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ScorecardJordan Clark came out firing after the last rain delay to secure victory•PA Photos

Jordan Clark smashed an unbeaten 31 off 12 balls as Lancashire’s stuttering start to the defence of their Natwest T20 blast title got back on track with a rain-affected victory over Leicestershire at a sodden Old Trafford.Clark and Jos Buttler hit 35 runs off 11 balls to clinch the game with five deliveries to spare, after Lancashire were set a revised Duckworth Lewis target of 74 to win off seven overs in reply to Leicetershire’s 131 for 3 off 14 overs.Leicestershire openers Mark Cosgrove and Mark Pettini had initially put on 63 for the first wicket in just 6.5 overs after being put into bat by Steven Croft whose Lancashire side struggled with a wet ball and a soaking out field.On a humid night in Manchester, a heavy shower just as the players took the field caused a delay of 75 minutes before Cosgrove and Pettini took an instant liking for Neil Wagner’s bowling with the New Zealander going for 40 runs off his three overs.Pettini was the first to fall for 23 when he managed to scoop a delivery from Arron Lilley onto his helmet with Buttler diving athletically to catch the rebound.Umar Akmal joined Cosgrove at the crease and the Pakistani hit a quick fire 17 off 15 balls including a huge six off Lilley before he was bowled by Croft.Cosgrove, who finished unbeaten on 63, continued to lead a charmed life and he took full advantage of dropped catches by Croft, Karl Brown and Wagner to help take Leicestershire to a competitive total with Cameron Delport also unbeaten on six after Kevin O’Brien was caught in the deep by Lilley off Jordan Clark for 12.Only eight balls of the Lancashire reply were possible before the rain came again with the score 11 without loss and a further delay left the hosts requiring 63 more runs off 5.4 overs.Clark smashed Ben Raine’s first ball after the resumption for six and together with Alviro Petersen the opening pair put on 42 off 4.2 overs before the South African slapped a square cut straight to Tom Wells at point for 23.Two boundaries from Buttler left Lancashire requiring 23 to win off 12 balls before 20 runs off Clint McKay’s penultimate over saw the home side reach the target with five balls to spare as Clark hoisted a huge six over square leg to win the game and register Lancashire’s second win of the competition.

Zubayr Hamza knows how to hold a pose.He stood, in the final flourish of his drive, when he hit Jofra Archer through the covers.He stood even longer when he timed Archer sweetly down the ground.And he stood longest of all when he bisected extra cover and mid-off off Stuart Broad, feasting on the fullness and relishing the aftertaste.Hamza will likely be ragged about that for many innings to come, but only because he was out to the next ball. He fished at a wide delivery that he could have left but that doesn’t change the fact that he looked South Africa’s most fluent batsmen, if not their most successful.If anyone came back from India with their confidence intact, and maybe even slightly elevated, it was Hamza. From the ruins of Ranchi, with the series lost and South Africa dismissed for their lowest first-innings total on the tour, Hamza scored his first half-century, in his second Test. He held his own against the Indian pacemen who were more threatening than their spinners (yes, really) and came into his own against R Ashwin. Hamza showed himself to be technically sound, aesthetically pleasing and deserving of a decent run in a line-up searching for its new No.3.This series is his chance to secure the most prized spot in the side, with his nearest rival Theunis de Bruyn not considered for the first two Tests, and he played with the confidence of a man who knows it.Hamza would have been permitted a few nerves when he arrived at the crease for the second ball of the match, after seeing Dean Elgar, the most experienced member of the top three, fall victim to a leg-side strangle. Elgar was likely expecting to watch something on a length and outside off carry through to the wicketkeeper as England tested the bounce and carry. Instead, he received a leg-side half-tracker and shaped up to glance it to fine leg. Elgar misjudged, edged and was caught behind to put South Africa in a familiar position: early trouble.It’s not a place a team that is attempting to rebuild wants to be. It is not a place a relative newcomer may want to be. But it is a place from which reputations can be made and Hamza enhanced his with a commendable, if incomplete, repair job.***Aiden Markram is definitely not a poser, in the non-cricketing sense.There’s no pretence from the young opener, especially not when it comes to showing how much he cares about his game. Markram was so disappointed with his performances in India. 44 runs in four innings, which included a pair in the second Test – that he punched a wall and broke his wrist. That cost him a Mzansi Super League (MSL) deal and the chance to re-find form in familiar conditions, but it also showed how much it mattered to him. His next challenge is to find balance between the extremes of aggression and uncertainty because as far as ability goes, it’s clear he has it.Markram’s timing, against Broad in the second over, and his instincts when he pounced on back-to-back James Anderson deliveries, were impeccable. The disdain with which he treated Sam Curran’s loosener showed his appetite for taking the opposition on. But the way the rest of that Curran over played out illustrated where Markram needs to learn restraint. The second delivery was much better and beat the outside edge; this third found it, but fell short of the slips. The fourth was fired into the legs and Markram could not resist taking it on and chipping to midwicket. After cashing in and then surviving, Markram did not want to wait before cashing in again.ALSO READ: Curran provides tonic on England’s off-colour dayAt 25, in only his 20th Test, he is still fairly young and will mature. The trouble is that South Africa needs his growth to happen now and his confidence to come quickly, especially because half of their top six is even more inexperienced. Rassie van der Dussen is the last of the green crop and his debut knock does not need to be overanalysed. It won’t go unnoticed that he took 34 balls to score 6, a scoring rate for which the man he replaced, Temba Bavuma, was often criticised. Van der Dussen had reason to be circumspect – South Africa were 71 for 3 in the morning session when he was called upon – but he will know how the go-slow has haunted Bavuma, who may yet recover in time for the second Test.***Quinton de Kock works the ball off his pads•Getty Images

And then there is Quinton de Kock, who doesn’t care much for posing either.De Kock rescued the innings from 111 for 5 through a combination of bloody-mindedness and luck and a selection of strokes that were both foolhardy and fantastic. He began with five boundaries, three off one Curran over and one-off Broad. De Kock’s most assertive shot was his fifth, a slap to third man off the stand-in spin of Joe Root, which took him to 21. Root could have ended his innings two balls later, when de Kock top-edged but the ball landed safely between mid-off and mid-on.Curran was dispatched for two more boundaries but then Root created another chance, when de Kock, on 35, edged but the ball was deemed not to have carried to Ben Stokes at slip. Another two edges off Anderson followed – the first flew over the cordon, the second scooted past gully before Root had a third bite. De Kock, on 45, top-edged a paddle sweep that once more eluded Stokes at slip.Four balls later, de Kock brought up the only South African half-century of the day and it was cheered with the gusto a hundred would have received. Still, things did not exactly get easier for de Kock after that. He was on 59 when he almost dragged an Archer delivery onto his off stump.It was only after the tea break, with the Centurion sun belting down, the opposition attack fighting dehydration and one wicket between de Kock and the tail, that he owned a period of the day. He lashed out – at Broad, at Anderson the tail, at anything that suggested there were runs to be had – until Curran nicked him off just as the heat was cooling and South Africa were starting to feel settled. De Kock was five short of what would have been a third century this year. He was applauded off but some of the gusto was gone.South Africa’s day did not have a final sting – quite the contrary as Kagiso Rabada was bowled off the final ball – but they will not be entirely unhappy with how they finished, even though the best batting conditions are still to come and England will be able to make use of them. But nor will South Africa be able to go so far as saying they have repaired their confidence just yet. For now, they’re still posing.

Matt Renshaw’s golden summer continued with a magnificent 112 in front of Australia selector Tony Dodemaide at the Gabba.His innings drove Queensland to 352 for 7 at stumps on day two of the top-of-the-table Sheffield Shield clash after Victoria had declared late on the opening day.Renshaw had made scores of 128, 29, 101 and 51 in the Shield before Sunday’s knock. He also had a consistent ODI series against India which included an accomplished 56 in Sydney.Related

