The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has taken strong exception to recent comments made by BCCI president Shashank Manohar with regards to the constitutional revamp carried out at the ICC under the chairmanship of his predecessor N Srinivasan

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Feb-2016The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has taken strong exception to recent comments made by BCCI president Shashank Manohar with regards to the constitutional revamp carried out at the ICC under the chairmanship of his predecessor N Srinivasan. Srinivasan is the president of the TNCA.TNCA secretary Kasi Viswanathan has written a letter asking Manohar whether he had told the ICC board that he was willing to dilute the BCCI stake on powerful committees of the world body and revise the contribution costs the BCCI was supposed to gain from the formula worked out by the Big Three, which was approved in 2014.Manohar, who replaced Srinivasan as ICC chairman, has noted in the past few months that he does not agree with the Big Three boards – the BCCI, the ECB and CA – “bullying” the rest of the ICC.At the last ICC board meeting in Dubai in January, Manohar suggested to the Full Members that the he would speak to the BCCI about the possibility of giving up about 6% of India’s 22% share of ICC revenues back to the world body. Manohar had made both these statements in a personal capacity.Viswanathan questioned how Manohar could make such statements without having discussed and explained the reasons first to the BCCI members. The letter, accessed by ESPNCricinfo, and sent on February 15, was also addressed to BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, joint-secretary Amitabh Choudhury, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhury, the five vice-presidents of the board and all its full members.”Is it true that you have made any statements in the ICC giving up BCCI’s permanent membership in the ICC Committees?,” asked Viswanathan. “Have you made any commitments to the ICC on BCCI’s share of contribution costs? If the answer to one or both of the above questions is in the affirmative, kindly let me know under what authority have you taken this decision when this matter has not been discussed in either the Working Committee meeting or the General Body meeting of BCCI held recently?”The TNCA letter came up for discussion at the BCCI special general body meeting, held in Mumbai on Friday. According to a member of the Srinivasan camp, Manohar told him the seven Full Members in the ICC (Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies) along with Cricket Australia told him that they supported undoing the revamp carried out by the Big Three.”He [Manohar] said he never committed to asking for less money and that he hasn’t given up [BCCI’s rightful share],” the Srinivasan camp member said. “He said: ‘In order to protect our interests, instead of giving up 21 percent, I said I will share something and make sure we get at least 16 to 17 percent. That’s the deal I want to do.’ He told me that.”The member also said Manohar had told him he had not committed to any definitive figure during his interactions with the ICC board members on what percentage the BCCI was willing to give up. “He told me: ‘I can assure you I never mooted this idea. I told them I can’t take a decision without consulting the members’.”Without naming Srinivasan, Viswanathan impressed upon Manohar that after being ignored for “several years” by the ICC, the previous BCCI administration had worked hard to “achieve important breakthroughs” for Indian cricket. Viswanathan even listed three specific achievements.The first was a BCCI nominee being elected as the inaugural ICC chairman when the previous rule would have meant the BCCI nominee’s next turn at the ICC presidency would have only come in 2023 under the then prevailing rotation system. The second was the BCCI having a permanent seat on the powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee and on the Executive Committee of the ICC. “Thirdly and above all, ICC saw reason and logic in BCCI’s demand for a higher share of the broadcast income of ICC. All of these were discussed and approved by the Working Committee of the BCCI on 23rd January 2014,” Viswananthan wrote.Viswanathan noted that it had come as both “shock and surprise” to read Manohar’s comments that he wanted to “dilute” the second and third points. “To our collective shock and surprise, possibly pandering to some dissenting media press report regarding this matter, it appears that in your recent meeting of the ICC held in Dubai last week, you have made some suggestions to the ICC Council by which the second and third points above referred are sought to be diluted, if not removed altogether.”Viswanathan explained the revised formula under which the Big Three would be guaranteed handsome monetary returns for their contributions to ICC revenues. “From the pre existing measly 3.39% (USD 52.5 Million out of Gross income of USD 1.56 Billion), BCCI, Cricket Australia and ECB were recognized as the primary contributors and hence entitled to a major share of the revenue. Accordingly BCCI was to get 22.37% (USD 570.5 Million out of gross revenue of USD 2.5 Billion) from ICC which in monetary terms works out to approximately Rs. 3,822 Crores, the said amounts being receivable from the period commencing from 2015-23,” Viswanathan wrote. “It is also ensured that for the subsequent period from 2023-31, the BCCI would not receive less than this share of revenue from ICC for participating in ICC events. These monies are to be ploughed back into the game and to develop infrastructure in the grass roots.”Viswanathan questioned Manohar about how he could take decisions without consulting the rest of the BCCI. “When your action could cost BCCI hundreds and thousands of crores by way of revenue,” Viswanathan wrote, “was it not legally and morally obligatory on your part to take into confidence the member associations whose bottom-line is finally affected?”

