Mahmood helps rout South Africa for 77

South Africa U-19s 77 (Mahmood 3-12, Rhodes 2-9, Wood 2-14) trail England U-19s 393 (Jones 52, Makhanya 4-48) by 316 runs
Scorecard

South Africa Under-19s were fired out for just 77 and closed the second day at Wantage Road staring defeat in the face after conceding a first-innings lead of 316.

England will surely enforce the follow-on on day three and will have two days to wrap up victory and win the two-match series.

It was an afternoon of carnage for the tourists who registered only three double-figure scores, two of them from Nos. 8 and 10. Extras, with 15, was the top scorer.

The South Africans played out the first 10 overs of their innings unscathed but Yorkshire's Luke Wood, a left-arm seamer, began the rout with two wickets in successive balls, bowling Mathew Christensen and having Hanco Olivier lbw.

Opener Ryan Rickelton was third man out for 12 before three wickets fell for two runs, all to Lancashire right-armer Saqib Mahmood, who finished with 3 for 12.

Three successive ducks left South Africa 30 for 6 and Stefan Klopper's 12 and Brandon Glover's 10 merely turned the effort from utter humiliation to extreme embarrassment. Sort of.

England took a giant lead after they had earlier extended their 252 for 3 to 393 through several handy partnerships, all marshalled by Rob Jones' half-century.

Sussex beaten by rain and Roland-Jones

Middlesex 81 for 1 beat Sussex 248 for 9 (Nash 65, Roland-Jones 4-42) by 21 runs (D/L method)
Scorecard

Middlesex won for only the second time in the Royal London Cup despite rain ruining their run chase against Sussex in the Group B encounter at Hove.

Chasing 249, Middlesex were 81 for 1 in the 18th over when the rain arrived and umpires Martin Saggers and George Sharp abandoned play at 8.40pm with Middlesex winning by 21 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method.

It was only their second win in the last 12 List A meetings between the teams at Hove. Mindful of the forecast, openers Chris Rogers and Dawid Malan adopted a risk-free approach to the reply and had added 70 for the first wicket when Malan was caught behind off Steffan Piolet for 33, trying to run the ball to third man with an open face.

Paul Stirling was dropped on 1 by Will Beer when he drove powerfully to point off Piolet while Rogers was undefeated on 34 when the heavens opened.

It was a frustrating night for Sussex who were looking to build on back-to-back wins earlier in the week and lift themselves into contention for a top-four finish. On a used pitch they had the benefit of winning the toss and were in a strong position with 18 overs to go at 174 for 3 with Craig Cachopa and Matt Machan having added 52 for the fourth wicket.

But the innings went into a tailspin after Cachopa was caught behind driving at Malan's offbreaks. Seven wickets fell in the next 15 overs for 50 runs and it needed some boisterous hitting by Piolet and Lewis Hatchett for the last wicket to take them to 248 for 9.

Sussex lost the in-form Luke Wright early in their innings, the first of four victims for Toby Roland-Jones, but Chris Nash and Ed Joyce added 102 in 20 overs with Nash reaching his first 50 in the competition this season. He went to 65 with his third six, a pull over midwicket off Neil Dexter, but perished to the next ball attempting to repeat the shot.

Joyce lost his off stump to offspinner Ollie Rayner in the 23rd over but Sussex rebuilt after the loss of those two wickets in four balls through Cachopa and Machan. Malan dropped a difficult return catch offered by Cachopa on 23 although it did not prove expensive. He added just a single when he drove expansively at Malan and was caught behind.

Machan (40) batted sensibly with the lower order until he was seventh out, well caught one-handed at short midwicket by Rayner while Roland-Jones picked up three wickets in an impressive second spell as Yasir Arafat, Beer and Chris Liddle were all bowled, the latter two off successive deliveries.

The seamer finished with 4 for 42 and there were still 26 balls left when last man Hatchett joined Piolet to add 24 with Piolet, on his 26th birthday, unbeaten on 33 from 45 balls with five fours.

Aaron quickens India pulse

It is too early to know whether Varun Aaron can bowl with consistent pace but his impact at Old Trafford has been heartening for India fans

Highlights: Varun Aaron strikes keeps England within sight

Rarely does MS Dhoni collect a ball with fingers pointing skywards and the ball thudding into his gloves. Even on this pitch, the quickest this set of India players might have played on, he barely felt the thud. Not from one end, though. Varun Aaron, playing his first Test in two-and-a-half years, only his seventh first-class match since his last Test, having recovered from five stress fractures over his short career, repeatedly kept thudding into those camouflage gloves when not drawing a hurried response from the batsman.

It is too early to say anything substantial about Aaron - he has yet to come back for a proper second spell on the day, he has not been the most accurate, this is inherently a quick pitch, and he is not 95mph either - but there is pace, and that should excite India.

Raw pace sometimes get underrated. Sometimes you can get away with lack of accuracy if you have that raw pace. All three of his wickets have come through pace, and more satisfactorily two of those have come with the full ball after he had pushed the batsmen back. Watching a batsmen bowled through the gate after having been troubled with a bouncer previous ball is something Indian fans don't usually get to celebrate. Aaron did that to Moeen Ali after extending, in consent with his captain, his over by one spell.

Aaron's role in the team is to bowl short and sharp spells, but India don't have the luxury of sustained pressure from the other end, so as to give Aaron - like Michael Clarke does Mitchell Johnson - four-over spells religiously. "There is no role as such," Aaron said, asked if he had the liberty to go flat out in short bursts. "Obviously there is a clear message that I have to bowl quick whenever I bowl. I have bowled a six-over spell too, so bowling five or six overs is not a problem. It depends on the situation also. But yeah, shorter spells are always better."

Aaron had bowled flat out on the second morning, for four overs almost consistently over 85mph. Dhoni walked up to him before the next, and asked him if he could bowl another. Both felt they were on to something. Moeen was on strike. He has had problems with the short ball. Aaron said Moeen being on strike didn't play any part in the decision, but he wanted to bowl that extra over.

The first ball was a bouncer at the throat, at around 88mph, and hit Moeen's glove even as he was halfway into the shot. The next ball was a peach, pitched up, swinging in late, past the inside edge of a high backlift, thudding into the pad, and then into the stumps. He would have had Moeen plumb lbw had he not hit the stumps.

Aaron was pretty satisfied with that dismissal without being smug about it. "In the previous match also, he had a problem against the short ball," Aaron said. "And even at Lord's. So I was obviously watching from the sidelines, and knew if I got a couple of good bouncers in, he might be in trouble. Good bouncer set-up followed by a good full ball is a good option."

A year and a half ago, bowling quick again was just a dream for Aaron. He was getting operated in London to relieve him of a fifth stress fracture. "When I got operated, one of my targets back then was to come on this tour," Aaron said. "I am really glad I am here, I am finally playing, and I have had a decent match so far."

There was no question he would hold back, though. "If I held myself back, I wouldn't be bowling quick at all," Aaron said. "I have had five stress fractures. If I am not holding myself back now, I don't see a reason to ever hold myself back."