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Runs are runs and Renshaw has filled his cup with them. The 29-year-old doesn’t have to do anything more to convince Australia selectors that he is ready for a return to the Test arena. All he needs is an opportunity.”I’m just keeping it really simple and having a lot of fun out there and having good intent,” Renshaw told AAP. “It’s been a good start and hopefully it amounts to something at the end of March. I will keep trying to put in performances to help win games for Queensland. I’m just concentrating on what I can control and that is trying to do my job for the team.”There is doubt over who will open in the second Test of the Ashes series at the Gabba, which starts on Thursday-week.Usman Khawaja’s back spasms in the first Test have put him in some doubt while Travis Head’s blistering century as opener has also put him in the frame to stay at the top of the order alongside Perth debutant Jake Weatherald.Renshaw now has 421 Shield runs for the summer, putting him on top of the aggregate list with 19 runs more than Marnus Labuschagne.He was patient early in his innings against Victoria before finding a more aggressive tempo and his drives down the ground were exquisite. Once Renshaw reached his half-century the runs started to flow all around the ground.He brought up his century with a controlled cut for three off spinner Todd Murphy. A healthy contingent at the Vulture St end of the ground gave him a rapturous reception, realising what a vital innings it was in the context of the summer.His stay ended when he nicked a delivery that just moved away from Fergus O’Neill, who toiled manfully all day with his tight lines.Renshaw received solid support from Angus Lovell in an 88-run opening stand and Hugh Weibgen.Former Australia Under-19 captain Weibgen, playing his second Shield match, looks a promising prospect with his classy strokeplay and composure. The tall 21-year-old will play for the Prime Minister’s XI against an England XI in a two-day, pink-ball match that starts on November 29 in Canberra.He was caught in a juggling effort by Mitchell Perry trying to loft Murphy over the long-on boundary.Lachie Hearne (47) continued the momentum until he was brilliantly caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Campbell Kellaway.

West Indies captain Shai Hope led a batting turnaround that helped his side win by 16 runs against Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. Hope and Rovman Powell, playing his 100th T20I, put together a late burst of sixes to help the visitors to 165 for 3. In reply, Bangladesh crashed to 42 for 4 in the powerplay, and were bowled out for 149.Jason Holder and Jayden Seales took three wickets each, while Akeal Hosein picked up two in the powerplay.It was, however, Hope and Powell’s unbroken 83-run stand for the fourth wicket that set up victory. Hope scored an unbeaten 46 off 28 balls with a four and four sixes. Powell had similar numbers, facing 28 balls, hitting four sixes and a four, and ending up unbeaten on 44.

Nasum keeps WI quiet

Bangladesh began well with the ball. They rallied around Nasum Ahmed’s four overs. He went wicketless but the left-arm spinner kept West Indies quiet, conceding just 15 runs in his quota. Openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze only hit a six each though they stuck around for 8.2 overs. Rishad Hossain bowled Athanaze for 34, when the batter missed a reverse sweep. Taskin Ahmed then removed King, caught at deep square leg for 33.Taskin followed up with the wicket of Sherfane Rutherford, whose Bangladesh ordeal continued. This time, he fell first ball, caught behind. Although Hope struck couple of sixes at this stage, West Indies couldn’t quite push the scoring rate. Nasum finished off his spell with another stingy over, the 15th.

Hope, Powell roar in the end

Hope then went after Rishad with two sixes, but with three over remaining, the visitors looked well short of a decent total. Hope cracked a Taskin half-volley for his fourth six to start the 18th over. Powell, meanwhile, finally middled one with seven balls remaining in the innings.Rovman Powell helped revive West Indies’ innings•AFP/Getty Images

He slog-swept Mustafizur Rahman for a 102m six, before creaming Tanzim Hasan for three consecutive sixes in the last over. He hammered Tanzim’s full-toss, before going straight for the next two. West Indies picked up 51 runs in the last three overs, changing the complexion of the contest.

Bangladesh crash in the powerplay

Bangladesh came out all guns blazing in their pursuit of 166 runs. Tanzid Hasan was going at a shot-a-ball but he lasted just five balls, with Romario Shepherd taking a stunning catch running back from mid-on. Litton Das then played a soft shot as Akeal Hosein got the ball to stop on the Bangladesh captain. Caught in two minds, Litton popped back a return catch, with Hosein taking it blind behind the non-striker standing next to him.Hosein then had Saif Hassan caught at short fine leg in the next over, attempting a sweep. When Holder removed Shamim Hossain in the fifth over – clipping off his off-bail – West Indies had made significant progress, with Bangladesh’s last pair of specialist batters at the crease by the end of the powerplay.

