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Aaron Finch said that Asela Gunaratne, who led Sri Lanka to a last-ball win in Geelong, was a particularly difficult batsman to defend against due to his ability to strike boundaries to any part of the ground

Brydon Coverdale in Geelong19-Feb-2017Sixteen off the last over would be a daunting enough challenge for any batsman in a Twenty20 chase. Sixteen an over for the final three overs is something else entirely. And yet Australia’s captain, Aaron Finch, said he felt that while Asela Gunaratne remained at the crease, Sri Lanka still had a chance of achieving their goal, an assessment that turned out to be accurate, to the delight of thousands of Sri Lankan fans at Geelong’s Kardinia Oval.Gunaratne took 12 off James Faulkner, then 22 off Moises Henriques, and the 14 that Sri Lanka then needed off the final over from Andrew Tye were completed when Gunaratne crunched the last ball over cover for four. Finch said Gunaratne, who had also scored a half-century in Sri Lanka’s successful chase at the MCG on Friday, was a particularly difficult batsman to defend against due to his ability to strike boundaries to any part of the ground.”The plan was pace off and wide,” Finch said. “If he wanted to go to the short boundary over the leg side, make him really fetch it with no pace on the ball. Geez, he hit some clean, didn’t he? He played a hell of an innings. That’s as good a striking as you’ll see. For a guy to be able to hit over fine leg and over mid-off, they’re pretty rare skills to be able to do both, and he hasn’t mis-hit a ball in two games now.Asela Gunaratne struck with bat and ball against Australia in Geelong•Getty Images

“With the dimensions of the ground, with an in-batter who was hitting them so clean, you know that you still have to execute. I felt all along that we had to get him out to win, or get him off strike a little bit more. We struggled to do that for the last three overs. We couldn’t seem to bowl enough balls at [Nuwan] Kulasekara and then [Lasith] Malinga. But when you’ve got a guy who’s in like that, it’s so hard to defend. The way our bowlers bowled up front and then through the middle was top-drawer.”Nearly 14,000 spectators turned out to the match, which was the first international ever played in Geelong, and a good proportion of those were Sri Lankan supporters. For almost two hours after the match ended, several hundred of those Sri Lankan fans celebrated outside the ground on Moorabool Street, with trumpets blaring as they waited for the Sri Lankan players to emerge on their way to the team bus.Although the result was a disappointing one for Australia, Finch said he was pleased with the way Geelong supported Kardinia Oval’s international debut. Crowd numbers might have been higher if it weren’t for heavy rain earlier in the day, which affected the women’s T20I between Australia and New Zealand that preceded the men’s match.”Being about minus seven degrees doesn’t help,” Finch joked, “and it was bucketing down with rain all day. But the crowd was still fantastic. The surface, after so much of a downpour, was unbelievable, the wicket played really well. No bigger test than the weather that Geelong had over the last couple of days. To be able to produce a world-class venue like that was unbelievable.”

Ross Taylor has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Wellington due to his calf injury

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin11-Mar-20171:33

‘Losing Taylor a big loss’ – Williamson

Neil Broom is in line for his Test debut after being called up to replace Ross Taylor who was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Wellington due to his calf strain. Taylor will be reassessed ahead of the final match of the series in Hamilton.Kane Williamson and Mike Hesson said that Broom, who returned to the New Zealand limited-overs teams at the start of the season, jumped to the top of the queue because of his domestic experience and an injury to Dean Brownlie which meant he was not considered. Their other injury concern, Trent Boult, will be assessed in the three days leading into the Wellington Test after being unable to bowl after tea on the fourth day in Dunedin due to a hip problem.Taylor, New Zealand’s joint second-highest Test century-maker alongside Williamson, suffered a low grade tear of the right calf while batting on the second day and retired hurt on 8. He returned to complete his innings at the fall of the ninth wicket although he was restricted in his movements.Broom gave up a deal with Derbyshire in English county cricket to resume his international career after a gap of nearly seven years when he was recalled to face Bangladesh. He scored his maiden international century in his second match back which was followed by a 97 and then hit 73 against Australia in Auckland. However, in the one-day series against South Africa he made 2,2 and 0 before being dropped.”Neil has been around the one-day group for a period of time and been very successful,” Williamson said. “He has played a lot of domestic cricket and been around for a long period of time.”Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said: “We’ve got an inexperienced batting line up so we were keen to have somebody with plenty of playing experience, someone who can play pace well and Neil has seen a little bit of South Africa before. We are going to miss Ross and that calming influence in the middle order, but it does provide an opportunity for Neil to step up and show us that he is ready for Test cricket.”Ross Taylor retired hurt for 8 in New Zealand’s first innings•AFP

Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, noted Broom’s poor return in the one-day matches. “I haven’t played against him with the red ball. Seen a bit on him in the one-dayers. We were quite successful in getting rid of him so hopefully that will continue. It’s the experience they are going to miss with Ross. They can’t replace that straight away.”Another name suggested for a call-up as Taylor’s replacement was Colin Munro who is the only current player to average over 50 in New Zealand first-class cricket. He recently hit twin hundreds in a Plunket Shield match against Central Districts after losing his place in the ODI side and suffering a lean run in T20 cricket since his century against Bangladesh. Munro has one previous Test cap, earned against South Africa in early 2013.”We are after an experienced middle-order player who can provide some solidity,” Hesson said. “Colin is a different sort of player to that. Obviously very destructive on his day.”Meanwhile, Boult will travel with the squad to Wellington and will be monitored due to a sore hip which prevented him from bowling on the fourth afternoon. Boult bowled 15 overs in South Africa’s second innings, after delivering 32.4 in the first, before being forced off the field.”Boult is better today than yesterday. Yesterday he was in discomfort and we decided it wasn’t a good idea for him to bowl. We will monitor him over the next couple of days,” Hesson said.New Zealand have reinforcements in the form of Tim Southee, who was dropped for the first Test, and have also brought Matt Henry into the squad although Williamson said that would have happened even without Boult’s injury.The final day of the first Test was washed out without a ball bowled.

Jonny Bairstow served further notice of his determination to force his way into the starting XI for the Champions Trophy as England saw off Ireland’s brave challenge at Lord’s

The Report by Andrew Miller07-May-2017England 328 for 6 (Morgan 76, Root 73, Bairstow 72*) beat Ireland 243 (Porterfield 82, Plunkett 3-15, Root 3-52) by 85 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:40

Should Ireland be playing Test cricket?

Jonny Bairstow served further notice of his determination to force his way into the starting XI for the Champions Trophy, as his violent 72 not out from 44 balls built on a third-wicket stand of 140 between Eoin Morgan and Joe Root to put England out of sight in an entertaining but ultimately one-sided second ODI against Ireland at Lord’s.Bairstow’s knock, which featured seven fours and a trio of mown sixes from his final five balls, proved the difference between a chaseable total and an unobtainable one for Ireland’s cricketers. Set a daunting 329 to square the series – 203 more runs than they had mustered in Friday’s seven-wicket defeat at Bristol – they started with impressive intent thanks to Paul Stirling’s 48 from 42 balls, but fell away in the middle overs, in spite of a fighting half-century from the captain Will Porterfield, to finish on 243.Regardless of the final margin of victory, it was a vastly improved showing from Ireland, who rose to the occasion of their first ODI appearance at Lord’s by keeping their focus with bat and ball, only to be outclassed at crucial junctures, most notably when Adil Rashid joined Bairstow for a slap-happy sixth-wicket stand of 88 in 7.4 overs that took the contest out of their reach.Fresh from their humiliation at Bristol, Ireland’s decision to bowl first on winning the toss had been greeted with ironic cheers by a sizeable Lord’s crowd, but under overcast skies, and armed with precisely the type of nibbly seamers who might be expected to thrive in such conditions, it was more than just a defensive decision from Porterfield.Sure enough, the Middlesex veteran, Tim Murtagh led the way with an exemplary first spell of County Championship-standard line and length. He conceded just two boundaries in his first six overs, a drive apiece to Jason Roy and Alex Hales, who were forced to make hay at the Pavilion End instead, in adding 49 for the first wicket in the first 11 overs.Hales, in particular, resumed his aggressive approach following his match-sealing fifty at Bristol, but he was comprehensively out-thought in the end by Murtagh, who nipped one back up the slope to bowl him through the gate for 32 from 35 balls. And, when Roy leaned a touch too eagerly into Barry McCarthy’s fourth delivery of the day, for Stirling to cling on to a sharp chance in front of his face at short cover, England were 60 for 2 in the 13th over – the sort of scoreline that could easily have unravelled with a few false strokes in such conditions.Morgan, however, quickly showed he was in no mood to second-guess himself, by dancing out of his crease to the fifth ball he received, from Kevin O’Brien, and slapping the first six of the innings towards the pavilion benches. Another six, this time off the left-arm spin of George Dockrell, kept Morgan ticking along, although he then had a major slice of luck when Stirling snaked an offbreak through the batsman’s legs and into the base of the stumps without dislodging a bail.At the other end, it was just another day at the office for Root, a batsman who has now scored 333 runs in his past four ODIs, following scores of 90 not out and 101 in the Caribbean in March. Once again, Root’s ability to keep the strike ticking over was a fundamental part of his success, but so too was his eye for a boundary in the middle overs of the innings, as he picked off eight in total, including a dinky reverse-dab off Dockrell that hopped straight over the wicketkeeper’s head.Root and Morgan brought up their fifties in the same Dockrell over – Root with a tickled single to midwicket from 57 balls, then Morgan dabbing to square leg from his 49th delivery – but shortly after the second drinks break, Root’s innings was curtailed as Peter Chase lured him into a loose drive to mid-off.He departed for a run-a-ball 73, with a rueful shake of the head perhaps betraying a sense that, once again, he’d been found ever-so-slightly wanting when the onus had moved from nurdling to slogging. Still, at 200 for 3 in the 36th over, he had helped to lay a substantial platform, and when Morgan fell in a similar fashion three overs later, the stage was set for Bairstow and Sam Billings – Champions Trophy understudies – to capitalise on the absence of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler and carry England through the death overs.Jonny Bairstow plundered 72 off 44 balls•Getty Images

