Australia to tour Sri Lanka for all-format series after six-year gap

Series of two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is will be played from June 8 to July 12

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2022Australia will visit Sri Lanka for an all-format series in June-July this year. The tour, Australia’s first to Sri Lanka since mid-2016, will feature two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is, to be played from June 8 to July 12, with the match slotted in Colombo, Kandy and Galle. The series will start with the T20Is and end with the Tests.

Australia tour of Sri Lanka

June 7: 1st T20I, Colombo
June 8: 2nd T20I, Colombo
June 11: 3rd T20I, Colombo
June 14: 1st ODI, Kandy
June 16: 2nd ODI, Kandy
June 19: 3rd ODI, Colombo
June 21: 4th ODI, Colombo
June 24: 5th ODI, Colombo
June 29 to July 3: 1st Test, Galle
July 8 to 12: 2nd Test, Galle

“We played some very competitive T20 internationals against Sri Lanka at home earlier this year and we are excited to tour there for the first time since 2016 in what is sure to be another terrific Test and white ball series,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said in a statement. “There is no more challenging place to play cricket than on the subcontinent and this tour offers our players invaluable experience and another great opportunity to excel on the world stage.”Back in July-August 2016, Australia were blanked 3-0 in the Test series, but won the ODIs 4-1 and the T20Is 2-0. It will be a moderately quick turnaround for the players from the two countries who will be engaged in the IPL, which is expected to end on May 29.”We are in for some exciting cricket, especially considering that an Australian tour to Sri Lanka is taking place after five [six] years,” SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said. “The T20 Series will help our preparations for the T20 World Cup, whilst the Test and ODI segments are also competitions of immense value for us, as we aim to move through the ICC World Test Championship rankings and also gearing up for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2023.”

Anil Kumble: Would like to see more Indian coaches in IPL

He says his being the only Indian head coach in IPL is not a true reflection of the resources in the country

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2020Anil Kumble, who came on board as the head coach of Kings XI Punjab in October 2019, has said that the number of Indian coaches in the IPL is not a “true reflection” of the coaching resources in the country, and that he’d like to see more home-grown coaches in charge of IPL sides. Kumble is the only Indian head coach in the IPL. While each franchise has Indians on their coaching support staff, the head coaches in the other teams are Ricky Ponting (Delhi Capitals), Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders), Stephen Fleming (Chennai Super Kings), Mahela Jayawardene (Mumbai Indians), Trevor Bayliss (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Simon Katich (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Andrew McDonald (Rajasthan Royals).”I would like to see more Indian coaches in the IPL. It is not a true reflection of the Indian resources. I would want to see many Indians being part of the IPL as head coaches,” Kumble was quoted as saying by on Tuesday.”It is a bit of an irony – one Indian as head coach. I think at some point of time there will be a lot more Indian coaches.”Kumble will target getting a first IPL title for Kings XI, with the franchise’s best finish so far being losing finalists in 2014. He has plenty of options to pick from in the squad, among Indian players and overseas. One of the overseas stars in his stable is the 40-year-old Chris Gayle, and Kumble said Gayle’s role off the field would be as important as his big-hitting at the top of the order.”We still have to see the conditions at the main ground as we have been practicing (at ICC Academy),” Kumble said. “Chris has a major role even as player and even otherwise. His leadership, his experience, the youngsters look up to him. It is not just Chris the batsman we are looking at but Chris in a leadership role in terms of his contribution to developing young players. I want him to be active on the mentorship role.”Gayle will be competing for one of the four overseas spots in the XI with Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Jordan, Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Nicholas Pooran and Hardus Viljoen. While that will give Kumble and the support staff some selection headaches, the coach said picking the Indian players would also be a tricky task given the talent available.”Not just foreign players picking Indian players will be a challenge,” he said. “We have a few practice games that will we will tell us [the best combination]. We have a strong team. We needed an impact player in the middle and not just with batting and fielding and Maxwell is also handy with the ball. And the fast bowler [Cottrell] who bowls at the death.”It is about holding nerves. There will be moments, IPL it is not a smooth ride always. We need to focus on what we can achieve, not worry about other teams. We are confident we would be able to achieve that.”The biosecurity protocols in place have meant movement is restricted for all teams, but Kumble said the upside of that was the support staff getting to know the players well.”[After arriving in Dubai], it was my first time meeting with the whole squad,” he said. “Because of the Covid situation, we are able spend more time with the team than usual. That way we have been able to understand not just seniors but even the younger lot.”

