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ScorecardAlex Hales’ 187 not out was the highest-ever List A score at Lord’s•Getty Images

Alex Hales smashed the highest score in a one-day final at Lord’s as Nottinghamshire successfully hunted down a target of 298 to leave Surrey defeated at the last for the third successive year in the Royal London Cup. Hales’ extraordinary innings of 187 not out accounted for 63% of his side’s runs, eclipsing an accomplished, unbeaten 144 from Surrey’s Mark Stoneman earlier in the day, as well as Geoffrey Boycott’s previous mark of 146, made during the 1965 Gillette Cup final.Boycott’s innings for Yorkshire came in a 60-over innings, just two years after the advent of one-day county cricket. While he might bridle at the suggestion it should have been surpassed before now, Boycott would surely approve of his record being taken by a player of Hales’ calibre in limited-overs cricket, a man already in possession of the highest ODI and T20 scores for his country.”Incredible, one of the best days I’ve had in cricket,” Hales said. “The game went from one side to the other, they were on top to start with, we fought back really well with the ball, they took wickets early on and then we fought back as well, so it’s a great feeling to win the trophy.”As remarkable as the scale of Hales’ contribution was the ease with which he – and Stoneman – batted on a surface that was never quite as true as it appeared. Chris Read’s bustling 58 was the third-highest score in the match, as the Nottinghamshire captain, who retires at the end of the season, kept Hales company in a stand of 137 that lifted them from a troubled 150 for 5 to the brink of comparatively comfortable victory in the afternoon sunshine.Hales finished with the highest List A score ever made at Lord’s and the highest for Notts as the county claimed their second limited-overs title in four years. Read, who lifted YB40 trophy here in 2013, will play in an exhibition match at Lord’s for MCC against Afghanistan next week but could not have wished for a better finish on his last visit with Notts.Surrey’s 297 for 9 was the most substantial score in a one-day final since Durham made 312 for 5 ten years ago, but the fact it did not feel out of reach was reflective of the new realities of the game in England. Having chased 371 to beat Essex in their semi-final – after scoring 429 for 9 at Taunton a few days earlier – Notts were unlikely to be intimidated. Only Warwickshire, who hauled in a target of 322 over the course of 60 overs in 1993, had successfully chased more in the final of a one-day cup.Hales certainly wasn’t backwards in coming forwards during a majestic innings of controlled aggression, replete with crunching drives and scything pulls. He was dropped on 9, a rasping shot off Sam Curran that burst through the hands of Ollie Pope at cover, but quickly progressed to a 35-ball fifty – by which time he had lost opening partner Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels lbw for single-figure scores – and then his century from 83.He had amassed 82 out of Notts’ first 100 and 144 out of 200 and was still contributing two-thirds of the total by the time Read provided a belated support act. Hales peppered the boundary with 20 fours and four sixes – no other batsman managed to clear the ropes – and when he raised his 150, from 120 balls, Surrey could sense the game had gone for the third year running. Such was the power of his mojo, had it come a week earlier, Hales might have ended the day headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.”I definitely wanted to attack the Powerplay, I thought they batted really well in it, looked like you got good value for decent cricket shots on a quick outfield,” he said. “That was my plan, obviously losing a few wickets meant you had to alter that a little bit but the way Ready played – we had our backs against the wall, to come out and score at a run a ball, when they had their tails up in the field and with the ball was a great effort. So, a special win.Told he had passed Boycott for the record in a final, he dissolved into giggles: “In a one-day game? That’s surprising… I didn’t know that but any chance you get to set a record is amazing.”While Hales motored smoothly, the throttle coughed and spluttered at the other end. Samit Patel, in such purple form going into the game, hooked Ravi Rampaul wastefully to fine leg before Jade Dernbach had Brendan Taylor caught behind. Hales just needed someone to hang around but Steven Mullaney, who had earlier delivered a pivotal spell of 9-0-50-2, became the fifth wicket to fall when Sam Curran won another lbw decision.This was the first Royal London final to be played in July, although the slightly grey start to the day and a middling crowd initially made it seem much like the faded September showpiece of recent seasons. Despite a firm surface and a magnificent effort from Stoneman, who had to rein himself in as wickets fell around him, Surrey were still somehow undone by a combination of spin and medium-pace nibble in the fashion of so many sides batting first at Lord’s on slow, late-summer pitches.Stoneman, overlooked by England when the Test squad was announced in the morning, was like Hales given a life when, on 32, an uppish drive presented Mullaney with a simple catch in the covers, only for the ball to squirm free. Notts had already seen Jason Roy dropped off the first ball of the match, a shocker from Wessels at slip, and Surrey, having chosen to bat after Gareth Batty again won the toss, must have hoped their luck in Lord’s finals had turned. Notts’ fielding remained somewhat ragged throughout, though it was Pope who would have most cause to regret his lapse.After an opening stand of 83 in 11 overs had given Surrey an excellent platform, Patel struck with his first delivery; Mullaney this time accepted the opportunity with alacrity, Roy getting a leading edge to cover as the ball gripped a little.That brought in Kumar Sangakkara, author of two Royal London hundreds this season (plus six more in the Championship). “If Sanga doesn’t come off, we’re stuffed,” opined one Surrey supporter on the way down Wellington Road before the game. Successive defeats in the final of this competition in 2015 and 2016 had clearly taken a psychological toll.Sangakkara began with his usual coiled intensity, walking into crisp forward defensives and nurdling singles before striking his first shot in anger from his 25th ball – a stroll down to flay Stuart Broad over mid-off’s outstretched arm for four. Two more boundaries followed in Broad’s next over, flicked to fine leg and then glided to third man with watch-maker’s precision, but then came the minor misjudgement that precipitated a major crisis for Surrey.Mullaney, who played a part in each of the first five wickets to fall, claimed the one every county bowler wants this season when he induced a thin nick to the keeper. Sangakkara’s 30 would turn out to be the second-highest contribution for Surrey, as they lost 4 for 39, Mullaney and Patel combining for an old-school knackering of a gleaming middle-order, full of young talent but unable to provide Stoneman with any substantial support. For Surrey, it was deja vu all over again.

Luke Ronchi, the New Zealand wicketkeeper, has announced his retirement from international cricket.Ronchi, 36, played in four ODIs and three T20Is for Australia in 2008 and 2009, but came into his own after transferring his allegiance back to his native New Zealand in 2013.He added four Tests, 85 ODIs and 32 T20Is for the Black Caps, and was an integral member of the 2015 World Cup side that captured their country’s imagination in a memorable run to the final.Ronchi averaged 23.67 in ODIs at a strike-rate of 114.50, and 18.89 in T20Is at 141.33, but was trusted for his ball-striking skills, not least in his final international campaign, the Champions Trophy in England earlier this month, when a brisk 65 from 43 balls as opener put New Zealand into a winning position against Australia, only for rain to have the final say.His finest hour with the bat was an unbeaten 170 from 99 balls in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Dunedin in 2014-15. He then followed that up with scores of 88 and 31 on his Test debut against England at Headingley, as New Zealand secured only their fifth win in 54 attempts on English soil.Ronchi will continue to be available to play for Wellington, as well as on the domestic T20 circuit around the world – with his next assignment coming in the NatWest T20 Blast for Leicestershire.”It was a dream come true,” Ronchi said of his time as a New Zealand cricketer.”I can’t think of a better time to have been involved with New Zealand cricket. From the 2015 World Cup campaign, through to the overseas tours of that time and some amazing games and series, it’s been a genuine highlight for me.”It would also be remiss of me to not acknowledge the incredible