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Emilio Gay and James Sales both set new landmarks as Northamptonshire continued to dominate on day two of their Vitality County Championship clash with Middlesex at Wantage Road.First-day centurion Gay forged on to post 261 – the highest-ever individual Championship score for the county against Middlesex – while Sales, brought back into the side for this game, made his maiden first-class hundred with his father David and mum Abigail in attendance to mark the moment. The pair set a new fifth-wicket record against the Seaxes of 181 before the hosts declared on 552 for 6.For Middlesex, who conceded 620 in the first innings against Glamorgan last week, it was another case of much leather chasing, Toby-Roland-Jones their only bowler to take more than one wicket (2 for 81).There was still time in the evening session for two young debutants to make an impression, Raphael Weatherall capturing his maiden first-class wicket, while Middlesex teenager Nathan Fernandes reached an impressive half-century before stumps were drawn with the visitors 128 for 1, still 424 in arrears.As they did on the opening day, Middlesex made an early breakthrough, Roland-Jones trapping Rob Keogh, the batter risking censure by taking his time to drag himself away from the crease, shaking his head as he went, a point noted by the two umpires. However, as on day one, the wicket proved a false dawn for Middlesex as Gay and Sales embarked on their record stand.Gay timed the ball exquisitely, straight driving first Ethan Bamber, then Roland-Jones to the fence as he eclipsed Stephen Peters’ record score against Middlesex at Wantage Road, 183 set in 2010.It wasn’t long before he flicked a loose one from Tom Helm to the fine leg fence to reach his first double-hundred and take Peters’ record of the highest-ever score against Middlesex of 199 made in that same summer 14 years ago.Josh De Caires would give him a reprieve almost immediately afterwards, failing to hold onto a tough caught and bowled opportunity. In De Caires’ defence he probably saved four not to mention himself being decapitated by the blow.Sales meanwhile got underway with a four through midwicket and later took heavy toll of a De Caires over, clubbing one just beyond the grasp of mid-on before driving a better shot straight in the same over on his way to 50 from 109 balls. The hundred stand was raised by lunch as Middlesex rattled through 22 overs in the second hour’s play to rectify a previously negative over rate.Gay was granted a second life soon after the resumption when Bamber failed to hold an even tougher caught-and-bowled close to the ground and celebrated the reprieve by hoisting De Caires back over his head for the day’s first six on route to 250.The record fifth wicket stand against Middlesex of 131 between David Capel and Nigel Felton set at Lord’s in 1989 was soon eclipsed and it was a surprise when Gay’s innings was ended via a run-out.Saif Zaib sparkled briefly, striking one six out of the ground, before all eyes fell on Sales. Already having surpassed his career-best, the 21-year-old right-hander banished any thoughts of the nervous 90s with a huge six of his own before a scampered single took him to the century to a great reception from an albeit sparse crowd.The declaration came soon afterwards and while Middlesex openers Mark Stoneman and Fernandes survived a testing 35 minutes before tea, Weatherall’s golden moment came soon afterwards. The youngster, who played in the England U19 Test on this ground last September took just eight balls to find the edge of Stoneman’s bat, the tickle carrying comfortably through to McManus.That one stuck for McManus but he grassed another when Fernandes was on 24, so denying Weatherall a second victim from his opening burst.The left-hander made the most of the reprieve, to reach a 50 including seven fours, while Max Holden survived a drop at short leg on 35 to be 40 not out at the close.

Lucknow Super Giants claimed their third win in a row, and first over Gujarat Titans in five attempts, with a fighting defence of 163 in Lucknow. Marcus Stoinis’ first half-century of the season provided the ballast after the home side had chosen to bat first and, although Titans started well in their run chase, Yash Thakur claimed a maiden five-for to help demolish the innings.The LSG batting effort was rarely fluent, captain KL Rahul and Stoinis opting for accumulation after Umesh Yadav had struck twice with the new ball. Both fell when looking to up the ante and it needed flashes of power from Nicholas Pooran plus a cameo from Ayush Badoni to get them up to a respectable score.Related

• Mayank 'seemed okay, which was quite a relief' – Krunal

In their favour was the fact LSG had never been beaten defending a target of 160-plus. Titans looked set to threaten that record after racing to 54 without loss inside the powerplay, only for a stunning collapse of 8 for 48 to make it 13 from 13 for LSG. After Yash skidded one through Shubman Gill, Ravi Bishnoi’s spectacular caught-and-bowled dismissal of Kane Williamson provided the spark, while Krunal Pandya raced through his four-over allocation for figures of 3 for 11 as Titans imploded.That they managed such a comfortable defence was even more remarkable given LSG lost the services of their new pace sensation, Mayank Yadav, after just a single over due to a side strain – the one sour note as Rahul’s team moved to six points and third in the table.Titans start strong then stumble
Chasing what seemed a middling target, Titans eased out of the blocks with a fifty opening stand inside the powerplay. Sai Sudharsan was all poise and wrists, hitting four early boundaries – including two off Mayank in his only over, during which the LSG fast man barely breached 140kph – while Shubman Gill looked to play himself in. With Mayank having to leave the field and M Siddharth struggling with front-foot no-balls, Titans looked to be cruising.Krunal Pandya finished with three wickets•BCCI

However, the dismissal of Gill from the final ball of the sixth over sparked an extraordinary collapse. Krunal whizzed through a tidy over, before Ravi Bishnoi struck with his second ball, leaping to hold a brilliant one-handed return catch off Kane Williamson, Titans’ impact sub. Sudharsan then holed out to deep square leg from the first ball of Krunal’s second over, which was followed by BR Sharath top-edging a sweep to deep backward square. Titans had shipped four wickets for seven runs in the space of 18 balls and suddenly had it all to do.Yash we can!Titans’ chase never recovered. Krunal claimed a third wicket as the asking rate rose towards 12 an over, with the canny Yash returning to dismiss Vijay Shankar and Rashid Khan in the space of four balls to leave the score 93 for 7. Rahul Tewatia presented the only danger of an upset, twice clearing the ropes in 30 off 25 balls, but he picked out deep square leg before Yash wrapped up the innings for career-best T20 figures.Rahul’s slow-and-steady rebuild
LSG were after a fast start against the new ball, with Quinton de Kock marking his 100th IPL appearance by clattering Umesh Yadav into the stands second ball. He didn’t survive the over, however, an attempted repeat resulting in a big top edge to deep third. With Devdutt Padikkal notching a fourth single-figure score in a row for his new franchise, Lucknow were 18 for 2 in the third over and looking vulnerable.Marcus Stoinis and KL Rahul rebuilt after two early blows•AFP/Getty Images

Rahul is the perfect man for a rebuild, though, and he helped resurrect the innings in the company of Stoinis. After taking three boundaries off Spencer Johnson’s second over, the pair batted watchfully through the middle of the innings, until what almost appeared to be Rahul’s first shot in anger, in the 13th over, as the LSG captain attempted to hit Darshan Nalkande over long-on only to hole out. The partnership was worth 73 from 62 balls but ended just when LSG were hoping to push on.Spinners squeeze but Pooran finishes
Stonis should have been dismissed in the following over, mishitting Noor Ahmed straight up only for Rashid to grass the chance running in from long-off. Noor bowled his four overs off the reel for just 22 runs – conceding a single boundary – and although Stoinis broke the shackles to pump Nalkande twice over long-on for a 40-ball half-century, he fell trying to target the same bowler, top-edging a skier to the keeper.With two new batters at the crease going into the death overs, and Rashid still with two up his sleeve, LSG were facing an uphill struggle. Rashid conceded five singles off the 17th, but Pooran and Ayush Badoni released some pressure by taking Mohit Shah for three boundaries in the next. Although Badoni holed out looking to take on Rashid, Pooran carted the legspinner over midwicket for the only boundary of his allocation, with another six in the final over – in which Johnson conceded just eight – taking LSG beyond the magic 160-mark.

