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Ben Stokes, England’s first-innings centurion at Headingley, said the team knew their performance was “not one of our best days with the bat” after they were dismissed for 258. Having won the toss, England slipped to 37 for 3 and 71 for 4 against an improved West Indies before a half-century from Joe Root and Stokes’ 100 from 124 balls took them to respectability.Both players were dropped early on, with the tourists still proving fallible in the field despite an improved bowling display. Root went on to equal AB de Villiers’ world record of 12 consecutive Tests with a fifty or better, while Stokes negotiated a watchful start before unfurling some trademark shots during the afternoon and evening, as England then claimed a late wicket before the close to ensure an even day.”Their seam-bowling unit bowled a lot better than they did at Edgbaston,” Stokes said. “They made it hard work for us. The conditions were more in the bowlers’ favour today, there was always a bit of seam movement, and every now and then the ball swung. They managed to expose that today.

Roach unfazed by ones that got away

Kemar Roach led the way with a four-wicket haul as West Indies came back strongly after being beaten by an innings at Edgbaston last week and he admitted the players had a “point to prove”.
“We had a very open discussion in our team meetings and the guys were totally honest – we weren’t good enough in the first Test,” he said. “We have a point to prove in this Test and we’re going to try our best to go out there and play the best cricket we can.”
Roach’s personal haul could have been even better, with two glaring drops off his bowling allowing Ben Stokes to escape on the way to a hundred, but he was not in the mood to point fingers.
“It can be frustrating, you’re working hard to set a batsman up and chance goes down but no one drops a catch on purpose. It’s just a mistake, keep your head up and come again.”

“We said as a team in the changing rooms that it’s probably not one of our best days with the bat. But we never know if it’s a good score until the West Indies innings has finished. It’s 260 more than we had this morning, it’s all up to how we respond tomorrow, how we bowl and hopefully we can create a few chances.”Stokes might have edged Kemar Roach behind on 9, though technology was inconclusive, and then survived a straightforward chance without having added to his score when Kraigg Brathwaite could not hold on at second slip. He was rarely fluent and could also have been dismissed on 98, when Shannon Gabriel dropped a sitter at mid-on, but went on to his sixth Test hundred from the very next ball.”It’s always nice to [capitalise on a drop],” he said. “I guess you get some luck every now and again and to do well you need some luck on your side. On another day, they hold it and you’re walking off.”I found it quite hard to start with, it took me a while to get off the mark and I thought I had to change my normal approach to when I’m first in. I walked down the wicket and went deep in my crease … I got a couple away and thought it was a tennis-bally slow wicket, so if I’m to play my attacking shots it’s going to have to be at 100 percent rather than half-hearted.”Of the words he and Gabriel appeared to exchange after he was eventually caught behind a few balls later, he said: “It’s not the first time. It’s just part of the game, he was probably still annoyed at himself for dropping me on 98. There’s nothing to it, he’s got me out. It’s international sport, we’re all trying to do well so emotions can come out.”He also had high praise for Root, who might have been caught at slip on 8 but otherwise looked in excellent form in progressing to a landmark half-century in front of his home crowd before edging an attempted paddle sweep off Devendra Bishoo.”He’s a hell of a player, he has been for a long time now,” Stokes said. “The captaincy hasn’t affected his run-scoring ability whatsoever – if anything it’s made him into a better player, if that was possible. There’s guys around the world who are known as the best players in the world and we’ve got one of them, if not the best. The records that he’s managed to break, the runs he’s scoring, is showing why he is.”

West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the first two ODIs of a five-match series against India, opting for continuity after the 1-1 result against Afghanistan earlier in June.Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury that kept him out of the series against Afghanistan, meaning the hosts will be without their premier fast bowler for their most important series this season. The reasons for its importance are not just pragmatic – India brings the most lucrative TV revenues – but also cricketing. West Indies are ranked ninth in the ICC ODI table, with only the top eight guaranteed qualification for the World Cup in 2019. The drawn series against Afghanistan did not help, and this series could represent their last realistic chance to avoid playing a potentially awkward qualifying tournament, where the top two teams will go through to the tournament in England.India arrive in the Caribbean off the back of a Champions Trophy run to the final, where they finished runners-up to Pakistan. The first ODI is on Friday (June 23) at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.West Indies squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammad, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Kesrick Williams

It says much about Bangladesh’s improvement in ODI cricket that, for the first time, they go into a global event trying to play down expectations.Generally, in the past, the talk has been about the possibility of causing a shock. It has been, after all, 11 years since they last featured in the ICC Champions Trophy.But times have changed.Bangladesh are now ahead of three former world champions – Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies – in the ODI rankings. They’ve won series against India, South Africa and Pakistan since the 2015 World Cup – where they defeated England and reached the knock-out stages for the first time – and they warmed up for the ICC Champion Trophy with a maiden win away from home against New Zealand on Wednesday.They’re no longer plucky outsiders who could cause the odd embarrassment. They’re a dangerous side who will fear no one and have the weapons to go all the way. And they probably go into Saturday’s warm-up game against Pakistan – a side they defeated 3-0 the last time they met in ODI cricket just after the World Cup – as favourites.They present dangerous opposition for England in their opening game, too. England may be the bookies’ favourites for the event, but Bangladesh have won have won four of their most recent seven ODIs against England – including one in Bristol – and know that all the pressure will be on their hosts when the sides meet at The Oval.But Mashrafe Mortaza is no fool. He knows that anything he says now will be rendered largely irrelevant in a few days and, rather than ramping up the pressure and expectation upon his side, he spent the media session ahead of Saturday’s game dampening expectations and reiterating the size of the challenge facing his side, who have little track record in English conditions.”This tournament is going to be hard for us,” Mashrafe said. “The group we’ve got is very hard: Australia, England and New Zealand. It’s not going to be easy. And the conditions as well.”While he may be pleasantly surprised by conditions – there is no indication that the surfaces in the Champions Trophy will offer any great assistance to the sort of seam or swing bowlers that have created difficulties for Bangladesh on previous visits to England – he knows his side’s fielding will have to be better than it was on Wednesday if they are to reach the knock-out stages. Bangladesh failed to take four chances in the field as they defeated New Zealand. The likes of Steve Smith or Joe Root are likely to make them pay for such profligacy.”Yes, we dropped four catches,” Mashrafe admitted. “It can’t happen on that bigger stage. You have to be concerned with everything. I hope that our fielding will be all right.”Pakistan is a very good side that can destroy any team. It has a big chance in the competition. But whenever we have played them, Pakistan has been the bigger side and in this sort of tournament, the bigger side is under pressure.”Beneath the modesty, however, you sense confidence in Mashrafe. He knows that he has, in Mustafizur Rahman, one of the most exciting bowlers in the tournament. He knows that, in Sabbir Rahman, he has a batsman who relishes the big moment and could be on the verge of launching himself as a global star. He knows they can go a long way in this competition; he just doesn’t feel the need to say it right now. Actions speak louder than words and all that.”On our day, we can do anything,” he said. “And we have some quality players who can change the game. And we’ll have to play as a team as we’ve been doing so far and hopefully we’ll do something here.”There are expectations. But we just want to play the way we have played over the past two years and execute our skills well.”We’re ranked no. 6. And that is a pleasure for us. We are very happy with that. But we want to move on from here. We want to go as far as we can.”

Dav Whatmore has signed a six-month deal as head coach of Kerala. The formal announcement was made by the Kerala Cricket Association in Kochi last week. He will start mid-September and will likely see out the entire 2017-18 domestic season. Apart from coaching the senior team, Whatmore will also be involved in KCA’s junior cricket programmes and work closely with coaches in charge of the Under-23 team.”It’s important to build a system which can then help extend growth within the game across the state. That is what I’m looking forward to doing,” Whatmore told ESPNcricinfo. “That said, it’s also important to bring in results along with development of these young players. It takes time and I’m confident this association will last more than just the six months we’ve agreed upon. But for now this is a good start.”Whatmore, whose coaching stint with Zimbabwe ended in May 2016, is currently based in India. He is on a three-year deal as a consultant with the Chennai-based Sri Ramachandra University, which has collaborated with his cricket academy – Whatmore Centre of Cricket. He will be assisted there by a team of coaches with whom he hopes to streamline talent across age-groups.”I’m focused on the development side of the game, but it so happened that I could combine that along with coaching an upcoming state side, which I found challenging. That explains my association with Kerala,” Whatmore said. “I’ll be working six months with SRU to help set up a system, and it so worked out that the domestic season in India starts only after that.”June to August is not a good time for cricket in Kerala with the monsoons. With this arrangement, we can also have the senior and junior Kerala teams train in Chennai at the SRU facility. That would also allow an opportunity to work not just with Kerala in the pre-season but also complete my initial commitment as far as setting up of a system in Chennai goes.”Kerala had a poor 2016-17 Ranji Trophy campaign in which they managed just one win in nine matches. Halfway through their campaign, the association sacked P Balachandran as head coach, citing “non-performance”, and replaced him with Tinu Yohannan, the former India fast bowler. Their poor form extended across formats – they finished fourth in the South Zone Inter-State T20s and failed to advance to the knockout stage of the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.”It’s a completely different challenge because I don’t know much about the side, but what I do know is they’ve been struggling to make the step up as far as first-class cricket is concerned. Helping them graduate to the next level is a challenge that excited me,” Whatmore said. “There is plenty of potential within the state. Taking the lead in five out of the eight games says they’re doing something right. If you can do it in the first innings, surely there is potential, but players are getting lost somewhere. That is why the off-season is crucial.”Whatmore has previously coached four international sides, Zimbabwe most recently. He was in charge of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan prior to that. In India, he has been involved with the National Cricket Academy and the Under-19 team apart from coaching Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched its own investigation into the corruption allegations emanating from the 2017 PSL. The country’s interior ministry also put four players provisionally suspended by the PCB in relation to the case – Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irfan and Shahzaib Hasan – on an exit control list, preventing them from leaving Pakistan.Nasir Jamshed, the fifth provisionally suspended player, is based in England and his lawyer informed the PCB of Jamshed’s inability to travel to Lahore. Jamshed had been arrested in the UK as part of the PSL corruption case but was released on bail. The FIA has no treaty with England that allows it to bring Jamshed back to Pakistan for investigation.Latif and Irfan had appeared at the Lahore office of the FIA on Monday in response to a summons from the agency, which said a “enquiry has been registered on the complaint of Subhan Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer PCB” and their presence was required.The PCB, however, distanced themselves from the FIA’s inquiry and ESPNcricinfo understands the board had only written to the FIA requesting assistance in obtaining forensic information from mobile phones in connection to the PSL case.”No complaint has been made by PCB to FIA to launch an investigation into players’ conduct”, Ahmed told ESPNcricinfo. “We have simply asked FIA to certify the authenticity of the data in players’ mobile phones in PCB’s possession for submission to anti-corruption tribunal as evidence”.The PCB had formed a three-member tribunal headed by justice Asghar Haider (retired), and including former PCB chairman Tauqir Zia and former wicketkeeper Wasim Bari to hear the cases of Sharjeel and Latif, who had contested some of the charges against them. The hearing was set for March 24. Irfan and Shahzaib had not yet responded to the charge sheet.

Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera said that a renewed determination to bat through the innings enabled him return to form with a match-winning 77 from 53 balls in his side’s six-wicket win over Bangladesh on Tuesday at Khettarama.Having suffered a lean run of scores on the tour of Zimbabwe last year, and then having failed somewhat spectacularly in the Boxing Day Test in Port Elizabeth, Kusal was dropped from all of Sri Lanka’s squads. Kusal had also managed only 30 runs from six first-class innings upon his return to Sri Lanka.He found his feet again in the Sri Lanka A team, playing unofficial one-dayers against the touring England Lions. In that series he hit 59 and an unbeaten 70, scoring at well below a run-a-ball in both instances. His 77 at Khettarama was also as notable for his restraint as it was for his hitting. He took four overs to work himself into the innings, and at first, attacked only the deliveries in his strongest hitting zones.”I failed in the four-day matches after I came back, and I wasn’t prepared for them also,” Kusal said. “Sometimes you have to be prepared to fail. I realised I got a lot of starts but wasn’t finishing things off. Getting those 20s and 30s are of no use either to me, or the team. So I strove to bat till the end. When the loose ball comes I am anyway waiting to hit it, but recently I tried to bat long, and that’s what’s helped me.”An injury to Niroshan Dickwella, and Dinesh Chandimal’s continued absence in the T20 squads had meant that Kusal was virtually guaranteed to play this match. However, he did have to beat out competition for the opening position – there are four career openers in this squad. As it turned out, Kusal opened the batting with Upul Tharanga, but said a stable place in the XI was not among his motivations during this innings.”I don’t want to think about holding on to my place while I play,” Kusal said. “Any player can be dropped at any time, and that’s part of the game. If you’re constantly thinking about that possibility, you won’t be able to get far. What’s important is making the most of the opportunity you get, to do something for the team.”

New Zealand’s bruised top order will welcome back Martin Guptill for their must-win fourth ODI in Hamilton and are set to hand Luke Ronchi the wicketkeeping duties ahead of Tom Latham.The coach Mike Hesson did not confirm whether Latham would retain a spot as a batsman, but the hints were that he could be dropped after a run of six single-figure scores in a row including three ducks. Dean Brownlie, who was Guptill’s replacement, has retained his place in the squad which is just for the Hamilton match.”We talked at the start of the series about giving both keepers an opportunity. Tom has had the first three, so Luke is likely to have an opportunity there,” Hesson said. “We are delighted to have Martin back and that allows us to do that a lot easier.”Hesson indicated that a decision over Latham would not purely be taken with the thought of giving him a short break before the Test series even though he is a key plank of that top order.

New Zealand squad for fourth ODI

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Dean Brownlie, Lockie Ferguson , Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Jeetan Patel, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

“I don’t think anything is more important than anything else, the ODI series is huge for us,” he said in reference to whether the Tests were a priority. “Tom has struggled the last little while, he came off a great series in India, and has come home and hasn’t quite reached those heights yet.”Guptill has recovered from his dual hamstring injuries and his is a timely return after New Zealand were skittled for 112 in Wellington. Hesson called the performance “out of the box” and said the team had to readjust quickly to stay in the series.Guptill averages 42.52 from 141 ODIs and though he hasn’t batted in the middle for almost a month, he has been able to net regularly during his recovery.”He’s been batting all the way through, it was more about strength in the hamstring when running at top speed,” Hesson said. “Sure, you haven’t played in the middle so it will be challenging but he’s a world-class player and pleased to have him back.”A return for Ronchi will mean juggling elsewhere with him needing to fit into the middle order which could make Neil Broom vulnerable unless New Zealand ditch one of their allrounders.The offspinner Jeetan Patel has also been added to the squad after the considerable assistance that was on offer in the opening game of the series. Kane Williamson expects a different surface this time, with better weather in the build-up but Patel, who played his first ODI in seven years against Bangladesh in Nelson on New Years Eve, provides a specialist bowler who can spin the ball away from the left handers.However, it could be that Williamson is entrusted with a greater bowler role in the fourth ODI. “With Kane bowling, depending on conditions, he’s very much a sixth option and Hamilton is probably those conditions,” Hesson said. “Whether we go with the two allrounders, or slot Luke in a little higher we have options.”Hesson termed the challenge of winning back-to-back games against the world’s No. 1 team “exciting, really exciting” as they look to maintain an unbeaten home record in ODI series which dates back eight bilateral contests to January 2015. The last side to beat them on their own patch was South Africa in late 2014.

Legspinner Erin Bermingham and offspinner Leigh Kasperek have returned to the New Zealand women’s limited-overs squads for the upcoming home and away series against Australia women, after recovering from their injuries. Maddy Green, who missed the home series against Pakistan women in November, has also been included for the ODIs and T20 internationals.Bermingham had missed the series against Pakistan due to a fractured thumb, while a fracture of the right index finger in October had sidelined Kasperek for eight weeks.Offspinner Morna Nielsen, pacer Hannah Rowe and batsman Samantha Curtis, who were in the squad for the Pakistan series, have been left out, although coach Haidee Tiffen stated that all three players will remain in contention for spots in the Women’s World Cup squad. New Zealand have already confirmed their place in the competition, which will be held in June-July in England.Tiffen said hard choices had to be made while selecting the squads, highlighting the depth and competition for spots in the side. She said the selections were based on the performance of the players in New Zealand’s own domestic tournaments and the Women’s Big Bash League, which featured players like Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu and Rachel Priest.”Good players have missed out because the competition for spots in our world-class side is now more intense than ever,” Tiffen said. “We have improved depth, so we have hard choices to make – and that is exactly the situation we want to be in building up to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.”We have seen some very special performances – from Amy Satterthwaite’s hat-trick to Sophie Devine’s fastest century, and it’s been an added bonus for us having two White Ferns in Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest captaining WBBL teams in high-intensity T20 cricket.”I’ve watched every single delivery of the WBBL and it’s been a timely insight. It has provided a litmus test for a number of our players against Australia’s top cricketers whom we will be facing very soon in both the T20 and one-day international formats.”New Zealand will travel to Australia for three T20Is, which will be played between February 17 and 22 in Melbourne, South Geelong and Adelaide. Australia will then visit New Zealand for three ODIs, which will be played in Mount Maunganui between February 26 and March 5.New Zealand women’s ODI squad: Suzie Bates (capt), Erin Bermingham, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Liz Perry, Rachel Priest, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea TahuhuNew Zealand women’s T20I squad: Suzie Bates (capt), Erin Bermingham, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Liz Perry, Rachel Priest, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu

ScorecardFile photo: Sam Heazlett’s century on List A debut set up the National Performance squad’s 17-run win over South Africa A•Getty Images

Sam Heazlett, David Grant and David Moody shone on their List A debuts as Australia’s National Performance Squad (NPS) prevailed over South Africa A by 17 runs in the first game of the Quadrangular A-Team One-Day Series.Heazlett struck 101 off 87 balls to steer NPS to 8 for 243 after they were asked to bat at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville. Grant (4 for 31) and Moody (3 for 44) then ran through South Africa’s batting order to bowl them out for 226 in 48.4 overs.Heazlett had walked in at the fall of the first wicket when Caleb Jewell was dismissed for 20, after he had added 43 for the opening wicket with Hilton Cartwright. Thereafter, it was a Heazlett show all along. Right-arm pacer Andile Phehlukwayo’s double-strike in the 16th over reduced NPS to 3 for 57, before Heazlett partially steadied the innings through a 49-run fourth-wicket stand with Matthew Short. Heazlett’s second significant stand of the match came with Arjun Nair, with whom he added 91 for the sixth wicket. Heazlett was run out with 33 balls remaining, but captain Sean Abbott’s cameo ensured a decent finish to the NPS innings.South Africa A’s bowlers shared the wickets equally. Phehlukwayo and Aaron Phangiso took two wickets each, while Dane Paterson, Sisanda Magala and Qaasim Adams took a wicket apiece.Adams came good with the bat too, but waged a lone battle. Captain Heino Kuhn had ground it out for 47 balls for his 28, but when he fell, South Africa A were on the mat at 5 for 71. That would soon become 7 for 88. Adams and Magala combined for a 99-run stand for the eighth wicket to give their side a brief passage of cheer, until both batsmen were dismissed in the space of 10 deliveries. Adams had made 78 off 83, with seven fours and three sixes, while Magala’s 59-ball 35 was laced with three fours. Thereafter, brief contributions from Phangiso and Paterson, South Africa A’s Nos. 10 and 11, took them closer, but not close enough.The second match of the series will take place on Sunday when Australia A take on India A at the same venue.

ScorecardGraeme White destroyed Lancashire with six wickets•Getty Images

Graeme White spun Northamptonshire’s Royal London Cup campaign into gear with a career-best six-wicket haul as Lancashire were comfortably beaten by 76 runs at Wantage Road.On a wicket that had been used for almost 130 overs before Lancashire began their chase of 287, Northamptonshire’s quartet of spinners all caused problems and White led the attack, enjoying turn and bounce to take six for 37 – thesixth-best return by a Northants bowler in List A cricket.He began by bowling Tom Smith, missing having skipped down the pitch, and then having Karl Brown caught at mid-on. Brown got Lancashire’s chase off to a fine start with a half-century in 46 balls and 13 fours but two balls after raisingfifty, picked out Josh Cobb to fall for 51.It prompted a slump from 86 for two to 124 for 6 as Jos Buttler fell for just two – bowled by Seekkuge Prasanna – and Liam Livingstone stumped after skipping down the wicket against White. When Steven Croft was soon run out attempting a single that was never available, Lancashire had carelessly subsided.Luke Procter got the chase moving again in a stand of 54 for the seventh wicket with Jordan Clark. But with the required rate edging towards eight-an-over, Clark took a chance against White, came down the pitch, swung and missed and was stumped for 17.White’s five-for was completed with a beauty that turned past the outside edge into Stephen Parry’s off stump and when Nathan Buck took a big swing and missed, White had a career-best and Lancashire were all out for 211. He also took five against Lancashire in the 50-over competition three years ago.On a good batting wicket that yielded plenty of runs in the two T20s previously played on it, Northamptonshire’s 287 for eight appeared only a par score. They struggled early on, slumping to 37 for three before a fine recovery from BenDuckett and Rob Keogh. Having reset the innings to 174 for 3 with 15 overs to go, the home side did not quite kick on as Lancashire continued to take wickets.But their position was laid by Keogh and Duckett. Three times Duckett swung Parry down the ground but his fifty in 79 balls with five fours was a largely restrained affair and most necessary to rebuild the Northants innings.He shared a stand worth 125 in 25.1 overs for the fourth wicket with Keogh, who went past his own fifty – his first of the season – in 62 balls with four fours. He timed the ball very well throughout but fell in Buck’s first over back intothe attack, trying to lift a drive down the ground and only hoisting it to cover.It was a smart recovery after Northants were plunged into trouble early by a fine opening spell from Buck. In just his second appearance of the season. Buck’s first six overs conceded only nine runs and he took wickets with thefirst balls of both his second and fourth overs – Adam Rossington lost his off bail for just one trying to pull and Cobb tamely clipped straight to Alviro Petersen at short midwicket after a bright 22.The start became better for Lancashire when Alex Wakely’s poor run of form continued. After just 30 runs in his last four innings, he was bowled by Saqib Mahmood for an eight-ball duck.