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Scorecard
Kithuruwan Vithanage accepts his Man-of-the-Match award•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kithuruwan Vithanage was the hero for Sri Lanka Under-19s as they took the tri-series by pipping Pakistan Under-19s by one wicket in a last-ball finish at the P Sara Oval.Vithanage made a nerveless 82-ball 75 to orchestrate Sri Lanka’s chase of 210. The last six home side batsmen contributed only 28 runs, leaving Vithanage to do much of the scoring from 98 for 5. Sri Lanka struggled to stitch together substantial partnerships – there were six stands worth between 26 and 35 – but Vithanage stood firm to finish the job. He was also helped by the indisciplined Pakistan bowling, which sprayed 16 wides.Sri Lanka’s lower order, though, did a better job than their Pakistan counterpart. The visitors’ captain, Azeem Ghumman, made a measured 65 to take the side to 134 for 2, an ideal platform. However, with none of the other batsmen crossing 25, the last six wickets went down for 38 runs.

Akhil Patel, the left-hand batsman, has signed a two-year full-time contract with Nottinghamshire that will keep him with the county till 2011. Patel, 19, made his County Championship debut this season and played four Pro40 matches.”My aim for next season is to play more first class cricket and initially that means trying to secure a place in the one day side,” he said. “I felt a lot of pressure when I made my first appearance for Notts but I benefited from some exposure towards the end of the season and hopefully that has put me in good stead for the new campaign.”Patel is confident he does not want to be in the shadow of his elder brother Samit Patel, who played limited-overs cricket for England. “I’ve had some good advice from Samit and experienced pros like Ali Brown and Mark Ealham and I take that on board but I want to establish myself by playing consistently good cricket,” he said. “I’m very happy at Notts and I like the setup so I have to work on my game and make progress over the next two years.”Patel has begun his rehabilitation following keyhole surgery on a niggling knee injury last week and expects to be fully fit in time for 2010.Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said: “Akhil has developed his game quicker than we anticipated over the past 12 months and he has the potential to become an established member of our team. He fits the bill because he’s a talented, young cricketer who works very hard on his game.”

Mohammad Talha, the Pakistan fast bowler, has identified his run-up as an area to work on to improve his bowling and help him make the step up to the national team. After a stunning 2008-09 domestic season, the highly rated Talha was picked by Pakistan for one Test against Sri Lanka in Lahore early this year. It was a batsman-friendly track on which Sri Lanka amassed 606; he could only manage figures of 1 for 88, and has not been selected since.”I looked at the videos of my bowling with my coach and it was clear I needed to improve and alter my run-up,” Talha, 21, told . After watching several fast bowlers around the world, he zeroed in on Australian Brett Lee’s approach as the model run-up. “I started to copy his run up in practice matches and the nets and then tried it out ‘properly’ in the recent Quaid-E-Azam Trophy match against Lahore Shalimar.”It was a modest outing for Talha, in which he grabbed three wickets, but he was happy with the results of his changes. “I feel very comfortable with the new run-up and I think it will improve my bowling all round. I feel that the new run-up suits me perfectly.”Talha was a member of the A teams that toured Australia and Sri Lanka earlier this year. A knee injury prevented him from being at his best in Australia but he was closer to top form in Sri Lanka, especially in the List A matches. “I played a large part of the Sri Lanka tour and I am 100% fit now and am hopeful that I can turn in some good performances that can help me get another chance in playing for my country.”His next assignment is the Quaid-e-Azam match against Water and Power Development Authority starting Friday.

The lengths to which Somerset are going to ensure that Marcus Trescothick, who might yet finish the season with 2,000 first-class runs, takes part in the Champions League in India next month are reminiscent of the travelling schedule that Arsenal organised on behalf of Dennis Bergkamp. The worth of that great Dutch footballer to his club was such that they permitted him to journey around Europe on his own by train. The fact that this took a great deal longer than flying to the destination was of no consequence. Next month, the batsman who is the non-pareil in county cricket is likely to be escorted through Heathrow by his Director of Cricket or the second XI coach to help him onto the plane.Underscoring both these arrangements is the belief that Trescothick, who suffers from a stress-related illness, has to be given all the assistance he requires. Such flexibility is wholly lacking in the outlook of the England selectors, who have made it clear to Somerset that if Trescothick was to play for his country again, he would have to do so all year round. Contrast that attitude with what his club are doing for him: not only are Brian Rose or Jason Kerr prepared to help him on to his flight, they are encouraging him to treat the tournament as a family holiday. He will be permitted to commute to Hyderabad and Bangalore from the United Emirates, the Seychelles or the Maldives.”Marcus can take his two children out of school and will bring his extended family out as well,” Rose said. “He will not need any therapy out there. But if he does decide not to go, we are not worried. He is so keen to play cricket that he will be back in our indoor nets at Taunton in November. He is always in the nets in the winter. He likes training and being coached.” The club are discussing with Trescothick how his holiday accommodation base, within a few flying hours to India, will be funded.Rose points out that he could have made money out of the IPL over the past two years had he been so inclined. Trescothick has not contemplated travelling abroad since he failed to make the flight to Dubai – ironically where he and his family might be based in October – for Somerset’s pre-season trip in March 2008. He has never visited the holiday home he bought close to those owned by Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff in Barbados after winning the Ashes with England in 2005. Rose is all too aware he might have to take Trescothick past the same Dixons store where he collapsed “hunched up, sobbing, distraught,” at Heathrow. Better, perhaps, to fly from Bristol.”I want to stress that there are no guarantees at this stage,” said Trescothick this week. “The club are still looking at ways to make it as easy as possible for me to make the trip without risking a recurrence of the problems I have had playing abroad since my illness. The cricketer in me is desperate to go and take on some of the best Twenty20 players in the world, but all I can say for sure at the moment is that I will be monitoring myself as the departure date approaches for any signs that it could rekindle my stress problems.”Playing cricket abroad is not likely to be all that will change in Trescothick’s life. He is widely expected to be named as Somerset’s new captain, replacing Justin Langer, who has not had a good season with the bat and who has taken the club as far as he is capable of doing as their captain.Langer is expected to have talks with Middlesex, his old club, about becoming their next coach – a logical move given that he is much admired by Angus Fraser, the director of cricket, and Andrew Strauss, the England captain and Langer’s former Middlesex colleague. If Somerset are ever to become county champions, they need a match-winning bowler – and never more so now that Andy Caddick is retiring. They also need to create a more even balance between bat and ball at Taunton, but that is another story.Langer, despite hinting at retirement on Test Match Special earlier this month, refuses to make any comment or statement to that effect until after the season. This not only deprives the crowd at Taunton the opportunity of showing their appreciation for an admirable cricketer who has done much for the club through his dedication and commitment, but prevents the management from formulating plans for next year. “I was asked an ambiguous question by Jim Maxwell [the TMS commentator],” he said at the County Ground this week, “and I have several things to decide upon, such as my daughters’ schooling and putting down roots in Perth.”Somerset are looking to sign Cameron White, their former batsman and a century-maker against England for Australia at the Rose Bowl this week, as their second overseas player. Should they triumph in the Champions League next month, they will spend their prize money not only on signing him but on club facilities and a pre-season trip for 2010. Ensuring Trescothick plays against Deccan Chargers and Trinidad and Tobago is evidently worth every circuitous route they care to make.

Former Pakistan players have welcomed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision not to take the legal route against the ICC after the country was stripped of its 2011 World Cup games over security issues.At a meeting in Dubai between the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and ICC president David Morgan, it was decided that Pakistan would retain its hosting fee of US$ 10.5 million and receive an additional payment as compensation for the loss of hosting rights, bringing the total returns, estimated by the PCB, to around US$18 million.Former captain Moin Khan felt that legal action would have complicated things further for the PCB, which has been adversely affected by pull-outs by international teams in the last two years.”I think it is always wise to resolve issues through negotiations,” Moin told PTI. “I don’t know who advised the PCB to file a legal challenge in the first place. But at least now Pakistan will get some good money from the World Cup.”Zaheer Abbas said the Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers had given the ICC enough reason to shift the matches out of Pakistan.”No team is willing to play in Pakistan at the moment because of security issues,” Zaheer said. “So it would have been futile to even go for a full legal challenge against the ICC who have adequate justification for moving the matches out of Pakistan. There is a general sympathy for us in international cricket and we should use that to our advantage.”Former wicketkeeper Rashid Latif expressed similar sentiments. “I always felt the ICC would give us plenty of concessions and compensation for shifting the World Cup matches,” Latif said. “There is sympathy for Pakistan cricket everywhere.”But former opening batsmen Aamer Sohail wasn’t pleased that the PCB had opted for an out-of-court settlement, saying that it would set a bad precedent.”I think we have sent a wrong message to everyone,” Sohail said. “The most important thing right now for us to get teams to resume touring Pakistan as soon as possible and by agreeing to surrender our World Cup matches we will give out the wrong message.”

For the past couple of nights Michael Clarke has tried to remember what it was like going into the final Test at The Oval four years ago. He can’t recall any of the details. Instead of wiping out what happened during the game that sealed Australia’s first Ashes defeat in 16 years, he has blocked out the lead-up.”I’ve tried to relive it, tried to think about how I felt, and I can’t remember too much of it,” he said. “It’s probably a good thing.” That match was a drawn-out stalemate and as it wore on there was nothing the Australians could do to claw back from the 2-1 deficit.This team is no match for the Australian outfit of four years ago, which was full of greats, but all it needs is a draw to retain the urn and help erase the pain of a ground full of Englishman cheering in the explosions of confetti. “It’s motivated me to date,” Clarke said of the previous tour. “Once I arrived in England, in the back of my mind there were memories from 05 that I wish I could forget.”But that’s what makes you a better player, you learn from your mistakes as an individual and a team. The guys that played in 05 will be really keen to make sure the results are a lot different come Monday.”Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich are the only certainties for the decider starting on Thursday, while Brett Lee must hope for an injury or the pitch to deteriorate enough for reverse-swing to be a significant factor. Unless that happens Australia’s only decision will be whether to stick with Stuart Clark and a four-man pace attack or bring in the offspin of Nathan Hauritz.The pitch at The Oval is already relatively bare – and more grass is expected to come off on Wednesday – and the batsmen are the ones who have the most to be excited about. Clarke leads the run-list with 445 at 89.00 and on this tour the vice-captain has grown into Australia’s most consistent performer.”Personally it’s been good to score some runs, but it’s irrelevant now,” Clarke said. “Unless I make runs out here and contribute to the team’s success, being the leading run-scorer but not winning the series is worthless.”The tourists have peaked as the series has continued while England have dropped off since the final day of the third Test. Jonathan Trott will come into the line-up and Ian Bell has been elevated a spot to No. 3, giving the side an even more fragile look than when the hosts were dismissed for 102 on the first day at Headingley.

“[Bell’s] record at three isn’t as good as at four or five,” Clarke said. “But for us it’s important we look at their whole batting line-up. Trott is going to feel the nerves and be under pressure and the sooner we can get him in the better.”Andrew Flintoff remains the main threat, wonky knee and all, but Australia enter the match as the favourites to take the match and the Ashes. “That doesn’t guarantee you are going to win,” Clarke said. “What’s important is the four Tests that are gone are exactly that – gone. It’s 1-1, this is the important Test and this is the one we’re focussed on.”And they are not thinking about grinding out the game. “I don’t think we should start that way, no,” he said. “In the 50-odd Tests I’ve played we’ve never played for a draw, I’m pretty confident we won’t be out there trying for draw.”Some rain is expected during the game, making England’s task harder, and is the only reason Australia will be happy to settle for 1-1. “If we have no choice then we have no choice,” Clarke said. “I’d rather 1-1 than a 2-1 loss, but our attitude won’t be that when we walk out to the ground on Thursday. We’ll be chasing one result, and that’s to win.”Australia’s personnel has changed considerably since 2005, but Clarke has faith in this team to do better than its predecessor and take home the urn. “There’s a lot less experience in our team to 05, but the one thing this side has shown over the last 12 months that we do have the class, the enthusiasm, the desire to be as successful as any team that I’ve played in,” he said.”Yes, we probably don’t have the greats, at this stage of the guys’ careers like we did in 05, but we’ve got everything else that comes from inside you that these players have. Over a period of time you’ll see a lot of the guys in this side become very good cricketers, if not great cricketers.”

