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By the time the game begins on Sunday evening, RCB will know exactly what they need to make the playoffs

Srinidhi Ramanujam20-May-20236:00

Moody: Royal Challengers should start afresh in home return

Big Picture: Make or break for RCB

It all boils down to the final four hours. After 69 games across 52 days, the last league match will decide the identity of the players fourth team in the playoffs.The spotlight is on Royal Challengers Bangalore as they return home to the Chinnaswamy to host the Gujarat Titans after nearly a month on the road. They will know exactly what they need to qualify in the top four if net run rate becomes a factor, but the simplest route is to win. If they make it, it will be their fourth successive playoff appearance.So what’s going well for RCB? They are coming into this crucial fixture off two successive wins – against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals. Their strength is their batting, having scored more than 180 in three of their last four games. More specifically, it is their top-order batting, with Faf du Plessis (702), Virat Kohli (538) and Glenn Maxwell (389) doing the bulk of the run-scoring. The dependency on their Big Three could be a crucial factor in a crunch game.Winning at the Chinnaswamy also hasn’t been straightforward for RCB this season. While several teams have struggled to maximise their home advantage, it’s 3-3 for RCB in Bengaluru this year, and 40 wins in 83 games overall.So while RCB have everything to do to qualify for the playoffs, the Titans are already through. Hardik Pandya’s team is only the second side to finish top of the table in two successive seasons, after the Mumbai Indians in 2019 and 2020.

Team news: Will Titans rest players?

Fast bowler Josh Little had missed a few matches to play an ODI series for Ireland against Bangladesh, but he re-joined the Titans squad on May 16. Vijay Shankar had also missed the previous game after getting hit in the nets. With Titans already through to the playoffs, the big question is whether they will rest any of their players, considering they play Qualifier 1 on May 23.Du Plessis said at the toss of their previous game against Sunrisers that one of Hasaranga and Hazlewood was missing due to a niggle without specifying who it was.

The big question

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis have been prolific at the top for RCB•BCCI

Form guide

RCB WWLLW
Gujarat Titans WLWWL

Impact Player strategy

Anuj Rawat kept wickets for RCB instead of Dinesh Karthik in the last two matches and he is expected to do it again against Titans. Karthik or Mahipal Lomror could sub in and out for for left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed depending on whether they bat or bowl first.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable XII): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Mahipal Lomror, 5 , 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Anuj Rawat (wk), 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Karn Sharma, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Titans had swapped Shubman Gill with fast bowler Yash Dayal in their previous game against SRH. If Little returns, Gill and Mohit Sharma could be their Impact Players depending on whether they bat or bowl first.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 , 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Sai Sudharsan, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Abhinav Manohar/Vijay Shankar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Josh Little, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12

Pitch and conditions

Bengaluru has been hot and humid this week but i rained on match eve and a couple of spells of rain is likely on Sunday as well. The average first-innings total at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is 194, so expect a run-fest.

Stats that matter

• Kohli is a beast in Bengaluru with 3106 T20s runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the most by any batter, at a strike rate of 140.82.
• Rashid Khan has dismissed du Plessis three times in eight T20s, and conceded only 32 runs in 45 balls.
• Gill has scored at 148.14 against Mohammed Siraj in the IPL, with no dismissals in six innings.

For India, there are key WTC points they can’t afford to lose, not with their reign at the top shaky and a tour of Australia coming up

Ashish Pant31-Oct-20245:50

Latham: ‘India not a bad team overnight’

Big picture: Pride (for India) and WTC points at stake

A 2-0 series scoreline heading into the final Test is what most followers of the game would have predicted when this three-match India vs New Zealand series began 15 days back. But barely anyone would have predicted that “2” would not be against India’s name.It has taken a series of firsts for New Zealand to find themselves in the position they are in. And now as they head to Mumbai with the series in the bag, they have the chance to do the unthinkable – inflict a series sweep over India in India. Only once have India been swept in a series of more than one Test at home – against South Africa in 1999-2000 – and never in a series of more than two Tests. Can India save themselves the blushes?Related

