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Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board(ECB) have reached agreement for the staging of One-Day Internationals andTest Matches at Trent Bridge from 2003 to 2011.In 2003, Trent Bridge will host the opening match of the NatWest Seriesbetween England and Zimbabwe on Thursday 26 June. This will be followed later in the summer when England return for the third npower Test Match versus South Africa from 14-18 August.In 2002, Trent Bridge had capacity crowds for the NatWest Series match between England and Sri Lanka, and for three days of the second npower Test Match versus India. This clearly demonstrates the demand for cricket in the East Midlands.Nottinghamshire CCC Chief Executive David Collier commented:”Since 1998, Nottinghamshire CCC has invested more than £10m in developingTrent Bridge. This long term Staging Agreement provides the security ofregular international cricket at Trent Bridge which is required to fund theexisting and possible new developments at the ground. We are delightedTrent Bridge is the first Test Match Ground to sign a long term agreementwith the ECB and that cricket fans in the East Midlands can look forward toannual international cricket through to 2011.”Following today’s announcement Nottinghamshire CCC will be selling ticketsto its members from 23 September, and to the general public from 7 Octoberfor next year’s international matches at Trent Bridge.ECB Chief Executive Tim Lamb said, “I’m very pleased that the ECB hasreached agreement with Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club about the stagingof future international matches at Trent Bridge. This longer term agreementwill give Notts the certainty of international cricket until 2011 and enablethe club to continue developing the already-impressive facilities at theground.”For further information contact:
John Read, ECB Director of Corporate Affairs on 07774 476 391
David Collier, Notts CCC Chief Executive on 07768 558 130

At the end of a season of ups and downs, it was a blend of the old and the new which won the honours for Tasmania on the first day of this Pura Cup match againstSouth Australia at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. Continuing a spectacular late season rally, the Tigers were in command from close to the outset of the day’s play,opener Jamie Cox (102) and Shane Watson (87*) sealing that dominance on the way to a score of 4/268 by stumps.Now 31, Cox has been the heart and soul of Tasmania’s batting line-up for years. At 19, former Queenslander Watson – reportedly just days away from signing a newcontract with his adopted state – represents a great hope for its long-term future. The pair played different types of innings but equally effective ones.Against a bowling attack that struggled to vindicate the wisdom of captain Greg Blewett’s decision to invite the Tasmanians to bat first, there were just the four badmoments for the locals today. And two of them came in the one over as Dene Hills (50) unwisely padded up and then Michael DiVenuto (0) played across the line atdeliveries moved back into them by medium pacer Mike Smith (3/62).Save for the efforts of Smith – who upstaged his teammates by revealing that the maintenance of consistent line and length from the attack as a whole might havebrought with it a substantially better outcome – it was a lacklustre display from South Australia. Young paceman Paul Rofe (0/63) also strove valiantly but the task ofdisrupting the Tasmanians’ progress proved more difficult for the likes of Mark Harrity (1/57) and Peter McIntyre (0/41). There was significant assistance in the pitch for the Redbacks for much of the day but they struggled to exploit it.In contrast to Cox, who took as many as ninety-seven minutes and used up as many as eighty deliveries to push his score into double figures, Watson was not socontent to afford the bowlers respect. From early on, he was confident, a trait underlined by assertive footwork and decisive strokeplay. Predictions about anynineteen year old’s future in the game can become odious but it already seems fair to say that this one has the stamp of something special about him.There was glorious cutting, superb straight driving, and skilled placement. He even joined in on the increasingly familiar Tasmanian practice of landing a ball in thescorers’ box by crashing a pull stroke through a window beyond the square leg boundary. At 62 (a score which had already given him his third half century in thespace of four first-class innings) came his only real moment of anxiety as he survived an imploring caught behind appeal from Harrity.Cox was significantly more scratchy. But, in mitigation, he had to endure a particularly difficult period through the early part of the day as the ball swung, seamed andcame through to wicketkeeper Graham Manou at variable heights. He played and missed several times and was given a life with his score at two when he drove aRofe delivery straight into and out of the hands of silly mid off.Hills (on 20) was also offered an early reprieve when second slip fieldsman Shane Deitz grassed a catch at ankle height after a delivery from Harrity had been outside edged. It proved a costly miss, the Tasmanian openers proceeding to add 106 runs for the first wicket before Smith finally struck.Faced with bowling that was often too short or wayward in direction, the Tasmanians started the day by refusing to be drawn into playing at wide deliveries and byshowing themselves to be content merely to defend anything on line. It was only once Watson established himself at the wicket that the rate of scoring took the rightsort of incline to truly please the smattering of spectators.Given that both sides are missing their international players; that others are injured; and that the loser of this match is likely to end with the wooden spoon, theprecursors for excitement were hardly in place as the day’s play began. Even under glorious blue skies, the first two hours did little to shake that belief. But those whostayed away ultimately missed the chance to witness some excellent cricket. They also surrendered the opportunity to feast their eyes on one man who continues to beone of the most skilled modern-day practitioners in Australian domestic cricket and a teenager who is likely to become another of its elite.

