India series a 'tough one' - Whatmore

With India and Pakistan set to face-off in a bilateral series for the first time in five years, Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore is excited. On the opening day of Pakistan's preparatory camp in Lahore, he said he is 'very keen to play the series' and take on the challenge of playing India in India.

"India v Pakistan in India is not going to be an easy one, particularly with the added interest of the neighbours playing each other [for the first time in a while]," Whatmore said at the Gaddafi Stadium. "But it's fantastic. I can tell you players from both sides respect each other, we are fellow professionals. We understand the pressures that exist but sadly there are a number other people who build it up as something different … But that's the way it is. We are very keen to play our neighbours and we are looking forward to it very much."

The series, which begins with a Twenty20 in Bangalore on December 25, will be the first bilateral series between the two sides since Pakistan toured India in late 2007. They have since met in multinational tournaments, but bilateral ties between the two were put on hold following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. India had withdrawn from their planned tour of Pakistan in 2009 and, after the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore that stalled international cricket in Pakistan, have not agreed to play a series at a neutral venue as has been the case with all Pakistan's 'home' series.

"It's a privilege to be involved in series like this," Whatmore said. "I've been involved in the odd match at ICC events and Asian Cricket Council events, but this will be first time we'll play more that two or three times in a small series.

"It will be an experience, particularly playing in India, where the fans are also very keen to come out and have a look and support their team."

Saeed Ajmal will be Pakistan's trump card, Whatmore said. "We will pick our group of bowlers depending on the conditions. You can't do that until you've had a look [at the conditions]. We feel we've enough boys in the group to satisfy the requirements of any conditions. But Saeed Ajmal will always remain a trump card for us, he will always remain a threat [for the opposition]."

Despite India's struggles during the ongoing England Test series, Whatmore refused to be complacent. "England are playing very well at the moment and India have a big job to square the series. But one Test series [results] doesn't necessarily mean that they are weak, we all know how good they have been over many years. I wouldn't read much into that."

Fifteen players of the 22 who will travel to India for the three Twenty20s and three ODIs attended the inaugural day of the camp; Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq were absent due to various reasons.

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MCC Royal Charter eases financial fears

MCC has been granted a Royal Charter, so easing the fears of its members that they could become liable should the club's redevelopment plans ever run into financial difficulties.

The charter, which comes into effect in July next year, is awarded by the Queen on the advice of the Privy Council and alters MCC's status from that of unincorporated association to become a body incorporated by royal charter.

Royal Charters are reserved for eminent professional bodies or charities with a proven record of achievement and which can show that they operate in the public interest.

MCC established a working party last year under the chairmanship of Peter Leaver, a London-based barrister, to consider the status and governance of the club. MCC's 18,000-strong membership overwhelmingly approved a recommendation to apply for a Royal Charter with 97.4% voting in favour at a special general meeting in June this year.

The club accordingly sent a petition to the Privy Council, together with a draft charter. It was considered and approved by The Queen at a meeting of the Privy Council on Wednesday.

Incorporation will enable MCC to hold assets - not least Lord's itself - in its own name, rather than through a custodian trustee. It will also remove any potential liability of individual members - as owners of the club - in the event of MCC finding itself in great financial difficulty.

Royal Charters are far from automatic - even for such an august body as MCC. The club has applied unsuccessfully twice before, in 1864 and 1929.

MCC's president, Mike Griffith, said: "After two previously unsuccessful attempts, it is a great honour to be incorporated by Royal Charter - and one of which the club is immensely proud. "MCC plays an important role in the promotion, protection and development of cricket - it is a private members' club with a very public responsibility. This charter means we can better protect our members' rights and assets, and strengthens our ability to work for the good of game in the UK and abroad."

At one time a Royal Charter was the sole means by which an incorporated body could be formed, but other means, such as forming a limited company, are normally used nowadays.

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Delhi target outright win with four quicks

As the winter in Delhi begins to bite, its Ranji Trophy team has decided it must do the same - with a bullet. With only two matches left and 11 miserable points from six matches, Delhi will attempt to bring all their powers of purpose down on Maharashtra from Saturday at the Roshanara Club in north Delhi. Those powers begin with the fortuitous occurrence of a home ground going into preparation lockdown for an international game against Pakistan. It is why Delhi must move groundstaff, supersopper, catering unit and everything else it needs to play yet another all-or-nothing match on the fastest wicket in the neighbourhood with the promise of a four-man pace attack and a 9:15 start time known usually for freezing fingers in Delhi's Decembers.

Even though the Kotla ODI between India and Pakistan is more than three weeks away, the logistical nightmare of moving from the Kotla to the private Roshanara Club, around 8 km away, will have to be undergone. The grumbling will be kept to the minimum if the move ends up being to Delhi's eventual advantage, even though Ashish Nehra, their most experienced of quick men, is not on the team roster and Parvinder Awana, their quickest and most successful, finds himself in the Indian dressing room.

Instead, said coach Vijay Dahiya, medium-pacer Vikas Tokas had been called into the 15. If he does indeed turn up in the XI, Tokas will make his debut for Delhi after having played two Ranji matches for Railways in 2010-11. He completes the quartet of Delhi quicks being promised to stomp all over the Roshanara Club alongside Pawan Suyal, Pradeep Sangwan and Sumit Narwal. Delhi may be tempted to play five bowlers, including left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, according to Dahiya, given that they are trying to snatch two outright wins and sneak their way into the knock-outs.

Against them will be a batting line-up that has rattled up totals of 764, 315, 333 and 540 and has six centuries, including a triple, from their batsmen in five matches. Yet, Maharashtra do not have a single outright win. Against Tamil Nadu, they were all out for 88 in their second innings in Chennai and beaten by 104 runs. Eight points and many tall totals have come from four draws, from first-innings leads against Vidarbha and Haryana. They may have three group games still left as compared to Delhi's two, but at the tail-end of the Ranji Trophy, it is only strong and desperate opposition that lies in wait. First Delhi on what the day before the game looked like a green top, and then Baroda and Karnataka. In Group B, given Haryana's unpredictability, Maharashtra must do all they can to ensure they do not end up hitting the bottom of the points table.

