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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details AFP

Pakistan reasserted their dominance in the UAE with a crushing win in Dubai over a Sri Lanka side that has seen ODI wins excruciatingly hard to come by in 2017. A century from Babar Azam – back playing his most favoured format – and a blistering 81 from Shoaib Malik saw Pakistan set Sri Lanka a stiff target of 293. They were never really in the chase, losing half the side for 67, with Rumman Raees and Hasan Ali leading the 83-run rout and handing them their eighth consecutive loss in the format.Upul Tharanga won the toss and opted to bowl when most – Sarfraz included – considered fielding under the scorching Dubai an unappealing prospect. But Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Gamage backed up their captain with a stellar opening spell, characterised by subtle swing and consistent line and lengths that deprived Pakistan of scoring opportunities. Ahmed Shehzad fell in what is becoming increasingly predictable fashion, getting bogged down by 11 dot balls, before coming down the wicket to Gamage and gifting midwicket a simple catch.It wasn’t until Babar, who had managed to hang in despite struggling for rhythm, and the street-smart Malik came together, that the momentum took a clear shift in Pakistan’s favour. The running between the wickets was excellent, and Malik was destructive when he decided to take the aerial route, with even the tricky Dhananjaya rendered ineffective towards the close of the innings.The bowling looked particularly toothless as Babar and Malik set themselves up for the finish, even if they were unable to come up with the sort of power-hitting the innings required at that stage. For their part, Sri Lanka were superb in the field, in stark contrast to the series against India, with fielders in the infield throwing themselves around and saving several runs. It wasn’t until the last six overs that the big runs really began to leak, but along with it came regular wickets that stymied Pakistan’s charge in the slog overs. Where once 300 looked a formality, Pakistan ended up scrambling to reach 292.Even so, the target was a formidable one, and Sri Lanka began with a clear, positive intent. Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella sought to take advantage of the Powerplay in a way Pakistan had not, hitting five fours in the first 19 balls. But from the moment the first wicket fell, Dickwella poking at a ball from Raees that nipped away from him, the rot set in. The run rate began to drop sharply; just five runs were scored off the next 24 deliveries. Raees was the most menacing and accounted for Dinesh Chandimal’s wicket too, the ball swinging back into the right-hander and trapping him plumb in front.Tharanga looked thoroughly unconvincing once Mohammad Hafeez came on, surviving numerous lbw appeals in a phase when the middle of his bat completely disappeared from the game. After being worked over for a couple of overs, the Sri Lanka captain was put out of his misery by Hafeez with a ball that skidded on and thudded into his off stump. Two overs later, Hasan Ali dismissed Kusal Mendis and Milinda Siriwardana off successive deliveries, effectively putting the game to bed.The lower order hung around long enough to seriously frustrate Pakistan, without really having a hope of winning. Thisara Perera provided brief entertainment before top-edging Shadab Khan and holing out, substitute fielder Faheem Ashraf taking an excellent catch. Raees came back into the attack and ended the resistance of the last recognised batsman Lahiru Thirimanne, who top-scored with 53.Where Pakistan might have expected to skittle the tail out cheaply, Dananjaya and Jeffrey Vandersay, the Nos. 8 and 9, viewed the situation as an opportunity to get batting practice. While they never showed any intent of even trying to reach the target, they grittily hung around for a 68-run partnership, ensuring Sri Lanka batted out their full fifty overs.Dananjaya ended up with an unbeaten fifty as the game meandered along for a full two hours. Pakistan seemed content to bowl out the overs than look to finish with a flourish. Even so, by the time Pakistan inevitably took a 1-0 lead, all Dananjaya and Vandersay had done was sprinkle some respectability onto another abject white-ball performance from Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka T20 squad were surrounded by ‘extraordinary’ security arrangements upon their arrival in Lahore on Sunday morning, for the third T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium. This is the first Sri Lanka team to visit Pakistan since the terror attack targeting Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore in 2009.The side, which flew in from Abu Dhabi, was escorted to the team hotel in a bomb-proof bus. The routes from the Allama Iqbal Airport in Lahore were virtually sealed off with thousands of armed police deployed along the 14 km route. The streets leading to Mall Road were also deserted as the team was flanked by a large convoy of police commandos. The arrangements were similar to the security protocol followed for a presidential visit.A Sri Lankan security delegation had visited Lahore over the last two days to oversee the arrangements. A full dress rehearsal of the security arrangements from the airport to the hotel to the stadium – involving the Pakistan army, Pakistan’s paramilitary force, the Rangers, and the Punjab police – was also held.”We are prepared to host Sri Lanka team,” Dr Haider Ashraf, Deputy Inspector General (operations) of Punjab Police, told reporters at Gaddafi Stadium. “Under the umbrella of the Punjab government, and with the help of Pakistan army, rangers and intelligence agencies, we are geared up to make this event successful.”I can assure that the entire administration from Punjab government and police is very much professional and competent to handle such event. A Sri Lanka security delegation was here and nobody has so far objected or expressed any dissatisfaction about any of our arrangements. We have adopted all the best international practices and everyone on board is satisfied. International security consultants are also on board. There are four layers of security check points to enter the stadium and Lahore administration has put a shuttle service in place to take fans from the parking area to the stadium gates. There are four parking points covering all direction of the city.”The team that landed in Sunday does not include any player or coach who was present in 2009. Sri Lanka Cricket had announced a new-look T20I squad after several senior players refused to travel to Lahore. Sri Lanka’s regular T20I captain, Upul Tharanga, had pulled out, along with Lasith Malinga, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal and Akila Dananjaya. The team is being captained by Thisara Perera. SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala and sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara have accompanied the side to Lahore.Sri Lanka’s cricketers were driven to the team hotel in a bomb-proof bus•PCB

