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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:36

By the Numbers – 50 wickets in 10 years

Fifties to Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews were the sparks in a Sri Lanka score of 248 for 9, but gloom ultimately defined the day, after rain washed out play four overs into the reply. The back end of Sri Lanka’s innings had been played in drizzle, which persisted through the lunch break and for some time afterwards. Although the weather relented to allow the teams to resume play, it returned at about 4pm and play was called off by 5.30pm. England had lost Alex Hales, for a golden duck, and were 16 for 1.As at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, Sri Lanka batted first on a pitch that provided bowlers with only modest assistance. And in Bristol, just like in the first two games, partnerships were severed by canny quicks whenever the visitors threatened to assume control of the match. In the ten overs following the 35th, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 40 runs, and squandered the base their half-centurions had provided.England’s bowlers were disciplined, rather than dominant, but they were supported athletically in the field. More than one Sri Lanka batsman was provoked to frustration. Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes claimed three scalps apiece, the former more effective with the new ball, the latter quite good with the old.The early wicket of Danushka Gunathilaka weighted down Sri Lanka’s start, as England bowled four overs for eight runs inside the Powerplay. This was to the particular frustration of Kusal Perera, whose more ambitious strokes failed to pierce a lively England infield. Mendis kept the score moving at one end, as he creamed the ball square on the off side and maintained a strike rate of almost a run a ball, but overall progress was nevertheless laboured. In the ninth over, when Perera aimed an expansive hoick over the leg side off Plunkett, only to send the ball high and into the wicketkeeper’s gloves, Sri Lanka were scoring at less than four an over. The score at the Powerplay’s end was 34 for 2.So began the rebuild, while England’s bowlers pulled back their lengths slightly on what was turning out to be a slower-than-expected surface. Mendis batted as he has through the tour, eyes glinting and wrists whipping quickly as soon as a poor ball was glimpsed. He bludgeoned two Chris Jordan short balls for four and six at the end of the 18th over. The four just cleared a climbing mid-on. The six sailed comfortably over the deep midwicket rope. Next over, Mendis completed a second ODI fifty with the 78th run of the innings, but then his panache forged his downfall. Attempting to repeat his pulled six against a taller, faster Plunkett, Mendis managed only to put the ball in the palms of deep square leg.Chandimal, who had massaged the ball around the infield while Mendis was in, assumed a more positive outlook as he and Mathews manoeuvred Sri Lanka away from 88 for 3. Mathews ventured a low, straight six off Plunkett in the 26th over, but Adil Rashid’s legspin was the more frequent victim of the pair’s belligerence. Rashid’s seventh over went for seven, and his next for 10, before Morgan took him out of the attack. The seamers returned the pair to a more measured approach, though they did continue to score smartly enough, relative to the situation: their 80-run stand was the heftiest in Sri Lanka’s innings, and came off 87 balls.Having set themselves up at a reasonable 165 for 3 after 35 overs, the following ten overs were a period of significant decline. Chandimal, then Seekkuge Prasanna, were out in consecutive overs, both caught aiming swipes across the line. Mathews moved to his second half-century in three games in the company of Upul Tharanga, but top-edged a leg-side heave off Jordan to depart for 56 off 67 in the 44th over. Though the match situation was well-poised for Dasun Shanaka to showcase his hitting range, yet he attempted a non-existent single to short third man, and found himself run out cheaply again, by a sharp Joe Root. On this occasion, though, a case could be made that Shanaka’s bat was actually back inside the crease when the bail was out of its groove.Tharanga then made the best of having to bat with the tail. The four he struck through midwicket at the beginning of the 46th over would be the last of the innings. He cobbled together a 33-ball 40, while Woakes in particular bowled expertly to his field, at the death. He took out the top of Tharanga’s middle stump with his final ball, before Sri Lanka’s last-wicket pair swung optimistically through the final over.

