Steyn recovering from rib injury

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn is suffering from a minor fracture to his rib but is set to recover in time for the home series against Australia, the first Test of which begins on February 12.

"During the second Test [against India] in Durban, Dale dived for the ball and he felt a bit of discomfort on the right side of his chest," South Africa's team doctor Mohammed Moosajee told Eyewitness News Sport. "He finished the Test unscathed and about two days after the match, he complained that the area was feeling quite tender.

"We proceeded to have an x-ray done, which didn't reveal much. A subsequent scan revealed a minor fracture of the eighth rib on the right hand side. He will be fit for Australia. We're quite confident that with this type of injury, he'll have time to recuperate and to recover fully."

Steyn took nine wickets in that Test, which South Africa won by ten wickets to take the series 1-0, and was Man of the Match. Australia are set to tour South Africa for three Tests and three T20 internationals from February 5 to March 14.

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Openers, pace bowlers worry Mushfiqur

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim wants his opening batsmen and pace bowlers to make best use of the two longer-version matches later this month. The Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), a first-class competition that starts next week, will provide the players match practice ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka, even if they get just two games each.

It will be the players' first taste of first-class cricket since the second Test of the home series against New Zealand nearly three months ago and Mushfiqur believes the longer format is the best place for Bangladesh to improve in two vital areas. Bangladesh's second opener and fast bowlers were ordinary against New Zealand, and he is worried that the middle order and the spinners will come under pressure if the trend continues.

Two partnerships of 39 were the best that the openers managed against New Zealand. Tamim Iqbal scored two half-centuries but Anamul Haque had a poor outing, which brought his place under question. Mushfiqur isn't keen on dumping Anamul but wants to see the young opener, who is averaging just 10.66 in three Tests, return to form.

"There's nothing better than match practice," Mushfiqur said. "BCL has the four best teams, which means the level of cricket will be quite good, and competitive. We haven't played Test cricket for a long time, so it will definitely help us. In terms of batting, we want the top-order give us a good start.

"Sometimes the entire batting line-up doesn't click so it is important to give a good start; what if there's a lower-order collapse? Tamim and [Anamul Haque] Bijoy know what to do. Bijoy in fact did well recently in the Twenty20 tournament, so I am hopeful of them coming good together."

Tamim has led a lone battle at the top of the order since scoring 53 and 84 on debut against New Zealand in 2008. Starting with those two innings in Dunedin, he has made 18 out of 21 scores of 50 or more by Bangladesh's openers, which includes all four of their centuries.

Tamim - and Bangladesh's openers, consequently - hasn't scored a century since his 103 at Old Trafford in June 2010. The last fifty to come from an opener other than Tamim was Nazimuddin's 78 against Pakistan in December 2011, but he has faded away swiftly since. The last 100-plus opening partnership came more than three years ago when Tamim and Imrul Kayes did it twice against England in 2010. Kayes isn't on the scene anymore but has been among the runs in domestic cricket recently.

Fast bowling is Mushfiqur's other concern. While Robiul Islam gave a glimmer of hope with his Man-of-the-Series performance in Zimbabwe, the same can't be said about the other seamers. Robiul was injured in the New Zealand series, prompting the team management to rest him for the second Test and the subsequent limited-overs leg. Over the two Tests, Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain took just two wickets in 60 overs.

Rubel, however, bowled well in the ODIs against New Zealand, famously picking up a hat-trick in a six-wicket haul in the first game. Al-Amin too has been in the news with his bowling in Twenty20s. But they need to come good in Test cricket, where Rubel averages 78 per wicket and Al-Amin has bowled in just one innings.

"The pace bowlers too need some work," Mushfiqur said. "There will be enough opportunities to better these areas in the two matches, and the practice sessions afterwards.

"We will look at pace bowling closely. They have to take at least eight of the 20 wickets needed to win a Test match. Otherwise the opponent will be planning very well against spin. [Robiul Islam] Shiplu bowled well away from home, Rubel [Hossain] is doing well and we also have Al-Amin [Hossain]. Even if they don't take wickets and just bowl economically, that would really help us."

In 2013, the selectors tried seven pace bowlers, of whom Robiul topped the wicket charts. Abul Hasan is on an extended injury layoff while Shahadat Hossain and Sajedul Islam were risked for just one Test each. Curiously, they have kept aside Ziaur Rahman, a seam-bowling allrounder who took four wickets in his debut Test in Zimbabwe. He has been labelled a limited-overs player, but Ziaur has shown a knack of contributing when it matters. Although a knee injury has cut down his pace drastically, he can still do a holding job in home conditions, with the added advantage of batting in the lower order.

Bangladesh's other source of confidence, according to Mushfiqur, is their recent record against Sri Lanka. The drawn Galle Test was the first between the two sides, after 12 straight Sri Lankan wins. Bangladesh also beat them at home in an ODI for the first time, levelling the 3-match ODI series.

"There isn't any fear factor," Mushfiqur said. "They have a good record against us but we are confident after doing well in their conditions last year. We now believe that we can do well against them. Throughout last year we have played well, so this is a chance for us to start the New Year on a good note."

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USA National Championship to be broadcast live

The USA Cricket Association announced on Tuesday that its 2014 National Championship will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The tournament is scheduled be to played in the Twenty20 format from August 21-24 at a new facility scheduled to be opened this summer in Indianapolis, Indiana. It will be the first USACA National Tournament involving teams from the eight USACA Regions since 2011. It will be the first time that USACA will have live broadcast coverage for one of its domestic tournaments.

"2014 will be an exciting year for US cricket and the agreement with ESPN3 is a positive start. The US cricketing scene will receive a boost by not only having the chance to play on the brand new Worlds Sports Park in Indianapolis including a new turf pitch, but to follow the lead-up to the Championships starting in May," said Darren Beazley, CEO, USACA. "By working closely with ESPN3, we hope that the Finals on August 24 will draw a significant audience across a number of platforms."

"Fans have come to know ESPN3 as a leading destination for live cricket events in the US," said Todd Myers, Director of Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN. "By carrying the US National Cricket Championships, we hope to continue to grow the sport by giving it national exposure across a variety of accessible platforms."

USACA is planning on using the tournament as a selection mechanism for the annual Auty Cup series against Canada, which is scheduled to be played in the USA in September, as well as for selection for the next ICC World Cricket League Division Three 50-over tournament, which is due to be played in early 2015. USA fell short of the 2014 ICC World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand by finishing third at ICC WCL Division Three in Bermuda last May.

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NZ hit back after Powell blitz

West Indies 145 for 3 (Edwards 26*, Bravo 1*) v New Zealand
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Kieran Powell handed West Indies a flying start at Seddon Park with a blistering 73 off 44 balls to give the visitors a position from where to build a strong total as they aim to level the series although they were in danger of wasting his efforts.

Powell hit 12 fours and two sixes before being given lbw to Nathan McCullum, after dominating an opening stand of 95 in 12 overs with Johnson Charles, although he was unlucky with replays showing the ball would have slid past leg stump but the batsman declined to use the available review. The pace slowed after his departure; Charles was run out by Nathan McCullum and Lendl Simmons was taken at point shortly before the midway mark of the innings leaving West Indies needing to rebuild.

Powell dominated the early exchanges after Brendon McCullum had inserted West Indies, confident in his team's ability to chase down a target. That faith could now be tested, although conditions are ideal for batting with an easy-paced surface and rapid outfield.

Powell set the tone in the opening over when he collected consecutive boundaries off Tim Southee and in the paceman's next over another pull carried for six. His innings kicked into an even higher gear during the sixth over of the innings, from Mitchell McClenaghan, which cost 19 runs include three fours and another six - this time it was caught, one-handed, by a supporter in the crowd which earned the lucky man a prize of NZ$100,000.

In an attempt to change the tempo, Brendon McCullum introduced his brother, Nathan, for the seventh over although after a tight first over from the offspinner the runs kept coming at a good clip. Powell's fifty came from 28 balls and he was eyeing a rapid hundred when we went to sweep McCullum and was taken on the boot.

The breakthrough allowed New Zealand to regain some control. Charles was shaping to try and bat through the innings, but misjudged a single into the off side and Nathan McCullum's direct hit from cover found him well short.

West Indies' running continued to be uncertain - there were two further opportunities for direct hits - and in the 13 overs following Powell's wicket there only three further boundaries as Anderson and Kyle Mills put pressure on the batsmen.

New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan

West Indies 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 6 Chadwick Walton, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Jason Holder, 11 Nikita Miller

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Finest Ashes pace numbers since 1890

Australia's fast bowlers averaged 18.35 runs per wicket, which is the best by either team in an Ashes series since 1890. Read on for more stats highlights

At tea on the opening day of the Gabba Test, Australia, after choosing to bat, had been reduced to 153 for 6. For all those who had witnessed Australia's top-order struggles in England only a few months earlier, this seemed to be a familiar story repeating itself all over again. Then, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson, quite fittingly, put together Australia's first significant statement of the series, adding 114 for the seventh wicket, before Johnson started working over England's batsmen. Over the next six weeks, the pair scripted many more game-changing performances that so thoroughly demoralised England that it seems scarcely believable that the visitors would've envisaged being 1-0 up from their tea-time position on that opening day in Brisbane.

The difference between the two Ashes contests held over the last six months is stark. England won 3-0 at home, but the Australians were at pains to explain that the difference between the two teams wasn't as much as that. The series stats suggest as much as well: England averaged only about three runs more per wicket than Australia, and scored one more century. With the ball, they took four more wickets than Australia's bowlers. The brand of cricket they played was attritional; it had served them well over the last few years, and it worked here too: they scored their runs much slower than Australia, but they batted longer, gave their bowlers longer periods of rest, and won all the key moments. It didn't feel like 3-0, but it was.

In Australia, it felt like 5-0, and it was 5-0. The stats reveal the gulf between the two sides. Australia scored ten centuries, which equals their record for an Ashes campaign, while England had one, their lowest in an Ashes series in the last 40 years. England averaged 21.58 runs per wicket with the bat, their lowest Ashes average since 1950-51, while Australia's average was a healthy 41.41.

The Australian batting wasn't always top-class, but the bowling was terrifying - they took 100 wickets for the first time in a five-Test Ashes series, and the strike rate was their best in an Ashes series since 1896. The bowlers took 99 wickets (one was a run-out) at the rate of one every 45.2 balls (while the overall strike rate for the team was 44.8 balls per wicket); the last time they bettered that was in 1896. Australia's run rate of 3.75 illustrates the aggressive brand of cricket they played, compared to England's run rate of 2.99 when they won at home last year.

Ashes 2013-14 series stats

Team	Runs scored	Wkts lost	Average	100s/ 50s	Run rate	Bowl SR
Australia	3189	77	41.41	10/ 15	3.75	44.8
England	2158	100	21.58	1/ 10	2.89	66.3

Ashes 2013 series stats

Team	Runs scored	Wkts lost	Average	100s/ 50s	Run rate	Bowl SR
Australia	2735	89	30.73	4/ 13	3.37	67.4
England	2856	85	33.60	5/ 13	2.99	54.7

Aussie domination
In this series, the ratio of batting averages of the two teams was 1.92: Australia's average of 41.41 runs per wicket was 1.92 times England's average of 21.58. In the entire history of Ashes contests (excluding one-off Tests), this is the fourth-largest ratio between the averages of the winning and losing teams. The highest was in 1886, when England won a three-Test series 3-0; they averaged 31.02 with the bat and 13.20 with the ball. Australia take up the next four positions in the table below, with all those wins happening in the last 25 years. In 1989, when they won 4-0 in England, they averaged 57.86 with the bat and 27.71 with the ball; in the 2006-07 clean sweep, they averaged 52.77 with the bat and 26.35 with the ball, a ratio of 2.00. When England won 3-1 in Australia on their last tour, their batting average was 1.75 times the bowling average.

In their only other 5-0 Ashes triumph, in 1920-21, Australia's ratio was 1.63 (batting average 46.13, bowling average 28.35).

Highest ratio of averages in an Ashes series*

Series	Win team	Bat ave	Los team	Bat ave	Ratio	Series margin
1886, in England	England	31.02	Australia	13.20	2.35	3-0
1989, in England	Australia	57.86	England	27.71	2.09	4-0
2006-07, in Australia	Australia	52.77	England	26.35	2.00	5-0
2013-14, in Australia	Australia	41.41	England	21.58	1.92	5-0
2001, in England	Australia	49.11	England	26.44	1.86	4-1
1888, in England	England	15.10	Australia	8.45	1.79	2-1
2010-11, in Australia	England	51.14	Australia	29.23	1.75	3-1
1946-47, in Australia	Australia	52.71	England	30.81	1.71	3-0

The Haddin factor
Australia were by far the superior team, but one aspect of their game that wasn't convincing was their top-order batting. Repeatedly they were five down for not too many, and needed Brad Haddin and the lower order to bail them out. Australia's scores at five down in their first innings in the five Tests were as follows: 100, 257, 143, 112 and 97; except in Adelaide, their top order struggled every time. Yet, England failed to drive home the advantage, as Haddin found at least one batting partner each time to rescue the team.

The table below lists the averages of Australia's batsmen overall in the series, and in the first innings. The table shows Haddin's contributions in even better light, as 407 of his 493 runs came in the first innings, when England were still competitive in the match. Haddin scored at least a half-century each time he batted in the first innings: his scores were 94, 118, 55, 65, and 75 - 407 runs at 81.40. Steven Smith was the other batsman whose first-innings contributions stood out: he scored two centuries in the series, and both were in the first innings. His failures were in the second innings when Australia were generally under less pressure.

However, most of the other Australian batsmen struggled in the first innings. Five of them averaged less than 40, including Michael Clarke, whose 148 in Adelaide was his only meaningful first-innings contribution. David Warner, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson all averaged less than 35, while George Bailey had a shocker, aggregating 64 in five innings.

Of the ten centuries Australia scored, six were in the second innings, including two each by Warner and Rogers, and one by Watson. Given that Australia had a first-innings lead of 130-plus in four of the five Tests, the one instance where second-innings runs were scored under pressure was in Melbourne, when Australia chased a target of 231 and won comfortably, with Rogers getting 116 and Watson getting 83.

England's batsmen were poor throughout, but Michael Carberry did much better than the rest in the first innings, scoring 181 runs at 36.20; in the second innings, he scored only 100 in five tries. Kevin Pietersen managed only 115 in the first innings, while Ian Bell scored 121 - though he was unbeaten once, in Adelaide.

Australia's batsmen in the series

	1st innings			Both innings
Batsman	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Brad Haddin	407	81.40	1/ 4	493	61.62	1/ 5
Steven Smith	282	56.40	2/ 0	327	40.87	2/ 0
Michael Clarke	193	38.60	1/ 0	363	40.33	2/ 0
David Warner	163	32.60	0/ 1	523	58.11	2/ 2
Chris Rogers	156	31.20	0/ 2	463	46.30	2/ 3
Shane Watson	144	28.80	0/ 1	345	38.33	1/ 2
George Bailey	64	12.80	0/ 1	183	26.14	0/ 1

England's batsmen in the series

	1st innings			Both innings
Batsman	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Michael Carberry	181	36.20	0/ 1	281	28.10	0/ 1
Alastair Cook	122	24.40	0/ 1	246	24.60	0/ 3
Ian Bell	121	30.25	0/ 1	235	26.11	0/ 2
Kevin Pietersen	115	23.00	0/ 1	294	29.40	0/ 2
Ben Stokes	80	20.00	0/ 0	279	34.87	1/ 0
Joe Root	45	11.25	0/ 0	192	27.42	0/ 1

Australia's lower-order rescue acts
The partnership stat further illustrates how even things were between the two teams through the first half of their first innings. It also shows clearly the areas Australia will need to address before what's likely to be a tough tour to South Africa. In their first innings, their average stand for the first wicket was 20, for the third 21.80, for the fourth 23.20 and for the fifth 23.80; among the top five wickets partnerships in the first innings, only the second one made substantial runs. The opening stands in the first innings were 12, 34, 13, 19 and 22, numbers that don't inspire confidence when the next challenge will be against Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

England's opening partnerships in the first innings were actually more substantial than Australia's: in Perth, Cook and Carberry added 85, before the rest of the batting crumbled. Add up the average stands for the first five wickets in the first innings, and Australia's score is 142 for 5; England's 124 for 5. Not a whole lot to choose between the teams there.

Look down the second half of the partnership tables, though, and huge differences emerge. Australia's average stand for the sixth wicket in their first innings was 98.80; the sum of the average stands for the last five wickets for England was 70. Australia's last five, on average, added 220. That 150-run difference completely altered the balance of the game.

Australia's sixth-wicket stands in the first innings were 32, 200, 124, 10 and 128, with Haddin being a common factor in all those stands. Out of nine century stands for Australia in the series, Haddin was involved in four. Out of the 1780 runs that Australia scored in their first innings over the entire series, 811 runs - or 45.56% - were scored when Haddin was at the crease. That's a whopping percentage of runs for a No. 7 batsman to be involved in, and it made all the difference between things being even after the first innings, and Australia getting a huge advantage at the halfway mark.

England, on the other hand, were hurt badly by the lack of significant contributions down the order. Also, the top order got starts, but failed to push on towards substantial scores: there were only two 50-plus stands in the first innings, but seven partnerships between 44 and 49. In the second innings, England had one century stand - their only one of the entire series - and six half-century partnerships, but it was still too little too late.

One century stand is also England's poorest effort in an Ashes campaign since 1950-51. In the 2013 series in England, both teams had six century stands.

Average partnerships for Australia

	1st innings		Both innings
Wkt	Average	100/ 50 stands	Average	100/ 50 stands
1st	20.00	0/ 0	41.90	1/ 2
2nd	53.00	1/ 1	45.50	2/ 1
3rd	21.80	0/ 1	47.11	1/ 2
4th	23.20	0/ 0	36.12	0/ 2
5th	23.80	0/ 1	38.75	1/ 2
6th	98.80	3/ 0	69.12	3/ 0
7th	52.60	1/ 1	55.28	1/ 2
8th	21.40	0/ 1	20.66	0/ 1
9th	16.20	0/ 0	15.33	0/ 0
10th	31.50	0/ 0	27.20	0/ 0

Average partnerships for England

	1st innings		Both innings
Wkt	Average	100/ 50 stands	Average	100/ 50 stands
1st	35.20	0/ 1	25.00	0/ 2
2nd	26.00	0/ 0	27.10	0/ 1
3rd	19.60	0/ 0	30.50	1/ 1
4th	26.00	0/ 1	27.60	0/ 2
5th	17.00	0/ 0	27.10	0/ 1
6th	12.20	0/ 0	22.30	0/ 1
7th	14.80	0/ 0	16.90	0/ 0
8th	8.80	0/ 0	13.70	0/ 0
9th	9.40	0/ 0	11.00	0/ 0
10th	24.80	0/ 0	14.60	0/ 0

Pace like fire
In the 2013 series in England, there had been little to choose between the pace attacks of England and Australia. Australia's fast bowlers took more wickets - 69 to 58 - but the averages were almost the same - 30.04 for Australia, 30.89 for England.

In the return series, led by a rampaging Mitchell Johnson, Australia's pace attack was all over England's batsmen. Of the 99 wickets taken by Australia's bowlers, 79 went to their fast bowlers, at an average of 18.35 runs, and a strike rate of 42.4 balls per wicket. England's fast bowlers didn't do too badly, averaging a respectable 34.86, but their batting was so poor that they didn't stand a chance. The average of 18.35 is the best by an Australian pace attack in an Ashes series since 1890, when they averaged 18.28 and took 14 wickets in two Tests. In fact, it's the best by the pace attack of either team in an Ashes series since 1890.

In the first innings, especially, Australia's quick men were unstoppable. Johnson took 21 wickets at 12.33, Ryan Harris 11 at 17.27, and Peter Siddle nine at 18.55. England didn't do too badly in the first innings either: Stuart Broad's 17 wickets cost 22.88 each, Anderson's 10 came at 34.60 and Ben Stokes took 10 at 27.80, but then Australia's first-innings bowling was so strong, and England's batting so feeble, that by the time the second innings came along, Australia already had such a big lead and England's bowlers had had so little time to put their feet up, that the second innings was a no-contest.

In the second innings, Anderson took just four wickets and each of them cost him 67.25 runs, while Broad's four wickets cost him 47.25 each. Johnson, meanwhile, took 16 second-wickets at 16.12.

England's spin department did them no favours either. That was a battle they had won convincingly in the home series, but in Australia, Nathan Lyon completely outbowled England's spinners: Australia's spin accounted for 20 wickets at 30.80, while England's took 14 at 72.42. In the second innings, when the pitches started helping spinners more, Lyon proved quite a handful, but England's spinners were completely ineffective, and the match situations and lack of pressure on the Australian batsmen didn't help either.

How the bowling attacks compared

	1st innings			2nd innings
	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	Wickets	Average	Strike rate
Aus - pace	44	15.45	38.9	35	22.00	46.9
Eng - pace	41	29.34	54.7	19	46.78	67.7
Aus - spin	6	40.67	82.3	14	26.57	45.0
Eng - spin	6	89.16	143.0	8	59.87	89.1

The head-to-head battles

Johnson dominated almost all the England batsmen right through the series, but the one batsman who withstood his onslaught and didn't get out to him even once was Ian Bell: in 98 balls Bell scored 48 runs without being out. However, the Australian attack worked as a pack, and if Johnson didn't have Bell's number, then Harris and Siddle did: both dismissed Bell three times each, and gave very little away.

Siddle took the least wickets among Australia's three fast bowlers, but did wonderfully against England's two main middle-order batsmen, Bell and Pietersen. Both scored at less than two runs per over against him, which kept up the pressure on England's batsmen and ensured that there were no easy runs on offer at any stage of the innings. Shane Watson took only four wickets in the series, but three of those were of Carberry's, who averaged five against him. There was thus at least one Australian bowler who had the wood on each of England's top-order batsmen.

England batsmen v Australian bowlers

Batsman	Bowler	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Average
Ian Bell	Mitchell Johnson	48	98	0	-
Alastair Cook	Mitchell Johnson	73	128	4	18.25
Stuart Broad	Mitchell Johnson	25	56	4	6.25
Ian Bell	Peter Siddle	31	102	3	10.33
Ian Bell	Ryan Harris	64	132	3	21.33
Michael Carberry	Shane Watson	15	41	3	5.00
Michael Carberry	Mitchell Johnson	66	146	3	22.00
Kevin Pietersen	Peter Siddle	72	218	3	24.00
Kevin Pietersen	Ryan Harris	52	114	3	17.33

England's bowlers had a few head-to-head battles to cherish - like Broad's domination of George Bailey and Anderson's successes against Watson - but they weren't nearly enough in a five-match series.

Rogers scored only 27 runs from 107 balls off Graeme Swann, but handled the pace of Stokes and Anderson far more comfortably. Haddin won most of his battles against England's bowlers, averaging 108 against Anderson, 76 against Broad, and not falling once to Swann or Panesar.

Australian batsmen v England bowlers

Batsman	Bowler	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Average
George Bailey	Stuart Broad	36	73	4	9.00
Shane Watson	James Anderson	71	130	4	17.75
David Warner	Stuart Broad	136	153	4	34.00
Michael Clarke	Ben Stokes	46	98	3	15.33
Brad Haddin	James Anderson	108	126	1	108.00
Brad Haddin	Stuart Broad	76	126	1	76.00
Chris Rogers	James Anderson	98	262	1	98.00
Chris Rogers	Ben Stokes	124	169	1	124.00
Brad Haddin	Swann+Panesar	118	175	0	-

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Manoj Tiwary not fit for Bengal's quarter-final

Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal batsman, will not be fit in time to play his team's Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Railways, which begins on January 8. Tiwary, who is recovering from a knee injury, was named as the 17th member of the Bengal squad, in anticipation of him being declared fit.

Tiwary is having his fitness assessed at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, but has not ruled out making a comeback in the semis, should Bengal progress.

"The [NCA] physio told me that I need to have at least four to five running sessions, which will be an indicator of how much strength has returned in my knees," Tiwary told PTI. "Today, there wasn't any fitness test but only fitness assessment. As of now I am not available for the quarter-final. I will only make a comeback when I am fully match-fit."

Tiwary was not under too much duress batting in the nets but said his footwork and running between the wickets could suffer if he returns at this point. "There wasn't any discomfort [in the nets] as such, but some of the little things still need to be assessed. I have batted against the spinners but I haven't really used my feet against them at the nets.

"Also, there is running between the wickets where you have to swiftly turn for twos and threes. During the turning, there would be pressure on the knees. The physio needs to assess how my knees are holding up during that pressure. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that I will pass the fitness test and be available if Bengal qualify for the semi-final."

Tiwary has undergone two surgeries on his knee, with the injury keeping him out of action for the second half of 2013. He has suffered a succession of injuries of late: he was sidelined after injuring his back in the Ranji Trophy in December 2012 and hurt his shoulder during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in March 2013, just a month after returning to competitive cricket. He was also out of action for week in the IPL 2013 due to a bruised hand. Injuries have also hampered his international career, particularly the shoulder problem he picked up at practice in Bangladesh in mid-2007, on the eve of what would have been his India debut.

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Sammy ruled out of T20 series

Darren Sammy, West Indies' Twenty20 captain, has been ruled out of the two T20 matches against New Zealand later his month due to his hamstring injury. Dwayne Bravo, the one-day captain, will lead the side that still will not include Chris Gayle who has yet to recover from his hamstring problem.

Sammy suffered his injury when he was running around a damp outfield in Queenstown before the third ODI. He will remain with the squad to aid the rehabilitation and his place has been taken by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller. "Darren is undergoing treatment and should be fit to return to playing duties in time for the Regional Super50 Tournament which starts later this month in Trinidad," said West Indies team physiotherapist C.J. Clark.

West Indies had previously announced that three additional players - Andre Fletcher, Andre Russell and Samuel Badree - would be joining the squad in New Zealand and Russell, the allrounder, will be considered for selection for the final ODI in Hamilton.

West Indies' squad has been severely depleted in recent weeks and for the Nelson one-dayer they were selecting from just 12 fit players. Along with the absent Gayle and injured Sammy, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo have flown home and Ravi Rampaul suffered a broken finger although he remains on the tour. From what would be a first-choice team, Kemar Roach and Kieran Pollard are also missing - Pollard is still recovering from a knee injury.

New Zealand, meanwhile have named the same squad for the T20 series that has competed in the one-day matches. That means a very different side will take the field compared to the experimental XI that faced Sri Lanka in Pallekele during November; only five of that team are in the full-strength squad of 14.

"We are keen to keep this group together but are mindful of the strong performances from a number of other players including Hamish Rutherford, and Anton Devcich," Bruce Edgar, the national selector, said. "We are fortunate to be in a position to have a range of quality players to choose from."

New Zealand Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

West Indies Dwayne Bravo (capt), Samuel Badree, Tino Best, Johnson Charles, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Nikita Miller, Sunil Narine, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Chadwick Walton

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Pietersen targets next Ashes

Kevin Pietersen has reiterated his desire to keep playing for England and wants to help regain the Ashes in 2015.

There has been much speculation during the 5-0 whitewash in Australia that Pietersen will end his international career. The man himself has always insisted he wants to continuing playing and has often spoken about a target of 10,000 Test runs - he currently stands on 8181 after a disappointing return of 294 runs at 29.40 in Australia, although that still made him England's leading run-scorer.

"Very disappointed to lose 5-0, and not to score more runs personally. Tough tour against a top class team." he said on Twitter. "I want to thank all the England fans for their terrific support. And I'm determined to help regain the Ashes in 2015."

Part of the debate around Pietersen's future stems from his fitness; he needed an injection in his knee before the Ashes began having been forced home from the tour of New Zealand in March and then did not play again until shortly before the Ashes in England.

His workload is being carefully managed by the ECB, including being rested from the one-day series against Australia which starts in Melbourne on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether he will play on the short tour of West Indies which starts at the end of February although would be expected to feature at the World Twenty20 despite only playing once for England in that format for almost two years.

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Lumb fifty steers Sixers home

Sydney Sixers 4 for 150 (Lumb 54) beat Adelaide Strikers 7 for 149 (Shakib 46, Reardon 43, Hazlewood 3-16) by six wickets
Scorecard

Lumb leads Sixers to victory over Strikers

A valuable half-century by Michael Lumb and some late hitting from Marcus North helped the Sydney Sixers ascend to second on the BBL table at the expense of the Adelaide Strikers. A lacklustre batting display and some missed opportunities in the field cost the Strikers badly as the Sixers were able to chase down 150 with six wickets in hand and five balls to spare.

The scorecard suggests a well-controlled chase but there were a number of wobbly moments. Shaun Tait bowled a fearsome over early on when he rearranged Lumb's grille with a searing bouncer first ball. The fourth ball of the over found Nic Maddinson in no position to execute a pull shot and skied a catch to square leg.

Moises Henriques lofted Tait back over his head in his second over to get the chase moving but was fortunate to survive the next ball. He skied a top edge towards third man and Michael Klinger ran back from slip but failed to grasp the chance. Henriques found the boundary twice more in the over to further dampen the mood.

Lumb, with a brand new helmet, followed suit flicking Michael Neser over deep backward square for six. But he too survived a chance with Neser unable to hang onto a sharp return catch.

A passing shower caused an interruption so brief the players had hardly reached the rope before they were called back. Shakib Al Hasan, on his BBL debut, used the moisture on the pitch to skid one through and trap Henriques in front with his side still 95 runs adrift. But the rain did not aid the leg spin of Adam Zampa. Lumb clubbed him into the stands three times to ease any tension for the Sixers.

