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David Hussey, the Australia batsman, has counselled his team to be prepared for a succession of slow pitches and a spin-laden Sri Lankan bowling attack in the limited overs matches that start with a Twenty20 fixture in Kandy on Saturday.Australia’s cricketers have played plenty of cricket on the subcontinent lately, but their skills will again be tested by the variety of slow bowling offered up by the home side, which must cope without the speed of Lasith Malinga. He has been ruled out of the T20 matches and may yet miss the ODI series also, having retired from Test cricket.”They’re definitely home-favoured wickets,” Hussey told in Colombo. “A lot of spin involved, I guess the players just have to get their heads around playing in the different conditions. Facing many overs of spin and working out the zones to either clear the pickets or to run hard and get twos and threes. I think that’s the key in the limited overs form.”(Also) being as fit as you possibly can. Charging for maybe four twos in the over to get the eight runs there and maybe a boundary to finish off the over is a pretty good effort. I think you’ll see the T20s par will be the 145-150 range rather than a 190 which you might see in Australia.”Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, was adamant that his team could cover for the loss of Malinga, through a combination of youth and the shrewd use of spin bowlers.”This happens to any cricketer but it is a good opportunity for a youngster who is selected to showcase his talent,” Dilshan said of Malinga. “We will leave no stone unturned and have included four spinners in the team. We don’t know anything about the wicket yet and the final side will only be selected after inspecting the pitch. Australia usually play very hard. They may be a bit inexperienced. But they are tough opponents.”Sri Lanka have a new, home-grown coach in the shape of Rumesh Ratnayake after the departure of Trevor Bayliss. Stuart Law was Bayliss’ assistant and played the role of caretaker on the recent tour of England before Ratnayake’s appointment. Dilshan praised the new man’s ability to make the players feel comfortable.”Rumesh’s influence, although for a short time, has been very good. The younger players feel comfortable to walk up and talk to the head coach, and discuss their shortcomings. I hope we do well,” Dilshan said.

Uganda beat Kenya by 75 runs at the Kyambogo Cricket Ground to register their third win of the tournament, riding on an unbeaten 177-run opening stand. After opting to bat, Uganda openers Arthur Kyobe and Roger Mukasa plundered the Kenyan attack, making light of frequent bowling changes. None of the seven bowlers employed managed to stem the run-flow. Mukasa outscored his partner to slam 101 off 63 balls, including 11 fours and a six.In reply, Kenya were bundled out in the final over for 102, having failed to gain any sort of momentum against a tight bowling effort from Uganda. Only Irfan Karim managed to cross 20 as Kenya slumped to a heavy defeat, their third in four games.Ghana beat Nigeria by three runs in a low-scoring thriller at the Lugogo Cricket Oval, after picking up three wickets in the final over of the chase. Ghana got off to a poor start, losing their first wicket after just seven balls. A string of low scores scores followed as they slumped to 69 for 7 before Peter Ananya steadied the innings with his 34. He added 58 for the eighth wicket with Isaac Aboagye to lift his side to a respectable 129 in 20 overs.Nigeria’s reply got off to a dismal start as well, as they lost their top three within the first three overs. Olajide Bejide, however, contributed 59 off 41 balls and set the tone for a close finish. When Bejide fell off the third ball of the last over, Nigeria needed four runs from three balls, with three wickets in hand. But with run-outs off the next two balls and No. 11 Segun Olayinka absent hurt, Nigeria were left stranded on 126, handing Ghana their first win of the tournament.With all teams having played four games, unbeaten Namibia lead the table, with Uganda in second place. Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana bring up the rear, with just one win each.

ScorecardA late four-wicket burst from Leicestershire’s veteran left-arm spinner Claude Henderson could not prevent Kent from posting their second County Championship win of the second division campaign at Tunbridge Wells. Having enforced the follow-on with a 208-run lead, Kent eventually dismissed the visitors for 362 second time around to leave themselves with a seemingly comfortable last afternoon run-chase of 155 from a minimum of 74 overs.Though captain Rob Key fell for one to the seventh ball of the pursuit, his flailing drive at a lifting delivery from Nadeem Malik went off the edge through to the wicketkeeper, Kent assured their maiden win against county opposition with a second-wicket stand worth 135 between Sam Northeast and first innings top-scorer Joe Denly.The pair ran impishly between the wickets to help rotate the strike and dispatched anything loose to the ropes in a bright partnership that lasted almost 38 overs. Denly reached 50 from 86 balls while Northeast, who was out for 49 in the first innings, ensured he reached the milestone second time around in two hours and with six fours and a six into the marquee that doubled as the temporary club shop.The stand ended in spectacular fashion when substitute fielder Josh Cobb caught a stunning, over-the-shoulder catch running toward the boundary at deep cover that accounted for Northeast.Without addition to the total Denly followed a turning delivery from Henderson to edge to the wicketkeeper Tom New and with only 18 needed for victory Kent started to get the jitters.It did not help matters that No. 5 Darren Stevens was almost timed out having taken an age to emerge from the pavilion. Then, with only four to his name, the right-hander proffered a bat-pad catch to silly mid-off to give Henderson a third scalp. Without addition Geraint Jones aimed an expansive drive that might have won the match only to edge to Will Jefferson at slip and give Leicestershire their fourth success in 21 balls.It was left to Martin van Jaarsveld to complete Kent’s win on the stroke of the scheduled tea interval with a driven four through mid-on. Having banked a maximum 24 points for the first time this season, as opposed to Leicestershire’s three, Kent move off the foot of the second division table to leapfrog the visitors and Derbyshire in the process.

One of the important events of this series for India, apart from the opportunities for the youngsters to prove their worth without the guiding presence of the seniors, is the debut of Duncan Fletcher as coach. He came heavily recommended by Gary Kirsten and his approach to coaching is slowly filtering through the anonymity that he cherishes. In the training sessions, he rarely addresses the players in a group. He will pick out a player or wait for him to walk up and have a chat. Even inside the secrecy of the team hotels, he says he prefers one-on-one conversations.”If someone comes and chats to me, we just have a quiet chat,” Fletcher said. “But that’s just been the way that I have always operated and I will continue to operate like that. I have always liked one-on-one situations. People tend to be more free and comfortable in that situation. They are freer to ask questions so if they get it wrong they are not embarrassed. It’s between me and the player. Why should I get it out in the media and help them get onto the bandwagon? That’s why I go one-on-one because I think there is a lot of confidentiality required.”At the end of the third ODI, Fletcher went to Rohit Sharma and told him that he had rarely seen someone finish a game in such style and with such ease, and lavished more praise at the press conference.He also talked about his coaching philosophy. “It’s important that I come here to first observe and understand them, to gain each other’s respect, I mean that’s the first thing. Get to understand how they think. People accept messages in different ways. So it’s crucial how they communicate with other people. Sometimes if you rush in, it’s very easy to destroy a cricketer and far harder to help a cricketer. I just have to be patient.”This tour doesn’t have many Indian reporters and so far Fletcher hasn’t been hounded by the media. He did get a sneak peek, though, before the third ODI. Suddenly, a reporter asked him, “Geoffrey Boycott has said that even his mom can coach this Indian team. What do you have to say?” Fletcher didn’t show any anger, nor even slight irritation. He just said calmly, “I don’t want to comment on that.”As you would expect this is the warm-up tour for him as a coach. The time to get to know the players, settle in and be accepted and respected. Respect is a constant theme in his vocabulary. Even in his first media conference in Chennai after he was named as a coach, he said, “You have to gain their [players’] respect and they have to gain my respect. And that’s what this is about. Once you have that then it makes your job easier.”It must be hard not to come with any perceptions about players, especially in a team like India, but Fletcher says that was the most important thing that he had to do before he took up the job. “A lot of people have a lot of things to say about the players and other people involved in the set-up, but it’s very important that you go in with a very clear mind about the players and make up your own mind about them. That’s why I have stood back and observed and see how they react to things. It’s important for me that this procedure takes place.”He has liked what he has seen so far from this Indian team. “This [third ODI] was a game where we struggled but we won. It shows two things: the character of the team, which is very very important, and that we can win from those situations. That’s not easy. Most sides would crumble under that sort of pressure and so it’s good to win so that you know how to win from those situations. By winning the series three-nil already they have shown great capability with bat and ball. What has impressed me is the way they have thrown themselves on the field in this heat. They have got the potential and the ingredients to be a great side.”

