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The BCCI has constituted an ad-hoc committee to run cricket in Rajasthan and ensure the participation of teams from the state in the 2015-16 domestic season. Amrit Mathur, a former manager of the India team, will take over as the co-ordinator of the committee, which will comprise CK Khanna, Milind Kanmadikar, Snehal Parikh and PV Shetty.”This step is in line with the BCCI philosophy of keeping the interest of cricket and the players on top priority,” Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, said. “Like any other side playing domestic cricket in India, Rajasthan cricketers will have all the facilities, exposure and opportunities to perform and excel.”According to a BCCI insider, an ad-hoc committee was the most logical option considering the complex situation in Rajasthan cricket, and remained the last hope for the state’s players to compete in the upcoming domestic season.The BCCI had suspended the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in May 2014 after the latter elected Lalit Modi, an expelled administrator, as its president. The board then omitted the RCA from the 2014-15 domestic programme.Rajasthan eventually got to play – though not under the RCA banner – after the Rajasthan High Court heard a writ petition signed by 75 players, and directed the Rajasthan Sports Council, the RCA and the BCCI to work in tandem and appoint selection committees to select teams for the board’s senior, junior and women’s tournaments. Mathur had helped facilitate the process.While that came as a boost for the players, the impasse between the BCCI and the RCA continued. The RCA remains suspended, and a faction led by Amin Pathan has staged a revolt against Modi’s body. As a result, the High Court hasn’t even allowed the Sports Council to run the state’s cricket affairs.

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.

Alastair Cook has warned that England’s 104-run thrashing of India in their one-day opener will count for little unless they back it up during the remaining six games of the series. England’s best limited-overs display since before the World Cup saw Cook and Ian Bell both score maiden centuries before James Anderson’s career-best return finished the deal.Cook, who laid the platform with a patient 102, said: “The ability to tough out a result when you’re up against it is a skill that good teams have, it is what Australia have done for so long and it really only comes with the experience of winning matches. That is the next challenge for us.”We’re really excited about what we did on Tuesday but it will mean very little if it stands out on its own for the rest of the summer.”Cook, 22, said consistency was the key to England improving their low standing in one-day cricket. “There is no point putting in one performance like that with two hundreds and then forgetting about it.”Cook’s place in the one-day line-up was under scrutiny after five previous appearances had not even yielded a half-century. Bell too was under pressure before scoring a hundred in what was his 48th ODI. “I’d played a few games and got a couple of forties but I hadn’t really made a score so to get to three figures, especially at the start of your career, is always nice,” said Cook. “It shows you and everyone else that you can do it. Now it’s up to me to repeat it as I have done in Test-match cricket.”England will again be without left-arm pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom for Friday’s match and Monday’s third fixture at Edgbaston after he failed to overcome a side strain he sustained during the third and final Test against India at The Oval nearly two weeks ago.

ScorecardSussex followed up their C&G Trophy success with an impressive seven-wicket victory against Durham in the Pro40 to keep their hopes of a treble alive. Richard Montgomerie carried them most of the way towards their target after James Kirtley, riding high after his match-winning effort on Saturday, bagged three wickets.Kirtley and Yasir Arafat knocked the stuffing out of Durham’s innings as they slumped to 10 for 3. That became 40 for 4 when Ben Harmison fell to Luke Wright and, although Gareth Breese’s 50 led a recovery, Durham could only muster a modest total. Robin Martin-Jenkins produced a miserly spell with the ball, as his eight overs cost just 10 runs with four maidens.Matt Prior fell early in the chase, but Chris Nash added 66 for the second wicket with Montgomerie. Chris Adams was at the crease to complete the formalities and Sussex had a massive 82 balls to spare.

ScorecardGraeme Skennar and Tom Cooper put on a blistering 118-run opening partnership for the first wicket as Australia coasted to 231 for 4 in just 34.3 overs in pursuit of India’s 230 at Mohali.Skennar blasted seven fours and four sixes in his 64 of just 45 balls, while Cooper’s 62 was a relatively patient effort but still included eight fours and two sixes. India hit back with three quick wickets to reduce Asutralia to 139 for 3 but David Warner (34 not out) and Moises Henriques (42) did not panic and took Australia home.India failed to make use of an excellent pitch at Mohali as none of their batsmen, except Piyush Shukla who made 55, played an innings of any significance. As many as nine bowlers were used by Australia as India were dismissed within their 50 overs.The five-match series is now tied at one a piece as the teams travel to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh for the next two matches.