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Mitchell Johnson has rated his devastating return of 6 for 38 as better than his career-best haul against South Africa here two summers ago. But despite swinging the ball further than he ever has, he said he wasn’t even trying to curl it into the pads of England’s right-handers.”I think it’s a bonus,” he said of the shape that helped him pick up the lbws of Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood before lunch on the second day. The dismissals were part of a damaging burst of 4 for 7 in 27 balls that started England’s fall for 187, and he finished off the tail to gain his second-best Test figures.The performance surged Australia back into the series – they had a lead of 200 at stumps – but Johnson isn’t expecting to swing the ball in every innings and was thankful for a helpful breeze. “I like to run in and try to hit the wicket hard,” he said. “When the ball does swing, it definitely puts doubts in the mind of the batsmen.”I haven’t got all my wickets bowling inswingers to the right-handers. I do get the ball to go across right-handers and get nicks. When I swing it back in, it definitely helps me pick up more wickets.”Johnson spent the week before the Test with Troy Cooley, the bowling coach, and the conditioner Stuart Karppinen to rectify a string of technical and physical faults. It was a controversial decision at the time because it kept him out of Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield game, but the plan turned out to be perfect.”One thing I was working on in the nets with Troy and Stuart was getting my momentum going forward, instead of just dropping off to square leg,” he said. “I think that’s definitely helped me and got my arm higher and wrist behind the ball a bit better. I also worked on getting my lower-half body strength back to where I needed to be.”Johnson now has 27 wickets at 18.51 in four matches at the WACA, his home ground, and his best Test figures of 8 for 61 came here against South Africa in 2008-09. “I think I bowled better today than then,” he said. “But it’s only one innings. We need to go out there in the second innings and do it again. There’s a long way to go.”The outstanding display also showed England how much of a menace Johnson can be and helped him to move on from his troubled times during the 2009 tour. “To be a big part of this Ashes series is exciting for me,” he said.

Allrounder Vince Broderick, who was a regular for Northamptonshire for more than a decade after World War Two, has died at the age of 90.A middle-order batsman and left-arm spinner, Broderick was one of a dwindling number of those who had played first-class cricket before the war, making his debut in August 1939 as many regulars left to join the forces. When cricket resumed he made one appearance in 1946 but from then to his retirement at the end of 1957 was an ever present.His best season came in 1948 when he achieved the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets – his form earned him an outing for the Rest in the Test Trial but the match was blighted by rain; a second trial match in 1949 was equally frustrating.His best bowling – 9 for 35 against Sussex at Horsham – as well as the first two of his five hundreds came in 1948, and after that he was less effective with the ball although did enjoy two good seasons near the end of his career. With the bat his highest score was 190 not out against Scotland in 1953, sharing a then-record opening stand of 361 with Norman ‘Buddy’ Oldfield.After his retirement he became cricket professional at Winchester College where he remained for 28 years as well as continuing to captain Northamptonshire’s 2nd XI until 1959.In all he scored 7530 runs at 22.14 and took 548 wickets at 27.38.

Ashish Bagai will lead a young Canadian squad to the 2011 World Cup, and Rizwan Cheema will be his deputy. Apart from Bagai, seamer Henry Osinde and allrounder John Davison are the two other players in the side with prior World Cup experience.Canada have four Pakistan-born players in their squad who are still waiting to receive visas to enter India, where Canada play four of their six group games. Batsman Rizwan Cheema, allrounder Umar Bhatti, paceman Khurram Chohan and back-up keeper Hamza Tariq were all ruled out of Canada’s recent pre-tournament warm-up in India because they couldn’t enter the country, but have been named in the World Cup squad.The team features seven players who have come through Canada’s youth programs, including six who have represented the country at the under-19 level – Zubin Surkari, Nitish Kumar, Hiral Patel, Ruvindu Gunaskera, Parth Desai, and Hamza Tariq.The Jamaica-born Tyson Gordon has been picked, though he still awaits confirmation of his Canadian citizenship. Cricket Canada expect this to be completed in the coming days but have named Hamza Tariq as a standby in case Gordon cannot make the cut.The team leaves for a pre-tournament training camp in Dubai on January 26 and will head to Bangladesh on February 8 for warm-up matches against Bangladesh and England, before opening their tournament on February 20 against Sri Lanka.Squad: Ashish Bagai (capt & wk), Rizwan Cheema (vice-capt), Harvir Baidwan, Nitish Kumar, Hiral Patel, Tyson Gordon, Henry Osinde, John Davison, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Parth Desai, Karl Whatham, Khurram Chohan, Jimmy Hansra, Zubin Surkari, Balaji Rao.Standby: Hamza Tariq (for Tyson Gordon)

