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Jos Buttler has admitted he was at fault for the Mankading incident that occurred the last time England and Sri Lanka met at Edgbaston.Buttler was run out by the bowler, Sachithra Senanayake, after he overcommitted to backing up at the non-strikers’ end during the 2014 ODI that Sri Lanka went on to win by six wickets.While Sri Lanka had warned Buttler a couple of times previously about his backing-up, the incident provoked boos from the Edgbaston crowd. Alastair Cook, England’s ODI captain at the time, expressed his “disappointment” with Sri Lanka’s decision not to withdraw the appeal and suggested that “a line had been crossed”.But Buttler now accepts the incident was caused by his own mistake and says he has learned from the experienced. “It is obviously batsman error,” Buttler said. “If you walk out of your ground and someone wants to do it, it is in the laws of the game. It is all part of the game.”I was disappointed at the time, because it doesn’t happen very often. I thought you could do that every ball if you wanted and there would be a chance to run someone out. But the bowler would say why don’t you just stay in your crease? So I guess I did learn something from it.”With Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, confirming that he would be prepared to do the same thing again – “if someone is trying to take advantage of the rules, we will probably warn him, but I stand by it,” he said ahead of the first ODI – Buttler knows that he has to be more careful in this series.”We ran a few twos the other day,” he said, “so I’m sure they’ll be looking out for it.”

New Zealand Women allrounder Thamsyn Newton has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket. She brought curtains to a 14-year career that included ten ODIs and 15 T20Is between 2015 and 2021, and was part of the New Zealand squads for the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 ODI World Cup.Newton was a top-order batter, known for her hard-hitting, and bowled medium pace. In just her third T20I, she ran through Sri Lanka’s middle order with figures of 3 for 9 and in November 2016 against Pakistan, picked up her first five-for in ODIs. But it was in New Zealand’s domestic circuit where Newton truly shone.She began her domestic career with Wellington in 2011-12 before switching over to Canterbury from 2014 to 2018. She returned to Wellington again for a further five years before moving to Central Districts ahead of the 2023-24 season. She appeared in four Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, the domestic 50-over competition, finals – in 2015 and 2017 with Canterbury and in 2022 and 2023 with Wellington – winning it once with each team. She also won the Super Smash with Wellington four times and finished runners-up last year playing for Central Districts in a thrilling finale against her former team.While Newton last played an ODI in 2017, she earned back her central contract with New Zealand in 2021 after a gap of three years. But she only played three more T20Is after that. She also played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL 2017-18.Newton is also a dual code star and played rugby in the Farah Palmer Cup, the domestic women’s rugby union competition in New Zealand, for Wellington Pride and the Hawke’s Bay Tui.

Parvez Hossain Emon doesn’t like throwing his wicket away after a good start, but he will not step back from his natural instincts in the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Parvez made a rapid 67 in the second game, which Bangladesh won by 16 runs. It kept them in contention going into Tuesday’s match, and also broke their eight-match losing streak.Parvez rued getting out after making 67 off 69 balls, when Wanindu Hasaranga beat him with a subtle googly.”I didn’t bat long in the last match,” Parvez said on the eve of the third ODI. “I was feeling guilty after getting out because I was set and the wicket was beautiful. I could have scored a hundred that day, and I felt bad about it. [Towhid] Hridoy was unfortunate; he got run-out. We have been talking about it. If we get set, we need to play long innings. We have to be consistent. If we score runs early and consistently, it will be easier for the team to do well.”Related

