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• Charles scores 50 as Kings defeat Royals to go top of CPL

  The four teams to make the playoffs of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) may have been decided but that did not stop the Barbados Royals and St Lucia Kings slugging it out in Providence with bragging rights and momentum all to be played for.

  Both sides have booked their place in the 2024 CPL Playoffs along with Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Trinbago Knight Riders and there was only NRR to split them ahead of the match with both sides winning five of their seven matches and losing two to sit on ten points apiece.

  Royals captain Rovman Powell won the toss and elected to field first but his bowlers struggled to make as much impact as they’ve been used to throughout the tournament so far. Nevertheless, Royals wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock showcased his lightning quick hands to get rid of Faf du Plessis and Roston Chase, both stumped off Maharaj and Theekshana respectively as the Kings chipped away.

  Johnson Charles played some muscular sweep shots to clear the boundary rope, top scoring with 53 runs off 42 balls, he was supported by Ackeem Auguste with 35 off 32 before the latter had to retire hurt. Tim Seifert then struck a late flurry of boundaries to get the Kings to the highest total scored at Providence in this year’s competition – 162-3 would take some chasing.

  The Royals stellar batting card got off to a flier in response – reaching 56 without loss before Alzarri Joseph got rid of the dangerous de Kock for 22 off 13 balls. Kadeem Alleyne had actually been the main aggressor for the Royals, particularly in the third over when he smashed three consecutive sixes off Roston Chase. The Kings then struck back by picking up both Rahkeem Cornwall and Rovman Powell cheaply

  Royals reached 100/4 in the 13th over before Noor Ahmed stitched together a maiden to an increasingly frustrated David Miller in the 14th which left the Royals needing to hit 63 runs off the last 36 balls.

  Miller atoned for his sluggish strike rate by bunting two boundaries in the next over but was caught at cover by du Plessis for 21 off 22 balls trying to find the fence again as the runs per over required climbed ever higher.

  Alick Athanaze and Nyeem Young both fell in the latter stages to leave Royals needing 21 off the last over with Jason Holder and Maheesh Theekshana at the crease. Theekshana got a single off the first ball to get Holder on strike, an edge for four followed to keep Royals in the hunt. David Wiese then got the crucial breakthrough as Holder holed out to Khary Pierre on the long off boundary. Wiese held his nerve at the last to see Kings claim the victory by 13 runs.

• Sharma lauds 'superb' Pant after sensational India return

  India captain Rohit Sharma hailed Rishabh Pant upon his return to Test cricket after his second-innings ton helped the hosts go 1-0 up in their series against Bangladesh. 

  Pant struck 109 from 128 deliveries to help India on their way, with Ravichandran Ashwin also starring with both a hundred and a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

  But the triumph highlighted Pant's remarkable return to the red-ball format, with his sixth Test hundred making him India's leading centurion in the format among wicketkeepers, along with MS Dhoni.

  Sharma showered praise on Pant upon his return to action after a horrific car crash in December 2022, highlighting his team-mate's love for Test cricket. 

  "He's been through some really tough times," Sharma said.

  "The way he has managed himself was superb to watch. He came back in the IPL, followed by a successful World Cup, and this is the format he loves the most.

  "It was about giving him the game time. Credit to him, he had an impact straight away. No matter what the conditions are, we want to build the team around that."

  Meanwhile, Ashwin etched his name into the history books with his all-round brilliance at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. 

  He became the oldest player to score a century and take at least five wickets in the same Test match, breaking Olly Umrigar's 62-year-old record.

  Ashwin took six wickets overall in the second innings, but he insisted that records and accolades come secondary to his bowling displays. 

  "No, I don't keep track of player of the match awards. Every time I play in Chennai, it's an amazing feeling," Ashwin said. 

  "I've watched a lot of Tests, international cricket in those stands, to do it in front of those renovated stands is great.

  "It was an opportunity to fight, dig in deep. I've seen so many team-mates do it in the past. Was a special innings, didn't sink in till day two.

  "I make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first.

  "I think like a bowler naturally but have focused my thoughts with batting. The compartmentalisation is a work in progress."

• Sri Lanka within two wickets of victory but Rachin gives New Zealand hope

  Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis dismissed three apiece as Sri Lanka moved within two wickets of victory in the first Test against New Zealand, who need 68 runs to win.

  The Black Caps faced a tall order on day four as Sri Lanka resumed with a 202-run lead, but six wickets for 72 runs in the first session gave them hope of a dramatic fightback.

  Ajaz Patel finished 6-90, helping himself to five wickets – including those of Dhananjaya de Silva (40) and Angelo Mathews (50) – in an exceptional 60-minute Sunday spell.

  Chasing an achievable target of 275, the tourists made a solid start despite losing Devon Conway (4) to a crashing second-over delivery from Asitha Fernando, but Jayasuriya's dismissal of Kane Williamson (30) got Sri Lanka going.

  New Zealand fell from 51-1 to 96-4 with Jayasuriya – who ended the day 3-66 – and Mendis (3-83) taking centre-stage for the hosts.

  However, Rachin Ravindra continued to bat steadily as the wickets tumbled around him, the left-hander chipping away at New Zealand's target with 91 runs from 158 balls by stumps.

  He will be desperate for support from Patel, who was without a run from 15 balls faced by the end of play, with the contest delicately poised in Galle ahead of the final day.

  Data Debrief: Patel the potential hero?

  Patel took eight wickets across Sri Lanka's two innings, with his 6-90 in the second innings his third-best return in any red-ball match, after taking all 10 versus India in December 2021 and 6-57 against Bangladesh last year.

  The diminutive spinner has a chance to be the hero of this opening Test on Monday, if he can just stick around long enough to support Ravindra in the Black Caps' chase.

  Only three times in his red-ball career has Patel scored over double figures with the bat, hitting 35 runs versus Pakistan last year, 20 in England in 2021 and 14 against Sri Lanka at this same venue five years ago.