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Hyderabad Heroes 143 for 6 (Rayudu 44, Maher 33) beat Lahore Badshahs 137 (Umar 43, Mahmood 34, Razzaq 3-18) by six runs
Scorecard

The Lahore Badshahs’ unconquered reign was finally brought to a close, as the Heroes defended a target of 144 with a disciplined bowling effort to go 1-0 up in the best-of-three finals. Fortunately for the Badshahs, they can still recover from the blip, but the loss couldn’t have come at a worse time.The Heroes decided to bat and Abdul Razzaq gave them the early momentum with a brisk 21 off 12 balls. Steady partnerships were forged during the Heroes’ innings – Jimmy Maher and Ambati Rayudu put on 27 before the latter and Kemp added 53 for the third wicket.Although the Badshahs didn’t manage to take wickets at regular intervals, they curbed the flow of runs. Mohammad Sami, who leaked runs in Thursday’s semi-final against the Kolkata Tigers, bowled his four overs first up for 15 runs. Mushtaq Ahmed gave one less in the middle overs, and the lack of runs on offer reflected in the tally for the Heroes batsmen: Maher 33 off 34, Rayudu 44 off 42, and Kemp 11 off 20.After 16 overs, Rayudu was sauntering with 23 off 32, but he did some damage from there on as 46 runs came off the last four overs bowled by Azhar Mahmood and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Rayudu was cut short of 44 by a direct hit from Inzamam-ul-Haq, but two no-balls from Naved-ul-Hasan in the final over saw him concede 17, and the Heroes reached 143..Razzaq got the first breakthrough as the Badshahs began their chase, Imran Nazir’s charge to send the ball into orbit sent him on the path to the dugout. Justin Kemp removed Humayun Farhat, and when Man-of-the-Match Stuart Binny picked up the prized scalps of Hasan Raza and Inzamam-ul-Haq, a seemingly easy target gained gargantuan proportions. At 50 for 4, the Badshahs were left needing a further 94 off ten overs.Opener Taufeeq Umar kept ticking the strike over at one end, but it was the pyrotechnics from Azhar Mahmood (34 off 16) that breathed life into the Badshahs’ innings.Naved-ul-Hasan made a few amends for his expensive analysis – 47 off four overs – with a six and a four in the penultimate over bowled by Nicky Boje, leaving his team with 12 to get off the 20th. The drama was heightened as Razzaq struggled with his line, giving away three wides. With seven required off four, Umar swing and missed, and the attempted single led to the run-out of Naved-ul-Hasan. Razzaq finally got it straight, and Sami’s bat met thin air – the wicket, a dot ball too, made it 7 off 2. Shahid Nazir, the star with the ball in Thursday’s match, failed to connect his first ball and was bowled when a last-ball six was needed to tie.The Heroes scraped home by six runs, and though they have the advantage, the form and prowess of the Badshahs will be tough to overcome for the second match in succession. The teams have a day’s break before the next game in Hyderabad on Sunday, and the Heroes could delight the city they represent by clinching the Rs 25 million (approx US$625,000) prize on offer.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Any hopes of India turning the corner after the Twenty20 victory was quickly dispelled as South Africa drubbed them by nine wickets to seal a hopelessly one-sided series 4-0. India batted through their 50 overs for the first time in the series, but their total of 200 for 9 was completely inadequate on a belter. However, South Africa showed just good the pitch was for batting as they cruised home in 31.2 overs, with Graeme Smith returning to form with an emphatic 79 and AB de Villiers stroking a delightful unbeaten 92, his highest score in ODIs.In another mismatch, India had very small crumbs for comfort – Sachin Tendulkar overcame an uncertain start and finally found some touch, getting to 55, his 74th ODI half-century but only his second fifty-plus score in 20 matches against South Africa in South Africa. Mahendra Singh Dhoni got among the runs too, but the manner in which Smith and de Villiers smashed the bowlers all around the park highlighted the huge gulf in class between the bowlers from the two sides: led by the magnificent Shaun Pollock, the South Africans were their usual miserly self in the field, allowing the already beleaguered Indians no freebies.The Indian bowlers, on the other hand, were clueless about how to stop the marauding openers. Zaheer Khan has utterly dominated Smith on this tour, but South Africa cleverly decided to have de Villiers face the first ball this time. Smith, meanwhile, helped himself to plenty of boundaries from a radarless Sreesanth – a cover-drive and a flick in Sreesanth’s first over got him going, and there was no looking back. By the time Smith finally faced Zaheer for the first time in the match – in the ninth over – he had already made 21 from 17 balls.De Villiers, meanwhile, creamed the boundaries in an utterly pleasing knock. Quite comfortable against Zaheer, he started off with an exquisite cover-drive off the third ball of the innings, and continued in similar vein, driving crisply off the front foot and timing the ball quite spectacularly. India’s one chance to break through came early, but Mohammad Kaif made a mess of a regulation chance when de Villiers was on 9.South Africa had 88 on the board after the first 15, and with Sehwag deciding to pack the infield almost throughout the innings, the batsmen had it their way all through. Smith strode down the pitch to Irfan Pathan and took some revenge on Zaheer, hoicking them both for straight sixes. When he fell attempting another six, South Africa were so utterly in control that Pollock strode out at No.3 and immediately looked at home.The Indian innings, on the other hand, was a struggle almost throughout. Smith won his fifth toss in a row but this time decided to put India in, and though Sehwag was all smiles and said he would have batted first anyway, it was soon the same story as all the batsmen found Pollock and Ntini too tough to handle.

