The six big issues within the BCCI’s set-up that the Lodha panel’s report to the Supreme Court could focus on

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Jan-2016With the Lodha committee set to submit its recommendations on the BCCI’s manner of functioning to the Supreme Court on Monday, the Indian board may face a radical makeover. The recommendations, which are not binding until the Supreme Court deems so, are understood to cover almost every aspect of Indian cricket with the aim of making the board a more professionally run and publicly accountable organisation.These are some of the key areas which the three-man committee is understood to have strong concerns about and which are likely to feature prominently in its report.Professionalism


The utter lack of transparency and accountability, the panel has observed, is a disturbing trend both within the BCCI and the state associations which form its members. It is believed that the Lodha committee will emphasise the need for professional management of the sport, not only by having the appropriate form of corporate organisation in place but also by having a clear separation between governance and management within the organisation – creating a system of checks and balances and public accountability at the same time. This may require a departure from the BCCI’s current corporate structure – as a society registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act – and a restructuring of the key leadership positions, currently ‘honorary’ in nature. Both have been features of the BCCI right from its inception. Changes to the BCCI’s governance structure may be a key feature of the recommendations.Conflict of interest and ethics


Given the genesis of the Lodha panel’s appointment, it has quite naturally been deeply concerned by the various conflict-of-interest issues prevalent within the BCCI and state associations. It is understood that the panel met BCCI president Shashank Manohar a few months ago and has since taken note of the various measures undertaken by him on the issue of conflict of interest. Manohar had written a three-page letter, listing guidelines to avoid conflict of interest, directed at BCCI members, state associations, employees with the board and state bodies, and former and current players. Legal experts have called BCCI’s move a “band-aid” measure which only further serves the powerful administrators.Changes in BCCI’s structure


It is understood that a variety of options were suggested during the consultation process and considered by the committee as potential replacements for the BCCI’s current structure as a registered society in Tamil Nadu. While one option would be to reformulate the BCCI’s governance and operations within its existing corporate structure, legal experts believe that the committee could also suggest more radical changes, like a public trust structure.Managing the IPL
The committee may suggest that, instead of being run as a sub-committee, the IPL could be spun off into a separate private limited company promoted by the BCCI with an overt profit motive, (or even a section-8 company that must reinvest all its profits).Clear definitions of management and governance


The committee is likely to suggest that the concepts of governance and management be more clearly defined and separated. Given the “public function” of the BCCI, recognised by the Supreme Court, this could involve recognition and wider representation of new stakeholders, and resulting electoral reform.The panel’s recommendations could involve doing away with the all-powerful working committee. Instead the committee may recommend a board of directors, representing various stakeholders such as players, former players, state associations and also the public. This governing body could be tasked with setting the broad agenda, setting targets and monitoring progress, and providing oversight. The Lodha committee could recommend that execution of agendas be left to paid, full-time managers.This could mean that the committee may advise the BCCI to have a CEO, COO, a board comprising representatives of major shareholders (affiliates), and, importantly, independent directors who do not have any financial stake in the board but are representing the public interest, a constituency that has not seen representation thus far.Criteria for state affiliation with BCCI

Having interviewed various stakeholders, including former and current administrators in the various states, the committee is likely to also suggest rationalisation of the rules and criteria for recognition of state bodies affiliated with the BCCI. This could require disbanding a number of existing voting members who have no playing record. The committee may recommend a move towards a one-state-one-body structure. It is also likely to prioritise formulation and implementation of mechanisms and practices for the BCCI to exercise oversight over its members, their structures, elections, operations and finances.This comes at a time when a probe into the Delhi & District Cricket Association’s historical functioning, seen as a bellwether for more such state-level investigations, is slated to commence in Delhi. Transparency and accountability of grants (subsidy) given to the state units could particularly be in the cross-hairs of the committee.”If you look at the BCCI books you will probably find them quite clean and they will stand up to scrutiny. But dig deeper into the books of the affiliates and there is going to be a big black hole. You then begin to realise why honorary jobs in state associations make sense to so many. The committee will surely look to plug these gaping, leaking holes,” one legal expert said.

New Zealand hope to have Brendon McCullum back from the third ODI against Pakistan on January 31, and Tim Southee for the home Tests against Australia in February

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2016New Zealand hope to have their captain Brendon McCullum back from the third ODI against Pakistan on January 31, and their fast bowler Tim Southee for the home Tests against Australia in February.McCullum has been out of action since aggravating his back injury during the second ODI against Sri Lanka on December 28, while Southee suffered a foot injury during the third ODI against Sri Lanka on New Year’s Eve. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said Southee would not make it back for the remainder of the home series against Pakistan and the limited-overs games against Australia.