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Hussey and Wade steer steady Australia

Lunch Australia 5 for 364 (Hussey 66*, Wade 31*) v Sri Lanka
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Michael Hussey continued his productive summer with a half-century that kept Australia on track for a very healthy first-innings total against Sri Lanka. In a session shortened by rain, the Australians added 65 to their overnight score and went to lunch on 5 for 364, with Hussey on 66 and Matthew Wade on 31, and the Sri Lankans had so far been unable to find the spark they needed in the field to fight their way back into the contest.

Their only success during the session was the early wicket of Michael Clarke, who added only four to his score in the morning before he was caught at slip. In the third over of the morning, Shaminda Eranga got one to nip away off the seam and Clarke, on 74, saw his edge snapped up by Kumar Sangakkara at first slip. That brought Wade to the crease to join Hussey, and by lunch their partnership had reached 60 runs.

The Sri Lankans had a chance to get rid of Wade on 20 when he pulled Chanaka Welegedara and the ball whizzed through the fingers of the substitute fielder Suraj Randiv at midwicket. The ball was flying but Randiv, typically a very reliable fielder, had a genuine chance to make the catch stick, but instead it raced away and became Wade's first boundary.

Wade was generally watchful in his first Test innings on the ground on which he grew up playing his club cricket, while Hussey was also careful. But both men accumulated enough runs to keep things from stagnating and Hussey's half-century came from his 114th delivery with a single to mid-off from Welegedara, in an over that cost the Sri Lankans ten runs.

It was Hussey's fourth fifty-plus score in his six Test innings this summer and by lunch he was in a position to push for what could become his fourth Test hundred this year, which would be a personal record. Hussey and Clarke had to wait 50 minutes beyond the scheduled start time before they could resume in the morning, due to wet weather.

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Eagles, Rhinos clinch easy wins

Mashonaland Eagles 182 for 2 (Matsikenyeri 77, Raza 46) beat Mountaineers 179 for 9 (S Masakadza 52*, H Masakadza 49) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A 102-run partnership between opener Stuart Matsikenyeri and No. 4 Sikandar Raza sealed Mashonaland Eagles' eight-wicket win over Mountaineers in Harare. This was after their collective bowling effort helped restrict Mountaineers to 179 for 9, an innings which featured a half-century from lower-order batsman Shingi Masakadza, and a near half-century (49) by his brother Hamilton. But besides the two knocks, Mountaineers couldn't offer much resistance to the bowling.

Their innings was full of small partnerships, but none progressed beyond 42 runs. The most productive stand, between Shingi Masakadza and Donald Tiripano was for the eighth wicket, after they were in trouble at 104 for 7. Towards the end of the innings, the last-wicket pair added 33 in 3.3 overs to boost their total. But that didn't prove to be a difficult one to chase, as Matsikenyeri, scoring 77, featured in productive partnerships with three other top-order batsmen to clinch victory in the 43rd over.

Mid West Rhinos 302 for 6 (Taylor 134, Sibanda 106, Musoko 3-67) beat Southern Rocks 113 (Masvaure 40, Nkala 5-35) by 189 runs
Scorecard

At the Kwekwe Sports Club, another one-sided contest took place. Centuries by opener Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor, and an effective spell of 5 for 35 from seamer Mluleki Nkala ensured a comprehensive 189-run win for Mid West Rhinos over Southern Rocks. After being put in to bat, Sibanda and Taylor scored 204 runs together to lead their side to a strong 302 for 6, after which seamer Richard Muzhange, by taking early wickets, laid the base for fellow seamers Ed Rainsford and Nkala to ensure a clinical win.

Sibanda's knock of 106 contained nine boundaries and a six, but the more aggressive innings was played by captain Taylor, who scored 134 off 106 deliveries with the help of 15 boundaries. When their mammoth stand was broken in the 43rd over, their team was a strong 247 for 2. Towards the end there was slight stutter, but they managed to reach 300. In reply, only middle-order batsman Prince Masvaure resisted, with his knock of 40, as the seamers ran through the line-up.

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Shakib ties knot with US-based girl

Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has married Umme Ahmed Shishir, a US-based software engineer, in Dhaka on Wednesday. The private ceremony was held at a five-star hotel where the couple completed their Akhd, the Islamic marriage formality.

The media wasn't allowed inside the hotel, and when the couple arrived to find photographers and cameramen trying to capture them, it resulted in a melee. It is the most talked about wedding in the country given Shakib's superstar status. Local newspapers have reported that the couple will host the traditional Bangladeshi ceremonies in March, but a date for it hasn't been made public.

The duo met in 2010 in United Kingdom, where Shakib was playing county cricket for Worcestershire. Shishir is a software engineer based in Minnesota, USA. She is originally from Narayanganj, a small town south of Dhaka.

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Sri Lanka seek first win in Australia

Match facts

December 14-18, Bellerive Oval
Start time 1030 (2330 GMT)

Big Picture

For Australian cricket fans, it will be difficult not to think that the main course has been served before the entrée. The battle with South Africa for the No.1 Test ranking has come and gone, all before the most popular part of Australia's international cricket season, the Christmas and New Year period. But as New Zealand showed with their victory in Hobart last summer, classic Test matches can pop up at any time, against any opponent, and now it is Sri Lanka's turn to attempt to produce the unexpected.

It is not that Sri Lanka are a weak Test team, far from it, but their record away from home is disappointing. Leaving aside Bangladesh, Sri Lanka have won only two away Tests in the past five years, and they are yet to win a Test in Australia. But they will take inspiration from their most recent Test in Hobart, when Kumar Sangakkara was driving Sri Lanka towards an incredible chase of 507 when he was wrongly given out caught off his shoulder. Had the DRS been around, it might well have become one of the greatest Test victories of all time.

Sangakkara is back, and along with Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan forms a formidable batting line-up. Sri Lanka's main issue is finding a way to take 20 wickets. But for all the talk of their less-than-threatening seam attack - Rodney Hogg said this week that ''Sri Lanka have the worst new ball attack that has landed on our shores ever" - Shaminda Eranga showed against the Australians on debut in Colombo last year that he is a bowler to watch out for, and he should enjoy the Australian conditions far more than those at home. Much will also depend on how Rangana Herath transfers his home form to the Australian pitches.

