Chelsea travelled to St James Park on Saturday lunchtime to face Newcastle United, and came away with a point to show for it. The West Londoners played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Eddie Howe’s men, showing good character to earn a point despite being 2-0 down at half-time.

It was a tough start to the game for the reigning Club World Cup champions. Nick Woltemade scored twice inside the first 20 minutes, and it certainly felt like both goals could have been prevented. The first came from some sloppy defending, and the second was a well-worked free kick.

After a disappointing first 45 minutes, Enzo Maresca’s side came back out for the second half and dominated Newcastle for most of it. They had nine shots in the second period and scored twice. The first was a wonderful free-kick from captain Reece James in the 49th minute.

Chelsea’s equaliser came from Joao Pedro with just under 25 minutes to go. It was an intelligent piece of work from the Brazilian, who turned Malick Thiaw with a clever header, before keeping his composure in the one-on-one against Aaron Ramsdale and scoring.

The Blues couldn’t find a winner, but a point away to Newcastle from 2-0 down is still impressive. It was also another step closer to Cole Palmer’s full return.

How Palmer fared against Newcastle

With each passing game, Chelsea star Palmer gets closer to full fitness. Last weekend, he scored for the first time since his return and started a second consecutive Premier League game, on what was an overcast Saturday lunchtime at St James’ Park.

It was certainly not the easiest game against the Magpies for Palmer. His side were outplayed in the first half, and he struggled for much involvement, through no fault of his own. His second-half showing was better, with more involvement, but he was certainly not at his best.

That was noted by Bobby Vincent, senior Chelsea writer for Football London. He gave the England star a 5/10 rating for his efforts, and described it as a “frustrating” afternoon’s work for Palmer.

Indeed, the stats somewhat show that he was not at his fluid best in the North East. Palmer only had 49 touches, a lower number than you may expect in 79 minutes. He still created a chance and made four recoveries.

Palmer will certainly get back to his best before long. However, he was outshone against Newcastle by a Chelsea teammate who was excellent.

Chelsea’s standout player at St James’ Park

It was not Palmer’s finest performance, but when they needed him most, club captain Reece James stood up for the count. Playing in midfield before moving to full-back later in the game, the Englishman had some standout moments across the 90 minutes.

Of course, his free kick, which started the comeback, was a pivotal contribution. The Blues skipper was a good 25 yards away from goal, but lifted his strike over the Newcastle wall, before it crashed in off the woodwork.

His work was not done there, though. At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea’s number 24 made a goal-saving tackle on Harvey Barnes. The winger had been slipped through and seemed certain to score, but James came out of nowhere to slide in and dispossess him.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Chelsea insights Explore deeper Chelsea match analysis: subscribe to the newsletter for player ratings, tactical breakdowns and stat-driven takes on performances like Reece James’ impact and Cole Palmer’s return, giving you clearer understanding of the club’s form. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Chelsea insights Explore deeper Chelsea match analysis: subscribe to the newsletter for player ratings, tactical breakdowns and stat-driven takes on performances like Reece James’ impact and Cole Palmer’s return, giving you clearer understanding of the club’s form.

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Such a wonderful performance earned an 8/10 rating from Vincent. The numbers back up such a high rating, with James having 64 touches of the ball, winning 100% of his tackles, and completing 84% of his passes.

James key stats vs. Newcastle

Stat

Number

Touches

64

Pass accuracy

84%

Passes completed

41/49

Duels won

3

Tackles won

2/2

Goals

1

Stats from Sofascore

It would not be too far-fetched to suggest that the Cobham academy graduate is Chelsea’s best player. Of course, you have the likes of Palmer in Maresca’s squad, but James is incredibly versatile, exceptional on the ball, and a true leader, offering quality at both ends of the pitch.

His goal-saving tackle and his free-kick were essentially worth two goals, which shows how he can influence matches with vital moments at both ends, something that Palmer cannot do as an attacking player.

As football content creator Lyes Bouzidi said, the 26-year-old is “out of this world.” He offers so much to the Chelsea side and is a key player for a multitude of reasons. James could be considered their best player, especially after his all-round contributions against the Magpies.