There will soon be a longer day in the field, followed by a Test with a three-day break. That will provide a more accurate assessment of if Aaron can sustain his pace, and what he can do with it.

'Extreme' downpour swamps Old Trafford

Rain ruins play on day two at Old Trafford

Just a day after the Old Trafford authorities were being praised for producing the best pitch of the international summer in England, boos rang out around the ground.

The source of the crowd's frustration was understandable: a sharp but relatively short shower had not just interrupted play, but caused an abandonment. What promised to be another exciting afternoon of cricket instead became an ever more farcical succession of inspections and further delays.

With the benefit of hindsight, we can probably conclude now that play should have been abandoned as early as 4pm. By then, a ground that had taken some heavy rain over the previous weekend had experienced an unusually brutal downpour that left standing water all over the outfield. It started at around 2.15pm and ended, after flirting with spectators for a while, at about 3.40pm.

But, with the best of intentions, the groundstaff and the umpires decided to do what they could to restart play. A few years ago, such a deluge would have ended play for the day without anyone batting an eyelid, but expectations have changed significantly. New sand-based outfields and drainage systems have vastly reduced delays after rain and there is, however it may seem, more respect for spectators than was once the case.

More than that, the desperation to make a success of hosting such major games, results in ground's taking risks and short-term decisions.

Again, with the benefit of hindsight, the groundstaff might have been well advised to simply allow the drainage the time to do its work. But, understandably, they felt a need not just to help nature on its way, but to be seen to be helping nature on its way.

So out came the super-soppers - the tractor-like devices that soak up water from the outfield - and they went to work at the Brian Statham End, in particular, which is the lowest part of the ground and where the puddles were at their deepest.

That was probably a mistake. For, after a weekend when Lancashire were forced to take similar action to ensure a NatWest Blast T20 quarter-final was able to take place on the ground - the match was scheduled for Friday, but eventually took place on Saturday evening - the area was already boggy and damaged. The further usage of relatively heavy machinery may have removed some excess water, but it also churned up the area to such an extent that it began to resemble a field of cabbages more than a cricket outfield.

In truth, the soppers are largely cosmetic devices and are used as much as public-relations ploys as they are for practical purposes. Certainly in circumstances like this, they tend to present as many problems as they do solutions. The outfield just became worse and worse and an area stretching around five metres into the playing surface at that entire end of the ground became genuinely unplayable. While cricket remains a little indulgent of such matters - talk that such conditions are "dangerous" is not helpful - it would have been farcical to try and play international sport in such circumstances. Eventually, play was abandoned at 5.40pm.

It does not mean the ground's drainage is inadequate for the longer term. Lancashire installed a similar drainage scheme to most of the major grounds in England in 2008. Only Lord's, with its greater income and incomparable business model, was able to afford a more effective system.

But, at the end of last year, the club was obliged to pull down two new stands - the stands either side of the media centre at the Brian Statham End - and rebuild them, which appears to have created a temporary area of weakness.

While the stands were being built, in 2012, one of the contractors, Sabre Structures Ltd, went into administration. That caused a delay that could have rendered the stands unfinished ahead of the 2013 season and the lucrative Ashes Test, so the club installed support columns as an intermediate measure to allow the stands to be used and enable the ground to host the international cricket that is so vital to its future.

These support columns resulted in an obstructed view for some spectators, however, and were always viewed as a temporary solution. So, after the Ashes Test, the club strengthen the tiers with the installation of additional structural steel which allowed the removal of the support columns.

The problem with that, though, was that it resulted in a significant amount of heavy machinery on the outfield at that end of the ground. As a result, the grass had to be re-laid at the start of this summer and it has not knitted as well as it has done in other areas of the ground. That weakness was exploited by the ferocity of the recent rain.

Talk that the incident could jeopardise the ground's future as a venue for major matches is hyperbole, though. The pitch at Old Trafford has actually put some of those at other venues to shame and, while the episode is not ideal, talk of denying them future games seems harsh in the extreme.

There is a fear, however, that the boggy areas - and they really are in very poor condition - might render play difficult on day three, even if Manchester enjoys a dry night.

Afterwards Mike Watkinson, the Lancashire director of cricket, apologised, but insisted the circumstances were extreme. "We apologise if people feel let down, but these are extreme circumstances," Watkinson told the BBC. "It was an extremely heavy downpour and most grounds would have struggled.

"We've had a massive downpour and water has congregated in the low point of the ground. It's an area that we have used for construction purposes. It has high-performing drains. What it hasn't got is turf that has knitted together over seasons like the rest of the field. It's quite a new area.

"If we have got anything wrong, it was to go with the water hog instead of letting it drain naturally. You can understand our groundstaff being as proactive as possible. It looks a bit of a mess. We accept that. Last Friday evening we were under water for a Twenty20 game. But there is no reason at all it won't dry out over night.

"You would hope it is not held against us [when allocating future major matches].You hope that people look at the cricket has been played so far in this game, the quality of the pitch, the way its produced some great bowling and good batting.

"There has been entertaining cricket with a real momentum and better players have prospered. I hope they have not been bothered about five metres of a sandy puddle that has affected an hour's cricket."

In a perfect world, grounds might not host international cricket until they are finished and tested and perfect. But in the real world, the club's need to finance their redevelopment schemes and they need to host regular international cricket to do so. While that is the case - and the ECB could implement a better system with a little thought - teething problems like this are probably inevitable.

It is not a scandal. There is nobody deserving of blame or shame. It does not merit the sobriquet 'watergate' however tempting it might be to use it. It was just bad luck. Lancashire experienced a perfect storm: it rained very hard on an area of weak ground and, for all the goodwill in the world - perhaps partly because of all that goodwill - it wasn't possible to restart play. It's frustrating, but it happens.

England let their bowling talk

England refrained from verbal aggression. And their performance did not dip as a consequence. Indeed, you might argue that the added discipline, control and focus actually rendered them more effective

Highlights: Broad wreaks havoc on India with 6 for 25

Ronan Keating almost certainly was not thinking about the England seam attack when he sang "You say it best when you say nothing at all." But, as India collapsed against some high quality swing bowling at Emirates Old Trafford, it seemed an apposite description nevertheless.

Despite all the swearing and snarling unleashed at Trent Bridge, in particular, James Anderson and co. expressed themselves so much more effectively here. Allowing their bowling to do the talking, they exploited some helpful conditions and, perhaps, some helpful batting, to strike a blow that may well define this series.

That does not mean England's cricket lacked aggression or intent. A packed slip cordon and fuller length spoke far more eloquently than any poor language or playground posturing that we might have seen earlier in the series.

And, while Anderson did not actually speak after taking the wicket of Ravi Jadeja, it seems safe to assume that a body language expert would have interpreted him with a handful of asterisks: something along the lines of "You *** **** *** you ******* **** **** with a cucumber."

The point is, Anderson did not say anything. And his performance did not dip as a consequence. Indeed, you might argue that the added discipline, the added control of his temper and the added focus upon the job that matters - harnessing the conditions and dismissing batsman - actually rendered him more effective. It is not simply that he does not need the overt aggression he allegedly showed towards Jadeja in Nottingham, it is that it might actually distract him from the job in hand.