support provided by my wife Shaan and our children Brody and Indi. Cricket takes you away from home for long periods of time, and my family have been very understanding,” he said.Mike Hesson, New Zealand’s coach, described Ronchi as the ultimate team man and the epitome of a professional athlete.”We’ll remember Luke fondly for the energy he created in the field and his selfless attitude towards the team,” said Hesson.”He was always prepared to play a role for the greater good of the team; to do what was required even if that risked sacrificing his wicket.”Luke was one of the best glovemen going around and I think that’s often overlooked in a game increasingly dominated by batting and run-scoring,” added Hesson. “He was a very skilful wicketkeeper, and a very destructive batsman.”We’ll miss having him around the group and we wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Adam Voges has been ruled out of county action for at least six weeks after suffering a torn calf muscle while batting for Middlesex against Somerset at Lord’s last week.Voges, who had been on 86 at the time, sustained the injury to his right leg while jogging a single during Middlesex’s first innings, and had to be helped from the field.After a period of rest, to allow for the swelling to reduce, Voges’ calf was scanned on Tuesday when the full extent of the damage was revealed.He will now return to Australia to recuperate, and intends to return to England in late July in time to play in the NatWest T20 Blast match against Hampshire on August 3.”Losing Adam is naturally a blow as he contributes significantly to everything we do,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said, “whether it be with bat in hand, catching at slip or his general presence around the team.”His absence, however, does give opportunities to other players who are desperate to play in the first XI. In the past we have coped well without an overseas player and I expect us to do so now.”Voges had originally intended to return to Australia after next month’s County Championship fixture against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, in order for the county to register Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee as their overseas players for the NatWest T20 Blast.”Adam has now agreed to come back early at the end of July to be available for these games and all our remaining fixtures,” Fraser said. “By then Brendon will have travelled to the Caribbean to play in the CPL. Every indication we have had is that Adam will be fully fit and raring to go by then.”

Former Karnataka batsmen PV Shashikanth and GK Anil Kumar have been appointed the state team’s coach and assistant coach respectively. The duo replaces the highly successful combine of J Arunkumar and Mansur Ali Khan.Shashikanth played 51 first-class games and scored 2397 runs at an average of 31.53, including four hundreds, before retiring in 1999. A former captain, Shashikanth also led a depleted Karnataka side to an Irani Cup title in 1996-97. The 43-year-old Anil Kumar, on the other hand, played five first-class games in a career spanning from 1998-99 to 2000-01. In 2014, he turned out for the Rockstars side in the Karnataka Premier League.The KSCA said their appointments were “unanimous decisions” of the board’s managing committee.”They (Shashikanth and Anil Kumar) have been coaches of various age groups of the state for more than a decade,” KSCA said in a release on April 26. “The KSCA also acknowledges the contribution of the former coaches Mr J Arun Kumar and Mansoor Ali Khan for their stint as coaches of the senior state team for the last five seasons.”Currently involved in the IPL as Kings XI Punjab’s batting coach, Arunkumar is one of the most successful coaches in the domestic arena. While he was eventually elevated as head coach, he and Mansoor were initially appointed as batting and bowling coaches respectively in July 2012 to replace K Jeshwanth. The duo did not have to wait long to taste success, as Karnataka bagged the treble of domestic titles – Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy – in 2013-14 before repeating it the following season.In 2015-16, however, Maharashtra snapped Karnataka’s three-year unbeaten run as the defending champions failed to make the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy. Karnataka made the quarter-finals in the 2016-17 season before losing to Tamil Nadu, and finished on top of the Inter-State T20 League’s south zone table.

The pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which hosted the second Test between Australia and India last week, has been given a “below average” rating by the ICC match referee, Chris Broad. Earlier, Broad had rated the pitch for the Pune Test, the first of the series “poor”.While the outfield in Bengaluru was rated as “very good”, it is understood that one of the main factors in Broad’s appraisal of the pitch was the variable bounce. In contrast to the series opener in Pune, which ended within three days, the second Test was low-scoring thriller that went into the final session of the fourth day. India finally prevailed on fourth afternoon, and levelled the four-match series 1-1 after Australia lost their last six wickets for 11.A below-average rating from a match referee is common and carries no penalty or fine. Of the six options available for the match referee to evaluate a pitch, a below-average rating ranks ahead of “poor” and “unfit”.A rough patch outside the right-hand batsmen’s off stump offered turn and bounce to Nathan Lyon, who took eight wickets on the first day. Second day onwards, the fast bowlers got quite a few balls to stay low and shoot through the ground. Virat Kohli, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith and R Ashwin fell to grubbers.Pune was the second Indian pitch to be rated poor in two seasons, after India beat South Africa in Nagpur in three days in 2015-16. Since the ICC began its pitch and outfield monitoring process in 2006, four of the seven Full-Member pitches rated poor or unfit have belonged to India.The third Test of the series will be played in Ranchi from March 16. Like Pune, Ranchi will be making its Test debut, and the pitch there has been a subject of speculation.

No result
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Tamim Iqbal cruised to a 41-ball fifty in a rain-affected match•AFP

In a nutshellContinual rain in Sharjah meant only 16 overs were possible in the game between the PSL’s top two sides this season. Quetta Gladiators won the toss and, as has been the theme of the tournament, put Peshawar Zalmi in to bat. There were no less than three weather interruptions in Peshawar’s innings, which saw Tamim Iqbal bat through, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 46 balls. It was a pitch more reminiscent of the fifth day of a sub-continental Test match; the ball spat off the surface, and anyone who could turn their arm over was thrust into the attack. Case in point: Rilee Rossouw bowled for the first time in T20 cricket, and had Eoin Morgan caught at first slip off his very first ball.Sarfraz Ahmed appeared to have read the surface right, and left-arm spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Mohammad Nawaz were asked to open the bowling. Peshawar made a bright start, before Hafeez holed out attempting to clear cow corner in the sixth over off Mahmudullah – one of three Bangladesh players arriving after the one-off Test in India. Kamran Akmal fell without scoring, before Rossouw snared Morgan as Peshawar lost three wickets for one run, and threatened to come unstuck.But Sohaib Maqsood ably partnered Tamim thereafter, and the pair battled turning deliveries and dark skies to take their side to what looked to be a daunting 117 in their allotted 16 overs. With the rain coming down again, Quetta’s target was revised twice, but no cricket was possible, leaving the frontrunners to share of the spoils.Quetta’s indiscipline, Akmal’s slumpOn a pitch that heavily favoured spin, Quetta let themselves down at times. Their spinners repeatedly bowled unacceptably short lengths that allowed Tamim and Maqsood regular pressure-releasing shots in the first ten overs. They then appeared to be in disarray following the third rain break after 12.1 overs, as Tamim and Maqsood smashed 41 runs in the next 17 balls. Zulfiqar Babar was the chief culprit, as in a particularly atrocious 15th over, he compensated for his short length early on by floating a pair of friendly full tosses to Tamim. The batsman smashed both for six over midwicket as Peshawar surged to 117. In a completed game, that indiscipline might have been decisive.When Kamran Akmal smashed 88 off 48 balls in the season opener, it looked like this might be a tournament the Akmal family would remember for a long time. However, with Kamran’s stay lasting all of three deliveries today, the brothers now have four ducks in their last seven innings in the PSL, two apiece. The momentum the pair had been building up to stake a claim in the national side is fizzing out again.Where they standQuetta and Peshawar both gained a point from the abandonment, and now have five each – one more than third-placed Islamabad United. Peshawar are ahead with a superior net run rate.