Marizanne Kapp showed she is an all weather, all-conditions and all-situations match-winner yet again with a player-of-the-match performance in Sydney that took South Africa over the line against Australia for the first time in their ODI history, and she knows the significance of this result.”It’s a proud moment,” Kapp said, “not only for me but for South African cricket as a whole. We all know we’ve never beaten Australia in a one-day game. So, to be able to perform and help my team over the line is a massive achievement for me.”It wasn’t straightforward as South Africa’s innings was hit by a couple of rain breaks in the middle overs, after they were sent in to bat. Kapp wasn’t always comfortable but that didn’t stop her from grinding away to 75 off 87 balls, which carried the visitors to a healthy total of 229 in a shortened 45-over innings.Related

• Kapp's stunning all-round display secures South Africa another famous win

“At first it was okay,” she said, “but then I probably got a little bit annoyed because I was worried that the wicket might get too wet and it might make things difficult later on. I definitely felt like at the back end when I batted it got really tough, one or two balls really sprung at me especially off a length.”I knew It was gonna be tough. In saying that, I knew Australia would have to bat on it as well. So it was something that went both ways.”But this was Australia, a team that has sustained long-term excellence thanks to their talent and professionalism. However, this was also a team in transition. They no longer had Meg Lanning, who had led them from the front for nearly a decade. And while they still boasted a strong side, they didn’t carry that air of invincibility. There’s another side to the story though, and it’s not all that bad.”There’s definitely a change and I’ve mentioned it previously as well,” Kapp said of Australia. “Losing someone like Lanning, you’re never going to be able to replace her, not her captaincy and I don’t think her batting as well. I remember too many games where we had Australia in trouble and she came in to bat and she saved them. So, yeah, I think everyone’s catching up a bit around the world. Even your Associate teams are picking up against your lower-ranked teams. It’s good for the women’s game. It’s a lot more challenging and, hopefully, this can continue.”Ayanda Hlubi dismissed Ellyse Perry for her first ODI wicket•Getty Images

South Africa themselves are an evolving side looking to fill the void left by Shabnim Ismail, who drew curtains on a 16-year-old career last year. Apart from Kapp and Nadine de Klerk, no bowler in their side has picked up more than five wickets with an average below 30 since her retirement. It led to some introspection and soul-searching within the side.”We had a [the] odd chat,” Kapp said. “I feel like, a lot of times, we don’t wanna speak straight and say it as it is, and we had that chat. We asked the whole squad to just to go to your room, look at yourself a bit and come back with [answers]. It’s always easy to say, ‘it was tough conditions or they really bowled well,’ but we also bowl well. You have to try things and you have to be positive. I feel like, today, we were a little bit better at that.”After a thumping in Adelaide, they brought in young blood to strengthen their bowling despite the series being on the line. Nineteen-year-old Ayanda Hlubi was handed an ODI debut and 21-year-old Eliz-mari Marx came in as well. The duo repaid the team’s faith by sharing four wickets, including big guns Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner.”I’m relieved, I’m not gonna lie.” Kapp said of the two youngsters joining the attack. “It meant I could ease off a little bit. They’re two upcoming youngsters. I love the way they bowl. I’ve seen them in the nets. It’s a big thing to come for them in their career.”It obviously helps when you get a wicket like this to bowl on. But they’ve been been brilliant. I feel like they have massive careers ahead of them. For now, it’s big boots to fill. We all know how good Shabi is and she is missed, I’m not gonna lie, she is missed, but it’s good to see different bowlers picking up their hands.”The conditions were tricky and South Africa managed to get over the line this time. What if it happens again in two days’ time in the series decider? Kapp not only dismissed those concerns but also welcomed the challenge.”I think it’s probably the rain that made it so tough,” she said. “I think it’s usually a flat wicket, it’s very good for batting. It was one of those days where it got a little bit too wet and it moved around a bit. So I feel like it’ll probably be a little bit flatter the next game. But that’s cricket. Look, as an allrounder I get so annoyed when we keep on playing on these flat and low wickets. You want wickets like this where you need a little bit more skill and it brings the bowlers into the game as well.”