Andrew Strauss has much to ponder as England fly home after more than three months in Australia and top of that list is now the “substantial” fracture to Eoin Morgan’s finger, which threatens to rule him out of the World Cup. It means England head home with injury issues hanging over six of their 15-man squad with just five days remaining before they leave for the subcontinent.Morgan was ruled out of the final match of the series in Australia after X-rays revealed a fracture to the middle finger on his left hand, which he sustained in Adelaide but was only picked up more than a week later. He flew out of Perth as the last game unfolded and will see a specialist immediately on his return to the UK.It is expected that the results will be known by the time Andy Flower, the England team director, sits down with the selectors on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the injury situation and Strauss is bracing himself for the worst.”He’s got a broken finger, he’s going to see a specialist tomorrow to decide what the best course of action is to remedy that situation,” he said. “There’s obviously a chance that he’s not going to feature. They went for an X-ray and I think everyone was reasonably surprised to see it was quite a substantial fracture.”

England’s walking wounded

Eoin Morgan: Fractured middle finger on left hand in fourth ODI against Australia
Tim Bresnan: Picked up calf injury during second ODI
Graeme Swann: Back strain kept him out of ODI series
Paul Collingwood: Back spasms sent him home after the sixth ODI
Ajmal Shahzad: Limped off pitch with hamstring injury during fifth ODI
Stuart Broad: Tore his abdominal muscle during second Ashes Test and didn’t feature in ODI series

Morgan’s absence would leave a massive hole in England’s middle order even though he had a poor series in Australia where he made 106 runs at 17.66. “He is [important], particularly in those conditions as well, being able to clear the ropes in the manner that he does,” Strauss said. “It’s a big loss for us potentially. Hopefully there will be an opportunity for him to play. If he isn’t available someone is going to have to fill those shoes.”Questions will be asked as to why it took so long to diagnose the problem, but Morgan insisted his finger was only bruised and carried on to play matches at Brisbane and Sydney. Eventually, the medical staff told him he had to have it examined and the full extent of the damage become clear. “He just thought it was bruised. He got on with it, but just when he was thinking it would start feeling better it got worse and it was restricting his play,” Strauss said.Despite the troubled end to the long tour and the 6-1 scoreline in the ODI series, Strauss knows his team achieved their major aim of the trip by retaining the Ashes in three crushing innings victories. “They are two different forms of the game and that Ashes victory was incredibly special and one that we’ll savour forever. You talk to people out there and they say ‘great tour’ even though we just lost 6-1.”We’re disappointed with the one-day results but we’ll get onto that plane, certainly those who were involved in the Ashes, and be very happy with what we’ve achieved.”However, to make this winter go down as one of England’s best, it is vital they don’t crash out of the World Cup in embarrassing circumstances as has been the case in the last four tournaments. While Strauss can still quite rightly reflect on Ashes glory the next seven weeks are another massive challenge. With our without injury worries.

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Victoria’s seamers Peter Siddle and Jayde Herrick helped seal a 185-run win over South Australia at the MCG, sharing seven wickets. Opener Daniel Harris fought hard with 96 but was short of support from the other end as South Australia faltered in their chase of 380. They had been reduced to 22 for 2 at stumps on the third day and Siddle didn’t take too long to effect a breakthrough on the fourth, bowling Cameron Borgas for 10. Aiden Blizzard and Harris tried to revive the innings with a 67-run stand but the bowlers kept the pressure on with timely wickets. There was still hope at 148 for 4 for South Australia but persistent strikes, with bowlers Jon Holland and Steve Gilmour chipping in, shot them out for 194 – the last six wickets falling for 48.Victoria are now third on the points table with three wins and three losses.

