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Following a series of failed run-chases in the home series against South Africa, West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson has identified the role of a batting coach as critical to his team’s fortunes.”At the end of this Digicel Series, we will sit down and look at what I believe my ideal coaching staff to be and that will include a batting coach for the long term,” Gibson told reporters ahead of the third ODI. West Indies have already lost the two Twenty20 fixtures and the first two ODIs of the series. Former captain Jimmy Adams stepped in as a batting coach during the recently concluded World Twenty20, but currently the slot is empty.”Jimmy came in and did a very good job and I will sit down with the CEO (Dr. Ernest Hilarie) and put together that coaching staff and a batting coach will certainly be high on the agenda,” Gibson said.After a lacklustre start to their chase of 301 in the second ODI, which suggested a repeat of the previous match where they missed the target by some distance, West Indies fought back admirably through Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy to give the visitors a scare. Gibson identified the loss of Bravo’s wicket as the turning point of the game.”Bravo got out to the last ball of an over that had conceded 13 runs and it was the last ball of a bowler’s (Dale Steyn) spell. Those little things we need to get better at,” Gibson said.”We’ve created winning opportunities. Before you win, you have to create the opportunity to win. Those opportunities have not been strong enough. We have not thought through well enough. Talent-wise we’re not far behind South Africa, thinking-wise – we’re showing that we’re very far behind,” he said.

ScorecardPaul Horton stood firm with wickets fell around him to record his ninth first-class hundred•Getty Images

Paul Horton made a fine century and James Anderson continued his superb returnto the Lancashire line-up with two second-innings wickets as the visitors tookcontrol against Essex at Chelmsford.Resuming on 83 for 3 after Anderson’s six wickets had helped dismiss thehosts for 176, Lancashire reached 312 on the back of Horton’s 123.England paceman Anderson was soon adding to his list of victims after Essexembarked upon their second innings, removing Billy Godleman and John Maunderslbw in his first six overs – and before Essex closed on 46 for 2, he looked to havedismissed Jake Mickleburgh as well.The Essex youngster was given out by umpire Peter Willey as Anderson raced downthe wicket to take what he believed was a return catch.Mickleburgh, looking back and obviously unhappy, was halfway to the pavilionwhen he was called back after Willey and his colleague Nigel Llong, standing atsquare leg, conferred. It was ruled that the ball had come off the batsman’s helmet and he continued his innings to keep Alastair Cook company until the end.Much now will depend on Cook if Essex are to take the match into a final dayand make a fight of it. The England opener will resume on 29 fully aware of thehuge burden resting upon his shoulders.Lancashire’s innings was earlier built around Horton, who resisted for justover six hours before being the last man out. It was a largely patient innings that contained the occasional flourish – with 14 boundaries – and was brought to an end when he was caught behind by James Foster to provide Chris Wright with his third wicket.Horton’s major support came from Steve Croft, the pair adding 130 in 38 oversfor the sixth wicket. Croft’s share was 56, containing eight fours, before his defences were breached by Ryan ten Doeschate.But it was David Masters who emerged as Essex’s most successful bowler. Thepaceman finished with 4 for 81 from 29 overs and with a little bit more luckcould have reaped greater reward. He certainly beat the bat more than his colleagues, but young fast bowler Maurice Chambers also displayed a fair amount of hostility while picking up 2 for 58 from 23 overs. Essex go into the third day still requiring a further 90 to clear the arrears.

Mohammad Yousuf is preparing to retire from all forms of international cricket, a direct result it is believed, of the treatment and punishment the PCB handed out to him in the aftermath of Pakistan’s recent Australian tour of which he was captain.Yousuf was handed an indefinite ban as per the recommendations of an inquiry committee set up by the board to investigate why Pakistan lost every single one of the nine international matches in Australia over the turn of the year. Seven of those losses – three in Tests and four in ODIs – came under the leadership of Yousuf.In their findings, the board blamed Yousuf for spreading infighting and indiscipline within the side and banned him for an indefinite period – along with Younis Khan – from all forms of the international game. He was subsequently not included in the central contracts list for this year.Yousuf had taken over the captaincy last year when Younis stepped down following an ODI series loss to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, at a time he says no one was willing to take the responsibility. Though he hasn’t yet specified the reasons behind his decision, it is believed that the PCB’s punishment and a lack of support from the board have made his mind up for him. Those close to him say that constant run-ins with the board have diminished his appetite to stay on.”I have decided to quit cricket,” Yousuf told the Urdu-language daily . “This is not an emotional decision. I consulted my family, friends and elders before taking it.”In the past Yousuf has twice bid farewell to Pakistan cricket, after being upset over his treatment from Pakistan’s selectors and management. In 2007, after being overlooked for Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad, he signed up with the ICL in protest. Though he was convinced to come back into the fold by the PCB – and paid handsomely to do so – he ultimately joined the league again in 2008. Both times he was barred from playing for Pakistan.Underlining his decision each time was a strained relationship with the then captain Shoaib Malik. Yousuf publicly accused Malik of destroying his career and though he returned to the national team as Malik was deposed as captain, the pair have been involved in a public slanging match again after the Australian tour. Yousuf is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday in Karachi to make the decision official and is expected to outline the reasons for his retirement.If it is the final goodbye – and his current mood, say friends, indicates that he is serious – then Pakistan will lose the services of their most accomplished batsman of the decade alongside Inzamam-ul-Haq. He has over seven thousand Test runs from 88 Tests at 53.07, the highest average for any Pakistani batsman. He has 39 international hundreds, including 24 in Tests alone. Pakistan are due to play six Tests in England this summer, a prospect they must now consider – if Younis also misses out – without either of their most formidable middle-order batsmen.

Match facts

Rajasthan v Mumbai, Jaipur
Sunday, April 11
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Kieron Pollard hasn’t lived up to the pre-tournament hype•Indian Premier League

Big Picture

Mumbai Indians have lost two in a row but there’s no need for them to hit the panic button yet. They are still top of the table, and reaching the semi-finals should not be too tough. What will worry them is the misfiring batting, which has failed twice in two matches, and still looks dependent on Sachin Tendulkar. Their bowling, though, with the trio of Lasith Malinga, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh at its heart is among the best in the tournament.Mumbai are up against a confident Rajasthan Royals, coming off two contrasting wins – a come-from-behind thriller against Deccan Chargers and a demolition of Kings XI Punjab – that has resurrected their chances of making the final four. Add to that their perfect record at Jaipur – eight wins in eight – and Shane Warne’s boys should provide a stiff challenge to the table-toppers. A victory for Rajasthan will give them a share of the lead in the standings, but defeat could leave them needing to win both their remaining matches.

Form guide (most recent first)

Rajasthan Royals WWLLW
Mumbai Indians LLWWW

Team talk

Mumbai’s overseas allrounders haven’t been at their best this season. With Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo struggling, Sanath Jayasuriya could get another look-in. JP Duminy should retain his place after top-scoring against Punjab. Ryan McLaren’s place could also be under scrutiny after failing with the bat, and being given only two overs.Rajasthan left out both Morne Morkel and Shaun Tait in the match against Punjab, but might decide to pick one of them to inject some pace into the attack for Sunday. Adam Voges could be the one to miss out after not getting to bat or bowl against Punjab.

Previously

Rajasthan 2 Mumbai 2
The previous encounter between the two teams this season will be remembered for the ferocious hundred from Yusuf Pathan that nearly took Rajasthan to an incredible victory. Mumbai eventually prevailed by four runs.

In the spotlight

Yusuf Pathan v Harbhajan Singh: Yusuf has a liking for the spinners, and had carted Mumbai’s attack in the absence of Harbhajan when the teams met earlier in the tournament. Mumbai’s main spinner will have a key role in shackling him on Sunday.
The openers: Both sides have openers who are in form – Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhawan for Mumbai, Michael Lumb and Naman Ojha for Rajasthan – and they’ll have a huge role in shaping the outcome of the game.

Prime numbers

• Sachin Tendulkar’s solidity through the tournament has meant that Mumbai have been the best team in the Powerplays, scoring at 9.13 and losing only eight wickets in ten matches.
• Rajasthan’s 66 sixes is the second-highest by a team in the tournament so far; Mumbai are bottom of the list with 41.

The chatter

“[The] team is very happy to be back here, we like playing out here, we have got a good record and I think we are in a good space at the minute.”

Scorecard
For the second time this domestic season, Yusuf Pathan attempted to achieve the impossible, but unlike in the Duleep Trophy final, his efforts were not enough to take West Zone home, as North held their nerve to clinch the Deodhar Trophy at the Moti Bagh Stadium.Chasing 268, West were out of contention at 108 for 6, with the spin duo of Mukesh Sharma and Rahul Dewan posing a lot of problems, on a track offering some turn. Enter Yusuf, and his outrageous brand of power-hitting that took the conditions totally out of the equation. He announced his intent immediately by swinging his first ball, off Dewan, for a big one over midwicket. His fourth ball, from Mukesh went in the same direction and the form bowlers were forced into a defensive mindset as if by magic. Virat Kohli knew exactly what Yusuf was capable of and effected bowling changes in an attempt to break his momentum, but off his ninth ball Yusuf pulled Bipul Sharma brutally for another six in his favourite area. It was clear that North had to find a way past him to win this match, and with support being in short supply, Yusuf had the license to chance his arm, a freedom that he relishes.At the other end, Iqbal Abdulla knuckled down to hold one end up and rotate the strike around. In the 29th over of the innings, from Mukesh, Yusuf warmed up for the batting Powerplay by launching three consecutive sixes over the leg-side arc. In the next over, he brought up his fifty off 18 balls, the fastest in Indian List-A history, with a straight swing off Jaskaran Singh. Yusuf then cooled off for a couple of overs, working a brace of boundaries through the offside before targeting Rajat Bhatia in the 35th over, bringing up his eighth and ninth sixes.With 55 runs required off 14 overs, North had few backers when Mukesh managed to get one past Yusuf. Uday Kaul completed the stumping to bring the curtains down on a fantastic innings. Spurred by the massive breakthrough, Mukesh and Dewan regained their mojo, and the remaining three wickets fell in quick succession to hand North a 49-run win. Mukesh finished with astonishing figures of 5 for 59, and was nigh unplayable on either side of Yusuf’s blitz.Earlier, North looked set to under-achieve with the bat, as a number of batsmen found their touch, but could not push on for big scores. Shikhar Dhawan set the tone with a 60-ball 48, before Kaul’s measured 67 anchored the innings. Virat Kohli, Paras Dogra and Rajat Bhatia all threw it away after getting starts, and North were in danger of getting bowled out. The final thrust came from the tenth-wicket firm of Bipul and Jaskaran, who added 35 in 14 balls. Jaskaran hit three sixes in a seven-ball 25 that gave his side a strong total. As it transpired, it was strong enough, but only just.

Ireland have been dealt a blow ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers in UAE with Boyd Rankin forced out of the event with his ongoing foot injury. He withdrew from the current tour of Sri Lanka and has been advised a further three week’s rest although scans have shown no fracture.Rankin is Ireland’s leading pace bowler and he has yet to be replaced in the squad for the UAE tournament, which will decide the Associate nations that will play at the ICC World Twenty20 in West Indies which starts at the end of April.Nigel Jones took Rankin’s place for the trip to Sri Lanka and will likely retain his place for the Twenty20 event but Rankin’s wicket-taking ability will be sorely missed.Rankin, who plays for Warwickshire, has caught the attention of the England selectors and was included in the fast bowling programme for the 2009-10 winter. Although he has only managed three wickets in four Twenty20 internationals he has an impressive tally of 28 at 24.75 in 20 ODIs.

