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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza walk off the field after an outstanding chase•AFP

Half-centuries from Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza led Zimbabwe to a stunning nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the tri-series final at Harare Sports Club. Faced with the tricky prospect of chasing South Africa’s 146 for 6, both batsmen showed remarkable poise and confidence to race to the win with 17 balls to spare. Their efforts capped a superb day for Zimbabwe, who kept South Africa under pressure with the ball throughout. The visitors had been carried by Faf du Plessis’ fighting fifty but his efforts went in vain, and the South African bowling attack had no answers to a flawless batting display.Masakadza had been fortunate to survive what seemed to be an adjacent lbw call against Lonwabo Tsotsobe off the very first delivery and Zimbabwe lost an adventurous Vusi Sibanda to a stunning catch by Farhaan Behardien at cover point in the fourth over. Taylor and Masakadza, however, kept control of the chase from that point on with a chanceless partnership that stretched to an unbeaten 118.Where Zimbabwe’s efforts with the new ball had been full of vim and vigour, South Africa’s response was not nearly as intense and the match turned decisively in the sixth over of the innings, bowled by Robin Peterson. Peterson had been South Africa’s bowler of the tournament before this match, giving away less than six runs an over in his previous games, but he fell victim to a stunning assault in his first over. Taylor led the charge with a slog-swept six and a brace of offside boundaries before Masakadza stepped out to smear a towering blow over wide long on, 21 runs coming off the over.These matches were not classed as internationals, the games falling outside the ICC’s Future Tours Programme and having originally been set up as simple practice matches, but that mattered not a jot to a packed Sports Club crowd. An all-singing, all-dancing multitude of several thousand cheered every run as Taylor moved swiftly through the 20s with a trademark deft, ramped uppercut and Masakadza extended Peterson’s pain by shellacking a second six over deep midwicket.The runs continued to flow and South Africa looked increasingly desperate in the field as the required rate dipped below six runs an over. Taylor was first to his fifty, reaching the mark from just 32 deliveries courtesy of a sloppy overthrow in the 15th over. Usually a somewhat reticent presence on the field, Masakadza celebrated his own half-century two overs later with joyful emotion, pumping his fist and embracing his captain before saluting all corners of a packed stadium. After reaching his fourth fifty of the tournament – an achievement that rightfully earned him the Man-of-the-Series award – Masakadza took Zimbabwe to the brink of a famous victory with a flurry of powerful boundaries off a listless Tsotsobe, before Taylor ended the match with a crunching pull.This tournament had been billed as a chance for the teams involved to get some valuable practice ahead of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September and Jason Gillespie, who spent some time in Zimbabwe coaching the Mid West Rhinos, suggested on Twitter last week that Zimbabwe had the raw materials to do well at that event. All that was missing for them, he suggested, was a little confidence in their batting. That wasn’t a problem today, as both Taylor and Masakadza seamlessly mixed watchful accumulation with decisive bouts of attack.It was a different story for a South African side shorn of their best players. After a strong start against Bangladesh, they stumbled on multiple occasions and were under pressure early once again this afternoon when Kyle Jarvis removed Richard Levi with the first delivery of the day. An over later Amla fell for Chris Mpofu’s short-ball trap, lapping a pull straight to Malcolm Waller at deep square leg, and the Zimbabwean attack had its tails up.The visitors lost Colin Ingram, Justin Ontong and Dane Vilas cheaply to the Zimbabwean spinners and were looking decidedly wobbly at 67 for 5 in the 12th over before du Plessis marshalled the middle order. Fleet footwork, especially to the slow bowlers, was the hallmark of his innings. He also batted with remarkable control and had struck just three fours when he brought up a 48-ball fifty in the 16th over.He found an able partner in Albie Morkel, and together they added 60 for the sixth wicket to rebuild the innings. The South African bowlers could not match their persistence, however, and never looked like running through the Zimbabweans.Prior to this tournament Zimbabwe had beaten South Africa just twice in a pair of ODIs in 1999 and 2000-01. They have now gone past them twice in a week, a result that will give them oodles of confidence when they face the full South African side at the World Twenty20 in three month’s time. Zimbabwe earned prize money of US$3500 today, but a historic victory will taste even sweeter.

