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Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy players, Nasiruddin Faruque, Dolar Mahmud and Mehrab Hossain jnr, were given warnings for using abusive language towards umpires during a match against South Africa Academy in Jessore on Sunday.Match referee Raqibul Hasan found the three guilty of breaching the code of conduct by excessive appealing and using offensive language against umpires Jahangir Alam and Tanvir Ahmed.Faruque, the Academy captain, was given a suspended sentence of two matches, Mahmud and Mehrab got a match each. The suspension will come in to effect if the players repeat the same offence in the Academy Cup.

England 229 for 4 (Bell 73, Collingwood 70*) beat New Zealand 234 for 9 (Oram 88, Broad 3-32) by six wickets (D/L method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

England’s chastised cricketers demonstrated a new-found resolve in the third ODI against New Zealand in Auckland, and hauled themselves back into contention in the series with a hard-earned but ultimately comfortable six-wicket victory. After winning the toss and bowling first, England might have imagined an easier day’s work when New Zealand slumped to 95 for 6 midway through their innings, but a flamboyant 88 from Jacob Oram ensured a stiff rain-adjusted target of 229. Fittingly, after one or two alarms, it was left to England’s captain, Paul Collingwood, to seal the match with a fusillade of boundaries. He finished on 70 not out from 50 balls.For Collingwood personally, it was a triumphant day – he also picked up 3 for 43 with his medium-pacers. But the collective morale boost was of far greater consequence to his side. England’s one-day fortunes have known some dog-days in recent years, but their ten-wicket defeat at Hamilton on Tuesday was about as bad as it has ever been. At 2-0 down in the series, anything less than victory in this game would have been curtains for the series.That prospect, however, didn’t look remotely likely during the opening exchanges of today’s contest. At Hamilton, New Zealand’s openers, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, added 165 unbeaten runs in just 18.1 overs. This time they were parted before the end of the second over, and New Zealand went on to lose three more wickets inside the first 15. It was James Anderson who removed both men – McCullum to a fifth-ball bouncer and Ryder to a mistimed pull to deep midwicket – having located that extra yard of pace and aggression that he had mysteriously mislaid in his previous outing.Stuart Broad also struck twice in his first spell. Jamie How steered a low catch to Collingwood in the gully before the off-colour Scott Styris top-edged a bouncer to midwicket, and at 53 for 4, New Zealand’s ropey middle-order had been exposed. Collingwood picked up his first wicket when Peter Fulton, with his feet stuck in treacle, was bowled through the gate for a tortuous 4 from 25 balls, and he struck again soon afterwards when Ross Taylor was adjudged lbw by a flustered Asaf Rauf. Rauf had just been forced to call a dead-ball for a slogged six over midwicket, because he had not been watching the action when the delivery was bowled.At 95 for 6, all New Zealand’s hopes were invested in Oram, and he didn’t disappoint. On 5, he was very lucky to survive a confident lbw appeal from Ryan Sidebottom, but he made his life count with another innings of intense power and perfect timing. He combined with Daniel Vettori in a seventh-wicket stand of 74 to take the sting out of the scoreline and then, when Vettori picked out Owais Shah with a flat pull to wide long-on, he took up the cudgels with a stunning square drive for six off Mascarenhas, and consecutive sixes in Broad’s final over, to dent his otherwise excellent figures of 3 for 32.Ian Bell produced a superb catch running back at midwicket to deny Oram a shot at a century, but New Zealand’s total of 234 for 9 was considerably more than England had bargained for. It was soon put into some sort of context when England lost both their openers inside the first eight overs. Phil Mustard slogged two fours and a top-edged six in another frenetic innings, but then became England’s seventh run-out victim in 21 dismissals when he unwisely took on Vettori’s arm at mid-off. Then, following a brief rain break, Alastair Cook lost patience after batting out consecutive maidens, and pulled loosely to mid-on.The sting of England’s chase, however, was absorbed by Bell and Kevin Pietersen, who added 107 for the third wicket in unexpectedly contrasting styles. Bell was the aggressor, using his feet well to force the ball through the covers and over long-on; Pietersen was strangely subdued, trying but failing to find his timing as New Zealand’s medium-pacers cramped his style. Nevertheless, while the pair were in harness, England were in full control of their destiny. The threat of rain spurred Pietersen into action with three fours in a row off Paul Hitchcock, but Vettori tipped the scales once again when both men fell lbw in consecutive overs. Bell was decidedly unfortunate – the ball clearly deflected off an inside edge – but Pietersen could have no complaints as he once again stepped across his stumps to be rapped on the shin.At 149 for 4, England still required 80 to win from 14 overs, but Collingwood was in no mood to succumb to another embarrassment. With Shah alongside him, England ticked off the singles until they were within striking distance, and then Collingwood cut loose. A volley of four sixes and two fours in nine balls – including a cheeky reverse dab and an effortless pick-up over the ropes – allowed England to coast home with a full three overs to spare. It might not be enough to expunge the memories of Hamilton, but it was just the tonic the team needed. And more importantly, it kept the series alive.

