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A round-up of the Logan Cup matches on December 12, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2014A strong first-innings batting display from Matabeleland Tuskers set up the team’s 230-run victory against Mashonaland Eagles in Bulawayo. After being inserted, Tuskers posted 405 for 9 before declaring, thanks to fifties from Bornaparte Mujuru (86), Brian Chari (81) and Godwill Mamhiyo (60). Wellington Masakadza picked up five wickets for Eagles, but conceded 109 runs from his 27 overs. Eagles’ reply lasted only 48.1 overs, as the team was bowled out for 112. Ryan Burl was the only player to score in the twenties, as Tawanda Mupariwa, Brian Vitori and Sean Williams all picked up three-fors to run through the line-up inside four hours. With a 293-run lead in hand, Tuskers batted for just 24.1 overs in their second essay, declaring after scoring 94 for 4. This meant that Eagles needed 388 for the win, and once again, none of their batsmen were able to make a big score, as Vitori (4 for 30) and Keith Dabengwa (3 for 15) struck at regular intervals to dismiss the team in 76 overs.A seven-for from Tapiwa Mufudza in the second innings was the cornerstone behind Mountaineers’ nine-wicket win against Mid West Rhinos at the Kwekwe Sports Club. Mountaineers made the early running in the game, as Rhinos, batting first, were bundled out for 193 thanks to Natsai M’shangwe’s 4 for 45 and Tatenda Mupunga’s 3 for 39. Rhinos’ left-arm spinner responded with a five-wicket haul in Mountaineer’s innings, but Mountaineers were guided by half-centuries from Timycen Maruma (62), Roy Kaia (54) and M’Shangwe (61). They scored 317, earning a crucial lead of 124. Rhino’s opener Bradley Wadlan top-scored in his team’s second innings, hitting 60, but with no other batsman contributing more than 36, they were bowled out for 169. Mufudza collected 7 for 31 to dismiss Rhinos in 62 overs, meaning that Mountaineers needed just 46 to win. They overhauled that target in 5.3 overs, despite losing Kevin Kasuza early.

England will return to the scene of the 10-ball Test match when they play in Antigua on their tour of the West Indies next April.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2014England will return to the scene of the 10-ball Test match when they play in Antigua on their tour of the West Indies next April.The schedule for the three Test series was revealed following some political wrangling – an England Test is extremely valuable to Caribbean islands heavily reliant on tourism – with Barbados and Grenada the other venues.In 2009 the Antigua Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was abandoned after only 1.4 overs with the sandy outfield deemed a safety risk to the players. A replacement match at the Antigua Recreation Ground was hastily arranged which was thrillingly drawn with West Indies nine wickets down. England returned to North Sound earlier this year during their limited-overs tour.Meanwhile, Grenada will stage its first Test since 2009. The National Cricket Stadium in St George’s took over from the old Queen’s Park ground as Grenada’s international venue in 1999 but since then has only staged two Tests – against New Zealand in 2002 and Bangladesh in 2009.The ground has also staged 19 ODIs but England have never played on the island, meaning Grenada will welcome an influx of England supporters for the first time next April.England in West Indies 2014-15

April 13-17, 1st Test, Antigua

April 21-25, 2nd Test, Grenada

May 1-5, 3rd Test, Barbados

England will also return to the Kensingston Oval in Barbados, a traditional favourite with the travelling supporters, where England were West Indies’ first opponents in 1930. The teams played three T20s on the ground in March.”We know the venues will prove extremely popular with the thousands of cricket lovers who follow England to the Caribbean,” Paul Downton, Managing Director England Cricket, said. “It will also be exciting for many to visit the new venue of Grenada for the first time.”The West Indies tour is part of a packed 2015 for England which is likely to see them playing in every month of the year. They will be in Australia and New Zealand from January to March for the World Cup and a warm-up triangular series, then after visiting West Indies they host New Zealand at home before an Ashes series. Later in the year they are scheduled to play Pakistan in the UAE before a tour of South Africa.A further indication of England’s heavy workload is that three days after the final West Indies Test finishes they are set to play Ireland in an ODI in Dublin on May 8.

