NEWS ALERT

NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Thursday, March 03, 2011

England win toss, bat against Ireland

Updated at: 1335 PST,  Wednesday, March 02, 2011
BANGALORE: England captain Andrew Strauss has won the toss and elected to bat against Ireland in their Group B match here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on WednesdayEngland will be looking to keep up their unbeaten run at the tournament after beating Netherlands and holding favourites India to a nail-biting tie. Fast bowler Stuart Broad returned from illness and replaced fellow seamer Ajmal Shahzad in the only change to the England side that dramatically tied its previous group game with co-hosts India on Sunday.That meant swing specialist James Anderson kept his place despite conceding 91 runs against India -- the most by an England bowler in any World Cup match.Ireland, who lost their opener to Bangladesh by 27 runs, brought in Australia-born all-rounder Alex Cusack for Andrew White and batsman Gary Wilson came in for seamer Andre Botha, who injured his groin during the warm-up.Ireland's Ed Joyce was playing against England for the first time since reverting to the land of his birth after his international career with England ended following the 2007 World Cup. This was Ireland's first all-professional team, with seven players -- captain William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Joyce, Niall O'Brien, George Dockrell and Wilson -- all signed by English counties, while the other four were on Irish contracts.Teams: England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wk), Michael Yardy, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James AndersonIreland: William Porterfield (captain), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien (wk), Alex Cusack, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Wilson, John Mooney, Trent Johnston, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin.