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Shane Watson has said that he is wary of the threat posed by Pakistan, who he believes are a “dangerous” side during knockout games

Daniel Brettig17-Mar-2015Australian cricketers have always looked upon their Pakistani equivalents with a combination of admiration, fascination and the occasional bout of exasperation. How can a single cricket nation possess so much talent? How can it survive so many dramas both internal and external? And how can it look to be about to dominate one moment before falling apart the very next?The Australians fear Pakistan when they get on a roll, which is not quite the same as saying they fear Pakistan.Ahead of a World Cup quarter-final meeting for which Australia will be heavily favoured, Shane Watson offered up a fairly typical summary of this attitude. Pakistan are dangerous, he asserted, but almost as much to themselves as they are to Australia. Keep calm and carry on, seemed to be the message, awaiting the moment when the subcontinental side will be overcome by demons beyond the understanding of Watson or others.”They can play some incredible cricket, as they have in times I’ve played against them, but they also can self-destruct quite quickly as well,” Watson said. “That’s the reason why the Pakistan team are so dangerous, especially in a knockout game like this quarter-final. They’ve certainly got some match-winners.”Once this Pakistan team gets on a roll they’re certainly able to use that momentum to be able to shut down teams very quickly. We know this is a danger game for us because they can come on and just turn it on like they have throughout the times I’ve played them in the past.”We know we’re going to have to be at our absolute best to not give them a chance to be able to get that momentum. We know if they’re able to get that they can run away with it very quickly.”There are two recent examples of both instances for Australia to mull over. The Test series in the UAE last October was a triumph of Pakistani talent, spirit and experience in the prevailing conditions over an Australian team that was well drilled and well-resourced but lacking the requisite knowledge of the pitches and the humility required to play to a slow-pitch rhythm.Immediately before that, Pakistan had given Australia every reason to be confident, beaten 3-0 in the ODI series that preceded it. Most memorably, they seemed to have the dead third match in their keeping until, with only two runs required from the final over bowled by Glenn Maxwell, conspired to lose their final two wickets without getting either of the runs they needed. The exclamation of “Oh they’ve lost it!” from a commentating Dean Jones captured all Australian cricket’s wonderment at Pakistan in a single phrase.A third example of extremes was the pool match at the 2011 World Cup in Colombo, when the winner took top spot in the group and avoided a quarter-final with India. Australia won what was thought to be an important toss, but were overrun by a collective performance that bubbled up to overwhelm a succession of uneasy batsmen, caught up in the inexorable momentum of Pakistan’s fielding and bowling efforts.”I try to forget that one, because we lost it,” Watson said. “We knew that was a really important game against Pakistan because if we lost against them we were going to have to play India in the quarter-final, which we knew was going to be a big challenge on their home turf – and it worked out that way. I’ve got some good memories but also some bad memories that I try to forget as quick as I can. That was one.”The 2011 World Cup encounter between the two sides doesn’t hold pleasant memories for Watson: “I try to forget that one, because we lost it”•Getty ImagesThe Pakistan of 2015 has departed little from this sort of winding script, looking listless against India and the West Indies before shocking South Africa and then brushing Ireland aside. There is strength and depth in the bowling attack, which should mean Mohammad Irfan’s absence is not felt too keenly. Michael Hussey, who twice pulled off his own escape acts against Pakistan in the 2010 Sydney Test and the World T20 semi-final that same year, reckoned the start would be vital.”A lot of the time with a lot of subcontinental teams, if they’re on top they’re very hard to stop, they really ride that wave of emotion and pressure and play a fantastic game,” Hussey said. “From Australia’s point of view it is very important to get on top early, start early whether with the bat or the ball, try to get Pakistan under pressure and win the game from there. Certainly they’re a very good team and have some tough players that need to be shown a lot of respect.”They’ve got a fantastic bowling attack, and that’s what you need in World Cups, you need to be able to take wickets to put pressure on the batsmen, particularly the Australian batsmen because they are positive players, they like to be scoring all the time and it’s the only way you can stop them really, by trying to get them out. Pakistan have shown that in this World Cup already.”Whatever the result on Friday, the Australian fascination with Pakistan will continue. Unquestionably there is something for each nation to learn from the other.