Sehwag’s technique outside off was soon exposed by the relentless Pollock, who nailed him for the sixth time in ODIs, while Laxman’s initiation here was even more forgettable, as he hung his bat out limply outside off and edged his first ball to slip. Tendulkar, meanwhile, was in all sorts of discomfort. Struggling to find his footwork, he repeatedly played from the crease and was beaten by the movement. Ntini cut him in half with one that dipped back, while the steep bounce consistently had him jumping up and defending uncomfortably. After 15 overs, India’s score read a miserable 26 for 2.Having spent considerable time at the crease – he scored 4 from his first 39 balls – Tendulkar finally began to find his groove. The first sign of that came in the 18th over, when he struck Kallis for two super fours – a pull to midwicket and a trademark on-drive. The footwork gradually improved, as did the confidence to attempt more aggressive strokes, and the introduction of Peterson only helped matters, as Tendulkar unveiled the inside-out drive over extra-cover and the fine sweep.Andre Nel briefly had him in some bother, hitting his arm with a short one that didn’t bounce as much as Tendulkar expected it to – and forced him to stay off the field in the afternoon – but he soon after he got his half-century, with his last 51 runs taking just 58 balls.Mongia played his part well in an 85-run partnership for the third wicket, while Dhoni lashed some huge blows and finally injected some momentum into a limp innings with a 48-ball 44 during the course of which he drove Nel to distraction. Nel got hit for a few by Dhoni, but he finally came up with an outstanding catch to dismiss Dhoni as India touched 200 for the first time. On a flat batting pitch, though, it seemed well short of par score, and so it proved in the afternoon.It was India’s first defeat against South Africa at Centurion, having beaten them twice before this. With the Test series still 12 days away, India have plenty of soul-searching to do before getting into that contest.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to commission a financial review of all 18 first-class counties. This action has been taken following criticism of disproportionate funding of clubs that stage Test cricket and those that do not, and a reported loss for major counties.Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, David Morgan, the ECB chairman, said: “There is concern on the part of the non-Test match grounds and that is being addressed in this review. It will report within a six to eight month time frame, I would think.”The move was backed by Neil Davidson, Leicestershire’s chairman. “It’s got to be welcomed,” Davidson said. “There is a view in certain counties that there is too much mystery surrounding revenues from Test match receipts. We need to get some clarity there and some fairness in the distribution system.Davidson raised concern over the allocation of funds on the county circuit. “[Hampshire chairman] Rod Bransgrove has identified that there’s as much as £40 million being raised and only £1.6 million going into general distribution of the funds,” he said. “I don’t know whether he’s right or wrong but that’s what the audit has to get to the bottom of.”Of the 18 first-class counties, only six – Durham, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Yorkshire – take revenues from the sales of Test match tickets. Last season, Leicestershire suffered a £94,000 loss, while Derbyshire and Kent had six-figure deficits. Morgan’s own club Glamorgan reported a £175,000 loss. However, it was recently announced that Cardiff would become a Test venue in 2009 when Australia return for the Ashes.

