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A day after the Supreme Court criticised the BCCI’s method of disbursing funds to state associations, board secretary Anurag Thakur has suggested it would be untenable to treat all state associations alike

Arun Venugopal06-Apr-2016A day after the Supreme Court criticised the BCCI’s method of disbursing funds to state associations, board secretary Anurag Thakur has suggested it would be untenable to treat all state associations alike. He believed “democratisation of sport is not in the interest of sport,” and pushed the idea of state associations earning their dues.Thakur took questions on the BCCI’s Facebook page, and his statements were in response to one seeking his views on the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. His answer, though, seemed tailored to the criticism of the Supreme Court, which pointed out that bigger associations like Mumbai and Gujarat were allocated sums to the tune of Rs 60 crores whereas 11 other, smaller members were neglected.’Women’s IPL good suggestion’

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said the Women’s World T20 generated plenty of interest for women’s cricket, and that the board would look into the creation of an IPL-like league for women cricketers.
“I think it’s a good suggestion,” he said, responding to a question on the BCCI’s stand on an IPL-like league for women and allowing India’s women to play in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League.
“This World T20 when the women teams were made to play before the men’s matches it created a lot of interest in women’s cricket. We will look into this.” Many of India’s women cricketers, including captain Mithali Raj, have expressed a desire for the BCCI to support their participation in the Women’s Big Bash.

“When it is said that why we are not treating all states equally,” Thakur said. “I think democratisation of sports is not in the interest of sport. Look at FIFA. They are struggling today because of this. Even the ICC, which is our parent body, they have Associates and Affiliate members. They treat Full Members separately and deal [with] Affiliate members separately. This is the norm [the] world over. We are not different from others.”The Lodha Committee had recommended that the categories of Affiliate and Future Members be removed, and only Full Members and Associate Members remain. Thakur, however, took the view that “You have to earn [your dues].”If you don’t believe in earning your share then I think nobody will work hard. Look at Himachal [Pradesh Cricket Association] – we were not Full Member [with the BCCI] till early 80s. When we [were] made a Full Member, we worked hard, we created stadia and done well. I think that should be done by all the states.”When asked about the Supreme Court’s observations that the BCCI was operating like a “mutual benefit society”, Thakur replied it wouldn’t be fair to gloss over the board’s contribution to Indian cricket over the years.”When you are dealing with cricket and you have millions of followers and cricket lovers you get to hear a lot of comments,” he said. “All I want to say is we have put in a lot of hard work to create this board. Without the hard work and efforts of the board’s members and players and the great cricket fans we wouldn’t have achieved what we have achieved today. Why not others try to improve other sports – hockey or maybe other sports? If there are shortcomings, we are ready to improve that. But don’t say we haven’t done anything. We have done something that’s why you love the game of cricket.””BCCI has taken many, many steps in the right directions. We are not doing well only in India but we are helping other nations improve as well. We have created wealth for not only the BCCI and cricket but for the players as well. And we are dominating world cricket today. We might have done something right which has brought us to this level.”Thakur also said the BCCI was focussed on contributing to the enhancement of cricketing infrastructure in the north-eastern region, which he said was an “integral part” of the board.”I have personally visited states like Manipiur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and we have seen the infrastructure. They are now going for a tender process to create grounds and better infrastructure. Special funds [are] being allocated to develop the sport in that area. Our experience with certain associations could have been bad but the BCCI is very, very focussed under our New Area Development programme to implement those in those regions.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been charged by the FA over comments made following their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle earlier this month.

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Arteta slammed officials after lossGordon scored controversial winnerArsenal boss charged by FAWHAT HAPPENED?

Anthony Gordon scored a controversial second-half winner for the Magpies, despite a lengthy VAR check whose audio has since been made public by PGMOL. Arteta didn't hold back in his criticisms of officials after the match, and the Gunners boss has now paid the price, with the FA releasing a statement on Thursday.

