McLaren becoming vital to SA's ODI plans

There's not much that Dale Steyn gets whimsical about but the green hills and the cool mountain air of Kandy was enough bring out his softer side. "Gotta say this place is majestic! So beautiful! Blessed to see this part of the world!" Steyn tweeted.

South Africa's angry man has never played in Pallekele before, which Sri Lanka would hope works to their advantage in what is a must-win match for the hosts. South Africa have fond memories of Pallekele, though, because it is the only ground where they recorded a victory on the tour they would rather forget. After going 0-2 down in the series and appearing out of their depth with the bat, South Africa defended 223 in the third match, albeit their fightback was short-lived on the whole.

"We did the right things, gave ourselves a chance at the end, put runs on the board and managed to bowl them out, so we are really excited about this game coming up," said David Miller, who scored 85 in that match to inject authority into an otherwise limp South African innings. He had acted as an anchor that day and relished being able to spend more time at the crease than he usually does as a finisher.

Now that South Africa's top order has sorted itself out, Miller is back to his end-of-innings role and he seems to have become more confident. In the first ODI, he led the charge as South Africa took 53 runs off the last five overs.

The most impressive aspect of Miller's knock was the way he dealt with Sri Lanka's death specialist Lasith Malinga, whom he kept out and punished when the length allowed it. "Taking performances from the past into the present gives me a sense of belief that I have done it before," Miller said. "I've got to watch the ball as closely as I can. Malinga is one of the best death bowlers in the world. But the more you face someone who has an unusual action, the more comfortable you will feel."

Having a competent partner with whom you have a good understanding is also important at the end of an innings, and Miller has found that in Ryan McLaren, who was with him in Pallekele in 2013 and again in the first ODI in Colombo. McLaren scored 22 off 18 balls on Sunday to provide the support Miller needed.

McLaren's all-round contribution - 22 runs and two wickets - was one of the unsung performances of the game and it outshone that of Jacques Kallis. While it is too early to start questioning Kallis' role in the team, McLaren's performances are worth noting because he was expected to miss out when Kallis recommitted himself to the ODI team.

McLaren has played in all but two of South Africa's last 16 ODIs, dating back to the series against Sri Lanka last July, and alongside Kallis in three of them. While Kallis has been used as a batting allrounder, McLaren's role is that of a bowling allrounder, but his consistent run in the side has been beneficial for McLaren's batting. He has averaged 31.85 over the past year - compared to an overall average of 21.60 - with seven not-outs, which come with the territory of finishing an innings.

His bowling numbers have also improved marginally - 21 wickets at 26.85 apiece in the last 12 months - and there have only been two occasions when he has not bowled at least six overs in the innings. "The advantage for allrounders is that you are always going to have the opportunity to contribute," McLaren said. "There are going to be times when you don't do well in one discipline, but then you can contribute in the other."

McLaren is fast becoming an integral part of South Africa's ODI XI and is pleased with how the team is developing, especially from the last Sri Lankan tour to this one. "They came at us hard in the beginning and we showed a lot of character and finished the game clinically," McLaren said of the first ODI. "That's the most pleasing aspect - we're starting to show some character when it starts getting tough, and it doesn't get much tougher than playing in Sri Lankan conditions. This is one of the building blocks to the World Cup next year, and every game in that process is important."

When Steyn can peel himself away from the views, he would probably agree.

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Floodlights on standby for Hambantota ODI

Sri Lanka Cricket will have floodlights on standby for the third ODI in Hambantota on Saturday, after the cricket had been affected by fading light during the first ODI. Angelo Mathews had said Sri Lanka had slightly altered their approach as gloom set in in Colombo, with the Premadasa Stadium floodlights out of action for that match. SLC and Cricket South Africa had agreed not to use floodlights for day matches in the memorandum of understanding for this series, but have agreed to reverse that stance in light of the first ODI's events.

"Both Sri Lanka and South Africa teams and their respective boards are in agreement to use lights in the event the light deteriorates during the third ODI of the South Africa tour of Sri Lanka," an SLC release said.

Hiring a standby electricity generator capable of powering stadium lights is expected to cost SLC around LKR 19 million (approx. USD $146,000). The second ODI, in Pallekele, is a day-night encounter.

