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South Africa have named three new caps, including opening batsman in Heino Kuhn, in the Test squad to play England. Batsman Aiden Markram and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo are the other new faces, with Stephen Cook and Wayne Parnell dropped from the side that played in New Zealand. Dane Piedt, who was recalled to the squad in March during the New Zealand Tests, also does not feature, with Keshav Maharaj the only specialist spinner.

South Africa squad

Squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Heino Kuhn, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Duanne Olivier, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada
In: Heino Kuhn, Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo
Out: Stephen Cook, Wayne Parnell, Dane Piedt, Heinrich Klaasen

While Kuhn, who is also a wicketkeeper, is certain to open at Lord’s, Markram has been included as cover for Faf du Plessis. South Africa’s Test captain is in danger of missing the first match as he awaits the birth of his first child. Should du Plessis not make it back to the UK in time for that game, Dean Elgar will lead in his absence. Elgar will also captain South Africa in their warm-up match against England Lions in Worcester this week.Phehlukwayo, the other new addition, has just 24 first-class games to his name and joins Chris Morris as a second allrounder in place of Parnell. Both Morris and Phehlukwayo are back-up to Vernon Philander, who has recovered from off-season niggles and is now seen as South Africa’s premier two-in-one player. Philander struggled with a groin problem and an ankle niggle during his time at Sussex but has been passed fully fit to take his place as part of a six-strong pace pack that will be headlined by Kagiso Rabada. Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier, Morris and Phehlukwayo make up the rest of the attack.Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy will make up the middle order, where Theunis de Bruyn, who had made his debut in Cook’s place in Hamilton, is the back-up batsman. That crop of players will be hopeful of better starts from the top two, whose highest stand was just 18 across the three Tests in New Zealand. Cook only scored 17 runs in four innings, which ultimately cost him his spot, and the selectors now believe Kuhn, who in fine form, can bolster the top order.Kuhn has had a successful time in England with the South Africa A side, for whom he scored a double-hundred against Hampshire and a century against England Lions this month. A veteran of 12 seasons on the domestic circuit, Kuhn topped the first-class run charts in 2015-16, with over 1000 runs, and said he never gave up on his dream to play for South Africa. “I always believe that everything happens for a reason. I think it’s the perfect time for me now,” he said after the match against Lions. ” I’ve matured a lot as a batsman and a cricketer, and what a place to make your debut.”Last season, Kuhn had chosen to relinquish the wicketkeeping gloves to focus on his batting under the guidance of Titans coach Mark Boucher, who saw the opening spot as a possibility for Kuhn in Tests. “The one thing Boucher said was to focus on the batting more than on the ‘keeping — always keep on working on my ‘keeping but not make that the priority,” Kuhn said. “That’s what I’ve done. He’s made it very clear that I will open the batting in four-day cricket, and that’s what I’ve done. He’s changed my thinking from a keeper-batsman to a batsman who can be a keeper if I need to.”At 33, Kuhn may only have a few years of international cricket but has vowed to finish his cricket in South Africa. It remains to be seen if Cook will do the same. He has been playing for Durham on the county circuit, ostensibly as preparation for the Tests. He reportedly turned down a Kolpak offer when the spate of signings were made earlier this year and has repeatedly provided reassurances of his patriotism. But with Markram the next cab off the rank, it’s difficult to see how Cook will find his way back into Test cricket.

