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ScorecardHaving missed out on a spot in the squad for the first two Ashes Tests, Glenn Maxwell made a statement with an unbeaten 213 off only 260 balls against New South Wales in Sydney, as Australia’s top order struggled against England at the Gabba. Maxwell’s innings took Victoria to 3 for 365 at stumps, with a significant contribution from Aaron Finch, who struck 76.In the first three rounds of the Sheffield Shield, which were considered a selection trial for the Ashes squad, Maxwell had two fifties and one knock of 45, scores that did not seem to impress Australia’s selectors, who decided to recall Shaun Marsh for the first two Tests. Maxwell was then called up to the Gabba as injury cover for David Warner and Marsh, and was released for Shield duty after both batsmen were declared fit for the first Test.In Sydney, Maxwell walked in to bat in the seventh over and dominated through the day, bringing up his century off 113 balls. His impact was evident in the fact that by the time Victoria lost their second wicket, with the score on 162, Maxwell had contributed 115. After that wicket, Maxwell and Finch added 148 runs in 29.5 overs at a run rate of nearly five an over. By stumps, Maxwell had hit 27 boundaries and three sixes, while his strike rate was 81.While the New South Wales attack was not as formidable as it was previously – when Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins had all featured – it still included the experienced Doug Bollinger, Steve O’Keefe and Sean Abbott. However, Maxwell’s charge meant they were without much success. Bollinger conceded 90 in his 20 overs for two wickets, while Abbott was also expensive.

Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has revealed the national selectors relied on “gut feel” calls to assemble the team that regained the Ashes in Perth, namely the choices of Tim Paine, Shaun and Mitchell Marsh.All three decisions attracted plenty of scrutiny: Paine had not been Tasmania’s first choice wicketkeeper in recent first-class matches, Shaun Marsh averaged only 39 in the three Sheffield Shield games before the Gabba Test and Mitchell Marsh appeared to be rushed back after shoulder surgery had left him playing primarily as a batsman.

‘One innings doesn’t make a career’

Mitchell Marsh cannot afford to rest on the laurels he gained from a breakthrough century in the Perth Ashes Test and has already been counselled to improve his bowling by the coach Darren Lehmann.
For all the emotion attached to Marsh’s display, Lehmann offered stick as much as carrot to the young allrounder while acknowledging the progress he had made. The retention of Pete Handscomb in the squad is a reminder that Australia’s selectors still see Marsh as a conditional option.
“The challenge for him is to back that up again to be perfectly honest,” Lehmann said. “One innings doesn’t make a cricket career. For him he’s got to back that up next game and do the right thing and continue to make runs. I thought his bowling was a little bit disappointing, which he spoke about with me the other day. He’s got to get his bowling right, his fielding right and his batting and if it all comes together that’s fantastic.
“It’s quite emotional when you see Swamp and Shaun, Swampy’s had an unbelievable two weeks for the Marsh family with Adelaide and now here. But Mitchell went back to refine his game a little bit, worked with some different people, and just looked like he enjoyed himself out there and that’s the key to those sorts of guys, those allrounders, you have allrounders in any team if you can. That was obviously really hard on Pete [Handscomb] missing out in this game, but the way Mitchell played was exceptional and really drove us to that total.”

However, in each case, the selectors were rewarded, as Paine has showcased his skills behind the stumps while also adding important runs, Shaun Marsh played handily in Brisbane and pivotally in Adelaide, before Mitchell Marsh bludgeoned England in the company of the captain Steven Smith in the last Ashes Test at the WACA Ground.”We were just going with gut feel to be perfectly honest and really pleased for the players that they turned up and played really well,” Lehmann said. “I was impressed with each one of those selections and the way they turned up in the series so far.”There is [satisfaction for getting calls right] I suppose but full credit to Trevor [Hohns] and Mark [Waugh] and Greg [Chappell] for that. Yes I’m on the selection panel but it’s a tough, thankless job, it’s just pleasing those guys get the credit where it’s due to be perfectly honest.”Those guys we picked were fantastic. You don’t know how it’s going to go when you first start and you cop a lot from people and media. That’s the way it is, so really pleased for the selection panel.”There was enormous relief in the Australian set-up after securing the Ashes at home, and Lehmann spoke frankly of the pressure the team and Cricket Australia had felt to deliver a winning result after defeat in England in 2015.”Ashes cricket is high pressure, everybody is nervous every ball, every session,” Lehmann said. “It’s been that way for 15 days so far, so they can go and express themselves a little bit more. We’ll be playing the same brand of cricket but obviously with less pressure on us. it’ll be interesting to see how we respond to that. Boxing Day and SCG are fantastic Test matches to be a part of.”It was extremely satisfying for the lads, they’ve worked so hard over the last few months to get the prep right, the way we played. The planning came together, so all credit to the players, the support staff were fantastic. The work behind the scenes was great. I’ve loved the way we have gone about it in all three Tests.”It was a lot closer than what the scores relate to. Certainly in Brisbane they had the upper hand at certain stages, but the captain was brilliant there. Obviously the bowlers were great in the second innings to get the job done. Adelaide was close and this one – albeit by an innings – it was still close, it came down to magnificent bowling from our quicks on the last day. It was a great day, the way the boys played.”Speaking about Smith, who has utterly dominated the series with the bat and led expertly for the most part, Lehmann said the 28-year-old could now be ranked with Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting and may well pass them by the end of his career.Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

“He’s running pretty hot isn’t he? I’ve been lucky enough to see all of his Test hundreds,” Lehmann said. “So for me, seeing him evolve from that first Test hundred at the Oval to now – he just changes his own plans to what the bowlers are doing and what the wicket’s doing, and what the game needs. He’s gone to another level, which is pleasing.”By the end it might be a bit different, but Pup and Ricky Ponting at times were exceptional captains and exceptional batters, when they were leading the team. Statistically you only see that at the end I suppose, but the way he’s gone about it, averaging 72 or 73 as a Test captain, that’s pretty special. For him to keep delivering what he needs to do is exceptional under the pressure he’s under in Ashes series.”Having won a second consecutive home Ashes series win, Lehmann was quick to point out that the Australians needed to replicate their mastery of the “big moments” away from home. A tour of South Africa looms and there will also be a trip to India before the 2019 World Cup and Ashes double in England. A youngish team led by Smith and with a high-class bowling attack now has the chance to grow together.”That’s the game itself, winning the big moments and transferring the pressure back to the other side,” Lehmann said. “I think we’ve done that really well in the first three Tests matches. It’s something we have to do when we travel away.”You’re always learning lessons whether home or away, as a coach, as a player, support staff, you’re always learning. They’ve got some good young players, we’ve managed to put them under pressure at the right times, and hopefully that continues for the next two Test matches. But some of those players will be involved in the next Ashes series, so we’ve got to make sure we keep evolving our plans and being better.”I’m pretty sure they can hang together, this group, they’re young enough to play for a few years together and that was the key 12 months ago even though we’ve changed some of those younger players. This group can hang together for the next 12-18 months and we’ve got to always evolve and get better at how we play and who we select and see where we go.”

ScorecardPrakash Parsekar

Fifties from opener Kunal Chandela and Himmat Singh, along with handy middle-order contributions from Rishabh Pant and Nitish Rana carried Delhi to a vital first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh in their quarter-final in Vijayawada. Delhi secured a 67-run lead after they were bowled out for 405 in the 120th over. Madhya Pradesh finished the third day at 47 for 2, trailing Delhi by 20 runs.Ishwar Pandey struck early on the third morning, removing Chandela for 81, after he had added eight runs to his overnight score. Pant (49) and Rana (43) stitched up a 64-run, fourth-wicket stand to stabilise Delhi. Himmat then put Delhi in control of the game with partnerships of 62 with Manan Sharma (28) and 47 with Vikas Tokas (13).Madhya Pradesh gave themselves a chance by toppling over Delhi’s last four wickets for 17 runs. Legspinner Mihir Hirwani led the bowling with figures of 5 for 89, his fifth five-wicket haul in 13 matches.In reply, Madhya Pradesh lost Rajat Patidar early to Tokas before Ankit Dane, the other opener, was run out in the penultimate over of the day for 16. Shubham Sharma and nightwatchman Puneet Datey were unbeaten at stumps.

