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At first it was meant to be a day off. Then it became an optional training day. But, by the time England left the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, every member of the squad had undergone not one but two full training sessions.The positive – and entirely accurate – interpretation of such behaviour is that it reflects their determination to perform far better than they did on the last afternoon in Dhaka. The less positive – and also partially true – interpretation is that the first session really hadn’t gone very well and they came to the collective realisation that improvement was required.Certainly on-lookers didn’t have to wait long to watch a batsman lose his wicket in the nets. And while they were coming to terms with the bounce and turn gained by the spinners, Jonny Bairstow – who enjoyed a much-improved series with the gloves in Bangladesh – was kicking the stumps away in frustration at a fumbled take. Gareth Batty also took a painful blow on the left arm that required treatment, but it is not thought to be a serious problem.But, at the team meeting that followed, a couple of the players – notably Joe Root and Jos Buttler – expressed a wish to have another go and every member of the squad agreed. This England team is far from perfect, but there is something admirable about their willingness to confront their failings and their desire to improve.”India pose a big threat, and we’ve just got to make sure we’re prepared very well and try to prove a lot of people wrong that we can perform extremely well on this tour,” Root said.”But it’s good to see everyone working extremely hard and doing everything they can to put their claim forward for that spot.”Nobody is under any illusions about the task ahead of England in India. They go into the series not just expected to lose, but with many predicting a whitewash. And anyone who witnessed them lose 10 wickets in a session in Dhaka would struggle to take issue too strongly with such pessimism. The weaknesses remain – the unsettled top-order and the issues in both bowling and batting against spin – and we are now at the stage where England must hope it all comes together on the night if they are to prevail.It would be wrong to completely dismiss their chances, though. Their preponderance of allrounders provides unusual depth and, in Root and Alastair Cook, they have good quality batsmen. The likes of Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali have made fitful progress in recent times and, as England showed in 2012, when they came back to beat India having been thrashed in Ahmedabad, or in 2015, when they won the Ashes after being crushed at Lord’s, there is a resilience to this modern England team that was not always there in the past.”It was obviously a disappointing way to finish the series out in Bangladesh, but we’ve got some good time now to get ready and get our heads round what India are going to put up against us,” said Root.”You have to make sure you learn some of the lessons of that mad hour-and-a-half, but at the same time understand it’s a completely new challenge, new surfaces and we played some really good cricket over there as well as that [collapse].”Alastair Cook and Joe Root head to the nets at the Brabourne Stadium•AFP

Any firm decision on the XI for Rajkot will only be made after an inspection of the pitch. But, for now, it seems likely that England will retain an attack of three seamers and three spinners and that Buttler will replace Gary Ballance in the middle order. It is not a perfect solution – Buttler has played just one red-ball match since he was dropped a year ago – but it may be the least bad option.While Haseeb Hameed looks perfectly capable of coming into the team as opener, Ben Duckett made a decent fist of the job in the final innings in Dhaka and Hameed is not a natural No. 4. Buttler’s talent, if not his record, are not disputed and he is increasingly emerging as a leader of this generation of players. Still, it is a sign of how much the game has changed – and how quickly – that a man with so little cricket behind him is being considered for such a role.It was noticeable that Root bowled a little more in practice on Friday. He also talked of having spent some time with Saqlain Mushtaq in an attempt to improve his spin bowling. It is hard to believe Root is ready to play a major part as a spinner, though, not least as his importance to England’s batting is such that it seems foolish to risk exacerbating his long-standing back problem.We can also expect confirmation over James Anderson’s involvement in the tour in the next 24 hours or so. It is currently anticipated that he will be India in time for the second Test and available to play in the third. The management are determined not to risk compounding any injury issues he may have, but they are not in a position where they can manage without a bowler of his class, control and experience for long. Again, it says much for his character that he is, at his age and confronted by the prospect of unforgiving pitches (for his style of bowling, at least) and a daunting batting line-up, desperately keen to play.The England squad are pretty much laughing off any suggestion that the tour could be abandoned. They will not be required to pay any hotel bills – the BCCI has a contract with the hotels accommodating England on this trip and cannot wriggle out of that obligation.Only a few days ago, there were attempts to plant stories in the media about England not being given the warm-up game they wanted ahead of the first Test as the BCCI could not afford to stage it. It was news to England. Their schedule is an on-going problem and squeezing in a warm-up game between the end of the Bangladesh tour and the first Test in India was not an appealing prospect for a squad that go through life in a constant state of near exhaustion.There is little reason to doubt that England will train again on Saturday, depart for Rajkot on Sunday and start the next leg in their never-ending tour on Wednesday when the first Test begins.