Sushma Verma has established herself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper since making her debut in 2014. However, her contribution as a batsman has been minimal, largely because she has hardly had opportunities to prove herself. Prior to Sunday, she had batted just eight times in 22 ODIs, facing a grand sum of 56 deliveries, off which she scored 13 runs, a strike rate of 23.21.She batted at No. 8 or lower in seven of those eight innings. The last time she batted before Sunday, she was sent in at No. 10, even below Ekta Bisht, no more than a tailender. Until the Pakistan game, India’s third at the World Cup, this hardly mattered thanks to robust contributions from the top order. But on a sticky wicket with the top order having a rare off day, the team needed Verma to overcome her battles, and she did.Promoted to No. 7 ahead of the more-accomplished Jhulan Goswami, who has a reputation of being a big hitter, Verma exhibited tremendous composure and match awareness to make a 35-ball 33 to help India recover from 111 for 6 to 169 for 9. Her 34-run stand with Goswami for the seventh wicket, significant in the context of the game, earned plaudits from her captain Mithali Raj.”At that point in time, when we were losing wickets, it was important to slow down a little,” Raj explained of Verma’s promotion. “On a few occasions in domestic cricket, when our Central Zone side was in similar situation, she bailed us out. We expected her to play that role and she did until the 48th over. Those boundaries were also very crucial.”Her partnership [with Jhulan] got us to 170. We were looking for 170 when we lost the top four. When you play such matches, it’s important to continue the momentum but not every day will the same batters will score runs, so I’m happy someone has stood up to get those runs. It’s important we got this opportunity to reflect on our batting order.”Opportunities have been rare for Verma in domestic cricket too as she started her career with Himachal Pradesh and moved to Railways for better cricketing prospects. But moving to a more-established outfit also brought about a fresh set of challenges. Playing in a team that has a star-studded batting line-up that boasts of Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Punam Raut has largely meant that a berth in the top order, which she may have been guaranteed at Himachal, has been non-existent.In the entire 2016-17 season, she had four opportunities to impress, twice each in the one-dayers and T20 competition. She managed 21 in those four knocks. It’s a role she has taken awhile getting used to, but one she has grown to accept, Verma said. “The team management has been working a lot on the lower-order batting. We have been getting equal attention as the top and middle order. I was waiting for this opportunity.”I’ve understood I will have minimum balls to face, I need to make maximum impact. Today, there was such an opportunity. It’s not that I’m confident only because of wicketkeeping. For me, the main concern and focus is to score as many runs as possible in as little balls as possible.”

Match facts

Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians
Kolkata, May 13, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:23

Hogg: Narine and Lynn are exactly what KKR need at the top

Head to head

Overall: With a 14-5 record, Mumbai Indians have owned this fixture. Their 14 wins are the joint-most by a team against any opponent in the IPL. Mumbai have also won their last four games against Knight Riders. At Eden Gardens, Mumbai have a 5-2 record.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders (second): lost to Kings XI Punjab by 14 runs, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets, lost to Rising Pune Supergiant by four wickets
Mumbai Indians (first): lost to Kings XI Punjab by seven runs, lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets, beat Delhi Daredevils by 146 runs

This season: A spectacular finish, in which 61 runs were scored off the last four overs, had Mumbai overhaul Knight Riders’ total of 178 off the penultimate ball.

In the news

Shakib Al Hasan won’t be part of the rest of Knight Riders’ season, having joined Bangladesh’s squad for their tri-series in Ireland. Nathan Coulter-Nile, who suffered a blow on his helmet grille against Rising Pune Supergiant, has been ruled out of this game. Suryakumar Yadav was hit on the back of the head during a batting drill and may not be available for selection.Chris Woakes, for Knight Riders, and Jos Buttler, for Mumbai, won’t be part of the playoffs – heading off on England duty – but are available for this game.

Qualification scenario

Mumbai qualified for the playoffs a while ago. A win against Knight Riders will mean they finish the round-robin stage at No. 1. Given their superior net run rate, even a loss here is highly likely to have them finish in a coveted top-two spot.Rising Pune Supergiant’s loss to Delhi Daredevils on Friday has all but secured Knight Riders’ playoff spot. Given their net-run-rate advantage over the next three teams – Pune, Sunrisers and Kings XI – there is only the slimmest of mathematical chances of them missing out, and that is highly unlikely to come about.Instead, KKR’s focus will be on finishing in the top two. If they beat Mumbai, depending on the margin of victory, they could top the table. If they lose, to finish in the top two they will need Sunrisers and Pune to lose their final games.

The likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Chris Lynn, 3 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 4 Robin Uthappa (wk), 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Ankit RajpootMumbai Indians: 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Karn Sharma, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Strategy punt

Despite Knight Riders’ loss against Kings XI Punjab, sticking with the Lynn-Narine combination at the top may not be a bad idea, given how ruthless they have been in the Powerplay overs.But there may be a case for Robin Uthappa at No. 3 – instead of Gambhir – if Knight Riders lose a wicket early. Uthappa enjoys the Powerplay overs and scores at a strike-rate (135.90) higher than his captain (123.50). Besides, Gambhir, an excellent player of spin, can negate the strength of Mumbai’s spinners, Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma, in the middle overs.

Stats that matter

• KKR’s run rate of 9.87 in the Powerplay so far this season is the highest ever by any IPL side in a season.
• Gautam Gambhir has scored 22 runs in 34 balls (strike rate 64.70) when he has not opened the batting this season. He hasn’t hit a boundary, and has a sub-100 strike rate in both his innings. In the first 11 games of the season – where he opened – he had a strike rate of below 100 just once.
• Rohit Sharma’s sensational form at Eden Gardens is not limited to just international cricket. In the IPL, he has scored 335 runs in five innings here, with an average of 167.50 and a strike rate of 155.09. His scores at Eden Gardens for Mumbai have been 10, 109*, 34, 98* and 84*. Mumbai have won four of those five games.
• Mitchell McClenaghan has been effective in the end overs for Mumbai, but has been woeful in the middle overs. In the Powerplay, he has taken nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.61, the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Powerplay this season.
  In the middle overs (overs 7-15), he has an economy rate of 12.44 and an average of 112, the worst economy rate for any bowler who has bowled at least five overs.
  He has been Mumbai’s best end-overs bowlers, taking seven wickets with an economy rate of 8.43.
• Manish Pandey has struggled against Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga in the IPL. In 103 balls against both bowlers, he has scored 100 runs and has been dismissed eight times.
• Against Rohit, Knight Riders could perhaps use Sunil Narine, who has conceded just 77 runs in 71 balls against him. He has also dismissed Rohit once in three innings at Eden Gardens, and had him lbw in the reverse fixture earlier this season, albeit to an umpiring error

ScorecardFinding the silver lining to the cloud is a necessary skill for the county cricket watcher at this time of year.It is not just enduring the inevitable bouts of rain and cold weather they will encounter in the early season – we lost almost exactly half a day here – but that, increasingly, they have had to accept their team’s needs are so far down the administrators’ list of priorities that the chances of putting out a full-strength side are minimal.Despite all the ECB’s talk of communication and transparency – a word that is hard to square with the non-disclosure agreements that have bound county officials to secrecy in recent times – associated with the new-team T20 competition, there is a sense of disenfranchisement pervading county spectators at present that suggests their administrators have stopped representing or even listening to them. Really, they may as well just slap county spectators in the face when they buy a ticket and have done with it. The sooner supporters have a collective voice the better; the Cricket Supporters’ Association may be the partial answer.There was a time when it would have been unthinkable to allow England’s best players to grace another nation’s domestic tournament during the county season, as is the case with Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and several others at the IPL. And while most people will understand the well-intentioned reasons – they can gain wealth and useful white-ball experience before a global limited-overs event – they might also reflect on the costs: it is inevitable that the standard of the County Championship will be diluted by the absence of its best players.Just as it is inevitable that England will struggle to produce spin bowlers – or batsmen with experience of playing spin bowling – while so much of the season is pushed into the margins (counties will have played eight of their 14 Championship matches by the end of June) and medium-paced nibblers are disproportionately important. It is many years since England produced a legspinner as talented as Mason Crane; there is something wrong with a system that cannot find a space for him in a side.The ECB may claim it is keen to prioritise Test cricket, but it is hard to ignore the conclusion that it has prioritised white-ball (especially T20) cricket at every opportunity in recent months. The scheduling of this season’s T20, with matches in a block, is the primary reason so high a proportion of the Championship has to be played so early in the season and the introduction of another T20 competition, to be played at the same time as the 50-over competition, will equally compromise England’s performances in the World Cup.Really, it tells you everything you need to know about the future shape of cricket that the new-team T20 competition is scheduled to start on 24/7/2020. Yes, the days of endless T20 are almost upon us. And good luck in the 2023 World Cup if the top 110 players in the country haven’t played domestic 50-over cricket for four years.How, really, can the absence of Jonny Bairstow – who hasn’t played first-class cricket this year – in this match be justified? He was, after all, free to go to the IPL but, having not been picked-up in the auction, has been rested from the Championship and is instead summarising for Sky. It is just another example of the way the game’s administrators continue to demean and degrade the competition they should protect and promote.If only they believed in it as much as the 1.1 million who listened to the BBC’s commentary on the Championship’s first round. If only they believed in it enough to invest the (circa) £35m ring-fenced for the first year of the new-team competition into the NatWest Blast. If only they believed that the return to free-to-air they foresee for the new competition would also revive the old. Alas, it seems the ECB has lost faith in its own products and is therefore prepared to risk their health in search of something new.None of this is the individual players’ faults. They have been encouraged to rest or play in the IPL. But the danger of such policies is that, in time, they weaken the Test side. We saw in India and Bangladesh how England’s issues against spin can be exposed and, if the gap between county and Test grows wider, we will see further reverses at Test level. It is understandable that the ECB wants to prioritise white-ball cricket – it may even be right to do so – but it would be nice if they were a little more open about it. You could make a strong case that the ECB represents one of the most serious threats to the future of Test cricket.The silver lining to all this is that, had Yorkshire been at full strength, it is highly likely that Ben Coad would not have won selection for these opening matches of the season. But with Liam Plunkett, David Willey, Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom all absent against Hampshire last week due to injury, Coad was drafted into the side and responded with eight wickets in the game.It was similar here. Taking advantage of some early season assistance – there is nothing the matter with this pitch – and the fragility of Warwickshire’s batting, he claimed four more wickets to reduce Warwickshire to 77 for 7 moments after lunch. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in Division One.If one or two of his wickets here owed something to reckless batting – William Porterfield drove to mid-off as he attempted to thrash one through the covers – several others were the result of fine, probing bowling. Alex Mellor edged a beauty on off stump that demanded a stroke, Jonathan Trott’s attempt to drive into the leg side was punished by a touch of away movement and Rikki Clarke (who has not accepted a one-year contract extension in the hope of securing his future until the end of 2019), was struck on the back pad as he pushed forward at another that left him.In between times Ian Bell was, for the second match in succession, punished for attempting a lavish drive unsuited to the conditions or the match context, Tim Ambrose was drawn into a drive at a good ball that left him in the air and Sam Hain was beaten as he played around one that may have nipped back.It wasn’t that Warwickshire batted horribly. It was that they batted without the requisite discipline for such conditions. It was that, when patience was required, they pushed at balls that could have been left and tried to turn balls that should have been met with a straight bat into the leg side. These are early days and they have the quality to turn things round, but they are earning the title of relegation favourites.This all left Yorkshire in a strong position not only in the game, but in terms of their long-term planning. They had appeared to be entering a transitional phase with the likes of Sidebottom (39 and retiring at the season’s end), Brooks (33 in June), Steve Patterson (34 in October), Plunkett and Bresnan (both 32) at the stage of their careers where it would make sense to start lining up replacements. The emergence of Coad, who bowls at fast-medium pace and, on this evidence, moves the ball away from the right-hander, suggests there are good-quality reinforcements on the staff.Willey’s return slightly ahead of schedule following shoulder surgery was also welcome. If he was understandably a little rusty in terms of his line, he generated decent pace and will have encouraged the selectors ahead of the Champions Trophy squad announcement in about 10 days.Contrast all this with Warwickshire. Only three members of this Warwickshire side are aged under 30 and perhaps only Hain would gain selection in a full-strength team. Their relative strength in recent years has made it harder for new players to force their way into the team and, of those that have, a couple (Varun Chopra and Laurie Evans) have left and a few others (Ateeq Javid and the likes of Jonathan Webb and Freddie Coleman) have not kicked-on as anticipated. As a result, Warwickshire are reliant on diminishing returns from a very talented group of players, but one that is – in several cases – just a little bit past its sell-by date.Here Jeetan Patel and Keith Barker provided something of a fightback with an eighth-wicket stand of 53 in 56 balls as the softer ball rendered batting slightly easier. But when Adil Rashid came into the attack and promptly bowled Patel with a googly, it left Yorkshire well on top.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
File photo – Meg Lanning hit her tenth ODI century•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Australia captain Meg Lanning struck a record tenth century, the most in women’s ODIs, to lead her side to a five-wicket win over New Zealand on Sunday, helping them claim the series 2-1 and maintain their 18-year hold on the Rose Bowl Trophy.Lanning, who surpassed Charlotte Edwards to top the list for most centuries in women’s ODIs in only her 57th match, struck an unbeaten 104 off 116 balls to help her side chase down 271 with four balls to spare.Lanning, who struck seven fours and a six, capitalised on a reprieve from New Zealand in the 22nd over after replays suggested that Rachel Priest had fumbled a stumping off the bowling of legspinner Amelia Kerr. Lanning went on to bring up her half-century off 62 deliveries and brought up her century off 111 balls in 48th over, with the win in sight.”It’s obviously nice [to get the record] but I’m more glad that we got the win, to be honest,” Lanning said after the match. “I had a pretty quiet series so I felt it was time to contribute and lead the side home. I was keen to finish it off well and we needed someone to bat long and deep and I put my hand up to do that. It was nice to be able to get there at the end but I thought Mooney helped the top there, Villani and Blackwell certainly made it a lot easy for me to display my natural game.”The Australia captain was well-supported by opener Beth Mooney, who scored a 73-ball 69 and shared a 93-run second-wicket partnership. Mooney, who had scores of 100 and 57 in the first two ODIs, was hardly deterred by the early loss of her opening partner, Nicole Bolton, as she played an aggressive innings, striking nine fours and racing to a half-century off 47 balls.Mooney’s run-out in the 20th over brought Ellyse Perry out to bat for her first innings since January 2017 – having returned to the side after a hamstring injury during the Women’s Big Bash League, Perry did not come out to bat in the second ODI after injuring her elbow. Perry, however, was dismissed for 1 by New Zealand medium-pacer Holly Huddleston, who also dismissed Bolton and Elyse Villani to finish with 3 for 44, the best returns for her side in the game.Once Villani fell for 37 off 42 balls, having helped Lanning bring the chase under control, Alex Blackwell (32) and Alyssa Healy (21) stepped up in supporting roles and helped seal the win.Earlier, having been put in to bat, New Zealand began with a 60-run opening partnership before Suzie Bates was dismissed by Amanda-Jade Wellington in the 11th over for 27. Rachel Priest and Katey Martin, who both struck 77, then strung a 97-run partnership for the third wicket, before Martin added another 60 for the fourth wicket with Katie Perkins to take New Zealand to 230. Martin’s 86-ball knock included ten fours but her dismissal triggered a slump in the end overs, which saw New Zealand lose six wickets for 38 runs.Spinners Jess Jonassen and Ashleigh Gardner took five of the six wickets to fall in this period as New Zealand finished their innings on 270 for 9. Gardner took 3 for 56, while Jonassen had returns of 3 for 47.Australia won the Rose Bowl for the 23rd time since the inception of the competition in February 1985. New Zealand have won it three times. Sunday’s game was the 100th between the two sides in the competition.

Vikram Limaye, a member of the committee of administrators overseeing the BCCI, has said there is a need for greater trust between the Indian board, other member boards, and the ICC. Limaye, who represented the BCCI at the ICC Board meeting in Dubai last week, said it was important for boards to move forward collectively and not carry baggage from the past.”There is a lot of mistrust between the BCCI and the other members based on historical experiences and on how they feel they have been treated in the past,” Limaye told the . “I outlined my views to the ICC Board members that it is important to adopt a collaborative approach, rather than a confrontational approach, which is not in the interest of anybody: neither does it help Indian cricket nor world cricket.”Fortunately I don’t carry baggage of the past, I have no alignments, I am not here on a permanent basis, I am here to try and do what I have been asked to do. In that context, if I am to build some bridges and sort out some issues, I would do that.”The main sticking point for the BCCI at the meetings was the ICC’s push to approve in principle the new constitution and revenue distribution model: the Indian board stood to make significantly less under the new projections. The BCCI voted against the rollback of the Big Three model because Limaye, who was at the meeting, said he had insufficient time to take an “informed view of the said proposal.”Limaye, however, said the BCCI’s discussions on revenue sharing had to go beyond the context of maximising its revenue. “I think the revenue-sharing model has to be balanced on a broader framework,” he said. “There is a larger context in which discussions should be conducted and everybody feels fairly treated. That was the takeaway from the conversations I had when I was there.”He also felt it was the BCCI’s responsibility as a strong member to ensure that weaker nations had adequate resources to develop their cricket. “It’s in our (BCCI’s) interest to have stronger cricketing nations from a viewership perspective, revenue perspective and from any perspective,” he said.”I don’t think we could get the kind of revenues if we just kept playing against weaker countries, nobody would be interested in that. So it is important for us (BCCI) to play that role because of our stature in terms of not only as a good cricketing team, about also because of the sizeable influence we have on revenue from an India perspective.”When told how some members had found the Big Three model to be flawed and that they had claimed to be forced into the agreement, Limaye said he did not want to dwell on the past.”The good news, which I appreciate, is that there is no confusion in anybody’s mind, in fact they were vocal and appreciative of the fact that the BCCI is an important member and India does bring in a disproportionate share of revenue. But the issue is what kind of share should the BCCI get versus the other members. Being combative, confrontational is not going to be helpful.”I heard that all kinds of things were done to get a disproportionate share for India. But I don’t want to get into that history. When the BCCI conducted a meeting last year [SGM on February 19], they acknowledged that the BCCI should be willing for a lower share and gave the authority to the president and secretary to negotiate it.”There was also a view in that meeting that the BCCI should take a balanced view on the sharing of ICC revenue, but the number was never frozen. That meeting was attended by all BCCI members. One member dissented and all others agreed to it. There was an agreement that there has to be a more equitable distribution. I think this aspect has to be taken into context, which all countries are aware, now that Mr Manohar is the ICC Chairman.”While studying the draft constitution before it is put to vote in the next round of ICC board meetings in April, Limaye said he had to keep mind what the other countries would agree to. “They have agreed in principle to this proposal and revenue share. And again we know, if that is put to vote again, we have already seen what will happen.”That’s to be kept in mind, in order to ascertain the feasibility of getting anything substantially more than what has been passed in the meeting at Dubai. We [CoA] will also consider this so that there is input from us for the April meeting, input in the sense a conversation with ICC if we have a different view. Whether they choose to accept or view or nor is a separate matter.”

