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A dramatic new roof and an extra 1300 seats will be added to the most popular area of the ground during the winter. This will increase the capacity at the ground to 21000 and further enhance Edgbaston’s position as the premier Test venue outside of London. The stand will be re-opened in time for the Test Match against Sri Lanka in May 2002.The innovative design by architects Bryant Priest Newman and engineers Price & Myers, both firms were part of the team that designed the award winning new indoor cricket centre, will provide spectators with a variety of new facilities. These include new stair access, increased concourse space, new toilets including provision for the disabled, a new covered area for food, drink and merchandise, increased seating under cover, much improved disabled access and new tip-up seating.The design of the refurbished stand will establish a bold modern image for a part of the ground that was originally constructed many years ago. The work will be undertaken by locally based Interserve Building (formerly Tilbury Douglas Construction Limited). The contract will be administered by Birmingham company, Francis Graves Limited.Financial support has been received from Sport England in the form of a £200,000 ‘Safer Sports Ground Programme’ grant towards a total cost of over £2 million.The Club’s Development Manager, Phil Macdonald said “This refurbishment is part of a programme of major improvements at Edgbaston which will ensure that we can provide the very best facilities for our members and cricket followers to watch domestic and international cricket in Birmingham.”Warwickshire’s Chief Executive, Dennis Amiss said “With interest in international cricket increasing all the time this development will enable us to cater for greater crowds in increased comfort and safety. At the 1st Test Match in the Ashes series against Australia demand for tickets far exceeded the available number of seats available. The additional capacity will give a wider audience the opportunity to experience the thrill of international cricket here at Edgbaston.”

Australia’s captain Steven Smith has expressed disappointment at his team’s middle-order slump against Ireland but said the side would be better for the hit-out ahead of their ODI series against England. In Smith’s first match as full-time one-day captain, Australia won by 23 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis system in a rain-affected contest reduced to a 24-over chase.Debutant Joe Burns (69) and David Warner (84) put on 139 for the opening wicket but the rest of the batting order struggled to find the same rhythm. Smith scored 21 off 38 balls, George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell managed only single-figure scores, and Australia reached 222 for 6 before rain ended their innings prematurely after 40.2 overs.However, their total was big enough against an Ireland outfit that relied largely on an 86-run partnership between Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien for the third wicket. The revised target became 181 from 24 overs due to the rain, and Ireland were bowled out for 157 in the final over of their chase.”It was a good workout for us,” Smith said. “It was a pretty frustrating day, going on and off but I think all the boys got what they needed out of it. I think Davey Warner and Joe Burns, on debut, played really nicely. They’re positive signs for us.”The middle order again, we lost a few wickets in clumps, which is disappointing, but it’s our first game back in white-ball cricket, so I’m not really reading too much into it. I thought with the ball we were pretty good.”It was tough to get in a rhythm, whether being a batter or a bowler. That comes down to attitude. The boys had the attitude today. Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien got a little partnership together there, and we always thought we were one wicket away from cracking it open and it turned out to be that way.”Nathan Coulter-Nile picked up 3 for 13 in his first international match since last November, and Pat Cummins bowled with good pace to collect 2 for 19. But perhaps the most promising sign for Australia was the success of Burns, whose 69 came from 70 deliveries and served as a timely reminder of his credentials after he was left out of the Ashes squad.”Joe has had a taste of Test cricket [against India] and he played quite well in those Test matches that he played,” Smith said. “I thought he played really nicely today. He complemented Warner. They both played really well. Rod [Marsh] has said before if you’re scoring runs in one-day cricket you can certainly put your name up for Test cricket and hopefully he can take the opportunity of opening in this series with both hands.”The match was Australia’s first ODI since their triumph in the World Cup final against New Zealand in March. Their five-match one-day series against England begins in Southampton on Thursday next week, preceded by a T20 in Cardiff on Monday.