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Ajmal Shahzad sends Neil McKenzie on his way during a lively spell•PA Photos

Four wickets for Ajmal Shahzad put Yorkshire on top in their battle forsupremacy against Hampshire on the second day of the County ChampionshipDivision One match at Headingley.Twice the England paceman claimed a wicket with the second ball of a spellon his way to figures of four for 48 as the visitors made uncertain progresstowards Yorkshire’s laboured 355 off 124.4 overs and at the close Hampshire werestill 166 runs adrift on 189 for 6.Earlier, Shahzad had remained virtually strokeless in the later stages of adefiant innings of 48 but his fighting qualities with both bat and ball will nothave gone unnoticed by the England selectors.Yorkshire resumed the second day on 304 for 7 in 96 overs with Tim Bresnanon 82 and Shahzad 42 and a square-leg boundary to Bresnan in the opening overfrom Dominic Cork raised the century partnership.But any suggestion that Yorkshire were intent on making a further 42 inside 14overs to pick up a fourth batting bonus point was quickly scotched as theeighth-wicket pair made little attempt to go for the required runs and eightovers into the day Bresnan departed for 87 off 179 balls with 10 fours and asix, caught behind off Kabir Ali.Only nine runs had been added to the overnight score at this stage and Shahzadmoved slowly on to 48 before he edged Cork to first slip where Neil McKenziejuggled with the ball and put it down. Neither side could break the impasse and at the 110-overs stage Yorkshire were 317 for 8, having collected three batting bonus points while Hampshire missed out on a third bowling point.The first hour brought 13 runs and there were ironic cheers when RyanSidebottom edged consecutive deliveries from David Griffiths to the third manboundary but Shahzad had still not moved off 48 when he steered Cork to LiamDawson at second slip.He had been stuck on that score for 35 minutes and 27 balls and had added justsix singles from 58 deliveries since the day’s play began. Frequent showers brought forward the lunch interval and the hard-working Cork picked up his fifth wicket early in the afternoon by bowling Steve Patterson to leave Sidebottom unbeaten on 25.Hampshire’s reply was soon interrupted by showers but in between the shortbreaks for rain, Jimmy Adams and Dawson made little attempt to quicken the paceagainst the new-ball pairing of Sidebottom and Bresnan.It was the introduction of Shahzad at the Kirkstall Lane end at 42 without lossafter 15 overs that brought the breakthrough, his second ball pinning Dawson lbwand Shahzad continued to work up a lively pace although he temporarily lost hisdirection with a couple of wides in one over, the first going through the slipsto the boundary.Another astute piece of captaincy by Andrew Gale brought back Bresnan and Adamsedged an intended drive off his first ball to wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow. Theseventh short rain interruption came soon after tea at 77 for 2 when the 61.5overs bowled in the day so far had produced a mere 131 runs.Legspinner Adil Rashid joined the attack but the next wicket came when Shahzadreturned for a second spell and once again he struck with his second ball whichwas deflected to Adam Lyth at second slip by McKenzie.Shahzad continued to pose big problems and a perfect yorker to James Vincetrapped him plumb lbw to leave Hampshire struggling on 119 for 4, but JohannMyburgh remained firm and he moved to his 50 by pulling Rashid for a six to goalongside his five fours.Having moved to 64, however, he also fell to Shahzad, caught behind on thedrive, shortly after Nic Pothas had been bowled off his pads by Sidebottom.

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Opening batsman Jimmy Adams scored a century to lead Hampshire’s resistance at the Rose Bowl as Durham had to be content with a draw despite dominating the first three days. Hampshire, chasing a nominal 490 to win, reached 345 for 5 before Durham ran out of time in their pursuit of a morale-boosting first win of the season.Durham captain Phil Mustard was hampered by the loss through injury of former England pace bowler Steve Harmison, who bowled only three overs in the Hampshire second innings and not at all on a blustery last day. Harmison damaged his forearm while batting on the first day and Durham’s attack was visibly weaker for his absence.Hampshire began the final day at 87 without loss and batted through to stumps, losing only five batsmen as Mustard attempted to make the best of his bowling attack. Opening pair Adams and Liam Dawson put on 171 for the first wicket on an easy-paced surface as Durham toiled for their first breakthrough.That came two balls after lunch when Dawson, who had made 70 to add to the 50 he compiled in the first innings, turned legspinner Scott Borthwick to short leg where substitute fielder Joe Coyne held the catch. Dawson hit seven fours and a six off Borthwick in his 149-ball innings andplayed a major part in helping Hampshire towards safety.Adams stayed until the score was 242 before being dismissed soon after completing the 12th first-class century of his career. He was caught at fine leg by Liam Plunkett attempting to sweepBorthwick to finally fall for 105 in an innings which included 19 fours and came off 248 balls.Durham struck again next ball when Adams’ partner in a third-wicket stand of 71, newcomer Johann Myburgh was caught at slip by Michael Di Venuto off spin bowler Ian Blackwell for 42.James Vince was the fourth to go at 288 to a brilliant catch in the covers by Ben Stokes, giving Blackwell his second wicket and there was a glimmer of hope for Durham when a fifth Hampshire wicket went down at 312.South African Neil McKenzie guided Plunkett to wicketkeeper Mustard down the leg side, giving Durham another 12 overs to run through the Hampshire tail. But sixth-wicket pair Nic Pothas and Sean Ervine held firm until the close, reaching stumps 145 adrift but having extended their second-innings rearguard to a full day’s play and 20 overs of day four.Durham, for whom Stokes was a dominant force over the first three days, had to be content with 11 points and Hampshire with eight.

Hawk-Eye Innovations, the company responsible for the ball-tracking technology used in the DRS during the World Cup, has sought to dismiss doubts over the accuracy of the technology during the semi-final between India and Pakistan when an lbw decision against Sachin Tendulkar was overturned by the referral system. The company has published a detailed report of the Tendulkar referral on its website.”The path Hawk-Eye showed was accurate and the Decision Review System was used correctly to overturn the umpire’s original decision,” Stephen Carter, managing director of Hawk-Eye Innovations told the . “The Hawk-Eye track lines up perfectly with the video of the real ball from release to impact point.”Tendulkar was ruled out lbw by umpire Ian Gould in the 11th over, bowled by Saeed Ajmal when on 23 (he went on to make 85). After much deliberation, Tendulkar asked for a referral and replays showed that the ball, delivered from an angle, pitched outside the line of off stump before turning in to hit his front pad in front of middle. Hawk-Eye suggested that the ball would have gone on to miss leg stump. Ajmal, after the game, expressed bafflement, claiming he had bowled an arm ball that went on straight when it had appeared as though the ball had been an offspinner that spun down after pitching in line.”The commentators said on air that Tendulkar had been ‘caught on the crease’,” Carter said on his website. “From the front-on angle it does look like Tendulkar has been hit when batting in his crease. However, Tendulkar was almost two metres out of his crease when struck.”He also dismissed suggestions that the wrong ball may have been superimposed during the referral. “Theoretically it is possible but in a practical sense you couldn’t superimpose a wrong ball,” he said. “It would not line up perfectly and it would be perfectly obvious to everybody.”

ScorecardMarcus North’s 104 of 99 balls was the highlight of Western Australia’s innings•Getty Images

Marcus North’s 104 off 99 balls led Western Australia right up to the line but it required No. 10 Ryan Duffield to get them over it in what was a nerve-jangling finish at the WACA. North had levelled the scores with three balls left to go in the match, but in going for the winning run was run out. Phil Adams was left with the job of finishing things, but was stumped next ball. Duffield, who has scored a grand total of five runs in List A cricket, walked out and managed to get the required run to give Western Australia the victory.Both teams had lost one wicket too many in the first 20-over half of their split-innings. South Australia scored at a good rate, reaching 109 in the first twenty, but lost four wickets. Opener James Smith was steady at his end, but once he was out for 68 within five overs of South Australia’s second innings, it meant there was not enough of a base for the lower order to build on. Cameron Borgas scored 47, but South Australia were not able to bat through the 45 overs, bowled out for 235 in 44.2.Western Australia had a similar problem, finding themselves 95 for 4 at the end of their first innings, and needing 160 to win in the last 25 overs. Mitchell Marsh held up one end while North attacked from the other in a 71-run partnership. Once Marsh fell, wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi came in and hit a quick 31. His 64-run stand with North looked like it would see Western Australia through, but there was some late drama in the match, as Ronchi nicked one behind off Daniel Christian with 12 required off 11, setting up a nail-biter of a last over.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who will be playing his second World Cup, has said he is looking forward to playing a huge role as opener and help Sri Lanka win another world title. Dilshan made his tournament debut in 2007 but managed just one half-century, scoring 217 runs in nine innings.”Everything is going well at the moment for us and we are looking forward to the World Cup,” Dilshan said. “Whenever I get a chance I want to get a start and capitalize on that and get big runs. I am going to give 100% for the team and am looking forward to the games.”Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga had said that Sri Lanka’s middle order was a concern ahead of the World Cup but Dilshan felt the middle order was coming through very well. “We are getting guys like Angelo [Mathews] coming through in the last year or so. Chamara [Kapugedera], Chamara Silva and Thilan [Samaraweera) are there too. At the moment everything is falling in line for us and we are looking forward to the tournament.”Dilshan, who started his international career in the middle order, felt his move up the order had transformed his career. “I batted at No. 7 from 1999 to 2008. I felt I could do more at the top of the order and I volunteered to open. I had a chat with Mahela [Jayawardene] and he said, ‘okay you first play in the domestic season and let’s see’. I got the Man of the Series in the domestic tournament and from there my game totally changed. The last two or three years have been my best in both Test and one-day cricket,” Dilshan said.Dilshan said that Sri Lanka’s consistency in the ODI format leading up to the World Cup, would hold them in good stead for the tournament.”If you take the last 15 months, we have played 27 ODIs and lost only six. Now, that’s quite a good record. We are very consistent and it’s a very good sign as well.”Dilshan, one of Sri Lanka’s best fielders, said fielding would play a key role in the tournament. “We’ve had good fielding sides right throughout. We are doing a lot of practice with our fielding coach Ruwan Kalpage. We are training in some new fielding methods and the results can be seen in how we have done in the last couple of matches.”Sri Lanka play two warm-up games against Netherlands and West Indies. They open their World Cup campaign against Canada in Hambantota on February 20.