Scotland’s chances of further participation at the World T20 ended in a match they will rue letting slip away

Report by Firdose Moonda10-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Sean Williams played the crucial innings for ZImbabwe•Christopher Lee-IDI/IDI

Scotland’s chances of further participation at the World T20 ended in a match they will rue letting slip away. They took regular wickets to keep Zimbabwe to under 150 and then recovered from 20 for 4 to stay in the chase until the final over but in the end, remain without a win in a major tournament in 19 attempts.Zimbabwe sneaked through for their second victory in qualification even though they failed to tighten up on the disciplines that almost let them down over Hong Kong. There were soft dismissals in their batting and they took their foot off the pedal after a superb start with the ball but they also had much to celebrate.Sean Williams’ fifty held them together, Wellington Masakadza’s wickets at the beginning and in the middle allowed them to keep pulling Scotland back before Donald Tiripano’s death bowling sealed the win. If nothing else, Zimbabwe showed their ability to hold their nerve in pressure situations, which is what these events are all about.The contest could have been over 19 balls into Scottish reply when their top four had all been sent back but Richie Berrington hung on. He survived the loss of a fifth wicket and then combined with captain Preston Mommsen to add 51 runs for the sixth wicket and threaten to take the game away from Zimbabwe.Then, the contest looked decided in the 15th over when Masakadza’s double-strike included Mommsen’s wickets and saw the required run-rate balloon to more than ten an over but Josh Davey was on hand. He slammed 24 runs off 13 balls to leave Scotland with 30 runs to get off the final three. With Berrington still there, it seemed possible.On a surface that was a touch slower than the one used on Tuesday, Tiripano took pace off the ball, Berrington was early into his shot and offered a catch to short third man. Davey was still there but after four balls in the penultimate over without a boundary, he tried to send Tinashe Panyangara over long-on and only got as far as Sikandar Raza.Scotland needed 19 off the final over and took seven off the first three balls before Tiripano bowled Alasdair Evans with a slower ball and gave Zimbabwe reason for relief even though they would preferred to have more runs to defend.Zimbabwe’s innings lacked fluency and was studded with setbacks which started with the captain. For the second successive match Hamilton Masakadza was run-out and this time in dangerous fashion. When Vusi Sibanda chopped one down to short cover, both he and Masakadza set off immediately for the single even as Kyle Coetzer at short cover swooped in. The pair continued ball-watching and collided into each other trying to complete the run.Masakadza was well short of his ground and Sibanda needed on-field attention for a cut on his chin. He only lasted seven further balls, of which he faced two, before it all got too much. In characteristic Sibanda fashion, he picked out the man at deep square leg with the pull to put Zimbabwe in early trouble.Richmond Mutumbami, who was not among the runs in the first match, seemed eager to compensate. He made Safyaan Sharif pay for errors in length and took on a Michael Leask full toss but the bowler responded in the field. In the next over, Leask was at long-off when Mutumbami tried to send Mark Watt down the ground but did not get enough on his shot. Leask almost dropped the first attempt and then caught it one-handed on the rebound.Williams needed a partner but Sikandar Raza was dismissed early to leave Williams to take matters into his own hands after that. He brought out the sweep and found the boundary while rotating strike with Malcolm Waller. They put on 38 for the fifth wicket but just as they could look to accelerate Waller was caught at long-off.Elton Chigumbura’s finishing was called on earlier than he may have liked and he gave himself time to settle in. Williams kept most of the strike early in their partnership and reached fifty off 36 balls, before Chigumbura announced his intent with a six off Evans.When Williams departed three balls later, Chigumbura had to finish strongly but Scotland managed to keep him quiet for all but one ball, when he drilled Sharif for four. Scotland gave away just 19 runs in the last three overs and Zimbabwe may have been concerned they did not have enough. In the end they did, but only just.