ScorecardRamnaresh Sarwan gave the West Indies selectors a timely reminder of his Test credentials with a second century of the season for Leicestershire on the first day of their Championship match against Essex at Grace Road.The 31-year-old was the star of the show as Leicestershire fought back after a nightmare start to reach 323 for 5 by the close. Sarwan, who shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 216 with Josh Cobb, batted for just over five hours for his 117. It added up to a fine recovery by Leicestershire, who slumped to 29 for 3 in the 10th over with Will Jefferson out to the first ball of the day in his first game of the season following a back injury.David Masters found the edge of Jefferson’s bat with his first delivery and Tom Westley took the catch at slip. When Matthew Boyce was then bowled by Masters, and Greg Smith had his stumps spread-eagled by Charl Willoughby, it began to look as though the home side had made a big mistake deciding to bat after winning the toss.But Sarwan and Cobb turned the game on its head with their magnificent stand. It was a record for the fourth wicket for Leicestershire against Essex, beating the previous best of 127 set back in 1900. They were helped by some erratic bowling from the Essex attack that saw 48 extras pile up. Tymal Mills, the highly rated England Under-19 fast bowler, twice bowled no-balls that went to the boundary over the head of wicketkeeper James Foster.There was also some superb strokeplay from Sarwan and Cobb, who both combined enterprising attack with disciplined defence. The impressive Sarwan completed his century just before tea. It came off 154 balls and contained 14 boundaries. The stand was finally broken by Masters, who lured Cobb into skying a catch to deep midwicket.Masters, by far the best of the Essex bowlers, then trapped Sarwan lbw with the second new ball to finish the day with figures of 4 for 57 off 25 overs. Wayne White was still there at the close on 41 not out to leave Leicestershire in a strong position.

Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager (cricket) and former South Africa wicketkeeper, has been picked by the ICC board to succeed Haroon Lorgat as chief executive. Richardson, who will become the first former Test cricketer to occupy this position, was an unanimous choice over ECB chief executive David Collier – his closest competitor – because of his experience within the ICC.The ICC board will recommend Richardson’s name at the ICC annual conference in June, when Lorgat’s term ends. The nominations committee had met in Mumbai on Sunday to interview four candidates, including Collier, for the role and on Thursday obtained the ICC board’s support for Richardson.ICC president Sharad Pawar, who headed the nomination panel, said all four candidates were “good enough” but Richardson’s CV swung it in his favour. “What made Richardson the most suitable candidate was his knowledge of the ICC, and that was the most important thing,” Pawar told ESPNcricinfo. The other advantage, he said, was Richardson’s familiarity with the ICC board members, and vice versa.”He was an internal candidate. He is a former Test player and brings a lot of international cricket experience to the table,” Pawar said. “In addition he has been working with the ICC for quite long and is completely aware about the ICC operations and the members. All this only made it an unanimous decision.”Lorgat said he was happy to welcome a fellow South African to occupy the seat he will vacate on June 30. “He is experienced in the ways of the international game, both playing and in administration, which will hold him in good stead. He knows everybody and everyone knows him so he is a very familiar figure and it would provide a lot of comfort to members, to players, to stakeholders.”It is understood that though Richardson’s name was supported by almost all 13 members of the ICC board, things were much closer when the nomination committee discussed the issue after completing the extensive interview process on May 6 in Mumbai.”Things were very tight when it came to the nominations committee. There were only two candidates really as favourites – Richardson and Collier. The thing that swung it for David was his cricketing experience,” an ICC member board official revealed.That meeting was chaired by Pawar and attended by Alan Isaac (ICC vice-president), Julian Hunte (WICB president) and Keith Oliver (Cricket Scotland chairman). However, it was the presence of N Srinivasan and Giles Clarke – heads of the Indian and English boards who, it is understood, had been added to the panel at the last minute – that added intrigue to the selection process.There had been talk in the days leading up to Sunday that the BCCI and the ECB would enter into a deal to name Collier as the chief executive and allow the BCCI to nominate its candidate to the seat of ICC chairman when that post is created in 2014.Pawar, though, laughed off the theory. “What does the issue of the chairman have to do with the selection of the chief executive?” he asked.However, another ICC member board official did not rule out the possibility that there could have been some differences between Srinivasan and Clarke that might have forced the BCCI president to vote against Collier. “It is fair to say probably either Clarke or Srinivasan did not support Collier. If India and England both back the same candidate, do you think they are not going to convince the others at the table?” the official said.The official suggested that any alliance between Srnivasan and Clarke was not a deep one. “They are strong men, who want their way. Their collaboration was one of convenience,” the official said.According to this official, Richardson faced a big challenge in the form of India and England. He felt one possible factor for Lorgat not seeking another term was the increasing influence of Srinivasan and Clarke at the ICC board. “The future is not clear because here are some very different personalities at the ICC board who want increasingly to play the role of executive director in their style,” the official said. “I don’t know what role the chief executive will play. I do not even know what the role of this operational chairman means,” he said.For his part, Richardson called the nomination a “great honour.” “I am delighted with this opportunity and thank the ICC board for their approval. It has been a privilege to serve as ICC general manager, and that work will continue until such time as the ICC annual conference ratifies my nomination.”A qualified lawyer, Richardson has served as ICC general manager (cricket) for ten years and also played 42 Test matches and 122 ODIs for South Africa. After retiring from international cricket in 1998, Richardson was a business director with Octagon SA and a media commentator before becoming the ICC’s first general manager in January 2002.

Junaid Zia, the Lahore Eagles fast bowler, has been reported for a suspect bowling action after the group match on Wednesday against Rawalpindi Rams in the Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty20 tournament in Rawalpindi.Zia was reported by the on-field umpires Islam Khan and Khalid Mahmood after the game, which the Eagles won by 34 runs. Zia bowled four overs, conceded 14 runs and took three wickets.”On-field umpires reported Junaid’s (Zia) action as suspect and we have reported it back to the PCB,” Arshad Pervez, the match referee, told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a routine report and the PCB will further scrutinize it at the National Cricket Academy.”Zia, the son of former PCB chairman Retd Gen Tauqir Zia, has played four ODIs for Pakistan, since his international debut in 2003-04. He first made an impression in Pakistan’s junior ranks, and was part of the Under-19 World Cup squad in 2002.In the same match, the Rams captain Sohail Tanvir was fined his full match fee for making comments on the umpires. Tanvir was found guilty under clause 2.2.3 of PCB Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

Big picture

Rahul Dravid will lead Rajasthan Royals after retiring from international cricket•AFP

The key to Rajasthan Royals’ 2012 season will be how they handle the transition at the head of the team. Shane Warne, their inspirational captain and face of the franchise, retired. The man who succeeded Warne is a cricket icon of equal standing but of different temperament. Warne was loud, aggressive and loved being the centre of attention. Rahul Dravid is quiet, restrained and simply goes about his business.What the two have in common though is the ability to lead by example and a deep knowledge of the game. Now that Dravid has retired from international cricket the IPL is his sole cricketing focus, and if anyone can manage the change in culture with as few hiccups as possible, it will be him.Last season was a mixed bag for the Royals, who started strongly and were in contention for a place in the playoffs before fading towards the end. A controversy over the pitch at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, which resulted in the disciplining of Warne, was a distraction, but the side’s slide exposed the lack of depth in their batting. To the Royals’ credit, they have gone some way to address that weakness with the additions of Brad Hodge, Owais Shah and Dinesh Chandimal, who can double up as wicketkeeper and might prove to be the steal of the 2012 player auction.The loss of Warne will also be felt by the bowling attack, and the team will be hoping Brad Hogg, who had success in the Big Bash and the Bangladesh Premier League, can at least partially fill the void. Sreesanth potentially bolsters the seam department, but he hasn’t played competitive cricket for six months and is unpredictable.