Sunday’s match is yet another attempt by the Pakistan Cricket Board to show the country’s will and capacity to host international cricket, which had stopped for many years following the 2009 terror attack. In March 2009, the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked en route to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second Test, at the Liberty Roundabout situated 1.5 kilometres from the stadium. Eight people were killed in the attack and a few Sri Lanka players were injured. With teams refusing to tour Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack, the board had to adopt the UAE as its home venue for international cricket.The landscape of the city, however, has changed drastically over the last eight years. The flow of traffic around the Liberty Roundabout has been altered, and the Nishtar Park complex, which houses the Gaddafi Stadium, is now well protected with huge metal gates.In 2015, Zimbabwe became the first Test-playing nation to tour Pakistan since the attack, with a limited-overs series held in Lahore. Despite extensive security measures, a bomb blast occurred 800m away from the Gaddafi Stadium during the second ODI, killing two people. Zimbabwe stayed on and finished the series two days later, but the tour did not lead to a change in the perceptions about security in Pakistan.The next high-profile match in Lahore was the Pakistan Super League final in March 2017. This was followed by a successful tour of the World XI for three T20Is in September, which saw a number of high-profile cricketers turn out. The World XI side was coached by Andy Flower and included five players from South Africa – including Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla – three from Australia, two from West Indies and one player each from England, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. The series was officially backed by the ICC, who also hired independent experts to oversee security arrangements. Players were offered US $100,000 to play the series, which spanned five days. It was a key step for the PCB in its efforts to convince teams that Pakistan is ready to host top-flight international cricket.The PCB is now in talks with Cricket West Indies for three T20I matches in November, but the West Indies board has not yet confirmed the series.

Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller has been called-up to West Indies’ ODI squad for their three-match series against New Zealand later this month. Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who were part of West Indies’ ODI team against England in September, kept their places, while uncapped fast bowler Ronsford Beaton also earned a spot in the 15-man squad.

Ins and outs

ODI squad
In: Shannon Gabriel, Ronsford Beaton, Nikita Miller
Out: Jerome Taylor, Miguel Cummins, Devendra Bishoo
T20 squad
In: Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher
Out: Ashley Nurse

Miller, who has played 46 ODIs and 9 T20s, last played for West Indies in the 2015 World Cup, against Zimbabwe. In the 2016-17 Regional Super50 – West Indies’ domestic 50-overs tournament – Miller picked up nine wickets in nine games, at an average of 32, but also had an economy rate of 3.67.Beaton, who was included in the West Indies A squad for a home series against Sri Lanka A, impressed in this year’s Caribbean Premier League, taking 11 wickets in 10 games.Fast bowler Rayad Emrit earned a maiden call-up to a full-strength T20 squad that also included Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine. Samuel Badree, who was unavailable for West Indies’ previous T20 assignment in England, also made a return.Emrit finished the 2017 Caribbean Premier League as the third-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in 12 matches, at an average of 21.20.Wicketkeepers Andre Fletcher and Chadwick Walton were also rewarded for a stellar CPL 2017. Walton was the highest-run scorer in the tournament with 458 runs in 12 games at an average of 41.63 and a strike rate of 145.85, while Fletcher managed 286 runs in 10 matches.Courtney Browne, Cricket West Indies’ selection chairman, said Miller’s inclusion was done with one eye on preparing an experienced team for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in March next year.”Miller has played ODI cricket previously. Along with his vast experience in our domestic competitions, we felt that he is the right fit to form a part of our ODI bowling unit at this time,” Browne said. “With the World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, we felt that this is not the right time to introduce an inexperienced slow bowler. This series against New Zealand and our CWI Regional Super50 Cup next year are the only chances we will have for preparation prior to the World Cup qualifiers, which are scheduled to be played next March in Zimbabwe.”So these matches will be used to help us identify the players that will play during the qualifiers, and this is why we have also taken the opportunity to introduce Ronsford Beaton. Though, he is more known for his pace and variations in T20I cricket, we believe he can add value within our ODI bowling unit.”Emrit, Browne said, was picked to fill in an allrounder’s slot in the T20I side. “The selection of Emrit is to fill one of the all-rounder roles. He has always been on the fringes of selection and now gets his opportunity. He is a whole-hearted player, and has been a consistent performer in our domestic competitions and so the opportunity has now presented itself for him to join our T20I squad.”West Indies’ limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour begins on December 20, with the first ODI in Nelson. The T20s will begin from December 29.ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt.), Jason Mohammed, Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick WilliamsT20 squad: Carlos Brathwaite (capt.), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams

There is no discernible change between a struggling Chris Gayle and a dominant one, according to his captain at Rangpur Riders, Mashrafe Mortaza. Famous for being calm with economy of movement on and off the field, Gayle feasted on Khulna Titans’ young bowling attack, striking 126 off only 51 balls to lead his team another step closer to the BPL trophy.”There’s no difference [between the two Gayles],” Mashrafe said. “He likes to stay relaxed and sleep in his room. I think this is what gives him the advantage to stay relaxed in the field. I have seen him in the earlier edition of the BPL too, but I hardly saw any change in his mentality. He is always calm before batting, pads up slowly and goes to the field.”With the rest of his routine remaining same, it is often the feel of bat on ball that gets Gayle going. Mahmudullah, the Khulna captain, said that they tried to give him less room to swing his arms, bowling as straight as possible and using a lot of change of pace. But nothing worked on the day.”The plan was to deprive him of room,” Mahmudullah said. “He can spread his wings when you give him room. There is fewer options apart from bowling stump-to-stump and mixing up the pace. We didn’t start well with the ball, and overall it wasn’t a good bowling effort.”Gayle launched 14 sixes and six fours in an unbeaten innings, contributing nearly 75% of his team’s total. But the Rangpur dressing room was too nervous to soak it all in. “The dressing room still remained tense when Gayle started hitting them big,” Mashrafe said. “I think we felt better when we reached the safe zone; the dressing room only cools down when the runs flow.”Part of that reaction was because Rangpur’s batting has not been as reliable as it could have been this season. Mashrafe even said: “I was sure that it would have been difficult for us if Gayle got out early. I think we were lucky that he stepped up today. But he made two contributions in difficult situation and difficult wicket, which helped us in a big way.”

After an exhaustive two-month Ashes series that drained England out completely and an ODI series that has sapped Australia with two games to play, there is another prize to fight for. It is the quarter-final of the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand and it promises to be a battle of equals, perhaps for the first time this summer.It’s the genesis of this rivalry that got Ryan Harris, the former Australia fast bowler and Under-19 head coach, to push his body, sometimes on the line – fighting through stress fractures and ankle injuries during the course of a stop-start career in which he played 27 Tests and was part of the Ashes-winning team in 2013. He expects Tuesday’s clash to be another exciting one.”With all that has been going on with the Ashes and with England beating us 3-0 in the one-day series, in the current environment, it is a big game,” Harris said. “England v Australia is always a big game. I have prepared these guys to make sure they know they’re ready to go. It is World Cup quarter-final, a good opportunity for the boys to experience high-pressure cricket. It does not get much bigger than this from now on.”In trying to be competitive, however, he also cautioned them of letting emotions overrule them. “It’s just being better on the day and making sure we execute well, but we have to ensure the guys control their emotions and focus on what they have to do, and that is to play cricket,” he said. “We’ve had a good training session and chat about that to make sure they are ready and how they can channel their emotions. There are a few guys who are going to be nervous; sure there are a few anxious guys too.”The anxiety may not stem from England’s familiarity with the conditions, but it’s worth making note of nonetheless. Group games against Namibia, Canada and Bangladesh have not been the most competitive, but they will have the advantage of having played all their group games in Queenstown. The nature of those wins means they could slightly be undercooked and are yet to be tested against a quality opposition.England’s captain Harry Brook had a completely different outlook. England looked relaxed. There was plenty of friendly banter, jokes and leg-pulling mixed with the serious during their training session. Coach Jonathan Trott seemed at ease at the helm, taking time off to have one-on-one chats with his batsmen when needed, but ensuring he wasn’t always in their line with advice and suggestion.Brook resonated this mood when asked if they felt the pinch of playing the old rival. “I haven’t felt anything different yet but it maybe different on the day. he said. “We just go about our business and try to play the best standard of cricket and we can beat them. The way we have been playing has been outstanding. Opening bowlers have been getting the wickets and the batters have been getting runs. As long as we keep it simple, there is no reason why we cannot beat them. If we bowl well and pick up the wickets, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to get them out for 150 and knock it off with two or three down.”IDI/Getty Images

England have trained on every surface possible at the venue – ranging from green tops to the slightly drier ones. The mornings have been hot, the evenings nippy and rain leading into the game could lend some spice to the pitch. “The coach has been saying that we have been here for a long time, played three games, which should give us a bit of a home advantage,” Brook said. “We should know the conditions, where the wind is blowing or how big the ground is. It should make bit of an impact, but that doesn’t mean we would do things any differently. We will just play our own game.”In comparison, Australia have been put through a stern test by India in their opener, but blew Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea away. The format’s nature – providing equal opportunities to lesser-known Associates – meant the top sides were unlikely to get solid match time.While England have had the luxury of being based in Queenstown all tournament, Australia arrived on Sunday morning and immediately went through an intense training session. On Monday, they once again followed that drill: focusing on specifics over a four-hour afternoon session.”We would have liked more guys to have a hit, but that’s how the format goes,” Harris said of Australia’s challenge in the group stages. They bowled Zimbabwe out for 134 before their top order scored the runs in 18.2 overs. They batted first to score 370 against PNG. “It’s good they have had time in the middle though. We try to mix up a little bit to see the guys get a hit, they’re all pretty well placed going into a big game.”Harris said he’d like to see much more from Max Bryant, who came into the tournament with the reputation of someone who could unsettle new ball bowlers quickly. He wasted two strong starts against India and Zimbabwe and was out for a duck against PNG. “We haven’t seen the best of Max, Jack Edwards has been excellent,” he said. “He [Bryant] has the power to get us off to a flier. Hopefully he can come off as well, he’s due. He’s seeing and hitting the ball well. That is why we picked those guys, so that we can get off to explosive starts.”If the opposition is bowling well, they’re able to delay their power hitting and launch later on. We have power there. Jason Sangha at No. 3 is excellent. He reads the game pretty well and controls the tempo of the innings. that’s why we’ve now got the best mix. If we get everything to together, it will take a very, very good side to beat us.”

India have won their first bilateral series in South Africa across any format bar a one-off T20, with victory in the fifth ODI in Port Elizabeth. Their success in the series has been fashioned by their wristspinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who have taken 30 out of the 43 South African wickets to fall in five matches, at an average of 13.63.Chahal and Kuldeep shared six wickets between them at St George’s Park, where India defended a below-par total in a messy effort in the field that still managed to force a South African collapse. The hosts lost 6 for 31 to crash from 166 for 4 in the 35th over to being bowled out inside 43 overs and only have a win in a rain-shortened match in Johannesburg to show for their efforts.India, on the other hand, have plenty to celebrate including the form of Rohit Sharma. After Virat Kohli in the first and third ODIs and Shikhar Dhawan in the fourth, finally Rohit, who did not manage a half-century in eight innings on this tour or over 20 in the ODIs, raised his bat to a hundred. But his innings was not without its drama.Rohit witnessed two run-outs at the other end, including that of Kohli, survived a review, was dropped on 96 and then his dismissal sparked a mini-collapse in which India lost four wickets for 29 to finish with 274 for 7. India only scored 78 runs in the last 15 overs and South Africa would have fancied their chances,The early battle lines were drawn between Kagiso Rabada and Shikhar Dhawan with the former ramping up his pace to 150kph and the latter dealing in boundaries. Dhawan scored all but two of his 34 runs in fours and took five of them off Rabada, who gave him an animated send-off.At the other end, Rohit could have just been content with keeping Rabada at bay, given that Rabada had dismissed him in six out of eight innings on this tour. But Rohit was not merely content. He launched Rabada over long-on to show early intent and went on to take on the short balls, which Lungi Ngidi offered generously in his opening spell.JP Duminy and Tabraiz Shamsi bowled in tandem for eight overs but their attempts to create pressure were stymied by the penchant for boundary balls. They conceded 49 runs in that time and it was only some quick work in the field that slowed India down.Ultimately, Duminy removed Kohli but not in the way he would have imagined. Rohit tapped a Morkel delivery off the back foot and refused a run but Kohli was already on his way. Duminy had enough time to collect the ball from point and underarm it directly onto the stumps.Kohli’s dismissal quietened Rohit and India only scored 23 runs off the next 38 balls before Ajinkya Rahane was run-out. He was left stranded after tapping the ball to Morkel at mid-on; Rohit once again was not keen on the quick single.If India were aiming for 300, Rohit needed to rebuild with the middle and lower order but getting his own milestone appeared to be the first mission and South Africa seemed determined to deny him. They appealed for caught behind when Rohit pulled Andile Phehlukwayo on 90 and reviewed the umpire’s call of not out but replays showed the ball had hit the thigh pad. On 96, Rohit ramped and offered a straightforward catch to Shamsi, who could not hold on. Rohit’s hundred eventually came up off 107 balls at the end of the 36th over, giving him enough time to make it really count.But he could not. Instead, there was almost another run-out, that of Shreyas Iyer, some tentative nudging and nurdling and then Rohit was undone by extra bounce from Ngidi and caught behind. Hardik Pandya bottom-edged the next ball to Heinrich Klaasen and Iyer top-edged Ngidi to the wicketkeeper as well. India lost three wickets for two runs in 13 balls and needed MS Dhoni to finish off but as has been the case throughout the series, he could not get going.The opposite was true for Hashim Amla, who made his first score of significance in the ODI series and kept South Africa in the game until he too, was run-out. Amla’s intent was obvious from the third ball when he slashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar past backward point for four.Rohit Sharma raises his bat after getting to his century•BCCI

Iyer, whose memory of dropping David Miller at the Wanderers must be fresh, put down Aiden Markram at extra cover. Markram was on 9 when he drilled the drive to Iyer and started to play as though he would make India pay but not for too long. He was caught at midwicket two balls before the end of the Powerplay.India almost had another wicket off the next ball but Duminy’s inside edge fell just short of Dhoni. Exactly six balls later, Duminy edged Pandya to slip but Pandya’s bigger contributions were yet to come. In his next over, he had AB de Villiers caught behind and South Africa were reduced to 65 for 3.Amla had David Miller to keep the required run rate in check and the pair accumulated steadily. They shared a 62-run fourth-wicket stand and tried to rotate strike against India’s wristspinners. Miller survived an lbw review off Chahal, hit him for six and on the hand but Chahal also produced some deliveries Miller knew nothing about. He was eventually bowled by one such ball, which meandered towards him with the pace of a Port Elizabeth day (read ‘slow’) and crashed into his stumps.By then, Amla had been let off on 38, by Rahane at short point off Pandya, and India were already racking up what-should-have-beens which would only have grown longer as Amla batted on. His first fifty of the series came off 72 balls. With Klaasen at the other end, despite the climbing run rate, South Africa would have been confident that they could accelerate with wickets in hand.It was only when Amla was run-out, by the smallest of margins when he failed to get any part of his bat over the line after setting off for a hasty single off Bhuvneshwar, that the task began to look too tough. Pandya was the fielder and his direct hit of the non-striker’s stumps sent South Africa into freefall. The next five wickets fell in 47 balls, all to wristspin and three in four balls in Kuldeep’s last over.

Andre Russell will miss the remainder of the PSL season with a hamstring injury. Russell, who plays for Islamabad United, pulled his right hamstring during the course of his side’s eight-wicket win that consigned Karachi Kings to their first loss of the season on Sunday. Russell didn’t bowl and wasn’t required to bat either.This is Russell’s first tournament after his return from a year-long ban for a doping violation that ended in January 2018. Russell had already played an important role in this year’s tournament, taking four wickets at 22.25. He was also responsible for his side’s victory against Lahore Qalandars in the game of the tournament so far, smashing a last-ball six in the Super Over to seal the win.His injury will also leave Kolkata Knight Riders, his IPL franchise who chose to retain him ahead of the 2018 season, anxious. Kolkata are also sweating over Chris Lynn’s fitness. The Australian batsman injured his shoulder during the T20 tri-series final in New Zealand.

ScorecardTwenty-six wickets in a day on a wicket greener than most could remember at Lord’s: welcome, Middlesex, to Division Two of the County Championship.This is how the cricket is played in the lower tier – on result pitches where teams are prepared to lose for the chance of victory. It served Nottinghamshire well last season, Northamptonshire too, whose nine wins trumped Nott’s tally and still wasn’t good enough for promotion. Middlesex are looking to prove Division Two is an alien land and after a whirlwind day they are now set to begin a season of recovery with victory.But a helpful pitch still requires bowlers of skill and craft and Tim Murtagh has been providing those credentials for 18 years. Here, he passed 700 first-class wickets when he clipped Josh Cobb’s off bail, taking 4 for 27 as Middlesex humiliated Northants in 21.2 overs of their first-innings. But it was another example of how Middlesex look out of place in the second tier that dominated the day.An impressive XI can be compiled of Middlesex players not available for this match but the depth of talent Middlesex posses is perhaps the biggest difference between themselves and other Division Two counties.Such is their depth that at the beginning of 2017, James Harris – who arrived from Glamorgan under much fanfare in 2013 – was allowed to join Kent on loan: a four-match sojourn that yielded 19 wickets at 21. He was back by the middle of the year and has begun 2018 with what should turn out to be a match-winning performance.After Middlesex began the day 136 for 4, they quickly lost both Paul Stirling and John Simpson who had shared a fifty-partnership on the first afternoon. Harris provided a punchy unbeaten 46 with the tail to steer his side to 214 and a score that appeared overpar. A thought confirmed as Harris replaced Toby Roland-Jones at the Pavilion End. His first three deliveries barely made the cut strip outside the off stump but the third came back down the slope to remove Richard Levi’s off stump and Harris was underway. He needed only 32 balls to take 5 for 9.James Harris celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Harris and Murtagh reduced Northants to 41 for 8 and in danger of falling short of their lowest total against Middlesex of 58. That Brett Hutton, having taken 5 for 54 on his Northants debut earlier in the day, saved the visitors from such ignominy was no consolation as a 143-run first-innings deficit was conceded.With only two days of outdoor practise behind them in pre-season because of the appalling weather, Northants could claim mitigating circumstances. A pre-season tour of Barbados weakened the argument – however different the conditions. There was also little to excuse a series of missed chances – the most crucial John Simpson being dropped on three in the first-innings that would have seen Middlesex 67 for 5 and Harris spilt on 10.Middlesex conceded that to play conservatively was inviting trouble. As such, Max Holden unleashed a series of viscous cut strokes to the Mound Stand to rattle Middlesex to 54 for 1 in their second innings with a run-a-ball 33. But trying to force Doug Bracewell through cover, he edged behind and the game began to turn.Bracewell had changed to the Nursery End and oversaw a collapse of 4 for 3 in 23 balls to bring Northants back into the game. And at 112 for 9, the lead 255, they held some hope. But Murtagh swung his way to 31 in just 20 balls – including a six into the Tavern Stand – and Tom Helm, buoyed by his partner’s hitting, discovered his own taste for putting bat to ball with three further boundaries.The 10th wicket pair added 47 in 32 balls and with the target set at 303 and the pitch unlikely to ease, Middlesex should begin life back in Division Two with victory on day three