McClenaghan not fazed by competition

Fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan is not worrying about whether he will make New Zealand’s World T20 squad, as he faces competition from team-mates Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne and Matt Henry. “It’s not on my mind,” he said. “In the past I’ve thought about things too far ahead and worried about that kind of stuff. We’re trying to make sure we focus on just the next game and prepare as well as possible.”
“I first came in as a new ball bowler and we’ve got a lot of guys who can swing the ball and take wickets at the top so my role’s changing. There’s more expectation of being able to close out the game and that’s the kind of pressure that I love. I want to be that guy who can close out an innings and win games.”
The coach Mike Hesson said New Zealand were not just looking to choose the four best fast bowlers, but to pick people who could complement each other by performing specific roles. “Guys are going to have to play different roles. It’s not a matter of playing our four best quicks, it’s having balance among them that they can do different roles: opening, bowling in the middle and at the death.”
“Very happy. Mitch as a T20 bowler is experienced in conditions around the world and he knows his game in T20 probably better than he does in other forms and he certainly showed that the other night [second T20I against Pakistan]. He’s a shrewd operator.”

“Tim is progressing nicely and he’ll be with us this week [in Wellington] to help work with his rehab,” Hesson said. “He’s unlikely [to play the Australia ODIs]. We’ll focus on the Test series at this stage and make sure that he’s firing. We certainly won’t force him playing any games earlier than that unless we need him. He could well play a Plunket Shield game to get him ready for the Tests.”McCullum is set to return for the final game of Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand before he begins his last assignment in international cricket. New Zealand’s first Test against Australia will be McCullum’s 100th, and he is set to retire after the second Test in Christchurch.”He’s progressing really well and doing plenty of work away from the game, from a fitness point of view and we’re really pleased with the way he’s tracking,” Hesson said. “Hopefully he’ll play a part in the Pakistan series and if he does that will be good prep for the Chappell-Hadlee and beyond.”Another fitness concern for New Zealand was Corey Anderson, who has just resumed bowling – one over in the first T20I against Pakistan and four in the second – after playing as a batsman in two matches against Sri Lanka, and for Northern Districts before that. Anderson had suffered a stress fracture of the back during the Lord’s Test in May 2015.”I’m delighted how he’s coming along and he’s certainly confident with the body,” Hesson said. We’ve gone pretty slow with it to make sure that we give him the best chance of being back for a long period. I’m really pleased to give him a chance with the new ball and even happier that he took it.”We’ll just keep managing it. It [Test cricket] is not something we’re going to push. We’ve got some pretty clear loads in place to give him a chance of being on the park a lot longer. We’ve got some one-day cricket coming up and we’re hopeful he’ll be in a position to be able to play a decent role in those.”New Zealand play the final T20I against Pakistan in Wellington on January 22. The series is level 1-1.

Fourteen wickets fell and only 189 runs were scored in Townsville, with Ireland powering past Papua New Guinea by five wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Gary Wilson stroked a 33-ball 45 to lead Ireland’s small chase•ICC/Sportsfile

Fourteen wickets fell and only 189 runs were scored in Townsville, with Ireland powering past Papua New Guinea by five wickets. PNG, after being inserted, lost wickets right from the off and struggled to string together even a single meaningful stand, as Craig Young, Andy McBrine and Kevin O’Brien all struck at regular intervals. Only three players managed single-digit scores, and just six boundaries were scored throughout the entire innings, as PNG limped to 92 for 9.Ireland did not make the most convincing start to the chase, losing three wickets inside four overs, but Gary Wilson (45) and O’Brien’s 53-run stand put the team back on track. Ireland eventually got home in the 13th over, with 47 deliveries to spare. Norman Vanua was the pick of the PNG bowlers, collecting 3 for 26.

England’s bowlers fought back to secure a 15-run win in the first T20 with South Africa, after Sarah Taylor’s blistering, unbeaten 74 had masked a top-order failure with the bat

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2016
ScorecardSarah Taylor made an unbeaten 74 to set up victory (file photo)•Stephen Pond/Getty Images

England’s bowlers fought back to secure a 15-run win in the first T20 with South Africa, after Sarah Taylor’s blistering, unbeaten 74 had masked a top-order failure with the bat.Chasing 148 to win, South Africa openers Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty put on a 96-run stand but Anya Shrubsole claimed three wickets to put the brakes on and put England 1-0 up in the three-match series.Van Niekerk struck a half-century, to go with 2 for 26 with the ball, but she fell to the returning Shrubsole and South Africa were left needing 51 from the last five overs. Jenny Gunn had Chetty lbw in the next over and South Africa’s middle order could not achieve the required acceleration.Marizanne Kapp was next to go, a wicket for Danielle Hazell, and Shrubsole then effectively sealed the win in the penultimate over, removing the dangerous Lizelle Lee – via a brilliant Amy Jones catch at deep midwicket – and captain Mignon du Preez. Gunn bowled the final over, with 24 required, and conceded just eight while having Chloe Tryon stumped.South Africa had initially been on top with the ball as well, reducing England to 41 for 3 and 81 for 5. Taylor, coming in at No. 3, initially found an ally in Heather Knight to put on 38 in three-and-a-half overs, and then Georgia Elwiss, playing her first T20 international innings, who also made 18.Taylor, the No. 3-ranked T20 batsman in the world, struck 11 boundaries and showed her confidence with a couple of trademark scoops. Shrubsole also played a part with the bat, as she and Taylor took 18 off Shabnim Ismail’s final over to push England out of sight.The second and third matches in the series will be played as double-headers with the men’s T20s in Cape Town, on Friday, and Johannesburg, on Sunday.

Dolphins offspinner Prenelan Subrayen has been cleared to resume bowling after having his action re-tested at CSA’s High Performance Centre on March 2

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2016Dolphins offspinner Prenelan Subrayen has been cleared to resume bowling after having his action re-tested at CSA’s High Performance Centre on March 2. The assessment found his action to be within the limits of CSA’s regulations, and his suspension has been lifted with immediate effect.Subrayen was earlier reported for a suspect action in November 2015, and was subsequently disallowed from bowling until he remedied his action. He was also pulled up for a suspect action in December 2012 – but was reinstated the following month after clearing his action – and during the Champions League T20 in 2014.Subrayen, who hasn’t played since November, has picked up 44 first-class wickets in 19 matches at an average of 28.79. He has also taken a combined tally of 45 wickets in 56 limited-over games.

A hamstring injury has ruled New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne out of the IPL, adding to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s growing bowling worries

Nagraj Gollapudi06-May-2016A hamstring injury has ruled Adam Milne out of the IPL, adding to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s growing bowling worries. The New Zealand fast bowler did not report for training on the eve their match against Rising Pune Supergiants on Saturday. Although no franchise official was available for a comment, it is understood Milne left India a few days ago having picked up a Grade 2 hamstring tear in his right thigh. Royal Challengers are yet to seek a replacement for him.A weakened bowling attack has been a factor in Royal Challengers’ below-par performance in the first half of the season, and Milne’s exit only exacerbates the issue. Milne is the third overseas bowler the franchise has lost to injury. Royal Challengers have already had to replace Samuel Badree with Tabraiz Shamsi and Mitchell Starc with Chris Jordan.Milne has only played one match in the IPL since Royal Challengers acquired him last year for Rs 70 lakh. Bowling consistently at speeds in the 145-150 kph range, Milne is one of the fastest bowlers in contemporary cricket. But the 24-year-old has been constantly sidelined by injury over the last few years.Essex, where Milne is scheduled to arrive for the NatWest Blast season, will also be desperate to learn the extent of the injury which depending on its severity can take either a few weeks or a couple of months.He missed the 2015 IPL after failing to recover from a heel injury picked during last year’s World Cup, where he missed New Zealand’s last two matches.At the start of the 2016 season, Milne’s former New Zealand team-mate Daniel Vettori, Royal Challengers’ head coach, had said he expected Milne to take the opportunity to fill the vacancy created by Starc’s absence. Starc, Royal Challengers’ best bowler last year, was ruled out of this year’s edition with a foot injury. But Milne has only managed one game so far, Royal Challengers’ first of the tournament, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He picked up a wicket in that game while conceding 43 in his four overs.With Milne gone, the Australian pair of Shane Watson and Kane Richardson, the England allrounder Jordan, and the South African allrounder David Wiese are the main overseas seam bowlers left on the Royal Challengers bench.

The tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off

Will Macpherson at Merchant Taylors' School01-Jun-2016
ScorecardJames Fuller impressed on his Championship debut for Middlesex (file photo)•PA Photos

The tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off.Middlesex, who took maximum points having waited six painstaking, flat-decked, rain-wrecked draws for a win, sang their long-awaited team song raucously and enjoyed a couple of cleansing, hard-earned beers. Hampshire, seven days after a brilliant win over Nottinghamshire, sat down for a 20-minute, sombre-sounding debrief. They had been trounced – out-batted, out-bowled and out-fought, and only the rain had prevented an innings defeat from arriving sooner. They claimed just one bonus point but subsequently lost it, and another point too, for a shoddy over-rate. They left with one point fewer than they arrived and joined Surrey at the foot of Division One.It was the pace and carry of James Fuller, who took a five-wicket haul on his Championship debut for Middlesex, that finally did for Hampshire. Fuller was signed from Gloucestershire primarily to help Middlesex remedy their white-ball woes but, having impressed all and sundry with a simple, friendly attitude and the ability to bowl 90mph, he was handed a debut here with Steven Finn – who popped by for that post-match beer – on England duty and James Harris rested.Having had a bye in week one, this was Middlesex’s seventh consecutive game. Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones bowled brilliantly, picking up six and five wickets respectively, but Fuller’s fresher legs, and the extra bounce they helped generate, were invaluable.It was Roland-Jones, as so often, who picked up the first of the six wickets his team required, as Joe Weatherley – who looked a cricketer at ease on Championship debut – lost his off-bail. More like his director of cricket, Angus Fraser, by the day – in gait and bowling style – Roland-Jones is simply the kind of cricketer who makes his team-mates look better.In the field, it is hard to recall an error. With the bat, coming in at No. 10 when many sage judges believe he could be as high as seven, he so often adds useful runs. With the ball, he bowls long spells off an even longer run-up and can play the pacy enforcer – as he did for much of the match here – or nag on line and length.Roland-Jones was left frustrated for the rest of the day, just missing the outside edge or, when he found it, the nick not quite finding a hand. After Weatherley fell, Jimmy Adams dug in, as he had late on Monday and during the 17 overs on Tuesday, to make 78, pulling when Roland-Jones dropped short and clipping neatly off his legs, too.Adam Wheater drove nicely and the pair shared 53 before falling in consecutive overs. James Franklin made the vital breakthrough, having Adams lbw, then Wheater failed to move his feet and was caught at the wicket to become the first of Fuller’s three on the day. A brief shower brought an early lunch shortly after.Fuller’s first four balls upon resumption were as short and sharp as any in the match. With the trap set, Tino Best tried – and failed – to hook all three. The fourth was fuller and Best simply found mid-on, just as he had in the first innings. It is hard to recall notably animated celebrators Middlesex, irked at the beamer Best bowled Adam Voges on day two and angry at the way he had been speaking to their close fielders in the short period before lunch, toasting a dismissal more raucously. After his second pair in consecutive matches, Best was told exactly where to go, and it would have been noted that he did not return for a handshake at day’s end.Before then, Mason Crane had some fun, edging for the rafters, but soon slapped Fuller to point and, after Ryan McLaren – who lacked luck throughout the game – played some fine strokes to delay the inevitable, James Tomlinson edged Ollie Rayner to slip.There was much to discuss at Hampshire’s debrief. Best, in many ways, appears to be becoming an apt embodiment of the team as a whole; brilliant on the good days – such as the spectacular win over Nottinghamshire last week when he was so electric – but miserable on the worst ones (these were very much four of the worst ones), and with an injury never far away. For all those injuries, as their captain Will Smith pointed out afterwards, of this XI only Weatherley and Crane have played fewer than 100 first-class matches, yet performances remain brittle and bipolar.”It seems to be a pattern for us in this format,” Smith said. “When we have our backs to the wall, we do something, like we did last week, but it’s about having that mentality from ball one and not getting yourselves into these situations.”A couple more weeks like this, you sense, and last year’s great escape will be required all over again.

Misbah-ul-Haq said it was important for the players to apply themselves and not get overawed by the conditions on their tour of England