Lumb cruised to fifty but his soft dismissal caused another shift in momentum. Marcus North and Ravi Bopara managed just 15 runs from the next 20 deliveries to keep the Strikers in the game. But North gambled against Nathan Reardon in the 17th over. He skipped down the track and clipped him into the stands for six. North went again next ball and thought Klinger got hands to it on the deep square leg rope, it was parried over for six more. North fell two balls later but Bopara and Jordan Silk were able to finish the job.

The major cause of Strikers' defeat, however, was owed to a disappointing batting display. They slumped to 4 for 32 inside eight overs after winning the toss and batting first.

It was left to Reardon and Shakib to mount a rear guard. The pair put together an entertaining 80-run stand to set up a defendable target. It could have been more had Shakib not picked out Steve O'Keefe on the midwicket boundary with a powerful strike and Reardon not run himself out with 10 balls to go.

Josh Hazlewood was the star with the ball picking up 3 for 16 from four miserly overs, but he had terrific support from Brett Lee and the spin of O'Keefe and North.

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FAQs: The Rajasthan Cricket Association election case

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case involving former BCCI treasurer Kishore Rungta on January 6, during the course of which the results of the Rajasthan Cricket Association elections, which were held on December 19, may be announced. The matter assumes significance because the BCCI has impleaded itself in the Rungta case, since it has challenged Lalit Modi standing for the RCA elections.

Why are the RCA elections important?
The matter assumes importance because Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, who was expelled by the BCCI in September, is a strong favourite to win the RCA president's post. If elected, Modi would likely be the first person to openly oppose the ruling group in the BCCI, a body for which everyone else has been toeing the line. Modi earlier served as RCA president from 2005 to 2009. It is understood that only three district associations voted against Modi during the elections.

How did Modi sidestep the BCCI ban to fight the RCA polls?
Modi entered the RCA polls through the door made open to him by the Rajasthan Sports Act, which governs the RCA's constitution.

What is the Rungta case about?
In 2005, Modi defeated then RCA president Kishore Rungta by a margin of just one vote. Rungta accused Modi of wrongdoing by bringing in a new law in the RCA constitution, which abolished the voting rights of the individual members and allowed only the district associations to vote. Since then Rungta has been challenging the law. Rungta approached the Rajasthan High Court in 2005 but his application was rejected. He then went to the Supreme Court in 2007 with a special leave petition (SLP).

Why is the Supreme Court playing the adjudicator in the election?
Two observers were appointed since Rungta had made an application that the elections be held under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Retired Supreme Court judge NM Kasliwal, who has served as an observer in the past three elections, was once again appointed in the same capacity this time, too, to ensure fair elections. Kasliwal's main job was to validate all nominations, including Modi's.

The court also made it clear the votes would be secured in a sealed envelope and possibly opened on January 6. Earlier it was expected that the court would deliver its verdict on January 6, but now with the BCCI's petition in the Supreme Court, the decision may be deferred.

What is the BCCI's position on Modi's candidature?
Even though the RCA is governed by the state sports act, it is also a BCCI affiliate and enjoys all the benefits, including financial aid. This resulted in a tangle. After threatening to ban RCA from all of BCCI-organised tournaments, including the Ranji Trophy, the BCCI deliberated the matter in a working committee meeting in late December. Even though it decided to protect interest of all the cricketers in the state, the BCCI has moved the Supreme Court against Modi's candidature and possible election.

What happens if court rules in favour of Rungta?
The RCA elections become null and void and a new election would need to take place. Modi has the choice to contest the elections once again, unless the court rules in favour of the BCCI interlocutory application.

What happens if court rules in favour of Modi?
Modi, provided he wins the post of RCA president as is expected, would be eligible to represent the RCA in important BCCI meetings, including the AGM and SGMs. That is not likely to happen soon, though, since Modi has been residing in London for almost four years now and the RCA is not a BCCI working committee member at the moment. However, Modi lobby's presence may give a fillip to whispers of dissent against BCCI president N Srinivasan, who is Modi's bitter enemy.

What else can happen?
If the Supreme Court rules in favour of the BCCI interlocutory application then Modi cannot be elected as RCA administrator. Another situation could be, if Modi - who is expected to come out trumps in the election - is found ineligible to hold a RCA post by the court, the court could possibly appoint an ad hoc committee to run the RCA till the it delivers a judgement in the Rungta SLP.

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