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Haryana were struggling to avoid an innings defeat at the hands of Jammu &Kashmir on the third day of their North Zone Ranji Trophy clash at theMaulana Azad Stadium in Jammu today. A marvellous century by Ajay Jadeja ona day when the match-fixing noose was tightening around his neck saw hostsJ&K advance to 364, for a lead of 190. Opening bowler Abdul Qayoom thentook the baton from Jadeja, grabbing 4/35, to leave Haryana tottering at100/6 in their second innings, still 90 runs adrift of their opponents.Resuming at 247/5, Jadeja lost two more partners before he found a staunchally in Qayoom. The pair added 70 for the eighth wicket before Jadeja wascaught by Jasvir Singh off leg spinner Amit Mishra for 120 (296 balls, 13fours, 2 sixes). Seven runs later, Mishra had Qayoom (28) stumped by AjayRatra to bring the curtain down on the innings in the 141st over. Theleggie returned figures of 5/99 in 47.3 overs.Qayoom was nicely warmed up for the action to follow and ripped through theHaryana middle order to bring them to their knees at 67/6 in the 30th over.Sanjay Dalal (14) and Ajay Ratra (17) then added an unbroken 33 in amini-recovery before stumps.

Shashank Manohar has been formally elected BCCI president at the board’s special general meeting (SGM) in Mumbai on Sunday. Soon after, at his first press conference, he announced a wide range of measures to tackle various critical issues facing the board, including conflict of interest, corruption in cricket, the lack of transparency in the board’s operations and financial accountability of the state associations.His overall message was clear: “Nothing is wrong in the board.” The problem, he said, was one of perception, created by the lack of information flowing from the board. “Therefore, to clear that myth and change the perception, we would [implement the changes] immediately,” he said. How immediate? “In two months’ time all these things about which I have spoken will be implemented in full force.”He also stressed on the board’s unity, a point reinforced by his specific comments – “Excellent secretary, better than most of the secretaries I have seen in this board” – on N Srinivasan, the ICC chairman and seen as an adversary. “We are not working here with a vindictive attitude,” he said. “The entire Board, when we discussed together, were united. All 30 members including the Tamil Nadu Association said we have to work together and build the image of the Board and not fight amongst ourselves.”For starters, he said, the BCCI would appoint an independent official to preside over matters relating to conflict of interest – the one issue at the heart of the BCCI’s credibility problem since 2008, when the constitution was changed to allow officials to be stakeholders in the IPL. “The board would frame regulations with regards to conflict of interest of administrators, players and their staff. That would be done within a month’s time,” he said. “And the board would also appoint an ombudsman or an ethics officer who would be independent of this board and who would look into the complaints regarding conflict of interest.”The IPL also threw up the board’s single biggest crisis of the past few years, the 2013 spot-fixing case. Investigating that case revealed several shortcomings in the board’s process, including its lack of teeth in carrying out deep and meaningful inquiries. To that end, Manohar said, he hoped to discuss with government officials the possibility of engaging their investigating agencies, who would have far greater powers. It would help that the board secretary, Anurag Thakur, is a senior member of India’s ruling party, the BJP.Much of the public distrust of the board is the lack of transparency, especially in financial matters, which has given the BCCI an image of being a closed club. The board is not accountable to any outside agency, nor even to the public under the Right to Information legislation, and Manohar stressed that the latter should apply only if the government amends the law. However, he seemed to take a step forward by saying the board’s constitution – so long inaccessible to all outsiders – would be posted on its website. Also to be posted are the board’s balance sheet and any expenditure above Rs 25 lakh (approx. US$ 38,000).Similarly, he aims to tighten controls on the state associations, who receive funds from the central kitty but whose spending is not monitored. “A lot of debate goes on that the associations are paid huge money by the board and nobody knows what happens to that money,” he said. “The accounts of all associations are audited by their auditors. However, we would build a system by which the accounts of the affiliated units would be audited by an independent auditor appointed by the board, where after [thereafter] the further money would be released to the state associations. The board would also be empowered to take action in case the board finds that the money which has been given to the state association is not being properly utilised.”Manohar also held out some hope for that most forgotten stakeholder in Indian cricket, the ordinary fan. He made several references to the fans and acknowledged their role in making the BCCI the powerful organisation it is today. “The BCCI is a huge brand in itself. [But] without the support of the fans it would not have been possible for the board to become this big. The confidence of the cricket-loving fans has shaken due to certain unpleasant things that have happened. [It is the duty of] all members of the board to build the reputation of the board and bring it back to its full reputation.”Manohar’s election, which was necessitated by the death last month of the incumbent Jagmohan Dalmiya, became a formality after he was the only person nominated for the post on the eve of the election. He had first emerged as the front-runner for the post when the Bharatiya Janata Party backed him.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details 1:56