Big Picture

It has been six months since Zimbabwe came back from being 2-1 down to win 3-2 in an ODI series in Sri Lanka, before pushing the hosts all the way in the solitary Test. All the main performers from that ODI series will be available for both sides as they face off in the tri-series in what will be the 100th ODI to be played in Mirpur.Zimbabwe have already lost one game, trounced by the hosts Bangladesh by eight wickets, on Monday. Their batsmen didn’t turn up as they got bowled out for 170. Only Sikandar Raza and Peter Moor seemed to offer stability before their partnership ended in a run-out.Zimbabwe will need a lot more from Hamilton Masakadza, Brendon Taylor, Graeme Cremer and Kyle Jarvis, to start with. On tacky Mirpur pitches, it would be important for batting sides to keep wickets intact and then go for broke in the last 10 overs.Sri Lanka have the required firepower down the order, with the likes of Thisara Perera, Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne in charge of batting in the slog overs. But Sri Lanka also have much more than big-hitters; there’s the experience of Upul Tharanga at the top, followed by comeback man Dinesh Chandimal and the new (so to speak) limited-overs captain Angelo Mathews. These old hands will be required to provide stability.Sri Lanka are also going to be playing their first match under coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who got plenty of good results as Bangladesh’s head coach from 2014 to 2017. If that success rubs off on his new team, Sri Lanka are in for an interesting tri-series ahead.Form guideSri Lanka: LLWLL
Zimbabwe: LWWLL

In the spotlight

With scores of 49 and 95 in his last three ODIs, Upul Tharanga will definitely have a say in how Sri Lanka start the game. He has also scored a hundred and three fifties at this ground, having played a lot of domestic cricket in Bangladesh.Solomon Mire will have great memories playing against Sri Lanka, after his century helped Zimbabwe with a big chase in last year’s ODI series. But he hasn’t been in sparkling form of late, having got three ducks in his last six competitive matches.AFP

Team news

Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sachith Pathirana, who played in Sri Lanka’s third ODI against India, are not part of the 16-man squad in Bangladesh. Chandimal is likely to be slotted in at No. 3 while they also have Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera as batting options. Newcomer Shehan Madushanka could make a debut given his pace, which could be handy in Dhaka’s conditions.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews (capt), 5 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Shehan Madushanka, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Nuwan PradeepZimbabwe may look to blood Brandon Mavuta, the legspinning allrounder, as he has some first-class runs behind him. Chris Mpofu could replace Blessing Muzarabani who misfired on ODI debut. They also have Ryan Murray and Tendai Chisoro on the bench.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Peter Moor (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer (capt), 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Chris Mpofu/Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Tendai Chatara

Pitch and conditions

The pitch in the first game was evidently a bit sticky, which made strokeplay in the early part of the game quite hard. Both sides would look to bat conservatively and launch themselves in the last 10 overs. The weather, meanwhile, remains cold.

