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ScorecardNorthamptonshire plucked victory from the jaws of defeat against Leicestershire to win the pink-ball Specsavers County Championship match by just two runs at Wantage Road.Colin Ackermann’s 105 and Matt Pillans’ late-order 56 were steering Leicestershire towards a record chase of 394.Then Pillans, with only No. 11 Dieter Klein for company, received a ball from Rory Kleinveldt that bounced a little more and took the splice of the bat to point. Leicestershire old-boy Josh Cobb dived forward to take the catch and Northants pulled a win out of the fire – it was Northamptonshire’s joint-second narrowest margin of victory.A thrilling final day where Leicestershire resumed needing 350 more to win with ten wickets in hand swayed back and forth. At 299 for 5 Leicestershire were on course to get up, only for Richard Gleeson to take two wickets in two balls seven overs into the second new ball. But then Pillans, on-loan from Surrey, swatted a 41-ball fifty – for the first time in first-class cricket – to revive the visitors’ hopes.In need of another breakthrough, Gleeson delivered – drawing an edge from Ackermann to wicketkeeper Ben Duckett after an innings worthy of winning a game. When No. 10 Clint McKay also fell caught behind, to Kleinveldt, 26 were still needed.But back came Leicestershire. Klein survived for 20 balls and escaped an edge behind the wicket that Duckett dropped diving to his right when seven were needed. He and Pillans nudged Leicestershire to within one hit. Gleeson bowled a maiden to Klein before Kleinveldt came up with the winning moment – a potentially pivotal one for Northants’ hopes of promotion.Northants’ coach David Ripley said: “It’s the year of the thriller – the fourth game from seven that’s been very tight – and it feels pretty good. I thought the game had slipped away at the death, they were edging to victory and we were looking back to dropped catches or maybe batting extra time, lots of things were going through my head.”Leicestershire were heartbroken, denied a first win of the season. Ackermann’s century gave them a sporting chance, a well-paced innings that steered his side from danger after both openers fell in the first seven overs of play. He faced 198 balls and struck 14 fours and a six, sharing stands of 127 with Mark Cosgrove, and 58 with both Ned Eckersley and Pillans.Rory Kleinveldt struck in the nick of time for Northants•Getty Images

Ackermann was the rock around which Leicestershire built their chase which was reduced to 117 needed with five wickets in hand in 32 overs after tea as Northants took the second new ball.The target was brought down to 95 when Gleeson suddenly found a double breakthrough. First Lewis Hill drove at one that left him and edged to first slip. Next ball, a knee-high slower ball struck Rob Sayer and he was given out lbw to record a pair.Ackermann edged the first ball he faced to the second new ball through third slip who had just been removed but responded to being beaten outside the off stump by Ben Sanderson by running down the wicket and lifting a six into the Spencer Pavilion over long-on and hoisting another boundary over extra-cover.But he couldn’t win the game on his own. Enter Pillans on his Leicestershire debut, whose first-innings 35 saved Leicestershire from a huge deficit. He uppercut Gleeson over backward point for six, pulled four more through midwicket off Sanderson and lifted the next ball over mid-off for another boundary. It looked like being a fairytale debut until Kleinveldt found a ball to snatch the dream away.That it took until the death was of Northants’ making. Six chances were shelled, one on the third evening and five on the final day. The biggest misses were of Cosgrove on 23 – a sitter to Alex Wakely at second slip that would have had Leicestershire three down after just over an hour’s play – and Ackermann on 43 – a flying edge to first slip that Kleinveldt put down. Duckett’s miss appeared to be one-drop-too-many but Northants had a Get Out of Jail card up their sleeves.

Match facts

June 11, 2017
Start time 1030 local (0930 GMT)3:30

Agarkar: Ashwin’s ability was never in question

Big picture

Put in by Sri Lanka, after 30 overs in their respective matches: South Africa 163 for 1, India 169 for 2. Never mind the end result, but the approach of the two sides in the next 10 overs told us a lot about how they play their 50-over cricket. South Africa’s next five overs: 8, 8, 4, 7, 8. India’s next five: 1, 4, 4, 1, 9. Trying to push 350, South Africa lost too many wickets and ended up with just 299. India, knowing they don’t do too well when defending under 300, first ensured 300 and took the bonus 21 runs with wickets in hand in the end.Both sides win a lot of matches with their respective approaches, and lose a few too. South Africa got away with this one against Sri Lanka; India lost despite scoring 321. At the start of 2016, India lost successive matches in Australia despite scoring 309, 308 and 295. A year earlier, in similar conditions, against different opponents in a bigger tournament, they had won matches with 300, 307 and 302. Having lost to Sri Lanka now – they have never won an ICC tournament in which they lose a match to Sri Lanka – will India give up their trusted way of playing ODIs and actively aim for 340 should they find themselves at 160 for 1 or 2 after 30 overs? Or will they bank on the mistakes the pressure of a knockout game induces and be happy with a safe 300-plus target?South Africa, AB de Villiers especially, have been losing their way when looking to impose themselves. It left them in a crisis against Pakistan, and vulnerable against Sri Lanka. They can draw heart from the fact that their bowlers bailed them out against Sri Lanka, and even Pakistan’s chase of 220 didn’t look quite straightforward when rain brought a premature end to the match. Still, should they find themselves batting first again, and should they get off to a good start, will they have the heart to risk a sub-300 total against the chasing might of India in an attempt to go for their preferred 350?Truth be told, both sides might want to chase and not grapple with this critical decision making in the first half of this quarter-final scenario that no one expected. This is all thanks to Pakistan and Sri Lanka who have brought the tournament alive by beating South Africa and India, respectively, in a group that everyone thought was only meant to decide who out of India and South Africa will play the second-placed team from the other group in the semi-final. Now, only one of them will go through, especially with weather that looks fine now. Slightly late, but the Champions Trophy has finally had its share of good fortune.

Form guide

India LWLWW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWLL
Will South Africa change their bowling combination?•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Since his comeback, Yuvraj Singh has had innings of 15, 150, 45, 53 and 7. He has brought India that explosiveness they badly needed in the middle. His was the innings that turned what looked like a competitive total into a match-winning one against Pakistan. While all the focus is on how India’s top three approach the innings, South Africa will want to get him as early as possible. India have lost their second wicket in the 37th and 26th overs in the first two matches; Yuvraj will be key should they do so earlier now.Despite an ordinary IPL and despite an unremarkable ODI series against England, AB de Villiers has looked anxious to impose himself. Or is it perhaps those modest returns? Whatever be the case, it would appear that de Villiers has got out cheaply twice in a row, looking to force the issue without getting himself in. The first time, against Sri Lanka, was what the team interest demanded: South Africa were 189 for 2 when he walked in. Against Pakistan, it seemed more personal that he went against a left-arm spinner first ball, after having struggled against left-arm spin in the IPL. In a knockout match, can he now afford himself some time to feel good again and then look to dominate?

Team news

There will be a big temptation to finally play R Ashwin: South Africa have three left-hand batsmen in the top six. Having said that, three left-hand batsmen plus Thisara Perera didn’t get Ashwin a game against Sri Lanka. Having failed to defend 321, though, India might be forced to think differently. If they do, it becomes interesting again if they do it at the expense of Ravindra Jadeja, who went for 52 in eight overs at the same venue. They lose out on a gun fielder should they do that, but Jadeja is now without a three-wicket haul for 23 ODI innings. They might think of two spinners too because India’s quicks generally haven’t done well against South Africa. Umesh Yadav had a poor day against Sri Lanka, and he might be the one to miss out.India (possible) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Umesh Yadav/R Ashwin, 11 Jasprit BumrahSouth Africa might not hit the panic button when it comes to selection even though JP Duminy has scored only four fifties and averages only 30 since the 2015 World Cup. Farhaan Behardien hasn’t lit up the stage either. There are options, though, for Wayne Parnell, who doesn’t have a great record against India: economy rate of 7.4 and average of 81.4. If they get more adventurous, South Africa could think of the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj.South Africa (possible): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell/Andile Phehlukwayo 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The Oval has been the truest surface. In three completed matches there, the record for the highest successful Champions Trophy chase has been broken twice in the last 10 days. Don’t bet against a third one, especially with clear weather. The pitch from the India-Sri Lanka game will be used again.

Stats and trivia

• In all ICC tournaments, including the World T20s, India have beaten South Africa eight times out of 12, including in each of their last four meetings.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav don’t have a good record against South Africa: economy rates of 7.17 and 6.81 with averages over 50. While Jasprit Bumrah has never played against South Africa, Mohammed Shami has more than held his own: economy rate of just under six and an average of just under 20.
• After a stellar start to his career – 17 wickets at 14.64 and economy of 3.63 in his first eight matches, Bumrah has gone for 6.88 an over for five wickets at 60.6 in his last five ODIs. His average is 20 and economy rate 4.55 when India bowl first; in defences he has gone at 5.93 an over and has taken a wicket every 57.33 runs.
• Morne Morkel has got Shikhar Dhawan four times in 77 balls for 44 runs, Virat Kohli three times in 104 balls for 68 runs and MS Dhoni three times in 77 balls for 47 runs.
• R Ashwin has dismissed Quinton de Kock twice in 86 balls for 70 runs.

Quotes

“The team that can have the most composure, I would say, to sum it up, will have a better chance of winning of the game tomorrow.”

“I’m really enjoying the captaincy. I think I make some good calls. But yeah, pencil’s in your hand, and I unfortunately can’t control what you’re going to write but in my mind I’m a good captain. So that’s unfortunately going to come down to the result again tomorrow. Hopefully a good one.”

“How many of us still believe that MSD is the best wicketkeeper in the world?” When MSK Prasad, India’s chairman of selectors, asked for a show of hands in response to that question, about three to four hands went up out of 25-odd people. Prasad expressed surprise at the circumspection over MS Dhoni’s inclusion in the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, after he was asked if there was concern among the selectors over Dhoni’s spot in the squad.”We all believe he is still the best wicketkeeper in the world,” Prasad said. “We are only talking and focusing on his batting form. He is an invaluable asset to this team. When it comes to crunch situations, [with] his inputs, I think he has got one of the best brains. He is the best person to guide Virat [Kohli].”Prasad’s praise is not misplaced, considering Dhoni still is a key player for India as far as strategising goes. But as a batsman, he has struggled recently in limited-overs cricket. In 13 ODIs since January last year, Dhoni has scored 443 runs at an average of 34.07, compared to his career average of 51. He has struck them at a strike rate of 86.69 and has one century and one fifty.In this period, Dhoni has played both at No. 4 and 5, but his strike rate is 10th among 17 players. As a No. 4 during that period, Dhoni averages 30 and strikes at 76.14. Batting one position lower, the average and strike rate climb to 36.62 and 93.31 respectively.So far this IPL, Dhoni has compiled 235 runs for Rising Pune Supergiant at an underwhelming strike rate of 114.07 – his worst across seasons – which has further strengthened concerns over his quick scoring ability. Just last season, he was striking them at 135. Dhoni has also scored at less than run a ball in six out of 12 innings so far this IPL.This dip in Dhoni’s form has coincided with the soaring mettle of Rishabh Pant, the 19-year old Delhi Daredevils wicketkeeper. Pant, who was also an emerging player last domestic season, has lit up this IPL with his enterprising strokeplay, scoring 281 runs from 11 innings at an impressive strike rate of 172.39.Nonetheless, Prasad felt Dhoni remained the best option right now to play for India. “Not many people realise that in the last 10-12 years, whatever MSD has played for the country, he never had a bad day as far as his gloves is concerned. We always treat him more like a batsman, but the phenomenal stuff he does behind the wickets, not many people appreciate. According to me, he is still the best wicketkeeper in the world.”As for Pant, the selectors named him as one of the five standbys who will travel to England in case India seek a replacement. According to Prasad, the selectors did deliberate on Pant, but felt he did not fit into the “combinations”, although he will be groomed. “We are completely impressed the way Rishabh Pant is playing. It is just some combinations where he missed out. He is one cricketer whom we are looking at for the future. We will groom him, nurture him and back him.”

Offspinner Dane Piedt has been called up to South Africa’s Test squad as an additional spin option. Piedt is awaiting approval of his visa and is expected to join the group this weekend, with a view to be considered for the third Test in Hamilton starting March 25.Piedt has been preferred to Tabraiz Shamsi, who was taken on South Africa’s Test tour to Australia and played in the day-night Test in Adelaide, and Imran Tahir, who has not played a Test since 2015.Piedt’s last Test was also against New Zealand in August 2016, after which he was dropped for Keshav Maharaj, the lone specialist spinner in the squad currently. Maharaj was preferred for his ability to control the run-rate and took his maiden five-for in Dunedin, but is expected to need assistance on slower, turning surfaces.Piedt’s inclusion will take the number in South Africa’s touring party to 17, after they included six pace options in anticipation of seamer-friendly conditions. Faf du Plessis admitted they have been surprised to find that is not the case, but have quickly adjusted to assuming New Zealand will look to play two specialist spinners as much as possible. As a result, South Africa are considering doing the same at Seddon Park in Hamilton, the venue that offered considerable turn during the ODIs.For Piedt, the chance to play again comes at the end of a challenging season, during which he considered seeking out a Kolpak deal in the midst of drama at his domestic franchise, the Cobras. The franchise changed coaches mid-season following a long-running battle between the players and Paul Adams, who had been in charge for five seasons.Adams was offered contract renewal despite facing a mutiny after a majority of contracted players launched a formal grievance against him. The players took their case to the country’s highest dispute resolution body, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and won the right to strike but never followed through on the threats. Instead, several senior players were sent on loan to other teams. Piedt was among them, and went to the Titans for the domestic twenty-over campaign, but only played two matches.However, when Ashwell Prince was appointed coach after Adams stood down at the end of 2016, Piedt was asked to captain the side, a role he accepted. He shelved his ambitions to seek opportunities elsewhere and committed himself to turning the franchise’s fortunes around.Remarkably, they rose from the bottom of the first-class points’ table to be in contention for the title on the final weekend. Although they did not lift the trophy, they had redeemed themselves. Piedt took 28 wickets in the campaign to finish eighth overall and of those, 17 came in the second half of the season.

Scorecard
File photo – George Bailey was 93 not out at stumps•Getty Images

George Bailey was within sight of a century at stumps on the second day against New South Wales in Wollongong, where Tasmania had taken a first-innings lead. In reply to the Blues’ 253, the Tigers closed the day with an advantage of 41 runs, at 6 for 294, with Bailey on 93 and Simon Milenko on 18.Bailey already has one hundred this Shield campaign and is the competition’s leading scorer, and he was the anchor for Tasmania on a day when everyone made a start. No Tasmanian failed to reach double figures, but Bailey was the only one able to turn that into a half-century.Doug Bollinger picked up three wickets, including those of openers Alex Doolan for 37 and Jake Hancock for 28. Ben McDermott was second on the run list with 45, while Beau Webster managed 37 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Moises Henriques.

Mohammed Mudhasir took the first hat-trick for Jammu & Kashmir in List A cricket, but the medium pacer’s spectacular work was in vain as Chhattisgarh held on to a narrow four-run victory in Kolkata.J&K had won the toss, chose to bowl and Mudhasir’s 6 for 33 – the best figures for his state in 50-over history – restricted Chhattisgarh to 239 for 9. He took the hat-trick off the first three balls of the 48th over, bowling the set batsman Ashutosh Singh for 31 off 42 balls and then pinning Shubham Agarwal and Rohit Dhruw lbw. Chhattisgarh at that point were 219 for 7 but they still had Abhimanyu Chauhan. The 30-year old playing only his sixth List A game struck a career-best 90 off 89 balls with nine fours and a six and managed to push the total just high enough despite being one of only four men to make a double-digit score.J&K’s reply began terribly with new-ball bowler Pankaj Rao dismissing three of the top four. Parvez Rasool and Puneet Bisht steadied the innings with a couple of half-centuries and at 203 for 6 they seemed favourites again. The equation – 33 runs off 51 balls – was quite manageable but three wickets in the next 15 balls including that of Bisht for 68 off 80 shifted the balance decisively in Chhatisgarh’s favour. They used eight bowlers to pull off the heist, with Rao claiming 4 for 35, Sumit Ruikar 2 for 33 and Agarwal, Amandeep Khare, Ashutosh and Sahil Gupta chipping in with a wicket each.Boundary-laden centuries from Saurabh Tiwary and Ishank Jaggi helped Jharkhand coast to a target of 277 and beat Services by seven wickets and 22 balls to spare. The match highlighted the importance of set batsmen making a big score for Services had four batsmen crossing 40 but none of them went past 54. Shamsher Yadav, the 22-year old, and Gaurav Kochar, the 24-year old, on debut struck the two fifties in the innings.Jharkhand’s bowlers deserve credit for their miserly display in a high-scoring match with left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem picking up 3 for 52 and fast bowler Rahul Shukla chipping in with 2 for 58. In the chase, though Services had dismissed the top three Jharkhand batsmen without sustaining too much damage, Tiwary and Jaggi came together and hammered 214 runs off only 179 balls to seal the game. Tiwary struck six sixes and four fours while Jaggi four sixes and 10 fours.Mayank Agarwal made 89 out of Karnataka‘s total of 201 at Eden Gardens and the innings was put in perspective later in the day when Saurashtra‘s entire batting line-up could only manage 128. Agarwal spent 44.3 overs at the crease. Normally a hard-hitting batsman, his count of five fours and a six indicated he did well adapting to the match situation. Karnataka had gone from from 68 for 4 to 136 for 7 and they needed a set batsman to guide them to a total the bowlers could defend. Saurashtra were reduced to 27 for 5 in the chase and their tail was wiped out by medium pacer Ronit More, who took 4 for 20. Robin Uthappa, who was dismissed for a duck, had a much better time in the field, taking five catches as wicketkeeper.

Pakistan’s stand-in captain Azhar Ali has said his team had been 30 to 35 runs short of where they would have liked to have been at tea, suggesting that perhaps the subsequent collapse was sparked by a high required rate. Pakistan had needed 211 runs at the break, with 34 overs remaining in the match – meaning they effectively needed 6.2 runs an over to achieve the unlikely target. The three batsmen who fell soon after tea all perished playing attacking strokes.”When we came out after lunch we thought that this pitch is still good enough – the ball is not doing a lot now,” Azhar said. “We thought we can push the run rate up a bit. When the amount of overs is small and the target gets nearer, it’s easier to push things harder. At tea we really wanted to get around 170-180, but we left 30-35 runs too much to get at the last session. We didn’t get going. That 30-35 runs would have been helpful.”Though Azhar and Sami Aslam had batted sedately in their partnership – scoring at around two runs an over during the first 49 of 98 overs scheduled – Azhar said the plan had always been to attempt the target.”Above 300 in the last innings is tough in any condition, but with the time lost to rain, this was probably only the fourth day of the Test match,” Azhar said. “We thought 350-plus in a day is always difficult, but once you’re 1-0 down, you want to make a result out of it. As a team we thought it’d be possible for us to chase. Even yesterday the wicket looked good. When we batted three overs it wasn’t doing a lot. In the first innings also, the new ball did the damage. After that it was good. We just planned to go through the new ball and assess the situation as it comes to us.”Pakistan had been aggressive either side of tea, with top-order batsmen all attempting big shots, though not many boundaries were scored. They had even promoted Sarfraz Ahmed to No. 4 in the hopes he would spur the run rate, but he ultimately ran himself out for 19 off 21 balls. Azhar said that was the point at which Pakistan decided to abandon hopes of a win.”Of course after we lost four wickets, and when we lost Sarfraz, we thought that it’s over. The new ball was around the corner, so we didn’t want our lower order to be exposed to that. In the end that did happen. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a say. A draw wouldn’t have been the result we wanted, but it would have been a little better than this – a loss.”Credit to the New Zealand bowlers also, they kept bowling it in good areas. It was hard to get runs. Our minds were clear as to what to do, but unfortunately things didn’t really work to plan.”

Baroda‘s seamers delivered a thrilling 21-run win by bowling out Bengal out for 133 in their chase of 155 in a low-scoring contest in Lahli that finished inside two days. After a 23-wicket first day, 17 fell on the second. Baroda’s win was their first of the season; it took them to nine points from six matches.Baroda resumed the day 63 for 3 in their second innings, 84 in front, but were quickly reduced to 71 for 6 inside the first seven overs of the morning. Swapnil Singh and Akshay Brahmbhatt contributed 30 and 21 respectively before Mukesh Kumar polished off the innings to finish with 5 for 45, his maiden five-wicket haul. Baroda were bowled out for 133.Atit Sheth took three more wickets in Bengal’s second innings to finish with 10 in the match. Babashafi Pathan and Irfan Pathan took five wickets between them in a Bengal innings that lasted just 46 overs. Manoj Tiwary top-scored with a 48-ball 39, while four other batsmen got into double figures without managing to reach 30.Priyank Kirit Panchal struck his maiden first-class double-century to hand Gujarat the advantage at stumps on the second day against Mumbai in Hubbali. Panchal resumed the second day on 122, and seemed in danger of running out of partners as the day wore on. However, stands of 47 and 42 with No. 9 Karan Patel (14) and No. 10 Hardik Patel (5) pushed Gujarat past 400.Panchal was eventually dismissed for 232 off 434 balls, an innings that featured 28 fours and two sixes. Gujarat were bowled out for 437. Vishal Dabholkar returned figures of 6 for 118 in an innings in which Mumbai used 10 bowlers. In reply, Mumbai were 58 for 3 at stumps, with Jasprit Bumrah picking up two wickets.Left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma’s 6 for 108 helped Madhya Pradesh restrict Railways to 371 in their Group A game in Delhi. Railways began the day placed well, at 249 for 2, but lost a heap of wickets to slip to 269 for 7. Captain Karn Sharma (44) and No. 10 Anureet Singh (40) resurrected a faltering day and helped Railways post 371. Madhya Pradesh began slowly in their reply, posting 71 for 3 in 40 overs. Left-arm spinner Avinash Yadav claimed two of those wickets.Fifties from Kaushik Gandhi and Dinesh Karthik put Tamil Nadu in a commanding position against Punjab at the end of the second day in Nagpur. Gandhi remained unbeaten on a 209-ball 75, while Karthik was out for a 93-ball 54. Tamil Nadu went to stumps trailing Punjab’s first-innings score of 284 by just 66 runs with six wickets in hand.Punjab’s last four wickets only managed to add 43 to their overnight score of 241 for 6, with wicketkeeper Gitansh Khera running out of partners to be left stranded on 40. K Vignesh finished with figures of 4 for 104, and his fellow seamer Aswin Crist with 3 for 73.

Jammu & Kashmir set Goa a mammoth target of 412 runs in their second-round Group C match in Surat. Goa were 22 for 0 after 10 overs at stumps on the second day.Goa began the second day from an overnight score of 43 for 5 and were bundled out for 77, giving J&K a first-innings lead of 150. Seamer Ram Dayal finished with figures 4 for 15 from 11.5 overs, while Umar Nazir picked up three wickets. J&K then struck 261 runs in their second innings at a rate of 4.24 runs per over to establish a sound advantage. Ian Dev Singh (64) and wicketkeeper Puneet Bisht (87) struck fifties, the latter hitting 12 fours and a six in his 106-ball innings.A top-order slump saw Himachal Pradesh squander a good start and finish the second day at 198 for 8, 50 runs adrift of Kerala‘s first-innings total of 248 in Kolkata.Himachal openers Ankush Bains and Prashant Chopra (60) had added 74 for the first wicket but the side stumbled to 100 for 4 in a span of eight overs. Jalaj Saxena’s offspin accounted for three of the top four Himachal batsmen, and he eventually finished the day with 5 for 53. Earlier, Kerala’s last six wickets could add only 85 runs, after resuming from an overnight score of 163 for 4. The overnight pair of Sachin Baby (61) and VA Jagadeesh (35) were both dismissed by Mayank Dagar, before Rishi Dhawan wrapped up the lower order to finish with 4 for 66.Half-centuries from openers Nitin Saini and Shubham Rohilla eased Haryana to a 45-run first-innings lead over Hyderabad at stumps in Jamshedpur. Haryana’s score of 236 for 4 was set up by a 126-run first-wicket partnership between Saini and Rohilla before No. 3 batsman Chaitanya Bishnoi anchored the innings, ending on 47 not out.Andhra finished the second day of their Group C match against Chhattisgarh at a shaky 151 for 5, trailing by 243 runs in Kalyani. Earlier, Chhattisgarh’s first innings had ended at 394 with overnight batsman Abhimanyu Chauhan (123) completing his fourth first-class century.Andhra were propped up by opener Prasanth Kumar’s boundary-filled 62 even as the rest of the line-up struggled against Chhattisgarh. Prasanth contributed 62 to the team total of 93 before he was run out by Kant Singh. The score soon turned to 104 for 5 before Dwaraka Ravi Teja steadied the innings until stumps, finishing on 30 not out.Earlier, Chauhan, who began the second day on 73, took the team’s score past 350 after Amandeep Khare and Ajay Mandal fell early in the first session. He added 79 with wicketkeeper Vivek Naidu before both batsmen fell in successive overs. Fast bowler Duvvarapu Siva Kumar finished with 4 for 61.Tripura bowlers will look to wrap up the Services innings early on the third day and bag a first-innings lead after they limited the opposition to 202 for 9 on the second day in Guwahati.Services finished the day with a deficit of 73 runs, with Shamsher Yadav unbeaten on 71. Yadav’s half-century was the only substantial effort in Services’ first innings helping them recover from 49 for 4. Tripura, who began the day on 228 for 7 pushed the score to 275 with key contributions from Rajat Dey (34) and Gurinder Singh (35).

Kent head coach Jimmy Adams is leaving the county to return to Jamaica.Adams, 48, has been one of several coaches listed as a potential candidate for the West Indies role. He missed the final game of the Championship season against Essex after he was granted permission to return to Jamaica for personal reasons.Adams departs after five years and said: “I’ve enjoyed my time at Kent which has been a great learning experience for me. I wanted to be involved in a club that was seeking to grow and I am fortunate to have found that here at Kent over the past five seasons.”It’s been a delight being involved with all our players as they have developed during the period and especially watching the younger players who have made the step up to first-class level. Working with the club to develop a stronger support team to back up our players has also been a highlight for me.”Adams has supervised a period in which Kent have often faced stiff financial constraints but have successfully developed a new wave of homegrown talent – with batsmen to the fore – such as Sam Billings, Daniel Bell-Drummond and captain Sam Northeast.Although showing signs of improvement, they have failed to break into the First Division of the Championship. They finished runners-up in 2016 and have called up legal support to question why they did not win an additional promotion place, alongside Essex, this season when Durham were demoted following an ECB financial bail-out.They also failed to make an antiicipated strong showing in the NatWest Blast and Adams received some criticism behind the scenes for his handling of Matt Coles’ disciplinary issues.Chairman George Kennedy said: “We thank Jimmy for his fine service of the club and wish him all the best for the future. His commitment to developing Kentish cricket talent is shown by the core of homegrown players now at the heart of our professional squad.”