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Arteta now has until November 21 to issue a response. Arsenal actually backed their manager's rant initially, releasing a statement to that effect, but it now remains to be seen what kind of punishment will be handed out. The Spaniard could face a touchline ban and a fine.

WHAT THEY SAID

The FA's statement read: "Mikel Arteta has been charged with a breach of FA rule E3.1 following comments that he made in media interviews after Arsenal's Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday 4 November.

"It's alleged that his comments constitute misconduct as they are insulting towards match officials and/or detrimental to the game and/or bring the game into disrepute. Mikel Arteta has until Tuesday 21 November to provide a response to the charge."

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Arsenal's players are currently on international duty. They face Brentford on November 25th.

Sergino Dest took to Instagram to apologize after being sent off in the U.S. men's national team's 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago on Monday.

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Dest sent off for arguing with refereeDefender apologizes for 'immature' behaviorU.S. loses, but qualifies for Copa AmericaGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Dest was sent off in the first half of the 2-1 defeat, leaving his team with it all to do after an inexcusable red card. The defender was having a solid game at the time of his dismissal, having already assisted Antonee Robinson's opener. The Barcelona fullback was shown a red card with his team up a goal from that opener and, more importantly, up 4-0 on aggregate. Dest appeared frustrated with a decision and, after a stoppage in play, hoofed the ball into the stands. After being given a yellow card, he continued to yell at the referee, blowing kisses at the official before being sent off.

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Dest's teammates were noticeably angry at the defender, with Tim Ream and Matt Turner both seen yelling at him after his dismissal. Dest's exit left the U.S. with plenty of hard running to do and, just moments after, they conceded a goal to make it 1-1. After the match, Gregg Berhalter and Ream blasted the defender for his behavior, although the coach said that the team will welcome Dest back after he apologized for his mistake.

WHAT DEST SAID

"I want to apologize to my Teammates, Staff, Fans and whole nation for my behaviour," Dest wrote on Instagram. "It was unacceptable, Selfish and immature I let my team down! It’s something I have to learn from and it won’t happen again!"

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Dest is the first player to claim an assist before being shown a red card in the same game since he accomplished the same feat in the Nations League win over Mexico earlier this year.

Yorkshire’s unbeaten start to the defence of their 2014 Championship title was under threat against Somserset and it took a solid day-long rearguard action to keep it intact

Jon Culley in Taunton27-May-2015
ScorecardAdil Rashid fell one run short of his 10th first-class hundred•Getty ImagesA difficult week for Jason Gillespie might have ended in defeat, so he will be thankful for small mercies. Yorkshire’s unbeaten start to the defence of their 2014 Championship title was under threat here and it took a solid day-long rearguard action to keep his record of defeats since becoming Yorkshire’s first-team coach at just three from 53 Championship games.There was no carrot dangled for Somerset, which would have gone against the grain a little for a man whose cricket philosophy is inherently positive. But from five down overnight with a lead of only 124, it would have been difficult and risky to try to make a game of it, at least one that would have given both sides a chance.Moreover in the back of many Yorkshire minds would have been the sequence of successful run chases that Somerset pulled off against Yorkshire between 2009 and 2011: 479 in 85.3 overs for a four-wicket victory in 2009; 364 in 65.4 overs to win by six wickets in 2010; and 228 in 40.1 overs without losing a wicket in 2011.The draw was almost assured by lunch, by which time Somerset had managed to prise out only Jonny Bairstow in addition to the third evening’s five wickets. Adil Rashid built on a superb personal record against Somerset, against whom he has scored three centuries in 17 first-class innings. He almost had a fourth, missing out tantalisingly on 99 when he stepped across to flick a ball around the corner from the offspin of Johann Myburgh only to find Alfonso Thomas, lurking at short fine leg.Nonetheless, one run hardly detracted from the value of the innings, holding Yorkshire together for more than three hours. Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett took the total further out of reach before Steve Patterson, who had an excellent match all-round, went past 40 with the bat for the second time to go with his five wickets.Patterson’s bowling was the redeeming feature of Yorkshire’s efforts with the ball, which fell some way short of the standards to which we have become accustomed. Conceding a first-innings lead of 47 after scoring 438, even taking into account that it has been a good batting pitch, was an undistinguished performance from which only Patterson emerged with credit, going for only three an over compared with an average above five for the other three seamers.”To come away with a draw is a pass mark but we were well below par with the ball, barring Steve Patterson, who was outstanding,” Gillespie said. “Our batting needs to be more ruthless. We are getting a lot of starts. Jack Leaning got a good hundred and Tim Bresnan got a hundred in the lower order but it is our top six that needs to do the business more consistently.”I’m incredibly pleased with our fightback today and the way all the lads chipped in and got us to safety but there is a lot of food for thought and improvements that need to be made.”Rashid’s solid, patient performance is encouraging, particularly after another episode of frustrated ambitions in the Caribbean, where his lack of opportunity with England prompted Dickie Bird, the Yorkshire president, to ask for him to be allowed home.The player himself took it all rather more calmly. “It was good to be involved in the England side,” he said. “It is always a good experience. At times it was frustrating not to play but to be involved is a step forward. I’m not looking ahead, though. I have always been the kind of person to concentrate on the here and now and let the future take care of itself.”Yorkshire move to 76 points, 12 behind new leaders Durham. The 10-day break before Yorkshire’s next Championship match comes at a good moment. Ryan Sidebottom, injured in the opening match of the season, will return to face Middlesex on June 7, which will allow one of his colleagues to enjoy the benefits of a rest.Somerset, arguably, suffered through the lack of a top-class specialist spinner in their side, which was a source of frustration for director of cricket Matt Maynard. He is allowed only two registered overseas players at any one time and had to deregister Abdur Rehman so that Chris Gayle and Sohail Tanvir can play in the NatWest Blast on Friday, a situation complicated by the 21-day period required between re-registering a player and picking him.”If we had played Abdur in this game and then deregistered him, he would not have been available to play against Nottinghamshire here (on June 14),” Maynard said. “I think Yorkshire are more comfortable against the spinners than Notts so we decided he would miss this game. It’s daft, I know, but those are the rules.”Yet a draw against the champions is not too shabby a result for Somerset, after losing their opening three matches. Coming on the heels of a win against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, moreover, it seems to have set Somerset on an upward curve.The performance of the Overton twins is encouraging, of course. Jamie’s 18-ball 50 is reckoned to be the quickest by a number 11 batsman in first-class cricket since such things were recorded in balls rather than minutes, from 1983 onwards. If Somerset can keep both on the field this could be a significant year in their respective careers.The other consequence of the meandering last day is that Graeme Hick’s status as the last batsman to score 1000 first-class runs before the end of May remains intact, with James Hildreth denied a last opportunity to add to his 915.

Lega Siaka’s century and Vani Morea’s unbeaten 65 helped PNG become the first team to win their first two ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVani Morea slammed the second ball of the final over of the chase to the midwicket boundary to confirm Papua New Guinea’s second victory over Hong King this weekend. It made PNG the first team to win their first two ODIs and sparked emotional scenes – their captain Chris Amini choked back tears as he spoke after the win, while the team joyously belted out a victory song.The chase of 262 had been guided by No. 3 Lega Siaka, who scored his country’s first ODI century. In the 42nd over, however, he thumped the ball towards long-on, and though Morea was always keen for the second, Siaka seemed less enthusiastic and was run out at the keeper’s end. There were further setbacks for PNG as Mahuru Dai’s cameo ended in the 46th over, before Charles Amini, one of the stars of Saturday’s win, fell for a golden duck. PNG needed 33 off the final four overs but Morea was around to shepherd them to victory, finishing unbeaten on 65 – his second fifty of the weekend.Earlier, half-centuries from No. 3 Anshuman Rath and No. 5 Babar Hayat had driven Hong Kong’s innings. Haseeb Amjad then provided the finishing touches with four sixes and three fours in a 20-ball 42 that lifted Hong Kong beyond 250. It wasn’t enough to deny PNG a perfect weekend.”I just feel so happy, to see all the boys so happy and the coach so happy just makes me feel so special,” Siaka said after the game. “To score the first ODI ton for PNG is something I will never forget.”

France's conveyor belt of young talent paid off in the summer as Les Bleus lifted the World Cup – but who are the stars of the future?

Getty1Timothy Weah (PSG)

It’s not easy making a breakthrough as a young player into one of the world’s biggest clubs, but Timothy Weah, son of former Ballon d’Or winner George, is threatening to do just that. He turned out three times for PSG last season, playing 122 minutes in total, and in the Trophee des Champions clash with Monaco last week he notched his first senior goal and played the full 90 minutes. The USA international, just 18, is beginning to justify the hype.

AdvertisementGetty2Martin Terrier (Lyon)

Perhaps no one has caught the eye in pre-season quite as much as Lyon attacker Martin Terrier. OL swooped to sign the 21-year-old from Strasbourg last January before loaning him immediately back to the club to finish the campaign. He impressed with Racing, scoring three times and creating four more in Ligue 1 but suffered from injuries in the second half of the season. He appears to have hit the ground running at Parc OL and should supplement the likes of Nabil Fekir, Mariano Diaz and Memphis Depay nicely.

Getty Images3Oumar Solet (Lyon)

Centre-back has been a problem position for Lyon for several seasons now and they are hopeful that 18-year-old Oumar Solet can one day grow into the player to finally act as a solution. Signed from third-tier Laval in the summer for little more than €500,000, he could prove one of the bargains of the summer. Bruno Genesio has already given him game time in pre-season, where he looked comfortable against Inter in a 1-0 friendly defeat.

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Gettyimages4Stanley N’Soki (PSG)

It’s not certain that 19-year-old Stanley N’Soki (pictured left) will still be at Paris Saint-Germain when the season begins, as the likes of Arsenal, Marseille and especially Newcastle hover. He is not yet tied down to a professional deal, but one imagines that after his impressive display against Monaco in the Trophee des Champions it has to be a top priority. He impressed down the left for the Ligue 1 champions on his full senior bow, even lending an assist, yet his more natural position is centre-back.

Kusal Mendis made another good impression at No. 3 before Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 91 helped Sri Lanka recover from 192 for 8 against Leicestershire

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Grace Road13-May-2016
ScorecardKaushal Silva was involved in a century stand with Kusal Mendis•PA PhotosIf tour games are all about acclimatisation, then Leicester did its best to prepare Sri Lanka for Leeds next week. A blanket of cloud, a chill in the air and early pace in the pitch offered a taster menu for Headingley. Although it is safe to say the huddle of autograph hunters that greeted their every appearance at the pavilion steps were a touch more welcoming than a well-oiled Western Terrace.The final day of their previous tour match against Essex was washed out by rain, so there was an onus to get as much as they could from this three-day outing at Grace Road. With that in mind, Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford and his squad have come into this match “not trying to figure things out” but simply to get players to adapt and get into form.An extra spot was found with Angelo Mathews dropping out of the XI. He spent the morning bowling on a practice pitch before disappearing for a handful of nets throughout the day. Dimuth Karunaratne’s stay was short, bowled comprehensively for a duck by left-armer Atif Sheikh with the fourth ball of the day. Of the top order, his place is probably the most assured for the first Test, with two hundreds among 769 runs in 2015 and having shown aptitude in English conditions on the previous tour.Perera could feature – Ford

Graham Ford, Sri Lanka’s coach, has said that Kusal Perera is a “tremendous” player and expects him to be considered for the one-day series against England next month.
Doping charges against Perera were dropped earlier this week and he is now free to resume his career after being suspended for five months.
“It’s great because he’s a wonderful cricketer and we have missed him,” Ford said. “He’s a tremendous player – in all formats – and I’m sure the selectors will be thinking about him for the one-day series. I’m not sure what the thinking is regarding getting him into the Test squad, but it’s great news to know he’s available again.”

