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ScorecardFile photo – Dimuth Karunaratne scored a patient 131 to keep Sri Lanka A ahead•AFP

Sri Lanka A’s commanding start to the innings – Test batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera put on 167 for the first wicket – ensured they finished the second day against West Indies A in a strong position.The left-handed opening pair scored at 4.57 per over, with Perera especially going after a West Indian bowling that might have looked even more pedestrian had it not been for Leeward Islands offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall, who ended the day with 6 for 87, his third five-wicket haul in a row in first-class cricket. Cornwall has taken 42 wickets in his last ten innings.Cornwall broke the opening stand and further damaged Sri Lanka A’s momentum as he picked up Lahiru Thirimanne and Roshan Silva shortly after. However, Karunaratne dug in and scored 131, setting up a fifth-wicket stand of 85 with Niroshan Dickwella, who scored 59. Cornwall then returned to take three wickets for no runs as Sri Lanka A slipped to 337 for 8.They finished on 348 for 8, 72 ahead of West Indies A.

Sri Lanka A coach Avishka Gunawardene was pleased the home series against West Indies A had served its purpose of grooming young players, despite the 3-0 loss in the one-dayers. Gunawardene was also satisfied that the four-day matches – which his team won 2-1 – had allowed Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera to find form before the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa.Karunaratne and Kusal played the first two unofficial Tests, tallying 241 runs and 176 runs respectively. While Karunaratne scored a century and a fifty, Kusal notched up two half-centuries. Both batsmen struck hundreds in the first Test against Zimbabwe.The senior squad in Harare includes another four men who had played the four-day games against West Indies A, which pleased Gunawardene. “The idea was to groom players for the next level and out of the players picked for Zimbabwe, three were fast bowlers Lahiru Gamage, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Madushanka and one batsman Asela Gunaratne. The other positive factor was we wanted to get Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera back in form. Both of them scored runs in the ongoing Zimbabwe first Test.”We also wanted to have a look at how (Niroshan) Dickwella was as a wicketkeeper-batsman at No. 6 because (Dinesh) Chandimal wasn’t sure of going on the tour. Then there was legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay who was out with an injury for almost six months. We managed to play him in two four-day games and in the last one he got his rhythm back.”Vandersay was returning to cricket after an eight-month break. In his first match back, he took 2 for 190 and Sri Lanka A lost by 333 runs. In the the series decider though, he took 6 for 47 to bowl West Indies A out for 194 and set up a 138-run win. Gunawardene also praised 19-year-old Charith Asalanka, who took 11 wickets with his offspin and scored 104 runs in the three unofficial Tests.”Another plus point is that we played Charith Asalanka throughout the tour,” he said. “Although he didn’t make any big impact, in patches he did well with both bat and ball. Both Under-19 fast bowlers [Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando] played in the unofficial Test series and one of them [Lahiru] went on the Zimbabwe tour.”Gunawardene said the pitches prepared for the A series were hard and bouncy keeping in mind those Sri Lanka might get on tour later this season. “It was a decision that was taken prior to the series that we would prepare tracks more like the ones that Sri Lanka are bound to come up against in Zimbabwe and South Africa. We played on such good surfaces that you can hardly say you were playing in Sri Lanka. Up to the fourth day we didn’t see much spin on the track.”Despite the mixed results, Gunawardene said the team had stuck to its policy of testing new players and combinations, giving a chance to 30 players in the series.”If you are talking overall about the tour, someone like Sandun Weerakkody was a good sign. We all knew that he was good and when we gave him the opportunity in the four-day match he came off with a good innings. It was also nice to see Shehan Jayasuriya getting into form with a hundred [in the one-dayers] and he is bowling well too.”Another thing was that we were trying to find out the fast-bowling combinations – who could bowl with the new ball upfront and who could bowl with the older ball at the death. The plan was whether the bowlers came off well or not. We wanted to see how well they will adapt. Even though they went for runs sometimes we persisted with them for a couple of more overs to give them the experience and expose them for the latter part of the innings.”If you take all the fast bowlers we used in the one-dayers, there was Keshan Wijerathne who has not played a single first-class game in his career, Binura Fernando was coming out of an injury and hadn’t played much but he is still in his early 20s, then Anuk Fernando, a left-arm seamer who is only 21. Out of all the fast bowlers, most of them haven’t played much first-class cricket, they are pretty young and they need to play at the higher level for some time, [play] more domestic cricket. We have identified them as good potential but they need some time, a bit of a long-term plan and we need to be patient with them.”Gunawardene praised Rahkeem Cornwall, the most impressive player for West Indies A on the tour. The offspinner from Antigua took 23 wickets in the three four-day games at 19.82, including an eight-for in the first unofficial Test.”Credit to him, he was very precise with his lines and lengths and he would give very little bad balls away,” said Gunawardene. “He used to vary his pace very well. The other factor was that we had about six left-handers in our line-up at the top and that made it easier for him.”Sri Lanka A’s next series is against England Lions who are due to visit in February.

Moeen Ali became the first England player to unequivocally commit to touring Bangladesh, a day after one-day captain Eoin Morgan said he had yet to make up his mind.Since the tour was given the go-ahead last week, following a visit by an ECB delegation led by head of security Reg Dickason, most players have been unwilling to give their stance on whether they will undertake the trip having been told they can all take an individual call over the tour which was in doubt after the Dhaka terrorist attack in July.But ahead of the final ODI against Pakistan at Cardiff, Moeen said he had no qualms about undertaking the tour but understood if others felt differently. There is a chance that Moeen, who plays all three formats, could be rested for the one-day leg but will be an integral part of England’s Test plans”If selected, I’ll definitely go,” said Moeen. “I’m pretty happy with everything and really looking forward to it.”Everyone’s different and has their own views on things – and as a team, you back other’s decisions. It’s up to the individual. There’s no pressure on anyone – it’s up to that person and how he feels.”My view is you’re not safe anywhere these days. I think you can be anywhere and still not safe. I totally understand, and I back every decision people make.”On Friday, Jonny Bairstow had also come close to guaranteeing his participation in the trip after saying he has “a lot of faith” in the security advice given by Dickason. It came on the same day that Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, committed to the visit.”I’ve not made a 100% decision but I know within my mind that I have a lot of faith in Reggie,” Bairstow said during a sponsor’s event for Hardy’s wine. “I’ve been on a heck of a lot of tours with him, he’s known me since I was a young boy. So I’ve got a lot of faith in him. I’ve been asking questions regularly about different bits, that’s only natural, that’s human instinct to ask questions.”The world at the moment is not necessarily the safest place, that’s in England, that’s in Australia, South Africa, in Bangladesh,” he added. “You’ve got to ask questions because, if you don’t, you don’t have peace of mind. We have a lot of faith in Reg and he’s known a lot of us for a long time. There is still a decision to be made but at the same time I’m pretty confident in the decision that I will make and that it will be a positive one. If selected, because the squads haven’t been announced.”Alastair Cook has reportedly given his private assurance to the ECB that he will lead the Test leg of the tour, but Morgan has yet to give the same commitment for the one-day internationals.”If we’d had time off or no cricket between the meeting and now, I can’t say I would be any closer to the decision, but I would have had more time to digest everything and let everything settle,” Morgan said.The squads for the tour were due to be named on September 9, two days after the T20 against Pakistan, but the one-day party will now be announced the following week to allow further talks between those players uncertain about the tour and the ECB. The Test squad is likely to be named later in the month to allow fringe players another couple of rounds of Championship matches.