Umar Farooq18-Jun-2016Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s Test captain, has said it is important for the players to apply themselves and not get overawed by the conditions on their tour of England, where they play four Test matches, five ODIs and a one-off T20 international.Pakistan left for England from Lahore on Saturday morning, determined not to stir the memories from their previous tour, in 2010, when Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were mixed up in the spot-fixing scandal.Pakistan last played a Test seven months ago in the UAE, against the same opposition. Since then many of their players, including Misbah, have been idle for a large portion of time, though players like Sarfraz Ahmed, Amir and Wahab Riaz have played in limited-overs cricket. From the current touring party, only Azhar Ali, Amir and Wahab Riaz were a part of the squad that travelled in 2010. The inexperience has led to former players being sceptical of how they will fare, but Misbah exuded confidence on the eve of the team’s departure.”This is true that it will be a challenging series, but, overall, we have experience of playing good cricket irrespective of the conditions, and that is what we are confident about,” he said. “Our batters have scored enough runs … they all have done well in Test cricket, so I don’t see how it [the inexperience in English conditions] will make much of a difference.”We only have to apply ourselves, have to fight, and these boys love challenges. This is another challenge for them and they are ready for it. Nothing is easy and each time we have to fight it out to win, so this is yet another task for the boys. If we succeed in scoring around 350 runs in a Test [innings], we will have bright chances of winning. Our bowling attack is also outstanding and it has the ability to destroy even the strongest of batting line-ups. We need to be focused and should not get overawed by English conditions. I see the tour as a big opportunity for our players to prove their mettle and play their due role in Pakistan’s victory.”Pakistan have not won a Test series in England in 20 years, after their 2-0 triumph in 1996 under the leadership of Wasim Akram. Both their previous tours ended in defeats – 0-3 in 2006 and 1-3 in 2010. Including their first tour, in 1954, Pakistan have played 13 Test series in England and have won three, consecutively between 1987 and 1996. England have won seven, while three were drawn.Pakistan arrive in England as the No. 3-ranked team in the world, one place above England. Pakistan will have a two-week conditioning camp in Hampshire, before they formally begin their tour with a three-day practice match against Somerset from July 3. Misbah said it was important to focus on the cricket and not let the unsavoury moments of the past affect them.”It indeed is a tough series, but the easy way to deal with this tour is to just focus on your game,” Misbah said. “We don’t have to look around and there is no need to peep into the past, otherwise you will never move ahead. Just believe in your training, your practice and enjoy your cricket. This is the only way to keep away from controversies.”It’s not like Pakistan never played well in England conditions. No doubt they are good in their own conditions and very familiar with their venues, but we have a chance. Bowling is our strength and we are also coming with a winning state of mind. So we have an opportunity to do our best and it’s hope that keeps you alive, otherwise you can’t do anything.”With Amir set to play his first Test in more than five years, Misbah backed him to come out of the shadow of the spot-fixing controversy. After serving a five-year ban, Amir, who was the Man of the Series in 2010, has become an automatic selection, allowing him to resume his Test career and pick up from where he left off at Lord’s. “Whatever happened in past is gone, but it has resulted in some solid life lessons for him,” Misbah said. “He has changed, and now he has an opportunity to prove himself as a bowler and as a person as well.”So performance is the only way he can reintegrate himself with the England fans and he can do it. He is mentally strong and can handle pressure, and I expect him to play an important role in Pakistan’s victory.”

Kent captain Sam Northeast summoned a century to deny Essex a Specsavers County Championship win in three days but he is unlikely to prevent them from extending their lead at the top of the second division

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2016Kent 207 (Blake 89*, Porter 3-51) and 252 for 7 (Northeast 116*, Bopara 3-49) trail Essex 569 (Bopara 94, ten Doeschate 91, Westley 88, Lawrence 82, Rabada 4-118) by 110 runs
ScorecardSam Northeast held up Essex’s victory surge•Getty Images

