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A dramatic West Indies batting collapse inspired by spin wizard MuttiahMuralitharan pulled Sri Lanka back into the first Test in Galle onWednesday, to leave the match evenly poised after the second day.West Indies, who started the day well placed on 316-3, extended their scoreto 409-4 at lunch, before collapsing in a heap during a frenetic hour afterlunch, in which six wickets fell for 69.Sri Lanka, replying to 448 and thus first needing 248 to avoid the followon, started like they wanted a first innings lead by lunch the next day,racing to 37 off the first five overs.They slowed after the fall of Jayasuriya (25 off 19 balls), who was caughtat backward point trying to hit his fifth boundary, but lost no furtherwickets before bad light stopped play, finishing on 103-1.Opener Marvan Atapattu unbeaten on 46 from 107 balls and wicket-keeperbatsman Kumar Sangakkara on 27 from 85 balls.Muralitharan had toiled away for 40 overs on the first day without his usualsuccess, taking just one wicket. On the second morning, he was not useduntil the second hour, but in his third over of the day he deceived CarlHooper (69 from 120 balls) in air to end a stylish innings from the captain.It also brought to a close a West Indies record 153 run fourth wicketpartnership against Sri Lanka that had threatened to overwhelm the hometeam.Still, with Lara at the wicket at lunch, Sri Lanka looked in deep trouble.Muralitharan then swapped ends and soon captured the prize scalp of Lara(178 from 293 balls), who gloved a sweep and was smartly caught by an alertSangakkara diving forward, to leave the West Indies 423-5.The tourists then capitulated. Chaminda Vaas, probing away diligently fromthe Fort End, joined in the action with Muralitharan, and the pair pluckedout the remaining five wickets for 14 runs.Marlon Samuels foolishly tried to drive a flighted off-break against thespin and was bowled through the gate for 16. Ridley Jacobs nibbled anoutswinger from Vaas and Mervyn Dillion flashed a snick to first slip.Three balls later Muralitharan finished off the innings as DinanathRamnarine was picked up at silly point and Colin Stuart was bowled firstball.Muralitharan had finished with 6-125, the 29th time he had taken fivewickets in an innings (only Richard Hadlee has taken more). Moreimpressively, he had taken 5-21 in the day from 13.3 overs.Speaking afterwards, with a Cheshire cat-like grin, he said: “During thefirst day my rhythm was not quite there, but today it was coming out reallynicely.”We always thought that if we could get Lara out we get all the otherwickets quickly, as they had some inexperienced batsmen to come and it iseasy for me to take the wickets of tailenders,” he said.Sri Lanka, instead of facing a total in excess of 500, that had seemedprobable, they were left with a manageable total on the best batting pitchseen at Galle in its seven Test history.All three results remain possible. In 1998 England scored 445 at the Ovalagainst Sri Lanka and believed they had safeguarded the game only to see theopposition rattle up 591, before Muralitharan grabbed nine wickets in theEnglish second innings to win the game.Muralitharan was upbeat about the team’s chances: “Unfortunately, Lara got abig one, but this is a batting wicket and still we can get a result if wescore around 500. By the fourth and fifth day it is going to spin a longway.”The West Indies will believe that any lead will be useful on a turningpitch, which this is sure to be by the fourth and fifth day. Sri Lanka arestill a not inconsiderable 345 runs adrift.Both Atapattu and Sangakkara played well. Atapattu drove fluently straightdown the ground for two boundaries and square cut McGarrell for another,whilst Sangakkara played himself in carefully, before hitting four fours inthe final hour.The tourists look like they will depend heavily upon Mervyn Dillion, whobowled a testing ten over spell with the new ball, and leg-spinner DinanathRamanarine, who came on in the 23rd over of the innings.Dillion’s new partner, Colin Stuart, who looked impressive in Matara beforehe retired with leg cramps, lacked rhythm and was wayward, conceding 22 runsin his first three overs.Neil McGarrell, playing his first game of the two-week long tour, lookedrusty and failed to trouble the Sri Lankan batsmen unduly with his flattrajectory.

