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ScorecardLancashire, having won their first two championship matches by an innings, put themselves in a strong position to force another overwhelming victory at Hove, as they scored 590 before reducing Sussex to 97 for 4 at the close.It was Lancashire’s joint-16th highest score in first-class cricket and their best since 2006.They resumed on 322 for 6 and added a further 268 runs in just 62.4 overs as the Sussex bowlers struggled on a flat pitch. Lancashire scored 122 runs in the morning session alone.Sussex did not take a wicket until 10 minutes after the interval when Luke Procter, who was on 26 overnight, was sharply caught at slip by Ed Joyce off the bowling of Monty Panesar.Panesar was by some way the most economical bowler in the Sussex attack but even he came in for heavy punishment at times and on five occasions the left-handed Procter hit him over the short leg-side boundary for six on his way to 89.It seemed that no Lancashire batsman would score a hundred – Paul Horton and Karl Brown had been out for 78 and 88 respectively on the first day – but then Gareth Cross hit a career-best 125. Cross hit 13 fours and five sixes in his 195-ball innings.He reached his century when he edged Naved Arif for four but it was a rare moment of hesitancy in a dominating innings. Lancashire lost their eighth wicket at 536 when Farveez Maharoof was well caught, low down, on the backward square-leg boundary by Luke Wells. Cross was ninth out at 567 when, having just hit Arif towards the changing rooms for his final six, he was caught at long-on attempting another.When Sussex batted they gave Lancashire a helping hand which the away side hardly needed. Two of the four dismissed batsmen were out without playing a shot and they need a further 344 runs merely to avoid the follow-on.Openers Chris Nash and Joyce had done the most difficult part when they added 46 for the first wicket. But then Nash was bowled by one that jagged back into him from Maharoof. Joyce followed in the next over, bowled as he played no stroke to one that spun sharply back into him from Gary Keedy. Wells was also out without playing a shot, lbw to Keedy. Ben Brown was fourth out at 90, lbw to Glen Chapple.

Rahul Dravid believes day/night Test cricket can be part of the future having experienced first-hand MCC’s experiment with pink balls under floodlights in Abu Dhabi. Dravid hit 106 in the second innings against Nottinghamshire and was impressed with his first sighting of the different coloured ball as MCC continue their trials into floodlit first-class matches.Dravid’s first attempt ended with a second-ball duck on the opening day when he was trapped lbw by Luke Fletcher but he had much more success second time around. It was a valuable experience for Dravid, who is also part of the MCC World Cricket Committee which is pushing for day/night Tests.”There is definitely a future for day-night Test and first-class cricket,” Dravid said. “I think there are a few further tweaks that need to be made, and it would be beneficial to play some more trial matches at different venues and in different conditions, but as with any new innovation administrators and the players will need to take a leap of faith at some point.”When the pink ball was first used in the corresponding fixture last year there was criticism about the colour of the seam which has been modified by the manufactures Kookaburra. Dravid said for the most part he had no problems picking up the ball although, a little like day/night one-day cricket, the twilight period was a little tricky.”The 30-40 minutes when the natural light starts to fade, and the lights begin to take effect are challenging, and batting does become a little bit more difficult – but once you get through this period sighting the ball is quite easy,” he said. “If you are established at the crease it is not such a problem, and for a new batsman starting his innings, it is really just something to keep in mind. With practice players will learn to adapt to the challenge, and tactics will start to come into play, which can only add interest.”