Key players

Johan Botha was a revelation up the order in 2011 and his unexpected form with the bat was crucial to the Royals’ early success. He also opened the bowling to great effect and the team will need more of the same from him to compete this year.Warne was one of two players retained by the Royals in 2011. The other was Shane Watson. The Australia allrounder will only arrive at the end of April, after the tour of the West Indies, but if the Royals can get off to a good start in his absence, Watson could provide a crucial late spark to help them qualify for the playoffs.

Big names in

The Royals bought Chandimal, Sri Lanka’s newest batting sensation, for only $50,000 at the auction. They needed a wicketkeeper who can bat and they got him cheap. Chandimal’s ability and consistency was on show in the recent triangular series in Australia and he should add steel to the Royals middle order.

Big names out

Ross Taylor, the team’s self-described “finisher”, was traded to Delhi Daredevils on the last day of the trading window. Taylor had a decent tournament in 2011 without producing anything special, and the franchise quickly found a replacement in Shah.

Below the radar

A transformed Stuart Binny was Karnataka’s go-to man in the Ranji Trophy last season as the allrounder reaped the benefits of a new attitude and a commitment to fitness. He made 742 runs at an average of 67.45 and a strike rate of 83.46. He also took 20 wickets at an average of 20.10. If Binny can bring the same attitude to the IPL, the Royals might not miss Watson as much during the first half of the tournament.

Availability

Australia’s ongoing tour of the West Indies means Watson is unavailable until the Test series ends on April 27.

Match facts

March 6, Adelaide
Start time 1350 (0320 GMT)Michael Clarke wants more from his weary team to close out the series in Adelaide•Getty Images

Big Picture

Australia are a match away from sealing a dramatic and entertaining triangular series, but it is all too apparent that Michael Clarke’s team is staggering towards the finish line. To wrap up the finals 2-0 the hosts will have to win two in a row for the first time since games one and two of the series, and do so on an Adelaide surface far more amenable to Sri Lanka than Brisbane’s was supposed to have been. Mahela Jayawardene’s Sri Lankan team, meanwhile, carries plenty of momentum from the Gabba, not least in terms of the fight shown by a lower order that was about as inclined to quit as the American revolutionaries at the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.Clarke’s concerns entering the second final revolve principally around his bowling, which lurched into indiscipline as Nuwan Kulasekara and others provided an unexpected fright. It was not the first time the home attack had been exploited in the later overs this series, something Clarke was at pains to address in the aftermath of the match, when he spoke less as a victor than as a leader wary of how his men are flagging. Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson were particularly loose, and only Shane Watson looked entirely in command of his length and direction. David Warner’s fitness is also a problem following his match-shaping 163, and will likely force a change in the batting order.While Sri Lanka’s attack looked powerless at times on a flat surface in Brisbane, they can expect a little more help in Adelaide, on a pitch that may slow up and turn in the evening. Most pressing among Jayawardene’s requirements will be that one or more of his team’s vaunted top order provides a more worthy contribution than they managed at the Gabba, where the late fightback masked the earlier inattention that made such a stirring rearguard necessary.