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Mullaney ensures Notts' run continues

Nottinghamshire 158 for 9 (Taylor 44, Mullaney 36, Patel 3-16) beat Warwickshire 152 for 6 (Porterfield 51, Mullaney 2-27) by six runs
Scorecard

Warwickshire are blessed with the most fearsome battery of fast bowlers in the country but in recent T20s they have become a liability. They disappointed once again here and lost for the fourth time in succession as their prospects of qualifying for a quarter-final slipped further.

They were almost bailed out by their batsmen but Varun Chopra, the Warwickshire captain, admitted to a poor performance chasing 159 - a below-par total for Edgbaston.

Will Porterfield's half century set up 60 to win from 42 balls but Porterfield was the only serious contribution from their top order. Quicksilver hands from Chris Read stumped Laurie Evans as Warwickshire fell short of batting power, five down, with 42 needed in four overs and despite Freddie Coleman's three boundaries, Nottinghamshire held out via a series of excellent yorkers from Luke Fletcher in the final over who conceded only six with 13 required.

Fletcher demonstrated to his opponents the correct method of bowling seam on this wicket to send Notts to their fourth straight win and now second in the division - a top two finish will secure a home quarter-final.

Warwickshire's bowlers have not been entirely to blame for the Bears' slump in form - they lost their previous three matches, the last failing to chase just 140 - and Rikki Clarke actually has the fourth-best economy rate of any bowler in the tournament. But Boyd Rankin and Chris Wright have conceded almost nine-an-over. Here, their combined seven overs leaked 87 runs as they consistently bowled too short and a line too inviting to the short boundary towards the Raglan and Priory Stands.

Wright has proved the most expensive Warwickshire bowler in the completion this season. Here, he produced two overs of very hittable bowling, the second of which was taken for 22, as 59 came from the first five overs.

The seamers perhaps gained too much encouragement from a green-tinged wicket which afforded good carry - pleasing to see with so many slow, low surfaces around. But it was also a dry pitch which gripped for the spinners and it was they who dominated, squeezing the middle of the innings as only 28 came from overs 8 to 14. Notts later found joy with pace off the ball: Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney's cutters took four wickets and conceded 55 in eight overs between them.

Shoaib Malik may have left after his short stint but in Ateeq Javed Warwickshire have a very capable spinner who has conceded below a run-a-ball in his eight matches. He and Jeetan Patel were excellent, conceding only 37 from their four overs, finding some turn. Patel also picked up three wickets, the beneficiary of two smart catches from stand-in wicketkeeper Peter McKay and a beauty which deceived Sam Wood, turned away from the left-hander's flick to leg and took out off stump.

Notts also didn't help themselves with the bat. Alex Hales ran himself out, pushing straight to Clarke at mid-off who threw the bowler's stumps down. It was a suicidal run. The equally-dangerous Samit Patel also fell in irresponsibly cheap fashion with a mistimed drive to mid-on to fall second ball.

But Notts found some top-order runs through Riki Wessels, whose boundaries were rather streaky in his 29 from 14 balls, and Steven Mullaney - opening the batting for the first time - who was far more convincing in a innings of the same duration. In the second over, he cleared his front leg to strike a length ball from Wright dead straight for six and in his next over played the most effortless flick off his legs that sailed into the seats over square leg.

James Taylor provided the mainstay of the innings. Albeit in less-than-fluent fashion. He nudged six of his first seven balls from spinners back up the wicket before playing an ungainly reverse sweep that was mistimed. He couldn't even get a bat on a free-hit from Javed and took 29 balls to reach just 11. But when pace came back on the ball with the reintroduction of Rankin, Taylor went across his stumps three times in succession to flick leg side sixes - the second a top-edge over fine leg - as 19 came from the 14th over to inject some impetus back into the innings. But they were his final boundaries and he eventually holed out to deep midwicket in the final over.

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Cook's captaincy future on the line

Alastair Cook's qualities as England captain have been widely debated. England's five-Test series against India is about to determine his future

Chappell: Difficult for Cook to improve in some areas

Amid all the advice and criticism heaped towards Alastair Cook in recent weeks, one truism has shone out: he needs to score more runs if he is to be an effective captain of England.

Cook may never be a Churchillian orator or a Napoleonic strategist. He may never shock or inspire with his words or his tactics.

