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Pakistan will host Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between December 2013 and January 2014 for a bilateral series that includes three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2013Pakistan will host Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between December 2013 and January 2014 for a bilateral series that includes three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s. The series, the second bilateral contest between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE, will be played in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.The T20s and ODIs have been scheduled before the Tests. The T20s will be played on December 11 and 13 in Dubai, while Sharjah will host the first ODI on December 18. The last two ODIs will be played in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan will take on Afghanistan in a T20 match before the start of the Sri Lanka series, although the venue for the match has not yet been announced.The first Test has been scheduled for December 31 in Dubai, while Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will host the second and third Tests, from January 8 and January 16.”The tour itinerary has been approved after consultation between Pakistan Cricket Board and its counterpart Sri Lanka,” the PCB said in a statementSince the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009, Pakistan have been forced to play their home series overseas, with UAE being the preferred venue. The last time the two sides played in the UAE in 2011, Pakistan won the ODIs 4-1 and won the Test and T20 series 1-0. Pakistan enjoyed little success on their tour of Sri Lanka in June and July 2012 – the last bilateral series between the teams – losing the Tests (1-0) and ODIs (3-1), while the T20 series was tied.Fixtures
1st T20I: December 11, Dubai
2nd T20I: December 13, Dubai
1st ODI: December 18, Sharjah
2nd ODI: December 20, Dubai
3rd ODI: December 22, Sharjah
4th ODI: December 25, Abu Dhabi
5th ODI: December 27, Abu Dhabi
1st Test: December 31-January 4, Dubai
2nd Test: January 8-12, Abu Dhabi
3rd Test: January 16-20, Sharjah

The full statement made by Mervyn Westfield after reluctantly agreeing to give evidence in an ECB hearing called to consider Danish Kaneria’s appeal against his ban for match-fixing

22-Apr-2013The following statement I ask my barrister Yasin Patel to make on my behalf.I, Mervyn Westfield, in February 2012, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was soon after, sentenced to four months imprisonment. It is in relation to the facts of those proceedings that I have been forced to attend here today.The Hearing taking place today is in relation to an appeal brought by Danesh Kaneria against the English Cricket Board to overturn the ban imposed by them.My presence here today is the third time that my help and assistance has been sought in order to assist the English Cricket Board. I have made it abundantly clear to the ECB that I have no desire to participate in this hearing or to provide any further evidence to that which I had previously done in June 2012.The ECB have this time decided to take the hostile route in seeking the help of a High Court Judge who has signed a court summons in order to secure my attendance. As I understand, by not attending today, the ECB would return to the High Court and a warrant for my arrest would be requested. I am not sure what the ECB are hoping to gain by these actions.I have heard that Essex County Cricket Club, together with the English Cricket Board and the Professional Cricketers Association were fully aware of the situation I was falling into but stood back until my involvement reached the point of my guilty conviction. No-one wished to protect me at any stage. Where was their duty of care to me as a member of their staff?I am here today not because of the summons, nor because of any other party. My family have stood by me throughout the torture I have been made to live with this. No one else has given me any support despite all the promises a year ago. I am here to bring to an end the pain and suffering that I am forced to continuously suffer and in the hope that after today my family and I will never be subjected to the humiliation and hurt we have gone through in the last three years.