However, it didn’t quite pan out as intended for Billings, who smoked one pleasing drive through the covers off Chase, but then holed out to long-on off Dockrell. Instead Rashid, with a carefree 39 from 25 balls, showed him what might have been, as Bairstow seized his chance to carry on the belligerent form that he had shown for Yorkshire against Durham earlier in the week.The power and timing of Bairstow’s final volley of boundaries was a particularly eloquent statement of intent, as he smashed 26 runs from the last seven balls that he faced, including a bottom-edged four to bring up his fifty from 38 balls, followed by the first of three hefty sixes over the leg-side to bring up England’s 300. Even Stokes and Buttler would have struggled to make more capital at the death.All the same, whatever Bairstow could do, Stirling was determined at least to match, as he came steaming out of the blocks in Ireland’s reply. After trading singles with Ed Joyce in Mark Wood’s opening over, he climbed into each of David Willey’s first three balls, crashing a trio of fours through the covers and midwicket. One single later, he was doing the same to Wood as well, showcasing his astounding eye with back-to-back cover drives to move to 22 from eight deliveries.Though he reined his aggression in a touch thereafter, Stirling’s solidity grew as a consequence, and it took a DRS intervention in the 14th over for England to finally weather the storm. Jake Ball found some extra lift outside off stump, and Stirling was lured into a nibble. Despite Tim Robinson’s initial not-out call, the spike on Ultra Edge brought an end to a thrilling cameo.That, to all intents and purposes, was the end of Ireland’s challenge too, although Porterfield epitomised a rediscovered sense of purpose, as bedded himself in to be the backbone of the innings. After a torturous innings of 13 from 45 balls at Bristol, his 82 from 83 balls was a far better indication of his enduring class.However, Porterfield’s stay did end in something of an aberration, as he dropped to one knee to scoop Wood over his shoulder and was instead bowled round his legs. Perhaps he felt it was his duty to keep pushing for the win, but at 223 for 6 in the 41st over, he would have known deep down that the contest was already out of reach. A century at Lord’s, however, had very much been at his mercy.The remainder of Ireland’s batsmen came and went in a parade of cameos – the O’Brien brothers, Gary Wilson, Barry McCarthy and Tim Murtagh were all caught in the outfield looking for something ambitious, before Dockrell was yorked by Wood to seal the contest with 3.5 overs remaining.Root and Liam Plunkett shared the bulk of the spoils for England with three wickets apiece. Ireland as a whole, however, had achieved the very least that they had hoped for before the tour, and emerged from an exacting contest with their pride intact.

Tom Westley’s 108 not out, and an equally fine innings of 77 from Nick Browne, took Essex to an emphatic eight-wicket victory against Surrey at Guildford which takes them to the top of the Specsavers County Championship Division One table

ECB Reporters Network12-Jun-2017
ScorecardTom Westley’s 108 not out, and an equally fine innings of 77 from Nick Browne, took Essex to an emphatic eight-wicket victory against Surrey at Guildford which takes them to the top of the Specsavers County Championship Division One table.Needing 253, from a minimum of 83 overs, after they had bowled Surrey out a second time for 288 earlier in the day, Essex reached 253 for 2 little more than half-an-hour after tea and always looked totally in control despite a wearing last-day pitch.Westley was joined in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 105 in 27 overs by Dan Lawrence, who finished unbeaten on 32. Essex took 24 points from their third win of the season, with Surrey having to settle for seven.Since gaining promotion last year, Essex have surprised the rest of the first division with their early-season success – but this was a comprehensive win against a team who themselves led Division One until the last round of matches and was achieved despite seamer Matt Quinn suffering a back spasm on day one which has prevented him from bowling since.Essex began their chase well, with a half-century stand posted by Browne and Alastair Cook. But Cook was out on the stroke of lunch for 31 when, having just driven Ravi Rampaul to the cover boundary, he was drawn into another off drive and edged to Scott Borthwick at second slip.Browne was eventually caught at slip from one which turned and bounced, playing back to Gareth Batty’s offspin, but not before he and Westley had added a further 95 for the second wicket. The tall left-hander had faced just 96 balls, hitting 13 fours, and in the latter half of his innings he produced some quality strokes – including an effortless straight drive for four to greet Stuart Meaker’s introduction into the attack and then a dismissive short-armed pull to the boundary off Ravi Rampaul.Batty’s offspin did not trouble the Essex batsmen in the same way that former South Africa Test offspinner Simon Harmer had made Surrey battle for runs in his second-innings return of 4 for 83 from 39 overs.Westley moved to 97 with three successive fours off Scott Borthwick’s legspin, and then completed three figures with a pull for four off Meaker. His hundred came from 162 balls and, overall, he faced 168 balls, hitting 17 fours.In the morning Ben Foakes finished unbeaten on 65, from 149 balls, as Surrey added just 35 runs to their overnight 253 for 7 before the innings ended in a rush of poor shots and crazy running.Meaker drove a half-volley from left arm paceman Neil Wagner to extra cover to go for 14, and two balls later Rampaul clipped the same bowler to backward square leg.Foakes was then left stranded when he drove Wagner down the ground, looking for two, but Lawrence moved quickly to his right at long off to field and return to the bowler and there was never any chance of a second run. Footitt, however, turning blind, set off for the second even though Foakes had clearly decided against it, and Wagner lobbed the ball down the pitch for keeper James Foster to whip off the bails with Footitt helpless in mid-pitch.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Vinod Rai, chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, believes the BCCI is running out of time in its objections to the Lodha reforms

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2017File photo – Vinod Rai: “I am not frustrated. I am just saying the writ of the court must run.”•Getty Images

