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Match facts

Saturday, July 1, 2017, Lord’s
Start time 11.00 local (10.00 GMT)

Big Picture

Surrey have dominated 50-over cricket in England in the past two seasons and have reached the final of the Royal London Cup for the third successive season. So far, however, silverware has eluded them with successive defeats against Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Now they face Nottinghamshire, a one-day side of greater reputation than the two teams against whom they have already been vanquished.Surrey looked favourites in 2015 when they dismissed Michael Klinger first ball and a hat-trick from Jade Dernbach, bringing him 6 for 35, cleaned up Gloucestershire’s tail only for their chase to collapse with the dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara and result in a six-run defeat.A year later they were back again, only to collapse to 136 all out against Warwickshire, losing by eight wickets with nearly 20 overs to spare before one of the biggest crowds for a Lord’s final for years.The upshot of that is that Surrey have only won one major trophy since 2003, which does not befit a club of such stature, and potentially Nottinghamshire could provide them with the toughest challenge of all.They have been in dazzling batting form, hitting 429 at Somerset in the play-off and then chasing down 372 in a semi-final defeat of Essex at Chelmsford, a record successful run chase at Chelmsford that represented one of the great limited-over matches in the history of English domestic cricket; the sort of game, in fact, that insists county cricket has a future whatever the challenges that lie ahead.But Notts do have cruelly-timed injury issues in their bowling attack and that plus the unpredictability of their top-order, often exceptional but somewhat inconsistent, might prove to be Surrey’s escape route.A potential duel between Kumar Sangakkara and the Australian quick, James Pattinson, might also be decisive. Sangakkara made 166 when Surrey edged Notts by four runs in a semi-final two years ago and his run-strewn summer has acted as a protective cover over a Surrey batting line-up that lacks depth.Mark Stoneman will be eager to prove his worth, however. An opportunity with England Lions suggested he might be a breaker in the England Test squad, but expectations were that he would not make the final squad, leaving a Lord’s final as a perfect place to work off his tensions.

Form guide

(Last five matches, most recent first)

Surrey:WWWWL
Nottinghamshire: WWWLW

In the spotlight

Chris Read is in his farewell season for Nottinghamshire and few stalwarts of the county scene have been more highly prized in recent years. In the decade since he last played for England, he has taken on the captaincy for the bulk of the time, kept wicket with grace and produced innumerable zestful rescue acts with the bat, especially on tough Trent Bridge surfaces. Greatly admired, he deserves a happy send-off in only his second domestic final in 20 years, whether it is here or later in the season in the NatWest Blast where Notts must also be strong contenders.Another wicketkeeper has also been gaining rave reviews. Ben Foakes, is one of the smoothest operators around, good enough for Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket and not a man given to hyperbole, to rank him as the best glove man in the world. He tops this season’s overall averages in the Royal London Cup with 481 runs at 120.25 (Kumar Sangakkara’s average of 85.5 puts him fourth). England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, has spoken of the need to show loyalty to Jonny Bairstow, but there are those who would use Bairstow as a specialist batsman and get Foakes into the Test XI.Stuart Broad’s fitness will be sclosely scrutinised by all concerned•Getty Images

Team news

Jake Ball is an absentee for Nottinghamshire after suffering a knee strain in a Championship match against Kent which is also expected to rule him out of contention for the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s next week.It is tough luck for Ball, who was also injured on the eve of the final when he suffered back trouble shortly before Nottinghamshire’s win against Glamorgan in 2013. Luke Fletcher, a burly seamer and one of the characters of the circuit, will be a crowd-pleasing deputy.There may be more difficult discussions about the involvement of Stuart Broad. Broad is confident that he has fully recovered from a heel injury and would normally play, but if England get a whiff of risk there may yet be resistance. Cup final or not, it would play second fiddle to the opening Test of the summer. For the success of days like this, it is to be fervently hoped that he plays.Nottinghamshire (probable) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Riki Wessels, 4 Samit Patel, 5 Brendan Taylor, 6 Steven Mullaney, 7 Chris Read (wk), 8 Stuart Broad (or Luke Wood), 9 James Pattinson, 10 Luke Fletcher 11 Harry Gurney.Surrey should have a full squad to choose from which seems to leave them perming two from three from Scott Borthwick, a close-season signing from Durham, Rory Burns and an effervescent newbie, Ollie Pope.The Curran brothers return with reputations enhanced. Tom has just made an assured England debut in the T20I series against South Africa and Sam, playing his third successive final at the tender age of 19, will be anxious to deliver an influential performance to underline himself as a talented and streetwise cricketer.Surrey (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Scott Borthwick / Rory Burns, 5 Ben Foakes (wk), 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Gareth Batty (capt), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Jade Dernbach.

Pitch and conditions

The final of the 50-over competition has traditionally taken place at the end of the season, but as the season has expanded it has become later and later and often overly influenced by the toss. It has also been increasingly overshadowed by Finals Day in the NatWest Trophy as T20 cricket has gained prominence.A switch to midsummer therefore seems a positive move, especially as it connects the final to the group stages, so maintaining the narrative of the event.The weather in London is forecast to be settled, with sunny intervals in the afternoon and highs of 22C. All it needs is a decent surface and Read, for one, expects just that, envisaging decent pace and remarking: “There’s runs in it.”.