Chases do not come easier than the 106 Middlesex asked Surrey to knock off and the hosts did not have to break sweat in ensuring success

Will Macpherson at Kia Oval03-Jul-2015
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara saw Surrey home in a small chase•PA PhotosMany very real battles took place at the Kia Oval on Friday night. Spectators battled end-of-week queues on tubes and roads to make it into the ground, then further queues to make it to the equally congested bars. Stewards battled those spectators as they grew restless and unruly, sculpting their beer snakes and shouting their chants.The crowd – barely a spare seat was visible – can claim emphatic victories in both. That they then stuck around in their thousands at play’s end to watch and cheer some of their number sprint across the outfield – battling, as ever, those unfortunate, officious stewards – suggested that they felt somewhat shortchanged by the action in the middle.Out in the middle, either side of the “mascot derby” – adults dressed as furry animals from sports club across London and perhaps the closest the crowd came to seeing actual sport – came the cricket. Chases do not come easier than the 106 Middlesex asked Surrey to knock off and the hosts were not about to break sweat in ensuring success. Middlesex were abject, for the second time in as many days, and have a seventh consecutive defeat in the format to show for it.Insights

Zafar Ansari produced the sort of intelligent containing bowling performance that explains quite why he is so highly regarded in South London and beyond. Brought into the attack with Gubbins and Malan set and just after Batty’s first over had cost 12, Ansari dried things up and picked up three crucial wickets too. He varied his flight and pace and bowled just short of a hittable length that meant his 24 deliveries yielded 17 singles and seven dots, including those three scalps.

The similarities with their defeat to Sussex across town on Thursday were striking. Once again they batted first, lost wickets frequently, failed to clear the rope enough – seven times to Thursday’s nine – and posted a target wildly under par. They did not score a boundary in the final 80 deliveries of their 120, and no batsman outside of their top three managed it. Sussex beat them with 28 balls to spare, Surrey 32.Surrey must take some credit. They fielded like hawks and bowled parsimoniously, giving Middlesex no rope. The sight of Kumar Sangakkara, 38 this year and a wicketkeeper by trade, haring round from long-off, diving full stretch and flicking the ball up to James Burke in order to save two runs off the bowling of Sam Curran just about epitomised Surrey’s effort.Middlesex’s start did not tell of the inadequacy to come. The runs didn’t flow, but wickets didn’t tumble. Paul Stirling skied Sam Curran to Zafar Ansari at cover before Dawid Malan, who pulled with disdain, shared 40 with the organised Nick Gubbins, who pulled then cut Burke for boundaries. The pair ran sharply as Malan looked to dominate but never quite could, carting Gareth Batty for a cow-bound six in his first over nevertheless.But when Ansari joined Batty in the attack the runs dried up and the rot set in. Gubbins skied the first ball of Batty’s second when trying to follow Malan to the short cow fence, taking on a strong breeze that held it up and saw him caught. Even then, a handy enough platform had been laid at 55 for 2.Eoin Morgan scratched and couldn’t settle before being bowled by Ansari as Middlesex contrived to lose six wickets for 13 runs and end all hopes of a contest. Simpson was bowled by Batty, Malan – who had acted as the innings’ glue – sent Ansari straight to long-on and Neil Dexter attempted to turn a sharp turner to leg next ball and was bowled. Ansari was outstanding, varying his lengths trickily to make each delivery tough to hit.Young bowlers – men who should not be required to bat in a game this short – Harry Podmore and Ravi Patel saw the line and were determined to limp over it, taking Middlesex to the last over with a series of singles and the occasional two before the latter was castled by Tom Curran. It had been a sorry showing indeed.In reply, Jason Roy did as Jason Roy does, but Surrey were in no hurry. He flashed through off and attempted a switch hit, while his pinch-hitting partner Tom Curran – perhaps a permanent fixture up top in this format now – sent Gurjit Sandhu over long-off for six. He then moved to 16 with a French cut off Podmore, who gained his revenge by bowling him four balls later. Roy would follow, also bowled, attempting an audacious ramp.Wise old heads Sangakkara and Gary Wilson new they needn’t rush. Sangakkara strolled to 12 off 17 before hunting Patel. There was a sweep for four, a bunt over long-on for six and a pulled four. Stirling and Malan were given a bowl as the action wound down and the crowd ramped up, both were dispatched by Sangakkara and the game was up. Middlesex can forget this competition once more but Surrey – up to sixth now – might just be on the charge.