Mel Cairns, the wife of former New Zealand allrounder Chris Cairns, has denied that an alleged discussion about match-fixing in a Manchester bar ever took place.The jury in Chris Cairns’ perjury trial had previously been told about a night out in Manchester in 2008, when Eleanor Riley, the former wife of Lou Vincent, one of the main prosecution witnesses, gave evidence that Cairns had said he was confident he would get away with fixing because “everyone was doing it in India”.Mel Cairns, who was appearing via video link, was present on the night, which involved several hours of drinking. Asked by Cairns’ barrister Orlando Pownall, QC, whether there had been any discussion of fixing, she replied: “Absolutely not.”Vincent was playing for Lancashire at the time, having previously been involved with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) alongside Cairns, where he said he was under “direct orders” to fix matches.Chris Cairns is accused of perjury and perverting the course of justice during his 2012 libel case against Lalit Modi. He denies all charges.Mel and Chris Cairns met in 2008, when he was still married to his previous wife. They subsequently lived together in Dubai, where Cairns has said he was looking to get involved in the diamond trade. The couple were married in 2010 and have two children.It was put to Mel Cairns by the crown prosecutor, Sasha Wass, QC, that she was lying to protect her husband. Wass had previously alleged that the money Cairns was paid by an Indian diamond company was “a reward for fixing cricket matches”.Mel Cairns said: “I would never lie to help my husband in court.”An Australian who played college basketball in the US, Mel Cairns works with professional athletes in sports marketing and management. She said she “absolutely would not have a relationship” with Chris Cairns if match-fixing had been discussed after they had first met.Mel Cairns was giving evidence over video from the couple’s home in Canberra because she said they could not afford for her to travel, although she had wanted to be with Cairns during the trial, which began more than four weeks ago.”It broke my heart to watch Chris walk every day, alone to and from court, and knowing he was going home alone by himself,” she said.The trial continues.

Everton moved to within one point of the relegation zone on Saturday as they lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League.

The Toffees are now one point ahead of Burnley in the table after the Clarets picked up a point against Crystal Palace, along with Frank Lampard’s side’s loss to the champions.

Phil Foden scored the only goal of the game as Michael Keane’s misstep allowed him to sneak in and tuck the ball into the bottom corner after sturdy Everton defending for the majority of the game leading up to that moment.

The Blues thought they were going to be given the perfect opportunity to level the scores when Rodri appeared to bring the ball down with his hand inside the box, but were left fuming as VAR decided that it was not worth having referee Paul Tierney take a look at the monitor.

Forget VAR

Whilst Lampard may be frustrated by VAR’s decision, he will also be disappointed with a few individual performances as some were unable to impress as much as others.

One player who let the manager down on Saturday was full-back Jonjoe Kenny as he failed to grasp his opportunity to show what he can do in the side.

Celtic pundit Mark Wilson previously dubbed him as “scared” during his loan spell with the Hoops last term and that is how he looked at times throughout this clash with Pep Guardiola’s outfit.

The full-back had the unenvied task of dealing with Phil Foden out on the flank for the majority of the game and he struggled badly on and off the ball.

In possession, he did very little. As per SofaScore, the dud completed 71% of his passes and failed with both of his attempted crosses. He was unable to show off any quality on the ball to hurt Manchester City on the counter-attack, with some of his passes leaving a lot to be desired – almost setting the away side away on the break with a poor pass in the first half.

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Defensively, he was run ragged too. Via SofaScore, he lost 80% (4/5) of his duels throughout the 90 minutes and only completed one tackle, whilst making zero interceptions or blocks. He was also dribbled past twice and this shows that the opposition were able to get the better of him more times than he managed to with them.

Therefore, he let Lampard down badly, as much as VAR potentially did, as he failed to rise to the occasion. He was a liability at both ends of the pitch and appeared overawed by the size of the task at hand.