‘Kookaburra balls swings more’ – Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma’s searing opening spell defined day two of the tour match, as he tore through half the opposition inside 21 balls, after India had reached 351. Sixteen wickets fell in total during the day – most of these to the new ball, on a surface that remained helpful for seam bowling.The Indians themselves were in trouble at 28 for 3 in the second innings, but were steadied by KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara, who led the team to 112 for 3 by stumps. The visitors lead the Board President’s XI by 342.Ishant prospered bowling full and straight, finding sharp movement off the seam, as well as a little swing in the air. Though the Board XI’s attack is comprised of inexperienced first-class cricketers, the top order is packed with Sri Lanka players. Three of Ishant’s victims – Kaushal Silva, Lahiru Thirimanne and Upul Tharanga, had played in Sri Lanka’s most recent Test in Pallekele. His two other scalps – Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva – also played in the recent T20 series against Pakistan, at the same venue.

“Major difference is the ball” – Ishant

The extra movement on offer in Sri Lanka was the major change from bowling in India, Ishant Sharma said. Ishant used the movement in the air and off the surface to claim figures of five wickets for five runs in his first competitive spell in the country.
While an SG ball is used for Tests in India, Sri Lanka uses the Kookaburra ball. “Initially with Kookaburra ball it swings, and there was help for fast bowlers today,” he said. “Major difference is the ball. They also leave some grass here so the ball is seaming and swinging a bit. As you can see we also lost three wickets and they also lost quite a few wickets. New ball is important and after that how consistent you are with the old is going to make a huge difference.”
Reverse swing often also plays a role in Sri Lanka, particularly at Galle, where the track is often dry and a strong breeze blows off the sea. “We have been discussing how to maintain the ball, and how we will bowl in certain situations when the batsmen are set and ball is old. Ball is going to swing for 12-14 overs so after that how you will bowl is really important.”

Silva was dismissed off the first ball Ishant delivered. The bowler sent one at the stumps and jagged it in at the batsman to trap him in front. De Silva was gone by the end of that over, when he let another full Ishant delivery through his defences. Tharanga was also out lbw, and Thirimanne and Kusal fell off consecutive deliveries. Thirimanne was caught in the slips as he pushed at a ball just outside the line of the stumps. Kusal barely had time to register the delivery that clattered into his stumps, before he was headed back to the pavilion.Thirimanne’s failure may be particularly significant in the context of the series. His place in the Test XI had been under significant contention, following a string of low scores against Pakistan. He will now know he needs a second innings score to shore up his position.Having reduced the opposition to 10 for 5 inside eight overs, the Indians eased off the throttle. Ishant was taken out of the attack to allow Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron a run at the lower order. They teased batsmen’s edges by consistently delivering the ball that shaped away from left-handers. There was plenty of pace in that spell too. Of the few runs the Board XI could manage against the new ball, most came behind square.Milinda Siriwardene survived for 47 deliveries, in which he hit 32 runs. The cut and the square drive were his most productive strokes, until he edged Aaron behind, having pushed the score beyond 50.Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka came together with the score on 51 for 7 to put on 63 together. The ball had aged enough to dull some of the movement, and the zip off the pitch, and both men chose to attack, even when Ishant returned to the bowling crease. It would eventually be the spin of R Ashwin that removed them. Gunathilaka gave up a top-edge as he attempted to launch Ashwin over the legside, and Dickwella was bowled. The board XI innings was wrapped up for 121 runs.The new ball brought wickets again towards the end of the day, when left-armer Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha combined to claim the Indians’ top three in quick succession. Rohit Sharma collected his second single-figure score of the match when he was lbw to Fernando for eight. Wriddhiman Saha received a somewhat more contentious lbw decision when the ball hit him somewhere near the top of his pad, third ball. Kohli fell for his second low score in the match as well, chipping Fernando straight to cover.Pujara was again on hand to stem the quick loss of wickets, combining with Rahul put on a slow but risk-free 84 runs. Rahul was not out on 47 at day’s end, and Pujara on 31.

0:58

Dobell: West Indies showed discipline and pride

The second day of the series involved a similar scenario to the first, with West Indies dominating the opening session but England ending with the advantage. The home side’s quicks had another excellent morning to restrict England to 399 but their reply was a stuttering affair as they stumbled to 155 for 4.There was good bowling on display throughout the day, firstly by West Indies’ pace trio and then the collective five-man England unit led by James Anderson, who moved one wicket closer to breaking Ian Botham’s Test record. Successes were hard-earned, as they should be, and Chris Jordan’s brilliant low catch at slip brought Kraigg Brathwaite’s scalp to leave West Indies tottering on 99 for 4. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in a familiar role, and Jermaine Blackwood, who was given a life on 21 when Ben Stokes overstepped having taken the edge, battled to the close with West Indies still 244 behind.England began the day with eyes on a total around 500 but instead ended up just short of 400. In all, going back to Ian Bell’s dismissal late on the first evening, England’s last six wickets fell for 58 and that included a stand of 38 by the final pair of Jordan and Anderson.There was a period of five consecutive maidens, which highlighted West Indies’ early grip on proceedings. That stranglehold included the removal of both overnight batsmen, Stokes and James Tredwell, then Jos Buttler struggled through a 22-ball duck and Stuart Broad’s batting woes continued. The combination of Bell, Stokes and Joe Root contributed 305 of England’s runs; the rest 70.Anderson, who had flayed 20 via five boundaries in his 100th Test, responded with an outstanding opening spell which included the scalp of Devon Smith, who was worked over before edging to Buttler. Jordan, without quite the same consistency of line or length in his first spell, provided the second breakthrough when Darren Bravo was late trying to withdraw his bat.Brathwaite impressed in South Africa with his steel and determination, traits that were again on show as he withstood the early forays. Marlon Samuels, meanwhile, was more aggressive from the outset and was aided by four overthrows when he took a quick single to the off side and Anderson’s throw – a justifiable one as Samuels would have been short – was just wide of the stumps.Chris Jordan went low to his right at slip to take a fantastic catch•Getty Images

However, Samuels was removed by a smart piece of bowling by Broad shortly after tea when he rolled his fingers across the ball and found the outside edge. In finest Hannibal style, a plan had clearly come together, given the applause from the bowling coach Ottis Gibson on the balcony and Broad himself.During this period, Tredwell was wheeling away through what would become a 12-over spell. His selection is viewed more as an indictment of English spin resources than recognition for Tredwell – and there is an element of truth to that argument – but he performed his role admirably, using his experience with subtle changes of pace. His reward was to remove the nuggety Brathwaite, who edged a ball on the back foot, but it was the grab at slip by Jordan, low to his right, which was the show-stopping moment.Blackwood responded by putting his second ball, from Tredwell, over long-off and was a curious combination of defence and the occasional moment of outright aggression. Chanderpaul did what he has done forever and a day. However, although West Indies resisted well during the closing stages of the day – with a little help from Stokes’ errant front foot – the signs are that batting last will not be an easy task on this surface so much work remains to narrow the deficit.To start with they will need a good morning session on the third day, and for that at least the omens are promising given the way the match has gone so far. Whatever Curtly Ambrose said during a passionate team talk shortly before play clearly had the desired effect on West Indies’ bowlers. Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor soon settled into their work before Jason Holder followed them with an exacting spell of 7-4-14-1. The frustration will be that the disciplines of line and length deserted them for two sessions on Monday.Stokes angled one boundary down to third man before succumbing attempting a repeat which landed in the lap of a fine gully. The shot was neither one thing nor the other, which was a contrast to the conviction Stokes had shown for much of his innings. Tredwell’s stint as nightwatchman ended with a flat-footed drive that gave Bravo his third catch of the innings. Buttler was given nothing to free his arms against before he could resist no longer and edged a very full delivery.Broad has spoken very honestly about the problems he has faced with the bat since returning to the side after knee surgery, a delayed reaction to the blow from Varun Aaron at Old Trafford which broke his nose. On this occasion it took Roach just three deliveries to entice him into driving a soft catch to point.The most fluent batting of the morning came from the last-wicket pair as Jordan and Anderson managed to put bat to ball with decent impact. Jordan provided a reminder of his very solid technique while Anderson unfurled a couple of boundaries that revived the “Burnley Lara” tag. His fun came to end when he popped a catch to cover against Samuels and attention turned to his attempts to pass Botham’s England wicket-taking record.