A year since the seminal judgment and we are where we started. How do you look at the current situation?
I will speak only from January 30. I (CoA) cannot look into what happened before that. The Supreme Court tried to implement the reforms till January 30. But that did not take place for whatever reasons. Then we were appointed. Our mandate was to implement the recommendations of the Lodha Committee as approved by the Supreme Court on July 18, 2016. How do we ensure that mandate is fulfilled? We can ensure that mandate is fulfilled only by making the BCCI’s special general body meeting (SGM) pass a resolution (to adopt the new constitution and reforms). Isn’t it? If that could have been done by January 30, then we would not have been required.Since the verdict was thrust onto them, they did not agree so I tried to build consensus (among BCCI members). I told them you have said withdraw the order, but the Supreme Court would not withdraw it since it has passed the judgment. I asked the BCCI members to narrow down the parts of the order that were hurting them, but please adopt the new constitution. And then appeal to the court asking to look at the shortlist of recommendations again.I asked them not to defy the court, be obedient to the verdict and if you have some genuine problems bring it to the notice of the court. That is why I held the meeting (with the state associations) before the SGMs (on June 6 and June 25). I was impressing upon them the fact that if you adopt the constitution you get onto the right side of the court. Then you point out X & Y are practical difficulties and hence cannot be implemented.This attempt failed due to the intransigence of a couple of people with vested interests who could sway the others.Since they once again decided to ignore the Supreme Court order in the June 26 SGM, we had no option but to tell the court (through the status report) of all our efforts and all that had transpired.Because I don’t have the power to thrust the constitution on them, I can’t force them to adopt the new constitution. So if anybody says why couldn’t the CoA implement it, how can I implement it when the court itself has not been able to do that? We have now told the court that we have tried, I can’t implement because they are intransigent and because of a few disruptive elements. I just laid it bare.So your patience has been tested?
It is not patience. My consensus-building efforts did not fructify. I am not frustrated. I am just saying the writ of the court must run.Would it help if the court gave you powers or passed a clear judgment at its next hearing?
I have told the court to issue an order under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, and issue direction to the Registrar of the Tamil Nadu government to register the new BCCI constitution.So the sooner the court issues that order, the easier your job would get?
Yes because the court could not succeed in persuading them to pass the constitution. Then the court asked us to do it. We have tried our best to persuade them, build the consensus. Now that they have not agreed, I have sought the direction of the court.Would it be helpful if the court finally takes a hard stance on the issue?
Article 142 says: “Enforcement of the decrees and orders of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it and make it enforceable throughout the territory of India.”The court need only pass an order enforcing its own decree. No one else can do that.Last week the BCCI trimmed its reservations to three recommendations. What is your view?
As far as I am concerned now it is just too late. Everything is a closed issue. It just too late. Now, I have made my recommendation to the court. The court will examine it on September 5. If it gives me the order on September 5 I will convene the SGM first, adopt the new constitution. And, as per the constitution, convene the AGM to elect the office-bearers and close the CoA’s tenure latest by October 31. I continue to stick by my schedule.

An undercooked England side will go into their first day-night Test almost as pink as the ball in these conditions

George Dobell at Edgbaston15-Aug-20171:40

‘Grit your teeth and crack on’ – England prepare for the pink ball

An undercooked England side will go into their first day-night Test almost as pink as the ball in these conditions.While West Indies have already played a day-night Test – and had a warm-up match under lights on this tour – several of this England squad will be learning on their feet when this match starts. And with three day-night Tests in England’s schedule over the next few months (subject to confirmation from Auckland), they will need to learn fast.None of that is to suggest the initiative is a mistake. It has, in some ways, already proved itself a success with around 70,000 tickets sold over the first three days of the match. Had the novelty factor not been there, this match, against a side shorn of many of its best-known names, could have proved a desperately tough sell. In attracting a new audience to Test cricket – Warwickshire reckon more than a third of these ticket sales are to those who have not bought Test tickets previously – and allowing more people to watch the TV coverage after work, the authorities are to be congratulated on their attempt to keep the game relevant.But there are doubts. There are doubts over how comfortable it will be for people to sit outside in England in the final session, there are doubts over the durability of the pink ball and there are doubts over England’s readiness to use it.In a perfect world, England would have had more time to prepare for their first pink ball Test. While all players were made available for the round of County Championship lights played under these conditions at the end of June, many of those games were ruined by rain. So Jonny Bairstow, Tom Westley, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Mason Crane either didn’t bat or didn’t play at all, while Joe Root (who faced 13 balls) and Ben Stokes (who was dismissed for a duck) had limited opportunity to benefit from the experience.James Anderson, meanwhile, delivered 32 overs in Lancashire’s first innings against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. But even the man who might be England’s greatest swing bowler couldn’t persuade the old pink ball to move once it was 20 overs old. Perhaps, when twilight fell, there was a hint more assistance for the bowlers – or more trouble for the batsmen, anyway – but the evidence so far suggests the pink ball goes softer quicker than a red ball, is hard to buff and shine and, after those first few overs, won’t swing, conventionally, at least.Ben Stokes keeps his eye on the pink ball•Getty Images

The result? Fairly attritional cricket where neither batsmen nor bowler gain full value for their work. At Edgbaston, Andrew Umeed compiled the second slowest century (in terms of minutes) in the history of the County Championship. If those new to Test cricket are treated to any innings like that this week, they may be put off for life.It is not all bad, though. The black seam helps with the ball’s visibility, while the way in which that seam remains hard will encourage the bowlers even after the shine has gone. In trails towards the end of the 2016 season, the Dukes ball out-performed the Kookaburra comprehensively. The Kookaburra looked as if it had been a dog’s toy by the time is was 40 overs old.The Edgbaston groundsman, Gary Barwell, is reckoning upon a good, Test wicket offering true bounce and decent pace and carry. While it is not the same surface used for the Ashes Test of 2015 when Australia were bowled out for 136 on the opening day (that one was used for the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final here) it is only one pitch away on the square and he expects it to behave similarly.Chris Woakes, back with the England squad but far from sure to play, admitted the preparation – both in team and personal terms – had not been ideal. Ideally, Woakes would have liked at least one more Championship match before returning to Test cricket but the schedule – weighted, as it is, to T20 cricket at this time of year – does not allow and he has instead had to make-do with one Championship match and a few overs for the Warwickshire second team.”Monday night was the first time I’ve actually bowled with the pink ball,” Woakes said. “I suppose the more that we play with it the more we’ll learn about it but at the minute it’s a little bit of an unknown.”It would be nice to have a few more games under our belts. But I guess the nature of the beast is that we haven’t and we have to go out there and try to perform and react quickly to what the ball’s doing whether with ball in hand or bat.”While Woakes has not yet been informed whether he will play at his home ground, it seems probable he will have to wait a little longer for a return. He might add some pace to the attack, though, and his batting – he has made nine first-class centuries and made his Test debut as a No. 6 – might be considered good enough to allow him to play ahead of Dawid Malan and shuffle the middle-order up a space. England’s embarrassment of allrounders – suggestions as to what a collective of all-rounders should be is very welcome; a Sobers, maybe, or even a circumference? – gives them many options.The England coaching staff was, as usual, augmented by the presence of some familiar faces form the county game at training. Pierre de Bruyn, the Leicestershire coach, Tony Frost, the Warwickshire batting coach, and James Foster, the veteran Essex wicketkeeper, were among those involved in the fielding drills, while Somerset spinners, Jack Leach and Dominic Bess took a full part in training, though they did face the indignity of being picked last for the football match (teams were picked in a manner that would be familiar in school yards across the land) that precedes nets. Bess, an offspinner of rich potential, later spent some time working with Saqlain Mushtaq.

Cricket South Africa and the BCCI are on the verge of finalising the details of the tour in the coming days