Quotes

“It’s just a mental thing. It is a case of everybody understanding that it’s a big occasion but not getting overawed by it.”
“There’s pressure on them perhaps. They’ve choked at the last maybe.”

ScorecardAfter 11-and-a-half sessions and 374 overs of cricket, Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire had only managed two-and-a-half innings. Just 23 wickets fell on a pitch that, in the words of Nottinghamshire assistant coach Paul Franks, “makes a mockery of what good cricket should be about”. It was hard not to agree with his sentiment, or his disappointment.Nottinghamshire were undoubtedly the better side over the course of four days, of that there was no question. But Gloucestershire, too, fought to bring quality to the game. Both were hamstrung by a pitch that offered no carry through to the keeper, no pace on to the bat and little off the straight. It asked a lot of bowler, batsman and spectator. Such surfaces do more damage to the County Championship than any city-based Twenty20 competition might.In the end, the hosts were able to negotiate a draw with relative ease, even if things looked precarious when they lost Cameron Bancroft to the second ball of their second innings and were then reduced to 35 for 3 four overs into the final day. Franks, though, expected nothing less after Notts had beaten Gloucestershire by an innings and 50 runs at Trent Bridge a fortnight ago.”We knew before we got here [what to expect from the pitch],” he said. “Let’s not kid ourselves. No matter what anybody says about it, after having beaten them comprehensively on a pitch which had some pace, carry and bounce, we didn’t expect to come here and see a pitch that did the same.”It makes a mockery of what good cricket should be about. That’s just my personal opinion. I feel very strongly about it. It’s not a criticism about anyone in particular – it’s a criticism and an observation of having been in the game for over 20 years. You look at the way the wickets had fallen during the game. The pitch dictated terms. That’s a shame. It should be the players that are allowed to perform on that surface. And that wasn’t a surface suitable for a good-quality game.”It was just as bad for Gloucestershire’s attack, who deserve credit for showing up for work if this is what greets them each morning. With that in mind, it was worth singling out Craig Miles for his 29 overs in Nottinghamshire’s first innings that produced an array of half-chances which, on a more conducive pitch, might have better rewarded him than his eventual figures of 2 for 88.”The frustrating thing for me is that when the ball is not carrying to the wicketkeeper, that cannot be an acceptable situation for four-day cricket to be played,” Franks said. “Four-day cricket should be a game of skill, where seam bowlers and spin bowlers are in play and batsmen can score runs. If you bowl well then all good. If you don’t bowl well, you’ll get scored off.”That’s the way four-day cricket should be played. But this wasn’t even a good pitch for batting: 80 runs a session on average, two wickets a session on average. It’s there for everybody to see. It’s a little bit raw for us in the dressing room at the minute. But if these are the things we have to face, we have to find a way to be better, game on game.”It was unclear whether the pitch will be reported – although the whispers were that it was deemed unsatisfactory. The weather leading up to this fixture meant preparation time was limited. Nevertheless, cricket was not the winner.With Kent drawing and Worcestershire suffering defeat at the hands of Glamorgan, Nottinghamshire were looking to extend their lead at the top of Division Two, looking for nine more wickets for a valuable win. Within 10 minutes they had two of them. Harry Gurney, operating around the wicket to right-handers, trapped both Will Tavare and Gareth Roderick in front. Roderick was the wicket that stood out: any repeat of his first innings vigilance of 215-balls would take Gloucestershire closer to the draw they craved.While he could only see out eight balls this time, Chris Dent took the mantle of frustrater-in-chief. His, though, was not an innings of full-blooded defiance: classy shots through extra cover and point ensured he reached his half-century from 115-balls, as the hosts went into lunch on 100 for 3, trailing by 132.He continued on his merry way after lunch, prompting Chris Read, no more than 25-minutes into the second session, to turn to Riki Wessels, who has just one County Championship wicket to his name (Sussex’s Luke Wells, caught and bowled in 2012). It was Wessel’s first bowl since 2013 and perhaps had the desired effect. While his two overs offered little beyond novelty, it might have drawn Dent into a bit of carelessness. Brett Hutton replaced Gurney at the Pavilion End and, third ball of his new spell, tempted Dent to play a grim shot across the line and strike him in front for 71.Graeme van Buuren was keen not to let a golden opportunity to put on a score pass him by. Learning from Dent’s misjudgement, he played correctly all the way through, bringing up his half-century from 170-balls with his fifth boundary – a back-foot punch through cover. The most outlandish shot he played was a threaded two through a busy leg-side field. There was time for Cheteshwar Pujara to turn his arm over as Read called on an eighth bowler. To describe what he sent down as legspin would be meeting him more than half-way.And so Read continued: when he took the second new ball after 80 overs and gave it to Luke Fletcher, it was the 17th bowling change he had made in the day. That brought the final wicket to fall: Phil Mustard slashing to Jake Libby at point, at the start of the 83rd over. Other than a handful of near-misses – lbw appeals, the odd outside edge beaten – there was little else to play for. Even van Buuren, patient for 242 balls and 88 runs, was more than happy to shake hands within sight of an 11th first-class century.The only real moment of note was when Gurney and Fletcher were substituted off the field for James Pattinson and Stuart Broad. It might have been a different game had they been on from the start. Both had a little jog and a bowl before the start of play ahead of the Royal London One-Day Cup knockout match against Somerset, just down the road at Taunton. They go there frustrated with “just” an 11-point lead at the top of Division Two.

