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ScorecardTom Smith had a day to remember following a century with four wickets•Getty Images

Having cursed the weather when day one of the 250th Roses match was lost to rain, Yorkshire may be less than disappointed if the final day brings more of the same after a dry but otherwise miserable third day for the home side left Lancashire firmly in control.Yorkshire recovered somewhat from 55 for 5 but at 199 for 8 still trail by 217 runs, needing 68 more to avoid the follow-on. Their imperilled position owes much to the Lancashire allrounder, Tom Smith, who scored a career-best 108 not out, then took four wickets as he continued a habit of saving his best for Roses matches.The 24-year-old from Liverpool returned career-best bowling figures of 6 for 46 as Yorkshire were bowled out for 181 when the rivals met at Old Trafford last July, going on to share a 107-run opening partnership with Paul Horton, setting Lancashire up for a mammoth total.Those six wickets doubled his tally for the season and there were parallels of a kind on this occasion, the first Championship century of his career coming after a woeful run of scores with the bat. In eight innings before this one, he had accumulated only 31 runs in total, yet put all of that behind him in a chanceless performance, spiced by some lovely strokes on both sides of the wicket, eclipsing the 104 he made against Durham University last season as his best first-class score.Some days, clearly, everything works in harmony and the confidence drawn from one part of his game falling into place spills over into the other discipline. This was one such day. Introduced at first change in a four-man seam attack, his first eight-over spell included a run of three wickets for four runs in 37 balls as sorry Yorkshire’s reply to Lancashire’s 419 for 9 declared crumbled to 55 for 5.The Lancashire charge was halted for a while as Adil Rashid tried to organise a salvage operation. The leg-spinning allrounder had Jonathan Bairstow for company in a stand of 74 in 19 overs but their partnership ended when the young wicketkeeper paid the price for inexperience and a touch of impetuosity. Having hit left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan for six over long-on, he tried to despatch the next delivery in the same way but did not get it quite right and with the irrepressible Smith running around from long-off there was only going to be one outcome, even if the ball did momentarily bounce out of his grasp before he completed the catch.Rashid, having hit seven fours in reaching 51 off 85 balls, picked up a couple more but then Smith began his second spell and pinned him leg before for 65. The last wicket before the close was a give-away, Tino Best blasting the ball straight to Kyle Hogg at mid-off to give Kerrigan a second success.Smith, 46 overnight, must by now have convinced Lancashire that he is not the right man to open the batting, a role he was given last season as Lancashire sought a way to find the desired balance of batters and bowlers, and has struggled with again this year. Back in more comfortable territory at six, he succeeded where his top-order team-mates had failed in turning a solid start into a substantial score.Lancashire’s day did not begin too well, Luke Sutton lasting just three balls before Glen Chapple was dropped on the boundary, having scored only a single. But Smith’s first boundary of the day, driven firmly through the off side from a short ball by Ajmal Shahzad, took him to a half-century off 90 balls and it was with an authoritative pull to the ropes from a Joe Sayers full toss that he moved into three figures from 158 deliveries, with 10 fours.Lancashire added 144 in the morning session, although not quickly enough to gain more than one extra batting point. They were thwarted in that ambition when Chapple, drawn down the track by Rashid, was stumped just when he seemed to be finding his range.After a lunchtime declaration, it was Chapple who drew first blood with the ball for Lancashire, ending Adam Lyth’s hopes of becoming only the third batsman since the War to score 1,000 first-class runs by the end of May. The left-hander has made brisk starts his trademark this season but when he set himself to drive Chapple’s second ball through the covers he succeeded only in directing it on to his stumps via an inside edge.Chapple landed another serious blow in his second over, nipping one back to have Anthony McGrath leg before, seeing off another batsman who has been in sparkling form. Saj Mahmood had half a dozen overs without success at the Kirkstall Lane end, but when he gave way to Smith, Yorkshire lurched back into trouble, rapidly sliding from 40 for 2 to 55 for 3. Smith trapped Sayers in front with his third ball, then had Andrew Gale edging to second slip and Jacques Rudolph caught behind, the South African nibbling at an excellent ball that left him late.Shahzad battled well in the final half hour and resumes on 38 not out but it would be a surprise if Yorkshire are not batting for a second time within the first hour of the last morning, unless of course the weather has had another say.