Shoaib Malik will rejoin the Fortune Barishal squad on February 2, after leaving the BPL abruptly last week. He will be available for the team’s last game of the Sylhet leg, against Khulna Tigers on February 3.It was not clear initially why Malik had left. Later, he tweeted: “I would like to address and dismiss the recent rumours circulating about my playing position with Fortune Barishal. I had a thorough discussion with our captain, Tamim Iqbal, and we mutually planned the way forward. I had to leave Bangladesh for a pre-committed media engagement in Dubai.”In his three outings for Barishal so far, Malik batted at No. 6 and scored 7, 5* and 17*. He bowled one over in each of the first two games but didn’t get to bowl in the third.There was a storm around Malik on social media during the second game, against Khulna Tigers in Mirpur. Bowling the fourth over of the innings, he overstepped three times and leaked 18 runs as Fortune Barishal failed to defend 187.Malik is the only spinner to overstep three times in an over in men’s T20s (where data is available with ESPNcricinfo). Only Miguel Cummins bowled more front-foot no-balls in an over, when he overstepped five times in a CPL 2014 match.Barishal are currently fifth on the points table with two wins from five games.

Henry Nicholls has been accused of breaking New Zealand Cricket’s code of conduct after being reported by umpires for ball-tampering in a domestic first-class match.TV footage of the Plunket Shield match between Nicholls’ Canterbury and Auckland this week appeared to show Nicholls brushing the ball against a helmet during a change of ends.”Nicholls has been reported for allegedly breaching Rule 3.1, article 1.15 of the Code during Day 3 of the Plunket Shield match between Canterbury and Auckland at Hagley Oval,” New Zealand Cricket said in a statement Friday.The rule “involves changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 41.3 of the Laws of Cricket”.New Zealand Cricket said the allegation had been referred to a commissioner for first-class cricket. No date has yet been set for the hearing. Nicholls is due to tour Bangladesh with the New Zealand Test squad later this month.Nicholls has not commented on the charge.In the game between Canterbury and Auckland, Nicholls played a leading role in taking his side to an eight-wicket win. After Auckland were bowled out for 217 in their first innings, Canterbury declared their first innings on 413 for 9, with Nicholls top-scoring with 120. He added another unbeaten 30 when Canterbury, set a victory target of 61, got there for the loss of two wickets.It was Canterbury’s first win of the Plunket Shield season. They are currently in fourth place on the six-team table.New Zealand’s leading limited-overs players are in India competing at the ODI World Cup, where a win over Sri Lanka on Thursday moved the 2019 runners-up closer to qualifying for the semi-finals.

Big Picture: Can Bangladesh spring a surprise?

The defending champions have been upset by Afghanistan. Australia haven’t looked like Australia of World Cups past. Pakistan seem lacking too. And the South African juggernaut fell apart against Netherlands. Of all the pre-tournament favourites, only India and New Zealand have played like favourites. The latter have made it four wins in four, and now India are looking to do the same, against Bangladesh in Pune.Bangladesh may have a favourable 3-1 ODI record against India in the last 12 months – most recently winning their Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup last month – but beating India in India is easier said than done.The hosts have played with plenty of main-character energy in their first three fixtures, scoring convincing victories against Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were tested to varying degrees in all those games – reduced to 2 for 3 in the chase against Australia; Afghanistan setting a target of 273; and Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan building a solid platform – but in the end it wasn’t even close.India’s outstanding bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, has taken 28 out of a possible 30 wickets so far, while they have lost only nine wickets in three chases and never more than four in a game. Rohit Sharma’s ultra-aggressive approach has been the highlight of their batting performances and he’s got another batting-friendly surface waiting for him in Pune.Related

• Chandika Hathurusinghe hoping World Cup upsets inspire Bangladesh against 'scary' India

• Rohit Sharma's bold new batting template has changed his ODI game – and India's