With only three matches left in the UAE, the Pakistan Super League and its franchises are beginning the process of figuring out which foreign players will travel to Lahore, where the final is scheduled for March 5.On Sunday evening in Dubai, Karachi Kings became the last team to qualify for the play-offs. They begin on Tuesday in Sharjah, with Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, the two teams that finished top, playing each other. Looming over the games, though, is the question of who from the foreign contingents of the four teams is ready to travel to Lahore.The PSL management is expected to further brief the overseas players before the play-offs begin and the primary aim remains to try and convince as many of them as possible to make the trip. However, preparations are also underway to create a nominated pool of foreign players willing to travel in case the finalists’ current roster pulls out.On Monday, the Punjab government finally gave a public go-ahead to the staging of the final in Lahore. In theory, that ends the uncertainty of recent days caused by a wave of terrorist attacks across Pakistan that have claimed over 100 lives, including a suicide attack in Lahore two weeks ago when 13 people were killed.There was another blast in the city last Thursday, when at least seven people perished, heightening nerves and casting fresh doubt on the sense of bringing the final to Lahore. Though reports initially said it was a bomb, the government has since claimed it to be the result of a gas leak from a cooking cylinder.Senior league officials have worried over the fluidity of the situation, and had been waiting for a definitive go-ahead from government authorities. With that now in hand, the situation of the foreign players needs resolution. Najam Sethi, the PSL chief who was in Pakistan on Monday, said: “I will be going back to Dubai now and once the finalists are confirmed I will again talk to the franchise owners and foreign players. We have also prepared a back up list of foreign players in case the overseas signings of the finalist teams refuse to come to Lahore. “Kumar Sangakkara, who was in the team bus which was attacked in Lahore eight years ago, is almost certain not to travel to the city again•PCB/PSL

Of the four remaining teams, Peshawar are the most confident their foreign contingent will go to Lahore should they reach the final. No player, however, has come outright and said so yet. And though no official word has come from Islamabad United, it is believed neither Brad Haddin nor Shane Watson will stay on.The two teams who might face greatest difficulties are Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings. Kevin Pietersen, of the former, will almost certainly not travel and Tymal Mills is also unlikely. Others such as Luke Wright and Rilee Roussow, who were considering making the trip, are said to have reassessed after the recent spate of attacks.Officially Karachi say their players will make a decision once the team’s fate is clear. Until then, it is said, their players do not want to “jinx” their chances of getting to the final by talking about it.It is almost inconceivable that Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, two players who were in the team bus in Lahore when it was attacked eight years ago, will travel. They have told officials that they cannot take the decision alone and have to consult with their families. And the call they make could potentially have an impact on what Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard do as well.One-off payments, ranging from USD 10,000 – 50,000, are being offered to foreign players should they agree to play in Lahore. That, as one foreign player considering taking part in the final pointed out, brings its own complications. “What is the difference in me playing in Lahore under a security threat and a Pakistani player doing so?” he said. “In any attack both are at risk. And physios and masseuses? A life is a life, mine or a Pakistani player’s.”In case the teams end up severely shorthanded, a pool of nominated foreign players could be roped in. The list, initially of 54 names, has now grown to above 60 and is said to be composed of those who were not picked in the draft last October as well as additional names from outside the draft, who are willing to travel to Pakistan.Each franchise will nominate five to six players from the long list and hand it to the PSL, who hope that ultimately, accounting for common names that appear in multiple lists, they have a shortlist of 12 to 15 waiting on standby to participate in the final.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:15

Macpherson: Sixers have amazing depth in line-up

Like they did in the first edition of the Women’s Big Bash League, the Sydney Sixers thrashed the Hobart Hurricanes to book their spot in the final. Last year, the margin was ten wickets (Duckworth-Lewis method) and this time, under the scorching Brisbane sun, it was equally emphatic: 103 runs.Alyssa Healy’s 77 provided the backbone of a charge to 169, before the Hurricanes were bowled out for just 66. The Sixers will travel to Perth to face the Scorchers on Sunday and, if their male counterparts beat the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba, only two clubs will compete the finals.A Healy hurricane
Healy has reveled as captain since she took over from an injured Ellyse Perry. In her first game as stand-in captain, she made 84 off 56 against the Melbourne Renegades. Here, she was even more belligerent, making a magnificent 77 off 45 balls before cutting Hayley Matthews to point in the 13th over.Having opted to bat first, Healy thumped Amy Satterthwaite over long-on for six in the second over and by the time Ashleigh Gardner became the second batsman to be dismissed, caught brilliantly at point, Healy had scored 41 of the Sixers’ 49 runs. In the following over, she brought up her half-century with a pull over midwicket for six, and went on to play a cover drive, late cut and reverse sweeps for boundaries. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of her innings, however, was her running between the wickets and the ability to turn ones into twos.She was dismissed with the Sixers on 108, and resourceful knocks from Sara McGlashan (38), who was carrying a hamstring injury, and Marizanne Kapp (36 not out), left the Hurricanes with a stiff target of 170.In her two matches as stand-in captain, Alyssa Healy has scored 161 runs•Getty Images

Sixers’ fabulous fielding
Gardner has been the competition’s break-out star this season, largely due to the three half-centuries that have underpinned her brilliant batting efforts. But her bowling – she took her ninth and tenth wickets of the season, including the vital one of Hayley Matthews for a duck – and fielding have been excellent, too. It was a moment of magic from Gardner that nipped a solid start from the Hurricanes in the bud. She lobbed an off-break up at Erin Burns and it was drilled hard back at her, but barely a foot off the ground. She dropped low in her follow-through and took a fine catch, which was so tight that it had to be reviewed.That was not the last of the Sixers’ superb interventions in the field. Each of the seam bowlers hammered away with a consistent line and length, while the spinners were tough to get away. Angela Reakes took an excellent catch in the deep to get rid of Emma Thompson, but it was the run-outs of Heather Knight and Amy Satterthwaite – with sharp throws from Kim Garth and Dane van Niekerk (the latter a direct hit) – that guaranteed the Hurricanes would fall short.And yet… Hobart self-destruct
Hobart were out-classed but they also contributed to their own downfall. Healy was dropped on 18 by Brooke Hepburn at mid-on, and on 60 by Thompson at short third man, while Kapp was given a life on 13. With the bat, Satterthwaite was responsible for the run-outs of Knight and herself. They are the Hurricanes’ most reliable batsmen and once they fell, there was no way back for the side.The best two teams in the final
This was a complete performance from the Sixers and showed the intimidating depth in the squad. Amy Jones, the England international, could not make the side for this, while Lisa Sthalekar’s experience was not required either. Perry has been ruled out of the final but, given the Sixers’ dominance in the league stages and their performance today, the final against the Scorchers could serve up a humdinger.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:45

Chappell: Pakistan have shown they can adjust quickly

Pakistan’s bid for a world-record chase fell a mere 40 runs short, allowing Australia to exhale after coming close to coughing up a match they had dominated over the first four days and nights at the Gabba.Asad Shafiq’s sublime century and sturdy support from Yasir Shah took Steven Smith’s men close to their wit’s end, but a Mitchell Starc short ball did for Shafiq when the visitors needed only 41 runs to steal the most fanciful of victories. Three balls later, Smith struck the final blow, running out Yasir from slip after the No. 10 wandered out of his crease, ending a match that had seemed destined for a much wider margin.Starc’s speed and direction were vital throughout, and it remains to be seen whether the huge number of overs bowled by him and Josh Hazlewood will have an impact on their physical preparation for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The Australians had a hangdog air in the field for much of the final day, and their relief at the final wickets was palpable.Pakistan, by contrast, will now feel they are very much in the series, with matches on friendlier surfaces in Melbourne and Sydney to come. The Gabba has always been a major competitive advantage for Australia, and the close result will afford plenty of confidence to the tourists even if they are now 1-0 down with two to play.When play began half an hour early, both sides seemed a little unsure of their ground. Shafiq did not take singles he would have gone for the night before, while Smith’s fields were notably defensive, often sparing only one slip in a match where catches in the cordon have been comfortably the main mode of dismissal.After the first few overs passed without incident, Shafiq and Yasir grew in confidence, doubtless aided by a vocal contingent of Pakistan supporters who made their presence felt in an otherwise deserted stadium. Shafiq was able to find numerous off-side gaps, while Yasir married impressive defence with the occasional flourish, including an upper cut over the slips and later a handsome flick over midwicket off Jackson Bird.At length Smith brought Nathan Lyon into the attack, but the spinner was unable to find enough consistency to trouble either batsman – even if Matthew Wade appealed for a stumping from a straighter ball that Yasir played inside. Lyon soon found himself relieved of duty.As the runs ticked down the tenseness on Australian faces was acute. Several near misses took place: Yasir square drove in the air a millimetre out of the reach of a diving Lyon; he was given out lbw to Hazlewood padding up, but on review was reprieved by the bounce. Next Yasir appeared to get the slightest of touches when glancing Starc, but Wade could not hang on and any appeal was strangled.Only 41 runs were required when Starc finally found the delivery to break the stand, a throat ball that Shafiq could only throw his bat at, resulting in a skier that David Warner was able to cling onto at gully. Rahat Ali took a single first ball, but Yasir’s composure was clearly at an end when he swung wildly at the next one.Next ball Yasir dug out a Starc yorker but ventured out of his crease long enough for Smith to throw the stumps down from slips and begin relieved celebrations for a team that went from dominators to nervous wrecks over the course of Shafiq’s wondrous innings.

ScorecardFile photo – Chad Soper derailed Hong Kong’s chase early to help PNG defend 201 in the second ODI•ICC/Getty

In a low-scoring match dominated by the opening bowler from both sides, Chad Soper’s career-best 6 for 41 trumped Nadeem Ahmed’s 4 for 50 as Papua New Guinea edged past Hong Kong by 14 runs in the second ODI and levelled the three-match series.PNG opted to bat first at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok and were dismissed for 201 in 45.5 overs after left-arm spinner Nadeem scythed through their top-order. Like Nadeem, Soper, too, dismissed the top-three, before adding three more to his tally to bowl Hong Kong out for 187 in 48.1 overs.PNG’s innings was built on two partnerships. First, Assad Vala, their captain, who top scored with 70, added 78 for the fourth wicket with Sese Bau to lift them from 39 for 3. Vala then shared a 43-run sixth-wicket partnership with Mahuru Dai. The association ended with Vala being stumped off Anshuman Rath, the left-arm spinner. He had faced 87 balls and pinged nine fours and two sixes. PNG’s innings lasted a further 67 balls after Vala’s dismissal, but they could only score 30 runs more.Rath finished with 3 for 28 in 10 overs. Aizaz Khan took two wickets and Ehsan Khan accounted for last man out Soper.Hong Kong had a few solid contributions from the middle order, but none of them could stay on to see the team through. Like PNG, Hong Kong could also string together only two partnerships of note. Nizakat Khan (33) and Rath (21) pulled them from 31 for 3 to 80 for 4. Shahid Wasif (45) and Ehsan Khan (27 not out) then joined hands for a 56-run sixth-wicket stand. The chase ended with the dismissal of Nadeem, who was bowled by John Reva, the right-arm medium pacer, for 1.Vala followed up his 70 with economical figures of 1 for 33 in 10 overs. Dai finished his quota with 2 for 42.The deciding ODI will take place on Tuesday at the same venue.