Tanzim, Nasum make late effort

The hosts continued to slide when Khary Pierre bowled Nurul Hasan off the inside edge in the ninth over. Towhid Hridoy joined the procession when he fell to Seales in the 12th over. He struck just two fours in his 28 off 25 balls.Tanzim Hasan then struck a six and three fours in his 33 off 27 balls, to keep Bangladesh’s hopes alive. He added 40 runs for the seventh wicket with Nasum, before Holder had him caught at deep point in the 16th over. Nasum kept the fire burning with another boundary, but Seales made him his third wicket in the following over.Holder then snuffed out the threat of Rishad, who miscued one to long-off. The innings ended when Taskin stepped on the stumps in the final over, having sent Holder sailing out of the ground in the 18th.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections will be held on October 6, the board’s election commission announced on Sunday. The general members body, known as the councillors, will elect 23 of the 25 board directors, and the BCB president will be elected from that pool of 25 to serve a four-year term.The announcement was made less than an hour after former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal accused BCB president Aminul Islam of “interference” in the election process.Tamim, who recently announced he was standing for election, held a press conference in Dhaka along with several other aspirants and former BCB directors. He said Aminul’s signed letter, dated September 18, instructing the country’s sports secretary that he has extended the deadline for nomination submission, was a unilateral decision taken by the board president.”The election commission is in charge since their appointment, which in this case was from September 6,” Tamim said. “The BCB president extended the deadline for nomination submission twice. The deadlines for submitting nominations were first set for September 17. He extended it to September 19, and then September 22. The second extension was signed off by the president himself, which is highly irregular. The BCB’s chief executive is supposed to send out these letters, but he didn’t issue the letter for the second extension. The president signed off the letter.”Tamim alleged the BCB’s constitution was violated when the board representatives from the country’s eight divisions and 64 districts were nominated by an ad-hoc committee, rather than seasoned sports organisers being nominated. “Typically, in districts and divisions, those involved in sports can nominate councillors through the district administration. This has been the practice for many years. But this time, an ad-hoc committee was formed and only its approval would be valid for nominations.”It isn’t mentioned in the BCB’s constitution. Moreover, we have seen people being removed from or added to the ad-hoc committee at will. If elections are conducted this way, it is no longer an election but a selection. Elections should be open and fair for everyone.”Tamim urged the authorities to respect the original councillors’ list. “I hope that those declared as councillors on September 17 remain unchanged. There should be no modifications. Cricket must remain for everyone – not for a specific person or group. I hope the election is impartial and free from interference.”According to the election schedule, the draft voter list will be published on September 22, followed by the final list on September 25.The election will have three categories. In the first, ten directors will be elected from the divisions and districts in the country. In the second category, 12 directors will be elected from the representatives of the Dhaka clubs. In the third category, one director will be elected from a pool of former cricketers, national captains, security forces, and councillors nominated by the National Sports Council. The Bangladesh government will also select two directors to sit on the board.

Ashleigh Gardner was relieved to not be stuck in the 90s for too long on the way to an “emotional” maiden international century which put Australia on the brink of retaining the Ashes.Gardner’s previous highest score for Australia was 93, made in a T20I against India in 2020, and in Hobart she became just the second women’s batter to score an ODI century from No. 6 or lower in the order.In the 45th over, Gardner was on 90 and facing Nat Sciver-Brunt when the England allrounder pushed consecutive balls down the leg side which Gardner was able to take advantage of, with a single off the final delivery of the over leaving her on 99 against Lauren Bell. One dot followed before she pulled Bell through square leg.Related

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“Because I haven’t made many hundreds throughout my whole cricketing life I had a feeling that I would get really nervous in the 90s,” Gardner said. “Thankfully for me, Nat bowled a couple down the leg and I was able to get those away to the boundary and race through the 90s.”The rest just fell in place and I was able to get to that milestone. It’s certainly something that I can be really proud of. I’ve played a lot of international games and haven’t quite made that mark…to be able to reach that was pretty emotional, but it was pretty cool to tick off.”Gardner had walked in with Australia tottering on 59 for 4 but was able to stitch together partnerships of 95 with Beth Mooney and a defining 103 from 83 balls with Tahlia McGrath before the innings was capped off by George Wareham’s 12-ball 38.Gardner made a conscious effort to try and put pressure on England’s leading spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, who she scored 24 off 29 balls against in what became Ecclestone second-most expensive return in ODIs.”For me and Moons, it was just to build a partnership and to ease the nerves a little bit and calm people down,” Gardner said. “The conversations just kept being around putting pressure back on them. I know for me, batting in those types of situations, you can go back in your shell.”For me that doesn’t really work because then I go too far the other way, so I still try to be really proactive. I tried to put pressure back on Ecclestone, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I guess it made her change something, and that was what I was trying to do.”The messages were kind of the same with T-Mac [McGrath]. That was probably the best I’ve seen T-Mac bat in a very long time. She just took a lot of pressure off me. I didn’t feel like because I was the one in that I had to keep going as hard.”Gardner put an exclamation mark on her performance with a spectacular parried boundary catch late in England’s innings to remove Ecclestone.Ash Gardner took a spectacular juggling catch on the rope•Getty Images

“I was probably off the rope too many steps, knowing that she hits the ball pretty hard and far,” she said. “After the initial catch, it was [about] trying to get my momentum to basically not fall over the rope. It was just one of those things where instinct kicks in and you throw the ball back and hope that you can catch it on the rebound.”I made a bit of a meal of it in the end, and I’m sure people will probably say that I put a bit of mayo on it. I didn’t mean for it to be caught that way, but I’ll take it.”Winning the ODI series has ticked plenty of early boxes for Australia and leaves them needing just two more points to retain the Ashes but with the memories of 2023, when 6-0 became an 8-8 draw, there is a determination not to be in that position again.”I know there was sort of redemption after the white-ball series that we played last time in the [last] Ashes. We weren’t up to it,” Gardner said. “I think the standard that we’ve shown throughout today was probably the most clinical batting performance that we’ve put out there. We’ve played on some tricky wickets, so it’s really exposed us at different times and being able to overcome that.”Knowing that we’re going into the T20s, which I think probably is England’s best format, being able to take confidence in what we’ve done in these last three ODIs into that first T20, I’d imagine England probably don’t have as much confidence as what we do, so we should really relish in that.”Having seen 59 for 4 turn into over 300, England still had a chance at 200 for 4, needing 109 from 80 balls, but when Danni Wyatt-Hodge was superbly caught Phoebe Litchfield, they lost 6 for 22.”You looked at the worms and they were bang on,” captain Heather Knight said of the chase. “I think we were ahead actually, for most of it. We felt like on the bench we could probably chase 10, 11 an over for the last ten. So being in that position, we felt pretty good. We just didn’t have that set batter to go on and go really big”Those key moments, when the game’s on the line, they [Australia] seem to be able to cope with them really well. We haven’t been able to seize the moment a little bit and really hammer down any advantage that we have got. It’s something that we need to do a little bit better, realising when we’re in a key moment of the match, can we go after this? Let’s go and win this. So hopefully we can show some progress in that in the T20s.”

Sam Konstas says he is already a better batter than the one who started the summer with twin tons for New South Wales, as selectors weigh up Australia’s squad for the Boxing Day Test against India.The shining light of cricket’s next generation, Konstas has found himself back in the selection debate after Australia’s top order failed again at the Gabba. While Australia have been the better team over the past two Tests, the draw in Brisbane has left the series at 1-1 and India one win away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Selectors were due to meet on Thursday to discuss plans for the penultimate fourth Test in Melbourne, with a squad to be announced as soon as Friday.Related

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Australia are guaranteed to make one change to their XI, with Scott Boland expected to come in for Josh Hazlewood after his series-ending calf injury.The heat also remains on Australia’s openers, with neither Usman Khawaja or Nathan McSweeney locking in their spot this summer against a rampant Jasprit Bumrah.Khawaja turned 38 on Wednesday, and has now gone 11 Test innings without scoring a half-century. His series average of 12.60 is also the lowest of any Australia opener in a home Test series of at least three matches since Matthew Elliott’s against South Africa in 1997.McSweeney was gutsy in Adelaide, but is also yet to show the opening role is right for him after only batting there for the first time for Australia A last month.Sam Konstas has had a productive few weeks•Getty Images

At the same time, Konstas has been knocking on the door in domestic cricket. The 19-year-old has averaged 55.83 this summer, catapulting into contention in October when he became youngest player since Ricky Ponting to hit twin tons in a Sheffield Shield game.Konstas endured a brief lean patch after that, but believes he is a better batter now than in October.”I’m understanding the scenarios of the game and when to take on the game,” Konstas said. “Trying to mature as a batsman. Obviously I’m going to make some silly mistakes but I think understanding when to take the game on [is an area I’ve improved in].”Konstas has scored 107 against India for the Prime Minister’s XI, a Sheffield Shield 88 for NSW and a quickfire 56 for Sydney Thunder in the BBL past three weeks.But the opener said he had blocked out the most recent selection talk, as his chances of a debut looms as a when-not-if scenario. For now, he is taking the chance to pick the brain of David Warner, opening alongside him for the Thunder.”I’m trying to learn from him each time I bat with him,” Konstas said. “[He’s taught me] to try to be fearless and take the game on. Whatever happens, happens.”Konstas’ comments came after captain Pat Cummins said Australia’s second-innings collapse to 89 for 7 at the Gabba should not be held against the top order, as the side pursued quick runs in the ultimately-drawn Test.Cummins also defended chief selector George Bailey’s close relationship with players, and said the panel had proven they could make tough calls.Australia have carried Josh Inglis and Beau Webster as reserves, while questions have been asked of Mitchell Marsh’s spot after the allrounder only bowled two overs in Brisbane.

A 137-run stand between Charith Asalanka and debutant Nishan Madushka provided the base as Sri Lanka comfortably chased down a DLS-adjusted target of 232 in Pallekele, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.Asalanka top-scored with a 71-ball 77, while Madushka finished with 69 off 54. Both departed unable to see the chase through, but considering the precarious position at which they had come together – 45 for 3 in the seventh over – they had done more than enough to ensure the win.Kamindu Mendis was there at the end to see the win through, with an unbeaten 30 off 21, and alongside him was Janith Liyanage on a run-a-ball 18.Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, with figures of 3 for 47, while Alzarri Joseph grabbed two. Despite having reinforced their spin reserves in preparation for a dry Pallekele surface, none were able to offer as much penetration as Motie.While Motie too went at over six an over he at least posed a wicket-taking threat. This was not something the pair of Roston Chase and Hayden Walsh Jr. could boast, as they gave up 80 runs in the 10 overs between them.While this was down to a combination of errant bowling and ruthless batting, the West Indian spinners were also impacted by a wet ball as a result of a wet outfield. The rain also meant that the pitch had become easier to bat on by the time Sri Lanka took lease of the wicket.Earlier, Sherfane Rutherford’s counterattack had been cut short by rain to bring to a premature close the West Indies innings on 185 for 4 after 38.3 overs.But even with that caveat, the way Sri Lanka approached their chase made them well worth their victory. Madushka, making his debut in place of the injured Pathum Nissanka, opened the innings alongside Avishka Fernando but by the time he faced his fifth delivery in ODI cricket, Sri Lanka had found themselves already two down.Alzarri Joseph struck twice early•Getty Images

Avishka drove a widish delivery straight to point, while Kusal Mendis – who had looked in good nick with a trio of enterprising boundaries – top-edged an attempted pull. This brought Sadeera Samarawickrama to the crease, and he wasted little time taking the initiative, striking Jayden Seales for three boundaries in the fifth over of the chase.With the threat of rain looming, Sri Lanka’s game plan was clear – get ahead of the DLS equation. But when Sadeera fell, courtesy an absolute peach from Motie that knocked back off stump, Sri Lanka were suddenly at the risk of letting the game slip into dangerous territory – even with the safety of being able to bat until No 9.But if those watching on were feeling nervous, Sri Lanka’s skipper hardly let it show. Off just the second delivery he faced he swept Motie for four, before driving him exquisitely through the covers an over later. Madushka, who up until this point was content to turn over the strike to his more aggressive partners, finally notched his first boundary in the 10th over.And this partnership scarcely took the foot off the gas as the West Indies struggled to maintain tight lines and lengths. Between the 10th and 20th over only two overs didn’t contain a boundary, as Sri Lanka racked up 72 runs in that period. And the scoring only accelerated from that point on, with a further 41 runs scored between overs 20-25.Madushka eventually edged to slip, with Asalanka following shortly after trapped leg before – both off Motie – but the required run rate had dropped to nearly four an over by that point, and any peril long since neutralised.Nishan Madushka celebrates his maiden ODI fifty, which came on debut•Associated Press

