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Marcus North has defended his position as Australia’s Test No. 6 and will use the next few weeks in Sheffield Shield cricket to try to regain his best form ahead of the tour of New Zealand. North is the only one of Australia’s batting line-up who failed to fire against Pakistan and he finished the summer with 207 runs at 23 from six Tests.North is not part of Australia’s one-day plans, so he can use the next few weeks to work on his first-class game before the two Tests in New Zealand in March. He hoped his strong performances in his debut series in South Africa and then in the Ashes would keep him in the selectors’ plans.”I think I’ve proven that [I should be the Test No. 6] against South Africa and England, and showed glimpses against the West Indies,” North told AAP. “I feel that I’m the man and that I bring good balance to the side with my bowling, even though I didn’t get much of a go at [it] this summer.”I just want to go back to make some runs and hopefully make sure I’m on the New Zealand tour. I would have liked to definitely score more runs. The series against the West Indies wasn’t too bad, but Pakistan was pretty disappointing and lean for me.”Ricky Ponting said after the Hobart Test that North was not a weak link in the side and hoped he would be part of the starting line-up for the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington. North is likely to have three Sheffield Shield games to regain his touch before the trip.”It’s always nice to be supported publicly,” North said. “I know that I have the backing of my team-mates and the skipper behind the change-room door, but for it to be said in the media is quite nice. The good thing is that they [the selectors] are backing me as well.”Before the Test match I had a chat to them and they are confident, like I am, that I’m feeling good and it’s just a matter of time. Everyone goes through a little bit of a down time in their career and it has been my turn over the last month.”

Jacques Kallis appears to be winning his fitness battle to play some part in the first Test against England although he remains extremely doubtful to bowl at Centurion Park. Kallis had another lengthy net on the final day of South Africa’s camp in Potchefstroom and will now travel with the squad back to Johannesburg.It seems likely that Kallis will take his place as a specialist batsman on Wednesday with South Africa shaping up to have a four-man attack. Dale Steyn bowled at full tilt on Sunday and barring any late reaction to his hamstring problem is ready to be unleashed on England’s batsmen.”The position is that everyone is on track to be fit for the Test,” said a South Africa team spokesman. “Kallis has had two lengthy nets, yesterday and today, and will continue to build up as we get nearer the time. Dale is bowling full out and everyone else is where they should be.”The spokesman confirmed that Kallis hadn’t bowled during the training camp, but couldn’t elaborate on the chances of him playing as a full allrounder next week. However, team sources have indicated to Cricinfo that this remains a distant prospect.Sunday was billed as d-day for Kallis, but given that he is due for another session in an oxygen chamber on Monday it was always unlikely that South Africa would have made a drastic decision three days out from the Test, unless he had broken down again in Potchefstroom. Also, heading into such an important series, there is the possibility of some mind games over what role Kallis will play. South Africa don’t need to give England any extra boost by putting out too many negative ideas.While Steyn’s recovery is also crucial for South Africa, the most eye-catching bowling effort during the two days of skills practice was that of Morne Morkel who extracted considerable bounce from a centre-wicket session. A recall for Morkel, who was dropped for South Africa’s last Test against Australia in March, would keep Wayne Parnell out of the final XI.When Morkel was brought back for the one-day series he made life uncomfortable for a number of England batsmen, notably Andrew Strauss when he came round the wicket at the England captain. There have been questions asked recently about the potency of South Africa’s attack, with Steyn having had a dip in form and Makhaya Ntini’s productivity decreasing, so Morkel will be needed to add another edge. Paul Harris, the left-arm spinner and fourth member of the probable four-man unit, can expect an increased workload if Kallis is unable to bowl.Both teams have lingering injury concerns heading into Centurion with England keeping close tabs on James Anderson’s knee after his workout in East London. It isn’t an ideal way for teams to prepare and the final answer on both fronts probably won’t be 100% clear until Wednesday morning.