• Rain in the way as Bangladesh look for first ODI series win in SL

• Tanvir: Mehidy kept telling us we could defend 248

Batting first in the second ODI, Bangladesh were bowled out for 248 with Parvez and Towhid Hridoy getting fifties. The visitors have shown a tendency to play a high-risk shot much before getting to a decent score in this ODI series.Parvez said that he is hopeful of getting a good start in the third ODI at the Pallekele International Stadium, a ground which is regarded as one of the better batting wickets in Sri Lanka. Parvez himself has looked in good form, particularly after his breakthrough century against UAE in the T20I series in May.”I try to assess the situation, and play accordingly, and I try to play my natural game,” he said. “I don’t have any set target. I spoke to the guys who have played here earlier, and everyone is saying this wicket will be good for batting. I will try to play a big innings if I get a start.”Parvez also talked about his dismissal in the second ODI, when Hasaranga beat him with a lovely delivery. He said that he missed the line of the ball, but generally felt comfortable playing the Sri Lanka legspinner.”He is a good bowler, but he didn’t give me much trouble,” Parvez said. “I just missed the line on that delivery. Legspinners are important in world cricket, and Rishad [Hossain] is also doing well for us. I am sure if he gets a chance, he will do well.”Bangladesh’s players have a bit of their confidence back after Saturday’s win in Colombo. Parvez said that they are eager to grab the opportunity for the series win.”This is a big chance for us. If we win the match tomorrow, it will be a great series win,” he said. “Everyone is feeling confident. After the win in the last match, the confidence has been building among us, so we will try our best to win tomorrow.”

Lancashire 55 for 2 (Lamb 21) beat Essex 47 for 7 (Cross 2-9, King 2-17) by eight wickets (DLS)Ashes rivals Kate Cross and Alana King equally shared four wickets to set Lancashire Thunder up for a convincing rain-affected Vitality Blast win over Essex Eagles at Emirates Old Trafford, keeping their Finals Day hopes alive.England seamer Cross and Australia legspinner King struck twice apiece in the space of 10 legitimate balls in the sixth and seventh overs of what turned out to be an eight-over Essex innings as they slipped to 38 for six and later totalled 47 for seven.A two-hour rain delay ravaged a fixture which both sides realistically needed to win to maintain hopes of a top-three finish, and it was Thunder who claimed the five points as they reeled in a revised 52-target in six overs thanks largely to opener Emma Lamb’s 21 off 17 balls.Thunder’s fourth win in nine games – this by eight wickets on DLS – means they leapfrog Essex into fifth place and are now 11 points behind third-placed Bears with five games left. Thunder face them in a crunch clash here tomorrow afternoon.Essex, meanwhile, lost for the sixth time in nine and have a mountain to climb.Thunder, who importantly won the toss and elected to bowl first, made a fast start with the ball either side of the two-hour delay from just after 11.20am.First of all, Essex reached 24 for two after five overs.Seamer Phoebe Graham was making her first competitive appearance of the summer for Thunder, and she struck in the fourth over when she uprooted the leg-stump off Lissy MacLeod as she aimed a heave across the line.Left-arm swing bowler Tara Norris then had the other Essex opener Lauren Winfield-Hill well caught low down at cover by Ailsa Lister following a miscue in the next. Only four more balls were bowled before play was halted.Then, upon the resumption, with an eight-overs per side game now in motion, Thunder struck four times in the first 10 legitimate balls back to all but end any realistic chance Essex had of winning, the visitors crumbling to 38 for six.King had compatriot Maddie Penna well caught low down at square-leg by Lister off a full toss before getting Cordelia Griffith caught behind cutting later in the sixth over.In the seventh, Cross uprooted Jo Gardner’s off-stump and had an attacking Eva Gray caught behind.Amara Carr was then run out off the final ball of the innings. Opener Winfield-Hill was the only Essex batter to reach double figures with 13.Eve Jones set Thunder on their way in the chase with an eye-catching straight driven boundary off Esmae MacGregor’s seam before dragging Gray’s seam to midwicket on 17 – 29 for one in the fourth.England’s Lamb hit three leg-side boundaries before being run out with only four runs required.While the Red Rose host the Bears tomorrow (1pm), Essex face league leaders Surrey at The Kia Oval (midday).

Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s natural leadership qualities face a significant test as he attempts to revive Bangladesh’s flagging ODI fortunes. The new captain takes over just as his team has sunk to its lowest ICC ranking in 19 years.Mehidy’s first assignment will be in Sri Lanka where Bangladesh play their hosts in three ODIs from July 8. He has said that he is targeting a series win in a country where Bangladesh has won just four out of 36 ODIs. Bangladesh will be playing 50-over cricket for the first time since the Champions Trophy in February this year, where they made a swift exit after defeats to India and New Zealand.”We want to win our first ODI series in Sri Lanka,” Mehidy said at the pre-departure press conference on Friday. “The first match is very important as we haven’t been playing a lot of ODI cricket lately. We didn’t play many last year. It is going to be challenging as we used to playing 15-20 every year usually.”Related

• Litton recalled as Bangladesh ring in the changes for Sri Lanka ODI series

• Shanto banks on Bangladesh's away form, squad flexibility for fresh WTC campaign

• Mehidy Hasan Miraz appointed Bangladesh's ODI captain for next 12 months

Mehidy has previous experience of leading Bangladesh in the 3-0 ODI series defeat against West Indies in December, where he was deputising for Najmul Hossain Shanto, whom he has replaced this time permanently.”I made my captaincy debut in a different circumstance. I was the vice-captain so I had to step up as Shanto got injured. It is difficult to captain the side in that situation. It was Shanto’s set-up. I just had to run the field. I gathered experience in those four ODIs but captaincy is better on a long-term basis. I will try to get the team to a good position in 12 months.”Bangladesh are scheduled to play 23 ODIs during this period. Mehidy has been one of their standout performers, with his batting improvements highlighted since the 2023 World Cup. He has also been a steady operator with his offspin, but beyond those tangible details. Bangladesh are looking to his strong temperament to tide them through this tough time. His track record in leadership positions and his ability to fight back from adversity are good signs.Mehidy led particularly well at the age-group level. He is the most experienced Under-19 captain of all time, with a win percentage of 62.5 in Youth ODIs. Mehidy led Bangladesh to their first appearance in the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, also winning the Player-of-the-Tournament award.He went from cricket for boys to men in the same year, taking 19 wickets in his debut Test series against England. Mehidy settled into the senior team quickly and gained a reputation as a fast learner and an avid listener.”I have learned a lot from my captains in the past,” he said. “I will use that knowledge as the ODI captain. I have always followed how they took their decisions strongly. A captain has to take strong decisions in tough situations. You might not get a second chance. How you take the decision, is an important thing.”I will help the younger players just like our senior players used to help us when we were starting our careers. It is now time for us to take the responsibility. I have gained a lot of experience playing for eight or nine years. Those in the dressing room must not feel he is alone, he should feel that I have others with me.”Mehidy: Those in the dressing room must not feel he is alone, he should feel that I have others with me•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Mehidy already has a high point as Bangladesh captain – a stirring Test match win over West Indies in Jamaica last November. Many of his team members were down with flu and others were battling poor form but they all rallied together to draw the series 1-1.Mehidy was battered by bouncers and verbals in both Tests, but he fought hard against West Indies’ fast bowlers. It was a short stint but it gave a window into Mehidy’s style of leadership.”The captain is responsible for the team result but he also has to perform himself,” he said. “We are giving priority to the team result. We want to play together, and take Bangladesh to a better stage. We used to be a very good team, and I hope we can go back there again.”Mehidy has been a successful top- and middle-order inclusion in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup, but he is open to a change if it suits the team better.”Runs from the top-order batters makes life easier for the middle and lower order. I want my top-order batters to do well in ODIs. It doesn’t matter whether I get to bat or not, the team must win regardless. I got three fifties batting at No 4. I think there are scoring opportunities if I bat up the order. My bowling is very important so if I bat too high up the order it might affect my bowling. I want to bat in a position that benefits the team and me.”Mehidy’s first real test, however, is off the field. His appointment was reportedly handled clumsily by the BCB, hours after Shanto told a press conference that he was waiting to hear from the board about the ODI captaincy. Mehidy and Shanto go back a long way, so it will be up to the pair to communicate clearly about the way forward.”Shanto and I have been playing together since our Under-15s,” Mehidy said. “We spoke about taking Bangladesh forward, it doesn’t matter who is the captain. I don’t think it will have an effect in the dressing room. We are all playing for the country. These things won’t bother Shanto and me. I helped him a lot during his captaincy. He will do the same. He will help me.”Shanto could feel hard done by, as he was averaging 51.27, including a century and four fifties, as the ODI captain. Bangladesh, however, won just four out of 13 games. Shakib Al Hasan, who was captain just before Shanto, also won just four out of 12 games.Mehidy has said that he appreciates the board appointing him for an extended period – 12 months – but whether he will continue till the 2027 World Cup is a different matter. “Longer term captaincy is always ideal, but I think it is up to the board (whether the captaincy goes on till the 2027 World Cup). The thinking is to get the team out of the current struggle. We have a number of ODIs in the next 12 months. Two senior players [Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim] retired from ODIs recently so those who will get the opportunity, have to get settled in the next 12 months.Bangladesh’s ODI performance has been its only saving grace in international cricket for the last 15 years. The steady captaincy in this format, for the better part of the last 11 years under Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal has had a positive effect on the ODI performances. They have now landed on their third captain in two years. A natural leader, Mehidy will be expected to bring back some consistency into the role.