ScorecardMark Wagh gave Nottinghamshire a solid base to their chase but there were some jitters to come•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire completed their second victory in as many Division One matches after chasing down a target they would not have wished to be bigger here, defeating a game Somerset fightback to win by two wickets after claiming the extra half hour.By dismissing Somerset for 227 in their second innings, Chris Read’s team left themselves needing 250 to win, which appeared to be well within their compass, after the early loss of Neil Edwards, as Bilal Shafayat and Mark Wagh put on 125 for the second wicket. But the pitch here has never been without a touch of menace and Nottinghamshire’s stumbling efforts to rebuild after Shafayat and Wagh had been out in quick session eventually made for a gripping contest that could have gone either way.That the dice eventually rolled Nottinghamshire’s way owed much to the class and technical prowess of Hashim Amla, the South African who is standing in as overseas player in the absence of David Hussey. His unbeaten 64 ultimately proved the difference.Somerset’s bowlers deserve some credit for making for a fascinating final two sessions. Their body language suggested they were losing heart a little as they failed to build on the early fillip of seeing Edwards nick one to Marcus Trescothick at first slip in Charl Willoughby’s opening over.But when Damien Wright’s lbw appeal against Shafayat was upheld in the 45th over, dismissing the opener one short of a half-century, the balance of the contest began to shift. After Wright’s juggling catch at third slip in the next over then halted Wagh’s progress at 70, Nottinghamshire suddenly had two batsmen at the crease who were still to get off the mark.Thereafter the bowling acquired a new conviction and those who hit the right areas found the pitch was not quite as docile as it had seemed. Amla was so ruthless when opportunities did present themselves that Wright found himself hit for 18 in one over, a pulled six followed by three fours. But neither Samit Patel nor Ali Brown survived for long, trapped in front in turn by Alfonso Thomas and Zander de Bruyn, and when Read, looking to be aggressive, edged Willoughby to first slip without adding to the total, Nottinghamshire were six down, still 52 short and running out of reliable batsmen.Happily for them, Amla is as decisive about leaving the ball as he is about hitting it and so long as he remained you felt that the job would be completed. Paul Franks, dropped on 3, went for 12 but when the chance came to stay on for another eight overs only 11 were required. Stuart Broad’s failure brought the unpredictable Andre Adams to the crease but Amla farmed the strike and his hooked four off Thomas in the third of the additional overs saw Nottinghamshire over the line.It was a strange match for Broad, who would have wanted to warm up for England’s World Twenty20 challenge with a similar performance to the one his team-mate James Anderson put together at Chelmsford but instead will set off still some way short of where he wants to be.Broad’s blistering five-wicket burst for Nottinghamshire on Thursday evening reaffirmed his conviction that he has enough pace to put the frighteners even on good batsmen but as an indicator of form it proved somewhat misleading. He had begun to leak runs soon after claiming the fifth wicket and fared no better after a night’s rest, struggling for control again as he had in Somerset’s first innings on Wednesday, when his 19 overs cost 79 runs.This time Somerset’s Wright sensed an opportunity, slipping straight into attacking mode and putting Broad out of the attack before he had time to inflict any more damage. Boundaries off three consecutive balls by the Australian all-rounder persuaded Read that his England all-rounder would be better off reflecting on his troubles in the outfield. Broad’s three overs had cost 25 runs, swelling his analysis to a chastening 5 for 84 from 14 overs, and Somerset, who had been 33 for 5 at one stage, threatened to put the match out of the home side’s reach at 179 for 6.It was just as well, then, that Franks and Luke Fletcher had their radars set more accurately. Fletcher ended Wright’s assault at 78 after 71 balls, including 15 fours, by taking out leg stump – a little fortunately, perhaps, in that the ball kept low – but it was Franks who ultimately spared Broad’s blushes.Trescothick, who had been watchful at first, settled into a more familiar groove and looked to be about to end his quest for a hitherto elusive century on this ground as he moved smoothly into the 90s. However, two runs short of the milestone he fell into a trap set for him when Franks moved Brown into a wide position at slip and fed him a delivery he tried to guide to third man, only to find the fielder in just the right place.Franks mopped up the tail, finishing with 3 for 22 and six wickets in the match to go with his first-innings half-century, leaving Nottinghamshire to chase a target that turned out to be just within their reach.

