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The Australian women’s team defeated their Irish counterparts on Thursday at Leinster Cricket Club, Rathmines, Dublin, in the first game of a three-match one-day international series.The Australians won a rain-affected match with a superior scoring rate, having scored 119 for 5 from 36 overs, to pass their revised target of 117.Ireland batted first after their new captain Nikki Squire won the toss. Caitriona Beggs (45 from 93 balls, five fours) and Clare O’Leary (42 from 89 balls, five fours) held the Irish batting together before the home side was all out for 132 in the fiftieth over. This was Ireland’s highest total in a 50-over-a-side ODI against Australia (although they did reach 145 for 4 in sixty overs in the 1993 World Cup).For Australia, Therese McGregor took 3/21 with Julie Hayes, Charmaine Mason and Lisa Sthalekar claiming two wickets each.Michelle Goszko top scored when it was Australia’s turn to bat, making an unbeaten 36, with Lisa Keightley contributing 28. Wicket-takers for Ireland were Saibh Young, Miriam Grealey and Barbara McDonald.The two remaining one-day internationals in this series, which concludes Australia’s tour of the British Isles, will be played at College Park, Dublin on Saturday and Sunday.

ScorecardAditya Sarwate picked up 6 for 64 on first-class debut•PTI

Vidarbha, currently scraping the bottom of the group, were in line to register their first outright win this season after debutant left-arm spinner Aditya Sarvate (6 for 64) and offspinner Akshay Wakhare (4 for 37) bundled Assam out for 160 in the second innings in Nagpur to set up a chase of 213. As many as five Assam batsmen got into double figures, but Swarupam Purkayastha’s 35 ended up the highest score to round off a disappointing performance.Wasim Jaffer, who has just one fifty from six innings this season, was unbeaten on 43, while Faiz Fazal made 38 to take Vidarbha to stumps on 88 without loss. Given they still have the experience of Ganesh Satish and S Badrinath, the captain, Vidarbha will fancy their chances of polishing off the 125 runs they need to move into the top half of the group standings.
ScorecardVital contributions from Haryana’s top seven in the second innings ensured they were in with a chance to break Karnataka’s 33-match unbeaten streak in Mysore. Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul saw off six tense overs to take the hosts to 9 for 0 at stumps, but are still well adrift of their target of 373 going into the final day.After pocketing a 110-run lead, Haryana declared their second innings on 262 for 9, with Nitin Saini top-scoring with 52. Virender Sehwag, who walked in to bat at No. 7, set pulses racing with a 36-ball 40 to follow his swashbuckling 136 in the first innings to add some lower order impetus. After going wicketless in 16 overs in the first innings, legspinner Shreyas Gopal was rewarded for his persistence as he finished with figures of 4 for 53, while Vinay Kumar, the captain, and David Mathias had two scalps apiece.
ScorecardBengal took the first-innings lead over Delhi at Feroz Shah Kotla, but a lot of attention was deflected towards a reported on-field altercation between Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary, the two captains.Delhi, who resumed on 100 for 3, were bowled out for 249, with Milind Kumar top-scoring with 77. Delhi’s only semblance of resistance came when Milind and Nitish Rana, who made 43, shared a 67-run fourth-wicket stand.Pragyan Ojha, who moved to Bengal in order to play in the top drawer of the Ranji Trophy, enhanced his credentials. He finished with figures of 4 for 77 off 27 overs. Ashok Dinda, the pace spearhead, had three scalps. Bengal, who would have hoped to drive the game forward in their second dig, lost their top three with just 29 on the board. Manoj Tiwary was unbeaten on 21, with their lead standing at 155 with one day to play.Rajasthan v Maharashtra – Maharashtra take lead with Tripathi ton