The Sri Lankan attack will be coming up against an evolving batting order. Australia's first Test in the post-Ponting era will also be their first with Phillip Hughes at No.3 and Shane Watson at No.4. It is an order they hope can take them through all of next year and a pair of Ashes series, but if there are any cracks in the plan or nerves amongst the batsmen, it is up to Sri Lanka to find them. Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey at Nos.5 and 6 could hardly be in finer touch, so it is all the more important that Sri Lanka don't let Australia's top order feast.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia LDDWD
Sri Lanka LWDDW

In the spotlight

Phillip Hughes is only 24, but he has already had a number of incarnations in Australia's Test team. The previous one ended in Hobart last December, when he couldn't avoid edging to the cordon off Chris Martin, a recurring theme in that series against New Zealand. His return will come at the same venue, albeit batting at No.3 instead of opening, and facing one of Test cricket's less imposing seam attacks. All the more reason he must make use of this opportunity. Over the past year, Hughes has worked hard to improve his leg-side play and widen his scoring areas, but whether he can translate that to Test cricket is one of the big questions to be answered in this series.

Who is the leading Test wicket taker over the past 12 months? Graeme Swann? Vernon Philander? James Anderson? No, no and no. It's Rangana Herath, who since this time last year has collected 64 Test victims at 20.64. Although it is true that much of his success has come in home conditions - he took 20 wickets in the two recent Tests against New Zealand in Sri Lanka, and 12 against England in Galle - he will still be a challenging opponent for Australia's batsmen. In his newspaper column on Thursday, Michael Clarke wrote that Herath's accuracy and clever variations made him a difficult prospect, and in his first Test in Australia, in Hobart this week, Herath should take note of Shane Warne's oft-quoted advice: "If it seams, it spins".

Team news

Hughes has replaced Ponting in the side and will bat at No.3, with Shane Watson moving down to No.4. Australia's only real question was which bowler to leave out, and Michael Clarke announced on the day before the match that Mitchell Johnson would carry the drinks.

Australia 1 Ed Cowan, 2 David Warner, 3 Phillip Hughes, 4 Shane Watson, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Dimuth Karunaratne has a strong chance of partnering Tillakaratne Dilshan at the top of the order, with Tharanga Paranavitana having struggled for his best form for some time now. Nuwan Kulasekara is expected to play after sitting out of the tour match in Canberra, where Shaminda Eranga was the best of the bowlers. They should be joined by Chanaka Welegedara, with Dhammika Prasad only an outside chance for inclusion.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Shaminda Eranga, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

Pitch and conditions

There are showers forecast for the first four days of the game, which won't make conditions easy for the batsmen, especially on a Bellerive Oval surface that has been relaid this year and has resulted in some awfully seam-friendly conditions in Sheffield Shield matches. In the three games there this season, the totals in the first innings for the team batting first have been 112, 95 and 67. However, the curator Marcus Pamplin is confident that the Test won't suffer the same fate.

"With such a major restoration of over 70 cubic metres of soil of new black soil into the wicket table, the process of the clay to settle down will take time, but we believe we are in a far better position for a more consistent surface than at the start of the season," Pamplin said. "On the back of a good cricket pitch for the last Sheffield Shield game we think the Test pitch should play better and provide a good contest."

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have only beaten Australia once in a Test match, in Kandy in 1999. The only remaining player from either side who was part of that game is Mahela Jayawardene
• Sangakkara needs another 107 runs to reach 10,000 in Tests and become the 11th man to the milestone
• This will be Australia's first Test in Hobart without Ricky Ponting since 1995, when David Boon was the only Tasmanian in the side against Pakistan

Quotes

"None of us will be taking Sri Lanka's bowlers for granted even though they may be largely unknown in Australia. It was our batting which let us down during the last Test in Perth."
Michael Clarke

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Jayawardene to step down as captain after tour

Mahela Jaywardene has confirmed he will step down from the captaincy at the end of Sri Lanka's tour of Australia - a move he had hinted at for some months now. Jayawardene's second stint at the helm began in January, when he was called in to replace Tillakaratne Dilshan, and he committed to a 12-month tenure, which expires at the end of the current tour. The second Twenty20 at the MCG on January 28 will be his final match as captain.

Vice-captain Angelo Mathews is the most likely successor, and Jayawardene said his decision to step down was largely borne from a desire to assist Mathews with leadership in Mathews' first phase as captain. Jayawardene will continue to be available for selection in all forms of cricket.

More to follow

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Services maintain lead at top

Services 473 (Yashpal 166*, Chaterjee 103, Jakati 4-100) and 99 for 2 (Gupta 62*, Bandekar 1-7) drew with Goa 381 (Asnodkar 83, Shukla 78, Yashpal 4-12)
Scorecard

Services dismissed the last five Goa batsmen in time to take the points for first-innings lead in Porvorim and maintain their position at the top of the Group C table.

They broke the 119-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ravikant Shukla and Rohit Asnodkar in the first over of the day and then took the remaining four wickets for 60 runs. Continuing with his overnight score of 52, Asnodkar added another 31 which took the team total to 381 in reply to Services' 473. Right-arm medium bowler Yashpal Singh finished with figures of 4 for 12.

Services came out to bat for 39 overs in the second innings and were 99 for 2 when the match ended in a draw.

Assam 354 (Das 90, Sinha 53, Dhawan 4-60) drew with Himachal Pradesh 316 for 5 (Dhawan 114*, Bhalaik 57*, Mohammad 2-62)
Scorecard

Himachal Pradesh and Assam ended up sharing one point each after only 50 overs were possible on the last day of the Group C tie in Guwahati. Himachal started the day 158 behind Assam's first innings total, lost only one wicket and ended the day on 316 for 5, only 38 short of Assam's total. Amit Kumar was out in the 10th over of the day, but Rishi Dhawan and Aatish Bhalaik shared an unbeaten 143-run stand.

Allrounder Dhawan continued his good form scoring his third century of the season and taking his total to 460 runs. He earlier took four wickets in the match which made him the highest wicket-taker of the season so far with 32 wickets.

Jammu & Kashmir 215 (ID Singh 117*, Shahid 8-51) and 151 (Prasanth 5-16) beat Kerala 163 (Rassol 3-66, Mudhasir 3-15) and 129 (Rassol 5-43, Gupta 5-26) by 74 runs
Scorecard

Seventeen wickets fell on the third day at Malappuram and at the end of it Jammu & Kashmir had beaten Kerala by 74 runs. It was the first time J&K had won a second Ranji Trophy match in a season since 2000-01.

The day had begun with J&K on 68 for 3 in their second innings, leading by 120. They were dismissed for 151. Padmanabhan Prasanth took 5 for 16 in 14.4 overs, while KR Sreejith claimed 3 for 56.

Chasing a target of 204, Kerala had reached 44 for 0 before they began to collapse. They lost five wickets for 21 runs, and their last four wickets for 15. Apart from the openers, no one else got past 20 and Kerala were dismissed for 129. Parvez Rassol took 5 for 43 in 18 overs and Manik Gupta claimed 5 for 26 in 9.4

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Vinay bullish about reaching quarters

It took five games for a struggling Karnataka to get their first win of the season, but with only 11 points on the board their captain Vinay Kumar is bullish about making the quarter-finals, if they can make the most of their three remaining games. Playing in familiar surroundings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Karnataka picked up six points from their victory over Delhi on Tuesday which meant they were no longer the bottom-placed team in Group B, jumping to sixth. With their next two games also at home (in Mysore and Hubli), Vinay felt two more wins would help them get a foot in the door in the quarter-finals.

"It was a good win and there were some positives to take from the game," Vinay said. "Now we've got 11 points. In the next three games, two are home games, one's away. Hopefully we'll get another two outright wins and make the quarter-finals."

The pitch had a crucial role to play. Karnataka were desperate for a result to arrest their slide, and a grassy pitch was prepared to encourage a win. It was a sort of pitch suited for the seamers to make a mark on the opening day, but Vinay took the gamble of batting first. You had to ask why a team struggling for runs through the season would throw its batsmen in the deep end at a crucial stage in the tournament.

From an armchair critic's perspective, it was a surprising decision but Karnataka saw things differently. It was a question of seeing off the new ball and waiting for the afternoon session to start piling on the runs. However, the decision was questioned on the opening day when Karnataka were bowled out for 192.

Their bowlers did a decent job to not allow Delhi run away with an imposing lead, keeping it to 66. Karnataka's openers, Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul got their heads together to build a stand of 140. Delhi hit back with quick wickets but the hosts' middle order ensured a more than handy lead, enough to ensure they couldn't lose.

If given a similar pitch, Vinay said he would still opt to bat. "It was a good wicket to bat on," he said. "In any wicket, the first one hour will be crucial. We lost three wickets in the first hour. So, if we get the same kind of wicket, we're definitely going to bat first."

The pitch had eased out for the batsmen on the fourth day, and with the Mithun Manhas-Rajat Bhatia duo standing in the way of Karnataka's plans of chasing a win, Vinay realised he had to try something different in the field to force mistakes. He continued to attack, and persisted with his seamers from both ends.

Manhas' untimely dismissal, caught off a top edge, gave Karnataka a big opening, but Vinay felt that Bhatia's wicket, caught brilliantly by Kunal Kapoor at silly point, turned the game.

"Till tea, we tried many things, but nothing happened," he said. "The catch that Kunal took was amazing. That's where the game turned. The fourth-day wicket was very good to bat on. We knew when the new ball was due, we would have a chance."

While Karnataka can toast their success, there's still plenty to be done if they are to be contenders for the quarter-finals. They need bigger contributions from their batsmen. So far, the team has only two centuries, both scored in a high-scoring draw in Chennai. In this game, both Uthappa and Stuart Binny were in sight of centuries but fell in the eighties.

Their performance against Delhi was a big improvement from their previous game against Odisha, where none of the batsmen passed fifty. Having made 475 in the second innings, Vinay acknowledged the improvement but felt it was time his frontline batsmen started converting their scores. He said the bowling attack had a more settled look, and wasn't in favour of going with four frontline seamers, given that the lone spinner KP Appanna was underused in this game.

"It (playing four seamers) means that one will be underbowled. If it's the three of us and Stuart (Binny), it'll be easier for us to rotate the bowlers. Appanna is also there, he got three crucial wickets in this game. So, we don't think four seamers is a good option."

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India will come out fighting, warns Swann

Graeme Swann has urged caution ahead of England's final Test against India, warning that the hosts will be desperate for a victory in Nagpur that would tie the series.

Back-to-back wins in Mumbai and Kolkata have put England on the verge of their first series victory in India since 1984-85 and, while Swann expects to play a prominent role alongside Monty Panesar on another spin-friendly pitch, he recognises the danger of playing a team looking to salvage their eight-year unbeaten run at home.

"It is tough, but sometimes it's a good position to be in," Swann said of India's situation. "If there's only one possible result you can get, you can go all out fighting. The last Test of a series, if you know the result hangs on it, is normally a very exciting one."

India have rung the changes ahead of the final Test, which starts on Thursday as they look for a response from their under-fire squad. Batsman Yuvraj Singh and seamer Zaheer Khan have been dropped, while spinner Harbhajan Singh misses out despite playing no role in the defeat in Kolkata.

"I'm sure India will come out fighting because they have to win the game," Swann said. "Equally so, I'm sure we'll approach the game thinking attack is our best form of defence. I think that's what has proved crucial in the last couple of games."

Swann and a number of his England colleagues have been in a similar position before, winning the final Test in Sydney in 2011 to claim a 3-1 Ashes victory in Australia, England's first triumph Down Under in almost a quarter of a century.

"Back in Australia, we didn't get carried away before that Sydney game," Swann said. "We spoke of how important it was to keep our feet on the ground. That's all we're doing here. We're not taking anything for granted, we don't sit down and pat ourselves on the back and say 'Look how well we have played the last two games'. That's a very dangerous place to get in.