Form guide

Australia WLWLW (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWLWW

In the spotlight

Xavier Doherty bowled tidily at the Gabba, maintaining his knack for the useful. However in Adelaide he will expect to play a more central role, taking wickets as well as keeping the runs down. David Hussey managed to burgle four wickets in Brisbane, and Doherty’s lack of a major haul across his matches in this series will be the one thing nagging away at him. These finals are the last ones he will play as the undisputed No. 1 ODI spinner, as Nathan Lyon will vie for a place against Doherty in the Caribbean.Nuwan Kulasekara is nobody’s idea of a conspicuous cricketer, his steady right-arm medium fast bowling the sort of handy skill that can make an ODI career of substance rather than fanfare. However the way he crashed into Australia’s bowlers with the bat at the Gabba suggested greater depths of flair lurk beneath, and must have caused more than a few to ask “who was that masked man?” as he left the scene with 73 to his name. His challenge in Adelaide will be to replicate that impact, with ball or bat. Another star-turn would help keep the series alive.

Team news

David Warner is in extreme doubt due to a groin injury picked up during his Gabba innings, leaving Peter Forrest the most likely reinforcement while Shane Watson returns to the top of the order. One of Pattinson or Hilfenhaus should make way for Clint McKay.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Peter Forrest, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Brett Lee, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.An extra spinner is a likely gambit by the visitors, while they are also waiting on the fitness of Angelo Mathews.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Upul Tharanga, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath.

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide’s surface can be expected to be of similar character to that which hosted the domestic limited-overs final. The match was a dramatic tie that ended with South Australia and Tasmania locked on 285 runs apiece, a comfortable batting surface offering some turn in the evening. The weather forecast is fine and temperate.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka were victorious the last time they met Australia in a final at Adelaide Oval, in 2006.
• That night Tillakaratne Dilshan had a hand in no fewer than four run-outs
• This will be the last international match (or matches) hosted by Adelaide Oval before the start of redevelopment work that will dramatically reconfigure the ground.

Quotes

“A win is a win. But we have a lot of work to do with our Powerplay and death bowling. It hasn’t been good enough all series. It continues to let us down. We are the No.1 one-day team and we have to be better than that. Hopefully that [scare] allows us to understand that we have to be better than that.”
“The boys, at the end, showed some real character and kept fighting which is something you want to cultivate in a team.”
Edited by Siddarth Ravindran

Somerset have signed Albie Morkel, the South Africa allrounder, as one of their overseas players for this year’s Friends Life t20 campaign. Another South African, Roelof van der Merwe, who played for Somerset in last year’s Friends Life t20 and in the Champions League T20, had been expected to join the county from the start of June, from the Friends Life t20 onwards; but difficulties in obtaining a work permit for him led Somerset to seek an alternative.Morkel, who has scored 2285 runs and taken 131 wickets in Twenty20 cricket, as well as played in 31 Twenty20 internationals, will join Chris Gayle as Somerset’s overseas signings for the Friends Life t20. Somerset have finished as runners-up in England’s domestic T20 competition in each of the last three seasons.”The club has signed Albie Morkel from South Africa as our second overseas player for the T20 competition this season,” Somerset’s director of cricket Brian Rose said. “Albie is an immensely gifted cricketer and especially exciting one-day player, and fits in well with our setup in the T20. The combination of Gayle and Morkel is a mouth-watering prospect for our supporters.”Rose said that visa problems had delayed Somerset’s signing of van der Merwe and bringing in another player for the latter stages of the season would become a priority, should the left-arm spinner fail to get clearance.”As we went through the detailed paperwork process it became apparent that Roelof van der Merwe was highly unlikely to be granted a work permit due to current Home Office legislation, though the door remains open for him at Somerset if the situation can be resolved,” Rose said. “In the event of Roelof being unable to gain Home Office clearance in time for this season, I will be actively looking for an overseas replacement for July, August and September.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBen Hilfenhaus finished with 5 for 106•Getty Images