Netherlands have one last chance of reaching the final of the Intercontinental Cup – a must-win game against Ireland which gets underway in Rotterdam on Wednesday.While a win could lift them into second spot above Kenya, defeat would leave them 18 points adrift and having played two games more. For all the importance of tomorrow’s match, Netherlands have been severely hampered by the absence of key players. Their gifted young batsman Alexei Kervezee has damaged a hamstring while Eric Szwarczynski continues to recover from a broken toe. Most importantly, however, they will miss the services of Ryan ten Doeschate who has chosen county over country.Rifaiz Bakas replaces Kervezee while another batsman, Lesley Stokkers, is also drafted into the squad.The scenario for Ireland, the defending champions, is slightly different. They have two games in hand against Netherlands – and have played one less than Kenya, who they trail by only 17 points. With Scotland, in fifth place but with two games coming up against the bottom two sides Bermuda and Canada, the table should become a lot clearer by the end of August.Like Netherlands, Ireland are also missing a number of key players. Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Niall O’Brien (Northamptonshire) and captain William Porterfield (Gloucestershire) are all absent on county duty, while another first-choice player, former captain Trent Johnston, is ruled out through work commitments. Andrew White misses the match for personal reasons.Ireland does have the consolation of welcoming back the increasingly influential all-rounder Kevin O’Brien, Niall’s brother, after injury. James Hall comes in for White and Greg Thompson also slots into the squad while Kyle McCallan takes over as captain.SquadsNetherlands (from): Jeroen Smits (capt, wk), Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Daan van Bunge, Tom de Grooth, Maurits Jonkman, Alexei Kervezee, Geert-Maarten Mol, Edgar Schiferli, Pieter Seelaar, Nick Statham, Bas Zuiderent.Ireland (from): Kyle McCallan (capt), Andre Botha, Peter Connell, Alex Cusack, Thinus Fourie, James Hall, Gary Kidd, Kevin O’ Brien, Andrew Poynter, Paul Stirling, Roger Strydom, Greg Thompson, Gary Wilson (wk).

While the stadium itself has retained none of the charm of the old world, the surroundings suggest you have entered a town of forts. Once you have entered the Feroz Shah Kotla – and it’s mighty tough given the security – just look up and you’ll find a policeman at most of the high points, overlooking the movements outside the stadium, almost like the guards in a fortress. They may as well be protecting India’s lead in the series, welcome to the Fortress Feroz Shah.Leading 1-0, India couldn’t have come to a better venue – Kotla itself means a citadel – to try and kill the series: they have won the last seven Tests played here. India’s build-up going intothe third Test is in stark contrast to the one going into Mohali, where they won comprehensively. In Mohali, India were not sure of the final XI till about half an hour before the start; here they arealmost sure – two days before the match – that Anil Kumble will replace Amit Mishra, who took a five-for on debut.If Kotla is the fortress, Kumble has been its king. He has taken 55 wickets in six Tests here, at an average of 15.41. After having missed the Mohali Test, he seems to have recovered from the shoulder injury, and has been bowling in the nets. “He is looking good,” Gary Kirsten, India’s coach, said. “We are very happy with the way he is progressing. And if he is fit, he is the captain of the team, and he will take Mishra’s place.”Harbhajan Singh’s fitness comes into question because of a toe injury he had picked towards the end of the Mohali Test. Yesterday he bowled less than an over in the nets. Today he did the fielding drills, bowled about three overs, and also batted. “We will just wait and see. We have got two days to go, but hopefully it’s not too serious,” Kirsten said of the injury.If Harbhajan and Kumble are both fit, Mishra will have to go back to what he has done for the last eight years: wait his turn. It may sound harsh, but that’s what mostly happens to the replacement when the captain is back to full fitness. Kirsten was very clear about that, and also ruled out playing three spinners. “That’s one good option you have [dropping a batsman to accommodate all the spinners],” Kirsten said, “But I certainly want to be going into a Test match with sixbatsmen.”And dropping one of the fast bowlers is not a question at all, given the form Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have been in.Apart from that aspect of team composition, Kirsten spoke of the confidence India’s win in Mohali gave them. “It was a great Test-match win, certainly a benchmark Test, in terms of dominating play,” Kirsten said. “It’s a new day, a new game, but we will certainly use that Test as a benchmark for what we want to achieve.”While the player behaviour has come under the scanner once again in an India-Australia series, Kirsten said it was natural when two such competitive sides played. “[These are] two very competitive, emotional and aggressive teams. I think there will always be occasions inpressure situation when either team might overstep the mark a little bit.”Zaheer, in the match referee meeting [when he was fined 80% of his match fee for having given Matthew Hayden a send-off], admitted that he had crossed the line, but these things happen. These are two teams playing a high level of cricket, that creates great excitementfor Test cricket in the world. We must encourage that competitiveness; we understand that individuals mustn’t overstep the mark.”

Scorecard

Not even Graham Gooch or Nasser Hussain, two of Essex’s most loyal luminaries, could have predicted the impact Graham Napier would have on the Twenty20 Cup this season. Batting with the same freedom and remarkable power of the past three weeks, he continued his supreme form with another bruising knock, but it was with the ball that he most impressed today. His 4 for 10 eased Essex past Northamptonshire at Chelmsford and, in doing so, into Finals Day.It was with some relief that the fortress of fans at Chelmsford were able to watch a match. 6000 Durham and Yorkshire supporters were denied in the first quarter-final of the day at Chester-le-Street, owing to an administrative bungle of embarrassing proportions. Happily, Napier and Essex were on top form to sound a note of caution to other Finals Day hopefuls. This was a dominant and all-round performance from the outset.They had the rub of the green, winning the toss and batting, but immediately put Northamptonshire’s bowlers under pressure. Ravi Bopara was out of the traps with a fortunate splice over the slips, yet thereafter played with an elegance not often seen in Twenty20 cricket. Two orthodox cover-drives were struck with immense timing, as were a fierce drive down the ground and a pull over midwicket. Curiously, Grant Flower came in at No.3 followed by James Foster, and at 134 for 3 it was a surprise Essex delayed Napier’s arrival.If it was a tactic, the decision paid off handsomely as Napier took command in 20 balls of power-hitting. The first of three sixes broke a tile on the roofs at midwicket, while Andrew Hall was repeatedly mowed through the leg side, but there is class amid the carnage, as demonstrated by a hit-through-the-line maximum off Johann Louw. The same bowler was dispatched for another six when Napier scythed him over long-on – very nearly over the floodlight. It, like all three, landed in the street.Essex’s good fortune continued when a brief shower spiced up the pitch, aiding David Masters and Napier’s impressive new-ball spell in defending 175 from 18 overs. Masters had Rob White caught behind with a keen incutter before Napier, bowling with genuine pace, lured Hall into nicking an outswinger. Three balls later David Sales was clean-bowled by a searing inswinger proving, were it needed, that behind Napier’s obvious brawn lies plenty of brain. Riki Wessels also fell under his spell, and at 11 for 4, Northamptonshire had little hope.Nicky Boje carved eight fours in an entertaining fifty, which almost went unnoticed by one of county cricket’s most partisan and honest crowds, but Northamptonshire never had a hope after their top-order capitulation. For good measure, Napier added Lance Klusener to pick up 4 for 10 – the most economical Essex figures in the Twenty20 Cup – as Essex wrapped up the most emphatic of wins.So far, Napier – surprisingly modest for someone with the build of a prop forward – has dismissed his chances of a future England call-up as the stuff of dreams. Today, he responded with “we’ll see,” perhaps showing the selectors that he himself now believes the hype. Either way, the Indian Premier League dollars now surely beckon.

Paul Adams, who burst onto the international scene after only five first-class matches for Western Province in 1995-96, has announced his retirement from professional cricket.A chinaman bowler with a unique action, famously described as resembling “a frog in a blender”, he took eight wickets on his Western Province debut against Northerns, earning him a call-up for South Africa A against England where he took 9 for 181 in the match. Six weeks later he became the youngest person to play for South Africa when picked for the Boxing Day Test at Port Elizabeth. He took eight wickets in the last two Tests of the series as South Africa won 1-0.Adams bamboozled batsmen in his early appearances, but his effectiveness diminished with familiarity. In his first three series he took 31 wickets at 25.06 but he was rarely as effective again.He was further hampered by injuries, while always prone to the occasional bad ball and as these became more frequent he was seen by the selectors as too much of a gamble. Even at provincial level, captains appeared reluctant to pick him and he drifted into the second tier of domestic cricket.The last of his 45 Tests was at Hamilton in March 2004 where he took 2 for 118. He finished with 134 wickets at 32.87, and in all first-class cricket he took 412 at 32.66. His best return in Tests was 7 for 128 against Pakistan at Lahore in 2003-04.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out