Sep
11
Vaughan: Bopara needs time
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Former captain Michael Vaughan has urged England to stick by struggling batsman Ravi Bopara.
Bopara has followed up an Ashes series where he averaged just 15 in four Tests at number three with scores of 49, 27 and 10 in the one-day internationals.
But as Bopara prepared for Saturday’s fourth one-day match against Australia at Lord’s with England trailing 3-0 in the seven-match NatWest series, Vaughan was adamant.
“Bopara is ultra-talented”
“They should keep playing him,” said Vaughan, who knows what it is like to struggle in one-day cricket having averaged 27.15 in 86 ODIs in which he never scored a century.
“Ravi has to be strong enough to trust his game, react to the ball, don’t premeditate, don’t get too stressed by it all. He is ultra-talented,” Vaughan added.
“But sometimes the harder you try the further it goes away from you. You sense he’s trying too hard at the minute.
“In one-day cricket I tried far too hard for much of my career. I chased the game. Chased that first hundred. I was trying to get a hundred before I got off the mark on a number of occasions and that’s taking your mind away from the now. You need to stay in the present.”
Vaughan, however, believes Saturday’s international should not be taking place. He insists seven one-day matches is too many in a crowded cricket calendar and in future wants the game’s governors to schedule a maximum of three.
England have rested Paul Collingwood for the next three games, James Anderson is also taking a break and Stuart Broad has already been rested.
Vaughan said: “That’s exactly what Collingwood needs and it will create an opportunity for someone to come in and bring some ‘vibe’ and energy to that middle order.
“When you start talking about having to rest players, ultimately there is only one reason - playing too much. You just don’t need seven one-dayers and two Twenty20s. Two or three would be more reasonable.
“It gets a bit same-old, same-old. We’ve seen enough of Australia this summer. The country has probably seen enough of cricket. It’s just too much.”
Vaughan was talking on a visit to the Urban Stars project in Lambeth as part of his work for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which is tackling gang membership and crime in some of the UK’s most deprived areas.
Playing on a tennis court with the young students was the first time, other than facing his son Archie in the back garden, he had wielded a cricket bat since his retirement at the end of June.
He insists, however, that he does not miss the adrenalin rush of facing Ricky Ponting and co.
“Australian team is not the fearsome team”
“I’ve enjoyed not waking up and having to face 90mph balls,” said Vaughan.
“It’s been good getting my body and knee in the right condition. I’ve done a lot of charity work but I didn’t want to be seen too much in the Ashes.”
He expects to join the former England captains such as Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain who dominate TV commentary these days sometime in the future and intends to expand the academy work he does with cricket’s future stars around the country.
And the most successful captain in English cricket history also had a rousing message for the England players, who have appeared tense and hesitant since their Ashes victory, when they turn up at Lord’s on Saturday.
“Just have a go. It can turn quickly,” said Vaughan.
“This Australian team is not the fearsome team it was a few years ago. They are a workmanlike team. We have to get someone to 80 or 100 and trust our game.
“What’s the worst that can happen? We could lose another game. Well, we’ve lost three already so there’s nothing to lose.”
Aug
15
Trott all set to replace Bopara
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South African born Jonathan Trott is all set to replace Ravi Bopara in the fifth and final npower Ashes Test.
The 28 year old Trott with 1013 runs in the county championship this season averaged 92.09, reminded his ability to the team management with his century for Warwickshire against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, the BBC reports.
Ian Bell, who seemed to be under threat of his insecure place also came back strongly after scoring a century in the same match to retain his place.
Reshuffle in the England team was expected after their pathetic show in the fourth Ashes test, which they lost to mighty Australians.
Though Ravi Bopara showed some fighting for the Essex against Middlesex with his unbeaten 52 on Friday, but it was not fair enough to impress the selectors.
England coach Andy Flower has backed the young for his poor form. Bopara has been passing through pitiable form which is very cleanly described by his total of 105 runs in the last seven test matches that he has played.