The BCCI remains hopeful India’s Supreme Court will take a considered decision on the Lodha Committee’s latest proposal to disqualify all office bearers in the board and state associations if they fail to fulfill the eligibility criteria. A few of the BCCI’s top office bearers and officials said the board will not change its stance, but was happy to sit with the committee and have a dialogue to find a solution to the long-standing feud.The latest suggestions were a part of the committee’s third status report, which was submitted in the court on November 18. The committee has told the court that despite clear timelines in place to implement the recommendations that were approved by the court in its July 18 judgement, neither the BCCI nor the state associations have obeyed the order, and have continued to be negligent.One reason for the BCCI’s optimism was because the court had earlier “refrained” from approving a proposal of the committee to supersede the top brass of the board.In an order on October 21, the court noted that although it had found “substance in the status report”, it said “at this stage” it was refraining from approving the committee’s suggestion to supersede the office bearers because the board had said in a submission to the court that “it would make every genuine effort to persuade the state associations” to comply with the recommendations.The BCCI maintains it has done so in the interim. “The committee wants us to implement all the recommendations in toto or wants all the office bearers to go,” a senior board office bearer said. “But no one understands that the BCCI has already accepted nearly 75% of the recommendations, most of those being already put into practice.”The board, however, has consistently opposed certain key reforms such as the age cap of 70 years for board officials, the tenure cap of nine years with cooling-off periods in between, and the one-state-one-vote policy, among others.Thakur and Shirke had been asked to submit written undertakings to the court stating the board would unequivocally implement the order of October 21, and then meet with the Lodha Committee. The October 21 order had limited the financial freedom of the BCCI and had also directed the board not to disburse any funds to state associations until they complied unreservedly with the recommendations.In their affidavits, both Thakur and Shirke pointed out that board members had voted against adopting all the recommendations of the committee at the BCCI special general meeting on October 1. It is understood that committee did not feel it necessary to meet the BCCI’s top office bearers after that, considering they had already stated the board would not comply with the court order.However the BCCI’s reading of the situation is different. “To ensure that cricket runs smoothly, the court had asked the committee to appoint an auditor as soon as possible,” the office bearer said. “No auditor has been appointed so far. The committee was also asked to set a threshold limit for various financial transactions the BCCI gets into. No threshold limit has been given. All our major decisions have been put on hold.”The BCCI also questioned why the committee had proposed retired bureaucrat and former home secretary GK Pillai as an “observer” to look after the governance of the board. The committee suggested Pillai could also approve the various contractual obligations of the board in the future.”On the one hand the committee says there should not be any government officials [working as an office bearer or official]. On what basis did they then pick GK Pillai? Was there a process?” the office bearer said. Incidentally the committee has never imposed any restrictions on former civil servants, which Pillai is.A top BCCI official said that an adverse court decision against the board was not likely to affect the ongoing Test series between India and England. “Already the court has approved expenses for those Test matches till December 5. For the remaining matches, we will have to wait and see what the court says,” the official said.

New Zealand allrounder Anton Devcich hopes the hard yards put in at training during the off season will pay off for him as he hopes to revive his stop-start ODI career.Constantly hampered by injuries, Devcich is now back in contention for an ODI slot after a consistent run for Northern Districts in the 2015-16 Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s domestic 50-over competition, in which he made 368 runs at an average of 52.57, including four half-centuries. He also represented Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League in July-August.”During the winter I went over to the CPL and played on slow wickets,” Devcich said after arriving in Dharamsala. “That’s the best preparation I could have had. Then I got home, did some conditioning work and technical work on spin indoors. I also played a couple of games down south, which was helpful.”I managed to get in some outdoor training too, which is unheard of at that time of the year in New Zealand. With the different types of wickets we face over here, West Indies has similar climates and pitches. Just having that experience hopefully holds me in good stead.”Devcich, a top-order batsman who can bowl useful left-arm spin, is on his third trip to India. He first made a mark during New Zealand A’s tour of India in August 2013. A year later, he turned up for Northern Knights in the now discontinued Champions League T20. Now, he’s set to mark an ODI comeback after having last played an ODI in December 2014.”I’m more mature now,” he said when asked about what had changed in the time spent away from the national team. “I was trigger-happy back in the day when I played last. I left the team under injury, it’s good to be back to see what the new culture is all about.”Twelve members of the Test squad have been retained for the ODIs in New Zealand’s quest to register their first bilateral ODI series win in India. Devcich, who is one of the three additions – Corey Anderson and Tim Southee being the others – insisted New Zealand had learnt a lot from the experience of playing on tough surfaces.”It was a tough series. It was very hot, and the conditions were testing,” Devcich said. “Although we didn’t pick up any victories, the boys got a lot of experience out of that. Hopefully the ODI wickets aren’t as spinner-friendly, and we can post some good scores and bowl well on those wickets. If you look at the team, we’ve got two world-class batsmen, top 10 bowlers, new spinners and a couple of allrounders. Our team is balanced; hopefully we can upset India here.”The confidence within the group is still high. There’s no better place to come and test your skills. They’re tough to beat here; they’ve got a big hold over world cricket at the moment, with the way they have played. If we can perform and do what we plan to, we can be very competitive.”