I had the privilege to see much of Ben Hollioake’s cricket over recent summers at the Oval and other grounds. It was a frequently frustrating experience, for him probably more than others, as he struggled to nail down the form that saw him explode onto the cricket world with his mesmerising strokeplay in the 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup final, and again with his 63 against the Australians that summer.It was as though he had too much talent, and for the next three summers he battled to hone both his own ability and the final finishing skills of the game he loved to play. There were superb spells of bowling and dazzling cameos with the bat, and there was always his electric fielding, but never the coming together of brilliance and focus to fulfil the potential that those around him knew he possessed. At times, even his big-hearted character couldn’t hide how much the disappointments hurt.In the 2001 season, though, it seemed that his work was beginning to pay the dividends that it deserved. He seemed far more able to concentrate in the nets, and at the crease – in a season when Surrey barely turned up for the National League – his fluid strokeplay and increasingly effective one-day bowling came close to keeping the county in the first division almost unaided. As in 1997, he set the Benson & Hedges Cup alight. His wickets against Hampshire, 50 against Kent in the group stage, and a scintillating 39 not out as Surrey built their total of 361 against Notts in the semi-final were just the appetisers.That victory set up another date at Lord’s, where his brother Adam had taken a gamble on the strength of the side’s batting and opted to bat on a dark, grey morning, Ben came to the crease with the score on 118 for five after a flurry of wickets had fallen. Before the big crowd he did that of which he was capable.Responding to the still-swinging ball with equanimity, and answering the sledging with a smile and a dreamily struck boundary, he took the game away from Gloucestershire and deservedly earned the Man-of-the-Match award for the second time in his two final appearances.His one-day heroics saw him return to the England fold, for which his ability undoubtedly qualified him. In a difficult competition for England against the two strongest sides in the world, he produced some exceptional individual performances. But probably the most significant moment came against Yorkshire in the penultimate game of the season when, in company with Mark Ramprakash, he scored his maiden first-class century. His timing and forcefulness were such that everyone in the ground felt certain that the long-awaited achievement would be the first of many.When rumours that Ben might be leaving Surrey for another county circulated, there was one central feature to conversations among the county’s fans. The Oval would not be the same without him; his ready smile and the sparklehe brought to the game would be much missed. Although he did not live to fulfil his potential, he had rare and special qualities in a sportsman. He was liquid in his skill, unfailingly charming and utterly full of life. He played the gamein a way that sent children scurrying to find a bat and ball.