Kolkata Knight Riders have a settled, balanced team, well suited to home conditions, and will start as favourites against Kings XI Punjab

The Preview by Sirish Raghavan03-May-2016

Match facts

Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

Kolkata Knight Riders will play the first of four straight home games at Eden Gardens on the back of an emphatic five-wicket win, engineered by Yusuf Pathan and Andre Russell, over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. In their way are Kings XI Punjab, who put it past table toppers Gujarat Lions in Rajkot to post their second win this season.Knight Riders have remained in the top half of the table though theirs hasn’t been a flawless season. Their initial success was driven by the prolific opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa, and an enviable line-up of spinners. As the season has progressed, those who didn’t have much of a role to play initially – Suryakumar Yadav and Yusuf to name a few – have produced results.That isn’t to say there are no worries. Sunil Narine, central to their plans during the course of their title-winning runs in 2012 and 2014, has been decent – six wickets in six matches – but not devastating with his reworked action. Umesh Yadav, their most successful pacer this season, struggled in Bangalore. Their combined figures against Royal Challengers read 8-0-101-1. The efforts of Russell, Morne Morkel and Chawla made up for those expensive overs.Bottom-placed Kings XI have more questions than answers. Can their new captain M Vijay utilise his resources shrewdly? Will they be able to fill Shaun Marsh’s void? Will David Miller build on the semblance of form he showed in the previous game?Even so, Kings XI’s win over Gujarat Lions, defending only 154, would have boosted a team that entered that match as underdogs. Vijay’s continuing good form and Axar Patel’s confidence-building hat-trick would give the team grounds for quiet optimism.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders WLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Kings XI Punjab WLLLW

In the spotlight

Piyush Chawla has the best strike rate (20.1) and average (27.16) of Knight Riders’ frontline spinners this season. He picked up the key wickets of KL Rahul and AB de Villiers on Monday to stall Royal Challengers. The seam-up delivery he bowled to de Villiers beat him for pace. With Narine far from being the force he once was, Chawla’s contributions have been significant.Shaun Marsh’s departure may give David Miller a little more breathing space. Having been replaced as captain, Miller has an opportunity to prove he remains integral to the team’s plans. A patchy 31 against Lions was his highest score of the season, but much more will be expected of him in the coming games. A knock of substance against Knight Riders could be the spark that Kings XI have been looking for.

Team news

As Knight Riders return to Eden Gardens, where spinners have a greater say, there may be merit in bringing Shakib Al Hasan back into the XI. Chris Lynn would presumably be the one to make way.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Robin Uthappa (wk), 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Sunil NarineMarsh’s absence could translate an opportunity for South African batsman Farhaan Behardien in the Kings XI middle order, even as Manan Vohra could return to open the batting. It’s unlikely that they will tinker with their bowling combination.Kings XI Punjab (probable): 1 M Vijay (capt), 2 Manan Vohra, 3 Marcus Stoinis, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 David Miller, 6 Wriddhiman Saha, 7 Farhaan Behardien/Gurkeerat Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 KC Cariappa, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Sandeep Sharma

Pitch and conditions

Eden Gardens has hosted just two matches, both in the season’s first week, with the chasing sides winning. There is likely to be grip and turn for the spinners, as has traditionally been the case. Summer temperatures have touched 43 degrees already, and humidity will add to the discomfort under lights.

Stats and trivia

• Kings XI Punjab have only one representative in the top 20 run-getters this season. Vijay is placed 14th, with 198 runs in seven innings. His strike rate of 118.56 is the second-lowest in the list.
• Of bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 10 overs this season, Umesh Yadav has the third best strike rate (12.6). Mohit Sharma (13.7) is placed fourth.

Jake Ball has clocked up nearly 600 miles switching from his Test call-up from England to a couple of days county cricket at the Ageas Bowl – and there might not even be a Test debut at the end of it

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl22-May-2016
ScorecardJake Ball joins an England fielding session after his call up at Headingley•Getty Images