ScorecardHong Kong captain Babar Hayat scored 49 off 31 to help his side to a score of 169•Hong Kong Cricket

Hong Kong kickstarted their two-match T20 international series against Ireland with a 40-run win, made possible by Nizakat Khan’s half-century and followed up by a collective effort from their medium pace attack.It’s Hong Kong’s second straight win in T20Is over Ireland, following up their dramatic five-run win defending 129 at Malahide in last summer’s World T20 Qualifier. Despite picking five debutants in a bid to rejuvenate their T20 lineup after a winless campaign at the 2016 World T20 in India, Ireland’s woes in the format continued again on Monday. Ireland has now gone five T20Is without a win, their last victory coming against UAE on February 14.Nizakat’s prior career-best in 19 T20Is entering Monday’s contest was 29 but given the opportunity to open the batting for the first time he responded in style with 62 off 43 balls. Six of his seven fours were struck through the off side while his two sixes were lofted over extra cover and long-on. He brought up his fifty in 35 balls when he took two runs from a dropped chance on 49 at long-on by Greg Thompson off of debutant legspinner Jacob Mulder, then punished the error by driving Mulder’s next ball for six back down the ground.Knocks of 49 off 31 balls from captain Babar Hayat and an unbeaten 29 from Ehsan Khan took Hong Kong to 169 for 5 after they elected to bat at Bready Cricket Club. Aizaz Khan, who opened the batting alongside Nizakat, then led the charge with the ball as his 3 for 10 in three overs helped bowl Ireland out for 129.Nizakat dominated an opening stand of 41 in 4.4 overs with Aizaz, the latter contributing just 5. He went on to add 56 more for the second wicket with Hayat before he was fooled by Mulder. Having committed to a premeditated shuffle away from leg stump, Nizakat continued with his shot to a ball pitched wide outside off by Mulder and produced a simple catch to cover. Babar made sure the tempo of the innings was maintained though, his 31-ball knock containing two fours and as many sixes, until his dismissal in the 17th over. Ehsan then ensured a strong finish to the innings with his 22-ball unbeaten knock that contained two fours and a six.Ireland’s bowlers shared the wickets equally with four different bowlers – Mulder, Andy McBrine, Craig Young and Kevin O’Brien – claiming one apiece while the fifth came courtesy of a runout in the field by Thompson. Mulder and McBrine were economical but Young and O’Brien were expensive, leaking 56 and 39 runs off their respective quotas. Four of Hong Kong’s five sixes in the innings came off of Young’s bowling.Ireland stuttered early in the chase and were reduced to 24 for 4 before the recovery started through a fifth-wicket stand of 59 between O’Brien (32) and Thompson, who top-scored with 44 on debut coming in at No. 6. They were the only two batsmen to make it past 15 in the Ireland innings, which was wrapped up in 19.3 overs.Aizaz found support from Hong Kong’s new-ball pair of Tanwir Afzal and Nadeem Ahmed. Former Hong Kong captain Afzal clean bowled Dave Rankin and Sean Terry in his opening spell while left-arm spinner Nadeem had Ireland captain William Porterfield caught at mid-off in the second over before coming back in a later spell to claim McBrine stumped for 10. Medium pacer Tanveer Ahmed also took two wickets while Ehsan’s offspin accounted for O’Brien.The second and final match in the series takes place on Tuesday at the same venue.

