Day 1
Scorecard

England Lions’ captain Michael Yardy struck an unbeaten 151 to lead his side to a healthy 273 for 4 at the end of the first day of their Duleep Trophy match against West Zone in Vadodara.After choosing to bat, the Lions got off to a poor start as the in-form Michael Carberry was trapped leg before by Gujarat medium-pacer Ashraf Makda in the second over. Yardy, who has represented the England national side in Twenty20s and ODIs, came in at No. 3 and forged a series of sizeable partnerships to ensure the Lions gained the upper hand.A brisk 50-run stand for the second wicket with Joe Denly (32) was ended when Denly was run-out by Siddharth Trivedi. Yardy was then joined by Ed Joyce (32), another player who was part of the national set-up, and they stitched together a patient 75 runs before Joyce was dismissed by Makda.With the Lions at 126 for 3, the usually aggressive Jonathan Trott (44) played a subdued knock and put on 141 for the fourth wicket as the Lions took control. With only three overs left in the day’s play, Trott became Makda’s third lbw victim. Graham Onions was sent in as the nightwatchman and the Lions saw out the remaining overs without any further casualties.Yardy, meanwhile, had brought up his 12th first-class century with the help of 20 boundaries to leave West, who need a win to make the finals, facing an uphill task.

Jesse Ryder should have been happy at securing a New Zealand Cricket contract on Monday but instead the prospect of potentially missing the ODI tour of England was weighing him down. Ryder was one of the 20 men to be offered national deals for 2008-09 and although he said he was “stoked” to get the news, his ongoing hand injury remained a concern.Ryder sustained tendon damage around his thumb and forefinger when he punched a window in a bar in February. He was therefore unavailable for the Test series in England but was picked for the ODIs, which start in June, although even that could be too soon for a return. “My main worry is the hand, it’s going to be touch and go,” Ryder told the .He is hoping to start batting by the end of the month and, provided all goes well, he will warm up for the five-match contest with a club cricket stint in England. Peter Fulton is on standby to replace Ryder should his hand not recover in time.While there was restrained joy for Ryder at receiving a contract, there was no good news for Craig Cumming, Mathew Sinclair, Michael Papps or Matthew Bell, all of whom were axed. Bell said it was hard to go from being part of New Zealand’s most recent Test to not being in their top 20 players in the space of three weeks, especially after such a prolific domestic season.”I’m gutted, I’m not going on the tour and now I haven’t got a contract, it’s pretty disappointing,” Bell said. “I had a big year, not many people score 1000 first-class runs [1016 at 53.47]. I admit I had a bad last month and I’m paying a pretty big penalty for it. I’ve just got to take it on the chin I suppose. I’ve got a review on Thursday where I’ll ask a few questions.”However, Bell is considering playing club cricket in England to make himself available should injuries strike New Zealand during their tour. In his five Tests during the past season, Bell scored 245 runs at 30.62, although he also made three ducks in the home series against England.

Confusion surrounds the sudden resignation of Clive Howard, the chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA).Howard quit with immediate effect in the middle of the week, but the brief statement from the board cited “family and work commitments”. However, a report in the South China Morning Press stated that he owed the HKCA around HK$210,000 (US$27,000)”During his time as chairman, cricket developed significantly, with the introduction of the “Challenge League” for players not able to find places in teams competing in the regular Saturday and Sunday League competitions run by the HKCA and the setting up of a women’s league competition,” Terry Smith, the board president, said. “He also played a significant part in developing the International Cricket Sixes into an event of true international stature.”Given the scale of the activities now being undertaken by the Association, we are now considering the appointment of a CEO to support the chairman and executive committee and implement all aspects of association policy.”

The Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Daredevils have been fined US$1000 and $500 respectively by match referee Javagal Srinath for maintaining a slow over-rate during yesterday’s match at the DY Patil Stadium. According to the Indian Premier League’s regulations, a team will be docked $500 for each slow over.The regulations came into force on May 2, when Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, said that he had asked the match referees to keep an eye on the over-rate. “Match referees have been asked to ensure that over-rates go as per the stipulated time. From next match, there will also be a penalty of $500 dollar for every slow over.”The first teams to be docked for a slow over-rate were Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab, who were each fined $1000 on Friday.