But leadership comes in many forms. And the Cook who scored back-to-back centuries in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the Cook who insisted that Kevin Pietersen was recalled at the end of 2012, the Cook who made seven centuries in his first 11 Tests as captain and the Cook who won nine and lost only one of his first 15 Tests as captain, did inspire and lift his team.

He might not offer genius, but he does offer hard work, commitment and determination. He led by example.

Whether such qualities are enough to succeed at this level remains to be seen. Indeed, the next seven weeks may define Cook's rein as captain; if England lose, it is hard to see how he can continue in the role.

But Cook's successes as captain seem to have been air-brushed out of history in recent times. To win in India, particularly having been a Test down, is a fine achievement. And, less than a year ago, he led England to a 3-0 Ashes victory. The complacency with which that result was greeted now seems incredible.

He has obvious limitations. His inability to find a solution to the Pietersen dilemma has not only weakened his side, but instigated a saga that continues to weigh him down. Equally he has struggled to integrate some characters - the likes of Nick Compton, Simon Kerrigan and Boyd Rankin - into a set-up that, if it were a little more hospitable, might coax the best out of more players.

But most of the criticism he has attracted has been for more mundane factors. It has been for his conservative field placings and safety-first declarations. It has been for a continuation of the tactics employed by Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower in taking England to No. 1 in the Test rankings and factors that constitute a relatively small fraction of the role of captain.

He knows he has to improve. He knows that his seamers will have to be utilised in shorter spells if they are to remain effective. He knows he has to find a way to cope without Graeme Swann's control and he knows there may be times when he has to be more inventive in the field.

But many of his faults have been exaggerated. While England certainly did not cover themselves in glory at Leeds, Shane Warne's suggestion that Cook's leadership was the worst he had seen in 25 years was hyperbole. In that period, we have seen captains urge players to underperform for money and to manipulate games for a leather jacket. In the grand scheme of things, Cook's decision to persist with a deep extra cover rather than a third slip does not amount to much.

Cook does not necessarily have to change his attritional style. It worked for Strauss and, if it comes naturally to Cook, it is better he sticks with it rather than trying to reinvent himself as an aggressive, risk-taker. It is just not his way and, in truth, it has rarely been the England way.

Besides, Cook was let down by his senior players as much as his own decision making against Sri Lanka. Many of the tactical failings for which he has been blamed would have been masked if his seamers had bowled fuller and his wicketkeeper taken a couple of chances. The fact that four players have registered centuries in their second Tests in recent months might even suggest that the team environment is improving.

It is hard to recall a time when England have had a captain that has not attracted an almost unbearable amount of criticism. Certainly Andrew Strauss, who even with his team at No. 1 in the Test ratings, faced calls to step down, knows how Cook is feeling. So does Mike Gatting, whose side won none of his final 14 Test in charge.

Even the best of recent vintage such as Mike Brearley, whose Test batting average of 22.88 would have seen him under immense pressure in the modern era, and Michael Vaughan, who was captain when England lost the 2007 series against India, had to deal with similar issues at one stage or another. Like the manager of the England football team, it is becoming a job in which it is impossible to please.

But, in the short term, the fact remains that many of the problems Cook currently faces will fade away if he can only rediscover his form with the bat. Without a century in 24 innings and averaging only 25.04 in that time, Cook knows he is not pulling his weight at a batsman. With little tactical acumen to compensate, that weakness is exacerbated.

There is no reason to suspect his dip in form - prolonged though it is - should be terminal. Anyone capable of making 25 Test centuries by the age of 28 has proved they are an exceptional player and, aged 29 now, the best may be ahead of him. The suggestion that bowlers have only just started testing him outside off stump seems naïve; it was always the default angle of attack.

"I'm desperately keen to lead from the front," Cook said on the eve of the Trent Bridge Test. "I know how important it is at the top of the order to do that.

"I'm in there because I'm one of the top six batters in the country. My job is to score the runs and set up the game for England. It doesn't matter whether you're captain or not.

"I haven't been doing that over the last year or so and no one is keener than me to put that right. I've worked very hard over the last 10 days. I've just got to make sure my mind is totally clear so that when I go out there I can concentrate on the most important thing, which is that ball coming down."

The India management, to their immense credit, have not sought to capitalise on Cook's difficulties. After the coach, Duncan Fletcher, backed him to recover his form at the start of tour media conference, their captain, MS Dhoni, utilised his pre-series media conference to urge Cook to ignore the criticism.

But other critics will be relentless and Cook admitted that he had required a "thick skin" in recent weeks. But he also reiterated his determination not to step down from the role whatever happens in the next 42 days.

"You have to be determined and stick to your guns. We all know you are judged on results and results have not been good enough. If we turn it round and win games of cricket things will be different.

"I'm incredibly proud to be England captain. I have thrown everything into it and continue to. Until that day the selectors decide I'm not the right man for the job I will continue to. It is a huge honour to do this and I can go to sleep knowing that I've thrown everything I've got into it."

Cook's hard work and determination have never been in doubt. The next seven weeks may well determine whether they are enough.

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ECB profit could be England's loss

The visit of India will swell the coffers of English cricket but there could be a greater cost in the long term

'Getting Kohli in early is key' - Broad

Cricket is no longer measured in terms of victories and defeats. Not predominantly, anyway. It is measured in terms of profit and loss.

How else could it come to pass that two middle-ranking Test teams would come to carve up the management of the cricket world? How else could it come to pass that, while the 2012 series between South Africa and England to decide the No. 1 Test spot was played over just three Tests, the world's fourth- and fifth-rated sides will now contest a five-match series in the space of 42 days? How else could it come to pass that the same business plan that has earned the ECB more money than ever before is also responsible for hindering the ability of its team to compete at their optimum level?

It is because cricket in England is about money, not merit.

The summer of 2014 will earn the ECB more money than any that has preceded it. Such is the value of the television audience that India generates, the season will earn even more than 2013, when England hosted an Ashes series and a Champions Trophy. That is despite one side having not won in eight successive Tests and the other having not won away in more than three years. If this were a boat race, you might expect both sides to sink.

There are many positive aspects of the ECB's wealth. It has allowed them to retain the services of their best players despite the threat of T20 leagues. It has allowed them to retain an army of support staff so large that, at times, they outnumber the playing squad. It has allowed the ECB to lead the world in the funding of disability cricket and to bring a new level of professionalism to women's cricket. It has allowed them to spend heavily on grass-roots cricket; building new facilities at clubs around the country and ensuring the continued existence of the 18-county domestic game.

But it also comes at a cost. By squeezing so many Tests into such a short window, the ECB is giving England's leading pace bowlers - the same bowlers that present the best chance of victory - little possibility of performing at their best. And, in the longer term, it risks those players in greatest demand leaving the game prematurely through burn-out (Jonathan Trott) or injury (Graeme Swann). In 2015, those players - and coaches - involved in all formats will spend around 300 days in hotels. Too much is asked of them.

Equally, the desire - an admirable desire - to ensure as little time off the pitch as possible has seen new drainage installed at most grounds. That has led not just to quick-drying outfields, but quick-drying pitches. The days of green seamers are largely gone and, with them, England's home advantage. India may not have realised it yet, but the pitches in this series may help their spinners more than England's seamers.

Across English cricket, decisions are taken which bring short-term financial gain but will cost in the longer term. From selling all live TV rights to a subscription broadcaster, to diluting the value of the Ashes by playing too many limited-overs series against Australia, the ECB is risking the long-term health of the game while claiming it is earning more than ever before. The administrators need to understand that sport, like schools and hospitals, cannot be judged purely on the bottom line.

Eventually there is a danger that, if England continue to play on low, slow wickets, if they continue to play jaded cricket, if they continue to be absent from free-to-air TV, if they continue to lose and play the same opposition, the value of broadcast rights and ticket sales will diminish. But, by then, the current management will have moved on and will be able to look back and say that all was okay on their watch.

They were points touched upon, albeit gently, by Stuart Broad as he looked ahead to the Test series. Broad, who looked weary by the end of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, expressed his concern at the schedule and the grounds' new drainage.

	"If the pitches are dry, I think India will be licking their lips with the two spinners, won't they?" Stuart Broad

"Back-to-back Test cricket does really tire you out," Broad said. "This schedule's got five Test matches in the space of probably three, so it is pretty hectic. We will have to look after our bodies, big time. Part of the reason we had a camp last week was to get a lot of cricket work in before the series started. Once we get underway there's just no training time really.

"The clubs have all spent huge money on all these drainage systems to make sure we can get out on the field. But I don't know how much research was done into what they do to the pitches. I know our players, three or four years ago, brought the theory up that they were making the wickets too dry, too early and it is quite hard to keep bounce in the wickets now unless you leave them really green, which Test match wickets just don't do.

"So it is a bit of an issue we're suffering, with pitches bouncing three or four times to the keeper. I think Test wickets should be flat, no doubt, because the crowds want to come and see runs scored. But if you catch the edge of a batsman it's got to carry to the keeper and the slips, that's the number one rule.

"It didn't happen at Lord's and Headingley. They turned out to be really slow and both really should have been draw wickets. It will be interesting to see how this series plays out. But, if they're dry, I think India will be licking their lips with the two spinners, won't they?"

It seems they may not. Perhaps influenced by Duncan Fletcher's previous experience of English pitches - which might prove to be somewhat dated - it seems India may select a side bursting with seamers and with only one spinner.

In the short term, England may retain the seam-bowling depth to defeat an India side who have not won a single Test away since June 2011. In the longer term, if they really want to enjoy a sustained period among the best teams in the world, they need the ECB to devise a new business plan that looks to the benefit of the whole game, not just the bottom line.

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Claydon takes five as 15 wickets fall

Kent 106 for 5 trail Leicestershire 217 (Robson 56, Claydon 5-77) by 111 runs
Scorecard

Mitchell Claydon claimed his best figures for Kent as Leicestershire were bowled out for 217 on a day when 15 wickets fell at Grace Road. Bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire hit back by taking five wickets in the final session to leave Kent on 106 for 5 at the close, still 111 runs behind.

It was certainly a day for the seam bowlers, with Claydon taking 5 for 77 in 21 overs before Leicestershire's attack put them back into contention as they seek their first Championship win of the season.

Rob Key and Daniel Bell-Drummond put on 40 for Kent before five wickets fell for 54 runs in 22 overs. The departure of Key began the collapse, with the Kent captain popping up a simple catch to midwicket off Charlie Shreck. Bell-Drummond was then trapped lbw by Ben Raine and Ben Harmison dismissed in similar fashion by Rob Taylor.

Brendan Nash chopped a ball from Nathan Buck back into his stumps and when Sam Northeast was brilliantly caught at slip by Greg Smith off Shreck, Kent were in disarray at 94 for 5 but Darren Stevens and Adam Ball saw them through to stumps.

On a green-looking pitch, Key had no hesitation in bowling first after calling correctly. And the morning session proved eventful and entertaining with 126 runs, five wickets and 22 boundaries.

The first ball of the day set the tone, with a delivery from Claydon thudding into the pads of Smith. But Indian umpire Anil Chaudhray, taking part in an exchange scheme, turned down the concerted appeal.

There was certainly enough in the pitch to keep the bowlers interested, but they were also helped by the shot selection of the Leicestershire batsmen, who seemed to be stuck in Twenty20 mode. It was almost a shot a ball at times and the boundaries flowed as regularly as the wickets fell, and by lunch Claydon had taken four for 47 in 13 overs.

Smith was caught behind off a loose drive for 16, all his runs coming in boundaries, Ned Eckersley edged a lifter, Josh Cobb nicked one to slip and Angus Robson top-edged an intended hook to give Billings his third catch. But by then Robson, younger brother of England opener Sam, had posted his eighth half-century of the season from 58 balls with 10 fours.

In between all that, Dan Redfern was brilliantly caught at mid-wicket by Bell-Drummond as he tried to pull a short ball from Stevens.

Claydon bagged his fifth wicket when he pinned Niall O'Brien lbw and it needed an eighth-wicket partnership of 54 - the biggest of the match so far - between Taylor and Jigar Naik to take Leicestershire past 200 for a batting point before Charlie Hartley picked up the last two wickets.

Leicestershire coach Ben Smith was not impressed with his side's batting and said. "I did not think there was much wrong with the pitch. It was a mixture of their bowlers putting the ball in good areas and our batters not showing the discipline needed for four-day cricket."

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Ansari heightens Surrey's persona

Surrey 400 for 5 (Ansari 112, Burns 97) lead Glamorgan 232 by 168 runs
Scorecard

Why do people dislike Surrey? Money and metropolitan envy might have something to do with it but there is surely little of which one can disapprove about their cricket at present. Gary Wilson's team went into this match against Glamorgan 20 points ahead of their opponents having played one game more; both counties have realistic promotion ambitions. Yet there is no doubt which has looked the stronger side in two days of mostly high clouds and high spirits on the North Wales coast.

The difference in the approach of the teams' batsmen has been particularly noticeable and it was epitomised on Monday by the slight yet substantial figure of Zafar Ansari. Whereas the Glamorgan batsmen had been more content to throw their bats and take their chances, Ansari preferred care and orthodoxy as he anchored his team towards a substantial first innings lead.

Beginning the day on 55 not out, Ansari, the 23-year-old Cambridge graduate, had faced 267 balls and batted for 339 minutes when a Will Owen misfield allowed him to scamper the two extra runs he needed to reach his second Championship century of the season. Ansari reached that landmark in mid-afternoon, by which time he had seen four partners dismissed, but the tempi of other batsmen's innings mattered little to him.

Rory Burns, for example, had faced 166 balls and was three runs short of his own century when he top-edged an attempted pull off Ruaidhri Smith to Jacques Rudolph at mid-off. That mid-morning reverse ended a first-wicket stand of 182 but it only brought in Arun Harinath who almost immediately began to score at a run a ball, hitting Dean Cosker straight for six and then sweeping the slow left-armer almost indecently.

Ansari looked on, chatted in mid-wicket and then returned to his own cocoon of concentration. In short, he batted with all the judgement and discrimination one would expect of a cricketer whose favourite television show is The West Wing.

Harinath, on the other hand, played as if intent on proving that there was far more to his game than his self-denying vigil at Chelmsford in May had shown. On that treasured occasion, he faced 231 balls in making 63; context is everything, of course, but against Glamorgan Harinath took 149 balls fewer to plunder 60 runs off an attack which buckled down rather more impressively than the home batsmen had managed.

The undisputed leader of Glamorgan's bowling cohort was Michael Hogan who had the left-handed Harinath taken at slip by Rudolph with the new ball before immediately inflicting the same fate on the right-handed Solanki, who pushed tentatively at his first delivery but could only edge it to third slip where Chris Cooke took a fine two-handed diving catch.

That fine piece of pace bowling left Surrey still prosperously-placed on 270 for 4 and a further 46 had been added, 37 of them in 47 balls by Steven Davies when the visitors' No. 5 played across a straight ball from Allenby. Still Ansari pushed, deflected and occasionally drove his way on.

Indeed, it took meteorology to remove him, albeit not permanently. It happened like this. On the first day of this game the wind turbines in Ormes Bay had been still as figures on a semaphore chart; by Monday morning they were waving like demented umpires in the latter stages of a T20 innings. At 3.15pm the breezes gusted a shower from the West and umpires Jeff Evans and Peter Willey made to depart. "Get on with it!" a bloke in the crowd yelled, as the rain briefly abated. The officials remained. "Oggy, oggy, oggy!" roared another chap helpfully, although whether he was in pain or ecstasy was unclear. No matter. The shower organised itself and 16 overs were trimmed from the day.

When the batsman returned Ansari added only six more runs, taking his tally to a career-best 112 before he chopped Allenby on to his stumps. But there was still enough time prior to a final shower for Roy to take heavy toll of both Smith and Owen in reaching a 55-ball fifty. By then, perhaps, Ansari was enjoying a well-earned shower and reflecting on another good day in what is proving to be an important summer for him.

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Last-wicket Hants repair after Norwell four

Hampshire 251 for 9 (Smith 45, Norwell 4-87) v Gloucestershire
Scorecard

Hampshire's last-wicket pair of James Tomlinson and David Balcombe repaired a middle-order collapse to thwart Gloucestershire on a day of fluctuating fortunes.

Hampshire raced to 69 for 1 and then 144 for 2 after being put in, only for Liam Norwell to induce a slide in which Hampshire lost seven wickets for 38 in 12.1 overs.

Norwell took four quick wickets with his medium pace before Tomlinson and Balcombe, not renowned as batsmen, came together in an unbroken stand of 69 for the last wicket as Gloucestershire ran out of ideas.

At the close, delayed by rain earlier in the day, second-placed Hampshire had made 251 for 9 from 80 overs with Tomlinson 33 not out and Balcombe unbeaten with 38, leaving Gloucestershire a chance to reflect on why they had been unable to finish off their good work on a helpful pitch.

The rain wiped out the entire first session, meaning play did not start until 1.10pm after an early lunch. Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman noted the green tinge to the wicket and the Ageas Bowl's reputation for aiding the bowlers and chose to field first.

Gidman must have starting to regret his decision quickly as Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams put on 69 in 21.4 overs for the first wicket without alarms. Benny Howell and wicketkeeper Adam Rouse, both former Hampshire players, combined to break the partnership when Carberry was caught by Rouse attempting leave.

Hampshire showed no signs of being slowed by the England batsman's dismissal as Adams and Will Smith took the score to 98 before Will Gidman got Adams to edge to Rouse.

At tea, Hampshire were in a dominant position at 106 for 2 with Smith and James Vince well set but the turning point came at 144 in the 50th over when Vince, who had struck five fours in his 25, was leg before to Norwell.

The Hampshire batting quickly subsided in his wake as Norwell bowled Smith for 45 and in rapid, unseemly succession Sean Ervine, Joe Gatting, Adam Wheater, Danny Briggs and Kyle Abbott all fell, six wickets going down for 25 in nine tempestuous overs.

Ervine gave Iain Cockbain a catch at short leg, Tom Smith deceived Gatting and Wheater edged Norwell to Cockbain at second slip. Briggs went to another slip catch by Chris Dent and Will Gidman returned to dismiss Abbott in identical fashion.

At 182 for 9, Hampshire were in disarray and the end looked close as Balcombe was joined at the crease by Tomlinson. Viewed as an old-fashioned No. 11, Tomlinson nevertheless put on 60 with Briggs against Surrey last time out and he and Balcombe defied Gloucestershire despite the many bowling changes made in a frantic last 18 overs of the day by Alex Gidman.

Neither batsman looked in any trouble as they complied their face-saving partnership and at the close Tomlinson was nine runs short of a career-best while Balcombe struck Norwell for successive boundaries on the way to his best score of the season.

Norwell finished the day with figures of 4 for 87 but they might have been better had it not been for the defiance of the last-wicket pair who plundered runs from him as play drifted beyond 7pm and the attack visibly tired.

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Fletcher, bowlers help WI draw level

West Indies 165 for 6 (Fletcher 62, Simmons 36) beat New Zealand 126 (Williamson 37, Cottrell 3-28) by 39 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Following their demoralising Test series defeat, West Indies found solace in the format they relish the most by squaring the T20s 1-1 with an all-round performance in Roseau. West Indies were guilty of not putting enough runs on the board on Saturday, but they addressed that issue by posting a competitive 165 in an uninterrupted innings. Their bowlers choked New Zealand, with the spinners and medium-pacers proving difficult to hit. Never at any stage did New Zealand pose a threat and the lack of lasting partnerships led to their downfall.

Unlike on Saturday, when West Indies struggled to gain traction either side of a rain interruption, the batsmen found momentum via a solid second-wicket of stand of 66 between Andre Fletcher and Lendl Simmons and in the last five overs, when 56 were scored. Simmons described the pitch as one with tennis-ball bounce, with a few balls stopping on the batsmen, but West Indies saw through an edgy beginning and ensured they kept wickets intact for a late surge.

Fletcher was lucky to survive early in his innings when he set off for a single from the non-striker's end and was sent back by Simmons; Fletcher had given up but the bowler Trent Boult missed the mark. After that, Fletcher charged down the track to the seamers and targeted the straighter boundaries Simmons regularly shuffled across his stumps to target fine leg and third man.

Given how the batsmen struggled on Saturday, the pair showed greater intent to get on with it. Simmons moved across his stumps to Corey Anderson and scooped it for six over fine leg and in the same over, played a glorious extra cover drive. Anderson had the last laugh against Simmons when he caught him at long-on. Anderson caught the ball and threw it up as he back-pedalled outside the boundary but managed to jog back in and take it on the second attempt.

Boult came up with a more spectacular effort later in the innings when he had Pollard caught at deep midwicket. He plucked it one-handed, threw it up and caught the ball again with a full-length dive from outside the boundary. Those two postcard moments were the only takeaways for New Zealand in the match. Their slower bowlers, Ish Sodhi and Kane Williamson couldn't impose themselves in the manner in which Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine managed later on.

In the first ODI, West Indies managed only a paltry 6.80 in the last five overs but a day later, they cranked it up to 11.20. Fletcher sped towards his third T20 fifty with a scooped six over long-off. He was yorked by Boult for 62 but his exit didn't slow down West Indies as Darren Sammy and Andre Russell took the score past 160.

New Zealand decided to rotate the captaincy by putting Williamson in charge and although he top-scored, he failed to anchor the innings. Brendon McCullum swung his bat around but his soft dismissal increased the pressure on Williamson. New Zealand's other power hitters, Jimmy Neesham and Anderson didn't make an impact. Narine and Badree applied the stranglehold by not going for more than five an over.

New Zealand needed a massive 91 off the last ten but even at that stage, they still had three more Narine overs to contend with. They also had the awkward slower balls from Pollard to negotiate, and with every desperate swing and a miss from the middle and lower order, the asking rate climbed. Sheldon Cottrell, brought in for this game, got the in-form Neesham early to give West Indies the first advantage and there was no looking back.

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Ireland strikes in astonishing final over

Leicestershire 144 for 5 (Smith 65*) beat Derbyshire 143 (Durston 89, Ireland 5-22) by five wickets
Scorecard

Anthony Ireland starred in an extraordinary final over which involved a banned bowler and the fall of four wickets to set up Leicestershire's victory at Queen's Park.

Ireland's 5 for 22 beat his previous best figures of 4 for 11, also against Derbyshire - but he might never have bowled the over - or at least part of it.

Three of Ireland's wicket, plus a run out, came in the last over after Charlie Shreck had been ordered out of the attack for bowling his second full toss above waist height.

Derbyshire's dismal NatWest T20 Blast campaign continued when they lost to Leicestershire for the second time this season to remain rooted to the foot of the North Division.

Wes Durston blazed 89 from 63 balls, the fourth highest individual score for Derbyshire in the competition, but Marcus North was the only other batsman to reach double figures in a below-par total of 143.

Leicestershire lost their openers cheaply but Greg Smith settled any nerves with a unbeaten 65 from 56 balls to guide his team to their third victory of the season with four balls to spare.

The Foxes' decision to put the Falcons in on a white pitch was rewarded when Ireland struck twice in his first two overs, with Chesney Hughes losing his middle stump to an inside edge and Gareth Cross missing a drive.

Derbyshire's position would have been even worse if Ben Raine had not spilled a low catch when Durston clipped Shreck low to mid-wicket with 39 on the board, and he made them pay by driving and pulling his way to 50 off 33 balls.

Wayne Madsen was lbw reverse-sweeping Scott Styris, who combined with Jigar Naik to concede only 45 runs in eight overs despite Durston swinging a full toss from the New Zealander into the crowd behind the mid-wicket boundary.

Durston and North added 56 in nine overs, but Derbyshire could not break free and Naik held a low return catch to remove North before Durston's fine innings ended when he drove Raine to long-off.

That sparked the disintegration of the innings in bizarre fashion as Ireland took full advantage of Shreck's misfortune by taking three wickets in four balls as Derbyshire lost their last four in five for two runs, Mark Turner run out off the last ball.

It left Leicestershire a relatively easy chase on a small ground but they lost Niall O'Brien in the third over when he drove North low to short extra cover and after pulling Chesney Hughes for six, Josh Cobb top-edged a cut to Alex Hughes at cover.

At 39 for two, Derbyshire sensed an opening but Smith and Eckersley mixed placement with aggression to leave their side needing 69 from the last 10 overs.

The pair added 52 in seven overs before Eckersley needlessly skied a big drive at North to long-on, where Alex Hughes made no mistake.

Smith and Matthew Boyce took the visitors to within 24 of their target before Boyce swung Durston into the hands of deep mid-wicket.

But Smith completed a well-paced 50 from 48 balls and although Styris pulled the first ball of the final over to deep mid-wicket, it was too late for Derbyshire.

Ireland said: ``I didn't expect to be bowling the last over when Charlie Shreck started it but that's what can happen. It was a good performance and Greg has been in good form for us with the bat this year so it was nice to see him get us over the line at the end.''

Derbyshire skipper Madsen rued the calamitous end to his side's innings - as well as the last-over drama, they lost Durston to the last delivery of the 19th and Scott Elstone two balls before that.

Madsen said: ``I felt we were probably 10 or 15 short. Wes played brilliantly but we weren't able to get those extra runs at the back end. I thought we bowled really well in the first six overs but ultimately we were short, another 15 runs and we would have won today.''

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