Andrew Flintoff has received a boost in his recuperation from knee surgery after being told by Andy Williams, the specialist who conducted the operation, that his recovery is going well. Flintoff was confident of a return to action but admitted England’s February tour of Bangladesh may be too soon.It was his first check up since going under the knife 12 weeks ago and Flintoff, who is rehabilitating in Dubai, was apprehensive ahead of the UK meeting.”I was a little concerned. I was anxious and it was playing on my mind that he was going to say the operation had not been successful,” Flintoff told his website.”It was the first time the specialist had really looked at my knee since the operation and I had a scan prior to the check-up so he could examine the results and fortunately, he was very pleased with my progress.”It was a huge weight off my mind and a big relief that I was on track. I’m still some way away from playing again and I must admit that saying I would be fit to play for England in Bangladesh in mid-February may have been a touch optimistic.”Flintoff, who signed a three-year contract with Lancashire on November 5, was instructed to cut down on running in training and focus instead on strengthening his leg.”I think the days of me pounding the treadmill are over. There will be general conditioning with work in the pool and the gym and there is a bit of inflammation around my knee which still needs to die down before I can get too carried away and I know the healing process isn’t over yet.”The important thing is that I am still on track to play again and I am prepared to wait as long as it takes to get back onto the field.”

ScorecardGraeme Swann will hope for similar success when the first Test gets under way•Getty Images

Graeme Swann is a jovial character at the best of times, but he will go into the first Test against South Africa with a spring in his step after bagging a six-wicket haul against the Invitational XI at Buffalo Park. His collection included three wickets in four balls although some of the shot selection from the home side provided Swann with the sort of freebies that won’t be on offer at Centurion next week.It was a good day all-round for Swann who hit a sprightly 39 off 31 balls as England declared mid-way through the afternoon on 328 for 8 with Ian Bell (48) and Matt Prior (44) also adding 83 for the sixth wicket before the pair retired. Swann then struck with his second ball before running through the line-up during the final session as he tossed the ball up against batsmen happy to swing from the hip. The most impressive of them was Sammy-Joe Avontuur who made an attractive 68 before missing a wild swipe at Swann. David Wiese edged an ambitious drive to slip and Swann was within a whisker of a hat-trick when the ball just missed the stumps.The quick bowlers enjoyed less success as they tried to shake off the rust. Graham Onions made the opening breakthrough but Stuart Broad’s first spell cost 42 runs as he dropped too short on a surface that remained slow. He ended with 11 overs in the tank although looked as though he needs another run-out in the second match, when James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom are both set to play after resting their respective knee and side injuries.Sidebottom has been given the all-clear while Anderson had an outdoor net to test out his right knee that has had three injections for a mystery problem. England’s bowling plans revolve around Anderson so all eyes will be on him over the next two days. As far as this game goes, the visitors will be pleased they managed to get as much action as they did.The fact that any play was possible at all on the second day was miraculous after further heavy rain fell the previous day and left the outfield underwater. However, hard work by the ground staff and impressive keenness from the home side to continue the game meant play started on time despite large mud patches on the outfield covered in heaps of sawdust.Alastair Cook began the day on 66 and lost his overnight partner, Paul Collingwood, in the second over when he chipped a soft catch to midwicket. Cook again had to dig in for his runs and the reworked technique benefited him with another well-timed straight drive, however, he too was undone by the sluggish surface when he chipped a low catch to mid-on. Although a hundred would have been a satisfying landmark for him, he has had more time than most in the middle lately and his dismissal benefited the middle order.Whatever Bell does over the next few days it may not be enough to force the selectors’ hands if they decide to go with five frontline batsmen alongside Prior for the first Test. However, he made batting look comfortable and, like Cook, showed the value of his spell with the Performance Squad in Pretoria. Prior only had a single innings during the one-day series but was soon reacquainting himself with bat on ball. Ironically, it is Prior’s ability to bat at No. 6 that is likely to leave Bell on the sidelines.The sixth-wicket pair retired during lunch so Broad and Swann emerged from the pavilion for the afternoon session. Broad, who may yet bat at No. 7 next week, inside-edged an attempted drive into his stumps but Swann struck the ball cleanly before the declaration.Andrea Agathagelou could have gone lbw a couple of times during his brief innings before finally being trapped as he shuffled across his crease against Onions. van Wyk dispatched Broad for consecutive boundaries before planting his front foot across the crease against Swann and Temba Bavuma was undone by some extra bounce as he gloved to short leg.Mark Davies, the Durham quick called up as cover for Anderson and Sidebottom, bustled in when handed his chance for ten tight overs. He is due to be released back to the Performance Squad when the team arrives in Johannesburg on Monday barring any further injury problems. England will be keeping their fingers crossed that he isn’t needed again.