James Marshall’s hard-hit maiden Shell Cup century proved to be amatch-winner for Northern Districts, as Canterbury’s run chase came up 21runs short in an entertaining third-round clash.Marshall’s outstanding innings included six fours and four sixes. His second50 came off only 28 balls as Northern plundered 40 runs from its final fiveovers to set Canterbury an imposing target of 250.When Geoff Allott bowled Robbie Hart with only four deliveries left in theND innings it looked as if Marshall’s chance of reaching three figures hadgone. The young right-hander found himself stranded at the non-striker’s endon 95. But Alex Tait pushed his first ball into the off-side for a single,leaving Marshall three balls from which to score five runs to achieve themilestone.He smashed the next delivery from Allott wide of mid-on and the ballcomfortably beat Darren Reekers to the fence.Marshall then calmly played the next ball into the covers and raised botharms in jubilation as he completed the comfortable single.Like many short players, the diminutive Marshall showed a liking for theleg-side, striking most of his boundaries in an arc between mid-on andmid-wicket.Opening the innings for ND Simon Doull played a wide selection of some ofthe ugliest shots witnessed in Canterbury this year, riding his luck andboosting ND’s run-rate on the way to a grotesque 34.Eventually his luck ran out when he skied a crossed-bat slog at a WarrenWisneski delivery. Chris Harris had time to drive from Ashburton, park hiscar, get a coffee and then run in take the catch.Canterbury began its run chase disastrously with Hastings run-out withoutfacing a ball in the first over.Brad Doody drove a Doull delivery back down the pitch and the ball crashedinto the stumps, via the bowler’s fingers, leaving the rapidly retreatingHastings short of his ground.The unfortunate Hastings could have been forgiven for uttering the immortalwords of both Yoda and former England soccer manager Graham Taylor, as hesloped off the field – “Do I not like that”.Reekers didn’t last long before being yorked by Tuffey. Gary Stead then fellvictim to a brilliant piece of fielding. He smashed a wide ball from Doullfor what looked to be a certain four over backward point. But Neil Parlanearched backwards and threw himself in the air to take the ball in anoutstretched right hand.At 44/3 Canterbury already looked beaten.Chris Harris and Doody put on a century stand, but their inability to findthe boundary left Canterbury with too much to do in the last 15 overs. Atone point both Harris and Doody had compiled 14 singles in succession.Alex Tait removed Doody for 82 when he hit at soft catch to Hamish Marshallat cover. He was quickly followed by Hopkins, LBW for 2, and a strangelysubdued Chris Harris, whose 55 had taken 89 balls.With nine overs remaining the comparative scores were tied and twospecialist batsmen, Aaron Redmond and Michael Papps, remained at the creasefor Canterbury.But despite the pair adding a threatening 44 from 29 balls they were unablemirror Marshall’s end of innings heroics.Redmond’s fine 39 from 27 balls took Canterbury close, but Tait and Tuffeybowled full and straight at the death to close-out the contest.

With Boeta Dippenaar at last running into form, South Africa sauntered to a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe ‘A’ in a one-day warmup match in Bulawayo on Friday.Dippenaar took just 55 balls to make his 60, helping himself to eight fours and towo sixes along the way as the tourists took just a ball more than 20 overs to pass the modest 128 made by the home team earlier in the day.There were contributions of 28 from Herschelle Gibbs and 24 from Mark Boucher before Jonty Rhodes, who flew up to Zimbabwe this week for the one-day series which starts in Bulawayo on Sunday, hit the winning runs.The South African victory had been set up by fast bowler Andre Nel who claimed five for 11 in the morning as the Zimbabwe ‘A’ top order melted away.At one point the Zimbabweans had crumbled to 26 for five before young Tatenda Taibu offered some resistance with a dogged 21 and Paul Strang (45 not out) helped the tail take the score into three figures to give Zimbabwe ‘A’ a semblance of respectability.

CFX Academy won toss and elected to bat.Weather overcast.Pitch devoid of grass and a little spongy.The new format for 1st Class cricket in Zimbabwe with 4provincial teams and the Academy, proposed by the Academy andadopted by the ZCU is proving to be an outstanding success. Thetalent in the former stronghold, Mashonaland, has now beendissipated to the provinces and the games are proving to behighly competitive and even contests. The Academy is now provingthat its existence is vital to the future of cricket in Zimbabwe.Already in this competition 8 out of the 9 centuries have beenscored by Academy or former Academy students.On this dead and low bounce pitch it was vital that the Academybatsmen play straight. Too many batsmen got themselves outplaying indiscriminate shots. However Greg Lamb, with hisabundant natural talent, rescued the Academy with, for him, apatient and well constructed century in 179 minutes off 156balls. Other than Lamb and Went, making his 1st class debut with37, this was a disappointing batting performance by the Academywho were bowled out for 191 in 78 overs.Manicaland, the log leaders, lost an early wicket but NeilFerreira, the most improved Academy player in 1999, continuedwhere he had left off in previous games with a solid start. TheAcademy fought back well, capturing 3 wickets before stumps weredrawn early due to bad light at 5.47pm.DAY 2Ferreira continued his inexorable compilation of runs in makinghis 3rd century in 4 matches. He continues to remind theselectors that he should receive national recognition. He wouldbe the perfect foil to the stroke players in the test side withhis tremendous powers of concentration and excellent defence. Itis indeed puzzling that a player of this calibre, performing sowell at 1st Class level has not been included in the 15 man Ateam squad to Sri Lanka. He is a more than adequate wicket-keeperand he must now be included in national teams. It is inexcusableto keep playing the same batsmen failing at test level when youngplayers are performing so well at 1st class level.The other Manicaland batters played good supporting roles toFerreira, who was eventually caught off Haakonsen, for 121 in 420minutes in 344 balls. Andy Whittall put bat to ball at the end ofthe innings before Manicaland were bowled out for 288 with a leadof 97 on 1st innings.The Academy opened their 2nd innings with King and the lefthanded Vaughan -Davies giving Maragwede respite from a long dayin the field with the gloves.Vaughan-Davies relished the opportunity scoring freely, finishingthe day on 33 out of 50, 47 runs behind with a day to go, losingthe wicket of King LBW to Whittal half an hour before stumps.Day 3The Academy started soundly taking no chances in overtakingManicaland’s 1st innings score. Lamb,the 1st innings centurymaker could not bat above No 7 after dislocating his leftshoulder yet again in the field. Went, also injured in the 1stinnings, also had to bat below 7. Maragwede fell LBW to theveteran John Brent when the score was 80 and the 17 year old”Dombo” Stone losing his wicket to a good catch at bat/pad offLawson for 6. Vaughan-Davies fell a few balls later to anoutstanding catch at deep gully off the bowling of Burmester.This was a good fighting innings by an enthusiastic and dedicatedyoung cricketer making 61 in 155 balls.Manicaland could now sense victory and applied the pressure. Atlunch the Academy were 37 ahead with 6 second innings wicketsstanding. However a good 5th wicket partnership between theAcademy captain Paul Strang and the talented all rounder TravisFriend removed the immediate danger. A thunderstorm threatenedand the players left the field at 14.05pm. Play resumed 50minutes later but with no further wickets being taken byManicaland the captains decided to call a halt to proceedings at3.55pm with the scare at 250 for 5, captain Strang undefeated on74 and Young on 26.Manicaland have made great strides in their quest to become atruly 1st Class province. With the inspiration of theirexperienced and competitive captain Mark Burmester, the secondinflux of Academy students next year and the distribution ofestablished test players to the provinces this province isassured of continuing to be one of the best sides in the country.

Pakistan suffered an injury scare on the eve of the first Test after Yasir Shah went down with a back problem in training. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq said he had experienced a back spasm and an assessment would be made in the morning but the team’s management remained optimistic about Yasir’s recovery overnight and were taking every necessary step to ensure he plays.Yasir was bowling in the nets and collapsed after catching his studs in the turf. He was left lying on the ground in apparent pain before being helped away by fellow spinner Zulfiqar Babar.The legspinner, who recently became the fastest Pakistani to 50 Test wickets, has been viewed as one of the key bowlers in the series and his absence would be a significant blow for Misbah’s side. Pakistan’s No. 3, Azhar Ali, has already been ruled out with a foot injury.”We want to wait until tomorrow and hoping for the best,” Misbah said. “He got a back spasm and let’s see [how his recovery goes] overnight. His loss could be a big blow but we are hoping that he will be a fine as he is our key player and we are very much concerned about him.”Obviously we are looking into it [a replacement]. In case if he won’t recover then we need to have someone and we are working on that. Hopefully we will get someone for tomorrow morning.”Considering the injury to Azhar Ali, now if Yasir couldn’t make it it will be a tough challenge for us. It will be hard for us to cope without him but this is exactly the same scenario, we are already playing against a top team and we knew we have to come hard so it will be more challenging.”Yasir Shah walked off the field in discomfort after hurting his back during a training session•Getty Images

Pakistan have called up left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, who played against England in their two warm-up matches last week. Gohar had returned to Pakistan and is unlikely arrive back in the UAE before the start of the Test on Tuesday, which means Pakistan may have to resort to playing another pace bowler if Yasir is unfit.Chief selector Haroon Rasheed told ESPNcricinfo: “Team management required a replacement as a precaution and we are making sure that a player should be sitting on bench before the Test match starts.”Gohar, an uncapped left-arm spinner, came into the spotlight at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup when he was Man of the Match in Pakistan’s semi-final win over England. He picked up five wickets in two practice matches against England in Sharjah and has been named as ‘temporary’ replacement for Yasir but must wait on his application for a visa. There is a possibility that Gohar could travel, subject to visa, on Monday night and join the squad before the Test starts but it would not be ideal preparation to make his Test debut.Pakistan’s team management are still hopeful that Yasir can make a speedy recovery with the help of extensive treatment. But if he doesn’t make it and Gohar is unable to fly in time, Pakistan face a difficult selection conundrum.Pakistan would have no option but to play three seamers – most likely Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali and Imran Khan – along with one full-time spinner in Zulfiqar Babar and include Shoaib Malik as an allrounder. Fawad Alam, an assured batsman who can chip in with some spin bowling, is also a possibility. But from now until the toss, Pakistan are hoping for a miracle Yasir recovery to solve the problem.

India bowling coach B Arun has said India will be satisfied with a lead of around 100 runs because of the condition of the P Sara Oval pitch, which he said would offer both bounce and reverse swing. The Indian bowlers kept Sri Lanka down to under three runs an over in their first innings on the second day, as the hosts ended on 140 for 3, still 253 runs behind.”We are probably looking for a lead of about 100 runs… If we get a lead of 100 runs on this track, it is beginning to wear and there was sign of spinners extracting some turn,” Arun said. The P Sara pitch, regarded as the most seamer-friendly in the country, is not offering the carry that it has been known to but Arun said the track, “was a lot harder than what we had at Galle. It has a lot more bounce to offer as the game progresses, but not so much turn.”The decision to play Umesh Yadav over Varun Aaron, who bowled at a good pace but conceded 107 in his 18 overs in Galle, had to do with Umesh’s better dexterity with the ball, both when it would be new and old. Arun said India had benefitted from having a variety in the bowling attack on this tour, giving the team “much more freedom” to choose the attack made for the surfaces they faced.”If you look at this wicket, it does not have that much pace to offer,” Arun said. “There was dry grass and also the fact that the ball could reverse on this track and Umesh is pretty good with reverse swing, that was the main choice for Umesh over Varun.” In the past, citing the example of the tour of Australia, Arun said Umesh had tended to bowl spells, “when he was good and then he could leak runs. So we had to work on Umesh to become a lot more consistent because he has the pace, he can move the ball and also he can reverse it with the old ball. That makes him a potent bowler provided you have a lot of discipline and that’s exactly what we worked on and we will go ahead with it.”The control shown by the Indian seamers, Arun said, had pleased the team because “to do well in Test matches, you need to be bowling with a lot of discipline. This is something that we have worked really hard on. Today was there for it to see. Restricting them to under three an over, it was pretty good bowling.” He said that “discipline”, when it came to bowlers, involved “ironing out your difficulties” and thinking clearly under pressure. “The calmer you are, if you have clarity of mind, then you have the best chance to perform.”When Sri Lanka came out to bat, Arun said the plan was, “to make them work for every run. We reworked our fields, we looked at the batsmen’s strengths, these are the areas they were really scoring at. And we said we are going to plug those very areas where they are going to be looking for runs. So far it has worked well for us.”

Ireland, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and USA will participate in the qualifiers of the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, in Kuala Lumpur from October 15 to 22. The winner of the qualifying tournament will proceed to the main event to be played in Bangladesh early next year.This is the second and final chance for the five Under-19 teams to qualify after they finished second in their respective regional qualifying tournaments. The 12 matches will be shared between Kinrara Oval and Bayumas Oval, including the final on October 22 at the Kinrara Oval.The winner will join the ten Test-playing nations along with Afghanistan, Canada, Fiji, Namibia and Scotland.

Rod Marsh can remember the gale. A howling, icy wind blowing in off the British west coast and flush into the face of Fawad Ahmed as he bowled for Australia A against Gloucestershire in Bristol, in June 2013. Fawad was not yet an Australian citizen at the time, and his leg-breaks were taking time to settle.”It was bloody cold,” Marsh said. “How can you bowl legspinners when it’s cold, I don’t know. Let’s hope it’s a warm summer, that’s what I say. It was terribly cold when he played in that A team, I mean you couldn’t hang onto the ball. We played one game at Gloucestershire, that was just freezing. He took a one-handed catch there too didn’t he, best catch he’s ever taken.”Upon taking that catch, Fawad was embraced with gusto by a team that included the likes of Steven Smith and Ryan Harris. But it would be some time before he would again get that close to the Australian Test team – nearly two years in fact, until Marsh announced him as the second spinner for dual tours of the West Indies and England this year.At the time, everything was happening rapidly for Fawad, almost too much so. Cricket Australia’s efforts to have his citizenship expedited to allow him to contend for the 2013 Ashes provided a distraction from his bowling, as did the whole concept of getting used to playing alongside the finest cricketers in the land. Absent from his shirt was the logo of the tour sponsor Victoria Bitter, as a nod to Fawad’s teetotal, Muslim beliefs.After the Ashes he would play ODI cricket for his new country, but the debate about the absence of the sponsor’s logo overshadowed some promising spells. When he returned home and was said to be in contention for the home Ashes series, Fawad struggled to find his rhythm, and drifted from the selectors’ thoughts. It appeared to have been a case of too much, too soon. It was in slowing down that his career sped back up.”I changed my mind, I took the pressure off and I wasn’t looking to play for Australia so soon, rather playing more for Victoria and performing at Shield level, that was the most important thing for me,” Fawad said. “And at that time it was a lot of things happening off the field, and this time things are happening off the field but on the cricket ground I’m performing well, so it’s a completely different thing and I’m looking forward to it.”I was busy with that and it was pretty tense for me and I bowled well at that time as well and I was looking forward to representing my country, but after cricket there were so many things happening so quickly. It really rushed me and I didn’t take the pressure. This time it will be different and better.”Fawad’s 2013-14 was as troubled as Victoria’s. A tyro captain in Matthew Wade wrestled with his new responsibilities, while the coach Greg Shipperd struggled to adjust to the new ways of Australian cricket, where national selection took precedence over trophies. As 2014-15 dawned, both Fawad and Victoria were under the radar, and the lack of scrutiny helped them to build a successful and ultimately Shield-winning season while also demonstrating the sorts of qualities desired by the selectors, namely strong batting and quality spin bowling.”At that time, it was a lot of things happening off the field, and this time things are happening off the field but on the cricket ground I’m performing well, so it’s a completely different thing”•Getty Images

“All the Victorian boys helped me, especially the coach Greg Shipperd and Matthew Wade he’s been a really improved captain this year,” Fawad said of Shipperd and Wade. “He really supported me behind the wicket and at training as well this year we’ve worked together. I got close to him this year. Last year was a terrible year for us and not good for me as well. But it’s been great to be a good friend with the captain so he can support you and he really trusted me throughout the season He really helps me to bowl well and gives me confidence.”We have a great system in this country, it’s amazing, and this is such an amazing country. Everyone has an opportunity. If you work hard and you perform well there will be opportunities for you, it could be anyone and before starting this season I really worked hard and it was my aim to play more games for Victoria, and being a bowler to create more opportunities rather than take wickets. I bowled well, so I’m excited and looking forward to it.”Marsh summed up Fawad’s attributes as a spin bowler capable of both attack and defence, while also possessing enough variety to outfox batsmen of all varieties. Googly, rushing top-spin, and ripping leg-break were all in evidence during his striking 8 for 89 against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield final, and the national selectors could not help but take notice.”He doesn’t bowl too much rubbish, and he creates a lot of pressure,” Marsh said. “He’s able to have men around the bat in most instances and he keeps asking the batsmen questions. That’s what most good spinners do, you need to be able to remain on as a legspinner. It is all very well ripping the ball, but if you bowl two full tosses, two long hops, it’s very hard for the captain to keep you on. He maintains good economy and he asks many questions of both left and right-handed batsmen.”The sponsor’s product has been in the news once more over the past 48 hours, as Australia’s World Cup celebrations have been overflowing with the stuff – not to mention plenty of loud, even loutish pronouncements about its effects. But it all sat comfortably with Fawad, who noted that on this year’s tours he will have a teetotal team-mate in his fellow Victorian Peter Siddle.”I’ve been around in the system for five years,” Fawad said. “Peter Siddle is not drinking either, so you can say he’s my partner now and I’m really glad he’s on the tour as well. We have some good spells on the field as well, so I’m happy to have him as well, hopefully we can win more games and enjoy them. That’s their culture and their tradition, I knew that when I was coming to Australia and I’m comfortable with that. It’s good the way they’re enjoying it and celebrating.”Gloucestershire’s chill wind has thus been replaced by the warm glow of Ashes selection. If two years ago was too soon for Fawad, then now seems precisely the right time.

Promising Karachi batsman Saeed bin Nasir was a late inclusion Wednesday in Team ‘D’ squad for next week’s Super League One-day Ramazan Cup.Saeed was inexplicably not considered by national selectors when the squads were originally announced some days ago.Selectors have also inducted two other players. Mian Nafees, the Quetta batsman who represented Rest of Balochistan last season, has been named in Team ‘C’ squad. Shahbaz Bashir Khan is the other one who is included in Team ‘B. He made 356 runs in five matches for Sibi in the recent National Junior Cup (Under-19) Grade-II Championship.Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wednesday also named coaches for all four teams. Former Test players Haroon Rasheed and Azhar Khan are assigned to work with Team ‘B’ and Team ‘D’ respectively while Naved Anjum takes over Team ‘C’. Team ‘A’s coach is Shahid Aslam.Tournament opens Monday with a match between Team ‘A’ and Team ‘C’.Remaining league ties in the double league tournament are: Team ‘B’ v Team ‘D’ (Nov 12), Team ‘A’ v Team ‘D’ (Nov 13), Team ‘B’ v Team ‘C’ (Nov 15), Team ‘A’ v Team ‘B’ (Nov 16), Team ‘C’ v Team ‘D’ (Nov 17), Team ‘B’ v Team ‘D’ (Nov 19), Team ‘B’ v Team ‘C’ (Nov 20), Team ‘A’ v Team ‘C’ (Nov 21), Team ‘C’ v Team ‘D’ (Nov 23), Team ‘A’ v Team ‘B’ (Nov 24), Team ‘A’ v Team ‘D’ (Nov 25).The day-night final has been put back by a day and now will be played Nov 28.Two league matches (Nov 17 and Nov 24) are day/night fixtures will contests on Nov 16 and Nov 23) are all night affairs.