Rishabh Pant has come under criticism for the risks he has taken during this Border-Gavaskar Trophy, risks that have left him with scores of 37, 1, 21, 28, 9, 28, 30. Perception from both outside the Indian team, and inside it, is that he doesn’t rein in his natural game when he needs to.Pant showed he could bat differently in Sydney where Australia’s discipline on a pitch with seam movement and bounce resulted in him taking body blow after body blow in an innings where he faced 98 balls and hit only four of them to the boundary. He came in to bat just as India lost a little bit of their advantage, losing a wicket the last ball before lunch, to become 57 for 2 after 25 overs.Pant took them to tea for the loss of one more wicket, batting in a way he normally doesn’t. India were 107 for 4 after 50 overs.”I think in this innings I was not in a frame of mind where I wanted to take charge of the game because the wicket was doing too much,” he said. “And the kind of situation we were in and while playing inside I felt like I could do like play a little bit of defensive cricket yes there is a time to attack but when you have to feel that from inside. I can’t just pre-meditate that I’m going to play this way whatever the game asked me to do on that given day that’s what I try to do and that was the mindset.”Following the defeat in Melbourne, Gautam Gambhir, the India coach, had communicated the need for a team-first approach where all the players need to decide whether their natural game would help their cause or hinder it. Four days ago, Rohit Sharma had placed the onus on Pant to figure out what was best for both himself and the team.”I think it’s a little bit not very difficult,” Pant said as he spoke about prioritising survival over strokeplay. “Yes, initial part would be very difficult because when you see a ball which you can hit but sometimes you have to play more sensible cricket, I would say. Like there might be 50-50 chance which I could have taken early on in this innings but sometimes you have to play more secure cricket especially the way [SCG] wicket was behaving we knew that if we get one more wicket here we might lose two-three in a quick succession so that was the idea behind the way I was playing and last match there was nothing much to do the kind of target we had I think I had to play that [defensively] way so I think pretty fine with the way I’m playing.Related

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• Rohit: Pant needs to figure out the risk-reward game himself

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• Great Scott Boland, the supersub calling the shots for Australia

Pant is in no mood to sacrifice his gifts entirely. “I think mostly you want to back whatever the way you have played game but eventually you gotta keep on evolving. There is, I feel, there is not one way to play cricket but whatever comes more naturally is always better but you’ve got to find that balance between playing aggressive cricket and having that balance when you play all those shots and that’s what I’m trying to do.”Just trying to make most out of whatever the way I’m playing and just keep it simple not to overthink because you know when you’re not having best of the tours you might overthink too much but I just try to keep it simple and give my 200% on the field and that’s the idea about playing cricket for me.”

Rohit decision was a management call – Pant

India went into the Sydney Test with their captain Rohit sitting out after a prolonged spell of bad form, alongside poor results. “I think definitely it was an emotional decision,” Pant said, “Because he’s been captain for a long time we see him as a leader of the team but I think there are some decisions which you are not involved with and it’s a very management call so I was not part of that conversation so can’t explain anything other than that.”Bumrah who took over in Rohit’s stead had a simple message for India. “I think mostly the message is like be positive all the time don’t think what has already happened just give your best on the field,” Pant said, “And that’s what you want from your captain like being in a positive frame of mind and keep moving the game forward each and every day.”India felt they ended up on the wrong side of a DRS call, when an on-field decision of not-out was overturned in the last session and Washington Sundar was eventually adjudged caught behind. There was a murmur on Snicko as ball passed the glove. Umpire Joel Wilson took that as confirmation of contact. In the previous Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal was caught behind and there he definitely hit the ball but Snicko did not corroborate that evidence. Pant felt technology needed to get better.”I think there is not much to say because technology is one part which as a cricketer you can’t control,” Pant said, “But I feel whatever decision we make on the field it has to stay with the on-field umpire that’s the only thing until unless it’s so conclusive to change the decision I think we should stay with on-field umpire rest is umpire’s decision end of the day I can’t challenge that every day but technology can be a little better I guess.”

