Kevin Pietersen was in bullish mood after launching his Ashes tour with a confident 58 against Western Australia and feels “on fire” after his short stint in South Africa ahead of travelling to Australia.

Pietersen’s form was the biggest boost to come out of the second day at the WACA but the rest of England’s top order struggled as they visitors slipped to 8 for 159 before Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann clubbed a face-saving partnership.

Pietersen hasn’t scored an international hundred since March 2009, against West Indies in Trinidad, and even though England have been successful during his lean run many feel he has to perform for them to retain the Ashes.

Pietersen, given a life in the slips on 25, drove strongly through the off side and used his feet to loft Michael Beer, the left-arm spinner, down the ground before miscuing a drive to gully off Michael Hogan and he said his confidence is now coming flooding back.

“I have never really been a technical player, you’ve seen me play for six years,” he said. “I play like a clown, it is my mental approach that I needed to change. I needed to get a load of confidence back and I’m on fire at the moment, so I am very happy.”

“I really enjoyed today, it is always nice to get time out in the middle,” Pietersen added. “I have been working really hard over the last six weeks to get to a place where I am at at the moment. As I said, coming back from South Africa a couple of weeks I feel top draw again.”

This was his first innings for England since making a first-ball duck in the final Test against Pakistan, at Lord’s, in August. He was omitted for the Twenty20 and one-day series which and signed a loan deal with Surrey before organising his own trip to the Natal Dolphins in a quest to regain his form by linking up with one of his mentors, Graham Ford.

“It was amazing, I have worked with him since I was six or seven years old and he is a great family friend,” he said. “Fordy just knows me. He knows how to sort me out.”

Pietersen insisted that he hasn’t taken any notice of Australia’s problems in recent days as they slumped to a series defeat against Sri Lanka amid talk of disquiet in the team.

“I haven’t watched a single ball,” he said. “My computer is turned on to Skype, and I speak to my wife and my baby as much as I can. I haven’t even turned my television on in Australia; I haven’t read a headline, nothing. Somebody told me this morning that they lost, but that’s got nothing to do with us.”

The Aussie fans seem to have lost all faith in their national cricket team as a nationwide online survey has thrown up verdict that Australia would not win the Ashes this time around.

While a lot of fans still hoped that Australia would regain the Ashes, but 56 per cent believe the Poms will defeat the them on home soil for the first time since 1986-87.

In a poll conducted by the Sunday Herald Sun online, more than 6000 fans took part, with questions ranging from the make-up of the team for the first Test at the Gabba, starting on November 25, to whether there is too much cricket being played.

The people blamed the selectors for Aussie team sliding to No 5 position in the world Test rankings. The poll also showed that they believe that coach Tim Nielsen is a failure and should be replaced by Shane Warne. Besides, an overwhelming 74 per cent said that Michael Clarke should not become the next Test captain.

And while Michael Hussey remained a line-ball selection but Marcus North, who only last week was projected as a future captain, did not get fans’ support.

In fact, people’s verdict said that he did not even deserve to be in the team, with 69 per cent of them saying that he should be dropped.

Meanwhile, 85 per cent voted against Nathan Hauritz as the spin bowling answer for Australia and instead chose young gun Steve Smith as the preferred option.

In other shocking responses, the fans preferred Cameron White to take over Test captaincy from Ricky Ponting.

Also, they voted England’s under-fire batsman Kevin Pietersen as Australia’s biggest danger, just ahead of spinner Graeme Swann.

The other poll results showed that it was time for the selectors to show some faith in youngsters, with more than 82 per cent claiming Australia must promote youth in this summer’s Test series against England.

Most of the fans voted that the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch must be dumped for former Australian captain Greg Chappell.

Meanwhile, Test cricket was still the preferred form of the game, with 68 per cent voting in its favour. Twenty20 came in third behind the 50-over game.

However, the biggest shock of the survey came as the cricket lovers have all but given up hope on Australia winning back the Ashes this summer.