Related Chelsea's "terrible" signing has been an even bigger waste than Gittens

Chelsea have a player who has massively struggled to prove his worth at Stamford Bridge.

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The hard-hitting opening batsmen Gunawardane scored his first one-day century as the favorites Sri Lanka, batting first, piled up 287 for 6 to beat the West Indies by a margin of 108 runs in the pre-quarterfinal of the ICC KnockOut.The West Indies lost an early advantage they had gained by getting two best Sri Lankan batsmen, Jaysuria and Atapattu, out with the total at 10. This loss of advantage was mainly due to the inexperience found in the Caribbean bowling because of the absence of Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose in the side.After Mervyn Dillon had gotten rid of both the Lankan skipper and his reliable deputy in his 3rd over, things looked gloomy for the Sri Lankans. However, with the introduction of medium pacers, Kerry Jeremy and Laurie Williams-both debutantes, the goings changed remarkably in favor of Sri Lanka. It was during this period that the two batsmen at the crease, the hard-hitting left handed opener Gunawardane and Jayawardane, did not only make amends for the early setback by batting watchfully but also found some boundaries as well. Although Williams was quite tidy in his opening spell, Jeremy was wayward in his line and length as he gave away 24 runs in his first two overs.Cautious at first, the two batsmen soon opened up their shoulders and runs began to flow freely. It was at this juncture that the stand-in captain Sherwin Campbell brought on his spinners. But this move also didn’t pay off as the Sri Lankan batsmen played their shots with command and authority. The stylish Jayawardane was particularly harsh on the leg-spinner, Nagamootoo and the debutante off-spinner, Marlon Samuel. The acceleration shown by the Sri Lankan batsmen at this stage is evident from the fact that whereas the first fifty was reached in 13.1 overs, the next one took less than nine overs to complete.Jayawardane reached his fifty ahead of his partner, taking just 52 balls for that. Gunawardane achieved the same feat in 65 balls. However, the latter cut loose at this stage and scored at a brisk pace. The marathon partnership between Jayawardane and Gonawardane had reached 160 when the former was caught by Courtney Brown off the bowling of Jeremy for 72 scored from 71 balls. The next batsman Sangakarra had but a brief stay at the crease as he was run out in a most unfortunate manner. The ball delivered by Jeremy was hit with brute force back to the bowler. The catch, to the relief of the batsmen at the batting crease, was dropped but the ball rolled on to the stumps at the bowling end only to find Sangakarra out of his crease.Russell Arnold was next to come and he continued the good work, which was temporarily hampered by the fall of two quick wickets. He and Gunawardane added more than fifty runs for the 5th wicket and that too in a very short time. Arnold made quick 41 before he was played on off the bowling of Mclean. Gunawardane, in the meanwhile, completed his first hundred in 125 balls, studded with 14 hits to the boundary. Although, he was dropped three times during the innings, twice in one over of Dillon, and also caught off a no-ball, yet credit must go to him for the way he controlled his innings with caution as well as aggression after the early fall of two important wickets. Another important fact about his innings is that he did not lose his concentration even after getting to his ton, although he seemed visibly tired. When, at last, he was out, bowled round his legs by Mclean, the Sri Lankan score was well past the 250 mark. He made 132 with the help of 19 fours. The experienced Kaluwidharna collected a few boundaries in the end of the innings to post an imposing total of 287 in the allotted 50 overs.The West Indian bowling lacked experience as they conceded too many boundaries during the innings by straying from the line. However, blame also falls on the poor display of fielding by the Caribbeans as they let off three chances of catches and, at least, as many opportunities of run outs. Mervyn Dillon was the most successful bowler picking 2 for 46, followed by Mclean who took 2 for 56. The young seamer, Kerry Jeremy, took one wicket for 54 on his debut.The West Indian openers started the proceedings with aggression-Courtney Brown hitting a huge six in the second over and Campbell executing some beautifully timed square-cuts to the boundary. However, the fall of Brown’s wickets at the total of 35 in the 6th over triggered a mini-collapse as 4 wickets fell in the space of 6 runs, including the prize wicket of Brian Lara. The main damage was done by the left arm pace bowler Zoysa who took the wickets of Brown and Lara in the space of two overs to leave the Windies staggering at 4 for 41.The West Indies had lost six wickets for just 85 on the board. A partnership of 74 between Nagamootoo and Williams brought some respectability to their total. Williams became the highest scorer for the West Indies making 41; Nagamootoo got 33. The West Indian tail had a daunting task to achieve?requiring 120 in the last 8 overs. However, they had no answer to the tidy bowling of their rivals. They were all out for paltry 179 in 46.4 overs, thus, conceding the match by 108 runs.Zoysa was the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 3 wickets for 34. Wickramasinghe and Jayasuria took 2 wickets each for 37 and 30 runs, respectively. Russell Arnold took one for 29, while the remaining two batsmen were run out.Sri Lanka now meets Pakistan in the quarterfinal on Sunday. The winner of this match will meet either New Zealand or Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the competition.