Somerset were left facing a major headache after another batting collapse left them staring a third defeat of the season after just the first day at Horsham.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2013
ScorecardSomerset had no answer for Steve Magoffin•Getty ImagesSomerset were left nursing a major headache after another batting collapse saw them staring at a third defeat of the season after just the first day at Horsham. Having dominated champions Warwickshire at Taunton at the end of April, they now resemble relegation candidates rather than title challengers.Director of cricket Dave Nosworthy admitted Somerset have an issue after his side were routed for just 76 by Steve Magoffin’s career-best 8 for 20. They lasted only 23.4 overs as Magoffin ran through them, including a blast of five wickets in 13 balls.”There are no excuses we didn’t get it right,” Nosworthy told “We won the toss and chose to bat but it didn’t work for us.”I think the lads are all very disappointed, you train as hard as you do and try your best but at the end of the day you have got to be responsible for your own innings and get out there and perform, which nobody has managed to do for us today.”Nor have many managed to perform at all this season. A poor show with the bat in the opening match at Durham seemed to be an aberration for Somerset as they found form at The Oval and then racked up over 400 against a much-vaunted Warwickshire attack. But a slip at Headingley, where a draw was declared with Somerset 61 for 6 in their second innings, became a harsh reality after a thumping defeat at home to Middlesex.Their batting order is ageing, inexperienced or out of form. They have been reliant on 37-year-old Marcus Trescothick and overseas player Alviro Petersen. Here, Petersen failed and Trescothick’s 20 was one of only three double-figure scores.Somerset can also not turn to their bowling attack for much comfort. The first three into the attack here, Peter Trego, Steve Kirby and Alfonso Thomas, have a combined age of 102. Together with Jamie Overton and Jack Leach – two youngsters whose development is essential for the club – they shipped 298 runs at over four an over to close day one 222 behind.They had envisaged progress at a similar rate themselves with the bat but had no answer for Magoffin who bowled 11 overs unchanged to produce the best performance by a Sussex bowler since Mushtaq Ahmed took 9 for 48 when the county clinched the Championship title against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 2006.He started by bowling Arul Suppiah through the gate – Suppiah’s sixth single figure score in eight innings this season – then a touch of inswing proved too much for Petersen. But the real damage was done after James Hildreth was caught low down at slip in the 12th over.From 42 for 3, Somerset subsided to 43 for 7, with Magoffin taking three wickets in four balls in the 14th over. Trescothick was caught behind playing away from his body before Trego and Thomas fell in successive deliveries.Somerset’s last three wickets put on 33 to avoid total ignominy but there was no stopping Magoffin. After Jack Leach was caught behind, Magoffin bowled top scorer Jos Buttler for 22 to pick up his eighth wicket and record the best bowling performance at Horsham since Northamptonshire’s Vince Broderick took 9 for 35 in 1948.Chris Jordan took the other two wickets and Sussex openers Chris Nash and Luke Wells were soon putting conditions into perspective with a stand of 83.Thomas dragged Somerset back into contention when Nash, captaining Sussex on his home ground in the absence of Ed Joyce, played on before Joe Gatting edged his second ball to second slip.A typically fiery burst from Kirby was rewarded with the wicket of Wells while Mike Yardy, who hit three successive balls from Kirby to the boundary, squandered a good start when he was bowled by Peter Trego at the start of a new spell.But Sussex regained control in a fifth wicket stand of 85 between Rory Hamilton-Brown and Matt Machan before the latter was run out by Leach’s direct hit from midwicket.Somerset fought back after tea by taking five wickets, including Hamilton-Brown – whose 77 included 11 fours and two sixes and was his highest score since returning to the county before he became one of four victims for Thomas.Despite the clatter of wickets, ECB pitch inspector David Capel said he was perfectly happy with the surface.

Dhaka Gladiators will play with a Chris Gayle-sized hole in their line-up for the final when they take on Chittagong Kings in Mirpur