Tamim Iqbal has said that he has not yet been paid by Chittagong Kings for the first season of the Bangladesh Premier League. Tamim also said the franchise’s owner and chief executive, Sameer Quader Chowdhury, asked him to tell the BPL governing council that he had been paid, though the franchise denied that claim. The BPL confirmed Tamim was the only unpaid Kings’ player after the league’s first season.”I couldn’t play many of the BPL matches, so I told him [Chowdhury] let’s sit and decide a figure, which came to Taka 1 crore ($123,000), but I still haven’t received a single taka,” Tamim told the Bengali newspaper . “Samir Quader Chowdhury gave me a check worth Taka 1 crore six or seven months ago, but it bounced. Since then he has given me dates but has never kept the commitment.”According to the initial BPL ruling, which asked franchises to pay its icon players 10% more than its highest-paid player, Tamim was supposed to receive $210,000 (Tk 1.7 crore approximately) as Chittagong’s icon. Chowdhury, however, insisted the BPL governing council had changed the payment structure. The bounced cheque, he said, in fact had been stopped.”We gave him the cheque a long time ago but we had stopped it because we found out that the payment for the icon players had been reduced to $100,000, which amounts to approximately Tk 80 lakh, and after 10% tax deduction it ends up as Tk 72 lakh,” Chowdhury said. “We asked the board how much we should pay Tamim, but we haven’t heard back from them. We asked them to take the fact that he played only two matches into consideration too. Unless they tell us, we can’t pay him.”BCB director Sirajuddin Mohammad Alamgir, the secretary of the BPL governing council, said the league had asked the franchises to decide after discussion with individual players, on a case-by-case basis, as to what the icon salary should be pegged at.”All the other franchises have spoken to their icon players and I expect it to end amicably with Tamim and Chittagong as well,” Alamgir said. “He is the only unpaid player in their franchise and I expect it to be completed before the October 20 deadline, when the teams have to complete all payments.”Tamim also said he was asked to misinform the BPL about his payments. “Sameer [Quader Chowdhury] asked me to tell the board that I got my full payment, but I didn’t. I informed the BPL governing council of what he asked me to do, though I didn’t lodge a complaint. I didn’t want to ruin my relationship with Sameer but now, after so long, I have no other options [but to tell the media].”Chowdhury denied the claim, saying, “If that was true, why would I ask the board how much we should pay him?”This is the latest episode in the fractious relationship between Tamim and the Chittagong franchise. After missing four BPL games due to a groin injury, Tamim was reportedly kept sidelined after a bust-up with Dean Jones, the team’s technical director at the time. It escalated when he was left out of the team’s first home game, though his name was initially in the playing eleven and later cut out. Jones soon left for India and Tamim played the following match. Both parties denied any problems at the time.

Mumbai were held to a draw by Gujarat in the West Zone Under-14 match atthe Elf Vengsarkar ground in Mumbai on Wednesday. The hosts bagged fivepoints for the first innings lead while the visitors went home with threepoints in the kitty.On Monday, Gujarat skipper Rajdeep Darbar won the toss and decided toparade his side’s batting skills. They did well to score 308 all out in102.4 overs. Healthy contributions from the lower order helped Gujaratreach the 300 run mark. Wicketkeeper Kuldeep Gadhavi topscored with 61 off82 balls with 12 hits to the fence. Vinay Panchal returned unbeaten on 53off 90 balls with seven hits to the fence. The skipper chipped in with 49off 77 balls with 11 hits to the fence. Skipper Shoeb Shaikh bagged fivefor 63 with his medium pacers.In reply, the hosts rattled up 430 in 106 overs before being dismissed.Prashant Naik made a fluent century as the innings revolved around him. He was dismissed for 103 off 204 balls with 13 hits to the fence. Shoeb Shaikh chipped in with a breezy 78 off 81 balls with seven hits to the fence. The highlight of the innings was a 139-run partnership for the fifth wicket off 34 overs between Naik and Shaikh. The Mumbai innings had as many as four run outs.The visitors batted to their hearts content in their second essay. OpenerSunny Patel scored 109 off 124 balls with 17 boundaries. Mrunal Patel remained unbeaten on 71 off 156 balls with 12 hits to the fence. Gujarat ended the day on 225 for three off 67 overs, thus earning a honourable draw.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIan Bell played some elegant stokes to steer England’s path to victory•PA Photos