Rajasthan Royals 168 for 7 (Jhunjhunwala 45) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 134 for 5 (Hidge 36, Yusuf 2-23) by 34 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outThe Rajasthan spinners found their mojo (file photo)•Associated Press

Finally, Rajasthan clicked as a unit and won a game. It was a slow wicket, perhaps one of the slowest tracks in this IPL, and Rajasthan, whose batsmen were harassed on bouncier pitches in this tournament so far, immediately looked more at home. Abhishek Jhunjhunwala led with a serene 45 to ensure Rajasthan capitalised on a solid start to end up with a very competitive 168, a total which they defended with a disciplined show from their spinners.Kolkata didn’t help their cause by a poor batting effort in the chase. Keeping wickets in hand is a sound ploy of course but they struggled to score runs and allowed the pressure to build up. Brad Hodge was the guiltiest of the lot. It might seem harsh for he scored almost a run-a-ball 36, but he never accelerated and allowed the chase to meander along. Hodge’s approach was even stranger, considering Angelo Mathews and Owais Shah were cooling their heels in the dressing room. Even when he was well-settled, he waited for the new batsmen to attack, which was always going to be difficult on this slow track which aided the spinners. And Sourav Ganguly, too, struggled today though unlike Hodge, he tried to go for the big shots but could rarely find his timing. It might have been a plan that Hodge would drop anchor and the others hit around him but he never adapted to the changing demands of the chase.Rajasthan relied heavily on spin – they started with Yusuf Pathan who took out the opener Manoj Tiwary with a quick skidding delivery and later returned to take out Brad Hodge – and it paid rich dividends on this pitch. It also helped that Shane Warne finally found his mojo today – he found drift and turn to keep the batsmen honest. Hodge was content, nudging Warne around, Pujara couldn’t break free against him, and Ganguly couldn’t connect with his intended big hits. Only Pujara played with a sense of purpose, hitting four fours right away on arrival at the crease but he too was slowed down by the spinners. And the chase had derailed.At the toss, Warne had reckoned that 175 would be a good total and his batsmen responded well to the captain’s call. They attacked with a plan, with one batsman looking to get after the bowling while the other rotated the strike. While Naman Ojha tried to find his touch, Faiz Fazal attacked at the start; while Jhunjhunwala settled in, Ojha attacked; and when Yusuf was new to the crease, Jhunjhunwala collected a few boundaries. Every time a wicket fell, they counterattacked. We don’t know whether all this was planned or it just transpired that way in the middle, but what the approach did was to give Rajasthan a total that they were able to defend on this slow track.It was Fazal who set the ball rolling with his attacking approach at the top. He walked in after Michael Lumb was trapped in front by Ashok Dinda for a first-ball duck and immediately looked to get after the bowling. In the same over, he swiped for a four but it was in the third over that he really got going with three boundaries against Dinda. He thrashed down the ground, pulled across the line and swung a delivery from outside off to the square-leg boundary to make his agenda very clear.Fazal fell soon, flat-batting Shane Bond to mid-off but Ojha took over the attacking role to collect a few muscled boundaries against Matthews. However, he was run out in the ninth over, going for the second run but failing to beat an accurate throw from Mathews at long leg. Enter Yusuf and he drove couple of boundaries but yet again fell to the short ball, mistiming his attempted pull shot.Jhunjhunwala, though, carried on and played a serene knock filled with late cuts, on drives and nudges into gaps, to push Rajasthan on. When he fell in the first ball of the 18th over, it looked like Rajasthan might lose their way but Adam Voges freed his arms to loot 17 runs in the final over, bowled by Ishant , to charge Rajasthan to a respectable total, which proved enough in the end.