Bangladesh’s only win against India in the ODI World Cup was 16 years ago – in Trinidad in 2007. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were just starting their careers then, and they have played India three times on the biggest stage since, losing quite convincingly on each occasion.This Bangladesh squad has enough experience and young talent in their ranks to stretch India, but their current form isn’t promising. Mushfiqur has scored two fifties in three matches so far but the rest have struggled with consistency. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das had one good knock each. Rookie Tanzid Hasan hasn’t had much impact. Towhid Hridoy, who scored 500 runs before the World Cup this year, is batting lower than his usual No. 5 position. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also hasn’t been effective.Shakib suffered a quadriceps injury last week but could play – as per their coach, Bangladesh are awaiting results of a scan done on match eve before taking the final decision.* With Bangladesh looking to lengthen their batting by having Mahmudullah at No. 8, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed, both of whom played a part in the Asia Cup win against India, are unlikely to make the XI.Whether Bangladesh runs India close or not could come down to how their fast bowlers fare. Mustafizur Rahman aside, the others have been off-colour. Shoriful Islam has been expensive at times and Taskin Ahmed is not the force he was earlier this year. If these three, or Hasan Mahmud and Tanzim Hasan, can fire it will give Bangladesh a stronger foothold in the contest.Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets in a Test the last time he played Bangladesh•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Najmul Hossain Shanto

Kuldeep Yadav has five wickets from three games and his economy of 3.9 in 30 overs is testament to the control he’s offered during the middle overs. He revealed recently that increasing his pace has allowed him to bowl better in the last 12 months. Bangladesh’s most recent memory of Kuldeep is his eight-wicket haul in the Chattogram Test late last year – India will be hoping for more of the same from him.After his unbeaten fifty against Afghanistan, Najmul Hossain Shanto‘s low scores against England and New Zealand have had an impact on Bangladesh’s top-order returns. His free-flowing batting has been a huge boost to Bangladesh in 2023 and they desperately need him back among the runs.

Team news: Bangladesh to gamble with extra bowler?

India are unlikely to change their winning combination. The small ground dimensions and flat pitch could mean that Shardul Thakur is likely to keep his spot ahead of R Ashwin.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh can play Shakib, they will. They could be tempted to promote Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open with Litton and Mushfiqur could also bat higher in the order. The question is whether Bangladesh will look to strengthen their bowling by sacrificing some batting depth.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions: High scores in Pune?

Since 2017, teams batting first have posted 300-plus totals in three out of five ODIs in Pune, though this will be the first international at this venue in nine months. There was some drizzle on the eve of the match but the forecast is for sunshine on match day.

Stats and trivia: A 25-year wait ends

• This is Bangladesh’s first ODI against India in India in 25 years. From those who played their previous ODI against India at the Wankhede in 1998, Minhajul Abedin is the current chief selector, Khaled Mahmud is the team director, and Athar Ali Khan is a TV commentator.
• Virat Kohli has an average 67.25 and strike rate of 101.25 in 15 ODIs against Bangladesh, with four centuries.
• Shakib, Taskin and Mustafizur all have five-wicket hauls against India in ODIs.

Quotes

“He had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven’t tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision. If he is not ready to play, we won’t risk it. If he is ready, there’s a chance of him playing tomorrow.”

“When you enter a World Cup, every team will pose you a challenge. So, from our perspective, I don’t think we’ll take anyone lightly.”