AND in other news, 21 duels lost: Lampard will be fuming with “really bad” Everton star, he’s a liability…

Match facts

Saturday, January 2, 2016
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)

Big Picture

It took four weeks, but Sri Lanka put together their most comprehensive day of cricket on this tour and suddenly their outlook seems transformed. They lost so badly in Christchurch that this trip to New Zealand was threatening to become the tour from hell. In that handsome Nelson win on Thursday, there were signs it may instead be remembered as a journey of discovery.Chief among the promising new talents is Dushmantha Chameera, who was the third-change bowler when the tour began, but is now taking the new ball. He is not as fast as Adam Milne, but so far seems to have a better knack for taking wickets. Maybe he bowls the bouncer too much and the yorker not enough, but the coaches say he is eager to learn. Angelo Mathews also helped by using him as a strike bowler in the middle overs of the third ODI, instead of saving him for the death.Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay troubled batsmen on a track that didn’t give him much turn, and Danushka Gunathilaka was poised and powerful at the top of the order. New Zealand will be wise to their weaknesses in their coming matches, however, and the young Sri Lanka players will want to prove they can’t be easily decoded.New Zealand have lost Tim Southee for the remainder of the series, but such is the depth in their bowling that the man replacing him is the bowler of the series so far. Matt Henry’s bustle ruined Sri Lanka’s innings in Christchurch. A slower, lower Nelson surface may draw some of his venom, but Sri Lanka’s batsmen would still probably have preferred it if he had remained outside the squad.Thursday’s match was also the first occasion in which the hosts seemed a little vulnerable. The middle order doesn’t look in great shape with Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi still searching for good scores. Mitchell Santner is promising, but perhaps he’s not quite ready to be the top spin option.With Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill and Henry all still playing well, New Zealand have more than enough quality to lock the series up. But they will now have to win on a used Saxton Oval surface that was beginning to resemble the slower, abrasive tracks Sri Lanka often find in their part of the world.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand: LWWLW
Sri Lanka: WLLWW
Spot the missing ingredient: New Zealand’s batting has suddenly looked a little less threatening•AFP

In the spotlight

Doug Bracewell hasn’t been New Zealand’s most penetrative bowler, but he has made himself useful with the bat. He has contributed a good score every time he has come to the crease on this tour. Bracewell’s sober 30 from 34 balls on Thursday helped push New Zealand towards 275, after they had threatened to be all out for less than 250. He has been good in the field as well, though that hasn’t always been a strength for him.Aside from one very expensive over to Martin Guptill in the second game, Jeffrey Vandersay‘s introduction to international cricket has so far been smooth. His legbreaks aren’t the most controlled, or biggest-turning, but he appears to be the kind of bowler that likes to outthink batsmen, if he can’t out-skill them. Sri Lanka are facing a minor spin-bowling crisis, as Rangana Herath moves into the twilight of his career. Having picked Vandersay over two more experienced spinners on Thursday, the selectors may feel he is the man to step into Herath’s shoes.

Teams news

As the pitch is expected to take more turn in this game, there is a chance Sri Lanka may add a second frontline spinner to the attack. More likely they will keep the same XI and rely on Milinda Siriwardana’s left-arm spin, and Tillakaratne Dilshan’s part-time offbreaks.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka , 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Chamara Kapugedara, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepNew Zealand may be without their regular captain Brendon McCullum again, as he recovers from a back injury. If he does return, Tom Latham may be the man to make way. Legspinner Ish Sodhi is likely to play in place of one of the seamers.New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (capt.)/ Tom Latham, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The strip had begun to take good turn towards the end of the third ODI, and will probably become lower, slower and more given to spin still. Sunny Nelson may belie its moniker however, as showers are forecast throughout the day.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand played Sri Lanka in 11 ODIs in 2015. Sri Lanka won only three of those games.
• With Martin Guptill (1489 runs), Kane Williamson (1376 runs), and Tillakaratne Dilshan (1207 runs), this series features each of the top three ODI run-scorers of 2015.

Quotes

“On the whole 2015 was probably a good year, but we’ve got a game the next day, so we won’t be doing too much reflecting.”

Former West Indian allrounder Norman Marshall, who was in the unusual company of cricketers who have represented two regional teams and played just one Test, died suddenly at his residence in Hastings, Christ Church on Saturday.Marshall was 83 and led an active life, deep-sea fishing and playing tennis regularly through to his last days.He was a miserly offspinner and an attacking middle-order batsman, who scored 1337 runs at an average of 30.38 with two hundreds, and claimed 90 wickets at 31.72 runs in 33 first-class matches between 1941 and 1956. Of those, 27 were for his native Barbados and four for Trinidad in 1954 and 1955, while working there.He played his only Test against Australia at Guyana in 1955 at the age of 31, three months after his previous first-class match. Notification of his selection came after he returned from a fishing trip and, in a low-scoring match won by Australia; he was dismissed for 0 and 8. But his figures – 46.3-22-62-2 – were indicative of his tight bowling.His elder brother Roy, who died in 1992, was a dashing opening batsman who toured England in 1950 and Australia and New Zealand in 1951-52, appearing in four Tests, before joining Hampshire for whom he scored over 30,000 runs in 18 seasons before he retired in 1972.Norman joined Wanderers Club in 1939 on leaving Foundation School and subsequently played a lot of cricket in Peru and Venezuela. On his return to Barbados, he turned out for Wanderers in the Intermediate division into his mid-50s.

‘It’s my rhythm that concerns me most and I was pleased that it felt good’ – Shoaib Akhtar is back, but for how long? © Getty Images

Shoaib Akhtar is happy to be back in international cricket and hopes that he will be able to stay fit and reach his peak at the Champions Trophy to be played in India in October and November.”I know I can get better and faster,” Shoaib told ABC Sport. “It’s my rhythm that concerns me most and I was pleased that it felt good. The fact my speeds were getting up towards the middle 90s on some deliveries shows that I haven’t lost the ability to bowl fast while I’ve been out. As any fast bowler knows, the better your rhythm, the quicker you bowl.”Shoaib has been out of serious cricket since India’s tour to Pakistan in January this year. On his return he played Pakistan’s first-ever Twenty20 match at Bristol against England. He then played the rain-shortened one-day game at Cardiff where he picked up three wickets for 45 in his ten overs.”The Cardiff match was a nice comeback but it’s only the start. The team is playing some really good one-day cricket and I think the only way we will lose this series is if we become complacent.”If we all stay focused and play to our ability we will take some beating because we have a lethal combination. I don’t mean any disrespect to England – they have some dangerous players also – but I just think we have the advantage with experience and ability.”Pakistan have four more one-day matches against England, the next one on September 2 at Lord’s.

Sachin Tendulkar’s return from elbow surgery has been delayed © AFP

Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the Super Series after his tennis elbow injury failed to heal in time for the ICC’s deadline. Tendulkar, a crucial figure for the World XI, was given an extension by the ICC to confirm his availability but Dr Anant Joshi, a sports specialist appointed by the BCCI, said Tendulkar needed to play a domestic match before being passed fit for international cricket.Meanwhile, whether he plays or not Brand Sachin seems to be growing by the day. Percept D’Mark , the celebrity management firm who are agents for Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, L Balaji and Yuvraj Singh among others, is apparently negotiating a long-term deal with Tendulkar. His five-year deal with WorldTel, amounting to Rs.100 crore, draws to a close coming December.The new deal is expected to fetch him a sum substantially higher than this and could also involve him in merchandising activities, fan clubs, world-class academies and even some businesses, according to Shailendra Singh, Percept’s managing director.”We are not trying to buy him out of his existing relationship. We are instead trying to partner with him for his future. It makes sense to partner with a large organisation like ours. There is no other integrated company like ours. Our strengths and network will allow us to build a business model for Sachin beyond 2007,” Singh told the newspaper.On Tendulkar’s injury, R S Shetty, the BCCI’s executive secretary in-charge, said in Mumbai that Dr Joshi had been supervising Tendulkar’s rehabilitation program. “He has advised that Sachin should participate in at least one domestic game to evaluate his recovery before participating in competitive cricket,” reported. “Therefore Tendulkar has opted out of the Super Series.”Tendulkar joins Herschelle Gibbs on the injured list for the Super Series, which starts with the first of three one-day matches in Melbourne on October 5.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India may be in for a four-fold increase in revenues. It has announced that bids for the television rights of India’s home matches for the next three years will be accepted till August 14.The bid includes rights for bilateral one-day and Test series played at home and tournaments approved by the International Cricket Council, and runs from September 2004 to August 2007, reports Press Trust of India. This will include the rights for domestic matches conducted by the BCCI, but excludes special events like the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.Prasar Bharati was the successful bidder last time around, and they paid Rs230 crore for the privilege. This time, the figure is likely to go up significantly, a fact which was confirmed by Jagmohan Dalmiya, the board president. “We expect substantial jump over the existing cricket telecasting right,” he told The Times of India. “This time the figure should be close to Rs1000 crore (approx US$217million).”The BCCI made it clear that the bidding will be restricted to broadcasters who have their own existing in-house production, telecasting units and channel network, and have successfully telecast live and delayed international cricket events of international standard for at least two years (not as a licensee). The BCCI also drew attention to a clause that reads, “BCCI reserves the right in its discretion to cancel or amend the entire bidding process at any stage and to reject any or all bids without assigning any reason.”The forthcoming season has a spate of high-profile matches, starting with visits by Australia and South Africa in 2004, and followed by Pakistan in 2005.

National League Division One
TableGloucestershire 199 for 3 beat Glamorgan by seven wickets at Cheltenham
Scorecard
Gloucestershire moved to the top of Division One with an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Glamorgan. James Averis and Mark Hardinges claimed three wickets apiece as Glamorgan collapsed to 197 all out, and Gloucestershire eased to victory with seven balls to spare. Each of the batsmen made a contribution – Alex Gidman continued his fine form with 49, before Matt Windows wrapped things up with an unbeaten 54.Worcestershire 219 for 6 beat Surrey 140 by 79 runs at Guildford
Scorecard
An understrength Surrey team surrendered their top spot in Division One with a 79-run defeat against Worcestershire at Guildford. Ben Smith produced a captain’s innings of 93 not out, with 10 fours, to ensure a decent total of 219 for 6, after James Ormond had grabbed two early wickets. Smith found good support from Andrew Hall, who added 87 for the fourth wicket, before Kabir Ali’s impressive return of 4 for 30 devastated Surrey’s reply. Matt Mason also picked up four wickets, with the only resistance coming from Adam Hollioake’s 33. Essex 203 for 6 beat Leicestershire 166 by 37 runs at Southend
Scorecard
Will Jefferson’s 61 made the difference as Essex overcame Leicestershire in a low-scoring match at Southend. Jefferson cracked eight fours in his innings, and added 101 for the second wicket with Ronnie Irani, who threw in a robust 36. Jeremy Snape was the pick of the Leicestershire bowlers, and his 3 for 14 from nine overs might have made the difference. But Antonio Palladino, Graham Napier and Joseph Grant each claimed two wickets, and only Paul Nixon’s 40 provided any meaningful resistance. Yorkshire 197 for 8 beat Kent 179 by 18 runs at Scarborough
Scorecard
Muttiah Muralitharan picked up two wickets on his Kent debut, but he was unable to prevent Yorkshire from recording their second win of the season. Craig White top-scored for Yorkshire with a watchful 47 off 82 balls, before Tim Bresnan and Chris Silverwood added vital runs at the bottom of the order. Ed Smith and Robert Key replied with an opening stand of 57, and David Fulton made 48, but Craven claimed 4 for 22 to secure victory.National League Division Two
Latest tableMiddlesex 238 for 5 beat Northamptonshire 234 for 8 by five wickets at Northampton
Scorecard
Owais Shah’s 83 knocked the stuffing out of Northamptonshire, as Middlesex successfully pursued 235 for victory. Shah hit two sixes and six fours in 86 balls, after Andrew Strauss had launched the chase with a handy 40. Northamptonshire’s opener Tim Roberts had earlier made 64, his highest one-day score, and David Sales chipped in with 56. But Simon Cook took three wickets and prevented a handy total turning into an unassailable one.