The ECB is considering a report that calls for the number of county academies to be cut. The report, titled “County Talent Pathway”, recommends the creation of “regional training hubs as opposed to county programmes” as part of a plan to “define a new cricket pathway for English cricket”.It also suggests that the creation of eight new teams for the relaunched domestic T20 competition, planned for 2020, “may impact on the future structure” of the game in England and Wales and calls upon the ECB to “reorganise the geographical structure of county cricket to ensure open and fair access to the cricket pathway”.The suggestions are part of a document (obtained by ESPNcricinfo) compiled by independent consultants at the request of the ECB after dialogue with all 18 academy directors, coaches from the Emerging Players Pathway and ECB personnel. It will shortly be sent to all the first-class counties for feedback.The report states that such a rearrangement would provide greater consistency of talent development and improve the access to “high quality coaching and world class facilities” for players who may live “at a distance from a first-class county.” Such a system would end the “postcode lottery” that current exists in the talent pathway, according to the report.The report also suggests some centralisation of services, such as strength and conditioning, physio and psychological support, while it calls for greater emphasis on white-ball cricket – “predominantly T20” – for younger players. If implemented, the report would almost certainly result in job losses.The move comes as the ECB has proposed a change to the salary cap in domestic cricket. In the past, the cap has been based on a level that allows each county to spend 2% of the ECB’s income on player salaries. If the new arrangements are agreed – and there appears every chance they will be – the new cap will be based upon the consumer price index rate of inflation.While that might, at first glance, appear a minor difference, it comes as the value of broadcast deals is rising significantly. As a result, the Professional Cricketers’ Association is known to have concerns over the move, fearing it will prevent the richest clubs (the cap is relevant to few of the first-class counties) from attracting the world’s best players or rewarding those they have as they see fit. The players’ union is also concerned that some players at smaller clubs are not paid sufficiently.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has broken into the top-five rankings for batsmen across formats, climbing to no. 4 on the T20I list after his team’s 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh. Williamson is ranked fourth in Tests and fifth in ODIs. Virat Kohli is the only other batsmen to occupy positions in the top-five rankings across formats.With 145 runs in the three matches, Williamson was the highest scorer from either side. His 57-ball 60 on Sunday helped his side recover to 194 after a slow start, before the bowlers snuffed out Bangladesh’s fight during the chase to win by 27 runs. With the 3-0 win, the team retained their No. 1 ranking in the format.”Really pleased with the series as a whole,” coach Mike Hesson said. “We were put under pressure at times during all three games with both bat and ball, and different players stood up and that’s critical for us as a developing side even though we are ranked number one in the world.”It shows our consistency over the last 18 months to two years. We’ve been the most consistent side in Twenty20 cricket around the world, and in different conditions, having played in India and other places around the world. It’s a nice mantle to hold, although it doesn’t drive us so much. But it is nice to reflect on.”Hesson was especially pleased with the manner in which a young team put its hand up. New Zealand handed out debut caps to four players during the series, and most players in the squad were in their 20s. “The nature of Twenty20 is that you need guys who can turn the game on its head. You need that with both bat and ball, and we’re fortunate enough that we’ve got some really talented players,” he said.”Sure, they might be a little bit inexperienced, but they’ve certainly got the ability to change a game on their day, and that’s what T20 is about. Some of our match winners are quite young and raw, but there’s some really good signs there.”Colin Munro, who slammed a 52-ball century in the second T20, leaped up 20 places to 19th position, while Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi achieved career-best rankings. New Zealand also succeeded in discovering young talent from the domestic circuit in the form of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Wheeler and Tom Bruce.”It’s a nice sign for us moving forward that we can bring players in from domestic cricket in the Super Smash and they can do well, which is great,” Hesson said.Among other big gainers, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman broke into the top ten among T20I bowlers, displacing Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh’s highest-ranked bowler.