England’s game against India has been billed as a marquee encounter and the pre-match hype, particularly in the host city of Bangalore, has already reached frenzied levels. England captain Andrew Strauss admitted “huge anticipation” ahead of the game but also believes it will inspire Kevin Pietersen, who is potentially England’s game-changer at the top of the order but made a subdued start to the tournament against Netherlands. With expectations on the home side running high, Strauss added: “we’d love to spoil an Indian party here in Bangalore.””It’s going to be a huge atmosphere,” he said. “It’s one of those games that everyone dreams of playing, against India at the World Cup on their home turf. It’s a great opportunity for us and one that we’re very excited about. [A win] would potentially be a huge lift for us, and it would send out a pretty strong marker to other sides. But we’ve got to do it first. We’ve got to concentrate on the process of doing it.”The build-up to this game has put the spotlight on players on both sides but Pietersen, who scored a century in England’s last game against India in November 2008 but hasn’t managed one in ODIs since, is one player who won’t mind that one bit. Strauss suggested that “it’s the sort of match that brings out the best in him”.”Opening the batting is giving him [Pietersen] a fresh outlook on his one-day cricket, and hopefully he’ll transform that into big runs as well,” Strauss said. “He’s performed well in the subcontinent before. He obviously knows this wicket well because he’s played in the IPL here, and in the big matches and big tournaments generally we see the best of Kevin Pietersen.”Pietersen has averaged just 22.13 in ODIs since that Cuttack ton but Strauss insisted he had no doubts over his effectiveness in one-day cricket and that the team expected him to perform.”I don’t think it’s the time to take the pressure off. It’s a World Cup and we all need to stand up and perform, he knows that as well as anyone else. We know what he can bring to our side when he does perform, because he’s a match-winning player and one that other sides will fear. I’ve got no issues, I’m very confident he’s going to put in some telling performances in the course of this World Cup.”Even with a fully-firing Pietersen, England are sure to face a stern challenge from an Indian team on familiar terrain and primed to go the distance in this tournament, backed by fervent home support. “Playing India in their home conditions, that’s always a big challenge for you as a side,” admitted Strauss, “but we’re up for that challenge, and we think we can do well. It’s not something we’re overawed about, it’s something we’re excited about.”They’re a strong side in their home conditions, there’s no doubt about that. We played well against them in England, but not in India. But we’ve evolved a lot as a side in the last 12 to 24 months. We’ll take a lot of confidence from how the guys played in the Twenty20 World Cup, playing under pressure, and our bowlers are a lot smarter now, which is probably crucial out here. We need to play well, we’re under no illusions about that, but there’s a real vibe and excitement and enthusiasm that I hope the guys will bring to the pitch tomorrow afternoon.”Speaking of the pitch, Strauss explained that the England set-up had been fed conflicting reports on how the wicket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will play, and unseasonal rainfall in the city hasn’t helped their assessment. The warm-up matches at the ground, and particularly India’s game against Australia, suggested conditions could suit the spinners. Strauss said England would have to “tailor our side to the conditions that we think are going to be most prevalent. We probably won’t know that until tomorrow morning”.

Strauss on the UDRS at the World Cup

“Generally I’ve been a fan of the UDRS. I think we’ve got more decisions right as a result of it. It’s very new in one-day cricket, and I think over the course of this tournament we might get a better idea as to whether it works as well in one-day cricket as it does in Test cricket. As a captain it’s a great tool to have in your armoury, if you think an umpire’s made a poor decision, to be able to get that over-turned. You’ve obviously got to be clever in terms of judging which ones you call for a review and which ones you don’t.”

Strauss did hint England could follow the trend already set by several teams and play more than one spinner and possibly even give the new ball to one of the slow bowlers. “It’s definitely an option,” he said. “If it’s going to turn like it did in the warm-up game then two spinners are also going to be a very strong option for us. But it’s important not to be too blinkered into assuming that it’s going to do something. There’s a bit of weather around at the moment so that might change the look of the wicket and we’re going to have to make a smart choice at the toss.”The city was drenched by a torrential downpour on Friday, and while Saturday was muggy but rain-free, a thick cover of cloud remained and there’s a chance the weather could play a role on Sunday. With that in mind, Strauss suggested England might opt for the relative safety of chasing with an eye on the Duckworth-Lewis tables.”That’s always an option when there’s rain around. It’s better to know the situation than not to know. But we’ll assess the conditions at the toss. It’s too early to say anything categorically at this stage. In terms of the conditions, I always think you want to be the man making the choice [at the toss]. The key is to assess the conditions before the game starts and hopefully we’ll be able to do that over the next 24 hours.”While it would be a shame for the weather to dampen what could be an intense and emotional encounter, the threat of a storm could also add to the drama sure to unfold in front of a ‘housefull’ stadium. The ground is sure to be packed to the rafters despite the continuing furore over tickets and the deafening shouts of 40,000 energized spectators will make it a challenge for Strauss to maintain control in the field.”There’s going to be a lot of sign language involved, I think. It’s something we’ve definitely talked about. Trying to get people’s attention is going to be difficult, so people are going to have to keep their eyes on me. Fielders are going to have to be smart too, knowing when they should be saving two or when they need to be right on the boundary. These are things we try to do day in and day out, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too different.”