There are few things so certain in life as death, taxes and Misbah-ul-Haq facing questions about his future before the final match of a Pakistan Test series. While it is hardly unusual for an international captain to be grilled about their motivation to continue – even Alastair Cook, 11 years younger than his counterpart, was asked similar questions in his press conference – at 42, Misbah knows there are many more Tests behind him than there are ahead.And no matter the result of the match at The Oval, the topic will almost certainly be broached once more at its conclusion; such is the reality of professional cricket life after 40.Misbah’s captaincy of Pakistan is arguably one of the most impressive in the history of the game: that he has rebuilt a team in tatters after it was almost ruined by scandal, led them to become one of the world’s best sides despite never playing at home and helped them regain the respect of the international cricket community ensures his legacy will be monumental whenever he does decide to call time on his career.While winning the Investec Test series is now impossible, levelling the scoreline would still be an impressive feather in Misbah’s already distinguished cap given the current status quo, in which the disadvantages of playing away from home are so difficult to overcome.”Yes, of course, it is a crucial Test for us,” Misbah said. “A win will square the series and it will be really good for morale, also for the team, and it is very important for me also.”Obviously they have the momentum in their own conditions, they are confident but we believe we can come back from any position because this is a do or die Test match for us so we have to really play well.”Throughout the series, Pakistan have struggled with the balance of their side. They gaze at England’s allrounders with all the envious desire of a child at a sweet shop window. Their fast bowlers – unused to playing more than three Tests in a series, unfamiliar with the burden of extra overs required in seam-friendly conditions – have been worn down by a grinding England.Somehow, Misbah must find a way to pick up his bowlers and infuse them with the energy required to take 20 wickets and inspire his batsmen, both in-form and struggling, to give him something to defend. But, having banished thoughts of retirement after the series against England in the UAE last year, he maintained he isn’t afraid of any consequences for his captaincy should they fail to square the series.”I don’t have that sort of fear otherwise I would have retired long ago,” Misbah said. “I am always up for challenges and never thought of the results. I believe in just looking at the challenges and trying hard.”Another daunting Test tour looms in Pakistan’s near future. After returning to the UAE to host West Indies, they will head to New Zealand for two Tests and then Australia for a three-Test series where the experience of Misbah and Younis Khan, in particular, could be crucial. Misbah has been Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in England, with 267 at 44.50, but would not be drawn on how much longer he hopes to continue playing.”It’s really difficult for me to leave the team on these difficult tours,” Misbah said. “That’s why I’m here on this tough series. I’ll be looking forward to that [Australia tour], but let’s see how it goes after this series, and how I plan my future.”That could be really hard for someone young – even as a batsman to replace me in Australian conditions – and obviously it would be a challenge for a young captain.”Of course, there will always be challenging tours and series and, no matter when Misbah does decide to move on, he will leave an enormous crater for Pakistan to fill. But, in the meantime, there is The Oval, there is a chance to level the series and there is the possibility – albeit a slim one – that Pakistan could become the No. 1-ranked side in the world for the first time since the implementation of ICC rankings.”I will keep trying throughout this Test and if Pakistan needs me afterwards, that’s another point. I will think about that after the series but for the moment this is important for me and the Pakistan team. I will just go about this Test match.”

ScorecardBenny Howell’s sterling efforts could not see off Kent•Getty Images

Gloucestershire’s run of success in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group ended with a three-run defeat by Kent in a dramatic finish at Bristol.The visitors posted what seemed a moderate 148 for seven after losing the toss, having been given a decent start by openers Joe Denly (51) and Tom Latham. Benny Howell claimed three for 29, while Andrew Tye conceded only 19 from his four overs.In reply, Gloucestershire could manage only 145 for eight, despite 42 from Michael Klinger and Benny Howell’s rapid 37. Kagiso Rabada (1 for 19) and David Griffiths (2 for 22) were the pick of the Kent attack.The hosts needed 16 off the last over, begun by Mitchell Claydon, but finished by Griffiths after the Australian has been ordered out of the attack for a second no-ball full toss above waist height.Kent skipper Sam Northeast said: “Mitchell Claydon was supposed to pitch the ball halfway down the pitch in the final over so I’m not sure what went wrong. It was a greasy ball, which obviously slipped out of his hand, and these things happen.”Fortunately David Griffiths had a couple of overs left so we were able to turn to him. He has been a death bowler for us so he was a good guy to have up our sleeves.”As against Somerset last night, we were slightly disappointed with our score, but the bowlers have done the business for us. Now the aim is to win our last three group games and see where it takes us.”The start of the match saw Denly help himself to early sixes off Matt Taylor’s first and second over, but Gloucestershire bowled well in the powerplay, with Liam Norwell bowling three overs for 19, to restrict their visitors to 46 without loss after six overs.Even so, Kent looked to have laid the foundation for a decent total when with the total on 57 in the eighth over Latham was caught at deep mid-wicket off Howell.Denly went on to a 33-ball half-century, with four sixes and two fours, before getting an under-edge to Tye and being bowled with the score on 94 in the 12th over.It proved a turning point as Howell, Tye and left-arm spinner Tom Smith put the squeeze on Kent. Only 17 runs were added in the next four overs, which saw the demise of Sam Northeast and Alex Blake.A brief Darren Stevens cameo of 20 off ten balls was the best the visitors could manage and their total looked below par in good batting conditions.Gloucestershire made a poor start chasing the modest target when Hamish Marshall was run out for a single by a smart piece of fielding from Kagiso Rabada off his own bowling.Ian Cockbain was struck on the helmet by Rabada before being bowled for eight by a good delivery from Mitch Claydon. At the end of the powerplay Gloucestershire were 37 for 2, but Rabada had bowled three of the six overs, clearly in an attempt to remove danger-man Klinger.The Gloucestershire captain looked well set in the 12th over when a leg-side wide from James Treadwell saw him stumped by Sam Billings. At the end of that over the hosts were 74 for 3.Howell went straight on the attack, blasting a straight six and a four off the next over from Fabian Cowdrey. With Chris Dent already going well, it was the impetus Gloucestershire needed.Dent went for 28 to an injudicious scoop shot off Griffiths that saw him glove through to Billings and at 104 for 4 in the 15th over the game was still in the balance.Kent took control when Kieran Noema-Barnett was caught at mid-on off Claydon and Gareth Roderick was bowled by a full ball from Griffiths.Rabada returned to bowl Tye with the second ball of the penultimate over, but drama ensued when Claydon’s first delivery of the last over slipped and he had to hand over to Griffiths.That drama continued as Howell, was caught off another no-ball for height, only to be run out as he tried to claim a second run. Griffiths then held his nerve and the home side fell agonisingly short.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:24