Without a win in the Standard Bank Series and without their captain, Kenya lit up St George’s Park on Wednesday night with a quite astonishing 70-run victory over India.It was, without doubt, one of the three greatest moments in the history of Kenyan cricket, following the 1996 World Cup upset of the West Indies and the 69-run win against India in Gwalior in 1998.It was a victory achieved against all expectations and, although one hesitates to use the term in the match-fixing era, against all the odds. The Kenyans played out of their skins, none more so than Joseph Angara who took the new ball, did not concede a run off his first four overs and fitted in the most prized wicket in cricket, that of Sachin Tendulkar for 3, during his opening spell.Angara was to come back into the attack later to snaffle Jacob Martin and Reetinder Singh Sodhi and effectively snuff out India’s last remaining hopes and he finished with three for 30 to claim the man of the match award. But it was much more than a one-man show with most of the Kenyans contributing in one way or another.Last Friday Kenya had been bowled out by India for just 90 as they lost to India by 10 wickets in a match which failed to stretch to half of the game’s allotted 100 overs. On Sunday their batting improved against South Africa, but they still lost by nine wickets and they had to go into Wednesday’s game sans captain Maurice Odumbe, banned for two matches for remarks made about umpire Dave Orchard.The Kenyans were perilously close to losing all credibility, but they batted well to reach 246 for six with Kennedy Otieno (64), Ravindu Shah (50) and Thomas Odoyo (51) all reaching the half-century mark.The Indians were loose in the field, giving the impression that they thought all they had to do to win was to get to St George’s Park on time. Still, few would have betted against their dazzling top order failing to reach the target, but the innings simply did not get going.Tendulkar was out in the sixth over, Sourav Ganguly (24) and Martin (36) both looked to have played themselves in before getting out, but as often as India tried to get up, Kenya kept on knocking them down again.Tony Suji accounted for Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh with successive balls and there was a quite magnificent catch from Collins Otieno, diving, one-handed low to his right at point, to get rid of Sodhi and although the Kenyans contrived to drop no fewer than four catches as the ball swirled in the air late in the innings, they had still had enough to spare to win quite comfortably.In point of fact, Kenya’s fielding went to pieces a little in the last 10 overs as they seemed to panic as the prospect of victory loomed. They also had more cause for complaint about Orchard who once again failed to call for a television replay which would have shown him that Harbhajan Singh had been run out by a direct hit.As well Kenya played overall, though, it cannot be stressed enough how poor were India. They rested three players – Virender Sehwag, Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar, but, more importantly, they seemed to have left their competitive spirit back in the team hotel.Kenya’s win will have done wonders for their cricket. It has also brought a Summer Spice Series, which was starting to verge too close to predictability for comfort, back to life. Certainly, when Kenya play again in Cape Town against South Africa on Monday, this win should assure a crowd somewhere near close to capacity.Ganguly was at a loss to explain what went wrong afterwards. “It’s difficult to find reasons for losing,” he said, adding a little later that he hoped “it’s a kick in the backside for us”.”We played poor cricket for 100 overs,” said Ganguly. “All credit to them. They batted well and fielded brilliantly apart from a few missed catches.”Steve Tikolo, the acting captain, was “over the moon. This is right up there with the West Indies win in the World Cup.”The Kenyans had done it, he said, for their missing captain and manager Mehmood Quraishy who is in hospital awaiting heart surgery.