England hit back after Johnson docks tail

Innings close England 255 (Pietersen 71, Johnson 5-63) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia lost the early wickets of David Warner and Shane Watson after Mitchell Johnson rumbled England out for 255 on day two of the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG.

Warner fell to a presumptuous pull shot at James Anderson and Watson edged an attempted drive off Ben Stokes to leave the hosts in slightly wobbly territory, with Chris Rogers and the captain Michael Clarke in need of a steadying afternoon partnership. They owed much to Johnson, who once again tormented England's lower order.

Starting off with two wickets in his first over, including that of a panicked Kevin Pietersen, Johnson then crashed through Stuart Broad for figures of 5 for 63, all those wickets taken at a cost of 18 runs in nine overs after Clarke handed him the second new ball with England a relatively well-placed 4 for 201 late on Boxing Day.

At that stage they had hopes of a substantial tally but went into the field with only a mediocre first innings - albeit their best of a wretched series - and the memories of another Johnson terror to haunt them. Pietersen in particular will wonder at the wisdom of his leg-side swish to be bowled, having fought so stolidly on day one.

Pietersen had slapped the first ball of the morning from Ryan Harris to the boundary over point, suggesting entertainment was in the offing. Johnson had other ideas however, and his first delivery lifted sharply on a hapless Tim Bresnan, looping off the shoulder of a bat raised in self preservation and being well held by George Bailey running back from square leg.

After Stuart Broad took a leg bye, Johnson went after Pietersen, who seemed intent on destruction one way or another. A short ball had him pulling out of a swing to leg at the last minute, before a fuller, faster delivery, perhaps with a hint of inswing, rushed through Pietersen's brazen attempt to mow over midwicket. Two wickets in the over had the MCG in morning tumult.

Broad took two boundaries from Harris' next over, a flirty outside edge and a more assured glide through the covers, before the same bowler dropped a difficult return chance from a leading edge, having made excellent ground to reach it. Johnson then intervened once more, pinning Broad lbw with a yorker that struck the same foot he had badly bruised with another lbw verdict in Perth. Broad's consideration of a review brought mirth but little else.

Anderson and Monty Panesar then held up the Australians briefly, the latter's determination putting some of his better batting counterparts to some shame. He was struck an eye-watering blow to the groin by Peter Siddle before being bowled by Nathan Lyon when offering no shot. Australia had wrapped up the innings in less than an hour, but their progress to lunch would not be altogether smooth.

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Steyn's drought hurts South Africa

On an unusually dry Kingsmead surface, South Africa's attack struggle to cope with their talisman's longest-ever wicketless streak

Match Point: 'Disappointed to see Steyn bowl slower'

Dale Steyn began his fifth over the way he may have wanted to start his first. He delivered a snarling bouncer that soared towards M Vijay at almost 146 kph. Having already faced 17 balls and made some assessment of conditions, Vijay ducked under it.

It was as though Steyn had remembered who he was, with that ball. He followed up with another quicker one, pitched up, then one back of a length that jagged back in and hit Vijay on the arm, and then one he could leave alone on bounce. The fifth ball of Steyn's over preyed on the uncertainty caused by the previous four: with Vijay unsure whether to go forward or back, he was struck on the front pad. Steyn aborted his appeal when he realised it was likely going down leg, but he'd made his threat clear.

Why Steyn didn't start like that is anyone's guess. His first four overs were ordinary. His pace was down, he overpitched and he conceded 21 runs. Perhaps, like the rest of the South African attack, he was taken aback by the surface he was given. "It's very dry and a touch on the slow side," Morne Morkel said. "What surprised me is that after the 13th over, the ball already looked like it was 60 overs old. It's the type of wicket that's going to be tough to strike on."

South Africa would have known that much two days ago, when they first laid eyes on the Kingsmead pitch. Once the green mamba of the South African circuit, it has taken on subcontinent characteristics over the last few years. South Africa would not have forgotten this, even though they didn't play a Test here in 2012. Even so, they might have been stunned by just how different this looked from what they consider home conditions.

Steyn should have been the least startled because he has succeeded on decks like this before, Nagpur 2010 a case in point. Then, Steyn's aggression coupled with the reverse swing he got buoyed South Africa and led them to an innings win. Morkel admitted South Africa had been angling for something similar today. "We were hoping the ball would reverse a little more," he said. "We need to find a way to get reverse going."

There was some reverse swing but the Steyn factor was nowhere near what it was in Nagpur and it reflected on South Africa as a whole. Like him, they tried hard. Smith had a fine leg and a deep backward square leg waiting for the pull but it never came.

Morkel was the most threatening. He set the tone with a maiden when he was brought into the attack in the seventh over. He used the short ball well and found extra lift. After Morkel's opening, Steyn hit his rhythm.