Eoin Morgan mishap mars England preparations as Australia await in warm-up

England’s smooth build-up hits a snag on eve of warm-up fixture at Southampton

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl24-May-2019An optimist, they say, views the glass as half full. A pessimist, they say, views it as half empty. And a regular supporter of England at World Cups expects the glass to explode at any moment, killing all present with fragments of glass. It is an expectation conditioned by years of grim experience.So there wasn’t a great sense of surprise when news of Eoin Morgan’s injury began to filter around the Ageas Bowl (or the Hampshire Bowl as the ICC, always mindful not to allow ‘ambush marketing’ would have us call it; they’ve spent the last few days putting masking tape over any tradename or logo across all World Cup venues). It was more a sense of ‘here we go again, then’.And then the relief. News a few hours later that Morgan had sustained “a small flake fracture” provided hope that he might – should, even – be fit for England opening World Cup match. Suddenly that glass was looking half full again.In some ways, England are quite well covered should Morgan suffer injury. The team, generally, know their roles inside-out, Jos Buttler has shown himself to be an astute captain and James Vince looks in decent form with the bat. Morgan’s withdrawal wouldn’t necessarily prove a fatal blow.But so important is Morgan to this team – so talismanic his presence, so unblinkingly positive his leadership and such good form is he in with the bat (he is averaging 94.50 at a strike-rate of 105.73 in his last 16 ODIs) – that his absence would surely weaken this side that has been created, in many ways, in his image. Nobody has played more ODIs for England (the opening match of the tournament should be his 200th) or scored more runs. He is probably as close to irreplaceable as anyone in the squad.While the England management insist Morgan will make a “full recovery” and be available for their opening match, against South Africa at the Kia Oval (it’s hard to resist teasing the ICC just a little) on May 30, there must be some doubt as to his fragility. While he should be fine while batting – protective equipment is excellent these days – there may be more concern about how he would fare in the field if he sustained another blow to the same area. He generally fields in the ring so is likely to encounter plenty of balls hit with great power.ALSO READ: Eoin Morgan sustains ‘flake fracture’ in fielding incidentDid the use of the words “small” and “flake” in the ECB media release suggest they were protesting a little too much? Maybe only to those of us who have watched England in recent World Cups – and not so recent, really – and seen them beaten like a snare drum. But this is a different England and maybe we shouldn’t allow bad memories to dim our enthusiasm.England would have been put in a tricky position had the x-ray showed a full break. While that might have put Morgan out of action for anywhere between three and five weeks, they would have been loath to call a new player into the squad. Under tournament regulations, a replaced player cannot subsequently be recalled and England might well have been prepared to carry Morgan for the first half-dozen or so group games in the hope he could make an impact in the final half of the event. There will be great relief in the camp that they have not been forced into such a dilemma.Morgan is not the only injury concern. Adil Rashid also misses Saturday’s match with a view to managing his long-standing shoulder problem. He is not thought to be in doubt for the South Africa game, though it does provide a reminder of how many of these players are going to have to be nursed through the tournament. It is hard to imagine Mark Wood or Chris Woakes playing every game, either. Perhaps partly for that reason, England will utilise 12 players on Saturday to ensure the bowlers’ workload is limited. These warm-up games do not carry List A or ODI status and can involve up to 15 players a side.Rashid’s absence provides an early opportunity for Liam Dawson to slip back into England duty. It is not ideal that Dawson has not featured in the England side this year but he has, at least, been in excellent form for Hampshire. He has played for England in all formats and is, by all accounts, a down-to-earth character. Indeed, in his press conference on Friday, he reacted to questions about his late call-up with all the apparent enthusiasm of a man taking delivery of a new filter for his Hoover-unbranded vacuum cleaner. For journalists hungry for a soundbite it wasn’t ideal, but such an equable temperament may prove invaluable for England over the next few frenetic weeks.It remains a shame that Dawson – and his Hampshire colleague, Vince – should be forced to miss Saturday’s Royal London Cup final against Somerset at Lord’s. The domestic Lord’s final used to be one of the showcase events of the season; now it is not – arguably, anyway – even the biggest match of the day. Both games will be broadcast by Sky with the England game available on Sky Mix, which means it is free-to-air for some customers.How such a clash of events has been allowed to happen remains unclear. The cynical might suggest the ECB are looking to undermine and overshadow their own 50-over competition ahead of its downgrading next year. The cynical are often right.