Their fast-bowling trio helped Sylhet Division to an innings-and-26-run victory over Rangpur Division in the NCL Tier-1 match over the weekend. The result also helped Dhaka Division keep their lead in the points table despite their game against Dhaka Metropolis in Cox’s Bazar ending in a draw, with cyclone Hanum on the south-eastern coast allowing very little cricket to be played.Batting first in Khulna, Sylhet reached 415, only the third 400-plus score in their first-class history. Shamsur Rahman, playing for his fourth NCL side, struck 15 fours and two sixes in his knock of 160 off 252 balls. He added 180 runs for the fifth wicket with Tawhidul Islam, who made 62. For Rangpur, quick bowler Asadullah Galib took 5 for 107, his second five-for this season.Sylhet’s quick bowlers Khaled Ahmed, Abu Jayed and Rejaur Rahman Raja grabbed all ten wickets as Rangpur were bowled out for 159 in reply. Khaled took 5 for 50, while Jayed picked up four wickets and Raja took the other one.The trio then shared six more wickets in the second innings, with Jayed taking three to get to 300 first-class wickets. Jayed became the third Bangladeshi fast bowler to reach the milestone, following Mohammad Sharif (374) and Forhad Reza (312), as Rangpur were bowled out for 230 in the second innings after being asked to follow on.Barishal Division opened their account this season with a seven-wicket win against Khulna Division, who, despite the loss, remained on top of the Tier-2 points table.Ruyel Miah took four wickets and Kamrul Islam three as Khulna were bowled out for 142 in the first innings in Bogra. Moin Khan’s 76 then gave Barishal a 79-run lead after they had slumped to 121 for 8. No. 8 Moin added 98 runs for the ninth wicket with Kamrul, who added 30 to the total.Soumya Sarkar, who took four wickets in the Barishal innings, then remained not out on 96 with ten fours and three sixes as Khulna were bowled out for 225 in the second innings. Kamrul took four wickets for Barishal, who then needed 43.2 overs to knock off the 147 runs in the fourth innings. Moinul Islam made an unbeaten 71 to help them along.Chattogram Division picked up their second win after they beat Rajshahi Division by nine wickets in Sylhet. Sabbir Hossain’s quick maiden first-class century gave Rajshahi the perfect start. But his 123 off 122 balls, that contained seven sixes and 13 fours, couldn’t translate into a big score for his side. Rajshahi were bowled out for 309, with Shykat Ali taking five wickets.Chattogram replied with 437, with fifties from Parvez Hossain Emon, Mominul Haque, Shamim Hossain and Irfan Shukkur. Taijul Islam took his 29th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, having bowled 44.4 overs in this innings.Quick bowler Ifran Hossain’s five-for, however, dealt Rajshahi a heavy blow, as they were all out for 182. Nayeem Hasan took four wickets to add to his three in the first innings. Chattogram then needed just ten overs to knock off the required 57 runs in the fourth innings.

Shabnim Ismail bowled Welsh Fire to a sensational victory with a hat-trick in the last three balls of the match to secure a three-run Women’s Hundred win over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston.Ismail’s ice-cool display prevented the home side scoring any of the four runs they needed to win from the last three balls, the South Africa international finishing with 3 for 31 as Phoenix, chasing 138, ended on 134 for 4 to suffer a heartbreaking defeat.Tammy Beaumont’s stylish 59 from 40 balls lifted Fire to 137 for 7 but Phoenix looked in command of the chase as Tess Flintoff, with 55 off 45, and Amy Jones, who was unbeaten on 48 off 34, adding 93 in 67 balls.But Ismail’s brilliant hat-trick leaves the Birmingham side with a lot of work to do to climb into the qualification race after a staccato first half of the campaign has brought two defeats and two washouts.Phoenix chose to bowl but took 48 balls to break through as openers Beaumont and Hayley Matthews added 72 before the latter cut Hannah Baker to point.Beaumont batted imperiously, dancing down the track to lift a gorgeous straight six off Katie Levick on the way to a 36-ball half-century. As well as the six, the captain struck nine fours but perished in pursuit of a tenth which she lifted Flintoff to deep mid-wicket, where Erin Burns took a fine catch stooping low to her right.As Phoenix began to reel in the scoring rate, Laura Harris fell lbw, reverse-sweeping Emily Arlott. Sophia Dunkley (25 off 19 balls) stoked the Fire again with six over mid-wicket off Arlott but Phoenix built pressure and caught well in the closing sets.Needing to pull off the sixth-biggest chase in Women’s Hundred history, Phoenix were positively launched by Sophie Devine’s 29 from 19 balls. Her charge was ended by Alex Griffiths’ first ball, a perfect, inswinging yorker, but Jones was fluent from the moment she reached the crease.Flintoff and Jones took their side into the last 20 balls with 27 needed but boundaries were few and Griffiths bowled beautifully to start tilting the pressure back on the home side. It came down to nine needed from the last five balls, delivered by Ismail.A glorious cover-driven four for Flintoff brought it down to four from three, but Ismail bowled the opener next ball, had Burns caught at short third and then bowled Issy Wong to seal the most memorable of wins.”I was aiming to go yorker length and just try to bowl dot balls,” Ismail said. “The yorkers didn’t really come out today but it always does damage to take wickets so it worked out well.”I had been in that position before so it was just a case of staying calm. There were no nerves from me, as I was previously in a situation like that. I didn’t want my nerves to get the better of me. I had to stay calm and I even told the captain to just stay calm. I said to her, ‘we’re going to win this game, don’t worry – I’ve got this’.”

Centurion Gareth Roderick and Ed Pollock batted through sizeable chunks of the final day to thwart Derbyshire’s push for their first LV=Insurance County Championship victory of the campaign at New Road.Roderick battled away for five-and-a-quarter hours to make 123 in only his second match since being promoted to open the innings alongside Jake Libby.Pollock played an out of character knock based on determined defence rather than his free-flowing stroke play to make 56 off 189 balls spanning nearly four hours.Their efforts were largely responsible for defying the Derbyshire attack and only four wickets fell in the entire day.Roderick has batted predominantly in the middle order since establishing himself in the keeper-batter role last summer in contrast to his eight seasons with Gloucestershire in the upper echelons of the order.But he was moved up to number three for the home game against Leicestershire and a second innings knock of 59 spanning five hours helped seal victory on a difficult pitch.He then opened in the last Championship match against Sussex at Hove and had featured in three half-century partnerships with Libby before this marathon knock.Roderick had spoken of his need to turn promising starts into major contributions and this was a top quality effort mixing aggression with stubborn defence.Pollock has dropped down into the middle-order in Championship and T20 cricket after a shortage of runs.But here he got his head down from ball one in support of Roderick and blunted the Derbyshire attack.It took him 120 balls before he sliced Leus du Plooy down to third man for his first boundary but eating up time and deliveries was the prime consideration.Derbyshire’s winless run was extended to 10 games but they can take great heart from a performance achieved without their front line attack of Saranga Lakmal, Sam Conners and Zak Chappell while Ben Aitchison was unable to bowl in the second innings because of injury.Worcestershire reached 105 for 1 on the opening day but were then second best for the remainder of the game until the defiance by Roderick and Pollock on the final day.Derbyshire showed more discipline with the ball and greater application with the bat in the first innings.Three of their batters, du Plooy, Wayne Madsen and Anuj Dal, all reached three figures and they achieved their highest ever score against Worcestershire.The home side will reflect on poor bowling performance, with the exception of evergreen Joe Leach, and slipshod fielding and Madsen, du Plooy and Dal were all survived dropped catches.Worcestershire resumed on 70 for 2 against a Derbyshire attack which was a bowler light after Ben Aitchison had suffered hip and back problems earlier in the game.Roderick was full of attacking intent and clipped the first delivery of the day from Conor McKerr through mid wicket for four.The keeper-batter completed a 69-ball half-century with a similar shot at Anuj Dal’s expense for his eighth boundary.Debutant Rehaan Edavalath scrapped away for 62 balls but after making 15 he drove hard at Nick Potts and nicked to Wayne Madsen who held onto a low chance at first slip.Roderick continued to score freely but Adam Hose managed only a single before he attempted to drive spinner Alex Thomson and was bowled through the gate.Pollock survived a confident appeal when on two for a legside catch by keeper Brooke Guest off Luis Reece.Roderick swept Thomson for four to move into the 90s and then his 16th boundary – a steer to third man off Reece – took him to an excellent hundred from 155 balls.Pollock played an innings out of character with his free-flowing style and scored only five runs from the first 100 balls he faced.But it was an invaluable effort in the context of Worcestershire attempting to thwart Derbyshire’s victory push.Derbyshire rotated their bowlers and set unorthodox and imaginative fielders in an attempt to make a decisive breakthrough.They finally had something to celebrate after the Roderick-Pollock stand of 63 had spanned 38 overs when the latter on 123 pushed forward to Thomson and was caught at short leg.But Matthew Waite (17 not out from 97 balls) also proved a stubborn line of defence after joining Pollock in the middle.Pollock gradually accelerated and, after eight overs were lost to rain, drove Dal through the covers to for his 10th four to reach his half century from 181 balls.But he played a shot out of keeping with the remainder of his innings on 56 when he aimed a leg side blow at Reece and was caught by Dal over his shoulder running back to cover