Overview

The high-intensity training camp has been attended, a foreign bowling coach hired, blessings have been sought, declarations of confidence made, and the press has been conferenced, but will any of that help Sri Lanka leave an impact on the Champions Trophy?

Squad

Angelo Mathews (capt), Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Nuwan Pradeep, Asela Gunaratne, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lakshan Sandakan

Their reality is stark. Sri Lanka’s first game of the tournament is against South Africa, who whitewashed them 5-0 earlier in the year. Their second match is against India, who have beaten them 12 times in their last 15 meetings. Even Pakistan – Sri Lanka’s third opponent – whose own ODI form has been modest, defeated Sri Lanka at home in the most-recent bilateral series between them. Never in this century, perhaps, has a Sri Lanka side approached a global tournament with expectations so low.Yet, along with the low expectations, comes a sense of freedom, Sri Lanka say. There is the hope someone in their top order will take the tournament by the collar – perhaps Kusal Mendis, who has already made his mark in the Test format, or Niroshan Dickwella, whose heroics so far, have been in T20s. There is the belief someone like Lakshan Sandakan, the left-arm wristspinner, can make his presence felt during the opposition’s middle overs.Most of all, Sri Lanka are desperate for a roaring return to ODIs for their longtime match-winner, Lasith Malinga. Though he hasn’t played an ODI since 2015, largely due to injury, Malinga’s form did appear to improve through the recent IPL. Earlier in the year, Malinga’s return to T20s also showcased just how much his experience can lift the attack – not only is he an expert end-overs operator, even the other bowlers appear to lift their performance when Malinga takes the tough roles off their hands.But even with Malinga, it is as yet unclear whether he will be fit enough to deliver 10 overs at full intensity. Where other teams have form, runs and wickets behind them, Sri Lanka have only hope.

Champions Trophy history

1998 – Semi-finalists
2000 – Knocked out at first stage
2002 – Joint-champions
2004 – Knocked out at group stage
2006 – Knocked out at group stage
2009 – Knocked out at group stage
2013 – Semi-finalists

Form guide

This does not make for pretty reading. Sri Lanka drew a home series 1-1 against Bangladesh this year, but had been pulverized in South Africa, and have been regularly walloped by New Zealand over the past few years. Sri Lanka have not beaten a Champions Trophy side in a bilateral series since late 2014, when they defeated England in a seven-match series at home.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Strengths

The least of Sri Lanka’s weaknesses appears to be their top order. Their likely top six will feature Upul Tharanga, who provides experience, and has prospered in this tournament before. Also on show are Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews – senior men with a history of consistent output, even if the latter is coming back to the side following a long layoff.But perhaps the most-watched players will be Mendis and Dickwella, both of whom are blinding talents, but for whom the most significant hurdle will be the moving ball. Though Mendis had been the player of the tournament in last year’s ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, and has more recently hit a maiden ODI ton at home, he had made a string of modest scores during Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa, where the ball behaved roughly the same way it is expected to in England. Dickwella’s game, meanwhile, remains a little raw, and perhaps he is over-reliant on the areas behind square for his runs. If both these batsmen can find form however, Sri Lanka’s totals are likely to be healthy.

Weaknesses

There is plenty to choose from here, but it is difficult to look past Sri Lanka’s fielding, which in addition to having cost the team plenty of matches, has also been one of the world’s great recent sources of slapstick comedy. Over the past few years Sri Lankan fielders have routinely dived over the ball, kicked it to the boundary, fist-bumped it, chest-bumped it, groin-bumped it and occasionally used it as a blunt object to hurt themselves with. The quality of Sri Lanka’s fielding has also often been inversely proportional to the temperature, so if London or Cardiff sees an especially cold day, spectators could be in for a few laughs.