With the teams going through to the semi-finals and as many sides exiting the competition, GOAL picks out the best and most underwhelming individual …

BackpagepixAfcon 2021

The quarter-finals concluded on Sunday night, with Senegal ending Equatorial Guinea’s journey in Cameroon.

With the last eight now over, which players flourished for their sides and who failed to deliver?

AdvertisementGetty ImagesToo Good: Karl Toko Ekambi

While Vincent Aboubakar had dominated headlines heading into Saturday’s clash with The Gambia, it was Toko Ekambi who flourished to win the game for the Indomitable Lions.

The Lyon attacker netted two second-half strikes to seal a 2-0 success and take the hosts into a mouth-watering semi-final meeting with seven-time winners Egypt.

His latest brace at the finals takes him to five goals, outscoring everyone but Aboubakar.

Getty ImagesToo Bad: Vincent Aboubakar

The tournament’s top scorer went into Cameroon’s last eight fixture seeking another strike to become the first player in the competition’s history to score in his team’s first five games.

However, Aboubakar’s finishing was far from perfect on the day, missing a series of opportunities to add to his six goals at Afcon 2021.

Undoubtedly, Toni Conceicao will hope his frontman returns to form when they face Egypt in the semis.

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BackpagePix.Too Good: Mohamed Salah

Despite Morocco being the fancied side owing to their performances hitherto the quarters, Egypt picked up a 2-1 comeback victory over the Atlas Lions.

Without Salah, it is hard to see how the Pharaohs will have found a way after falling behind after Sofiane Boufal’s sixth-minute penalty.

The Liverpool superstar equalised eight minutes after half-time and set up substitute Trezeguet in the first half of extra time.

Salah has now been involved in all but one of Egypt’s four goals in Cameroon and they will look to him to get the better of the Indomitable Lions on Thursday.

Lionel Messi and Argentina have scheduled a Copa America warmup against Guatemala at FedEx Field this June.

Article continues below

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Argentina schedule pre-Copa America friendlySet to take on GuatemalaGame to be played at FedEx FieldWHAT HAPPENED?

The match will take place on June 14, six days before the tournament begins. The two countries will travel to the United States capital city for the contest, with it being Argentina's final warmup ahead of Copa America. Guatemala did not qualify.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

FedEx Field is home to NFL side Washington Commanders, and as a result, the playing surface is not particularly the most appropriate for a soccer match. However, the Commanders plan to adjust not only the surface, but the stands as well to allow for a wider playing area. U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter was informed by organizers that any future USMNT game at the venue would be the same. The measurements of the pitch would be 70-yards wide – four yards short of FIFA's recommendation, but within the parameters.

During the summer of 2023, the Premier League Summer Series in the United States saw matches played at FedEx Field. The expectation is that the pitch and stadium adjustments will align with how the Premier League games were played at the stadium.

WHAT FEDEX FIELD REPRESENTATIVES SAID

“We plan to do that for these games and continue to do that so we can attract these big, competitive soccer games,” said Trista Langdon, the Commanders’ senior vice president for operations and guest experience. “So we’ll be ready.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIONEL MESSI AND ARGENTINA?

The Albiceleste had two friendlies lined up for this March against Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, but they have since been cancelled by Chinese authorities due to a bust-up between Messi and their government. The Argentine was supposed to play in a preseason match with Inter Miami against Hong Kong Team, but the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was rested, much to the dismay of officials, fans and their government.

Disasi made amends after a dismal first-half while Caicedo turned in another disastrous display as the Blues dropped more points in the league

Chelsea were under-par for the majority of their clash with Brentford but they somehow dug deep enough to rescue a late point, potentially alleviating some of the pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Nicolas Jackson scored the opening goal of the game, powering a header into the bottom corner from Malo Gusto's cross, having previously struggled to hit the back of the net.