• Bumrah likely to be rested for Mumbai Test

• Ajaz Patel is back at the scene of his greatest triumph

• India need Kohli and Rohit to regain their old aura

• Nothing's changed, India say, but it all looks different

• Team-man Tim and the art of letting go (only if he has to)

While there is pride at stake for the home team, there are also crucial WTC points up for grabs for both sides. India are still leading the WTC points table but that lead has been cut short big time with these two defeats. Another loss here and they will have plenty of catching up to do in Australia.For New Zealand, getting to the WTC final seemed far-fetched when this series started but these two wins have brought them right back into contention. A win in Mumbai and then in the three-match series at home against England will keep them in the mix for another WTC final.It’s taken a lot of grit, determination and long spells of brilliant cricket for New Zealand to be able to dictate terms. They cleaned up India for 46 in Bengaluru and then stuck it out in the second innings when Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan were hitting them around. The naysayers would say the conditions in Bengaluru were more suited to New Zealand than to India. So they went to Pune and beat India in conditions that were completely different.Rarely has an overseas spinner outbowled his Indian counterparts in India. But Mitchell Santner understood the assignment from the get-go and India had no answers to his guile and dip. They also have Ajaz Patel, who is at the scene of his epic ten-wicket haul from 2021.For India, it’s more about how to bounce back from these shock defeats and get a win under their belt ahead of the Australia tour. On paper, this is a dead rubber. In reality, it’s anything but.

Form guide

India LLWWW
New Zealand WWLLL3:41

Gambhir: ‘The more T20 is played, the less people will defend’

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Mitchell Santner

Virat Kohli has a problem, it’s called spin, and it’s grown in the last few years, particularly in Asia. Since the start of 2022, Kohli has played 19 Tests in which he has scored four fifties and two centuries. Of those, 12 have been in Asia, where he’s managed just one fifty and a hundred. What’s stood out in those is his fallibility against spin.In 19 innings in Asia since January 2022, he’s fallen to spin 16 times, averaging 29.31. The corresponding number against pace is three dismissals while averaging 47.00. For someone who has that old-school long stretch forward against spinners, he has often been dismissed playing from the crease. He’s fallen to spin three out of the four innings in this series, to Glenn Phillips in Bengaluru and twice to Santner in Pune. On a Mumbai surface that is bound to turn, Kohli might need to do a bit extra to get his spin numbers on point.It will be Mitchell Santner who will once again be tasked with not allowing Kohli and the others to get away. For someone whose Instagram bio reads “part time New Zealand cricketer, full time golfer”, it was an incredible effort to come in and pick up 13 wickets in Pune, the same number he had managed in the five Tests he had played prior stretching to June 2021. He had tweaked his side in Pune, but seems to have recovered fine. He batted and bowled in the nets two days before the Mumbai Test and will hope to have a similar impact to what he did in Pune.

Team news: Bumrah to be rested? What about Southee?

While the series already lost, there are chances India might give Jasprit Bumrah a rest before the five-match series against Australia starting next month. With practice being mandatory, everyone did everything they could at the nets the day before the Test, except Bumrah, who did not bowl. Gautam Gambhir said that Bumrah is fit and available. But with a long tour ahead, India might look to give their premier quick a break like they did earlier in the year against England in Ranchi. Will they replace him with a spinner in Kuldeep Yadav or a fast bowler in Mohammed Siraj remains to be seen. The batting unit should remain unchanged with Sarfaraz Khan holding on to his spot.India (probable XI): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Washington Sundar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah/Kuldeep Yadav/Mohammed Siraj, 11 Akash DeepMatt Henry looks set to come into New Zealand’s XI instead of Tim Southee•AFP/Getty Images

Matt Henry looks set to return to the New Zealand XI after missing out from the Pune Test because of a glute niggle. He bowled at full tilt two days before the Test and had a fitness test on Thursday. Henry was the pick of the bowlers in Bengaluru and is likely to come in place of Tim Southee. There were more indications from practice on the eve of the game with Santner fielding to the quicks at third slip instead of Southee, who often mans that position. The rest of XI is likely to be unchanged.New Zealand (probable XI): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 William O’RourkePitch and conditionsThe red-soil surface in Mumbai is dry and will take turn early. It is expected to crumble as the Test goes on but there should be good bounce for the fast bowlers and spinners. It is expected to be humid in Mumbai with the temperatures likely to be around the low to mid-30s on the Celsius scale.