Kent captain Sam Northeast summoned a century to deny Essex a Specsavers County Championship win in three days but he is unlikely to prevent them from extending their lead at the top of the second division.Northeast’s hundred followed the efforts by four Essex batsmen who departed within sight of three figures in a total of 569, a county record that eclipsed the 560 century-less innings against Sussex at Leyton in 1933, although on that distant day they declared nine wickets down.Back in the present, Northeast’s dogged resistance took a game that was fast running away from Kent into a fourth day. Northeast had entered Kent’s innings shortly before lunch when they were 18 for 2, still 344 runs short of making Essex bat again. By the close he was 116 not out, and Kent had closed the gap to 110.He belatedly found a batting ally in James Tredwell, and the eighth-wicket pair put on an unbeaten 124 in 39.3 overs to prevent Essex celebrating going back to the top of the Division Two table with a well-deserved day off.Ravi Bopara took three wickets and a catch during the afternoon to help reduce Kent to 128 for 7, but Essex were unable to press home their advantage in a wicketless evening session.Chasing 362 to make Essex bat again, Kent lost two wickets in the nine overs they had to negotiate before lunch. Sean Dickson was brilliantly caught at first slip by Alastair Cook, diving like a goalkeeper to his right.Fabian Cowdrey followed four balls later when he lifted the ball into Dan Lawrence’s hands at point to give Jamie Porter his 100th first-class wicket.It wasn’t long before Porter had No 101 when Joe Denly went lbw to one that nipped back to the bowler’s second ball after the interval.Northeast put on 57 with Darren Stevens to carry Kent to the relative safety of 86 for three. But two quick wickets had them deeper in trouble. Stevens was bowled through the gate when Bopara found some late movement.And Alex Blake, who held together Kent’s first innings with an unbeaten 89, went for two caught low down at cover by Bopara to give Quinn a second wicket.Adam Ball helped Northeast put on 27 for the sixth wicket before he was trapped lbw by Bopara, who then had Callum Jackson caught at mid-on by Quinn.The captain found an ally in James Tredwell for the eighth wicket and they passed fifty in a little over 15 overs, with Tredwell contributing 34 of them with six firmly-struck boundaries.Tredwell went to his fifty off 86 balls, with nine fours, as he pushed Ryan ten Doeschate into covers for two. Almost immediately Northeast carved Napier through mid-on for the four that not only brought up his own century but also the hundred partnership.Northeast’s third ton of the season took 172 balls, with 15 fours, while the stand with Tredwell encompassed 28 overs.Essex gave Kent another hour and a quarter’s toil in the field in the morning as they added 85 to their overnight total to post a 362-run lead on first innings. Kent did claim four wickets in the process, but that was scant consolation.Ten Doeschate became the fourth Essex batsman to depart within sight of a century, and the second in the nervous nineties, when he was beaten for pace by Mitch Claydon to edge behind. His 91 came off 122 balls and with a dozen fours.Kagiso Rabada had gone wicketless on day two after taking the prize wicket of Cook the previous evening. The South African quick finished with figures of four for 118 from 34 overs. He ended Napier’s cameo of 12 in eight balls, with a brute of a delivery that reared up and caught the shoulder of the bat.Rabada versus Cook had been a highlight of the first evening; Rabada versus Quinn was equally fascinating, though at a lower level. The tail-ender had one edge fall just short of Tredwell at second slip, the next ball flying through the cordon for four. Not surprisingly James Foster protected his young partner in the following over. But Quinn became Rabada’s fourth victim, pegged on his back foot lbw.Foster hoisted Tredwell straight for six, but in an Essex innings where batsmen just failed to reach landmarks, he holed out for 49 to Stevens on the long-off boundary. It should have been a fifty, but Foster had declined a single a ball before in keep Porter away from the strike.

Pakistan A romped to an eight-wicket win with 97 balls to spare against Sri Lanka A in the opening game of the triangular series, also involving England Lions, on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Sharjeel Khan hit seven fours and three sixes in his 74-ball 90•Associated Press

Pakistan A romped to an eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka A in the opening game of the triangular series, also involving England Lions, in Cheltenham on Monday.Pakistan A’s bowlers backed Babar Azam’s decision to field as Sri Lanka A were dismantled for 199 in 37.5 overs. In reply, Fakhar Zaman (74) and Sharjeel Khan (90), their openers, shared a 155-run stand that helped Pakistan cruise. They eventually sealed the win with 97 balls to spare.Pakistan’s bowlers hunted in packs, but it was Mohammad Asghar, the left-arm spinner, who inflicted the bulk of the damage, taking 4 for 41 in 10 overs.Asghar, introduced in the 14th over with Sri Lanka A reduced to 94 for 3 after a blazing start, struck in consecutive overs to remove Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Ashan Priyanjan, the captain. Angelo Perera then resisted with 35, but there was little contribution of note otherwise.Abbas, the right-arm pacer, took three wickets, but was expensive and leaked 50 runs in seven overs. Bhatti took 2 for 40 in eight overs, while left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz took the last wicket to fall – Lakshan Sandakan.Any hopes Sri Lanka’s bowlers may have had of picking early wickets and bouncing back were emphatically shattered by Zaman and Sharjeel, who kept them at bay for 23.1 overs, scoring at well over a run-a-ball. Zaman hit seven fours and three sixes in his 77-ball knock, while Sharjeel was equally aggressive by striking at 121.62 courtesy 12 fours and four sixes.Both batsmen were dismissed in the space of 25 deliveries by Kasun Rajitha, the right-arm medium pacer, but Umar Siddiq and Abdul Rehman Muzammil made sure to avoid further losses.The second match of the series takes place on Tuesday, with Pakistan facing off against England Lions at the same venue.