Manjrekar: WI decision to bat first not pragmatic

Batting isn’t easy at Sabina Park. In 20 years, no ground has been quite as stingy in giving up Test match runs. Ask the local boy Marlon Samuels, who had to wait nearly 10 overs to get off the mark. Or the five Indian bowlers, who excelled after they were gifted first use of a pitch with live grass and considerable moisture. West Indies chose to bat and crumbled to 196 all out. Side note, R Ashwin secured his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Tests.Batting is not impossible at Sabina Park. It is the venue that gave cricket the number 365, with a little help from Sir Garry Sobers. It was where Brian Lara proved he wasn’t just the Prince of Trinidad but King of the World. West Indies do not have players of that calibre willing to play Tests at the moment, but with a little more conviction, they could have been batting when the conditions were at their best for it. Instead, they were all out in 52.3 overs and the final-session bounty went to KL Rahul, who was unbeaten on a brisk 75 off 114 balls. A fine knock from India’s back-up opener, marking his return to Test cricket after nearly a year.The West Indian quicks pitched too full or too short or too wide. Their legspinner Devendra Bishoo began with three long hops. If there was a plan, its last step possibly read “execute at your own peril”. It didn’t help that when they did fool the batsman, luck wasn’t with them. Dhawan drove lazily outside off stump, twice, but neither carried to the fielders. Rahul, anxious to get the four runs he needed for a fifty, hit offspinner Roston Chase against the turn and was dropped by Darren Bravo at short midwicket. That both batsmen felt no need to temper themselves was perhaps an indication of what they thought of the opposition’s ability to pose a threat even on a helpful pitch.Virat Kohli had said it had been “damp” at the toss. The ball swung and seamed. It came to the batsman at a pace he couldn’t trust; it bounced inappropriately. All of that was the result of the moisture not entirely out of place in the first session of a Test match, especially at a ground where batsmen have only averaged 25-odd since 1996.The drive had to be stowed away in such conditions, but Ashwin, Ishant and Shami constantly put the ball at a fullish length on middle and off stump. Kohli had an even spread of close catchers – three for the outside edge and three for the inside edge. And West Indies were asked to play shots they knew could get them out.So Jermaine Blackwood began by leaving his second ball; it only barely bounced over off stump. Later, he lunged forward to defend Ashwin, but couldn’t reach it on the half-volley and was struck on the chest. Samuels was tempted into driving on the up by Ishant on 0, and was nearly done in when the ball leapt up at him. Shane Dowrich was caught behind trying to leave the ball. It seemed like West Indies were in a dark, cramped tunnel and even the light at the end of it was India celebrating around a bonfire.Ashwin was having fun once more. While his first wicket may have come in fortunate circumstances – an lbw against Blackwood shown by HawkEye to only graze the outside of leg stump – the next one exemplified the confidence he has in himself. Samuels had just torched a six straight down the ground. He was invited to do so again, this one tossed up even higher. When the ball was halfway down its path, however, Samuels realised he would never get close enough to its pitch. Ashwin’s dip had taken care of that. A hastily executed flick resulted in an inside edge that was safely caught at short leg. Ashwin had Dowrich caught behind, while Holder and Bishoo were beaten in flight; the five-for was rather academic.India had to grit their teeth through a few stages: the 62 balls that Blackwood batted for his half-century, the two balls that Bishoo nicked to the keeper and was not given by umpire Ian Gould, the 38 balls that debutant Miguel Cummins – playing in place of Carlos Brathwaite – and Shannon Gabriel swung around for, and the one that consumed Shikhar Dhawan to give Chase his first Test wicket with less than an hour to stumps.Everything else, however, went their way. Kraigg Brathwaite, stout of defence and temperament, fell to a simple trap. Two men were put under helmets at forward and backward short leg. Ishant bowled a short ball angled towards the batsman’s ribs – predictable considering the field placing – and Brathwaite promptly fended to Pujara in front of square.Darren Bravo fell to a simple trap too, but through no fault of his own. Ishant went around the stumps to make sure the left-hander would feel he has to play more than he could leave. India were aiming at his weakness outside off stump, with a bowler known for straightening the ball off the pitch. Ishant pitched it full on fifth stump, drew Bravo into a block, claimed the edge that was caught by second slip. Shami had Rajendra Chandrika nicking off to gully.Blackwood walked out with the score at 7 for 3. West Indies hadn’t seen such dire times against India since the Port-of-Spain Test in 1983. Blackwood was in the middle of dire times himself, having bagged a second pair in five Tests, and was a prime candidate to be dropped to accommodate an extra bowler. The selectors kept faith in him, however, and his counter-attacking half-century was the only high point for West Indies.

ScorecardJason Roy gave Surrey a bright start•Getty Images

On nights such as these, domestic T20 has the feel of being casino cricket. The house always wins. The London derby has become one of the most lucrative games in the county calendar and Surrey would have been tempted to give themselves a pat on the back before a ball was bowled at the Kia Oval. The threat of rain only materialised briefly beforehand, delaying the start time as well as possibly sending a few more people to the bar, and the ground was bouncing long before the chants to the tune of “Tom Hark” began as the home side closed in on victory.When Surrey were routed for 93 by visiting Glamorgan a few weeks ago, nobody booed; this time, there may have been a few involuntary yelps of excitement let out when Middlesex’s Brendon McCullum smashed his third ball into the crowd at deep midwicket. Surrey had looked vulnerable at 127 for 7 in the 17th over of their innings but somehow scrambled their way to setting a target of 174 and Middlesex were not equipped to sully the mood on this occasion.In front of Sky’s cameras, Jason Roy channelled the free spirit of England’s run to the World T20 final in mauling 35 from 19 deliveries, which included hitting his international team-mate Steven Finn for 6-4-4. No one on either side could match that until James Franklin biffed 39 to keep Middlesex’s faint hopes alive, which hinted at the skittish, adrenaline-fuelled nature of the contest. A 29-run win for Surrey was the cherry on top of a sizable cake.Surrey’s turnover on the night is estimated to be as high as £700,000, once ticketing, hospitality and catering are accounted for. By way of context, Leicestershire’s entire annual income in 2015 was £3.5m. Surrey have long advocated the “appointment to view” scheduling that currently sees much of the NatWest T20 Blast played on Friday nights – something that is due to change again next year – but beyond the financial argument, the club believe that they have brought more than 150,000 new fans into the ground over the last five years.This was English T20 scrubbed up and made to look its best – even if, in common with many of the Friday-night fun-seekers, it all ended up becoming a bit dishevelled by the end, as a streaker capered on the outfield with several off-guard stewards trailing in his wake. With more than 21,000 packed in on a clear evening, boozy roars reverberated around the great recumbent bowl of Kennington, the flamethrowers belched hazy orange plumes into the summer sky, and the stars took their turn to briefly sparkle.Surrey’s team sheet was arrayed with seven full internationals, including one of Test cricket’s greatest batsmen in Kumar Sangakkara and a reigning World T20 champion in Dwayne Bravo. Of the other four – Rory Burns, Ben Foakes, Tom and Sam Curran – it would not be a surprise if at least three went on to represent England at some stage. No wonder “The Rey” carry themselves like kings.Middlesex could not quite compete on paper but they were still able call upon England’s limited-overs captain, one of the country’s premier fast bowlers, and a man who runs Sangakkara close in the international-cricketer-cum-national-figurehead stakes in McCullum. That is before you consider Dawid Malan, Middlesex’s captain who was this week called into the England T20 squad. It was a night to forget for him, a foray with the ball in the 19th over in response to his side’s slow over rate leaking 19 runs before a stilted innings of 11 culminated in a catch to deep square leg.This was Surrey’s first Friday night match of the season and their biggest event outside of England internationals. It was announced as a sell-out several hours before the game started (the shortfall in attendance caused by those who had bought tickets not turning up), even though its Category A status meant that an adult ticket could cost as much as £29.The atmosphere provided by such a full house was a reminder of how T20 has both invigorated and jolted the game. There was a cup final feeling to the crowds thronging the Harleyford Road from Vauxhall, as city types jostled with groups of students, parents and children, young women, older couples. The windfall the format still promises is like that of a lottery winner whose life is sent spinning of its axis by previously unimagined riches.The on-field offerings were, in truth, slightly modest but Surrey’s innings was reinvigorated by Zafar Ansari and Tom Curran adding 46 from the final 22 balls to give their side a competitive total. McCullum was defeated by Ravi Rampaul’s slower ball and Eoin Morgan holed out off Gareth Batty as Middlesex slipped to 58 for 5. They needed 46 from 13 balls when a man clad in little more than his underpants ran across the middle of the pitch and was then tackled on the outfield; not quite the Las Vegas finale but, by that stage, everyone had cashed in their chips.

Australia batter Beth Mooney will make a miraculous return from a fractured jaw in the Ashes Test starting on Thursday in Canberra after she was passed fit to play just 10 days after suffering the injury in the nets.Mooney fractured her jaw on the Monday prior to the first T20I in Adelaide and required surgery. But she was back in the nets last weekend in Adelaide and was running laps.On Wednesday in Canberra, captain Meg Lanning confirmed Mooney would play in the Test at Manuka Oval.”She’s been passed fit to play, ” Lanning said. “So from a medical perspective, that’s all good. It was sort of around her comfort levels and confidence levels getting back into it after being hit, she’s had no issues at all. So once she was cleared and she’s confident and ready to go, there were no issues about bringing her back.”It’s pretty incredible. Right from the moment she got hit she was pretty positive about the whole situation. To be coming back to play international cricket around a week after having jaw surgery is pretty inspirational for the group and she’s been really positive around everyone. She looks really good in the nets and in the field as well so she’s confident she will have no issues moving forward.”The only concern for Mooney is that she still can’t eat solids. Mooney and the medical staff are trying to find ways to get her enough food to get through the Test match.”She’s only a liquid diet at the moment, which doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, not a lot of variety,” Lanning said. “I think our physio and Pip the doc and the dietitian have been coming up with some meal plans for her to make sure she’s getting enough energy and obviously with the Test match, the longer format you need to have that over a long period of time, but they’ve done a great job and so far, so good.”She said she can eat unlimited amounts of ice cream. So she’s pretty happy with that.”Related

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Mooney’s fitness means Australia have a decision to make over their top order. Mooney and Alyssa Healy opened in the last test against India but Rachael Haynes did not play in that game due to a hamstring injury. Haynes has opened in five of her nine Test innings and said on Sunday that she is preparing to open in this Test match.Healy is also keen to continue managing the difficult dual role of opening and keeping wicket. Lanning did not reveal who would do the job on Thursday, nor would she give away Australia’s XI.”Between [Haynes], Moons and Midge [Healy], we’ll work through what exactly that looks like,” Lanning said. “But they all can play a role on top of the order. So, again, we’ll just have a look at the wicket and see what we think will work best but those three will certainly play, it just depends on the order with which we go.”