Usually, it's the other way round and Steyn is the bowler who dictates the mood. Vernon Philander bristled when that suggestion was put to him at the Wanderers - when Steyn went wicketless in the second innings - and said it was up to every member of the attack to play their part, but you need only to think back to The Oval last year to remember the impact a firing Steyn can have.

In that match, Steyn made it obvious he was irritated. He hung onto the boundary boards in what seemed like discomfort and was spotted engaged in animated conversation with bowling coach Allan Donald. This time too, Donald was on the sidelines offering advice but Steyn was not as heated up as he can be. He jokingly signed a blow-up doll, did his fielding duties, and slowly cranked it up.

After Morkel's first over, Steyn operated in the right channel for the rest of the day. He delivered 12 more overs at speed, with better lengths, and gave away just 28 runs. An unhelpful surface, confident driving from the Indian batsmen and the impenetrable new wall that is Cheteshwar Pujara meant that the intent did not bring success this time. Not for Steyn and not for anyone else.

"We were guilty of maybe attacking a little bit too much. We didn't get balls in the right areas, we were a touch too straight as we searched for wickets," Morkel said. It did not help South Africa that, again, their spinner failed to play his part. Robin Peterson offered a first ball that looked like it could have come from Imran Tahir. It was a full toss.

He didn't get much better as the day wore on, leaving South Africa with what may become a more pressing problem in the future. If their spinner cannot take wickets, he should at least be able to dry up an end. Neither Tahir nor Peterson has looked like doing that in this series but Morkel stressed the attack as whole needed to be econimical. "If we are not getting wickets, we have to make sure they are not scoring," he said.

Frustration, South Africa hope, will bring some reward and there will be some crossed fingers hoping the fortunes swing Steyn's way. He last took a wicket 67 overs ago, in the first innings of the Wanderers Test. It is the longest Steyn has gone without a scalp.

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An administrative farce

The Sri Lankan board's continuing ineptness meant a paucity of Tests, alienation of senior players, and another cancelled T20 league

Andrew Fidel Fernando December 27, 2013

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The 4-1 ODI victory over South Africa was one of the few positives for Sri Lanka in 2013 © Associated Press

If Sri Lanka's 2013 had remained as the Future Tours Programme had intended, fans would now be reflecting on a satisfying year of cricket, replete with full tours to the West Indies and Zimbabwe, and a home Test series against the No. 1 team. Instead it has been 12 months of bland, already forgotten ODIs and regret over missed opportunities. Fittingly, off the field, 2013 was the year in which the administrators, who allowed this scheduling travesty to occur, became a national joke.

Sri Lanka Cricket's bumbling took great many forms in the year, but nothing quite showcased its ineptitude like the cancellation of the Sri Lanka Premier League after the South Africa Tests had been postponed by two years specifically to make room for it. Three weeks before the SLPL was scheduled to begin, all eight franchises had effectively refused to pay their tournament fee and failed to produce bank guarantees for player payments.

The board claimed it had called off the tournament to safeguard "the integrity of the board and the integrity of the tournament". Given at least one Indian franchise owner was in the SLPL largely to fix matches, integrity had fled in the other direction long ago, like so many cricket fans who allowed the 2012 SLPL to be played in mostly empty stadia. (During this year's Indian Premier League, Ruhuna Royals owner Gaurav Rawat had approached Royals captain Lasith Malinga about fixing in the SLPL - an encounter which Malinga immediately relayed to the ICC's anti-corruption unit. In August, Rawat was among those slapped with corruption charges for their involvement in the Bangladesh Premier League.)

The removal of Tests from this year's calendar had far-reaching consequences beyond simply swindling fans and players of meaningful cricket. The selectors had sought to make 2013 a year of regeneration, but as few Tests were on the horizon, they were forced to blood young players in formats and positions their cricket is grossly unsuited for. Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne would ideally be Test specialists at this phase of their development, yet they have both been asked to finish innings in ODIs and they have failed abysmally down the order, despite their obvious talent. As the World Twenty20 approaches, captain Chandimal has averaged 9.28 with a strike rate of 77 in 2013.

Rangana Herath waited a decade to secure a long stretch in the Test side, but now, at the peak of his powers he finds there are no matches to play. Kumar Sangakkara has been prolific in limited-overs cricket this year and had the schedule remained unchanged, he may have embellished an already monumental record. Test specialist Thilan Samaraweera retired from cricket because he could not wait six months for the next chance to play, and Test wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene resorted to playing club cricket in England. It bears repeating too that South Africa's last series loss away came in Sri Lanka, and their 1-4 loss in the ODIs is some indication of their enduring discomfort against spin in Sri Lankan conditions.

The board's ongoing financial woes have affected just as many sweeping detriments to cricket in the country. An ugly contracts dispute between SLC and 23 top cricketers led to the players being locked out during a 24-hour impasse, less than a week before a Test match in March. SLC made moderate grants for domestic cricket development late in the year, but the first-class system remains riddled with bad pitches that produce mediocre cricketers, and the board cannot afford to enact the changes that are so desperately required if Sri Lanka are to remain a competitive Test nation.

" Among the few positives for SLC in the year has been their belated recognition of cricket's potential to aid reconciliation in the post-war north

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Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga recently defended the building of stadia that landed Sri Lanka in their present fiscal nightmare by claiming the board was acting in the public's interest - not simply its own. Even cursory inspection exposes the feebleness of this proposition. SLC's primary mandate is to protect and promote cricket in the country, but by incurring huge debts, it has been in a profoundly poor position to do either. To its credit, however, at least the austerity measures it has put in place have helped wipe $12 million off its debt to the state bank.

Among the only specific recommendations of 2012's Lorgat review (which a year on, seems little more than an expensive sham), was the suggestion that team selection be bereft of political influence. Not only has the board failed to remove the sports minister from the selection process, as it promised it would attempt to do, the whole body has drunk even deeper from the diseased waters of Sri Lanka's political landscape.

For the second year in a row, Ranatunga was elected unopposed to what should be a highly contested position at the board, and allegations that he is consolidating power within the cricket body are rife. Sri Lanka's Rugby Football Union is perhaps the only sporting body that is more entwined with the ruling government than cricket, and in December, the SLRFU's president, Asanga Seneviratne, was installed as a vice-president at SLC. This is a man who two months prior had said that "in the next decade or so, [rugby] will overtake cricket" as the most popular sport in the country. His appointment is not the first major conflict of interest at the board, and if the current political milieu persists at Maitland Place, it will not be the last.

Among the few positives for SLC in the year has been their belated recognition of cricket's potential to aid reconciliation in the post-war north. Thirty concrete nets were built in school grounds in partnership with a charity, and the city of Jaffna received its first turf wicket, thanks largely to chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya's insistence. The board also announced that five cricketers from the north and east provinces will be awarded central contracts, helping clear the path for future professional cricketers from those regions. In addition, domestic cricket has begun to be broadcast on live television this year, raising its profile and allowing fans access to rising players at a time when the top team has itself been searching for replacements from the local leagues.

Sri Lanka's returns on the field have largely been acceptable, without revealing all that much about the state of its future prospects. Three encouraging fifties from young batsmen in the New Year Test suggested a future beyond Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara may not be all that bleak, but the Bangladesh tour in March was not as informative. In ODIs, Sri Lanka drew three bilateral series, won one and lost another, in addition to making it to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy and the final of the tri-series in the Caribbean. They also won six T20s out of nine - just enough to safeguard their top ranking in the format.

High point
The home ODI series victory against South Africa was Sri Lanka's best effort this year, particularly as the first two wins came in the absence of regular captain Angelo Mathews. South Africa rarely stretched the hosts during the 4-1 drubbing, and Dilshan and Sangakkara underlined their continuing hunger at the top level by hitting 645 high-impact runs between them.

If players like Dinesh Chandimal can succeed in the upcoming Tests against Pakistan, Sri Lanka will be able to survive the retirements of Sangakkara and Jayawardene © AFP

Low point
SLC's abysmal relationship with some of Sri Lanka's senior cricketers was laid out in public during the board's spat with Sangakkara over his representation for the Champions League. The board had attempted to cast Sangakkara's choice over whether to play for Kandurata Maroons or Sunrisers Hyderabad as a country versus money issue, which Sangakkara took exception to. The parties eventually made up in public after Sangakkara chose to play for Kandurata - perhaps in order to secure the high moral ground from which he launched his public attack - but distrust lingers, just as it did in the aftermath of Mahela Jayawardene's run-in with the administration at the end of 2012.

New kid on the block
Though the quest for regeneration has consumed the selectors' thoughts since they took office in February, it was an ODI at the end of the year that produced one of the brightest sparks. Right-hand middle-order batsman Ashan Priyanjan has had fine returns in List A and first-class cricket for more than 12 months now, but on debut against Pakistan on Christmas day, he showcased economical but precise footwork, an array of sound aggressive shots - largely played off the back foot - and he tied it all up with encouraging moxie against perhaps the best ODI attack around.

At the top of the innings, Kusal Perera has played some staggering knocks in the year; though equally, he has been plagued with inconsistency. There appear to be no major weaknesses in his game, for he defends almost as well as he attacks, but better judgement and a keener temperament might see him fully emerge from his novelty tag as a Jayasuriya carbon copy, and forge a destiny of his own.

What 2014 holds
The Test series in Pakistan will be a barometer of Sri Lanka's future prospects, and the true state of the young middle order's batting prowess. If the likes of Chandimal and Thirimanne can succeed in the UAE Tests, their limited-overs transgressions can be overlooked. If they fail in January and in the two Tests against Bangladesh soon after, the selectors may give some thought to looking elsewhere for a future-proof middle order.

The most high-profile fixture will be the tour to England in May and June. It should have been more conspicuous still, but the removal of one home Test against England in 2012 has meant that the reciprocal tour next year has been trimmed to two Tests as well. That series will perhaps be a defining one for the emerging fast-bowling trio of Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep.

It will also be a year in which Mathews' skill as captain is put to test. He has had ten months to break into the role now, and while it is unfair to expect him to follow in Jayawardene's footsteps as a leader, he must omit the kinds of tactical errors that have occasionally burnt Sri Lanka this year. His own form with the bat will also need to become more consistent across all formats, particularly as Sri Lanka lock down their team combination for the 2015 World Cup.

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Ashraful cries, Johnson terrifies

Australia's Ashes revival, Afghanistan's fairy tale, player boycotts and more in our staff's picks of the best and worst of the year gone by

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Australia's fightback in the Ashes made the contest interesting but ten back-to-back Tests was overkill © Getty Images

Alan Gardner

Assistant editor

Best: Afghanistan qualify for the World Cup
While the ICC's Full Member nations seem content to loll decadently on a well-plumped but little-regarded chaise longue in the corner of the global sporting stage, there continue to be heartening - and genuinely exciting - stories emerge from the more fragile Associates and Affiliates ecosystem. Nepal became cricket's latest Cinderella men with qualification for the World Twenty20, but the team that set the template is Afghanistan. In October, with a sizeable contingent thronging the Sharjah Cricket Stadium stands, Mohammad Nabi's side wrapped up the second of back-to-back victories over Kenya to secure a spot at their first World Cup. To see the Afghanistan players do a victory lap as flag-waving children ran amongst them, and then to hear them speak with such sincerity about what the achievement meant, was to be inspired once more about the possibilities for spreading the game.

Worst: Scheduling Ashes back to back
A supine governing body is one of world cricket's major problems and the ICC has been able to do little about the self-interest of its dominant constituents. England, Australia and India continue to carve up the calendar to their suiting - leaving South Africa to pick their teeth with the bones in a glacial attempt at dynasty-building - and nowhere was this more evident than in the shunting of England's 2014-15 Ashes tour forward by a year, ostensibly to avoid a clash with the World Cup. Two flawed teams staggered and swung at each other repeatedly, with 26 encounters (including a Champions Trophy meeting) scheduled over eight months allowing few opportunities for reflection, analysis or retrenchment. The usual context of a four-year Ashes cycle was lost - and by 2015 we will have had three such series in two years - amid administrator gluttony and player punishment. Test cricket, in particular, does not need to double up on flat, one-sided series.

Mohammad Isam

Bangladesh correspondent

Best: Bangladesh's stroll in the dark
It gets dark early in Fatullah, even in summer. This was the start of winter. As Bangladesh attempted to keep up with the run rate against New Zealand in the third ODI in this industrial town, the skyline was taken over by smog. Under lights, the Bangladesh batsmen strung together one mid-sized partnership after another. The thing to note was the ease in their batting, and more so in their body language.

Newbie Shamsur Rahman hardly looked in difficulty as he put together a quick opening stand with Ziaur Rahman, a pinch-hitter - yes, in this day and age. Shamsur made 96 before he was caught behind attempting to wheel one over extra cover. Nasir Hossain was then in charge of the slog overs. There was little to worry about, because he knew when to step on the accelerator. Sixes and fours flew in all directions, the only difficulty being spotting who was hitting them.

It was a series Bangladesh had already won, so a sense of complacency was expected. But the match was won without Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, while captain Mushfiqur Rahim hardly contributed to the chase. The gloom that hovered over the vast cricket ground was, for once, not the gloom of Bangladesh cricket.

Worst: The tears of Mohammad Ashraful
A couple of hours after the Bangladesh board had suspended Mohammad Ashraful pending investigations into alleged corruption in the BPL, I went to his house, looking for a reaction. I wasn't expecting any dramatic pronouncements or emotional scenes, because in such situations players tend to be safe in their answers. I certainly did not imagine Ashraful would start to cry in response to a question about regret.

" England, Australia and India continue to carve up the calendar to their suiting - leaving South Africa to pick their teeth with the bones in a glacial attempt at dynasty-building

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The ACSU grilled him as soon as he returned from Zimbabwe in May and Ashraful admitted to being involved in corruption during the year's BPL. Before the full hearing began, the Bangladesh board cut him off. On that day in Banasree, as Ashraful attempted to answer my question, tears fell from his face and he couldn't complete the sentence. He was dragged away by his minders as a group of us stood in silence watching him sob.

Daniel Brettig

Assistant editor

Best: Mitchell Johnson and Co in Brisbane
Brad Haddin had lifted Australia to a decent total at the Gabba, but tension still hung heavily in the Brisbane air. Would Australia's bowlers exploit the cracks they had made in England's batting in the northern hemisphere on a pitch of pace and bounce, or would the tourists hold firm? Mainly the crowd looked towards the enigmatic Mitchell Johnson for evidence of danger - to opponents rather than team-mates. The early signs were not too promising, as a wayward first spell brought a few familiar groans. But Ryan Harris' removal of Alastair Cook allowed Johnson to worry out Jonathan Trott before lunch, and suddenly Australia's players and supporters sprang to life. The mayhem of the afternoon was summed up by England's loss of 6 for 9, which turned the Ashes narrative definitely towards Michael Clarke's team. Johnson's terrifying pace was to the fore, but there was also the rigour of Harris and the bounce of Nathan Lyon. Given the horrors of 2013, seldom has a Test-match day been more cathartic for Australia.

Worst: Australia at Lord's
Though a dreadful tour of India and equally poor Champions Trophy campaign had encouraged Cricket Australia to jettison Mickey Arthur before the Ashes, the national team still had one more humiliation ahead. It arrived at Lord's, after Ashton Agar's near-miracle at Trent Bridge. Batting uncertainly in the first innings and offering chances in the second, England did not play especially well. But they did not have to, as Clarke's men surrendered their wickets in the most maddening ways imaginable. Chris Rogers summed it up by missing a lollipop full toss from Graeme Swann and falling (incorrectly) lbw, while Clarke himself missed a middle-stump half-volley in the first innings then leg-glanced straight to leg slip in the second. In a matter of days the Ashes were nearly out of grasp, leaving many in attendance to conclude this was the worst day for Australian cricket in living memory. The only way was up.

Firdose Moonda

South Africa correspondent

Best: Competitive Test series
Two-thirds of my year involved covering Pakistan, which provided me with memories I will treasure. After Younis Khan's double-hundred in the first Test in Harare illustrated the gulf between them and Zimbabwe, Brendan Taylor's men scripted one of cricket's fairy tales. Their series-levelling win had contributions from everyone. The old guard, Hamilton Masakadza and Taylor, set up a decent first-innings total before Brian Vitori celebrated his comeback with a five-for. Tino Mawoyo built on the first-innings lead, so Zimbabwe had 264 to defend in the last innings. Tendai Chatara pegged Pakistan back, but they were still favourites to win on the final morning. As if team work needed a make a statement, the match ended with a run-out.

Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe and then beat South Africa © AFP

A month later, Pakistan looked a different team. They bowled with venom and packed on runs against South Africa to beat another world No. 1 side in the UAE (after England in 2012). South Africa surged back to win the second Test and stretch their unbeaten record away from home. In those few weeks, Test cricket showed itself not as a dynamic, engaging game in which the margins between teams are not as wide as they sometimes seem.

Worst: Administrators robbing us of cricket
I was at a Christmas party when I received news that Zimbabwe's cricketers had again threatened a boycott over unpaid salaries. By December, this story had been relayed to me no less than three times and had become my own version of the boy who cried wolf. Out of duty, not expectation, I called a trusted source in Zimbabwean cricket. I got a very frank, "Yes, there will be a boycott." The next day Mountaineers did not turn up to play their one-day match against Eagles. Two days later scheduled first-class games were also not played.

Zimbabwe's cricketers are finally making the statement that may draw attention to their plight. Whether their administrators have the capability, never mind the actual finances and logistics, to change things is to be seen.

All this happened during India's tour to South Africa, which had been chopped to half of its proposed schedule, with the Johannesburg Test providing an epic tussle that left us longing for more.

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England lay base after being put in

Lunch England 1 for 71 (Carberry 26*, Root 11*) v Australia

England's batsmen fought, nudged and scraped their way to a sound platform at lunch after being sent in to bat by Australia's captain Michael Clarke on the first morning of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

As a crowd of more than 84,000 settled into their seats, Peter Siddle claimed Alastair Cook for the only wicket of the morning, leaving Michael Carberry and Joe Root in stern occupation, albeit helped by a festive season's helping of good fortune.

Carberry was dropped in the slips from the bowling of Ryan Harris when he had made only 2, Steve Smith's outstretched right hand knocking the ball away when it seemed likely to be taken comfortably by Clarke. Moments before lunch he eluded an lbw appeal and referral from Harris, the ball not hitting enough of off stump to overturn the umpire Aleem Dar's decision.

Root was beaten repeatedly outside off stump by Siddle, who was the most precise of Australia's bowlers in front of his home crowd. Overcast skies and humid air had encouraged Clarke to send England in, in expectation that the MCG's drop-in pitch would offer most to the bowlers on day one before flattening out.

Clarke had named an unchanged side for the fourth consecutive Test match, the first time Australia have done so since 2004-05 when they were the world's undisputed best team. England's captain, Alastair Cook, named two changes to the touring XI after the loss of the urn in Perth, Monty Panesar replacing the retired Graeme Swann while Jonny Bairstow came in for the out of form and confidence Matt Prior.

A leg bye to Harris' second ball of the morning gave England the lead in a match for the first time this series, emblematic of their struggles so far. Cook was in a quite positive frame of mind however, cutting Mitchell Johnson behind point and driving him through cover to cause Clarke to call upon Siddle after only two costly overs from his left-arm slinger, then follow up with a quarter of early overs from Nathan Lyon.

At the other end Harris gained some useful movement, and Carberry was squared up by a delivery that seamed away after straightening onto the line of the stumps. The resultant edge seemed destined for Clarke's hands at second slip, but Smith dived eagerly across from third and deflected it from the path of his captain - a rare missed chance for Australia in this series.

Cook evaded one speculative appeal for caught behind from Harris when the ball brushed pad rather than bat, but his evident desire to get bat on ball would result in his downfall. Siddle changed ends to replace Harris, and soon angled across Cook, who sparred unwisely at one he might have left and nicked it straight to Clarke.

Root appeared hesitant to come forward on a pitch offering seam deviation to those bowlers who deigned to search for it, his preference to sit on the crease enhanced by a Johnson delivery that reared into his shoulder. Siddle beat Root's outside edge numerous times as the interval ticked near, but the absence of any more chances for the slips cordon made it a reasonably satisfying session for England in the circumstances.

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Punjab complete stunning turnaround

Punjab 74 (Nehra 4-31) and 402 (Jiwanjot 147, Mandeep 80) beat Delhi 150 (Chand 55) and 228 (Bhatia 100, Gony 3-51, Jaskaran 3-45) by 98 runs
Scorecard

Punjab, who had been bowled out for 74 in their first innings, capped a remarkable recovery to defeat Delhi by 98 runs and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts. Needing 327 to win, Delhi were all out for 228 in 91.3 overs, despite a valiant 100 from Rajat Bhatia, who took multiple blows on his body on a difficult track.

Punjab now have 23 points from seven games, and are tied with third-placed Gujarat. Delhi, with 19, have a massive task ahead of them in their final group match. They will need to beat group-toppers Karnataka and hope that other results go their way.

Delhi's ploy of gunning for maximum points on a seamer-friendly Roshanara track backfired this time, with Punjab's attack proving far more potent than those of previous opponents like Haryana and Vidarbha. Manpreet Gony, Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma were as effective as Ashish Nehra, Parvinder Awana and Sumit Narwal.

At the start of the day, Delhi needed 267 to win with seven wickets in hand. Gautam Gambhir began on an edgy note, getting one to run past the slips before clipping a boundary off Sandeep. But the pressure told on him after Delhi were stuck on 70 for 39 balls. Gony got one to kick from short of a length and move away, and Gambhir edged to Gurkeerat Singh in the slip cordon.

Virender Sehwag's stay at the crease was brief, as has been the case for most of this season. He started with a glorious off-drive off Gony, who then surprised him with a short one. Sehwag fended at the ball, which over the slips for a second boundary. He had moved to 12 when a delivery from Jaskaran Singh stopped on him. He attempted to check his lofted on-drive, but only managed to spoon it to Sandeep Sharma at mid-on.

Bhatia was hit twice on the forearm and twice in the ribs during 182-ball stay at the wicket. He struck 16 fours while scoring his 14th first-class ton. It was no surprise that he was ready to put his body on the line, but Nehra's four-hour stay at the wicket was a revelation. Having come in as nightwatchman, Nehra gutsed it out for 128 balls and put on 82 with Bhatia in 34.2 overs, as Delhi pursued three points for their first-innings lead.

Punjab finally broke the sixth-wicket stand when they brought on offspinner Gurkeerat. He got one to go through straight and Nehra edged it to Jiwanjot Singh at second slip. Off the very next delivery, Gurkeerat got rid of Rahul Yadav, caught by Yuvraj Singh at first slip. It was 167 for 7, and the result looked a formality. All that remained was to see if Bhatia would reach his milestone. He did, with Sumit Narwal hanging in for 31 balls and Parvinder Awana for 26 to help him over the line.

Bhatia reached 99 with successive pulls before tapping Sandeep towards short cover to reach the landmark with a single. He was the last man out for Delhi, nicking one from Gony to keeper Gitansh Khera.

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SL visit could prove crucial to hosting Asia Cup, World T20

Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh could be crucial to the host's prospects of holding the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20. Sri Lanka are scheduled to arrive on January 24 for a month-long tour, which is the first of three major international cricket events in Bangladesh, stacked one after another.

Four days after the Sri Lanka tour, the Asia Cup is scheduled to begin on February 24. The Asian Cricket Council, the tournament's organiser, has already worked out a Plan B in case the political violence in the country doesn't abate in time for the tournament, with its single-venue prerequisite making it fairly simple to find alternative host countries.

The ACC's CEO, Syed Ashraful Huq, however, believes that a green signal from Sri Lanka Cricket will ease the pressure on Bangladesh hosting the regional one-day tournament. But he warned that the other two events in Bangladesh are not bilateral series and the consent of one cricket board wouldn't do.

He said that the four-nation tournament will not be postponed in any case, and has to be held between February 24 and March 7 because of a packed international calendar.

"The Sri Lanka tour will be crucial," Huq told ESPNcricinfo. "It will be a big boost to the situation here if they complete the tour. But one must remember that the subsequent events are multi-team events. At the moment, the participating nations are at a monitoring stage. They will depend on agencies in their individual countries, like the home or foreign office.

"Participation will depend on each board, whether they are comfortable with the security situation. They will consult their respective home or foreign offices to determine whether the security situation is congenial or not. As the host, the Bangladesh government and the BCB will have to give guarantees. The ACC will rely on the hosts' security agencies and those of the participating nations."

Bangladesh got the right to host the 2014 Asia Cup after India declined to do so, and with Pakistan not having hosted international cricket events for nearly five years, the obvious choices for alternate venues are Sri Lanka and the UAE.

Huq confirmed that till this point, none of the participating nations have threatened a pull-out. "The Asia Cup has to be held during that time slot," he said. "There is no scope for us to postpone the tournament. The ACC will discuss an alternate venue if the situation doesn't improve in Bangladesh, but this is the case with every international tournament. As organisers, we have to be prepared for any eventuality.

"Any one of the countries can be an alternate venue. Last time we held the tournament at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, so usually we hold the Asia Cup in one or two venues. The ACC's executive body will decide on the change of venue. What I can tell you is that nobody wants the tournament to get out of Bangladesh. None of the teams have told me yet that they don't want to go to Bangladesh."

The BCB has sought help from the two major political leaders of the country - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia - to assure the rest of the world that cricket is safe and secure in Bangladesh.

Huq said that he faced a similar situation as a BCB official in 1988, and had in fact visited the same leaders, who were supportive at the time. He believes the same will happen this time, and it will help allay the concerns.

"The guarantees from the political leaders will certainly help us," Huq said. "When Bangladesh hosted the 1988 Asia Cup, there was unrest in the country, against the then president [Hussain Mohammad] Ershad.

"I, alongside BCB general secretary Tanvir Mazhar Tanna, went to Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, who told us that the tournament can be held peacefully without any disruption. I am sure, for the sake of the country, the same would happen this time."

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Ryder returns for NZ, WI bowl

25 overs New Zealand 83 for 6 (McCullum 37*, Neesham 6*, Rampaul 2-9) v West Indies
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A new-look West Indies bowling attack, led by Ravi Rampaul, scythed through the New Zealand top order to leave the home side in huge trouble at Eden Park. Brendon McCullum was alone in putting up a resistance, going past 5000 ODI runs during his innings, but he was fast running out of partners at the mid-way stage.

West Indies had hoped for a turnaround in the ODIs after being appearing clueless at times during their 2-0 loss in the Tests, and Dwayne Bravo couldn't have asked for a better response from his team. New Zealand's top four could manage only 11 runs between them as Rampaul and Jason Holder bowled with control not seen in the West Indian bowlers during the Test series. Both got the ball to jag either way on the pacy drop-in pitch, the nature of which had been not clear before the match. It was one of the reasons why West Indies had opted to bowl and it worked in their favour.

Rampaul dismissed New Zealand's comeback men Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill in his first two overs, but the big wicket came through a run-out. Ross Taylor had been sensational in the Tests, scoring 495 runs with three centuries, and was the key for New Zealand after two quick wickets. In the seventh over, he looked for a quick single after getting an inside edge down the pitch, but was sent back. Holder, the bowler, got to the ball first and threw the stumps down in time to catch the batsman well short.

A lot of focus before the match had been on Ryder, who was making a comeback to international cricket after 22 months, but he was the first batsman to be dismissed, his innings lasting just five balls. He got a thick leading edge of the first delivery, solidly defending a couple before launching on a full-blooded drive on a wide delivery in Rampaul's first over. The shot was on, but unfortunately for Ryder, he hit it in the air and was smartly caught by Darren Bravo.

Guptill's end was also as anti-climactic as Ryder's duck. He went forward for a loose drive, but was beaten by a Rampaul delivery that seamed in after a few had left the batsman. He managed just two and New Zealand lost both openers within four overs.

Boundaries were hard to come by - the first came in the 11th over bowled by Darren Sammy when McCullum pulled a four and followed it with a six next ball - and Holder pushed New Zealand further down in the 12th over when he had Kane Williamson caught behind with an outswinger. Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi hit aerial shots straight to the fielders, summing up the morning for New Zealand.

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BCCI to meet over Rajasthan Cricket Association status

The BCCI has convened a working committee meeting in Chennai on December 28 to decide the fate of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in the wake of Lalit Modi's possible return to cricket administration as RCA president.

Modi, the founding IPL chairman, was banned for life from Indian cricket in September following an internal inquiry that found him guilty on eight charges. However, the court allowed him to contest the RCA elections since the state association is governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act.

The Supreme Court, which monitored the RCA elections held on December 19, is likely to announce the result in its next hearing on January 6.

Even if the board's working committee, which consists of 24 members, supports the suspension of the RCA from all official cricket activities - as hinted by BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel in a letter to RCA president CP Joshi last week - the committee is unlikely to take the call.

According to the BCCI constitution, if a member of the board commits an act of indiscipline or misconduct, the matter will have to be handed over to the disciplinary committee and the disciplinary committee's recommendations have to be ratified with three-fourths majority in a special general meeting.

Some of the working committee members feel Saturday's meeting will be an attempt on the ruling faction's part to constitute an inquiry and to "gauge if they can gain the three-fourths majority".

Despite the court allowing Modi to contest the election, the BCCI feels it can penalise the RCA since the association is a BCCI affiliate. If the BCCI suspends the RCA for allowing a banned individual to be involved in administration, it is likely to find itself in yet another legal battle.

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Rajpoot, Imtiaz dismiss MP for 115

Uttar Pradesh 250 and 78 for 3 (Raina 41*) lead Madhya Pradesh 115 (Rajpoot 5-37, Imtiaz 4-39) by 213 runs
Scorecard

Uttar Pradesh's pace duo of Ankit Rajpoot and Imtiaz Ahmed took nine wickets between them to dismiss Madhya Pradesh for 115. By close of play, UP had extended their 135-run lead to 213, with Suresh Raina unbeaten on 41.

The second day of the match was lost to bad weather, but Rajpoot gave UP an early advantage on the third morning, dismissing openers Jalaj Saxena and Zafar Ali in successive overs. The MP middle order got starts, but kept losing wickets regularly and produced only two partnerships of any note - a 30-run fourth-wicket stand between Devendra Bundela and Mohnish Mishra and 37 runs for the seventh wicket between Anand Bais and Salman Beig. Rajpoot, playing his second match of the season, finished with figures of 5 for 37 while Imtiaz took 4 for 39. UP were struggling at 20 for 2 in their second innings before Raina steadied things.

Rajasthan 307 for 4 (Saxena 83, Saraf 63, Menaria 62) trail Tamil Nadu 318 by 11 runs
Scorecard

Rajasthan were all set to take the first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu after an opening partnership of 163 between Vineet Saxena and Siddharth Saraf. The duo began the day with the score on 89 and proceeded to make half-centuries each. Tamil Nadu hit back with three quick wickets but Rajasthan captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar stonewalled his way to an unbeaten 38 off 154 balls to deny the hosts. Ashok Menaria stroked 62 off 69 at the other end, taking the game away from Tamil Nadu. Rajesh Bishnoi was giving his captain company at stumps on 20.

Railways 107 and 224 for 6 (Rawat 67*, Suraj 3-48) lead Services 153 (Yashpal 67, Anureet 4-44, Karn 3-25) by 178 runs
Scorecard

Railways collapsed after a strong start and were propped up by Mahesh Rawat's unbeaten fifty against Services in Delhi. Shivakant Shukla and Murali Kartik put on 75 upfront but seamer Suraj Yadav's three wickets stunned Railways. Shadab Nazar picked up the next two as Railways slid to 130 for 6, an overall lead of only 84. Rawat stroked an unconquered 67 and Ashish Yadav dug in with 32 to resist Services' charge and increase the lead to 178. Earlier, Services were bowled out for 153, adding only two runs to their overnight 151 for 8.

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