The Googly

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update Five

I'm sure that Mssrs Duckworth and Lewis are very decent chaps, but you don't want them turning up at your party do you? Such was the fate of the latter stages of the Under-19 World Cup, with Malaysian rain ending the tournament unsatisfactorily. India will be pleased with their win and deserve congratulation, as does the ICC for taking the showcase to an emerging cricket nation.

Our beautiful picture shows Jason Gillespie leaving the field one last time after a dazzling career throughout which he never lost sight of the fact that cricket was a game, despite injuries that must have tested even his resolve. He deserves a longer tribute than this and a happy retirement.

The Trumpet too steps off the field of play having enjoyed every minute of his time at The Googly. It's been my great pleasure to have written many posts, mostly under the Performance of the Day banner, recently under the Key Moment header and as the Betting Coach. My great thanks to the Editor, Lee Calvert, fellow writers Mimitig, Carrie Dunn, the one and only Nestaquin and for the many comments I have read with great interest from the likes of The Doc, Third Umpire, Miriam and even Pepp! I'll still be here, but mainly below the line - I hope to see you all there very soon.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update Four

That rather nervous young man, who looks just a little like Glenn McGrath, is New Zealand's Tim Southee. Just turned 19, he is a precocious talent whom New Zealand must be tempted to throw into the Test arena after his successful international bow in the T20 games vs England.

Even he wasn't able to carry New Zealand into the Final of the Under-19 World Cup, as India Duckworth-Lewised their way past the boys from the Land of the Long White Cloud to book their place for Sunday. They'll wait for the winners of the semi-final between The Trumpet's favourites, Pakistan and the Parnell-led Saffers. We'll keep you in the loop at The Googly over the weekend.

Elsewhere in Malaysia, England's boys play-off for fifth place on Saturday. That wouldn't usually matter, except that the opponents are, you've guessed it, Australia.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update Three

England's campaign in the U-19 World Cup fizzled out in a tame quarter-final defeat to India in KL Malaysia. England were inserted by India and were soon struggling at 106-4 with only "Sweet Baby" James Taylor showing any form with a painstaking 41. Instead of re-grouping in the late middle-order and building a total of 220 or so, in an uncanny echo of their seniors, the late order folded with the addition of just 36 more runs leaving 24 deliveries unused. There was no way back from that, as Man of the Match, Turuwar Kohli (right, though probably happier than he looks) led India to an easy win with 63 not out.

In the other quarter-final played today, South Africa destroyed Bangladesh, dismissing the Bangla Boys for just 41. Saffers' captain, Wayne Parnell, top scored with 57, then took six wickets for eight runs - Man of the Match too I suppose.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update Two

After a second comfortable group win earlier this week (over Bermuda), England Under-19s played out a dead rubber today against the precocious Bangladeshis in KL Malaysia.

Having won the toss, Alex Wakely's decision to field looked a good one, as James Harris (right) chalked up five wickets in his first five overs to leave the Bangla Boys reeling at 49-7. Cue Suhrawadi Shuvo to play a captain's knock of 56 from number 8 to get his team up to a respectable 149. That was to prove enough, as England collapsed to a combination of poor running and tight bowling to finish 13 runs short of their target.

Both sides advance to the quarter-finals on Sunday: England will face India, Bangladesh front up to the South Africans.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

Cricket Snapshot: Kids these days, eh?

The youngsters show how it's done today at the Under-19 Worlds in Kuala Lumpur.

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update One

Whilst the cricket world's attention is taken by the three best Limited Overs teams slugging it out as the CB Series chugs around Australia, the Under-19 World Cup is underway in Malaysia. The Googly will bring you regular updates over the next fortnight as the Bright Young Things clash.

England's campaign is already off to a winning start. Their first group match saw the bowlers (led by potential Man of the Tournament, James Harris) dismiss the Irish lads for 109 in just 31 overs. Abetted by too many wides, English openers Billy Godleman and "Sweet Baby James" Taylor (right) got England over the line at a run a ball. A good, if predictable start for the England Cubs (well, if the ECB insist on calling the A squad the England Lions...)

Elsewhere India brushed aside Papua New Guinea, Australia did the same to Nambia and the home side were annihilated by the Trumpet's tip for the trophy, Pakistan.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

England under-19s fail to impress, again

On the 27th Jan, Pakistan's juniors took on Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo and won by an impressive nine wickets. A couple of days before that England had failed to capitalize on their previous good form and lost to Sri Lanka.

So what hope today was there for the so highly rated England boys as they played Sri Lanka again? Well bloody nothing really. Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first. James Harris struck early and removed multi-initialled EMGDY Munaweera for just 6, but his companion Chandimal hit 10 fours and one six on his way to an unbeaten 112. Sri Lanka posted a total of 312 - the highest I think in this Tri-Nation's series and England had a lot to do.

They didn't do much. Wakely out for a duck, Ben Brown (to my utter disappointment) only made 12 and Sam Northeast (who does sound like part of the Shipping Forecast) was top scorer with 32. England lost by 158 runs and my only comfort is that Billy Godleman was not playing. So many hopes for the future lie on that young man's shoulders that we can imagine that he would have won the game for us single-battedly.