With South Africa’s ODI squad “almost finalised”, the franchise cricketers in the country have one last opportunity to make a mark in the domestic 50-over competition and impress selectors ahead of the World Cup

Firdose Moonda10-Oct-2014South Africa’s franchise cricketers have 16 days to try and force their way into the national team for next year’s World Cup. The one-day competition, which starts today and will go through five rounds before October 26, is the only 50-over domestic cricket that will be played before the 2015 tournament. It is also the last chance for fringe players to catch the selectors’ eyes.Although South Africa’s ODI squad has been declared “almost finalised” by the convener of selectors Andrew Hudson, he has assured hopefuls that they are welcome to bang down the door. “We have a domestic series at home and we will keep an eye on that. If there are outstanding performances domestically, I will never rule that out,” Hudson said last month, when the squad to tour New Zealand and Australia was announced. “We want to send a message to franchise cricketers to say if you perform at domestic level you will be considered.”For the likes of Jacques Rudolph, Colin Ingram, Farhaan Behardien, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt and Marchant de Lange, that will come as welcome news. They have all represented South Africa in the past and are all looking for ways to make a comeback.Titans’ coach Rob Walter confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Rudolph only made himself available to the franchise for the 50-over competition in order to push for a World Cup spot. Rudolph’s recent form hints that may not be too far-fetched an aim: he topped the run charts in the English one-day competition with 575 runs at 82.14.Ingram and Behardien were the third and fifth highest run-scorers in last year’s South African one-day cup, and both have been spoken of as outside candidates for a reserve batsman spot. Tsotsobe, Kleinveldt and de Lange will hope to be included as additional bowling options, especially as Vernon Philander’s limited-overs form has been inconsistent recently. Tsotsobe, however, admitted a recall would not come easily.”It’s difficult to get back into the national side because there is a lot of competition. But competition is healthy and I’m getting my confidence back,” Tsotsobe said. “I’m getting there, I think I’m 100 percent. I still need to bowl a couple of overs just to make sure I’m on the right path. If I produce results, the selectors will reward good performances.”While the six players mentioned above, and a few others, will dream that the five matches to come could see them claim wild-card spots for the World Cup, the reality is that there is only one gap South Africa will look to fill. Following Jacques Kallis’ retirement and Faf du Plessis assumption of the No.3 role, there is a conundrum regarding how many lower-order allrounders South Africa need in their team. Ryan McLaren has already laid claim to one spot, but if there is a need for a second bowling all-rounder, a player like Albie Morkel, David Wiese or Chris Morris could come into contention.Morkel may not get the chance to stake a claim because he is out of action until early December with an ankle problem. Wiese has a similar injury, but is expected to return for at least some of the matches. Morris is also expected to feature regularly after recovering from surgery over the winter and taking seven wickets in the Lions’ first game in the first-class competition. He sat out the second game with an injury, but is likely to return soon.Morris was called up to South Africa’s ODI side during last year’s Champions Trophy, and he could be seen as a welcome addition to a team still searching for glory at an ICC world event.

Chris Rushworth held his nerve to defend nine of the final over to deny the efforts of Steven Mullaney as Nottinghamshire slipped to a three-run defeat against Durham in a thrilling finale at Trent Bridge.

Press Association30-May-2014
ScorecardChris Rushworth held his nerve to defend nine off the final over•Getty ImagesChris Rushworth held his nerve to defend nine of the final over to deny the efforts of Steven Mullaney as Nottinghamshire slipped to a three-run defeat against Durham in a thrilling finale at Trent Bridge.Rushworth conceded two twos from the first deliveries of the 20th to leave only five needed in four balls but responded with two dot balls. A single from the penultimate ball and a wicket off the last closed out victory.The home side appeared well in control of the contest after Mullaney’s four wickets had helped them reduce their opponents to 132 for 8 in the opening 20 overs. He then ended the match unbeaten at the crease on 26, but Nottinghamshire had only managed to get to 129 for 7 before time ran out.Mullaney was involved in the first wicket of the night, catching Mark Stoneman off Andy Carter, and, after the exit of Calum MacLeod, he had Paul Collingwood caught and bowled.He then added three more wickets in quick succession as the visitors slumped to 76 for 6, Phil Mustard the first and Ben Stokes following before the irrepressible Mullaney trapped Ryan Pringle lbw to take his second scalp in two balls.Carter got his third wicket by bowling Usman Arshad and with Durham on 108, Luke Fletcher struck to remove Gareth Breese, Michael Lumb diving to produce his third and best catch of the evening.Top-scorer Gordon Muchall helped the away side complete the innings without further loss, and they made an encouraging start with the ball as Chris Rushworth saw off Alex Hales and James Taylor.Lumb headed to the pavilion not long after and it was 24 for 3 before the hosts then stabilised a little. Samit Patel made 18 but departed with his side on 51 and Chris Read was next to go, leaving Nottinghamshire on 81 for 5 in the 15th over.The loss of Riki Wessels bowled by Stokes, was a blow in the 18th over but Sam Wood provided hope by smashing a six off the final ball of the penultimate over.It meant nine were required from the last six balls for a home victory, and for all they had done previously, Mullaney and Wood were ultimately unable to get their team over the line, with the latter being caught by Stokes off Rushworth as he tried to fire another six off the final delivery.