ScorecardRichard Levi lets fly during his unbeaten innings•Getty Images

Richard Levi’s superb 67 in just 28 balls kept up Northamptonshire’s push for the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals and effectively eliminated Leicestershire with a nine-wicket win at Wantage Road. Levi slammed his 21st T20 fifty as Northamptonshire gunned down a target of 112 in a 10-over contest with nine balls to spare and ensured Grant Elliott’s own fine innings of 56 in 29 balls for Leicestershire was in a losing cause.The first over of the chase went for just five but Levi and Josh Cobb began the launch by taking 22 and then 25 from the next two overs. Cobb struck five fours in the third before holing out to long-on. The wicket mattered not as Levi and Ben Duckett steered Northamptonshire home remarkably comfortably in a stand of 65 in 30 balls.Levi was typically strong off his legs and took 20 off the fifth over as Leicestershire failed to find any way to contain the South African, who passed fifty in 19 balls. By the halfway stage the target was reduced to just 37 from 30 balls.Clint McKay, Leicestershire’s Australian overseas bowler, was surprisingly kept back until the seventh over but, by that stage, the damage was done and there was time for a Duckett scoop and two beautifully placed cover drives before Levi completed the chase with his ninth four.It was a fine conclusion to an afternoon blighted by rain. An initial 19-over match from 2.45pm was revised by another shower and, when play did get underway at 4.50pm, Leicestershire posted what looked like a strong total of 111 for 4 thanks to Elliott.His first boundaries came via thick inside-edges but he quickly found the pace of the wicket, stepping across his stumps to paddle sweep Steven Crook for four and lifted a similar, better timed, stroke for six as Olly Stone returned in the seventh over. A Crook full toss was also heaved over the leg side.In the final over, he flicked two into the leg side to go to a half-century in just 26-balls before driving Azharullah for four over mid-off. His innings included four fours and three sixes.He was ably supported by Ben Raine, who swept his first ball for six over midwicket and sent a bigger sweep over the same region in the sixth over. But he struck only one more boundary as his 19-ball knock featured some sharp running and he shared a stand of 76 in 39-balls with Elliott.It was a fine rally having lost three wickets in the opening three overs. After a long rain delay, Leicestershire suffered a poor start with Aadil Ali bowled off an inside edge via his pad second ball and Ned Eckersley top-edging a pull to mid-off in the second over. When Mark Cosgrove fell two overs later Leicestershire looked in trouble and their eventual recovery was not enough to hold off Northamptonshire.