In the sleepy outskirts of Chittagong, in a concrete-lined field circled by more grazing cows than gripped spectators, Jonathan Trott produced an innings of intense personal importance. His even-tempoed century, filled with common-sense strokeplay and a command of the crease that has been sorely lacking in recent encounters, was the mainstay of an England innings that ticked along satisfactorily against unremarkable opponents. It also ensured that he will feature in the first Test on Friday.Three months ago, Trott’s place in the England Test team seemed about as secure as they come. His nerveless debut hundred at The Oval in August had secured the Ashes in an otherwise fraught encounter, and when he followed that up with a diligent 69 in his maiden appearance against his native South Africa at Centurion, he appeared to be England’s most natural fit at No. 3 since Mark Butcher, having provided a solidity at that position that the likes of Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara could not rival.But then something went horribly awry. Maybe South Africa’s constant chirping drilled through his calm exterior, or maybe it was simply a case of vertigo after such a rapid and dramatic ascent, but the confidence in his footwork and the authority of his shot selection deserted him in an instant. In a frenetic finale to his homecoming tour, he picked up 93 runs in his last five innings, and as a prelude to the pressure under which he began this match, he was dropped from the one-day side to make way for Craig Kieswetter.”It’s one of those things,” said Trott. “You have to understand the direction the coach and captain want to go, and you have to keep improving and adjust your game to fit the role they want you to play. I thought I did okay, to be honest, in South Africa, but those are the ups and downs of being a cricketer. If you look at the amount of days you have [that are] good, they are a bit less than the bad days. You have to make the most of the opportunities, and I’m glad I had a chance to have a knock today. The ball’s in my court in terms of being the best I can.”Today was the start of the fightback. No-one can pretend that the intensity of this contest comes close to any of the five Tests that Trott has so far played – and as an added confirmation of the sleepy scenario, the match was even stripped of first-class status on the second day, after Bangladesh A brought in a spare seamer to replace the injured Syed Rasel. But as Kevin Pietersen would doubtless testify, time in the middle is essential when your form is on the blink, and after 14 fours from 134 deliveries, that is exactly what Trott managed to achieve.”It was satisfying on a personal note of being able to come and contribute to the side, having not played for a while in the middle,” said Trott. “I think it’s frustrating for any cricketer to be on the sidelines – you want to play all the time – but it was important I stayed positive and kept my game in good order for a chance like today. I’m just glad it went well after all the preparation in the nets.”There’s still some debate as to where exactly Trott will play. No. 3 is where he batted for this fixture, and for each of his Test appearances in South Africa. But come Friday he could yet be shunted up to open (where he had some initial success in ODIs), as a replacement for the absent Andrew Strauss, and potentially ahead of Michael Carberry, who will hope to get a second chance on Tuesday afternoon, having fallen for 5 in England’s first innings.”No-one has chatted about the batting [order] or anything,” said Trott. “We were just told the line-up for this match and told to get on with it. I’d bat anywhere for England, at 3, 4, 5 … anywhere. At Warwickshire, I’ve always been in the middle order, with Ian [Bell] and myself, but batting in the top order, you could face the new ball anytime, so it’s important to be able to play against it. Any opportunity, I’ll take it.”Thanks to this innings, Trott seems certain to get that chance to shine, but more importantly, he will enter the first Test in a mindset more reminiscent of the free-scoring cricketer who took his county form straight into his Test debut last summer. “As a cricketer you put yourself under enough pressure to succeed and do well,” he said. “It’s one of those things that comes with the territory of playing for England and wearing the badge. So to be able to not be too hard on yourself is important. You have to be calm and play your natural game.”I just went out and batted, and would have played the same if it was a Test match or a friendly, like it is,” he added. “I challenge myself to try and improve, every time I go to the crease. I prepare properly and try to be in the right frame of mind to play properly. There’s always pressure on your place in the side, but I think it’s important you are true to yourself and play the best way you know.”

ScorecardNetherlands drew level with Kenya after an emphatic win in the second one-day international at the Nairobi Gymkhana. Bas Zuiderent’s 56 was the only highlight in another disappointing Dutch batting performance, but their bowlers made amends for their performance yesterday with a strong allround effort to bowl Kenya out for just 120 in 32 overs to seal an 80-run win.Mudassar Bukhari started Kenya’s collapse when he found the edge of David Obuya’s bat with the third ball of the innings, and also picked up Rakep Patel – who hit a career-best 92 in Kenya’s victory in the first match – in an impressive opening spell. Two balls later the other architect of yesterday’s win, Alex Obanda, was gone too, his stumps shattered by Mark Jonkman to leave Kenya in trouble at 22 for 3. Captain Maurice Ouma was trapped lbw shortly after to give Bukhari his third wicket, as Kenya sank further into the mire.Jimmy Kamande and Collins Obuya, who plays as a specialist batsman these days, combined to see off the opening bowlers, and were beginning to find some fluency when Obuya picked out Alexei Kervezee off Pieter Seelaar’s left-arm spin to depart for 21. Joined by Nehemiah Odhiambo, Kamande continued to fight, striking two fours and a six to reduce the target to under 100 runs.When Odhiambo was caught behind off Peter Borren, however, a long Kenyan tail was exposed and they rapidly slid to defeat. Shem Obado was bowled first ball, and after Ryan ten Doeschate ended Kamande’s resistance for 42, Jonkman returned to mop up the tail, dismissing Hiren Varaiya and Nelson Odhiambo in consecutive balls.Kenya had looked set to wrap up the series when they bowled Netherlands out for 200 in the 49th over. With wickets falling regularly, Zuiderent’s half-century at the top of the order, as well as important contributions from the 18-year-old Tim Gruijters and Atse Buurman, were vitally important to Netherlands’ innings.After the early loss of the openers, Varaiya cut short Zuiderent and ten Doeschate’s consolidation, trapping yesterday’s centurion lbw for 9. Zuiderent fell in similar fashion shortly after Borren’s run out, and Netherlands looked decidedly shaky at 150 for 7 when Tom de Grooth and Bukhari were dismissed in quick succession by Odhiambo. But Gruijters and Buurman battled gamely, adding 40 for the eighth wicket before Varaiya brought the innings to a swift conclusion to finish with figures of 4 for 33.Netherlands’ tour of Kenya continues with a four-day game at the same venue in two days’ time. With the sides appearing very evenly matched, it is set to be a hard-fought encounter.

Having already secured the services of Cameron White for the 2010 Twenty20 Cup, Somerset have now snapped up Kieron Pollard, the West Indian batsman who starred for Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League.Pollard is something of a Twenty20 nomad, having played for South Australia as well and is expected to be a big attraction at the IPL auction after he made 146 runs in five innings during Trinidad & Tobago’s excellent campaign in Champions League in October 2009. Having lost to the Caribbean side in the event, Somerset are thrilled to have bagged as dangerous a player as Pollard for the English Twenty20 season.”Kieron showed himself to be the sort of player who can change a game in a very short period of time,” said Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket. “He played consistently well and produced some amazing shots. Over the course of 16 games in our own Twenty20 competition he is guaranteed to have a huge influence. It’s possible he might miss the first one, but after that we believe he will be available for every fixture.”Cameron White may have to miss some games if he is called into Australia’s squad for a one-day series against Pakistan and that is another reason we have signed Kieron. Our batting line-up in the Twenty20 is a mouth-watering prospect and there could be some tough selection decisions. That is the way we want it.”The prospect of a big-hitting Somerset line-up has already excited the Taunton faithful, with news that applications for membership have surged since White’s signing. Chief executive Richard Gould said: “With the strength of our batting attack, people may have to start wearing hard hats in Taunton town centre.”

The series turned feisty on the third day at Centurion Park, when England’s No. 8, Stuart Broad, was involved in an ugly on-field exchange with the umpires after being given out lbw following a delayed review from the South Africans.England have not enjoyed much benefit from the system’s use in this match and Broad’s anger stemmed from the length of time it took for JP Duminy, the bowler, and the captain, Graeme Smith, to call for the opinion of the TV umpire. “Because of the amount of time that the decision took, we just asked the umpires,” said Graeme Swann, who was Broad’s partner at the time. “We didn’t know out in the middle how much time was allowed.”ICC guidelines clearly state that the decision has to be made swiftly. “The total time elapsed between the ball becoming dead and the review request being made should be no more than a few seconds,” the ruling reads. “If the umpires believe that a request has not been made sufficiently promptly, they may at their discretion decline to review the decision.”About 35 seconds elapsed before the third umpire was called in, and when replays showed the ball hitting the stumps, Broad was given out. Before walking off he marched over to Aleem Dar and Steve Davis to remonstrate and was clearly unhappy as he left the field. An England spokesman confirmed they will be taking up their concerns about the delay with match referee Roshan Mahanama, but do not expect Broad to face censure.Initially there was some suggestion that the South Africans had received a signal from the dressing room but this was played down by both sides. “They [the umpires] said they hadn’t seen any signal from the dressing room, so the decision has to stand – and when you’ve seen the replay it was out, so perhaps the review system does work sometimes,” Swann said.”With TV cameras all round the ground, someone has probably picked up something somewhere,” he added. “But as far as the guys in the middle and the team are concerned, we’re certainly not pointing the finger at South Africa, and saying ‘you definitely did it’. We’re just saying that, with the amount of time, there was certainly ample opportunity for maybe a message to get out.”The ICC’s ruling on off-field input is very clear. “If the umpires believe that the captain or batsman has received direct or indirect input emanating other than from the players on the field, then they may at their discretion decline the request for a Player Review. In particular, signals from the dressing room must not be given.”Paul Harris confirmed he hadn’t seen anything come from his dressing room during the delay between the appeal and the review being called. “By the time I got there from the boundary I think AB de Villiers had said to Graeme that we might as well take it,” he said. “I think at one stage Biff [Graeme Smith] wasn’t going to take it and changed his mind. As far as I’m concerned there was no message from the changing room, I don’t think our coaching staff would do that, as it isn’t in the spirit of the game. It was just a late decision from Graeme.”The UDRS has been the centre of attention during this Test. The most controversial decision was when England were convinced they had AB de Villiers caught-behind in the first innings, but replays were inconclusive, although it has worked well in all the other cases it has been used. Still, England clearly aren’t won over just yet.”Certainly the system has a few irregularities that need ironing out quickly if it’s going to be a lasting method for technology to be used in Test cricket,” Swann said. “We’ve seen the issues that need sorting in this game. We hope they’ll be sorted ASAP.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outLook who’s back•Getty Images

A 34-year-old fast bowler, returning to Test cricket after two years, and a 19-year-old debutant lit up Dunedin’s University Oval on a windy day, at the end of which New Zealand were better placed in the first Test. Finally back in New Zealand whites, hurling that red thing in anger on a flat pitch, Shane Bond – with pure pace – rattled the Pakistan middle order during a seven-over spell of 3 for 25. In reply, Umar Akmal launched a counterattack after Pakistan were 85 for 5, impressing with his dazzling strokeplay and clear head, scoring a 160-ball 129 to help his team avoid the follow-on.It took Bond his first spell to graduate from the early 140 km to close to 150, but during that time Chris Martin dismissed the openers, and Iain O’Brien – bowling into a stiff wind – troubled the batsmen enough to not let them settle. Umar, who nearly scored a century in boundaries alone, found support in his elder brother. Kamran Akmal was the quieter partner in the 176-run sixth-wicket stand, and missed his century by 18 runs. Nonetheless he stayed for long enough to be the first person to congratulate his younger brother on reaching a special century.Unlike their Pakistan counterparts, New Zealand’s new-ball bowlers found neither seam movement nor swing. They were helped, though, by the ordinary techniques of the top three batsmen. Martin, who had earlier got his 26th duck as New Zealand were dismissed for 429, was at the right place at the right time with the ball. First when Khurram Manzoor – his guard outside leg stump – went to cut him, ended up playing away from the body, and chopped it on. And then when Imran Farhat moved across his stumps and played down the wrong line. Nice payback for being dismissed for a sixth duck in six innings against Pakistan.In his third over of the second session, Bond gave Mohammad Yousuf a bouncer at 151 kmph that just missed the edge, followed by a yorker at 149 and a legcutter at 144 just outside off, again just avoiding the edge. It seemed it would take something more special to dismiss Yousuf and Bond pulled that out too: diving low and forward during his follow through to take a return catch. Two balls later he gave Fawad Alam the perfect lifter, not wide of off, high enough to have him jumping, and too fast for the batsman to pull his glove out of the way.Umar Akmal scored a thrilling century on debut•Getty Images

Another short ball came in the next over. Shoaib Malik, semi-backing away, guided it onto his stumps: 74 for 2 had become 85 for 5. In the interim, though, Umar had cut his first ball in Tests, from Bond, for four. Then came the shot of the day. Umar would have been forgiven had he played a forward defense to this ball from Daniel Vettori, but he rocked back and pulled it over wide long-on, so clean that it almost carried for a six.Before Bond finished his spell, he induced an edge from Umar, but it went low and fast to the left of Daniel Flynn at gully. Another sharp Bond bouncer got a top edge that fell short of the slip cordon. Those were the only blotches on Umar’s innings. Kamran, duly took the back seat as Umar cut, drove, pulled, slog-swept, and punched his way to 50 off 57 balls, and consequently forced more defensive fields. Bond had rattled Pakistan during that hour, and it was Umar’s turn now.Vettori, who gave O’Brien a deserved breather after 11 consecutive and tight overs for 28 runs, appeared to be the weak link. Boundaries were hit in three of his first five overs, and the partnership was on its way. Post tea, Vettori was reduced to bowling from over the stumps and Brendon McCullum crouching outside leg.The brothers saved the best for Bond, though. After Kamran hit him for three boundaries in two overs, Umar gave him the real treatment in the next. Three short deliveries, three pulls, left of mid-on, right of mid-on, and through midwicket, and the partnership had crossed 100. Umar had reached 72 off 91 then, and Kamran 47 off 81.O’Brien, who had played the perfect foil to Bond and Martin, saw his day go from dream to nightmare, thanks to Umar. His second spell’s first over went for three boundaries and, in his third spell, Umar reached his century in sensational manner. Three successive deliveries were pulled for four, six and four, through mid-on, wide long-on and midwicket, and Umar moved from 87 to 101, and O’Brien had gone for 70 in his last 10 overs.Just then Kamran got reckless, stepped out to Vettori, and edged a delivery from outside leg to first slip. Umar refused to buckle down still, Bond or no Bond, new ball or no new ball, scoring 28 more off the next 27 balls he faced. With about six overs to go in the day, he got a thick outside edge to a wide Bond delivery, which carried to third man. Umar couldn’t have chosen a more deserving bowler for his wicket.

Brendan Nash, the former Queensland batsman, will be in demand for the rest of the month as family and friends chase him for tales of his new life as a West Indian cricketer. But Nash will also be harassed by his captain Chris Gayle.Nash, who has averaged 38.23 in nine Tests, grew up in Queensland, spent seven seasons with the Bulls and at one stage shared a house with Mitchell Johnson, his soon-to-be opponent. Given the state of the West Indies squad following their strike, he could still know more about his hosts than his team-mates.”I think he’s going to give me some advice,” Gayle said. “To be his hometown and the team he used to represent, he’ll be looking forward to doing well.”Nash was met at Brisbane airport by his mother Andrea, who moved with her husband Paul to Australia in 1977, the year their son was born in Perth. His parents have watched him play in New Zealand and the Caribbean, but will not have far to travel for the first Test at the Gabba on November 26.”It will be a little bit strange [being back in Brisbane] but I guess I’ve played there quite a bit,” he said. “I know the conditions and can pass that information on to my team-mates and put us in good stead with a win in the tour match and get us moving forward towards the first Test.”He also expects Johnson to target him in a repeat of their net sessions over the years with Queensland and the Norths club. “I’d like to think he is going to try to get me out more than anything,” he said. “I’m sure there is going to be a fair bit of that sort of stuff. It’s going to be a huge challenge for not only myself, if I’m playing, but the whole team.”Gayle was an important figure in Nash’s successful move to Jamaica in 2007 and is confident he will do well. “The challenge will be on him and I’m sure he will be able to handle himself,” Gayle said. “He’s done pretty decent so far in Test cricket and we’re happy to have him. Hopefully he can pick off from where he left off against England and gets some runs against the Aussies.”

Younis Khan has given up the captaincy of Pakistan once again, and taken a temporary break from the game altogether, after failing to overcome a long-running rift with a group of players. Effectively, after Younis informed the Pakistan board chairman Ijaz Butt of his decision, it signaled a victory for player power over an unpopular captain.”I met the chairman today and told him I needed to rest,” Younis told Cricinfo. “I told him I feel as If I have no command over this team. And if a leadership has no command over its players, what is the point of continuing to lead? I also told him that the last 3-4 months have been very trying times for me, not just with the cricket but all that has happened outside it. I need time to get myself together now.”At least eight or nine players in the current squad have been unhappy with Younis as captain for a while and had made their concerns clear to Butt immediately after the Champions Trophy. The loss to New Zealand in the three-match ODI series, in which Younis failed with the bat, cranked up the pressure, with a number of voices in Pakistan calling for his ouster. Today Younis decided that he had lost “command” over the team and carrying on was not an option.The PCB immediately named Mohammad Yousuf, senior batsman and one-time stand-in captain, as the man to lead the side in a three-Test series in New Zealand beginning later this month. Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper, will be his deputy.The PCB’s no-frills press release stated simply that Younis had asked for a rest and Butt is reported to have said that they did not object to the decision. “We did appoint Younis captain until the 2011 World Cup, subject to his performance and fitness, but we have no objection to him asking for a rest, and I don’t think it’s turmoil in Pakistan cricket,” he said.

Revolt within the ranks

Pakistan’s history is no stranger to such player revolts. In 1981-82, almost the entire XI decided they were not going to play under Javed Miandad’s captaincy. A second XI was picked, Miandad stayed on but soon stepped down of his own accord, paving the way for the start of Imran Khan’s captaincy.

In 1992-93, Miandad was again sidelined by his own players during the ODI series in Australia, which led to Wasim Akram taking over. And not long after, Akram was pulled down by a group of players led by his own vice-captain and fellow fast bowler Waqar Younis.

Younis’ tenure, which began earlier this year, has been crippled by a lack of support from his players. Ostensibly his resignation last month, after the Champions Trophy, was over the match-fixing allegations leveled against his side, but as the affair progressed it became increasingly clear that Younis was trying to outmanoeuvre a group of players who were not with him. It worked briefly, as the board made him captain till the 2011 World Cup, with enhanced powers over selection, but the players’ support has clearly not been forthcoming.Younis refused to go into further detail over which players had revolted but it is believed the group is led by Shoaib Malik and includes other seniors such as Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal. Sources close to Younis say that he was particularly disappointed in the manner in which some players were dismissed in the last ODI against New Zealand.Though Pakistan ultimately lost by seven runs, their batting had collapsed to 101 for 9 – effectively losing those nine wickets for 54 runs – until a miraculous last-wicket stand took them nearly all the way. But the way established batsmen were dismissed – in a rash of pull shots – on a placid pitch has led Younis to conclude that it was done to undermine him.”He was really unhappy with the shots some of the batsmen played and he feels as if they did it deliberately to undermine him,” one source told Cricinfo. “He just feels as if he is knocking his head against a brick wall, telling batsmen, senior guys, how to play and them just not listening. He is tired of the constant fighting within the team, especially when it is not clear what they are all fighting or upset about. Nobody has gone to him directly to say anything and that has upset him the most. It isn’t so much the pressure of his own failures that has brought him down as this.”Younis’s immediate future is unclear. It is believed that he wants to continue playing international cricket and will return to Pakistan and play some domestic cricket to set himself up for the Australia tour, beginning at the end of December. A return to captaincy seems highly improbable; neither is the PCB likely to offer it to him, having been burnt so many times, nor is he likely to take it up, given his experience this time round.As a result, Yousuf’s elevation marks a remarkable comeback for the batsman, who only recently was in exile from the national team for his involvement with the ICL. He has led Pakistan in the past, twice in Tests in Australia – both lost – and once at home against South Africa in 2003-04, which Pakistan won. Incidentally, he was also a replacement captain for Younis once before, for all of a day, when Younis walked away from the post ahead of the 2006 Champions Trophy, only to be convinced to come back.The buzz in Pakistan suggests that former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has also played a hand; in recent days, Inzamam has been publicly vocal about the need to dispose of Younis, openly pushing the candidacy of Shahid Afridi as ODI captain. According to some reports, Yousuf contacted Inzamam – the pair are very close – before accepting the job. Some are even touting Inzamam as the next coach for Pakistan.