South Africa have named a 15-man squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, with allrounder Muhammed Bulbulia appointed captain for the tournament, to be staged in Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6 next year.Bulbulia, who has impressed in recent youth competitions, will lead a group looking to secure South Africa’s first Under-19 World Cup title since their only triumph in 2014.South Africa have been placed in Group D, where they will face West Indies, Afghanistan and Tanzania.Before the main event, South Africa will sharpen their preparations with three Youth ODIs against India at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, from January 5 to 7.Head coach Malibongwe Maketa praised the squad’s development and maturity, noting the progress the group had made since coming together at lower age-group levels.”What has impressed me most is the growth these players have shown,” Maketa said. “From meeting them as 16-year-olds to seeing who they are now, it’s clear we’re developing not just cricketers, but good young men for this country.”Cricket-wise, their understanding of the intensity required at international level has been outstanding. They’ve gone back to work with their coaches and returned with a new level of intent at every session — exactly what’s needed to compete at a World Cup.”I’m very confident in this group. The progress they’ve made, combined with a culture built on hard work, resilience and putting the team first, gives me real belief. They’ve embraced those values with hunger and quiet confidence.”South Africa open their World Cup campaign on January 16, taking on Afghanistan at the HP Oval in Windhoek.Squad: Muhammad Bulbulia (capt), JJ Basson, Daniel Bosman, Corne Botha, Paul James, Enathi Khitshini Tembalethu, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien, Bayanda Majola, Armaan Manack, Bandile Mbatha, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka, Jason Rowles, Ntandoyenkosi Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk.

“I am not a stats man, I am a win man,” Simon Harmer said when asked by Murali Kartik in the post-match presentation about his returns: his 8 for 51 is the best by a South Africa spinner in a Test in India and second only to Dale Steyn’s 10 for 108 back in 2010.The other South Africans at Eden Gardens could say the same. They started the third day staring at a crisis. They fought their way out of it with the bat, led by Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch, and then had Marco Jansen first and then Harmer running through the opposition.All India had in front of them was a target of 124. They only got 93.Related

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“A game like this, you can’t dwell into it too much, because… we should have been able to chase this score, but eventually the pressure kept on building in the second innings and we couldn’t capitalise,” Rishabh Pant, standing in as captain in Shubman Gill’s absence, said. “Definitely there was help in the wicket, a [target] of 120 can be tricky on these kinds of surfaces, but at the same time, as a team we should be able to soak in the pressure.”He pointed to the morning session when South Africa, resuming on 93 for 7, added 60 more runs. “That was the turning point,” Pant said. “Temba and Bosch had a brilliant partnership in the morning and that got them back in the game and that hurt us too much at the end of the game.”Bavuma isn’t the sort to talk big, so he kept it simple.”It was about awareness. Second innings, I didn’t change too much. Fortunately I have played in India before, so I kind of understand the little bit of adjustment that you need to make, and luck also plays a part,” he said of his innings of 55 not out, the only half-century in a game where no innings touched 200.”The captaincy, you are only as good as the players. That I give it to them. Batting, I am just comfortable with myself. And technique: not to worry about trigger and all those types of things. I stand as still as I can, watch the ball. I have a decent understanding of my game. I have come here to India wanting to do well. Not the greatest of records when it comes to these conditions. There’s a bit of that exuberance from my side to see myself doing well in these conditions and implement all the little things that I’m trying here, and keep contributing for the team.”The partnership with Bosch, I think with Marco as well at the end of the day [yesterday], just gave a little bit of impetus. The wicket played a bit better this morning, wasn’t as extreme. We tried to stay in the game as much as we could. It is not all the time that you score 120-125 and that’s a winning score. I think it was a case of staying in the game and keep believing.”Contribute he did, and then turned to his bowlers.3:40

Did India let South Africa off the hook in the morning?

“Very exciting. We want to be a part of these games and be on the right side of the result. We tried to hold on to our nerves as much as we could,” Bavuma said. “It was tough for us and we needed the bowlers to exploit what was there and the guys did that beautifully. We were able to change our bowlers frequently and that worked for us.”If Harmer is to be believed, the conditions got a bit tougher for him on the third day.”Today, I felt it probably got a little bit flatter as the ball got softer. It wasn’t exploding as much. I was asking myself some really hard questions,” he said. “Nice to contribute. I have been here before and it was a dark place, losing [three out of four Tests in 2015]. So to get here, to be behind the eight-ball again, and for the team to fight the way they did, shows where this group is and what they are capable of and the belief that they have.”I knew I needed to bowl well. I think it was the same when we were batting – it felt like we were one partnership away from getting ourselves into the game. It was the same with ball in hand. We knew we were one partnership away from getting really close. I just needed to try and put as many balls in the right areas and trust that the wicket would do its bit.”