Key stats

• Over the past three years, Sri Lanka have lost twice as many matches (36) as they have won (18) against Champions Trophy oppositions
• Sri Lanka have also conceded an average of 57.9 runs in the last 10 overs of an opposition innings – the worst for any side participating in this Champions Trophy
• Upul Tharanga has 14 ODI centuries. The remaining batsmen in Sri Lanka’s squad have 10 combined
• Lasith Malinga last played an ODI on November 7, 2015

ScorecardRyan McLaren might be unsung but he made a matchwinning contribution•Getty Images

The signing of Ryan McLaren as Lancashire’s overseas player last October did not prompt wild rejoicing in Chorley or street-parties in Bacup. “Who’s this McLaren, then?” was the gruff reaction among members more used to watching cricketers like Ashwell Prince or VVS Laxman display their skills at Emirates Old Trafford.Lancashire, though, knew what they were about. McLaren’s full-hearted performances for Hampshire had earned their respect and he was precisely the type of cricketer they needed for the scraps ahead in an eight-team First Division.So when their new signing shattered Tim Groenewald’s stumps at precisely 4.35 on Monday afternoon, Lancashire’s hierarchy, which had included Ashley Giles last autumn, could feel that their judgement had been vindicated. McLaren’s accurate, canny medium-fast bowling on a pitch offering variable bounce had earned him match figures of 8 for 113 and it had also played a major role in securing one of the most remarkable victories in the county’s history. A first Championship win, indeed, for almost a year.Just for a moment, let us rewind a little. On Friday Lancashire were bowled out for 109 on a helpful pitch. However, as head coach, Glen Chapple, said later it was not the sort of surface to justify that miserable total. By Saturday afternoon Somerset had carved out a first-innings lead of 169 only for Lancashire to amass 463 in their second dig and then bowl them out for 130. Tom Abell, Somerset’s young skipper, is discovering that it is a tough world.Much of the credit for the win will go to the centurions, Alex Davies and Liam Livingstone, and rightly so. Indeed, Livingstone’s efforts last season and this were acknowledged on Monday evening when he was awarded his county cap. But Lancashire’s batsmen had only made defeat less likely; victory was achieved by the bowlers on the final afternoon and it left the Lancashire coach struggling to remember a comeback of similar proportions.”After the first innings the remainder of the game has been a sustained effort of determination, quality cricket and a team unit sticking together,” said Chapple. “The lads are delighted and it’s a fabulous way to win. It needed a remarkable effort from the batting unit and the partnership between Alex and Liam was of high quality. It was what was needed if we were going to have any chance.”Everyone can see that Liam is a big occasion player as well as a quality player but the responsibility of captaincy will help. He seems really driven and determined to do well for Lancashire and obliviously he is now a talking point for further honours. How quickly they come I’m not sure. It came a lot faster than we expected and we thought it would go down to the last few overs but it is great to get over the line early.”It is probably understandable if Chapple’s comments revealed a degree of shock. When Lancashire lost their last three wickets for seven runs halfway through the first session, Somerset needed 295 at a rate of 3.83 runs per over to win the game. It looked like a decent contest, the type that batsmen of the pedigree of Marcus Trescothick and James Hildreth might relish. Yet from the moment Dean Elgar played across the line to Kyle Jarvis just after lunch, Somerset’s batsmen were placed under pressure that never slackened.Abell was probably unlucky, as are most batsmen who are strangled down the leg side. But McLaren’s removal of the Somerset skipper was the prelude to a wonderful seven-over spell from the Pavilion End by James Anderson who accounted for Trescothick, caught at slip by Livingstone for 36, and Steven Davies, who failed to jab down on one that kept low.”You look back at phases of the game which change the course and Jimmy Anderson’s spell was certainly one of them,” said Abell. “But it was always going to be tough today and there were balls which had people’s names on them unfortunately.”Abell’s judgement is fair but it also does a little less than credit to the efforts of McLaren and Jordan Clark, the latter’s inclusion perhaps made possible by the fact that more bowlers can be accommodated if your wicketkeeper, Alex Davies in this case, is a quality batsman who can open the innings.Clark, indeed, made the next breakthrough when Peter Trego’s tentative push only edged the ball to Livingstone, for whom batting, captaincy, cricket and life in general must be something of a doddle these days. McLaren then removed both Hildreth and Josh Davey leg before wicket and at tea Somerset could reflect on a session in which they had lost seven wickets for 78 runs. Friday morning must have seemed the most distant of memories.The cricket after tea was notable for the exotic dismissal of Jack Leach, caught at third man by Haseeb Hameed off Clark for nought, but otherwise it was taken up with the game’s last knockings. Before long Lancashire’s players were in a joyous huddle on the Old Trafford outfield and no player seemed more delighted than Anderson, whose explosion of joy when he removed Trescothick was both a demonstration of his gut loyalties and a recognition of how important his wicket remains, at 41, to Somerset’s cricket and morale.It was Lancashire’s first win in 14 County Championship games, a run stretching back to May 24th last year. Three players, Dane Vilas, Rob Jones and McLaren were able to sing the club’s victory song for the first time. This made no great demands on their memory, for it consists of the single word “Lancashire”. Apparently Stephen Sondheim helped with the lyrics. For McLaren the joy must have been especially sweet; Lancashire supporters know who he is now alright.

Kamran Akmal has been recalled to the national team after three years while Ahmed Shehzad, who had been overlooked for a year, made a return to the T20I and ODI sides for Pakistan’s tour to the West Indies. Azhar Ali, who had been captain of the 50-over side as recently as January, has been dropped.The selection committee, headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq, also called up five uncapped players while fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been rested for the T20 format.

