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Having waded through the many technical tweaks and tips offered by Troy Cooley over five years, Mitchell Johnson’s first advice from his new bowling coach Craig McDermott must have seemed fiendishly simple: a new grip.Cooley and Johnson had been close to inseparable on Australian tours since the summer of 2006-07. But McDermott’s suggestion, that a more pronounced split of Johnson’s fingers across the ball might contribute to better seam position and greater control, indicates that a fresh pair of eyes could be useful for a bowler who at 29 has never quite managed to assume the spearhead’s mantle.The greatest difference between Cooley and McDermott is the international experience they each have to call on. Cooley’s modest Sheffield Shield career with Tasmania bears little comparison with McDermott’s 291 Test wickets and countless spells under the most intense of cricket’s spotlights.”It’s good to have Craig on board with his Test experience,” Johnson said in Brisbane. “I had a good relationship with Troy Cooley and worked really well with him, but having Craig there with his Test and international experience is going to be a big boost for us.”I haven’t worked on too many technical [aspects] with him; just my fingers, split fingers and things like that. Nothing too out there, but just little things here and there, which has been good. But having him on tour in situations where we might come off the field and he might see something that we’re not seeing, it’ll be good to have that experience.”Johnson’s mention of split fingers brought its own memory – many can recall McDermott’s split-finger slower ball, which comically confounded Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillakaratne during a World Series ODI in Melbourne in 1996. But when pressed to expand, Johnson related the fact that his stock grip had perhaps encouraged him to spray the ball in the past, and that his new mentor had suggested the adjustment.”I bowl with my fingers close together and I don’t have as much control with the ball,” he said. “So this just helps me stand the seam up a little bit; or hopefully that’s the plan – to stand that seam up a little bit and give me that balance with the ball.”I’m not going to be fiddling around with my wrist or anything like that at this [point. I’m going on 30 now and I don’t think fiddling around too much like that is going to help me.”Subtle advice on technique and tactics, plus a large helping of empathy, is a formula that has worked well for numerous bowling coaches across the globe. Former Indian bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad describes himself as more of a tactical advisor than a technical seer, while David Saker’s emphasis with England’s attack in Australia was as much about knowing the conditions as the bowling action.Johnson agreed that McDermott would be useful as he seeks to draw a line under the Ashes gremlins in his action that first surfaced in 2009 and returned again last summer, either side of a freakishly incisive spell on the second day of the third Test in Perth. Either side of the lunch break Johnson had appeared unplayable, but by the end of the summer England and their attendant Barmy Army had enjoyed very much the better of the duel.”That’s just the pressure of the game sometimes,” Johnson said. “I struggled over in England in an Ashes series [in 2009] and probably let it get to me. Towards the end of that series I started to feel okay, but I guess it’s just the build-up and the pressure of an Ashes series.”I haven’t found it in any other series, I haven’t struggled that much with the pressures, but it is a big thing, the Ashes. I haven’t thought too much about it but I would like to get better at it.”I think for me I put too much pressure on myself, because I try to bowl the perfect ball all the time and then I put too much pressure on myself. And in a big series like that you just can’t do that.”You look at their [England’s] squad, they’d been playing well for a long time, they’ve got a very good opening pair at the moment, a bit like a Justin Langer/Matthew Hayden sort of relationship. They’re working really well as an opening pair. So there’s a few things that come into it but I think I definitely try to bowl that perfect ball too much.”Johnson’s mental approach is now to close the gap between his best and his worst, so he may deliver sturdy spells even if the planets have not aligned as they did at the WACA ground last December.”Today was a perfect example, I didn’t feel at my best today but still worked through it and bowled good enough I think,” Johnson said. “I had a chat to Craig about it after and he said I looked pretty good. Having him and his experience as well is going to help me in the rest of my career.”Definitely it’s something I’m going to keep working on. You have your bad days but you’ve still got to go out there and perform, I’ve just got to find that balance.”That right balance, and the right grip.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, will go on one month’s leave following the ICC’s five-day annual conference, which begins on June 26 in Hong Kong. In Butt’s absence, chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed will take over as acting chairman and governing board member Naveed Akram Cheema will look after the board’s financial matters, Pakistan newspaper reported.Butt’s term as PCB chairman is scheduled to end in October but there is the option of it being extended by the Pakistan president, who is also the Patron of the board.Butt, whose tenure has been dogged by controversy, received harsh criticism from the Pakistan public after a much-publicised clash with Shahid Afridi. His relationship with other boards has also been rocky: Butt had problems with the ECB after making controversial accusations against the England team during Pakistan’s tour in 2010.