ScorecardZimbabwe A’s batsmen enjoyed a solid opening day to their second and final first-class match against Bangladesh A at Fatullah. They reached 276 for 4 by the close, with Sean Williams making 82 and Stuart Matsikenyeri unbeaten on 68; the pair putting on 106 for the fourth wicket.Matsikenyeri later began to build another useful stand, this time with Elton Chigumbura (37*), and their partnership was worth 62 by stumps. Enamul Haque jnr was the most successful bowler, with two wickets; he dismissed the openers Tino Mawoyo (16) and Tinashe Hove (23) in successive overs as Zimbabwe slipped from 44 without loss to 55 for 2.Chamu Chibhabha’s wicket was the only other to fall in the day, to Mohammad Shahadza, but not before he made 36 from just 45 balls.Zimbabwe A need a win in this match to level the series after Bangladesh won the opener by one wicket.

Australia could introduce a tournament similar to the Indian Premier League in two years after Cricket Australia revealed it has started planning for another domestic Twenty20 event. The IPL has forced other countries to consider their options, with England already involved in talks with the billionaire Allen Stanford.Paul Marsh, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive, has pushed for an international league system like the one used in soccer and Peter Young, a Cricket Australia spokesman, said the organisation was looking at the possibilities. “In reality we have taken a blank sheet of paper and said: ‘What might a domestic Twenty20 competition look like?'” Young told the Herald Sun.”Should it be just one side from each state? Should we look at overseas models, including the IPL model, where you have a city base and more than one team from certain states? Should it involve New Zealand or not? We are thinking that through.”While the ideas are speculative, the paper reported a salary cap, icon players for each team and a draft for the international talent could be employed. Similar moves have helped make the IPL a major success in India over the first half of the competition. A domestic Twenty20 tournament has been held in Australia for the past three years but has only involved state players, limiting its potential for international exposure and television revenue.

Mark Ramprakash is no stranger to being on the receiving end of taunts from spectators. Last week at Lord’s he was jeered by Middlesex supporters still bitter about his acrimonious departure from the county, and at The Rose Bowl on Thursday he was again targeted by Hampshire fans.Ramprakash was reportedly confronted by two spectators in the pavilion after Surrey’s win over Hampshire in the Twenty20 Cup, leading to him requesting extra security. It followed Ramprakash’s celebrations when he ran out Hampshire’s last man to wrap-up the victory – he ripped off his shirt and ran to a section of the crowd who had been jeering him, signaling at them to be quiet.”I came down here about two years ago and the crowd were abusive and today they started on me when they thought a ball I stopped had gone for four,” he told The Times. “Normally it’s quite good-natured stuff but this wasn’t particularly pleasant. It was nice to have the last laugh.”

In the slew of announcements and news that appeared from the working committee meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India emerged one vital snippet that should not go unnoticed. For the first time in its history the BCCI is taking its role in the development of women’s cricket seriously, and has announced that each player who was part of the women’s team that beat England and then won the Asia Cup would receive a bonus of Rs. One lakh (US$2000).While that does not seem like a lot given what their male counterparts earn, it is a significant sum for members of the women’s team, who barely earned anything from their victories. In the past, while the Women’s Cricket Association of India, run, for all practical purposes, by Shubhangi Kulkarni, a former Indian captain, did not register losses, they did not have the luxury of paying their cricketers well.Women’s teams stayed in dormitories and modest hotels and received little in way of match fees, and only on the odd occasion, through sponsorship support, did they receive daily allowances. But, after the ICC laid down a deadline for all cricket boards to merge their men’s and women’s administrative bodies, slowly but surely, a change came about. Kulkarni, secretary of the women’s association, had met Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then BCCI president, about a merger, but nothing came of it.Currently the new regime of the BCCI has worked towards appointing committees to oversee women’s cricket in India at various levels, incorporating existing officials of the women’s association. A significant step forward came when India toured England and each member of the women’s team received a daily allowance of US$50 per day, which is on par with what the men’s team receives.When the side embarked on their 40-day tour of England, each was handed travellers’ cheques and currency worth £1100 (US$ 2000), an unheard of thing in women’s cricket. Interestingly, Nike, who are the kit sponsors of the men’s team, were willing to extend their support to the women’s team, but could not do so as the Women’s Cricket Association of India had a pre-existing deal with Sahara until December 2007.When the women’s team toured England they drew the first Test at Grace Road, Leicester. Then they came back with a five-wicket win, to take their first-ever series win in England. Mithali Raj, the captain, and Anjum Chopra, the left-hand bat, starred in a first-innings score of 307. Jhulan Goswami, the fast bowler, then took 5 for 33 and reduced England to 99 all out. Following-on England made 305 thanks to a century from Charlotte Edwards, but India knocked off the required runs with five wickets to spare.Even then it was suggested to Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, that the team be given a bonus of some sort. But he preferred to wait for the Asia Cup and club the two, and his faith in women’s team paid off. India easily beat Sri Lanka in the final, restricting them to 93 before knocking off the required runs with eight wickets to spare. Now, the Indian women have got the rewards they deserve.

Australia have chosen a squad heavy with young allrounders for the Hong Kong Sixes tournament that starts on the weekend. Aaron O’Brien is the most experienced member of the seven-man group, which features three players who have played first-class cricket.O’Brien, a left-arm orthodox spinner and middle-order batsman, will be a key player for Australia having 20 first-class matches to his name at New South Wales. Shawn Gillies and Steve O’Keefe have also played in the Pura Cup, while Nathan Reardon, Michael Buchanan and Matt Johnston have domestic one-day experience.Tasmania’s Alex Doolan is the only member of the squad without a state game to his name. Australia’s first match is against Bangladesh on Saturday. Also in their pool is South Africa and an All Stars team that features Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brian Lara, Craig McMillan, Heath Streak, Anil Kumble and Geraint Jones.Squad Aaron O’Brien, Michael Buchanan, Alex Doolan, Nathan Reardon, Shawn Gillies, Matt Johnston, Steve O’Keefe.

On days such as these, it is easy to sympathise with Guyana’s construction plight. A terminally morose cloud hung overhead from dawn till dusk, transforming the island of Antigua into a soggy sandbank, and with it many of the peripheral parts of an otherwise magnificent new Sir Vivian Richards stadium. The carpark became a quagmire, as did sections of the outfield and the grassy banks at midwicket. In conditions this inclement, it isn’t easy to complete building projects on schedule.So hard-hats off to Matthew Hayden, who produced – in the circumstances – one of the great one-day performances. We will not know just how great until Wednesday, when West Indies are given their belated right to reply, but this performance is already the highest score made by an Australian in the World Cup. On a sluggish pitch that offered plenty for the bowlers under perpetual cloud cover, he secured for his side a position of extreme authority.”It’s got to be one of his top innings,” Australia’s coach, John Buchanan, said. Buchanan spoke on his player’s behalf because Hayden preferred not to tempt fate mid-match. “It’s not just because of his score, but also because of the adjustment he made coming from St Kitts. The ground was significantly different, the wicket was significantly different and the bowling attack was significantly different. We were looking for a platform, and he gave us exactly that.”This was Hayden’s ninth ODI century and his second in consecutive matches, but rarely can two different innings have been compiled in the space of four days. His 66-ball century against South Africa was, like Adam Gilchrist’s Ashes onslaught at Perth, almost a throwback to the player he once was. It was a brash, bullying performance in which he treated the boundary much as he used to treat opposition swing bowlers. This, on the other hand, was an innings that displayed the wisdom of his 35 years.”We’ve got a lot of experience in our batting, and we leave it to individual players to assess the conditions,” Buchanan said. “They are good at telling each other what to do when they go out there, and they’re good at sending information back. This is a new ground, and both sides were not exactly sure how it would play. In the end, it was pretty true but we made just about the most of those conditions that we could.”In the end it was true, though Hayden had no way of knowing that when his innings began. The ground’s late completion date meant there had been time for just a handful of age-group and club matches to assess the newly-laid pitch, and when Gilchrist edged a nip-backer from Daren Powell in the fifth over, Hayden was still to get off the mark after 16 balls. After the carnage of St Kitts, this was a reversion to the conditions that seem to have been prevalent in all other parts of the Caribbean in this tournament.

