Raza Hasan confident of swift return

Raza Hasan, Pakistan's 20-year old left-arm spinner, is confident of being back in the reckoning for national selection with his swift recovery from a career-threatening spine injury. He returned to competitive cricket, after an almost four-month break, in the ongoing Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty20 Cup.

Hasan, who made his international debut last September against Australia, has played seven Twenty20 internationals since, taking six wickets at 25.66. But he was pegged back with major back trouble when he injured the disc in his spine in a domestic Twenty20 game on December 2. He underwent surgery, performed by a neurosurgeon Dr. Anjum Habib Vohra.

"It was a major blow but with the timely treatment I am back in shape," Hasan said. "Although I was given at least eight weeks' rest by the doctor, I extended it to 12 weeks to give my body adequate rest. I am enjoying good health due to the gap. I am working hard to cover up for lost time.

"I was a bit reckless earlier with my injury and I let it linger on, but now after the operation I am taking extra caution to take care of myself with proper gym sessions and back exercise."

In the wake of the injury, he missed the tours of India and South Africa, and hasn't so far played Tests or ODIs for his country. During his layoff, two other left-arm spinners, Zulfiqar Babar and Abdur Rehman - who served a 12-week ban for testing positive for cannabis during his spell with Somerset - have been called in by the selectors. But the competition with other spinners for a place, with Saeed Ajmal leading the race, isn't worrisome for Raza.

"I am not really worried on being pushed back on return of Abdur Rehman or others as I don't think I will be competing with anyone. The only completion I am facing is with my own self and I need to improve myself from here. I am young and have plenty of time ahead of me [to do the needful], rest is in the hands of the selectors."

Razzak draws strength from career setbacks

Abdur Razzak, the Bangladesh left-arm spinner, thought he would miss the chance to complete 200 ODI wickets in the three-match series against Sri Lanka. After going wicketless in the first game and the second one being abandoned, he ended up getting all five wickets required to reach the landmark in the final game in Pallekele, a testament to his persistence over difficult periods in his career.

"After the first two matches, I thought I would have to wait a long time for another opportunity," Razzak said. "It came in the third game and I was extremely happy. The moment when I took the fifth wicket was unforgettable. Before the series I had it in mind to reach the 200-wicket mark."

Razzak's numbers, and stature as the most experienced bowler in the line-up have made him a valuable member of the ODI side. All but one of his four-wicket hauls came in defeats while all four of his five-fors have been in wins.

Yet, it is his experience with the darker side of international cricket that has taught him the lesson of not taking even an ordinary spell of bowling for granted. Razzak was twice pulled up for chinks in his bowling action, the second occasion costing him almost a year's international cricket. He was first reported in 2004 and four years later told to correct his action.

"I am one of those few players from Bangladesh who has seen some really critical periods in their career. When the bowling action was questioned, everyone spoke to me as if my career was over. I was strong on the inside. I didn't think my career was over.

"I think that has given me a lot of strength as a person. I love taking up challenges, I can't hide away from bowling in certain periods because it doesn't make me comfortable. I like to go through these difficult experiences during matches or otherwise, so that I know what to do the next time it happens," he said.

Razzak has experienced memorable moments too. After taking three wickets on debut against minnows Hong Kong, he was impressive against Pakistan in his next game. Problems with his bowling action kept him out till 2006 when he became a regular for another three years. During this time he was instrumental in Bangladesh's progression to the 2007 World Cup's Super Eights.

Razzak was the Man of the Match against West Indies in his comeback game in 2009 after correcting his action. It was followed by a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in 2010, and through ups and downs, he has remained the backbone of a side short on experience.

"It is hard to make a distinction on which has been my best moment. There have been so many good moments. But I think I have enjoyed the fact that the 200 wickets have not taken too long. I have done it in 141 innings which gives me a lot of pride."

UP clinch last-ball win

Group A

Kerala increased their chances of making it to the final after winning their third match in a row when they beat Odisha by six wickets in Indore. Batting first, Odisha were rocked by wickets by Nizar Niyas (2 for 24) and VA Jagadeesh (2 for 10). However, cameos from Lagnajit Samal (20 off 16) and Suryakant Pradhan (18 off 16) led them to 125 for 8 with an unbeaten 35-run stand. Opener Ankit Yadav top-scored with 28.

Kerala lost four wickets in the chase, but Sanju Samson (41*) and Sachin Baby (33 off 24) made it easier with a 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Nikhilesh Surendran chipped in with 22 at the top and Kerala won with four balls to spare.

Gujarat kept their hopes alive of playing the finals by beating Vidarbha by three wickets in Indore. Vidarbha were given a strong start by their top-order batsmen, Faiz Fazal (27), Amol Ubarhande (24 off 12) and Akshay Kolhar (23). But Jesal Karia struck with two blows in the 11th over. Shalabh Shrivastava (34) and Gaurav Upadhyaya (24) steered the innings from there, taking the total to 156 for 7. Jasprit Bumrah finished with figures of 3 for 33.

Gujarat lost three wickets quickly within four overs but Niraj Patel, who scored 47, took them past 50 with Chirag Gandhi and past 100 with Karia. Once Niraj was dismissed in the 16th over at the score of 103, Karia's knock of 47 from 30 balls, which included four sixes and three fours, took them closer to the target and eventually Akshar Patel (18 off 7) and Rohit Dahiya saw them home with five balls to spare.

Gujarat and Kerala are the top two teams in Group A and will play each other on Saturday.

Group B

In a tight, low-scoring match in Indore, Uttar Pradesh, with the help of two sixes towards the end by No. 10 Imtiaz Ahmed, clinched a last-ball victory by two wickets over Baroda at the Holkar Stadium. Chasing 129, UP lost their openers cheaply, but a 44-run stand between Mohammad Kaif and Tanmay Shrivastava, and a 42-run stand between Akshdeep Nath and the captain Piyush Chawla, steered them to a comfortable 107 for 4. However, Baroda were brought back in the contest as UP lost four wickets for six runs - with seamer Murtuja Vahora taking two of them - to be struggling at 113 for 8 in 19 overs. Ahmed struck 15 off five deliveries to take his side home.

Baroda's innings was based on a balanced effort by their top-order batsmen, with Hardik Pandya top-scoring with 37. Baroda suffered a collapse too, losing five wickets for 21 runs; spinner Amit Mishra and Vahora, with three wickets each, were the wreckers-in-chief of their respective sides in a contest that saw 16 wickets falling. With their third loss in as many games, Baroda were relegated to the last spot.

A responsible half-century from Lokesh Rahul helped Karnataka beat Bengal by four wickets. Karnataka, in pursuit of 152, lost their opener Amit Verma in the second over, but Robin Uthappa scored a quick 41 to give them a rapid start amid wickets falling fairly early. His knock was backed up by a Rahul, who struck valuable stands with Manish Pandey and Stuart Binny to help them achieve victory in the final over. Seamer Shami Ahmed took three wickets, but was the most expensive bowler, giving away 39 runs in his four overs. Bengal's innings revolved around an innings of 42 from No. 3 Sayan Mondal, and a 55-run stand for the seventh wicket between Debabrata Das (31) and Arnab Nandi (37*).

Karnataka moved to the second spot in the points table after the win.

'I have more variations now' - Senanayake

Although Sri Lanka's pace reserves have struggled to produce quality in recent years, hurt by a spate of serious injuries, a bevy of burgeoning spinners has begun to vie for long-term places in the national team.  

 19-year-old Akila Dananjaya had a successful introduction to international cricket during the World Twenty20 last year, but has been used with utmost care and consideration, owing to his extreme inexperience. 20-year-old Tharindu Kaushal has amassed a staggering pile of domestic scalps in his debut season, but despite having been in the Test squad for two tours, he is yet to make an international appearance. Others like Suraj Randiv and Ajantha Mendis were picked on early promise, but have since lost their way in international cricket - though each of them is only one emphatic domestic season away from drawing interest again.

 The latest spinner to emerge from the peloton to make a dash for the top limited-overs spinner's spot is 28-year-old Sachithra Senanayake. A tall offspinner with a relaxed approach to the crease, a reputation for taking heavy hauls, and the record to go with it, he has recently seen his career surge, in more ways than one. He had played for Sri Lanka in a handful of limited-overs matches early in 2012, but in South Africa and in Australia, his returns ranged from modest to mediocre, and after a three-month stretch as a regular, he was replaced by several of the competing spin bowlers.

This year, though, a jaw-dropping $625,000 offer from Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2013 IPL brought Senanayake back into the limelight, and a strong first-class season earned him a recall into a national side looking to embed future stars. His first ODI against Bangladesh brought him only one wicket for 46 runs, but in Pallekele on Thursday night, he was Sri Lanka's best bowler by a distance, taking 2 for 26 from six overs.  

 "For about a year I didn't have the opportunity to come into the national team," Senanayake said. "But I did well in the provincial and domestic matches that I had to play, so that's probably why I'm in the team again. I didn't lose hope of getting back into the team and I performed well and showed that I'm good enough.

 "I have more variations now than I did when I first played for Sri Lanka. I think I'll be able to do well because of those changes. Before, I just bowled the offbreak and the one that goes straight on. Now I have two more - one that goes the other way, and one that keeps low."

Senanayake was also handed a central contract at the beginning of the month, despite not having played since August 2012, at the international level. The contract is an indication that Sri Lanka's new selection panel has high hopes from him, and will grant him time to mature at the top level.   