"On Thursday morning we'll assess the pitch, play accordingly and hope to win this game, because we obviously want to get home for Christmas having won this series 3-1. Whatever the pitch is we've got to try and win the game, that's all we ever try and do."

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Brad Young signs with Adelaide Strikers

Brad Young has become the latest veteran spinner to join the Big Bash League after signing with the Adelaide Strikers. Young, 39, has been confirmed as the team's replacement for his fellow left-arm orthodox bowler Jon Holland, who will miss the entire BBL season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Young played six one-day internationals for Australia in 1998 and 1999, and he also took a hat-trick against New Zealand in the semi-final at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, in a match that was not considered an official ODI. He has not played at the elite level since his last appearance for South Australia in 2003 but he impressed the Strikers coach Darren Berry, who trialled Young and Mark Higgs during practice matches last month.

"Brad Young is a great story coming off the surf beach at Grange," Berry told the Advertiser of Young, who has been playing cricket in the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association rather than grade cricket. "It was a tough call [between Young and Higgs], but we just felt Brad was better suited to what we are looking for. He will be a handy addition."

Young will be available for the Strikers' next game, against Brisbane Heat on Thursday. He joins fellow veteran spinners Shane Warne and Brad Hogg in this year's BBL - Stuart MacGill was also part of the tournament last summer - and Young believes his age and experience will hold him in good stead for a return to elite cricket.

"I played when Australia were the No. 1 side in the world, I look back with fond memories and hopefully there are a few more over the next few weeks," Young said. "I have a wiser head on my shoulders. I do feel ready, shed a few kilos, the ball is coming out well and I am just trying to get up to speed on the fielding and batting."

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Tiwary ruled out for six weeks

Manoj Tiwary has been ruled out of action for at least six weeks after suffering a back injury in the Ranji Trophy.

The injury means he will miss the Twenty20 series against England, the visit of Pakistan and could struggle to be in contention for the ODIs against England in January.

Tiwary, the 27-year-old Bengal captain who had been named in India's 15-man squad for the England T20s, picked up the problem during the first innings against Saurashtra on Sunday and retired hurt for 55. He was unable to return and underwent scans which showed the extent of the damage and he will now travel to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore to begin his rehabilitation.

"The MRI report has come and I am leaving for Bangalore tomorrow," he told PTI. "I will follow what physio Nitin Patel tells me to do once he checks the report. As of now it looks like six weeks."

Tiwary has shown some good form this season, scoring 191 against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy and also made 93 against England for the Board President's XI last month. This is the second injury he has suffered in quick succession after a wrist problem earlier in the season.

He has not been a regular in the India starting XI, playing eight ODIs and three Twenty20s, since his debut in 2008. His most recent appearance was the T20 against New Zealand, in Chennai, during September. He was part of India's World Twenty20 squad for the tournament in Sri Lanka.

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Sammy disappointed despite T20 win

The West Indies captain Darren Sammy admitted that their goal ahead of the Bangladesh tour had not been fulfilled after they won two out of the three formats. Their win in the one-off Twenty20 international ensured they left in good spirits, but the ODI series loss was still hurting the visitors.

"We won the same amount of series as we did last year so we haven't achieved what we set out to do," Sammy said. "Bangladesh played really well, especially in the ODIs. We are disappointed losing the ODI series."

However, Sammy was pleased to win the Twenty20 match, West Indies' first game as World Twenty20 champions after their back-from-the-head victory against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Marlon Samuels played a stellar hand in that game, with a superbly crafted 78, and he did a similar job in Mirpur as he held the innings together with an unbeaten 85 off 43 balls.

"The way Marlon was playing that innings, it surely reminded me the game against Sri Lanka," Sammy said. "This was our first game after the victory and we won. We won, that's all we had to do.

"We have guys who can be match-winners for us every day. It is good to see Marlon do well after two years out of international cricket. He has been brilliant for us."

Bangladesh started their pursuit of 198 in strong style, but Sammy said he was not too concerned when Tamim Iqbal cut loose in the first over which cost 17 followed by 26 from the next two.

"We expected them to come hard at us. You have to go hard all the time when the run-rate is ten an over. Although they only lost one wicket, they were short by 18 runs. I wanted to win and end the year in a good note."

Sammy pinpointed Bangladesh's achievement of keeping Chris Gayle quiet for ten innings in a row as a notable part of the tour. Gayle made 166 runs across all formats over the last four weeks, an aspect of the contests which the Bangladesh captain, Mushfiqur Rahim, called a "big achievement" for the hosts.

"They managed to keep Gayle quiet throughout the series, something that not many teams have done in his career," Sammy said. "They executed well against him. Every player goes out there to do their best. I know because I try and it doesn't happen all the time. It is up to the individual to go back and think about his game. Chris will come back as he is a world-class player."

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Kaneria's ban appeal adjourned

Danish Kaneria's appeal against the lifetime ban given to him by the ECB was adjourned in London on Monday and is unlikely to resume until the New Year.

The adjournment came following legal submissions from both sides and a new date for the hearing will be agreed in due course. Mervyn Westfield was not present on Monday.

Kaneria was punished by an ECB disciplinary panel in June for his role in the spot-fixing case involving Westfield when the two were team-mates at Essex in 2009. Westfield was jailed for four months for his part in conceding a set number of runs in an over during a CB40 match against Durham.

Westfield, who was banned for five years but can play club cricket after three, gave evidence against Kaneria at the initial ECB hearing, revealing details about how the former Pakistan legspinner introduced him to an Indian businessman known as Arun or Anu Bhatt.

Kaneria, who had been warned about Bhatt's alleged connections to illegal betting, admitted putting the two in contact but claimed he had been trying to distance himself from Bhatt.

The PCB said in July that Kaneria would be suspended from playing until the outcome of the appeal was known.

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Gooch predicts Cook's best still to come

As if the last couple of weeks have not contained enough bad news for India, Graham Gooch had a little more for them: as far as Gooch is concerned, the best of Alastair Cook is yet to come.

Cook's batting has been one of the major differences between the teams this series. In three Tests, he has contributed three centuries and his tally of runs - 548 at an average of 109.60 - is more than Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh combined.