“What a disastrous build-up to the Ashes this is turning out to be,” Terry of Shellharbour posted.

While Greg Johnston, of Sydney, said: “Where’s our mongrel? We were famous for it, now we couldn’t knock a maggot off a chop!”

Even the Test captain-in-waiting Clarke took a belting from the fans again.

“Clarke is clueless as captain,” Gazza of Newcastle wrote.

Australia’s losing streak has reached seven with the SCG defeat by Sri Lanka on yesterday night. But the fans preferred to hold selectors responsible for the debacle, rather than the players, with 90 per cent claiming the selectors are not doing a good job. While 68 per cent delivered the same scathing verdict on coach Nielsen.

Fans instead want former spin king Warne as the coaching replacement.

Interestingly, the the public was divided on whether players’ wives and girlfriends should be allowed on tour, with more than 53 per cent were in favour of them joining the team over summer.

Sri Lanka recalled left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara to their squad on Tuesday for the test series in India next month.

Welegedara, 28, made his debut against England in 2007 but lost his place after suffering problems with his run-up.

Uncapped wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva and middle-order batsman Thilina Kandamby were also named in the test squad.

All-rounder Muthumudalige Pushpakumara is a new face in the Twenty20 squad while fast bowler Dilhara Fernando has been recalled to the one-day party after returning from injury, taking the place of Dammika Prasad.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three tests against India, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals.

Test squad: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Thilina Kandamby, Prasanna Jayawardene, Kaushal Silva, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dammika Prasad, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis

Twenty20 squad: Sangakkara (captain), Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedara, Mathews, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Kaushal Weeraratne, Mendis, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Welegedara, Thushara, Lasith Malinga, Kulasekera

One-day squad: Sangakkara (captain), Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Dilshan, Kapugedara, Kandamby, Upul Tharanga, Mathews, Samaraweera, Jayasuriya, Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Thushara, Kulasekera, Mendis.

World bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan will reinforce Sri Lanka for next week’s first Test against New Zealand after missing the Pakistan series due to injury.

Muralitharan, who has a record 770 Test wickets, recovered from the knee injury and was included in a 15-man squad for the first Test at Galle from August 18, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a media release.

Wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who also missed the three Tests against Pakistan because of a finger injury, was back in the squad for the first of two Test against the Black Caps.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who kept wickets against Pakistan in place of Jayawardene and suffered injuries in the hand and face during the third Test, was also named in the squad.

The second Test will be played at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo from August 26.

Sri Lanka’s Test squad:

Kumar Sangakkara (Capt.), Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath.

England included Andrew Flintoff in their squad for the fourth Ashes Test in the hope that the all-rounder is fit to face Australia in what could be the series decider starting Friday.

England picked 14 players in its squad Tuesday, one more than for the drawn third Test, with pace bowler Steve Harmison or left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom seemingly set to replace Flintoff at Headingley if he succumbs to his troublesome ankle injury.

Flintoff was arguably the key player in the second Test win that put England 1-0 up but failed to take a wicket in the last match and labored through 11 overs on Monday’s final day.

With England hoping to regain the Ashes with victory in Leeds, national selector Geoff Miller said Flintoff’s chances of playing were good.

“I would say they’re always pretty good,” Miller said. “We know how determined he is to finish off his career. I’m sure he’ll want to play.

“We know full well that if he’s capable of doing the workload that the captain requires, he’ll be in the team.”

Harmison has been on standby to fill in for Flintoff for the past two matches but is struggling with blisters on his foot. Sidebottom is effectively in the squad to cover for his fellow bowler.

Team director Andy Flower, however, is hopeful that Flintoff, who is retiring from Test cricket after the fifth and final Test, will be fit.

“We will have to play it by ear again,” Flower said. “We’ve done that throughout the series. Continued wear and tear mean he probably is less likely (than for the last Test) but he’s a strong bloke. He’s got a strong body and a strong mind.”

England also dropped spinner Monty Panesar after he was left out of the last two Tests and added Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott and Sidebottom.

“It’s disappointing for Monty, but the records show over the years it’s not a spinning track,” Miller said.

The South African-born Trott, who averages 92.33 in 10 first-class county matches this season, is not in the squad as a replacement for the struggling Ravi Bopara but as an extra batsman.

“Ravi will bat at No.3 for us at Headingley, definitely,” Flower said. “Trott will be there if we want a sixth batter.”

While Australia could be bolstered by the return from injury of pace bowler Brett Lee and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, Miller said the bigger than usual squad will give Flower and captain Andrew Strauss greater flexibility when they come to name the team after assessing the state of the pitch.

“We’ve got the option for an extra batter if necessary,” Miller said. “Jon’s been part of the performance squad for a year or more now. He’s done really well over the last year or so with the bat.

“The options are there for the captain and coach for what they want to go with on the morning of the game.”

Squad: Andrew Strauss (Captain), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior, Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions, Jonathan Trott.

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan on Friday and win his first series as captain.

The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to finish with 391/4 on the fifth day at the Sinhalese sports club.

The rock solid Sangakarra’s 19th Test century featured a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thilan Samaraweera (73) and 114 for the unbroken fifth with Angelo Mathews (64 not out).

Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts, and provided Sangakkara with a winning start as captain after he took over from Mahela Jayawardene in April.

Sangakkara hung on for nearly seven hours on a placid pitch to frustrate Pakistan’s bid to record a face-saving win ahead of the five-match one-day series starting at Dambulla on July 30.

No team has achieved this high a target in the fourth innings to win a Test match. The highest successful chase so far is 418/7 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

The two teams went into the last session of the match with Sri Lanka needing 154 runs from a possible 38 overs to record a record-breaking win and Pakistan requiring six wickets.

The hosts gave an indication they would prefer to settle for a draw when they made just 76 runs from 26 overs in the two hours after lunch.

The final session, watched by some 3,000 home fans, provided dull cricket from both sides as the batsmen plodded along and the bowlers set defensive fields to ensure the run-rate did not pick up.

Play was finally called off when 15 overs remained with Sri Lanka needing a further 101 runs.

It was the first time in the series that play went into the fifth day after the tourists lost the first Test in four days and the second in three.

Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who resumed the day at 183/3, batted through the morning session to take Sri Lanka to 262 without further loss by lunch.

The pair made a cautious start in the morning, scoring 50 runs in 21 overs before Pakistan captain Younus Khan took the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 81st over.

Samaraweera welcomed the change by driving the first delivery from Umar Gul to the cover fence and executing another perfect off-drive from the last ball of the over.

Sri Lanka suffered a setback soon after lunch when Samaraweera strained a hamstring while taking a single and called for a runner.

The injury did not seem to bother him as he hit the first ball from pace bowler Mohammad Aamer for a boundary, but then was smashed on the helmet by a rising ball later in the same over.

Samaraweera was dismissed in the following over when he failed to read a straight ball from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and nicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Sri Lanka face an uphill battle to save the third Test against Pakistan after closing on 183 for three chasing a huge 492-run victory target on Thursday.

The hosts started their chase positively with an opening stand of 83 either side of tea, but lost the wickets of Malinda Warnapura (31), Tharanga Paranavitana (73) and Mahela Jayawardene (two) in the final session.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara, dropped on 40 by Younus Khan, was unbeaten on 50 at the close with Thilan Samaraweera on 20.

The biggest challenge for the hosts will be the leg spin of Danish Kaneria, who followed his first innings five-wicket haul with two for 56 from 16 overs.

Kaneria found sharp turn and bounce on the dusty-dry pitch, snaring the left-handed Warnapura at leg slip and finding the outside edge of Jayawardene’s bat with a big leg break.

Off spinners Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Malik also applied pressure, the latter claiming the wicket of Paranavitana caught at short leg.

Pakistan set the hosts a daunting target when they declared shortly after lunch on 425 for nine having added 125 runs during the day.

Pakistan resumed on 300 for five and Sri Lanka struck early with Jayawardene taking a fine diving slip catch off a thick outside edge to remove Kamran Akmal, who had scored a brisk 74 from 80 balls including seven fours and a six.

The breakthrough ended a punishing 133-run sixth-wicket stand between Akmal and Shoaib Malik.

Malik top-scored for Pakistan, riding his luck in the morning as Sangakkara missed a catch and stumping, with 134 from 240 deliveries including 13 fours and two sixes.

He added a further 52 runs for the seventh wicket with Umar Gul (46) before being spectacularly caught in the deep by substitute fielder Suranga Lakmal.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with five for 157 from 46 overs.

Sri Lanka lead the series 2-0.

Former captain Shoaib Malik hit an unbeaten 106 on Wednesday to put Pakistan on course for a face-saving victory in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan, who lost the first two Tests to hand Sri Lanka a decisive lead in the series, finally flexed their batting muscle to pile up 300-5 in their second innings by stumps on the third day.

Kamran Akmal returned unbeaten on 60 after adding 114 for the unbroken sixth wicket with Malik as Pakistan established an overall lead of 366 runs with five wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka will need to put on their best batting display in the series to record a 3-0 sweep over the remaining two days after failing to cross 300 in any of the five previous innings.

Pakistan appeared to have thrown away the advantage of a 66-run first innings lead when, starting the day at 16-1, they lost three quick wickets to slip to 67-4 before lunch.

Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq led the fightback with a 119-run stand for the fifth wicket, staying together for the entire post-lunch session to frustrate the Sri Lankan bowlers on a hot and humid day.

Misbah made 65 before he gifted his wicket after tea, attempting a wild heave off seamer Angelo Mathews that took the edge to wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara.

Malik reached his second Test century just before close by lofting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a six, having survived a missed stumping by Sangakkara in the bowler’s previous over.

The hosts missed a second spinner alongside Herath after dropping Ajantha Mendis to accommodate veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas for his final Test in a four-man pace attack.

Vaas, who claimed one wicket in the first innings, was kept out of the firing line till the 33rd over on Wednesday before sending down 14 unsuccessful overs for 29 runs.

Pakistan had added just six runs to their overnight score when Fawad Alam fended at a short ball from left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara and spooned an easy catch to the bowler.

Left-handed Alam, who hit 168 on debut in the second Test, scored 16 in each innings in the Test.

Younis Khan looked solid while making 19 when he was unfortunate to be given leg-before to Nuwan Kulaksekera by umpire Ian Gould. Television replays showed an inside edge off the bat.

Younis walked back dejected as Pakistan slipped to 54-3, just 120 runs ahead.

Veteran Mohammad Yousuf was on 23 when he poked at a good length delivery from left-arm spinner Herath and edged a catch to wicket-keeper Sangakkara.

The Sri Lankan captain, who keeps wickets in limited-over internationals but is reluctant to do the job in Tests, was forced to don the gloves after Tillakaratne Dilshan was laid low with injuries.

Dilshan broke a finger in his right hand while keeping wickets on the first day, and then suffered a bloody cut over the left eyebrow while batting on Tuesday.

He is likely to miss the five One-day matches against Pakistan starting on July 30.

An amazing test match series reaches a conclusion when Sri Lanka and Pakistan face off again in the 3rd and final test match at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo on Monday. Sri Lanka have already clinched the series but that doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story.

Live Cricket Score

There is a rarely a dull moment in a Pakistan test match series and this tour of Sri Lanka has been one of the most extraordinary I can recall. Whilst Sri Lanka may have clinched their first home series win, I am still shaking my head in disbelief at 3 of the most spectacular Pakistan batting collapses that I have seen. In case you have not been following this series here is a quick re-cap of how the Pakistan team have thrown away winning positions in each of the first 2 test matches.