Warwickshire have retired their Birmingham Bears moniker for T20 Blast matches, and will instead revert to being called Warwickshire Bears when the rebooted men’s and women’s competition gets underway in 2026.The club won their sole T20 title as Birmingham Bears in 2014, but have reverted to their county name after more than a decade, following feedback from members and in recognition of the women’s county competition that got underway this season.”Warwickshire has and always will be at the heart of who we are,” Stuart Cain, the county’s chief executive, said. “It’s our identity and has been for well over a century.”Over a decade ago, the club decided to be bold with a city-based name for our T20 team and it saw attendances grow to record levels and attract new fans to the Bears. But with our long-term future in mind, and following feedback from members through the members committee, now is the right time for change.”We represent the county and that’s what returning to Warwickshire Bears is about.”The announcement came ahead of the ECB’s unveiling of next year’s Blast fixtures – which, for the 14th consecutive year, will be hosted at Warwickshire’s home ground of Edgbaston (or EdgBLASTon, as per the club’s “bold and electrifying move” to rebrand the stadium for the duration of the tournament).The Blast schedule has been compromised in recent years, following the introduction of the Hundred in a mid-summer block in July and August. This year’s event featured a final on September 13, almost two months after the conclusion of the group stage in July, meaning that each of the four teams were missing key players – a situation described by Lancashire’s captain, Keaton Jennings, as “ludicrous”.The new-look tournament will take place in a tightened two-month window. The group stage for men and women will run from May 22 to July 12, with the men’s quarter-finals taking place three days later on July 15 and Men’s Finals Day on July 18. Women’s Finals Day will take place 24 hours earlier, on a Friday, at the Kia Oval.Related

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The men’s groups have been rejigged, with three groups of six teams replacing the long-standing North and South Groups, albeit with a retention of many of the more traditional rivalries – including Yorkshire versus Lancashire in Lancashire in Group A, Gloucestershire versus Somerset in Group B, and Surrey versus Middlesex in Group C.Each team will now play 12 group-stage matches instead of 14, which has allowed the schedulers to place 80% of these fixtures in fan-friendly slots on a Friday, Sunday or a Bank Holiday. Following feedback from the PCA, which warned of the dangers of player fatigue in a recent survey, the total number of back-to-back matches in the men’s competition has been reduced to six – which is down from more than 50 two years ago – while there is just one in the women’s competition.”The changes to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 have been made in order to benefit fans and players alike,” Neil Snowball, ECB managing director, competitions and major events, said. “Every county will host a men’s and women’s double header, with 61 double-headers in total, while the significant reduction in back-to-back games gives players more opportunity to perform at their very best throughout the competition.Surrey’s Grace Harris poses with the Women’s T20 Blast trophy•ECB via Getty Images

“The narrative of both competitions will also be easier to follow with the knockout stages following on immediately after the group stages, culminating in a true celebration of T20 cricket with the women’s and men’s Vitality Blast Finals Days being hosted at the Kia Oval and Edgbaston on consecutive days.”PCA Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: “Throughout the past 12 months, the PCA has worked tirelessly alongside the professional game to improve standards for players across all formats. The Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 highlight considerable improvements with a real energy injected into them.”Players want to be at their optimum levels to perform at their best in county cricket’s flagship T20 competition and a significant reduction of back-to-back fixtures across the men’s and women’s Blast, alongside more men’s and women’s double headers and reduced travel in the men’s game will allow this.”The tournaments will begin with 16 men’s and women’s double-headers across the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Somerset, the men’s defending champions, will face Hampshire Hawks in a rematch of last year’s final at Taunton, while Surrey – the women’s winners – will face Lancashire.Yorkshire’s women, who will be embarking on their maiden Tier 1 season, will take part in their first Roses double-header at Old Trafford on 10 July.

Vitality Blast Men’s Competition

Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire
Group B: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Warwickshire Bears, Worcestershire Rapids
Group C: Essex, Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks