Cowan keen on just batting long

There are plenty of professional cricketers who live with their heads in the sand. Most followers of the game would argue that the well-rounded Ed Cowan is not one of them. But Cowan has forced such a mindset upon himself since becoming a Test cricketer, trying his best to ignore criticism from past players and journalists, avoiding Twitter and the often mindless condemnation that it facilitates between player and spectator. It is his self-imposed head-in-the-sand approach.

Cowan's critics have been many and varied. Ian Chappell has regularly argued for Shane Watson and David Warner to be reunited as Australia's opening pair, and Shane Warne also left Cowan out of the preferred Ashes XI he published this week. After scoring a gritty 86 from 238 deliveries against India in Mohali, a strong effort considering Australia's batting struggles in this series, Cowan was asked if he could see himself changing the mind of people like Chappell.

"I'm going to have to score a hell of a lot of runs before that happens," Cowan said. "One of the things with Test cricket is you work out pretty quickly that everyone has got an opinion, everyone is entitled to an opinion. Often it's not the same opinion as what you have. I've taken a bit of a head-in-the-sand approach in relation to guys when they pick a team and you're not in it. So be it. I've got the opportunity now and it's important for the team now that I keep playing more innings like today.

"I'm the first to put my hand up and say I haven't been good enough in terms of making sure those 50, 60-ball innings become 180, 200-ball innings. That's one area where I can really kick on and if I can turn a few more of those starts into long innings then I don't really mind what Ian Chappell has to say. But I doubt that I'll ever see myself in his team."

After Cowan scored his first Test century against South Africa at the Gabba, Chappell said he was impressed by the attacking mindset Cowan had shown at times during the innings. In India, Cowan has discovered that his best approach is to occupy time and force India's bowlers to work out other ways to get him out, and by surviving for so long in the first innings in Mohali he ensured the rest of the batsmen had something to work with.

That Australia finished the second day in another shaky position at 273 for 7 was not the fault of Cowan. He and David Warner provided Australia with a very solid platform, a 139-run opening partnership that was their second-highest in Tests. Their partnership average is now 48.07, which by Australian standards is above par for an opening pair. By comparison, David Boon and Geoff Marsh averaged 46.77, Bill Lawry and Keith Stackpole averaged 44.89 and Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer aren't that far ahead at 51.88.

Personally, Cowan still wants to see his big innings' getting even bigger. He still has only one century, but his role in Australia's team of stroke-players is that of anchor. There were plenty of jokes about Cowan's so-called homework task for the coach Mickey Arthur during the week - it would win the Nobel Peace Prize, one theory went - but the truth is his personal goals were pretty simple.

"What I said to Mickey was I want to be accountable to bat a long period of time and I put a figure on that which is between me and Mickey," Cowan said. "My personal accountability is to bat a long time. I didn't bat for as long as I would have liked but I felt I did fairly well today.

"For me, today wasn't about runs, it was about time and soaking up balls and soaking up pressure. It felt like that's what the team needed in this particular game considering what has happened the last two. At no stage did I think, I'm getting close to a hundred. I wasn't even looking at the scoreboard, I was looking at the clock on the other side of the ground saying 'c'mon mate, just get to drinks or change of bowler, get through the next break'.

"It didn't bother me that I didn't score a hundred, I was happy that I faced 238 balls. Deep down, I would have loved it to be 350 balls and if I faced that many balls I would have been a hundred. But that wasn't the focus for me. The word contentment is pretty apt in that circumstance. Up against the wall in terms of the way the series has gone, I was happy I could contribute."

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Pune stadium to remain Warriors' host

Pune Warriors' IPL 2013 home matches will be held at the stadium at Gahunje on the outskirts of the city it has been confirmed, despite the ongoing dispute between the Sahara Group - which owns the Warriors franchise - and the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) over the title rights of the stadium. The BCCI working committee was informed at a meeting in Mumbai on Friday that the Warriors' owners and the MCA have agreed to put their legal tussle on hold for the duration of the IPL's sixth edition, to be played from April 3 to May 26.

"Both the parties have agreed to move a joint application to the court saying the blacked out name [of the stadium] be reinstated only from the first till the last day of the IPL. If the dispute isn't resolved in that window, status quo will be reinstated," a BCCI insider said. "So the stadium is set to be recognised as the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium during the IPL".

In January, the MCA had terminated its agreement with the Sahara Group regarding the title rights of the stadium for alleged non-payment. Once the MCA covered the name of the stadium with a black cloth, Sahara moved the Bombay High Court alleging unlawful breach of agreement. Since then, there was uncertainty over where Warriors would play their home games.

IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla initiated the truce last week, by getting Abhijit Sarkar, director of Sahara Adventure Sports Ltd, and Ajay Shirke, president of the MCA, to discuss the issue. That meeting culminated in both the parties agreeing to commit to a workable arrangement two days ago.

The BCCI working committee was also informed that the dispute between the Hyderabad Cricket Association and Visaka Group over in-stadia advertisements at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium had been "amicably" resolved. "Everyone is glad that all the riddles regarding IPL venues are over. Now we are looking forward to the tournament to get underway with a glittering opening ceremony," the BCCI insider said.

At the meeting, the working committee also discussed how the notice from the income tax department regarding an outstanding bill of Rs 2,300 crore (approx USD433m) should be dealt with. Treasurer Ajay Shirke, who was handed the responsibility of coming up with suggestions during the last working committee meeting, on February 4 in Chennai, presented "three options" to the working committee. "It was left to the president [N Srinivasan] and the secretary [Sanjay Jagdale] to finalise the future course of action," the insider said.

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Steyn available for English T20

Dale Steyn, the South Africa fast bowler who tops the world Test rankings, is available to play Twenty20 cricket this summer after the end of the Champions Trophy.

Warwickshire were offered first refusal for Steyn, who enjoyed a successful stint at Edgbaston in 2007, but they have chosen not to go ahead, leaving the way open for other counties to consider the option.

At a time when England's FLt20 tournament is under pressure to match the appeal of more hyped tournaments elsewhere, and when an ECB committee is considering how a relaunched tournament next season can succeed, the thought of Steyn not being snapped up is hard to imagine.

But Steyn's lofty salary expectations were a factor for Warwickshire and he could be deemed unaffordable by the few other counties who have yet to sign the maximum number of two overseas players for the competition.

Finances are tight at Edgbaston. The club recently negotiated a freeze in their repayment plan with the council and saw a naming-rights deal - also with Birmingham City Council - collapse at the last moment.

Warwickshire also have a policy of fielding just one overseas player in the T20. The club have already committed themselves to New Zealand's offspinner Jeetan Patel for the entire season and contended that signing Steyn for a short period could disrupt the dressing room and reduce the opportunities for homegrown players.

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NZ follow-on after Broad's six

Tea New Zealand 254 (McCullum 69, Watling 60, Broad 6-51) trail England 465 by 211 runs.
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Stuart Broad, looking sharp and contented again, ripped out New Zealand's tail to finish with six wickets and secure a first-innings lead of 211 for England by tea on the third day of the second Test. Alastair Cook faced a tricky decision about whether to enforce the follow-on. He opted to put New Zealand in again and an unsettled weather forecast, particularly on the final day, must have been a decisive factor.

Broad finished with 6 for 51, his third-best figures in his Test career. His pace was around 135kph, but his control was immaculate and there was a zing in everything he did. This was Broad Total, exploring the cavities in New Zealand's batting line-up and freshening the air with optimism. He was a walking advertisement for the benefits of England's rotation policy and they will be desperate that his mood persists throughout back-to-back Ashes series.

Brendon McCullum was the key wicket for England, dismissed for 69 from 94 balls, forcing Steven Finn off the back foot and offering a comfortable catch to Jonathan Trott at second slip. In a Test distinguished by fine counter-attacking cricket by two excellent wicketkeeper-batsmen, McCullum had played just as pugnaciously as Matt Prior had for England on the second day.

New Zealand still needed 77 to avoid the follow-on with four wickets remaining when McCullum fell, and Tim Southee soon followed, unwisely hooking at Steven Finn with two fielders back for the shot.

Watling had been very much the junior partner in a stand of 100 in 31 overs which dragged New Zealand from the depths of 89 for 5. While McCullum had bristled against the quicks, Watling's put up passive resistance against Monty Panesar's accurate but unthreatening left-arm spin. But when McCullum departed, Watling played with more initiative to keep New Zealand's innings alive.

Dropped by Jonathan Trott on 21, a low chance at second slip, he reached 60 before he edged Broad to the wicketkeeper. Neil Wagner became Broad's fifth victim, caught at the wicket for nought, and New Zealand were 12 short when Broad's bouncer befuddled Trent Boult, but confused Panesar at mid-on even more. Broad, unusually when things go wrong, saw fit to smile and defeated Boult's haymaker with his next delivery to end the innings.

Basin Reserve was full for a Test, the first time that had happened in New Zealand for several years. It helps when the capacity is only around 11,000 and there are several thousand England supporters in town to help persuade the locals that there is a game on worth watching.

Packed to the brim, the ground had a more intimate atmosphere than ever. The strong second-day breeze had also lessened, adding to the convivial feel as spectators strolled around the pathway . But New Zealand supporters only had to glance at the scoreboard for this sense of well-being to depart.

New Zealand, 66 for 3 overnight, needed another 200 to avoid the follow-on. They had produced much to admire on the second day, only to find themselves well behind the game by the close. They were even further behind the game at 89 for 5 when Kane Williamson and Dean Brownlie fell in the first half hour.

Broad was given an immediate opportunity after his wickets of Hamish Rutherford and Ross Taylor had allowed England to finish the second day on a high. Williamson looked well drilled, at 22 a decent batsman in the making, but fell to a sharp reaction catch in his follow-through by Broad, who clung on around chest high and looked delighted at the realisation that the ball was nestling in his hand.

Three balls later, Brownlie followed. He is a fine back-foot player, but there is a length to ball to Brownlie, as South Africa can also testify after New Zealand's recent tour, a length when he routinely plays back when he would be better forward. Anderson found it, and found some reverse inswing to defeat his defensive shot.

Asad Rauf's lbw decision was marginal because the ball had struck Brownlie just above the roll, and the batsman opted for a review, only for DRS to conclude that the ball would have clipped the top of middle.

It would have been 95 for 6 if Cook had not been such a conservative captain. Evidence of this match suggest that McCullum, his opposite number, would have posted a third slip to Anderson when Watling edged at inviting height, but Cook did not and the ball scooted away to the third man boundary.

McCullum's solution soon became evident. Beaten on the outside edge by Broad, he crashed his next ball for four and then hooked him for six. The pressure built by Panesar at one end was released by Finn at the other. McCullum took advantage and reverse swept Joe Root to reach his fifty shortly before the interval.

Anderson 's strenuous efforts after lunch went unrewarded. England lost a review for an lbw appeal against in the first over after lunch when McCullum was 56, chose not to review when Anderson came close again the following over and then watched Trott drop Watling. But Broad responded and England walked out to bowl again sensing victory.

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Brendan Taylor rues batting failure

Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe captain, rued his team's performance with the bat in the first Test in Barbados, where West Indies won comfortably by nine wickets. Several Zimbabwe batsmen, including Taylor, squandered starts in the first innings to post just 211 on the first day, and then collapsed in the second innings to be bowled out for 107.

"It was a tough Test, we let ourselves down in the first innings," Taylor said at the post-match presentation. "Getting just 200 was disappointing, had we got 300 it could have been a different game. Not a lot of positives in the game apart from Kyle Jarvis' bowling."

Five of the top six got starts in the first innings, but only three batsmen managed to reach double-figures in the second. Struggling at 41 for 3 at stumps at the end of the second day, Zimbabwe were bowled out in the morning session on the third. "We've got to find a way to combat their spin [Shane Shillingford] and three-pronged pace attack [Tino Best, Shannon Gabriel, and Kemar Roach]."

Jarvis picked up a five-for in the first innings, this after he had just two wickets to his name in the limited-overs matches prior to the Test series. "I am pleased for him," Taylor said. "It's nice to see him swinging the ball again."

Taylor admitted it didn't help that one of his strike bowlers, legspinner Graeme Cremer, proved expensive in the first innings, as Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, and Denesh Ramdin took him for runs. But he backed the bowler to fight back, and hoped for a better performance from the team in the next Test in Dominica. "We hear it spins more in Dominica, it'll be challenging."

Sammy praised his team for winning five Tests in a row, their first such achievement since 1988. His quickfire knock was a game-changing one and he said he'd been working with his batting coach Toby Ratford, who suggested a slight change to his grip. But the Man of the Match was offspinner Shillingford, who picked up nine wickets in the game, including six in the second innings, in what was his Test comeback. He played his previous Test in England in May 2012.

"I played a couple of games here during the first-class season and picked up wickets, I just gave it my all," Shillingford said. He has had an impressive first-class season, collecting 24 wickets for Windward Islands in three games at 15.25. "I tried to bowl a consistent line first up and then tried to spin the ball as much as possible."

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BCCI to meet about massive tax bill

Friday will be a busy day at the Cricket Centre - the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai - with a host of meetings lined up. The most important will be the working committee meeting to discuss the income tax department's recent notice, and there will also be an IPL-centric conference.

The tax authorities had slapped a Rs 2300 crore notice (approx. $433m) on the Indian board following a change in the BCCI's objectives. As a result, the income tax department has not only demanded tax from the income generated through commercial properties, primarily the IPL, but they have also demanded taxes from the affiliated units of the BCCI for the share of IPL profits distributed among them.

Following the notice, the BCCI in its working meeting on February 4 in Chennai, had formed a committee headed by treasurer Ajay Shirke to suggest the plan of action. With the financial year set to end on March 31, the deadline for the income tax notice, Shirke and his committee will present their suggestions to the working committee, which will then decide the course of action.

Meanwhile, Friday is also likely to see the end of suspense over the venue for Pune Warriors' home games. With the Sahara Group, owners of the franchise, and the Maharashtra Cricket Association, the staging association, involved in a legal dispute over the title rights of the stadium on the outskirts of Pune, Sahara have been reluctant to play their home games in Pune. With the sixth edition of the IPL set to get underway in less than three weeks from now, time is running out for the IPL top brass.

The IPL authorities are also likely finalise associate sponsors for the next five years. While Hero MotoCorp Ltd, who were associated with the tournament for the first five years, have announced their decision not to continue their association with the T20 extravaganza in the same manner, the IPL executives are hoping for at least five slots to be finalised.

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Swann surgery 'uncomplicated' - ECB

Graeme Swann is on course to return to action early in the English season after undergoing elbow surgery in the United States.

The ECB described the operation in Rochester, Minnesota, during which bone fragments were removed from the elbow, as "uncomplicated" and said Swann will now begin a six-eight week recovery period, which gives him a timescale of returning to cricket in May.

England's first internationals of the season are two Tests against New Zealand, the first of which begins on May 16, but the realistic aim for Swann would appear to be the Champions Trophy in June, which precedes the Ashes. A decision will need to be made over whether it would benefit him more to play first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire instead of ODIs.

Swann, 33, was ruled out of the current tour of New Zealand on the opening day of the series in Dunedin after it was decided he needed a second operation on his right elbow, which was previously dealt with in 2009. He had felt pain - to a greater degree than he has managed over the last four years - during the warm-up match in Queenstown and was sent for scans.

The ECB statement said: "England and Nottinghamshire offspinner Graeme Swann has undergone an uncomplicated operation on his right elbow to excise excess bone formation that had re-accumulated following his previous operation four years ago.

"Swann will now commence a six-eight week rehabilitation and back to bowling programme before returning to competitive cricket early in the summer."

The surgeon, Dr Shawn O'Driscoll, who earlier this year operated on Tim Bresnan's elbow, told the Guardian. "The operation went exactly as we had planned, and no complications have been experienced. So we're hoping it will be a routine rehabilitation programme and following that we'll be able to say better what his return to fitness will be."

Before heading home from New Zealand, where he spent a couple of days before travelling to the US, Swann was feeling positive about his prognosis and said that the problem did not feel as bad as when he had his first operation in 2009. "It doesn't seem anywhere near as dire as last time around when it was like a bomb had gone off in there."

Swann's recovery will involve being strapped into a machine that keeps his elbow moving constantly. Bresnan used the same process during his recent recovery and it was the part of the rehab Swann was not looking forward to after it "drove him around the bend" in 2009. If the reward is being fit for a potentially career-defining back-to-back Ashes campaign any sacrifice will be worth it.

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Prior takes England to 465

Tea England 465 (Trott 121, Compton 100, Prior 82, Pietersen 73, Martin 4-130) v New Zealand
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Put any score on the board, on any pitch, in any country and Matt Prior will find a reason to counter-attack. New Zealand fought back with bags on endeavour on the second day at Basin Reserve, but it all came to naught as Prior advanced his reputation as one of the most dangerous wicketkeeper batsmen the game has known.

Gilchrist, Dhoni, Prior. Those who have not watched Prior's career develop may scoff at the notion, but increasingly those names run together with ease. His list of selfless, attacking innings is swelling, his influence upon England has been recognised with elevation to the Test vice captaincy and he reeks of positivity

He fell shortly before tea, for 82 from 99 balls, denied a seventh Test century, which would have taken him only one behind England's most productive century-maker among England wicketkeepers, Les Ames, by Neil Wagner's springing catch to intercept a reverse sweep, denied it, too, by the recognition that England had no plans to bat beyond the interval.

Predictably, he peppered the boundary square on the off side for his fifty, but his range expanded after that. Barely a ball had disappeared down the ground throughout the series so when Prior despatched Wagner for straight sixes in successive overs it could not have summed up more resoundingly how he had changed the mood. On 46, he successfully reviewed umpire Asad Rauf's lbw verdict as he swept at Bruce Martin, replays revealing a thin under-edge.

New Zealand's pace bowlers had withstood a heavy workload - they are on their fifth new ball in less than a week with the prospect of a sixth to come - and however much Tim Southee, the senior member of the attack, insisted that their "bodies were recharged," they ultimately drained faster than an old Galaxy Ace.

Alongside Prior, the Watford Wall offered shelter. Steven Finn's nightwatchman heroics to save the Test in Dunedin had brought his batting new respect and he contributed 24 to a stand of 83 in 20 overs, unveiling a sturdy slog-sweep against the left-arm spin of Martin, before he drove Wagner into the off side.

New Zealand's four-strong attack shrugged off their onerous workload of the past week and struck back strongly on the second morning . Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Joe Root all succumbed as England, superior overnight at 267 for 2, leant heavily on Kevin Pietersen to reach lunch in reasonable order.

Pietersen has been variously ailing. Judging by the way he stretched gingerly after the loss of Root, the knee trouble which hampered him in Dunedin has now been joined by lower-back problems. He seems in the sort of state where he should not grip an autograph hunter's pen too tightly.

But there was danger in his vulnerable body and he reached 73 before he was goaded into hitting Martin down the ground and, even with a strong wind behind him, picked out Peter Fulton at mid-off, halfway back. Martin finished with 4 for 130 and a good deal of respect.

New Zealand had bowled 170 overs in the second innings in Dunedin in a valiant but failed attempt to force victory and had only two wickets to show for another 90 overs on the first day in Wellington. To respond to such adversity with such a disciplined session was an achievement for the New Zealand attack, especially as a buffeting, swirling wind was more in keeping with Wellington's reputation as the windiest city on earth.

If the first day had belonged to Nick Compton and Trott, century makers both, the Test soon left that stage behind. Compton had departed late on the opening day and Trott followed to his first ball of the morning, and the seventh of the day, when he feathered a catch to the wicketkeeper, BJ Watling, off the left-armer Trent Boult.

Southee began even more impressively, starting with three successive maidens as he found a hint of outswing, and extending that into an impressive nine-over spell. He had little luck as Bell's edge fell short of the slips and Pietersen top-edged a hook through the despairing fingers of the wicketkeeper, Watling. He spent a short time of the field because he was feeling sick and when he finished wicketless he must have been feeling sicker still.

England mustered only 17 in the first 10 overs. Pietersen responded to the arrival Martin by driving his first ball for six, but any ambitions that Martin would provide England with an outlet were also stymied. Only with lunch approaching did Pietersen seem to get Martin's measure.

Bell had an attack of the Ahmedabads. He had fallen first ball to the left-arm spinner, Pragyan Ojha in Ahmedabad, dancing down the pitch to try to loft him over the top in what smacked off a crazily preconceived plan. It was far from the first ball this time - he had batted for more than an hour - but the outcome was just the same as he failed to deposit Martin down the ground and Fulton ran back from mid-off to hold a neat, swirling catch.

Martin, tossing the ball high, found noticeably more turn than on the first day and he also unpicked Root, who tried to carve him through cover off the front foot and edged a turning delivery to slip. It was an ugly, misconceived shot and he stomped off with a farmer's gait. His start to international cricket has been something of a fairy story and disappointments such as this are inevitable.

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South Africa focus on improving yorkers

Barring their superior performance in the second Twenty20 of the tour, Pakistan have not given South Africa many lessons to learn. It is a Pakistani fast bowler, though, that South Africa bowling coach Allan Donald is holding up as an example to his charges, because he wants them to emulate his exemplary ability to endanger toes.

"It's Wasim Akram," Donald said in Centurion, where the team regrouped ahead of the second ODI on Friday. "We watched some footage of him the other day for the bowling group to understand what bowling yorkers is actually about.

"We want to become the best death-bowling unit in the world and we want to close games out while being under enormous pressure. With Wasim Akram you always knew when you faced him at the death that there was no hope. He moved the ball both ways and that's what we want to be: unpredictable, not just one dimensional."

Death bowling was identified as perhaps the only weakness of the South African attack after their series against New Zealand earlier this summer. They set New Zealand only 209 to win the first match, so an examination of their bowling there is probably unfair, but in the next two games South Africa's attack gave away 53 and 46 runs in the last five overs.

To prevent that happening again, Donald introduced a new goal in the Pakistan series. "Nailing yorkers is our No.1 priority," he said. "Not being able to bowl them often enough is what has let us down in the past, particularly when we are defending."

Instead of regular net sessions where bowlers send down a specific number of overs, Donald has set training up to concentrate on fuller lengths. He uses both newer and older balls to get bowlers to bowl deliveries that swing and reserve-swing, and he also recreates match situations. "We want to practice the specifics under pressure and so we are moving more into game scenarios and executing those then. We also video these sessions so the guys can have visual feedback."

Since Rusty Theron's brief appearance and subsequent injury, death bowling has not been assigned to anyone in particular and some have seen that as a fault. Role definition has proven to be essential to South Africa's success - think of the failure of the floating batting line-up as an example - and it would seem prudent to task one or two bowlers with that job.

Donald is not doing that, though, because he wants the whole attack to become competent at death bowling. "We want a collective group of guys who get thrown the ball and who have the confidence to execute yorkers at will at any stage," he said. "We could have a situation where Dale Steyn is the death bowler and his number may come up and he gets hit all around the park, and so we might have to ask someone else to do that. We want a collective improvement in bowling yorkers."

Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt and Ryan McLaren have all shown ability to find the base of the stumps but none of them do it consistently. What they are more comfortable with is sending down streams of short balls and McLaren, in particular, used it effectively in the first ODI.

Donald said the move to more yorkers will not stop them from bouncing batsmen. "We've talked about using the short ball in Bloemfontein because of the very big field there and it worked," he said. "We will still use the short ball, it is a massive weapon in one-day cricket."

But an intimidating arsenal needs more than just one dangerous weapon and Donald wants to equip his bowlers with what he believes is the best. "Whether it's wide, swinging into the pads, or winging away from a large angle, we need to bowl the yorker. Anyone can hit back of a length, anyone has a back of a hand bouncer but you need a wicket, the ball that really does it is a gun yorker."

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Scotland slump again to Dawlatzai

Scotland 125 and 144 for 9 (Dawlatzai 5-37) trail Afghanistan 275 by six runs
Scorecard

Scotland ended day two battling to avoid an innings defeat after a second slump with the bat against Izatullah Dawlatzai. He added a second five-wicket haul to take Afghanistan to the verge of victory with Scotland still six runs away from forcing a fourth innings.

Dawlatzai added 5 for 37 to his first-innings 6 for 57 to send Scotland spiralling towards defeat. His wicket of Kyle Coetzer late in the day raised the possibility of a two-day finish. Coetzer was the only batsman in the top order to have any kind of an innings but his half-century was a lone hand in a miserable batting display that saw Scotland 27 for 4 against the new ball.

There was, at least, some response as wicketkeeper David Murphy survived 59 balls for 23 but his dismissal brought four wickets for just 14 runs - one them Coetzer - and it was left to Gordon Drummond and Safyaan Sharif to scrap Scotland into a third day.

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