Rabada picks up second disciplinary charge in same Test

Fresh charge levelled against South Africa quick for Warner send-off, even as he awaits ruling on Smith shoulder nudge

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2018While Kagiso Rabada awaits the ruling on the Level 2 charge against him – for having brushed Australian captain Steven Smith in the shoulder – he has been hit by another charge: a Level 1 offence for the send-off he gave David Warner in Australia’s second innings in Port Elizabeth. Rabada is currently on five demerit points and could earn three more if found guilty of the Level 2 charge, which would see him banned for the next two Tests.He has yet to respond to the Level 1 charge, which was levelled for screaming in Warner’s face after dismissing him. Though no expletives were heard, provoking a response from the batsmen is also an offence according to the ICC’s code of conduct.If found guilty of both offences, Rabada’s total demerit points will amount to at least nine, which means he will be on the threshold of 12 points. Twelve demerit points equate to six suspension points and could see him miss at least three Test matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh, meanwhile, added to the growing list of this series’ unsavoury moments when television cameras captured his verbal riposte to Rabada after he was bowled on the fourth morning in Port Elizabeth. In the first over of the day, Marsh was comprehensively bowled by a ball that sliced between his bat and pad, and, as Rabada ran past in celebration, the Australian was seen mouthing the words “f*** you c***” while turning his head towards the bowler.Marsh had been the recipient of another celebration directed at the batsmen when dismissed by Rabada in the first innings; this time around, the bowler was far more composed but Marsh had his say. While the Australians had asked for stump microphones to be turned down whenever the ball is dead during this series, as is the case in Australia and in line with the ICC’s guidelines, there are no restrictions on the use of close-up television replays. Marsh’s response was duly repeated numerous times on the broadcast, and picked up on social media platforms around the world.Rabada’s Warner send-off was his second registered offence in the Test match. The first incident occurred on day one – on dismissing Smith in the first innings, Rabada yelled “yes, yes, yes” in the Australian captain’s face and then their shoulders made contact as Rabada approached his team-mates.Rabada is the leading wicket-taker in the series so far, with 15 scalps, and single-handedly bowled his team into a position of authority on the first day in Port Elizabeth, with five wickets in 18 balls. In the second gig, too, he helped wrap up Australia’s innings quickly on the fourth morning to finish with innings figures of 6 for 54. A Rabada suspension could have a significant effect on the series, especially if Dale Steyn, who is targeting the Cape Town Test for a comeback from injury, is unavailable.Three of the points he currently has will remain on his record until January 2019, having first been sanctioned in January 2017. Since then, he has developed a growing rap sheet, picking up another in July 2017, and one more last month. Each demerit point remains on his record for 24 months. He has already been suspended on disciplinary grounds once, when he reached four demerit points during South Africa’s tour of England last year.

DRS to be used in PSL play-off matches

The PSL has confirmed that the Decision Review System will be used for the tournament’s three play-off matches starting from Tuesday

Danyal Rasool28-Feb-2017The PSL has confirmed that the Decision Review System will be used for the tournament’s three play-off matches starting from Tuesday. The tournament’s chairman Najam Sethi made the decision public by tweeting, “another first from #HBLPSL. DRS to be used in the #HBLPSL play-off matches.”While the ball-tracking technology Hawk-Eye has been used as a tool by the broadcasters since the start of the PSL, it has not been part of the umpires’ decision-making process. This development possibly also marks the first time DRS will be used in a T20 contest at either franchise or international level. Each side will be allowed one review per innings in the same way the technology is used at ODI level.DRS is, however, not expected to be available for the PSL final, which Sethi announced yesterday would be held in Lahore, as the company handling the Hawk-Eye technology will not travel to Pakistan.Earlier this month, the ICC chief executives committee gave an in-principle approval for use of DRS for the first time in an ICC T20 tournament in 2018, with one review per team in the Women’s World T20 in the West Indies.

