at Old Trafford where Cook also took his personal contribution to 298 runs.Apart from the volume of runs, which included a career-best 119 at Lord’s, the impressive feature was the strike-rate of 96.75. That number was boosted by his 75-ball 95 at Trent Bridge as Cook provided evidence that he is making strides towards evolving into a effective one-day batsman to supplement his record-breaking Test credentials.Cook had to face some strong criticism both before and during the series but refused to be drawn into any war of words and constantly said performance on the field was the most important factor. The five matches helped Cook build on the positive impression he made as captain last year when he filled in for Andrew Strauss.”He had some tricky decisions to make throughout the series, and he was under pressure from a number of quarters,” Flower said. “I thought he handled that pressure really well, and made some really good decisions out there today.”He had to be very flexible, and he was. We saw him handle pressure well out in Bangladesh too, which isn’t an easy tour. He grew there as a leader, and without doubt this series will have helped him grow too.”Cook showed hints of innovation in his batting, with some dabs and scoops against the spinners, but on the whole relied on the strong shots that have brought him success in Test cricket. A comparison has been made about how Cook needs to perform a similar role to Mahela Jayawardene in the Sri Lanka team and Flower believes he has shown he can do that.”Graham Gooch has worked very closely with him on his batting for a long time – because obviously one-day cricket is very different to Test cricket,” he said. “I think he’s adapted well. It might not look as pretty as a Jayawardene, but it’s been even more effective in this series. He should feel very proud of his contribution with the bat, and how he’s handled some of the pressure he’s been under.”However, not all England’s batsmen enjoyed such a productive series. Kevin Pietersen’s lean time in ODIs since 2008 continued with 85 runs in four innings, while Ian Bell didn’t look at home at No. 6 where he made 81 runs at a strike of under 70. In an column during the series Bell admitted it was a role he was uncomfortable with, but Flower hinted it’s one he will have to get used to.”Ian Bell’s job, or anyone else’s job when they’re picked for England, is to perform,” Flower said. “Whether they’re happy or not is by the by. They are given a job, and they have got to do it. He’s had a tough series. He wasn’t the only one – not everyone can succeed at the same time.”Flower, though, will hope that Bell’s problems in the one-day arena don’t impacted his prolific Test form of 2011 when he has averaged over 300. Thoughts now turn to the four-match series against India which starts on July 21 and the one-day success means England remain buoyant.”It’s always important to win, and we’re always under pressure to do so when representing England,” Flower said. “The bottom line is we did it, we didn’t lose the series. It’s a good confidence-builder for those guys that they held themselves so well under pressure.”

England’s bowling options for their five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka have been given a boost following Tim Bresnan’s recovery from a calf strain. He has been included in the squad after completing a successful rehabilitation, and will be available for selection for Tuesday’s first match at The Oval.Bresnan was a key member of the team that won the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean last May, but he really shot to prominence during England’s Ashes and World Cup winter in 2010-11. He played a pivotal role in the decisive Test win over Australia at Melbourne, and went on to claim five cheap wickets in the thrilling tie against India at Bangalore.However, Bresnan missed the ODI series in Australia due to his calf problem, and underwent a further scan prior to England’s ten-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter-final in Colombo. Since returning to England, he has been dogged by the problem, and was ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a tear while bowling for Yorkshire against Hampshire in mid-May.”We always had the intention of bringing him back when he was fit. We wanted him to play for Yorkshire so we didn’t take any risks,” Alastair Cook, England’s one-day captain, said. “I saw him a couple of days ago and he looks in good shape. To have a proven performer back in the side is great for us.”Bresnan’s nagging accuracy and deceptive pace, not to mention his confident lower-order batting, make him an invaluable member of England’s one-day set-up. After England’s toothless display in the one-off Twenty20 at Bristol on Saturday, there will be a strong temptation to pitch straight back into the starting line-up.