Joe Burns might be glad that in Adelaide he is not playing for his place in the team. Nobody knows quite what to expect from the inaugural day-night Test with a pink ball, but few players involved in the match have played more pink-ball games than Burns. And while he is entering the Test with an open mind, his record in the format does not make for happy reading.In four day-night pink-ball games over the past two years, at the Gabba, the WACA, the MCG and Manuka Oval, Burns has scored 15, 1, 0, 7, 25, 6 and 5. These encounters for both Queensland and the Prime Minister’s XI have given Burns a good grounding in what to expect from the pink ball, and he knows that batsmen should not expect it to behave exactly like the red Kookaburra.”I’ve played a few games now and it’s different to a red ball,” Burns told reporters in Adelaide upon the team’s arrival on Sunday. “I think you have to accept it’s not going to play the same way as your red ball. So you can’t kid yourself and go into it thinking that you can play the same way or prepare the same way.”There are differences in the way the ball reacts, and at times visibility of the ball, but you have to have an open mind as a player and just accept there will be challenges along the way you have to make sure you can stand up to. When you’re out in the middle you can’t look for excuses with the ball, you get on and play the game and whatever is coming down at you, you have to make sure you’re playing it as best you can.”One thing Burns has not experienced is a day-night match with the pink ball at Adelaide Oval, and he knows from his previous matches that not all venues handle the day-night format in quite the same way. The pink ball scuffed up significantly during New Zealand’s match against the PM’s XI in Canberra last month, but it is expected to hold its colour better at Adelaide Oval.”For me it was different on where you played,” Burns said. “I’ve never played [with the pink ball] in Adelaide. I know under lights in Brisbane and Perth it was very difficult. It seemed to swing a lot more and a lot harder to see. But it could be the stands at the Gabba maybe, and at the MCG it seemed like it was fairly consistent all the way through.”In Canberra, it seemed like visibility-wise it was better at night but just swung a little bit more. I guess you have to wait and see what the wicket plays like in Adelaide as well. I’m sure we’ll discuss it this week. Luckily, the New South Wales boys played here a few weeks ago in a pink-ball game.”Australia’s players have Monday off from training before they begin to tackle the pink ball in the Adelaide Oval nets on Tuesday, and they will train later in the afternoon and towards night time to prepare for the new challenges. Burns, who scored his maiden Test century while opening in the first Test at the Gabba, has been training with the pink ball himself to get used to it ahead of this week’s Test.”For me personally I’ve been training by myself with the pink ball just to feel a little bit more comfortable,” he said. “You start to realise that it’s just a cricket ball and you kind of play the same way.”It’s more so just understanding when the ball may react differently and having that mind-frame that in the space of half an hour might go from not swinging to swinging or vice-versa. I think the key is to just have that open mind and be ready for whatever challenge comes along.”

ScorecardFile photo: Robin Peterson’s nine wickets nearly scripted a win for Cape Cobras•Getty Images

Career-best scores from Test discards JP Duminy (260*) and Dane Vilas (216*) were not enough for Cape Cobras to secure their first win of the Sunfoil Series, after Lions hung on for a draw on what seemed a flat Paarl pitch. Made to follow-on after Cobras’ 570, Lions were in trouble at 134 for 5 on the last day, but a century from Dwaine Pretorius helped them finish the day on 287 for 9.Cobras suffered two early losses when their openers were dismissed by the 11th over but piled on runs over the first day and a half, during which Duminy and Vilas sent stern messages to the national selectors. While Duminy remains part of the Test squad, he lost his place in the XI after a loss of form and showed he has found his touch again. Vilas has not been part of the squad since the India tour but showed good intent with a strike rate of over 85 and Cobras seemed to put the match beyond their opposition, with a declaration on the second day.Lions had a ready response. Stephen Cook, who continues to be overlooked for the Test opening spot, scored his second century – 118 – in as many games and Lions were comfortable on 148 without loss before their first wobble. Two wickets fell on that score before Cook and Dominic Hendricks (46) rebuilt, but then came the collapse. Lions lost eight wickets for 17 runs as Robin Peterson (5 for 62) and pacer Lizaad Williams (3 for 35) ran through them. They had five batsmen dismissed for ducks and three others in single figures, and were forced to follow-on after finishing 318 runs behind.Cook was the first wicket to fall in their second innings but his opening partner Rassie van der Dussen held on with a patient knock of 72. Lions went into the final day with seven wickets in hand and still 235 runs behind, which would have made Cobras eye an innings win. When Lions slipped to 134 for 5, Cobras would have felt they were closing in but Pretorius defied them.He scored a century batting at No. 7 and found support from the middle order and the tail. He was eventually removed by Peterson, who finished the match with nine scalps, and was the eighth wicket to fall. Three balls later, Lions lost their ninth at the same score. But Cobras were left frustrated when Aaron Phangiso and Eddie Leie stonewalled for the next 14 overs, faced 85 and 39 balls respectively and kept an attack with four international bowlers out.Meanwhile, in Pietermaritzburg, the fixture between Dolphins and Warriors was abandoned on the fourth morning after days of persistent rain prevented even the toss from taking place. Warriors remain rooted to the bottom of the points table with Dolphins sitting in fourth place.