Pakistan squads for WI tour

T20Is: Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Rumman Raees, Hasan Ali, Usman Khan
ODIs: Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Asif Zakir, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Fahim Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Asghar

Kamran, 35, last featured for Pakistan during the 2014 World T20 and has not been in contention for the national side since his central contract was cut the same year. He was, however, prolific on the domestic circuit in the 2014-15 season, scoring 900 first-class runs at 52.94 and 576 List A runs at 52.36. In the subsequent year, he made 480 first-class runs at 60 and 576 List A runs at 72. He was the top-scorer with 1035 runs at 79.61 in the recent first-class season and was the leading run-scorer in the second edition of Pakistan Super League with a tally of 353.Shehzad, 25, has not been part of the Pakistan team since the 2016 World T20 due to disciplinary issues. He fought his way back into contention after hitting three hundreds in the departmental one-day cup, amassing 653 runs at an average of 93.28 earlier this year. He combined a number of low scores with a few impressive knocks in this year’s PSL and did enough to restore selectors’ faith in him. With Pakistan searching for openers after Sharjeel Khan’s suspension for his involvement in alleged corruption in the PSL, Shehzad has been given another opportunity.These squads were picked from a pool of 31 players who were in Lahore for a training camp and Inzamam said only one of them failed to pass a fitness test – Umar Akmal. Pakistan’s head coach Mickey Arthur himself had put the players through the paces at the National Cricket Academy and has been very vocal about his men being at the peak of their physical ability.”We had a set a fitness standard which isn’t really a tough one to start with,” Inzamam said. “But he still didn’t meet the average level. So whoever the player is, whatever his performance is like, we could not select him. Umar being dropped is a reprimand and it’s a major blow for any player. He is a good player, we needed him, but we had to take a decision.”Inzamam was sympathetic to Azhar’s cause as well and said the former ODI captain remained a part of their long-term plans. “He is still in our loop for Champions Trophy in England where, considering the conditions, we probably will need our senior batsmen. But for now we wanted to encourage our junior players who can have a future with Pakistan.”Leading the uncapped players were batsman Fakhar Zaman and legspinner Shadab Khan. They were both highly impressive in the PSL and found a place in the squads for both limited-overs formats. Domestic veteran Asif Zakir, who has been playing first-class cricket for 14 years and has 123 matches under his belt, has been trusted to translate that experience on the ODI stage. Rounding off the uncapped roster were left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar and the leading wicket-taker from the 2016-17 departmental one-day cup Fahim Ashraf.”These young players are equally good and they are going to play international cricket for the country,” Inzamam said. “So they need to play at the highest level at some stage and I have full faith in them. They will perform, and conditions in the West Indies, we all know are similar to the ones in subcontinent and the West Indies team isn’t like the one in the 70s, 80s or even from the 90s. But still if they face tough competition there, this will obviously help them to develop.”For the T20Is, Pakistan have picked left-arm quicks for the T20s with Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Usman Khan, who had debuted in 2013, and Rumman Raees, who was part of the previous Pakistan squad that played West Indies in the UAE in 2016. Hasan Ali offered the option of variation.Pakistan play four T20Is, three ODIs and three Tests in the Caribbean starting on March 31.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:59

Highlights – Pietersen returns to form in Quetta victory

In a nutshell
Quetta Gladiators smashed 63 runs off their last 17 balls – led by Kevin Pietersen at his world-beating best – to stun Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in Sharjah. In a stupefying contest, without question the match of this season, history repeated itself as Sarfraz Ahmed’s men hunted down a 200-plus target for the second consecutive year against Lahore.The match looked to be over and done with by the time Lahore finished batting, with McCullum’s men at their explosive best at both top and tail of the innings; their combined score in the first and last six overs was 150-0. The fireworks began with Jason Roy and Fakhar Zaman (McCullum opted not to open the innings). The England batsman brought up his fifty off a mere 24 balls. Wickets in the middle overs slowed Lahore down somewhat, but an unbroken 77-run partnership off the last 41 balls between Mohammad Rizwan and South African Cameron Delport – playing his first game this season – took Lahore to the first 200-run total this season.Quetta started slowly, as both openers struggled to get their timing right in the face of intelligent Powerplay bowling by Sohail Tanvir, Sunil Narine and Mohammad Irfan Jr. By the time they fell, the asking rate was already nearing 12, and only a plucky 57-run stand between Rilee Rossouw and Pietersen kept Quetta in contention. Rossouw eventually holed out after an entertaining cameo, and a courageous partnership between Pietersen and captain Sarfraz seemed only like it would restore respectability to the result.But Lahore had reckoned without Pietersen, whose two golden ducks appeared to have woken a sleeping giant. At his red-hot best, he smashed 39 runs off his last nine balls to haul Quetta to the most astounding of victories, not just in the PSL, but any T20 competition in recent memory.Where the match was won
A key phase of the game that might get lost in the late carnage was the period just after Quetta lost their openers. Without the 57 off 30 deliveries that Rossouw and Pietersen added between the fifth and tenth overs, there would have been no opportunity for Quetta to finish the game off in style. Rossouw was integral in that period, not just with his runs, even though he contributed 33 of them to that partnership, but also his attitude. He swung from ball one, recognising that was the only route to victory for his side. It looked like he had been dismissed too early, with his side still needing 120. But the man at the other end was only just beginning to warm up.File photo – Jason Roy’s 24-ball fifty was not enough for Lahore Qalandars to topple Quetta Gladiators•PCB

