Make do and mend brings Sussex benefits

Last year: 4th, CC Div 1; Semi-finals, T20; Semi-finals

2012 in a nutshell: Such has been the success at Sussex over recent years - they had won seven major trophies in the previous decade - disappointment over a season that finished without tangible reward was inevitable. But Sussex again pressed hard in the limited-overs formats and finished above many larger clubs in the Championship. They were in a bit of trouble after winning just one of their first seven Championship games, but then threatened a top three finish before losing the last two games to slip back into mid-table. They topped their group in both the CB40 and FLt20, but lost to Yorkshire in the T20 semi-final of the T20 and Hampshire in CB40. Steve Magoffin - with 57 Championship wicket at 20.05 apiece - led the bowling manfully, supported by the decidedly sharp Jimmy Anyon and the relentless Monty Panesar. Ed Joyce and Chris Nash led the way with the bat in the Championship, with Luke Wright - who made three CB40 centuries - exceptional in limited-overs cricket. Matt Prior and Scott Styris were both excellent in T20, with Michael Yardy back to his mean best with the ball. Murray Goodwin was released at the end of the season

2013 prospects: Sussex may not have the bowling depth to mount a sustained Championship challenge, but they remain a very dangerous limited-overs unit. In keeping with their reputation as a mender of broken players, they have brought in Rory Hamilton-Brown and Chris Jordan, two highly-talented cricketers who had lost their way a little at Surrey. Andrew Miller, a tall seamer who previously represented Warwickshire, has joined, too. But John Hastings has pulled out of his T20 contract through injury, Kirk Wernars has taken a year off to explore other career opportunities and Luke Wright will miss the start of the season on IPL duty. They will require more runs from Joe Gatting and Michael Yardy this year, while Ben Brown's wicketkeeping also remains a work in progress. But with the likes of Nash, one of the unsung heroes of English cricket, contributing with impressive consistency, they should have enough quality to avoid relegation. Off the pitch, the club continues to be particularly well run and understand its role in the wider game under a new chief executive, Zac Toumazi.

Key player: Monty Panesar. It's not just the wickets he takes, it is his ability to perform the role of stock bowler. Should he be required by England for lengthy portions of the summer, Sussex will have a huge hole to fill.

Bright young thing: Luke Wells is a batsman with a great deal going for him. Blessed with a similar temperament to Alastair Cook but, perhaps, more elegant, he seems to have the ideal game to step-up to Test cricket. A lack of limited-overs experience - he has only played one T20 and six List A games - cannot help, but this is a 22-year-old who could go a long way in the game.

Captain/coach: Ed Joyce, 34, probably takes on the captaincy at an ideal stage of his career; established, experienced and with little more to prove as a player, he will be able to dedicate his energy towards the role. Mark Robinson, the head coach, will continue to coax the best out of his eclectic squad with a calm and quiet wisdom that, in a shrill world, could easily be undervalued.

ESPNcricinfo verdict: Chris Adams described Sussex as the 'benchmark team' of the Championship; a description that makes sense: finish above them and you are challenging; finish below them and you are in trouble. They are likely to be very competitive in the limited-overs formats.

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Wasim offers help to Pakistan quicks

Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain, has taken the reins of the country's fast-bowlers to help their progress. He and the PCB reached an agreement for a short-term fast-bowling camp in Karachi between April 20-29, ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Along with the camp, Wasim, with the collaboration of the PCB and a cellular company, will search for the fastest bowlers in the country. The search will be nationwide as the candidates will be selected from 8-10 cities over 5-7 days. Any bowler with a bowling speed of 140kph or more will be selected.

He will also work with Pakistan's full-time bowling coach Mohammad Akram in the national camp planned in Abbottabad, north of Islamabad, from May 3-9. "The idea is to sit and talk with the bowlers and give them confidence," Akram said. "I will assess the bowlers, find out their problems and help them to rectify them. A lot of young bowlers need some insight. I will then keep a track of them and follow them closely."

"I saw them in Test matches against South Africa they didn't impress me, but in one-day cricket they looked different and wicket taking bowlers. I have to teach them what is a good corridor, what is the right line and length. Regardless of any sort of pitches anywhere in the world, they have to be consistent in length, with yorkers, and know how to take wickets."

Akram, 46, who has been with Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL champions, for the last three seasons, is currently in Pakistan on a two-month break. He rues the absence of Pakistan players in the IPL and believes it is a loss for the tournament. Pakistani players featured in the inaugural IPL in 2008 but India stalled all bilateral ties after the November 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite a short series between the countries in December and January, Pakistani players were not allowed to take part in the sixth edition of the IPL.

"Politics should stay away from sports, and we should play cricket," Akram added. "Our players should have gone to the IPL. I think batsman are scoring easy runs in the absence of Pakistani bowlers and our bowlers could be top wicket takers there. The psyche of Pakistan bowlers is strong, they are physical and mentally tough while Indian bowlers get spoiled within a year. They start with express pace from 140-plus but in a year go down around 130."

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SLC expects financial assistance from government

Sri Lanka Cricket expects government assistance to pay for the two new stadia that were the prime contributors to the board's financial disarray, even though it has wiped over $8 million from its debt since January 2012, SLC treasurer Nuski Mohamed has said. SLC owed almost $70 million after building international venues in Hambantota and Pallekele, as well as renovating Colombo's Premadasa Stadium.

"We talked with the national treasury twice about the stadium debt, and we are discussing it with them now," Mohamed said. "The ICC has also told us that because this debt has had such a major bearing on our balance sheet, we should somehow negotiate to get that money from the government. As far as I see it, the government has said it would look at things and take over that debt, but there has not been a concrete outcome there yet."




The stadium in Hambantota is understood to have been built on Sri Lankan government's recommendation. Hambantota was a largely rural district before the tenure of president Mahinda Rajapakse, but it has since had substantial infrastructure development, and now has a functional international airport as well as a port. The cricket stadium forms part of the government's plan to transform Hambantota into the second major urban hub of Sri Lanka, away from Colombo.



Mohamed said that in addition to making a dent in the debt, SLC had also kept up with ongoing payments, including player salaries, and had settled accounts from the World Twenty20 tournament Sri Lanka hosted last year. Not counting the debt incurred by building stadia, for which government assistance is now expected, Mohamed said he hoped SLC would be debt-free inside two years.




"During the year, we made a profit of 1.369 billion rupees (approx $10.9 million). Most of that surplus went to the payment of capital and interest to the bank, in order to reduce our liabilities. The liabilities we took over at the time were almost US $18.5 million, and I am pleased to inform you that the current liability position is a little over $10 million with the Bank of Ceylon."

SLC paid outstanding player salaries in February 2012 by obtaining a loan of just over $5 million from the state-owned Bank of Ceylon. Mohamed said the loan taken specifically for player payments had been settled by the middle of last year, but that SLC is still in massive debt to Bank of Ceylon, due to other loans.


"Because we don't have many tours this year, our cashflow is low," Mohamed said. "As a result we asked the bank to spread our loan repayments over 36 months, rather than 24 months as originally planned, so that we can get a little bit of relief."



In addition to asking for a repayment extension, SLC has also proposed a change in the interest rate, in order to assist with the board's ongoing financial recovery. 



"If you look at it on the international level, interest is only about 3 or 3.5%," Mohamed said. "The interest on the loans given to us are higher than that. I don't think that given the interest rates in Sri Lanka, they will lower them that much, but even if they lower it by half a per cent or one per cent, that would be a big amount for us."

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Sunrisers defend 126 on IPL debut

Sunrisers Hyderabad 126 for 6 (Perera 30) beat Pune Warriors 104 (Steyn 3-11, Mishra 3-19) by 22 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Sunrisers Hyderabad made a winning debut in the IPL as they defended a low score at their home ground on a slow, difficult pitch. Thisara Perera, Sunrisers' $675,000 acquisition, did not begin too badly for his new franchise, top-scoring with a quick 30, taking the first two Pune Warriors wickets and causing a run-out. Amit Mishra wasn't too far behind, his legbreaks leaving Warriors confounded on a helpful surface. Dale Steyn left the Warriors top order dazed with his outswingers and returned to blow away the lower order with three wickets in four balls.