Stats and trivia

Alex Hales has become the latest England player to choose a future as a white-ball specialist.Just days after Adil Rashid announced he would play only white-ball cricket for Yorkshire this season, Hales has agreed a white-ball only contract with Nottinghamshire until the end of the 2019 season. A club statement clarifies: “He will not play red-ball cricket.”While Hales and Rashid had both lost their places in England’s Test team (Hales played the last of his 11 Tests against Pakistan in August 2016), a recall for either of them was far from impossible. Hales had been considered for a place in the Ashes squad and will have noted that none of his rivals took the opportunity to make that spot their own.But with the growth in T20 leagues promising a lucrative future for those with the talent – and Hales, as the first England player to make a T20I century and, until recently, the holder of the highest score by an England batsman in an ODI, clearly has the talent – he may have concluded that the benefits of improvement in red-ball cricket do not match the rewards for his continued success in white-ball cricket. He may also have reasoned that the ability to concentrate on white-ball skills without the complications or demands of red-ball cricket would allow him greater scope for improvement.It might also be relevant that Hales missed out on an IPL deal this year. If he can demonstrate improved T20 form – and assure potential bidders that he will not be required to leave the tournament early to report for county duty – he will surely make himself more attractive to potential suitors in future years.”Alex is entitled to make himself available for whatever format he wants to play, and we respect his decision,” Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, Mick Newell, said. “He’s an outstanding white-ball player and we look forward to him helping us win more trophies in that format of the game.”Hales had previously vowed to reinvent himself as a middle-order batsman in first-class cricket. Having accepted that his game was just a little loose for the demands of opening, he had talked of moving back down the order – it had always been his preferred place to bat in first-class cricket – and aiming for a spot in England’s Test middle-order. The reality of that, however – long days in the field; long days working on technique and negotiating the moving ball in early-season conditions without any guarantee of success – has lost out to the possibilities presented by a future as a limited-overs specialist.”For the next 18 months I’m excited to focus entirely on limited-overs cricket,” Hales said in a post on his Twitter account. “The decision to focus on my white-ball game wasn’t taken lightly or on the spur of the moment; it’s one I’ve thought long and hard about. It’s also one I’ve discussed at length with the Notts management. I’d like to thank them for their continued support.”While Hales and Rashid have been at pains to state they have not retired from red-ball cricket, this news will reinforce the impression that the first-class game faces an uncertain future. Struggling to attract crowds (in many parts of the world, at least) and often more demanding of the participants, it is now clearly struggling to retain some of its more attractive players. The suspicion remains that, once the 2019 World Cup is finished, the 50-over game, may also struggle to retain the involvement of the best players.All of which leaves the obvious question: who is next? The attractions of specialising in limited-overs cricket, for fast bowlers in particular, are obvious.

A tour to New Zealand kick-started Stuart Broad’s career. Now another one may see its reinvention.It was in Wellington on the 2008 visit that he and James Anderson were brought in as a pair for the first time when Michael Vaughan made the call to drop Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard. It was the start of an alliance that, barring a few glitches along the way, has carried England through the next decade with plenty of success collectively and individually.Now Broad will enter the first Test against New Zealand at Eden Park on 399 Test wickets but on the back of a disappointing 2017 in which he averaged over 36 and faces losing the new-ball role he has held for much of the last seven years. If he does claim No. 400 this week, it will be 32 Tests since he reached 300 (on that heady day at Trent Bridge in 2015), his slowest century of wickets since the first 100 which took 35 matches.Known as a bowler capable of destructive spells that can win a Test match, he has not taken a five-wicket haul since the last of those busts – 6 for 17 against South Africa in Johannesburg – 24 Tests ago. His 4 for 51 in Melbourne three months ago was also the first time he had taken more than three in an innings in 13 outings, although he did note the recent statistic put out by CricViz that he’s had more dropped catches off him than any other bowler since 2015.Although he accepts that things have not been quite right for a while, Broad believes has regained the “buzz” for bowling after hours on his own in the Trent Bridge indoor school and feels his spells in the warm-up matches in Hamilton last week were the best he has bowled for a year.He puts his struggles down, largely, to the impact upon his action of bowling round the wicket so often to left-handers, which has than caused him to be too open-chest to right-handers and unable to find away movement. Over 10 lonely days in the indoor nets he has worked on putting that right.”It’s something I’ve been aware of for some time and it’s been frustrating that I haven’t been able to sort it but when you’re in competitive mode you don’t really get that opportunity,” Broad said. “So I had a nice little period when I had a break and I just walked through for 10 days non-stop completely on my own. I didn’t want input. Cricket’s a feel sport and I just wanted that feeling myself. I didn’t want someone going ‘your front arm’s doing that, or that’. So I just put some music on in the Notts indoor school and away I went.”I’m someone who can change games and that’s how I view myself as a cricketer. I want to be the person who you turn to when you need something exciting to happen – let’s try and break this Test open. That’s how I’ve played my cricket and actually influenced some of the changes I made in February. I felt I got too technical, constantly every day looking at videos and what’s going on with my action. I’ve got that buzz back because I feel like training now is fun. Yes, I haven’t had that streak for a bit of time but I do feel like my time is coming.”Broad was talking a good game when it came to the potential loss of the new ball and there is some logic to the theory that England could be better placed to extend pressure on opposition batsmen if they split him and Anderson. He also suggested that spells for the new-ball quicks could be shorter and that England were looking more carefully at which bowlers have success against which batsmen, citing his good record against Ross Taylor, who he has removed nine times.It would effectively, though, remain a demotion. He has taken the new ball in 169 off the 208 Test innings he has bowled and only once since 2013 – when two spinners opened in Chittagong – has he not been one of the first two.”I think we’re just going to be a bit more flexible,” Broad said. “The same people don’t have to take the new ball as the second new ball. We’re just trying to find ways to improve us really because there’s no hiding place from the fact, away from home, we haven’t got it right.”At Hamilton regardless of whether I bowled with the new ball or first change, it was probably the best I’ve bowled for a year, just in terms of the way I was shaping up, the feeling of the action. There’s not been a decision made on who takes it on Thursday, but either way I think the first-change bowler will be on within eight overs anyway.”There was, though, a hint of regret that his partnership with Anderson could be about to come to an end – at least for now – as he reflected on how their chances came about 10 years ago.”You do look at fast bowlers who’ve had a period of success and it’s generally in a partnership,” he said. “Pollock and Donald, Waqar and Wasim, Walsh and Ambrose, Botham and Willis, there’s something in a partnership that makes you thrive off each other, you’re pushing off each other, you’re always demanding deliverance of pressure together. If I hadn’t been lucky enough to play in the same era as him, if Moorsey [Peter Moores, the coach] and Vaughany hadn’t given us our chance together to grow, then we certainly wouldn’t have experienced all the things we have.”Broad had one Test wicket when he played in Wellington. Now he stands one away from following Anderson into the 400-club (his mate has now passed 500 as well) although the 399th – Cameron Bancroft, bowled in Broad’s first over of the Sydney Test in January – feels a while ago now.”I’m desperate to get 400 but, regardless of the individual wickets, I think over a long period of time it’s proof that I’ve put a lot of dedication into it,” he said. “When you look at some of the fast-bowling names that have got 400, it proves you’ve got to have a lot of longevity, dedication and all that sort of thing to reach that landmark. Of course, it would be a very nice club to join but it’s been a long time coming over the last six months.”For Broad, this series is about ticking off the landmark then proving he is still the bowler that got most of the way towards such exclusive company.

Form guide (most recent match first)

Kings XI Punjab: lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 13 runs, beat Delhi Daredevils by four runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets
Mumbai Indians: lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 14 runs, beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets, lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 31 runs

Big Picture

People of Indore – with the Marathi influence on the city – like to believe they live in “Little Mumbai”. It is way closer to Mumbai than it is to any city in Punjab. Yet Mumbai Indians come to Indore as the away team looking to survive in the tournament, playing form team, Kings XI Punjab.With five wins in seven matches, Kings XI are not too far from the playoffs, but they are coming off a week-long break. Mumbai, meanwhile, will want to get off the treadmill of defeat; they need to win every match from now.It is well reported that the last few balls of an innings, or game, have cost Mumbai. Three times they have lost in the last over of the match, in another they bowled a bad last ball for 13 runs, which proved to be a bridge too far when they chased. There is no room for any allowances now.This will be a contest between a side looking to make use of every small resource available to it and a side so rich with resources it can afford to have a surplus player in its XI in the hope that when he comes good, he wins them a match off his own bat. Kings XI have been a revelation, Mumbai are looking to rediscover themselves.