The men that won it
This sort of knock is why Pietersen is so sought after by T20 franchises around the world. A major disappointment of this year’s PSL had been that none of its three biggest stars – Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Pietersen – had been able to play an innings their reputation demanded of them. But in a scarcely believable passage of play, Quetta whacked eight sixes in 13 balls, six of them coming from Pietesen’s bat, as a target that had looked insurmountable suddenly appeared a stroll. Sarfraz played a brilliant, unselfish supporting role, scoring 45 off 25 balls. But the day belonged to Pietersen as the hapless Lahore side watched him wrench a game they thought they couldn’t lose.Bowlers’ bloodbath
Lahore scored 75 in the Powerplay overs, the highest in PSL history. They doubled up on that by scoring just as many in the last six, and all of that without McCullum facing a ball.However, that carnage was topped in a stunning onslaught by Quetta, who blitzed the Lahore bowling with 78 from their last 3.5 overs to win with more than an over to spare. The run chase means the top five totals across both seasons of the PSL have come in matches between these two sides.Where they stand
The defeat might turn out to be a pivotal one for Lahore. Victory would have taken them to the top of the standings. It is Quetta who take that mantle now, with seven points from their five games. Lahore slip to fourth, with four points from five matches.

Match Facts

January 28, 2017
Start time 10.00am local (0800GMT)

Big Picture

There has been a shift in mood for Sri Lanka’s tour over the last few days. Despite losing Angelo Mathews they impressively secured the T20 series – their first piece of silverware in South Africa – with a heart-stopping chase at Newlands. A trip that was threatening to be forgettable has been given a new lease of life.However, this one-day series could be a significantly greater challenge. After AB de Villiers’ return for the final T20 – where it looked like he’d never been away, despite Russell Domingo saying he was as nervous as on debut – a host of other big guns are back following their post-Test-series break.A side that includes Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada – alongside de Villiers – has a daunting look about it. The last time they played ODIs, they steamrollered Australia 5-0 who earlier in the year had managed to upend Sri Lanka at home. Such is the batting strength now available that stand-in T20 captain Farhaan Behardien is unlikely to make the starting XI.Sri Lanka will hope that their mixture of spin and medium-pace can have a similar impact as it did in the T20s where they managed to keep a leash on South Africa’s batting. Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan remains a trump card, while Nuwan Kulasekara brought his experience to show.For both these sides, this series marks the start of serious preparations for the Champions Trophy and they meet in their opening match of the tournament at The Oval on June 3. Time to lay down a marker.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWW
Sri LankaWWLWL

In the spotlight

Once Kagiso Rabada found his range in the Test series he was too much for the Sri Lanka batsmen to handle. The South Africa management is wary of his workload, without wanting to wrap him in cotton wool, and he has had a couple of weeks to recharge his batteries. He went for over 80 in his last two ODIs against Australia so he’ll be keen for a more thrifty display. It is a shame we won’t get to see him operate alongside Lungi Ngidi after he was ruled out of the series.Sri Lanka will have their third captain of the tour after Upul Tharanga was handed the armband ahead of Dinesh Chandimal following Mathews’ injury. It is a role Tharanga performed in Zimbabwe last year when Sri Lanka won the tri-series. It feels as though Tharanga has been around forever – his debut came in 2005 – and while he has frustrated Sri Lanka supporters as much as thrilled them he has an impressive 13 ODI hundreds. He was used in the middle order in Zimbabwe, but opened in the deciding T20.Quinton de Kock is one of a host of big names to return after a short break•AFP

Team news

Ngidi will not be replaced in the South Africa squad so that leaves 14 to pick from. Chris Morris’ recall adds another all-round option and de Villiers said that the rain that was around Port Elizabeth on Friday ruled out the chance of a second frontline spinner.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirSri Lanka made some late changes to the squad that was originally announced. Despite his heroics in the T20, Seekkuge Prasanna has been replaced by legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay while Isuru Udana, the left-armer, also makes way. They will need to decide whether to use Tharanga in the opening position where he has had most of his one-day success. If they want some extra pace, Lahiru Kumara is an option – he has yet to play any List A one-day games.*Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella, 2 Dhananjaya de Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Upul Tharanga (capt), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Chaturanga de Silva, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Jeffrey Vandersay/Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

Sri Lanka had high hopes in the Test series that Port Elizabeth would be the surface to suit them best, but it was left well-grassed on orders from the home side. The pitches do, however, tend to be on the slower side for one-dayers. There are some showers forecast for the first part of the day.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have not played an ODI at Port Elizabeth since their 2003 World Cup semi-final against Australia
• In the last ODI South Africa played, against Australia in Cape Town, Rilee Rossouw scored 122. He has since joined Hampshire on a Kolpak deal.
• Such is the inexperience in Sri Lanka’s squad that Kulasekara is the third-highest run-scorer behind Tharanga and Chandimal