In the second half, Mads Roerslev equalised just five minutes after the restart, pouncing on defensive confusion to bring the Bees level.

Yoanne Wissa somehow then gave Brentford the lead through a brilliant bicycle kick that left Petrovic rooted to the spot.

Axel Disasi, though, made up for his mistake for the opening goal by scoring a late header to bring Chelsea level.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the Gtech Community Stadium…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Djordje Petrovic (6/10):

Almost caught out when he claimed a loose ball on the edge of his penalty area, leading to howls of proteest from Brentford. Well-beaten by both strikes, particularly Wissa's.

Malo Gusto (7/10):

Superb cross for Jackson to score. Continually found his team-mates with superb deliveries. Comfortably Chelsea's best player.

Trevoh Chalobah (5/10):

Caught under the ball before Wissa's brilliant goal and appeared overawed by the Brentford press at times.

Axel Disasi (6/10):

Slid to try to block Roerslev's strike but got nowhere near him in some truly bizarre defending – but he more than made up for it with a late headed equaliser.

Levi Colwill (6/10):

Put his body on the line when he could. Subbed for Sterling late on.

Ben Chilwell (5/10):

Energetic as ever but couldn't have the same impact as the excellent Gusto.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Enzo Fernandez (5/10):

Struggled in midfield, particularly in the second half, when he just couldn't get up and running. Clearly fatigued. Subbed for Mudryk on 70 minutes.

Moises Caicedo (4/10):

Seemed to divert Toney's shot into Roerslev's path for him to equalise. Consistently slides in, and seems a second behind the play at times. Chelsea desperately need him to improve; right now, he's not good enough.

Conor Gallagher (5/10):

Booked for a dismal dive in the first half. His main contribution in a game that passed him by.

GettyAttack

Cole Palmer (6/10):

Some very clever movement but twice sent the ball wide in promising positions. Crossed for Disasi's header, a superb assist.

Nicolas Jackson (6/10):

Went round the goalkeeper but still managed to miss, as he scuffed his finish and saw it cleared. Recovered to score, powering a header into the bottom corner.

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GettySubs & Manager

Mykhailo Mudryk (5/10):

On for Fernandez. Barely saw the ball.

Raheem Sterling (6/10):

Replaced Colwill as Chelsea pushed for an equaliser and the systemic change did lead to a goal, even if Sterling wasn't involved.

Mauricio Pochettino (5/10):

Got away with it. Chelsea were utterly dreadful for most of the second half as a switch to a three at the back didn't seem to suit them – but they just about managed to rescue a point. It may prove to be a big result, but Chelsea must learn to control games.

Tim Murtagh took 5 for 12 as Derbyshire were blown away for 60 in their second innings to give Middlesex their second win in as many games