Big picture: Rematch of T20 World Cup final

In one way, Friday’s T20I between South Africa and India is a grudge match. The last time these two sides met was in Barbados, in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. India had no business winning that match when South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls with six wickets in hand. But Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Co snatched the win, and the trophy, from South Africa’s grasp, leaving them heartbroken.In another way, it is not. Many protagonists of that final will not be in action in this series. From India’s XI for the final, only four – Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh – are part of the current squad. South Africa, too, are without Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi.Therefore, this four-match series might look inconsequential. But don’t forget, the next T20 World Cup is only 15 months away, and the teams have already started preparing for it.Related

• Sanju Samson century, spinners hand India big win in T20I series opener

• Suryakumar: 'If Test comeback has to happen, it will happen'

• Stage set for another Abhishek-Samson audition

India recently faced a shock whitewash at home at the hands of New Zealand, but that was in Test cricket. Their T20I side, which has never been more different from their Test team, is coming on the back of a thumping 3-0 series win against Bangladesh. Continuing their attacking template from the World Cup, they posted a gigantic 297 for 6 in their most recent T20I.South Africa are yet to recover from their defeat in the final. Since then, they have lost 3-0 to West Indies and drew 1-1 against Ireland in the format. Playing at home now, can they bounce back?

Form guide

South Africa LWLLL (last five T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight: Aiden Markram and Tilak Varma

Aiden Markram has crossed 25 only once in 14 T20I innings this year. His tally in the format is 201, at an average of 16.75 and a strike rate of 118.23. This is in complete contrast to his career numbers: average 32.17, strike rate 144.62. On the eve of the first T20I against India, he said he was in a good space mentally. Both he and South Africa would want that to be converted into runs.Can Aiden Markram turn his form around?•Getty Images

A couple of freak hand injuries earlier this year had put Tilak Varma’s career on hold. While he is back in the mix now, the competition has got intense. He was drafted in for the Bangladesh T20Is as an injury replacement for Shivam Dube but did not get a match. After that, he led India at the Emerging Asia Cup in Oman where his returns were unglamorous: 117 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 120.61. Can he step up against a much tougher opponent?

Team news: Debuts for Simelane and Ramandeep?

South Africa could hand a debut to allrounder Andile Simelane. Simelane plays his domestic cricket at Kingsmead, which could come in handy.South Africa (probable): 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen/Gerald Coetzee, 8 Andile Simelane, 9 Nqabayomzi Peter, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Ottneil BaartmanIndia are likely to hand batting allrounder Ramandeep Singh his T20I cap. Axar Patel should also get a chance after warming the bench during the New Zealand Test series.India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Ramandeep Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Pitch and conditions: Runs ‘n Rains

South Africa do not have happy memories of Durban. Last year, Australia whitewashed them in a series of three T20Is, all played at this venue. It’s a high-scoring venue; the average first-innings total in the last seven T20Is here is 184. However, the weather could spoil things – there is a 40% chance of rain on Friday. The last time India were supposed to play a T20I here, in December 2023, rain did not allow even the toss.

Stats and trivia: Suryakumar’s strike rate

• India have a strong head-to-head record against South Africa in South Africa: six wins and three losses in nine T20Is.
• Among those who have scored at least 1000 T20I runs, Suryakumar has the highest strike rate (169.48).
• Arshdeep Singh is India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is this year, with 28 scalps in 14 games.
• In nine T20I innings against India, Heinrich Klaasen has three half-centuries and a strike rate of 168.09.