AB de Villiers has admitted “disappointment” at being overlooked as South Africa’s next Test leader but has pledged his full support for new captain Hashim Amla

Firdose Moonda05-Jun-2014AB de Villiers has admitted “disappointment” at being overlooked as South Africa’s next Test leader but has pledged his full support for new captain Hashim Amla. De Villiers was considered the frontrunner for the position Graeme Smith vacated in March and in an interview with ESPNcricinfo had declared himself “ready” to lead and give up the wicket-keeping gloves if necessary, but that was not enough to convince the selection panel.”I will not beat around the bush. I’m disappointed that I’m not the captain,” de Villiers told the Afrikaans newspaper . “Everyone has dreams and ambitions and hopes they will become reality but I accept the situation and will not let it come between me and Hashim. It would be very stupid of me if I let it affect my game and my role in the team. The choice is made. I wish Hashim all the best and will give him all of my support.”Although neither de Villiers nor convener of selectors Andrew Hudson would reveal when the former was informed about the decision, Hudson explained at Amla’s appointment on Tuesday that all the candidates for captaincy were consulted and gave their support to the selectors’ choice.”Processes were followed. We’ve spoken to the guys who were close and that little group of senior players are all supportive of Hashim,” Hudson said. “We said to the guys ‘This is what’s coming’ and the guys said they were behind it 100%. There’s this group of senior players – Dale (Steyn), Morne (Morkel), Faf (du Plessis), AB, JP (Duminy) – that are behind Hashim and they respect him. He hasn’t just got two or three guys that support him, he has got a core.”Amla also had the backing of his predecessor Smith, who tweeted a message, part of which read, “Congrats my bud and excited to watch you shape proteas test future,” while recent retiree Jacques Kallis called Amla’s promotion “well deserved.”The reasons for the selection committee’s unanimous recommendation of Amla, which the board ratified, was put down to “deciding who we thought was best for the job,” Hudson said, with a focus on ensuring the transition phase will be as smooth as possible. “Hashim is solid and sets an example and he can continue the team culture going forward,” Hudson said. “One of the great things is that 90% of what the team needs to be successful is already there and needs to be continued and I think Hashim’s leadership style will suit this continuum.”Amla’s previous reluctance to lead – as recently as last year he stepped down as vice-captain of the limited-overs squads – was not a concern for the selectors, who understood his thinking at that time. “It was about trying to get his batting right. Hashim is quite intentional. His intention was to get his batting right and he felt that was first port of call,” Hudson said. “Now that he is at that point where he is more comfortable than what he was with his batting, he feels he can contribute in other areas. Captaincy is one where he can leave a deposit that will far outlast the runs that he scores. He can influence youngsters and he is good with people.”Hudson also denied the selectors were motivated by any desire to break up a small controlling group, which the likes of Herschelle Gibbs had claimed was in operation. In his biography Gibbs said Smith, Kallis, Mark Boucher and de Villiers controlled the team and there were lingering whispers that power balance remained in place. “I don’t know how much of a clique there really was,” Hudson said. “I think a lot of it was speculation.”Hudson also brushed aside talk there was political pressure involved in Amla’s appointment, rather focusing on the positives of giving South Africa’s its first full-time captain of colour. “It’s great that we’ve got a player of colour as a captain but it wasn’t the reason why we chose him. We chose him on merit and in terms of his ability and on what we think the team needs in this next era.”Ultimately, the choice between Amla and de Villiers may have been made by, as one insider put it, the need to “maintain team stability” at a time of great change. With Smith and Kallis retiring in quick succession and leaving gaps to be plugged in the batting line-up, using a rookie keeper may not have been in the plans.That means, not for the first time, de Villiers will be asked to put service above self, but if there is one person who is willing to do that, it is him. He is already looking forward to the role he can play as Amla’s deputy at Test level and to ensuring South Africa return to the top of the Test rankings.”As vice-captain of the team I will closely work with Hashim and believe we can make a good combination,” de Villiers said. “I accept that it is not always moonshine and roses and you can’t expect things must always go your way. In the end, we are all working together in the best interests of South African cricket. I believe Hashim will make a success of the assignment. He is a very experienced and senior player and is a fine student of the game. We will all pull in the right direction do to make sure our cricket comes out on top again.”