Alan Gardner at Lord's19-Apr-2013
ScorecardTim Murtagh wrought havoc in Derbyshire’s second innings as they were dismissed for 60•Middlesex CCCFor six-and-half sessions, Derbyshire sweated and fought their way into the ascendency against a team plenty have tipped as title contenders. The Division One novices, back in the top tier for the first time since 2000, ground out more than they might have got with the bat and then kept hustling with the ball, for a first-innings lead that could have proved decisive in a low-scoring match. They caught a glimpse of the path to a famous Lord’s victory, if only they could hold their nerve. But then, in about the average running time of a movie, as deftly as Keyser Soze springing the coop, “like that, it was gone”.Middlesex now have two wins from two, this comprehensive nine-wicket victory brought about by the usual suspects of their formidable fast-bowling attack, who dismantled Derbyshire in a little over two hours. Skip a session in the top tier and it can hurt you. Tim Murtagh had bowled better than 2 for 68 suggested in Derbyshire’s first innings but he was richly rewarded for pitching the ball up in an unchanged 12-over spell from the Nursery End either side of lunch on Friday. Swing and seam deputised effectively for shock and awe, as Murtagh returned devastating figures of 12-7-12-5.Steven Finn was also appreciably hostile, despite being uppercut for six by Wayne Madsen (he dismissed Derbyshire’s captain next ball), while Toby Roland-Jones made sure the innings disappeared in a suitably dramatic puff of smoke by removing nine, ten and jack in consecutive deliveries to complete the first hat-trick of his senior career. The teams had tugged back and forth on the rope for two days but it took only one sharp jerk to bring Derbyshire down in a heap for their lowest score against Middlesex.It was the sort of bowling display to make Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, puff out his chest with understandable pride, although he admitted his team had “mugged” Derbyshire. “To have won two games out of two is a fantastic start but we can still play better,” he said, ominously for opponents but enticingly for those studying the fixture list: Middlesex’s next game is at home to Surrey in two weeks’ time. “From our perspective that’s the encouraging thing, we have started well, we’re playing some good cricket but we can do better, there’s room for improvement.””I don’t think many counties have won a title in April,” was his good-humoured response to talk of the Championship (which Middlesex last won when Fraser was a player in 1993). “At the start of the season, our goals were to build on what we’ve achieved in the last two years and to establish ourselves as one of the top three or four sides in the country and that remains the case.”When 15 wickets fall in little more than two sessions of cricket, hurrying this game to an unexpected three-day finish, you can be sure that polite questions will be asked about the technique and application of batsmen. In fact, they might not have been so polite in the away dressing room, with only three Derbyshire players getting into double figures. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has seen one or two collapses in his time – he featured in two of West Indies’ five lowest Test scores, including their 54 all out on this ground in 2000 – but his unflustered, two-hour 18 not out was perhaps the archetype of a man keeping his head while all around others were losing theirs.No one was blaming Chanderpaul, of course, and Kipling’s poem “If” also contains that canonical line about treating the imposters of triumph and disaster the same. Karl Krikken, Derbyshire’s coach, will hope his players can do just that, in order to steel themselves for what looks like being a testing season, and although he attempted to shrug off the collapse he was disappointed that a hard-working display had not resulted in a more impregnable first-innings position.”We felt we competed for two days,” Krikken said. “Sides do get bowled out for 60 occasionally, Middlesex bowled well. I don’t think we dealt with it as well as we should have done. But the most disappointing part of it, when you look at the game, we were 130 for 3 in the first innings and you hope from that position you push on to 300. I felt we’d done all the hard work and just let it go. Obviously it’s disappointing to get bowled out for 60 but I felt we had the match in the ascendency on the first day and we took our foot off the pedal.”Of the pressing need for more runs, Krikken said: “Ultimately it’s up to the players to man up with the bat. We’ve had two fifties this year in 33 knocks and it’s just not good enough.” This defeat was certainly a schooling and, in a division where there are several fearsome attacks willing to beat up vulnerable teams behind the bike sheds, Derbyshire will have to learn fast.

After seven consecutive defeats, the Sylhet Royals finally opened their account in the BPL, albeit a bit late in the day

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2012
ScorecardAfter seven consecutive defeats, the Sylhet Royals finally opened their account in the BPL, albeit a bit late in the day. They turned in a fine all-round performance, beating Duronto Rajshahi by nine wickets thanks to the Pakistan duo of Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal, who starred with ball and bat respectively.The Rajshahi batsmen looked out of sorts, with the exception of Shahzaib Hasan who scored 54. Tanvir, who dismissed Junaid Siddique, playing onto his stumps, later nipped out two wickets in two balls to leave Rajshahi struggling to mount a competitive score. He could have had a five-wicket haul, had it not been for Alok Kapali’s dropped catch at long-on. Tanvir was supported by the right-arm seamer Abul Hasan, who took 3 for 30.The Sylhet openers, Akmal and Peter Trego, put the chase on course with a stand of 52. Akmal hit three sixes in his unbeaten 72, off 51 balls and ensured Sylhet crossed the finish line with more than three overs to spare.