Quotes

“It has been a testing few months now. Obviously, we have addressed the reasons behind it, growth opportunities, things that are going to make cricketers better in South Africa over a long period of time. But as a captain, it hurts your pride and I have got a lot of pride wearing this badge and want to carry it forward and want to win games and win series for South Africa. But you lock into the bigger picture, you lock into how much it is going to help cricket in South Africa moving forward. Sometimes you have to go through these tough times and hopefully there will be some light at the end of the tunnel.”
“It has always been challenging playing against South Africa, be it in the T20 World Cup or any bilateral. The last time when we were here, we had a good series. Hopefully, we will have a game [tomorrow]; last time we missed out on the game here. But yeah, it’s always fun and challenging and both sides enjoy having that great competition.”

Sri Lanka 302 for 7 (Kamindu 114, Kusal 50, O’Rourke 3-54, Phillips 2-52) vs New ZealandKamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start to Test cricket notching up a fourth Test ton, but a couple of late wickets at the end of play ensured that New Zealand were not completely out of it after an engrossing opening day’s play in Galle.That one of those wickets was that of Kamindu will have brought the visitors particular joy, though the nature of the wicket – with it spitting out of the rough outside the left-handers off stump, to catch his glove – might give New Zealand’s left-hand heavy batting line-up some pause.Kamindu’s 114 off 173 was part of two key partnerships, the first worth 72 with Angelo Mathews and the second for 103 with Kusal Mendis. Around those New Zealand did what they do best. They put their best foot forward, set up solid plans, and threw themselves at everything.It meant Sri Lanka were unable to take complete control of the game having won the toss and elected to bat first on an unusually grass-strewn surface.Will O’Rourke was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing three wickets, including that of both Sri Lanka openers within the first hour of the morning session, while Glenn Phillips was the pick of the spinners with figures of 2 for 52. Mitchell Santner was wicketless, though that was less a reflection of his efforts and more a case of bad luck.Ramesh Mendis was unbeaten on 14 off 42 at stumps, alongside him was the Prabath Jayasuriya, but this was a day that belonged to Kamindu.His best work was done alongside the other Mendis in the lineup, Kusal, whose 50 off 68 provided the ideal foil to Kamindu’s steady hand. While missteps were rare for New Zealand, one in particular – a missed chance off a Kamindu miscue when he was still on 21 – might linger a little longer in the memory. That was also a rare Kamindu misstep, as for the most part, he dealt with whatever the visitors threw at him with consummate ease.William O’Rourke got his third wicket on the stroke of tea•Associated Press

The most striking feature of his innings was the ease with which he used his feat against the spinners, a concerted ploy geared towards not allowing them to settle on their lines and lengths. It meant the use of sweeps was more targeted than prolific, hounding out gaps in the field for a consistent flow of runs.His partnership with Mathews offered a much-needed period of consolidation after Sri Lanka had slumped to 106 for 4. Mathews had looked far from his best during a laboured 36 off 116, and it meant the scoreboard also wasn’t moving as swiftly as the hosts might have hoped.However once Mathews fell, edging behind off the excellent O’Rourke, it also brought up Sri Lanka’s best period of the day.With the ball softening and Kamindu already settled, Kusal’s natural aggression ran a tiring attack ragged. It took a freak dismissal to break the stand, as a hard pull off a Phillip’s long-hop saw the ball loop up off an evasive short leg and balloon to midwicket. Kusal looked on in disbelief, though by then Sri Lanka had already played themselves into a considerable position of strength.New Zealand though had started the day the better of the two sides with O’Rourke lighting up a gloomy morning session with a menacing opening burst full of pace, bounce and lateral movement. Through it he accounted for the wickets of Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka, while he also wrought some pain on Mathews, after one seamed back in sharply to strike his right forefinger. That knock forced Mathews to retire hurt, but he was able to return later on to complete his innings.New Zealand’s persistence continued to pay off after lunch, as they grabbed a further three wickets to bookend the session. Dinesh Chandimal fell right at the start, chipping to midwicket for a sharp catch, while Mathews fell on the stroke of tea. In between, Dhananjaya de Silva had a ripper from Phillips turn right through bat and pad to clip the top of off.On another day, all that might have signalled a successful day for the visitors, but Kamindu ensured that it was the hosts that would take home honours on a hard-fought opening day.