This was supposed to be India’s best chance to win a Test series in Australia. It has taken only eight days of cricket for Michael Clarke’s men to deny them that goal. On the fourth afternoon in Sydney, an attack led by Ben Hilfenhaus deconstructed India’s formidable batting line-up, bit by bit, to secure an unbeatable 2-0 series lead with victory by an innings and 68 runs, Australia’s first innings win over India in 12 years.The last such result also came at the SCG, in 2000. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were all part of that side, as they were members of the outfit that lost this time around. It is unlikely they will have another chance to beat Australia at home. For now, India still hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and should they win in Perth and Adelaide they will retain it. But their grip on it is as weak as Chris Martin’s forward defence.This was an Australian victory that will be remembered for Clarke’s unbeaten 329. But on the fourth day, it was a second consecutive five-wicket haul from Hilfenhaus that was the highlight. Hilfenhaus completed the success with the final wicket when R Ashwin, who had made a fighting 62, skied a pull and was caught by Nathan Lyon running around from mid-on.The Australians were overjoyed. Clarke especially was thrilled. His declaration on the third day, when he could have chased personal milestones like Brian Lara’s world-record Test innings of 400, was designed to ensure Australia would win the match. They did so with three and a half sessions remaining. Clarke is not the kind of man to harbour any regrets. The win was everything.He knew better than anyone that batting on the SCG surface was not particularly difficult, and as Tendulkar and Laxman put on a 103-run stand his mind might have flicked back eight years, to a 353-run partnership between the same men at the same ground. Fittingly, it was Clarke with his left-arm spin that ended the partnership, and India’s hopes of saving the Test.Tendulkar had reached 80 and seemed to be on track to register his long-awaited hundredth international hundred in the SCG’s hundredth Test when Clarke changed the course of the day. He produced a delivery that was accurate enough to draw Tendulkar into a stroke and turned just enough to catch the edge, which ricocheted off Brad Haddin’s gloves and was snaffled by Michael Hussey at slip.When the new ball arrived, the other architect of that one threatening partnership, Laxman, on 66, fell to a near-perfect delivery from Hilfenhaus, who finished with 5 for 106. The ball angled in and then nipped away to beat the outside edge of Laxman’s bat, clipping the edge of the top of off stump, and the batsman could scarcely believe his fate, confident as he appeared that he had covered his wicket.From there, the wickets fell steadily. MS Dhoni (2) chipped a return catch to Hilfenhaus, who seemed to think it was a bump ball. But the umpire’s decision to have the third official check on the shot revealed it had lobbed cleanly back to Hilfenhaus without touching the ground, surprising some of the Australians.Virat Kohli was lbw to James Pattinson for 9, a fraction unlucky as the ball kept low, but there was no question over the decision. Peter Siddle joined in by removing Zaheer Khan, who had made an entertaining 35 when he slashed hard at a delivery outside off and was taken by Shaun Marsh running back from extra cover.Briefly, Ishant Sharma and Ashwin staved off the Australians with a 42-run stand, but Ishant (11) was lbw to the offspin of Nathan Lyon. That was the only breakthrough of the match for Lyon, who also collected just one in Melbourne and has not removed a top-six batsman since the first Test of the summer, against New Zealand at the Gabba. Though usually loath to change a winning side, Australia might consider replacing him with Ryan Harris at the WACA.There are far more questions for India. For a while it looked like they might take the match into the fifth day as they worked through the first session for the loss of only one wicket, that of Gautam Gambhir. He missed the chance for his first Test century in nearly two years when, on 83, he stood on the crease and reached his bat a long way forward to the bowling of Siddle, who found a leading edge that was snapped up by David Warner at point.Tendulkar and Laxman continued to fight. Laxman played some of his trademark wristy flicks through the leg side, against the fast men and also the offspin of Lyon, and Tendulkar showed off some wonderful cover-drives early in the morning. Shortly before the lunch break, Tendulkar upper-cut a frustrated Pattinson over the sole slip for another boundary.But it was all a big tease for the Indian fans. In a match where three Australians made tons, including one triple-hundred, India needed more than a handful of pretty half-centuries. There are questions over their batting and their bowling as the Perth Test approaches. They have a week to sort out their problems.