Nagraj Gollapudi and Firdose Moonda18-Sep-2017India will start their tour of South Africa with the New Year’s Test, which is likely to begin on January 5 or 6 in Cape Town. Both Cricket South Africa and the BCCI are on the verge of finalising the details in the coming days for the tour, which as per the ICC’s Future Tours Programme included four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.Both the boards have been holding discussions since the beginning of the year, but have not finalised the schedule yet. In August, the BCCI had made it clear to CSA that India would not arrive until the last week of 2017 as their home series against Sri Lanka ends on December 24. The BCCI wanted its players to take a short break before they departed for South Africa.Traditionally, the New Years’ Test has been played at Newlands from January 2. It is understood CSA was trying hard to convince the BCCI to play the first Test from January 4 to ensure maximum gate money, considering the match is usually a sellout during the holiday week in South Africa.However, the BCCI reiterated that the Indian team would need preparation time ahead of the big series and would want to play at least one warm-up match. According to an official involved in the discussions, India are now expected to land in the last few days of December and would “definitely play one practice match before the first Test”.ESPNcricinfo also understands the main reason behind the delay was that the BCCI was not impressed with CSA finalising the schedule for the Australian series, which starts on March 1, with the India tour dates not finalised yet. “Now they (CSA) are trying to fit in everything within a short window,” the official said.CSA is battling on many fronts. Observers are already worried about them cramming the summer schedule with nine Tests including the Boxing Day match for which an opponent is yet to be confirmed. Tony Irish, the South Africa Cricketers’ Association (SACA) head had pointed out in August that a “grueling schedule” was unhealthy and would “compound” the workload of the players.The BCCI was also concerned about playing back-to-back matches and ideally wants a decent break in order to not overwork the Indian players and risk injury ahead of a busy schedule. Immediately after the South Africa tour, India would travel to Sri Lanka to play a Twenty20 tri-series and then return home to play the IPL.Last week, Haroon Lorgat, CSA’s chief executive officer, expressed his understanding of the situation and hoped to reach a conclusion soon. “It’s a very difficult one. I’ve got some sympathy for the BCCI itself in trying to work out which dates. Of course, we are trying to have [the Test] as early as New Year start as possible,” Lorgat said at the launch of T20 team Stellenbosch Kings last Wednesday. “They are looking at travel arrangements, dates, when they finish the last fixture. I wouldn’t put our team on a flight the very next day after they complete a game. You need a day or two at home. So these are the logistics we are grappling with.”Lorgat’s delicate tone may have a lot to do with the knowledge that India’s last tour to South Africa, in the summer of 2013, was severely curtailed following issues between the two boards. India were originally scheduled to play four Tests, five ODIs and three T20s, and CSA had even announced fixtures, but the visitors only toured for two Tests and three ODIs, causing CSA to suffer a massive financial loss. The South African board also tabled a loss in their last financial year, as expected, given only Sri Lanka toured the country, and are relying on this summer’s matches against India and Australia to bring in big money.The India tour is also significant because it could see AB de Villiers make a return to Test cricket, after a hiatus since January 2016. De Villiers could also return earlier if CSA manages to organise a Boxing Day Test. It is understood CSA is considering hosting its first day-night Test in Port Elizabeth, where the stadium revamp will see new floodlights installed, but they are yet to line up an opponent.

The remaining three matches are part of a suspended sentence over a one-year period that could come into force following any further disciplinary breaches by the Sri Lanka batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2017Danushka Gunathilaka’s suspension for six white-ball matches has been revised to three games, following a meeting of Sri Lanka Cricket’s executive committee in Colombo on Monday. The remaining three matches are part of a suspended sentence over a one-year period, which could come into force in the event of any further disciplinary breaches. He has also been fined 20% of his annual contract fee. The executive committee’s decision came after an appeal on behalf of the player by the Sinhalese Sports Club.The suspension, which was handed out earlier this month, was the reason behind his omission from the squad for the ongoing series against Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo understands Gunathilaka missed a training session, turned up to a match without his gear, and was generally found to have had an indifferent attitude towards training – all during Sri Lanka’s recent home series against India. This was his first serious case of misconduct.The matter was brought to SLC’s notice by Asanka Gurusinha, the cricket manager, and was taken up board’s CEO, Ashley de Silva.Gunathilaka has averaged 42.41 in ODIs this year. He was particularly prolific during the home series against Zimbabwe in June, hitting three half-centuries and a maiden ODI ton in Sri Lanka’s 2-3 loss.

The Tasmania opener broke his four-year drought without a first-class century as his side moved to 4 for 392 on the second day after the first had been washed out due to rain

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2017

ScorecardJordan Silk celebrates his century•Getty Images

Tasmania opener Jordan Silk broke his four-year drought without a first-class century as Tasmania built a healthy total on the second day of their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales in Hobart. Not a ball was bowled on the first day due to rain, and Tasmania reached 4 for 392 at stumps on the second, with Matthew Wade unbeaten on 72 and Ben McDermott on 16.It was a big day for Silk, who burst on to the domestic scene with four first-class centuries in the 2013 calendar year (his first year as a Shield player) but has struggled to replicate that form in the years since. His previous first-class century had come at Adelaide Oval in November 2013, when he scored 104, and he matched that exact score in this match.Silk and Alex Doolan (42) put on 92 for the opening stand before Tasmania captain George Bailey combined with Silk for a 124-run second-wicket partnership. Silk’s innings ended when he was lbw to a Doug Bollinger inswinger, and Bailey was caught behind off Bollinger soon after for 71.But there was plenty of batting left for Tasmania as Jake Doran and Wade settled in for a 141-run fourth-wicket stand that ended when Doran was bowled by Steve O’Keefe for 75. By stumps, axed Test wicketkeeper Wade was hoping to convert his start into what could be his first century at first-class level since March 2015.