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ScorecardThe Bangladesh A batsmen struck out for the third straight time in England, resulting in a seven-wicket loss to Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester. Bangladesh had earlier struggled to chase down modest totals against Hampshire and Yorkshire, and this time, their first attempt to set up a competitive total also fell flat.Bangladesh had earlier won the toss and elected to bat, but the stand-in captain Naeem Islam’s decision backfired immediately, as Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque and Marshall Ayub were all dismissed inside 40 minutes.However, Naeem and Shamsur Rahman revived the innings with a 85-run fourth-wicket stand, the pair striking seven fours and two sixes in total. Offspinner Arron Lilley put an end to the brief recovery by dismissing Shamsur for 51, on his way to figures of 3 for 24.Shamsur’s wicket triggered a collapse, as Bangladesh lost all the remaining six wickets for just 55 runs. Offspinner Steven Croft took three wickets, while medium-pacers Kyle Hogg and Oliver Newby picked up two each, as Bangladesh, struggling against spin, were bundled out for 171.Lancashire had little trouble in their pursuit of 172, with opener Stephen Moore anchoring the innings with a 63-ball 61 that included nine fours. Paul Horton remained unbeaten on 43 to take Lancashire home with 16.5 overs remaining.Bangladesh next take on Nottinghamshire on August 14 in their penultimate tour game in the lead-up to a three-match series against England Lions.

ScorecardMatt Machan scored his maiden ODI ton•ICC/Donald MacLeod

Matt Machan’s all-round performance of a hundred and three wickets gave Scotland a narrow 12-run win against Kenya to move to third place in the ICC World Cricket League Championship in Aberdeen. After scoring his maiden ODI ton, Machan took three wickets in seven overs to help wrap up Kenya for 230.Put in to bat, Scotland were given a stable start by Kyle Coetzer, who scored 37 and was joined by Machan in the 10th over. But Nelson Odhiambo, who had taken the first wicket, dismissed Coetzer and No. 4 Calum MacLeod in successive overs to leave Scotland at 68 for 3 in the 18th over. Machan and Preston Mommsen scored briskly from there, putting together 162 runs in 30.1 overs to take them past 200. Machan, who hit nine fours and three sixes, was dismissed for a 111-ball 114 and Mommsen was unbeaten on 63 when Scotland finished at 242 for 4.Kenya lost their first wicket in the second over to Iain Wardlaw and Irfan Karim (30) and Morris Ouma (57) took their score to 90 before Karim was caught behind off Machan. They lost two more wickets within the next 13 runs but were revived by a 84-run partnership between Rakep Patel and Tanmay Mishra as both struck fifties. But once Patel was caught behind off Machan’s offbreak, the next five batsmen managed only 20 runs together. Mishra kept Kenya in the hunt till the end as they needed 37 from the last five overs but he ran out of partners and was the last wicket to fall in the last over off which they required 13 to win. Wardlaw took three more wickets in the end to finish with 4 for 43.

As MS Dhoni received the ICC ODI Championship Shield and a cheque of US$175,000 at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, a few of his team-mates – including Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja – standing on the balcony outside the dressing room gave their captain a standing ovation. Receiving the award from David Morgan, the former ICC president and current Glamorgan president, Dhoni made a witty remark: “They are clapping for their share.”And when the time came to sign off, Dhoni checked with the ICC official as to whether he could keep the shield or should hand it over to the BCCI. ” (Is this mine or should it go to BCCI)?” Dhoni asked with a smile.Dhoni’s casual banter seemed strange, given the atmosphere that is currently enveloping Indian cricket in the wake of the tumultuous events of the past three weeks. Dhoni had remained silent on the alleged corruption before he flew out from India and immediately after he landed in England. Today was no different, as the Indian players maintained a safe distance while passing the small group of media at the ground.Irfan Pathan, after finishing an interview with the tournament broadcaster, innocently walked towards the small media contingent gathered nearby. But to his and everyone’s surprise, the Indian media manager told him that he would not be speaking to the media. It was a farcical moment, which caught both the player as well as the media off guard.According to the tournament rules, though it is not mandatory for teams to field a player for media interaction, teams like Australia and West Indies have allowed a player on non-match and non-preview days to speak to the media. On Monday, Australian batsman Adam Voges spoke, the previous day his team-mate Mitchell Starc had had a chat.In contrast, the Indian board has instructed the team management to keep a tight check on their players’ activities. Being around the players, you can sense their reluctance to talk freely. On Saturday, after India had got the better of Sri Lanka in Birmingham in their first warm-up match, Dinesh Kartik was asked to give his opinion on the DRS. Kartik checked with the media manager if it was okay for him to respond, before he said something.This cautious approach by the Indian management is not new, considering they have kept media interactions in the last couple of years to the bare minimum. However, given the low point that Indian cricket is passing through, the very least the fans can expect is some open and honest chatter from the players. Even funny remarks like the one Dhoni made could allow them to retain the faith.

The regret of missing out on cricket was what finally broke Mohammad Ashraful. In his first appearance in front of the media, after he met with the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) last month, the cricketer broke down when asked if he regretted his actions at this phase of his career.”Obviously, I am feeling very bad… Please pray for me,” was all he could tell mediapersons, before being taken inside by his friends, who were standing near his house in Dhaka. Ashraful was sobbing, and was quickly taken upstairs to his apartment.The 2012-13 season saw Ashraful make his highest Test score, in a bid to come back into the Bangladesh team. His 190 against Sri Lanka was hailed by even his critics who quietly praised his patience. Though the subsequent Zimbabwe tour wasn’t as good, Ashraful still looked to be in good form. But his admission of guilt to the ACSU has now ensured that he stands in breach of several codes and awaits punishment from the BCB.A few minutes before the press interaction began, he was trying to force a smile. He even let out a giggle when asked if he would talk off-camera after he repeatedly said he wasn’t prepared to talk until the ACSU’s report is submitted to the BCB.”Not talking in front of the camera got me into trouble in the first place,” he blurted out, and laughed. This was an attempt at seeking normalcy but, given what he has admitted to, normalcy will elude him even though the ACSU verdict is still a few weeks away.”I made a mistake. This was the first time in my career that the ICC anti-corruption unit called on me. I did some bad things and I admitted to doing them. I am trying to help them for the sake of cricket,” he said. “After coming back from Zimbabwe, when they asked me, I told them what I had done. I didn’t want to keep feeling guilty, so I told them whatever I did wrong. I made a couple of mistakes, but otherwise I was honest to the cause of playing for Bangladesh.”One of Bangladesh’s most admired cricketers, Ashraful also apologised to his fans. “I apologise to the entire nation, to all my fans and friends. I am guilty about everything. I have disappointed my fans,” he said.

ScorecardMark Stoneman, with an innings of 69 from 38 balls, put Durham on the road to victory•Getty Images

With a sprint finish to a marathon, Durham claimed a victory that speaks volumes for their character, their determination and their team spirit. A game that had appeared to be drifting to a draw was invigorated by Durham’s failure to accept anything other than victory and a late run-chase that defied the pedestrian nature of the game that preceded it.In years to come, people will look at the scorecard, see a six-wicket margin and presume this was a straightforward victory. It was not so. To put Durham’s fourth-innings target, 183 in 23 overs, in perspective, they have only surpassed such a score four times in their T20 history and on those occasions they were helped by fielding restrictions, bowling restrictions and tighter regulations over wides. This should have proved immensely challenging.Yet they made it look easy. With Mark Stoneman – who reached his 50 in 24 balls – and Phil Mustard – who reached his in 30 – putting them on course with an opening stand of 125 in 11 overs, they cruised to victory with 16 deliveries to spare and only needed to strike six boundaries in the final 9.2 overs. It is their second win of the season.There were some alarm bells along the way. Durham were forced out of their hotel at 2am by sustained fire alarms (the second for an actual fire) and, after a couple of hours waiting in the streets, were finally moved to a different hotel just before 5am.But despite the imperfect preparation, Durham won this game not just because, in Will Smith, they had a batsmen with the determination to play the innings the conditions demanded, and not just because, in Mark Wood, they had a bowler capable of belying a lifeless pitch, but because they wanted to win it more than Nottinghamshire. While Nottinghamshire’s batsmen squandered their wickets with loose strokes, Durham sold theirs dearly and, during a labour-sapping third innings, never gave up on victory despite 116 overs in the field. Graham Onions later called it “the best win I’ve been involved in.”The aggression of the Durham openers appeared to leave Nottinghamshire shell-shocked. Stuart Broad, captain of England’s T20 side, persisted in bowling short in conditions where it was inappropriate, Luke Fletcher, hampered by a sore ankle, bowled too full and Ajmal Shahzad, after placing four fielders on the leg side boundary, delivered a half volley a foot outside off stump. After his one over cost 19, he was not trusted again.While Graeme Swann and Samit Patel applied some brakes, the damage had been done. A team stuffed with internationals – including two bowlers who played in England’s winning World T20 side in 2010 – had shown a remarkable lack of composure under pressure and been punished for it.”They didn’t bowl particularly well,” Mustard, the one man to sleep through the fire alarms, agreed. “Broad didn’t set the tone very well by bowling short and I think they were a bit shocked by the way we came at them. I thought they were just out of reach when we started, so to win like that is an amazing achievement.”But Durham’s work started much earlier than that. On a desperately slow wicket – it was dubbed “ridiculous” by Mustard – it proved hard to bowl Nottinghamshire out and, by the time they extended their second innings to 4.05pm, it appeared the draw was assured. By then Michael Lumb had scored his first century since July and it seemed a chance he offered on 83 – a top-edged pull off Scott Borthwick that fell gently to ground between two fielders – might have been crucial.But though Borthwick delivered the odd poor ball, he did gain turn and remained a threat despite the slowness of the pitch. He eventually had Fletcher and Chris Read caught off the inside edge as they prodded forward to leg breaks and Broad taken at silly point. Lumb fell to a leading edge and, each time it seemed Nottinghamshire were on the verge of safety, Durham claimed a wicket to sustain their interest.For that reason, this loss will smart Nottinghamshire for some time. They seemed to have done the hard work on the final day, with their final pair of Swann and Shazad resisting for 22.3 overs to add 75 runs and apparently make the game safe. Swann’s leg before dismissal, which he clearly felt was unjust, was a crucial moment.Swann will feel the pain of this defeat more than most. Not only did he produce his highest Championship score for five years, but he also produced his best Championship bowling figures since his Test debut in December 2008. Yet he finished on the losing side, black and blue after sustaining blows to the head, arm and foot in a sharp new ball spell from Onions and hauled in front of the umpires for showing dissent when he was given out. A points penalty is probable. It cannot have left him in the best frame of mind to attend his first benefit function in the evening, where he was due to speak and sing.Nottinghamshire’s fourth innings bowling may gain the most attention – and it really was far from clever – but they put themselves in trouble much earlier in the match. For the top-order to slip to 98 for 4 in the first innings and 94 for 4 in the second on this surface was unacceptable. Their leading batsmen played some sloppy cricket and were embarrassed by the excellence of the Durham lower order and Smith who, had there been a Man of the Match award, would surely have won it.”It’s not rocket science,” Mick Newell, their director of cricket, said. “They have to start scoring some runs. “They need to show concentration and determination. Maybe they play too much limited-overs cricket.”I’m not that worried by the last hour-and-a-half as, in the T20 age, defending a total like that can be hard. I’m more concerned that we kept digging holes for ourselves throughout the game. We were just about at the stage where we thought we had made it safe, but we didn’t get it quite right.”That was not a pitch that suited our style and we’ll need more in it for our quick bowlers in future. But yes, there was a self-inflicted element to that defeat.”It is the first time since 1998 Nottinghamshire have lost their first two home games in the Championship. While relegation should not be an issue, they do have some issues to address as regards application and concentration. Put simply, they have to try harder.They could learn much from Durham. They may not be Championship contenders just yet but, under Paul Collingwood’s captaincy and boasting some precocious talents, they are surely the most improved side in domestic cricket over the last 12 months.

Group A

Kerala increased their chances of making it to the final after winning their third match in a row when they beat Odisha by six wickets in Indore. Batting first, Odisha were rocked by wickets by Nizar Niyas (2 for 24) and VA Jagadeesh (2 for 10). However, cameos from Lagnajit Samal (20 off 16) and Suryakant Pradhan (18 off 16) led them to 125 for 8 with an unbeaten 35-run stand. Opener Ankit Yadav top-scored with 28.Kerala lost four wickets in the chase, but Sanju Samson (41*) and Sachin Baby (33 off 24) made it easier with a 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Nikhilesh Surendran chipped in with 22 at the top and Kerala won with four balls to spare.Gujarat kept their hopes alive of playing the finals by beating Vidarbha by three wickets in Indore. Vidarbha were given a strong start by their top-order batsmen, Faiz Fazal (27), Amol Ubarhande (24 off 12) and Akshay Kolhar (23). But Jesal Karia struck with two blows in the 11th over. Shalabh Shrivastava (34) and Gaurav Upadhyaya (24) steered the innings from there, taking the total to 156 for 7. Jasprit Bumrah finished with figures of 3 for 33.Gujarat lost three wickets quickly within four overs but Niraj Patel, who scored 47, took them past 50 with Chirag Gandhi and past 100 with Karia. Once Niraj was dismissed in the 16th over at the score of 103, Karia’s knock of 47 from 30 balls, which included four sixes and three fours, took them closer to the target and eventually Akshar Patel (18 off 7) and Rohit Dahiya saw them home with five balls to spare.Gujarat and Kerala are the top two teams in Group A and will play each other on Saturday.

Group B

In a tight, low-scoring match in Indore, Uttar Pradesh, with the help of two sixes towards the end by No. 10 Imtiaz Ahmed, clinched a last-ball victory by two wickets over Baroda at the Holkar Stadium. Chasing 129, UP lost their openers cheaply, but a 44-run stand between Mohammad Kaif and Tanmay Shrivastava, and a 42-run stand between Akshdeep Nath and the captain Piyush Chawla, steered them to a comfortable 107 for 4. However, Baroda were brought back in the contest as UP lost four wickets for six runs – with seamer Murtuja Vahora taking two of them – to be struggling at 113 for 8 in 19 overs. Ahmed struck 15 off five deliveries to take his side home.Baroda’s innings was based on a balanced effort by their top-order batsmen, with Hardik Pandya top-scoring with 37. Baroda suffered a collapse too, losing five wickets for 21 runs; spinner Amit Mishra and Vahora, with three wickets each, were the wreckers-in-chief of their respective sides in a contest that saw 16 wickets falling. With their third loss in as many games, Baroda were relegated to the last spot.A responsible half-century from Lokesh Rahul helped Karnataka beat Bengal by four wickets. Karnataka, in pursuit of 152, lost their opener Amit Verma in the second over, but Robin Uthappa scored a quick 41 to give them a rapid start amid wickets falling fairly early. His knock was backed up by a Rahul, who struck valuable stands with Manish Pandey and Stuart Binny to help them achieve victory in the final over. Seamer Shami Ahmed took three wickets, but was the most expensive bowler, giving away 39 runs in his four overs. Bengal’s innings revolved around an innings of 42 from No. 3 Sayan Mondal, and a 55-run stand for the seventh wicket between Debabrata Das (31) and Arnab Nandi (37*).Karnataka moved to the second spot in the points table after the win.

ScorecardTrinidad & Tobago completed a 120-run victory over Leeward Islands in St Kitts. Leewards started promisingly to leave T&T at 20 for 2. Adrian Barath and Kjorn Ottley combined for a 69-run partnership for the third wicket, before Quinton Boatswain dismissed Barath on 58. Imran Khan was dismissed quickly after to leave T&T reeling at 98 for 5. A few more wickets would fall after before Yannick Ottley and Stephen Katwaroo put on a 90-run stand for the eighth wicket. Ottley would finally fall on 58, with Katwaroo scoring a maiden half-century on debut. T&T would be dismissed for 279, with Boatswain being the pick of the bowlers with a maiden four-for on debut.Leewards started promisingly before they lost both their openers with the score on 58. Sylvester Joseph played as a captain should, finishing on 68 as wickets fell around him regularly. Leewards would finish on 194 as Khan had best figures of 4 for 64. He was ably supported by the efforts of Amit Jaggernauth and Yannic Cariah, who finished with three wickets a piece.Guillen was once again dismissed cheaply early on in T&T’s second innings. Three more wickets would fall to leave the score on 48 for 4. Larry Joseph was the chief architect in this initial slide as he picked up three wickets in his first spell. T&T were at a precarious 90 for 6 before Adrian Barath and Cariah dug in to put together a 54-run partnership to attempt to stabilize the innings. Barath fell on 71, with Cariah scoring a career-best 82. Joseph would finish with career-best figures of 4 for 66, as T&T were dismissed for 249.Chasing 335 runs, Leewards simply couldn’t get it together as almost all their batsman got starts without pushing on to get a sizable score. Jaggernauth and Cariah kept the innings in check with four and three wickets respectively. Leewards would be dismissed for 214, giving T&T a 120-run victory.
ScorecardA splendid bowling effort by Barbados ensured they beat Combined Campuses and Colleges by an innings and 185 runs in Bridgetown. CCC won the toss and elected to bat, but were unable to string partnerships together as Chris Jordan and Ashley Nurse took the majority of wickets. Only two batsmen were able to cross 20, as CCC were dismissed for 109. Jordan was the chief wrecker with career-best figures of 7 for 43.Barbados began formidably in spite of opener Rashidi Boucher retiring hurt early on in the innings. The former West Indies pair of Kraigg Braithwaite and Kirk Edwards added 188 runs. Edwards was dismissed on 109 to give CCC their first wicket and the rest of the Barbados batsmen failed to settle in and put up a big score. Barbados managed to extend their lead, thanks largely to an unbeaten 56 from Shane Dowrich. They were dismissed for 372, with Akeem Dewar emerging as the most effective bowler for CCC, finishing with 7 for 116.Staring at a 263-run deficit, the CCC batsmen simply couldn’t get going, as Barbados bowlers struck regularly. Jason Holder and Nurse contributed with three wickets each. CCC were dismissed for 78, with Dewar being the only batsman to cross a personal score of 20.
ScorecardOffspinner Shane Shillingford took 11 wickets in the match, including a seven-wicket haul in the second innings, as Windward Islands beat Guyana by four wickets in St. Vincent.Put into bat first, Guyana’s top order were stuttering at 45 for 3. Assad Fudadin top-scored with 55, adding some important runs with the lower order, as the Windwards bowlers dominated the game. Shillingford led the way taking four wickets for 40 and was ably supported by Delorn Johnson (3 for 43) and Liam Sebastien (3 for 21), as Guyana folded for 151.Most of the Windwards batsmen were able to get starts but some effective bowling from legspinner Devendra Bishoo, who took five wickets for 67 runs, managed to restrict them to 276, with a lead of 125 runs.In their second innings, Guyana mustered a meager 211. Shillingford bettered his first innings tally, picking up seven wickets.Set a paltry target of 87, Windwards were under pressure as Bishoo and Steven Jacobs took regular wickets. However, Andre Fletcher guided his team’s chase, scoring 30 not out, to take his side to victory with a day to spare.

Shane Watson’s return to India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi will create a selection conundrum if the captain Michael Clarke is passed fit after suffering back pain in Mohali.Although Watson remains the vice-captain and is almost certain to lead the side if Clarke is ruled out, his batting form has been disappointing for some time and strong performances from Steven Smith and Phillip Hughes in Mohali would make either of them unlucky to be dropped.These are the questions faced by Clarke, the coach Mickey Arthur and on-duty selector Rod Marsh when the team begins training in Delhi on Wednesday, ahead of the fourth Test, which starts on Friday. Watson will be back with the group having flown home for the birth of his first child, but his trip home was also controversial because of his comments about being one of four players axed for the third Test for disciplinary reasons.When he left Chandigarh, Watson said he considered the punishment “very harsh” and he would use his time at home to weigh up his cricket future. But after the birth of his son Will, Watson has reconciled with Cricket Australia and decided to rejoin the tour. Despite all of Cricket Australia’s assurances that everybody is now on the same page, Watson’s return could lead to some tension given his emotional comments on leaving India.”I am very comfortable that Shane has accepted the punishment,” Arthur said on Tuesday. “We have had a lot of conversations over the last week and they have all been very good. He didn’t agree with the penalty but he agreed that they had done wrong. We have pretty much got that sorted and we have had numerous conversations and I am really comfortable with where it sits with Watto, we are really happy to have him back.”I’ve spoken to Watto a lot, he has been incredibly supportive of where this team is moving to and really wants to be part of it. Once the emotion went away from Watto, he was very, very supportive of what we want to do with the team.”The main question now is how Australia can squeeze Watson into the batting line-up, given the success of Smith and the way Hughes fought through his spin demons in the second innings in Mohali. By contrast, Watson has averaged only 25.20 since taking over the Test vice-captaincy, which Arthur conceded was a concern.If Clarke is ruled out the likely scenario is a straight swap with Watson, but if Clarke plays then the possible combinations become harder to determine. There are also decisions to be made around the bowling attack after the decision to send Mitchell Starc home for ankle surgery, but given Watson is not bowling on this tour his place can only be considered in the context of the top six.”We haven’t given it a thought yet,” Arthur said. “We are really happy to get Shane back. It is really important he came back. Shane’s been exceptional over the last week we’ve had numerous conversations with him. In terms of selection there are a couple of variables right now, Pup’s back and Starcy going home. We’ll sit down once we have a look at conditions and we’ll get it pretty much sorted tomorrow.”Watson’s form is a concern. He looks like he’s going to get runs every time he goes to the wicket, he just hasn’t kicked on. Watto is the first one to admit that he needs a big score, there’s no doubt about that. I’m backing him in to get one pretty soon and then hopefully when he gets it, that just opens the floodgates for more and more runs.”Arthur confirmed that despite the events of the past week Watson remained the vice-captain and likely candidate to lead if Clarke does not play in Delhi. He said that would be a decision for the selectors on duty. Arthur is one of those three selectors while another is Clarke, who said after the Mohali Test he expected Watson would lead if he could not play.”I am comfortable that if Pup doesn’t come up he could do the job,” Arthur said. “That could be a discussion with the other on-duty selectors as to what we did but Shane at the moment is vice-captain. You would have to assume that because he is still the vice-captain that we probably wouldn’t go past him, but again that would be a discussion.”Arthur said it was impossible to rule Clarke out given the way he has managed his ongoing back injury in the past – he has never missed a Test because of it – but he said Clarke’s place in the team would not be decided until closer to the match.”He is in a bit of pain,” Arthur said. “With Michael Clarke you never say never. He will give himself every opportunity to get himself ready for the Test. That will pan out closer to the time and will give him every opportunity to get up for it because he is such a vital cog in our team.”

ScorecardIn his first innings at first-class level since retiring from Test cricket, Ricky Ponting showed that he still has plenty to offer, scoring an unbeaten 138 for Tasmania on the first day against New South Wales in Hobart. At stumps, the Tigers were 6 for 310 with Ponting still at the crease alongside Jason Krejza, who was on 71, and it was a fine recovery after Tasmania struggled to 6 for 132, meaning the Ponting-Krejza stand had reached 178 at the close.Josh Hazlewood picked up three wickets, Trent Copeland collected two and Chris Tremain one before Ponting and Krejza came together. Ponting brought up his 79th first-class century and his second of the Sheffield Shield season, while Krejza passed fifty for the ninth time in first-class cricket.It continued Ponting’s remarkable Shield summer – even more incredible given the struggles he had during the Test series against South Africa. In five matches, Ponting has scored 493 runs at an average of 164.33, and he has only been dismissed three times from seven innings.