Quotes

“Even though we feel that we are a more talented and a more skillful and a better group of players than Sri Lanka, we know they are very dangerous at the moment, being very motivated with lots of young talent that can come good at certain times. We are very aware of that.”
*January 27, 1300GMT: This story was updated to reflect Sri Lanka’s squad changes

West Indies allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite as well as England batsman Alex Hales are among the prominent players who have been ruled out of the second season of Pakistan Super League which begins on February 9.Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh and Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, will only be only partially available. A number of reasons have forced the changes, from injury to some players to others not getting no-objection certificates to scheduling clashes with international cricket.

Squad changes

Peshawar Zalmi
In: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher
Out: Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales, Mohammad Shahzad
Quetta Gladiators
In: Moeen Ali, Nathan McCullum, Thisara Perera, Rilee Rossouw
Out: Carlos Brathwaite, David Willey, Rovman Powell, Mohammad Nabi
Lahore Qalandars
In: James Franklin, Chris Green, Jason Roy
Out: Anton Devcich, Shaun Tait, Dwayne Bravo

Each PSL team has a squad of 16, plus four supplement players. Overseas players among supplements are automatically available for selection. But the local players will only get to play if someone from the main squad is injured. A short player draft was thus held in Lahore on Monday to allow the five franchises to replenish their supply of overseas talent.Lahore Qalandars chose Jason Roy, the England opener, to fill in for Bravo for the first five matches. Bravo suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League earlier this month. He said he would be undergoing surgery and recovering in time for the PSL in February seemed unlikely.Lahore have also called up James Franklin, the New Zealand allrounder, to take the place of his countryman Anton Devcich, whose knee injury has flared back up. Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait was the third Lahore player ruled out – due to shoulder problems – and has been replaced by Sydney Thunder offspinner Chris Green.Andre Russell, who hurt his hamstring and knee in the BBL, is another high-profile player who might not play the PSL this season.Russell, who helped Islamabad United win the title last February, is also awaiting the verdict from an anti-doping hearing and if found guilty, he could be banned for a maximum of two years. Although Islamabad did not drop Russell at the draft, it is understood England fast bowler Steven Finn has been kept on standby.Quetta Gladiators decided to swap Brathwaite for England allrounder Moeen Ali after learning he would not be available for the entire duration of the league.Shakib Al Hasan has been replaced by Tillakaratne Dilshan by Peshawar Zalmi•AFP

With the WICB making it mandatory for players to take part in the domestic one-day competition to earn a national call-up, Brathwaite committed to the Regional Super50, which continues till February 18, nine days after the start of the PSL. Additionally, it is likely that he will be with the West Indies side when they take on England at home in the first week of March, which is when the PSL knockouts are scheduled.Quetta have also dropped England fast bowler David Willey and bought back a player they relinquished at the October draft – New Zealand offspinner Nathan McCullum. Sri Lanka allrounder Thisara Perera joined them as well, taking the spot of West Indies batsman Rovman Powell, who will be busy with the Regional Super50.Shakib and Tamim were set to miss the initial part of the PSL in any case, as they will be involved in Bangladesh’s one-off Test against India starting from February 9. Both men were due to fly out to Dubai and join Peshawar Zalmi the day after the Test ends. For now though the franchise has named former Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan as a replacement for Shakib. Peshawar have also brought in senior West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels for Hales, who is nursing a fractured hand.PSL rules state that a team can keep five overseas players in the squad at any given time. With Hales ruled out Peshawar currently have six but on February 21, when Morgan leaves to captain England in the Caribbean, that count will dip again. It will sink below the required limit if a Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka in February is confirmed. While it is learnt Shakib and Tamim will ask the BCB’s approval to rejoin the team if they make it to the final, Peshawar are in talks with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and are expected to recruit one of their players on Tuesday.Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad will miss the PSL since it runs parallel to the Afghanistan-Zimbabwe limited-overs series. Quetta have replaced Nabi with Rilee Rossouw, who recently ended his South Africa career by signing Kolpak deal, and Peshawar have called up West Indies opener Andre Fletcher as cover for Shahzad.The PSL will organise another draft in the final week of February featuring those foreign players who are willing to go to Lahore where organisers say the final will be staged.

