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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshell
T20 run fests are great fun, but nothing quite beats a nail-biter, specially when a team has something at stake. This was the format at its raw, cruel best, where one swing of the blade meant wildly fluctuating fortunes for Pakistan cricket’s two biggest powerhouses. Two swings of the blade, actually. Karachi Kings’ Kieron Pollard, who hadn’t fired in the tournament until today, struck two sixes off the last two balls of the match to ensure his side’s hopes of making it to the playoffs were not yet extinguished. In doing so, he left Lahore Qalandars on the verge of first-round elimination again.

‘Matter of making contact and keeping calm’

Kieron Pollard, who struck two sixes off the last two balls of the match to keep Karachi Kings’ chances of a playoff spot alive, stressed it was important to keep a cool head in such situations and back yourself. The allrounder made 45 off 20 balls against Lahore Qalandars, finding form after a middling run in the tournament, and steered the side through a last over from which they needed 14 runs.
“First of all, to keep a cool head. We’re just trying to make contact with the deliveries first,” he said. “To get runs, you have to make contact with the ball and it’s just a matter of making contact and keeping calm. When you look at it, it’s just a cricket match at the end of the day. Yes, if we had lost we would have got knocked out but it’s not a life-or-death situation, so it makes no sense stressing too much about it. There’s so many things in life to stress about than stressing in a cricket match.”
Asked about the pressure he faced after the equation came down to 10 off two balls, Pollard said, “A game is never over until it’s over. One coach coming through school always told us that, and ten in two, that’s two boundaries – two sixes is 12, a six and a four, 10. So the game would have not been dead if it was one ball and ten runs. Once there is a situation there is belief and deep down inside we had a bit of belief and luckily enough tonight it came off.”

The run chase of 156 had looked comfortable at the start for Karachi. Babar Azam paired up first with Mahela Jayawardene – who replaced Chris Gayle in the starting XI – and then with Kumar Sangakarra to ensure they were in control of the required rate, and had wickets in hand. But accurate bowling from Lahore’s spin pair of Sunil Narine and Yasir Shah starved Karachi of boundaries, and as the asking rate began to rise, so did the tension. Sangakarra’s men lost their heads in the middle briefly, with Ravi Bopara and Shoaib Malik running themselves out in a space of a few overs. Pollard and Imad Wasim then came together in a partnership that always seemed like they had slightly too much to do, never more so than when they needed 10 to win off the last two balls. Pollard was up to the task and took 12 runs.Lahore will rue their own batting performance – an innings that never quite managed to gain momentum, for which the batsmen had only themselves to blame. Poor shot selection at inopportune times kept pegging them back, with Brendon McCullum, Umar Akmal and Grant Elliott falling in similar fashion, slicing the spinners up in the air. Shoaib Malik deserved credit for his 2 for 21, which helped ensure Lahore’s total was just within reach.Where the match was won
Lahore had a decent platform of 68 for 2 at the end of their first nine overs, with McCullum appearing to ease himself back into form. Then, between the 10th and 15th overs, the innings completely unravelled as Lahore lost four wickets for 29 runs in 28 balls. Their most threatening players were back in the pavilion just when the innings should have begun to take off. It wasn’t down to outstanding bowling, either; with the exception of Shoaib Malik, no Karachi bowler really bowled out of their skins. Instead, they waited for Lahore to make mistakes and the batsmen did just that.The men that won it
Karachi had made it hard for themselves by losing five wickets for 103 by the end of the 15th over, three of them to run-outs. With the asking rate hovering over twelve for the last four overs, it increasingly appeared that the only thing standing between Karachi and elimination was the burly figure of Keiron Pollard. He hit at least one boundary in each of the last four overs, ensuring that even though the required rate was steep, it did not become insurmountable. Imad played a diligent hand, ensuring Pollard got as much of the strike as possible. The partnership kept Karachi in the game even when 10 required off the last two balls. The hapless Aamer Yamin slightly missed his yorker in both deliveries on both of them.Moment of the match
If it wasn’t for Pollard’s late show, this game would likely have been remembered for McCullum’s tactics in the field. He was unusual, at times downright funky, with his bowling selections. Fakhar Zaman was handed the ball for the 13th over with Babar Azam in good touch, and three balls later, the batsman holed out on the boundary. Two overs later, McCullum brought himself on, presumably for no other reason except to have someone to turn the ball away from the left-handed Imad. That over went for 13, and half an hour later, McCullum suddenly didn’t look quite so clever.Where they stand
Karachi pipped Lahore to fourth place, and, unless they lose by a massive margin to Islamabad United tomorrow, they will go through to the playoffs. Lahore, who have dropped down to fifth, are staring at the likelihood of first-round elimination for the second successive season.

After the double blow of losing Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw to Kolpak deals, South Africa can console themselves with Russell Domingo’s assurance that offspinner Dane Piedt is not looking to go the same way.Piedt has lost ground to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj in South Africa’s Test plans and according to his agent Francois Brink was, “considering all options including Kolpak” a few weeks ago but Domingo denied that despite Brink saying that he had not stopped the search altogether.”He said by no means was he ever signing Kolpak,” Domingo said. “He said he felt Cricket South Africa (CSA) have been really good to him.”Piedt has played seven Tests between August 2014 and 2016, a period of time during which he also suffered a serious shoulder injury. He was out of action for several months but when he regained fitness was considered for national selection again and Domingo said Piedt was happy with the way he had been treated. “He was injured for a long period of time and we told him to go on an SA A tour, play well and then he will make it into the national side. He has done that,” Domingo said.But he has not stayed there, prompting suggestions he may look for opportunity elsewhere. Piedt was not picked for the tour to Australia last November – left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi also went ahead of him as the second spinner – and was not considered for the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, primarily because the selectors feel he is too inconsistent. His average of 36.04 is one measure of that, Maharaj’s ability to tie up an end is another – he has an economy rate of 2.81 – but Domingo stressed that Piedt understands why he was left out and what he needs to do to get back in.”He has done okay without setting the world alight and we just feel right now that Keshav is the guy that we are looking at. But he is very comfortable where he is.”Piedt was named interim captain of his franchise, Cobras, who have undergone an overhaul in the last week. Their season began with players calling for Paul Adams to be removed as coach because they were unhappy with his handling of the team but the board backed Adams. Cobras did not win any of their first five first-class fixtures and several players, including Piedt, were sent on loan to other franchises in the T20 campaign, where they fared slightly better. Piedt was given to Titans but only played two matches for them and that is when talk of his exit started.Cobras have since redeployed Adams to a role in high performance and appointed Ashwell Prince as caretaker coach. Piedt has returned, along with batsman Omphile Ramela, who was captaining the first-class side in the first half of the season, but has handed over the reins. As far as Domingo is concerned, Piedt’s focus remains on getting the franchise back on track and trying to stake a claim for an international recall.”He has got a good challenge with the Cobras captaincy and he knows he is one of three or four options for us in the spin bowling world. As far as I know, he is not signing Kolpak.”Piedt’s agent, though, has not had any firm communication to stop looking for a deal in the UK but admitted they were not having much luck anyway. “I haven’t spoken to him about what the effects of him being made captain at Cobras will have on his mindset but he hasn’t instructed me to stop looking,” Brink told ESPNcricinfo. “We haven’t had any enquiries in a while. He understands that it’s difficult for an offspinner to get a deal in England.”Should Piedt stay, that would be a victory for South Africa’s administrators, who recognised that he needed an incentive and provided one. But it is not a reason for them to stop searching for ways to prevent other players from leaving. Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association, joined Faf du Plessis in calling on CSA to provide more certainty – be it financial, contractual or something else – to the country’s players.”It’s disappointing to lose players of the calibre of Kyle and Rilee, but you can’t blame these players, or any of the Kolpak players, for going this route. They are going to environments where they believe they will be more secure in their careers,” Irish said. “The global cricket landscape offers alternative markets for players these days and this is a reality we must deal with. We need to look more critically at how we can make players more secure in the South African environment. This is not just about money but also about other issues that matter to players. Our top players are scarce resources in which CSA has invested and we have to look at a more effective retention strategy for them in South Africa.”

Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have earned the right to decide when to leave the game, according to Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur.The senior batsmen were dismissed in the space of five overs on a rain-shortened first day of the Boxing Day Test, leaving Pakistan on 142 for 4 when play was stopped shortly before tea.Younis underwent a stern examination by Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird, the former thinking he had Younis lbw when he was on 3, only for the decision to be overturned on review. Another lbw appeal four overs later was turned down, as Younis went through a 26-ball scoreless spell. He settled after the afternoon drinks break, only for Bird to find a gap through his defence to dismiss him for 21.Misbah fell to the same bowler, a brief 13-ball stay which was difficult to present as any kind of a form guide.The dismissals continued a run of low scores for both; Younis now averages 12.75 from his last eight innings and Misbah 22.43 from his last seven. Both have a solitary half-century in that run, and Younis’ did come in his last innings in Brisbane.Given their ages, however, pressure will mount quickly on both, especially if results do not go Pakistan’s way.”Only they would know [what the future holds],” Arthur said. “But we back them massively in the dressing room. That’s all I can say. Ultimately they will decide when they think the time is right.”But within our dressing room they are held in such high esteem and we back them every time they go out and play. There’s no doubt in our dressing room about Younis and Misbah.Younis Khan was bowled between bat and pad for 21 at the MCG•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Arthur said the pair had earned the right to go when they felt it was time. “One’s been an inspirational leader for the last six years and the other guy is closing in on 10,000 Test runs. They’ve earned the right in a massive way. And again the esteem they are held in within the dressing room is second to none.”The situation Pakistan want to avoid is both leaving at the same time. The conversation about Misbah’s future, in particular, has been going for some time. Though he has refused to be drawn on whether this is his last series, Pakistan are not scheduled to play another Test series until March next year, when they travel to the West Indies. Misbah will be nearly 43 then.Younis, 39, has not spoken of his future plans in any definitive sense. He has often expressed his ambition to become the first Pakistan batsman to 10,000 Test runs, a landmark that remains 235 runs away.Arthur said, in an ideal world, he would want them to stagger their exits so that the impact on younger batsmen in the side can be more carefully managed. The pair has had a significant influence on the progress on more junior partners, including Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.”Yeah, I mean in an ideal world, you will,” Arthur said about staggering their exits. “But ultimately that decision rests with them. They’ve earned the right so if they want to continue, fantastic, because that’s what we want as a cricket team. If they don’t, we feel we are starting to make enough ground in terms of bringing other players through.”I want to reiterate there’s no doubt surrounding those two whatsoever. They are still model professionals and they train, they are fit, they practice and they are inspirational around the dressing room. The longer they can be around that dressing room the better it is for the Sami Aslams, the Babar Azams, the Azhar Alis, the Sharjeels, the young guys who are with us.”

Stephen Cook will be in the spotlight in the second Test against Australia in Hobart as the only South African batsman still to prove himself on this tour. Apart from Amla, Cook was the only other member of the line-up who did not get a score over 20 in the first Test in Perth. Fellow opener Dean Elgar believes Cook will be desperate to set that straight.”I’m sure if I was in that position I’d be a bit frustrated because as a player in this environment you want to make a contribution. And I know a guy who’s just started his international career wants to make a big play for South Africa,” Elgar said. “Everybody shares his frustrations. As his opening partner, I share his frustrations with him. I am frustrated on his behalf. Hopefully he can feed off the good form of us winning the first Test and make a big play for us in the second Test.”Cook’s problem is not so much the lack of runs as it is the method of dismissal. In the first innings, he fronted up to a hostile opening over from Mitchell Starc and was caught in the slips off the fourth ball. In the second, he lasted an hour and 13 minutes before pulling a bouncer to short midwicket.Starc exploited a weakness that has showed in Cook’s game throughout this tour. In the two warm-up matches before the series, too, Cook was dismissed caught behind, prompting work on his trigger movement and foot positioning. Neil McKenzie, South Africa’s batting consultant and a long-time team-mate of Cook’s at the Lions domestic franchise, worked with the opener on staying on the ball of his front foot, so that he would splay the foot, open the back hip and not get caught playing down the wrong line. Cook was unable to rectify that in time for Perth but is likely to get another chance in Hobart, despite the presence of Rilee Rossouw in the squad.Rossouw’s fine form in the one-day series at home against Australia – he scored 311 runs in five matches – earned him a spot in the Test touring party but it is unlikely he will play unless there is an injury. “Rilee is a different dynamic player. He’s a bit more of a middle-order player. He’s not really an opening batsman. His role is a lot different to Cookie,” Elgar said. “He will bring in another dynamic of aggression. That’s the way he approaches his cricket. I don’t think Rilee is going to be needed just yet.”Another option before South Africa is to push Quinton de Kock up and use Rossouw in the middle order but they may be wary of adding to de Kock’s workload or making a rash decision on Cook. The 33-year old waited more than a decade to play international cricket and has only played in four Tests. After a century on debut, he also scored fifty against New Zealand in August and is likely to be given a longer run to show what he can do.It helps that Elgar has cemented himself in the role and has graduated to some level of seniority. No longer seen as the new kid, he has even earned the respect of the Australia side after his Perth hundred. Josh Hazlewood called him “a bit of a grinder and very patient” and put him in the category of batsmen whose wicket you have to work for. Elgar will take that. “That’s just my nature, to try and irritate the opposition. I’m not practising it. It just comes naturally,” he said. “If that’s the way they feel about it, it’s not a bad thing.”

West Indies captain Jason Holder has said that his side has what it takes to win a Test match, but insisted they must not get complacent after winning only one match. Holder said he was a “proud” captain to pull off such a fight and beat Pakistan by five wickets in Sharjah. West Indies, after being whitewashed in the ODI and T20I series, showed more resistance than most would have expected to finish the Test series 1-2.

Kraigg Brathwaite on…

Batting through two innings: It feels very good, it’s something I always wanted to do. It wasn’t easy. Obviously, Pakistan has very good bowlers, so it was tough work, had to be mentally strong. Obviously, there are some tough periods that you have to play through, and really thankful that I got through the innings.
Their win: It will do a lot for the team. We have got the win, now we know what we have to do every day to get to the wins. We have to stay positive, and look to get more wins in the future.
Sharjah pitch: I found it didn’t really spin as much, but it got lower and lower as the game went on. Even today it was still playing good, so I think it was a good batting pitch.
Current West Indies side: We have a good group of young guys, we have to keep working. We have five months before the next Test series. We have first-class cricket going on back home, so it’s key for all the guys to go there and keep working hard. The same things we want to do in Tests, we do there, so that when the next Test series comes, we’re ready to win games.
The runs on the last day: Thinking about it, you do get a little nervous, but in the end I believed Shane and me could have done it. We kept talking to each other, and I was always confident.

“This is a very good group of guys,” Holder said after the fifth day’s play. “We showed glimpses that we can have what it takes to compete at this level. For us, it is just a matter of consistency. We must not get complacent, we have no reason to be complacent. One Test victory is by all means not enough. We have to stay hungry, and that is something I really believe we have in the group.”West Indies tested Pakistan in phases in the entire Test series; they nearly won the Dubai Test and put on a late fight in Abu Dhabi too. The third Test saw Holder’s men find gaps in Pakistan’s complacency and carelessness, and went on to win without any troubles on the last day. “My message is simple; stay with us and keep supporting us,” Holder said. “One Test match victory doesn’t make us a world beating side, but we have showed people that we can do it. We have what it takes.”We have competed with Pakistan throughout this series. We fell short in Dubai, were outplayed in Abu Dhabi, but to finish the last Test on the winning side is a wonderful feeling. For the fans back home, and West Indies fans in general, just keep supporting us, keeping giving us that love, and hopefully this team can turn things around for West Indies. It was extremely important, especially after the Dubai Test match, where many people felt we could have won the game.”We personally felt we could have won the game as well, but we didn’t get across the line. To come here in this last Test match, and put ourselves in the position to win, and actually get across the line, is a great feeling. We have the ability to win Test matches, it is just about stringing together the complete game. If I could sum up my feelings in one word now, I’d say ‘proud’. Proud of the character the guys showed, proud of the fight they showed.”Winning two Tests was not as easy for Pakistan as they had to overcome resilience by West Indies. Darren Bravo’s century in Dubai gave Pakistan a scare and Devendra Bishoo frequently tested Pakistan’s batsmen to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, taking 18 wickets at an average of 27. His strike rate of 45 was better than Yasir Shah’s 55, who was the top wicket-taker with 21 scalps.Another positive for West Indies was opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who became the first opener to stay unbeaten in both innings of a Test, in Sharjah.  He carried his bat in the first innings for his 142, and then scored an unbeaten 60 in the second innings to see the side through successfully. “He is young; everyone is looking to make their mark on the international circuit,” Holder said in Brathwaite’s praise. “Everybody is hungry for success, and one thing I have really enjoyed on this trip is the fact everybody is happy for each other’s success. We just need to string together consistent performances over an extended period of time. If we can do that, we will get back on the right track, to take West Indies cricket back up to the top.”The negative things around West Indies cricket are beyond my control. I can’t control who signs contracts, I can’t control who is here with me. All I can control is my destiny on the cricket pitch when I step over that line. That goes for everybody in that dressing room. As players, we just have to be responsible for our own individual actions, take our personal pride onto the field, and play good cricket.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:56

By the Numbers – SA bowlers equal lbw record

Australian hand-wringing about taking an under-strength bowling attack to South Africa was placed in sharp perspective on a breezy morning in Port Elizabeth. Facing a South African side resting three first-choice bowlers in a dead rubber, Steven Smith’s side were shot out for a mere 167 to set-up a six-wicket win.Kyle Abbott and Tabraiz Shamsi were the chief tormentors of the tourists, the former finding exactly the right length to best use the early movement on offer, the latter re-opening the sorts of wounds inflicted by Sri Lanka’s spin bowlers on Australia’s previous tour with a clever spell of left arm wrist-spin. Neither had been needed in the live matches.Save for a 50 by Mitchell Marsh and a punchy contribution from Matthew Wade, the most notable moment for Australia was Wade’s running battle with Shamsi. This culminated in something very near to a physical clash as Wade hung his elbow out while running past Shamsi, causing the umpires to intervene.There were further exchanges as the Australians sought to defend their meagre total. Clearly the visitors had intended to fight this one out, but despite an improved bowling effort they never really had a chance to bowl South Africa out. A pair of missed chances did not help either, most notably a sitter dropped by Adam Zampa off Faf du Plessis, who went on to top-score with 69.Overall this was another performance South Africa could be proud of, demonstrating that their ODI squad presently has plenty of depth to it. South Africa had withdrawn the injured David Miller plus Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir. In their places were Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Aaron Phangiso and Shamsi.The visitors made only one change to the team that lost from such a strong position in Durban, recalling Scott Boland for Daniel Worrall. Australia’s batsmen had regained some of their former strut at Kingsmead, and after Smith won the toss the expectation would have been to capitalise on a seemingly weakened home attack.However, Abbott took full advantage of both his first start in the series and a modicum of early seam movement with the new ball. First he bowled Aaron Finch through the gate with a lovely delivery that shaped to swing away before cutting back, then followed up with an appreciably quicker ball that surprised Warner with pace and movement back between bat and pad.Kyle Abbott picked up 4 for 40 in his first game of the series•Associated Press

At the other end, Dwaine Pretorius provided a neat contrast with his greater height and high action, angling one back to George Bailey for an lbw verdict from the umpire Nigel Llong. All of a sudden Australia were 12 for 3, the innings in grim shape and the allrounder Marsh already at the crease.He and Smith tried to steady things for a time, but the introduction of Shamsi’s left-arm wristspin brought another period of South African jubilation. Smith propped forward to a ball straightening down the line of the stumps, and a review found he was struck in line for the lbw. In the same over, Travis Head played inside a delivery that straightened past his groping blade, and a scoreline of 50 for 5 was the deflating result.Not for the first time in his career, Wade came out spoiling for a fight, and a series of verbal confrontations with Shamsi escalated to the point that he hung out an elbow while running more or less straight at the bowler. That moment caused Llong to speak to both players and call for calm.Marsh played sensibly meanwhile, forging to 50 and offering Australia the faintest hope of a reasonable tally. However he had not made another run when Abbott returned to coax an outside edge, and re-commence the procession of wickets. Wade and Chris Tremain were able to add a pesky 46, but even that still left Australia with comfortably their lowest ODI total at St George’s Park.Tremain delivered a decent opening spell at the start of South Africa’s pursuit, which began before the scheduled innings break because Australia’s innings had ended so quickly. Hashim Amla was lbw to a break-back before Quinton de Kock picked out deep square leg with a sweetly-struck pull shot.However du Plessis and JP Duminy were able to carry the hosts past halfway to the target, notably getting on top of the experienced John Hastings once again: his high economy has been one of many problems for Smith’s team. Zampa’s drop of du Plessis did not help either, causing plenty of befuddled looks on the team balcony.When du Plessis did finally fall, the tourists upped their intensity in the middle, “chirping” frequently at the new batsman Farhaan Behardien. But it was sound and fury signifying nothing, as the total was reeled in with 87 balls to spare. A whitewash looms in Cape Town.

With the South African domestic season nine days away, a group of Cobras players will ask the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), a dispute resolution body, to force their employer, Western Cape Cricket Board, (WCC), to remove coach Paul Adams. The players’ insistence comes after a report by Paddy Upton, who had been appointed a mediator in grievances the group had with Adams, called for coach to “stand down”. The WCC decided not to implement the findings of Upton’s report because it contained material deficiencies.”The problem the board found with Paddy’s report is that not only did he not speak to all of the Cobras’ contracted players, but he did not even speak to some of the players with problems,” an insider told ESPNcricinfo. “The report was never intended to be binding; it was merely intended to make recommendations and the board chose not to go with those.”While Upton’s report has been viewed by both the WCC and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), who are assisting the aggrieved players in their CCMA case, it has not been made public. Similarly, none of the disgruntled Cobras players has been willing to talk about the reasons for their unhappiness with Adams. However, two players, Cobras’ limited-overs’ captain Justin Ontong and left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, have spoken out in support for Adams.Ontong told he was “disappointed” by the way some players had blamed Adams for their lack of success in the 2015-16 season, the first in eight that the franchise went without a trophy. “We had a bad season but it’s also about players taking responsibility for their own performances – we all didn’t perform very well. You can’t just pass the buck and say the coach was to blame,” Ontong said.Hendricks praised Adams’ ability to get on with the job despite what was brewing behind the scenes. “I have to applaud the way he has handled things. He hasn’t taken anything to heart‚ he still carries on with what he needs to do as a coach. Things are really moving forward nicely‚ even though there are situations happening.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Dane Paterson, Zubayr Hamza and Tshepo Moreki are among those in support of Adams while first-class captain Omphile Ramela and internationals Richard Levi and Dane Vilas are part of the group that are unhappy. Their issues with Adams range from his man-management skills to his technical knowledge.While SACA says that 10 players are demanding the implementation of Upton’s recommendations, a source at the Cobras said some of those players had retracted their complaints. “The problem is that there is a split squad at the moment and you have groups of players who are not talking to each other.”That was not the mood when pre-season training began earlier this month and the Cobras squad assembled at Newlands. Then, Adams offered an apology and informed his charges he had undergone extra training in the form of a leadership course over the winter. He asked that they work out their differences in an attempt to get back to winnings ways. Adams also had his management team bolstered by the inclusion of Ashwell Prince as assistance coach and Alan Dawson as selection convener.Adams has been in charge of the Cobras since 2012 and won five trophies in four seasons with the franchise. He has the backing of the board, who offered him a two-year extension to his contract at the end of last season, which has yet to be signed. The contract could be rescinded if the players win their CCMA case. However, the Cobras have indicated that if that happens, they will keep Adams on in some capacity, even if it is at a lower level.The earliest a CCMA decision will take place is at least a month away, which means the season will start with this cloud hanging over the Cobras. For now, the players will take the field when the Cobras’ season starts next Wednesday with a first-class fixture against the Lions in Johannesburg.This is the second time this year that the CCMA have become involved in cricket matters. In August, Lance Klusener took the Dolphins to the body after his contract was not renewed. Klusener lost the case.

Miguel Cummins, the West Indies fast bowler, has signed as Worcestershire’s overseas player for the final three rounds of the Championship. Cummins, who made his Test debut against India last month, replaces South Africa’s Kyle Abbott as Worcestershire aim to maintain their pursuit of the one promotion spot available in Division Two this season.Abbott was called up for South Africa’s Test series with New Zealand and, after two defeats in their last three matches followed by conceding 551 against Northamptonshire, Worcestershire have decided to strengthen their attack by bringing in Cummins.With one day of their ongoing match at New Road to go, Worcestershire sit fourth in the Division Two table, 56 points behind leaders Essex after they secured a three-day win against Leicestershire.Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said: “We have signed Miguel for the last three games of the season. I am delighted not only to be getting someone who has been playing recently but also someone who has recently been playing international cricket and that says a lot for his quality.”He played in the West Indies-India series and was successful in the penultimate Test of that series. He is a young guy with no experience of county cricket or English conditions but he is hungry to do well, try and impress and make an impact and he has got this opportunity in the last three games and we are looking forward to having him on board.”He is a little bit quicker than any of our bowlers, with a bit of bounce, and he is well thought of by Ottis Gibson. I spoke to him and he gave a very good recommendation for him and when you look to give someone an opportunity, you want someone with a point to prove.”There is a lot of unavailability [of overseas players] towards the end of the season and we are very lucky to get Miguel.”Cummins, who took 6 for 48 in the St Lucia Test against India, has a career record of 125 first-class wickets at 22.44. He was the most successful pace bowler in this year’s WICB Professional Cricket League, with 33 at 20.69. He is expected to arrive at the club on Monday and be available to play Essex at Chelmsford, starting on Wednesday, followed by games against Sussex and Derbyshire.”I am relishing the chance to play county cricket for the first time,” Cummins said. “I am always keen to learn and broaden my cricketing knowledge and experiences and this is an ideal opportunity for me. Several West Indian players have played for the county and I hope I can make a significant impact and help the club towards its goal of trying to achieve promotion.”

Pakistan fielding coach Steve Rixon has warned England that conditions in Manchester should suit the Pakistan bowling attack more than those at Lord’s. Pakistan won the first Investec Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series, with Yasir Shah claiming ten wickets in the match.But Rixon said the extra bounce anticipated in the Old Trafford wicket will assist both Yasir and Pakistan’s seamers and feels that Mohammad Amir, with his much-anticipated return behind him, will be able to relax and produce improved performances in the rest of the series.”This pitch will suit both forms of our attack,” Rixon said. “I think our seamers will do very well here with the extra bounce. They had a role to play in the last game, but probably didn’t start as well as they would have liked.”Amir can move on now. And I do congratulate the Lord’s crowd again because they absolutely embraced him. They could have made life very hard for him, but they were very good. Fair play to them.”Comparing Yasir’s exceptional control to that of Shane Warne, Rixon suggested that all Test teams would struggle to play him. Yasir went to the top of the Test bowling rankings as a result of his haul at Lord’s and requires 14 wickets from the next two games to break George Lohmann’s long-held record for being quickest to 100 Test victims.”Generally speaking, Yasir will have a major effect in any game of cricket,” Rixon said. “It doesn’t have to turn a lot for him to have an impact.”When you have magnificent control you are in the game and there are very few who have had that. Shane Warne is one and Yasir is rightfully sitting at the top of the tree for that reason.”Most countries around the world play wristies (wristspinners) quite poorly to be honest, so to see someone master it and play them well is a treat to see but I haven’t seen a lot that do that yet.”Rixon also praised the spirit within the Pakistan camp. Impressed by the fitness and preparation of the team after their boot camp in Pakistan and prolonged training camp in Hampshire at the start of the tour, Rixon talked of “building a culture” within the squad.”What we’ve got is a group of youngsters who we are getting up to speed and building a culture,” he said. “I wasn’t there for the boot camp but it obviously did make a big difference. It was part of an overall culture change. Now we have to rebuild that culture and make sure everyone is on the same page.”But Rixon has warned Pakistan they should expect a strong reaction from England and expects both James Anderson and Ben Stokes to play in Manchester.”Jimmy Anderson is a great bowler and he’ll be a treat in any side,” Rixon said. “He and Stokes are very fine cricketers. They will add to the England attack and overall composition of the side. We are expecting as hard a game as we’ll get in the series right here.”Having won at Lord’s, the pressure is probably on us. So we need to get our game in order. If we do that and win here, then happy days. But if we lose here and the momentum swings the other way then we have two games in Birmingham and The Oval which create a lot of pressure for our youngsters. So it’s very important we get it right here.”

ScorecardRiki Wessels continued his good form with a century in Market Warsop•Getty Images

A century from Riki Wessels helped Nottinghamshire to a 65-run victory over Derbyshire in their Royal London Cup meeting at Welbeck.Wessels hit 114 and Chris Read added 59 as Notts scored 340 for seven after being put in. Shiv Thakor was the most successful Falcons bowler but his three wickets cost 78 runs and came off only eight overs.Ben Slater made 51 at the start of Derbyshire’s reply and Matt Critchley plundered three sixes in a late cameo of 43 as Derbyshire reached 245 before being bowled out in 45.1 overs, leaving Notts to celebrate victory in front of a crowd of 4649.Michael Lumb, with 422 runs already gathered in this season’s competition after scoring three centuries from three visits to the crease, fell for only 15 at the start of the day. When Thakor followed up that dismissal with the wicket of Greg Smith, one over later, Notts had slipped to 48 for 2 but that was the last Derbyshire success for 13 overs as Wessels and Brendan Taylor rattled up a third wicket stand of 122.Wessels took 19 off an over from Thakor and then reached his fourth one-day century from 80 balls, having hit 16 fours and three sixes.He perished when miscuing an attempted reverse sweep off Critchley and Taylor followed in the next over, for 44.Samit Patel’s 31 and 28 from Dan Christian set the hosts up for a big finish and it was applied by Read and Steven Mullaney.Read hit three sixes in his 39-ball innings and Mullaney hit three in a row off Ben Cotton on his way to 39 not out. There was even time at the end for England’s newest cap Jake Ball, playing on his home club ground, to strike the biggest blow of the day as he thumped Thakor back over his head and out of the ground. Notts’ tally of 340 was the most they had ever scored in a one-day match against their local rivals.In pursuit of potentially their most successful run chase, Derbyshire lost Wes Durston, their captain, for only 6. Slater rattled along, scoring 40 of the first 51 runs but edged behind one ball after reaching a 48-ball half-century.Christian, who took 5 for 40 when Notts used the picturesque club ground for the first time last season, removed Wayne Madsen and when Hamish Rutherford edged Luke Fletcher behind the visitors had slid to 103 for 4.Thakor and Neil Broom rallied with a stand of 47 but Mullaney nipped them both out in quick succession; Thakor bowled for 29 and Broom was scooped up by a diving catch from Ball for 25.Critchley, batting at No. 8 in the order, showed some much-needed fight and he was joined by Harvey Hosein in a ninth wicket stand of 63. Gurney, who took 3 for 47, closed out the innings by catching Tony Palladino off his own bowling.