Hayden’s rebirth as an international cricketer has been remarkable. In one-day cricket, he was a busted flush by the end of the 2005 Ashes. His agonisingly determined century in the final game at The Oval preserved his Test place, but it seemed to confirm that he had misplaced the arrogance that had made him such a force. His technique, never the most flowing, had been counterbalanced by (as England’s passnotes at Melbourne revealed last winter) his “ego”.He missed 28 consecutive ODIs after that series (and 34 out of 36) as Australia’s selectors tinkered at the top of the order, with Phil Jaques, Simon Katich and Shane Watson all competing for the right to launch the World Cup campaign. None of them proved so effective or so permanent.”The replacements did a reasonable job,” Buchanan said, “but he has batted harder to get back into the side, and he’s always believed he should be in the side. At the beginning of this tournament, he’s made a statement about himself, to bat for long innings and to be reasonably flexible in his shot selection and shot range.”By the end of his innings, as the early conditions eased and the ball softened, there was only one range of shot that mattered, and that was long-range. Australia’s final total of 322 for 6 was incredible in the circumstances, given how dank the weather had been all day, and how ponderous their opening gambit had been. But that is the virtue that Hayden now brings to his game. A spell on the sidelines and the dissemination of his old forthright technique has turned him into a far more rounded performer.For all that, Australia haven’t quite secured the points that, given Bangladesh and Ireland remain on their checklist, will propel them to the thresh-hold of the semi-finals. “It’s fair to say we’ve had some big scores chased down recently,” Buchanan said, referring to the consecutive 330-plus assignments New Zealand pulled off in February. “But it’s nice to say that we’ve made the big scores. The game has changed around the world, and teams are finding it harder and harder to hold sides who are chasing.”With more overcast conditions predicted for the resumption, West Indies will need to show a similar blend of resolve and explosiveness if they hope to compete. Hayden’s performance will take some trumping.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Inspired by a genius who raised his game when the occasion demanded, Sri Lanka overpowered India in their final league match at Port-of-Spain and stormed into the Super Eights. India suffered one of their most disappointing days in recent memory, muffing up a run-chase on a pitch posing no worries, and were all but ousted from the World Cup, in what is likely to be their worst campaign since 1979.It wasn’t as one-sided a contest as the scorecard suggests. The first half of the match was a cat-and-mouse battle that everyone expected, with neither team establishing their dominance. Sri Lanka scrapped out a competitive 254 and defended it with verve and skill. Muttiah Muralitharan towered over India’s batsmen, bounding in from around the wicket and taunting them with offbreaks and that were near unplayable. He was unstoppable on the field too and pulled off a full-length lunge to dismiss the in-form Sourav Ganguly, and killed Indian hopes once and for all with a good catch at long-off to get rid of Rahul Dravid.Coming close on the heels of Bob Woolmer’s tragic demise, India’s exit will no doubt be a setback for the World Cup. Carrying the tags of ‘commercial favourites’, they will be the first to admit that they didn’t deserve to go through, having been trumped by both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It was no doubt a spineless batting effort today but there is little one can do when confronted by a magician like Murali.Half-centuries from Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva had set Sri Lanka up but it was the Murali factor that proved too much for India. His first-ball topspinner that hoodwinked Mahendra Singh Dhoni summed up his influence. He fizzed one through and landed it on middle stump, Dhoni thought about the cut but could only watch in a daze as the ball crashed into his back pad. It was so plumb, and he seemed so embarrassed, that he walked instinctively. To see Dhoni walk before the bowler had completely gone up for the lbw appeal was to see the last whiff of hope evaporate.Murali earlier removed the dangerous Virender Sehwag at a crucial juncture. Sehwag’s solidity, and reading of the percentages, was reminiscent of the batsman in his prime. There was hardly any wild swinging outside off – barring one moment on 39, when Kumar Sangakkara couldn’t latch on to a full-length dive off a fierce slash off Dilhara Fernando – but a game built on assessing the situation and the bowlers. Yet, in the 23rd over, Murali’s third, he was tied up in knots. He first missed a doosra down the leg side, one that was called wide despite nearly knocking off leg stump, but was completely baffled by another that pitched on off and turned away, watching Mahela Jayawardene gobble up a catch at first slip.If Sehwag’s dismissal was the turning point, Yuvraj Singh’s fatal run-out was probably the clincher. Taking off for a single where there was none, after Dravid had nudged behind square, was all it needed for Sri Lanka to pounce. Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar had fallen cheaply earlier – one to a poor stroke, another to an incisive delivery – and the run-chase was well and truly derailed. Dravid ploughed along amid the ruins, suffering a hamstring along the way and briefly lashing Lasith Malinga for four consecutive fours in an over, but that was nothing but a rage against the dying light. The contest was long over.

Sri Lanka’s batting efforts were built around Tharanga and Silva. Sri Lanka didn’t ride on their senior pros, who were bogged down and snaffled out, but relied on a 22-year-old to guide them past the early tension. Tharanga wasn’t at his flowing best, understandably so considering the needle in this contest, but his half-century was the one that anchored the innings. He didn’t endeavour anything out of the ordinary and had his lucky moments, against Ajit Agarkar’s slower balls and Zaheer Khan’s in-cutters. But he interspersed them with gorgeous drives.His dismissal brought in a couple of hardworking batsmen – Silva was beaver-like in his approach, grinding out singles and improvising fours while Dilshan, always on the look-out for runs, provided support. Silva’s third consecutive World Cup fifty formed the heart of the middle overs and his cheeky glides behind the wicket irritated the bowlers. Dilshan was the more forceful, backing away and forcing the ball through the off side. Both fell in quick succession but Russel Arnold and Chaminda Vaas, adding 38 in 23 deliveries, boosted the total beyond the 250 mark.India’s bowlers turned in an impressive performance, 27 extras notwithstanding. Agarkar and Munaf Patel were the best bowlers on view and would have ended with richer hauls with a dose of good fortune. Tendulkar surprised with his banana inswing and Ganguly chipped in with an important wicket. The tension that had built up over the last few days simmered right through the first 70 overs of the match, only for Murali to cut through it in his inimitable style. A banner that read “Murali-ed” probably got it just right.

Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been dropped from India’s ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, following a poor home series against South Africa.

Ins and Outs in the ODI squad

In: Barinder Sran, Rishi Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey
Out: S Aravind, Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Mohit Sharma (injured), Ambati Rayudu, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra

A rejigged ODI squad included a maiden call-up for Punjab’s 23-year-old left-arm pacer Barinder Sran, as well as a recall for Manish Pandey, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe in July. Sran has played only seven List-A matches and taken 15 wickets at 26.73.Himachal Pradesh allrounder Rishi Dhawan also found a place in the squad, but there was no room in the ODI team for Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny.Patil also said the changes to the team were necessitated by the predictability of the team composition in India’s recent series. “We felt Indian team in batting and bowling was looking very much predictable,” he said. “So we wanted to have some variations, and that is why we have picked a player in our batting order [Pandey] and a player in the bowling department [Sran] also.”Raina has managed just one century in his last 26 ODI innings, and scored just 180 runs in eight matches since the 2015 World Cup. He was unable to shake off this poor run even against South Africa last month, as he managed just 68 runs from five matches at an average of 13.60. Bhuvneshwar’s series was just as forgettable; he claimed his seven wickets from five matches at an average of 49.57 and an economy rate of 7.13.To a question on whether selectors had lost faith in Raina’s abilities, Patil reiterated that no player was written off. “If he had lost confidence he wouldn’t have been in T20 team also,” he said. “Selectors have no right to write any player off. We look at the performance, the fitness of the player and we look at the combination. If a player fits in the combination we pick him.”With just five specialist batsmen in the squad, Raina’s exclusion could open the door for Rishi Dhawan, Pandey or Gurkeerat Singh. Rishi Dhawan, who has played 53 List-A matches, recently struck a match-winning 117 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Madhya Pradesh to fire his team into the quarter-finals, to go with 28 wickets from eight Ranji Trophy matches.A source privy to the developments in the meeting said the names of Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur were also discussed for selection. “The emphasis was on identifying a larger pool of talent ahead of the Asia Cup T20 and the World T20,” the source said. “The idea is to promote youngsters and also reward consistency over the years. Rishi Dhawan, for instance, has been doing very well over the last few years.”The source said there were other players in the selectors’ radar as well and that they were keen on watching as many talented cricketers as they could in the lead up to the World T20.According to him, one of the reasons behind the inclusion of Rishi Dhawan and Sran was the nature of pitches in Australia. “There will obviously be good bounce there and it will suit the faster bowlers,” the source said. “The batting ability of someone like Rishi Dhawan will also come in handy. With [Ravichandran] Ashwin and Bhaji [Harbhajan Singh] there already, it becomes a strong No.7, 8 and 9.”ODI squad: MS Dhoni (capt), R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Barinder Sran