Mathews at loss to explain collapse

In his relatively young career as an international cricketer, Angelo Mathews has been party to several appalling batting collapses. Perhaps the most traumatic was Sri Lanka's second-innings capitulation in the Cardiff Test in 2011, when on a flat pitch, needing to survive less than two sessions for a draw, the team succumbed to 82 all out. Eight months later, Sri Lanka suffered their worst ODI ignominy, crashing to 43 after South Africa had made 301 at Paarl.

Yet, Wednesday's defeat, Mathews said, was "one of the worst games I've ever played". Almost that exact phrase was delivered by Eoin Morgan after the previous match, in a series that is proving nearly as unpredictable as a double-pendulum. Sri Lanka had appeared confident and well-acclimatised in the approach to this match, but then served up a performance that undermined all their gains in England.

Mathews said complacency was not at the root of the collapse, but was otherwise at something of a loss to explain the debacle. On Twitter, fans who were similarly dumbfounded joked the team's trip to Manchester United's Old Trafford days before had facilitated the osmosis of mediocrity. But even ardent United fan Mahela Jayawardene will find it hard to blame his strange lbw dismissal on David Moyes.

"We're in the same situation as England after Durham," Mathews said. "Poor shot selection was the main reason why we got so few runs. It was never a 67 wicket. There were no demons in the wicket. It swung a little bit in the first seven to ten overs, but after that it wasn't doing much."

Several Sri Lanka batsmen had been undone by the short ball in the first match of the series and, although more were out to fuller deliveries in Manchester, England's bowlers had clearly drawn up plans to bounce out some individuals. Dinesh Chandimal was conspicuously targeted and though he survived the barrage early in his innings, he was out driving a wide delivery, having been kept pinned to the crease for some time.

"We expected the short ball," Mathews said. "We didn't really deal with it properly. It's hard to explain why we were all out for 67. We knew England were going to come back hard at us, and we just couldn't cope up with it."

Chris Jordan took home his second Man-of-the-Match award of the series, for his career-best 5 for 29, but it had been James Anderson who made the initial incisions, in a pinpoint seven-over new-ball spell that claimed both openers and conceded only 10 runs. There was no prodigious swing for any of the bowlers but Sri Lanka's batsmen lacked the concentration to move past difficult periods, and the intent to reverse pressure.

"There was no intention of hanging in there and toughing it out," Mathews said. "In overcast conditions James bowls really well on any wicket. He bowled some really good deliveries together with Harry Gurney and Jordan. You can't really moan about the weather or the wicket. It's just us to blame. If we want to stay alive in the series, we've got to win against them in the next game."

Sri Lanka have used Lahiru Thirimanne to open alongside Tillakaratne Dilshan in this series, despite Kusal Perera's presence in the squad, and Mathews suggested that strategy was down to the expectation Thirimanne had a tighter technique for the moving ball. Changes in the top order may be forthcoming, however, after two major batting failures in three matches.

"I thought even though he didn't get enough runs in the Durham game, Lahiru played the part of getting through those vital six overs of Anderson. We've got to get through that spell to try and build up to have batters at the end. I thought he played his part but today, unfortunately, he played a poor shot. The first ten overs at Lord's and Birmingham are going to be vital. With this weather around, we're really going to need solid openers. Thiri is one of them. Unfortunately he hasn't got enough runs yet."

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O'Brien, Buck deny Glamorgan

Leicestershire 109 (Allenby 3-20) and 204 for 8 (Robson 81, Hogan 3-21) drew with Glamorgan 350 for 8 dec. (Rudolph 88)
Scorecard

Leicestershire were bailed out by the rain in Cardiff as Glamorgan's victory charge was aborted. A collapse of 5 for 9 left the visitors staring at defeat but a combination of weather and some late resistance rescued a draw.

Resuming on 168 for 3 - 73 runs from making their hosts bat again - Leicestershire were stripped back to 182 for 8 but Niall O'Brien and Nathan Buck managed to survive for 21.3 overs before the weather took hold once more.

Play on day four did not start until well into the afternoon because of the wet conditions and when it did, Leicester must have wished they, like every other county game in the country, had been washed out.