His early dismissal provided another opportunity for 21-year-old Kusal Mendis to etch his name into the No. 3 spot.Mendis is the young contender. The one whose path to the top is set out by those around him. Schoolboy cricketer of the year, Sri Lanka Under-19 captain – these are the sorts of titles awarded to those expected to make their mark in the wider game. Milestones to would-be greatness. And with that comes resistance from some quarters. Understandably so, considering Mendis has only one first-class hundred to his name.When Mendis was drafted into the Test squad for the West Indies series last year – he made his debut in the second match, in Colombo – Mathews was quick to go on the record and back him. While the captain also stated that it was important not to put pressure on him, his performance here, in testing circumstances, shone out in the morning gloom to such an extent that he could be given the series at first-drop.Asked whether he would be ready for the challenge, Ford responded in the affirmative: “Without a doubt.”He’s had two good innings. He played nicely in Chelmsford and nicely today. He’s a young lad who has shown enormous amount of talent and we need to get him to turning those starts into really big scores to make a difference. He’s got the technique and temperament to handle it. I’d be more than happy to see him playing these Test matches.”Kaushal Silva struggled, particularly against Sheikh, who bowled the sort of quick, controlled opening spell that led you to question why this was only his 10th first-class match. The answer lies with the bowler himself. But Silva wore a few and, while Sheikh occasionally beat Mendis, the right-hander kept his cool and rotated the strike with ease. Smartly, he was able to appreciate Sheikh’s speed from the safety of the non-striker’s end.Their partnership of 101 from 28 overs looked to be the starting point for a procession of runs, but most of the batsmen failed to oblige, collapsing from 124 for 2 to 185 for 7 in the afternoon session. In among the wreckage was an unconvincing 6 off 17 balls from the returning Lahiru Thirimanne, who lost his Test place to Mendis last year, and 19 from the other potential No. 3, Niroshan Dickwella. Ford conceded that the collapse and the form of the middle order in general are a cause for concern.But just when it looked like Leicestershire – who had made nine changes from their Championship side – might rattle out Sri Lanka for an embarrassingly low total, the No. 8 Dasun Shanaka helped his side save face.Having made his name as a hard-hitting T20 allrounder, he forgot about the white clothing and the red ball and retained his dead-eye and ridiculous bat speed to strike a blistering 91 not out. Of his 12 boundaries, three were sixes: Jigar Naik taken for two down the ground before Tom Wells was planted on to the concrete beyond midwicket.When the 90 overs were up, the Leicestershire fielders and umpires led the way out of the cold. Shanaka and Rangana Herath had a brief chat in the middle, having shared a stand of 126 in 26.4 overs, before following them. One imagines Sri Lanka will leave it there – or maybe come back for a brief thwack to get Shanaka nine more runs for a fourth first-class hundred – before giving their bowlers a full run out.

PGMOL chief Howard Webb is under pressure to block Premier League match officials from travelling to the Middle East for midweek fixtures.

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Referees working in the Middle EastHead back to England for top-flight gamesMistakes making unfortunate headlinesWHAT HAPPENED?

It has been revealed that Darren England and Dan Cook – who were in the VAR booth for Liverpool’s controversial clash with Tottenham on Saturday – formed part of an officiating team in the UAE on Thursday evening, giving them just 48 hours in which to complete a long-haul flight and recover in time to keep an eye across top-flight action in north London.