Stats and trivia

• Among the current lot, Kohli has the most runs at the Wankhede Stadium – 469 in eight innings at 58.62 with three fifties and a century
• Rohit Sharma has played only one Test at his home ground, back in 2013, where he scored an unbeaten 111 against West Indies
• Since his debut in November 2018, Ajaz has the most wickets for an overseas spinner in Asia – 70
• Henry is third on the list of fast bowlers for most Test wickets in 2024 – 31 in five Tests

Quotes

“I think looks a really good wicket. Obviously, it’s really difficult for anyone to judge how the wicket is going to behave unless the game starts on it and both the teams have batted on it. But I feel it looks a decent wicket and I’m sure once the guys get in, they can actually make the most of it.”
“I think so, yeah. We’ll have a look obviously at the wicket but I think if you look at past tosses, I think most teams have batted first.”

Sledging directed at Phillip Hughes and his batting partner Tom Cooper “in no way exacerbated the incident” in which Hughes was fatally injured, the inquest into the batsman’s death has been told

Daniel Brettig12-Oct-2016Sledging directed at Phillip Hughes and his batting partner Tom Cooper “in no way exacerbated the incident” in which Hughes was fatally injured, the inquest into the batsman’s death has been told.The conclusion by Kristina Stern SC, the counsel assisting the New South Wales Coroner at the inquest, was made after the submission of a new statement by Matthew Day, the former Tasmania batsman and a Sydney club teammate of Hughes’ brother Jason Hughes at Mosman. Day, 29, was also a pallbearer at Hughes’ funeral in Macksville.Day’s statement corroborated allegations that the fast bowler Doug Bollinger had directed the words “I’m going to kill you” at Hughes and Cooper, highlighting divisions between the Hughes family and the cricket community.Bollinger and Cooper had both denied these words were uttered, moving Day to make the statement on Tuesday. In it he described events at a wake for Hughes, which occurred at the SCG on November 28, the evening after he died at St Vincent’s Hospital.”Whilst I was at the gathering at the Sydney Cricket Ground, I was with a group of players sitting where the players’ seats are in the home dressing room,” Day said in the statement, dated October 11, 2016. “There were six or seven players in the group. I can’t remember all of the players but Doug Bollinger was one of the group. There was general discussion regarding the circumstances of the match.”At one stage Doug Bollinger said words to the effect of: ‘One of my sledges was ‘I am going to kill you’. I can’t believe I said that. I’ve said things like that in the past but I am never going to say it again’.”Day went on to say that when he saw Jason Hughes later in the evening he relayed this words, to which he replied that “Tom Cooper told me the same thing”.The submission of Day’s statement caused a flurry of activity in the courtroom on Wednesday, before Stern offered the following words in mitigation. “One of the issues identified in my opening statement was the nature of the play that afternoon and if that in any way exacerbated the injury to Phillip Hughes,” she said. “My submission is … that there is no evidence that any comment or sledging or whatever description you wish to use, exacerbated the injury.”Day’s statement also conflicted accounts offered by the NSW captain on the day Brad Haddin, David Warner, Sean Abbott and Doug Bollinger that there were no specific plans to bowl short at Hughes. In it he alleged that Trent Johnston, then the NSW assistant coach and now the state’s head coach, had offered a different view.”I shared a taxi with Trent Johnston [who] said words to the effect of ‘I am struggling with the fact that I was a big part of the plan that New South Wales adopted, that was to bowl short to Phil, and that eventually ended with him being struck’.”In response to the new allegations, Cricket Australia outlined the process by which witness statements and testimony had been taken.”Counsel assisting the Coroner, Kristina Stern SC, in association with legal representatives retained by Cricket Australia interviewed player and umpire witnesses appearing at the coronial enquiry,” a spokesperson said.”Each person was interviewed in this process independently. These interviews were held at the request of counsel assisting in which each of the players and umpires voluntarily participated. Statements were then drafted recording these interviews and these draft statements were reviewed by both cricket’s legal representatives and counsel assisting.”Following this review, players were then sent the resulting draft statements and were asked to check the accuracy of the draft and make any amendments or additions they wished to have included before returning them.”As witnesses who have appeared at the coronial hearing have testified, these statements were finalised without talking to any other witness. We are comfortable that this process has allowed the players and umpires to provide accurate, independent and truthful evidence to the enquiry.”It has been agreed that Day will not be cross-examined following his statement. The inquest continues until Friday.