Conditions here were probably no more helpful than they had been on the first morning at Lord's. But, while on that occasion England squandered the potential advantage by bowling too short and being seemingly more interested in intimidating the batsmen than dismissing them, here Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled with the skill and maturity required to damage a fragile India top-order. No side has suffered more ducks in a Test innings and the decline from 8 for 0 to 8 for 4 just 13 deliveries later was, Broad said later, one of the more dramatic passages of play he had witnessed.

While Broad finished with the eye-catching figures - his 6 for 25 were the best figures for an England bowler against India in England since Fred Trueman claimed 8 for 31 on this ground in 1952 - it was Anderson who was most impressive. The delivery that dismissed Murali Vijay, a full ball delivered from wide of the crease that demanded a stroke but swung away sharply to take the edge, was a long way along the spectrum towards unplayable. And if the ball that dismissed Virat Kohli, an outswinger that might just have been left, was slightly less impressive, it was still a fine delivery to a man with an obvious frailty outside off stump and who had been set-up by inswingers. Anderson has now dismissed Kohli three times in the series at a cost of only two runs in total.

Later Anderson beat Jadeja with one that swung back, and produced a beauty to take Ashwin's edge, but saw Jos Buttler put down the chance. They were exactly the sort of conditions - and exactly the sort of bowling - that touring sides fear when they play in England. England, at last, benefited from home conditions.

Broad lent excellent support and afterwards accepted that the key to England's success had not been to get carried away by the extra pace in the wicket.

"They were pretty much as good bowling conditions as you can get," Broad said. "I was actually a bit disappointed when we lost the toss as I thought it would prove to be a big toss to win. Australia scored 500 last year and then the pitch was a bit up and down on the final day. We don't want to bat last on that wicket, because there are already little signs of uneven bounce.

"But we got a bit lucky with the overhead conditions. It clouded over and the ball was swinging nicely. There was bounce in the wicket as well. It's hard batting against swing when you know you can be hit on the head.

"But it wasn't just about the conditions. We bowled well and we hit a good length. We knew we could not be too encouraged by the bounce. It felt hard to get people bowled or leg before because of the bounce, but we still challenged the front feet of the batsmen and we took our catches. It's easy on bouncier wickets to fall into the trap of bowling too short.

"It's not like the Indian batsmen will be kicking themselves for playing poor shots. The all received decent balls. They certainly had to play at those deliveries. But it was a pretty good Test wicket and very different when the sun came out. It seemed to take all the zip out of the wicket."

Perhaps Broad enjoyed a little luck. He saw Ashwin pull to deep square leg and MS Dhoni slog to the same area. And if he earned the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara with one that drew a stroke but nipped away, then he might consider the wicket of Gautam Gambhir, unable to deal with the bounce of the new ball, surprisingly soft. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, meanwhile, left a straight one and Pankaj Singh might be considered one of the least impressive batsman in world cricket.

But this was not a perfect performance by England. The two younger seamers, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan, were far less threatening than their senior colleagues, while Buttler endured an uncomfortable day with the gloves and, as well as conceding 10 byes - the fourth highest contribution in the India innings - and put down that chance offered by Ashwin when he had scored 25.

But such flaws can be tolerated so long as the senior players deliver. And, to some extent, they must be expected as young and inexperienced players come into the side and learn their trade at the highest level. Jordan, at least, showed signs of improvement, though Woakes - as good as he was luckless in Southampton - looked a little anxious as his wait for another Test wicket went on. His current bowling average - 222 - is monstrously harsh, but his line was not quite tight enough to exploit the conditions.

But he might reflect that both Anderson and Broad endured such days early in their careers. In terms of learning from mistakes and harnessing conditions, he could hardly want for better role models.

New Zealand domestic contracts finalised

New Zealand's six domestic teams have finalised their 15-man squads for next summer, with no player movements of note following the first round of contracts last month. Auckland added two players to their contract list and the other teams added one, and every case featured a promotion of a player from within their own system rather than recruiting from another side.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Michael Guptill-Bunce was added to Auckland's list having last played for them in February 2013, and he will be joined by fast bowler Warren Barnes. Opening batsman Dean Robinson earned a reprieve from Central Districts, having his contract renewed after being left off the initial list announced in July.

Offspinner Cole McConchie was handed a contract with Canterbury after playing two one-day games for them late last season, while pace bowler Tony Goodin has rounded out the Northern Districts list, two years after playing his only game for them.

Wellington gave a contract to Matt Taylor, who appeared in five Ford Trophy matches for them last summer, and Otago's final contract went to pace bowler Sam Blakely, who has played two one-day games for Otago over the past two seasons.

Auckland Warren Barnes, Dean Bartlett, Michael Bates, Brad Cachopa, Carl Cachopa, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Donovan Grobbelaar, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Anaru Kitchen, Tarun Nethula, Rob Nicol, Robert O'Donnell, Matt Quinn, Jeet Raval.

Canterbury Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Neil Broom, Brendon Diamanti, Andrew Ellis, Cam Fletcher, Peter Fulton, Roneel Hira, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Johnston, Cole McConchie, Ryan McCone, Henry Nicholls, Ed Nuttall, Logan van Beek.

Central Districts Doug Bracewell, Greg Hay, Jamie How, Marty Kain, Andrew Mathieson, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Dean Robinson, Bevan Small, Ben Smith, Kruger van Wyk, Ben Wheeler, George Worker, Will Young.

Northern Districts Graeme Aldridge, James Baker, Jono Boult, Dean Brownlie, Joseph Carter, Anton Devcich, Daniel Flynn, Tony Goodin, Jono Hickey, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Bharat Popli, Mitchell Santner, Anurag Verma, Brad Wilson.

Otago Nick Beard, Sam Blakely, Michael Bracewell, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Ryan Duffy, Tipene Friday, James McMillan, Aaron Redmond, Iain Robertson, Brad Rodden, Hamish Rutherford Jesse Ryder, Bradley Scott, Sam Wells.

Wellington Brent Arnel, Tom Blundell, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Dane Hutchinson, Andy McKay, Stephen Murdoch, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Matt Taylor, Ili Tugaga, Henry Walsh, Luke Woodcock.

Broad to undergo knee surgery

Stuart Broad will undergo surgery on his right knee at the end of the Investec Test series between England and India.

Broad, who claimed the 12th five-wicket haul of his career on the first day of the Old Trafford Test, expects to be out of action for up to three-and-a-half months, but is confident that he will be fit to play a full part in the World Cup which starts in February.

Broad, 28, overtook Graeme Swann's wicket tally during the day and now stands sixth on the all-time list of England's Test wicket-takers.

But he has struggled with tendonitis in the knee for some time and, while the timing of the operation has not been confirmed, it seems highly likely he will miss the limited-overs internationals against India that follow the Test series.

"In the past 18 months I could have had an op at any stage but it has got to the stage where it needs to be done," Broad said. "The timing is not confirmed. The surgeon is flying over from Sweden at the end of the Oval Test to have a look. It will either be after that Test or after the one-day series, depending on what he suggests."

Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, and Surrey's Stuart Meaker have had the same type of surgery recently, giving Broad an idea of his recovery time.

"Toby and Stuart had it done at the end of last season and it's about three months, or three-and-a-half months. I should be fine for the World Cup.

"It's actually a really good opportunity for me to get the knee sorted and to use the time as a strength and conditioning period. The 2015 schedule looks really busy so all the players will have to be as fit as they possibly can going into that period."

Samuels' record effort not enough for Hawksbills

Guyana Amazon Warriors 212 for 5 (Guptill 90, Ramdin 51) beat Antigua Hawksbills 193 for 3 (Samuels 106, Peters 67) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Marlon Samuels scored the fastest ever century in the CPL and combined with Orlando Peters for the highest partnership in CPL history, but both accomplishments were recorded in vain as the Antigua Hawksbills lost to the Guyana Amazon Warriors by 19 runs at Warner Park in St Kitts. The Hawksbills fell to 0-8 on the season and have one game remaining, against Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, to see if they can avoid the ignominy of being the only team to finish winless in CPL 2014.

The Amazon Warriors authored a record of their own by becoming the first team in CPL history to score 200 in an innings, eventually finishing on 212 for 5 after being sent in to bat. However, that mark could tumble a few more times prior to next weekend's tournament final thanks to the short boundaries at Warner Park where replacement balls were needed early and often for the number of deliveries that were smashed over the ropes and out of the stadium. A total of 27 sixes were registered in the match.

The Hawksbills frustrating season may be best encapsulated by the seventh over bowled by Miguel Cummins, who overstepped on four consecutive deliveries to begin the frame. The first legal ball was smashed for six by Martin Guptill, who had already hit Cummins' third no ball for six earlier in the over. On what should have been the second legal ball, Cummins overstepped again with Guptill taking a single to make it 19 runs off only one legal ball in addition to five no balls. Guyana ended the 23-run over on 75 for 2 and their run rate never dipped below 10 runs per over for the remainder of the innings.

Man-of-the-Match Guptill powered the Amazon Warriors innings by making 90 off 51 balls, including seven fours and six sixes. He teamed with captain Denesh Ramdin to add 114 for the third wicket as Ramdin also did his share of damage with 51 off 34 balls. Guptill fell midway through the 17th over but there was little reprieve for the Hawksbills attack as Christopher Barnwell cracked four sixes of his own in the final overs and finished unbeaten on 37 off 20.

David Hussey was moved up the order to open with Ben Dunk in a bid to get the Hawksbills off to a quick start but the move failed to pay off with Dunk going for 3 off 6 balls and Hussey falling in the fifth over for 13 off 14 to make it 31 for 2. Danza Hyatt's miserable CPL continued when he was dismissed for a duck in the sixth over by Veerasammy Permaul thanks to a fantastic one-handed leaping catch by Jimmy Neesham in the covers.

It was at this stage that Peters joined Samuels at the crease and they would not be separated for the rest of the game, adding a CPL record 161-run unbeaten partnership. Peters ended on 67 off 45 balls but it was Samuels who stole the show with an extraordinary display of clean hitting. He brought up his 50 in 29 balls in the 12th over but immediately called for treatment to wrap up what appeared to be a left groin strain. Samuels' injury resulted in his only being able to take the safest of singles when sharp running was needed to keep pressure on fielders.

His second fifty was scored in just 21 balls, despite eight of those deliveries resulting in no runs off the bat, thanks to three fours and six sixes struck in that stretch. The effort might have been good enough for an improbable win had it not been for Sunil Narine, who stunted Antigua's momentum at every opportunity during a brilliant spell of 4-1-16-0 in a match where most other bowlers were punished.

Antigua entered the final over needing a mathematically impossible 42 runs to win. Samuels hit sixes off the first three balls to bring up his century off 50 deliveries and raised his bat in sheepish fashion. It was a silver lining to the Hawksbills dire 2014 campaign but not enough to change the stoic, forlorn expression from the face of Hawksbills team mentor Sir Vivian Richards.

Leicestershire suffer Payne

Gloucestershire 133 for 3 (Klinger 55*) beat Leicesteshire 136 for 8 (Smith 55*, Payne 4-23) by seven wickets (D/L method)
Scorecard

David Payne claimed four wickets as Gloucestershire strengthened their position at the top of Group A with a seven-wicket win over Leicestershire in a rain-affected match at Bristol.

The visitors posted 136 for 8 from 25 overs after losing the toss, their innings having been interrupted by the weather at 61 for four after 15 overs. Greg Smith top scored with an unbeaten 55 off 73 balls with six fours and a six, while Payne returned 4 for 23 from six overs.

Gloucestershire's target was revised to 131 under the Duckworth-Lewis method and they coasted to victory with 13 balls to spare, skipper Michael Klinger unbeaten on 55 and Will Gidman on 39 not out.

Dan Redfern was the pick of the Leicestershire bowlers with 2 for 19 from five overs, but it was a day when the weather conspired against the Foxes.

After the start had been delayed for an hour by morning drizzle and the game initially reduced to 45 overs per side, Payne wasted no time plunging Leicestershire into trouble. In his first over, the second of the game, he had Niall O'Brien caught behind by Gareth Roderick for a duck, while his next three overs also featured wickets.

Angus Robson also fell to a catch by Roderick for 13, while Matthew Boyce's off stump was removed by an inswinger when he had made four. When Payne bowled Redfern for 6 with the first ball of the eighth over he had figures of 4 for 14 and Leicestershire were 31 for 4.

Greg Smith and Shiv Thakor were forced to exercise caution after such a collapse and had taken the score to 61 by the end of the 15th over when more rain set in.

Payne finished his six-over spell with 4 for 23, while Gidman was typically miserly in conceding just 19 from his five overs.

The sun finally broke through at mid-afternoon and when the covers had been removed umpires Peter Willey and Steve O'Shaughnessy decided to restart play at 3.45pm with the game reduced to 25 overs a side.

Leicestershire had just ten more overs to build a competitive total and that hope suffered an immediate blow as Thakor got an inside edge to the first ball after the resumption from Benny Howell and became Roderick's third victim, having made 11.

Scott Styris did his best to inject some zest with 29 off 24 balls, including a swept six off Jack Taylor, but he then skied Craig Miles to deep midwicket. The next over saw Tom Wells bowled by Taylor and Leicestershire were 115 for 7.

Jigar Naik fell cheaply to Taylor, but the off-spinner's last over saw Smith strike him for four, six, and four in a glittering three-ball spell that included two reverse sweeps to give his side a chance.

Klinger and Hamish Marshall set about the reduced target with zest, putting together and opening stand of 46 inside nine overs before Marshall advanced to a wide ball from Naik and was stumped for 22.

But Redfern then caused some nerves by striking twice in the 12th over, bowling Chris Dent on the back foot for seven and having Will Tavare caught at mid-wicket. At 59 for 3, Gloucestershire needed 72 off 13 overs. But Klinger, who faced 66 balls and hit five fours, found a reliable partner in Gidman and the pair saw the hosts safely home.

After the game Payne said: "It was an important toss to win. We always like to bowl when rain is about and have been talking about taking wickets up front, so I was delighted to make that contribution.

'Focused' Karn revels in 'explicable feeling'

A day after returning from a victorious India A campaign in Australia, Karn Sharma was relaxing with his family at his home in Meerut. Suddenly, his phone started to ring continuously with friends and well-wishers (and obviously journalists) flooding him with congratulatory calls. It took Karn a little while to realise that he had earned his maiden call-up to the India limited-overs squad for the England series'. Once it sank in, the Railways and Sunrisers Hyderabad legspinner said it was an "inexplicable feeling".

"Since I had fared quite well in whatever opportunities I got, I was hoping that my efforts would be recognised." Karn told ESPNcricinfo. "It's an inexplicable feeling now that my efforts have been rewarded with a place in the India squad. I am glad the day has come but I will treat it as a fresh start and hope to continue doing what I have been doing all these years."

Karn got only three games in the quadrangular one-day tournament in Darwin, his first series for India A. He displayed his allround skills against South Africa A, taking 2 for 35 in ten overs before cracking an unbeaten 39 off 16 at No. 9 to take India A home off the penultimate ball with one wicket standing. Karn said he knew he had to utilise whatever opportunities he got in Australia.

"It was an overwhelming experience, the first time I played for India A. This was the highest standard I was playing at and I didn't want to let myself and the team down. I knew since I was touring with the India A squad for the first time, I had to be patient till I got my chance and make the most of it once I got it. I am delighted that I could do it and contribute to the team's cause. When I was walking out to bat [against South Africa A], I knew that this could well be the only knock I will get in the tournament. Fortunately, all the shots that I tried came off that day."

The knock also drew praise from Abhay Sharma, the India A fielding and wicketkeeping coach. "He can grow into a very good one-day allrounder down the order," Abhay said. "He is the kind of batsman who will get you late runs under pressure. That is the how we have tried to develop him. He won us that match against South Africa A."

Abhay, also the Railways coach, has been working with Karn from his junior-cricket days with the domestic side. Abhay said he had been confident over the past five years that Karn would make it to the India side one day, especially as he learned to bowl under pressure.

"Initially he was a batsman who could bowl. But we saw that he adapted very quickly. According to me, he is one of the best spinners in the country in limited-overs," Abhay said. "We always knew he was going to make it. The skill part has been there, but what we have worked on with him is how to handle pressure situations. There will always be pressure in international cricket.

"He is now able to bowl in the Powerplay and at the death. We have seen what he can do in the IPL. It is because he bowls wicket to wicket. We have worked with him on the slider and also on getting the ball to drift in and then turn away, which is a difficult delivery for the batsman."

Railways players have to make do with modest facilities compared to cricketers with state associations, and Abhay said that had only sharpened Karn's approach. "He is always focused on the game. Even if you make him sleep in a simple dormitory, he will not bother about that at all and retain his focus."

BCCI overlooks umpires academy in Nagpur

Thanks to the fallout between the current BCCI regime and the Vidarbha Cricket Association, the home turf of former BCCI president Shashank Manohar, the BCCI Umpires Academy in Nagpur is on the cusp of ending up as a dormant facility.

The academy that was established in 2010 with an objective to provide a wholesome training exercise for domestic umpires to raise their standards hasn't seen any activity for almost a year. That, however, doesn't mean the BCCI is ignoring the umpires' wing.

Over the last year, all the umpires' activities have moved to the National Cricket Academy campus in Bangalore. In fact, the retired Simon Taufel, the most consistent international umpire over the last decade, will conduct a 15-day umpires' workshop in Bangalore from Wednesday.

The VCA officials and a few BCCI members admit that the sudden switch from Nagpur is following Manohar's vocal dissent against N Srinivasan in the aftermath of last year's IPL corruption scandal. The BCCI, however, has a different take.

A BCCI insider revealed that moving umpires' developmental activities from Nagpur to Bangalore is in line with the BCCI's plan to bring all its specialist academies under the NCA umbrella. A BCCI office bearer seconded it but refused to speak on record since the proposal is "yet to be ratified by the working committee".

Despite the reorganisation of the academies, the feud between Manohar and N Srinivasan cannot be overlooked. Interestingly, the alternate venue of Bangalore makes the intra-BCCI political undercurrents even more visible. Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary Brijesh Patel, a Srinivasan aide, is one of the aspirants for the BCCI secretary's post in next month's elections.

Meanwhile, during its two-week umpiring seminar, the BCCI will conduct a crash course in verbal English communication for domestic umpires and match referees for the first time. The BCCI has noticed that lack of communicating properly with players and other officials has gone against Indian officials at the international level. As a result, Taufel has roped in British Council to improve basic English communication. The course is expected to be held over four to five sessions during the seminar.

The BCCI is also in talks with British Council to conduct such crash courses frequently in order to bridge the gap between officials and the players.

Lees, Lyth continue fruitful form

Yorkshire 213 for 4 (Lees 102, Lyth 84) beat Northamptonshire 209 for 7 (Rossington 75, Pyrah 3-50) by six wickets
Scorecard

Yorkshire enjoyed a comfortable evening at Wantage Road as they hammered Northamptonshire by six wickets.

In a completely one-sided affair, the visitors kept Northamptonshire to a below-par total and then made short work of their reply, despite losing a handful of late wickets, as Adam Lyth and Alex Lees ran amok.

The hosts' 209 for 7 was overhauled in 34 overs as Lees reeled off his maiden List A century, which highlighted his side's dominance. He made 102 and Lyth 84 as Yorkshire raced to 213 for 4.

In a contest reduced to 38 overs per side because of a late start, the hosts, having been put in on a pitch with a healthy tinge of green, made a poor start as Stephen Peters edged his first ball from Tim Bresnan behind.

Kyle Coetzer was put down at second slip off the next delivery, but he did not last long as Jack Brooks found his inside edge. There was enough movement to hint at more inroads being made, but Richard Levi and Adam Rossington combined tidily to prevent further loss.

The score had moved on to 90 before Levi was caught at the wicket off Steven Patterson, but Rossington, who continued to build on the strong impression made since arriving on loan from Middlesex, went on to a 55-ball half-century and, alongside Ben Duckett, laid a solid platform.

But the pair departed in quick succession, Rossington for 75 and Duckett 45, and and it led to the brake being applied. Richard Pyrah was able to pick up some cheap wickets and, with only 50 scored from the final 10 overs of the innings, the final tally looked a touch on the light side.

Having shared an opening partnership of 375 on the same ground when the two sides met in the County Championship back in May, Lyth and Lees tucked in again and, when the former reached a run-a-ball 50 in the 16th over, they had ticked off 90.

Lees' own half-century, scored from 53 deliveries, arrived shortly after and he upped the pace to such an extent that he moved from 35 to 85 in the time his partner had advanced from 50 to 55.

It was dispiriting stuff for the hosts, whose weakened attack were being treated with disdain and, although Lees fell shortly after he made it to three figures and three more wickets, including that of Lyth, fell in a few minutes, the end was not long in coming.

Vermeulen given Test return hope

Mark Vermeulen could play his first Test in more than 10 years after being included in Zimbabwe's 25-man training squad for the visit of South Africa following his impressive form for the A team.

The last of his eight Tests came in May 2004 against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo (a game in which Sri Lanka made 713 for 3) and the last time he appeared in any international was in November 2009 in an ODI against South Africa.

That ODI appearance came shortly after he was acquitted of arson after he admitted burning down Zimbabwe's academy in 2006 but successfully argued it was because he was suffering psychiatric problems, including partial complex epilepsy, ever since he suffered a head injury during an ODI against India in 2004.

In the two recently completed four-day matches against Afghanistan, Vermeulen, who is now 35, made 107, 36 and an unbeaten 47 after beginning with a duck.

In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, he said how he was desperate to make use of whatever time he had left in the game.

"I spent two years in court and another year-and-a-half out of the game so it was three-and-a-half years totally wasted, and at that time of my career that should not have happened.

"I didn't ever lose any love for cricket. I still think I have two or three years left in me and I think I will give it one last full go in the hope that I can play a Test again. I've become more determined because I know I don't have many years left in me. I've become more focused."

The one-off Test against South Africa starts in Harare on August 9 and that is followed by three ODIs before further 50-over matches in a triangular series also involving Australia.

Zimbabwe have recently gone down the route of split captaincy with Elton Chigumbura being given the ODI and T20 roles while Brendan Taylor has retained the Test job.

Zimbabwe training squad Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Elton Chigumbura, Steven Chimhamhiwa, Michael Chinouya, Luke Jongwe, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Natsai M'shangwe, Cuthbert Musoko, Richmond Mutumbami, Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Mark Vermeulen, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams

Malan, Rickelton bat out for draw

South Africa Under-19s 433 (Roelofsen 149, Shaw 6-103) and 300 for 7 dec. (Malan 81, Rickleton 83) drew with England Under-19s 352 for 9 dec. (Clarke 59)
Scorecard

Janneman Malan and Ryan Rickelton enjoyed solid innings as South Africa Under-19s played out the final day to ensure a draw against England in the first Youth Test at Fenners.

Opener Rickelton added 81 to his first innings 83 and No. 4 Malan went two runs better but also fell short of a century. The pair did enough to extend the tourists' lead and prevent England making a dart at a dramatic victory.

There was little joy for England who didn't strike until the opening par of Rickelton and Mathew Christenson had added 99 for the opening wicket. Brad Taylor made the breakthrough - the first of three wickets for the Hampshire offspinner.

Taylor also had No. 3 Marques Ackerman lbw cheaply but any thoughts England had of causing some panic in the tourists batting were eliminated by Malan who struck four sixes in his 83 from 112 balls.

England chose to rest their frontline bowlers as they day went on and gave overs to all 10 outfielders. They managed to chip away at South Africa but, building on a first-innings lead of 81, the tourists batted easily to a draw to ensure the series is level heading to the second Youth Test at Wantage Road on Thursday.

India to pick ODI squad on Tuesday

India's national selection panel will give a first indication of its World Cup plans on Tuesday when the selectors sit down to pick the squad for the limited-overs leg of the England tour. The selection committee, chaired by Sandeep Patil, will pick the squad for five ODIs, and a one-off Twenty20, starting August 25.

It will be interesting to see if the selectors reward fringe ODI specialists who were tried out at the higher level over the last couple of months. Barring a few regulars like Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane, the squad to Bangladesh for three ODIs comprised mostly the domestic and IPL performers. And the same lot was given an extended run during India A's recent tour of Australia, which culminated with a triumphant campaign in the quadrangular one-day competition.

The selectors have closely followed the progress of the A team in Australia: while Rajinder Singh Hans watched the two four-day games from the sidelines, he was replaced by Vikram Rathour for the quadrangular series.

The selectors will have to decide if Raina, Robin Uthappa and Cheteshwar Pujara - none of whom had a memorable outing in Bangladesh - deserve to remain in contention for the World Cup. Uthappa, the star of the IPL, was one of only two India players to have scored a fifty in Bangladesh. Even though he shone with his captaincy skills during the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia, Uthappa had a mediocre outing with the bat. He scored 134 runs from seven innings during the tournament.

It also remains to be seen if the selectors reward fringe performers, and rest a key bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar whose fitness is being stretched during the five-Test series in England. Umesh Yadav, one of the stars of the first-class matches on the A tour, is likely to earn his place back in the squad.

Sanju Samson impressed with his sound technique and temperament during the A tour, including the team management. But he will have to compete with the in-form Naman Ojha if the selectors decide to include a wicketkeeper-batsman as back up for MS Dhoni.

The spin duo of Akshar Patel and Parvez Rasool has been consistent both in Bangladesh and Australia. But their chances depend on the balance of the squad, which will be finalised after discussing it with Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher. Both Dhoni and Fletcher are likely to join the meeting from Manchester via video conferencing.

The balance of the squad would also determine the fate of Manoj Tiwary, the perennial nearly man of Indian team. Tiwary had a decent run in Australia and has also showed his prowess with the ball, picking a five-for in one-dayers.

One player who is certain to retain his place in the side is allrounder Stuart Binny. The Karnataka allrounder registered the best figures by an Indian in the second ODI in Bangladesh, which was followed by a Test debut in England.

India's return to nets hints at changes

India's first day on a cricket field since the loss at the Ageas Bowl, and what would have been a demoralising verdict for them in the James Anderson hearing, began with a longish huddle at Old Trafford on Monday afternoon. Arms around each other, regrouping after having taken a beating on the field, in the court, and - they certainly believe - in a corridor at Trent Bridge. At one point, fielding coach Trevor Penney could be seen speaking animatedly in the huddle. Others spoke too. Wonder if someone said, "Boys, how the hell do we take 20 wickets here?"

While what happened between Ravindra Jadeja and Anderson remains an issue, India will know you win Test matches by taking 20 wickets or playing teams led by Garry Sobers or Michael Clarke. India have done so only four times in their last 15 away Tests. On three of those four occasions, those 20 wickets have cost India more than their batsmen were able to score. The other successful instance was on this tour, at Lord's, but the two architects of that win - Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar - were out of action on the first day of India's pre-Test training.

During their customary pre-nets footballs game, both Ishant and Bhuvneshwar took up goalkeeping duties. Ishant has been ruled out of fourth Test, MS Dhoni has already said, but Bhuvneshwar, who had a swelling on his ankle, remains a matter of interest. When the nets began, Ishant took up umpiring duties, ironically because he is guilty of bowling more no-balls than most in the world today. Bhuvneshwar bowled a few deliveries gingerly, off a short run, and pulled out in five minutes or so.

Seen from outside, the signs cannot be good: the Test begins on Thursday. However, seeing how India called up replacement for Wriddhiman Saha but not an extra fast bowler - Umesh Yadav is available, for example - the educated guess would be that they are confident of his being fit in time for Old Trafford. That Ishant is still with the team, and that a replacement has not been called for, would mean they are hopeful of his return in time for the Oval Test. The team, however, will not say what the injuries are.

Even if Bhuvneshwar is fit for Old Trafford, India will need a much-improved performance from Mohammed Shami, who has taken five wickets at 73.20 apiece. His economy rate of 3.81, too, has been the worst among specialist bowlers. No specialist bowler's wickets or overs have cost more per unit in this series. However, Shami looked really good at the nets on Monday, bowling at a good pace, repeatedly beating specialist batsmen. M Vijay was hit high on the thigh pads often, Cheteshwar Pujara had his poles uprooted, and Shikhar Dhawan was squared up and beaten around off.

That might not be the only cause for concern for Dhawan, though. For the first time since India reached Nottingham, Gautam Gambhir had a hit pretty early on in the nets. It was a clear sign that Dhawan - after six failures - cannot take his place for granted. India have left open that option of bringing Gambhir in. Gambhir last played a Test for India in early 2012, in Nagpur against England.

Gambhir is not the only option India seem to have left open. R Ashwin, who in the eyes of the experts and public has become a better spinner with every passing day out of the Test team, was more active in the nets than usual. He had a decent bowl at the start, and also got a longish hit with the bat. If he does come in, as almost everyone has demanded by now, he will do so in place of either Jadeja, who looked ineffective at the Ageas Bowl, or Rohit Sharma. Ashwin's last Test was Johannesburg, where he bowled 42 wicketless overs, 36 of those in the second innings.

India have options, and they could prove you wrong, but in the absence of Ishant, this side does not look like one that will take 20 wickets for fewer runs than what their batsmen score. That is one reason that could make India think of stacking their batting up, and retain Rohit. Unless Dhoni looks to bowl that extra bowler for more than 10-12 overs, he will be better off with that specialist batsman at No. 6.

For the first time in the series, you could not tell from India's nets what combination and players they are looking to play. Gambhir and Dhawan netted next to each other. Ashwin and Jadeja bowled with each other. Rohit and Ashwin batted one after the other. Bhuvneshwar did not bowl. Varun Aaron and Pankaj Singh could not be ruled out. You could tell India were not in a desirable situation when it comes to picking the XI, but at least they were back on the field, and laughing and joking at the end of the session.

Russell heroics cap dramatic Tallawahs win

Jamaica Tallawahs 138 for 4 (Russell 58*, Hafeez 2-13) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 137 for 9 (Neesham 35, Taylor 3-14) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Andre Russell's fiery late charge cemented a dramatic six-wicket win for the Jamaica Tallawahs over the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday afternoon in Kingston. With 10 needed to win off the final two balls, Russell lofted a full toss for four to extra cover and followed it with a six over cow corner off Jimmy Neesham to whip the Sabina Park crowd into a frenzy as he finished unbeaten on 58 off 24 balls.

Russell entered in the 14th over after the fall of Adam Voges with the score on 62 for 4 and the Tallawahs needing another 76 off 40 balls to chase down Guyana's 137 for 9 on a slow batting wicket. His magical knock was almost nipped in the bud on his very first delivery playing across the line to the offspin of Steven Jacobs, triggering a strong shout for lbw which was denied by umpire Peter Nero. Russell responded by slamming the next ball he faced from left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul over midwicket for six, setting the tone for another five sixes that would follow.

The run rate continued to climb into the 17th over with 55 needed off 24 but Russell carted Ronsford Beaton for six, six and four off the first three balls to keep the Tallawahs in the hunt for an unlikely win. They still needed 24 off nine balls when Russell struck a four and six off Krishmar Santokie to set up the final over theatrics.

Beaton, who had bowled a superb final over against the Barbados Tridents last week to clinch a seven-run win, was passed over this time around by Guyana captain Denesh Ramdin and instead Neesham was tasked with defending 13 off the last six balls. Only one run was conceded off the first three balls, but a bouncer to Owais Shah on the fourth ball was out of the batsman's reach and crucially signaled a wide. Shah then took a single off the fourth legal delivery to set up Russell's heroic ending.

Russell appeared to be batting on a different pitch from all of his teammates as the next closest strike rate to his 241 was Chris Gayle's 95, achieved from 22 off 23 balls. The Amazon Warriors didn't fare much better earlier in the day, with only four players making it into double-figures after being sent in to bat first.

Neesham top-scored with 35 off 26 for the Amazon Warriors before getting out in the final over while Lendl Simmons anchored the top of the innings with a run-a-ball 34 until he was removed courtesy of a circus catch from Russell off the bowling of Nikita Miller. Russell took two other catches on the day, both for Jerome Taylor who finished with 3 for 14. Russell also finished with 1 for 10 in two overs on a day where he was never far from the action.

Clark's triple-wicket maiden inspires Lancashire

Lancashire137 for 8 (Khawaja 67, Wagg 3-28, Hogan 3-33) beat Glamorgan 136 for 7 (Rudolph 67*, Clark 4-22) by one run
Scorecard

Clark produced a remarkable piece of cricket

On a weekend when a T20 fixture designed to be played within three hours eventually sprawled over a day's deliberations and drama, Lancashire secured a place at Finals Day in circumstances which rivalled the county's glory years of the 1970s.

At the start of their 16th over in a rain-wracked game, Glamorgan were 100 for 3 and seemingly well placed to score the 138 runs they needed to reach English cricket's short-form showcase for the second time in their history.

Six balls later, after Jordan Clark had bowled Chris Cooke and Stewart Walters, and had David Lloyd caught at slip by Tom Smith, the visitors were 100 for 6 and behind on Duckworth-Lewis. Then it began to rain and play was held up for 45 minutes

When the game resumed Jacques Rudolph tried to make good the damage but the job was just beyond the South African. He ended unbeaten on 67 as Clark conceded 13 runs off the last over to finish with figures of 4 for 22. Since Glamorgan had required 15 off those last six balls, it barely mattered.

Before this quarter-final Clark had only taken four wickets in his 23-match Twenty20 career. Since he had also bowled Murray Goodwin, his match-changing triple-wicket maiden left him with figures of 2-1-4-4, hardly a conventional analysis for the Twenty20 game.

Home spectators who had watched quietly as Lancashire had been on the wrong end of most of the match, leapt to their feet as if galvanised by sheer joy. Suddenly the 23-year-old Clark had joined a gallery of popular memories which already included David Hughes' famous 24 runs off an over bowled by the late John Mortimore, Clive Lloyd's century at Lord's and Jack Bond's catch off Asif Iqbal.

It is some company; but then it was some over.

Only those gifted with uncanny powers could really have predicted the transformation in this game. Glamorgan's progress towards their target had seemed relatively trouble free as Jim Allenby's 38 had helped Rudolph make very satisfactory progress towards their goal.

Goodwin had then helped Rudolph add a further 28 in four overs before Clark bowled him for 17. Thus began an extraordinary few overs in what will surely come to be known as Clark's match.

"It was a case of sticking in there for as long as possible," said the hero of the evening. "The ball was tailing slightly with a little bit of damp around and it was case of going back to basics and hit the top of off stump. Keeping them to five an over wasn't going to win us the game and I was trying to make sure that if they missed I hit."

For Glamorgan supporters Lancashire's innings had been a delightfully low-key affair, significantly devoid of the big overs or bursts of acceleration that characterise substantial T20 totals.

Watched by a crowd of around 1500 spectators, which was perhaps eight thousand fewer than officials had been expecting had the game gone ahead on Friday evening, the home side's batting lacked the big-hitting gusto that had marked their previous short-form efforts this season.

Much of the credit for that should go to a disciplined visiting attack which knew its job and was backed up by some fine fielding. Left-arm seamer Graham Wagg removed openers Ashwell Prince and Tom Smith for single-figure scores to limit Lancashire's ability to exploit the Powerplay; off the last ball of the eighth over Salter induced Karl Brown to walk past a quicker delivery and be stumped by Mark Wallace for 15.

That wicket left Lancashire on 59 for 3 but the most spectacular dismissals were yet to come. On the day when he became the oldest cricketer to play in the English domestic T20, 41-year-old Goodwin dived athletically at backward point to remove Lancashire skipper Paul Horton for 3; eight overs later 36-year-old Dean Cosker's smart catch off Usman Khawaja's ferocious square drive was equally impressive.

Khawaja's 67, made off 54 balls and spanning nearly 15 overs, had anchored his team's effort. But at no point did the Australian dominate a Glamorgan attack which had offered few loose deliveries to batsman clearly frustrated by constraints.

Glamorgan's spinners bowled nine of the 20 overs with offspinner Salter conceding just 19 off his allocation and 14 of the 35 runs Dean Cosker yielded coming off one over in which Khawaja hit Lancashire's only six. A late clatter of wickets saw Wagg claim his third wicket and Hogan's successes in his final over left him with 3 for 33.

Few pundits reckoned that Lancashire total of 137 represented prosperity. It was, however, just enough.

Chopra and Clarke end Warwickshire's wait

Warwickshire 197 for 2 (Chopra 86*, Clarke 70*) beat Essex 178 for 5 (ten Doeschate 61, Rankin 3-34) by 19 runs
Scorecard

Highlights: Chopra and Clarke fifties put Warwickshire into Finals Day

Varun Chopra's superb form dragged Warwickshire into the knockout stage of the NatWest T20 Blast and he found his touch again to cause an upset at Chelmsford and send his side to their first Finals Day since the inaugural edition in 2003.

Since then, Warwickshire have lost in six quarter-finals but they broke their duck with a fine victory over Essex who had breezed through qualification. Chopra made his highest T20 score and Rikki Clarke almost doubled his season's T20 tally before Warwickshire prevented Essex making a successful chase for the first time this season.

Jeetan Patel has probably been the best bowler in the competition and four overs for only 23 was too great a strangle for a chase of almost 10-an-over. He was well supported by Boyd Rankin, who knocked out Tom Westley and Mark Pettini in his first over and had James Foster caught at deep midwicket in his last.

Ryan ten Doeschate has pulled irons out of T20 fires all around the world but this was too great a task for even him. Even with the chances Warwickshire gave him; both Clarke and Laurie Evans dropped straightforward catches that would have killed the chase.

Two very poor dismissals undermined Essex's pursuit. The Barmy Army used to sing "Why, why why Jesse Ryder" and Essex's fans were clearing their throats for a revival number after Ryder, having flicked two sixes over long leg, slapped a full toss to midwicket. It was the first of two full tosses that produced wickets for Recordo Gordon, who also had Ravi Bopara caught at deep square-leg. It could have been quite a different night for Gordon, playing just his sixth T20, who conceded 38 in three overs.

It was far from a textbook defence but Warwickshire earned their win in the first innings. Plenty of runs were needed to be competitive at a tight Chelmsford where over 450 runs were scored in the previous T20. Warwickshire gave themselves every chance with their highest score of the season; 134 of them added by Chopra and Clarke - Warwickshire's highest T20 partnership for any wicket.

Chopra scored nearly half his runs with a thigh injury after a collision with Reece Topley that required a runner but by then he was well set and again led his side's innings following 72 and 74 in two of Warwickshire's last three qualifying matches which were all won to steal fourth place in the North Division.

By contrast, Clarke has failed to contribute to Warwickshire's progress with only 83 runs in eight innings in qualifying. He picked his night for a return to form and played what his captain, Chopra, described as his best innings for Warwickshire with a display of both power and a gentle touch with 70 in only 37 balls.

He began by paddling and steering Graham Napier for two boundaries in the 13th over. That got him going. Another pull followed, shuffling across his stumps to hit backward of square, before slapping a flat six over wide long-on off Topley and lifting Tim Phillips into the pavilion.

Chopra's excellent recent form has also included a Royal London Cup century and he found his timing in the fifth over of the Powerplay with a crashing cover drive to a Graham Napier length ball. He added another, a better piece of timing, off Topley past extra-cover and launched Bopara over the Hayes Close End for the innings' first six.

Having gone to his fifth half-century of the competition in 37 balls, Chopra then called for a runner. That encouraged him to open his shoulders and he smeared Phillips over long-on before pulling Bopara wide of midwicket.

Bopara had stymied Warwickshire's solid start after a Powerplay which yielded 49 for 0. Two slower deliveries in four balls, out of the back of the hand, cleaned up Will Porterfield and Jonathan Webb. But having conceded only four from his first over, Bopara leaked 38 from his next three as Warwickshire accelerated perfectly.

The last eight overs brought 102 runs including 17 from the final set with consecutive sixes from Chopra, swinging David Masters over square leg and pasting a full toss over long-on. Masters' four overs conceded 40.

Red Steel down Zouks to remain in first

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel 119 for 2 (Lewis 59, Taylor 35*) beat St Lucia Zouks 117 (Gabriel 3-20, Cooper 3-26, Bravo 3-33) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Evin Lewis' third consecutive fifty anchored a facile chase for the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, who eased to an eight-wicket win over the St Lucia Zouks on Saturday in Gros Islet. Lewis hit three fours and five sixes in his 59 off 39 as the Red Steel reeled in Zouks' 117 with 31 balls to spare.

The loss has officially eliminated Zouks from playoff contention. Red Steel, Tridents, Amazon Warriors and Tallawahs have secured the four playoff spots meaning the final eight games of the CPL 2014 regular season will decide seeding for the semifinals which don't begin until August 13.

Red Steel won the toss and elected to field first, with Shannon Gabriel putting the Zouks under pressure early by removing both openers inside the first three overs to leave the home side 5 for 2. Later on he dismissed Keddy Lesporis for 22 with a fantastic one-handed return catch and was eventually named Man of the Match after finishing with 3 for 20.

Dwayne Bravo and Kevon Cooper did just as much damage as Gabriel, claiming 3 for 33 and 3 for 26 respectively. Lesporis and Andre Fletcher (24) were the only two of the top six in the Zouks lineup to make double-figures as they struggled to bat 20 overs. Ray Jordan was last man out in the 20th, bowled by a Cooper yorker for 9, with one ball left in the innings.

Ross Taylor starred in the field, taking four catches including a one-handed screamer over his head at slip in the first over to give Red Steel an early lift. Later on he teamed up with Lewis for an 89-run second-wicket partnership to eliminate any hopes for a Zouks upset. Taylor eventually finished 35 not out at the non-striker's end as Nicolas Pooran hit a six over long-off to finish the match.

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