Northern Districts lost their last eight wickets for 42 runs to finish on 142 in Hamilton, but that did not hurt them; they restricted Wellington to 135 for 9 to win by seven runs.Daryl Mitchell and Ben Laughlin took seven wickets between them to dent Wellington, not allowing any of the batsmen to create partnerships. Mitchell dismissed both Wellington openers – Hamish Marshall and Michael Papps – off consecutive deliveries in the fourth over. He finished with 4 for 35. Tom Blundell’s 42-ball 63 offered Wellington’s lone resistance; he was the ninth man out, dismissed by Laughlin, whose miserly figures of 3 for 13 meant Wellington’s required run-rate kept on increasing. After Blundell’s dismissal, they managed only seven runs off the last over.Earlier in the match, Joe Carter (32), Nathan Reardon (34) and Corey Anderson (34) batted aggressively to take Northern Districts to 100 for 2, before the collapse began; team was dismissed in the final over for 142 as their last seven batsmen aggregated only 21 runs.Defending champions Auckland beat Otago by 22 runs at home after Hong Kong’s Mark Chapman hit 76 off 32 balls in an innings that included seven sixes and four fours.Four Auckland players made their T20 debut, one of them being opener Glenn Phillips, who scored a 32-ball 55, combining with Rob Nicol and Jeet Raval to stitch together two consecutive partnerships of 35 runs each. Chapman arrived after he was dismissed – with the team at 74 for 3 – and he added 108 runs for the fifth wicket with another debutant, SM Solia (30), before he was out in the last over of their innings.In their chase, Otago recovered after an early setback, with Anaru Kitchen (42) and Derek de Boorder (44) adding 64 runs for the second wicket. But with wickets falling every few overs, they finished 22 runs short of a win at the end of their 20 overs. Legbreak bowler Tarun Nethula picked two wickets and also effected de Boorder’s run out during a crucial stretch of the match.Central Districts beat Canterbury by seven runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-affected match in New Plymouth in a game that stretched 28.5 overs overall.Central Districts finished on 198 after their 20, in part due to a second-wicket partnership of 73, followed by a 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The first of those was between George Worker (32-ball 36) and the captain Will Young (27-ball 33), which was complemented by Tom Bruce (24-ball 39) and Doug Bracewell (21-ball 37). Andrew Ellis finished with three wickets, but conceded 49 runs.In their chase, Canterbury lost three wickets by the time they scored 33, but their scoring rate was high. Opener Chad Bowes struck 24 off 10 balls as they raced to 50 in under six overs. But a rain delay in the eighth over followed by another rain stoppage in the ninth, meant they finished on 77 for 3 after 8.5 overs, short of Central Districts’ par-score by seven runs, with Cam Fletcher (20) and Ellis (27) remaining not out.

Spin bowlers should be encouraged to bowl more in the early overs of one-day games, says Dipak Patel, the former New Zealand offspinner who famously opened the bowling in the 1992 World Cup.Patel’s comments come in the wake of Rahul Dravid’s comments about the Powerplay rule, saying an extra fielder outside the circle would encourage spinners during that phase of the game.”The problem with many captains is that they tend to use spinners either too attackingly as too defensively,” said Patel when asked about the modification. “Spinners need to be used smartly, with inside out-fields. You need to attack and defend at the same time.”Martin Crowe, the former captain, and Warren Lees, the former New Zealand wicketkeeper who was appointed coach, came up with a plan to open the bowling with Patel in the 1992 World Cup. On small grounds with fielding restrictions in operation, Patel ended with eight wickets in as many games with an economy-rate as impressive as 3.10.”The role of the captain is vital. I was lucky to have Martin leading me and he knew exactly where to place the fielders when I was bowling,” said Patel, currently in England doing research on spinners for the High Performance wing of the New Zealand board. “He always used to tell me, ‘We’re going to keep the runs down at the other end. So you throw it up and try to get them out. They’ll try and hit you and give their wickets.’ And that’s exactly what happened.”But how easy is it for a spinner to be bowling with a hard, white ball? “It’s great, especially with such a prominent seam. It helps your grip and turns enough to beat the bat. I sometimes think spinners look for too much turn these days. You just need an inch or so.”