Freddie van den Bergh, Conor McKerr thwart MCC after Dan Lawrence half-century

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2019Surrey’s Freddie van den Bergh and Conor McKerr conspired to bowl MCC out for 265, despite a half-century from Dan Lawrence on the first day of the Champion County Match in Dubai.After MCC captain Stuart Broad won the toss and opted to bat, McKerr struck early, bowling Dom Sibley and Tom Westley to put MCC in trouble at 45 for 2.After van den Bergh had opener Will Rhodes (46) stumped by Jamie Smith, the 18-year-old Surrey wicketkeeper making his first-class debut, MCC were 107 for 3 but then Lawrence (58) and Tom Abell (41) steadied the innings.When Abell was out lbw to Scott Borthwick, MCC’s score looked much healthier at 193 for 4 but van den Bergh made the breakthrough when he had Lawrence caught behind by Smith and then had Peter Trego caught by McKerr a short time later.County champions Surrey removed the potential danger of Dom Bess, dismissed by an excellent run out at the hands of Smith for four, and Broad, bowled by paceman McKerr, who finished the day with 3 for 40. Borthwick ended with 2 for 55, while fellow spinner van den Bergh had 3 for 54.At the close of play, Surrey were 20 for none in reply, 245 runs in arrears, with England opener Rory Burns not out seven and Mark Stoneman unbeaten on eight in the four-day, first-class fixture.Meanwhile, Lancashire won their one-day pre-season match against UAE in Dubai by six wickets with 38 balls remaining after reaching 233 for 4 in reply to UAE’s 230 for 8.Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson underwent surgery in Dubai to repair a deep cut to his jaw after being struck in the face off his own bowling by Stoneman in the T10 Festival at the ICC Academy on Thursday. Parkinson, who did not suffer any fractures, was set to return to England early, while the rest of Lanchashire’s squad head home later this week following a two-day fixture against UAE starting on Tuesday.

The batsman, who also contributed with his medium-pace bowling, last played an international match for West Indies in March 2015 at the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2017West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith has announced his retirement from all international cricket. Smith, 33, who is playing for Islamabad United in the ongoing Pakistan Super League, confirmed the decision before the start of the second qualifying final against Karachi Kings in Sharjah. His last West Indies appearance came at the 2015 World Cup.Smith made his international debut on West Indies’ tour of South Africa 2003-04, beginning with the New Year’s Test in Cape Town in January 2004, after Marlon Samuels flew home with a knee injury. He made an impression straightaway, scoring a century on debut – a run-a-ball unbeaten 105, his only international century – in the second innings of the game, to help West Indies draw the match and end their streak of seven successive Test losses in South Africa. The team, however, did lose the series 3-1. Smith played only nine more Tests, scoring a total of 320 runs in the format. His last Test appearance for West Indies was in March 2006, against New Zealand in Napier.Smith had a far more substantial run in the limited-overs sides, where he also made useful contributions with his medium-pace, although his batting returns remained modest. Having begun in the lower order, Smith was promoted to the top order, including as an opener, after 2014 and did better there. Six of his eight ODI fifties came when he batted in the top three, and his average of 25.27 was better than his overall career average of 18.57. Overall, he played 105 ODIs scoring 1560 runs at a strike rate of 92.69. He also took 61 wickets in ODIs, with a career-best of 5 for 45 and three four-fors.Smith was part of two World Cup squads for West Indies in 2007 and in 2015, where his final appearance came against UAE in Napier. Following West Indies’ early exit from the 2007 World Cup, Smith spent close to three years out of the ODI and T20I squads before making his return in 2010.He was part of three World T20 squads – in 2007, 2012 and 2014. While he played only one match during West Indies’ title run in the 2012 World T20, he was picked in the next edition as the side’s designated opener and scored 125 runs in five matches. In 33 T20 internationals, he scored 582 runs at 18.18 with a strike rate of 122.78, although he only made three fifties.Smith has been a popular cricketer on the T20 circuit, over the last few years, turning out to play for franchises in the Indian Premier League, the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Super League, as well as the NatWest Blast in England.

HBL took the last five WAPDA wickets for nine runs before Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman hit hundreds in a double-century stand

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Imam-ul-Haq struck 10 fours•Getty Images

Centuries from openers Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman underlined Habib Bank Limited’s dominance over Water and Power Development Authority on day three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final at the National Stadium in Karachi. HBL, who had conceded a 42-run lead, were 264 without loss at stumps.WAPDA, who resumed on 244 for 5 after a rest day for Rabi-ul-Awal, lost their last five wickets for just nine runs to be bowled out for 278. Abdur Rehman, the left-arm spinner, took three of those to complete a WAPDA batting collapse – they were at 162 for no loss at one stage. Salman Butt’s 125 – his third first-class century of the season – was the top score for WAPDA.They were dealt another blow when Kamran Akmal, their wicketkeeper, didn’t take the field in the second innings because of an injury, and had to be replaced by Zahid Mansoor.Imam, nephew of Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Zaman then powered ahead to record the highest opening stand for HBL when they surpassed a 16-year record of 252, held by Asadullah Butt and Mujahid Jamshed against Sargodha in 1999-2000.Along the way, both batsmen enjoyed slices of luck. Imam was reprieved on 37 when left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar put down a return catch. Zaman was handed a lifeline on 140 when Mansoor, filling in for Kamran Akmal, missed a stumping chance off Babar. Imam hit 10 fours, while Zaman struck 19.Mohammad Asif, who picked up four wickets in the first innings, bowled only seven of the 73 overs on Tuesday, while Mohammad Irfan bowled 10 overs.

Mohammad Kaif, the former India batsman, will lead Ranji Trophy debutants Chhattisgarh in the 2016-17 domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2016Mohammad Kaif, the former India batsman, will lead Ranji Trophy debutants Chhattisgarh in the 2016-17 domestic season. The announcement was made by Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh at a press conference in Raipur, also attended by newly-appointed head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.Kaif’s two-year contract with Andhra, which could have been extended by a year based on performance, wasn’t renewed after the 2015-16 season where the side finished bottom of their group to be relegated to Group C for the upcoming season. Kaif endured a lean season with the bat, scoring 330 runs in 13 innings at 27.50.Prior to his association with Andhra, Kaif, who played 13 Tests and 125 One-Day Internationals, was an integral part of the Uttar Pradesh set-up for close to a decade-and-a-half since making his first-class debut in 1997-98. He was instrumental in UP’s march to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 2005-06, where they beat Bengal on the basis of a first-innings lead in Lucknow.Renowned for being a gritty batsman and an excellent fielder, Kaif has 9974 runs in 177 first-class matches at an average of 39.89.The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, which was an associate member of the BCCI, was elevated to full-member status after a special general meeting in February this year, paving the way for their Ranji Trophy debut in the forthcoming season. They will be the 28th team to feature in the tournament’s 83rd edition, and will be the tenth team in Group C.

Australia equally certain it was a fair catch, says Lyon, while former players criticise Kohli’s behaviour in Perth

Melinda Farrell in Perth16-Dec-2018India’s players were “surprised” that Virat Kohli was given out on the field after Peter Handscomb claimed a catch off the bowling of Pat Cummins, according to Jasprit Bumrah.A diving Handscomb appeared to scoop up a thick edge after Kohli drove hard at a full and wide delivery, but the decision was then referred to the third umpire, Nigel Llong. Llong was unable to find conclusive evidence, after extensively reviewing replays, to overturn the soft signal of out given by Kumar Dharmasena in consultation with Chris Gaffaney on the field.But Bumrah said India were puzzled by the original decision.”We were a little surprised by the on-field call,” said Bumrah. “Now it has been done, and it has been done. Now we will move forward with the game.”Conversely, Nathan Lyon said there was no doubt in the minds of the Australian players that Handscomb had taken the catch cleanly.”I wasn’t sure about the conversation between the umpires but, yeah, we thought it was out.”Conversation was ‘great catch’.”Getty Images

Kohli’s wicket fell at a crucial time in India’s innings, with India on 251 and trailing Australia’s first-innings total by 75 runs. The decision sparked a lively debate among fans and commentators alike and drew a strong reaction on social media in India.ALSO READ: Bat, breathe, bat – the essence of Virat KohliSpeaking on ABC radio, former Australia batsman Ed Cowan took an opposing view. “There is zero doubt in my mind that this catch has carried,” Cowan said. “Virat has made this a news story, and he shouldn’t.”He should have the grace to walk off and say that was a fair catch.”Kohli’s demeanour was animated through the day’s play. When he reached his century he held his bat up with one hand and made a talking gesture with his other hand. He encouraged the enthusiastic and noisy Indian contingent in the crowd and was front and centre for celebrations whenever an Australian wicket fell. There was also what appeared to be a colourful exchange between Kohli and Tim Paine as the pair walked off the field at the end of the day’s play.Lyon played down the significance of the exchange.”I think he just asked him where he was going for dinner that’s all,” Lyon said. “I’ve played enough cricket against Virat to know what he’s like.”Virat’s Virat and I’m not worried about what he’s doing or what India’s doing.”But Kohli’s animation throughout the day was enough to draw criticism from some, including former Australia batsmen, Michael Hussey.”Virat Kohli is out of control out there,” said Hussey, speaking on Macquarie Radio. “He is revving up the crowd and he is going nuts when they take a wicket. I don’t like his attitude at the moment.”

Kent were level with Essex at the top of Division Two for a few heady hours before a thumping innings win for Essex against Worcestershire reasserted the superiority of the long-time leaders

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford02-Sep-2016
ScorecardTom Westley picked up a couple of wickets after scoring a career-best 254•Getty Images

“I’d be lying if I said I weren’t checking the scores,” admitted Essex’s head coach Chris Silverwood.Every interval – virtually every moment of peace – at Chelmsford over the last three days had been broken by an update of scores from around the country, both in the stands and the players’ balcony.News of Kent’s emphatic victory over Sussex, taking them level on points with Essex at the top of Division Two, filtered through as the players were walking off the field for tea. Just over an hour later, Essex had completed their demolition job of Worcestershire. This victory by an innings and 161 runs will have registered down the road in Kent, too.A three-day finish was on the cards when Worcestershire were reduced to 64 for 5 by lunch, in their first innings on day one. That Essex were able to fulfil expectations was ultimately down to Graham Napier, who picked up his fourth five-wicket haul of the season, after Ryan ten Doeschate had brought up his third century of the season before declaring 371 runs ahead.It was not the cleanest morning’s work from Essex. They lost Tom Westley run out for 254: his innings ended at 506 minutes after ten Doeschate dropped the ball into the off side and ran instantly. Westley gave up the run about halfway down, as Brett D’Oliveira swooped from point to throw down the stumps.Still, the Essex skipper remained calm and brought up his century from 114 balls. His innings also took his season’s tally past 1,000 first-class runs for the first time in his career.Essex should have struck in the first over of Worcestershire’s second innings. Jamie Porter got his fourth delivery to lift off a length and take Daryl Mitchell’s edge, only for Nick Browne to put down a simple catch at third slip. Browne would make amends later with a stunning one-handed catch at point, off the bowling of Will Rhodes, to remove Tom Fell.Mitchell’s reprieve allowed him and D’Oliveira to survive until the last over before lunch. It was then that David Masters, in his first over from the Hayes Close end, where he nabbed all seven of his first innings wickets, sent Mitchell on his way with a delivery that kept low as it moved in, knocking into middle and off stump.With the fourth ball after lunch, D’Oliveira was accounted for – becoming the first of Napier’s three afternoon-session wickets when he edged through to James Foster. The second came when Joe Clarke played on, looking to continue on an enterprising innings that was cut short at 22.At this point, George Rhodes, the only bright spot for Worcestershire at Chelmsford, seemed to be on his way to a second half-century in the match.It was at this point that ten Doeschate decided to throw the ball to Westley. Despite the change in regulation, spin has played little part at Chelmsford. In fact, Westley’s first over, the 39th of the second innings, was the first sight of spin from the hosts. It took just four balls to come good, as Ross Whiteley was trapped in front from around the wicket. In Westley’s next over, he drew Rhodes out of his crease to give James Foster his first Championship stumping of the season. The wicket of Leach, bowled by a full Napier delivery that moved late into the right-hander, took the teams to tea.There was a carnival feel to the evening session, as the floodlights were superseded by the sun, which found a gap in the clouds as Essex pushed for a day off. Ed Barnard, caught by Westley at second slip off Napier and then Ben Cox, flicking Masters tamely to Jamie Porter at mid on, gave Napier four in the innings and Masters nine in the match (he had never taken 10). And so the game within a game began – who would get the final wicket? In the end, it went Napier’s way, as Jack Shantry, having stroked a couple of boundaries, offered a high leading edge that ten Doeschate caught brilliantly, sprinting in from mid off.Essex now have a round off, while Kent host a revitalised Northamptonshire at Beckenham. In the meantime, the Essex players will be given some time off before they return to Chelmsford on September 12 to play Glamorgan, before a potential winner-takes-all clash with Kent at Canterbury in the final round of the season.Essex will play their remaining two matches without Alastair Cook, hence the acquisition of Adam Wheater on loan. With Hampshire happy for the wicketkeeper batsman to court opportunities elsewhere ahead of next season, Essex are thought to be interested in bringing him back to the club he left in 2013 on a more permanent basis. Silverwood, though, was keen not to comment on the matter just yet.

Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah have been rested for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Sussex ahead of the opening Test against England at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016Mohammad Amir and legspinner Yasir Shah have been rested for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Sussex ahead of the opening Test against England at Lord’s.Both bowlers impressed against Somerset at Taunton, Amir taking 3 for 36 in the first innings with some dangerous swing at good pace while Yasir enjoyed a lengthy bowl in the second innings as he finished with 4 for 107.Rahat Ali has also been left out as Pakistan bring in Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan and Zulfiqar Babar.The batting, though, remains unchanged which, barring injuries, confirms the top-order line-up for the opening Test. Most of the batsmen spent decent time in the middle against Somerset, although Mohammad Hafeez (20 and 10), captain Misbah-ul-Haq (0 and 19) and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed will hope for a more productive outing at Hove.”We had a pretty decent outing against Somerset. I would expect everyone shall maintain and improve on standards on display at Taunton in batting, bowling and fielding,” Mickey Arthur, the head coach, said. “We have to keep up with the benchmarks we have achieved so far, with the same intensity. Slacking off at any point would not be acceptable”.