ScorecardIn an extraordinary turnaround, Central Zone have qualified for the Duleep Trophy semi-finals, after bowling out East Zone in less than a session and then chasing down the required 134 runs before tea on the fourth day. The result seemed impossible at the start of the day, with East leading by 61 runs with nine wickets in hand, and looking set to go through on their first-innings lead.However, Central’s pace trio of Uttar Pradesh’s RP Singh, Rajasthan’s Pankaj Singh and Vidarbha’s Umesh Yadav had other ideas. Pankaj sparked the collapse, taking three quick wickets, including that of first-innings centurion Ishank Jaggi, to leave East, whose batting line-up had been shortened due to an injury to Saurabh Tiwary, in trouble at 44 for 4. Yadav, who recently signed a lucrative contract with IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils, continued the destruction, getting the other first-innings centurion Manoj Tiwary for 21. Yadav and RP Singh wiped out the tail and East were bowled out for 96, having added only 72 runs in the day.It was an unexpected collapse, since both teams had scored heavily in their first innings, and Central proved that the pitch hadn’t suddenly developed demons overnight. They made light work of knocking off the required runs, losing just one wicket in the process. Openers Aakash Chopra and Mohnish Mishra made up for their first-innings failures with half-centuries in the second and Central were home with only 61.2 overs bowled in the day.Central coach Abhay Sharma praised his bowlers. “It has been a thrilling game throughout the four days. Even we did not know that such a turnaround could be possible. But the three fast bowlers bowled their hearts out in the second innings. We targeted short of a goodlength, and bowled a disciplined line. And we also held all the chances that came our way.”I must also give credit to our batsmen, especially Kaif and Bundela, who got us so close to the East Zone total. We were disappointed at conceding the lead, but I am delighted at the way we fought back.”Central will play South Zone in the semi-final, which begins on January 26.

Michael Clarke has defended Phillip Hughes against Ian Botham’s accusation of cheating and also cleared Ian Bell for not walking to a ball he was later shown to edge. Hughes was unsure whether he caught Alastair Cook at short leg, momentarily celebrating the dismissal before asking whether it had carried.Cook, who was on 99, stood his ground and stayed when the replays showed the ball bouncing in front of Hughes. Botham was quick to criticise Hughes while commentating on . “Terrible,” he said. “Cheating. How much do you want it to bounce into your hands? He knows he hasn’t caught it.”Clarke, Australia’s captain, said Botham’s reaction was “a bit harsh”. “I can guarantee one thing, Phillip Hughes is not a cheat, that’s for sure,” he said. “He’s a wonderful young guy. The end result was spot-on. Hughesy wasn’t sure, Brad Haddin wasn’t sure, we made it clear to the umpires, the umpires referred the catch, checked it.”Cook thought the call was “very close”. “To be fair to Phil Hughes he said straightaway, ‘I wasn’t sure’. Obviously I was going to hang around on 99, you’ve got to be dragged off. They went upstairs and I think the right decision was made.”Clarke said he hadn’t seen the replay for either the Cook or Bell decisions, but had no problem with the use of technology, even though it’s not perfect. “It’s the same for both teams and I actually said that out there to Bell,” Clarke said. “I said I do think, especially, Hotspot is inconsistent, but it’s the same for both teams. I’m sure there’s been plenty of cases when we’ve been batting and the same thing’s happened, so it’s just about accepting the decision and getting on with it.”Bell was 67 when he was given out caught behind by Aleem Dar, taking a relatively long time to decide on referring the decision. Hotspot didn’t show a mark on numerous replays so the third umpire Tony Hill overturned the ruling. A few minutes later Snicko showed an edge, supporting Dar’s original judgment.The local crowd booed Bell when he reached his century, his first against Australia, and again when he was dismissed by Mitchell Johnson. Clarke felt Shane Watson deserved the original wicket, but didn’t believe Bell had done anything wrong by not walking off.”I don’t think Ian Bell is a cheat at all,” Clarke said. “We thought there was an inside edge, we appealed that, it was referred. Technology says with the result that Ian didn’t hit the ball.” Clarke said he would find it hard to believe any batsman would refer a caught decision if he knew he’d nicked it.Cook was at the other end to Bell. “It’s a weird one because Michael Clarke had one at Brisbane where we were convinced and Snicko said he might have hit it,” Cook said. “Belly said he wasn’t sure, he didn’t feel it, and Hotspot didn’t show. Is Snicko totally right, no-one really knows?”Michael Hussey was the only Australian who was seen to applaud both Cook and Bell when they reached their centuries, although Clarke had a different view. “I guarantee I clapped both their hundreds, and Cook’s 150,” he said. “I’m certain the rest of the team did. A lot of the guys said congratulations at tea, when Cook had a hundred.”

Paul Collingwood has admitted that his Test future is on the line, and recognises the need to make a big contribution in the final Test of the Ashes series at Sydney, after a troubling run of form in which he has made 11 or less in eight of his last ten Test innings.Collingwood’s last Test innings of note was his 82 in the first innings against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in July, in which he formed a matchwinning partnership with the centurion, Eoin Morgan, who is now his chief rival for a permanent berth in the middle order. In the current Ashes campaign he has made 70 runs at 14.00, with a top score of 42 at Adelaide.”My form during this series and most recently my latest failure in the fourth Test in Melbourne means the subject of my Test future was bound to be raised sooner or later,’ Collingwood was quoted as saying by the Mail on Sunday.”I am obviously disappointed with the series I have had with the bat so far. I can’t get away from the fact that scoring runs is my job in the side, so I won’t hide away. I have still got a lot of fight left in me. I honestly feel as fit as I have ever been. I am enjoying Test cricket and playing for England more than I ever have done and our success, and if you are enjoying it why would you give it up?”But on a personal level, this is a big week for me in Sydney,” he added. “I am at the crossroads and what happens in the final Test may well determine what direction I go in. I am sure by the end of this Test, I will know more myself and be better able to judge what the general feeling is in terms of where I am as a Test player and the contribution I can still make to the England team in future and what is the best way forward.”Collingwood has barely missed a Test in four years since he secured a permanent spot in the middle order on the tour of India in March 2006, and he is an integral member of the limited-overs squad as well, particularly the Twenty20 team which he captained to victory in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in May. However, at the age of 34, and with the World Cup in the subcontinent looming as his next big challenge, the time may be nigh to step down from the longest form of the game.”The desire within me to go out and score a hundred against Australia in Sydney, help the team to a 3-1 win and crack on is still strong,” he said. “Yet, at the same time, I understand the arguments 100 per cent and I understand there are other batsmen after my spot. And the bottom line is that, at my age, if you are not scoring runs yourself you do not deserve a place in the side.”

The investors behind the IPL’s Kochi franchise have decided to pull out of the venture and have informed the BCCI of this, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. Their decision comes three days before the expiry of the board’s deadline to the franchise to sort out its differences and – barring another twist in a long-running saga – could mean a final and irrevocable expulsion from the league.A letter of withdrawal was sent on Wednesday to Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president. Rajiv Shukla, a board vice-president, later confirmed the board had received “certain letters” from the consortium’s stakeholders.It leaves the IPL free to decide on how to fill the hole in the tournament – most likely by issuing a new tender inviting bids for the replacement team. This will be done on November 28, at the next governing council meeting in Nagpur, where the Kochi issue could meet its conclusion.The investors in the consortium – Anchor Earth, Parinee Developers, Rosy Blue and Film Wave -hold 74 per cent of the equity. The remaining 26% has been given to the Gaikwad family – Shailendra, his brother Ravi and their parents plus a few others, all part of Rendezvous Sports World – as free equity for services rendered in successfully bidding for the franchise.The two groups have been split down the middle over ownership issues almost since the franchise’s inception, a situation that severely undermined its credibility in the IPL’s eyes. The league’s governing council, at its emergency meeting on October 27, felt Kochi was far from resolving those issues and issued a notice asking both factions to explain why the franchise should not be scrapped.Satyajit Gaikwad, the CEO of Rendezvous, said at the time that the notice period was enough to build bridges with the investors, led by the Anchor group’s Mehul Shah. That no longer seems to be the case.An indication that the end was in sight came from the Twitter feed of Shashi Tharoor, the MP and former minister who had been closely identified with the consortium when it won the bid for the Kochi franchise. “That dream is over for now,” he tweeted on Wednesday. “Those who didn’t want a Kerala IPL team have finally succeeded. Some of us have paid a high price for trying.”

England XI 1 for 10 trail Western Australia 8 for 242 dec (Voges 72, Robinson 62, Broad 3-47) by 232 runs
ScorecardStuart Broad watches Marcus North’s cut fly to Graeme Swann•Associated Press

Stuart Broad was quick to adapt to Australian conditions as he gained three wickets on the opening day of their tour opener against Western Australia. England’s enjoyed a dramatic start to their trip, with Broad taking two wickets in the second over, and the other fast bowlers completed a decent first hit-out.Western Australia declared at 8 for 242 to leave England’s openers six overs to face, but they lost Alastair Cook for 5 when he was bowled off the midriff while trying to pull Steve Magoffin. Andrew Strauss, who was 5, took them to 1 for 10 at stumps, while the nightwatchman James Anderson was on zero.The game began in a flurry of action and Broad, who is expected to be a key figure in the Ashes, was on a hat-trick almost immediately. Liam Davis edged to Graeme Swann, who took a diving catch at second slip, and Michael Swart flinched at a short ball before popping it to Paul Collingwood at first slip. Broad finished with 3 for 47 from 18 overs and will be keen for more work before the three-day game ends.Marcus North, Australia’s No.6, was edgy at the start of his innings and survived a couple of loud appeals for lbws from Broad. North has been under pressure to build on his starts over the past year, but he fell shortly before lunch when Broad returned for another spell.After spending 72 balls creeping to 19, North cut to Swann at second slip, as Broad collected 3 for 13 in nine impressive overs in the first session. It was a slow day after Broad’s initial breakthroughs as the hosts tried to hold on through Adam Voges (72) and Wes Robinson (62).Anderson, who gave up eight runs from his nine overs before the break, delivered 22 for the day and finished with 1 for 49. The wicket came when Luke Pomersbach (21) edged behind and followed Paul Collingwood’s caught-and-bowled of Robinson. Steven Finn was less effective but did pick up Luke Ronchi (32) after tea to have 1 for 69, while Swann was given 20 overs and gained the scalp of Ryan Duffield.

Six years ago, Australia set India 229 to win a Test match in Chennai. India knocked off 19 before stumps on the fourth day, but an overnight deluge reduced Chepauk to a swamp and deprived what would have been a capacity crowd of a nailbiting climax. At Mohali tomorrow, rain is unlikely to be a factor and this abbreviated series will almost certainly get the result that sets up the Bangalore game as a must-win for one side.Australia are clear favourites, having taken four top-order wickets. VVS Laxman, who averages nearly 50 in the team’s second innings, is struggling with back spasms and will only bat if required, while the tail will need to offer far sterner resistance than they did on the third afternoon.Successful fourth-innings chases of this magnitude are rare, and India have pulled off just two against Australia when the target has been in excess of 200. The only instance on Indian soil came as far back as 46 years ago, when sedate half-centuries from Dilip Sardesai and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, combined with a rather more brisk 30 from Chandu Borde saw them edge past a 254-run target.After some spectacular final-day collapses in the 1990s and the early part of the new millennium, India have been less of a soft touch in recent times. At Chennai in 2008, they famously chased down 387 against England after Sehwag’s blazing 83 on the fourth evening ensured that they could bat normally on the final day. As recently as August, they slumped to 62 for 4 at the P Sara Oval in Colombo before Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina saw them past 257 with a measure of comfort.The drama of the afternoon seemed a world away as Australia dominated most of a morning session in which India were as listless as they had been on the opening day. Then, with the score on 87 – Australia’s unlucky number – it all changed. It was a filthy delivery from Ishant, short and wide, but Watson, who had batted with real purpose for 56, only dragged it on.Ricky Ponting followed, essaying an equally poor pull and Ishant could have had three in the over but for a no-ball referral from Billy Bowden. Michael Clarke was walking off by the time he went up to the TV umpire, and Ishant’s emotions, after a frankly rotten match, boiled over. “When you get excited, run in really fast and are desperate for a wicket, you make these kind of mistakes,” he said after the day’s play. “But you need to control your breath and emotions and try to get a good rhythm. The seniors help when I get excited. He [Bowden] was doing his job and I was doing mine. If he’s given a no-ball, then it’s a no-ball.”Daljit Singh, the curator, suggested that the pitch played quicker on the fourth day as a result of the moisture in it having evaporated after three days of sunshine. Ishant bowled a clever short ball to nail Clarke – “I think there was more bounce compared to the first innings,” he said – and was relieved to be back among the wickets after a string of indifferent performances that he attributed to a minor tweak in his approach to the wicket.”I struggled in Sri Lanka as well because I have shortened my run-up by two steps,” he said. “It’s just two steps, but it’s taking time to find my old rhythm. I’m missing my steps a little bit. I spoke to Zak about it, and a few seniors in my team. The good thing is that I’m still bowling at the same pace that I was getting with my previous run-up.”India’s pursuit of 216 got off to the worst possible start, but having benefited from a terrible decision to get rid of Michael Hussey, the Indians weren’t about to point the finger at the officials after Gautam Gambhir whacked the ball on to his pad and watched bemused as Bowden lifted the crooked finger. “That’s part and parcel of the game,” said Ishant. “No one feels good about that but you can only control what’s in your hands.”Only Tendulkar, hero of the Chennai chase, and MS Dhoni remain of the specialist batsmen and the 161 runs needed will appear a million miles away if either is dismissed early on the final morning. Ben Hilfenhaus, who bowled a fabulous spell to send India into a tailspin before stumps, promised to put Tendulkar “under the pump” and there will be more than a few damaged cuticles in the Indian dressing room after he takes fresh guard tomorrow.”When four of your best batsmen get out, the mood is a little bit tense,” said Ishant. “But everyone is in a good frame of mind and we believe that whoever is at the crease can do a job for the team. We’ll try our level best.”

ScorecardMatt Coles took four wickets in nine balls to help Kent to an 18-run Clydesdale Bank 40 win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. But the real Kent hero was their experienced South African batsman Martin van Jaarsveld who made an unbeaten 104 after Kent chose to bat first.Van Jaarsveld shared in two critical stands to enable Kent to set a difficult target of six an over. The veteran South African shared in a stand of 79 with Geraint Jones for the fourth wicket and 64 for the fifth with Darren Stevens. He reached his century in the final over of the innings as Kent closed at 241 for 5, leaving Hampshire with plenty to do.Van Jaarsveld finished with 104 not out off 83 balls and his intelligently-paced innings included eight fours and two sixes. Jones and Stevens each made 38 and there was an important 22 from Joe Denly at the top of the innings as Hampshire struggled to keep the scoring in check.Dominic Cork’s side needed to win to keep the pressure on group rivals Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire and they made a superb start when it was their turn to bat. Australian opener Phil Hughes, signed on a short-term contract until the end of the season, helped the prolific Jimmy Adams put on 85 in only 16 overs.But then legspinner Malinga Bandara found a way through Hughes’ defence and Hampshire were never quite the same force. Their momentum stalled at 115 when Adams was third out, another victim of Bandara having made 74 from only 71 balls. Much depended on Michael Carberry to stay in control but Sean Ervine’s adventurous cameo was brought to an end with the score at 180, with 60 required off 7.3 overs.Then Coles came on to make a decisive contribution, dismissing Liam Dawson and Chris Woods in two balls and in the following over sent back Cork and Michael Bates. This seemed to be the end for Hampshire but Carberry and last man Danny Briggs had other thoughts.Carberry and Briggs needed 36 off the final three overs and there were some heart-stopping moments for Kent supporters as the pair inched their way towards their unlikely target. But after adding 26 and taking Hampshire within sight of victory, Carberry went down the wicket to Dewald Nel and was stumped by the grateful Jones.Carberry hit seven fours and a six in his rapid 57 and after his demise there were only seven balls left. Young Coles finished with creditable figures of 4 for 45 as Kent closed inon their victory.