Pakistan will fly out to the West Indies for the World Cup on Thursday without Shoaib Akhtar or Mohammad Asif, the two fast bowlers currently under a cloud of fitness and doping-related issues.”Both fast bowlers are in England for medical check-ups and they won’t be going with the team to the West Indies,” team spokesman PJ Mir told Cricinfo.Asif is suffering from an elbow injury while Shoaib has a problematic knee. But both have also yet to be dope-tested by the PCB, a test the board says they have to clear before they can join the squad in the Caribbean. Speculation has been rampant over the nature of their trips to the UK, the increasing belief among many now that they are there to try and resolve issues stemming from their positive dope tests last October. The PCB has denied this.”Asif is expected to return home Thursday and Akhtar will be back in Pakistan on Friday,” Mir added. Once they have returned, an assessment will be made of their medical reports and a decision finally made as to whether or not they are fit enough to go. Only then will they undergo the dope tests the remaining 18 players (including five reserves) underwent and cleared last week.”If Akhtar and Asif are declared medically fit then they have to go through PCB’s process of dope testing,” Mir said.All of which means that Pakistan, unbelievably, are still not sure of the final make-up of their squad and playing XI for the opening game of the tournament, against West Indies in Jamaica on March 13. If neither do go they will join Abdul Razzaq, ruled out of the World Cup due to a knee injury only yesterday, as high-profile absentees from the tournament for Pakistan.

Scorecard

Carl Hopkinson and Murray Goodwin both fell short of hundreds, but Sussex nevertheless made Surrey’s bowlers toil in the Hove sunshine to reach 318 for 5 at stumps on the second day.It was not exhilarating cricket by any means, in a match now reduced to three days after yesterday’s washout, but Surrey’s bowlers disappointed. In addition, their fielding lacked spark and accuracy; Usman Afzaal let through two very stoppable singles at cover and, for all his rich talent with the bat, remains an amusingly inept fielder. It is not a flaw that either Butcher – captain Mark or coach Alan – will accept, either.Hopkinson and Chris Nash began confidently, however, with Nash continuing his promising early-season form in an aggressive 46. Nash was off the mark with a sweetly timed on-drive off Jimmy Ormond, who today celebrated a renewal of his contract with Surrey. Ormond was reasonably tight, conceding 19 from his opening six overs and twice troubling Nash whose confidence threatened to overspill. Hopkinson, meanwhile, was more circumspect than his partner, but showed the straightest of bats to a half volley from Chris Jordan that sped through mid-on for four.Nash, who like Hopkinson has yet to reach three figures in his career, was stuck on 46 for nearly half-an-hour and his patience wore thin when he pulled a full delivery from Pedro Collins onto his stumps, ending an encouraging opening stand of 87. After the interval, Hopkinson began to free his arms but was fortunate not to lose his leg stump when he inside-edged Ormond for four. It was a rare lapse in concentration, as was Michael Yardy’s unconvincing sweep to Saqlain Mushtaq which flew to Butcher at slip. The pitch remained flat, the weather fair, but Surrey were just about hanging onto Sussex’s coat tails.Until, that is, Goodwin and Hopkinson combined in an afternoon of run-making. Hopkinson appears to revel in having a fluent partner at the other end, someone to keep the runs flowing while he grinds the bowlers down, and the recipe worked beautifully for Sussex in a third-wicket stand of 129. Jordan, in particular, fed Goodwin’s hunger for the fierce cut. Of Sussex’s top six, Chris Adams might scythe it with greater authority, but few can match Goodwin’s grace. A back-cut down to third man off Collins almost had the elderly members rising as one.Afzaal’s fumbling awkwardness in the covers threatened to encapsulate Surrey’s day in the field, with Goodwin and Hopkinson taking the score up to 246, but he was surprisingly tossed the ball by Butcher and the shock-tactic worked. Hopkinson, his concentration wavering, smacked a full-toss straight back into the slippery hands of Afzaal who held on comfortably.Goodwin, though, continued to drive with supreme timing through extra cover, cutting confidently when the length was too short, and a hundred appeared to be his for the taking. However, no Sussex batsman was to reach three figures and on 98, Goodwin feathered Matt Nicholson, returning for a final burst from the Sea End, to the wicketkeeper. Sussex might be dismayed in losing two batsmen in the nineties, but they remain in control of a match destined to be drawn after the first day’s washout.