Stumped Kieswetter bowled Tredwell is hardly the commonest entry on England scorecards, but it dominated proceedings at Lord’s as England took a 2-1 lead against South Africa in the NatWest series with one to play and as a result ensured they would complete the series at the top of the ODI rankings. India will have the opportunity to claim that status when they face England in January.Three times, James Tredwell lured a South Africa batsman down the pitch and three times Craig Kieswetter completed a stumping. It was the first time an England wicketkeeper had pulled off three stumpings in a one-day international and it set them en route to a comprehensive six-wicket victory with 20 balls to spare.Ian Bell, with 88 from 137 balls, ensured England’s run chase would stay on course, a task not entirely straightforward with the floodlights piercing the gloom and mizzle causing a 20-minute stoppage. He fell with victory in sight, making room to cut Dale Steyn, South Africa’s one bowler of menace, over the off side and edging to the wicketkeeper, his man-of-the-match award assured. Craig Kieswetter completed victory to cheers by depositing Steyn fox six into the pavilion.Bell’s Warwickshire team mate, Jonathan Trott offered, grim, indeed grimacing, support, in a second-wicket stand of 141 in 31 overs, batting on gamely for 48 after being struck on the hand during a fiery opening spell from Steyn, who also removed Alastair Cook lbw in his first over with a high-class inswinger. Trott, not as much as a Bear with a sore head as a Bear with a sore hand, will have a hospital scan on Monday morning.Trott took a blow on the hand in Steyn’s third over and needed pain-killing spray and tablets as he batted on manfully in obvious discomfort. One uppercut over point off Tsotsobe Lonwabo was followed by a curse at the discomfort and he settled for wise deflections thereafter. Not that it would have unduly bothered him.Like Trott, Tredwell is a representative of an unglamorous species. His very appearance, unassuming in manner, deliberate in tread and economical of hair, accentuates the impression. He does not even deal in Graeme Swann’s happy brand of kidology. But South Africa will give more attention to this thoughtful Kent cricketer after his figures of 3 for 34 gave England an advantage they never relinquished.It was an influential toss for England to win on a murky, overcast September morning. Their catching and fielding was again sketchy, but at least the Tredwell/Kieswetter combination was working well. JP Duminy, who had looked fallible against Swann’s off spin earlier in the summer, was the first batsman removed, in Tredwell’s second over. Then he returned in his second spell to defeat de Villiers’ expansive drive and extended the habit by finding appreciable turn past Wayne Parnell’s outside edge.Tredwell’s success transformed his morning. He has the convivial air of a suburban doctor and any self-diagnosis changed from feeling decidedly poorly to tip-top condition. He began by dropping Hashim Amla at second slip, not a habit designed to make winning cricket matches any easier. Amla had 5 when Finn found the edge and Tredwell, fingers pointing downwards as the ball reached him at shoulder height, fumbled a chance he made more awkward than it might have been. England have been dropping Amla throughout the summer and have given him more than 500 additional runs since the start of the Test series. Here they also lose their review in attempting to have an lbw call overturned.Ravi Bopara, who was unfortunate not to have Amla lbw, belatedly removed him for 45, seaming the ball back a little into the stumps as he defeated a loose drive. It was the sort of classically English late-season day when Bopara’s wobbly medium pace had an influential role to play. But Bopara’s batting was again found wanting, an unfocused innings ending cheaply when Ryan McLaren defeated a lethargic drive.Tredwell, the latest addition to a rickety England close-catching cordon, also missed Graeme Smith at slip off Finn when Kieswetter dived across him and unsettled his view, the ball striking him on the body; they were a happier couple when they were a length of the pitch apart. Smith’s reprieve was not too costly for England as Dernbach surprised him with a bouncer which he top-edged through to the keeper.Once he and Amla departed, many who followed lacked the same threat. De Villiers, with 39 from 45 balls, got himself into a position to play a decisive innings before Tredwell pushed one a little wider for the stumping, but Faf du Plessis is horribly out of form as he proved when he unwisely tried to run a ball from Bopara against the Lord’s slope.Elgar is another South Africa batsman who has been inhibited in English conditions. His 35 occupied 59 balls before he tried to pull Finn’s slower-ball bouncer and gloved to the keeper. Ryan McLaren was run out the next ball, Finn’s disappointment when a good appeal for lbw was refused turning to delight when Dernbach dashed around the boundary at third man and hit the stumps direct.That South Africa made as many as they did was largely thanks to a highly-imaginative unbeaten 31 from 20 balls by Robin Peterson, the highlight of which was a reverse hit over extra cover for six into the Grandstand. But South Africa’s one-day side lacks the balance and certainty that the Test XI displayed so emphatically.

Group I
Peshawar Panthers produced a collective batting effort to successfully chase Bahawalpur Stags‘ 230 for 7 with five wickets in hand and 39 balls to spare. Adil Amin top scored for Peshawar with 59, and most of their other batsmen contributed useful and brisk performances, ensuring wickets did not fall in a heap and the asking rate was always under control. Their captain Jamaluddin made 43 off only 30 balls. Peshawar’s bowlers had been incisive after they chose to bowl, dismissing the top three Bahawalpur batsmen in single figures to reduce them to 15 for 3. Rehan Rafiq made 80 and the captain Imranullah Aslam made 53 to lift Bahwalpur to 230. Azam Khan took 4 for 20 and Jibran Khan took 3 for 44 for Peshawar.Wicketkeeper-batsman Yousuf Ali smashed a 42-ball 64 on his List A debut as Lahore Eagles beat Abbottabad Falcons by one wicket at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The left-handed Yousuf walked in at number seven and struck 10 fours and a six as his team pursued a target of 268 from 45 overs. But the game seemed to have slipped out of Lahore Eagles’ grasp when they slid to 250 for 9. Qaiser Ashraf and Ali Manzoor, however, saw them home with an unbroken 19-run last-wicket partnership.Ashraf had taken three wickets with his left-arm spin as Abbottabad Falcons won the toss and posted 267 for 8. It was a good game for wicketkeepers, with Abbottabad Falcons’ Rehan Afridi scoring 80 in just 48 balls – his maiden List A half-century – to make good the platform laid by opener Mohammad Asghar, who had made 71.Group II
The Karachi Dolphins bowlers defended a low score to beat Faisalabad Wolves by 50 runs at the National Stadium. Defending 153, Karachi reduced Faisalabad to 10 for 4, a setback from which they never recovered. Faisalabad were dismissed for 103 in 33.1 overs, with Khurram Shahzad taking 4 for 20. Mir Hamza and Shahzaib Ahmed took two wickets each. Faisalabad’s bowlers had also been effective after they won the toss, dismissing Karachi for 153 in 37.3 overs. Saad Ali was the top-scorer with 46. Naseer Akram, Shehroz Raza and Imran Ahmed took two wickets each for Faisalabad.A disciplined bowling performance by Islamabad Leopards helped secure a 113-run lead over Multan Tigers in Karachi. Islamabad batted first, with contributions from Ali Sarfraz (66), Faizan Riaz (50) leading the way as they racked up 256 for 9 at the end of their quota of overs. Mohammad Waris was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 46. The Multan reply started abjectly as the top and middle order were quickly reduced to 23 for 4. Seamers Shehzad Azam, Hamza Nadeem and Kamran Hussain took eight wickets between them as Multan could not build regular partnerships. The captan, Kashif Naved, struck a 39-ball 55, but didn’t get support from the lower order as Multan were bundled for 143.Lahore Lions‘ batsmen produced a power-packed performance to beat Hyderabad Hawks by 44 runs. Umar Siddiq top-scored for Lahore with 74, but it was the fast cameos from Agha Salman, Kashif Masood and Mohammad Ifran that led them to 281 for 6. Hyderabad’s top order made a steady start to the chase, with Shoaib Laghari top-scoring at No. 5 with 94 off 81 balls, but the lower order fell away. Usman Malik and Mohammad Irfan took three wickets each to dismiss Hyderabad for 237 in 44.4 overs.

Match facts

Thursday, November 21, 2013
Start time 1900 local (1330 GMT)The first T20 was another soggy affair•AFP

Big Picture

Fans who have followed this series so far may want to sit down before reading the following sentence: rain is not expected to affect the second Twenty20.By even Sri Lankan monsoon standards, New Zealand’s tour has been a miserably soggy one. Fewer than half the scheduled overs have been played, and two of the four matches were washed out. Even the games that produced results did not avoid controversy. Sri Lanka were hampered by a wet ball in their loss in Hambantota, and a irrepressible Nathan McCullum was denied the chance to chase unlikely victory by bad light, in Dambulla.So in many ways, the whole tour rests on this final match – as long as the weather forecast proves accurate. If Sri Lanka win it, they can claim to have had the better of their opposition, as they were expected to do. A New Zealand victory, meanwhile, will be a coup, and a substantial boost to their confidence ahead of their next subcontinent assignment: the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, four months hence.The thorniest of the visitors’ obstacles is perhaps Sri Lanka’s bowling. Almost every member of the hosts’ attack feels comfortable at Pallekele, and they have won all but one of their seven completed matches at the venue. In that time, Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis have taken five-wicket hauls, and Nuwan Kulasekara has carved out a bowling average better than his overall figures.New Zealand will hope, though, that their own attack, which possesses the type of seam bowlers who have done well at Pallekele, can get through a daunting top four and into that less steady middle order. It is what they have talked about doing all tour, a plan that they have found difficult to put in practice, as many other sides have, in the recent past.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: WLLWW
New Zealand: WWLWL

In the spotlight

Before the second match, New Zealand’s acting captain talked of Ajantha Mendis as a particular threat to the inexperienced batsmen who have not seen him before. Although New Zealand are sure to have watched plenty of Mendis video in their preparation, in the past, Mendis’ threat has only ever been dulled by actually having played him in a match. Almost pigeonholed as a Twenty20 player now, Mendis remains one of the best bowlers in the format, but he will want to impose himself again, with competition for spin bowlers’ places in the team having heated up.Terrific when he’s good, but pretty poor on a bad day, Mitchell McClenaghan has done little to allay the notion that left-armers named Mitch are not pillars of consistency. He had a forgettable tour of Bangladesh, where he was expensive in every match, and was perhaps the worst of the New Zealand bowlers in the first ODI in Sri Lanka as well. After being dropped for the second ODI, though, he came back with what Mills said was his best performance of the tour, in Dambulla, taking 2 for 34 in seven overs. If he can keep that form up, he may be one of his side’s best assets on one of the most seam-friendly surfaces in the subcontinent.

Team news

It is unlikely Sri Lanka will try anything fancy in this match, and will instead play its best XI, with eyes on that trophy. The major question is whether Kusal Perera will get a match, which Dinesh Chandimal suggested he is likely to do. If he does not play, Mahela Jayawardene is likely to open the innings and Lahiru Thirimanne will remain in the middle order.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera/Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5. Angelo Mathews, 6. Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Nuwan Kulasekara, 9. Sachithra Senanayake, 10. Lasith Malinga, 11. Ajantha MendisAn injury to allrounder James Neesham’s finger means he is ruled out of this match, which may clear the path for fast bowler Adam Milne’s return. Anton Devcich has not fired with the bat this tour, and Hamish Rutherford will be pushing for a place again, while Neil Broom will likely replace Rob Nicol in the top order.New Zealand (probable): 1 Anton Devcich/Hamish Rutherford, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Neil Broom, 4 Grant Elliott, 5 Colin Munro, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 James Neesham, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Andrew Ellis, 10 Kyle Mills (capt), 11 Mitchell McClenaghan

Pitch and conditions

The Pallekele pitch has tended to provide assistance to seam bowling under lights, though it has also been a happy venue for spinners. There is a small chance of afternoon rain, which may mean the covers stay on during the day, which in turn may provide yet more assistance to the quick men.

Stats and trivia

• Of New Zealand’s last five scheduled Twenty20s in Pallekele, they have lost one, tied two (both of which they lost in the Super Over) and had two abandoned due to rain
• In six innings, Mahela Jayawardene has hit the most runs in Pallekele, making 274 at 54.80, with a strike rate of 133

Quotes

“Kusal Perera is immensely talented. He can win a game on his own, but he needs to get more experience. He had done well in domestic cricket and for the A team. If he is up there when we get closer to the World T20, he will be on one of our key match-winners.”

“Mendis is a quality player. We expected him to play in the one-day series, so we did a bit of research and scouting – especially for the new guys that haven’t seen him before. We’re anticipating he’ll play on Thursday night.”

Political rivalry spilled over to the field of play in Himachal Pradesh, resulting in the first two sessions of the home team’s Ranji Trophy Group C opener against Goa not happening at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.Following BCCI intervention, the stadium was made available to HPCA in the afternoon and the match began only after tea. The officials decided to add an extra hour’s play every day in order to make up for lost time. However, with the sun setting early in the hill town, the lost time may adversely impact either team.Both the teams woke up to the news of the HPCA stadium having been seized by the state government. It emerged that in a sudden move, the state ministers’ cabinet had reportedly decided to cancel the lease of lands allotted to HPCA, headed by Anurag Thakur, a member of parliament fromopposition party who is also a son of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.”We were surprised to know that around midnight, the state government officials had taken over all the properties of the HPCA. They seized all our properties without serving us any notice, so the match couldn’t start on time,” Vishal Marwaha, HPCA secretary, told ESPNcricinfo.While the teams awaited an official word, Thakur, also a BCCI joint-secretary, swung into action. Eventually, the cabinet decision was put on hold for a while. “We [BCCI] held discussions with the concerned ministers in the Himachal Pradesh state government and sorted out the problems. We have been assured that no other match will be affected in Dharamsala till the end of the season,” Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI general manager – game development, said.HPCA and the state government have been at loggerheads for a while, since it had been noticed that the association was registered as a company – as opposed to a trust, as it was earlier – after Thakur took charge. Besides, the state government has alleged that the five-star hotel constructed by HPCA close to the stadium has flouted norms. According to PTI, chief minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday demanded a fresh election at HPCA, accusing HPCA having become Dhumal’s family concern.

Newly-promoted side Kalabagan Cricket Academy stunned 17-time champions Abahani Limited with an eight-wicket victory in the Dhaka Premier League. KCA now have two wins under their belt, and have skipped over Abahani who have lost their last three matches.Set 189 to win after overnight rain delayed the start and reduced the match to a 34-overs-a-side affair, KCA got off to a poor start. Vusi Sibanda fell in the fifth over but thereafter, Hamilton Masakadza and Mizanur Rahman took charge. They added 166 runs in the next 25 overs, putting their side firmly in control of proceedings.Mizanur made 91 off 94 balls with seven fours and two sixes, while Masakadza remained unbeaten on a 72-ball 85 with eight fours and two sixes. Abahani’s bowling was insipid, with only Al-Amin Hossain and Nabil Samad picking up a wicket each.Earlier, 17-year-old batsman Mosaddek Hossain continued his good form with another half-century, which once again rescued Abahani from an ordinary start. He made 62 while Thilina Kandamby smashed two sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 38-ball 53. It was supposed to demoralise KCA, but the exact opposite happened.Another Dhaka giant, Mohammedan Sporting Club were beaten by a whopping 239 runs by Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. It is the biggest margin of victory in Bangladesh’s List A cricket, besting Pakistan’s 233-run victory over Bangladesh in 2000.Mohammedan were bowled out for just 67 runs in the 23rd over, after being set 307 to win. Dhanmondi’s Elton Chigumbura took four wickets in a 2.4-over spell while Elias Sunny grabbed two. Mohammedan’s procession began in the tenth over, when an in-form Shamsur Rahman was caught behind off Abdur Razzak. From 42 for 2, they lost their last eight wickets for just 24 runs.Dhanmondi set up the massive target thanks to Afghanistan allrounder Gulbadin Naib’s whirlwind, unbeaten 93 off 54 balls. He smashed seven sixes and six fours, entertaining a small crowd that turned up at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Dilshan Munaweera and captain Mushfiqur Rahim also chipped in with half-centuries. For Mohammedan, Ajantha Mendis picked up three wickets for 55 runs.At Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Brothers Union eased to an eight-wicket win over Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity. Batting first, Khelagar were bowled out for 102 runs in 33.4 overs. Angelo Mathews took three wickets while Sachithra Senanayake picked up two with the new ball. The Sri Lanka captain took charge of the chase as well, scoring a run-a-ball unbeaten 51, to secure the win in the 25th over.