In a further concession to the Twenty20 game, Australia’s selectors have made the rare decision to consider the state’s prospects in the Big Bash for the opening one-day internationals against Pakistan. Andrew Hilditch, the panel chairman, has chosen trim 12-man squads for the first match in Brisbane next Friday and the second one in Sydney the following Sunday, while trying “to ensure as many players are available” for the two finals of the local competition.Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia are attempting to join South Australia as qualifiers for the $12m Champions League Twenty20 in India later in the year. Hilditch insisted the national squads were chosen “whilst not compromising the performance and preparation of the Australian team”.In previous campaigns Australia have carried around larger squads of 13 or 14 for the limited-overs series and refused to release anyone for domestic duty. There was anger from the states last year when the one-day internationals were made unavailable by Cricket Australia for the Big Bash preliminary final. However, all players not involved in the Hobart Test have been cleared to appear in the game on Tuesday, which will give the winner a place in the domestic decider against South Australia on January 23 and a spot in the Champions League.Mitchell Johnson has been rested from the first three ODIs while Queensland’s James Hopes is in for the Brisbane opener before being replaced by Western Australia’s Adam Voges for the second fixture. “This selection has been made with a view to ensuring we have flexibility within the squad of 12 players to accommodate the different conditions at each venue,” Hilditch said.Johnson has appeared in all six Tests of the local summer and will be needed to guide Australia over a gruelling campaign that takes in series against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand on the way to the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. Johnson will rejoin the national squad in Perth for the final matches of the five-game one-day series against Pakistan on January 29 and 31.Australia squad Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Brad Haddin (wk), James Hopes (for Brisbane), Adam Voges (for Sydney), Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.

Dean Kino, head of business and legal affairs for the Champions League Twenty20, has intimated that a second team from the Caribbean may participate in the second edition of the tournament. Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation Kino said the success and popularity garnered by Trinidad & Tobago this year had prompted consideration of further Caribbean flavour for 2010’s tournament, the destination of which would be decided at an upcoming governing council meeting.”T&T brought great value in terms of their cricketing skills, performances, the terrific spirit in which they played the game and the many talented cricketers on display, who had not been seen outside the Caribbean before,” he told CMC, adding that the governing council had gotten in touch with the West Indies Cricket Board.”They have been told that all participating countries must host a domestic tournament, and do so early to mid-2010, in order to be considered for inclusion in the event, and the dates have to be confirmed soon,” said Kino. “The defending champions will not be allowed to return to the competition automatically, all teams must re-qualify.”As for the country to host the second edition, Kino said: “We are yet to decide on a venue but what I can say is that the tournament in 2010 will be played around mid-September.”In the inaugural edition of the Champions League, held in India in October, T&T not only won Indian hearts with their distinctive brand of cricket but also brought alive the tournament which at its halfway stage was flickering once the hopes of the IPL teams had been extinguished. They won all their games but lost in the final to New South Wales.

Maia Lewis is back, and New Zealand women’s cricket is all the better for it.Her part in two match-winning stands over India and England respectively in the last two days has borne that out. Yesterday she scored 50 off 80 balls in a 94-run stand with Emily Drumm and today she hit 32 not out off 77 balls in a 120-run stand with Drumm.Lewis last played for New Zealand at the 1997 World Cup in India where she captained the side but problems with knee injuries and a lack of motivation resulted in her giving the game away.However, the sight of New Zealand winning the CricInfo Women’s World Cup at Lincoln in 2000 was something of a stimulus to getting involved again. That and the hunger that developed when playing indoor cricket.”I was quite gutted when New Zealand won the World Cup. I had played in two World Cup finals and lost both of them and I was jealous that I wasn’t part of it. That gave me a little bit of hunger,” she said.It wasn’t until she started scoring runs in the State League this year that she thought she might be able to play at international level again.”I went through a patch two or three years ago when I didn’t have the motivation. But I played indoor cricket and lost a bit of weight. Then I was just looking to have a good provincial season this summer and didn’t consider playing for New Zealand.”But she was asked about her availability and if she had the desire to work towards the next World Cup and subsequently got the call-up.When she did come back it was to a remarkably different set-up than what she had been used to before.”There were new people, new procedures and new routines. I was like a new kid on the block. There is much more emphasis on the team with everyone responsible for different areas of our debriefing process and things are quite player dominated,” she said.Lewis said that when she returned to State Shield play last summer she didn’t know half the players who were involved. But she has found the skills of the players are more impressive, there is a wider range of shots being played by batsmen, there is more athleticism in the field and there is more variation among the bowlers.”Mike [Shrimpton] has given the players different options to play balls than was the case before,” she said.”I see my role as supportive at the moment. It is good to bat with the type of players I have around me like Emily and Haidee [Tiffen]. We quite complement each other. I know my own game has matured but I am still not striking the ball well at the moment and there’s not the clean hitting,” she said.In today’s innings she did admit some luck when dropped on nine runs when attempting a sweep shot which wasn’t held at fine leg on the edge of the inner fielding circle.”Emily had said to me if I was going to sweep to sweep hard but I sort of half-lapped it. It is not the sort of shot I would normally play.”But we knew we had a lot of time and it was important not to get frustrated. We were grafting it out because it was all about the partnership,” she said.With all the cricket she has played through the last few weeks she said the knees that had troubled her and contributed to her absence from the game have stood up well and caused no problems at all.That has to be good news for the World Cup defenders over the next few years.