West Indies’ best period of the game had occurred much earlier. Prior to the rain intervention, they had been in the process of regaining some lost momentum with Rutherford and Chase in the middle of an 85-run fifth-wicket stand off 78 deliveries.Wanindu Hasaranga had taken two wickets, while Jeffrey Vandersay and Asalanka had one apiece. But on a dry Pallekele surface, West Indies knew a trial by spin was always on the cards after they had won the toss and elected to bat.Dunith Wellalage was into the attack as early as the fifth over – and even before that medium pacer Liyanage had resorted to offcutters on a hard length – while spin was in effect from both ends not long after.Despite a promising opening stand it wasn’t long before West Indies had stumbled to 54 for 3, with Rutherford joining Keacy Carty in the middle, and the scoring rate now hovering at around four an over. It was during this period that Sri Lanka’s spinners took total control, as West Indies were content to play it safe, racking up numerous dot deliveries, and picking up the odd ones and twos.A Rutherford cut for four in the 17th over was the first West Indies boundary in 47 deliveries; by the traditional halfway point of 25 overs, they had inched to 94 for 3. It was here that a frustrated Carty unleashed a powerful one-handed loft over long-on for six to break the shackles somewhat, but that relief was shortlived as he fell going for a repeat performance the very next delivery. That brought to an end a 46-run partnership – the West Indies’ best of the innings until that point.But with the dependable Chase alongside him, Rutherford continued as before, picking off singles and attempting to pounce on any rare loose deliveries. But as their confidence grew and a persistent drizzle greased the surface, the pair struck 43 in the last five overs they faced. With the death overs still to come, a total in the region of 275 was on the cards. But then the rains came.

Derbyshire have signed opening batter Caleb Jewell as one of their overseas players for the 2025 season. Jewell, 27, has represented Australia A and is expected the play all formats for Derbyshire.A left-hand batter, Jewell averages 31.47 in first-class cricket. He was part of the Tasmania side that reached the final of the 2023-24 Sheffield Shield, making a career-best 227 against Western Australia earlier in the season. He also plays for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash.”Caleb is a player I’ve had my eye on for some time, and everyone I have spoken to about him has said just what a good player he is,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said. “Chief Selector for Cricket Australia, George Bailey, and Ian Bell, in particular, spoke very highly of his ability.”We have recognised that our batting line-up needed reinforcement, across all formats, and having Caleb here for the full season will allow us to build that consistency we need. He will bring real grit to the top of the order.”Although he has yet to win a senior cap for Australia, Jewell entered the debate around who could succeed David Warner and Usman Khawaja at the top of the order in Tests after making scores of 66, 78 and 131 for the A team in 2023.”I’m looking forward to getting my first taste of county cricket with Derbyshire, to show what I can do in all formats and help the club win matches,” Jewell said. “There are plenty of Australian players who have made their mark in England, and I want to be next. I’m excited to work with the coaching setup at Derbyshire, to take my game to the next level, and play alongside the quality group of players at the club.”The current season has been a difficult one for Derbyshire in the County Championship, with the club set to finish bottom of Division Two – although they came close to reaching the knockouts in both white-ball competitions.Jewell is Derbyshire’s second signing ahead of the 2025 summer, with Middlesex allrounder Martin Andersson agreeing a two-year contract.

Katie Mack’s superbly-constructed 129 led Australia A to a four-wicket victory over India A which was more comprehensive that the final scoreline suggested in the first one-day match in Mackay.Mack’s hundred controlled the chase as she added 122 in 20 overs for the third wicket with captain Tahlia McGrath who continued the form she showed in the last two T20s with a brisk half-century.Mack took 106 balls to bring up her century and the innings ensured the home side was never under significant pressure. She added 50 for the first wicket with Maddy Darke and 65 for the second with Charli Knott before the latter was run out by a direct hit. Mack was yorked by Meghna Singh with five runs needed.”It swung a little bit early then died down,” Mack said. “Think the challenge was finding the boundaries on a bit of a slower wicket with not much pace on the ball so it was a bit of a slog with a lot of running, but I was super focused to make sure I made the most of the start. Got a couple of starts in the T20s so just wanted to make sure I capitalised today.”McGrath was given a life on 10 when Sayali Satghare dropped a return catch. She later appeared unhappy to be given out sweeping although by then the result was assured despite a flurry of late wickets which included two falling with the scores level.India A had earlier been put into bat and were soon under pressure as Nicola Hancock struck with the new ball, nipping one back through Shweta Sehrawat in the first over then having Priya Punia edging to slip.From 56 for 3 the innings was rebuilt by consecutive stands of 55, 52 and 68 all involving Raghvi Bist. Legspinner Grace Parsons again impressed, producing a sharp leg-break to remove Tejal Hasabnis for 53.Maitlan Brown closed out the innings well, ending Bist’s hopes of a century and then claiming three wickets in the final over.There are two more one-day games in Mackay on Friday and Sunday before a four-day match on the Gold Coast next week. Australia A won the T20 series 3-0.