 "I'm very thankful to the selection committee, because they didn't choose players on a whim," he said. "They've been watching cricketers for a while, and if they were performing well, [they saw] how long they had been doing well for. They've followed players closely and then categorised them, which is great."

Senanayake has been one of the most consistent spinners in domestic cricket, and his resurgence was built upon an exceptional List A season, in which he reaped 18 wickets at an average of 11.16. He was also among the top four wicket-takers in this year's first-class competition, with 49 wickets at 16.32. He is the only specialist spinner in the young Twenty20 squad named for the one-off match against Bangladesh.

He feels that having bowled on an SSC pitch, which is better suited to batting than many in the country, he has had to work hard to earn his wickets, and that that experience will hold him in good stead when playing for Sri Lanka.

 "In international cricket, even in Sri Lanka, you don't get as many spin-friendly wickets as in the domestic circuit here," he said. "If you look at the SSC pitch though, it is one of the best batting tracks in the country. Because of that, I don't feel a big change when we play international cricket, and I think I'll be able to do well." 

 He is aware, however, that there are exciting, young players on the scene who have not evaded the selectors' gaze either. Senanayake may have an SLC contract, while many of them don't, but there is little room to lag. After the Twenty20 on Sunday, Sri Lanka's next assignment is the Champions Trophy in England, where Senanayake may be tasked with carrying the spin burden, given most pitches are unlikely to warrant fielding two slow bowlers.

  "It's great the amount of competition that we have at the moment, because when there is a group of players behind me who are also pushing for players, I know that I have to do better than them. With that level of competition, if I don't do well in two or three games, I can't be certain of my place in the team. I have to constantly be on top of my game to earn selection for the next match."

Swann confident of Ashes return

Only two weeks after undergoing surgery for the second time on his troublesome right elbow, Graeme Swann is not only confident of being fit for his third Ashes series later this summer but has also revealed a vague ambition to rival a fellow England offspinner, John Emburey, for career longevity.

Indeed, Swann, who turned 34 four days ago, is so optimistic about making a full recovery that he believes he could be ready to play in the opening Test against New Zealand on May 16. Nottinghamshire's four-day match against Durham on April 29 has even been pencilled in for what would be a startlingly quick competitive comeback.

Swann went ahead of Jim Laker as England's most prolific Test offspinner during the triumphant England series in India that preceded the New Zealand tour. He now has 212 Test wickets yet claims his hunger for more is undiminished.

"The hunger's still strong to play Test cricket," he said "I love the game, so I think I'll play for as long as the body can stand it. Whether that will be for 12 Test matches or 112 we will have to wait and see - but Embers played until he was 41, didn't he? So there is hope for me yet."

Swann is currently following a day-and-night programme of mechanically-induced extension exercises designed to accelerate his recovery time.

"I'm banished to our attic bedroom right now because I have to get up every two hours to attach myself to a machine for 50 minutes," Swann said. "It was agony for the first week - it brings a tear to your eye. But that's stopped happening now and the elbow feels great -- so it's definitely going in the right direction.

"I'll be badgering the physios and coaches here at Notts to let me bowl as soon as possible but they're the ones with qualifications to tell me when and where I can.

"I'd hope to be bowling competitively by the end of April. I don't know whether that's optimistic or not but that's how my mind works. I want to be back as soon as I can because I'm bored stupid already. It was okay while the Tests in New Zealand were on because I could watch that, but now it's finished it's very tedious.

"It's important though because the machine keeps the range of movement in your arm and it aids your rehabilitation and it's supposed to halve the time you get back bowling."

If his return to action with Nottinghamshire results in no setback, Swann would be in contention for the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord's, having missed England's uncomfortable 0-0 Test series draw against the same opponents on their own pitches.

It would be great news for England, who would be uneasy about entering as Ashes series with Monty Panesar as their frontline spinner, particularly given the high number of left-handed batsmen in the Australian line-up. Panesar was in buoyant form as he and Swann dismantled India on turning surfaces before Christmas, but as the lone spinner on unresponsive surfaces in New Zealand he occasionally looked ill at ease.

Doubts were expressed over Swann's future in international cricket after his elbow injury resurfaced - slightly more than three years after his first operation under the skilled hands of surgeon Dr Shawn O'Driscoll in Minnesota.

Yet he says he trusts O'Driscoll's prognosis of a full recovery and the thought has never seriously crossed his mind that the injury might spell the end of his England career after 50 Tests.

"The surgeon assured me it was a straightforward operation compared with my first one," he said. "That one was far more serious, yet it allowed me to go for three-and-a-half years bowling relatively pain free. It was a lot more straightforward this time, basically just correcting little things that have gone wrong since.

"Because of my elbow, different parts of my body start taking over and aching and that was one of the signs in New Zealand that something was wrong. All of a sudden I was getting a sore back and shoulder and all sorts of things, all down to the fact that the elbow wasn't working. Now it's cleared out, all the other things should be all right.

"I think I could bowl now but I'd probably put myself back to square one. So the next couple of weeks are solely about fitness and getting my base levels back up to where they should be, and then I'll start bowling again."

Swann recognises that he is not the patient sort and any delay in his rehabilitation will leave him pacing the floor in frustration.

"I think it's going to kill me if I sit down and watch so much cricket at the start of the summer without being an active part of it so I'll certainly be trying to be back fit and playing as much cricket as I can. I'd like to get a couple of games in for Notts before any England cricket starts so that's what I'll be aiming for.

"If I start back and there's any pain whatsoever I'm sure I'll want to play it fairly safe. But I'm not a conservative bloke by nature."

Mathews puts the blame on bowlers

Angelo Mathews refused to put Sri Lanka's first-ever loss to Bangladesh on home soil down to conditions, and blamed his side's bowling instead. Bangladesh got off to a rapid start in their response to Sri Lanka's 302, before rain forced an almost three-hour delay in play.

Sri Lanka contended with a wet ball for the remainder of the curtailed match, but Mathews said his side's bowling had been a concern throughout the series, and they should have walked away with a series win. Only Sachithra Senanayake and Lasith Malinga maintained an economy rate of less than six runs an over, as Bangladesh chased 183 in 26 overs to win by three wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

"I don't think we can blame the conditions. We didn't bowl well and that's why we lost. It was very disappointing. I feel we had the runs on the board, but we just didn't bowl well. Our bowling was the turning point. We didn't execute our plans and we were wayward from the start.

"Duckworth Lewis is always complicated. We had our chances still, because they had to get 102 off 13 overs and the bowling attack that we've got is brilliant. Unfortunately, we just couldn't pull it off." 

Sri Lanka had begun the match promisingly, with Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan providing their second brisk 100-run partnership in the series. Dilshan hit 125 from 128 balls, and had support from Kumar Sangakkara as well, who made a busy 48. Sri Lanka lost their way from 203 for 1 in the 36th over, when the middle order collapsed, but Mathews said the batting had not worried him.

"Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Janith gave us the ideal start. The midde-order batsmen we were a little too hasty. But still, I think 302 in a 50-over game is a lot of runs. The batting was good, but we again showed a weakness with the ball. Our batting has been good throughout this tour. I think both in the first ODI and in the third ODI, we have not bowled well at all."  

Bangladesh had the advantage of playing out all ten of their mandatory Powerplay overs despite the shortened chase, but Mathews said a curtailed match did not necessarily swing the game in Bangladesh's favour.

"It would have been different if they were chasing 303 and we were playing a 50-over game, but the credit should also go to the Bangladeshis for the way they played. They batted extremely well. It could have gone both ways. Maybe with the pressure of a 50-over match, it could have gone our way, but we could still have won the 27-over match. We didn't play well and we accept that."

Bangladesh required more than seven runs an over for much of their chase, and they kept in touch with the asking rate with regular boundaries, before closing in on the target quickly with a final flourish. Sri Lanka fielded well, despite the wet ball and slippery surface, but it was the bowling where they were not poised, Mathews said.  

"It was a nervous game because it went down to the wire and the pressure was on. They were feeling it and we were also feeling it. We were a little a little bit rattled with the ball. Those 13 overs were played under high pressure, and Bangladesh outplayed us there, when we were troubled a little bit.  

"Ultimately they held it to pull it off and get across the line. They've played some really good cricket and we were outplayed today."

'I would still call it a calculative chase' - Mushfiqur

Bangladesh's captain Mushfiqur Rahim called his side's hustling victory against Sri Lanka a "calculative chase". It did not seem so deliberate. They won by three wickets to level the ODI series 1-1, but only after many moments of panic in the dressing room and out in the middle.

Following a rain break of more than two hours, the equation for Bangladesh was to score another 105 runs in 13.2 overs from a position of 78 for 1 in 13.4 overs. They lost six wickets in the process and some of the batsmen looked too eager to finish off the game. But the staying power of Nasir Hossain, amid the tension, gave them the edge.

"We wanted to play cricketing shots to get a 30-40 run partnership up early," Mushfiqur said. "We are not used to playing in such tight circumstances against such tough opponents, so I think some of us panicked. I would still call it a calculative chase because we took risks and lost some wickets, but in the end we had one guy holding things together."

The underlying theme of this series has been how poor Bangladesh's resources has been. They lost several players to injuries, but the biggest were those to Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza. These are senior players in a very young team that does not win often and yet carries the swelling expectations of a cricket-mad nation.

To beat Sri Lanka in their backyard has given Mushfiqur the pride to tell his players that all is not automatically lost when the stars are absent. "If Shakib was here, he could have won the man-of-the-series award probably, because he has done it quite a number of times in the past," Mushfiqur said. "But some of the others have stepped up this time. The team will now believe that without big stars, Bangladesh can still do well."

The captain also showed appreciation for Nasir who has progressed into a batsman keen to finish games off during tight chases. "Hats off to Nasir," Mushfiqur said. "I firmly believe that he can break all batting records in the Bangladesh team if he continues in this vein. He has played really well. He does well when the team needs him to score. It is his most important trait."

With such a long gap between what effectively was two parts to the game, it was easy to forget Abdur Razzak's earlier achievement, and the unassuming manner in which he led the attack. The left-arm spinner finished with his fourth five-wicket haul in ODIs, which held back Sri Lanka's surge towards an even bigger score. More significantly for Razzak, his fifth wicket on the day was also his 200th in ODIs for Bangladesh.

Mushfiqur was full of praise. "I congratulate Razzak bhai for becoming the first bowler from Bangladesh to take 200 wickets. He is a tough guy, and he can bowl at the top and at the end so well. Sometimes bowlers feel uncomfortable at certain situations, but he has never said no to me."

The manner in which Mushfiqur managed to get the best out of the five bowlers will remain as a notch in the captain's belt. The spinners impressed and the pace bowlers just about managed to get away with their ten overs, but it was the management of these spells that was vital in keeping Sri Lanka quiet after such a good start, and in taking wickets later when the final slog was supposed to be in full swing.

"I wanted to use Mominul or Nasir, but they had a partnership going till the 35th over," Mushfiqur said. "Using occasional bowler against set batsmen would have been tough on them given the fielding restrictions these days."

Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka one last time on this tour, in a Twenty20 game at the Pallekele International Stadium on March 31.

20-year-old man charged with Ryder assault

A 20-year-old man has been charged with assault in connection with an attack which has left Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand cricketer, in an induced coma in Christchurch Hospital.

The man is set to appear in the Christchurch District Court on April 4. Police are also investigating the alleged involvement of a second person involved, saying that they had a "positive line of enquiry". A further statement is expected later on Friday.

"Last night Police interviewed a 20-year-old male in relation to their involvement in the initial altercation with cricketer Jesse Ryder," a police statement read. "This person has been arrested and charged with assault and will appear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday 4 April.

"Police are following a positive line of inquiry in relation to another person. Police are waiting for an update from Christchurch Hospital on Mr Ryder's condition."

Police have overnight spoken to witnesses and reviewed CCTV footage of the incident, which left Ryder with a fractured skull, punctured lung and other internal injuries.

A Canterbury District Health Board spokesperson confirmed on Friday morning that Ryder, who suffered serious head injuries, was still in a critical condition in an induced coma, with serious head injuries.

Ryder had been celebrating the end of the season with several Wellington team mates at Aikmans Bar in Merivale. Archer said he got into a brief altercation with a group of people as he left the bar. He crossed the road to join his team mates in McDonalds, but was assaulted before he got there.

Fearless Kusal impresses captain

Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, has lauded the aggression and confidence of new batsman Kusal Perera, who helped the team achieve two rapid starts in the first two ODIs, after being pushed up the order.

Perera came into the side as a wicketkeeper batsman who bats in the middle order, but has since been elevated to opener in both ODIs and Twenty20s. He and Tillakaratne Dilshan blitzed 83 runs in the first eight overs of the first match, before launching another early assault in the second ODI, until the rains came.

  "Kusal reminds me of the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya, because of the shots that he plays," Mathews said. "He's very fearless and he hasn't changed anything about the way he plays since he was in the under-19 teams. He wants to take on any bowler that comes his way, and he takes a lot of pressure off Dilshan as well. That combination works for us."

Perera first impressed during the limited-overs leg of Sri Lanka's tour of Australia, where he played several brief but belligerent innings - the most notable of which was an unbeaten 22 to see the side home in a low-scorer at the Gabba. He has not crossed fifty in internationals, but is coming off first-class scores of 203, 97 and 336, the last of which is a Sri Lankan domestic record.

"Every single player has his own way. We don't want to change that in any player. We want him to go out there and enjoy it. The selectors are very transparent with the players, so I'm sure as the chief selector, Sanath Jayasuriya has had a chat with Kusal about his longer-term plans for the team."

Sri Lanka had made 33 for no loss after five overs, before the rains came in the second ODI, and the washout means Sri Lanka must win their final match to win the series. Mathews suggested, Sri Lanka are likely to name an unchanged XI in the final match, meaning Angelo Perera, Sachith Pathirana and Kithuruwan Vithanage may not debut in ODIs in this series.

Vithanage and Angelo Perera have been picked in the Twenty20 squad, and are well in the running to play in that match, given the absence of senior players in that squad.

"If we had won the second ODI we would have tried out some new players. We still haven't decided on our XI but I'm pretty sure that the team might have been changed if we had won the second ODI. The first few overs we got off to a really good start, but it was disappointing that the rain came down quite heavily and we couldn't play a single over after that. As far as the team is concerned, you have to be relaxed about something like that, but we need to get our focus back and get things in line for the next game.

"I feel that it is a good challenge for us. We haven't won the series yet, so we have to play some really good cricket to win it. From a thinking point of view we have to be as positive as we can, and try and play to our potential."

Franchises fear Chennai no longer level playing field

The IPL governing council's decision to exclude Sri Lankan players from matches in Chennai has been met with some disappointment and concern by the other franchises. They are disappointed at being excluded from the decision-making process, and that the decision taken did not follow precedent. In addition, they are concerned over the possible consequence - that Chennai Super Kings may have an added advantage in their home games.

While Super Kings' Sri Lankan players are not crucial to their plans, several of their compatriots are vital members of their respective teams. Those teams will not be fielding their first XI when playing in Chennai - both in the league stage and in the knockout stage, in which two matches are scheduled to be staged in Chennai.

Officials of the eight other franchises were not willing to go on record and said they were unlikely to raise this formally within the IPL. However, they wonder why the precedent set in 2010 - when the matches were shifted out of Bangalore after the twin bomb blasts, and not a single game was held in Hyderabad because of the Telengana agitation - was not followed this time.

"Why did the IPL not call for a meeting with the franchises? They could have had a consensus by asking all the franchises, which they did during the Telengana crisis," one franchise official said. "It is a similar situation now, just as when Deccan Chargers games were moved out of Hyderabad due to the Telengana debate."

The Hyderabad situation was precipitated by a movement, that turned violent, in Andhra Pradesh for a separate Telengana state, the IPL initially decided to move all seven home games of Deccan Chargers, the then local franchise, out of the state. Eventually, the Chargers played two matches in Cuttack, a catchment area, two in Mumbai, and three in Nagpur.

Two months later, there were two low-intensity bomb blasts outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, minutes before a league match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. The match went ahead after officials guaranteed safety, but the IPL moved the semi-finals out of Bangalore to Mumbai.

Citing those two incidents, the franchises are now asking why the IPL could not move the home games of Chennai Super Kings elsewhere. "To me the rule is, if you can't manage a team inside your state then move the game (outside)," a team official said.

However, IPL franchises don't always have a say in decision-making and a BCCI official contacted by ESPNcricinfo echoed that line. "It is not mandatory for the IPL authorities to consult the franchises," he said on condition of anonymity. "The franchises are taken into confidence more or less on every issue [but] we cannot speak in public about a particular issue."

The IPL's latest decision leaves Chennai Super Kings without two players - Nuwan Kulasekara and Akhila Dhananjaya - who, it can reasonably be said, would not have been regular starters. Kulasekara was bought by Super Kings in 2011 and has featured in six matches - including one match last season. Dhananjaya, 19, was bought at the player auction in February and was always likely to be on the bench given the team's strong overseas contingent - including Albie Morkel and Francois du Plessis (both South Africa), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies) and fast bowlers Ben Hilfenhaus and Dirk Nannes (both Australia).

In contrast, Sri Lankan players feature prominently on several of the other teams. Mahela Jayawardene captains Delhi Daredevils and is their key batsman; Kumar Sangakkara will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad and also keep wicket; Lasith Malinga is the strike bowler for Mumbai Indians; Angelo Matthews is the go-to allrounder for Pune Warriors; Tillakaratne Dilshan plays a triple role, as batsman, bowler, and a top fielder for Royal Challengers, and Muttiah Muralitharan is their lead spinner. All these teams will have to play Super Kings in Chennai without their first XI, while the home franchise could notionally field their strongest side.

Sri Lankan players are a significant part of franchises' planning because of their familiarity with conditions and their availability through the tournament. This year, too, various franchises recruited a few Lankan players to suit specific game-plans. Kolkata Knight Riders' sole buy at the auction was Sachithra Senanayake, a $625,000 alternative to the West Indiaes spinner Sunil Narine. Pune Warriors India bid aggressively to bag Mathews and Ajantha Mendis, who, in the absence of Michael Clarke, are likely to play an important role in the team's strategies.

Daredevils got Dinesh Chandimal, the wicketkeeper-batsman, as a replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen, to raise their Sri Lankan count to three, along with Jayawardene and legspinner Jeevan Mendis. Thisara Perera, who once played for Super Kings, was bought by the Sunrisers, while Rajasthan Royals purchased wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera.

Now those teams will have to playSuper Kings, twice winners of the IPL and of the Champions League Twenty20, at Chepauk with a tweaked game-plan and without their best side.

Chand ton floors Gujarat, Umesh takes five on return

Group A

Unmukt Chand's second consecutive hundred helped Delhi trounce Gujarat by 112 runs and register their first points in the table. It was a solo show by Chand as he hit ten sixes and ten fours in his 125 that came off only 63 balls. The second highest scorer in the line up was opener Dhruv Shorey with 25 runs. All Gujarat bowlers, except Akshar Patel, were taken for plenty as Chand piled on and was out in the last over as Delhi amassed 198 runs. Then Sumit Narwal picked three quick wickets to derail the chase - Gujarat stumbled 18 for 5 in the sixth over and never recovered. The innings was wrapped up in the 18th over.

Vidarbha sealed a comprehensive win over Odisha in Indore. Vidarbha chose to bat and their decision was justified by a quickfire 63 from Ravi Jangid, who struck eight fours and two sixes in his 33-ball knock. He was helped by useful contributions from the middle and lower orders, including Apoorv Wankhede, who made 26 in 10 balls. In response to Vidarbha's 180, Odisha managed only 107. Opener Ankit Yadav batted through the innings to remain unbeaten on 54, but saw wickets tumble at the other end. Only one other player reached double-figures in the chase, wrecked by fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who picked up his first five-for in Twenty20 cricket, taking 5 for 18. Umesh last played for India in the Ahmedabad Test in November 2012 after which he was sidelined due to a back problem. This was his first game of competitive cricket after that break.

Group B

A rapid half-century by Wriddhiman Saha set up Bengal's 14-run win against Uttar Pradesh in Indore. Put into bat, Bengal openers Shreevats Goswami and Subhomoy Das partnered in a 62-run stand, but both were out in quick succession. Saha arrived in the 11th over and along with Laxmi Ratan Shukla, added a further 98 runs in 9.1 overs. He hit two sixes and seven fours in his 35-ball 64. UP stayed abreast with the require rate during the first half of their chase, but lost four wickets during the period. They were 91 for 7 and only a spirited 31-ball 49 by Praveen Kumar took them close to the target. With the win, Bengal went to the top of Group B table with eight point from two games.

Punjab eased to a nine-wicket win over Baroda in Indore, after their bowlers restricted the opposition to 126. Baroda chose to bat, and their opening pair added 44 in 4.4 overs. But captain Aditya Waghmode, who had largely been responsible for the quick start, was the first to fall, and the innings soon slipped to 50 for 3. Krunal Pandya chipped in with 23 in the middle order and was helped by the lower order in pushing the score to 126. Medium-pacer Amitoze Singh picked up three wickets and in a collective bowling effort, was aided by three others who took two each. In the chase, Ravi Inder Singh struck 69 and fellow opener, and captain, Mandeep Singh chipped in with an unbeaten 46. The pair added 118 and that helped Punjab seal the game with more than five overs to spare.

Ryder in coma after dual assaults

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, is in an induced coma in hospital after being assaulted twice late on Wednesday evening in Christchurch. Ryder, 28, is in intensive care after suffering a fractured skull. Christchurch Police believes the skull was fractured in the second of the two attacks.

The first took place about 12.30am outside the Aikman's Bar in a Christchurch suburb Merivale, where Ryder had been out with team-mates and friends following Wellington's loss to Canterbury. The second occurred minutes later at the entrance to the car park of a McDonald's across the road, where other Wellington players had been ordering food.

"An altercation has taken place on the footpath outside Aikman's involving Jesse and a group of at least two other males. The altercation was brief," Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer told reporters in Christchurch. "Following that incident, Ryder and two other persons walked across the road towards McDonald's, where his Wellington teammates had been purchasing some food. A second altercation has taken place at the entrance to the McDonald's car park, involving one of the males from the earlier group.

"In that incident it appears Jesse has been the victim of a serious assault and has suffered head injuries as a result. Ambulance and police were called about at 12.44am. Jesse was taken to hospital where he remains in intensive care.

"The hospital advise that Jesse is in a critical condition, he is in an induced coma as a result of suffering multiple injuries. He is still being assessed for a number of injuries and we are not prepared to discuss that any further."

Archer said that while police had "positive lines of inquiry", they had not yet identified Ryder's attackers. CCTV footage from Aikman's and McDonald's is being reviewed, he said. "We believe at least 10 or more people have witnessed some of the events, and we've been speaking to witnesses throughout the day," he said. "There are CCTV cameras in the area and we're going through the process of downloading at reviewing that footage.

"At the moment we have not identified the people involved in the incident, but we do have positive lines of inquiry, and we will be focusing on identifying and finding those people, and speaking to them.

"Although the Wellington players had been at a licensed premises during the evening, at this stage there is no evidence that alcohol was a contributing factor to the assault. We are asking any witnesses to contact police and calling for people involved to come forward and speak to us about it."

Ryder, who has played 18 Tests for New Zealand before going into a self-imposed exile from international cricket for the last year, had been due to join up with the Delhi Daredevils later this week, ahead of the start of the IPL season in early April. In January, he ruled out a return for New Zealand, despite his impressive domestic form.

"We are all shocked by what has occurred and extremely concerned for Jesse. New Zealand Cricket's thoughts are with him and his family," NZC chief executive, David White, said in a statement.

A post on New Zealand Cricket's official Twitter read: "Thoughts are with [Jesse] Ryder this morning."

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor added: "Thinking of you mate [Jesse] Ryder." Ryder's manager, Aaron Klee, wrote on his Twitter page: "Thanks for the calls and msgs of support for Jesse. Just heading to [Christchurch] to see him."

White, Peter Clinton from Cricket Wellington, Heath Mills from the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association and Klee have arrived in Christchurch to assist.

Before embarking on his sabbatical from international cricket last year, Ryder was dropped from New Zealand's ODI side after breaking team protocols concerning alcohol. In 2008, again in Christchurch, he injured his hand when putting it through a glass window after a drinking session.

Kerala pull off massive chase

Group A

Kerala chased down Delhi's formidable total of 195 for 4 with six wickets in hand and two overs to spare in Indore. Rohan Prem, batting at No. 3 for Kerala, set the pace and stayed the course, finishing unbeaten on 92 off 51 balls. The propulsion at the finish was provided by Sachin Baby, who blitzed 48 off 19 balls. Every Delhi bowler conceded nine or more runs per over; four of the six used went at more than ten. Kerala's efforts overshadowed that of Unmukt Chand, who had scored his maiden domestic T20 century to lead Delhi's innings. Opening the batting, he made 105 off 67 balls and was dismissed off the penultimate delivery of the innings.

A collective performance from their batsman helped Gujarat inch past Odisha by three wickets and two balls to spare. Chasing 152, Gujarat kept losing wickets regularly but they ensued the chase did not lose momentum completely. Niraj Patel top-scored with 40, and Rohit Dahiya was unbeaten on 14 when the winning runs were scored. Basant Mohanty took 3 for 27 for Odisha. Gujarat had dismissed the Odisha openers off successive deliveries to hinder their progress after they won the toss. The Odisha middle order made useful contributions, the highest of which was Govind Podder's 40. Subhrajit Sahoo made 37 off 17 balls to prop up Odisha to 151 for 6.

Group B

Sayan Mondal took 3 for 19 to set up Bengal's four-run win against Baroda in Indore. Defending 149, Mondal dismissed three of the top five batsmen, and Baroda then slipped from 81 for 2 to 84 for 5. Sanjib Sanyal struck off successive deliveries to reduce Baroda to 124 for 7, and they eventually finished on 145 for 9. Bengal's score had been set up by contributions of 48 and 50 from Shreevats Goswami and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who hit five sixes in his 23-ball innings.

Karnataka's middle and lower-order batsmen chased 130 in the last over with two wickets to spare against Punjab. After their top three batsmen scored only 16 runs together, Manish Pandey (31) put on 25 with Stuart Binny (17) and 31 with CM Gautam (31). 75 for 5 when Pandey was dismissed, Gautam and Karun Nair (16) took them till 117 when they lost two wickets in two balls. Ultimately, Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun took them home.

When Punjab had batted, Ravi Inder Singh fired at the top with 60 off 44 but he did not get any support. Only three other batsmen reached double figures as they lost their last seven wickets for 24 runs to be dismissed in 18.1 overs and Binny finished with 3 for 26.

Pujara could succeed in ODIs too - Dravid

A live interaction between Rahul Dravid and nine of his fans

Former India captain Rahul Dravid has said Cheteshwar Pujara, who succeeded him at No. 3 in India's Test side, could have what it takes to perform in ODIs as well. He was speaking at 'A Day with Dravid', an ESPNcricinfo event in which nine cricket fans got the chance to interact with him from across the world.

Pujara has an average of 65 after 13 Tests, having scored four hundreds and three half-centuries, and has drawn comparisons with Dravid. He hasn't made his ODI debut yet, but in 61 domestic one-day matches Pujara averages 56.97, with eight hundreds and 17 fifties.

"He's had a great start to his international career, in fact a much better start than I did," Dravid said. "I think he has been brought up in the old school of batsmanship. He is developing more shots and he approaches Test cricket in the same way as I did.

"He's got some good basics in place," Dravid said. "You can see that he is constantly improving and he is someone who will find answers to questions. He is going to have his ups and downs and face a lot of challenges adapting to different forms of the game and conditions. With his attitude and the way he is going about playing his cricket, I think he will find answers to a lot of these questions and one of them will be one-day cricket."

Dravid also said, during the event, that Test cricket needed needed better scheduling, and more matches for all teams, in order to survive. "One thing I'd like to see definitely is scheduling to be a lot better, and the ability for most countries to play a lot more Test cricket," he said. "I'd love to see all the teams get the opportunity to play a lot more cricket against each other. I think it will really see Test cricket come up and improve, and the only way for it to survive is to play it as often as possible."

He spoke in length about his desire to perform well abroad when he had started playing international cricket. He played first-class cricket in India for four years before making his Test debut in England, where he scored 95 at Lord's in 1996.

"I wanted to do well abroad in conditions that I wasn't used to," he said. "When I was growing up, one of my coaches stressed that you have to do well outside India to be judged a very good player. One of the things I found difficult adjusting to was bounce early on in my international career.

"When I went to Australia, South Africa or England for the first time, I would see some of the foreign top-order batsmen leave balls on length. As soon as the ball pitched on a particular area, they would leave it. Indian batsmen's instinct was to play at those balls because if you left those balls in India, they would probably hit the top of off or middle stump. That ability to adjust to that bounce and know which ball to leave instinctively on length, especially early on in your innings, was one of the most difficult adjustments to play."

Answering fans' questions on the contemporary game and the changes it has seen over the years, Dravid expressed his admiration for the players who can play the switch hit, but also said he wanted the rule to be fair for the bowlers.

"I can't imagine the way some guys pull that off," he said. "When I see someone like a [Kevin] Pietersen or [David] Warner pull it off, you can see the value of the shot like that. If you were to play the switch hit, then the wide rule should change as well. You should allow the bowler to bowl outside the off stump. I think it's an incredibly skilful and difficult shot to play and I'm all for it as long as you give the bowler protection as well."

Denly leads MCC fightback

MCC 130 (Wright 5-35, Hannon-Dalby 3-30) and 308 for 4 (Denly 119*, Northeast 89, Trego 57*) trail Warwickshire 561 for 6 dec by 123 runs
Scorecard

Joe Denly struck an unbeaten century to bring an element of competition to the Champion County match against Warwickshire in Abu Dhabi. After being made to follow on, Sam Northeast and Peter Trego also added half-centuries as MCC closed 123 runs behind with six second-innings wickets standing.

Having resumed in a parlous state on 73 for 7, MCC were dismissed for 130. Denly returned after retiring with illness earlier in the innings and top-scored with 47, putting on 52 with James Middlesbrook, before Oliver Hannon-Dalby took the last two wickets to fall in consecutive deliveries. Denly was quickly back out in the middle, as Jimmy Adams departed for 4, but a 156-run partnership for the second wicket with Northeast helped ease MCC away from total embarrassment.

"It's been a good day," Denly said. "I was disappointed to get out in the first innings the way I did, but I was very happy to spend some time out there second time around and get some runs. I didn't really notice any change in the conditions during the day. Under the lights it skidded on a bit quicker, but this actually helped it to come on the bat quite nicely. In terms of the ball moving sideways or swinging, it was pretty consistent all day."

Chris Wright, who claimed 5 for 35 in the first innings, removed Northeast on the brink of tea and Dale Benkenstein fell to the first ball after the resumption but Denly batted gamely on and was involved in an unbroken stand of 79 with Trego during the evening session. The MCC batsmen were not unduly troubled second time around, although they still have some work to do to avoid defeat after conceding a first-innings deficit of 431.

"If we can get another couple of big partnerships tomorrow to keep them out in the field for a bit longer, hopefully we can come away with a positive result," Denly said.

Warwickshire were forced to bring on Peter McKay as a substitute wicketkeeper after Tim Ambrose sustained a strain early in MCC's second innings, while left-arm spinner Paul Best also left the field with a back injury after bowling just eight overs and taking the wicket of Adams.

Maqsood leads Multan with all-round performance

Multan Tigers 143 for 5 (Ashraf 58*, Maqsood 45, Shah 3-29) beat Abbottabad Falcons 141 for 8 (Raees 34, Babar 3-20, Maqsood 3-23) by 5 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball-details

An all-round performance from Sohaib Maqsood in the form of 45 off 28 balls and three crucial wickets led Multan Tigers to a five-wicket win against Abbottabad Falcons in Lahore.

Falcons were given a steady start with a 51-run opening stand between Haroon (29) and Sajjad Ali (25). But with the dismissal of both of them, wickets started to totter and Falcons were reeling at 117 for 8, losing eight wickets for 66 runs. Adnan Raees (34 off 21) in the middle order and captain Junaid Khan (17 off 7) at No. 11 showed some resistance to take the Falcons to a fighting total of 141 after they scored 22 runs in their last over.

In reply, Tigers responded strongly with a 77-run opening stand between Zeeshan Ashraf and Maqsood. Three quick wickets and a run-out by Yasir Shah slowed the proceedings for a while as the Tigers were now 120 for 5. While Gulraiz Sadaf was out for a golden duck, Kashif Naved was snapped by Rameez Ahmed diving to his left at gully.

It was Ashraf who held his nerves to take his side home with Rizwan Haider who hit the winning runs in style with a boundary over midwicket to finish the chase with 14 balls to spare.

Lahore Lions 162 for 6 (Jamshed 71, Kamran 33, Bhatti 2-32) beat Sialkot Stallions 118 for 8 (Bhatti 24, Rasool 3-17) by 44 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Lahore Lions beat the Sialkot Stallions by restricting them to 118 for 8, and winning the match by 44 runs in Lahore. Opting to bat first, Lions were led by opener Nasir Jamshed who carried his bat with 71 off 56, which included seven fours and a six. He did not get much support from the top order as three wickets fell in the first ten overs. But Karman Akmal and Jamshed put on 69 runs for the fourth wicket to take their run-rate to over seven, and their score beyond 100. Once Akmal departed, Ali Azmat's cameo of 21 off 11 added impetus to their innings, with Jamshed's fifty helping them to a respectable score.

Sialkot captain Shoaib Malik picked up two wickets, but gave away 35 runs, lacking practice because he he had not bowled during the one-dayers in South Africa. Raza Hasan, playing a match after over three months, gave only 18 runs in his four overs.

Stallions were never in the race, losing wickets at regular intervals, as only one player passed 20. The opening partnership was broken in the third over by Aizaz Cheema, with Zia-ul-Haq striking in the next over. No. 4 Shahid Yousuf counter-attacked with a 11-ball 17 before he was caught behind off Wahab Riaz. The opener Shakeel Ansar was run out on the very next ball. Malik couldn't survive for more than five balls, and offspinner Adnan Rasool took over from there, picking up three wickets in his four overs for 17 runs, which almost sealed the win for Lions. No. 9 batsman Bilawal Bhatti scored an unbeaten 24 to take them past 100, but the target proved too steep as Stallions eventually fell short by 44 runs.

Faisalabad Wolves 154 for 4 (Waqas 39, Asif 34, Masood 2-14) beat Bahawalpur Stags 91 for 8 (Tariq 28, Shahzad 4-20) by 63 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball-details

Faisalabad Wolves off to a winning start, routing Bahawalpur Stags by 63 runs in the opening match of the tournament.

Wolves, after opting to bat first, made a brisk start as opener Farrukh Shehzad began with an aggressive pull over midwicket for a first-ball boundary. A blow on his helmet while attempting a dilscoop didn't slow him down, and he went on to hit six boundaries including a six before edging Fahad Masood behind the stumps for 30 off 20 balls. Left-hand batsman Ali Waqas was stuck on 6 after five overs but he improved during a partnership of 39 off 41 balls with Asif Ali. With the help of five boundaries including two sixes, Asif struck 34 off 25 balls to propel Wolves.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who joined his team minutes before play began with wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Salman as the makeshift captain until Misbah arrived. Wolves had closed in on 100 by the 14th over before Misbah (22 off 20 balls not out) took guard. He anchored a 40-run stand for the fifth wicket with Khurram Shehzad (19 off 12 balls) to take Wolves to competitive total of 154.

Stags' chase got off to a disastrous start, with two wickets off the first two balls. A faint edge down leg handed opener Imranullah Aslam a golden duck while Kashif Saddiq slashed a wide and uppish delivery only to be caught at point.

Hammad Tariq (28) and Moinuddin (15), the top scorers for Stags, tried to stage a recovery but Wolves proved too strong. Stags kept losing wickets regularly and were never able to bring down the asking rate, crumbling to 91 for 8 in 20 overs. Shehzad, the Man of the Match, was the main destroyer, conceding only 20 runs for his four wickets.

Kent declare substantial loss

Kent have become the latest county to record a substantial fianncial loss from last season, declaring a deficit of £628,054 for the year ending October 2012.

During a season of horrendous weather and Olympic distractions, Kent struggled like most counties to balance their books and received their lowest gate receipts since 2004. The festival at Tunbridge Wells was almost entirely lost to the weather and Canterbury cricket week clashed with the second week of the London Olympics.

Gross earnings were actually an improvement on the 2011 season and the club insisted that their long-term plans remain in place. This includes the continued development at Canterbury, which began with new club offices and the sale of land for housing at the pavilion end.

They have signed a deal to develop the Old Dover Road side of the ground with a development company specialising in retirement properties. Similar property developments have funded ground improvements at Bristol and Taunton.

"We had expected to close the operating loss quicker than was possible last year, but it has to be remembered that it was an exceptionally bad year weather wise," chief executive Jamie Clifford said. "We put together a long-term financial plan for the Club in early 2011 and we remain on course. With activities over the winter months and our plans for this summer, we expect further improvements during 2013."

Clarke an unlikely starter in IPL

Australia's captain Michael Clarke will be encouraged to take much-needed rest at home, rather than taking up his likely appointment as captain of the Pune Warriors in the IPL, as the best remedy for the back and hamstring problems that bedevilled his India tour.

Clarke underwent scans soon after his arrival in Sydney and ESPNcricinfo understands these showed that his back trouble was caused not by any new source but the same degenerative disc that has afflicted him since his teenage years.

Complaints of hamstring discomfort were also assessed, with no evidence found of a new injury, rather the accumulated wear of carrying a tender muscle through the tour after he strained it during the home Test series against Sri Lanka.

As a result of these dual problems, Clarke is expected to be advised to rest and then train to strengthen his body rather than linking up with the Warriors. It has been reported that Clarke may be offered as much as A$2 million to lead the IPL franchise after Yuvraj Singh expressed reluctance to be captain, but the risk of fouling up an Ashes campaign that may define his captaincy is acute.

On his early return to Sydney following his inability to regain fitness in time for the fourth Test of an ignominious series on the subcontinent, Clarke said he would "listen to the experts" regarding his battered and fatigued body and his IPL participation.

"I'll have scans this week and spend plenty of time with the physio, fingers crossed it turns out okay," Clarke said. "Sitting down for 12 hours has made it a little bit stiff, but I'm really confident that I'm in good hands with my physio here in Sydney.

"I'd be silly to make that decision [on the IPL] right now, I think I need to wait on the results, listen to the experts and then make a plan from there. I've had my back issues since I was 17 years of age so this is no different. In regards to my hamstring I hurt it throughout the Australian summer and it has just lingered on. I haven't had the opportunity to get that 100% fit due to how much cricket we've had."

Clarke's manager, James Erskine, has said his client's appearance in the IPL was now looking less likely. "Too early yet, but seems to look a bit doubtful," he told The Australian. "Obviously, his priority is the Ashes."

The national team's coach Mickey Arthur, the national selector John Inverarity and the team performance manager Pat Howard have no formal right to bar a player from participating in the IPL, as the tournament's span has been defined by Cricket Australia as a leave period. However they are likely to privately advise various players of their preferences, as was done last year when Shane Watson was counselled to stay out of the event.

Sumathipala's SLC presidency nomination rejected

Sri Lanka's sports ministry has rejected MP Thilanga Sumathipala's nomination for the position of board president, after an inquiry found that Sumathipala fell afoul of Sri Lanka's sports law on three counts, the ministry said.

Sumathipala's candidacy had raised objections from three clubs, and was consequently investigated by a committee appointed by the sports minister. A release from the ministry said the decision to reject Sumathipala's nomination had been made in line with the findings of that committee and upon consultation with Sri Lanka's attorney general.

"MP Thilanga Sumathipala's nomination for the Sri Lanka Cricket presidency, 2013 -2015, has been rejected as it has violated the National Associations of Sports Regulations No. 01 of 2013, section 15-1 of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973," the release said.

Section 15-1 of the sports law states that, among several other caveats, no person with business interests in the sports betting or sports equipment industry, or involvement in the media, can stand for election for president of any sports association.

"Mr Sumathipala's nomination was rejected because he was found to be contravening the sports law on all three of those grounds," the media secretary for the sports ministry said.

At the time of application, Sumathipala denied that any law, either in Sri Lanka or of the ICC, made his nomination illegal. He was, until 2009, the joint managing director of a business conglomerate named the Sumathi Group, which owns local newspapers and has links to a betting business named Sporting Star. He has said that the specific businesses, which could be potentially problematic to his application, are among several that are managed entirely by other family members, without his involvement.

The SLC president is expected to take a seat on the ICC's board of directors, but the ICC code of ethics also states that "no director shall have any business association, or enter into any business arrangement (whether formal or informal) with any person or company who has interests in gambling".

SLC's elections were originally scheduled for March 30, but the board was granted a 17-day extension by the sports ministry, as the legitimacy of Sumathipala's candidacy was unknown, and members were constitutionally granted two weeks to consider the field of candidates before casting their vote. The board has not yet announced a new date for the elections, but can hold two sets of elections if it feels its members need more time to decide on their vote for the presidency.

New Zealand dismiss battling Bell on stroke of tea

Tea England 204 and 237 for 5 (Prior 45*) need another 244 runs v New Zealand 443 and 241 for 6 dec
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

The wicket of Ian Bell, on the brink of the tea interval, revived New Zealand's hopes of winning the Test series against England.

Bell had resisted for 271 deliveries but, just as he was raising England's hopes of a draw, he was drawn into pushing at one outside off stump from the excellent Neil Wagner and edged to Tim Southee at third slip.

The wicket means that England go into the final session of the game needing to negotiate another 32.3 overs with three wickets in hand. New Zealand have previously only beaten England at home in one Test series, in 1983-84. They have not beaten any of the top eight Test nations, home or away, since defeating West Indies in 2006.

England had enjoyed some outrageous fortune over the final day. With New Zealand's seamers bowling with pace, skill and persistence, England were the fortunate to survive three dropped chances and one delivery that hit the stumps but did not remove the bails. They have also had an on-field lbw decision overturned and had one batsman survive when the fielders failed to appeal.

Batting appeared relatively straightforward for the first 100 minutes or so of the day. With no hope of scoring the further 391 runs they required to win the game when play resumed in the morning, Bell and Joe Root instead concentrated on occupation of the crease. The pair batted without much trouble for 28 overs, settling in as New Zealand used the seamers sparingly ahead of the second new ball.

But everything changed once it was taken. New Zealand claimed the second new ball the moment it was available and, with its first delivery, Trent Boult produced a beauty that swung back and struck a half forward Root on the pad in front of the stumps. Root and Bell discussed the worth of utilising a review under the Decision Review System, but decided, quite rightly, that the on-field umpire had made no mistake.

Boult could only squeeze one more over in before lunch but, in it, he saw both Bell and Jonny Bairstow dropped. Bell, feeling for one angled across him that he could have left, was grateful to see Dean Brownlie, at fourth slip, put down a relatively straightforward chance, before, two balls later, Bairstow pushed hard at one some way from him and was fortunate to see Kane Williamson, in the gully, put down a sharp chance. With both batsmen reluctant to leave the ball for fear of being trapped by Boult's inswing, the delivery that does not swing had become even more dangerous.

Bairstow, with only two first-class innings behind him since August, had also been close to being dismissed by his second delivery. Boult, with an inswinging yorker, appeared to strike Bairstow on the boot before it hit the bat in front of the stumps, but New Zealand did not appeal. Replays suggested that, if they had, Bairstow would have been in some trouble.

He did not last long after lunch. Tim Southee, bowling from wide of the crease, managed to make one bounce and straighten from just back of a good length to take Bairstow's edge on its way to slip. Bairstow, who had only one first-class innings since August before this Test, never looked confident.

While Bell blocked with impressive solidity, Matt Prior chose to play his more positive natural game. On 16 he surived Rod Tucker's lbw decision off the bowling of Southee - replays showed a thick inside edge onto the pads - and on 20 he survived a top-edged pull off Southee, Neil Wagner unable to cling on to a desperately tough chance as he ran back from midwicket.

But Prior's biggest slice of fortune came when he was on 28. Struggling to deal with a brute of a bouncer from the wholehearted Wagner, Prior saw the ball bounce, via the bat handle and his neck, onto the stumps but fail to dislodge a bail.

Fragile batting lets Pakistan down again

Even in the final match of the tour, Pakistan's concern was the same as in their first match: the batting was not up to standard. This time it was not the fault of the pitch or the bowlers. Despite the inconsistent bounce, the return of Morne Morkel, the fire of Dale Steyn, the discipline of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and the committed fielding of their opposition, Pakistan's line-up still conspired to entangle themselves.

Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat fell to a plan but everyone else from Kamran Akmal to the tail caused their own downfall. Either they picked out fielders, like Shahid Afridi did, or they chanced an arm like Akmal and Shoaib Malik.

"That's the one area which really let us down," Misbah-ul-Haq said. "When you look at the scorecard, everybody got starts like 20s or 30s but no-one converted and made that into 70s or 80s. If the six main batsmen keep doing that, the team can't do well. The way we started, we felt 250 would have been a good total but the shot selection was not good and there were a lot of irresponsible shots. We can only blame ourselves. The way we batted was unacceptable."

For a while, especially during the Test series, Misbah explained the batting collapses by making reference to the conditions. He said Pakistan's line-up had not been exposed to pace and bounce in a while and that they needed a longer period of adjustment. He was not simply making excuses.

Pakistan had not faced a challenge as tough as South African pitches since they played in England in 2010 so he made a valid point. They had only one tour match before starting the Test series, which obviously was not enough, and they made noticeable improvements as that went on.



	"The shot selection was not good and there were a lot of irresponsible shots. We can only blame ourselves. The way we batted was unacceptable" Misbah-ul-Haq

The same strips are not as tough a prospect as the Test matches but with two new balls and late-season surfaces which can go up and down, they still require some analysing before a batsman settled in. That's why in the final throes of the tour, Misbah still harked back to the difficulties of "adjusting to conditions, especially for the batsmen."

It was a rare occurrence when someone gave themselves time to assess and play themselves in. Misbah himself did it twice, Kamran showed glimpses, Younis Khan tried and mostly failed and Hafeez could not even try because the bowlers had his number.

Younis, and Hafeez in the opening role are two points of debate that came up throughout the series. Indications are that Younis, despite his 7,000 one-day runs, will be forced to make way for a younger batsman like Asad Shafiq and may have played his last match in coloured clothing for Pakistan.

Similarly talk is rife that Hafeez will be asked to bat at No. 3 and more will be invested in Nasir Jamshed to partner Imran Farhat or Kamran Akmal at the top. Misbah would not be drawn on whether those are two of the changes Pakistan would consider ahead of the Champions Trophy but he hinted something would have to give before then. "We will have to go and look at conditions, which teams we are going to play, all of those things and then see what we need for the future."

One thing that does not need tampering with, according to Misbah, is the team's culture. Despite their return of just three wins from nine matches across all formats on the tour, Misbah could draw some positives from the outing. "We started poorly in the Tests but we tried to come back. We made mistakes like we did today, especially in batting but the team showed some character.

"They showed that even when they are down they can fight back so overall there were some positives. In South African conditions, with such a tough opposition, the team did well especially in T20s and ODIs."

Sunrisers name Helmot as assistant coach

Sunrisers Hyderabad have made four additions to their support staff by naming Simon Helmot their assistant coach, Jade Roberts their trainer, Theo Kapakoulakis their physio and Sankapani their team manager.

Helmot, 41, is the coach of Victoria Bushrangers in the Ryobi One-Day Cup, Australia's domestic one-day competition, and of Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League. He began his coaching career at the age of 25 and also coached the Australia A side which toured India in 2008. Roberts, also from Australia, is Sri Lanka's trainer since 2007 and has worked at the Queensland Academy of Sport.

The appointments come a couple of weeks after former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis was signed as the bowling consultant by Sunrisers who also have Tom Moody as their head coach, and Kris Srikkanth and VVS Laxman as their team mentors. Some of the star players in the franchise include Dale Steyn and Kumar Sangakkara.

New Zealand declare 480 ahead, Fulton hits second ton

Tea England 204 and 45 for 1 (Trott 24*, Cook 19*) need another 436 runs v New Zealand 443 and 241 for 6 dec (Fulton 110, McCullum 67*)
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

New Zealand have set England 481 to win the third Test in Auckland and, with it, the series. New Zealand finally declared on 241 for 6 in their second innings, having plundered runs with ease against a dispirited attack. Tim Southee, finding the edge of Nick Compton's bat as the batsman felt for one that left him in the second over of the 'chase', produced a perfect start to New Zealand's bid for victory.

Nor is history encouraging for England. They have never chased more than the 332 they made against Australia in Melbourne in 1928-29 to win a Test, and no team has ever made more than the 418 West Indies made against Australia in Antigua in 2002-03. The highest successful chase on this ground is 348, made by West Indies in 1968-69, though since the introduction of drop-in pitches just over a decade ago, no side has managed more than the 166 scored, admittedly for the loss of just one wicket, in 2005. England would need to bat for four-and-a-half sessions to secure a draw.

It could have been even worse for them. Alastair Cook, England's captain, was dropped on 1 when he felt for one angled across him from Southee. BJ Watling, diving low to his left, just managed to get a hand on the tough chance, but was unable to cling on. Replays suggested the ball would not have carried to first slip. As it was, Cook and Jonathan Trott saw England to the tea interval without further loss, but the target - still 436 away - still looked mighty distant.

The manner with which Peter Fulton brought up his second century of the match - a straight six thumped back over the head of Stuart Broad - spoke volumes for the balance of this encounter: New Zealand, roundly dismissed as no-hopers before the series, had established a rare dominance over an England team that arrived in the country full of confidence having just beaten India in India.

New Zealand did not so much close the door on England's hopes of stealing the series on the fourth day in Auckland as brutally slam it in their faces.

Any encouragement England may have taken by the burst of wickets they took when New Zealand began their second innings on the third evening was quickly doused as Fulton, in particular, extended New Zealand's lead to the point where it is surely out of reach. While the more optimistic of England supporters may harbour hopes of a miracle run chase, the more realistic will know that even a draw will take a huge effort from this point.

New Zealand, resuming 274 ahead at the start of play, extended their advantage to 415 runs by the lunch break. Fulton, batting with more confidence than at any time in his Test career following his maiden century in the first innings, drove powerfully and has scored more runs in the match than the entire England team managed in their first innings. Having gone into this game having not scored a century in a Test career that started in 2006, he is now one of just four New Zealand players to have scored one in each innings of the same Test. Glenn Turner (against Australia in 1973-74), Geoff Howarth (against England in 1977-78) and Andrew Jones (against Sri Lanka in 1991) are the only others to have done so.

His fifth-wicket partnership with his captain, Brendon McCullum was worth 117 runs, scored in just 16.5 overs as New Zealand progressed with an ease that made a mockery of the gap between these two teams in the Test rankings.

Fulton enjoyed one moment of fortune. When he had 31, he slightly mistimed his attempted on drive off Stuart Broad but saw James Anderson, at a shortish midwicket, spill a sharp but far from impossible chance. New Zealand would have been 65 for 4 had it been taken.

On the whole, however, he batted with an aggression unseen in his first innings. Three times he skipped down the pitch to thump Monty Panesar for six back over the bowler's head and, as his confidence grew, gave himself room to drive Anderson over extra cover for six more.

England produced an oddly diffident performance in the morning session. Their attempt to pitch the ball fuller in search of swing that remained elusive too often resulted in over-pitched deliveries that Fulton thumped through mid-on. At other times the England bowlers drifted on to Fulton's legs, allowing him to pick up runs with an ease that defined the match situation.

The introduction of Panesar brought some relief for England. His third delivery induced Dean Brownlie down the wicket and he, in attempting to clear the infield, presented a tough chance. Ian Bell, running back from mid-on, made the desperately tough chance appear straightforward.

But that only brought Brendon McCullum to the crease. He square drove his first delivery, a wide, over pitched ball from Steven Finn, to the point boundary, and soon pulled a jaded Anderson for six and drive the ineffectual Panesar for another.

Panesar's attempt to stem the flow by bowling over the wicket and into the rough outside the right-hand batsmen's leg stump was negated when McCullum took him for successive boundaries: a powerful pull followed by a precise sweep. Panesar conceded 52 in five overs at one point. It was brutal batting.

Bayliss resumes as New South Wales coach

Trevor Bayliss has been handed back his former job as the New South Wales state coach, after the Blues' previous administration ignored his application in 2011.

In a clear indicator of the state's new - or perhaps old - direction, Bayliss was appointed as head coach with a brief to oversee a change in the state's coaching structure, likely to include a far more comprehensive network of specialist mentors.

Bayliss and his assistant Chandika Hathurusinghe will also oversee the state's two Big Bash League teams, in a replication of the structure chosen by Victoria, where the Bushrangers head coach Greg Shipperd and his deputy Simon Helmot guide the Melbourne Stars and Renegades respectively.

The decision to appoint Bayliss was made by a panel including the former NSW captains Mark Taylor, Geoff Lawson and Stuart Clark, as the views of past players are increasingly sought by the state's administration. Michael Bevan was another applicant, and may yet be employed as a batting coach.

Two years ago Bayliss returned home to NSW after a successful stint as coach of Sri Lanka, and was eager to reclaim his former role as Matthew Mott departed. However the chief executive David Gilbert preferred to appoint the less experienced Anthony Stuart, leaving Bayliss to coach the Sydney Sixers in the BBL.

What followed were two seasons of poor results and general discontent, resulting this year in the exits of Stuart, Gilbert, the association chairman Harry Harinath and more recently the resignation of the state captain Steve O'Keefe.

Gilbert in particular was the target of sharp public criticism from the former fast bowler Brett Lee, who was called to the Cricket NSW offices for a disciplinary hearing but walked out of it with a place on a board subcommittee devised to receive advice from former players.

While a fresh chief executive is yet to be appointed, the new chairman John Warn has pushed for greater mixing between the current and past generations of players, inviting many to a function during the final Sheffield Shield game of the season against South Australia at the SCG.

"Trevor will bring experience, and most importantly, a successful track record at International level in all three forms of the game," Warn said. "The panel of Mark Taylor, Stuart Clark and Geoff Lawson were unanimous in their support of this candidate and we know that he will bring both a strong work ethic, and passion for New South Wales cricket, to the role.

"The appointment will form the first part of our coaching re-structure as we look to utilise the talents and experience that we have amongst our past players group and we see it as the first step towards returning New South Wales cricket to its position as one of the leaders in world cricket. We are also well underway in our search for a new Chief Executive and a review of our Big Bash League teams."

Bayliss will retain his other coaching job at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, as provisions have now been made in state coaching contracts to allow a two-month window for the tournament.

Injured Tamim out of remaining ODIs

Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh batsman, has been ruled out of the rest of the ODI series against Sri Lanka due to a hairline fracture on his right thumb. Tamim picked up the injury while fielding in the first ODI in Hambantota, a match in which he had earlier hit his first one-day century in three years.

Tamim was hurt attempting to stop a powerful shot from Kushal Perera in the seventh over of the chase. He started wringing his hand in pain after being struck by the ball and went off the field. He was taken for scans to a hospital, where an X-ray revealed the fracture.

"It is a fracture which normally takes around 4-6 weeks," Tamim later said. "For further information, I will go to Dhaka day after tomorrow. I will have an MRI, but it is definitely a fracture."

The news is a major blow for Bangladesh, who are already without two of their most experienced players in Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza. Tamim had returned to fitness little over a week ago after a wrist problem that he suffered at the Bangladesh Premier League forced him out of the opening Test in Galle.

Sri Lanka are currently 1-0 up in the series, with two more ODIs to play. The tour ends with a Twenty20 on March 31 in Pallekele. Bangladesh's next assignment is a Zimbabwe tour, with the first match scheduled to start on April 17.

Tamim ends century drought

Tamim Iqbal had a long talk with Jahurul Islam on the eve of the first ODI against Sri Lanka. In the discussion between one batsman who hasn't scored an international hundred for nearly two years and another who is known to possess a perceptive mind, the dominant topic had to be the hundred that wasn't coming for Tamim.

When it finally came in the form of 112 runs that gave Bangladesh a genuine chance to win the first ODI, Tamim was quick to thank his opening partner from the Colombo Test and someone he has known for a long time.

"The biggest inspiration for this hundred was Jahurul Islam," Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. "We stayed up till 11.30 last night and discussed some important points. It really worked for me.

"I was talking to myself every ball after reaching 50. I wanted to keep my process in shape but then after I had hit a boundary, a current passed through my body. I gave a catch but it got dropped. Riyad bhai told me to go to the 70s and then think clearly. Nasir helped out too."

Jahurul's advice wasn't just from outside the field. When he would walk in with the drinks as one of the substitutes, there were more words of encouragement for Tamim. "He reminded me of what he had talked about last night. He told me to that if I try to bat for 40 overs, I can score a hundred. So I would like to thank him. Jahurul is a big part of this century.

"He also said that if a batsman makes 30, he starts thinking of a 50. So when you will reach 70 or 80, you will automatically start thinking of a 100. There was a gap for a long time, but I hope it won't be a longer gap next time."

Tamim hadn't scored an international hundred since June 2010, and no ODI hundreds since February 2010. In the meantime, he had scored 18 fifties in all formats, and eleven in ODIs and his batting average during the hundred-less period has actually been better than his career averages.

His first three hundreds came in 74 games, but the fourth one has taken him another 45. He has often batted at a high strike-rate, but hasn't played the long innings often enough. There was no serious criticism of his inability to convert half-centuries into hundreds but it was a concern for him and he had mentioned it a few times over the past year.

He took his time on Saturday, moving from 80 to 100 in 41 deliveries and moved from nine to ten boundaries in 45 balls. Before and after however, he was at his best. He brought out some excellent shots, and though he survived an easy drop by Angelo Mathews on 54, he didn't want to look back or give it away again.

"I got a hundred after two and a half years. Someone asked me if I have the passion to be one of the best players in the world. That stuck on my mind and I continued to think about it.

"I was sharing with [Jahurul Islam] Omi last night the wrong things I have been doing or what I should do. I was a bit lucky today, I got a life on 54. I think I batted brilliantly after that."

On the day that he ended his century drought, Tamim suffered a hairline fracture while fielding which will sideline him for the next four-six weeks.

Clarke smarting from 'kick up the backside'

As Michael Clarke left for India in February, he forecast the tour as the most difficult of his captaincy. He landed back in Sydney on Sunday with that grim prognostication very much intact, having presided over three consecutive defeats, a breakdown of team discipline ruled punishable by the suspension of four players, and the further deterioration of his troublesome back.

In Clarke's absence from Delhi, the tourists have belatedly found some semblance of the competitive under the interim leadership of Shane Watson, showing a visible rise in aggression on the second afternoon. Clarke watched these events in Singapore between his flights, and said he hoped the team would salvage a belated reward from the tour with a closing victory.

Such a result would indicate some progress within the team, but there are plenty of questions to be asked of a tour that now seems as though it was doomed before it began due to the players' scant preparation, faulty skills and jaded attitudes. Answering for the results in a clipped manner, Clarke conceded the unprecedented events before the Mohali Test had been a "kick up the backside" for all.

"It certainly made us realise that what we thought were the little things are quite large in our group and important to our group having success," Clarke said. "I think the team have responded very well, the players who were left out have come back really well, and it's good to see a few of those guys getting opportunities in this Test.

"It was one of the toughest challenges of my career and I'm sure it has been for the other guys as well. Travelling to India and playing there is always tough. We knew we were going to face a lot of spin bowling and we have done. I think we'll learn from that, everybody will walk out of India as a better player and certainly more well prepared next time we go there for Test matches."

Better prepared for India perhaps, but the most pressing matter now is how this series sets up the team for the Ashes. Clarke's own fitness is clouded after he missed a Test match due to his back problems for the first time. Clarke also admitted he was still carrying a tender hamstring from the home summer, and said he would "do as I'm told" by medical staff in deciding whether or not to return to India for the IPL.

"I'll have scans this week and spend plenty of time with the physio, fingers crossed it turns out okay," Clarke said. "Sitting down for 12 hours has made it a little bit stiff, but I'm really confident that I'm in good hands with my physio here in Sydney.

"I'd be silly to make that decision [on the IPL] right now, I think I need to wait on the results, listen to the experts and then make a plan from there. I've had my back issues since I was 17 years of age so this is no different. In regards to my hamstring I hurt it throughout the Australian summer and it has just lingered on. I haven't had the opportunity to get that 100% fit due to how much cricket we've had."

Plenty of other questions about the tour remain to be satisfactorily answered. Clarke said his deputy Watson was not included alongside the coach Mickey Arthur and the team manager Gavin Dovey in discussions around the decision to suspend four players in Mohali because "he was one of the players the decision was getting made on" but was otherwise steadily involved in decision-making.

Nathan Lyon's handling across the trip has also been wondered at by many, his omission from the team to play in Hyderabad made to look still more bizarre by his success as a confident and aggressive off spinner in Delhi.

"I think it's exciting for him, again to get a little reward at the end of the tour would be very satisfying for him, and I think for the team if we could get a win in the last Test would show the hard work we've put in and the lessons we've learned. It would be lovely to take a little reward away."

Clarke offered no substantial explanation for his call to limit James Pattinson to two spells of three overs each on Australia's first bowling day of the series, despite the young fast bowler ripping out two early wickets and looking the team's most dangerous bowler by a distance at arguably its most pivotal point.

"It's just the way it goes, sometimes you bowl 15 overs straight or 21 overs straight like Nathan Lyon yesterday, sometimes you bowl short spells," Clarke said. "There was no real reason behind that."

New Zealand end Prior's fight and keep control

Tea England 176 for 6 (Root 37*, Broad 0*) trail New Zealand 443 by 267 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

New Zealand claimed only one wicket in the session but remained on course for a series victory against England in the afternoon session of the third day of the third Test in Auckland.

While New Zealand were held up by a stubborn sixth-wicket partnership of 101 in 42.3 overs between Matt Prior and Joe Root, the wicket of Prior the over before the new ball was due tightened New Zealand's grip on the game. At tea England, on 176 for 6, were still 267 runs behind New Zealand and some way from the follow-on target of 244.

Root remained at the crease but had scored just 37 from 156 balls and, like the rest of the England batsmen, had not been able to replicate Prior's fluency.

New Zealand, dismissed as no-hopers by some in the run-up to this series, are currently at No. 8 in the Test rankings. But they have looked the better side for significant portions of this encounter and now have an excellent opportunity to embarrass the No. 2 rated team. New Zealand have previously only beaten England at home in one Test series, in 1983-84, and away in two: in 1986 and in 1999.

New Zealand made deep inroads in the first session of the day. Generating swing that was non-existent for England's much-vaunted attack, they claimed three lbw decisions in the session to leave England teetering on 92 for 5 at the interval, having scored only 42 runs in 29 overs in the session.

The pitch had not deteriorated. It was simply that New Zealand's seamers bowled a little fuller, a little straighter and gained a little more swing than England. In short, they have bowled better. Bruce Martin, who came into this series largely unknown outside New Zealand, has generated turn that Monty Panesar, his left-arm counterpart, could not and has looked a far more threatening proposition.

At least Prior and Root showed some resistance in the afternoon. Prior, who came to the crease with his side reeling at 72 for 5, produced an increasingly fluent innings that briefly threatened to revive his side's hopes. Cautious initially, Prior took a far more positive approach after lunch, skipping down the pitch to drive the left-arm spin of Bruce Martin through and over the off side on numerous occasions and, when given some width, freeing his arms to drive the seamers through the covers.

His strength was his undoing, however. Offered some width from Neil Wagner, Prior attempted to drive on the up but could only slice a thick edge to point where Hamish Rutherford held on to the chance.

Dean Brownlie could be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief. Brownlie, at slip, had reprieved Prior on 24 when the batsman had pushed hard at one outside off stump from the deserving Tim Southee and edged low to Brownlie's right. Had the chance been taken, England would have been 111 for 6.

Earlier Southee broke through in the third over of the morning. Having swung the ball away from the right-hand batsmen, he saw one go straight on and strike Nick Compton on the pad. While the umpire, Paul Reiffel, declined the original appeal on the grounds that the ball may well have hit the bat before hitting the pad, New Zealand were quick to call for a review that showed the ball had made first contact with the pad.

Ian Bell went in similar fashion. Bell, who had come close to running himself out in the second over of the day, diving to regain his ground after committing to an unnecessarily risky second run, was also undone by one that went straight on from Southee. Perhaps intimidated by the aggressive field utilised by New Zealand captain, Brendon McCullum - there were times when New Zealand's seamers had five slips - Bell looked unwilling to commit to playing at the ball and was caught in the crease when struck on the pad. He conferred with his batting partner, Root, before deciding not to utilise the Decision Review System. It was a wise decision.

Trent Boult claimed the final wicket of the morning session. Boult, who had claimed two wickets the previous evening, beat Jonny Bairstow's tentative forward prod with one that pitched on middle stump and swung back just enough to beat the stroke. Again, the original appeal was declined but New Zealand utilised the DRS and were rewarded for their confidence. If Bairstow had looked somewhat out of form, it was hardly a surprise: this was his first innings in first-class cricket since the Mumbai Test in November.

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