South Africa 257 for 8 (Prince 98*, Gibbs 63, Boucher 53 ) v India
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

The day began and ended with a rash of wickets, and only a meaty batting performance in between from Ashwell Prince and, to a lesser extent, Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher, helped South Africa stave off a repeat of the abject first innings surrender at the Wanderers. India’s pacemen did the damage first up, and Anil Kumble quickly dispensed with the tail as South Africa got relief from their travails when bad light stopped play with the score on 257 for 8.Prince was the glue to hold the South African innings together after an early burst from Zaheer and Sreesanth had cut the top order to ribbons. He continued from where he left off in the first Test, where he made a battling 97 as South Africa went down. In the absence of Jacques Kallis, who missed this Test with a sore back, there was extra pressure on Prince and he delivered. From the time he came to the crease he occupied it with an unhurried approach, not allowing the pressure of the scoreboard to get to him – at no point did he try to accelerate the scoring, at no point did he play outside his own strengths.He was no slouch, however, when offered width, and on a wicket that eased out considerably as the day wore on, he drove pleasingly through cover and point. At the end of the day he was unbeaten on 98, on the cusp of his fifth century.Gibbs’s half-century was a timely one for him. The debate over his place in the team was gaining momentum after a run of indifferent scores and he was sent down the order, allowing AB de Villiers to open with Graeme Smith. Gibbs put away his vast array of exciting strokes and toughed it out. He accelerated as he approached and then, in an error of judgment, changed gears. He began to look more like the Gibbs of old, reaching out for deliveries outside the off stump, going forcefully at the ball with hard hands, and just taking the odd chance. On 63 his luck ran out as a wild pull went off the toe of the bat in front of first slip where Mahendra Dhoni snapped up a good catch. Gibbs had added 94 for the third wicket with Prince, pushing the score on to 122, but the manner and timing of his dismissal gave India just a glimmer of hope that they could still end the South African counter-attack in time to keep them down to a low score.Boucher then set about erasing these Indian hopes. Although he survived a couple of close chances, including lbw shouts that impressed everyone other than the umpire, Boucher looked comfortable and at ease at the crease. He did not look to score at a fast clip, yet his approach and outlook were consistently positive. If anything, it was Boucher’s resistance more than that of Gibbs or Prince that really troubled India. The fielding suddenly wasn’t as sharp as before, the excitable Sreesanth briefly lost the plot, charging in and trying too hard without much result. Then completely against the run of play, Sreesanth got one ball to shape in nicely and bowl Boucher through the gate for 53.

Prince moved along, collecting runs wherever they were available, safeguarding his wicket at all times, and even severe cramping – the heat and humidity were taking their toll – did not stop his determined march. In an era of dashers, in a team of top-order batsmen playing too many shots too early, Prince the grafter had served his team’s cause superbly well.However, they had, through a late collapse, got themselves back in trouble after a determined middle-order performance had saved them from yet another collpase. The day began badly for South Africa with Smith, ever finding new ways of getting out, pulling one from Zaheer straight up in the air over the slips cordon, where Sachin Tendulkar took a well-judged catch. Hashim Amla was then trapped in front by a Zaheer delivery that pitched in line and swung back enough to win the lbw verdict. 13 for 2 looked bad, but de Villiers made it worse at 28 for 3 when he planted his foot well withing the stumps and drove away from the body. The ball went off the outside edge straight to Tendulkar at slip. Zaheer had put in a sterling first spell of 6-3-5-2.But Zaheer would not pick up another wicket on the day and only the late-in-the day breakthrough for the largely luckless VRV Singh, got India back in control. VRV had Shaun Pollock well caught at point by Virender Sehwag, and soon after Kumble completely foxed Andrew Hall, trapping him right in front with a googly that the batsman did not pick. Andre Nel fared no better three balls later, and was bowled neck and crop by a similar wrong ‘un. That would prove to be the last over of the day as the batsmen accepted the offer for light. India were keen to wrap up the innings, but nevertheless will be well pleased with how events panned out.Short cuts