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They failed to spot that a Luis Diaz effort in the first half of Liverpool’s game with Spurs had been wrongly ruled out for offside, leading to PGMOL having to issue an apology for a “significant human error” impacting proceedings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

WHAT THEY SAID

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has told of the midweek jaunts to the Middle East: “I understand that they officiated on Thursday evening, which means on Friday they will have had a minimum seven hours in the air. This impacts on their recovery and a loss of sharpness in their performance. In my time in office if they were in Europe on Thursday then they would not officiate until late Sunday or Monday at the earliest. This is yet another example of poor management of these professional sports persons and actual changes must be made to stop these mounting errors.”

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Concerns have been raised regarding a potential conflict of interest as match officials split their time between the Premier League and lucrative wages on offer in the Middle East, although there is no evidence of that being the case at present. Webb is, however, under pressure to bring an end to the trips – outside of those taken in as part of European competition – in a bid to remove any potential distractions and bring about an end to the regular debates regarding costly errors being made in the VAR department.

New Zealand have made just one change to their ODI squad for the series against India, with batsman Colin Munro missing out

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2014New Zealand have made just one change to their ODI squad for the series against India, with batsman Colin Munro missing out. Fast bowler Tim Southee, who had missed the first half of the ODI series against West Indies with a toe injury but recovered for the latter part, comes into the 13 in Munro’s place.Bruce Edgar, New Zealand’s general manager national selection, said the squad had been retained as a reward for its strong showing against West Indies in the preceding series. “It was pleasing to see every player stand up at some stage of that series,” Edgar said. “There were some simply outstanding efforts headlined by Corey Anderson’s world-record one-day ton.”New Zealand had squared the West Indies ODIs 2-2. In the third ODI, Anderson had hit a hundred in 36 balls, breaking Shahid Afridi’s long-standing record for the fastest ODI century. In the same match, Jesse Ryder scored the sixth-fastest ton.Munro did not play any of the ODIs in that series, and has been more of a Twenty20 specialist for New Zealand. He is involved in the ongoing Twenty20 series against West Indies.Coach Mike Hesson said India pose a particularly difficult challenge in one-day cricket, so this series provides his team with the perfect opportunity to proves itself. “We know we’ll have to play out of our skins, and outmatch them player for player to be competitive against such a powerful side,” Hesson said. “But we showed against the West Indies that we can play extremely well on our day and are capable of beating any side.”Matching yourself against the best in the world is what you play international cricket for and I know the guys are buzzing about this opportunity. It’s also an important part of our build-up for next year’s World Cup where India are the defending champions.”New Zealand are scheduled to host India for five ODIs, starting on January 19 in Napier. The series will be followed by two Tests.Squad: Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson

Sri Lanka regained their two-match advantage in the one-day series although were pushed closer than appeared likely for most of the chase before getting home with two balls to spare.