The Preview by Mohammad Isam18-Feb-2013 Match FactsFebruary 19, 2013
Start time 1800 (1200 GMT)The lack of runs from Ravi Bopara is a problem that needs to be solved by Chittagong Kings on the big day•Chittagong KingsBig PictureDhaka Gladiators will play with a Chris Gayle-sized hole in their line-up for the final. But credit to the make-up of their team. They take on Chittagong Kings, against whom they first lost a match before winning one. It is shaping up to be a close contest as the Kings have picked up momentum at the right time, but the Gladiators are a side heavy on Twenty20 specialists.The Gladiators have had a solid campaign so far, much of it due to their squad that was the best on paper before the tournament started and remains so, through the 13 matches. Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Anamul Haque and Darren Stevens have led with the bat while Alfonso Thomas’ Twenty20 experience has been vital with the ball, picking up 17 wickets. Shakib and fellow left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain have taken the bulk of the wickets together and their combined eight overs will again be important.Kings’ strength is in their bowling, especially left-arm spin. Enamul Haque jnr has taken 18 wickets and his four overs will most likely be played out quietly by the rampant Gladiators. The batting will be propped up by Ryan ten Doeschate who has played several vital knocks, but the lack of runs from Ravi Bopara is a problem that needs to be solved on the big day. Form guide(Most recent first, completed matches)
Dhaka Gladiators WWLWW
Chittagong Kings WWLWL In the spotlight After Gayle’s departure, Shakib Al Hasan will again be the most important player in the Gladiators’ line-up. Shakib has had a quiet tournament so far, though there have been the odd contributions. He will bat at No. 3 and the four overs of left-arm spin will hold the key for the defending champions in the final.Enamul Haque jnr has been the vital performer for Chittagong Kings even on bad days. Apart from the wickets, he offers control in a bowling attack that is slowly shaping up at the right time of the tournament. Team newsSince Luke Wright is in New Zealand and Chris Gayle returned after one match, Ashraful is likely to open and Josh Cobb could make it to the playing eleven of the Gladiators.Dhaka Gladiators (probable): 1 Tillekaratne Dilshan, 2 Mohammad Ashraful, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Anamul Haque (wk), 5 Darren Stevens, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Josh Cobb, 8 Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (capt), 9 Alfonso Thomas, 10 Mosharraf Hossain, 11 Saqlain SajibThe same line-up is likely for the Kings as they have won two games on the trot with this eleven.Chittagong Kings (probable): 1 Naeem Islam, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Nurul Hasan (wk), 5 Ryan ten Doeschate, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Kevon Cooper, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Ariful Haque, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Enamul Haque jnr Stats and triviaThe war of the wicket-takers will be a sideshow in the final. Thomas has 19 wickets while Enamul is on 18 wickets. Quotes”We have to play our best cricket because there’s no second chance. I am confident of the team, because we have done very well throughout the competition.”
“There are no favourites in a Twenty20 match, but Dhaka Gladiators are a good side.”

Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood provided the platform for Warwickshire to pick up a batting bonus in an otherwise frustrating draw

Jon Culley at Edgbaston13-Apr-2013
ScorecardIan Westwood helped Warwickshire put on another century opening stand with Varun Chopra•PA PhotosIn five months’ time, this match will almost certainly be nothing but a distant, watery memory, with little bearing on anything that happened in between. Yet Warwickshire were unable to avoid some sense of frustration. Not only were they denied the chance to take full advantage of what may be the weakest opponent they will face in defence of their title, picking up a paltry four bonus points, they had also to swallow the news that Sussex, Durham and Middlesex had picked their way through the gloom and the puddles to register first-round wins.”It is frustrasting,” the Warwickshire captain, Jim Troughton said. “Looking at the state of the game, we knew that their score was under par and that after the start our openers gave us we would back ourselves to bat big and have another go at them. But there is a long season ahead of us and if we keep playing solid cricket the points will take care of themselves.”You’d like to start with a win but you can’t do it if you can’t get on the field. I feel sorry for Gary [Barwell], the groundsman. He had to get the ark out last year and he’s needed a snowplough this time.”At least there was encouragement to draw, not least in the increasing reliability of the opening batsmen, Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood, who compiled their sixth century partnership in their last 12 matches together.”They have become so important,” Troughton said. “Early season it is commonplace to see three or four wickets down before lunch. The ball is going to nibble, as it has done in the other games in this round. So if you’ve got a partnership at the top of the order, with the consistency they have together, and with the batting we have to follow, you have the chance to put big totals on the board.”Chops and Westy know each other’s games really well and they are a left-hand, right-hand combination, which is good. Age-wise they have a lot of growth left in them as a partnership. I still think Westy is improving and Chops seems to go away every winter and come back a better player.”He’s got 1,000 runs two years in a row and if he keeps playing as he is he will be knocking on the door for England. While he is playing for Warwickshire he is challenging himself to keep improving.”Westy and myself were perhaps the two players whose form hit a consistent vein in the second half of last season and it is good for us that he and Chops seem to be continuing where they left off.”Their progress to 139 on the last day here, before Westwood sliced a drive to backward point off Tim Groenewald, served to reinforce Derbyshire’s coach Karl Krikken’s point of view that Division One will be an unforgiving environment for his Division Two title-winners.”In both divisions you aim to make as few mistakes as possible because mistakes get punished,” he said. “Last season we didn’t make many mistakes but in this game we have been a bit lacking in some areas and we just have to up it a little bit next time.”Groenewald’s breakthrough gave him the honour of taking the first Division One wicket by a Derbyshire player since Kevin Dean against Somerset in September 2000. It sparked a Warwickshire collapse of sorts, as the champions sought to up the tempo. William Porterfield drove Wes Durston’s offspin straight to short extra-cover, Chopra edged behind as Chesney Hughes gave his left-arm spin a dusting down, then Troughton, advancing down the wicket, was stumped after reaching for his shot as Durston bowled wide of the stumps. A boundary from Laurie Evans snatched a first batting point just before lunch — then rain intervened for the final time.