An 118-ball 123 from Shaiman Anwar helped UAE to a 114-run win against Papua New Guinea in the World Cricket League Division Two in Dubai.Coming in after Swapnil Patil fell early, Shaiman helped steer UEA after a middle-order collapse saw them lose three wickets for two runs. It was down to Amjad Ali to provide some resistance at one end while Shaiman blazed at the other. In all he hit 13 fours and five sixes, sharing a 117-run stand with Amjad. After he fell, the lower order dragged the score up to 284 which always looked likely to be enough.In reply, PNG’s Chris Amini started the side off well after the departure of Tony Ura for 7, but tight bowling by the UAE attack saw the side slip to 68 for 5 by the 20th over and the game, despite some spirited lower-order batting, was as good as up. UAE coach Kabir Khan said: “PNG are newcomers. They did succeed in putting pressure on our team, however I think in this case it’s clear that experience prevailed.”

After a disappointing loss to PNG on Friday, Bermuda secured a 69-run win over Hong Kong at the Global Cricket Academy ground. Their match-winning total of 242 for 7 was set up by wicketkeeper Jason Anderson’s unbeaten 106 and a late blitz from Lionel Cann, who struck two sixes in a 35-ball 50. Hong Kong’s reply never got going, with opener Roy Lamsam the only batsman in the top six to pass 20. Captain Najeeb Amar helped to rally the lower order after Hong Kong had slipped to 89 for 6, but once his partnership with Irfan Ahmed had been broken the tail fell in a heap, Rodney Trott and Dion Stovell helping themselves to three wickets apiece with their offspin.”Today we played incredibly well; you always hope that one of your top four batsmen will bat through, creating a platform for a high score,” Bermuda captain David Hemp said. “We played well and we stuck with it. Anderson laid a great foundation for us to keep pushing through while defending a target.”Today we were far more consistent in our bowling: in terms of lines and lengths. We had a superb start, which gave us momentum for our bowling Powerplay. This also ensured that some pressure was relieved off our bowlers; so they could focus on doing their job right. The great beginning meant we gave ourselves a chance to bowl well.”

Kola Burger picked up five wickets as Namibia sealed a comprehensive 205-run victory over Uganda at the Dubai International Cricket stadium.Namibia’s victory was set up by a solid performance from their middle order, after they were sent in to bat. Openers Ewald Steenkamp and Jan-Berrie Burger started steadily adding 40 runs in 12 overs before Deusdedit Muhumuza dismissed Steenkamp. Muhumuza struck again in his very next over, taking a smart return catch to send Jan-Berrie Burger back. Sarel Burger fell on the same score, in the next over, and Namibia looked to be struggling at 42 for 3.However, Craig Williams and Gerrie Snyman combined to wrest the initiative from Uganda with a mammoth 183-run fourth-wicket partnership. Williams, who reached his century off 97 balls, was finally dismissed by Muhumuza in the 46th over. Snyman, who made a half-century in the last match, against UAE, fell 15 runs short of a well-deserved century in the 49th over; his 85 included five fours and four sixes. Louis van der Westhuizen hit some big shots in his 26 as Namibia reached an imposing 272 for 5.Uganda needed a solid start and some big contributions from their batsmen if they were going to make a fist of the chase, but they failed miserably. They lost four wickets within the first six overs with just 16 runs on the board, with Kola Burger picking up three of them. Benjamin Musoke (28) and Lawrence Sematimba (15) – the only two batsmen to reach double figures – tried to offer some resistance, but it was to no avail. Kola Burger picked up two more wickets to end with figures of 5 for 25, his best List A figures, as Uganda slumped to 67 all out in just the 27th over.

Australia allrounder Steven Smith will not be taking up his IPL duties with Kochi Tuskers Kerala after it was decided he should fly home to undergo ankle surgery. Smith has experienced left ankle pain through the Australian summer, and will now have the problem dealt with, to be fit in time for Australia’s pre-season camp in July and the tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa that follow.”Steve has had long-standing, minor pain in his left ankle during the Australian summer,” team physio Alex Kountouris said. “This is considered an opportune time to have surgery on the ankle. It will take place next week so he can adequately prepare for the upcoming Australia season.”Smith’s withdrawal is a blow for Kochi, one of the IPL’s new franchises, who are winless after two matches. While doing little with the bat, Smith showed considerable promise with the ball in the just-concluded series against Bangladesh, delivering a remarkable sharp legbreak that ripped between bat and pad to castle Shakib Al Hasan.”I’m pretty happy with the way I’m going. I feel good in everything I’m doing in the nets and in games,” Smith said during the series. “Every time I’m bowling in a game it’s going to help me, every time I get that opportunity. So at the moment that’s pretty much what it’s about for me, gaining control in games under pressure.”Smith was scheduled to join Kochi with team-mate John Hastings, as a host of other players including Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee and Shakib Al Hasan, make their way to various IPL franchises following Australia’s 3-0 victory over Bangladesh in the limited-overs series that finished on Wednesday.

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James Anyon bowled superbly in Nottinghamshire’s first innings•Getty Images

A first win at Hove in 28 years seemed a distant prospect for Nottinghamshireas they were forced to follow on in their County Championship match againstSussex after losing their last six first-innings wickets for 13 runs.The reigning champions slipped from 132 for 4 to 145 all out and had tofollow on 159 behind on day two, with James Anyon taking four wickets and MontyPanesar and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan claiming three apiece.A rare bright spot for Nottinghamshire was the form of Samit Patel, who markedhis return to the England set-up by scoring 63 in the first innings and anunbeaten 49 in the second as Nottinghamshire finished the day on 135 for 2,still 24 behind.The champions, who resumed on 5 for 1, lost three early wickets but werethinking of a first-innings lead when they were 132 for 4 in the 48th over,just 23 runs short of avoiding the follow-on. Samit Patel and Adam Voges were together at that point, having put on 87, but the Australian went down the wicket to Panesar, missed the ball and was stumped by Matt Prior for 41.Samit Patel, having played well for his 63 after being named in the EnglandLions squad earlier in the day, aimed a wild stroke to cow corner as he advanceddown the wicket and was also stumped by Prior off Panesar. It did not get any better as three wickets tumbled on 140.Chris Read threw his bat at one from the impressive Anyon and was caughtbehind, England’s Stuart Broad was bowled by the seamer for a duck by a goodball that came into him, and Steven Mullaney chipped one from Panesar to MurrayGoodwin at midwicket.Mullaney still looked dazed after being hit on the head by a short one fromAnyon just four balls earlier. Finally, Luke Fletcher was bowled by one that kept low from Anyon. Panesar took three wickets for four runs in 14 balls, finishing with figures of3 for 11 off 10 overs, while Anyon claimed three for five in nine deliveriesfor figures of four for 52, his best for Sussex.Following on, Nottinghamshire immediately lost Neil Edwards, who was hit on hisright wrist by Amjad Khan and had to retire hurt before he had scored. Akhil Patel was lbw to Naved-ul-Hasan soon after, before Mark Wagh settled in for a partnership with Samit Patel worth 92.Wagh fell for 48, caught at slip off Panesar. For the second time in the match Samit Patel held up Sussex but was dropped on 15 and 24 by Prior and Ed Joyce, could have been run out on 28 by Andrew Hodd and was missed again by Joyce – a half-chance – on 29. He finished the day a run short of his second half-century of the match, with Graeme Swann beside him on 11.