Highlight of the day: When Herschelle Gibbs is good, he can be very verygood. Some of the drives he played after lunch were simply majestic, andthere was one carve over point that brought back memories of thatrollicking 175 at the Wanderers in the 438 game.Lowlight of the day: Step forward Gibbs. Having cruised to 63 from 88balls, he played a truly appalling shot to a Sreesanth delivery thatclimbed a little. It allowed India a way back when it appeared that theymight have lost their way.Shot of the day: The Gibbs tale continues. Sreesanth pitched one up,trying to entice the drive early in his innings, and Gibbs responded withan absolutely glorious drive that rocketed into the boundary boards beforethe man at cover could barely stir.Ball of the day: The 140.2 km/h special from Sreesanth that made a hideousmess of Mark Boucher’s stumps. Again, the seam position was sensational,and it came in enough with the angle to sneak through Boucher’s prod.Catch of the day: Gibbs may have played a terrible shot, but it stillneeded a magnificent full-length dive to the right from Mahendra SinghDhoni to send him on his way.Message of the day: And just when Graeme Smith thought it couldn’t get anyworse. Two South African fans, shirtless and no doubt fuelled with lager, took out a banner soon after lunch. “Smith: Hope you’d scored morewith Minki [van der Westhuizen],” it said, a reference to his formergirlfriend. So much for not kicking a man when he’s down, and out [for 5].Off the park: Sachin Tendulkar made a quick trip to the hospital afterdropping Ashwell Prince off the bowing of VRV Singh before tea. X-raysrevealed no fracture, and the bruising on the right thumb shouldn’t hamperhim unduly when it’s India’s turn to bat.

A Jamaican specialist has testified at the inquest into former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer’s death that the genetic samples taken from Woolmer’s hotel room matched his DNA and not any of the others questioned in the case, reported the .Investigators took 22 swabs of evidence from the hotel room but none of them matched any of the other samples taken during the murder probe, said Sharon Brydson, an analyst at the forensics science laboratory in Kingston.Several Pakistan players were fingerprinted and swabbed by the police, although they were never termed suspects, after Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room on March 18 following Pakistan’s defeat against Ireland in the World Cup.The police had initially backed the government pathologist Ere Sheshiah’s finding that Woolmer was murdered and released a statement to that effect. However, a review by three other pathologists – Nathaniel Cary, Michael Pollanen and Lorna Martin – said Woolmer died of natural causes, possibly due to a heart attack.As the investigation continued, toxicology tests could not conclude whether Woolmer was injected with a poison or not. Marcia Dunbar, a Jamaican forensic analyst, testified at the inquest that evidence of the pesticide cypermethrin was found in blood and urine samples. Of three samples of blood taken from Woolmer, Dunbar said one tested positive for cypermethrin while the others did not and no suitable explanation was given for this. She also said that one of the containers she received from the police containing the samples had been contaminated.John Slaughter, a British forensic expert, later told the inquest that said he found no pesticide in the sample which was tested in his lab on May 4. He said the presence of cypermethrin could have been due to contamination at the government forensic laboratory in Kingston.On November 5, the coroner Patrick Murphy had asked for further tests to be carried out on samples taken from Woolmer’s body. The directive came on a request from Mark Shields, the Jamaica deputy commissioner of police, following discrepancies in the toxicology reports by forensic scientists from the Caribbean and the UK. Shields said more samples would be retrieved from the UK and the local forensic laboratory.

Match facts

January 15, 2016
Start time 1320 local (0320 GMT)4:06

Agarkar: India must play wicket-taking bowlers

Big Picture

Australia carry a 1-0 series lead to the second match in Brisbane, although there were several stages during the first ODI in Perth when India looked to be in control of the game. Batting first, they put on 1 for 149 in the first 30 overs and with so many wickets in hand, should have been looking at a total up around 350. That they reached only 309 was perhaps a disappointment, but it didn’t seem that it would matter when Australia stumbled early in their chase and were 2 for 21. Again, India were well on top.But then came the partnership that changed the match, a 242-run stand between Steven Smith and George Bailey that was Australia’s fourth-highest of all time in one-day internationals, and their highest for the third wicket. That the chase came down to the last over perhaps suggested a tighter finish than it really was; for most of the last 10 overs, Australia needed less than a run a ball with plenty of wickets in hand.Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 171 had gone in vain; he said India had suffered from being unsure how to pace their batting innings, and what would be a good total. Batting second once again might be an advantage at the Gabba, where although the pitch is good, expected afternoon and evening rain might bring adjusted targets into play. Duckworth-Lewis can favour the chasing team after mid-match rain, for they know precisely what tempo is required, unlike the side that has already batted.Whatever the case and whatever the chase, India can hardly afford another loss. If they find themselves 0-2 down in a five-match series, they will have no margin for error.

Form guide

Australia: WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

India: LLWLW

In the spotlight

It is often said that Shaun Marsh has been lucky to be given so many chances at Test cricket. By the same token, he has been unlucky not to play more than 46 ODIs. It is testament to the strength and stability of Australia’s one-day top order – and in recent years their penchant for choosing allrounders – that Marsh has played only 10 ODIs in the past four years. His game suits 50-over cricket, picking gaps and ticking the scoreboard along in the middle overs, and his ODI average of 39.81 is superior to past openers like Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist, as well as the incumbents David Warner and Aaron Finch. Warner’s absence for paternity leave should give Marsh a chance to bump his numbers up even further.In all of one-day international history, 7999 individual innings have been played against Australia. Rohit Sharma has played 19 of those and has been so successful that four of the top 20 ODI scores of all time against Australia belong to him. With a 500-run minimum, no batsman has a higher ODI average against Australia than Rohit’s 68.46. The latest of these monster innings was his 171 not out in Perth, the highest ODI score ever made against Australia in Australia. It turned out that India’s total was not sufficient, but if Rohit goes big again there is every chance of India levelling the series.

Team news

David Warner will miss the match after the birth of his second daughter, with Shaun Marsh set to take his place at the top of the order. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh will also take a rest before rejoining the squad for the third game in Melbourne. If the selectors want a fifth pace option they will need to include either Kane Richardson or John Hastings in the younger Marsh’s place.Australia (possible) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 Kane Richardson/John Hastings, 9 Scott Boland, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Joel Paris.There seems no real need to alter India’s batting line-up after they scored 300-plus in Perth, and while the pace bowlers did their job, the spinners were a touch expensive. It is possible that an extra fast man could come in given the likelihood of similar conditions at the Gabba; Ishant Sharma has been passed fit and is available for selection, or the uncapped Rishi Dhawan could debut, providing more of an all-round option.India (possible) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin/Rishi Dhawan/Ishant Sharma, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Barinder Sran.

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba pitch often has plenty of runs in it, though it is the venue where Australia were humiliated three years ago when they were swung out for 74 by Sri Lanka. Perhaps of more relevance is the weather forecast, which is for a sunny morning but a high chance of showers and rain developing in the evening, perhaps even a thunderstorm. Better get those Duckworth-Lewis calculations out.

Stats and trivia

• Virat Kohli needs 78 runs to reach 7000 in ODIs; if he gets there within his next six innings, he will beat AB de Villiers’ record of 166 innings and will be the fastest of all time to the milestone
• Barinder Sran was the 14th Indian to take three wickets on ODI debut; no bowler has ever taken more than three on debut for India
• Scott Boland was the third Australian to concede 70-plus runs on his ODI debut. His captain Steven Smith took 2 for 78 on debut in 2010, and 1970s fast man David Colley was the other

Quotes

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

Michael Vaughan’s cry for England to show a ruthlessness and “to really enjoy getting teams in the dirt” at the end of the third Test has been heeded, his team wrapping up a comprehensive seven-wicket win over West Indies on the final day of the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street. With Steve Harmison finally showing impressive rhythm and Monty Panesar continuing to bamboozle, England are handily placed ahead of India’s visit next month.The second session was almost a mirror image of yesterday when England’s batsmen capitalised on a woeful display from West Indies’ seamers. Today, it was England’s bowlers who seized the initiative after the interval, prompted by the delayed introduction of Panesar to the attack. The stroke play however – if that isn’t too generous a description – of some of West Indies’ batsmen was nothing short of calamitous. Between lunch and tea, they lost 6 for 88 while, all along, Shivnarine Chanderpaul acted as the dam between England and victory.Dwayne Bravo appeared to be the only man from whom Chanderpaul would receive sensible, solid support, and went on the attack – to England’s seamers in particular. Initially solid, he was unsettled and frustrated by Harmison’s shock-and-awe tactics before lunch and, soon after the interval, went out all guns blazing. An audacious and perfectly placed hook over square leg energised him, before he slapped Harmison over extra cover for another four. But at a time when West Indies simply needed him to block, block, block, he couldn’t rein in his attacking instincts and skied Panesar to mid-off.The wicket owed as much to Harmison’s venom in the previous over as Panesar’s nerve for tossing it up. England’s tortured fast bowler finally appears to have worked himself into form, though such a statement is often prematurely optimistic for Harmison. But nevertheless, during a long and unbroken 12-over spell, he was disciplined, fast, straight and hostile. On a couple of occasions his wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, could have benefited from a ladder such was the bounce he was extracting – on a spongy fifth-day pitch, too.