The county summer is entering that period when players jump from one format to another, from one side of the country to another, via coach or carpool. Dubbed “silly season” by some, the next 30 days sees the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London Cup fight for schedule space with the County Championship which will take a two weeks hiatus at the beginning of June.Nottinghamshire, for example, played a Friday night T20 in Birmingham before coming down to the Ageas Bowl for their four-day tussle with Hampshire. Jake Ball, however, has notched a few more miles on the clock.Released from his maiden England squad after day two of the first Test, Ball was given permission to play in the first two days of this match, at which point he will make his way from Southampton to Durham (he is expected to be replaced in the Notts side for Brett Hutton). The roundtrip, from Test to Test, will be 576 miles.Even then, all that travelling might only result in a second “thanks but no thanks” in the space of a week. Still, as a Test hopeful, he is more than happy to do it all again and make The Proclaimers look like slackers in the process.On today’s evidence, it looked like he took plenty of breaks on the way down – maybe even a few dynamic stretches at Winchester Services to get going before the Ageas came in view.Bounding in from the Pavilion End like a returning hero charging back through the city gates, his opening delivery – the very first of the match – beat Michael Carberry’s outside edge. Two balls later, that same edge was found only for Chris Read to drop the chance, diving full stretch to his left. Only in hindsight can you say it could have been left to first slip, such was the movement of the ball in the last few feet before it clanged into Read’s gloves.Ball would eventually get his man, changing his angle from around the wicket and enticing a drive from Carberry, who had reeled himself in for 19 off 58 deliveries up until that point. He had the number of both of the hosts’ opening southpaws. One of the more noticeable aspects of Ball’s game is his ability to move the ball away and into a left-hander, from both around and over the wicket.Jimmy Adams in particular was caused a great deal of discomfort: when he wasn’t playing and missing on a spicy track, he was taking all sorts of blows to the glove and torso. His innings of 30 from 79 deliveries was reminiscent of the opening scene of Robocop.Hampshire, sitting bottom of Division One, have been ravaged by injuries and had to dip into the free agency and Kolpak markets. Two of their walking wounded, Reece Topley and Chris Wood, used the delay of the late afternoon downpour to check out the new media centre.They would be mistaken for thinking it was safer haven for staff up there: even the club’s press officer is facing a period on the sidelines having worn a yorker on the toe in a local league match. Somewhere beneath the Ageas Bowl sits an ancient Indian burial ground filled with deceased black cats.Sean Ervine, too, was sent limping to square leg after jabbing a Harry Gurney yorker onto the top of his foot. His pre-lunch walk to the crease was instigated by a fine spell by Luke Fletcher, who was rewarded by his persistence with the wickets of Adams (caught and bowled) and Liam Dawson (lbw, walking across his stumps) in successive balls.However, for all the feeling of an innings collapse, the rain delays – the first seeing no play at all in the afternoon session, the second breaking up a long evening – and an unbeaten partnership of 65 between Ervine and 20-year-old Tom Alsop sees Hampshire in a healthier state. Ervine got by on experience and, when dropped on 26 by Dan Christian at third slip off Gurney, compounded Notts’ misery by smashing a four through point the very next ball.By contrast, Alsop played with the freedom of a youngster coming in at number six: punching straight and square of the wicket for a relatively sprightly 32. Early on in his innings, he nearly rearranged Ball’s teeth with an uppish drive down the ground for two. As much as those at the ECB rate the Mansfield-born quick, he might have had trouble claiming a trip to the dentist as part of his fuel allowance.

A timeline of events in the episode involving Chris Cairns, Brendon McCullum and several alleged wrongdoings

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2016

2010

January: Cairns declares intent to sue Lalit Modi over accusatory tweet
The then IPL commissioner Lalit Modi tweets that the IPL decided to withdraw Cairns’ name from the auction list because of his alleged involvement in fixing. In his response, a statement issued by his solicitor Andrew Fitch-Holland, Cairns says: “The allegation made by Lalit Modi that I have been involved in match-fixing is scandalous and wholly untrue. For him to circulate such a falsehood around the world is outrageous. Mr Modi’s allegation has caused me huge personal distress and professional damage. I cannot allow these slurs to ruin my future and I have instructed my solicitors, Collyer Bristow LLP, to bring proceedings for defamation against Mr Modi.”

2011

February: McCullum reports alleged approaches by Cairns
Brendon McCullum tells John Rhodes, a representative of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, about the allegedly corrupt approaches Chris Cairns made to him in 2008. New Zealand’s then captain Daniel Vettori is present at the Rhodes’ meeting, for moral support according to McCullum. McCullum decides to speak out only after Rhodes addressed the team ahead of their World Cup 2011 opener, telling them “if we had been or were approached about match-fixing and we did not report it, then we were, in the eyes of the ICC, just as guilty as the person who approached us”. McCullum did not report the alleged approaches by his one-time hero earlier because “it’s not easy ‘ratting’ on someone I regarded as a mate”.

2012

March: Cairns wins libel case against Modi
Chris Cairns wins his libel case in London against Lalit Modi and is awarded damages of £90,000 ($142,000). Judge David Bean of the High Court finds that Modi had “singularly failed to provide any reliable evidence” that Cairns was involved in fixing of any kind.

2014

May: McCullum report on Cairns leaked
The carries parts of the statements made by Brendon McCullum on Chris Cairns to the ICC’s anti-corruption investigators. According to the newspaper, McCullum told investigators that he was first approached during IPL 2008, and he turned down offers of up to $180,000 to underperform. New Zealand Cricket releases a statement confirming that McCullum is not under investigation himself, and says: “New Zealand Cricket is dismayed that Brendon McCullum’s testimony to the International Cricket Council has been leaked to the media.”July: Vincent confesses to being a ‘cheat’
“My name is Lou Vincent and I am a cheat. I have abused my position as a professional sportsman on a number of occasions by choosing to accept money in fixing.” Thus begins a tell-all confession from the former New Zealand batsman, who, hours after releasing this statement, is banned for life by the ECB; Vincent had confessed to 11 offences punishable by a life ban under ECB anti-corruption regulations. He is banned from “all forms of cricket” and prevented from “playing, coaching or participating in any form of cricket which is recognised or sanctioned by ECB, the ICC or any other National Cricket Federation”.

2015

October 5: Perjury case opens against Cairns
A case opens at Southwark Crown Court against Chris Cairns, who is accused by the Crown Prosecution Service of lying under oath during the 2012 libel case involving Lalit Modi. Also standing trial is Cairns’ former legal counsel Andrew Fitch-Holland, who is accused of perverting the course of justice in the 2012 case.October 12: Vincent testifies against Cairns
Lou Vincent is the first of the witnesses to be called for the prosecution. He claims he was acting under “direct orders” from Cairns when he agreed to fix matches in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League in 2008.October 15: McCullum testifies against Cairns
McCullum gives evidence in the perjury case. He claims he was asked three times by Cairns to get involved in spot-fixing. He admits he did not report the approach until three years later because “he didn’t want it to be true”.October 21: ACSU official questioned on McCullum’s statements
John Rhodes, the Australasian head of the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), takes the stand in the perjury case; it was to this official that Brendon McCullum had made his initial statement on Cairns in 2011. Rhodes says McCullum’s initial statement omitted any explicit mention of “match-fixing”, but the “inference was clear”. However, he says, his job as a field officer was simply to collect information and it was up to his superiors to investigate his findings. He admits to having lost the diary where he had made notes on McCullum’s report.November: Cairns found not guilty of perjury
The nine-week perjury trial ends. Justice Sweeney, the presiding judge, says the evidence of two of the three “key” witnesses – Lou Vincent, his ex-wife Eleanor Riley and Brendon McCullum – would have to be accepted as true for the perjury charge to be upheld. The jury delivers a not-guilty verdict after 10 hours and 17 minutes of deliberation.

2016

June: McCullum hits out at ACSU’s handling of his report on Cairns
During his MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture, Brendon McCullum condemns the casual manner in which his first interview with John Rhodes was conducted. He says of Rhodes: “[He] took notes – he did not record our conversation. He said he would get what I said down on paper and that it would probably end up at the bottom of the file with nothing eventuating. Looking back on this, I am very surprised by what I perceive to be a very casual approach to gathering evidence. I was reporting two approaches by a former international star of the game. I was not asked to elaborate on anything I said and I signed a statement that was essentially nothing more than a skeleton outline.” He also condemns the severity of the punishment dished out to Lou Vincent, pointing out that Vincent had spoken out on fixing and co-operated with the authorities on the matter. In its response to McCullum’s statements, the ICC denies the origin of the leaked statement came from within the governing body and stresses that it has “put strong measures” in place to prevent the recurrence of such an incident.

Joe Root produced a seamless 93 from 106 balls and Jos Buttler made 70 from 45 balls as England wrapped up victory by 122 runs for a 3-0 series win

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Jul-2016England 324 for 7 (Root 93, Buttler 70, Vince 51) beat Sri Lanka 202 (Chandimal 53, Willey 4-34) by 122 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJoe Root’s 93 set up a 122-run win for England•PA Photos