Match facts

Thursday July 30, 2009
Start time 10.00 (04.30 GMT)Sanath Jayasuriya will have a new opening partner with Tillakaratne Dilshan injured•AFP

Big Picture

The Tests delivered the promise of riveting cricket, at a time when the game’s traditional format was under threat. Now save your appetite for the one-dayers. The selling point of the series comes from the visitor’s camp. It marks the return of two exciting players from the ICL, who have been in heavy demand from loyal Pakistan followers to give the team a facelift – Imran Nazir and Naved-ul-Hasan. The other player from the ICL, Abdul Razzaq, had already started his rebirth as an international player in the World Twenty20 but was kept out of the Tests and Mohammad Yousuf too made a stirring comeback in the Tests.

Both teams are at a rebuilding stage, with the 2011 World Cup in mind. The Sri Lankan captain, Kumar Sangakkara, highlighted that on the eve of the opening ODI in Dambulla, as it gives a chance for his team to experiment before arriving at the right combination. Instead of trying out new blood, both teams have handed comebacks to old faces, Thilan Samaraweera being a prime example from the home team. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s temporary absence may come as a blessing in disguise for them as it’s an opportunity for another attacking opener to fill the breach. After all, Sri Lanka cannot depend on Sanath Jayasuriya forever.They will be up against the team which thumped them fairly convincingly the last time they met in the limited-overs format – the ICC World Twenty20. Where will the pendulum swing this time?

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka – WLLLL
Pakistan – WLLLW

Watch out for…

Upul Tharanga: With Dilshan bandaged and ruled out for the first couple of ODIs at least, Tharanga’s spot at the top is more or less guaranteed. Holding his place once Dilshan returns will be his challenge. He last played an ODI during the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year but was overlooked for the series against Pakistan and India. His performance in the warm-up game in Kurunegala on Monday was inauspicious – he was out for a first-ball duck. Tharanga is a tried and tested player who’s had success in the past and if he backs himself, he should manage some substantial scores, focus on building an innings and leave the power hitting to Jayasuriya.Imran Nazir: He was the people’s favourite not too long ago and still is. Trawl through the comments from readers in Cricinfo’s recent stories and blogs on Pakistan and Nazir features almost everywhere. He was the most-wanted player from the ICL and for a good reason too. He smacked an unbeaten 111 off 44 balls to guide Lahore Badshahs to the ICL title last November and fans realised just how much they missed him. Pakistan can look forward to the exciting opening duo of Nazir and Kamran Akmal.

Team news

Dilhara Fernando was added at the last minute as cover for the injury-prone Lasith Malinga. Sangakkara didn’t reveal the exact combination and said that Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby were in the mix.Sri Lanka: (likely) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt and wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamdy/Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Thilan Thushara, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga/Dilhara Fernando, 11 Muttiah MuralitharanPakistan have an embarrassment of riches and the competition for places has shot up. Will Yousuf walk in, and if he does, at whose expense? There was no word on a possible debut for Umar Akmal, who smashed an unbeaten 103 off 76 balls in Kurunegala.Pakistan: (likely) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Fawad Alam, 5 Shahid Afridi, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Misbah-ul-Haq/ Mohammad Yousuf, 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Naved-ul-Hasan, 11 Saeed Ajmal/ Mohammad Aamer

Pitch and conditions

Sri Lanka’s main batsmen have found it tough going in Dambulla and here’s what Sangakkara had to say about the pitch: “Over the years it’s been a tough wicket to read. It’s had various scores on it from low to high, the highest being 285. The key is not having a negative mindset going out there. It’s best to go out there with an open mind, assess the conditions very quickly and communicate it to the dressing room. Those few little basics that we talk about in building partnerships are going to be the key.”