Victor Trumper. Charlie Macartney. Don Bradman. Majid Khan. David Warner. The only five men ever to score a Test century before lunch on the first day. No Virender Sehwag. No Chris Gayle. Just five men in the 140 years of Test history, in the 2245 Tests that have ever been played. Warner’s achievement on the first day in Sydney, when he reached the milestone in the last over before lunch, was a surprise even to him.”It’s an honour to be alongside those names,” Warner said. “I had absolutely no idea about that stat. I knew about hundreds in a session, but not that stat at all.”It was not the only innings of significance on the first day against Pakistan. Warner’s opening partner, Matt Renshaw, went to stumps on 167, a remarkable feat for a man of only 20 years of age. The previous-highest score Test score by any Australian as young as Renshaw was the 164 made by Archie Jackson in Adelaide in 1929. In the last over of the day, Renshaw passed Jackson’s mark.It was a sign of how significantly Renshaw had accelerated that he was able to reach 167, for at the lunch break he was sitting on 25, while Warner had already reached triple figures. Warner said his first inkling that he might be able to bring up his hundred before lunch came when he was on 80, with about 25 minutes left in the session. In the end, he took it right to the wire, getting there off the second ball of the last over of the session.”I kept on saying to the youngster, ‘don’t worry about me, worry about the lunch break’,” Warner said. “And I think with about eight minutes to go I walked down to him and he was blocking and leaving, and I made sure to just tell him that if it’s there you’ve got to hit it, and if there’s a single take the single.”The penultimate over of the session had started with Warner on 94, and he took a single from the first ball, before Renshaw defensively played out the rest of the over from Mohammad Amir.”That’s probably the first time I’ve been booed and cheered for blocking a ball in the same over,” Renshaw said. “He told me to not change my game and just keep batting and try to get to lunch. I just tried to run as fast as I could when he was on 99.”Warner took two from the first ball of the next over, off Wahab Riaz, and then pushed the next delivery through point, where a misfield allowed Renshaw to call him back for the third run that took Warner to exactly 100. “I knew I was running to the danger end,” Renshaw said, “so I just tried to put the burners on and try and get there.”Although Warner missed out on the chance to turn his hundred into a double-century, dismissed for 113 soon after the break, Renshaw batted on and on, gradually lifting his tempo, and after tea he celebrated the first century of his Test career.”We saw it today, he’s got the mental capacity to get through the whole day, and get through those tough times,” Warner said of Renshaw. “There were parts when he accelerated and decelerated. But to his credit, at 20 years of age, to score a hundred like that and be not out overnight, he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”Renshaw said he had learnt from his previous three Tests alongside Warner that there was little point trying to match him for scoring speed, and he was content to play the backup role while Warner was entertaining the crowd.”That first session was all just a bit of a whirlwind,” Renshaw said. “Davey was absolutely smoking them and I was just trudging along on not many. I was trying not to keep up with him, like I have done in the past apparently. He keeps telling me that I’m not going to keep up with him too much, and I didn’t try at all today.”There was one moment of concern for the Australians when Renshaw, on 91, was struck a fierce blow to the helmet by a bouncer from Amir, and needed attention from the team doctor Peter Brukner. However, Renshaw passed the relevant concussion tests, batted on, and by stumps was eyeing off a potential double-hundred.”He asked me if I was okay,” Renshaw said of Brukner. “I was fine, so I just wanted to be out there. I didn’t want to retire hurt on 91 … he asked me the score, and who the last person out was, but I got them pretty right. I think I was four runs off the score, so not too bad.”

ScorecardSam Whiteman scored his third first-class hundred•Getty Images

Centuries to Jonathan Wells and Sam Whiteman gave Western Australia hope on the third day against Tasmania, where they turned a 140-run first-innings deficit into a 135-run lead by the close of play. Wells finished the day unbeaten on 107 and was batting with debutant D’Arcy Short, who was on 29, and their total had moved along to 5 for 275.The morning had started with Tasmania on 7 for 388, but that was effectively 8 for 388 as Alex Doolan, who had gone to stumps on 202, retired hurt overnight after being diagnosed with delayed effects of concussion from a blow to the helmet during his innings. The Tigers added only 14 to their total before being bowled out for 402, with Jason Behrendorff finishing with 5 for 80.Western Australia opener Cameron Bancroft then missed out on the chance to remind Australia’s selectors of his potential as a Test batsman when he was bowled by Simon Milenko for 11. Bancroft had managed only 2 in the first innings and has not posted a half-century in any of his six Sheffield Shield innings this summer.Milenko added the wicket of veteran Michael Klinger, who was caught behind for a duck, and Hamish Kingston chipped in with a couple of wickets to leave Western Australia in serious danger at 4 for 44. But then came a rescue mission from Wells and Whiteman, who put on 166 for the fifth wicket to ensure the Warriors stayed in the match.Wells was given an unusual reprieve on 13 when he was given out by umpire John Ward, who determined that the batsman had edged James Faulkner onto his pad and to slip. However, before Wells had left the field, Ward had second thoughts about his decision and reversed his call, deciding that in fact Wells had not edged the ball.Wells made great use of that chance and went on to score a long-awaited maiden first-class century, in his 39th match, and having debuted for Tasmania back in December 2008. An opening batsman who has often frustrated by not capitalising on his talent, Wells has finally broken through to score a Sheffield Shield hundred at the age of 28.At the other end, Whiteman brought up his third first-class century and perhaps gave Australia’s selectors something else to think about as they ponder wicketkeeping options and whether to persist with Peter Nevill. Whiteman, who played first-class games for Australia A this winter, was eventually lbw to Jackson Bird for 104, having already made 54 in the first innings.