England’s start was swift, their middle overs lively, and their finish was efficient. In response to an imposing total of 324, their visitors stuttered at the outset, lost wickets through the middle, and arrived at a limp finish. Sri Lanka’s 122-run defeat was an apt reflection of the chasm between the quality of the teams on display this series, which England have sewn up 3-0.Joe Root produced a seamless 93 from 106 balls to underpin his team’s dynamic innings, but it was arguably Jos Buttler who played the most electric knock within it. He set off with a four to fine leg, collected quick runs into the outfield for a while, then after facing 25 deliveries, let fly with the boundaries. There were shovels over the shoulder, searing cuts, crunching drives and a six over long off, all executed with a powerful bottom hand. His tally was 70 off 45. James Vince had also hit a half-century at the top of the innings.Erratic seam bowling at either end of the innings had helped England to their imposing total. Most hopes of Sri Lanka running that score down then dissipated in the first 22 overs, after which they were 107 for 5. Dinesh Chandimal made his fourth consecutive fifty as the wickets fell around him, before David Willey wiped out the tail to finish with four wickets for himself. Sri Lanka were all out for 202, and never in the course of their chase, did they appear to have the measure of their target.In England’s innings, Danushka Gunathilaka’s part-time offspin claimed three wickets for 48 from his full quota of overs, but it was debutant left-arm seamer Chaminda Bandara’s 1 for 83 which was the more definitive set of figures. Bandara was wayward at the outset while the other seam bowlers failed to pose a consistent threat, and costly at the death when everyone was going for runs. Nuwan Pradeep was also expensive again, giving away more than seven an over, as he attempts to come to grips closing out an innings.England had purred into motion with a cover-driven boundary from Jason Roy’s bat, third ball. Though play was soon left suspended for about 25 minutes by a passing shower, the hosts’ tempo rarely wavered over the following three-and-a-half hours. Bandara bowled overs that cost 11 and 14 in the Powerplay, while more experienced bowlers delivered more disciplined, but hardly miserly, spells. By the tenth over, only seven boundaries had been struck in all, yet 66 runs had been gathered. The green tinge on the pitch, which had put both captains in the mood to bowl first, offered only modest sideways movement. The overhead cloud made for only the slightest swing.The dismissal of Roy came somewhat against the run of play – caught on the midwicket boundary off Suranga Lakmal for a run-a-ball 34. Root, the next batsman, sent his first ball skipping through the covers for four, and Vince continued his pretty progress alongside the new man, the pair flitting efficiently between their wickets until Vince reached his first international fifty, off 54 balls. He was soon out charging Gunathilaka, who pulled his length back and slipped a ball past Vince’s advance, but neither that wicket, nor the next one, really dented England’s rate of progress. Halfway through the innings, the hosts were 138 for 3.With a confident Gunathilaka proving so successful, Mathews banked on spin through the middle overs. Jonny Bairstow was occasionally tested by it during his 21 off 28, but Root’s mastery of the single prevented Sri Lanka from making substantial headway. This steady beat of ones and twos was occasionally enlivened by the crash of cymbals: the reverse-paddle for four off the exceptionally part-time bowling of Kusal Mendis, the clatter through the covers at the end of the 38th over.Buttler twice hit Pradeep for consecutive fours, and thwacked a six off Lakmal in the 44th over, as he scored 45 runs from the last 20 balls he faced. It was he who propelled England’s run rate past six, and though he was out in the 48th over to give Bandara his first international wicket, had laid the groundwork for a fast finish. Thirty-three runs were hit off the last three overs.When the chase got under way an inability to pierce the lively infield drew a fatal mistake from Kusal Perera, not for the first time in the series. He was out lbw to Willey at the end of the fourth over. Mendis and Gunathilaka attempted to build the platform Sri Lanka required, before committing another of Sri Lanka’s most common mistakes through the series: attempting to come back for a second run in the 14th over, Mendis was caught short by Bairstow’s throw.From 66 for 2, the match slipped quickly. Gunathilaka was lbw to Liam Plunkett for 48. Mathews had his stumps splayed by a yorker from the same bowler. Upul Tharanga was bowled first delivery by Adil Rashid, and Dasun Shanaka was stumped off him, some time later. When Seekkuge Prasanna was caught at fine leg by a diving Willey, Sri Lanka had crumbled to 170 for 7 in the 35th over. A brittle tail didn’t hang around long.

Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 74 guided Western Storm to an unlikely but thrilling five wicket victory over Surrey Stars in the Kia Women’s Super League at the Brightside Ground

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2016
ScorecardNatalie Sciver made the best of her reprieve – but failed to have the final word•Getty Images

Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 74 guided Western Storm to an unlikely but thrilling five wicket victory over Surrey Stars in the Kia Women’s Super League at the Brightside Ground.Taylor, who dropped England star Natalie Sciver (90 not out) on two during the Surrey innings, put on an unbeaten 71 with Sophie Luff (21 not out) to see the Storm home in the final over of a remarkable game in Bristol.The Storm appeared dead and buried when Surrey, who hit 161 for 6 off their 20 overs, reduced the hosts to 17 for 3 in the fourth over. However, Taylor made up for her earlier error to earn the hosts a second victory in three games.Having chosen to bat first, Surrey made a steady start thanks to England’s Tammy Beaumont and fellow opener Bryony Smith. However, having reached 19, Smith tried one expansive shot too many and was bowled by England’s Anya Shrubsole, for 19.Beaumont and Cordelia Griffiths added 18 for the second wicket and Beaumont and Sciver 26 for the third before the former was finally out, for 13, run out by a smart piece of fielding from Taylor.Sciver, who was dropped by Taylor on 2, at deep square leg, batted with great purpose despite losing fourth wicket partner Marizanne Kapp, for two, at 90 for 4.The Storm, who also came into the game having won one and lost one of their opening games, did their best to stem the tide and bowled well between overs 11 and 14.Mark Robinson, England coach, keeps an eye on form•Getty Images

Unfortunately, they were made to pay dearly for Taylor’s slip in the deep, as Sciver edged closer to 50. The gifted all-rounder finally reached her half century off 29 balls with nine fours and a six.With Beth Morgan, she added 29 for the fifth wicket, before Morgan gifted Freya Davies her second wicket at 119 for 5, in the 16th over.
Sciver continued to heap misery on Taylor, hitting the West Indian all-rounder for four successive boundaries in the 17th over as Surrey piled on the runs.In the end, Surrey reached 161 for 6 with Sciver unbeaten on a quite brilliant 90, off 45 balls with 16 fours and two sixes.The Storm’s reply could not have got off to a worse start. Having hit seven off the opening over, they lost their first wicket when Rachel Priest was run out for seven at 8 for 1. Captain Knight departed at 16 for 2 and when Fran Wilson was trapped leg before, at 17 for 3, the Storm’s chances appeared to have disappeared.Lee was sublime. She struck two straight sixes into the Ashley Down Road flats before Taylor followed suit, over mid wicket. Lee reached her 50 off 35 balls with eight fours and two sixes, but was out shortly after, for 53, caught by Sciver off the bowling of Lea Tahuhu at 93 for 4. It was soon 94 for 5 with Georgia Hennessey trapped lbw by Sciver.Only then did the Storm come to life with Taylor and Luff hitting the ball to all four corners. Gradually they set off in pursuit of their target and with the help of some poor fielding and one or two dropped catches, they won the day in the final over during which Taylor struck two sixes and a four.Bristol looks resplendent in the sunshine•Getty Images

The ECB has dismissed as premature reports that players will be allowed to miss the tour of Bangladesh even if the board’s security consultants decide it is safe to go ahead

George Dobell12-Aug-2016The ECB has dismissed as premature reports that players will be allowed to miss the tour of Bangladesh even if the board’s security consultants decide it is safe to go ahead.While some news organisations have reported that the ECB is to give players the option not to tour the country due to fears over potential terrorist attacks, it insists that the relevant security visit has not yet started and that any decision will be delayed until that is complete. The players have not yet been approached on the issue.The ECB’s security advisor, Reg Dickason, is currently inspecting venues in India with PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, and ECB director of cricket operations, John Carr. They are expected to arrive in Bangladesh in the next few days. Dhaka, the nation’s capital, suffered a terrorist attack in July that left many dead, while Australia cancelled their tour to the country at the end of last year due to security concerns.But Paul Farbrace, the England assistant coach, described reports that the ECB had offered players an opt-out as “news to me” and insisted that they would wait until the security visit was completed before making any decisions.”There has been no discussion on players being allowed to opt out,” Farbrace, who was in the Sri Lanka team coach that was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009, said. “We had a chat with the Test and ODI squads about 10 to 12 days ago and we agreed we wouldn’t talk about Bangladesh until they [the security team] get back and make a report. Until they get back, there is nothing to talk about.”It would be a huge call to decide not to tour. Teams not going to Pakistan is a dreadful shame. I was on bus in Lahore and we were lucky to survive that. Player and staff safety is paramount but it’s a huge decision for a country to decide not to go. Bangladesh are looking forward to us going.”While giving players the opt-out option remains a possible, perhaps even likely, scenario, it does present potential problems with the dressing room dynamic. A team that has built an “all in it together” culture could stand the risk of being fragmented and, while promises not to take account of the decision in selection can be well-intentioned, allowing another player an opportunity is always a risk. If the replacement player performs, it could prove hard for the original player to regain their place.There is also precedent for such a decision. England players were given the option not to tour India in 2001, due to security concerns in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, with Andy Caddick and Robert Croft deciding to opt out of it. Croft never played for England again.”The safety and security of our players and management is always of paramount importance and this will continue to apply to all teams representing England on overseas tours and attending training camps,” an England spokesman said. “The ECB’s security advisor Reg Dickason and director of cricket operations John Carr are currently completing a pre-tour inspection in Bangladesh. As we have said before, once we have received and evaluated their report, we will discuss it fully with the England players. “