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan is the only team with a positive win-loss record against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka: in 21 ODIs they have won ten and lost nine. Since 2000, though, they have lost five and won three against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
• Teams batting first have won only five out of 13 day games in Dambula. The last four day matches here have all been won by the team batting second.
• Sri Lanka’s main batsmen have had a tough time in Dambulla. Sangakkara averages less than 29 in 20 innings, while Jayasuriya has only two 50-plus scores in 18 innings.
• Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene haven’t managed a half-century at home against Pakistan in 15 ODI innings. Sangakkara’s highest in eight innings is an unbeaten 36, while Jayawardene’s best in seven innings is 49.
• Muralitharan has enjoyed the conditions in Dambulla, taking 33 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 15.36 at an economy rate of 3.46 runs per over.

Quotes

“You are never sure as to whether they will be explosive or be destructive. Sometimes they are a hard side to play, all the more so we should be thinking about our game a lot more that we should about theirs.”
“We are aware of Sri Lanka’s strength we must stick to our basics every day and in every game. Sri Lanka’s fielding is fantastic and they have the upper hand in fielding. If we field like we did in the Twenty20 we can provide good competition.”

Sir Derrick Bailey, the former Gloucestershire captain, has died at his home in Alderney at the age of 90.Derrick Bailey, the son of Sir Abe Bailey, the man who had the original idea for the ICC, played 60 first-class matches for Gloucestershire between 1949 and 1952 and scored 2029 runs with two centuries at an average of 24.44. He led them in 1951 and 1952. He had also played Minor Counties cricket for Oxfordshire before the war.Bailey founded Aurigny Air Services in 1968 when British United Airways pulled out of the Alderney-Guernsey route, threatening the islands’ livelihood. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his services as a pilot during the Second World War.

Match facts

Monday, June 8
Start time 17.30 local (16.30 GMT)So what shall we do now?: Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee need to come up with something new in Nottingham on Monday•Getty Images

Big Picture

Sri Lanka’s first match of the tournament is the most crucial one for Australia, who must win to stay alive in an event which has barely started. Even then a victory might not be enough after their heavy seven-wicket loss to West Indies, which puts them well behind on net run-rate. On Saturday Ricky Ponting was trying not to think of the consequences, which include the possibility of two weeks of punishment in Leicester, and will rev up his men as they attempt to avoid a fifth Twenty20 international loss in a row.Chris Gayle stepped up and blew Australia over as they struggled at the start of both innings. A quick opening with bat and ball will be required if they are to tame Sri Lanka; nothing like the horror of giving up two wickets in the first over against West Indies and then spilling 71 runs in the first 30 balls of the chase. Australia were disrupted by the pre-tournament exit of Andrew Symonds, but they can’t blame that. Nothing could have stopped Gayle’s force.Sri Lanka enter the event already knowing a victory on Monday will push them through to the next phase. In their warm-up matches they lost to South Africa after beating Bangladesh, but they will need to be more convincing to topple Australia despite the recent struggles of their opponent.

T20 international form guide (last game first)

Australia LLLLW
Sri Lanka LWWLW

Watch out for…

So much rests on the openers in Twenty20 that Sanath Jayasuriya, the grandpa of the tournament at 39, remains as essential to the team’s success as he was in the 1996 version of the one-day World Cup. There wasn’t much heat from him in the warm-ups, with 1 and 29, but if he fires Sri Lanka could burn bright throughout the tournament.Mitchell Johnson was Australia’s best bowler in the opening game with 2 for 36 and will carry heavy responsibility against Sri Lanka. His side needs instant impact with the ball and his control could be the difference between a realistic and impossible total. With his batting talents on the improve, he may also enter as a useful pinch hitter if the side needs a boost.