Rory Burns followed his double-hundred against Lancashire last week with 161 as champions-elect Surrey ended day one of their Vitality County Championship match against Nottinghamshire on 339 for 5.But by the close of proceedings at Trent Bridge, the Surrey skipper found himself pushed out of the spotlight by 16-year-old offspinner Farhan Ahmed, who not only claimed the wicket of Burns and two more Test players in Ben Foakes and Will Jacks, but finished a sensational first day in Championship cricket with figures of 4 for 69 from 28 overs.The younger brother of Leicestershire and England prodigy Rehan Ahmed, at the age of 16 years and 189 days, Farhan is the youngest first-class player in Nottinghamshire’s history. Earlier this month, he set another record on his first-class debut as the youngest player to be selected for England Lions when they faced Sri Lanka at Worcester.Nonetheless, with half-centuries from Jacks and Ryan Patel against a depleted and relegation-threatened Nottinghamshire side, the defending champions and runaway Division One leaders are in a good position as they seek to edge closer to a third consecutive title.Wheir options reduced by injuries, a Test call-up for Olly Stone and, in the case of Dane Paterson, paternity leave, the home side also gave a first-class debut to 23-year-old pace bowler Rob Lord.Farhan, whose selection displaced Cris Tinley as the youngest first-class player in the Nottinghamshire record books 177 years since the latter made his debut at 16 years 288 days in 1847, was trusted to enter the attack as early as the seventh over, by which time it was already clear that it was not a pitch for persevering with seamers, especially with the Kookaburra ball.Farhan Ahmed became Nottinghamshire’s youngest first-class debutant (file photo)•Nottinghamshire CCC

Unfazed by being swept for six and four by Burns, Ahmed was unlucky not to claim the Surrey skipper as his maiden Championship wicket before the visitors reached lunch at 88 for 1, having the left-hander perilously close to being caught at slip on 36 and at midwicket on 41.Lord, who has played national counties cricket for Cheshire and signed a short-term contract with Nottinghamshire last month, took the only wicket to fall in the session as Dom Sibley was caught at second slip, the ball glancing off the opener’s bat as he swayed out of the path of a rising delivery.Burns completed his fifty from 104 balls soon after lunch before surviving a confident appeal for leg before by Farhan on 78. It was not the most fluent innings he has played, his hundred coming up off a streaky inside edge off seamer Lyndon James that ran away for his eighth four, but his stand of 175 for the second wicket with Patel put Surrey in a commanding position on 203 for 2 at tea.Patel had been caught behind for 77, a well-deserved maiden Championship wicket for Farhan, who asked questions of the batters consistently and was rewarded when he straightened one enough from round the wicket to find the edge.Patel was a first victim behind the stumps for Nottinghamshire’s latest overseas recruit, the South African Test wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.There was a heavy workload, too, for left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White and, on only his second first-class appearance, a busy day for Freddie McCann, the 19-year-old top-order batter, who also bowls offspin.Burns clubbed McCann for his third six shortly before reaching 150, prompting Nottinghamshire to take the new ball after 84 overs, although it was only two overs old when they turned again to Farhan, who was lofted down the ground by Burns for his fourth maximum but then dismissed Burns and Ben Foakes with consecutive deliveries.A catch at wide mid-on accounted for Burns as the erstwhile England opener attempted to clear the ropes again before Foakes, capped as recently as March this year, prodded outside off-stump and was caught behind.Jacks survived the hat-trick ball but after hitting Farhan for his third six he was caught on the long-off boundary to give the youngster his fourth scalp.