Shaun Marsh will be scrubbed from Australia’s plans for South Africa unless he can prove his fitness for the tour match that precedes the first Test

Daniel Brettig29-Jan-2014Shaun Marsh will be scrubbed from Australia’s plans for South Africa unless he can prove his fitness for the tour match that precedes the first Test.As the national selectors ponder a possible replacement in the event that Marsh does not recover from a calf ailment, ESPNcricinfo has learned that the left-hander will be ruled out of Test calculations if he is unable to present himself fit to play in the four-day warm-up match in Potchefstroom, due to begin on February 5.The tour schedule is typically tight, as the first Test begins in Pretoria on February 12 before the second follows only three days later. The selectors are understandably reluctant to nurse any player through the vital first week of the trip, leaving Marsh with only a day or two at best to complete his recovery from the injury he sustained in the field during the final ODI against England in Adelaide on Australia Day.Instead of flying out with the majority of the touring party on Wednesday, Marsh remained in Perth for rehab work, with the Western Australia physio Nick Jones, who is liaising with his national team counterpart Alex Kountouris. Australia’s captain Michael Clarke was unsure whether any deadline had been put in place for Marsh or Jackson Bird, who has returned to bowling in Tasmania after complaining of a jarred back, and can be expected to fly out before the end of the week.”I spoke to the physio yesterday about Jackson, he bowled well yesterday and they wanted to see how he pulled up today and he has to bowl again today,” Clarke said. “Shaun was seeing the physio in Western Australia the last conversation I had with Alex [Kountouris] so they’re going to see how he goes over the next couple of days I’m sure, and fingers crossed they’re both going to be on a plane sooner rather than later to South Africa.”I don’t know how long they’re giving both players. Ideally I would like them to be on this plane now, but that’s not realistic. You’ve got to give them every opportunity, they’re an important part of our squad, they’re two very good players, and I’m positive they’ll both come up ok.”Should Marsh be ruled unfit, he is likely to be replaced in the tour party by Phillip Hughes, who narrowly missed selection for the initial squad, rather than the Ashes batsman George Bailey. The selectors have already been forced to replace one player in the original 15, James Faulkner requiring knee surgery and replaced by Moises Henriques.Australia boast an enviable record in South Africa, having not lost a series on the veldt since reunification. The 1994 and 2011 tours ended in drawn Test series, while the 1997, 2002, 2006 and 2009 tourists all enjoyed away victories. While the current South African side is undisputed as the world’s most accomplished, Clarke noted the similarity of conditions in Australia as a source of considerable comfort to his men.”A lot of teams in Test cricket are having success in their own backyard, but the greatest challenge is to be able to win away from home, so that’s what we face right now,” Clarke said. “We’re playing against a very good opposition … wicket wise, temperature wise and country wise there’s a lot of similarities, so that’ll help us become accustomed to conditions. But when you’re playing in front of your home fans we’ve seen the benefit of that this summer and that’s obviously going to help South Africa. We’ve got to be on top of our game.”Clarke was untroubled by the mishmash of cricket played by his touring party in the lead-up to the trip, as some followed their Ashes success with the ODI series against England, others moonlighted in the Twenty20 Big Bash League and still others played the first two days of second XI fixtures for unfamiliar states before their departure.”It’s only two weeks ago we were playing the last Test match, so I think guys have enough Test cricket under their belt now to be ready for this first Test match,” Clarke said. “The four-day game will certainly help get any cobwebs out if there are any, but guys have been playing whether it’s one-day cricket or the second XI competition.”Guys have enough cricket under their belt, it’s now a matter of adjusting to conditions as soon as we get there and continuing to play the same brand of cricket we’ve played this summer, with the same intent and the same attitude, that’s the key for me.”