Mike Hesson’s eyes managed to not widen too much when he was reminded of New Zealand’s next two Test assignments. In three weeks’ time, they will take on the No.2 team in the world, India, in their own backyard and before the year is out, they will host the current No.1 side, Pakistan.”It sounds quite daunting, doesn’t it?” he said with a smile.At the same time, it is exactly what New Zealand need as they look to climb the Test rankings and establish themselves as a side that is better than the bottom half of the table. They want to compete with strong teams, especially away from home, where Hesson believes they can develop their skills most. They are not too disappointed, therefore, with the 0-1 Test series loss to South Africa.”Every country is challenged to try and win away from home but a big part (of getting better) is getting experiences into players,” Hesson said. “For the guys that will be a big part of our future, the experiences will be invaluable. We can’t replicate that at home.”In Centurion, New Zealand were faced with a surface that assisted seamers and had to bat on it facing some of the best in the world. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada challenged them with swing and seam movement, pace and bounce. Hesson admitted some of his players’ technical deficiencies were “exposed”, but believed they will benefit from the experience. “In first-class cricket, they don’t come across on a wicket like that and they don’t face bowlers like that. That’s important for us,” Hesson said.The batsman who got the most out of the Centurion Test was Henry Nicholls. After an underwhelming start to his Test career against Australia and struggles in Zimbabwe, Nicholls scored a career-best 76 in the second innings to suggest he could be a longer-term prospect for a New Zealand line-up that needs some beefing up after Brendon McCullum’s retirement. “Henry is a man of very good character. Starting his Test career against Australia was a tough challenge and he is still learning his trade,” Hesson said. “The experience he got here, against this quality of opposition, shows he has got a nice future for us.”Kane Williamson was the only other New Zealand batsman to score a half-century in the series and, with the added responsibility of leadership, can also regard the tour as a success. Hesson was pleased with the start Williamson had as captain. “Kane has done an excellent job. He involves a lot of senior players. It’s a very inclusive style of leadership and it’s one that will help the group grow,” Hesson said. “I am looking forward to seeing how he grows.”The other big positive for New Zealand was the form of Neil Wagner. In 2016, Wagner has taken 27 wickets in five Tests at 18.66 and has made the third seamer’s role his own. “In the last six months since the Test against Australia at the Hagley Oval, he has gone from strength to strength and has established himself as the third seamer,” Hesson said. “He keeps running in and picks up top-order wickets – it’s critical for us.”In Centurion, Wagner was pitted him against his former countrymen on his former home ground. The off-field chatter was dominated by pronunciation of Wagner’s surname and banter over his history with the South African players. Hesson felt Wagner handled the extra needle well. “He is a combative character. That’s a big part of who he is but he plays the game in good spirits. No quarter given and no quarter asked for.”A skill Wagner was not able to demonstrate in South Africa was reverse swing. The Durban Test did not go the distance and the pristine Centurion outfield did not allow the ball to scuff up enough, but this is something he will need to do India. Hesson has identified “reverse swing and spin” as the two major challenges and may be slightly disappointed that neither discipline was developed on this tour.While New Zealand played two spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, in Zimbabwe, there was only space for Santner in South Africa and Mark Craig went completely unused. As a trio, much more will be expected from them on New Zealand’s next assignment “Our spinners have developed really nicely. We have got a talented spin attack; a young spin attack,” Hesson said. “They showed at the World T20 that they can adapt.”

Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed has said that his bowling action did not require a major change after he was suspended by the ICC over it in March this year. Both Taskin and Arafat Sunny, whose actions were found illegal after independent assessments, are likely to have their remodeled actions tested by the ICC in August.Taskin underwent rehabilitation work with BCB coach Mahbub Ali Zaki while also playing in the Dhaka Premier League from April to June. On Sunday, he gave an action test in front of the BCB’s bowling-action review committee who employed six cameras during the session at the National Cricket Academy ground in Mirpur.”I never really needed a major change in my bowling action, because the problem wasn’t that big,” Taskin said. “They found three deliveries faulty out of seven overs.”It feels good that we have such technologies at home now. The test has given me more confidence. I have spoken to a number of experts who said that my bowling action has improved. If I keep going at this rate, I will be ready for the main test soon.”BCB’s Management Information Systems manager Nasir Ahmed said that the committee will analyse the footage which will give them a better picture of Taskin’s improvement.”We have taken his footage in a professional way, for the first time since his rehab began. We will analyse the footage of this test and those from his rehab,” Nasir said. “We will see his progress before sending him for the ICC bowling action test.”We have done the test in 2D camera, but the ICC’s test will be in 3D so it will be hard to be 100% sure about his action. But we can judge how much he has improved and whether he has been able to grasp what he was told to work on.”The BCB had asked the Bangladesh team management to take a decision on Taskin and Sunny, the other Bangladesh bowler who was banned in March.According to BCB sources, national coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes that both bowlers should be sent in August, well in time for the team’s preparation ahead of the England series in October.