Bangladesh prevailed by four wickets in the first T20I despite Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan’s mid-innings burst of four wickets. Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain took Bangladesh home with eight balls remaining. Bangladesh had lost six wickets for nine runs in the space of 25 balls, that too after their openers got them 109 runs in 11.3 overs.Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan both struck fifties, dominating the Afghanistan bowling as they chased 152. Rashid, though, struck four times in two overs, while Fareed Ahmad and Noor Ahmad took a wicket each, as Bangladesh looked down and out at one stage.

Rashid rips through Bangladesh

Fareed had dropped Emon on 27 but he made amends by removing him for 54 off 37 balls in the 12th over. However, Afghanistan barely celebrated the wicket, given the start the Bangladesh openers had provided.Rashid then got the googly zipping through Saif Hassan, whose front-foot prod was not enough to save him. Rashid ended the over with Tanzid’s wicket as the left-hand batter edged the legspinner for 51.Rashid removed both Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain in his next over, both falling lbw. Jaker missed a sweep, while Shamim went back into the crease to turn the ball around the corner. When Noor also had Tanzim Hasan lbw in the next over, Bangladesh looked out of the contest.

Nurul saves Bangladesh’s blushes

Nurul and Rishad were Bangladesh’s last recognised batters. Rishad, though, had not been in good form while Nurul was reeling from his strange knock against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. But they bounced back with the match-winning stand. Nurul struck two sixes in his unbeaten 23, while Rishad struck the winning runs with his third boundary, as Bangladesh won with eight balls remaining.Rashid Khan picked up four wickets•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Bangladesh strike early with the ball

Bangladesh didn’t lose shape when they bowled during the powerplay, despite Taskin Ahmed going for three fours in the first over. Nasum Ahmed bowled Ibrahim Zadran as the batter went for a slog. Tanzim Hasan got on to rear towards Sediqullah Atal’s chest, for the batter to give a tame catch to Emon at slip.Darwish Rasooli was a victim of a huge mix-up with Rahmanullah Gurbaz when Mustafizur Rahman stopped the ball off his own bowling, with both batters next to each other at the non-striker’s end. Rasooli sacrificed his wicket, as Afghanistan lost three wickets in the powerplay. There was no respite after the powerplay either, as Mohammad Ishaq holed out to deep square leg in Rishad’s first over.

Emon, Tanzid make merry

Bangladesh’s innings kicked off when Emon struck Mohammad Nabi for 16 runs in the fifth over. Rubbing salt into the wounds were two dropped catches in the over. Emon slammed a six off the first ball, before being dropped by Gurbaz on the fourth ball. The batter launched the next ball over midwicket for another six, before Fareed dropped a straightforward catch off the last ball.Tanzid, who returned after being dropped for the last two games, got into the act soon afterwards. He hammered a huge six off Nabi in the seventh over, followed by a second one off Noor in the following over. Both openers hit a six each off Sharafuddin Ashraf in the tenth over before bringing up Bangladesh’s first century stand for any wicket against Afghanistan. Afghanistan did make a comeback from there but could not convert it into a win.

After a hectic period abroad, allrounder Cooper Connolly marked his return to the WACA with a half-century under pressure in the high stakes Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Victoria.Connolly threatened to turn the game on its head before Victoria regrouped and dismissed WA for 186 in their first innings. Openers Campbell Kellaway and Marcus Harris blunted WA’s attack in the last hour as Victoria built a 43-run lead by stumps on day two.The match has been a see-saw throughout with both teams firmly in the race to play South Australia in the final starting on March 26. They are fighting for the outright victory needed to overtake Queensland and New South Wales, who are both in trouble in their respective matches.Connolly rescued WA’s first innings from ruins at 111 for 8 with a top score of 56 off 104 balls on a green surface that has heavily favoured the bowlers although the pitch did seem to flatten out towards the backend of the day.He had a tough time in foreign conditions during his Test debut in Sri Lanka and at the Champions Trophy, but continued to build an impressive record at Shield level with his fourth half-century from his first six innings.While Connolly played somewhat within himself given the circumstances and conditions, he showcased his class with eight fours and a six.The rest of the WA batters combined for just ten boundaries across 78.2 overs as they got strangled by a disciplined Victoria pace attack with captain Will Sutherland, Peter Siddle and David Moody nagging away and producing sharp seam movement.WA had earlier resumed at 10 for 1 having lost captain Sam Whiteman just before stumps on day one. After starring with a five-wicket haul, nightwatchman Corey Rocchiccioli hoped to be a nuisance for Victoria and he looked untroubled until he was caught behind down the legside for 16, off Sutherland – in a similar dismissal to Whiteman.It brought out Jayden Goodwin, who was perhaps fortunate to hold his spot in the team ahead of Sam Fanning having only passed 10 once in his last five Shield innings. Goodwin hadn’t yet scored when he had a nervous moment after a loud shout by Sutherland for a catch at short leg.But he survived and had some respite from offspinner Todd Murphy, who came into the attack in the ninth over but struggled to find his lengths. He bowled too short and did not produce the same type of threat as counterpart Rocchicccioli, who is taller and able to produce more bounce.Opener Cameron Bancroft hoped to stonewall like he did in the last match against NSW with a vital 86 off 277 balls in WA’s second innings. But Siddle was rewarded for his accuracy when he had Bancroft edging to second slip for 14 as WA slumped to 35 for 3.Hilton Cartwright came to the crease in fine form having made a first-class career high of 171 not out against NSW, continuing a stellar season where he is currently the Shield’s leading run-scorer.Cartwright’s confidence was evident when he skipped down the wicket at Murphy and he stroked a lovely cover drive to make a mockery of the conditions. But he was unable to refocus after lunch and tamely nicked off a back of a length delivery from Sutherland to trigger a collapse of 5 for 35.Siddle and Sutherland bowled superbly in tandem with their lengths perfectly suited to this tricky surface.The normally flamboyant Connolly started cautiously before opening his account on his ninth delivery when he cracked a boundary through point, a rare loose ball from Sutherland who had only leaked nine runs off 11.5 overs up to that point.Former WA quick Moody complemented Sutherland and Siddle well in his Victoria debut and first Shield match in two years. Proving a worthy replacement for spearhead Scott Boland, who did not make the trip to Perth due to knee soreness, Moody enjoyed a surface that had more pace than the previous day’s play as he unleashed off his very long run-up.Victoria looked set for a handy first-innings lead before being left frustrated by a 53-run ninth-wicket partnership between Connolly and Cameron Gannon, who is a more than capable lower-order batter.Connolly did not have many opportunities to counterattack, but he kept the runs ticking against Murphy and hit the only six of the innings by hooking Moody into the ground’s construction site. He received healthy applause after reaching his half-century off 97 balls and eyed an unexpected lead for WA.However, Connolly was left disappointed after he was adjudged caught behind off Siddle in a decision that he clearly disagreed with. The evergreen Siddle finished with superb figures of 3 for 10 off 13.2 overs as he did his part in keeping Victoria’s title hopes alive.

It was a heist for the ages in Mount Maunganui as New Zealand secured an eight-run win in the first T20I, and with it took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. But more importantly it was a lesson in fight from the hosts, one the visitors would do well to take note of.For much of the game it had looked Sri Lanka’s to lose. The first instance was when New Zealand were reeling on 65 for 5 midway through their innings, and the second when Sri Lanka were cruising after a 121-run opening stand needing just 52 off 40 deliveries.On both occasions New Zealand fought back, and hard – initially through a 105-run stand between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell to post a competitive 172 for 8, and then finally through a late strangle that saw Sri Lanka lose eight wickets for 38 runs after being in total control of proceedings.Jacob Duffy was at the heart of the collapse with a three-wicket 14th over, as he set the wheels in motion for a sterling New Zealand comeback – which also earned him the player of the match award. Sri Lanka though will be at a loss for words in attempting to explain how they let this game slip.A collapse for the agesSri Lanka thought they had done enough – and by all accounts they had. A 121-run opening stand in chase of 173 would in most cases have been more than enough. After all, when Kusal Mendis fell for a brisk 46, Sri Lanka needed only another 52 runs off 40 deliveries with nine wickets in hand.Sure, three balls later that equation changed to 52 needed with seven wickets in hand, after Duffy had made sure Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis followed Kusal to the dressing room. But, surely not?Nerves were eased a bit as Charith Asalanka joined Pathum Nissanka in the middle to chip away. But when he fell with 28 still required off 16, more doubts crept in. And then when Matt Henry removed Nissanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the span of a few deliveries, all doubt was removed. Sri Lanka needed 19 off 8, but only Wanindu Hasaranga could be counted on to strike the boundaries needed.Hasaranga being run out without facing a ball in the final over summed up Sri Lanka’s disastrous end to the game.Binura leads Sri Lanka’s early chargeMitchell Santner had been concerned about about a “green tinge” on the surface having been put in to bat, and after the first ten overs his concerns seemed warranted as New Zealand had stumbled to 65 for 5.Pathum Nissanka’s 90 from 60 balls seemed to have put Sri Lanka firmly in control•Getty Images

Binura Fernando, playing his first T20I in nine months, proved the most effective of Sri Lanka’s three seamers despite never clocking more than 130kph. He showed admirable control and found consistent movement in the air despite bowling mostly on a good length or slightly further back; the wickets of Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra were just rewards, and he might have had another had Charith Asalanka not spilled Mark Chapman at mid-off.Binura’s opening burst of three overs went for just 12 runs, before a Hasaranga double-strike in the 10th over really rammed home Sri Lanka’s early dominance.Mitchell and Bracewell counter brutallyIf the first half of the innings belonged to Sri Lanka, the second was well and truly New Zealand’s. After a couple of overs treading water, Bracewell signalled his intent to shift gears with a pair of boundaries off Maheesh Theekshana in the 14th, before unloading on an off-colour Matheesha Pathirana an over later – a flicked six into the grass banks and a monster loft over wide long-off the highlights in a 22-run over.Bracewell’s power was on total display from then on as Hasaranga and Binura were also both taken for maximums over the next few overs. And there would be no respite for Sri Lanka at the other end either, as Mitchell struck in lockstep with his partner, the pair even bringing up their respective fifties off consecutive deliveries.In total, 107 runs were struck between overs 10-20, with 85 of those coming off the six-over period from 13-19. Only an excellent final over from Theekshana, where three wickets fell for just three runs ensured New Zealand were kept below 180.Pathirana’s off dayFour overs for 60 runs and a solitary wicket marked a bad day at the office for Pathirana, but it’s the three no-balls (and subsequent free hits) that will no doubt have Sri Lanka’s coaching staff pulling their hair out. That one of those accounted for the wicket of Mitchell, when he was on eight, will be particularly grating.Pathirana also struggled with identifying an effective length, constantly bowling fuller than ideal – surprising considering the success Binura had had by hitting the deck harder, not to mention the success Pathirana himself has had with similar lengths in the past.

Mohammad Nazir, the former Pakistan offspinner and umpire, has died. Nazir jr, as he was also known, died in Lahore after a protracted illness. He was 78.He played 14 Tests and four ODIs for Pakistan. Although the Tests were spread across 14 years, he was best remembered for the impact in his very first Test, against New Zealand in October 1969.Playing in Karachi on a pitch which took spin from the start, Nazir picked up 7 for 99 in his very first innings. In addition, he scored a handy, unbeaten 29 with the bat, and was not out on 17 in the second innings as well. The Test was drawn, but proved to be a significant one, in that it was the great Hanif Mohammad’s last Test, and his younger brother Sadiq’s first.