Allrounder Angelo Mathews copes with pressure ‘better than anybody else’, according to Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene

Sa'adi Thawfeeq19-Jun-2012Allrounder Angelo Mathews copes with pressure ‘better than anybody else’, according to Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene. His unbeaten 80 that took Sri Lanka to victory in the match and the series against Pakistan on Monday should silence his critics, Jayawardene said.”A lot of people ask about his role in the team and he justified his place,” he said. “I don’t know why this question keeps popping up. Angelo has done well with the ball and he has done well with the bat. He is a quality allrounder and he handles pressure than anybody else I’ve seen.”It’s not the first time he has done this for us, he has done it quite often. Some of the other times he has bought us close and maybe hasn’t been able to finish the game off, but from nowhere he has the ability to bring us into the game.”Jayawardene put his team’s success in the series down to them having handled challenges better than Pakistan. “We handled most of the tough situations better than the Pakistanis, and the fielding standards were much better that was the difference in the series.”It wasn’t an easy series and we knew that is how it would be from the beginning; credit to the entire team for working really hard. A lot of guys showed a lot of composure in handling difficult situations … Thisara [Perera], Lasith [Malinga], Kula [Nuwan Kulasekara], and with the bat most of the guys. What’s important is that we take forward the positives from the series.”This is the first ODI series win for Sri Lanka since they made the World Cup final in April 2011, and Jayawardene said he hoped the victory would put his team in the right frame of mind for the Tests that begin in Galle on Friday. “We’ve played some really good cricket, but we didn’t have anything to show for it; it has been a lot of hard work in the last 12 months for us, and hopefully continue to improve as a team.”The Test series is always going to be big challenge, but winning is a good habit to have so hopefully we can continue this momentum. We have some experienced players coming in for the Tests. It’s going to be a great opportunity for us. It’s important that we start fresh and start well.”

An unbeaten century by Luke Wright and 78 not out from Matt Prior propelled Sussex into the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals at the expense of Kent

27-Aug-2012
ScorecardLuke Wright and Matt Prior made a mockery of Kent’s struggles with the bat•Getty ImagesAn unbeaten century by Luke Wright and 78 not out from Matt Prior propelled Sussex into the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals at the expense of Kent, who they drubbed by nine wickets in Canterbury. The second-wicket pair added 152 in 21.4 overs to brush the hosts aside with ten overs remaining and overhaul them in the table to secure a home tie against Hampshire in the last four.All was not lost for Kent at the conclusion but once Warwickshire’s win at Yorkshire was confirmed their chances of being the best group-stage losers disappeared. They only had themsevles to blame as, despite a tricky St Lawrence pitch, they allowed Sussex to quickly get their teeth into the pursuit of their modest total of 210 for 5.One-day openers Wright and Chris Nash plundered 23 from the opening two overs from the Pavilion End – 13 off Matt Coles then 10 off Darren Stevens – and Sussex continued to score freely, posting 50 in 6.2 overs. The opening stand ended in the ninth over when Nash, driving on the up at Stevens, had his off stump plucked out by one that nipped down the slope and through the right-hander’s gate.England wicketkeeper Prior escaped a huge fourth-ball appeal from Stevens for leg-before, then another with his score on 16 when sweeping at James Tredwell, but he survived both courtesy of excellent decisions from umpires Richard Kettleborough and Jeremy Lloyds. The decisions proved crucial and seemingly crushed Kent’s morale as Prior dug in with Wright to win the match with their sensible and unflustered second-wicket stand.Taking the two-paced pitch fully into account, Wright coasted to a 53-ball half-century then, having played himself in, Prior accelerated with a swept six off seamer Mark Davies and a straight drive over the ropes against Tredwell to post the century stand and reach his personal 50 from 55 balls.The duo claimed 18 off the penultimate over of the match by Coles and then Wright reached his second one-day ton of the summer with a dabbed single to backward point as Sussex made a mockery of the Spitfires total.Kent, who started the day on top of the Group C table, batted first after winning the toss and made a sticky start on a dry, yet green-tinged pitch. They lost young opening batsman Sam Billings with only 10 on the board when he edged to Prior, fielding at slip, against CB40 debutant Steve Magoffin.Prior’s understudy behind the stumps, Ben Brown, then stood up to the wicket to claim a magnificent catch that accounted for Kent captain Rob Key, who gloved a lifter from Kirk Wernars to be caught behind with 63 on the board. Sam Northeast flicked across the line of a Will Beer top-spinner to go lbw then Kent suffered another soft dismissal when Brendan Nash called for a second run on a misfield to fine leg by Magoffin, who picked up to run out Stevens with a throw to the non-striker’s end.Alex Blake’s penchant for the reverse sweep finally led to his downfall, caught at short third man, bringing Nash and Geraint Jones together for a face-saving unbroken sixth-wicket stand worth 57 in 33 balls. Jones bludgeoned three fours as well as two consecutive sixes off Michael Yardy in his cameo 37 from 18 balls, while Nash anchored the other end with an unbeaten 51 from 59 balls and with only one boundary.

Toby Radford, the West Indies assistant coach, has denied that the confidence levels of the hosts’ young batsmen are taking a battering ahead of a tour of England, in the wake of the top order struggling once again on day two in Dominica

Daniel Brettig at Windsor Park25-Apr-2012Toby Radford, the West Indies assistant coach, has denied that the confidence levels of the hosts’ young batsmen are taking a battering ahead of a tour of England, in the wake of the top order struggling once again on day two in Dominica. Chief among several areas of concern for West Indies is 19-year-old opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who after starting the series with a fighting half-century in Barbados has since made three consecutive ducks.Following Brathwaite’s dismissal at Windsor Park, Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell formed the foundations of a useful stand, but once Barath went the rest fell away alarmingly, leaving Shivnarine Cahnderpaul to mount the best salvage operation he could against an Australia attack that has slowly gained a measure over their opponents across three Tests. Radford, however, argued that the series had been a difficult one for batsmen of both teams.”I think it [this series] is difficult for both sides. I was happy with how we dealt with the new ball today. I thought Barath was good, I thought Powell was good,” he said. “Having got a really good start against the new ball, suddenly spin did the damage. We’ve had other games where we’ve struggled against the new ball, we’ve talked a lot about it.”How to play [Ben] Hilfenhaus, the fact he sets you up bowling away and then there’s the big inswinger… We’ve looked at that, thought we played that really well today and then on comes an offspinner, lots of turn and bounce, and he does the damage. These are young guys, talented guys, who I think will have good careers and we’ve got to be patient with them. They’re learning and they’ll learn around people like Shiv at the other end. It’s not suicide for us. You learn, you come back and are stronger. Hopefully we can go to England and then perform there.”As for Brathwaite, Radford said he and head coach Ottis Gibson would seek to remind the teenager of the character and ability he had shown in his first innings of the series. Brathwaite’s ability to hang in there at the crease is a critical element of the batting line-up West Indies are seeking to build, as they sorely need batsmen capable of soaking up time and overs in the manner of the 37-year-old Chanderpaul.”You chat with him [Brathwaite]. You talk with him. You practice with him whenever you can and you remind him how good a player he is,” Radford said. “He played very well in Barbados in that first innings. Today he got out in a similar fashion to how he got out in the second innings in Barbados, just hanging the bat a little bit, but again you back him. He’s a good player. He’s a young player. Our job as coaches is to keep his confidence high and work on any little issues as they come along. You’ve got to back your young players.”Of greater concern to Radford is the way in which Australia’s tail has repeatedly wagged. While the captain Darren Sammy had pointed to Michael Hussey as the major source of these rear-guards, in Dominica it was Matthew Wade shepherding the lower order, though Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus also played a few handsome strokes of their own in building a final tally of 328.”We’ve regularly got out top quality players. [Shane] Watson, [Ricky] Ponting, [Michael] Clarke. Hussey’s been fantastic all the way through, didn’t get any in this game, but they bat very deep,” Radford said. “Guys come in at No. 9, 10 or 11 and can hold an end up. Last week it was Pattinson, today others take on that mantle. Starc played really well, he got 35 as a guy coming in lower down.”I think if we can take anything away [from this match], it’s important that we bat in the same way with the same brains, the same technique. We’re always looking to develop, we’re always looking to analyse and learn – that’s always my message when we have bad days, that you come in tomorrow and say ‘right, how we going to have a better one’. We must keep learning. I think we’re a side who’ve done well over the last few weeks, we’ve fought well. This happens to be a bad day and we’ve got to come back with a better one tomorrow, simple as that.”Radford said the West Indies bowlers had been reminded of the importance of bowling at the tail in the same manner they had stalked Australia’s top order, but admitted that fatigue after day one in the field under Roseau’s sapping tropical sun may have been a factor in a flat display on the second morning.”The message was we must bowl at those guys – Starc and Wade – as if they were Hussey and top order batters. We’ve got to bowl the same way. We can’t think they’re just going to fall over because we know Australians don’t just fall over,” he said. “Don’t think because they’re No. 9, 10 and 11 they’re just going to give their wickets away, it just doesn’t happen like that. I certainly think fatigue [played a part]. We had a long day in the field yesterday.”Six hours in that heat, I think, took a bit out of the seamers and it’s the physical toll [that affected them]. Someone like Kemar Roach, who has been absolutely magnificent and is a world class bowler, he’s starting to get a bit fatigued. He’s bowled all summer in this series and I think it was hard for him this morning to just dig that bit deeper again. You’re expecting a lot [of a bowler], to do it day in and day out in these temperatures.”

Nick Compton needs another 67 runs in what seems likely to be a maximum of two innings to become the first batsman since Graeme Hick 24 years ago to reach 1,000 first-class runs in English cricket before the end of May.

23-May-2012
ScorecardNick Compton probably has two innings in which to make 67 runs to become the first batsman for 24 years to reach 1,000 runs before the end of May•Getty ImagesNick Compton needs another 67 runs in what seems likely to be a maximum of two innings to become the first batsman since Graeme Hick 24 years ago to reach 1,000 first-class runs in English cricket before the end of May.Compton scored 64 in 121 balls for Somerset at Taunton before he pulled a short ball from Durham’s slow left-armer Ian Blackwell to Callum Thorp, who leapt to take the catch above his head at mid wicket.Peter Trego enjoyed a good day with ball and bat as Somerset ran up 357 for 8 on the second day of an evenly-balanced contest. He took his Championship wicket tally for the season to 26 by helping to clean up the Durham tail as they were bowled out for 384 from an overnight 353 for eight. Then he hit his first half-century of the season, sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 99 with 18-year-old Craig Overton, who hit 50 off 54 balls, before finishing unbeaten on 67.Blackwell (three for 74) and Jamie Harrison, who marked his Championship debut with three for 88, were the pick of the Durham attack. But, as on the first day, batting errors were chiefly responsible for the wickets that fell in more unbroken sunshine.Harrison (15) and Liam Plunkett (24) played positively at the start of the day before falling to Trego and Alfonso Thomas respectively as Durham added 31 to their total.Somerset suffered a poor start in reply as Harrison pinned Arul Suppiah lbw for four, but Alex Barrow and Compton were both unbeaten on 25 at lunch with the score 66 for one. Barrow nicked a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard off a rusty-looking Steve Harmison without adding to his score after the interval.But Hildreth came in to blaze three fours off his first four deliveries and looked in supreme form. He made 53 from 39 balls with 10 fours and a six when he missed an attempted pull off Harrison and losing his leg stump. By then Somerset were 138 for 3, with Compton well set.Jos Buttler gave his wicket away with a flashing cut off Blackwell before he had scored, Mustard taking a routine catch, and when Kieswetter fell lbw to Thorp for 42 Somerset were in trouble at 209 for 6.Overton showed no nerves in bludgeoning 10 fours in his maiden Championship half-century, sharing an entertaining stand with Trego which put their team back in the game. By the close Somerset were 27 runs behind, with Trego having reined himself back responsibly. He had faced 112 balls and hit six fours and a six.