Not many would have given Sunrisers a chance when they almost sleepwalked their way to 126 after being put in, barring a brief effort to break free from Perera. Deccan Chargers, the franchise Sunrisers replaced, had an atrocious record at this ground, and Sunrisers appeared set to extend that in front of a lukewarm turnout. But they came out a different unit with the ball.

Steyn, charged up as almost always, beat the Warriors openers repeatedly with quick outswingers. Ishant Sharma was accurate and testing, as he can be in helpful conditions. The wickets came Perera's way, though.

After running him fine for a boundary, Robin Uthappa tried repeating the stroke and went caught behind. Marlon Samuels gave the lone slip catching practice in Perera's next over, Kumar Sangakkara deserving credit for sticking with the fielder and the bowler.

Warriors' batting line-up stretched way down to No. 8 Mitchell Marsh, but it was to come unstuck as Mishra brought out his control and variations. Yuvraj Singh, on IPL comeback, walked down, and was easily beaten and stumped. Manish Pandey's struggle to put bat to ball ended with a mishit slog off Mishra, as the asking-rate started mounting.

Almost everything clicked for Sangakkara on the field. He needed young Ashish Reddy to bowl a decent 17th over, and the bowler responded by uprooting Ross Taylor's leg stump with a full, slower delivery.

With 33 needed off three overs, Perera was to make another important contribution. Angelo Mathews, who came in at No. 7, smashed a full toss straight back at Perera, who stuck out his right hand, and the dangerous Marsh was caught short of his crease at the non-striker's end.

Warriors' lower order panicked against Steyn, trying to attack the fast bowler while their captain looked on helplessly from the other end, ruing the fact that his team left as many as seven deliveries unused.

Sunrisers used up their quota when they batted, but weren't able to find any momentum. The top four got only starts, and it was down to Perera to breathe some life into a suffocating innings. He began with consecutive fours off Rahul Sharma and slogged Marlon Samuels' darts for two more boundaries before mishitting an Ashok Dinda full toss in the 18th over. Perera's fall meant Sunrisers weren't able to finish well with the bat, but they were far more determined with the ball.

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Selectors need progress to continue

Bangladesh's selection committee will complete a full circle when they announce the Test team on Friday that will take on Zimbabwe in two Tests later this month.

The three-member panel that began its reign exactly two years ago, had their first assignment to pick a team for the previous Zimbabwe tour, but this time the challenges are more perceptible rather than being routine.

Much of the injury trouble has disappeared as Shakib Al Hasan is being readied for the tour and the recovery of Enamul Haque jnr, Shahriar Nafees and Naeem Islam now complete. Tamim Iqbal, who fractured his thumb during the first ODI against Sri Lanka, could also feature as early as the first Test against Zimbabwe. The only worry is Mashrafe Mortaza whose Test claims were shelved after he could not recuperate from a heel injury, but he is likely to make the ODI squad.

All this is as much good news for the selection committee as it is a challenge. They have several options to pick from and whichever way they go, be it continuing with the incumbent squad of players or bringing back experienced players, they will have to back their decision to the hilt.

There will be no other way for Akram, Minhazul Abedin and Habibul Bashar, all former Bangladesh captains. A tour to Zimbabwe has been traditionally a challenge that had the allure of a positive outcome. It was the same two years ago, but Bangladesh lost and that possibly made the selectors time in office a lot harder as they started their job with defeat.

The Bangladesh team that lost the one-off Test was a team that was supposed to be in transition after the 2011 World Cup campaign. Instead, the losses in the Test and ODI series in Zimbabwe forced a drastic re-think in leadership while the team combination went through several changes, some of which were necessary, while many have been reactionary.

As they complete selection for their second series against Zimbabwe during their reign, the selectors are facing a similar challenge as they did in April 2011, but this time with a history of small discretions along the way, which is adding to their expectation. In other words, a series win beckons and with a sense of anticipation that is a few times more than the last series against the same team.

Their inability to find a proper set of pace bowlers has been a big disappointment. They have gone through six so far, none of whom got more than eleven wickets in Tests in the last two years. Injuries have also hurt their chances of forging a settled combination but their handling of these pace bowlers' preparation has been quite poor. The constant excuse that these pace bowlers have used is the lack of bowling in longer games, which is a decision taken mainly by the selectors, who are caught between giving them enough bowling in domestic matches but mindful of using them in Test cricket.

What has resulted is half-fit and poorly prepared pace bowlers relying on a defensive line and length and often without the accuracy of first-class bowlers. They have also made an error in judgment by not looking past Shahadat Hossain and using Robiul Islam as just a Test match bowler. Abul Hasan is another who is falling into the trap of less bowling and more mollycoddling, and it has resulted in his on-field performance and his continuous helplessness after a good first spell.

What is on the selectors' side is the settled look of the overall batting order. Their continuous chop and change to find Tamim Iqbal's opening partner is a factor held against them. But the middle-order hasn't seen too many upheavals and this has been one of their achievements.

The selectors too have been a settled line-up for the last two years, another notch on their belt. But as far as a lower-ranked team like Bangladesh is concerned, they haven't actually brought on many rare talents and backed them. Sohag Gazi was only an option against left-handed batsmen from West Indies, but the offspinner has exceeded that expectation from the selectors. Nasir Hossain, Anamul Haque and Mominul Haque are batsmen who "selected themselves" as one chief selector liked to say frequently.

They have given eight debuts each in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s so far and of them, players like Suhrawadi Shuvo, Nazimuddin and Shuvogoto Hom have already faded away from national contention.

All of these negatives and positives will be weighed against Akram and his colleagues if a result other than a series win happens in Zimbabwe. With the World Cup two years away, it would not be wise to put them under more pressure because that would translate into pressure on the players, which should hardly be the case given how rapidly the team has developed in the last two years.

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New beginnings in Hyderabad

Match facts

Friday, April 5, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

After the top two teams of last year's points table kicked-off the carnival on Wednesday, the bottom two will meet in Hyderabad on Friday. While the host city has a new team - Sunrisers Hyderabad - led by the same captain Kumar Sangakkara, Pune Warriors have a new captain - Angelo Mathews - after Michael Clarke was ruled out of the entire season.

Sunrisers will feel the absence of an in-from Shikhar Dhawan, who was Deccan Chargers' leading run-scorer last season. After retaining 20 players from the Chargers, Sunrisers revamped their leadership, bringing together Tom Moody and Sangakkara, who had worked together as coach and captain for Sri Lanka. They also have overseas pace options in Dale Steyn and Clint McKay, and allrounders Darren Sammy and Thisara Perera, but only Steyn picks himself.

Warriors had an unsettled team last year and the addition of Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Ross Taylor, Abhishek Nayar, and the return of Yuvraj Singh, will bolster their prospects. Steve Smith is more a batsman than allrounder these days and Warriors will be tempted to include Clarke's replacement, Aaron Finch, who scored two fifties and a hundred against England Lions recently. With Marlon Samuels, Luke Wright, Wayne Parnell also in the squad, a right balance might not be easy to find.

Players to watch

Kumar Sangakkara scored 48, 63, 139, 55, 142, 105 and 58 in the recent ODIs and Tests against Bangladesh. He will now have to score in the shortest format against compatriots Ajantha Mendis and Mathews, among others. His captaincy will also be under the spotlight, because he led Chargers to only four wins last season.

Yuvraj Singh scored consecutive fifties in the Deodhar Trophy and took 3 for 39 and 3 for 19 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, so his recent form has been promising. With captaincy off his shoulders, and having missed all of 2012, he will want to score more than the two fifties he scored in 2011.

Stats and trivia

• Both Sunrisers and Warriors won only four out of their 16 matches last season
• Warriors did not have a single bowler in the top-20 wicket-takers last season. Ashish Nehra, now with Delhi Daredevils, took 11 wickets for them and was in 26th place. Their leading run-scorer, Robin Uthappa, was 12th with 405 runs.