Tier A

With bad weather curtailing play for most of the final day, Saracens Sports Club was the only club to pull off a victory, beating Army Sports Club by 43 runs to record their first win of the season. Despite the loss, Army gathered enough batting and bowling points to lift themselves off the bottom of the table, at the expense of former champions Colombo Cricket Club. Saracens victory in a low-scoring game in Panagoda was fashioned by offspinner Dilshan Wimaladarma, who took a career-best 8 for 68 in the first innings and a match haul of 10 for 148, to bowl out Army for 161 and 153 in either innings. He had the support of left-arm orthodox spinner Geeth Alwis who took 6 for 36 in the second innings. On a pitch described by Saracens coach Dinesh Kumarasinghe as “not fit for a Division I club match”, the spinners held the upper hand throughout. Spinner Ajantha Mendis also bowled splendidly, capturing 6 for 64 in the Saracens second innings, along with legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna, who finished the match with 7 for 98. However, their efforts were not matched by the batsmen who failed to chase down a moderate 197 in the fourth innings.While the majority of matches turned out to be low-scoring affairs, pace-setters Nondescripts Cricket Club went on a run spree against Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) at Maitland Place, piling up the highest total so far this season, at 551 at 9. Upul Tharanga celebrated his recall to the Sri Lankan one-day side as Tillakaratne Dilshan’s opening partner for the tour of India when he blazed away to a stroke-filled 155 off 210 balls. CCC skipper Tharindu Mendis’ decision to field first turned out to be a nightmare for his team as Tharanga and his opening partner Yohan de Silva (88) gave Nondescripts a flying start with a double-century partnership. They built on that platform with rising star Dinesh Chandimal scoring his second century of the season, a career best 164 off 168 balls, as the CCC bowlers were put to the sword. CCC were pegged back further as the young Angelo Perera stroked an unbeaten half-century before captain Tharanga finally closed the innings. Riding on the experience of Bathiya Perera’s tenth first-class hundred CCC at one time looked set to challenge the NCC total at 345 for 4. However, they lost their last six wickets for 53, falling to the slow left-arm spin of Chanaka Komasaru who ended with five wickets. Although the game ended in a draw, Nondescripts gained enough batting and bowling points to consolidate their position at the top of the table.CCC coach Vipula Sittamige was optimistic that his team could turn things around in the next six weeks before the tournament ends. “We have been scoring runs and getting wickets but we have been unable to play our best eleven in any of the matches because some of our key players are not available for various reasons,” Sittamage said. “At the same time, we have been constantly unlucky not to be able to earn first-innings points from most of our games. Things will definitely change in our favour in the coming weeks.”Sri Lanka Test wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who is under pressure to perform with the bat ahead of the tour to India, struck timely form with a pleasing century to carry Bloomfield Cricket & Athletic Club to a challenging 336, but bad weather prevented Ragama Cricket Club from making any progress towards overhauling that total, allowing only 22 overs to be bowled in their reply at the Thurstan College Ground.Bloomfield’s inability to gain first-innings points allowed third-placed Badureliya Sports Club to narrow the gap between them to less than a point, taking first-innings honours against Moors Sports Club at Braybrooke Place. Spinner Rangana Herath failed narrowly to give Moors first-innings points, when he came up with a heroic bowling performance. He took four of the first six Badureliya wickets to leave them struggling at 158 for 6, chasing Moors’ first-innings total of 178. But Sahan Wijeratne stuck in for a 144-ball 39, to edge Badureliya ahead by 24 runs, before becoming Herath’s fifth victim of the innings. Herath had not finished as he returned in the second innings to capture three more wickets as the visitors slipped to 61 for 6 before bad light and rain came to their aid.Allrounder Angelo Mathews’ 97 off 173 balls went in vain as Colts Cricket Club fell 37 runs short of grabbing first-innings points against Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club at the P Sara Oval. Chasing Tamil Union’s total of 320, Colts were very much in the hunt at 232 for 4, but Mathews’ dismissal with the score on 244 sparked off a collapse and Colts lost their remaining wickets for 39 runs. Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, another promising allrounder knocking on the selectors’ doors, was Tamil Union’s trump card. He top scored with a cultured 79 and followed it up with four wickets, including that of Mathews.Last season’s runners-up Sinhalese Sports Club‘s (SSC’s) chances of winning the title this year suffered a major setback when they conceded vital first-innings points to Chilaw Marians Cricket Club at Maitland Place. Marians performed exceptionally well to bowl out a full-strength SSC team for 171. On a seaming pitch, which was under covers for almost 15 hours due to bad weather, SSC’s batsmen, with the exception of Tharanga Paranavitana, floundered. Paranavitana managed an exceptional 103 off 189 balls, scoring 60% of his team’s total. Despite the regular fall of wickets, Marians scraped out a narrow 39-run lead, thanks to a composed 76 off 129 balls from Milinda Siriwardene. SSC offspinner Sachitra Sennanayake continued to impress with his second five-wicket haul for the season.