Team news

The offspinner Nathan Hauritz is unlikely to be left out again and Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle will come into contention as Australia gave up 172 runs in 15.5 overs. Brett Lee could be the one to make way after giving up 56 runs from four overs.Australia squad Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin (wk), Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.Sri Lanka have some worries after their mixed warm-up form, but if their core of Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Muralitharan and Mendis performs then the headaches will ease.Sri Lanka squad Kumar Sangakkara (capt, wk), Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Lasith Malinga, Isuru Udana, Farveez Maharoof, Jehan Mubarak, Indika de Saram.

Pitch and conditions

Trent Bridge hosted India and Bangladesh on Saturday and there were 335 runs and 13 wickets, so the pitch has something for everyone. The weather is expected to improve with light showers on Monday, but the top temperature will be a chilly 14C.

Stats and Trivia

• Brett Lee’s figures of 1 for 56 were the most expensive by an Australian in Twenty20, and the 27 runs Chris Gayle took off one of his overs was the fourth-most in the format’s history
• Australia are in their worst losing streak in Twenty20, with the four-game winless run beating their two consecutive defeats to India in 2007
• In the teams’ only previous encounter, Australia won by 10 wickets after dismissing Sri Lanka for 101

Quotes

“We were just a bit sloppy. Coming into game we had spoken about making sure we get the first over of each innings right but, as it turned out, we lost two early wickets while batting and gave away a lot off our first over as well.”
Ricky Ponting after the defeat at The Oval”The newcomers to the team bring the X-factor but the senior players have to make all the difference because they have to be the match winners.”
Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka’s captain

Cricket Australia will offer states $50,000 (approximately US$40,000) each to recruit high-profile overseas cricketers for next season’s Big Bash Twenty20 tournament. The move is a direct attempt by CA to bolster the profile and prestige of Australia’s domestic 20-over league, and represents a major departure from states’ long-held position of freezing out ‘imports’ to protect places for local players.Several states last season took the initiative of recruiting overseas players to improve their chances of qualifying for the lucrative Champions League – not least New South Wales’ controversial move to draft New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum in for the Big Bash final against Victoria. Sohail Tanvir (South Australia) and Umar Gul (Western Australia) also played in 2008-09, and now CA has thrown open the door for more to follow.”We want to make the Big Bash a Bigger Bash,” CA spokesman Peter Young said. “This is part of the new Memorandum of Understanding and is something that is hoped will really lift the tournament’s profile further.”Our long-term strategic position is that Twenty20 is best played and promoted at state and domestic level. In the eyes of the marketeers, this is something that’s a little bit sexy, and we’d like to think the public will take the opportunity to see some top-level international players competing for their home states.”At least two states have begun the process of tapping up overseas players through their international contacts, secure in the knowledge that they now have CA’s financial backing. Cricinfo understands that states will be free to approach third-party sponsors to add to the $50,000 put forth by CA in a bid to attract big-name imports.Western Australia have already confirmed their interest in signing their former star Adam Gilchrist for the Twenty20 tournament after he led Deccan Chargers to the IPL title this year. “I’d say he’d be a reasonable target,” Graeme Wood, Western Australia’s chief executive told . “We are certainly hoping that would come to fruition.”One Australian player who could yet figure in next season’s Big Bash is Andrew Symonds, who on Thursday met with Queensland Cricket officials to discuss his future. Cricinfo understands Symonds requested the state not to reserve a place for him on their contract list for 2009-10, but left the door ajar to play for match payments in 50- and 20-over competitions for the Bulls.Symonds’ agent, Matt Fearon, said his client had yet to finalise his plans for the future, although it is highly likely he will position himself as a freelance Twenty20 specialist, available to play in domestic leagues around the world.”He is in no immediate rush to make any big decisions, but it’s fair to say he is in a good space at the moment,” Fearon said. “I think he is enjoying being out of that Cricket Australia environment.”