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A career-best seven-wicket haul from Mark Steketee kept Queensland in the game as South Australia threatened to build an insurmountable lead on day two at Adelaide Oval.Half-centuries to Harry Nielsen and Travis Head put South Australia in a position to push to a first-innings lead of more than 200 but Steketee took the first two key wickets of the morning, including Head, before wrapping up the tail.Queensland lost both openers in their second innings before Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja saw them safely to stumps, with a deficit of 65, although Khawaja was very fortunate not to be dismissed in the last over the day, given not out despite clearly gloving a ball into the gully. The umpire deemed the catch came off his arm as he fended at a brute of a delivery from Nathan McAndrew, who went unrewarded in the evening session despite bowling superbly.Earlier, Steketee broke through in the third over of the morning clean bowling Henry Hunt with a cracking delivery that angled in and nipped away to clip the top of off. Head then accelerated to continue his phenomenal form. He raced to his third consecutive half-century having made 163 and 230 in his previous two innings across the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup. But a third consecutive century was thwarted when he offered a return catch to Steketee off a leading edge.Alex Carey played fluently striking five boundaries in his 32 but fell in an odd manner checking a pull shot off James Bazley straight to square leg to leave the hosts five down and just nine runs ahead.But Nielsen and McAndrew formed an excellent partnership putting on 101 for the sixth wicket. McAndrew was rock solid in defence while Nielsen did the bulk of the scoring. However, the pair both fell to the second new ball to trigger a collapse of 5 for 18 that ended South Australia’s first innings with a lead of just 128.Nielsen chipped a ball innocuously to square leg off Jack Wildermuth to fall for 71 while McAndrew edged Wildermuth to Joe Burns at second slip. Steketee returned to clean up the tail proving too quick and too good for South Australia’s last three to finish with 7 for 44. It was just his third five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Brendan Doggett made an early breakthrough in the Bulls’ second innings trapping Burns lbw before Bryce Street and Labuschagne dug in against some quality pace bowling from the South Australia quicks. Street faced 77 deliveries for his 23 before falling to Daniel Worrall. Labuschagne finished 22 not out from 79 balls with just one boundary to his name, with Queensland scoring just three boundaries in total in 35 overs.

If you had asked England to script their own season finale, their Canterbury tale would have been it to the letter.Proud Kent batter Tammy Beaumont scored a fine century in front of her home crowd and Amy Jones stamped her return to form with a quick-fire 60, freeing Danni Wyatt to pepper the flats on the Spitfire Ground’s edge with sixes to take England to their sixth-highest ODI total.They were helped by some lacklustre bowling and wretched fielding by New Zealand, whose batters subsequently had no reply in pursuit of a 348-run target as England bowled them out inside 36 overs to win by 203 runs and seal the series 4-1.An England batting line-up that had failed to fire collectively and too often relied on a saviour or lower-order partnerships – sometimes both – finally managed to hunt in a pack again with brutal effect.Since her dominant 97 in the first T20I at Chelmsford to open New Zealand’s tour, Beaumont’s only other score of note was 44 in the first ODI in Bristol. In between she had scored 13 and 3 in the other two T20s and 12, 1 and 16 in the ODIs.But she was in her element on Sunday, striking back-to-back fours off Molly Penfold as she and Lauren Winfield-Hill guided England to 55 without loss at the end of the Powerplay.Later, Beaumont smashed three fours off one Lea Tahuhu over as she and Jones put on 97 runs for the fourth wicket.Opener Winfield-Hill, who has struggled to covert starts this summer, was dropped four times en route to 43 before Hayley Jensen had her held at midwicket by Amy Satterthwaite, who a short time earlier had parried a chance over her head off the same batter and bowler.Winfield-Hill had produced some fine shots, pulling Tahuhu for six, smashing Penfold for four over long-on and powering Hayley Jensen through wide long-off for another four and when she fell, England were 95 for 1.When Heather Knight, centurion in England’s series-clinching win in Derby on Thursday and Player of the Series following that innings and her 89 in Bristol, was strangled down the leg side by Tahuhu, they were 96 for 2 but Beaumont continued to anchor the innings with finesse.Nat Sciver, who came into the match having scored 34 runs from three T20 and three ODI innings of New Zealand’s tour, struck a handy 39 off 38 balls, including seven fours, before she was trapped lbw by Hannah Rowe.That brought Jones to the crease, another middle-order batter in search of a significant contribution against the Kiwis. She showed signs with 40 in Derby but her 46-ball 60 was another step up.Dropped on 32 when Jensen failed to take a return catch, Jones skipped down the pitch to heave Satterthwaite over deep extra cover for six and brought up her fifty off just 36 balls with a cut through deep point for four.When Jones was out tamely spooning Sophie Devine to Tahuhu at extra cover and Beaumont followed nine balls later, caught by Suzie Bates at mid-on off Rowe, England were 268 for 5 and they weren’t done by a long way.Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt put on another 79 runs, Wyatt positively scintillating with 43 not out off just 20 balls, including three powerful sixes over the leg side and another pummelled beyond deep extra cover. Their stand knocked all the air out of an already deflated New Zealand attack.The White Ferns started a mammoth run-chase sedately, taking 36 balls to score their first boundary.Having lost Bates to Anya Shrubsole and Lauren Down and Maddy Green to Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross then cut a swathe through the New Zealand middle order.Cross had Satterthwaite caught on 6 by Sciver, making up for an earlier mistake that let the same batter off on 2. She then trapped Devine lbw and ripped out Katey Martin’s off-stump as she swung across the line and missed to put New Zealand at 90 for 6.Knight brought herself into the attack and claimed three wickets – including two in three balls to remove Brooke Halliday and Rowe. Charlie Dean then had Tahuhu caught by Winfield-Hill to seal the result with a thumping win that belied the competitive nature of the series.

As much as Australia’s bowlers were panned by Steven Smith for their looseness in the opening match against New Zealand that was ultimately wrecked by rain, the vice-captain David Warner admits the top order batsmen were similarly out of rhythm in the early overs of a curtailed chase.The early English summer will not always suit an Australian side heavy on pace and power but not always so adept at nuance, something demonstrated by how Warner, Aaron Finch and Moises Henriques made early exits in the face of diligent New Zealand bowling before showers enveloped Edgbaston.Ahead of a match against Bangladesh that Steven Smith’s men must now win to avoid early elimination, Warner said the batsmen needed to strike a better balance than the one seen in his wild swish at a wide ball. Finch and Henriques then mistimed catches in front of the wicket.”There were, I think, a few rushed overs there especially in the first 10 [overs]. We probably didn’t allow ourselves to actually pick off the ones and twos and play normal cricket shots,” Warner said. “We tried to heave it a bit too much and wait for the bad ball too much I think. And as we know with New Zealand how they are, they are very disciplined in their line and length. They made us play a different kind of way to how we usually play. And from my stance, me and Finchy, I think we were a little bit disappointing.”Warner said he and Finch had walked out to bat with a very aggressive mind-set, something that was then exploited by the discipline of New Zaland’s attack. The bowlers of other nations, most particularly Bangladesh and England, will have taken note.”Initially that was what me and Finchy were talking about, making the most of that seven overs [in a rain-shortened chase],” Warner said. “After the first two overs we knew it was going to be a little bit difficult.”We just knew that if you hit the right length on that wicket, the wicket would do its course. It would hold up a fraction. They bowled with a wobbly seam, we tried to swing the ball, when it didn’t swing we went straight to cross seam. On the flip side of that, when you are facing a wobbly seam it can do something.”But they just hit their right lengths and made us play the shots. So, credit to them. And we tried to hit the ball too hard. I tried to move around the crease a little bit but found myself in some situations probably trying to muscle the ball a little bit too much, and Finchy said that as well.”The early wickets brought Henriques to the crease at No. 4, ostensibly in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh, but ahead of not only Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head but also the unselected Chris Lynn and Marcus Stoinis. Warner pointed to Henriques’ strong recent IPL displays as evidence he deserved the chance.”Obviously Steve had the thought process that Mo has been batting well enough to bat in that role. I look at his IPL, and I played with him, he was hitting the ball unbelievably,” Warner said. “To give him credit, the last 12 to 18 months his technique has gotten very good and he’s had the capability and strong performances on the board for New South Wales to warrant that selection.”His one-day numbers have been fantastic in the Matador. He’s used to playing on wickets coming in when it is swinging. And credit to him, he’s been able to do that and lock that down for New South Wales, and he’s been given that opportunity by the selectors here and Steve to play at number four for us.”I think you saw a couple of those pull shots he played, he’s been working on that for a while as well. And his all-round game is fantastic at the moment so hopefully, he can keep continuing his success and hopefully not too many inside edges onto the pad.”

Wayne Parnell has been included in Kent’s squad for Friday’s Royal London match against Sussex despite a health scare earlier this week.Parnell, the South African seamer who is with the club on a short-term stint as an overseas player, left the pitch feeling unwell after bowling four overs during Tuesday’s match against Somerset. He reported an elevated heart rate and feeling light-headed.While he was keen to return to the action after a few minutes, the club’s medical team insisted he sit out the remainder of the game as a precaution. Parnell was hospitalised in 2013 after complaining of similar symptoms while playing for South Africa A against India A. Subsequent tests revealed no long-term problem, with the issue instead put down to a virus.He did not go to hospital on Tuesday and instead travelled back to Kent on the team bus at the end of the game.He saw a doctor on Wednesday and underwent a series of basic tests. The club insist that some reports of his condition have been “greatly exaggerated” and suggested that they would not have named him in the squad for Friday’s game if there was any risk to his welfare.Cricket South Africa have been kept fully informed of Parnell’s condition and condoned his return to action.It is not certain he will play on Friday, though. He will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game before any final decision is made.

The Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators has shut down the offices of Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke after deeming them to be non-functional. Considering how both of them had been removed from the BCCI, the committee asked their staff in Delhi and Pune respectively to leave as well.Diana Edulji, a member of the committee, told ESPNcricinfo: “There is no president, and no secretary, so those offices are not functional. What is the need to have staff in a non-functional office? So they have been asked to leave and they have shut down the offices. This was minuted in the meeting on February 1 in Delhi where all four members [of the committee of administrators] were there.”BCCI media manager Nishant Arora was part of the staff in the Delhi office. It is understood he was given the option to work out of the board’s headquarters in Mumbai, but he declined and submitted his resignation instead.Edulji said any decision on Arora, who was attached with the Indian team’s support staff, would be made by board CEO Rahul Johri. Arora, according to his profile on , has been with the BCCI since May 2015 and was also tournament media manager for the World T20 in India last year.

Wriddhiman Saha waited for years and years to get a decent run in the India Test team. After MS Dhoni’s retirement from Tests, Saha made sure India didn’t miss the legendary wicketkeeper, scoring a century in the West Indies and then winning India the Kolkata Test with half-centuries from tricky situations in each innings. An untimely injury gave Parthiv Patel a look-in, and Parthiv grabbed the chance with both hands. Parthiv’s keeping improved gradually, but it was his selfless batting that would have endeared him to the side.Here we go again, Saha might have thought, but the India selectors and team management brought him right back in as soon as he recovered. They did the same with Ajinkya Rahane even though his replacement Karun Nair scored a triple-century in his last Test innings. Saha was thankful for such clarity in thought both from the selectors and the team management after he capped off his comeback with his Test century.”It’s a great plus for the players,” Saha said. “Because after an injury break when one makes a comeback, if you are clearly told that as and when you recover you will be back in the team, the individual gets more motivated and that helps in your performance.”Saha acknowledged Parthiv’s contribution when he was away, but Saha’s comeback began with a match-winning double-century for Rest of India in the Irani Cup incidentally against the Ranji Trophy champions Gujarat, captained by Parthiv himself.”When I was injured, Parthiv performed and he did well,” Saha said. “Whenever he has got chances, he has performed. But may be after my 200, selectors took a decision, which everybody needed to accept. Now that I was back, my aim was to bat as long as possible and contribute as much as possible for the team.”One of the contributions Saha made was to convince Kohli to review an lbw call when he was on 180. The review was successful, and Kohli went on to become the first batsman in the history of the game to score double-centuries in four consecutive series.”Virat thought that he was out but I told him that he had probably stretched your front foot too far,” Saha said. “Hopefully, the impact may be outside, and the ball had spun sharply, so it might be missing the leg stump. So Virat took the call and was saved.”When Kohli was ruled out again, on 204, Saha couldn’t get a word in because Kohli was absolutely convinced he was out. This time Kohli was hit outside the line, but that is something India took in their stride. Kohli returned the favour later in the day when Saha took a catch diving to his right but didn’t go up in appeal because he didn’t hear anything. Kohli, though, had, and he reviewed to reveal to a faint touch on Soumya Sarkar’s bat’s toe, giving Saha his first dismissal on Test return.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfghanistan stormed into the final of the Desert T20 Challenge after beating Oman by eight wickets, their fifth consecutive win over the team in T20 internationals. Afghanistan chased down a target of 150 with nine balls to spare and now await the winner of the Scotland v Ireland semi-final, before the final match later today.Oman fought bravely through the first innings, coming back to the ground to take on the tournament favourites less than 12 hours after their final Group B match against Scotland. Afghanistan gave Oman a few chances to stay afloat. However, by the start of the chase, Oman struggled to keep their heads above water as Afghanistan commenced a cruise toward the target riding on a 91-run opening stand between Nawroz Mangal and Mohammad Shahzad.Shahzad reached 50 off 35 balls at the start of the 10th over, and added another 45 with Asghar Stanikzai, before falling for 80 with only 14 required for victory. Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari knocked off the remaining runs, and clinched the match after a bouncer down leg side was signaled a wide.Poking the bear
Oman were scrapping their way through their innings, desperate to claim any runs on offer. Off the final ball of the 13th over, bowled by Amir Hamza, when Khurram Nawaz pushed toward point for a sharp run. The throw came to the non-striker’s end and hit Nawaz in the legs before it caromed past mid-off. Nawaz didn’t hesitate to come back for a second run on the overthrow and, when he arrived back at the striker’s end, Shahzad didn’t hesitate to give him an earful from behind the stumps.Afghanistan hadn’t been fully engaged until that point, with Dawlat Zadran in particular bowling poorly with the new ball. But after that extra run, Afghanistan flipped a switch. Rashid Khan beat an attempted sweep by Nawaz with a googly, to rattle the stumps in the 19th over, and then gave the batsman a send-off, pointing him off the field to the dugout.Rashid Khan gives Khurram Nawaz a send-off. The batsman’s extra run off an overthrow, after the ball had hit him, flipped a switch in the Afghanistan side•Peter Della Penna

Big-match Mo
Shahzad seemed especially offended at Nawaz’s transgression. He used his bat in the second innings as if it were a principal’s paddle for spanking naughty school kids. Shahzad’s batting record in the knockout stages of Associate tournaments in the UAE is superb and he extended that trend today against Oman.Left-arm fast bowler Bilal Khan, Oman’s most incisive bowler in this tournament, was clubbed over mid-on for four in the opening over to set the tone for the rest of Shahzad’s innings. Kaleemullah was brought on in the third over so that Bilal could switch ends and Shahzad went on to flick the tall right-arm quick over mid-off in his second over. The next ball was a disdainful flick over midwicket for six to leave Kaleemullah slack-jawed.Shahzad almost never misses an opportunity to animatedly celebrate even the smallest milestones, but upon bringing up his half-century on this day, he didn’t even raise his bat. When he was finally dismissed, though, he made sure to recognise the fans, gesturing his appreciation with a flick and wave to the western stand where most of them had congregated. They are hoping it’s not the last time he raises his bat on finals day.