Tier B

High-flying Lankan Cricket Club (LCC) stretched their lead at the top of Premier League Tier B to more than 20 points when they took vital points in their drawn match against Burgher Recreation Club at FTZ Sports Complex. Burgher were humbled for 216 by the right-arm medium-pace of Sudeepa Perera who took five wickets. LCC were led by half centuries from Rasika Priyadarshana (95) and Upul Fernando (89) as they gained a healthy first-innings lead of 150. They had Burgher on the ropes at 123 for 6 in the second innings when bad light and rain robbed them of a possible win.Panadura Sports Club continued to put pressure on the table-toppers by grabbing first-innings points against Police Sports Club at the Panadura Esplanade. Amila Perera’s slow left-arm spin accounted for five Police wickets as they were dismissed for 210. Panadura ran up 313 with all-round contributions.Umesh Karunaratne gave Seeduwa Raddoluwa Cricket Club their first win of the season with a grand all-round performance at Riffle Green. He scored twin fifties and took nine wickets in the match against Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club.Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club came within two wickets of recording their first win of the season when they reduced Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club to 145 for 8 after setting them a target of 303 at the De Zoysa Stadium. Former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer and Ananda College left-handed opener Udara Jayasundera scored a century on his first-class debut (102 in the Navy second innings).

Player of the Week – Dilshan Wimaladarma
After finishing with Ananda College, offspinner Dilshan Wimaladarma had been searching for the ideal club where he could display his bowling skills. He had short stints with Burgher Recreation Club, Air Force Sports Club and Bloomfield, before joining Saracens for the current season. Under the guidance of coach Dinesh Kumarasinghe, Wimaladarma is turning out to be a matchwinner for Saracens.Last week, he took a career-best of eight wickets in an innings against Sri Lanka Army Sports Club to hand Saracens their first win of the season. “It is not an easy task taking eight wickets in an innings,” said Kumarasinghe. “If he is looked after properly Dilshan has all the makings of a bowler who can reach the top of the ladder. Dilshan has variety: he bowls offspin, top spin and the one that goes straight through. He is not just an ordinary bowler but one who will matches for us.”.At 24, Wimaladarma has time on his hands to develop into a top-class spinner and in Saracens he may have found the right club to pursue that goal.