Mushfiqur Rahim has said that Bangladesh are playing under the pressure of maintaining their spots in the team, and this mindset has made it difficult for the team to compete in T20 matches

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur25-Mar-2014Mushfiqur Rahim has said Bangladesh’s players are playing under the pressure of maintaining their places in the team, and this mindset has made it difficult for the team to compete in T20 matches.”I think the main problem could be that previously our players could play their natural game freely from their positions,” Mushfiqur said, after Bangladesh’s 73-run defeat to West Indies. “We didn’t get that result in the last three months. The pressure is now about maintaining their place in the team.”I think that’s when you fall into pressure and can’t play naturally. In T20 format you have to start scoring quickly, so it becomes difficult for those out of form and with this mentality. We can’t think like this, we have to play our natural game as we did in the last two years.”Mushfiqur Rahim says Bangladesh’s poor fielding has come about due to a lack of confidence•Getty ImagesThis comes on the back of an admission from within the team management that they are finding it difficult to drop players who are out of form.Ahead of the Asia Cup, Mushfiqur had slammed chief selector Faruque Ahmed for not consulting him during squad selection and there have been whispers from the Bangladesh dressing-room that players are not feeling too comfortable with the changes Faruque has made.There are two arguments in this case. One side of the story is that the current crop of Bangladesh players should have a direct superior keeping them in the straight and narrow, but whether the chief selector should be that person is not clear.Secondly, if Faruque has held the players accountable, there are doubts over whether he should have started it so early in his second stint as selector, in a manner that has apparently shaken the team’s morale. There was widespread praise of Faruque’s handling of the Bangladesh team during his first stint between 2003 and 2007.Mushfiqur felt the players were not handling the expectations that have built up over the last two years.”Most of the players are not in the momentum of performance,” he said. “They are not playing with a free mind. We have to overcome this quickly.”It is quite obvious there will be pressure and criticism. The expectation is big because of how we played in the last two years. Six or seven of us performed, which raised our team’s overall performance. But that’s not happening now.”Mushfiqur said the team’s poor fielding was a result of their mindset. “The confidence is low because of batting and bowling form,” he said. “It is reflected in our catching and misfielding, as I feel some are mentally down.”

Shane Warne has signed on as a specialist spin coach to help Australia’s slow bowlers in the lead-up to this year’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2014Shane Warne has signed on as a specialist spin coach to help Australia’s slow bowlers in the lead-up to this year’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. Cricket Australia has confirmed that Warne will join the T20 squad in South Africa in early March and he will support coach Darren Lehmann as what CA described as a “consultant providing specialist coaching to the spin bowlers”.Spin is expected to play a key role in the World T20 given the conditions in Bangladesh and Australia’s selection of young legspinner James Muirhead for their T20s against England is an indication that they may be prepared to gamble on raw talent for the tournament. Muirhead has played only three T20 games for the Melbourne Stars this year and a total of five BBL games in his career.”We believe our national teams can really benefit from more specific skill-based coaching as and when it is needed,” Lehmann said. “This will mean that from time to time we will enlist the support of experts in their craft to work with our players and share their experiences.”In the case of the ICC World Twenty 20, we believe spin bowling will be critical to success. There’s no better person than Shane to help guide the spinners we select in that squad. He was a gifted cricketer and remains passionate about spin bowling and seeing our players be the best that they can be. We’re thrilled to have him on board.”Warne said: “I’m excited to be working with Australia’s spinners in South Africa. I’m looking forward to helping them with some intense bowling preparation ahead of the World Twenty 20, where we’ll specifically work on tactics and mindset.”In announcing the T20 squad to play England earlier this week, national selector John Inverarity said as well as Muirhead and Glenn Maxwell, who were both in the group, Xavier Doherty had strong claims on a position for the World T20. He even indicated the veteran Brad Hogg, who turns 43 next month and is a contemporary of Warne’s, could receive another recall after playing in the 2012 World T20.Australia will name their squad for the World T20 in mid-February, and that group will then convene in South Africa after the Test series for three matches in the first two weeks of March. Australia’s first match in the World T20 will be in Mirpur against Pakistan on March 23.

AB de Villiers, the South Africa captain, said he expected India to bounce back in the third ODI, after his side beat the visitors by 134 runs to win the second ODI and the series in Durban

Sidharth Monga in Durban08-Dec-20130:00

A big series win for SA – AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers said he was happy with the hold that South Africa’s bowlers had established over India’s batsmen•Getty ImagesBeat the No. 1 side by 141 runs. Beat them again by 134. In the first game, put them under a mountain of runs and straitjacket them with exceptional quick bowling. In the next, watch the same batsmen capitulate through low-percentage shots. This tour has all the makings of being to South Africa what the West Indies series was to India in November. And never mind what Dale Steyn feels, South Africa’s elder statesmen are not getting ahead of themselves. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla both laughed heartily when asked if this Indian team was proving to be too easy, but they wouldn’t get drawn into making what could be seen as inappropriate statements that might come back to bite them later.De Villiers was at pains to not be seen as arrogant when ahead. When asked if it was becoming a bit easy, because it felt so from the outside, de Villiers repeated the “no” five times.”They are a world-class unit,” de Villiers said. “They are world champions. I can go for an hour if I talk about the Indian team. [I] still expect them to come back in the third ODI. A lot of pride to play for. It will be massive for us to beat them 3-0. A lot to play for. They are still a world-class unit. We will always have respect for them as a team.”After his press conference, de Villiers moved to the right, and gave unassuming Hashim Amla the seat in front of the microphones. Now Amla and Quinton de Kock have added more than 150 in back-to-back games against India’s bowling, becoming only the second pair in ODIs to do so. At times in the Durban ODI, it looked like they were not tested at all. Like de Villiers, Amla, too, was asked if the Indian bowling was “easy meat” for the openers.Amla let out a loud laugh and said, “You want such a controversial thing for me to say.”After everyone had had their laughs and drawn their own inferences, Amla went on to say: “Nothing at all like that. Fortunately for me and Quinny [de Kock] – to score runs you need things to go your way. In both games, we could have got caught with leading edges, caught third man… Things have just gone our way in the last two games. India have bowled well upfront. We haven’t gone off to blistering starts, just knocked it around a bit and bided our time. In the first game, AB and JP [Duminy] were the guys who did a bulk of the damage at the back end. Before that, they had bowled quite well. So there is no such thing as easy meat. We have fortunately got things going our way.”Having said that, de Villiers was pretty pleased his side had beaten the No. 1 side in ODIs so comprehensively in successive matches.”We are nowhere near the No. 1 team in the world at the moment even though we have beaten them two in a row now,” de Villiers said. “We know tournaments like the World Cup, they are about 11 games, this is just two in a row. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but in a humble way we would like to work hard on our game and make sure we still compete with the best in the world consistently.”Steyn’s remarks that a few of the Indian batsmen might have been scared were still being talked about, but de Villiers also said that his batsmen have been setting up the games. He was “chuffed” that his lower order got him crucial runs in this match – especially the 29 in the last two overs – that turned a total just over par into a superlative one. Especially given South Africa’s bowling, which now seems to have established a hold on the Indian batsmen.”Hopefully, we did scare off a few of their batters going into the final ODI and the Test series,” de Villiers said. “It’s always nice to sort of scare a few batters going into a big series like this, especially a batting line-up like the Indian team has. I think they are very talented and to sort of get under their skin is always important, especially in home conditions.”

Aaron Finch, the 26-year-old Victorian, ransacked England’s bowling with an eye-popping world record 156 as Australia secured their first victory in any format for 200 days.