They trooped out to the middle just before 2pm, with their hopes resting largely with Angus Robson, who resumed 72 not out and Ramnaresh Sarwan. But the latter went almost immediately, failing to add to his overnight score and nicking Michael Hogan behind.

Hogan, reveling in the conditions, then did for Josh Cobb in an identical manner, with that wicket sparking a barren spell-of run scoring. Over the next 112 balls Leicestershire's total went up by just nine for the loss of three wickets.

Mark Wallace eventually pouched Robson for 81 off the bowling of Jim Allenby, while Hogan had Rob Taylor taken behind for a duck. Allenby then switched ends to clean up Anthony Ireland for a duck and at 182 for 8, the end was nigh.

But O'Brien and Buck dropped anchor to offer resistance and kept themselves at the middle despite numerous breaks for the weather. O'Brien lasted 83 balls in making 19 and Buck's was an even more obdurate innings with his 4 taking up 66 deliveries.

The hard work paid off as both light and rain caused the players to go off, on, off, on and back off again, with it being deemed that enough was enough just after 5.30pm. Glamorgan taking 12 points and Leicestershire 7.

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Jordan aggression speaks louder than words

Highlights: Chris Jordan became the first England player to take five wickets in an ODI at Old Trafford

Chris Jordan loves nothing more than hurling down a few bouncers, but is less bothered about hurling a few words at the batsmen along with them.

He would prefer the more silent-assassin type role and it certainly worked a treat at Old Trafford as he bagged 5 for 29 to inspire England to a 10-wicket win as they bundled out Sri Lanka for 67. Jordan's figures were the best by an England bowler at Old Trafford and the best for England since Chris Woakes' 6 for 45 against Australia in 2011.

In Durham, Sri Lanka appeared to try and ruffle Jordan with a few words and again at Old Trafford there were a couple of occasions when the experienced Mahela Jayawardene appeared to try to engage him. The most the Sri Lankans got back was a stare, and maybe another bouncer. Jordan sounded quite hopeful they would continue.

"That kind of stuff doesn't faze me," he said. "If anything it gets me going a little bit more. I try to leave as much as I can on the field if not everything. I've always been quite an aggressive performer. Too much talking may distract me from my task, so I try to keep my eye on the prize. When you cross that line you are playing international cricket so you try to play as hard as possible."

After having injury problems earlier in his career, Jordan is now renowned for how he keeps himself in shape and gained a glowing appraisal from David Saker, the fast bowling coach.

"He's just an ultimate professional," Saker told Sky Sports. "The way he prepares for every game, the way he looks after himself, he's the ultimate professional. He's fantastic to work with, he always wants to get better and he is getting better every game. He's just been fantastic."

England appear to be pushing Jordan into the role of an impact bowler, utilising the pace which has discomforted some of Sri Lanka's batsman, and he is keen to continue to make full use of the short balls available to him.

"That's something we spoke about so hopefully we can continue throughout the series. I want to be able to hit teams hard and use the short ball wisely because you are allowed two in an over. So with the extra man inside the circle I'm sure if the guys can get it up there they will try their best to use all two."

It was a simple decision for Man of the Match, as it was at The Oval when he played a central role in England's victory at the start of the series. On that occasion it was his innings of 38 off 13 balls that played as much a part as his bowling, but today there was little chance of his batting being needed.

England are expected to name their squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka a week on Thursday and only injury will prevent Jordan's name being it. He was a strong favourite based on his Championship form for Sussex before this series but, even having backed that up, he refuses to let his mind wander.

"Today I was concentrating on Old Trafford, now that is done we have to draw a line under that and move onto Lord's. That's my focus." Whether Jordan wants to admit it or not, he is clearly one of the coming men of English cricket

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Trescothick pleased with progress

Warwickshire 294 for 5 (Porterfield 118, Westwood 99) drew with Somerset 411 (Hildreth 98, Compton 92, Overton 56, Trescothick 53)
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It took until mid-afternoon to confirm what had been obvious to most at the crack of dawn: there would be no play at Edgbaston on the final day of the Championship match between Warwickshire and Somerset.

But the desire - the desperation, even - to try to force into even a few minutes' play was understandable. In 2010, Somerset finished equal on points with Nottinghamshire at the top of the Championship table. Had past regulations still been in use, the title would have been shared. As it was, Nottinghamshire took it on the basis of having won more games. For a club like Somerset, who have never won a Championship, such an experience left a scar.

Both teams had an opportunity to earn another bonus point or two that could, come the end of the season, prove crucial. Warwickshire required six more runs for another batting bonus point and Somerset one wicket for another bowling point. With 17-and-a-half overs left of the period in which to gain bonus points - they are eligible in the first 110 overs of each side's first innings - the possibility remained that each team could even gain two more points.

It left Somerset's captain, Marcus Trescothick, frustrated but generally satisfied with the progress of his side. "Our team is completely different to last season," he said. "The way we've approached things and the performances we're putting in: there is no comparison. Last year our batsmen were rolled over and our bowlers were going for plenty.

"We've played good cricket. We're pretty solid. Three of our games have been on pitches like this, but we've had a couple of victories and we're pretty pleased."

Trescothick was not especially impressed by the slow pitch, though it had been under cover for several days due to the rain. "It's pretty soul destroying when you get on these wickets," he said. "It was pretty slow. There wasn't a great deal in it for the seamers. There wasn't a lot in it for anybody. It got slower and slower."

Warwickshire, meanwhile, hope that Tim Ambrose will have recovered from his calf strain in time for the T20 match against Lancashire on Saturday, while Jim Troughton is nearing a return after back surgery and will play second team cricket next week.

"We're stronger than we were last year," Varun Chopra, the stand-in captain, said. "The younger players have moved up a level and some of the senior players just keep getting better. Boyd Rankin bowled really well on a docile wicket, Rikki Clarke is in the best physical shape I've ever seen him and Tim Ambrose is playing well.

"I'm not surprised that Ireland have shown interest in Boyd. But I still believe he wants to play for England and I think he's good enough to do so."

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Ireland open door to Rankin return

A day after Boyd Rankin revealed his time on England's Ashes tour led him to contemplate giving up the game, Cricket Ireland has expressed the hope that the fast bowler could still play for them at the 2015 World Cup.

Rankin retired from playing for Ireland towards the end of 2012 and made his England debut last year before playing in the last Test of the Ashes series in January. But, after enduring an unhappy tour, Rankin appears to have slid down the pecking order of prospective England fast bowlers and might be open to the possibility of a return.

While there is a qualifying period of two years for players returning to play for Associate nations after having represented Full Member nations - it was recently reduced from four years - the ICC does have the ability to waive this in the case of exceptional circumstances. Precedent was set when they allowed Ed Joyce to return to Ireland duty less than four years after he represented England. Then, as now, the catalyst was the prospect of a World Cup.

"There is, in the higher echelons of the ICC, some sympathy for the view that the best players for each nation should appear in the World Cup," Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of Cricket Ireland, told ESPNcricinfo.

"There is a sense that it would be a shame if a player like Boyd was not there. And that has given me a sense that all is not lost in the hope to see him playing for Ireland in the World Cup."

Several substantial obstacles remain before such a dream could become a reality, though. Not least, the fact that Rankin himself has not been consulted on the idea and the fact that both the ECB and Warwickshire would have to agree. The ICC would also have to agree to make a special dispensation for Rankin.

While that would, in the short term, be of benefit to Ireland, it might have a less positive impact for Associate nations in the long term. If other players feel there is the prospect of little penalty should they abandon their Associate team in the hope of playing for a Full Member nation, it could lead to a further dilution in the quality of the game below Test level.

William Porterfield, the Ireland captain and a team-mate of Rankin's at Warwickshire, said: "I haven't spoken to Boyd, but I'm pretty sure he still harbours the aspiration of getting into more England sides and doing well for England. But he bowls upwards of 90mph and, if was to become available, then as far as I'm concerned he is more than worthy of a place."

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Cook needs senior support - Anderson

Alastair Cook has taken a lot of criticism for England's recent slide but he could not be blamed for their latest batting calamity, as they subsided to 99 all out in Durham. Ruled out with injury, all he could do was watch on grim-faced at the procession of batsmen.

It is not yet confirmed whether Cook will take his place for the third one-day international at Old Trafford although a lengthy net - he arrived well before his team-mates on Wednesday morning - suggested his chances of a return are promising.

Such has been England's constant lurching from one failure to another since last summer, with only sporadic success to offer respite, the fact he has emerged unscathed in terms of his position is viewed by his detractors as a lack of accountability for what has gone wrong.

However, James Anderson - one of the few senior players left from a core that has been ripped out of English cricket - believes Cook was not given enough help in Australia when the going got tough, which was pretty much from day two of the Test series onwards.

"I don't think over the winter that senior players helped as much as they could with taking pressure off Cooky, a captain's job is difficult and he needs his senior players around him to share the burden," Anderson said. "When you're in Australia and you get on to a bit of a down slope, you can get a little bit insular I guess, start worrying about your own game perhaps."

Anderson, Ian Bell and, when fit, Stuart Broad are now the long-standing international figures alongside Cook - Matt Prior could be added to that list in Test cricket if his Achilles allows him to play again - and Anderson wants them to take some of the burden off Cook's shoulders as they face a race against time to try and build a team for the World Cup alongside reviving the flagging Test side.

"If we want to win the World Cup, we're going to have to start playing well quickly. I think the senior players have got a huge role to play," he said. "As a captain, it can't always be his job to discipline people or think of tactics or make bowling changes. It's everyone's job to be thinking about the game, how the team can improve and be offering that advice, it doesn't always have to come from the captain.

"That's where the senior players come in. When we've done well in the past is when we've had five or six guys who can stand up in the dressing-room and give feedback, that shares the burden and takes a bit of pressure off the captain."

As the senior pace bowler - a role he has held for a considerable number of years now - it is down to Anderson to set the tone with the ball whenever he plays. He has bowled nicely so far in the series, although there was an expectation of more early wickets at Chester-le-Street, and you would think a return to his home ground would fill him with excitement, but memories of a poor Test against Australia last year linger.

"You'd think so," he said, with the hint of a wry smile when asked about a happy homecoming, "but I've not played very well here in the last few international games. But certainly the first two games of the series I've bowled well and hopefully I can continue that."

You would also think that Anderson would know exactly what type of pitch to expect but he was hedging his bets, although he hoped the groundsman had had enough time to prepare something "that suits our fast bowlers".

That did not appear to be what Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, was seeing as he termed the surface "subcontinental" after a quick glance. He could be forgiven, though, for the notion after the surface they encountered in 2011, which certainly had shades of Colombo about it. Offspinner Suraj Randiv took 5 for 42 and Tillakaratne Dilshan opened the bowling. "Three years ago was a real subcontinental type pitch," Anderson remembered.

Not that it did Sri Lanka much good as they lost the deciding match by 16 runs in an absorbing encounter - something this series could do with after two one-sided matches. That was also a series where England had started well at The Oval then crashed to two heavy defeats before fighting back. It is debatable whether this current England team have the confidence, or belief, to come back from 2-1 down. Cook will be desperate that it does not come to finding out.

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Anderson cautious over Flintoff

James Anderson has sounded a cautious note about the potential T20 comeback of Andrew Flintoff but said even if a playing return, five years after he last appeared professionally, does not happen then Flintoff's presence around young players can have a huge impact.

After subsiding in the last week or so, after he picked up an ankle injury, talk of Flintoff returning for Lancashire in the T20 Blast is gathering pace again after he warmed-up with the first team ahead of the second day of the Roses match against Yorkshire.

Lancashire continue to say little about the situation - just that it remains an "ongoing" - but Anderson acknowledged that ensuring Flintoff was ready for the intensity of professional level again could be a deciding factor. Due to his ankle injury Flintoff has not been able to turn out for the 2nd XI.

"I would be in favour if he is fit and bowling well, of course," Anderson said. "With someone who has been out of the game for so long the issue would be fitness and getting up to match intensity."

Flintoff was initially brought in by Lancashire to work with the academy and youth-team players which led him to bat and bowl in the nets. When it was seen how rapidly the ball came out and that the middle of the bat was being located the seeds of a comeback where sown. Regardless, though, of what the playing future holds Anderson sees great value in Flintoff's involvement.

"I think it was quite a smart move from the coaches' point of view," he said. "You can see the young guys being around him and learning from him so to have that knowledge to tap into is great. From a playing point of view we'll see."

Lancashire's next T20 Blast match is on Thursday against Durham at Chester-le-Street before a home fixture against Warwickshire on Friday.

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Simmons signs three-year deal with Strikers

Craig Simmons has followed up his breakout Big Bash League last summer by signing a three-year contract with the Adelaide Strikers, leaving the title-holding Perth Scorchers "shocked and disappointed" at his departure.

A fringe state cricketer for most of his career, 31-year-old Simmons moved from New South Wales to Perth and rode a torrent of club runs into the Scorchers' squad, where he twice clattered centuries in 2013-14 to help the Western Australian side to their first silverware.

However those performances made him an attractive option to other teams, and the Strikers have taken advantage of their greater salary-cap room to land Simmons in a contract thought to be worth six figures over each of the next three seasons.

"No other player managed a century in BBL 03 and Simmons did it twice. Simmons is a genuine hitter of the ball and an exciting talent," the Strikers coach Darren Berry said. "He knows what it takes to win a BBL final and we can't wait to see what he can do at Adelaide Oval."

Berry's words contrasted with those of the Perth coach Justin Langer, who had overseen his side's 2014 tournament win only to now be wrestling with increased payment and contract demands from his successful squad.

"He was a bit of a pin-up boy for us," Langer said. "My reaction was one of great shock and, of course, disappointment. Craig Simmons is a fantastic bloke and a fantastic West Australian and he was one of the stories of the year of our BBL win last year.

"That said, I've been saying since day 1 in this job that one of the main foundations of our cricket going forward is club cricket. If we take something from this: it's very exciting to see West Australian cricketers like Craig doing so well for the Scorchers and it's enabled him to have another opportunity and, while we'd love to still have him at the Scorchers, it's now time to find the next Craig Simmons out of West Australian cricket."

The Strikers announced Simmons' signature on the day the South Australian Cricket Association chief executive Keith Bradshaw and president Andrew Sinclair were due to meet members of Cricket Australia's integrity unit as investigations continued into the state's BBL recruiting.

Jamie Cox was sacked from his role as the SACA's cricket supremo on Friday after CA informed the state that it was under investigation for possible breaches of contracting regulations.

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Rudolph, Cooke build strong advantage

Leicestershire 109 and 6 for 1 trail Glamorgan 350 for 8 (Rudolph 88, Cooke 58) by 235 runs
Scorecard

Glamorgan pressed home their advantage on day two against Leicestershire. Resuming on 56 for 1 under blue skies at the SWALEC Stadium, having dismissed the visitors for a paltry 109 on a rain-affected opening day, the hosts reached 350 for 8 before declaring.

Opener Jacques Rudolph top-scored with 88 from 178 balls, and there were also decent contributions from Chris Cooke (58) and Jim Allenby (44). Trailing by 241 as they began their response, Leicestershire had limped to 6 for 1 by the close.

The visitors' one moment of joy on Sunday arrived after tea when Rob Taylor snared Glamorgan's debutant opener Tom Lancefield for 19, but if they had hopes of making early inroads on Monday then Rudolph and Will Bragg dictated otherwise.

The overnight pair extended their second-wicket partnership to 73 runs, Rudolph setting the tone by driving Taylor through the covers in the first full over of the day, before Bragg edged to Greg Smith at second slip off Charlie Shreck for 21.

That brought Ben Wright to the middle and he too built a respectable stand with South African Rudolph - the pair added 61 before the latter fell 12 runs short of his century, caught behind by wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien to become Shreck's second victim. Wright followed suit soon after when he nicked one from Nathan Buck into the hands of Smith in the slips.

Allenby and Cooke then joined forces and swiftly set about further stretching their team's advantage. Allenby struck six boundaries before being induced into a pull shot by Buck which saw him caught by Shreck at long leg six runs shy of his fifty.

Cooke continued apace, though, and - despite losing Mark Wallace, who nicked behind off Taylor for 18 after starting off with a couple of early boundaries - racked up his half-century to help the home side advance to 309 for 6 and a 200-run cushion. He departed with the score on 326, having smashed six fours in 101 balls, when he found Ramnaresh Sarwan off the bowling of Naik.

Dean Cosker went the same way in the very next over, also snapped up by Sarwan - Shreck this time the successful bowler. Michael Hogan and Will Owen helped Glamorgan to 350 after 105 overs, which guaranteed the hosts a fourth bonus batting point and prompted home captain Wallace to declare.

That left time for Glamorgan to have six overs on Monday evening, and they needed less than four to make the breakthrough. Tom Helm had Smith snapped up by Rudolph, with Leicestershire still needing 235 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

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Rankin considered future after Ashes experience

Boyd Rankin has admitted he thought about giving up cricket in the weeks following his chastening Test debut in Sydney.

Rankin, who took three wickets on his return to county duty with Warwickshire after five months on the sidelines, conceded that "I let myself and the rest of the team down" in that final Test of the Ashes series.

The 29-year-old Rankin, who retired from representing Ireland to pursue his dream of playing Test cricket, managed 20 overs in the match, but was twice forced off the pitch with an attack of cramp brought on by nerves and never achieved the rhythm that had seen the likes of Ricky Ponting and Marcus Trescothick hail him as the most challenging fast bowler they experienced in county cricket over previous seasons.

But Rankin has subsequently discovered that he went into the game carrying a serious shoulder injury and said he still hopes he can "show what I'm capable of doing" on the biggest stage.

"I wasn't anywhere near where I wanted to be in that Sydney game," Rankin said in his first interview since the tour. "I had torn half the cartilage off my shoulder in a fielding session we had a couple of days before the Test. So I was struggling with that and I had a back spasm during the Test as well.

"I felt I had to play. I had to take my chance, but I don't suppose I did that, really. I tried to fight hard through that. It was still a special occasion for me, but I did feel I let myself and the rest of the team down. It's been tough coming back from that.

"I don't feel I took my chance. I'm sure a lot of people weren't impressed. Hopefully I can still show people what I'm capable of doing. I didn't do that during the winter.

"It was a tough period for me when I got back. There were a few days when I was thinking 'should I still be playing cricket?' There were quite a few questions asked. But I learned a lot from the experience and I believe it has made me a stronger person. All I can do now is put in some strong performances and see what happens. I know, deep down, what I can do."

Rankin's shoulder injury was only diagnosed when he returned to county duty with Warwickshire. But the fact that he went into an Ashes match so palpably unprepared will raise more questions about the environment on the tour, with Rankin pointing out that the lack of match practice he had before the game left him struggling for confidence and rhythm. It might also raise questions about the wisdom of England forgoing a net session two days ahead of a Test to focus on fitness and fielding.

"It wasn't a great environment to be in," Rankin said. "It was a really tough tour to be on. A lot of the lads were struggling. It wasn't a great tour, but I hope I've learned a lot from the experience and if it comes again, I hope I can do a lot better.

"I only found out about my injury a month ago. I asked for a scan and then had a call which said: 'You might need an op. You could be out for four or five months.' It's still giving me some pain, but it's calmed down quite a lot now.

"We had a fitness and fielding session two days before the Test and I did something to it then. They didn't pick it up at the time.

"The hardest thing during in the tour was constantly bowling in the nets and not getting any game time. The only way you could work it better would be for the lads who are not playing to play some cricket in terms of matches. But it was difficult to be out of the side and then go straight into a Test. It would have been nice if there was some match practice away from that."

Despite the disappointment, Rankin said he has never regretted retiring from Ireland duty and that he would have no second thoughts should England select him for another tour.

"I would never turn down a tour," he said. "I still want to bowl fast and I still want to knock people over. If it is the only Test I play, then so be it. I would never change what I have done. I've always said I wanted to try and play at the highest level and that is Test cricket.

"I'm trying not to look too far ahead. I just want to get back to enjoying playing cricket. It's nice to be back playing with the Bears and I've felt in decent rhythm these past two days. It's just nice to be back."

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