Michael Klinger scored 87 off 78 to stud Western Australia’s 6 for 190 in 28 overs, before Andrew Tye took three wickets to ensure that Victoria fell 41 short of their revised target in a rain-affected match at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Tye took 3 for 10 in three overs and also effected a run-out•Getty Images

Michael Klinger scored 87 off 78 to stud Western Australia’s 6 for 190 in 28 overs, before Andrew Tye took three wickets to ensure that Victoria fell 41 short of their revised target in a rain-affected match at the WACA ground in Perth.Victoria won the toss and started well, dismissing Shaun Marsh for 15 and Adam Voges for a ten-ball duck, leaving the hosts at 2 for 30. But Klinger and D’Arcy Short then put on 92 off 87 for the third wicket, with Short contributing 52 off 43 before falling to Jon Holland. Klinger batted on, though, hitting three fours and three sixes in his knock as Western Australia added 66 in the last eight overs.With more rain disrupting play, Victoria found themselves chasing a D/L-adjusted target of 140 in 18 overs. But at no point were they able to even approach the required run rate. The opening stand added 25 in 5 overs and was ended by Jason Behrendorff, who got Marcus Harris caught behind. Behrendorff then got Glenn Maxwell for 9 in his next over. By the time Tye dismissed Dan Christian in the ninth over, Victoria had only managed 54 runs.That wicket opened the floodgates – a further six wickets fell for 28 runs in 36 balls to leave the visitors at 9 for 82 in the 15th over. They managed to scrape together 16 more runs and avoid being bowled out, but that would have come as scant consolation.Meanwhile, Western Australia, who tied their first match and lost their second, would be relieved to have their first win on the board.

Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams will keep his job after the Western Cape Cricket Board offered their support despite a complaint lodged against him by 14 contracted players at the end of last season

Firdose Moonda20-Sep-2016Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams will keep his job after the Western Cape Cricket Board (WCC) offered their support despite a complaint lodged against him by 14 contracted players at the end of last season. The board held a meeting on Monday after a deadlock last Thursday to discuss Adams’ future.Adams’ recently-issued two-year contract extension remains in place. The players were not involved in the meeting.Instead, WCC studied a report compiled by former South Africa conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who was appointed a mediator in the matter after an independent panel was convened to assess the players’ grievances. WCC did not divulge the contents of the report or confirm whether they acted on it, but revealed that Upton had not followed through on his mandate to speak to all contracted players.WCC chairman Angelo Carolissen insisted his office “deeply respects the concerns raised by the players,” which are believed to be centered on Adams’ management style.”We have no doubt that he possesses the vision and leadership abilities to propel the Cobras to the summit of all three domestic logs and return them to their trophy-hugging ways,” Carolissen said.The 2015-16 season was the first in eight years that Cobras did not win a trophy, and Adams’ only barren season since taking over in 2012. At 35, he was franchise cricket’s youngest coach and he enjoyed immediate success. The Cobras won two competitions in Adams’ first summer in charge and went on to collect three more trophies in the next two seasons.Lack of success last season brought rumblings of discontent, which Adams was made aware of as soon as the complaint was laid. He underwent a leadership course over the winter and has had his support staff bolstered with the addition of two former internationals in Ashwell Prince as assistant coach and Alan Dawson as convener of selectors. With the additional resources, Adams is confident he can return the franchise to winning ways.”I respect the players and have taken the learnings from this past winter to heart. I feel we will have a better understanding of each other going forward,” Adams said. “Part of my strategy to turn around the fortunes of the team was to secure the services of Ashwell Prince and Alan Dawson. It excites me to be working together with the two former players who will bring vast experience and I am sure will add value to the Cobras. I have also committed to up-skilling myself to ensure effective leadership and to produce and maintain the quality and brand of cricket that the Cobras are synonymous for.”There has been no statement from the players, although there was an indication that if Adams was retained, several senior squad members may leave the franchise. With the new season two weeks away, that appears unlikely to occur just yet.The Cobras’ 2016-17 season begins on October 5 with a first-class match against Lions in Johannesburg.