Tymal Mills, the Sussex left-arm fast bowler, and Middlesex batsman Dawid Malan have been named in England’s T20 squad to face Sri Lanka next month. Jonny Bairstow has been included for both the ODIs and T20 but there was no place for Stuart Broad.Alex Hales, Joe Root and Moeen Ali were rested for the T20, which takes place at the Ageas Bowl on July 5. There was no place in either squad for Jake Ball, who was part of the Test squad through the series against Sri Lanka.Mills, who was forced to retire from first-class cricket last year after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition, is limited to the four-over workloads of T20 cricket but has the ability to bowl above 90mph. Prior to his diagnosis he was already on England’s radar because of his extreme pace – he was used as a net bowler during the 2013-14 Ashes tour – and continued to be involved in the fast bowling programme during last winter.”The guy can bowl quickly. It’s a shame his back has robbed him of first-class cricket, but he seems to have thrown all his efforts into becoming a really skilful one-day bowler,” Alastair Cook, England’s Test captain, said. “He’s obviously worked on his skills: he can change-up from a 93mph thunderbolt to a slower ball. There’s no substitute for pace. I’ll be very excited to watch him bowl.”In a recent televised T20 Blast match against Somerset, Mills was clocked at 93mph when he gave Chris Gayle a working over before shattering his stumps, and also showed his variety of slower balls he often uses at the death. On Friday he claimed 3 for 15 from his four overs against Kent.Earlier this month he told ESPNcricinfo about his ambitions to be a T20 specialist for England. “In a perfect world I could make a career doing this for a long time. I’ve just got to stay fit,” he said. “Everything I do is aimed at being a top T20 player. I want to play for England even if it’s just in T20 cricket.”Malan was rewarded for impressive form against Pakistan A in the UAE, where he scored 253 runs at 50.60 and a strike rate of 131.77 in the five T20s, alongside 211 runs in four one-day games. He will likely open the innings alongside Jason Roy, with Hales given a brief break after the five-match ODI series. Liam Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder who was part of the World T20 squad but did not make his debut, retained his place.”Tymal Mills has been one of the standout performers with the ball in the NatWest T20 Blast competition this season and deserves his chance,” James Whitaker, the national selector, said. “Dawid Malan has made great strides as an attacking batsman, both with Middlesex and the England Lions. We were particularly impressed with his three fifties during the winter tour of the UAE against Pakistan A.”The 14-man one-day squad had a familiar look except for the enforced absences of Ben Stokes (knee injury), Reece Topley (back injury) and James Taylor. Liam Plunkett, the Yorkshire fast bowler, retained his place with the other pace bowlers being David Willey, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes and Steven Finn. Moeen and Adil Rashid again offer the option of a twin-spin attack.”We have made good progress over the past 12 months in all white ball cricket, which has been very encouraging,” Whitaker said. “The six matches coming up against Sri Lanka will give the players a good test of their credentials. It is important for this group of players to make a mark this summer as we continue to improve ahead of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy tournament this time next year.”ODI squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Chris Jordan, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Vince, David Willey, Chris WoakesT20 squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, James Vince, David Willey

India’s Test captain Virat Kohli has said that his outlook towards fitness changed after IPL 2012, and a healthier body has not only made him a better batsman but also an improved fielder.”Till IPL 2012, I did not focus much on the physical aspect,” he said at a promotional event in Delhi. “I never got into the minute details of fitness, things like what I need to eat from morning to night, how much I need to work out and how much I need to train. After that IPL, I started listening to my body. I made a lifestyle choice. I wanted to explore a new side of my body to take me to the next level because I never wanted to be average. I wanted to best in the world. So I always had that mindset but never had the physical ability.”Kohli cited an example of how improved fitness helped allay fielding apprehensions. “When you become fit, you feel you can do anything,” he said. “I will give you one example. I was never a quick fielder. I was never willing to field in every position. But after becoming fitter, lighter and stronger, I overcame all those doubts I had [about fielding]. Now it [staying fit, eating right] has become second nature to me.”One aspect of his fitness that Kohli has particularly focused on is strength training, which Shankar Basu, the trainer of the Indian team, felt added a new dimension to his batting. “Kohli once said that he has to tweak his game as he cannot hit sixes like others. This IPL, he hit 38 sixes which is the most this season and 15 more than his last season’s tally. There is a definite surge in his power,” Basu, who has also worked with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore, had said in an interview to .”In September we got an assessment of his muscle mass. At the end of the season, we wanted to see if there was a change and what we noticed was his muscle mass had increased dramatically. In the last six months, he has put a lot of time in developing his strength, mass and power.”Having become a “fitness freak”, Kohli hoped his younger colleagues would follow suit. “If you look at some of the statistics [rising health problems in India], it causes fear in your mind,” he said. “So I want to create awareness on fitness, the importance of staying fit and healthy. You would be able to do what you want to do only when you feel fit from inside.”I have never been as fit as I am today. It has worked beautifully for me. It has become a lifestyle choice for me. Even in my off time, I watch what I eat. In fact, I get more excited about fitness, feeling good, being healthy than anything else. That is probably because my body realises that fitness is what I would need after my professional career is done.”

ScorecardHarry Gurney chipped away at Hampshire’s top order, but they retained the edge•Getty Images

In a round of barn-burning finishes, neither side at the Ageas Bowl wanted to be left out.With that in mind, the visitors, taking their lead from Hampshire and their clown car of a physio room, brought some injury news with them this morning. Chris Read was ruled out of taking the field for the remainder of this match, having damaged his hand while batting yesterday evening. While he would eventually recommence his innings when the ninth wicket fell, he spent the remainder of the day with his feet up on the away balcony, watching on as Steven Mullaney took on captaincy duties and Riki Wessels kept wicket.Not wanting to be outdone, Hampshire dropped their own bombshell in the afternoon. Reece Topley, who had been expected to return this week from a hand injury picked up on the first day of the season, is now set for another three months out with a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine. He has still yet to bowl a ball for his new county.It would be easy to caveat this match with a list of those not present, from the enforced to the elated (Jake Ball arrived in Durham this morning). But to do so is to ignore the quality that was on show. Those present have ensured the game has moved on in a manner that suggests neither are as bad as recent results suggest.At the forefront was Harry Gurney. After four wickets in Hampshire’s first innings, which stopped the lower order in its tracks, he did a number on the top order in the second. With an 81-run lead to play with, those at the front were undone by some fine swing bowling. Michael Carberry was exposed outside off stump before a beauty left Liam Dawson’s forward defence hanging and took his off stump for a wander.You would be forgiven for forgetting that Gurney is an international player. Or was. His name rarely comes up in selection debates for either white ball format. Even his worth as a long-form player is often filed over as simply “a left-arm option”. But Gurney’s used to being underrated.Even Nottinghamshire were not totally convinced that he would be a multi-format player for them when he joined from Leicestershire in 2012. Director of cricket Mick Newell admits that the motivation behind signing Gurney was that the left-armer always seemed to do well against Nottinghamshire in limited-overs cricket.His development into a skilled and highly valued part of their bowling cartel has pleasantly surprised many at the club. Deep down, he was confident in his own ability. When another player followed the familiar route from Grace Road to Trent Bridge, Gurney wrote a message in his locker: “If you improve half as much as I have since joining here, you’ll be a helluva player!”Luke Fletcher’s persistence throughout his 13 overs was rewarded with the wickets of Jimmy Adams caught at second slip and then Adam Wheater at mid-on, after the wicketkeeper played what might be one of the worst shots of the season. But both Fletcher and Gurney had to cede to Will Smith and Sean Ervine for the best part of 26 overs, as 78 was put on for the fourth wicket.Smith, captaining in the absence of Test newbie James Vince, displayed the sort of street smarts that saw him regularly bag around 900 runs a season while playing his cricket up at the seamers paradise that is Chester-le-Street. The first time he broke the 1,000 first-class runs mark was his first summer at the Ageas Bowl.His first half-century of the season, which came from 141 balls, was patient yet he kept the score ticking along. He ensured he presented a straight bat, while also getting down on one knee to lap Samit Patel over his shoulder. Everything in moderation – including moderation.Patel would get his share, though: a double-wicket maiden accounting for Smith, caught at midwicket, and Tino Best lbw for a pair. Ryan McLaren’s reverse sweeps, while a strong quiz team name, also helped Hampshire bring up a lead of 270 as the day drew to a close.Hampshire may already have enough. Mason Crane, the 19-year-old leg spinner, impressed with three wickets earlier in the day when he pitched the ball on a length that forced batsmen to play. He kept tabs on Dan Christian who tried to hit him out of the park but could only play onto his stumps. Brett Hutton, replacing Jake Ball in the match, swiped across the line only to find Adams at square leg, before Fletcher went for a heave and missed completely.It was only Wessels who had something to cheer for Nottinghamshire with the bat: a measured 72 from 159 balls adding some worth to an innings that always looked like coming up short. The final throes of the reply saw Gurney cart Dawson for two sixes down the ground before he lost his middle stump to Best.The pitch, for all its wear and turn, is still rewarding composure at the crease. Hampshire have just two wickets left and Nottinghamshire will be going to bed tonight thinking a chase of around 300 would be better than they expected.If the final day’s play is half as intriguing as this, we are in for a helluva finish.