When the Champions League begins amid the now-typical glitz and glamour in Bangalore on Thursday evening, much of the buzz will centre on how the tournament – and the concept – could change the game of cricket and the lives of the cricketers. For the suits who keep the game’s economy moving, cricket’s first global inter-club tournament opens up a whole new set of opportunities for advertising and sponsorship. Teams from outside India, keen on grabbing a slice of the one pie that has stayed reasonably intact through the recession, seek Indian sponsors who in turn see the benefits of overseas exposure.In short, think global, act local.That’s what prompted the Sussex Sharks to tie up for this tournament with Royal Stag, a whiskey brand from the Pernod Ricard stable, for logos on helmets, caps and trousers, and Pepsi as shirt sponsors.Sure, the tournament is played within the Indian marketplace and therefore viable for local companies but Sussex chief executive Dave Brooks underlines the bigger picture in seeking domestic sponsors. “We have a long historical link with Indian cricketers from Duleepsinhji and Ranjitsinhji to the Nawab of Pataudi and now Piyush Chawla. We are keen to build on that in the largest cricket market in the world and our heritage makes us attractive to local sponsors.”You don’t even need a historical context – the Eagles, South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 runners-up, have tied up with Karbonn Mobiles, a relatively new entrant in the Indian mobile phone market and are eyeing more such deals. “There is a big market in India and the IPL and the Champions League Twenty20 serves as a great vehicle for any sponsorship and awareness campaign,” Johan van Heerden, the Eagles chief executive, said. “The response from the Indian sponsors has been very good though it was very short notice.”There could have been issues with the teams’ main sponsors back home but it doesn’t seem to be the case. “Our UK sponsors, RDF IT Solutions, agreed to stand aside for this competition as they do not operate in the Indian market,” Brooks said. Ross Dykes, chief executive of Otago Volts, has a slightly different explanation – the sheer magnitude of the Indian market. “There is no conflict with our domestic sponsors as they realise they cannot compete on a global market – particularly when we are playing outside their geographical sphere of impact.”Though the deals are short-duration, like the tournament itself, there is optimism about the prospects of a longer association. “The deal is short-term for the Eagles but, hopefully, it will be long-term for the South African teams that qualify in future,” van Heerden said. “In fact, we are hoping for a long-term impact in the Indian market in terms of club branding as well.” It’s a sentiment Brooks echoes: “We expect our Indian deals to be short term but you never know – it may develop into something over the long term.”The feeling is mutual among the sponsors. For the fledgling Karbonn, who has also tied up with the Cape Cobras, the small step might just turn out be the proverbial giant leap and it’s looking at cricket to help it bridge that gap. “Cricket in India is treated as almost a religion and the Twenty 20 format has wide appeal,” said Sudhir Hasija, MD of United Telelinks, one of the stakeholders in the company. “This tournament gives us the opportunity to build brand awareness. We do plan to take Karbonn Mobiles global, and this gives us an opportunity for a wider exposure.”Sudha Natrajan, president and COO of Indian media management company Lintas, points to IPL 2 in South Africa as proof that global cross-branding can succeed. “The local sponsors would benefit as the feed is global and the tournament would go to different countries in the future. As the telecast would be global, having international players and teams to sponsor at relatively lower costs than it would to sponsor the international ICC teams would be an advantage for advertisers. And that’s a win-win for the Indian sponsors.”Her one caveat: The sponsors should do deals on a year-on-year basis instead of firming up a three or five-year commitment.The Otago Volts, New Zealand’s Twenty20 champions, are yet to close any deal though they are in negotiations. That hasn’t stopped them, though, from joining in the planning. Dykes suggests that national boards take an active role in ensuring the longevity of the sponsorships with every franchise of the particular country. “If the Champions League Twenty20 is ongoing, then any one of New Zealand’s six provincial teams could be competing in the future. With little lead time available this time around, the sponsorships will be one-offs. However, to try and establish consistency, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is looking at the sponsorships being longer term and applicable to teams in any given year.”What Dykes, Brooks and van Heerden don’t spell out, but which is implicit in their words – and in Natrajan’s calculations – is the reasonable expectation among market watchers that the Champions League will eventually acquire the status, and consequently the longevity, of its more illustrious counterpart in European football.”The possibilities are immense,” said the head of an Indian media-buying agency. “It may travel the route of the UEFA Champions League. It will be interesting to see how the Indian fans, or even fans from the other clubs, respond to the occasion. In fact, the fan base will be another major factor that the companies will need to keep in mind in future.”What fans’ response largely hinges on is star appeal – the more big names in a team, the greater its brand identity even if on-field performance is below par. Hence, Sussex know that Chawla’s presence will help, as will the presence of bigger foreign stars “Players like Dwayne Smith and Luke Wright are well known in India,” Brooks said, “and by the time we head home, a few others will be too.”That’s what Otago are banking on too. They aren’t a household name in India by any stretch of imagination but they have a few players who are, and who could help them close the deals. “I am sure having names like Brendon McCullum in our side has a positive impact on how our potential sponsors view our commercial worth,” Dykes said.Eagles’ van Heerden went a step ahead to compare his team’s endorsement value with the other South African representative in the tournament, the Cape Cobras. With a number of big names including Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy and Charl Langeveldt, the net worth of the Cape Cobras far outweighs that of the Eagles. “We could see the difference between the two,” van Heerden said. “The Cobras have world stars and that secured them far better returns on sponsorship.”Of course, not all the franchises have managed rich pickings. David Townsend, the New South Wales Blues communications manager conceded they have been unable to secure final sponsors and so will retain their current Australian sponsor, the Roads & Traffic Authority. They may have winners on the field in Brett Lee and David Warner but in the equally competitive world of boardrooms and bottomlines, they’ve already conceded bragging rights.