ScorecardRob Quiney scored an unbeaten 85 in Victoria’s win (file photo)•Getty Images

Rob Quiney scored an unbeaten 85 to steer Victoria to a seven-wicket win over Tasmania on the third afternoon at the MCG. Set 199 for victory, the Victorians reached their target with three wickets down during an extension of play, after Travis Dean (50) and Cameron White (30) helped Quiney set the team on the right path.The day had started with Tasmania on 3 for 62 in their second innings and an unbeaten 79 from Ben McDermott was the only half-century of the innings. Fast bowler Chris Tremain picked up 4 for 37 and overshadowed Test squad member Peter Siddle, who claimed 2 for 31; fellow Test player James Pattinson did not play the third day as he instead joined the squad in New Zealand.Victoria’s wicketkeeper Sam Harper entered the record books on the third day, claiming his ninth dismissal – the most ever by a wicketkeeper on Sheffield Shield debut. Harper, 19, was already the youngest wicketkeeper in Victoria’s Shield history.

Shafali Verma continued her superb form, cracking a 42-ball 79 as India brushed aside Sri Lanka once again to win the third T20I in Thiruvananthapuram and complete a series victory.The template was familiar and ruthlessly executed: win the toss, bowl, restrict Sri Lanka, and then stroll through the chase. Just as in the first two matches, India were clinical. Renuka Singh spearheaded the bowling, with support from Deepti Sharma, to keep Sri Lanka to 112 for 7 before Shafali wrapped up the chase with 40 balls to spare.

Renuka returns with a bang

Sri Lanka shuffled their opening combination, leaving out Vishmi Gunaratne and promoting Hasini Perera to partner Chamari Athapaththu. Perera showed early intent, striking two boundaries off Renuka, who returned to the XI in place of Arundhati Reddy, in the first over.India introduced Deepti in the third, and Perera greeted her with another boundary. While Perera looked positive, Athapaththu struggled to find her rhythm, managing just 3 off 12 in a stand worth 25 – Sri Lanka’s highest opening partnership of the series. The pressure told in the fifth over when Athapaththu attempted a cross-batted swipe and top-edged to mid-on, handing Deepti her first wicket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Renuka then turned the screws in her second over of the powerplay. After Perera pierced the infield early in the over, Renuka placed Deepti at short third, a move that paid dividends as Perera edged one straight to the fielder. She fell for 25 off 18, unable to capitalise on her start. Renuka capped off the over in style, having Harshitha Samarawickrama caught and bowled off the final delivery, swinging the powerplay decisively India’s way.From there, the contest drifted into territory that had become all too familiar over the course of the series.

Dulani, Dilhari offer hope

With Sri Lanka at 45 for 4 at the halfway stage, Imesha Dulani – coming into the XI for this match – combined with Kavisha Dilhari to add some much-needed runs for the fifth wicket. Dulani, reprieved on 8 when Shree Charani put down a chance, found the gaps, while Dilhari injected some intent, launching Kranti Gaud for a six.The partnership, however, was short-lived. Deepti ensured it did not go beyond 40 runs, having Dilhari caught at deep midwicket for 20 en route to becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is.India were not flawless in the field, putting down two more chances – Kaushini Nuthyangana on 4 by Gaud and Malsha Shehani on 5 by Deepti – but Sri Lanka failed to make India pay, drifting to 112 for 7 at the end of 20 overs.Shafali Verma’s 79 not out made up 68.7% of India’s total•BCCI

Shafali Shafalies the chase

Shafali set the tone for the chase immediately, launching Shehani for 6, 4 and 4 in the opening over. Smriti Mandhana struggled to find fluency at the other end, but it scarcely mattered with Shafali in full flow. She took on debutant Nimasha Meepage in the third over, picking up two boundaries, before Mandhana fell for 1 in the fourth, also burning a review in the process.Shafali, meanwhile, continued to show her full range. In the fifth over, she took Meepage for 19 runs: starting with an uppish drive to the extra cover boundary, a back-foot whip that raced through midwicket, a full toss that was muscled for six over extra, and finishing the over by dropping to one knee to loft another boundary over cover. By then, she had raced to 43 off just 19 balls, bringing up her half-century in the following over from 24 deliveries. India, on the whole, were 55 for 1.-Dilhari, who had bowled tidily in the fourth over, was reintroduced in the eighth and immediately created a chance, but Jemimah Rodrigues was put down by captain Athapaththu. The miss proved inconsequential as Dilhari struck the very next ball, bowling Rodrigues.Shafali continued to dictate terms, scoring 68.7% of her team’s runs in a completed innings – which is a new national record – and rising to No. 4 on the list of India’s highest run-getters in women’s T20Is.The win, along with a 3-0 lead in the five-match series, marked Harmanpreet Kaur’s 77th as captain, going past Meg Lanning to become the most successful captain in the format.