The Report by Andrew McGlashan at the Ageas Bowl29-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAaron Finch blazed a trail from ball one•AFPWhether Australia can produce young batsmen who are able to occupy the crease in Test cricket remains up for debate. That they can produce batsmen who give it an almighty thump there is no doubt. Aaron Finch, the 26-year-old Victorian, ransacked England’s bowling with an eye-popping world record 156 as Australia secured their first victory in any format for 200 days.It was a ferocious display of hitting from Finch, who had six previous T20 caps, as he tore England’s attack to shreds with a brutal display, in the process going well past Brendon McCullum’s 123 as the highest score in an international Twenty20. Australia’s eventual 248 for 6 was the second-highest total in a T20 international – and the highest in a match involving two Test nations – only Sri Lanka’s 260 against Kenya was out of reach and for a while it appeared they may cross that landmark too.A couple of weeks ago in the Friends Life t20 quarter-final there was 200-plays-200 match and the consistency of the one-day pitches at the Ageas Bowl deserves much praise – 457 runs in 40 overs is value for money, even if to watch such a boundary-fest all the time would dull the senses. But to chase 249 would have bordered on miracle territory. England, not surprisingly, could not get close – although did pass 200 for only the fourth time in a T20 – despite Joe Root’s entertaining 90 off 49 balls. Tellingly, perhaps, England could only manage five sixes to Australia’s 18.Fourteen of those came off Finch’s bat, another of the records that he broke during the onslaught. He began with a six first ball, picked up effortlessly off Steven Finn, and it was a theme that would continue throughout. Each of Finch’s landmarks came up with a six; his half-century, from 26 balls; his hundred, off 47, beating McCullum’s record, and his 150.He was on track to beat Richard Levi’s 45-ball hundred against New Zealand, in Hamilton, as the fastest on the international stage but after reducing himself to a couple of singles had to settle for second spot when he launched his 47th delivery, from Stuart Broad, for another six. He was the first Australian to make a Twenty20 international hundred and it took him just 13 more deliveries to power past 150. By then, it had long since stopped being an even contest.The bowlers had no answers, although not for the first time there was an absence of yorkers – anything fractionally off target was dispatched over the boundaries with strength, timing and, occasionally, some finesse; although this was not an innings of deft touch and placement. Finch’s sixes over the off side, one struck as he slid outside leg stump, were perhaps the most breathtaking.Picking through the wreckage of England’s figures may seem a rather pointless task, but there are a couple of overs that stand out. Root’s only over cost 27 – he made the mistake of conceding a single to Shaun Marsh first ball – and Danny Briggs, on his home ground, was taken for 23 in his last, all by Finch. Following on from Martin Guptill’s huge innings in the one-day international here earlier in the season, this is not a favourite ground for England at the moment.The only England bowler to have an economy rate in single figures was Jade Dernbach, which itself will bring surprise from many. He finally removed Finch and also dumbfounded Shane Watson with a back-of-the-hand slower ball after his 37 off 16 balls, in a stand of 99 in seven overs, had gone almost unnoticed.Finch and Marsh had added 114 in nine overs for the second wicket having come together early following David Warner’s bizarre dismissal. Swinging with all his power, he top edged Broad’s second ball and, in the process, lost his bat which flew towards short fine-leg while Jos Buttler settled under the catch. Warner then had to walk back to collect his bat from an obliging England player who had picked it up. It was the high point of the innings for England.But the crowd had another moment to savour. The opening over of the chase, bowled by the much-missed (at least by the England supporters) Mitchell Johnson, cost 17 and included two wides and three boundaries. Johnson, though, recovered from those early problems by trapping Michael Lumb lbw and then having Eoin Morgan caught at point while he touched 93mph on the speed gun.But Josh Hazlewood created the most physical damage. Root needed treatment for a cut lip after a short ball from Hazlewood squeezed between his peak and grille. Warner, who had come close to inflicting something similar earlier in the tour, was the first Australian to go up to Root who, after a few minutes, did not seem overly troubled by the blow as he notched a 29-ball fifty and he later took 16 off Johnson’s last over much to the joy of the fans who stayed on to the bitter end.In the seventh over there was also a significant moment. Fawad Ahmed, the legspinner, delivered his first international over. It went for 10 and his four overs ended up costing 43. It was not really an evening to be a spinner. His story remains a remarkable one but, for one night at least, it was trumped.