The Report by Andrew McGlashan07-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSri Lanka regained their two-match advantage in the one-day series although were pushed closer that appeared likely for most of the chase before getting home with two balls to spare. The pursuit was controlled, for the most part, by Kumar Sangakkara’s 86 but it needed another steely contribution from Angelo Mathews to ensure against any late slips.Nothing seemed more certain than Sangakkara would seal victory with his 20th ODI hundred, but on 86 he found deep cover from a short delivery by Chris Jordan and could barely come to terms with the need to walk off. So instead it was Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne who crossed the winning line with a stand of 53, never flinching when the asking rate briefly went above seven although Mathews was dropped at third man by Alex Hales with 25 needed. Given that England managed to squeeze the chase into the final over, they will rue the 12 wides which continued a theme from the series.England now need to win the three remaining games, two in Pallekele and one more back at the Premadasa, if they are to take the series although with an eye to the future there were a couple of performances that meant it was not a completely forlorn day for them.James Taylor, playing just his third ODI and first against anyone other than Ireland, top-scored with well-crafted 90 before cramp got the better of him and Eoin Morgan, the stand-in captain for the day, made his first ODI fifty since January with 62 off 47 balls as the rest of England’s middle and lower order, losing 7 for 94, frittered away earlier good work.The early new-ball bowling from Steven Finn and Chris Woakes was inconsistent and meant England did not build pressure, although they were perked up when Tillakaratne Dilshan carved into the off side. With two left handers now at the crease, Moeen Ali was brought straight into the attack and kept a lid on the scoring while also enticing Kusal Perera to edge to slip.However, with each ball that gripped for Moeen it will have reinforced the belief that the balance of England’s attack was wrong without the additional offspin of James Tredwell. Instead, they preferred to take another look at Ben Stokes whose two overs went for 21, after being the seventh bowler used, to take his series tally to none for 85 from eight overs.From 69 for 2, and a potential opening for England, Sangakkara and Jayawardene added 96 with effortless accumulation, often toying with Morgan’s attempts to cut off their scoring areas. One minute they would open the face to find space in the off side, and the next dinking into the leg side.Kumar Sangakkara withstood a spirited England display•Getty ImagesThe signs of growing desperation were clear when England used their review against Jayawardene when he was 27, but discovered that even Joe Root was turning the ball too far. Given the ease with which Sri Lanka were batting, it was a surprise when Jayawardene chopped against Jordan, the pick of England’s quicks. But Sangakkara just continued to cruise, the most adventurous shot he played an uppercut over the keeper against Woakes who, a short time earlier, had needed some treatment on a knee problem. Then Sangakkara’s aberration left the majority in the ground stunned.There was a sense of relief at the toss when it was confirmed that Taylor would play. If he had not been given his chance in the enforced absence of Alastair Cook because of a one-match suspension he would have been well within his rights to want to get on the next flight home.Still, it is one thing getting the chance and another to take it. He was at the crease early, which could well have played to his advantage as he did not have much time to let the nerves build, after Alex Hales edged Dhammika Prasad’s first legitimate delivery to slip.There were some uncertain moments early in his innings and the initial stages were hard work as he reached 11 off 29 deliveries before he cashed in on Thisara Perera’s first over. A bottom-handed flick from outside off over deep midwicket for six was the sort of stroke that peppered county boundaries during last season.By the time Taylor found the boundary, he had lost Moeen, charging down the pitch at Dilshan, meaning the innings went into a rebuilding pattern as he was joined by Root. Boundaries were few and far between, and Taylor saved himself by using a review when he was given lbw to Jeevan Mendis on 35, only for there to be a clear bottom edge.The scoring rate was given a jolt by consecutive sixes, Taylor driving Ajantha Mendis over long-off and Root following by clearing deep midwicket off Jeevan. The partnership ended on 93, England’s best of the series, when Root’s penchant for late-cutting the spinners off his stumps brought his downfall against Rangana Herath.Taylor continued to punctuate his sprinting between the wickets with the occasional boundary, but the conditions were starting to take their toll and he twice needed lengthy treatment from the physio who was focussing on his left forearm. Later the cramp appeared to be spreading to his legs, and four balls after the second visit from the physio Taylor tried to clear the off side against Ajantha Mendis but could not beat the infield.As so often, the batting Powerplay – taken one over before it had to be – was not England’s friend. Five deliveries after Taylor departed to the relative cool of the dressing room, Ravi Bopara missed a quicker ball from Dilshan.Buttler could not help set a target in the same way he had chased one down a few days ago as he picked out long-on with seven overs remaining. Stokes’ international batting woes continued when he found deep square-leg, and with Morgan starting to find his stride the shot selection of Woakes and Jordan left something to be desired.Mathews entrusted his spinners with the final 21 overs of the innings: for 20 of those overs there was barely any reason to question that decision as Herath returned a miserly 3 for 36 and Ajantha Mendis claimed 3 for 56. However, the first two balls of the last over – bowled by Dilshan – were slotted for six by Morgan and the over ended up costing 18. In the end it did not matter and the tricky decisions remain England’s, including the pressing question of who misses out for the returning Cook in Pallekelle.