Had it not rained, and if the full 50 overs of the South African innings had been bowled, Tillakaratne Dilshan may have been able to smile whole-heartedly for the first time this year

Firdose Moonda in Bloemfontein18-Jan-2012Irony can be cruel and it played one of its most callous cards when Sri Lanka’s bid to stay alive in the series was killed off by wet weather. After the favours rained on them in that famous relegation game in the 2003 World Cup – when South Africa’s mathematical deficiency meant the showers fell in Sri Lanka’s favour – the wheel was bound to turn at some stage.When it did, it was violent. Sri Lanka were crushed when they had already been beaten, and even though they got better, they were never quite good enough. So far, their series has been characterised by starts with the bat without pushing on, wayward bowling that lacks penetration and a fielding side that can look worse than a leaky tap.A montage of Tillakaratne Dilshan’s expressions as the series has progressed would tell a tale of hope turning into despair, disappointment and ultimately disillusion. Dilshan, like anyone involved in the series, expected fifty-over contests that would be compelling and competitive. He did not see this coming.After Paarl, where he had struggled to explain exactly what had happened, the expectations appeared too great and a repair job had to be done before East London. Even though Sri Lanka’s batting effort in East London was close to five-and-a-half times better in numerical terms, it wasn’t enough to give them a win. In Bloemfontein, they achieved and surpassed their stated goal of 250, and had a real chance of keeping themselves alive in the series when weather intervened.It could have been different. One more wicket would have put them into the South African tail and changed the Duckworth-Lewis equation. One less run in Lasith Malinga’s last over, the wide perhaps, could have changed the complexion of a tight chase. One more save in the field could have eventually left South Africa just short. Ifs and buts are useless now that the series has been lost.It was difficult to look at Dilshan’s face on Tuesday night. He has appeared at a loss before. When he was hit for two back-to-back fours off an over in East London, for example, he wore an expression of extreme exasperation. When he carelessly lost his wicket in Bloemfontein, he seemed to be angry with himself, for the first time in a series where that sort of self-fury could have emerged after every one of his dismissals. But when he arrived to address the media after Sri Lanka conceded the series, the helplessness on his face was pitiful.”Everything is coming against us,” he said, with a small shake of the head. “We had a good chance to win this one-dayer but we can’t control the rain.”No, they cannot and this time it worked against them. Had it not rained, and if the full 50 overs of the South African innings had been bowled, Dilshan may have been able to smile whole-heartedly for the first time this year. Instead, he was forced to look at the core of Sri Lanka’s problems starting with the simple fact that every time they got better, South Africa did too.Although Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis were rested for the last three games, South Africa had Faf du Plessis to take charge of the chase. Although the seamers struggled on a flat, hard pitch that required them to bend their backs, Robin Peterson bowled 10 impressive overs to keep Sri Lanka in check. Once again, it was a case of not enough runs for the visitors – they were on track to score in excess of 300, after reaching 155 for 3 after 30 overs, but finished with 266 for 9.”All their spinners bowled well but we needed one guy to continue batting after getting a start,” Dilshan said. “One guy should bat 40 to 45 overs in the top order. We were short another 20 runs today. Before we started I thought 250 or 260 will be a good total. But when we started batting I thought 280.”This time, that batsman could have been Dilshan himself. He had a quiet start and scored his first boundary only after 41 balls. He even brought out the Dilscoop, a shot that suggested he was feeling in control. Then, he simply tossed it away and for the first time he admitted that he knew he had done the wrong thing. “They bowled a tight line to me so I didn’t want to take any chances at the beginning,” he said. “Upul was scoring well so I had no need to take any chances. I wanted to bat throughout the innings and I was really disappointed to get out in the 30s.”Already, questions have arisen about Dilshan’s ability to lead and suggestion is thick in the air that his captaincy lease will not be renewed once the series is over. Dilshan said he will not terminate it himself. “I have to finish this one-day series. I have been appointed for this,” he said. “And I will captain for the next few series if asked.”There’s no point even thinking that far. For now, Dilshan will have to lift his team and stave off a rampant South African side that is eyeing a whitewash. “We are doing everything in preparation but everything is going wrong for us,” he said. “We are getting close but we can’t finish it off. We have to finish strongly.”