The seed was planted in Nelson back in March, when a bungled run-chase saw England squander the chance to go 3-0 up in a T20I series against New Zealand.England ended up winning 4-1 and, while the White Ferns threw on some fertiliser with a consolation win in the last of three ODIs, England captain Heather Knight believes the root of her team’s domination of the return tour can be traced back to that third T20I.Now, England are on the cusp of securing an undefeated home summer at Lord’s in the fifth and final T20I after sweeping the ODIs against New Zealand 3-0 and beating Pakistan 3-0 and 2-0 in T20I and ODI series respectively.Related

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“That T20 that we lost in New Zealand, Amy Jones actually spoke brilliantly after that and talked about her fears in T20 chases, and actually made a conscious effort to address that mentally and how she wants to go about chasing,” Knight said at Lord’s on Wednesday.”She spoke really well in front of the group around that, and I think that was quite infectious really, and was a bit of a fire-starter for us wanting to be a bit more ruthless and really nail teams when we are on top. That’s something that’s going to be so important in tournament cricket.”I think our skill level has continued to improve as well. That New Zealand loss in the T20 series where we didn’t chase down a score that we should have was a bit of a catalyst for us to ultimately not let that happen again, and when we’re really on top, to really nail teams.”Against Pakistan, the ‘nailing teams’ objective remained beneath the surface with England winning but without the ruthless streak that has blossomed while hosting New Zealand.England went unbeaten against Pakistan and can do the same against New Zealand•Getty Images

“A lot of people have said to me, ‘New Zealand haven’t been great’. But I think we’ve been awesome,” Knight said. “I think the way we’ve kept their key players quiet probably needs a little bit more credit, to be honest.”The way we’ve played and put them under pressure, and been relentless when we’ve been on top and trying to keep them quiet has been great. We are desperate to finish this summer unbeaten. It’s not something we’ve done very often. It’s our last game of the summer and we want to continue what we’ve done.”The White Ferns’ batting has let them down against England’s top-class bowling attack, led by spinners Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean. That has coincided with the hosts showing off the depth of their line-up, with several batters finding form. It has also left England with some difficult selection decisions ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.Maia Bouchier appears to have secured an opening berth alongside Danni Wyatt, with both having rested at various stages of the T20I series to give Sophia Dunkley a chance to show her improvement after losing her place following the tour of New Zealand and rediscovering her touch in regional cricket.In both matches she has played, Dunkley has made solid starts with 35 and 26 and her versatility in being able to bat up and down the order could earn her a place in the squad as the spare batter.”She’s looked completely at home again,” Knight said. “She’s got us off to some brilliant starts in the two games that she’s played and that is something that Sophia does give us when she’s at her best. For me, it looks like she’s back towards her best. That decision is pretty tricky around the players that we have and that’s a really good place to be.”Sophia Dunkley has won her place in the squad back•ECB via Getty Images

Mahika Gaur, England’s teenage left-arm seamer, has thrown up another conundrum after missing the early part of the summer to complete her high school exams, then picking up a side strain which has kept her out and prompted her to withdraw from the Hundred to continue her rehabilitation.”It’s tricky,” Knight said. “She hasn’t played a huge amount for England because of her exams and then injury. We were hoping she could get a few games in this series, but that side issue has obviously come back and I think the thing with young players, you have to be really careful – particularly young, fast bowlers – with how you manage them and not push them too far.”She’s not completely out of our plans, but it does make it harder for us to pick her now obviously with those seamers that we’ve got performing really well.”England look set to take a spin-heavy attack to Bangladesh. Lauren Filer offers raw pace to offset her relative inexperience at international level, fellow seamer Lauren Bell is starting to see the benefits of changing her action and Nat Sciver-Brunt is increasing her bowling load after a knee problem. Freya Kemp, who has added to England’s batting depth, is also returning to her allrounder role after a back injury.If Pakistan and New Zealand’s performances have made putting England’s into context difficult, it’s worth looking back to their tour of India late last year, where they lost the Test but won the T20I series 2-1, and last year’s Ashes, where England won both white-ball series in a drawn campaign after Australia won the Test.”I guess we’ve proved in the last 12 months that we can beat anyone on our day,” Knight said. “The Ashes series last summer showed that, particularly in the white-ball series, how we played, winning those series 2-1.”But ultimately we’re just trying to keep improving as well. That’s been a really pleasing thing: [not just] the way we’ve played, but also the fact that as individuals, we’re still trying to get better, we’re still trying to work on things.”We know other teams around the world are going to be doing that. We can only look after ourselves as a team and try and keep moving the game forward and playing how we want to. Bangladesh will be a tough test to see if we can do that in a big tournament as well.”