A small fault in the underlying structure of the pitch had caused several balls to stay low during India’s opening game of the DLF Cup at Kuala Lumpur, Chris Broad, the ICC match referee, has revealed.Broad’s statement came after grubbers at the Pavilion End had accounted for Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the first innings of the second game, when full-length deliveries from Dwayne Smith and Jerome Taylor died after bouncing and scooted onto the batsmen, dismissing Dravid lbw and the other two bowled.According to the media release, Michael Box, the ICC’s consultant groundsman, had noticed the fault on the eve of the game, but the lateness of the hour and the hardness of the surface meant that the ground staff could do little to rectify it. And following play today it developed into a small depression.The depression, short of a good length outside the off stump for right-handed batsmen, has forced officials to reassess the pitch-rotation plan for the series. It had originally been planned to rotate the matches between pitch 2, used for the opening game, and this one, pitch 4. But with repairs clearly needed on this surface, the other pitch will be used for the next two matches before pitch 4 is used for the final two league games. It will also be used for the final on September 24.

The full text of Greg Chappell’s e-mail to the BCCI. This was first shown by India TV and published by DNA in Mumbai. Due to comments made by Mr Sourav Ganguly during the press conference following his innings in the recently completed Test match in Bulawayo and the subsequent media speculation I would like to make my position clear on two points.1. At no stage did I ask Mr Ganguly to step down from the captaincy of the Indian team and;
2. At no stage have I threatened to resign my position as Indian team coach.Mr Ganguly came to me following the recently completed tri-series of one-day matches here in Zimbabwe and asked me to tell him honestly where he stood as a player in my view. I told him that I thought he was struggling as a player and that it was affecting his ability to lead the team effectively and that the pressure of captaincy was affecting his ability to play to his potential. I also told him that his state of mind was fragile and it showed in the way that he made decisions on and off the field in relation to the team, especially team selection. A number of times during the tri-series the tour selectors had chosen a team and announced it to the group only for Sourav to change his mind on the morning of the game and want to change the team.On at least one occasion he did change the team and on the morning of the final I had to talk him out of making another last-minute change that I believe would have destroyed team morale and damaged the mental state of the individuals concerned. I also told Sourav that his nervous state was affecting the team in other ways as he was prone to panic during pressure situations in games and that his nervous demeanour was putting undue pressure on the rest of the team. His nervous pacing of the rooms during our batting in the final plus his desire to change the batting order during our innings in the final had also contributed to nervousness in the players waiting to go in to bat. His reluctance to bat first in games I suggested was also giving wrong signals to the team and the opposition and his nervousness at the crease facing bowlers like Shane Bond from NZ was also affecting morale in the dressing room.On the basis of this and other observations and comments from players in the squad about the unsettling effect Sourav was having on the group I suggested to Sourav that he should consider stepping down from the captaincy at the end of the tour in the interests of the team and in his own best interests if he wanted to prolong his playing career. I told him of my own experiences toward the end of my career and cited other players such as Border, Taylor and Steve Waugh, all of whom struggled with batting form toward the end of their tenure as Australian captain.We discussed other issues in relation to captaincy and the time and effort it took that was eating into his mental reserves and making it difficult to prepare properly for batting in games. He commented that he had enjoyed being free of those responsibilities in the time that he was in Sri Lanka following his ban from international cricket and that he would consider my suggestion.I also raised the matter of selection for the first Test with Sourav and asked him where he thought he should bat. He said ‘number 5’. I told him that he might like to consider opening in the Test as the middle order was going to be a tight battle with Kaif and Yuvraj demanding selection. Sourav asked me if I was serious. I said it was something to be considered, but it had to be his decision.The following day Sourav batted in the match against Zimbabwe ‘A’ team in the game in Mutare. I am not sure of the exact timing of events because I was in the nets with other players when Sourav went in to bat, but the new ball had either just been taken or was imminent when I saw Sourav walking from the field holding his right arm. I assumed he had been hit and made my way to the players’ area where Sourav was receiving treatment from the team physiotherapist, John Gloster.When I enquired as to what had happened Sourav said he had felt a click in his elbow as he played a ball through the leg side and that he thought he should have it investigated. Sourav had complained of pain to his elbow at various stages of the one-day series, but he had resisted having any comprehensive investigation done and, from my observation, had been spasmodic in his treatment habits, often not using ice-packs for the arm that had been prepared for him by John Gloster. I suggested, as had John Gloster, that we get some further tests done immediately. Sourav rejected these suggestions and said he would be ‘fine’. When I queried what he meant by ‘fine’ he said he would be fit for the Test match. I then queried why then was it necessary to be off the field now. He said that he was just taking ‘precautions’.Rather than make a scene with other players and officials in the vicinity I decided to leave the matter and observe what Sourav would do from that point on. After the loss of Kaif, Yuvraj and Karthik to the new ball, Sourav returned to the crease with the ball now around 20 overs old. He struggled for runs against a modest attack and eventually threw his wicket away trying to hit one of the spinners over the leg side.The next day I enquired with a number of the players as to what they had thought of Sourav’s retirement. The universal response was that it was ‘just Sourav’ as they recounted a list of times when Sourav had suffered from mystery injuries that usually disappeared as quickly as they had come. This disturbed me because it confirmed for me that he was in a fragile state of mind and it was affecting the mental state of other members of the squad.When we arrived in Bulawayo I decided I needed to ask Sourav if he had over-played the injury to avoid the danger period of the new ball as it had appeared to me and others within the touring party that he had protected himself at the expense of others. He denied the suggestion and asked why he would do that against such a modest attack. I said that he was the only one who could answer that question.I was so concerned about the affect that Sourav’s actions were having on the team that I decided I could not wait until selection meeting that evening to inform him that I had serious doubts about picking him for the first Test.I explained that, in my view, I felt we had to pick Kaif and Yuvraj following their good form in the one-day series and that Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman and Dravid had to play. He said that his record was better than Kaif and Yuvraj and that they had not proved themselves in Test cricket. I countered with the argument that they had to be given a chance to prove themselves on a consistent basis or we would never know. I also said that their form demanded that they be selected now.Sourav asked me whether I thought he should be captain of the team. I said that I had serious doubts that he was in the right frame of mind to do it. He asked me if I thought he should step down. I said that it was not my decision to make, that only he could make that decision, but if he did make that decision he had to do it in the right manner or it would have even more detrimental effects than if he didn’t stand down. I said that now was not the time to make the decision but that we should discuss it at the selection meeting to be held later in the day.Sourav then said that if I didn’t want him to be captain that he would inform Rahul Dravid that was going to stand down. I reiterated that it was not my decision to make but he should give it due consideration under the circumstances but not to do it hastily. At that point Sourav went to Rahul and the two of them conferred briefly and then Sourav left the field and entered the dressing room. At that stage I joined the start of the training session.A short time later Mr Chowdhary came on to the field and informed me that Sourav had told him that I did not want him as captain and that Sourav wanted to leave Zimbabwe immediately if he wasn’t playing. I then joined Mr Chowdhary and Rahul Dravid in the dressing room where we agreed that this was not the outcome that any of us wanted and that the ramifications would not be in the best interests of the team.We then spent some time with Sourav and eventually convinced him that he should stay on as captain for the two Tests and then consider his future. In my view it was not an ideal solution but it was better than the alternative of him leaving on a bad note. I believe he has earned the right to leave in a fitting manner. We all agreed that this was a matter that should stay between us and should not, under any circumstances, be discussed with the media.The matter remained quiet until the press conference after the game when a journalist asked Sourav if he had been asked to step down before the Test. Sourav replied that he had but he did not want to elaborate and make an issue of it. I was then called to the press conference where I was asked if I knew anything of Sourav being asked to step down before the game. I replied that a number of issues had been raised regarding selection but as they were selection matters I did not wish to make any further comment.Apart from a brief interview on ESPN before which I emphasized that I did not wish to discuss the issue because it was a selection matter I have resisted all other media approaches on the matter.Since then various reports have surfaced that I had threatened to resign. I do not know where that rumour has come from because I have spoken to no one in regard to this because I have no intention of resigning. I assume that some sections of the media, being starved of information, have made up their own stories.At the completion of the Test match I was approached by VVS Laxman with a complaint that Sourav had approached him on the eve of the Test saying that I had told Sourav that I did not want Laxman in the team for Test matches. I denied that I had made such a remark to Sourav, or anybody else for that matter, as, on the contrary, I saw Laxman as an integral part of the team. He asked how Sourav could have said what he did. I said that the only way we could go to the bottom of the matter was to speak to Sourav and have him repeat the allegation in front of me.I arranged for a meeting with the two of them that afternoon. The meeting took place just after 6pm in my room at the Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo. I told Sourav that Laxman had come to me complaining that Sourav had made some comments to Laxman prior to the Test. I asked Sourav if he would care to repeat the comment in my presence. Sourav then rambled on about how I had told him that I did not see a place for Laxman in one-day cricket, something that I had discussed with Sourav and the selection panel and about which I had spoken to Laxman at the end of the Sri Lankan tour.Sourav mentioned nothing about the alleged conversation regarding Laxman and Test cricket even when I pushed him on it later in the discussion. As we had to leave for a team function we ended the conversation without Sourav adequately explaining his comments to Laxman.Again, this is not an isolated incident because I have had other players come to me regarding comments that Sourav had made to them that purports to be comments from me to Sourav about the particular player. In each case the comments that Sourav has passed on to the individual are figments of Sourav’s imagination. One can only assume that he does it to unnerve the individual who, in each case, has been a middle order batsman.Sourav has missed the point of my discussions with him on this matter. It has less to do with his form than it does with his attitude toward the team. Everything he does is designed to maximise his chance of success and is usually detrimental to someone else’s chances.Despite meeting with him in Mumbai after his appointment as captain and speaking with him about these matters and his reluctance to do the preparation and training that is expected of everyone else in the squad he continues to set a bad example.Greg King’s training reports continue to show Sourav as the person who does the least fitness and training work based on the criterion that has been developed by the support staff to monitor the work load of all the players.We have also developed parameters of batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy that we believe embodies the ‘Commitment to Excellence’ theme that I espoused at my interview and Sourav falls well below the acceptable level in all areas. I will be pleased to present this documentation when I meet with the special committee in Mumbai later this month.I can assure you sir that all my actions in this matter, and all others since my appointment, have been with the aim of improving the team performance toward developing a team that will represent India with distinctions in Test match and one-day cricket.As I said to you during our meeting in Colombo, I have serious reservations about the attitude of some players and about Sourav and his ability to take this team to a new high, and none of the things he has done since his reappointment has caused me to change my view. In fact, it has only served to confirm that it is time for him to move on and let someone else build their team toward the 2007 World Cup.This team has been made to be fearful and distrusting by the rumour mongering and deceit that is Sourav’s modus operandi of divide and rule. Certain players have been treated with favour, all of them bowlers, while others have been shunted up and down the order or left out of the team to suit Sourav’s whims.John Wright obviously allowed this to go on to the detriment of the team. I am not prepared to sit back and allow this to continue or we will get the same results we have been seeing for some time now.It is time that all players were treated with fairness and equity and that good behaviours and attitudes are rewarded at the selection table rather than punished.I can assure you of my very best intentions.Yours sincerely,Greg Chappell MBE

In the latest round of Twenty20 Cup matches, there were wins for Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Lancashire, while Gloucestershire triumphed over Northants in a game reduced to just 5-overs-a-side by rain.At Headingley, Darren Maddy smashed 111 off 60 balls with eight fours and two sixes – the highest Twenty20 score by a Leicestershire batsman – as Yorkshire were set an imposing total of 221. Phil Jaques lead their reply with 92 off 49 balls, but despite a late flurry of runs Yorkshire fell 10 short.Bradd Hogg bowled Warwickshire to victory at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, taking 4 for 30 as Glamorgan fell 26 runs short of Warwick’s 152. Matthew Maynard’s 31-ball 53 was the only highlight of Glamorgan’s innings, with only two other batsmen – neither of whom reached 20 – making it to double figures.At Derby, Dinesh Mongia completed his three weeks as Carl Hooper’s replacement by guiding Lancashire to a 5-wicket win against Derbyshire – their first victory in all domestic cricket since May 29. Mongia cracked 50 off 34 balls, falling just before the winning runs were it, as Lancs successfully chased Derby’s total of 142.Persistent rain reduced Gloucestershire’s game against Northamptonshire to just 5-overs-a-side. James Averis picked up three wickets in his solitary over, and still managed to go for seven runs, as Northants made 42 for 5. Tim Hancock lead Gloucestershire’s reply with 28, and despite Carl Greenidge bowling his over for just one run, Gloucs romped home with five balls to spare.
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Yesterday’s Championship reviewNational League Division One
Division One table Gloucestershire v Surrey, Bristol
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Match abandoned. Worcestershire 271 for 4 beat Kent 132 by 139 runs
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Kent crashed to their fourth defeat in five National League games, thanks to a pounding from Graeme Hick, who made a run-a-ball 108, his 13th century in the competition. Worcestershire’s total of 271 for 4 proved to be well out of Kent’s range. They lost theiropeners in a tight spell by Matt Mason, and David Leatherdalefinished with 5 for 36 with his medium-pacers. The only resistance came from Greg Blewett (25) and Matthew Walker (23) as Kent folded for 132 in 31.5 overs. Yorkshire 153 for 7 lost to Glamorgan 165 for 6
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Glamorgan overcame the confusions of a rain-affected run-chase to keep up their 100% record with a fourth-successive victory in the National League. Yorkshire batted first and edged to 153 for 7 in 32 overs, thanks in part to an aggressive 37 from Chris Silverwood, sent in for quick runs at the top of the order. The specialist batsmen found the going rather tougher, with Yuvraj Singh making 34 from 53 deliveries. Glamorgan’s adjusted target seemed a long way off when Silverwood ripped out both openers with six runs on the board, but Michael Powell and Matthew Maynard kept them on course with a 76-run stand for the third wicket, Silverwood finished with 4 for 45, but Mark Wallace and Mike Kasprowicz sealed the match with a volley of boundaries.National League Division Two
Division Two table Scotland 192 for 8 beat Lancashire 151 by 41 runs
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Scotland continued their astonishing run of form in their debut season in the National League, as Lancashire became the third county side – after Durham and Somerset – to suffer an upset. Lancashire were missing the likes of James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff, but still started firm favourites with Stuart Law and Carl Hooper in their ranks. That feeling had been strengthened by the time Scotland had grafted to 192 for 8, thanks to a pair of 60s from Greig Williamson and Colin Smith. In reply, Lancashire had been cruising at 61 for 1, but when Mal Loye fell for 38, the innings went badly awry. Hooper was run out for 2, and Law and Glenn Chapple were dismissed in the same over by Craig Wright, as Lancashire floundered to 92 for 6. Peter Martin hoofed an unbeaten 29, but he ran out of support as Scotland pulled into second place behind Northamptonshire. Durham v Derbyshire, Chester-le-Street
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Match abandoned. Hampshire 248 for 3 beat Somerset 149 by 99 runs
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Hampshire gained swift revenge for their four-wicket defeat in the Championship on Saturday when they cruised to a 99-run victory at the Rose Bowl, Somerset’s fourth defeat in five National League matches. Derek Kenway led the rout with 115, to add to his 94 on Friday, and he was given excellent support by John Crawley (66) and Simon Katich (51 not out off 49 balls.) Somerset were never in the hunt, as Allan Mullally opened with a miserly spell and Dmitri Mascarenhas picked up four wickets. Jamie Cox and Rob Turner top-scored with 27, as Somerset crumbled to 149. Middlesex 200 for 7 lost to Northamptonshire 204 for 2 by eight wickets
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Northamptonshire put their poor first-class form behind them and reinforced their position at the top of the National League Division Two. Middlesex had also been unbeaten going into the match, but they were always up against it after struggling to 200 for 7 in their 45 overs. Middlesex floundered at the start and finish of their innings, but a pair of half-centuries from Ed Joyce and David Nash, and a quickfire 38 from Simon Cook gave them hope after Mike Cawdron’s tight spell of bowling (9-3-22-2). But David Sales and Mike Hussey devoured the target with an unbeaten 142-run partnership for the fourth wicket, cracking eight fours each to win with three balls to spare. Sussex 258 for 6 beat Nottinghamshire 150 by 97 runs
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Sussex continued their barren run, as Usman Afzaal and Chris Cairns carried Nottinghamshire to an impregnable 258 for 6 in a rain-affected match. Afzaal cracked seven fours and a six in his 83, but it was Cairns – on his return from international duty – who really caught the eye, cracking 53 not out from just 36 balls, with six fours and two sixes. Rain caused a recalculation of Sussex’s target, but it was academic as they slumped to 80 for 7, with Gareth Clough picking up 4 for 32

It was cricket at its one-sided worst. Sri Lanka arrogantly decided to bowlfirst on a shirtfront of a pitch and swept through a paper-thin Bangladeshline-up in double quick time before their batsmen went on a greedy run spreeat the Sinhalese Sports Club on Thursday.Sponsors, broadcasters and spectators (who had at least been enticed withfree entrance) had expected as much and stayed well away from an Asian TestChampionship match that was always going to attract little interest so soonafter Sri Lanka’s 2-1 Test series win against India.For the sadistically minded cricket fan there were moments to cherish,including yet another five-wicket haul by Muttiah Muralitharan, blistering89 off 56 balls from Sanath Jayasuriya and an elegant 99 not out from MarvanAtapattu but, all-in-all, there would have been greater tension at animpromptu softball game on Galle Face Green.Sri Lanka bowled out Bangladesh for just 90 runs in 36.4 overs, which wasthe tourist’s lowest total in their short five-Test baptism and the lowestever score made against Sri Lanka in their 112-Test career, before therebatsmen piled up 246 for one in just over three hours of batting, to givethem a daunting 156 run lead at the close.Atapattu had set the tone for the innings with three exquisite cover drivesfor four in the first over of the innings, but it was Jayasuriya who stolethe limelight, as he came close to clobbering one of the all time fastestTest centuries.He reached his fifty off just 35 balls with a pull for six, as second fiftyof the innings came up in just 22 balls and took Sri Lanka into tea on 115without loss after just 15 overs.After the interval in continued in the same disdainful vein before he wastrapped leg-before wicket by off spinner Naimur Rahman for 89 off 56 balls,having hit eleven fours and four sixes, two of which were carved over cover.Bangladesh fought-back bravely in the final two hours of the day and couldhave picked up further wickets if they had not spilled two chances at firstslip off Atapattu.Nevertheless, Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara, who retained the number threeposition despite the inclusion of Michael Vandort earlier in the day, added102 runs for the second wicket.Atapattu finished the day on 99, agonisingly short of his eighth Testcentury and Sangakkara was left on 49 not out. The only ones havingsleepless nights, however, will be the middle order batsmen waiting in thedressing, who may be concerned that they are going to miss out on a chanceto boost their Test averages tomorrow.Bangladesh had started the day in disastrous fashion when they lost threeearly wickets to the new ball: Javed Omar (7) played inside a straightdelivery and edged a simple catch to first slip, Habibul Bashir (4) wascleaned bowled by an inswinger in Vaas’s next over and Aminul Islam (6) wascaught behind off Ruchira Perera’s first ball of the day.Opener Mehrab Hossain and middle order batsman Al Shahriar then staged amini fight back, adding 28 runs for the fourth wicket, before the touristslost four wickets for four runs after the introduction of Muralitharan inthe 19th over of the innings.Al Shahriar (16) edged Muralitharan’s cleverly-disguised arm ball, openerMehrab’s (23) patient resistance ended when he was run out and both NaimurRahman and Khaled Mashud were bowled for ducks in the last over beforelunch.After the interval teenage debutante Mohammad Ashraful held up the home teamwith an entertaining 26, which included three boundaries in one over fromChaminda Vaas, who cruelly greeted the new boy with a succession of shortballs.Nevertheless, Bangladesh’s resistance did not last long and 41 minutes afterlunch the bowlers had their feet up in the balcony, facing the pleasantprospect of two days rest before they are next needed.In the morning Sri Lanka announced three changes to the side that defeatedIndia on Sunday: Russel Arnold made way for debutante Michael Vandort after27 consecutive Tests and fast bowlers Ruchira Perera and RavindraPushpakumara replaced Dulip Liyanage and the injured Dilhara Fernando.Bangladesh made two changes to the side that lost by an innings and 264 runsto Pakistan in the first game of the championship at Multan last week:Ashraful, just 16 years old, came in place of left-arm spinner Enamul Haqueand middle order batsman Al Shahriar, 23, replaced the experienced AkramKhan.

Whatever Trevor Bayliss’ ability as a coach – and an early Ashes victory enhances an already outstanding record – he surely has no future as a media spin doctor.Certainly his attempts to play down expectations of Ben Stokes backfired. What started as an attempt to avoid comparisons with Andrew Flintoff or Ian Botham, ended with England’s new coach comparing him with England’s highest wicket-taker and praising both other aspects of his game. Even the outwardly calm Bayliss, it seems, is excited by Stokes’ potential.”We don’t want to put too much expectation on him,” Bayliss said. “We don’t want to say he’s going to be the next Botham, or the next Flintoff. He’ll be the next Ben Stokes.”But then he couldn’t help himself.”His batting is right up there,” Bayliss continued, now warming to his subject. “And with his bowling, as we’ve seen here, he could be another Jimmy Anderson.”Another James Anderson. Another man who takes 400 Test wickets and leads the attack with distinction in England, Australia and India. It is quite a claim.On the evidence of Trent Bridge, though, it is not quite so outlandish as it may sound. Stokes harnessed the conditions so expertly that he did a more than a reasonable job of standing in for the injured Anderson. Swinging the ball sharply, generating sharp pace and delivering long, consistent spells, he claimed six second-innings wickets and looked every inch Anderson’s successor.Add to that Stokes’ batting and you can understand why Bayliss is excited and why, during the Caribbean tour, Phil Simmons compared Stokes to Jacques Kallis.

Bayliss on…

Australia
“It’s a challenge for any team to win away. I think that’s the way it should be. I know how good these Australia players are, but it is probably a team in a little bit of a transition period. I’m not going to gloat. Not in front of them, anyway.
Steven Smith
“He will handle captaincy well. He has shown it already in Test cricket earlier this year. He’s a very proactive type of captain. I think he’ll do a fantastic job, and certainly has the respect of the rest of his team-mates. They know he is one hell of a player and a very good captain.”
Alastair Cook
“First of all, he’s a fantastic guy. He is very well-respected in the dressing room, not just because of his own record but the type of person he is. I think he’s captained extremely well in this series so far. He has been pro-active, not reactive and I think the results speak for themselves.”

As Bayliss put it: “On top of that he’s probably the best fielder in the team as well. To have that rolled up in one player is a good thing for English cricket.”I’m sure we’ll all enjoy watching where he’ll end up, and the performances he puts on the board over the next 10 to 15 years. I’m looking forward to it.”Stokes’ first experience of international cricket was not especially happy. Only once in his first 27 ODIs did he reach 40 and he struggled to find consistency with the ball.But now, in the more relaxed England environment, he is one of the players who appears to be thriving and seems set to play a defining role in the team over the next decade.Bayliss has played a role in creating that environment. Outwardly calm, at least – “I’m like a duck under the water, feet paddling pretty quickly,” he said – he has emphasised enjoyment and relaxation and, notably, has reintroduced football in the warm-ups where it was, in the past, considered an injury risk.It probably is an injury risk, of course. But Bayliss has reasoned that the positives – it brings the team together in a way in which they enjoy – outweighs the potential negatives.”I think if the coach is showing his emotion, or looking nervous and making comments that are not necessarily helpful, it just makes the players even more nervous,” he explained. “They are going to be nervous anyway. They just don’t need that negative feel from others as well.”You want the team to be happy. It doesn’t matter what it is – it could be a game of marbles – but as long as they’re feeling good about themselves and doing what they want to do, that’s great. The football the boys play certainly gets their juices flowing.”The “juices are flowing” in Bayliss, too. Much as he tried to minimise expectations, much as he knows his team are raw and that tough challenges loom in the not too distant future, it is clear he is excited by the potential of what he sees.”We’ll enjoy this win tonight,” he said. “But we’re not going to paper over the cracks. There are some improvements to be made with this team if we want to be the best in the world, and want to play consistent cricket over a period of time and on foreign soil.”So we have got some things we’ve got to work on. But if they keep improving, the future is bright.”