In the news

With a one-week break behind them, Kings XI should have a fit and hungry Chris Gayle at the top of the order.Kieron Pollard is precariously placed in Mumbai’s XI. A match after he was finally dropped, the West Indian made an unsuccessful return to the side, scoring a run-a-ball 13. There is uncertainty around Evin Lewis as well considering his wrist injury.

Previous meeting

Remarkably these sides are meeting for the first time this season.Rohit Sharma clobbers one off the middle of the bat•BCCI

Likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Aaron Finch, 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 R Ashwin (capt.), 8 Andrew Tye, 9 Barinder Sran, 10 Ankit Rajpoot, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanMumbai Indians: 1 Suryakumar Yadav, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Ben Cutting, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Strategy punt

If Mumbai open with Rohit Sharma, they could force Mujeeb ur Rahman – legspin v Rohit is always a bowler-friendly match-up – to bowl sooner than Kings XI would want him to bowl.

Stats that matter

• Over 10 seasons, these two sides have an even record of 10 wins and losses against each other. The head-to-head between them over the last three seasons has been 1-1.
• Pollard has faced only 70 balls in six innings this season; Aaron Finch has faced only 16 over five innings.
• In 25 balls faced from Mitchell McClenaghan, KL Rahul has scored a healthy 42 runs, but has also been dismissed twice.
• Chris Gayle has struck at 169.4 per 100 balls of spin this IPL without being dismissed; he still has a solid strike-rate of 154.8 against pace but has got out twice to the quicks.

Fantasy pick

Krunal Pandya is a floater. He could bat high up in the order, and he will be bowling his left-arm spin against a line-up full of right-hand batsmen, except Chris Gayle.

Quotes

“We have six games left, and we have to win them all. That is what we have to do. I still believe when you look at our squad, we have key players who can win us six games in a row. We have done it in the past, and I believe we can do it again.”