Sixteen wickets fall in Melbourne

Sixteen wickets tumbled on the first day at the MCG, where Victoria were rolled for 180 before South Australia wobbled to 6 for 156 at stumps

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2015
ScorecardGlenn Maxwell top scored for Victoria with 62 (file photo)•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Sixteen wickets tumbled on the first day at the MCG, where Victoria were rolled for 180 before South Australia wobbled to 6 for 156 at stumps. Daniel Worrall picked up his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and team-mate Joe Mennie chipped in with three, while Chris Tremain led Victoria’s attack with three. Scott Boland, on standby for the Hobart Test, went wicketless.The Bushrangers were sent in by Travis Head on a green-tinged pitch and after a 32-run opening stand they were soon in trouble, Mennie removing both the openers and captain Aaron Finch for a duck. It was left to Glenn Maxwell to counter-attack for Victoria and he struck six fours on his way to 62 from 55 deliveries before he was bowled by Worrall, who finished with 5 for 69.John Hastings scored a valuable 38 late in the innings but was the last man out when Victoria were dismissed in the 46th over. South Australia looked as if they might be relatively untroubled with the bat and moved to 65 before the opening partnership was broken when Tremain had Tom Cooper caught behind for 18.In his next over Tremain bowled Callum Ferguson for a duck and soon afterwards he got rid of Mark Cosgrove for 50, before Hastings collected two wickets and Fawad Ahmed had Alex Ross lbw for 24. By stumps South Australia were relying on Tim Ludeman, who was on 16, and Adam Zampa, on 11, but they needed only 25 more runs to take a first-innings lead.

Wilson outshines the stars with ton

Gary Wilson gave Ricky Ponting some act to follow with a century that propped up Surrey’s batting on the first day against Sussex

Alex Winter at The Oval24-Apr-2013
ScorecardGary Wilson played fluently after being promoted up the order•Getty Images

Gary Wilson went out to bat at No. 3 for the first time in his first-class career on the opening day against Sussex. It could also be the last time he fills the slot. But he gave Ricky Ponting some act to follow with a century that propped up Surrey’s batting.Wilson was hurried up the order at the request of Surrey’s captain, Graeme Smith, after Arun Harinath was ruled out of the match having taken a blow to the hand in the nets before the start of play. After Smith failed again in a 12 ball stay, Wilson deputised to great effect with his second century for Surrey.It is easy to become blinded in an assessment of Surrey by their big-name signings but their real strength lies in those players they have nurtured themselves. The contrasting innings of Smith and Wilson provided a perfect demonstration.Wilson was brought to Surrey by the previous head coach, Alan Butcher, as a 20-year-old and has grown from his initial role as back-up wicketkeeper to feature regularly in Surrey’s one-day side. Last year’s tragic circumstances gave him a chance in the Championship. He played three matches and scored 182 runs at 60.66.Here he was handed another opportunity to show his worth in red-ball cricket and responded by working hard in the morning session to set up an afternoon where he pushed on to a hundred in 207 balls with 12 fours.Last season it was lesser-known players, Harinath, Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari among them, that began the club’s revival. Surrey fell to pieces after Tom Maynard’s death and relegation was a distinct possibility but their young batsman found form and a recovery was conjured. Names that few noticed in among the swaggering stars.Wilson was one of those and he was dealing with a double bereavement, having lost his mother to lung cancer shortly before the start of last season. His celebration here reflected someone who had gone through so much: a big punch of the air, raise of the arms and generous embrace from his batting partner, Zander de Bruyn.But Wilson denied the celebration contained any overt emotion, saying his reaction on pushing Chris Nash through the covers to reach three figures reflected only the joy of doing the job he was asked to do.”I battled really hard this morning to get into a good position and it was a case of pure relief, I knew I had done the hard work,” Wilson said. “I knew I had a job to do for the team and it was a case of going in and enjoying batting up the order. I can’t imagine it will continue but it was nice to get a few while it lasted.”Hard work was necessary in a morning that yielded only 58 runs in 32 overs. James Anyon and Steve Magoffin did all they could with the new ball, with Chris Jordan – returning to the county he spent six years with – proving an excellent first change. Anyon found a little dent on the wicket to get one to lift on Smith who edged behind but there was precious other help. In the face of such conditions, having been asked to bowl first, the Sussex attack were admirably disciplined.Runs flowed more freely as the ball got older – with Anyon and Jordan suffering – but the attack as a whole, with Monty Panesar bowling 25 cheap overs, deserved their four wickets with the second new ball that left Surrey grateful for their makeshift No. 3.

Late wickets give Nottinghamshire the edge

A century from Riki Wessels and a solid opening stand between Alex Hales and Neil Edwards put Nottinghamshire in a strong position after two days

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge07-Apr-2012
ScorecardJust when it seemed Worcestershire were in position to pull off an improbable victory at Trent Bridge, a late burst of destructive bowling tipped the balance back in favour of Nottinghamshire. Worcestershire had been favourites to win before the second new ball became available but they enter the final day suddenly facing a tall order to avoid defeat. They are 134 behind, with only four wickets in hand and the new ball has had only five overs of wear.Yet, even if the final day has defeat in store for them, they can console themselves with the knowledge that the competitive spirit that enabled them to defy their status as relegation favourites last season remains intact. Chasing what seemed likely to be no more than a nominal target of 392 to win, they managed to reduced it to 157 while losing only Michael Klinger and Vikram Solanki. At that stage, with the pitch behaving as well as it had throughout the match, you would not have bet against them pulling it off.But a partnership of 174 between their captain, Daryl Mitchell, and the allrounder Moeen Ali, ended when Ali, six short of a century, was caught behind off a slightly weary drive against Andre Adams. Then what had been such a promising position unravelled rather dramatically.Nottinghamshire, by then a little ragged in the field and getting scant help from the pitch, were toiling. Once Moeen had departed, with the new ball imminent, responsibility rested on the shoulders of Mitchell to hold things together. Mitchell’s task became more onerous when Ben Phillips, the right-arm seamer who has bowled well throughout this match, needed only six deliveries with the new ball to deal Worcestershire another blow, bowling Alexei Kervezee off his padsMitchell had played superbly, anchoring the innings for more than five hours. He had been granted an unusual reprieve during the morning, allowed to continue on 9 despite being apparently given out leg before by umpire George Sharp, who then reversed the decision when Adams, the bowler, declined to appeal.He completed a fine century off 237 balls with his 12th boundary but faced only one more before Luke Fletcher bowled him. The ball was swinging for the broadly-built seamer and he struck again with his next delivery, badly misjudged by new batsman Ben Scott, who did not offer a shot.  Now the Worcestershire target suddenly looked a considerable one.In the morning, Nottinghamshire had added 48 runs to their overnight total, 25 of them coming in a typically violent assault by Adams. Riki Wessels stretched the century he had completed on Friday evening to 113 before he was leg before playing across one from Alan Richardson, whose five-wicket haul was just reward for carrying the heaviest workload among the Worcestershire bowlers, at 36, and as unselfishly as ever.Substantial though it is, Worcestershire’s target does not require them to break any records. In June 1996, at Bath, they chased down 446 to beat Somerset by one wicket with three balls to spare. Steve Rhodes, then wicketkeeper, now director of cricket, scored 92 not out. Solanki, aged 20 and in only his eighth first-class match, made 71.He looked as if he might do something similar, if not better, for a while yesterday, but having been dropped at first slip on 20 he aimed a loose drive at Adams to be caught at backward point. He was annoyed with himself, with just cause.  Another 50 or so from him and Worcestershire might still be favourites.Instead, Nottinghamshire can anticipate a winning start to the season, having already had one piece of good news in the shape of an England Performance Squad that includes neither Alex Hales, who has appeared in four Twenty20 internationals, nor James Taylor, the England Lions captain who joined them from Leicestershire during the winter.Having seen Samit Patel make his Test debut in Sri Lanka, Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, had been worried his side’s prospects might be seriously compromised should England see fit to fast-forward Hales and Taylor in their international development. To his relief, Jonathan Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes appear to be ahead in the pecking order.Edited by David Hopps

Tuffey replaces injured Bennett

Hamish Bennett, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury to his ankle and Achilles tendon

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2011Hamish Bennett, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury to his ankle and Achilles tendon. Seamer Daryl Tuffey, who had been called up as a standby for an injured Kyle Mills, will take Bennett’s place in the XV.Bennett injured himself during New Zealand’s previous game against Sri Lanka in Mumbai after bowling just 4.1 overs, and limped off the field. He played four games this tournament, picking up six wickets including a four-for in his team’s opening game against Kenya.New Zealand have been plagued by injuries in this World Cup with Mills suffering from a quad strain after bowling a couple of overs against Canada, and captain Daniel Vettori hurting his knee while attempting a catch in the game against Pakistan. Both missed the clash against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, where New Zealand were comprehensively beaten.Tuffey, who had arrived in India on Friday, had been playing for Auckland in the Plunket Shield, New Zealand’s domestic first-class competition. He’s played 94 ODIs, claiming 110 wickets at 32.12.

Spinners take Durham to the verge of victory

Durham continued to dominate the county curtain-raiser against MCC at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, setting their opponents an improbable target of 526 for victory on day three

31-Mar-2010Close MCC 156 for 7 (Murtagh 27*, Lewis 32*, Blackwell 3-39) and 162 (Malan 41, Borthwick 4-27) require 370 runs to beat Durham 228 for 6 dec (Thorp 79*, Coetzer 52*, Kirby 2-10) and 459 for 9 dec (Coetzer 172, Di Venuto 131, Malan 4-20) with three wickets remaining
ScorecardKyle Coetzer followed up his first innings hundred with an unbeaten fifty in the second innings•PA Photos

Durham ripped through MCC’s batting line-up for the second day in a row to move within three wickets of a resounding victory on day three of the county curtain-raiser at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.If MCC’s labours in the field on Monday suggested the pink ball being trialled in this fixture offers little for the bowlers, Durham have gone about proving the opposite ever since, rolling their opponents for 162 yesterday and leaving them 156 for seven at stumps.That left MCC 370 runs adrift of a nominal target of 526, with Scott Borthwick and Ian Blackwell sharing six wickets in the final session.Steve Kirby, who took two late wickets last night to leave Durham seven for two, started with another fiery spell this morning. First he beat Blackwell with a bouncer and then clattered Will Smith on the helmet with another short-pitched delivery.Jon Lewis, who has been struggling with a thigh problem for much of the match, came on first change and proceeded to bowl Smith via the bottom edge with his first ball of the innings. Dean Cosker matched that feat, snaring Blackwell’s outside edge with his loosener. Phil Mustard was in at five in a changed Durham order and quickly opened up with a handful of crisp attacking strokes.But debutant Ben Stokes could only add seven before he was pinned lbw by MCC skipper Alex Gidman as Durham stumbled to 74 for five. Mustard dashed a single just before the break to bring up his 50, which included eight fours, but fell two balls into the second session, carving James Middlebrook into the hands of James Taylor.That brought day one centurion Kyle Coetzer and Callum Thorp together and the pair were offered some fairly easy pickings as the frontline bowlers were withdrawn from the action in favour part-time spin from Taylor and Malan.Thorp took full advantage, helping himself to a rare half-century before moving up the gears to pass his previous first-class best of 75 with two thrashed boundaries off Taylor. Coetzer, meanwhile, followed up his career-best 172 in the first innings with an organised but low-key 52 not out. Despite the awkward twilight period closing in, Smith delayed the inevitable declaration by a handful of overs before calling his men in at 228 for six.Just seven of those had been scored when Steve Harmison struck in his third over, Scott Newman playing on for a second failure of the match. MCC soon set about replicating their implosion on day two, with David Sales (2) trapped lbw by Blackwell and Malan (13) lifting the same bowler to substitute fielder Mark Stoneman. Blackwell’s left-arm spin continued to trouble the batsmen, with Gidman bowled for a breezy 17 after missing a paddle sweep.At 44 for four, MCC were in deep trouble. They struggled to 74 before James Foster went lbw for six, Borthwick striking with his first ball of the day. That was his fifth scalp of the match and a sixth could have followed from the next ball when Middlebrook survived another strong shout.Yet he could not capitalise on his reprieve, making just nine before picking out Smith to give Borthwick a second success. Taylor, the 2009 Young Cricketer of the Year made a composed 39 before he too capitulated to Borthwick, pulling a shorter one to Coetzer, who held a smart
catch. By now the result was a formality but Lewis (32 not out) and Murtagh (27 not out)
forged a solid eighth-wicket stand to ensure the match would reach a fourth day.Even Harmison, who had puzzlingly contributed just three overs with the new ball, was tempted into a second spell without joy.