ScorecardEngland were taken to the wire in a tense victory over South Africa A in their warm-up match at Potchefstroom. In a fluctuating contest, fifties from Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior ensured adepleted England took the spoils against a strong South African opposition.Strauss, returning after sitting out the Twenty20 series, ledEngland’s chase, dominating a 68-run opening stand with Joe Denly.Denly is short of runs after failing in the Twenty20 series anddespite being dropped on 12 by Morne Morkel, could only manage 24 today.His place at the top of the order could be under threat from Trott,who has done the job for Warwickshire.In his short international career Trott has demonstrated a calmnessrarely seen in England’s one-day cricket. He shared productivepartnerships, first with Strauss and then Matt Prior, as his 89-ball 78gave England a great chance. However, when Trott fell to Morkel in 44th over, England werestill 49 runs short and it took a decisive 46-run stand betweenPrior and Luke Wright to secure the result.The day didn’t start well for the tourists as Alastair Cook joined thelengthening injury list with a bad back. It left England short of fivesenior players and South Africa A captain Hashim Amla, keen totest England’s inexperienced bowlers, batted first after winning thetoss.Having lost their lengths, lines and heads in the second Twenty20, England needed to demonstrate better resolve today. If theyneeded assistance, Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach was on fieldas 12th man at one point. But he was powerless as Sajid Mahmood, TimBresnan and Adil Rashid proved expensive again.In windy conditions reminiscent of Chester-le-Street, Amla and AndrewPuttick put on 77 in 14.4 overs as Graham Onions and Bresnan were frequently punished for over-pitching. Ittook Wright to finally make the breakthrough when he had Amlabrilliantly caught by Strauss at mid-wicket for 37. Seven overs later,Wright was again at the centre of the next dismissal when his sharpthrow beat Rilee Rossouw’s dive.Puttick, who played a single one-dayinternational for South Africa in 2005, passed his fifty from 57 ballsbefore mis-timing a slog off Denly when he had made 62. It was aneedless dismissal that characterised the innings. Every one of theSouth African A top five reached at least 24 but none could hammerhome their advantage.Herschelle Gibbs, pressing for an international recall, struggled forfluency and his dismissal sparked a good period for England in which theytook four wickets for 27 runs in 7.1 overs. Gibbs played on trying torun Wright to third man and Onions returned for an improved secondspell in which he claimed the impressive Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Dean Elgarin quick succession.Just as England looked to control the innings, Morkel joinedHeino Kuhn, the wicketkeeper who made his international debut inSunday’s Twenty20, to put on 40 runs in their 5.4 over stand. Morkelunveiled an extra string to his bow with an array of strokes throughthe off-side in a 22-ball 29.Kuhn batted smartly with the tail and pushed South Africa A to 279 for 9, but in the final analysis, it wasn’t quite enough.