But Gooch feels Cook, who will be 28 on Christmas Day, has not yet reached his peak and will inevitably break Gooch's own record as England's top run-scorer in Test cricket. Gooch scored 8,900 Test runs, while Cook currently has 7,103. Only Kevin Pietersen, of current England players, has more with 7,335.

"In my opinion," Gooch said, "the years between 27 to 35 are the best years for a batsman because you have honed your knowledge and you know your game. I think he's got his best years in front of him. He's got to stay fit and motivated but nothing at the moment would suggest to me that that won't happen. I hope to hang on in this job until he goes past my record."

Few know Cook as a cricketer as well as Gooch. Not only do the pair of them, as Essex and England opening batsmen and captain, have much in common, but Gooch was the batting coach at Essex as Cook was developing and now performs the same role with England. He has watched Cook at close quarters throughout his career and, while Gooch admits Cook has never been the most eye-catching player, the skills that have served him so well at the top level were apparent very early.

"Alastair was on the Essex Academy and it was pretty obvious he was going to be a good player," Gooch said. "I can't remember the first time I saw him but I do remember him keeping wicket and batting for our Board XI against Essex in a proper match."

That match was a Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy game from 2003. Cook, opening the batting and keeping wicket for Essex Cricket Board against Essex, only scored 27 in the match, but his maturity stuck in Gooch's mind.

	"He tends to get on the front foot now a bit more later in his innings and he plays a very resolute game outside off stump. He's worked very hard over the years." Graham Gooch on how Cook's technique has developed

"My early memories of him as a person were that he was very mature for his age and very balanced and considered. He went about his cricket in a methodical sort of way and you can still see that now. The priceless ability he had when he was young, and again you can see this now, is that he knows exactly what he can and can't do. He puts that in place and into practice and doesn't step outside that.

"You know the old saying? It's not how, it's how many. He knows the way to play. Often young players coming up have talent and ability to strike the ball but they don't quite know how to manage their ability. Sometimes it dawns on them later in life and sometimes it doesn't dawn on them at all but this lad had it from the beginning. He knew how he could operate.

"He applies a certain type of game in Test cricket that works. When he came into the one-day side a lot of people said he didn't have the game for it but smart players find a way. And he plays a different sort of game in one-day cricket. He's not a power player but he keeps it moving and his runs-per-balls ratio is very good. That shows the skill of the man in being able to adapt.

"He tends to get on the front foot now a bit more later in his innings and he plays a very resolute game outside off stump. He's worked very hard over the years. He practices the sweep and hitting the ball over the top and it's good to see him showing confidence in selective sweeping against the turning ball. He's had success with that and also has the confidence to use his feet and come down the wicket. He's starting to enhance his game.

"Maybe he's thinking back to the Pakistan series in 2010 when he had a bit of a nightmare and thinking 'I'm going to get every run I can now because it's working for me'. I'm in good form and I'll cash in."

Gooch is also impressed by Cook's leadership since being appointed Test captain. Not only has Cook set a record - centuries in each of his first five Tests as captain - but has led England to a 2-1 series lead in conditions in which many expected them to struggle.

"Captaincy has enhanced his runs coring already," Gooch said. "It's difficult to look into a crystal ball and say whether it will affect him down the line but all the opportunities are there for him. He's mentally strong, that's his greatest asset, and he could achieve a lot of things. There's a lot of cricket in front of him and that can affect you but I'd like to think he will go all the way. He'll certainly go past my record in the not too distant future the way it's going and good on him because he'll deserve that. He's mastered his art to a degree and is always looking to improve. If he delivers, England win matches.

"I think we've seen already in the dressing room that he's prepared to make his own decisions. He doesn't always take the coaches advice in that he wants to do it his own way. He'll make mistakes and he won't get it right every time. You have to grow into that job, the way you get the best out of people, counsel them, and make tactical decisions. All those things come into it. He's in his infancy but I don't see any reason why he won't be a good captain and leader of men."

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Hafeez spins Lahore Lions to title

Lahore Lions 154 for 7 (Jamshed 42, Adil 3-23) beat Faisalabad Wolves 121 for 8 (Hafeez 4-11) by 33 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Mohammad Hafeez's economical and incisive spell bowled Lahore Lions to a comprehensive victory against Faisalabad Wolves in the final of the Faysal Bank T-20, and potentially secured them a place in the Champions League T20 next year.

Chasing a target of 155, Faisalabad had reached 30 for 1 in the fourth over when the slide began. Asif Ali was first run out, and then Hafeez nipped out three wickets in successive overs to reduce Faisalabad to 56 for 5. The collpase did not cease and Hafeez returned to dismiss Imran Khalid to pick up his fourth wicket. He finished with 4 for 11, and Abdul Razzaq claimed 2 for 19, as Faisalabad were restricted to 121 for 8 in 20 overs.

Lahore's innings had been set up by a fiery start from their openers after they chose to bat. Ahmed Shehzad scored 29 off 18 balls and was first out with the score on 44 in 4.2 overs. Nasir Jamshed carried on, making 42 off 28 balls to lay the platform for a formidable score. The middle-order batsmen, however, could not sustain the momentum and Nos. 3 to 5 got starts but scored at only a run a ball. Lahore had to settle for 154 for 7, but it proved to be 33 too many for Faisalabad.

The final was watched by a crowd of 20,000 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with several thousands outside the venue without tickets.

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Masakadza's record haul skittles Tuskers

A six-wicket haul from Shingi Masakadza led Mountaineers to a 30-run win against Matabeleland Tuskers at Mutare Sports Club. The performance - 6 for 16 - was Masakadza's best in domestic T20s and the fifth best in all T20 cricket.

Defending 136, Tendai Chatara struck the first blow for Mountaineers, dismissing Moeen Ali for 1 in the second over. In the third, Masakadza had the captain Gavin Ewing caught and Tuskers were 11 for 2. Craig Ervine made 41 but had no support from his team-mates. Tuskers had slipped to 104 for 7 when Masakadza bowled the 19th over and took four wickets to end the innings. He struck with the second, third, fifth and sixth ball to dismiss Tuskers for 105.