1st Test: Sri Lanka won by 50 runs

After a fairly even 1st innings Pakistan assumed control and find themselves needing just 97 to win with 8 wickets remaining going into Day 4. Collapse number 1 saw them come up 50 runs short as they added just 46 runs.

2nd Test: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat, a good toss to have won by all accounts but they manage to bat for just 36 overs scoring 90 runs in the process of collapse number 2. Game over? Certainly not, back come Pakistan and they restrict Sri Lanka to 240, a useful though not match-winning lead of 150.

Pakistan take control as Fawad Alam (168 on debut) and Younus Kahn (82) pile on the runs before the captain throws his wicket away with the score on 285. A threatening lead and plenty of batting to come – advantage Pakistan? Think again. Pakistan went on to lose their last 9 wickets for just 35 runs in collapse number 3. It gave them a lead of just 170 and Sri Lanka knocked off the runs in no time.

The Venue: 

This venue has become a Sri Lanka cricket stronghold with only Pakistan (2000), England (2001) and Australia (2004) managing to win a test against the hosts. Sri Lanka have won 11 of the last 14 test matches they have played on this ground, they even put India away by an innings and 239 runs last year.

A new era for Sri Lanka

Sangakkara has captained the side splendidly, refusing to panic when on the back foot and pressing home the advantage when Pakistan lost their heads. Paranavitana and Sangakkara himself have made solid contributions with the bat. Despite missing Murali for the first 2 tests and Mendis not really firing, the bowlers has been top class.

After the 3rd test, the sides will play 5 ODI’s and a T20 and we will preview each match.

England captain Andrew Strauss made the most of some poor Australia bowling with a century on the first day of the second Ashes Test here at Lord’s on Thursday.

England at tea were 255 for two with Strauss, who’d won the toss, exactly 100 not out on his Middlesex home ground and Kevin Pietersen unbeaten on 22 as the hosts pursued a first Test win over Australia at Lord’s in 75 years.

Strauss, together with fellow left-handed opener Alastair Cook (95), shared a record-breaking first-wicket stand of 196 before completing his 18th Test century and fourth at Lord’s off 178 balls with 15 boundaries.

Mitchell Johnson did separate England’s openers but figures of one wicket for 77 runs in 11 overs were testament to the left-arm quick’s waywardness.

Swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, the one member of a four-man attack, depleted when Nathan Hauritz had to go off the field injured, to maintain some control, dismissed Ravi Bopara and at tea had figures of one for 49 off 20 overs.

England, who had to survive a top-order collapse before clinging on for a draw in last week’s series opener in Cardiff, resumed after a lunch in a commanding position of 126 without loss.

Strauss was 47 not out and Cook, batting with rare panache, 67 not out with 56 of his runs in the first session.

Off-spinner Hauritz was twice slog-swept for four in three balls by Cook.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting was in something of a quandry.

And he was faced with a real problem when Hautritz had to leave the field midway through an over after dislocating the middle finger of his right, bowling hand when he failed to hold an extremely tough return chance off a low, hard-hit Strauss drive.

Even Hilfenhaus was pulled for four by Cook when he erred in dropping short.

Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, who’d been having a difficult match, let through four byes off part-time spinner Marcus North.

And even Ponting, normally a brilliant fielder, saw the ball go through his legs to the delight of the crowd.

Ponting returned to Johnson, whose first eight overs had cost 53 runs.

But his first ball back was square cut for four by Strauss and when he dropped short, Strauss cut him over the slips for four more.

When Strauss and Cook took their stand before 182 they’d surpassed the England’s first-wicket partnership record against Australia at Lord’s set by Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe back in 1926.

However, there was to be no 10th Test century for Cook, lbw to an unusually straight Johnson delivery that kept a touch low, having faced 147 balls with 18 fours.

Bopara looked stylish while making 18 but, playing down the wrong line, was plumb lbw to Hilfenhaus and England were 222 for two.