It has emerged that five members of Afghanistan’s Under-19 side who were in Toronto to take part in the ICC Under-19 World Cup Qualifier failed to return home with the rest of the squad and may be seeking asylum in Canada.This news comes days after it was revealed seven of the Uganda U-19 squad had gone missing. They are also believed to be planning to seek asylum.Reports are confusing, but Pajhwok Afghan News claimed five players and a coach were not among the squad who were given a reception at the presidential palace in Kabul on their return home. The agency went on to say that President Hamid Karzai expressed anger when told of the missing members.Sources laid the blame on the tour management for failing to keep hold of the squad’s passports, making it far easier for them to disappear.There has been no official comment from the Afghanistan board, although a spokesman speaking off the record insisted the six were not missing and would be returning home soon.If the Afghanistan and Ugandan players have gone missing with the aim of claiming asylum then it raises doubts about teams from countries which might be considered high-risk regarding the likelihood of individuals taking a similar course of action being granted visas for future events.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outUmar Akmal’s maiden ODI century floored Sri Lanka•AFP

Umar Akmal’s maiden international hundred, a rousing unbeaten 102 from 72 balls, and Younis Khan’s first half-century as captain took Pakistan to a large total and set up their first win on tour. Batting first has been distinctly advantageous at the Premadasa and so it proved as Pakistan put up a mammoth score and then pressured the Sri Lankan batsmen into self-destruction. Iftikhar Anjum played a major hand, claiming career-best figures as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 175, losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs in 12.3 overs.The pace was set early by Umar’s elder brother Kamran, who ensured the tempo did not flag despite Imran Nazir’s early dismissal, but Sri Lanka’s spinners struck thrice in less than six overs. Young Umar walked to the crease when Pakistan were 130 for 4, with a struggling captain searching for a partner and only Shahid Afridi to follow. He took the opportunity to prove that not all is as made to believe about Pakistan’s domestic set-up. His effervescence complimented Younis’ solidity and their 176-run stand paved the way.Where Nazir, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq struggled against a combination of tidy bowling and a slow track, Umar appeared comfortable from the get-go. He showed he wasn’t going to get bogged down, swinging his seventh delivery – from Ajantha Mendis, no less – over long-on for a six and flicked almost effortlessly. His was a sensible approach, poaching the odd boundary and turning ones into twos while also dominating the perceived weaker bowlers. Finding the narrowest of gaps in the field and always sprinting hard between the wickets, he began rebuilding.Credit is due to the man at the other end. Younis’ innings contained crisp drives and wristy flicks and stolen runs but most importantly it was an effort that allowed Umar to flourish. Around his captain, Umar could play his own game and Pakistan didn’t feel the pinch. Pakistan had been hurt in the series by Younis’ indifferent form. Today they realised just what a difference runs from him can mean.Importantly, he quickly assessed conditions and played with a welcome smoothness. Younis’ innings was controlled, he ran hard between the wickets, and Pakistan’s run-rate lifted to nearly five-and-a-half an over. With Umar rattling along Younis too changed his game. Soon defence turned to single hunting, gliding and efficiently flicking in the gaps.Umar’s half-century came up from 46 balls, after which he upped his strike-rate. Always keen to get back and across and then mow the ball over the on-side, he took consecutive fours off Mendis and then clubbed Lasith Malinga for 13 in the 46th over. Another effortless six off Malinga followed in the 48th over, the back leg lifted to gain power. Younis departed for 89 in the 49th over trying to get six but Umar reached three figures with two balls to spare. You can argue the pressure of winning the series wasn’t there, but maiden ODI centuries don’t come cleaner than this.To chase 322 under lights in Sri Lanka a team needs something near a batting miracle. Upul Tharanga (80) played a cool hand to try and keep the required run-rate in check but there was little support. Pakistan’s bowlers began by bowling too short – in particular Naved-ul-Hasan – and Tharanga and Sangakkara added 65 in good time. Sangakkara sped away to 39 from 33 balls before he was early into a drive against a slower ball from Anjum and scooped a catch to point.From here the attack tidied up, Anjum sticking to a decent length and the spinners taking as much pace off the ball as possible. Thilina Kandamby went next, slashing Saeed Ajmal to slip, and a one-handed effort from Naved in the deep took out Chamara Kapugedera. Anjum bowled a lot of deliveries on an awkward length, too short to drive but too full to pull, and was rewarded with 5 for 30. Ajmal tossed the ball up into the rough with good control to take two wickets.Tharanga played an extension of his half-century in the previous game, accumulating most of his runs by soft-handed steers through the arc between cover and gully. Third man proved a productive area for Tharanga, who didn’t take the aerial route much. With his dismissal, feathering Anjum to Kamran, went Sri Lanka’s chances. From here on it was a steady procession of wickets and Sri Lanka fell way short of the target.

West Indies cricket lurches from one precipitous state to another, with the news that the board (WICB) has sacked the coach, John Dyson, ahead of the forthcoming Champions Trophy.Dyson departs after West Indies’ calamitous Test and one-day series defeats to Bangladesh. West Indies fielded a severely depleted team following a dispute between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) over contracts, during which the majority of leading players declined to nominate for selection.”At the moment I don’t wish to talk,” Dyson said when contacted by Cricinfo on Thursday.Dyson will be temporarily replaced by David Williams, the assistant coach. Williams has never hidden his ambition to become the side’s full-time mentor, having previously expressed his dissatisfaction at the appointment of Dyson, the former Australia batsman and Sri Lanka coach, over a West Indian candidate.Dyson assumed the post in 2007 from another Australian, Bennett King, but was almost immediately in the bad books of West Indies fans when he couldn’t attend their series against Zimbabwe. His appointment came hot on the heels of Jeff Dujon’s less than ringing endorsement of cricket in the region, when he said “no coach in the world can help West Indies”.Nevertheless, Dyson made a positive start when West Indies beat South Africa at Port Elizabeth – their first Test victory since May 2005, and first outside of the Caribbean in seven years. The Windies amassed a Test record of three wins, seven draws and nine defeats during his tenure – culminating in four straight losses to England and Bangladesh – and a 9-25 win-loss ratio in the one-day international arena. They lost nine of their final 10 completed 50-over matches against England, India and Bangladesh.The West Indians fared better in the 20-over format, advancing to the semi-final of the World Twenty20 in June. But perhaps their greatest achievement under Dyson was their 1-0 Test series victory over England in February; a result that secured them the Wisden Trophy for the first time since 1998.The feel-good factor did not last. After the ECB and WICB hastily arranged a Test and ODI series in England, Dyson was left with a disgruntled squad, several of whom yearned to be playing in the lucrative IPL. Chris Gayle prolonged his stay with Kolkata Knight Riders until the eve of the Lord’s Test, while Dwayne Bravo was absent from both Test matches while plying his trade for Mumbai Indians.In addition to Dyson’s sacking, the manager, Omar Khan, has been replaced by Lance Gibbs for the Champions Trophy due to the “special circumstances” of the tour. West Indies are also sending a shadow side to South Africa in September despite the main players saying they were available for selection.

Scorecard
It was a day of big hundreds as Mahela Udawatte and Chamara Kapugedera lifted Sri Lanka A to a huge total batting first, before another supreme knock from Umar Akmal drew the Pakistanis close. The visitors narrowly missed out in the high-scorer at the Welagedera Stadium, which would have been a big confidence booster ahead of the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which gets underway on Thursday.Sri Lanka A were off to a horror start once captain Thilina Kandamby opted to bat. Abdul Razzaq struck with the first two balls of the match to send back Upul Tharanga and Kaushal Silva. Sri Lanka A though, mounted a superb recovery as Udawatte and Kandamby put on 114 for the third wicket. Udawatte was at his imperious best during his 135-ball knock, which included 19 fours and two sixes. Kapugedera joined Udawatte in the 20th over, and from then on it was Sri Lanka A all the way. Kapugedera hit six fours and two sixes during his 91-ball stay, and compounded Pakistan’s misery further by putting on a massive 222-run stand for the fourth wicket with Udawatte. Both batsmen were dismissed by Razzaq who finished with 4 for 70.Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof buoyed by their team’s big score, rattled the Pakistani top order during the chase. The visitors had slipped to 29 for 3 before Shahid Afridi (34) and Fawad Alam (85) kept them in with a chance. Following their dismissals, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan failed to kick on and that left the lower order with too much to do.But that did not worry Umar, who smashed seven fours and three sixes in a mature display. The 19-year-old grew in confidence through his strokeplay and was lent support by Razzaq, who stroked a blitzkrieg 56 off 29 balls, that pushed Sri Lanka A all the way. But lightning struck twice, with Maharoof and Fernando doing the damage towards the end, as Umar was left stranded on an unbeaten century.