Mountaineers had also batted poorly after they won the toss. Mark Pettini was the only batsman to pass 30 and he made only 31. They were struggling at 110 for 7 in the 17th over and Masakadza's 16 lifted them towards 135 for 9. Tuskers' bowlers shared the wickets around, with Keegan Meth, Glen Querl, Njabulo Ncube and Ali taking two each.

The match between Southern Rocks and Mashonaland Eagles was washed out at at Masvingo Sports Club without a ball bowled.

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Khulna champions after narrow win

Khulna Division became National Cricket League champions by beating Rajshahi Division by 33 runs in a low-scoring game in Bogra. The win put them on 40 points, ten ahead of Dhaka Division, who can't catch up even though they are poised to thrash Barisal Division in Rajshahi. It is Khulna's third NCL triumph after winning the tournament in 2002-03 and 2007-08.

Rajshahi had a shot at victory after they bowled out Khulna for 180 in the second innings; they needed to chase only 187. However the pace and spin combination of Robiul Islam and Nizamuddin took eight wickets and Rajshahi were bowled out for 153.

In the first innings, Khulna had made 228 after being put into bat. Imrul Kayes' 60 was the only major contribution as the Rajshahi bowlers Farhad Reza and Saqlain Sajib took control, picking up three wickets each.

Rajshahi, however, batted poorly in their first innings and conceded a six-run lead. Maisuqur Rahman made 64 but the rest failed to support him. Robiul and left-arm spinner Murad Khan took three wickets each for Khulna.

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Birt, Shah blow Heat away

Hobart Hurricanes 2 for 175 (Birt 57*) beat Brisbane Heat 6 for 172 (Christian 49, Gulbis 3-29) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A half-century from Travis Birt and some crisp hitting from Owais Shah helped Hobart Hurricanes to a comfortable two-wicket win over Brisbane Heat at the Gabba. Birt and Shah combined for a 95-run partnership in less than nine overs, as the hosts' total of 6 for 172 was overhauled with an over to spare.

Tim Paine upped the tempo early on for the Hurricanes after Shane Watson's first over cost just one run. Wicketkeeper Paine cracked Watson for six in his next over and had helped put on a 50-run opening stand when he fell to James Hopes for 29 off 19 balls. Nathan Hauritz and Ben Cutting helped slow the run rate, the latter removing Jonathan Wells with the score on 80, but the third-wicket partnership was to prove decisive.

Shah hit Cutting for two sixes in the 13th over and Birt scored 21 off the next, which also included a wide from Hopes, to make the Hurricanes task a straightforward one.

Having won the toss, Brisbane were hampered in their attempts to set a more imposing total by the loss of regular wickets. Michael Hogan struck twice to remove the openers with 39 on the board before a 49-run partnership between Joe Burns and Dan Christian. Debutant Evan Gulbis removed Burns on the way to fine figures of 3 for 29 and Thisara Perara's late innings of 22 from eight balls was not enough to give Heat a winning platform.

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Meth, Mpofu lead Tuskers to close win

Matabeleland Tuskers 211 for 7 (Ali 48, Williams 48, Chatara 3-34) beat Mountaineers 210 (Sauramba 40, Mpofu 4-43) by nine runs (D/L method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

An all-round effective bowling performance by Matabeleland Tuskers took them to a close nine-run win against Mountaineers in a rain-shortened contest at Mutare Sports Club. Chasing 220, Mountaineers were seven down for 164 when Natsai M'shangwe helped them accelerate to bring down their required run-rate to less than four runs per over with three overs remaining. But by then, they were eight down, and two wickets off the 41st over sealed a win for their opponents. Seamer Keegan Meth's two wickets and a run-out at crucial stages, and Chris Mpofu's four wickets, proved costly.

Matabeleland Tuskers' innings, earlier, progressed through stops and starts, and was built on two significant partnerships of over 70 each. After being put in to bat, seamer Tendai Chetara reduced them to 22 for 3, and a 75-run fourth-wicket stand between opener Moeen Ali and Sean Williams, both of whom scored 48, helped them recover. But Shingi Masakadza and Donald Tiripano took two wickets each to leave them struggling at 139 for 7 in the 28th over. Charles Coventry and Glen Querl played patiently thereafter, adding 72, which helped them go past the 200-run mark.

Mountaineers, according to D/L calculations, required 219 off their 50 overs, and fell short.

Mashonaland Eagles 102 (Chakabva 42*) v Southern Rocks- Match abandoned
Scorecard

The game between Mashonaland Eagles and Southern Rocks was called off due to rain. After being put in to bat, Mashonaland Eagles batted for 21.5 overs before rain halted play, and rain would not allow play to resume again.

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Ranji spectators turned away in Bangalore

While domestic matches in India are not known to fill seats in stadiums in the bigger cities, the first day of the Karnataka-Delhi Ranji Trophy match in Bangalore actually had the few spectators who showed up turned away; security has been tightened around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the lead-up to the Twenty20 between India and Pakistan on December 25.

A top Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) told ESPNcricinfo that the stadium has been handed over to the police, who have the final say on letting spectators in. He added that it is possible for a spectator to watch the Ranji Trophy game in select stands, but will have to furnish personal information to convince the security team. It will also help if the spectator is a member of the adjoining KSCA club or can get authorised by a member.

The issue came to light when a fan, posting on ESPNcricinfo's Ranji Trophy blog, said he was not allowed entry. The ongoing match, against Delhi, will be the only Karnataka game affected by these security arrangements, as they play their next two home games in Mysore and Hubli.

Such security arrangements are likely to be employed in Delhi too, and so their next home Ranji game, from December 15, will probably not be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla which is the venue for the final India-Pakistan ODI on January 6.

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J&K, Kerala even on record-breaking day

Kerala 0 for 0 v Jammu and Kashmir 215 (Dev Singh 117*, Shahid 8-51)
Scorecard

On a strange day in which two players single-handedly dominated the bowling and batting for their respective sides, and in doing so, created history, Jammu and Kashmir played out an evenly-contested first day against hosts Kerala. Opener Ian Dev Singh scored an unbeaten century, becoming the second J&K batsman to have carried his bat, and seamer CP Shahid, playing in his third first-class game, took 8 for 51 to register third-best figures for any bowler in his side in history. Besides opener Adil Rishi and No. 3 Bandeep Singh, who were the first two to be dismissed, all fell to him, as J&K were bowled out for 215.

But wickets didn't fall in a heap, as Ian Dev struck useful partnerships, especially for the third and the seventh wicket. None of them, however, lasted beyond 59 runs, and seven single-digit scores put paid to J&K's hopes of a big first-innings total.

Services 284 for 4 (Chatterjee 103, Yashpal 92) v Goa
Scorecard

Services captain and opener Soumik Chatterjee scored a century to lead his side to a strong 284 for 4 against Goa at stumps in Porvorim. After choosing to bat, they lost their other opener Pratik Desai in the fifth over, No. 3 Ansuhl Gupta for 31 in the 18th over and the next batsman Soumya Swain after ten more overs. But Chatterjee then combined with Yashpal Singh, who gave him able support, to give their side a strong foundation. The duo added 141 runs for the fourth wicket, before Chatterjee got out in the final session after scoring his fourth century.

Assam 213 for 4 (PP Das 90) v Himachal Pradesh
Scorecard

In Guwahati, Assam built the foundation for a strong first innings against Himachal Pradesh after being put in to bat. Opener PP Das, playing his eighth first-class match, was dismissed for ten short of what would have been his maiden first-class century. Although none of the top-order batsmen scored a fifty, they featured in four productive partnerships, to help their side reach 213 for 4 at stumps.

Das' innings of 90 contained 15 boundaries, but he also played out many dot deliveries, as his innings' strike-rate was 48.36. For Himachal, offspinner Gurvinder Singh, with two wickets, was the most productive bowler.

Jharkhand 95 for 3 (Jaggi 43, Tiwary 38) trail Tripura 106 (Shubhrajit 43, Yadav 6-38) by 11 runs
Scorecard

Jharkhand held the upper hand in their contest against Tripura in Agartala after right-arm fast bowler Ajay Yadav, in only his second first-class match, took 6 for 38 to help bowl Tripura out for 106. After a poor start to their reply, Ishank Jaggi and Saurabh Tiwary scored 85 runs together to leave their side to within 11 runs of their opponent's total.

Tripura's innings crumbled from the beginning. Opener Shubhrajit Roy top-scored with 43, and only two others scored beyond five runs in the innings. When five wickets had fallen for 12 runs in the 11th over, Shubrajit and Debabrata Chowdhury stuck for 17.2 overs, and helped them to a better position, adding 54 runs. But Chowdhury's dismissal led to another collapse, and Tripura were soon bowled out. Their bowlers, however, gave them a positive start with the ball, as Jharkhand were reduced to 10 for 3, but Tiwary and Jaggi batted responsibly to ensure their side's dominance.

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'We deserved to win this ODI series' - Mushfiqur

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has said his team earned the 3-2 ODI series victory over West Indies through skill and by building up towards peak form over the past four weeks. The coming together of all three departments in the crucial final game of the series, albeit with some major scares along the way, he said, was what made the difference for Bangladesh.

"We deserved to win this ODI series, judging by our performance since the Tests and our cricket skills," Mushfiqur said after the game. "We would have at least drawn that first Test had we not made some mistakes. We didn't bat and field well in the third and fourth [ODIs], though we bowled very well. Today our only plan was to get it right in all three departments.

"This is what gave us the wins in the first two games of the ODI series. In this final game, we told everyone that we have to make sure we give 100% effort."

Bangladesh's nerves could have frayed at two crucial points in the game, but they came out on top on both occasions. First, when Kieron Pollard began his assault, hammering eight sixes in an innings that was threatening to take the series away from the home side. As the big hits piled up at the feet of a sell-out crowd, Mushfiqur's bowling choices were compromised. He tossed the ball to the innocuous Mominul Haque, who bowls part-time left-arm spin. Sensing an opportunity to get one more out of the ground, Pollard went for a big swish after clearing the front foot, but the ball had snuck below his bat and onto the stumps.

Mushfiqur joked that he would like credit for that wicket but praised the maturity shown by Mominul: "Mominul is a fighting cricketer. That is how he is, one of my favourite young players. He takes up the challenge so when I gave him the bowling, I told him to just do what you can, don't worry about the outcome."

The other crucial juncture was when the 91-run fourth wicket stand between Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah ended with the latter getting bowled by Sunil Narine in the 21st over, with Bangladesh still needing 97 runs to win. They had two more batsmen in the shed, Nasir Hossain and Mominul, and these two came together when Mushfiqur was also dismissed by the same bowler not long after. The two youngsters, Nasir playing the role of the senior batsmen for once, showed the guts required in these tight situations and on a 53-run fifth wicket stand that took Bangladesh almost to the victory.

"When I was batting with [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai, I wanted to put up a partnership," Mushfiqur said. "After I got out, another partnership was a must and credit goes to Nasir and Mominul. They handled the pressure situation very well, showed their maturity in such a game. Even Sohag Gazi's 15 runs were vital in the circumstances."

The captain was happy with Shafiul Islam, who was a last-minute replacement for the injured Mashrafe Mortaza and the only pace bowler in the attack. He took 3 for 31 - his second-best bowling performance in terms of wickets taken and his most economical spell of bowling against a major team; he has been known to leak runs in the past.

"I think 70% of [credit for] the win goes to him," Mushfiqur said. "He bowled so well in such a final match, and it is not easy to bowl against Gayle, Pollard and Samuels. He hasn't played for a long time [due to injury]. We kept telling him to be ready for an opportunity. He can use the inswinger with the new ball, so we were sure he could do the job."

Mushfiqur pointed out that the win had come against an in-form team that has just won the World Twenty20, and that Bangladesh were without their linchpin, Shakib Al Hasan. That, he said, made it a superior performance to the two previous series wins against teams ranked higher than Bangladesh. "I would put this above the West Indies whitewash [in 2009, against a second-string side] and the 4-0 win over New Zealand [in 2010]. This is a T20 champion side and all their top players were here.

"We also missed a big performer in this series, so it became a huge challenge. I would say that this is the biggest win for us."

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