Michael Clarke rejoiced after a job well done in his first Test as full-time captain and selector, and saved special praise for Ryan Harris

Daniel Brettig in Galle03-Sep-2011Australia’s team for the first Test was well prepared, well drilled, well motivated and well selected. So much so that not even a spiteful Galle pitch could upset its progress against opponents who were far less steady in their make-up and attitude. Michael Clarke rejoiced after a job well done in his first Test as full-time captain and selector, and saved special praise for Ryan Harris, who was playing his first international match since returning from an ankle fracture.The composition of the team had been in doubt until match eve, when Clarke announced that the childhood friends and bowlers, Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon, would debut together. The state of the pitch had caused debate over the need for two spinners, but Copeland and Lyon were the ideal additions to a team that successfully strangled Sri Lanka’s batting after posting 273 on day one.”Definitely [it was satisfying to choose the right team]. Yes we could have picked two spinners but I guess we as selectors thought that we had the right group of eleven players to take the field for this Test match,” Clarke said. “I was confident that we could win the game with the eleven players.”I’m sure Kandy’s going to be a different surface now, with the way this game turned out, and we’ll reassess in Kandy. I think that’s important for us as a selection group, that we do pick what we feel is the best eleven for the conditions for that given game.”It’s very easy while you’re winning to stick with the same team but, as I said to all the boys in that changing room, what’s going to help us have success over a long period of time is a good group, a strong squad and that’s not just the 15 players here. That’s all the contracted players being on one page, going in the same direction.”At least one change is guaranteed, as Ricky Ponting leaves to be present for the birth of his second child. Shaun Marsh will be in line to debut at No. 6 while Usman Khawaja moves back up to No. 3. David Warner has been called up as the standby batsman. Warner’s rise as a potential Test player has been dramatic, but there are no greater stories of reinvention in the current side than that of Harris.Starting out as an injury-prone medium pacer with South Australia, Harris is now the most effective bowler in the Test team, offering pace, movement and a huge heart for hard work and the contest. In addition to his ankle, healed after a fracture during the Melbourne Ashes Test, Harris bowls on a wonky knee. Clarke hoped the joint would hold out for some time yet.”Hopefully to the end of my career,” Clarke said. “What a bowler. What a bloke. A great guy to have in your team. Will do anything for the team and at any stage, give him the new ball, give him the old ball, even into the breeze, he doesn’t care. He loves playing for Australia and we love having him around. He’s in pretty good hands I think. Alex [Kountouris], our physio, is a genius. He manages to keep a lot of us on the park daily so I’m really confident we can keep Rhino [Harris] around for a bit longer yet.”Australia’s victory was held up by Angeo Mathews and Mahela Jaywardene, but Clarke said he had been hanging out for the arrival of the second new ball to scythe through the rest.”I think today certainly, once the hardness went out of the ball, the wicket didn’t have as much oomph in it. It seemed pretty dead to be honest,” Clarke said. “Even the spin was slower spin off the wicket, wasn’t such sharp turn. I’d hate to say the toss did determine the game, but I know I wouldn’t have liked to be chasing, or for Sri Lanka to have 280 on the board at the end of day one after knowing what it was like to bat out there.”Cradling a 1-0 lead into Kandy, Clarke promised there would be no slackening in effort, saying his men had arrived in Sri Lanka with three victories, and not one, in mind. “We know we’ve got to be at our best, and there’s certainly areas of our game that need to improve from this match, but I think overall we played some really good positive cricket,” Clarke said. “The most important thing is we had our plans. We stuck to them through thick and thin.”We supported each other, whether that was in the field with the bowlers, our tail wagged with the bat, there’s so many things that we did really well throughout the Test match. No doubt we have to turn up for the next Test and be at our best again. We know it’s going to be tough to play here but we didn’t come here to win one Test match, we’ve come to win three Test matches.”

The cash-strapped Sri Lanka Cricket has handed over three international stadiums to the military

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2011Three of Sri Lanka’s international venues, including the newly built stadiums in Pallekele and Hambantota, have been handed over to the military indefinitely. The move comes as Sri Lanka Cricket is battling costs on several fronts.The R Premadasa stadium in Colombo – redeveloped for the World Cup earlier this year – is being taken by the air force. The navy has taken over the Pallekele Stadium, near Kandy, while the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota has gone to the army.The grounds in Hambantota and Pallekele, built at a combined cost of nearly US$ 11.79m, were finished just before the World Cup, which Sri Lanka co-hosted with India and Bangladesh. The R Premadasa Stadium was renovated at a cost of nearly US$8m. The country hosted 12 matches in the tournament.The World Cup had left Sri Lanka Cricket in debt to the tune of $23 million thanks to cost overruns and heavy expenses incurred in building the stadiums, and the board had to ask for a grant from the Sri Lanka government. The board has not paid some of its players since the tournament.