The floodgates now open, Marlon Samuels came and went in a hurry, edging Panesar to Paul Collingwood at first slip, and Denesh Ramdin was bowled by an absolute corker. As though magnetised to his leg-stump, the ball veered into Ramdin’s pads before spitting past a seemingly watertight forward defensive. Panesar was unstoppable, bowling with mesmerising control, the ball looping and dipping at the last moment. Perhaps Vaughan isn’t yet comfortable regarding Panesar as his most potent fifth-day-weapon, hence his slight delay in introducing him today, but that ought to change for the India series. He is fast becoming deadly in all conditions.While the dominoes tumbled at one end, Chanderpaul remained fiercely resolute at the other and began to open his shoulders, wary of the brittleness of West Indies’ tail. And how brittle. Daren Powell produced a wretched shot against Harmison – even worse than his pitiful attempt in the first innings – trying to spoon him over cover. And Fidel Edwards was bowled through the gate, his off-stump sent cart wheeling by the same bowler who, by now, was in excellent rhythm. After cracking Panesar for a couple of fours, Chanderpaul’s vigil ended when he was bowled by one which slid under his sweep shot. It was the first time he had been dismissed in over 18 hours, and also handed Panesar his sixth five-wicket haul.England lost Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss in their chase of 110, but Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen were in no mood to be contained. Vaughan, in particular, drove magnificently, hammering Edwards through extra cover before driving him straight back down the ground as England raced home in the 42nd over.The regeneration has begun, and it has been a solid start for Peter Moores as the new coach. Sterner tests lie ahead, starting with India next month.

Thirty-six teams, 32 matches and three days of non-stop cricket action would be the best way to describe the 17th edition of the Glucofit Cricket Sixes organised by the Old Wesleyites Sports club.The final day started off with Lumbini Mv, Mahanama College Colombo, Jaffna Combined Schools and Ananda College Colombo already comfortably in the quarter-finals from their merits on day one and two. However none of them could capitalise on moving forward as they fell prey to seasoned campaigners.Lumbini Mv lost to Nalanda College by 32 runs, the favorites from yesterday Jaffna Combined schools lost by two runs to underdogs Richmond College Galle, while Mahanama and Ananda Colleges were undone by St. Joseph’s College and St. Sebastian’s College respectively. The two semi-final matches were electric with four of Sri Lanka’s best schools taking part.The first game between Nalanda and St. Joseph’s was expected to be a one-horse race for the Nalandians. However the Joes had other plans, batting first and racing to 86 for 2 courtesy of a brilliant half-century by Chatura Kumara. Nalanda were never in the hunt and every time they did try to get away with the game, the Josephian bowlers held their nerves and clawed right back, ultimately winning against all odds by a good 35 runs.The second semi-final was a blockbuster with St. Sebastian taking on the in-form Richmond College, who, up that point, did everything right. However inexperience showed as they chased down a mere 55. The boys from the south self-destructed with three run-outs in quick succession to ultimately lose by 13 runs.The final was yet again expected to be an easy victory for St. Sebastian’s given their consistency in the tournament; however the Joes went about their business as usual initially restricting the Sebastian’s to 61 for 2 with some very good bowling and fielding. The highlight in that inning was that both wickets to fall were run-outs.St. Joseph’s started off shakily losing Roscoe Thatil and Chathura Kumara in the first over, but thanks to sensible batting by Jayathilake (28*) and Jayasinghe (21*) the boys from Darley Road managed to win the Glucofit Sixes 2009 in style.Thatil walked away with the best bowler and player of the tournament awards. St. Sebastian’s wicketkeeper PD Dias was adjudged best fielder and even though Chathura Kumara failed in the final he was still the best batsman with most runs and most sixes in the competition. MAS Jayathilake bagged the Man-of-the-Match award for his all-round performance in the final.