R Ashwin’s 33rd five-wicket haul in Test cricket helped India bundle out West Indies for a mere 150 on the opening day of the first Test at Windsor Park, before an unbroken 80-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal further strengthened India’s grip on the match.Back in the playing XI after being left out for the World Test Championship final, Ashwin dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite in the first session, Alzarri Joseph and debutant Alick Athanaze in the second, and then wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Jomel Warrican. As usual, he found good support from Ravindra Jadeja, who chipped in with three wickets.Twenty-four-year-old Athanaze was the only West Indies batter to offer any resistance. Last month, he had scored the joint-fastest half-century by anyone on ODI debut. On Wednesday, the left-hander showed he had the temperament for Test cricket as well. With wickets tumbling around him, Athanaze batted with a mix of caution and aggression but his stay came to an end when he top-edged a pull against Ashwin and was out for 47.Alick Athanaze in action on Test debut•Associated Press

When India came out to bat, Rohit did the bulk of the scoring initially as Jaiswal took 16 balls to open his account. The left-hander got off the mark by cutting Joseph over backward point for four, and increased his scoring rate as the innings progressed. By the end of the day, he had outscored his captain.The West Indies spinners, Rahkeem Cornwall and Warrican, found turn as well, but Rohit and Jaiswal faced few problems in dealing with them as the pitch had slowed down significantly by then. In the final over of the day, Jaiswal even reverse-swept Warrican for four.Earlier, Brathwaite won the toss and opted to bat first on a pitch with plenty of moisture in it. Mohammed Siraj found movement off the surface to beat Brathwaite’s outside edge three times in one over but he also strayed down the leg side more than once. Jaydev Unadkat was a lot more disciplined, bowling two maidens and conceding just four runs in his first four overs.Ashwin was introduced into the attack as early as the ninth over. He found Chanderpaul’s inside edge with his very first ball but it went past short leg.The offspinner, though, wasn’t to be denied for long. In his third over, Ashwin went wide of the crease from around the wicket and got the ball to land around middle stump. Chanderpaul looked to defend on the front foot but the ball turned just enough to beat the outside edge and hit the top of off. Having accounted for Shivnarine Chanderpaul four times in the past, Ashwin became the fifth bowler to dismiss a father-son pair in Test cricket.R Ashwin joined a small list of bowlers who’ve dismiss a father-son duo in Tests•AFP/Getty Images

Continuing around the wicket, Ashwin got rid of Brathwaite too. The West Indies captain tried to loft him over mid-on; instead, he ended up skying it to Rohit Sharma at extra cover.Shardul Thakur had Raymon Reifer caught behind in his first over, courtesy of a low catch by debutant Ishan Kishan, to make it 47 for 3. He could have had Jermaine Blackwood too but the leading edge just evaded a diving Shubman Gill at cover.On the last ball before lunch, however, Blackwood miscued Jadeja to the right of mid-off where Mohammed Siraj leapt in the air to take a one-handed stunner behind his body.Joshua Da Silva became Jadeja’s second victim soon after lunch. The wicketkeeper-batter went to cut Jadeja but extra bounce and little room resulted in an outside edge, which Kishan pouched on the second attempt.Ashwin too extracted prodigious turn in the second session, troubling both Athanaze and Holder. But the duo didn’t miss out on rare loose deliveries. Neither batter hesitated in taking the aerial route and added 41 for the sixth wicket to take West Indies past 100.The stand was broken when Holder fell into a short-ball trap laid by Siraj. The bowler banged one into the pitch and Holder pulled it straight into the hands of deep-backward square leg. A couple of overs later, Siraj hit Athanaze on the tip of the helmet with a bouncer as the batter took his eyes off the ball.While Alzarri Joseph, sent in ahead of Rahkeem Cornwall, could manage only four before Ashwin had him caught at short third, Athanaze was looking good for a half-century. He had the opportunity to reach there with a boundary when Ashwin bowled a short ball. Athanaze had pulled a similar delivery from Ashwin for four in the morning session, but this time he erred in execution.With West Indies eight down, Cornwall hit Ashwin for two fours in the first over after tea, but Kemar Roach and Warrican didn’t last long, falling to Jadeja and Ashwin, respectively, as the innings came to an end 25 minutes into the final session.