Chris Martin believes Phillip Hughes will be under serious pressure when it comes time for Australia to begin their chase at Bellerive Oval

Brydon Coverdale at the Bellerive Oval10-Dec-2011Chris Martin turned 37 on the day two at Bellerive Oval. His birthday present was a second consecutive strong bowling effort against Australia. This time, his team-mates were just as good. And if they back it up in the second innings, victory over Australia will be theirs for the first time in a generation.To skittle Australia for 136 is the kind of performance Martin has dreamt of for a decade. Before this series, he had played ten Tests against Australia and had taken 15 wickets at 86.53. It was hard to say if he was more embarrassed about his bowling record against them or his batting figures.That started to change in Brisbane, where he took four wickets, and in Hobart he collected three, as did Doug Bracewell and the debutant Trent Boult, while Tim Southee picked up perhaps the most important victim, Ricky Ponting. At no point did they let the pressure drop significantly and as a result, Australia recorded their lowest total at home against New Zealand.The ball seamed and swung, and Australia’s batsmen struggled to handle the movement. After New Zealand were rolled for 150 in their first innings, there appeared every chance the match could be over in three days. The weather might not allow that, but all the same Martin said it had been a long while since he had seen a Test surface with so much in it for the bowlers.”In a Test match it has been a long time,” he said. “If you look around the world there’s not too much variety in pitches. A day’s Test cricket like that definitely makes people watch. It’s difficult. I’ve toured places like India and the subcontinent and it’s always a tough, long day with plenty of runs. But if you’re a connoisseur of swing bowling, seam bowling, then today is a really enjoyable day’s cricket.”By closing the second day with a lead of 153 and seven wickets in hand, New Zealand have given themselves their best chance in ten years of beating the Australians. And although the pitch is expected to become less difficult for the batsmen over the next two days, their advantage over Australia was already alarmingly large.”It’s a tough ask for any top-order batsmen out there today to feel comfortable, to feel in,” Martin said. “It’s one for the bowlers today. I suppose 150 on that pitch on the first day has turned out to be a reasonable score. It’s quite a tough picture to paint with the rest of the Test, with how it’s going to go. I know that sitting here at 150 runs in front we’re feeling good. I don’t know how many runs are needed. We’ll just see how we go tomorrow.”Martin believes Phillip Hughes will be under serious pressure when it comes time for Australia to begin their chase. Hughes will walk to the crease in the second innings playing for his Test future. Three times from three innings in this series he has been caught by Martin Guptill, either at gully or slip, off the bowling of Martin, the angle across him proving hard to handle. His best score in the series has been 10.”I feel like I’ve put the ball in a good spot to him,” Martin said. “He’s feeling for it a little bit and he’s nicked a couple. I suppose for a guy who’s struggling, this isn’t the sort of pitch that you want to feel for your next knock and where your runs are coming from. He’s under pressure, I suppose. We just have to keep bowling in the right spots.”I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. He’ll be feeling under pressure and that’s never a good place. I’ve felt under pressure for my spot in the past, so it’s always a difficult challenge and one if you get on top of you’re a lot stronger for it.”First though, Australia need to find a way through the rest of the New Zealand order. Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson were both well set at stumps, having judiciously left the ball and played wisely. At times, the Australian fast bowlers strayed startlingly down leg or with bouncers that easily sailed over the batsmen’s heads, and Peter Siddle said it was important to stick to what worked in the first innings.”It’s always nice to get a wicket that is a little bit bowler-friendly, but it’s not always that easy [because of that],” Siddle said. “There’s still a lot of work has to be done by us bowlers, we do have to bowl some good lines, good areas and be patient. Sometimes on these wickets you can tend to go searching a little bit and try too hard and end up with figures that you’re not very proud of.”When the sun does come out and you get a bit of heat on that wicket, to dry it out a little bit, it does quicken up a little bit and does seem a little bit easier to score. Hopefully tomorrow morning the clouds are out and it’s a little bit overcast for us in the first session.”