Northamptonshire chief executive, Ray Payne, has admitted that the club are talking to the ECB about financial assistance but denied that they are considering selling their ground and moving to a new home.Responding to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Payne told the BBC that Northants were “not the only club talking to the ECB and local partners about how they might survive,” but insisted “the future of the club is firmly at Wantage Road.””We’re certainly not moving grounds,” he said. “I’m not sure where that story came from.”However, ESPNcricinfo understands the club produced a secret report which contains plans for a new ground near junction 15A of the M1 on land currently owned by the council. The ambitious plans included building a roof over the stadium, though its position on a flood plain might counteract such benefits.Progress stalled when it proved difficult to obtain the substantial investment required, though hopes remain that partners – quite possibly from India – might be found for the project.It seems unlikely Payne would be unaware of the plans but, a week ago, the club denied to ESPNcricinfo and the BBC that they had asked the ECB for financial assistance.”Any contributions are welcome,” Payne said. “We’re asking the ECB what financial support may be available. There is some debt, but not as much debt as some other clubs.”It’s not an emergency loan. It’s about longer term cash flow. It’s not do or die for the club. Dire is probably the wrong expression.”Is it half-a-million pounds, a million pounds or a quarter-of-a-million pounds? We don’t know. Is it in the form of a loan, a payment or for capital investment? That’s what we’re trying to establish.”First-class cricket has issues. We are not the only club talking to the ECB and local partners about how they might survive. But there is no panic and no worry at the club.”

Match facts

Sunday, August 23, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)1:49

‘Didn’t play to our potential but got an ugly win’ – Behardien

Big Picture

The awkward reunion is over. Dale Steyn bowled to New Zealand unscathed. Vernon Philander got the better of Grant Elliott and South Africa’s line-up scored more than enough runs against New Zealand. AB de Villiers could confidently say “we are definitely past the World Cup,” after the victory in Centurion and even though this is not quite the same thing, it seems South Africa really are moving on.Even though they were not at their best, South Africa dominated New Zealand far more than the 20-run margin made it seem. They bossed their innings for most of the way but New Zealand were pleased that they pulled back a score that looked headed for 320-plus to just 300. They were also pleased they came close in the chase, but really, there were only a few moments in which South Africa did not look in control and most of those came when trying to take catches.There won’t be any lights to contend with this time so spotting the ball should be easier and AB de Villiers will demand a more energetic showing in the field. Likewise, Kane Williamson will demand a more enthusiastic allround performance.One place where eagerness won’t be missing is in the crowd. The student town of Potchefstroom scarcely sees international cricket – the last ODI played there was more than two years ago – and the locals are looking forward to the occasion. Senwes Park has been sold out for days.

Form guide

(last five completed games most recent first)South Africa WLLWL
New Zealand LWWLL

In the spotlight

After the fuss over Morne van Wyk being overlooked for the tour of Bangladesh despite scoring a T20 century against West Indies in January, the wicketkeeper has underwhelmed on recall. He has scored just 38 runs in three matches and appears to be applying too much aggression too early in his innings. Van Wyk’s time is running out to push for a permanent spot, especially as Quinton de Kock regains form for the A side and this may be his last chance to do that.The short ball seems to be the only one Mitchell McClenaghan is comfortable bowling and so far it has given him mixed results. On the same Centurion surface, McClenaghan found it effective in the T20s but less so in the ODI and it will be interesting to see whether he decides to bang it in again in Potchefstroom. The pitch is one of the less lively ones in South Africa and McClenaghan could be bending his back in vain but he may not have any other approach.

Team news

Faf du Plessis was confirmed as being out of the series on Wednesday, so South Africa will have to stick with the batting line-up they had in Centurion. They will probably also want to allow David Wiese another opportunity to settle at No.7. Kyle Abbott and Aaron Phangiso will likely miss out again.South Africa (probable): 1 Morne van Wyk (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 AB de Villiers (capt) 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 David Wiese, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn 11 Imran TahirMartin Guptill could still play a part for New Zealand after injuring his hand in the field in the first ODI. An MRI scan revealed no fracture so he could open the batting. If he is unable to, New Zealand may need Kane Williamson to do the job and could slot in George Worker in the middle order. They may also consider playing only one specialist spinner, instead of two, giving Doug Bracewell or Matt Henry an opportunity in the XI.New Zealand (probable) : 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Colin Munro, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Mitchell McClenagahan, 11 Adam Milne

Pitch and conditions

Unusually warm weather for this time year on the Highveld is going to create a faux summer, which may mean conditions could resemble what they are in season as well. A run-packed road with not much in it for the bowlers is the norm but given the time of year, it may be a little slower than usual. A warm day is forecast with temperatures at 29 degrees, a light breeze and cloudless skies.

Stats and Trivia

• If South Africa win the series, they will go to third on the ODI rankings.
• Expect another high-scoring game. The average total in Potchefstroom is 339 and it there only seems to be a small discrimination in favour of the chasing team. The side batting first has won seven of the 15 matches in which there has been a result, the side fielding first has won eight.

Quotes

“We are definitely past the World Cup, we are looking ahead to 2017 Champions Trophy. This is a nice series to test our skills and get a bit of rhythm going going forward.”
“We’ve put ourselves in this position a couple of times over the last year or so, with going behind in a series and we are well versed in what it takes to make those 1% improvements and come back stronger in the next games.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:08

Murtagh sets-up Ireland win

The third ODI between Ireland and Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club produced another exciting day’s cricket, with Ireland scampering home by just two wickets in a low-scoring thriller. Zimbabwe’s 187 appeared well under par, particularly when Ireland cruised past 100 with just three wickets down in the 28th over. But Zimbabwe kept chipping away, upping the pressure through two fine spells from spinners Wellington Masakadza and Tino Mutombodzi, as well as some astonishingly good fielding. Ireland slipped and stumbled to 160 for 8, but Nos. 9 and 10, Andy McBrine and Tim Murtagh, had just enough gas in the tank to get their team over the line with just over three overs to spare.

‘Was very happy until Elton was batting’ – Whatmore

Zimbabwe coach Dav Whatmore expressed his disappointment with the way his team’s lower order batted after they were set for a 200-plus score in the third ODI against Ireland. Zimbabwe were 159 for 4 in the 42nd over before their collapse started.
“This match was all about understanding what a good score is and batting accordingly,” he said. “We were doing that until Elton [Chigumbura] got out, upto that point I was very happy but I wasn’t very happy after he got out, [and] the way we played. We didn’t really show we had an idea of how to play as against the total you want which would have made it very difficult for them to get, another 25-30 runs. After Elton got out, that was when we didn’t quite have enough cricket awareness but every game’s a challenge and we’d learn from this as we go along.
“Two-thirty might have been a bit tough to chase. Par score [was] round about that.”

It never looked like getting that close when the first over of Ireland’s chase, bowled by debutant Taurai Muzarabani, was clattered for 18 runs. Ireland captain William Porterfield did much of the early damage, but Ireland’s galloping start was snapped by a superb catch in the covers by Sikandar Raza, leaping high to pluck the ball out of mid air to dismiss the left-handed batsman. Zimbabwe slowly clawed their way back into the game, cutting down Ireland’s scoring options, and they had another opening when the experienced Ed Joyce was caught in the deep attempting to reassert his dominance with a slog sweep.Again Ireland tipped the scales with a 48-run partnership for the third wicket between Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie, their highest stand of the match, and again it was Raza who brought Zimbabwe back into the match. He had only one stump to aim at, having cut off a clip into the leg side at midwicket, but he hit it directly to run Balbirnie out for a watchful 24.With the field spread, Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura put his spinners to work on Ireland’s middle order and a frustrated Niall O’Brien sliced a catch into the covers as Ireland slipped to 102 for 4. Importantly, Stirling remained and he brought up an uncharacteristically patient fifty, from 90 deliveries, as Ireland crept closer to the target.When he fell, surprised by a short ball that he spliced to a diving Richmond Mutumbami behind the stumps, Ireland were 119 for 5 in the 33rd over and suddenly Zimbabwe had their tails up. Close catchers were brought in around the bat, and John Nyumbu showed remarkable forethought as he sprinted from slip to leg slip, having seen Gary Wilson set himself for a sweep, and held a sharp chance above his head. When a becalmed Kevin O’Brien slog-swept Masakadza out to substitute fielder Malcolm Waller in the deep, Ireland were 148 for 7 in the 41st over and it was anyone’s game.With George Dockrell bounced out by a recharged Muzarabani with the score at 160, it was left to Ireland’s tailenders to scrap for the remaining runs. Zimbabwe brought their field in further, and while Andy McBrine opted for caution Murtagh seized the opportunity for quick runs, and played particularly confidently through the leg side. A whip through midwicket for three by Murtagh took Ireland to the brink, and McBrine then sealed the game with an edge that squirted past the diving wicketkeeper and down to the third-man boundary.Murtagh had also played a vital hand earlier in the day with a disciplined display of seam bowling that brought him four wickets, and the Man-of-the-Match award. Murtagh would have been pleased to have been bowling in the morning after Porterfield won his first toss of the series and sent Zimbabwe in to bat, and with Craig Young bowling a brisk, attacking spell from the other end both Zimbabwean openers were removed before the fourth over had been completed.The hosts consolidated through Sean Williams and Brian Chari’s 49-run stand for the third wicket, but the Irish attack never really let the pressure ease and Zimbabwe’s runs were arriving at barely three runs an over. Williams eventually found the room to accelerate, and brought up a fluent fifty in the 26th over, but in the course of his innings he seemed to pick up some sort of knee niggle, and started limping through singles. Perhaps distracted by the pain, he feathered a cut off Stirling’s offspin and Ireland incised further into Zimbabwe’s middle order.The hosts fought back once more, with Chigumbura and Raza building a 71-run partnership for the fifth wicket and Raza, in particular, found the aptitude for a daring counter-attack. Yet he departed heaving across the line for 51 shortly after Chigumbura had perished to a lofted stroke into the deep, and Zimbabwe collapsed in a heap, slipping from 159 for 4 to 187 all out. It appeared Ireland could cruise to a morale-boosting win, but as has happened so often between these two sides, the match went to the final overs once more.

It was a batting day in Johannesburg as centuries from Heino Kuhn and Henry Davids helped make light work of a competitive target to give Titans an eight-wicket win over Lions with a bonus point. It was also their first win in the Momentum One Day Cup.Lions, who were sent in to bat, were powered by Alviro Petersen’s 96-ball 108 that was studded with 11 fours and three sixes. Petersen’s third successive century in the tournament provided impetus after Neil McKenzie consumed 74 balls for his 47. Temba Bavuma’s 27-ball 33 also added some muscle towards the end to shore up the total to 271 for 8. Marchant de Lange and left-arm pacer Rowan Richards finished with three wickets each.Titans lost Mangaliso Mosehle for 25, but Kuhn (119), playing his first competitive match since February, and Davids (101*) negated any hint of pressure by putting together 183 for the second wicket in just 24 overs. Kuhn was caught in the 36th over after hitting 15 fours and three sixes and Titans eventually crossed the line with 65 balls to spare.Wayne Parnell’s four-wicket haul was the cornerstone to Cape Cobras‘ eight-wicket win over Knights with a bonus in Paarl.Knights, who opted to bat, were restricted to 211 for 7, with Parnell finishing with 4 for 40. Knights were in trouble at 101 for 5 in the 31st over after Parnell and Robin Peterson struck but crossed the 200-run mark courtesy a sixth-wicket stand of 107 between Obus Pienaar (73*) and captain Werner Coetsee (51). Peterson finished with 2 for 28 from his ten overs.Cobras then cruised, with Richard Levi contributing 71 in an opening stand of 118 with Stiaan van Zyl, who scored an unbeaten 90.Medium-pacer Malusi Siboto dismissed Levi in the 24th over, but the ground work had been laid by then. While No. 3 Omphile Ramela fell for 43 with his side needing 12 runs for victory, van Zyl steered them through in 38.1 overs for their second successive win. Cobras joined Dolphins on nine points after three games, but sit behind them on net run rate.

For a long while after his Test debut, Nathan Lyon was viewed as a consistent performer with one key question mark still surrounding his game. Could he bowl Australia to victory in a fourth innings? A few opportunities came and went, and were not grabbed – when South Africa held on at Adelaide Oval in 2012, for example. But at the same venue two years later, Lyon proved he could do it.That was a turning point for Lyon, his seven wickets in the fourth innings against India delivering Australia victory and earning his first – and so far only – Man-of-the-Match performance. It was the first Test of a home summer and David Warner scored a century in each innings; Australia will be hoping the parallels continue on the fifth day at the Gabba, where they need seven New Zealand wickets.”I think I’ve matured a lot since making my debut and having Shane Warne’s legacy hanging above me,” Lyon said after the fourth day at the Gabba. “Saying that, it’s a fourth innings and we’ve got five bowlers out there to take 10 wickets, so we’re going to have to bowl in partnerships and it doesn’t always rely on one person’s shoulders.”That is true, but Lyon showed on the fourth day that he has plenty to offer on a Gabba surface with plenty of bounce. The presence of three left-arm fast bowlers in this match has also offered Lyon the chance to work into some decent footmarks, and on a day five pitch it will be interesting to see how much rip he can get out of those areas when he comes over the wicket.”With Trent Boult, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc running down outside that wicket, it’s creating a lot of footholes for me to hopefully hit and create a bit of havoc for the right handers,” Lyon said.On the fourth day, he switched between over- and around-the-wicket lines to New Zealand’s right-handers, and picked up both of his wickets from over: Martin Guptill drove at one that didn’t turn much and was caught behind, and Kane Williamson was lbw to one spinning in. Lyon said he had tried the around-the-wicket line to Williamson because it brought in more modes of dismissal.”Kane Williamson is an unbelievable bat,” Lyon said. “He’s got quick hands and he’s got quick feet as well, to be able to get deep into his crease and turn it around the corner. That’s from over the wicket. Coming around the wicket brings more dismissals in for me personally, to Kane.”Guptill wasn’t really looking to score today. I don’t know what he was doing, to be honest. It was chewing up a lot of balls and … building a fair amount of pressure on Kane. I was lucky enough to take the outside edge after dropping him.”Nicknamed GOAT by his fellow players – an acronym standing for Greatest of All Time, after he overtook Hugh Trumble to be Australia’s leading wicket-taker among Test offspinners – Lyon will face the challenge on day five of working against Brendon McCullum, who went to stumps not out on 4. Although a New Zealand win is exceptionally unlikely with 362 runs still needed, if McCullum stays in for a couple of hours, runs could come quickly.”He’s a world-class player,” Lyon said. “He’s dangerous, but I love challenges and I’m looking forward to it. Bring it on.”

The final of the Coca Cola Trophy South Zone (under-25) tournament between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is poised for an interesting finish. At stumps on the second day of their match at the Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar Sports Complex in Bangalore on Sunday, Tamil Nadu were 122 for three in reply to Kerala’s first innings total of 323. The first innings is almost certain to decide the winners of the trophy and Tamil Nadu still need 202 runs but haveseven wickets to pursue glory.Actually, Tamil Nadu’s closing score represents a recovery. For they were in a shaky position at 25 for two. Opener Ravindra John (2) was dismissed at 12 and then one drop S Lakshmi Kumar was out for five at 25.The other opener KN Riaz and N Lokesh initiated the recovery process by adding 61 runs for the third wicket off 17.2 overs. After Riaz was out for 31, compiled off 72 balls with four hits to the ropes, Lokesh and Subash Raj (20) continued the good work by increasing the score by 36 runs off 18.2 overs during an unbroken fourth wicket partnership. Just before close, Lokesh reached a well compiled 50. He has so far faced 113 balls and hit seven fours.Earlier, resuming at 208 for six, Kerala did well to add another 115 runs. Chiefly this was because of a seventh wicket partnership of 77 runs off 23 overs between CM Shyam and R Menon. While the former scored 44 off 156 balls and hit five fours, the more aggressive Menon faced only 74 balls for his 41, hitting six fours in the process. Menon was seventh out at 285 but Shyam played the anchor role and kept the innings going till he was ninth out at 312.He came in to bat midway through the 84th over and was out after batting a trifle over three hours in the 134th over.

Cricket’s excursion indoors in Melbourne today may have afforded the sport one of its more novel developments of recent years but there was no escaping at least one familiar refrain. In the midst of a match riven with a heavily futuristic touch at the state-of-the-art Colonial Stadium, seasoned campaigner Australia encountered very little resistance on its way to a triumph over South Africa by a margin of ninety-four runs.To say that there was something surreal in a general sense about today’s proceedings would be more than just a slight understatement. ‘Outdoor’ cricket was not only being played indoors (the first time ever for a one-day international) but being staged in Australia in August and commencing before almost as many empty bays of seating as spectators themselves. That all came after the twenty-two players were introduced to the audience as part of a fifteen-minute light show. It was all very unusual to say the least.For all of the oddities before an audience which eventually swelled in number to 25785, though, there was as much to admire in Australia’s game – and, in particular, the contribution of two of its star players, Michael Bevan and Steve Waugh – as is frequently the case these days. A diet of unremarkable South African medium pace bowling, and the pair’s insatiable appetite for one-day international runs, lifted the Australians to a commanding total of 5/295 after they had been inserted. Their opponents never really came close to the point of finding an answer.It was a position of strength that had seemed unlikely when the Australians tumbled toward the precarious mark of 3/37 in the tenth over of the day. By that stage, the combination of some fine new ball bowling from Shaun Pollock (1/46) and Roger Telemachus (2/54), the manifestation of early life in the drop-in pitch, and some over-extravagant strokeplay from Mark Waugh (17) and Ricky Ponting (16), had consigned the locals to a plight from which recovery did not look easy. The early departure of new vice-captain Adam Gilchrist (1) to another familiar sight – Jonty Rhodes causing a run out with a direct hit from point – also shaped as a major blow.Easy though Bevan and Waugh made it look with an association which helped them rewrite the record books on a day when much history was already being made around them. Bevan (106) was the dominant partner early, racing to his half-century with a succession of artfully played shots on both sides of the wicket. Waugh (114*) then exploded during the closing stages of the innings, drawing to his century in the forty-fifth over precisely one delivery after his fellow New South Welshman had raised his own such landmark. Before a miscued Bevan off drive at Pollock was brilliantly clutched only inches above the turf by Jacques Kallis (racing in from long off), they had mounted a new record mark for fourth wicket stands for their country in this form of the game. They had also moved to within two runs of eclipsing the all-time highest partnership for Australia in one-day internationals – namely, the 224 added by Dean Jones and Allan Border against Sri Lanka in Adelaide in 1984-85. Run out chances went begging with Waugh on 23 and 24 respectively and, with them, essentially disappeared the visitors’ aspirations of victory. Otherwise, the two players’ bats were impassable, their defences impregnable, and even across a patchy, partly soggy outfield, their shots were controlled expertly.Throughout the afternoon, a look of sameness in the bowling of Lance Klusener, Nantie Hayward, Andrew Hall and Kallis very much worked to Australia’s advantage. From early in their mammoth stand, Bevan and Waugh were able to dictate terms to the bowlers and they never relinquished their advantage. The Proteas, for their part, consistently erred for length, bowling too short in the middle stages before pitching the ball too full as a rule toward the end.When it came South Africa’s turn to reply, Gary Kirsten (43) and Kallis (42) hit some fine strokes as they led a determined effort. But, against an attack that far more keenly recognised the importance of confining itself to bowling just short of a driveable length and on or around the line of off stump, the task was always too challenging. Although he went wicketless, Glenn McGrath (0/28) was possibly the pick of the home team’s bowlers; back in their home town, all-rounder Ian Harvey (3/41) and a relaxed-looking Shane Warne (2/39) also acquitted themselves well.”We got the momentum going our way and South Africa couldn’t seem to pull it back,” enthused Waugh after the match. “We were very good in the field … if we play that well again, we’re going to be very hard to beat.”In truth, this was a game which never reached any great heights but its historic significance still brought to it much interest. Certainly, the stadium itself seemed to survive the experiment well. A few of the players acted much like charged particles would do in any confined space – taking a while to come fully to grips with the concept of playing under a roof – but they were soon bubbling away happily in their new surroundings. Even against the strains of the cacophony of music which greeted incoming batsmen, changes of bowler, wickets, fours and sixes, there were also at least the occasional moments of entertaining cricket before a lid of another kind – the one on South Africa’s coffin – was formally nailed shut.