ScorecardOwais Shah failed by just four runs to mark his first-class debut for Essex with a century in the County Championship clash against Middlesex out at Chelmsford.Playing against his former county, Shah was denied a deserved 100 when Corey Collymore had him caught behind. The West Indian fast bowler also struck again shortly afterwards to remove Graham Napier as Essex closed on 235 for 7 in reply to their opponent’s 385 all out.Shah always seemed to have more time to play his strokes than his colleagues in an innings that brought him 14 fours and a pulled six over midwicket at the expense of Anthony Ireland. Shah’s only blemish before he was dismissed came when he had made 77 when he hooked Ireland to fine leg where Collymore failed to hold on to a difficult chance as he dived forward.Tim Murtagh and Gareth Berg were responsible for putting Essex on the back foot as they shared the first five wickets to four. Murtagh extracted enough life from the pitch to get rid of openers Jaik Mickleburgh and Mark Pettini before the 50 was raised and soon afterwards Bergh got rid of Ravi Bopara.He had just a single to his name when he guided a simple catch to Sam Robson in the slips. Berg then trapped Mat Walker lbw for only six before Adam Wheater produced several punishing strokes on the onside in an innings of 39 before the return of Murtagh ended a partnership of 65 in 21 overs.That dismissal paved the way for James Foster to take part in another half-century stand before Collymore returned to tip the balance firmly in Middlesex’s favour. After he had Shah caught behind by John Simpson, he removed Napier leg before in his next over. It all left Essex going into the final day still 150 runs adrift and their hopes mainly resting on Foster who will resume on 44.Murtagh has so far taken 3 for 61 in 19 overs, while Berg and Collymore have figures of 2 for 40 and 2 for 47 respectively.Earlier in the day, Middlesex added a further 69 after resuming on 316 for 6. Opener Robson added just 10 more to his overnight 136 before 17-year-old Reece Topley trapped him lbw. Robson’s innings spanned just under seven hours during which he faced 317 deliveries and struck 15 fours.The young paceman also picked up the wicket of Berg but it was Napier, thanks to his deeds on the opening day, who returned the best figures as his 5 for 56 represented his first five wicket-haul for three years.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Aiden Blizzard’s early blitz allowed Mumbai Indians the cushion to overcome a middle-overs crisis•Associated Press

Kolkata Knight Riders began nervously, Mumbai Indians finished similarly, but it was Mumbai who booked a place in the Champions League T20 and in the semi-final equivalent of IPL 2009. What will irk Kolkata is that they were the better side for 39 overs in the previous match between these sides, but one bad over then set up this rematch in the quarter-final equivalent. Mumbai then did enough to make use on the second chance.Kolkata’s top order came out trying too hard for a big start, losing four wickets for 20, and Ryan ten Doeschate’s 70 was not recovery enough on a good Wankhede track with short boundaries. A blazing start from Aiden Blizzard and Sachin Tendulkar seemed to have put to rest Mumbai’s habit of muddled chases, but they choked again. For the second consecutive game, though, James Franklin scuppered Kolkata’s hopes. This time, with much more on the line, he produced a less dramatic, but more assured 29.Munaf Patel bowled smartly to capitalise on Kolkata’s palpable nervous energy, taking three wickets, including those of Jacques Kallis and Yusuf Pathan. It was a subtle change-up immediately after being driven for four that sent Kallis back. The wicket-taking delivery was pitched in the same area, but was bowled with a scrambled seam and was hence a touch slower. The slice settled with a diving Tendulkar.Gautam Gambhir, Shreevats Goswami and Manoj Tiwary concentrated just on the boundaries, in the process failing to place the good balls for singles. The dot balls mounted, and all three fell to shots they would normally not play. ten Deoschate played sensibly, though, looking for singles and punishing the bad balls. That calm rubbed off on Yusuf, their 60-run stand took the run-rate past six an over, and a big finish could not have been ruled out.Munaf, though, returned to interrupt the comeback with more clever bowling. Convinced that the short ball would trouble Yusuf, he let his Baroda team-mate have some. The first one took a top edge for four, the second went for a single along the ground, and the third one was mistimed over midwicket. Munaf persisted, and with his fourth bouncer of the over, he sent his man back.Ambati Rayudu, a part-time wicketkeeper, proceeded to miss ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan in the next two overs. ten Doeschate went on to score the highest for a No. 6 this IPL and Kolkata got 60 in the last six, yet a blazing start to the chase was always going to knock them out. Blizzard and Tendulkar provided just that.Blizzard relished the pace of Brett Lee, while Tendulkar took care of the spin of Iqbal Abdulla and Yusuf Pathan. A lot of class and a lot of power merged effectively to bring up the fifty in the fifth over. There was a remote semblance of redemption for Lee when he came back to remove Blizzard, but not before the batsman had hit him for four and six in that over.Then Mumbai stumbled. Rohit Sharma ran himself out, Tendulkar fell to a sharp bouncer, and Rayudu seemed to have been sawn off. From 81 for 0 in the eighth over, Mumbai had been reduced to 103 for 4 in the 13th. A mini-partnership ensued, but Shakib trapped Pollard to make it 123 for 5. T Suman couldn’t handle the nerves and holed out to long-off.The asking-rate crept past run-a-ball for the last two overs, but a top edge off Lee’s first ball brought it back to 11 off 11. L Balaji, who failed to defend 21 in the last match, didn’t get a shot at redemption. The last over went to Shakib – his figures 3-0-17-2 until then – who needed to defend seven. Harbhajan lofted the second ball over midwicket, and let out a roar.

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A five-wicket haul from Tony Palladino and 96 from Wes Durston put Derbyshirefirmly back in their County Championship Division Two game against Middlesexat Derby.The former Essex paceman shattered the visitors’ hopes of a substantialfirst-innings lead with a pre-lunch spell of five wickets for 21 runs in nineovers which sent Middlesex tumbling from 119 for one to 230 all out.Durston and Australian left-hander Usman Khawaja wiped out the arrears of 76and although both fell in the space of four overs, Derbyshire were 117 in frontat stumps on 193 for 3.The home side had started the day with a lot to do after former Derbyshirecaptain Chris Rogers had taken Middlesex to within 39 of their first innings154.But Rogers added only four to his overnight 66 before he drove at Palladino andwas caught behind by Tom Poynton, who was again deputising for Luke Sutton.Dawid Malan went first ball as Palladino got some late movement and the seamerthen brought a delivery back in his next over to bowl Neil Dexter for 8.Dan Housego and John Simpson put their side in credit but a loose shot from thewicketkeeper sparked another clatter of wickets before the interval.Simpson was caught at second slip aiming a back foot force at Greg Smith andHousego’s measured innings was ended by another good ball from Palladino whichknocked back his off stump.Housego had faced 153 balls for his 48 and had shown an application not matchedby his team mates during a session which ended with Ollie Rayner lbw to a fulllength ball from Palladino.Only some firm blows from Steven Finn took Middlesex past 200 and althoughWayne Madsen was run out by a direct hit from gully with only 10 on the board,the pitch had become easier for batting.Durston passed his previous highest first-class score for Derbyshire of 69 andlooked set for a century until he tried to whip Tim Murtagh through midwicketand was lbw.He had hit 16 fours and a six, driven over midwicket off Rayner, and his standof 147 in 36 overs with Khawaja had turned the game around.Both batsmen had shown good judgement so it was a surprise when Khawaja triedto cut Gareth Berg and was caught at second slip five short of his firsthalf-century in England.Another success would have tilted the balance back to Middlesex but ChesneyHughes and Dan Redfern stood firm to leave the match finely poised.

Runako Morton, the West Indies and Trinidad batsman, has been expelled from West Indies’ Elite Athletes Assistance Programme after he and Leeward Islands allrounder Tonito Willett were arrested in Port of Spain, on Saturday, for possession of marijuana. The two players were at the time involved in a regional four-day match between their two teams at the Queen’s Park Oval, but took no further part in it after their arrest.However, Sports Minister Anil Roberts said the decision to remove Morton from the 33 cricketers on the EAAP list was not because of the charges but the fact he broke team curfew.The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) confirmed the arrest on Saturday, but did not give any further details of the incident other than that the players remained in custody.”The duo was taken into police custody sometime between the end of the first day’s play and the start of the second day’s play of the Trinidad and Tobago verses Leeward Islands match. They remain in police custody,” a statement said.However, sources told ESPNcricinfo that the players’ car was pulled over during a routine traffic stop in the city after the pair had spent the evening in a bar. They were expected to remain in custody until at least Monday.T&T manager Omar Khan later confirmed to the that Morton and Willet were charged on Friday night and being held at Morvant Police Station. Khan said Morton had abandoned the team and therefore was on his own for now.”Unfortunately Runako Morton abandoned the team last night [Friday night] against team guidelines and team rules, and he left the team hotel at Cascadia and did not return. When we were leaving the hotel this morning [Saturday morning] at 8.15 am, there was still no sign of Morton. We tried to call his cell phone but he could not be contacted.”This morning [Saturday morning] at around 11 am, we got a call from the manager of the Cascadia Hotel indicating that the Police has just reported that Morton was held last night together with Tonito Willet of the Leeward Islands and they had found marijuana on them.”Khan said both players were taken to the Morvant Police Station, where they were charged and held for the night, adding that the team was willing to provide counselling, should it be needed. Khan said that the absence of Morton did have an impact on the T&T team but the players fought hard to put that out of their minds and win first innings points.”Obviously it would have had an effect on the team but the message to the team was not to allow this unfortunate incident to hinder our progress in the game,” Khan said.Morton, 32, has played 15 Test, 56 ODIs and seven Twenty20 internationals for West Indies, and his most recent international was a T20 against Australia in Sydney last February. He has had a chequered career which included being expelled from the West Indies Academy in 2001 and then pulling out of the 2002 Champions Trophy after lying about the death of his grandmother.His ODI career has been a strange mix where he holds the record for the slowest duck, a 31-ball effort against Australia in 2006, but has also scored two hundreds and averages 33.Willett, 28, has not earned international honours during an 11-year first-class career. He made 25 on the opening day of the current four-day match while Morton fell for 7 shortly before the close of play.

As if Virender Sehwag’s batting strike-rate of 102 over a decade in one-day cricket wasn’t enough to frighten bowlers, he has now set his sights on batting long during the World Cup. During his astonishing double-century against Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan in the Galle Test in 2008, Sehwag carried his bat but he is yet to bat out the full quota of overs in one-dayers, something he hopes to achieve.”I think I never played 50 overs in one-day cricket, maximum I faced is 42-44 overs,” a relaxed Sehwag said in Bangalore. “This time I’ll try to bat 50 overs if I can. I have been trying for 10 years, I’m still trying.” Emulating Sachin Tendulkar, who made the first and only double-century so far in the format when he played out 50 overs against South Africa last year, wasn’t a target for Sehwag though. “Sachin has played 50 overs many times, not just once, but he could make 200 only once because it is not easy to make 200 in a one-dayer.”Nearly a third of Sehwag’s innings have been single-digit efforts, a proportion he aims to reduce with a more measured approach early in the innings. “I have Yuvraj [Singh], MS Dhoni, [Suresh] Raina, [Virat] Kohli and Yusuf [Pathan] in the middle order, so I can go after the bowling straight from the first ball, but nowadays I’m a giving a little bit of respect for first 4-5 overs,” he said. “Then I can take on the bowlers to make sure I give a good start so even if I get out the middle order can take their time and then go after the bowling.”This will be the first World Cup since Twenty20 become a big-money phenomenon, and Sehwag says the rise of cricket’s newest format will mean teams batting first will have to set bigger targets to feel safe. “If you get a good batting track, 320 or 300 will be a par score in the World Cup,” he said. “IPL changed a lot of batsmen’s mindsets, because batsmen now think we can chase 10 run an over anytime. Before teams thought you have lost the game if they needed to chase 10 an over, but now with the power-hitters in the team, they will chase it and that will be very exciting to see in the World Cup”Injuries and the team management’s decision to rest him from some recent series has meant Sehwag goes into the World Cup not having played a one-dayer in more than five months. He missed the recent series against South Africa due to a shoulder problem, and though he is satisfied with his recovery, he is yet to start bowling. “I’m taking regular treatment, so hopefully it will be fine when the match comes,” he said. “I don’t want to bowl in the nets and get injured again, so when I feel my shoulder is better I can start bowling.”Shoulder trouble ruled Sehwag out of the past three global ICC tournaments – the Champions Trophy in 2009, and the previous two World Twenty20s – and India have had early exits in each of those, despite entering as title contenders. This World Cup, too, India are one of the front-runners. What lessons has the team learnt from past failures? “The only thing we learnt is that we are not favourites.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Woakes took six wickets but it was in a losing cause•Getty Images

Australia secured the one-day series with two matches to spare after a comprehensive 51-run victory at the Gabba as England’s batting once again flopped. The top order was rocked by the pace of Brett Lee, then John Hastings removed the key pair of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell before the innings subsided rapidly to give Australia their first piece of silverware since March last year.The hosts’ innings had been far from problem-free but Michael Clarke registered a much-needed half-century, which was his first since the Adelaide Test. He fell to the Man of the Match Chris Woakes, who took 6 for 45, England’s best overseas analysis in one-day internationals, but he was a lone shining light. Although the visitors have twice nudged 300 in the series – at Melbourne and Adelaide – there has been far too much inconsistency and soft dismissals.Pietersen and Bell battled nicely to steady England from 3 for 22, but having been given a life on 34 when Steve Smith missed a return catch, Pietersen picked out mid-on as he tried to pull a Hastings slower ball. Eoin Morgan continued his poor series when he lofted his fourth ball to long-off against Smith, even though the required rate was below a run-a-ball. Morgan has struggled to live up to his reputation as a world-class finisher in the series after his extended period on the sidelines during the Ashes.England’s last real hope disappeared when Bell, who had been at his most fluent, dragged Hastings into his stumps. Shane Watson bagged two in his first over in front of an appreciative home crowd, who could put the troubles of the past month behind then at least for an evening. A record-last wicket stand of 53 between James Anderson and Steven Finn, on his ODI debut, only narrowed the margin and showed up the batsmen.Australia’s bowlers hunted as a unit and the one-day attack has most bases covered, even though Xavier Doherty was left out with a stiff back. Lee bowled with real venom early on, twice whistling rapid bouncers past Andrew Strauss’s helmet and Doug Bollinger wasn’t far behind when he struck Matt Prior in his opening over. But neither of England’s openers wanted to back down and Prior responded with three boundaries against Bollinger. However, Lee was a different prospect and Prior lost his off stump when he tried to play square on the off side.From the next delivery, the first ball of Bollinger’s third over, Strauss picked out square leg with a pull and it became worse when Lee put himself on a hat-trick as Jonathan Trott flicked a delivery off his hip straight to short fine-leg. Although the hat-trick ball to Bell was a no-ball it was also a rapid bouncer and Australia were in no mood for this series to stay alive.Even though their total proved plenty, it was a tale of missed opportunity as several batsmen made starts only to give their wickets away. Watson (16) cut to point and Brad Haddin (37) walked across his stumps to give Finn his first ODI wicket. Shaun Marsh (16) lazily flicked to midwicket and David Hussey chopped on against Woakes for 34, having set a platform alongside Clarke with a 65-run fifth-wicket stand. Cameron White couldn’t do much about his dismissal as an excellent ball from Woakes bounced and took the edge.Clarke’s innings had three distinct phases. After being booed to the crease, he began with aggressive intent and moved to 17 off 13 balls, but then slowed considerably with 18 off his next 41 deliveries before driving Finn through cover. The fifty came from 70 balls but he couldn’t carry on, top-edging Woakes while trying to work through the leg side on 54.England were hampered in the closing overs when Ajmal Shahzad injured his hamstring and Johnson took 15 off his eighth over during the batting Powerplay. Smith and Hastings also cashed in as Finn was struck for 14 off his ninth but Woakes, who was preferred to Michael Yardy and struck three times in the first over of a spell, returned to have Hastings caught at deep midwicket to complete his five, after which Lee carved to third man.Woakes’ figures sit behind Collingwood’s 6 for 31 against Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge in 2005, but they were a hollow success. England are now left with the task of avoiding a 6-1 scoreline to match the drubbing after the 2009 Ashes.

Unless there is a drastic turn of events, Gary Kirsten has taken part in his last bilateral series as India’s coach. A senior BCCI official confirmed that Kirsten has expressed to the board his desire to not extend his coaching contract with India because of family commitments. In all likelihood, the World Cup will now be his last assignment with India.”It is a topic that has been discussed at length for a long time. I can confirm that he will not continue his coaching assignment with India after the World Cup,” the official said. “Everyone was keen that Gary continue for another term, perhaps of three years. The team and the coach have developed an excellent rapport over the last three years. Everyone can see the results, which are obvious. Gary has also put in a lot of effort behind the scenes to bolster team spirit and oneness among the unit. We must respect his decision, especially because it is based on family commitments.”The official said that the task of identifying a successor will be an important one because while “his legacy will benefit the successor”, Kirsten’s will be big boots to fill for any coach. India rose to their much-cherished No. 1 ranking in Tests under Kirsten’s watch, and developed a habit of often coming back from dire situations.That Kirsten is unlikely to continue after the World Cup doesn’t come as a big surprise. He has previously spoken of wanting to spend more time with his family, and India’s captain MS Dhoni, had also said that the team would respect Kirsten’s choice. The three years that Kirsten has spent with India have been hectic, and have hardly given him time to be with his family – he has a wife and two growing sons. “Of course,” Dhoni said before the start of the series, when asked if India were trying to do everything within their powers to make Kirsten stay. “But what you also need to see is he has been part of the Indian cricket team for the last three years. His family – Joshua is a growing kid right now and James is a young kid too [both Kirsten’s sons] – which means Gary wants to spend time with his family. That will be the most crucial thing apart from the money aspect.”He has given [the Indian team] whatever he could, the best he could, and of course it was a pleasure to have him in the side, but then again it is a decision he will have to take. More than the cricketing part, it will be his family that will have a real impact on the decision.”Media reports have – over the series – linked Kirsten with a job closer to home, coaching the South African side, who too will be without a coach after the World Cup. Those speculations gained momentum, especially when CSA extended its deadline for applications for the coaching job from January 7 to February 18. However, Kirsten is not quite likely to go looking for another international job that soon, according to sources.

The return of Brendon and Nathan McCullum from national duty could not halt Otago’s losing streak and they now have virtually no chance of reaching the finals after Rob Nicol’s half-century anchored Canterbury to a six-wicket win at Village Green in Christchurch. Canterbury won the toss and chose to field, but it looked like Peter Fulton’s decision had backfired after Otago openers Brendon McCullum and Aaron Redmond powered their way to 42 in the first five overs. After Brendon McCullum was out, Redmond continued fluently, to reach his half-century. Ian Butler, at No. 7, blasted five sixes in an unbeaten 46 off just 20 balls as Otago added 55 runs in the last five overs to reach 168 for 7.In reply, Canterbury got off to a rapid start as openers Nicol and Fulton added 50 in the first five overs. Fulton and No. 3 Carl Frauenstein fell in quick succession but Nicol and Dean Brownlie added 41 off 27 balls to steady the innings. Brownlie fell with the score on 92, with Canterbury still needing 77 off 51 balls. Nicol and Ryan ten Doeschate sealed the game for Canterbury, putting on 72 runs in 7.1 overs, and reaching the target with five balls to spare. They are now joint-second with Northern Districts on 12 points.