ScorecardSaurabh Tiwary’s 84-run stand with Ishank Jaggi helped consolidate Jharkhand’s innings•KCA/Ranjith Peralam

Virat Singh and Saurabh Tiwary made good use of perfect batting conditions at the St. Xavier’s College Ground in Thumba to help Jharkhand take the first-innings lead on the second day of their final Group B clash against Odisha.Having folded for 152 on the opening day, Odisha needed to grab the chances that came their way. But they let off Tiwary on 5 at short fine leg. The Jharkhand captain struck 65 before retiring hurt; Jharkhand ended the day on 236 for 5 for a lead of 84.The day began with a fiery spell from Suryakant Pradhan. Sumit Kumar was bowled by one that cut back in at pace and uprooted leg stump. Virat walked out to a chirpy cordon and a short-ball barrage from Pradhan, who was pacy and hit good lengths to extract bounce on a flat deck. He also grazed the shoulder of Anand Singh on an occasion.Jharkhand’s batsmen, however, kept the score ticking, running sharply between wickets, making for a neat contrast to Odisha’s start on the first day. When Pradhan erred in his length, they were smart in using his pace to pick up boundaries.Anand and Virat added 63 for the second wicket to offset the early loss of Sumit, before Govinda Poddar, the Odisha captain, broke through, having Anand caught at cover. Poddar was denied a double strike when Tiwary lobbed a catch that the short fine leg fielder missed in the last over before lunch.Virat showed good judgement outside off and used his feet well against the spinners. The fifty came with a straight six after stepping down the track to Poddar. Virat handled the short and fuller balls with ease, cutting and driving to equal effect. But when he fell, it was to a nothing shot, trying to guide a wide ball from Basant Mohanty and finding point.Tiwary, though, was unafraid to loft the ball when it was pitched up. Shortly after he retired hurt, Mohanty struck for Jharkhand when Ishank Jaggi charged down the track and missed a fuller ball that took out off stump.A couple of muscular straight sixes from Kaushal Singh provided some late entertainment before Jharkhand suffered a late setback. Ishan Kishan, who had benefitted from some neat tucks and a swept boundary, was trapped lbw by Deepak Behera in the penultimate over of the day. But given the amount of dust on the surface, this lead could soon swell into a decisive one.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat has called on the ICC to clarify the rules around polishing the ball, particularly with regard to what constitutes an “artificial substance”, after South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering.A decision has not yet been made on whether du Plessis will appeal the verdict, which resulted in him being fined his entire match fee from the Hobart Test but cleared to play in Adelaide this week. During the Hobart Test, du Plessis shined the ball with saliva while he had a confectionery item in his mouth, which the ICC determined was in contravention of Law 42, which allows players to polish the ball provided no artificial substance is used.”At this stage we’ve advised Faf to reserve his position with regard to the match referee’s finding and wait for the full reasons of his decision before deciding his next step,” Lorgat said in Adelaide on Wednesday. “Very understable, Faf is obviously disappointed by the decision and I can fully understand.”In fairness to both him and the ICC, this is an unprecedented case involving unique issues of policy, science and performance that need to be carefully considered at the highest levels of the game. There are also issues relating to fair and just process, interpretation of the rules, and importantly, the consistent application of the Code of Conduct that needs to be considered.”CSA believes that the Laws of the game do not currently define the term ‘artificial substance’, leaving room for inconsistent application of the rules. For instance, the Laws currently prevent the use of ‘artificial substances’ to polish the ball, yet artificial cotton fibres from playing kit can be used to shine the ball.”Players also regularly chew gum when applying saliva to the ball, or ingest sugary drinks and sweets during short breaks in play before shining the ball. No action is taken in such circumstances by the umpires.””Test match cricket is a competitive sport at the highest level and players and fans deserve certainty around these issues. Integrity and consistent application of the rules are important for everyone. We’ll consult with our legal teams. We want to engage with the ICC in a constructive matter, and we want to deal with this properly.”The Code of Conduct charge was laid by ICC chief executive David Richardson, who is also a qualified lawyer. On Wednesday, Richardson said on Australian television that the ICC “drew the line” because du Plessis’ actions were “pretty obvious”.”Probably in this case in particular, we drew the line,” Richardson told the Nine Network. “We said, ‘we need to charge’ because in our eyes anyway it was pretty obvious that he was using the residue from the sweet directly on the ball.”I think the bottom line is if you want to change the condition of the ball by polishing it, in other words improving it, keeping it, retaining its condition, do so, but don’t use any artificial substance.”