A pretty miserable preparation for the World Cup - I can only hope that it will all go better for the boys there.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England flatter to deceive, again

You would have thought, wouldn't you, that after yesterday's win over Pakistan, who had beaten Sri Lanka in a resounding fashion the day before, that England could for once have carried the winning momentum forward.

But no. Today our Under-19s allowed Sri Lanka to positively stroll to a seven wicket win in Colombo. With England batting first, it wasn't until James (You've Gotta Friend) Taylor and Greg Wood top-scored for the boys with 43 each that there was much respectability. Ben Brown, batting too far down the order for my liking, then chipped in with 38. The combined England score of 208 was not enough to trouble the Sri Lankan team.

Multi-initialled EMGDY (that's Eldeniya Medo Gedara Dilshan Yasika) Munaweera opened for SL with a strong 45, accompanied by Dinesh Chandimal.  Once EMGDYM had gone, Chandimal cemented the innings with Kushal Perera, putting on a stand of 106. Liam Dawson did finally make a break-through for England getting rid of Perera, but too little too late and England's fate was sealed.

Now much was made, when the England Test team were in Sri Lanka, of the fact that some of SL's top players were closing on retirement - and that there was little in the way of talented youth coming through. Perhaps time to think again. Perera and Chandimal are certainly full of talent and I think we'll all be trying to remember Munaweera's initials in the near future.

I am not writing off the England Under-19s on this one performance - they have another match on 28th Jan - before travelling to the World Cup, but I am concerned that they cannot sustain a winning streak.

All too reminiscent of the senior team.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

A good beginning

A week or so ago, I wrote that we at The Googly would be keeping a close eye on the performances and progress of England Under-19s as they prepare in Sri Lanka for their assault on the junior World Cup. Well, so far so good.

In their first warm-up match since arriving in Sri Lanka, the young England boys have taken on the Sri Lankans in Colombo today and notched up a satisfying win. Unsurprisingly for the time of year, Sri Lanka batting second, found themselves in a Duckworth-Lewis situation, but with our own young Googly pick Billy Godleman having top-scored with 123 they were always chasing a tough target of 318. Our bowling pick Tom Westley made sure they would have it hard taking three wickets for 27. Sri Lanka ended up 12 runs short.

Let's hope this is a display of real talent and not another blip of success on England's less-than-spectacular result sheet.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England Under-19s: the pick of the squad

It is not yet clear who will be in the team for the Under-19 World Cup squad, but of the boys chosen to represent England in Sri Lanka in the preparatory Tri-Nations Tournament, we, at The Googly are proud to recogonise that quite a few of our One to watch boys are in the team. Last year we picked, publicly, Billy Godleman and James Harris.

Bubbling under, and if only there had been enough time, we were looking at Alex Wakely, Ben Brown, Steven Finn and Tom Westley.

Some names have sneaked under our radar and I do hope that in the year to come, our readers will help spot young pretenders.  Our current top-line Test side is a bit shaky and is not giving any of us the hope of being Aussie beaters in the next year or so. Therefore we must put faith in the layer below - and that does not mean bringing in old lovely lags like Mark Ramprakash. We need the young guns.

We'll be watching results this month in Sri Lanka and later in March in the World Cup. We are hoping that the boys are aggressive enough to stamp their mark on the world stage, but also hoping that our lads know how to play in the spirit of the game.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update Three

England's campaign in the U-19 World Cup fizzled out in a tame quarter-final defeat to India in KL Malaysia. England were inserted by India and were soon struggling at 106-4 with only "Sweet Baby" James Taylor showing any form with a painstaking 41. Instead of re-grouping in the late middle-order and building a total of 220 or so, in an uncanny echo of their seniors, the late order folded with the addition of just 36 more runs leaving 24 deliveries unused. There was no way back from that, as Man of the Match, Turuwar Kohli (right, though probably happier than he looks) led India to an easy win with 63 not out.

In the other quarter-final played today, South Africa destroyed Bangladesh, dismissing the Bangla Boys for just 41. Saffers' captain, Wayne Parnell, top scored with 57, then took six wickets for eight runs - Man of the Match too I suppose.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update Two

After a second comfortable group win earlier this week (over Bermuda), England Under-19s played out a dead rubber today against the precocious Bangladeshis in KL Malaysia.

Having won the toss, Alex Wakely's decision to field looked a good one, as James Harris (right) chalked up five wickets in his first five overs to leave the Bangla Boys reeling at 49-7. Cue Suhrawadi Shuvo to play a captain's knock of 56 from number 8 to get his team up to a respectable 149. That was to prove enough, as England collapsed to a combination of poor running and tight bowling to finish 13 runs short of their target.

Both sides advance to the quarter-finals on Sunday: England will face India, Bangladesh front up to the South Africans.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

Cricket Snapshot: Kids these days, eh?

The youngsters show how it's done today at the Under-19 Worlds in Kuala Lumpur.

The ICC Under-19 World Cup Update One

Whilst the cricket world's attention is taken by the three best Limited Overs teams slugging it out as the CB Series chugs around Australia, the Under-19 World Cup is underway in Malaysia. The Googly will bring you regular updates over the next fortnight as the Bright Young Things clash.

England's campaign is already off to a winning start. Their first group match saw the bowlers (led by potential Man of the Tournament, James Harris) dismiss the Irish lads for 109 in just 31 overs. Abetted by too many wides, English openers Billy Godleman and "Sweet Baby James" Taylor (right) got England over the line at a run a ball. A good, if predictable start for the England Cubs (well, if the ECB insist on calling the A squad the England Lions...)

Elsewhere India brushed aside Papua New Guinea, Australia did the same to Nambia and the home side were annihilated by the Trumpet's tip for the trophy, Pakistan.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

England under-19s fail to impress, again

On the 27th Jan, Pakistan's juniors took on Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo and won by an impressive nine wickets. A couple of days before that England had failed to capitalize on their previous good form and lost to Sri Lanka.

So what hope today was there for the so highly rated England boys as they played Sri Lanka again? Well bloody nothing really. Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first. James Harris struck early and removed multi-initialled EMGDY Munaweera for just 6, but his companion Chandimal hit 10 fours and one six on his way to an unbeaten 112. Sri Lanka posted a total of 312 - the highest I think in this Tri-Nation's series and England had a lot to do.

They didn't do much. Wakely out for a duck, Ben Brown (to my utter disappointment) only made 12 and Sam Northeast (who does sound like part of the Shipping Forecast) was top scorer with 32. England lost by 158 runs and my only comfort is that Billy Godleman was not playing. So many hopes for the future lie on that young man's shoulders that we can imagine that he would have won the game for us single-battedly.

A pretty miserable preparation for the World Cup - I can only hope that it will all go better for the boys there.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England flatter to deceive, again

You would have thought, wouldn't you, that after yesterday's win over Pakistan, who had beaten Sri Lanka in a resounding fashion the day before, that England could for once have carried the winning momentum forward.

But no. Today our Under-19s allowed Sri Lanka to positively stroll to a seven wicket win in Colombo. With England batting first, it wasn't until James (You've Gotta Friend) Taylor and Greg Wood top-scored for the boys with 43 each that there was much respectability. Ben Brown, batting too far down the order for my liking, then chipped in with 38. The combined England score of 208 was not enough to trouble the Sri Lankan team.

Multi-initialled EMGDY (that's Eldeniya Medo Gedara Dilshan Yasika) Munaweera opened for SL with a strong 45, accompanied by Dinesh Chandimal.  Once EMGDYM had gone, Chandimal cemented the innings with Kushal Perera, putting on a stand of 106. Liam Dawson did finally make a break-through for England getting rid of Perera, but too little too late and England's fate was sealed.

Now much was made, when the England Test team were in Sri Lanka, of the fact that some of SL's top players were closing on retirement - and that there was little in the way of talented youth coming through. Perhaps time to think again. Perera and Chandimal are certainly full of talent and I think we'll all be trying to remember Munaweera's initials in the near future.

I am not writing off the England Under-19s on this one performance - they have another match on 28th Jan - before travelling to the World Cup, but I am concerned that they cannot sustain a winning streak.

All too reminiscent of the senior team.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

A good beginning

A week or so ago, I wrote that we at The Googly would be keeping a close eye on the performances and progress of England Under-19s as they prepare in Sri Lanka for their assault on the junior World Cup. Well, so far so good.

In their first warm-up match since arriving in Sri Lanka, the young England boys have taken on the Sri Lankans in Colombo today and notched up a satisfying win. Unsurprisingly for the time of year, Sri Lanka batting second, found themselves in a Duckworth-Lewis situation, but with our own young Googly pick Billy Godleman having top-scored with 123 they were always chasing a tough target of 318. Our bowling pick Tom Westley made sure they would have it hard taking three wickets for 27. Sri Lanka ended up 12 runs short.

Let's hope this is a display of real talent and not another blip of success on England's less-than-spectacular result sheet.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England Under-19s: the pick of the squad

It is not yet clear who will be in the team for the Under-19 World Cup squad, but of the boys chosen to represent England in Sri Lanka in the preparatory Tri-Nations Tournament, we, at The Googly are proud to recogonise that quite a few of our One to watch boys are in the team. Last year we picked, publicly, Billy Godleman and James Harris.

Bubbling under, and if only there had been enough time, we were looking at Alex Wakely, Ben Brown, Steven Finn and Tom Westley.

Some names have sneaked under our radar and I do hope that in the year to come, our readers will help spot young pretenders.  Our current top-line Test side is a bit shaky and is not giving any of us the hope of being Aussie beaters in the next year or so. Therefore we must put faith in the layer below - and that does not mean bringing in old lovely lags like Mark Ramprakash. We need the young guns.

We'll be watching results this month in Sri Lanka and later in March in the World Cup. We are hoping that the boys are aggressive enough to stamp their mark on the world stage, but also hoping that our lads know how to play in the spirit of the game.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]