“Can you imagine if we wrote Jacques Kallis off after his first 12 ODIs?” HD Ackerman, former South Africa Test batsman, asked. It would have meant aborting a career that has, so far, spanned 307 ODIs, seen over 11,000 runs, including 17 centuries, and boasts an average of 45.84.It’s unfathomable to think that such an illustrious career should have been cut short based on Kallis’ first 12 ODIs; in those, he only managed 203 runs, at an average of 25.38, with one half-century. That’s Ackerman’s answer when he is asked if he thinks David Miller has done enough in his short time as a national cricketer to warrant a place in the South African team. Miller has played in 12 ODIs and averages 26.50, slightly more than Kallis did at the same stage, but has not set the stage alight as much as was expected.In a shaky-looking middle to lower order, that consists of Miller, Johan Botha and the tail, it seems Miller is the weakest link. Ackerman has been one of Miller’s strongest backers and said that in time, he can become the strongest member of the middle order. “The selectors and the fans are going to be have to patient with him. He is only 21-years old but he has massive potential to represent South Africa in all forms of the game.”Patience is not something South Africa can afford to have in abundance for the next few weeks, because the World Cup is looming. “People are going to ask questions about him [Miller] because of the World Cup. South Africa are desperate to win the World Cup, so they want the best side possible,” Ackerman said. Miller’s position, at No.6 or 7, will be a crucial one according to Ackerman, because it will require batsmen to be able “to play spin well.”Ackerman saw the two places being contested between Miller, Colin Ingram and Faf du Plessis, with du Plessis guaranteed a spot if Ackerman was the man choosing. “Faf hasn’t played yet but he has the advantage of being able to bowl, which neither David or Colin do. He is also a fine fielder. The other two are also good fielders, but Faf is better than both of them.”Essentially, that means Miller and Ingram will fight it out for the remaining berth and Ackerman backed Miller to take it, saying his true batting style had not been allowed to come out at national level yet, but was lurking. “The David Miller I saw get out on Wednesday was not the David Miller I know. He is a good, clean hitter of the ball and he was trying to nudge and nurdle and he got out.”Miller made a name at the Dolphins for being a big hitter but Ackerman said that didn’t mean Miller can’t rotate the strike in the middle overs if needed. “When I say he is a big hitter, I mean that he gets the ball to the sweepers, the deep covers, the mid-offs. He doesn’t just drop the ball and run, he hits it well and far. He can still take a single or a two off those shots.” As for sticking to that skill and not getting bogged down into playing differently to what he is used to, Duncan Fletcher, the team’s batting consultant, felt that ability would come with time. “All it needs is a little bit more experience I guess,” he said.Ingram, who has more of that experience at the domestic level and has fared better in his nine ODIs than Miller has in his 12, may be the more automatic choice in the subcontinent for that reason. Ingram is currently standing in for Kallis in No.3 position, and it may be a tricky task for him to move down the order, according to Ackerman. “For him to be taken to the World Cup and have to bat six could be difficult. The No.3 and No.6 roles are completely different and it will need a total change of mindset.”Kallis is not going to play any part in the ODI series, which means Ingram will probably stay at No.3 for the remaining four matches and not have any time lower down the order. Ackerman felt that experience was vital but added that the line-up may shift as South Africa get within sniffing distance of the ICC showpiece. “If South Africa go three-nil up in the series, then we will start seeing them use their game-plan that they want to carry into the World Cup.” With conditions in South Africa very different to what they will experience in the subcontinent, they can’t afford to experiment with their World Cup combinations before securing the series. Whatever happens, Ackerman hopes Miller will be part of it.