They may have tumbled to 99 all out. And they may be facing an improbable target of 519. But regardless of how their final game of the season goes, Central Districts will lift the Plunket Shield trophy. Their status as champions – for the first time since 2013 – was confirmed as soon as their closest rivals for the season – Wellington – slipped to a 120-run defeat to Auckland at the Outer Oval in Eden Park.Central Districts have had a fantastic time in 2017-18, making the finals of both limited-overs tournaments, the Ford Trophy and the Super Smash, although poor batting in both title clashes left them with little to show for their efforts. That has not been a problem in first-class cricket, though. Three of their batsmen – Greg Hay, Jesse Ryder and Will Young – are among the top-10 run-getters in the tournament. And on the bowling front, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel finished as the leading wicket-taker.Wellington had been leading points table as recently as the previous round of the Plunket Shield, but their defeat to Northern Districts coupled with Central Districts’ thrashing of Canterbury by an innings and 58 runs led to a most decisive shake-up.

ScorecardIf runs scored in a struggling team really do carry extra value, then Joe Clarke has done his statistics no harm in the last few days. After his 157 at The Oval last week helped Worcestershire end the losing run that had made for an unpromising return to Division One cricket, his 105 here was the difference between a hefty first-innings deficit against the defending champions and a workable lead.Both hundreds, incidentally, have come since Ed Smith was appointed as James Whitaker’s successor as national selector, charged with rebuilding the standing of England’s Test team after a depressing Ashes winter. Whether this is significant may become known on Tuesday, when the first England selection of Smith’s tenure is announced.,He is probably an outside bet to be named in the squad for the opening Test against Pakistan but, if Smith is minded to make a statement by stepping away from the usual suspects, then Clarke will surely be one of those whose form has been scrutinised with particular interest.Here at New Road opinion is divided, not on the matter of Clarke’s talent but over whether he is ready to be exposed to Test cricket. Clarke will not be 22 until later this month and with all young players there is a risk that a poor start under the pressure of international cricket will have a negative psychological impact.”Am I ready to step up? Until you play at that level I don’t think you can know,” he said afterwards. “But to show that I can perform in the higher league after a few seasons in Division Two is pleasing. I’ll just try to score as many runs as I can for Worcestershire and let the runs do the talking really.”These last two innings, the latest in particular, have shown a responsible side to his game. With only Daryl Mitchell able to stay with him more than briefly, drawing on his experience to steady a rocking boat after Brett D’Oliveira and Tom Fell had been dismissed within the first three overs of the day, the onus was largely on Clarke to make sure the previous day’s achievement in denying Essex any batting points was not wasted.In that respect, he succeeded impressively. There was a wobble or two at the beginning, but for the most part his judgment of which balls he should attack was sound. Against an attack of this calibre, with Peter Siddle looking to sign off his five-match stint with the county on a strong note, making the correct decisions was essential. Yet when he did put bat to ball he looked in good order. Three of his 14 fours came in one over against Jamie Porter, two with muscular pulls through midwicket, the third driven serenely into the boundary boards at long off.Only the end was disappointing, a push at a ball from Ravi Bopara that beat the bat and punished his tentative footwork. Bopara had also dismissed Mitchell is returning 3 for 30, although Siddle was the best of the bowlers, unlucky to claim only two wickets.Essex overhauled Worcestershire’s lead for only one loss but suffered an unexpected blow when Alastair Cook, looking ominously well set on 66, offered no shot to a ball from Steve Magoffin that came back sharply to clip his off stump.Bizarrely, Essex’s top three batsmen were all bowled by balls they opted to leave, which is an unusual occurrence to say the least. Little wonder that Bopara and Dan Lawrence chose to negotiate a gloomy last hour somewhat cautiously, although for not quite long enough in the case of Bopara, who was caught behind pushing at one from an impressive Josh Tongue just before seven o’clock, with 12 balls left in the day.