ScorecardRiki Wessels continued his good form with a rapid 70•PA Photos

Rapid half-centuries by Riki Wessels and David Hussey helped Nottinghamshire maintain their 100% start to the Friends Life t20 campaign with a 28-run victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.The Outlaws piled up 193 for 7 and made it three wins in three outings as Warwickshire sank to their second home defeat in four days. With Darren Pattinson and Luke Fletcher sharing nine wickets, they could only muster 165 despite a valiant 61 from 36 balls by Darren Maddy.Wessels set the tone for the match by pulling two sixes in Neil Carter’s first over and Hussey also cleared the ropes twice as the left-arm seamer finished with 2 for 61 runs, the most expensive return by a Warwickshire bowler in the competition.In his attempts to find a yorker length, the 36-year-old Carter bowled a number of full tosses which were dispatched over the shorter boundary. His main consolation was the wicket of Hussey with a comfortable catch by Maddy at deep point.Hussey made 56 from 31 balls and will go into the next match against Leicestershire at Grace Road on Friday needing seven runs to beat Brad Hodge’s world record total of 3,690 in Twenty20 cricket.Yet if anything Hussey was outshone by Wessels’ performance at the top of the order. Taking his cue from the early bombardment of Carter, he also hit two sixes in an over from Steffan Piolet and faced only 43 balls before he was run out for 70 by Maddy’s return from extra cover.Warwickshire stumbled at the start, crumbling to 36 for 3, but they found some momentum when Jim Troughton put on 54 in six overs with Maddy before Pattinson bowled the Bears captain for 30.Patel became a target for Maddy as the all-rounder smashed three of his five sixes off the offspinner. The other two came off Andy Carter – but the return of Pattinson killed off Warwickshire.Maddy and Keith Barker (20) put up straightforward catches from successive balls and when Pattinson accounted for Piolet and Tim Ambrose in his last over he had taken 5 for 25, the best figures in the competition for Nottinghamshire. Fletcher also picked up two more wickets for a personal-best Twenty20 return of 4 for 30.

Gloucestershire 107 for 3 v Kent 205
ScorecardWill Gidman claimed a career-best five for 38 as Gloucestershire bowled out Kent for 205 on the opening day of the County Championship match at Cheltenham.It was the former Durham all-rounder’s maiden five-wicket haul and his first three scalps helped reduce the visitors to 59 for 6 before Darren Stevens (67) and James Tredwell (45) put together a seventh-wicket stand of 83.By the close, Gloucestershire had reached 107 for 3 in reply, Hamish Marshall (37) and Kane Williamson (29) having added 78 for the second wicket.It was Jon Lewis who put the skids under Kent on an overcast morning, sending back Championship debutant Chris Piesley lbw for a duck and fellow opener Joe Denly, bowled for 13, to make the score 21 for 2.Marshall produced a fine low catch off his own bowling to dismiss Martin van Jaarsveld, who was captaining Kent in the absence of Rob Key with a hand injury. Then Gidman took over, claiming a wicket in each of his first three overs. Sam Northeast was caught behind having played positively for his 34 off 33 balls.Geraint Jones departed without scoring and Alex Blake could make only two as Gidman worked up good pace from the Chapel End. By lunch Kent had struggled to 89 for 6 off 33 overs. The over after the interval saw Tredwell, on 15, dropped by Ian Cockbain at gully off Lewis and it proved an expensive miss as the sun broke through and the left-hander counter-attacked to hit seven fours and a sixth in his 90-ball innings.Stevens was more watchful as the pair dug Kent out of a deep hole. The partnership ended when Gidman returned to have Tredwell caught by wicketkeeper Richard Coughtrie. The same bowler accounted for Simon Cook, taken at second slip by Chris Dent for six and Ian Saxelby wrapped up the innings by removing David Balcombe and Stevens.The latter was last man out having been forced to go for his shots. He was caught on the extra cover boundary by Chris Taylor having faced 138 balls and hit nine fours.Gloucestershire’s reply had reached unlucky 13 when Dent got an edge to Stevens and fell to a catch behind for 12. Marshall and Williamson then produced the most attractive batting of the day before a short shower interrupted play at 5.50pm.The first ball after the resumption at 6.10pm saw Marshall bowled by Tredwell first delivery of the match. There was further success for Kent when Williamson nicked a rising ball from Balcombe to be caught by wicketkeeper Jones.