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Captain Simon Katich said Western Australia’s first outright win of the season, over South Australia at the Adelaide Oval today, was a reward for patient bowling and sharp fielding.The Warriors dismissed South Australia for 154 to claim the 76-run victory, with paceman Matt Nicholson taking his second four-wicket haul of the game to benamed man of the match.”It was good for the bowlers to get the rewards,” Katich said.”Brad Williams, Matt Nicholson and Jo Angel were all good.”The fielding was excellent, that could have been the difference, although it was a 70-odd run game, but we fielded very well in both innings.”WA’s 227 in the first innings was the highest score of the match, but Katich said the pitch was not that difficult to bat on and the low scoring was a credit to the accuracy of the bowlers.”The wicket was good, yesterday it was a bit up and down and a bit hard to score on but the bowlers just hit good areas and bowled to their fields,” he said.SA started today at four for 52, needing to reach 231 to win the game, but lost Brad Young in the first over of the day without adding to the score and Ben Higgins nine runs later to fall to 6-61.Wicketkeeper Graham Manou and all-rounder Mike Smith provided the only real resistance, hitting a rapid 68-run seventh wicket partnership, with Manou topscoring with 43 from 38 balls.But his aggression cost him his wicket, when he skied a sweep shot attempting to loft Brad Hogg over mid-wicket, giving WA keeper Ryan Campbell an easy catch.That virtually ended the South Australian fightback, with the last three wickets falling cheaply, Nicholson picking up the final wicket of Mark Harrity 25 minutes after lunch.WA left-arm spinner Brad Oldroyd was unable to celebrate the win with his team-mates after being knocked unconscious and being taken from the ground on astretcher after an accidental collision with SA’s Peter McIntyre just before lunch.McIntyre was running between wickets while Oldroyd was attempting to get back to the stumps, and the pair clashed heads.Oldroyd was hospitalised with concussion but was not believed to have suffered any more serious injuries.SA skipper Darren Lehmann said while his team was disappointed with its batting, there were several positives to take from the match, including eight wickets to20-year-old paceman Paul Rofe in just his eighth first-class match, and a first innings unbeaten 121 from opener Ben Johnson.Johnson only made the team because regular opening pair Jeff Vaughan (concussion) and David Fitzgerald (illness) were unavailable.The two sides meet again here on Friday for a limited overs day-night match.Oldroyd will miss the game, with Angel expected to replace him.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:19