Quotes

"I am not looking far ahead. I am not looking at the semi-finals or anything like that. I just want to concentrate on every game, and on what we do in every game."
Allan Donald, the Warriors coach.

"We have got replacements who are probably good enough to do the job and we are excited to give that opportunity to a younger guy."
Sunrisers captain Kumar Sangakkara believes his team has replacements for injured players, such as Shikhar Dhawan.

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Taylor signs for Caribbean Premier League

Ross Taylor, the New Zealand batsman, became the third foreign player to sign for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist. Six international players from West Indies have already confirmed their participation - Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Marlon Samuels.

"I am very excited about playing in the first ever edition of the CPL," Taylor said. "As current world champions, West Indies have been a force in T20 cricket over the past couple of years, and CPL should help uncover new international superstars in the mould of Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine. The Caribbean is one of my favourite places to play cricket and with the passionate crowds, great atmosphere and the athletic style of play, I'm looking forward to being a part of this exciting competition."

Taylor has 3450 runs in 151 Twenty20s at 30.80 with a strike rate of 142.79. He is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for his fourth franchise Pune Warriors, after having previously represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils.

The inaugural edition of the CPL will be played this year from July 29 to August 26 by six franchise countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. Each team will select 15 players with a limit of four international players and at least four players under the age of 23.

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Ronchi picked in New Zealand one-day squad

Luke Ronchi, the former Australia wicketkeeper, has earned his first call-up to a New Zealand squad after being picked for the one-day series against England and the Champions Trophy in June. Daniel Vettori also made a return after eight months out of international cricket with an ankle injury, selected in the one-day side.

There were few surprises in New Zealand's Test squad for the England tour, with opener Martin Guptill and fast bowler Mark Gillespie, both returnign from injuries, added to the group that featured in the recent home series against England.

Test squad Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Mark Gillespie, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wk), Kane Williamson

ODI Champions Trophy squad Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Andrew Ellis, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson

More to follow

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Middlesex rejuvenated under Fraser

Last year: 3rd, CC Div 1; Group stage, FLt20; 2nd in Group A, CB40.

2012 in a nutshell: Third in the Championship constituted a very decent year after promotion. Perhaps only a lack of consistency cost them an even higher finish, with four losses including a 15-run defeat against Durham when set only 118 to win and an eight-run defeat against Surrey when set 254. The seam bowling - led by Toby Roland-Jones and supported by Tim Murtagh, Gareth Berg and Steven Finn - was very good, but the spin bowling - Ollie Rayner, with 15 wickets in 10 games, was the leading wicket-taker - and the batting were weaker. Of those who played regularly, only Chris Rogers averaged more than 35, with Neil Dexter, Dawid Malan and Jo Denly struggling for consistency. Eoin Morgan, when he was available, also proved a great disappointment, averaging 18.16 in the Championship. They struggled for runs from their wicketkeeper, too, with John Simpson and Adam Rossington failing to make a Championship half-century between them. They might consider themselves unfortunate to miss out in the CB40 - they finished second in their group - but started poorly, with early losses against Gloucestershire and Worcestershire and then suffered the abandonment of two potentially-winnable games. They lost four of their first five T20 games and never looked likely to challenge.

2013 prospects: Any team with a seam attack including James Harris, Toby Roland-Jones, Tim Murtagh, Corey Collymore and, perhaps, Steven Finn, have to be contenders. Some doubts remain about the batting and spin bowling in the longer format, but it is hoped that the appointment of Mark Ramprakash as batting coach will help Dexter, Denly, Malan and co find the consistency to complement their quality. Stirling, who is not part of the Championship side, and Morgan are largely underutilised, too. They will require more runs from their wicketkeeper, whoever it might be. Middlesex could be dangerous in the shorter formats, too, particularly when Stirling and Morgan are available. They remain in the market for a second overseas player in FLt20, with a batting allrounder the ideal candidate. There is some concern that Australia's chaos could bring an unforseen call for either of their overseas players: Chris Roger or Adam Voges. Their T20 record - they have reached the knockout stages once in seven years - is a disappointment, but they seem to have the personnel to do better. Off the pitch, Middlesex have invested around £750,000 in their facilities away from Lord's, at both Radlett and in Finchley.

Key player: Such was the desire within the county game to sign James Harris that, upon his departure from Glamorgan, he held discussions with every Division One county and the top three in Division Two. Middlesex won a very competitive race to sign him and, as a consequence, have a highly-skilled, highly-motivated seamer who, if he stays fit, should prove a regular matchwinner.

Bright young thing: Ravi Patel is a 21-year-old left-arm spin bowler in the mould of Murali Kartik who could make the spin bowling position his own in 2013. He broke into the team at the end of end of the 2012 season and claimed eight wickets in the match in an innings defeat of Lancashire. He chose shortly before the season to abandon his degree at Loughborough in order to concentrate full time on cricket and has been rewarded with a two-year contract.

Captain/coach: Neil Dexter remains the club captain and will lead the side in limited-overs cricket, but Chris Rogers remains the captain of the County Championship side. Angus Fraser, the director of cricket, inherited a club lacking direction and has, relatively quickly, helped fashion a team with an exciting future. Richard Scott remains head coach.

ESPNcricinfo verdict: The issues with the batting and, perhaps the spin bowling, may mean this is a year early to expect a sustained Championship challenge, but that seam attack will always give them a chance. While their neighbours across the river hog the headlines, it is Middlesex who look better placed for the next few years.

Read our supporters' network preview on Middlesex. ESPNcricinfo will be publishing a fan blog for each of the 18 counties as we build up to the 2013 season

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Moors, SSC move into finals

Moors Sports Club beat Panadura Sports Club by seven runs in a thrilling, final-round match of the Premier League tournament. The win put Moors at the top of Group A and helped them book a place in next weekend's final.

Moors, who were placed second before this match, needed an outright victory over leaders Panadura to secure a final berth. Panadura won the toss and put the opposition into bat on a result-oriented pitch. Moors were dismissed for 240, thanks largely to a five-wicket haul by Gayan Sirisoma. Panadura, though, were skittled for exactly half that score in their first innings as Malinda Pushpakumara took 7 for 56, dismissing five of the top six batsmen. Sirisoma grabbed another five wickets in the second innings as Moors fell for 130 with none of their batsmen crossing an individual score of 20. That collapse gave Panadura a second chance, but they fell eight runs short of a target of 251, in spite of contributions from Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene and Dinesh Ranga Cooray. The last-wicket pair of Sirisoma and Sujeewa de Silva added 23 runs together before de Silva was given out lbw, ending Panadura's season.

In Group B, a run fest helped Sinhala Sports Club (SSC) keep Tamil Union at bay as they qualified for the final, which will be played on their home ground. SSC captain Thilina Kandamby's unbeaten 340, which broke the Sri Lankan first-class record for the highest individual score set by Kusal Perera two weeks ago, was the standout performance of the round.

A Tamil Union bowling attack, that featured Chanaka Welegedera, Suranga Lakmal and Rangana Herath, failed to prevent SSC from scoring a massive 787 for 8, nullifying Tamil Union's chances of an outright win. Dimuth Karunaratne was the first of three centurions, hitting 115 off 170 balls, after his opening partner fell for a four-ball duck. Kaushal Silva made 180 at No. 4. Kandamby arrived after Karunaratne's dismissal, with the score at 241 for 3, and put on 195 with Silva. He later shared a 226-run partnership with Upul Bandara for the seventh wicket, before eventually declaring the innings at stumps on the second day. Needing almost 800 to get the first-innings points they needed to displace SSC, Tamil Union had little to play for on the final day and were all out for 314. Kaushal Lokuarachchi was the highest wicket-taker for SSC, picking 4 for 136.

Air Force Sports Club and Burgher Recreation Club competed in what was effectively a relegation battle amid some controversy. The pitch prepared for the match was deemed unsuitable and the teams played on a different surface, which only allowed for a two-day match. The difference between the two teams was 1.7 points, with Air Force on 51.6 and Burgher on 49.9, but Air Force managed to secure first-innings points by gaining a lead of 29 runs to help seal their place in the Premier League. Opener Thuppahi Nadeera scored an unbeaten 105 in the first innings for Air Force and guided his side to 244, with little support from his teammates. Left-arm spinner Akila Isanka then took 5 for 90 as Burgher were dismissed for 215. With only two days of play possible, the match ended in a draw.

Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club defeated bottom-placed Kurunegala Youth by six wickets. Navy needed an innings victory to stay in the first-class competition and, their six-wicket victory wasn't enough to take them past Badureliya Cricket Club in the points table. Navy made 369 in the first innings, with Chanaka Ruwansiri making 122. Although they dismissed Kurunegala Youth for 212 and 182, they still had to bat in the fourth innings to chase a target of 26.

Three left-arm spinners topped the list of wicket-takers this season. Moors' Pushpakumara took 64 wickets, ahead of Panadura's Sirisoma and Colombo Cricket Club's Dinouk Hettiarachchi, who both took 58. No bowler with more than 30 wickets had a better average or strike rate than 19-year-old offspinner Tharindu Kaushal who finished with 50 wickets in spite of playing fewer matches than the table leaders due to his national commitments. Sachithra Senanayake, who led the table before he left for national duty, finished with 49 scalps.

Among the batsmen, SSC's wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva scored the most runs, hitting four hundreds and two fifties to pile up 814 runs. Former Test opener Malinda Warnapura made 804 runs while Air Force's 20-year-old batsman Yashodha Lanka made 802. The best average however, belonged to Kusal Perera who scored 695 runs at an average of 115.83 in four fewer matches than the table leaders.

The end of the season also sees six teams - three lowest-ranked teams from each group - culled from the top competition. These teams will move down to form an emerging league, which begins next year. The matches in the league will be treated as club matches. After the final round, Burgher Recreation Club, Lankan Cricket Club and Saracens Sports Club were relegated from Group A, while from Group B, Navy Sports Club, Galle Cricket Club and Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club will not play first-class cricket in 2014. The relegations are part of a three-year plan to halve the number of clubs playing in the top three-day tournament, in order to improve the quality of the first-class competition.

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Lancashire target immediate promotion

Deep into last season the hoardings around Old Trafford's many redevelopment projects sported advertisements aimed at recruiting new members for Lancashire. Their main feature was a cropped photograph from the previous year's Championship triumph at Taunton. Sweaty, ecstatic faces beamed out at the Manchester public. "Let's do it all over again!" bellowed the posters. By August they looked like a bit of a bad joke.

Having won ten matches in 2011, Glen Chapple's team registered just one success last summer and were relegated to Division Two with a meagre 106 points. A joke did the rounds in September that Lancashire had more seats in their new press box than points in the table. The dejection felt by the predominantly young Red Rose squad in the Lord's dressing room after their fate had been confirmed was a new experience for most of them but it was also an unwelcome novelty for their coach Peter Moores, who had guided Sussex to the title in 2003 before masterminding Lancashire's success two years ago. So the new season will offer interesting challenges - a favourite Moores noun - for a man who has never worked with a relegated side before.

There is, however, no doubt as to what the biggest challenge will be. "Getting back into Division One is our number one goal," Moores said."It's really important for us, closely followed by winning a one-day trophy. To achieve both of those things would be our perfect season. The economic impact of playing in the second division isn't as great in cricket as it is some sports but Lancashire are a big club and we don't just want to be in the first division, we want to be one of the top sides in that division.

"You look around this ground and you say this is a first division club, but the fact is that it isn't in the first division this year, so we just have to get stuck in and start winning games of cricket. Drawing isn't good enough. The players have never been lacking in commitment, they realise the expectation of the club and they should take that as a positive."

What might also act as a spur to the Lancashire players is the recollection of their feelings when they were relegated last September. The fact that it had been on the cards for some weeks probably did nothing to soften its reality. Predictably, perhaps, Moores does not shy away from the memory. Instead, he seeks to incorporate it into his preparation.

	"There is now terrific competition in the club and it's maybe something we were missing last year. Each player has to know that there is somebody else snapping away at him, keeping him sharp" Lancashire coach, Peter Moores

"We've experienced winning and losing in two seasons," said Moores. "The losing is a bigger learner because it stays with you for longer, you can't get away from it until you can put it right. We have to deal with Lord's last summer and you do get to a point when you're very keen to play some more cricket and get yourself back where you want to be.

"There are always little things you might want to have done differently but we lost three of the first four games last season and in two of those we had opportunities to win which we didn't take. After that, it wasn't that we were getting beaten all the time, it was just that we weren't getting any wins, largely because of the weather.

"There is a fine line between winning and losing in the first division and unless you have a very good start you often find yourself in the middle of the table not knowing whether you're pushing to win it or pushing to survive. You don't fluke a Championship and if you add up the number of four-day wins we've had since Glen Chapple and I have been here you'd find us in the top two or three sides ... Also, this group of players has had two semi-finals and three quarters in the one-dayers, so we have been competitive in all forms of the game for four years."

Perhaps the chief area in which Lancashire's cricket lacked punching power in 2012 was the top-order batting, so the re-engagement of Ashwell Prince, the only player in the side to average above 30 in last season's Championship, and the signing of Simon Katich will probably be seen as good news by Old Trafford loyalists. In the bowling department, Sajid Mahmood was released and Gary Keedy allowed to join Surrey, the latter move giving further opportunities to slow left-armer Stephen Parry and the highly rated rookie offspinner Arron Lilley. But perhaps the most interesting signing is that of the ex-Leicestershire allrounder Wayne White, a player who impressed Moores on the club's pre-season tour to Dubai.

"Wayne's a rapidly emerging cricketer who has found himself a bit later than some," said Moores. "He was leading wicket-taker for Leicestershire two years in a row but he bats, bowls and fields. He wants to move his game forward and we want to help him do that.

"Elsewhere, we've made bold decisions by letting players go and that will create opportunities for others. But we're going to need the experience of senior cricketers around, so Katich and Prince will help that. We want to develop our own players but if we see someone like Wayne who will add something to the side, we'll be happy to go down that route. There is now terrific competition in the club and it's maybe something we were missing last year. Each player has to know that there is somebody else snapping away at him, keeping him sharp."

It has been an eventful winter for Moores too. In the autumn he was appointed to the ECB's Fellowship of Elite Coaches and in March he was one of only two coaches from non-Olympic sports accepted on to UK Sport's Elite Programme, a recognition, some would say, of his coaching class. The ex-England coach was honoured by both appointments and admits that he has "strong ambitions" for his future career. For the moment, though, he is happy to be where he is.

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Ashes contenders miss out on CA contracts

Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Jackson Bird and Moises Henriques, all potential Ashes tourists, have been omitted from Cricket Australia's list of centrally contracted players for 2013-14. The initial list of players was expanded from last year's 17 to 20, the maximum allowable figure under the current MOU with the players union.

As has been the case for some time, multi-format players stand a better chance of earning the immediate financial security of a CA contract than all but the highest-ranked Test match specialists, something that counted against Bird and Khawaja in particular. In their places were the likes of George Bailey, Clint McKay and Xavier Doherty, all regulars in the ODI and Twenty20 teams.

While CA does not release the player rankings, it is believed that Mitchell Starc was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the extra money freed up by the retirements of Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting. However the selection of 20 players allowed the national selectors to broadened the spread of remuneration at a time when Australian cricket has fewer outstanding performers to call on than at any stage in recent years.

The selectors' concerns about the lack of batting depth available to them was confirmed by the inclusion of only six specialist batsmen among the 20. This included Bailey, who made only one first-class 50 all summer, and the vice-captain Shane Watson. Only the captain Michael Clarke could truly be said to have earned his batting keep over the past year.

"Jackson Bird, Moises Henriques, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith were all very close to making this contract list and we expect them to take opportunities that are presented across formats to represent Australia and make a case for an upgrade to a CA contract, as the year unfolds," the national selector John Inverarity said.

"Of the 20 players on the 2013-14 contract list all currently hold a CA playing contract. The 17 players initially contracted for the 2012-13 season played a significant role in selections across the various formats during the season. Those upgraded to the contract list during the season all proved their worth.

"Phillip Hughes has made a lot of runs throughout the past 12 months and is a young player who we are looking to become a reliable and prolific run-scorer, while Ed Cowan worked hard in the last 12 months to earn an upgrade and the panel feel that he is deserving of selection on this list for the coming year.

"George Bailey has been one of our most successful ODI batsmen since he debuted in that format in March 2012. Clint McKay's success as an ODI player was reflected in him being awarded Australia's One Day Player of The Year at the Allan Border Medal.

"The National Selection Panel is very impressed by the manner in which James Faulkner has been performing and developing. He is a very competitive young man who consistently manages to have an impact on games with both bat and ball. Glenn Maxwell is a talented young player who has had opportunity invested in him. He is very aware that he needs to tighten his game and perform with greater impact and consistency."

Apart from Michael Hussey and Ponting exiting the international game, David Hussey also lost his contract and will require an extraordinary resurgence in run-scoring form to regain his place over the next year.

More to come...

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'Spirit of cricket won't be curtailed by such prejudice' - Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain, has said the decision to exclude Sri Lankan players from the IPL matches in Chennai will not "curtail" the spirit of cricket. The players, he said, continue to feel "very welcome" in other parts of India.

"Politics in this case has restricted our presence, our belief to play in every part of India. But I don't think sports and spirit of cricket is ever going to be curtailed by such prejudice," Sangakkara told PTI. "The build-up has been different and difficult for Sri Lankan players. But at the end of the day they are here to play IPL."

"The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has made it clear that no Sri Lankan players will be [playing] in Chennai. [But] India is much more than Chennai and Tamil Nadu, and I think the rest of India has been very welcoming of us."

The IPL's governing council decided that the matches in Chennai will not feature any Sri Lankan cricketers or match officials, following growing political tensions, stemming from the treatment of certain ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Responding to comments from former players stating that the Sri Lankans should boycott the IPL due to the restrictions, Sangakkara said: "It has been a divisive issue back home as well. But this is not a nation versus nation issue. It's only a state... and I don't think it is the entire state [Tamil Nadu].

"So, we've got to put it in the right perspective. Foreign policies are not going to be dictated by that and had it been a nation versus nation issue then Sri Lankan players would not have been here."

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Yorks hampered in bid for Miller

Yorkshire's bid for another successful Friends Life t20 campaign looks set to be hampered by visa rules with their chance to sign South African batsman David Miller disrupted by the regulations.

A deal to sign Miller, a powerful left-hander, has already been agreed but he currently does not meet the visa criteria for an overseas player.

Without an EU passport, overseas players need to have played a minimum of one Test match or 15 one-day internationals and/or Twenty20 internationals in the two years prior to the visa application. But Miller, yet to make his Test debut, has played only 13 times for South Africa in the past two years.

South Africa's next fixtures are not until the Champions Trophy in June, with a warm-up ODI against Netherlands before three matches in the group stage of the tournament.

Two appearances in those four matches - and potentially two more if South Africa reach the final - would make Miller eligible to play for Yorkshire. But he could then travel to Sri Lanka on South Africa's ODI tour, which is scheduled for July and clashes with the Flt20.

Miller is Yorkshire's premier target having scored 390 runs at 48.75 for them in last year's tournament, including 72 in the final against Hampshire. They are likely to only make one overseas signing all season due to financial constraints.

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire director of professional cricket, said at the club's AGM that they would hold out to try and sign Miller after admitting there was very little chance of Australian fast-bowler Mitchell Starc being available.

"With an Ashes tour, the Champions Trophy and an ODI series, Starc's just not going to be available," Moxon said. "David Miller's is not a straightforward situation. He's agreed to come back and we want him back. But he's two matches short.

"If he plays in the Champions Trophy, he could conceivably fulfil those two games to make him available. But we've recently been told that there's a South Africa tour in July now.

"If he doesn't play for South Africa in the Champions Trophy, he can't play for us because he has not played enough games. If he does play in the Champions Trophy, he's likely to be picked for Sri Lanka. Having said that, there is still a chance that the tour could be cancelled."

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Australia keep probables list secret

Cricket Australia will not disclose its list of 30 probables for the Champions Trophy in England this June, breaking the norm followed by all countries ahead of ICC tournaments. It is understood that CA approached the ICC for clarification over the rules about squad announcement and then requested that the 30-man squad, which will be pruned to 15 in a month's time, not be made public.

"Custom and practice is that countries announce their provisional squads 60 days before the first ball is scheduled to be bowled in the tournament," an ICC spokesperson said. "But this isn't compulsory."

Pakistan have already released their list of 30 probables, and other countries are expected to do so by the end of the week. Australia have been grouped with England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and play their first game on June 8, against the hosts.

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Daniel Marsh to coach Tasmania

Daniel Marsh, the former Tasmania captain, has been entrusted with maintaining a dynasty he played a large part in starting by taking over from the highly successful Tigers coach Tim Coyle for next summer.

Sheffield Shield Champions Tasmania named Marsh after he beat other contenders, including the Victoria assistant coach Simon Helmot, for the role of guiding the Tigers in Coyle's wake.

Widely credited with helping Coyle to build the state's successful team culture and consistently high performance levels when he was captain, 39-year-old Marsh has recently worked as an assistant with the Tigers, replacing Michael Di Venuto when he was called up to mentor Australia's batsmen earlier this year.

Marsh has also spent time at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, and was employed on the 2012 Australia A tour of England as a batting coach.

Coyle's decision to retire from the Tasmanian coaching job at the conclusion of the 2012-13 summer ended a fruitful eight-year tenure that reaped three Sheffield Shields, two domestic one day titles and numerous international call-ups - among players and coaches - for a state that was once defined by the batting of David Boon and Ricky Ponting.

While Coyle's exit will leave a considerable gulf, the choice of Marsh to replace him should ensure a continuation of the same sound principles that have guided cricket in the state. Under Marsh's captaincy, Tasmania lifted their first Shield in 2007 and also won domestic limited overs finals in 2006 and 2008.

Marsh gave up the leadership in 2009, and his successor George Bailey has often spoken of his predecessor's influence. "Dan Marsh is someone that has had a profound influence on my cricket," Bailey said last year. "I will forever be trying to emulate how he thought about the game and how he analysed it, and I think I'll fail dismally. But he was someone who I always enjoyed talking with about cricket.

"He made people feel very comfortable about the cricketer they were, understood the game to the nth degree. He was very level-headed and never got ahead of himself, never got too up when we were winning or too down when we lost - all pretty great characteristics."

The appointment maintains the Marsh family's considerable influence over Australian cricket. Daniel Marsh's father Rod Marsh is a national selector and overseer to all domestic coaches, while another son, Paul, is chief executive of the Australian Cricketers Association.

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The 'care factor' will be key for Pune - Donald

Despite being around for two years in the Indian Premier League, Pune Warriors - the most expensive franchise in the event - seem to be struggling to find their feet. In both the editions they have featured in, they have finished near or at the bottom.

No wonder then that their third successive season will see a new captain and coach going into the tournament. While both their previous coaches - Geoff Marsh in 2011 and Sourav Ganguly as captain-cum-mentor last year, when they participated without a head coach - were diplomatic ahead of they stints, Allan Donald, who has been elevated from bowling coach to head coach this year, spelled out his expectations from the players in no uncertain terms.

Referring to his new role as "intimidating" in a tournament that moves "at a million miles per hour", Donald, the former South Africa pace spearhead, urged the players to "care" for one another.

"I am going to have a meeting with our overseas players on their own to explain their commitment to our cause for the next two months. Every one of those players wants to play. I would be disappointed if I wasn't picked. But what is important for Pune Warriors is for everyone to be swimming up one stream, [and] not every way and direction like it went last year," Donald said, referring to a disgruntled unit in the latter half of last year's IPL.

"And negativity spreads cancer. It does because it gets people talking, players talk among each other. And my message to the team is [to] be up front and honest. [This] is going to be the key. I am not here to make anyone promises.

"That's what this format requires. You just can't be pleasing cricketers for the sake of it. I just want guys to be part of the team and helping each other out. The care factor for me is huge. I want guys to look after each other. That creates that relaxed environment that I talk about. That's pretty much what I look for. How we gel as a team, how we grow as a team and how we care as a team is going to be the key for us."

In a season in which Pune Warriors tried out 23 players during the season, not many players were given a long rope. It led to team harmony going for a toss as the tournament progressed, and affected the team both on and off the field. Donald seems to have learned the lessons from the disappointing previous outing: "[I] don't think last year was a great example for me. That was my first year, and I felt that at times, we were a bit gung-ho with our selection.

"At times, [we tried] quick fixes, which didn't work. I see that the teams that have been successful in the IPL have stuck with a certain group of players for a long period of time. And that's what I intend to do.

"Why fix [something] if it's not broken? All coaches and teams are looking for early momentum and confidence, and we have to earn the right to do that first of all. The hard part about this competition is to get your nose in front. I am not looking far ahead. I am not looking at the semi-finals or anything like that. I just want to concentrate on every game, and on what we do in every game. If it doesn't work and we go down fighting, so be it. To try and stick to certain processes is the key."

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'Excited to be back for IPL' - Ponting

Mumbai Indians captain Ricky Ponting has said he is excited to be back for the IPL after a gap of five years. His retirement from international cricket, he said, has allowed him to focus on domestic leagues such as the IPL and the ones that follow.

"I am very excited to be back in IPL," Ponting said. "The way things have worked out - with my retirement from international cricket and finishing off the domestic season for Tasmania and playing well - they have given me the opportunity to be back here.

"The reason I did not come back for IPL 2 and 3 was because I had too much international cricket on at that time. And now that I don't have international cricket, the opportunities for me to play in these domestic tournaments are really opening up."

After the IPL ends in May, Ponting will head to England for two months to play for Surrey and then to the West Indies for nearly five weeks to play in the Caribbean Premier League which begins on July 29.

Ponting said his experience of leading Australia will play a crucial role in captaining Mumbai that already has some big names, such as Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, with whom he has had "great battles" over the years.

"I have got a really good idea of what makes good teams successful," Ponting said. "And they are all the things I will be bringing to the table in Mumbai. To think that I will be playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, some of the guys I have had great battles over the years, and some of the young local Indian talent I have come across in the last couple of days is great.

"With Mumbai now, we have John Wright, a successful ex-India coach, and Anil Kumble, a successful Indian captain and a very very good Indian player and leader. Obviously me coming into the set-up, we have put together a really strong leadership group."

Mumbai finished third in the points table last season and lost to Chennai Super Kings in the elimination final by 38 runs. The closest they came to winning the title was in 2010 when they lost to Super Kings again in the final.

"Mumbai Indians have a pretty proud tradition in IPL of finishing up the top and being in the semi-finals," Ponting said. "We obviously haven't won the tournament yet but hopefully this year is our year."

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Younis Khan left out of Champions Trophy squad

The limited-overs career of Younis Khan, the senior Pakistan batsman, hangs in the balance after he was left out of a 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy to be held in June. The Pakistan board announced the pool of players unexpectedly early, and there had been speculation over Younis' future after a poor one-day series in South Africa earlier this month.

Younis, 35, was among several Pakistan batsmen who floundered in the series which South Africa won 3-2. Younis collected 116 ODIs runs at 23.20 as Pakistan's fragile batting struggled through much of the tour. He has had a difficult ODI run in recent years - his last century came as long back in 2008, and in three of the previous four years he has averaged less than 25.

The other major exclusion from the squad was of 20-year-old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who is looking to make his comeback after suffering a spine injury last December. Hasan had made an impact during the World Twenty20 last year, playing in four matches in that campaign.

The experienced allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who hasn't played an ODI since November 2011 continued to be ignored by the national selectors.

The Champions Trophy features the top eight ODI sides in the world, and is scheduled to be held in England in June. Pakistan are in Group B along with India, South Africa and West Indies. All teams have to announce their preliminary squad for the tournament before April 6.

Squad: Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umer Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Imran Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan

More to follow

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Kusal Perera sets up Sri Lanka's win

Sri Lanka 198 for 5 (Kusal Perera 64, Mendis 37) beat Bangladesh 181 for 7 (Ashraful 43, Mushfiqur 39, Thisara Perera 2-25) by 17 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A marauding Kusal Perera set the platform for Sri Lanka's 198 for 5, which proved 17 runs too many for the valiant Bangladesh batsmen, in the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele. His 64 from 44 balls saw Sri Lanka travel at nearly 11-an over during the Powerplay, before their middle-order allrounders exploited generous bowling to close the innings at a gallop. Though three Bangladesh batsmen threatened to rally a forceful response, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah all fell before their side could mount a serious challenge.




Kusal's onslaught began from the second delivery which he whipped aerially off his pads behind square, before he picked up the fifth ball and deposited it in the stands and then blasted the next behind point for four. Like a young Sanath Jayasuriya with a ballet coach, Kusal flitted about the crease - venturing swiftly out of it on occasion - before sending the ball hurtling, with a rapid swing of the blade.

At 25 for no loss at the end of the second over, Mushfiqur introduced Sohag Gazi to change the pace of the game, but Kusal welcomed him into the attack with a mighty slog-swept six over cow corner. When Abdur Razzak came on to bowl, he was spared first ball, but slammed into the grass bank behind deep midwicket next delivery.

The fours flowed too: over cover, through point, behind square on the leg side - five in total, to go with four sixes. Kusal reined in the big shots when the field spread, rotating the strike first with Dinesh Chandimal, then Lahiru Thirimanne, and the first shot he mishit in the game was the one that brought his demise. He top-edged a cut shot off Mahmudullah, three balls after having sent him high over deep midwicket. When he departed at 100 for 4 after 12 overs, only a middle-order collapse would have restricted Sri Lanka to an average total, and the Bangladesh bowlers' generosity ensured that would not eventuate.



But despite the tall Sri Lanka total, Bangladesh batted so well, they might justly feel aggrieved at the officiating. The match was marred by contentious decisions - at least two of which had the potential to change the game's narrative dramatically. The clearest of these was Ashraful's lbw, which came off a thigh-high Thisara Perera full toss. Ashraful had struck two sixes and a four off the three previous deliveries, signalling an imminent sustained barrage, but it was cut short when the umpire ruled him out despite the ball having struck his thigh pad outside the line of the stumps.

Earlier, debutant Shamsur Rahman had been given out to his first ball in international cricket, after being struck above the knee roll, some way outside the popping crease. The first ball of the match, however, had been a close call for Kusal, and two more marginal decisions in Sri Lanka's innings went the hosts' way.




Bangladesh began their innings more slowly than Sri Lanka, hitting only 45 from their Powerplay overs, for the loss of Shamsur and Jahurul Islam. When Ashraful fell in the seventh over, Mushfiqur assumed the aggressor's role, but soon after, Mahmudullah also began scoring quickly. Mushfiqur first struck two fours in three balls off Sachithra Senanayake, before lifting a low full toss from Shaminda Eranga over the long-on fence two overs later. Angelo Perera had not had a chance to bat on debut, but his part-time left-arm spin disappeared for 17 off Mushfiqur's blade in the 13th over, to complete a six-over stretch that saw Bangladesh maul 72.



But in two balls in the fifteenth over, Bangladesh lost both set batsman, and with them, their hopes of a triumphant end to the tour. Mushfiqur top edged a gentle full toss from Senanayake to deep square leg, and next ball, a mix-up while attempting a third ended with both batsmen stranded mid-pitch, and Mahmudullah eventually given out, having not crossed his partner. With six wickets down, Mominul Haque then faced a required run-rate of 12 with five wickets to go and the tail for company. He finished unbeaten on 26 from 16, having hit three boundaries that made the end result perhaps seem closer than it was.

During Sri Lanka's innings, Bangladesh's spinners combined through the middle overs to force several setbacks, but a dropped catch off Angelo Mathews in the deep, borne from miscommunication between long-on and midwicket, cost the visitors a chance to keep Sri Lanka to a manageable score. Next over, with six wickets remaining and only four overs to go, Jeevan Mendis felt it appropriate to throw his bat early in the over, sweeping Razzak over midwicket, then blasting him over cover, to herald Sri Lanka's final charge.

The fast bowlers' indiscipline hurt Bangladesh further, as they continued pitching too short throughout the final overs, with several wayward deliveries served up as well. Mendis pulled Rubel Hossain high into the stands early in the 17th over, before murdering a short wide one through point next ball. When he got out, Thisara completed a sorry night for Shahadat Hossain, when he launched his over of criminally poor bowling into the night for 24, to leave the bowler with no wicket for 54 from four overs. Mathews, who had held the innings together after Kusal fell, finished on 30 from 27 deliveries.

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Pressure on SL to end on high - Chandimal

Sri Lanka's new Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal has admitted there is significant pressure on the hosts to finish the home series against Bangladesh on a high note, ahead of the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele on Sunday. The hosts had been expected to win each series comprehensively, but could only draw the ODI series 1-1, and allowed Bangladesh to draw a Test against Sri Lanka, for the first time.

Chandimal is now set to lead a young, inexperienced side, which will feature at least one debutant, as six uncapped Twenty20 players have been named in the 16-man squad. They will likely play four top-order batsmen with less than 15 matches' experience, and two specialist bowlers who have each played less than five Twenty20s.

"Bangladesh won the last match and will be in a good mental state. But our players have got a big chance here and they will hopefully take that opportunity," Chandimal said. "It's a lot of pressure, but I like to play with that pressure. As a cricketer, there has to be pressure when we play, because that's when we can truly overcome challenges. We never underestimated Bangladesh, because they are an improving side in world cricket.

"I have to be content with this team, because as youngsters, this is the kind of tour that they should be given opportunities in. When you are playing your first or second match, it's better if you play teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and then get the confidence to play big matches against Australia and England. It's good if they can learn from their time with the seniors and take their cricket forward."

Chandimal has never captained a national team at age-group level, but he had had a superlative season as captain of Ananda College, in Colombo, where he led his side to an unprecedented 13 outright wins in 2008. He was one of several candidates for Test captaincy as well, despite his youth, but eventually Angelo Mathews was given the role, and Chandimal made vice-captain.

"I was captain in Under-19 and U-15 teams as well, in a few provincial matches. This is a great challenge, because captaining the national team is not something everyone can do. We need to talk to all our players, of every level of experience and figure out how we are going to improve and win more matches for our country.

"We don't have the experienced players like Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who played well in the last two series. But I think there are great young players like Dilshan Munaweera and Kusal Perera. This is a great opportunity for the young players." Chandimal singled out Nasir Hossain as a particular threat among the opposition batsmen, and said Sri Lanka had grown wary of his strengths during the tour. Nasir walloped 33 runs from 27 deliveries in the third ODI, to propel his side to victory, and had struck 73 not out from 59 deliveries to close out the innings in the first ODI as well, in addition to the Test ton he scored in Galle.

"Bangladesh's batsmen have improved a lot from how they were before. Nasir Hossain has been the batsman who has batted the best in the ODI series, and he's been consistent throughout the tour, so we've got a plan for him. We've got plans for all the others as well. We're hoping that tomorrow we can come through in those situations, and showcase our talent."

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Bangladesh fancy chances against experimental Sri Lanka

Match facts

March 31, 2013 Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)

Big picture

Whatever happens on Sunday night, Sri Lanka will look back on this tour and feel it has not gone as they would have liked. Bangladesh had never taken a Test to the fifth day in Sri Lanka, but they bettered even that achievement by keeping the hosts to a draw. Sri Lanka were made to fight hard in the second Test, and though they triumphed handsomely there in the end, they were embarrassed in the ODI series, when Bangladesh stormed home in Pallekele. Sri Lanka may have been missing Mahela Jayawardene, who has made home series a specialty, but Bangladesh have been without their star player in Shakib Al Hasan throughout the tour, and lost Tamim Iqbal after the first ODI.

Twenty20 is supposedly Sri Lanka's strongest format, but they will put the top ranking they earned during their World Twenty20 campaign on the line, in the final match of the tour. If Sri Lanka lose to ninth-ranked Bangladesh, they drop five ratings points, and will slip behind West Indies.

Sri Lanka's selectors have approached this match as a development game, and as such, Sri Lanka's ranking seems especially insecure. Of the 16 players in the squad, six have never played an international Twenty20, and among the uncapped, only Kithuruwan Vithanage has played at the top level in any format.

They also have a young, new leader, who for all his talent, had been unable to establish a place in any of the three national teams four months ago. Throughout the Tests and ODIs, Dinesh Chandimal was often in Angelo Mathews' company during talks on strategy, but although he holds a coveted school cricket record as a captain, his leadership qualities are burgeoning, rather than refined. Bangladesh are soaring after their last win, and are now faced with a significantly weaker Sri Lanka team. If there was any match against Sri Lanka in which they began as favourites, it is this one.

Critical to their chances is their bowling, which, despite the team's results, has been unconvincing throughout the tour. The fast bowlers in particular have been wayward in their opening spells - though they will not have Tillakaratne Dilshan to contend with in this match - and too much has been required of Sohag Gazi, whose own career is still in its infancy. If Bangladesh's attack can prevent a quick start, and put pressure on Sri Lanka's inexperienced batsmen, they will go a long way towards securing a heartening victory to cap off a terrific tour.

Form guide

(completed matches only, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WWLWW
Bangladesh: LLLLW

In the spotlight

Dilshan Munaweera arrived in the Twenty20 side after an impressive Sri Lanka Premier League tournament, but was unable to produce the sustained assaults at the top of the innings through which he established his reputation. He is coming off a first-class 104 from 87 deliveries however, and will be keen to translate that form into his first notable international innings.

The man who has suddenly become the centre of attention on this tour is Nasir Hossain. His unbeaten 33 has become the most valuable innings for Bangladesh in the ODI series as it helped them grab a win and draw the series. Even the Sri Lankans are talking about him, so he would be one to look out for.

Teams news

Angelo Perera is the likeliest young batsman to debut in the match, though Kithuruwan Vithanage, who played in the Test series, may also be close to selection. The biggest conundrum for Sri Lanka will be how to replace the rested Nuwan Kulasekara. There are a slew of young allrounders in the squad, and among them, fast bowler Ishan Jayaratne and left-arm-spinner Chaturanga de Silva are the likeliest of the freshers to play. Sri Lanka may opt for a little more experience however, in which case Shaminda Eranga will play.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Kusal Perera, 2. Dilshan Munaweera, 3. Lahiru Thirimanne, 4. Dinesh Chandimal (capt & wk), 5. Angelo Perera/Kithuruwan VIthanage, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Jeevan Mendis, 8. Thisara Perera, 9. Shaminda Eranga/ Chaturanga de Silva/ Ishan Jayaratne, 10. Sachithra Senanayake, 11. Lasith Malinga.

There could be a temptation for Bangladesh to bring in Mosharraf Hossain as the third spinner and cut down on one batsman from the top-order. In that case, Mominul Haque - who has not done well in Twenty20s recently, may be chopped. A debut for Shamsur Rahman also beckons, especially after his BPL performance this season. But team sources have said that Mominul will continue to play while there is a high likelihood for Shamsur to make his international debut with Mosharraf's wait to return to international cricket set to be extended.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Ashraful, 2 Shamsur Rahman, 3 Jahurul Islam, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Mominul Haque, 8 Ziaur Rahman, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shahadat Hossain.

Pitch and conditions

Sri Lanka's south-west monsoon rains appear to be making an early appearance, and with Pallekele quickly gaining a reputation as one of the wettest grounds in cricket, the match may be affected by the weather once again. The surface itself looks identical to the one used for the ODI, which had a little something for bowlers of all inclinations, but was far more favourable for batsmen.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have not dismissed Nasir in a limited-overs match, in three innings. He hit 36 not out during the Asia Cup last year, and has was unbeaten on 73 and 33 in the ODI series. He has never played a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.
• In 12 innings, Chandimal's Twenty20 average is 14.83 and his strike rate 97.26
• If Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh, they earn one rankings point and extend their lead at the top of the table.
• The game will be played on the 27th anniversary of Bangladesh's debut international match

Quotes

"As a team we are at number one, and everyone is looking to keep that. We've trained really hard in the last few days, and hopefully that will pay off with a win."

Chandimal feels he has a responsibility to maintain a hard-won ranking

"Bowling in the Powerplay and the death is very important for us. We have to do well in these two periods. The bowlers are confident after not having a great tour."

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim on Bangladesh's weaker suit on this tour

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Gujarat in final after Manprit ton

Group A

In a one-sided match, Kerala were crushed under the weight of a dominant batting performance from Gujarat, led by Manprit Juneja, who scored a belligerent century, and Abdulahad Malik, to lose by 90 runs in Indore. The victory helped Gujarat qualify for the final of the tournament, to be played against Punjab, as they snatched the top spot via a better net run-rate than Kerala.

Soon after being put in to bat, Gujarat were struggling at 31 for 3 in the fifth over, with the top three batsmen in their line-up having been dismissed. Juneja and Malik, then, shared an unbeaten 202-run partnership - the third-highest for any wicket in Twenty20s and the highest for the fourth wicket - in 94 balls to take them to a daunting 233 for 4. Juneja scored 108 off 50 deliveries, and Malik 84 off 46, both unbeaten. The two hit 25 fours and six sixes between them.

In reply, Kerala lost wickets frequently. Except opener VA Jagadeesh (36), Sanju Samson (32) and Raiphi Gomez (26), none of the other batsmen put up much resistance. They were eventually bowled out for 143, with seamer Mehul Patel and offspinner Jesal Karia taking three wickets each.

A quick half-century from Faiz Fazal helped Vidarbha beat Delhi by five wickets. Delhi, batting first, put up a strong 156 for 7, through a knock of 45 from Mohit Sharma and an unbeaten 39 from middle-order batsman Milind Kumar. Two significant partnerships, between Mohit and Jagrit Anand (worth 57 runs), and between Milind and Nitish Rana (40) helped Delhi get to the total, even though they kept losing wickets.

Fazal set the tone in Vidarbha's reply by dominating the opening stand of 31. He added 53 runs with Urvesh Patel, and when the stand was broken, Vidarbha were strong at 83 for 2. Three wickets fell for 31, but Shalabh Shrivastava, with a 14-ball 26, took them home in 19 overs.

Group B

A career-best, unbeaten 93 from Gurkeerat Singh helped Punjab beat Uttar Pradesh by 51 runs and gave them a berth in the final, to be played against Gujarat on Sunday. UP, after choosing to field, removed opener Mandeep Singh in the first over, and Ravi Inder Singh in the sixth over. But Gurkeerat struck useful stands with Mayank Sidhana, Chandan Madan and Amitoze Singh to steer his team to 161 for 5. His 58-ball knock consisted of eight fours and six sixes.

UP's innings never took off as seamer Sandeep Sharma dented the top order with quick wickets and spinner Rahul Sharma followed up by taking four wickets. Mohammad Kaif (46) and captain Piyush Chawla (29) provided resistance with a 46-run stand for the fifth wicket, but then they lost six wickets for 19 runs to be bowled out for 110.

Half-centuries from Jyot Chhaya and Vishnu Solanki took Baroda to a tight five-wicket victory over Karnataka at the Holkar Stadium. In their chase of 168, Baroda's top-order batsmen squandered starts, but at 75 for 4, Chhaya added 90 runs off 52 balls with Solanki to take them home in the penultimate ball of the innings.

Karnataka's innings revolved around a 34-ball 49 from opener Robin Uthappa, and contributions from Karun Nair (22), Manish Pandey (29), and K Gowtham (24). Spinners Bhargav Bhatt and Krunal Pandya took three wickets each.

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Faisalabad and Sialkot in final after thrillers

Faisalabad Wolves 125 for 8 (Shehzad 27, Hafeez 3-30, Rasool 2-27) beat Lahore Lions 123 (Jamshed 46, Hafeez 36, Adil 3-23, Khalid 2-31) by two runs
Scorecard

With nine required of the final over, promising fast bowler Ehsan Adil conceded just six to help Faisalabad Wolves win a thriller against Lahore Lions and reach the final of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup in Lahore.

Though the first ball of Adil's over went four, and the next was a wide that reduced the equation to four off five balls, Adil kept his cool. The second legitimate ball of the over produced a wicket as Sohail Ahmed, who threatened to take the game away, was dismissed after mistiming a pull. Another wide was bowled, followed by two dot balls as the No. 9 Adnan Rasool failed to connect.

That made it three required off two. Rasool missed a third ball in a row, and decided to attempt a bye, but with the non-striker not responding, both batsmen were at the bowler's end when the wicketkeeper broke the stumps. The final ball of the match left No. 11 Aizaz Cheema needing to take three, and he too failed to connect and was run out by the keeper Mohammad Salman, giving Wolves the game.

Wolves didn't seem to have a defendable target after they opted to bat, posting 125. Opener Farrukh Shehzad slashed Aizaz Cheema between gully and point for a boundary, followed by a dashing drive through extra cover, to take nine of the first over as the openers put on 22. Misbah ul-Haq (19) and Khurram Shehzad (27) put on 45 for the third wicket, with the Wolves passing 100 in the 16th over with the help of Imran Khalid's cameo of 20 off 15 balls.

At the halfway stage, Lions were favourites, given Wolves' moderate total, and that Lions had seven cricketers with international experience in their ranks, including the Twenty20 national captain, Mohammad Hafeez.

The Lions announced their charge with three boundaries off the first over from openers Ahmed Shehzad and Nasir Jamshed. Shehzad fell to a brilliant catch behind by Salman with the score on 13. Jamshed (46) and Hafeez (36) put on a solid 57-run partnership, and Lions looked comfortably on course to overhaul the Wolves' total.

A double-strike by Adil in the 11th over brought Wolves back into the game, as he removed Kamran Akmal and Ali Azmat. From being 81 for 2 in 10 overs, Lions ended up losing seven wickets for 38. Once Jamshed was run out by Samiullah with the score on 99, the Wolves' smelt the possibility of victory. Sohail Ahmed's 19 kept the Lions in the hunt, but Adil's superb final over handed Wolves the victory.

Sialkot Stallions 139 for 8 (Malik 44, Amin 3-28) beat Rawalpindi Rams 136 (Waheed 44*, Naved-ul-Hasan 3-20) by three runs
Scorecard

Sialkot Stallions raced into the final after a thrilling victory over Rawalpindi Rams at the Gaddafi Stadium. The match went into the final over with Rawalpindi needing eight runs, but the vastly experienced Naved-ul-Hasan picked up three wickets to bowl Rams out and clinch a three-run victory. Stallions, defending champions of Faysal Bank Super8, will take on Faisalabad Wolves in the final on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, Stallions got off to a steady start with the openers adding 23 off 21 before Shakeel Ansar (7) was trapped lbw by Yasir Arafat, followed by the dismissal of Shahid Yousuf (16). In a bid to improvise, Naved-ul-Hasan was promoted up in the order, but the idea backfired and Naved was back in hut with 15 off 22 balls. By the end of 15th over, Stallions were in trouble at 96 for 5.

Their captain Shoaib Malik drove five boundaries to compile 44 off 35 balls to take Stallions past 100 and Mansoor Amjad hit 18 off 11 with the help of a six over long-off to propel Stallions to a respectable total of 139.

Rams, in reply, lost three wickets within five overs with 31 runs on board. It was Umar Amin (24) along with Umar Waheed who kept the the game from slipping away with a defiant 37-run stand. Sohail Tanvir chipped in three boundaries for his 17 off 16 balls but wasn't enough to keep the chase on course, leaving Waheed (44 not out) to resist all alone in the middle with no batsman providing him support, which left Rams two runs short.

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