ScorecardSamuel Beckett might enjoy watching Dane Vilas bat. Just when you think he can’t go on, he goes on. Unlike the eponymous character in Beckett’s novel, however, one doubts Somerset’s cricketers consider Vilas . On the contrary, they probably had some pretty ripe names for him on the third evening of this game, albeit they may not be good out-loud words.One sees their point. When Lancashire were eventually bowled out, deep in the evening session of this hot day, they had taken an improbable lead of 63 runs. More to the point, 235 of their 492 first-innings runs had been mercilessly plundered by Vilas, a batsman who seems not to know fatigue and who regards a century as the end of his beginning, an opening gambit, an opportunity.Vilas is a serial converter. Having reached three figures on 17 occasions, he has now made nine scores in excess of 150 and four double centuries. More remarkably still, Vilas has never been dismissed between 100 and 120. His innings against Somerset illustrated his ruthlessness. Having put on a mere 201 for the third wicket with Keaton Jennings, Vilas remained at the crease while Lancashire’s total was nearly doubled, adding 102 for the sixth wicket with Jordan Clark and 49 for the tenth with Matt Parkinson.He had opened his account on Saturday with a couple of sixes off Jack Leach but hit only eight fours in reaching three figures. Then he tore the flagging Somerset attack apart in the hour before lunch, levying ten more fours in getting to 150. Before long we had almost forgotten that Jennings had made his first hundred in 43 first-class innings.Somerset thought they had chances late in the morning session when they removed Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Steven Croft cheaply. Then Vilas reasserted his mastery and, like an implacable bailiff, took everything away from them. He and Clark dominated the afternoon session so the sudden tumble of four wickets just before tea came as something of a surprise, not least because all of them were taken by the Somerset skipper Tom Abell, who nearly doubled his first-class tally in the space of 12 balls.Abell is a medium-pacer who runs up with the genial good-nature of a chap who doesn’t really go in for this bowling lark but is always happy to help the side out, doncha know. The reality is rather different. A tight off-stump line is kept and if you play down the wrong line, as Clark did, you lose your pole.Two overs later Abell took three wickets in five balls as Lancashire declined to 443 for 9. Joe Mennie was bowled, Tom Bailey was leg before and James Anderson was caught at the wicket first ball. Abell smiled at all and sundry, as if to say that a career-best 4 for 43 was absolutely tickety-boo but surely old Jack deserved some more wickets.One tended to agree. Leach may yet wake in the cold and lonely hours before dawn and imagine he is bowling to Vilas. A similar sensation may afflict Lewis Gregory who dropped Lancashire’s linchpin in the gully when the batsman was 171 and just settling into his day’s work. And even when he had reached 200 off 323 balls, Vilas was not done. There were two more sixes as he shepherded young Parkinson towards greater Lancastrian strength. A late tea came and a late tea went. Then Parkinson was brilliantly caught in the gully by Craig Overton off Paul van Meekeren to end the innings.As for the game, it will probably end in a draw. Somerset’s openers faced 18 overs in the late evening and negotiated them without mishap. Lancashire’s wicketkeeper was Dane Vilas. He watched every ball intently. It is his incurable habit.

Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, has announced he is to take an extended break from the game to spend time with his family.Strauss’ wife, Ruth, was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and it is understood the condition has worsened. The couple have two young sons.Andy Flower, the former England coach and current Lions coach, will take over Strauss’s duties in an interim capacity. No time frame has been given for his return.”My wife was diagnosed with cancer in December,” Strauss said on Tuesday. “We are very lucky, she has been very well up to now, although she is starting a new treatment on Friday which is going to more challenging for her, and as such I am going to be stepping back from my day-to-day duties while that treatment is going on.”On a day-to-day basis Andy Flower is going to be stepping in for me over the course of the summer. We all know about his qualities and his experience of both England and English cricket and he will fill in my shoes very adequately.”I look forward to returning and grabbing the reins again. But, at this period of time, my focus has to be on supporting Ruth and my family at a challenging time for us.”Strauss flew home from this winter’s Ashes tour after the initial diagnosis in December and did not rejoin the team in Australia, although he did return to work in the new year.Last month, Strauss unveiled Ed Smith as England’s new national selector, replacing James Whitaker who stood down in March. He was also involved in the ECB’s unveiling of their proposed new 100-ball tournament, as well as the working party looking into the future structure of county cricket.Strauss met his wife, an Australian actress, while playing grade cricket in Sydney in 1998-99. The pair married in 2003.In 2009, when Strauss led England to victory in that summer’s Ashes, Ruth was credited by her husband for her role in keeping him grounded when the pressure of the series was at its highest, particularly during Australia’s series-levelling victory in the fourth Test at Headingley.

Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay could face further punishment from the Sri Lankan board in wake of a disciplinary breach over a night out in St Lucia.Vandersay’s tour of the Caribbean was cut short on June 23, when he was sent home due to the incident, which was in breach of his contract. Sri Lanka team manager Asanka Gurusinha has submitted a special report on the matter to the board, which will investigate further and take action as needed.”Once we [review] the manager’s report, we will decide the next course of action,” Kamal Padmasiri, the Competent Authority in charge of Sri Lankan cricket at present, told . “But there will definitely be an inquiry and if found guilty, he will be punished.”Padmasiri and SLC CEO Ashley de Silva are both currently at the ICC meetings in Dublin, and the matter is likely to be taken forward only when they return to Sri Lanka.