Sri Lanka seal clean sweep

Sri Lanka’s seamers ploughed through the West Indies top order then weathered a Marlon Samuels surge to set up a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory and complete the series whitewash. Buoyed by Samuels’ 94-ball 110 not out, West Indies got to 206 for 9 from their 36 overs, but, having had them at 105 for 6 before a 135-minute rain interruption, Sri Lanka had that total scaled down via the Duckworth Lewis method. Kusal Perera top-scored with 50 off 47 balls in a chase of 190. Sri Lanka had moved to 179 for 5 after 32 overs when rains came down again to end the match. The par-score at that final interruption was 160.A West Indies victory always seemed unlikely when they lost four batsmen in the first six overs. Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal collected two wickets each in their opening bursts, then a little later Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Denesh Ramdin with raw pace. Ajantha Mendis had also claimed a wicket before the big downpour came. Sri Lanka lacked some discipline as they were forced to contend with a slippery ball after the break, but just as his frontliners appeared to be losing their way, a half-fit Angelo Mathews stepped into the breach to deliver two cheap overs towards the close.Despite the loss, Samuels produced what was perhaps the best individual innings of the series, while his team collapsed around him. He had moved sagely to fifty before the rain break, then unshackled by the urgency of West Indies’ situation upon resumption, scored heavily on the offside as he hurtled to a ninth ODI ton. It was inherently a remarkable innings, but it was particularly sublime from a batsman who had spent the first four weeks of this tour in a funk.As West Indies have found throughout the tour however, individual distinction usually can’t trump collective excellence. Lasith Malinga rifled through his variations from his first over, and Lakmal found zippy movement off the track. Malinga’s two victims fell in identical fashion – both fending bouncers tamely to point. Lakmal had Andre Fletcher lbw on the stroke of a first rain break that lasted over an hour, but didn’t cause a reduction of overs, then he bowled Darren Bravo with an indipper the batsman offered no shot to.Samuels had moved smoothly to 50 off 51 balls after that first rain break, but came out intent on attacking after the second, major interruption. His first ball after the interruption, from Malinga, was clattered over midwicket for four. The next delivery was sliced over the third-man fence.Samuels took a particular liking to Malinga in the second half of his innings, cracking the bowler through or over the point region for three consecutive fours in the 28th over, then continued to back away and aim blows to the square fence. The other bowlers were not so severely punished, but as Samuels was batting with Nos 10 and 11 in the last seven overs, singles into the outfield were routinely turned down.West Indies’ only substantial partnership was his 55-run, eighth-wicket stand with Carlos Brathwaite, who made 18. Jason Holder, who hit 19, was the only other batsman to make it into double figures. Malinga, Lakmal, Chameera and Mendis all picked up two wickets apiece, and Mathews got a wicket for himself at the death.West Indies’ bowlers were consistently threatening even with a wet-ball, but as the target was modest, Sri Lanka found themselves cruising. Kusal and Tillakaratne Dilshan bludgeoned a few early boundaries to give the chase some impetus. Dilshan was out cutting to Samuels at point, after having been dropped by the same fielder on the previous ball, but Kusal and Lahiru Thirimanne put on a 50-run stand together to settle the innings.Thirimanne, Kusal and Dinesh Chandimal all departed within nine overs of each other, and yet, with Mathews at the crease, the chase never seemed in trouble. He struck up unhurried partnerships with Milinda Siriwardene and Shehan Jayasuriya to inch Sri Lanka towards victory. Mathews was unbeaten on 27 when the rains came again and the players went off the field for the third and final time.

The returning Abdoulaye Doucoure will address significant weaknesses in Frank Lampard’s Everton team. 

That’s according to BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Doucoure has missed each of Frank Lampard’s first four games in charge with a groin injury. Everton have won two of those – beating Brentford in the FA Cup and Leeds United in the Premier League – but they have also suffered two-goal defeats to Newcastle United and Southampton.

The Frenchman, who has been virtually ever-present when fit, is now closing in on a return to action. Lampard revealed prior to last weekend’s trip to St Mary’s that the club had reintegrated the 29-year-old into training, adding that he hoped to see ‘strong progression’ at Finch Farm ahead of the clash with reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday evening, for which the midfielder could be fit.

The latest

Whelan thinks that Doucoure’s physicality, as well as abilities in and out of possession, will greatly strengthen Everton midfield ahead of the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side, saying that the Frenchman’s return is a ‘welcome’ boost for Lampard in the wake of the defeat at St Mary’s.

The 47-year-old told Football Insider: “I think you need his presence in there. He brings real energy in that midfield and I think he will tick all the boxes for Lampard.

“He can break up the play, drive with the ball, as well as bring that real height and power they desperately need. We’ve seen him given that freedom to get into the box and cause problems as well this season.

“Every option will be a welcome one for Lampard right now. Doucoure’s return will be a brilliant boost for him.”

The verdict

Everton’s injury list isn’t looking pretty at the moment. They are without two senior centre-backs in Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina, in addition to central midfield duo Tom Davies and Fabian Delph, and winger Demarai Gray.

However, at last there seems to be positive news on that front for Lampard, with Doucoure potentially slotting into midfield alongside new signing Donny van de Beek against Man City after Allan and Andre Gomes came under fire for their displays last weekend.

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Allan looked like an ‘imposter’, in the words of BBC’s Dave Downie, and tellingly, The Athletic’s Greg O’Keeffe said in light of Gomes’ performance that ‘Doucoure’s return can’t come quickly come enough’.

With the Frenchman being Everton’s third-best player this season according to WhoScored metrics, it’s hard not to feel that he has indeed been sorely missed in recent weeks.

In other news, Dean Jones names three players Lampard may want to sign for Everton

The BCCI’s ombudsman Justice AP Shah has asked Sourav Ganguly to respond, by January 28, to an allegation of conflict of interest relating to his role on the IPL governing council. The allegation, received by Shah from a member of the public, is that Ganguly has a commercial tie-up with the RP Sanjiv Goenka group, which has a stake in the Atletico de Kolkata football club in Indian Super League (ISL) and, in December, secured the ownership rights to run the Pune franchise in the IPL.Shah has also written to BCCI president Shashank Manohar and general manager (game development), Ratnakar Shetty, seeking a BCCI response by January 27.”This letter is a formal complaint against Mr Sourav Ganguly, an administrator who is currently the President of Cricket Association of Bengal and also member of IPL Governing Council,” Mumbai-based activist Niraj Gunde wrote in an emailed letter to Shah, comprising 19 pages where he has given details of the ATK structure.”According to Wikipedia, Atletico de Kolkata (commonly abbreviated as ATK), is an Indian Super League football franchise, based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The team is owned by Kolkata Games and Sports Pvt. Ltd. which consists of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Spanish La Liga club Atletico Madrid, alongside businessman Harshavardhan Neotia, Sanjiv Goenka and Utsav Parekh. This means the RPG group are partners with Mr Sourav Ganguly in another commercial venture. It is a clear case of conflict of interest which was not disclosed by Mr. Sourav Ganguly when RPG group bid and won the IPL team Pune Franchise for 2 years during October/November 2015,” Gunde wrote to Shah, accessed by ESPNcricinfo.This is the first high profile case filed with Shah, who was appointed by the BCCI last November as part of reforms initiated by Manohar.In his email to Ganguly, sent on Thursday and which was also accessed by ESPNcricinfo, Shah wrote: “The Office of the Ombudsman has received an application from Mr Niraj Gunde (cc-ed) on 13.01.2016, making certain allegations regarding conflict of interest against yourself. A copy of the application, numbered Application No 1 of 2016, is attached. Please provide your response to the same within two weeks from today, i.e., by 28.01.2016.”Sourav Ganguly, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, is also a co-owner of the football franchise Atletico de Kolkata•AFP

A similar note was dispatched to Manohar and Shetty, via an email, asking them to respond the day before the deadline set for Ganguly expires. Incidentally, Manohar had defended Ganguly when the new franchises were announced last year stating that, “According to me there is not [a conflict of interest] because this is a transparent bidding concept.”Gunde’s accusation comes close on the heels of the Lodha Committee report, which laid heavy emphasis on getting rid of various conflict-of-interest situations prevalent within the BCCI as well as state association. The report detailed, across five pages, conflict issues and its various forms, and illustrated with various examples where the BCCI and state association administrators, employees, players, selectors and commentators could be in breach of the various rules.A case of indirect conflict, the committee said, could be: “C is a Member of the IPL Governing Council. The IPL enters into a contract with a new franchisee, the Managing Director of which is C’s partner in an independent commercial venture. C is hit by Indirect Conflict of Interest.”That example matches Gunde’s allegation that Ganguly could fall under this definition of conflict of interest. Both Goenka and Ganguly brushed off any suggestions that this is a case of conflict of interest.Incidentally Gunde was one of the people interviewed by the Lodha committee before it submitted its report to the Supreme Court. Last year, Gunde had revealed a picture of BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur in the company of suspected bookie Karan Gilhotra. That had prompted the ICC CEO David Richardson to write a letter to then BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya over an allegation that Thakur was spotted with Gilhotra, who “appears on the ICC ACSU database… following rumours … about his involvement in betting on cricket.” Thakur retaliated through a letter to the then ICC chairman N Srinivasan, alleging a “counter offensive” from the latter, following Thakur’s election as BCCI secretary.

Sohail Tanvir, a Rawalpindi allrounder, has been called up to the Pakistan Twenty20 squad as a replacement to Shoaib Akhtar, who was sent home from South Africa after being involved in a dressing-room scuffle with team-mate Mohammad Asif.The ICC’s technical committee approved Tanvir as a replacement for Shoaib on the basis of “exceptional circumstances”. A statement released by the ICC cited the following reasons for the approval: “the incident and disciplinary action taken by the Pakistan board is not related to the matches in the event; the tournament has not commenced; and there is a precedent to support the replacement.”Tanvir, 22, who bowls left-arm medium-fast, played only two matches for the Rawalpindi Rams in Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament in the last season. He has scored 84 runs and taken no wickets in the 10 Twenty20 games he has played in the last three years. But he impressed national selectors in a series of training camps and practice matches over the summer and was said to be close to a place in the original squad. He is highly-rated by Aaqib Javed, coach at the National Cricket Academy, who says his wrong-foot action and pace are deceptive.Shoaib was handed an indefinite suspension after he allegedly hit Asif with a bat. He was already on six weeks’ probation following a breach of discipline last month after he left a training camp in Karachi without informing officials.Pakistan’s first match of the tournament is against Scotland in Durban on September 12.

Matthew Elliott’s 111 off 112 balls set up South Australia’s five-wicket victory © Getty Images

Scorecard
A fine hundred from Matthew Elliott and the final-over heroics of Cameron Borgas sealed a five-wicket win for New South Wales in the rematch of last season’s one-day final. Set a revised target of 267 from 43 overs, the Redbacks owed much of their chase to Elliott, who hit 111 from 112 balls with ten fours and three sixes, but it was Borgas who stole the win from the Blues.South Australia needed 18 from the final over off Matthew Nicholson and Borgas blasted three sixes to end the game with two balls remaining. Borgas finished with an amazing 31 from nine balls.New South Wales were put into bat by Darren Lehmann and did well to post 291. There were useful runs from Aaron O’Brien (58*), Dominic Thornely (45) and Moises Henriques (43*), but every batsman chipped in. Fifty-run partnerships for the first, third and fifth wickets highlighted a stable batting order and a team to watch out for this season.In what was a repeat of last year’s decider, South Australia started their reply in enthusiastic fashion thanks to Elliott and a top order that all made starts. Barring Nathan Hauritz, a last-minute replacement for the injured Stuart MacGill, no bowler managed to restrict their economy rates to below five an over. When Elliott was caught by Hauritz off Henriques in the 40th over, the Redbacks needed 41 from 18 balls. Borgas made sure they made it.

After weeks of no news – a legacy , so it was claimed, of gagging orders imposed by the courts – the USA Cricket Association and Council of League Presidents have finally made an announcement about the future running of the game in the USA. Few will be surprised to learn that the outcome is yet another fudge.In short, the legal proceedings have been referred to October 28, by mutual agreement, during which time an amended USACA board can operate. That consists of the ten members who won the contested elections earlier this year, plus the four individuals controversially disqualified for supposedly failing to adhere to the letter of the law regarding candidature.However, the quorum remains at six members, which effectively ensures that the controlling group led by Gladstone Dainty, the USACA president, can maintain the same hold over the running of the board that they have since those elections.What is also clear is that the CLP is to all intents and purposes shut out. Not only does it not have ant real representation on the board, it is also prevented from making any comments or putting up any postings on its own website. Given that the USACA has operated in virtual secrecy for some time, that means that the rank and file inside the US cricket fraternity will be even less informed about what is going on – as hard as that seems, given that they have been told almost nothing throughout this drawn-out affair.Rumours had been doing the rounds for a few weeks that the CLP was in retreat, and this announcement appears to confirm that. After arriving in a blaze of publicity and offering hope that there might be a chance for cricket in the US to salvage something from the wreckage of the previous regime’s mismanagement, The CLP looks to have been all bluster and little substance. There has been no new dawn – in fact, the national game looks to be crawling even further into the darkness.

Marvan Atapattu: Breathed a sigh of relief after Sri Lanka clawed their way back © Getty Images

Marvan AtapattuOn Sri Lanka’s performance
To start with, it wasn’t our best performance on the field, but having saidthat, having come back to the dressing room we wanted to make up for whathappened in the Asia Cup against India when we lost by four runs chasing270-odd. It was a good pitch and it did not deteriorate as much as peoplewould have thought. It was low but good for batting.On the run chase
As Graeme (Smith) said we were able to pick up singles easily for ashort while in the middle of the innings. But we planned the chase in such away that the required rate never lifted above seven. It was under six formost of the time. And we ensured that we still had batsmen remaining at theend.On Lokuarachchi’s return to the team
Lokuarachchi only went out of the team because of a few unfortunateincidents, but he is a competitive player and can contribute to the team inall three aspects of the gameOn the importance of the win for the series
It is definitely good to have won the first game of the series. But they area good, competitive side. Not many sides would have put 260 on the board.Even in the Asia Cup we did not see many of those kind of scores. It’s justthat on the day we played better.On Sri Lanka’s revival
Credit should go to everybody, from the manager down to the 15th player.Everyone is contributing. Everything has fallen into place. People aretaking responsibility and everyone wants to do well. When those things fallinto shape it is so much easier to be the captain.Graeme SmithOn the game
At the end of the day 263 should have been enough for us. But if I look atthe bowling, we did well in the first 15 to keep them to 70, as against thenew ball the wicket was probably at its easiest. Our problem was from the 15overs mark in the middle when we couldn’t contain enough runs. With thespinner bowling they were going at six or seven per over without taking toomany risks. The boys fought well to get back to where we were, but Sri Lankaplayed well at the deathOn whether South Africa have the right attack for SL conditions
I am not going to sit here and moan about my bowling attack because I knowthere is nothing better. We have got to work, challenge the guys and getthings right. We talk enough and we practice enough and there is nothingmore we can do. The guys have got to take responsibility and go an do thingsin the middleOn whether the new-look batting order worked
We are looking to get our strikers into the game a little earlier tokeep sides under pressure and take more advantage of the middle periods.When you try something new there is always going to be some working through,but I’m pretty happy with how it went today.On the committment of the players
The boys gave it everything and there was huge disappointment in thedressing room. We can’t ask for anything more in terms of commitment. Wequestioned the team’s commitment, and the pride and the passion for playingfor your country after the Test match, but the guys gave everything today.We just need a little bit of a luck change. I am pretty sure we are close.

After his disastrous performances in the 2003 World Cup, Inzamam-ul-Haq is pressing his claims for a recall to the Pakistan team. His prospects have improved no end since the withdrawal of Younis Khan from next month’s series against Bangladesh.Inzamam managed just 19 runs in six matches during the World Cup, as Pakistan crashed out in the first round. “World Cup 2003 was the worst phase in my career,” he admitted, "but that is now behind me and I am doing all-out efforts to get my place in the team back and further my career.”Since the World Cup was a major tournament everyone was disappointed with the team’s performance and especially with my batting but I assure my return will make them forget everything. I want to reach 10,000 runs and in this second phase of my career I will try to transfer my experience and guile to youngsters.”Pakistan host Bangladesh for three Tests and five one-dayers before playing a series against South Africa. Inzamam has scored 6,214 runs in 85 Tests, and 8,957 runs in 290 one-day internationals.

©CricInfo

Zimbabwe consolidated their position at the end of the second day, battingfrom beginning to end to pile up a massive total. The tourists were 348 for the loss of seven of their batsmen at stumps.

The two not out batsmen resumed with the overnight score on 20 for 2 on abright sunny morning in friendly conditions. Mashrafe-Bin-Mortaza removed the dangerous Grant Flower when he tried to play a swinging delivery outside the off stump and caught by Al-Sahariar.

Stewart Carlisle was next to go, edging a Mashrafe delivery to Khaled Masud. He made 33, including four boundaries.

Andy Flower, who had looked in good form from the outset, departed after he played on trying to hit Enamul Haque down the ground. It was a big disappointment for Zimbabwe, who depend heavily upon him. At that point Zimbabwe were struggling with 89 for 5.

There followed a 137-run stand between Craig Wishart and Doug Marillier. This parnership did the trick for Zimbabwe’s ambitions for a big total.

©CricInfo

Wishart was on the brink of his hundred, only six runs short, when he was run out attempting an improbable single. Marillier was then trapped lbw for a scintillating 73.

After Zimbabwe had lost their seventh wicket at 259, Heath Streak and Travis Friend batted like specialists to take the score to 300. They added another 48 runs towards the close to amass an imposing 348 for 7.

Manjurul Islam, Mashrafe and Enamul Haque took two wickets each.