Jun
18
Warne questions Bopara credentials
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Shane Warne doubts England batsman Ravi Bopara has what it takes to make an impact in this summer’s Ashes series.
Warne, who took more than 700 Test wickets in a glittering career, has played down Bopara’s impressive start to international cricket and has questioned his temperament.
Bopara scored three consecutive centuries against West Indies earlier this summer, but Warne said in the Daily Mirror: “Bopara is a good first-class cricketer, but he is not an international cricketer.
“I think he’s got all the talent in the world, but I just don’t think he’s got the temperament. He can be put off his game too easily and he’s too worried about how he looks.
“Let’s hope England aren’t relying on Bopara (for the Ashes) because they could be in trouble.”
Warne added: “Paul Collingwood can be good, but he has to be batting with someone like Kevin Pietersen to bring the best out of him.
“For England to succeed they will have to bat around Pietersen and the captain (Andrew Strauss).”
May
15
England stars hail Gooch influence
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England players Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook hailed Graham Gooch for his part in their Test match development.
The Essex pair each scored centuries as England put on 302 for two on day one of the second Test against the West Indies at the Riverside, sharing a 213-run stand for the second wicket.
Cook batted through for 126 not out, while Bopara fell late on for 108 after becoming only the fifth Englishman to score hundreds in three consecutive Test knocks.
The fourth man to do so was Essex legend Gooch, a man both batsmen credit as a major influence.
“I felt in good form as soon as I went out there and Graham Gooch talks about making the most of it when you’re in good nick. I tried my best to do that,” said Bopara, who arrived at the crease following Andrew Strauss’ dismissal for 26.
“But I wouldn’t put myself in the same sentence as Graham. I have a lot of respect for that man, he scored a lot of runs for England and he was a fantastic player so I wouldn’t mention myself alongside him.
“It’s hard for me to talk about cricket and Graham Gooch because I have so much respect for him and what he did for England.”
Bopara joins elite gang of four
Bopara also revealed Gooch had visited him before play started to offer some last minute tips.
“He popped into the nets (this morning) to have a word and watched me for a bit,” said the 24-year-old.
“He said ‘keep playing straight’, he’s always said that to me. He says there’s no better place to hit the ball because there are no fielders there.
“He keeps reminding me to keep the bat straight, it might sound basic but it’s nice to have that from Graham, it’s quite reassuring.”
Cook, who has batted with Bopara through the age groups, echoed his team-mate’s praise of the former England skipper after reaching a ninth Test hundred.
Amazing
“Graham has told me the same things because I quite like a whip from the off side to leg too,” said the left-hander.
“Goochie has been amazing for me and for Ravi. When I was 18 he’d be there at 8.30am in the morning throwing down at me for an hour. And not just me, all of the Essex lads. Putting that work in with the record he has behind him is amazing.”
Reflecting on the huge stand, Cook added: “It’s just been a great day to bat with Ravi. We played Under-14 cricket together so to be playing Test matches now and scoring hundreds together put a smile on my face.”
West Indies coach John Dyson admitted it had been a difficult start for the visitors at Chester-le-Street.
Crucial toss
Dyson had to contend with captain Chris Gayle’s controversial pre-match comments about the future of Test cricket before watching his men toil in the field after losing a crucial toss.
“It was a tough day,” the Australian told Sky Sports 1.
“It was a very flat wicket and the batsmen batted very well. Our bowlers stuck at the task reasonably well. We’ve just got to keep going and trying to bowl in the right areas.
“It was a terrific ball Lionel Baker bowled Ravi so maybe we can get one or two of those in the morning.”
May
15
Ravi Bopara put himself in elite England company with a third successive Test innings ton as he and Alastair Cook took control.
Bopara and Cook took control against West Indies before a paltry Riverside crowd.
Bopara’s feat added his name to a list containing four all-time greats - Herbert Sutcliffe, Denis Compton, Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch - as England racked up 302 for two on day one of the second npower Test, on the back of his 108 and Cook’s unbeaten 126.
Essex boys put England in Strong position
In a second-wicket stand of 213, the Essex pair effectively batted the tourists out of a contest they must somehow still try to win to level the two-match series and avoid conceding the Wisden Trophy in record time since belatedly regaining it little more than two months ago.
While Cook’s six-hour tour de force was chanceless, the opener’s effort had a stodgier look to it than Bopara’s - which did contain one moment of fortune on 51 when wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin failed to hold a diving chance down the leg-side off Lionel Baker.
Cook reached his ninth Test hundred shortly before Bopara’s third, the left-hander hitting 11 boundaries from 209 balls and the number three reaching his notable milestone with 12 fours and a six from 183.
The only significant regret for England could be that so few people took their opportunity to see the Bopara and Cook show live, at a ground which can accommodate almost 16,000 but was less than a third full - and is likely to be similarly unoccupied tomorrow too.
Andrew Strauss began proceedings by winning the toss and choosing to bat first, despite a forecast for increasing cloud cover on what turned out to be a surprisingly sunny day.
He himself was to go slightly unluckily to Chris Gayle’s off-spin - doubtless an especially aggravating turn of events for the England captain, after his recent public differences of opinion with his opposite number on the state of the modern game.
It’s all about numbers
Strauss nonetheless had good reason to be by far the happier leader by stumps - his one of just two wickets to fall, after he had helped put 69 on the board in the initial exchanges.
England’s two left-handed openers were watchful but were afforded the chance to get their eye in nicely as Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor bowled largely untesting lines with the new ball.
Strauss needed 18 deliveries to register his first run, but there were no anxious moments for either opener on a slow pitch until after the 50 was up when the best and worst of Cook was seen as he took 14 runs off one over from first change Baker.
Two cover-drives for four came either side of a third boundary, inside-edged within a whisker of the leg bail.
Strauss had no such luck on his side as he shaped to sweep in Gayle’s second over and succeeded only in gloving the ball behind, where Ramdin had moved adeptly into the right place to collect a chance which just about stuck.
As Gayle and Sulieman Benn raced through 12 overs of spin in half-an-hour up to lunch, Cook and Bopara were taking no chances.
Bopara’s class was evident in early afternoon, though, when he straight-drove Edwards - switched from the Lumley end - for a memorable boundary.
He followed his county and international team-mate to his half-century with a neat deflection to the fine-leg boundary off Benn’s slow left-arm.
Day’s action in pics
It was a similarly fine glance, off the pace of Baker this time, that brought Bopara another four as he escaped through the gloves of Ramdin.
Cook’s hundred came up when he was down the wicket, drilling Benn through Ramnaresh Sarwan at midwicket for four.
But perhaps the most pleasing moments of the day for the sparse crowd came immediately after evening drinks when Bopara decided it was time to take toll of Benn - and executed his plan with drives for 4-6-4 from successive balls.
Benn got fingertips to barely a half-chance from the last of those blows but must have wished he had not, such was the ferocity of the shot down the ground.
Much of the day’s accumulation was presumably the type of attritional cricket which has begun to persuade Gayle Test cricket may not be his bag for much longer.
When Bopara was in full flow, though, not even the most ardent Twenty20 convert could quibble with the entertainment value on offer.
It was a shame therefore for those tempted to attend day two that, with the second new ball, Baker produced a very good delivery to nip back through the gate and disturb Bopara’s off bail.
It was also less than appetising for the morning that, instead of number four Kevin Pietersen, nightwatchman James Anderson will be in situ with Cook - after battling through a fiery late spell from Edwards as the light began to fade.
Teams:
England: AJ Strauss, AN Cook, RS Bopara, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, GP Swann, G Onions
West Indies: CH Gayle, DS Smith, RR Sarwan, LMP Simmons, S Chanderpaul, BP Nash, D Ramdin, JE Taylor, SJ Benn, FH Edwards, LS Baker
May
7
Ravi Bopara hungry for more
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England batsman Ravi Bopara regards is unbeaten hundred on his home Test debut at Lord’s as merely the start.
England were hugely indebted to their new number three for his 118 not out in an otherwise patchy 289 for seven by stumps on day one of their npower series against the West Indies.
But Bopara already had a total in excess of 400 in his sights - as well as many more runs in this Ashes summer from what has for so long been England’s ‘problem’ position at first-wicket down.
Bopara’s 207-ball hundred contained much of his trademark wristy timing among his 12 fours - but perhaps his most notable achievement was to come through a fiery spell of pace and swing in the early afternoon, during which Fidel Edwards (four for 53) saw off Kevin Pietersen first ball.
Bopara hundred marshals England
The young Essex batsman also had some luck on the way, dropped twice - the worst offence being Brendan Nash’s spill at square-leg off Edwards when Bopara was on 76.
“I was about to turn around and walk off, it caught me by surprise that he dropped it,” the beneficiary admitted.
“But it’s not my fault if I get dropped - I just have to take advantage of it.”
Even the confidence of 24-year-old Bopara’s youth could scarcely have aimed for any better than a hundred on his first attempt at number three.
But he is already daring to hope, not dream, of much more.
Good start
“I am really proud,” he said.
“When you come to Lord’s to play county matches, you wonder if your name will ever be up there (on the honours board).
“It was very enjoyable. That is the best test I’ve had so far in my career - going out and batting at three in Test cricket.
“It’s a good start. I hope I go into the next Test batting at three - and for the Ashes, and the summer. It is a big thing for me and I am looking forward to it.”
That is not to say Bopara is anywhere near satisfied yet with the runs he has so far in this innings.
“I hope the lower order can bat 100 balls between them - and I can bat at the other end and get 400 plus,” he added.
Perfect view
Edwards himself absolved Pietersen of any blame for edging a perfectly-pitched outswinger behind for his first-ball duck.
But Bopara had a perfect view from the non-striker’s end, too - and he will not be shy with any technical advice should England’s highest-profile batsman decide to ask.
“It is not a great ball to get first up - 90mph swinging out,” Bopara conceded.
“But I’m sure he’ll have learned from it.
“There are ways of combating that. You can lower your backlift, leave your bat quite low and not go so hard at the ball.”
Edwards, meanwhile, knows his day could have been much better had the West Indies not been so slipshod in the field - dropping Bopara twice and Stuart Broad four times, all in the space of the final session.
Swinging
“I’ll take getting four wickets in Test cricket - and I hope, today, if we can take our chances, we can get the rest as cheaply as possible,” said the Barbadian fast bowler.
“Ravi got dropped off me in Barbados and scored a hundred there and it’s happened again here. But, in Test cricket, you’ve got to move on.
“It probably could have been a lot better. But Test cricket is pretty hard and having them 289 for seven - we’ll take that any day.”
As for today, Edwards is consoled by the knowledge this game can turn quickly at any time.
“It’s slow and flat but, if it keeps swinging, that’s okay for me,” he said.
“The more shots Ravi plays, the more chances we will get - so I don’t mind him playing shots.”
May
7
Ravi Bopara’s second successive Test hundred shored up a patchy home innings on day one of the first Test against West Indies. 
Kevin Pietersen fell first ball to Fidel Edwards
England’s new number three shared stands of 64 with his Essex colleague Alastair Cook and then 84 with Matt Prior in a total worth 241 for five with an hour to go to stumps at Lord’s.
Bopara (100no) had two significant let-offs but stuck to his task on his way to a 207-ball hundred which contained 12 fours.
Some trademark wristy timing was in evidence. But perhaps his greatest achievement was to come through unscathed as Edwards (four for 51) took three wickets for nine runs in 22 balls during an early-afternoon spell of fast and well-directed swing bowling from the nursery end.
After Chris Gayle had presumably punted on early cloud cover and a pitch with tinges of green when he put England in, the hosts overcame the loss of in-form captain Andrew Strauss in an otherwise encouraging first session.
Strauss, so prolific in England’s series defeat in the Caribbean this past winter, appeared to be finding his range again until he swished at an unthreatening Jerome Taylor delivery angled across him and edged behind.
But Cook and Bopara then dealt calmly with what remained of the new-ball swing.
Edwards, though, two wickets in two balls in his second over of the afternoon, first breaking the second-wicket stand by bowling Cook off an inside edge - and then having Pietersen athletically caught behind from a perfectly-pitched outswinger.
After Edwards had struck with the fifth and sixth balls of the over, it fell to Paul Collingwood to keep out the hat-trick attempt - an inswinger which struck the right-hander innocuously on the pad. But Collingwood was also soon to fall to the Barbadian, neatly snapped up low down at second slip by Devon Smith after edging another testing outswinger.
Prior was fluently into his stride but the wicketkeeper-batsman had to watch while Bopara faced every ball of the first two overs after tea - and when Prior’s next chance did come he became Edwards’ fourth victim, slapping a short ball straight into the hands of cover to depart disappointingly.
May
2
Bopara: I am sad to be leaving IPL
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England batsman Ravi Bopara described his experience of playing in the IPL “as one of the best things” he has done in life.
“There was a little speech for me, I also said something back to them `This is one of the best things that I have ever done, playing the IPL, with you guys it has been amazing. Carry on the good work’,” Bopara said recalling his farewell before joining England team to play against the West Indies at home.
On his sentiments to leave the IPL just when it was peaking, Bopara, said there were mixed emotions.
“I am obviously very delighted to be in the England squad. It’s my opportunity to go and do something major for England. But I am also sad to be leaving IPL. It has been so much fun. I have gelled with the guys amazingly, it is an amazing tournament. I hope this carries on forever,” he was quoted as saying by official IPL website.
Bopara, who traces his roots to Punjab, can speak well in his mother toungue and that made his job of mingling with the players a lot easier. “It has made a huge difference, it made me get on with the guys straightaway. I am very warm to these bunch of guys. They are a fantastic bunch of guys, they are like a family,” he said.
Bopara made 85 to give Yuvraj Singh-led team their first win in the tournament, said “Anyway I am very happy, I am happy that we have won three of our games out of five. The first two, who knows we could have won them too. The rain didn’t help us. I am very happy with the way things went.”
Apr
25
Bopara leads Punjab victory charge
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England batsman Ravi Bopara led Kings XI Punjab to their first win of the Indian Premier League in Durban on Friday.
Bopara batted with patience initially and turned explosive after reaching his half-century.
Bopara shared two crucial partnerships — 52 for first wicket with Karan Goel and 66 for third wicket with Yuvraj Singh — to give Punjab a lease of life in the tournament.
Chasing 169 to win, Punjab overhauled the target with one over to spare with Yuvraj finishing it off with a six off Jacques Kallis.
Before coming to this clash, Punjab had lost both of their matches as bad weather dented their chances on both the occasions.
Earlier, Jacques Kallis rescued the Bangalore side with a splendid 62 to help them overcome a mini top-order collapse and post a competitive 168 for nine after sent in to bat.
Yusuf Abudulla was star performer for the Punjab side with his four-wicket haul while Irfan Pathan (3/35) took three wickets.
Bopara scored bulk of the runs by running hard between the wickets and it was only after the 15th over that he opened his arms and that too with great effect. Adjudged Man-of the Match, Bopara hit four fours and five sixes in his 59-ball knock.
When Bopara departed Punjab needed just 11 runs off 11 balls and Yuvraj (unbeaten 30) finished the game for his side in style.
The Punjab chase began on a cautious note as Goel (19) and Bopara relied more on singles and double rather than going berserk as the ball came slow off the track.
The first six came only in the first ball of the seventh over when Bopara lofted Kallis over the mid-wicket which also brought up the fifty-run partnership.
However the pair frittered away the good start when Goel, who was dropped by Virat Kohli in the previous over, ran himself out.
Goel’s misadventure
They were comfortably placed at 52 for none at that stage and there was no need to take risk. Punjab could have been 59 for two had Rahul Dravid not dropped Kumar Sangakkara (26) off rival skipper Kevin Pietersen.
The Sri Lankan left-hander hit Pietersen for a four and six in the last over before the strategic break but failed cash in on the life he got as he perished while trying to hit one from Anil Kumble out of the park.
Punjab slowly moved towards the target and in the end registered a comfortable victory for them.
In the Bangalore innings, Kallis held one end together when wickets were tumbling from the other after Kevin Pietersen opted to bat. Kallis revived Bangalore innings with his second IPL fifty, studded with five fours and two sixes, and found an able ally in Ross Taylor, who contributed valuable 35 runs.
The duo put up 61 for the fifth wicket after seamer Yusuf Abdulla’s double strike in the sixth over had pegged them back.
Kallis’ masterclass
Though wickets fell at regular intervals in Bangalore innings, runs never dried up as Kallis kept the scoreboard ticking with his brilliant innings.
Jesse Ryder with his 32-run cameo at the start was the other contributor for his side.
Pathan drew the first blood for Punjab as Robin Uthappa (0) chased a wide delivery and ended up edging that one to Yuvraj Singh at first slip.
Kallis, though was least perturbed with the blow and got off to mark with a six over the mid-wicket off Pathan.
Ryder got going
Ryder, who had a disastrous start to the IPL after getting two ducks in as many mathces, finally got some runs flowing from his willow as he unleashed a flurry of boundaries in Ranadeb Bose’s second over.
The Kiwi southpaw extracted 18 run off that over in which he hit him for four boundaries.
Yusuf Abdulla then dealt two big blows to the Bangalore side as he first castled Ryder and then deceived skipper Kevin Pietersen (0) with a slow ball, having him caught by Karan Goel at short cover. Yuvraj and Piyush Chawla then bowled in tandem as they made Kallis and Rahul Dravid (10) work hard to get runs.
Immediately after the strategic time out, Dravid tried to break the shackles but failed to rescue his team this time.
The Wall crumbles
The former India captain stepped out of his crease for a big shot off Chawla but hit the ball with the toe of his bat and VRV Singh took a brilliant running catch.
Kallis continued to score runs from one end, taking forward his side towards a fighting total.
Taylor, who has struggled to score runs, struck form at the right time for his side providing good support to Kallis.
He hit VRV Singh for two boundaries and then lofted Chawla for a massive six over the mid-wicket, setting the tome for an exciting finish for Bangalore.
In their bid to push the accelertor button, Bangalore lost wicket in a hurry in the end, yet, put up a decent total.
Jan
30
Bopara plays waiting game
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Ravi Bopara faces an anxious wait to discover whether he will become part of the excitement of the Indian Premier League after being named as one of 20 English cricketers being put forward for auction.
The Essex all-rounder was included in a long list of England players hoping to earn lucrative contracts for the Twenty20 tournament being staged from April 10 to May 29.
“If I said it [money] isn’t important then I would be lying - because it makes a big difference to a lot of cricketers, to their future and their families,” said Bopara. “But if you’re a real cricket lover and you play it because you love the game, you just take all that in your stride.”
He added: “It’s a great opportunity to earn money, and we’ll all have a smile about it. But the main thing you play for and what gives you the fire in the belly is wanting to achieve things as a cricketer and become the best player you can on any stage.
“To be able to play in the same team as guys you’ve played against around the world will be fantastic. It will be like playing in an all-star team - it will be incredible.”