Prabath Jayasuriya and Nishan Peiris starred in the field as New Zealand's middle order collapsed, keeping Sri Lanka in control on day three of their second Test.

The tourists struggled in the morning and despite a bright start to their second innings later on, they struggled to put Sri Lanka under pressure.

New Zealand resumed at 22-2 in their first innings in the first session, but Jayasuriya (6-42) did not let them find any momentum. Kane Williamson was dismissed for seven runs before the rest of their middle order toppled for 47, leaving them with 88 runs.

Such was Sri Lanka's dominance in their first innings, finishing on 602-5 and leading by 514 runs, New Zealand picked up the bat once again for the second session.

Tom Latham was dismissed for a duck by Peiris (3-91), but Devon Conway (61) and Williamson (46) restored some pride before the wickets started to fall once more.

Tom Blundell (47 not out) and Glenn Phillips (32 not out) steadied the ship before poor light and then heavy rain cut the play short. They will resume at the crease on Sunday at 199-5. 

Data Debrief: A tale of two partnerships

Sri Lanka's batters did most of the heavy lifting, but their bowlers also stepped up as they took 13 wickets on Saturday.

Debutant Peiris took six of those overall, three in each session, while Jayasuriya got seven with his hard work done by lunch.

New Zealand's tally of 88 is their lowest all-out score against Sri Lanka, with Conway and Williamson's partnership stand of 97 bettering the team's first-innings score. 

There was no play on day two of India's second Test against Bangladesh, as stop-start rain saw the ground remain under covers on Saturday.

Though the weather let up at mid-morning in Kanpur, heavy rain overnight did most of the damage and the umpires eventually called it off at 2pm local time.

Things were only slightly better on day one, as a combination of heavy rain and poor light allowed just 35 overs.

India had opted to bowl and dismissed three in the play that was possible on Friday. Bangladesh stand at 107-3, with Mominul Haque (40 not out) and Mushfiqur Rahim (6 not out) now set to resume at the crease on Sunday.

England showed their power with the bat and ball as they levelled their ODI series with a 186-run thumping of Australia in a rain-delayed match at Lord's.

Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and a blistering batting display from Liam Livingstone sent England on their way before Matthew Potts starred with the ball in hand. 

After a relatively quiet start to the top order that saw Phil Salt (22) and Will Jacks (10) fall early, Brook quickly found his rhythm, cruising to a 37-ball half-century. 

Duckett's 63 runs from 62 deliveries, coupled with Brook (87), saw England take control, but the pair were dismissed within eight overs of each other. 

However, a late onslaught ensued when Livingstone was welcomed to the crease, notching an unbeaten 62 runs from 27 deliveries, a knock that included seven sixes, four of which came as he took 28 off the last over of the innings from Mitchell Starc.

With England ending on 312-5, Australia started their chase strongly, but the wickets of Mitchell Marsh (28), Travis Head (34) and Steve Smith (five) within four overs started the tourists' collapse. 

Australia crumbled from 68-0 to 126 all out in 24.4 overs, with Potts (4-38) doing most of the damage, with Adil Rashid (1-11) sealing the win with the wicket of Josh Hazlewood to force a decider in Bristol on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Livingstone leads comeback

In a game that saw a number of standout performers, Livingstone's display with the bat broke ODI records for matches at Lord's. 

The Lancashire spin bowler's 25-ball half-century was the fastest seen at Lord's, while England's 12 sixes is a new record in an ODI encounter at the home of cricket. 

The triumph also saw England produce their second-highest winning margin against Australia when batting first in the ODI's, with their 242-run victory at Trent Bridge in 2018 the only game they have won by a larger gap. 

South Africa eased to an eight-wicket triumph over Ireland in the first match of their T20I series, with Patrick Kruger and Ryan Rickelton starring for the Proteas. 

Kruger's four-wicket haul saw Ireland manage 171 from their overs, with Rickleton's knock of 76 from 48 deliveries giving his side a solid foundation to build on. 

The Proteas started strongly as Ross Adair (18), Paul Stirling (two) and Harry Tector (16) fell inside the first six overs through deliveries from Ottniel Baartman (1-36), Wiaan Mulder (1-15) and Bjorn Fortuin (1-28). 

Curtis Campher's 49 attempted to steady the ship for Ireland, only for Kruger (4-27) to rip through their middle order, giving his side a manageable target to reach. 

South Africa's opening partnership of Reeza Hendricks (51) and Rickelton set the early tone, with the Proteas going 136 runs without loss until Hendricks was dismissed by Craig Young (1-25). 

Rickelton's time at the crease came to an end in the following over, but Matthew Breetzke (19) and Aiden Markram (17) were able to guide South Africa home to take a 1-0 series lead ahead of the second T20I on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Rickelton rises to the occasion

Rickelton's knock of 76 was his maiden half-century for the Proteas in T20I's, notching nine boundaries (six sixes and three fours) during his 70-minute stint. 

The 28-year-old saw his time at the crease ended by Adair, but left the field at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium with an impressive strike rate of 158.33. 

Trinbago Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard is happy with where his team is ahead of the 2024 Caribbean Premier League playoffs set to begin on October 1 in Guyana.

With two games left for them in the preliminary phase of the tournament, the four-time champions have a record of five wins and three losses in their eight games.

“From a performance perspective, we’ve played eight games. Won five, lost three. We’ll take that. The first step in any tournament is to qualify. If we were in fifth place or sixth place it’d be a different conversation. You expect this to happen. It’s T20 cricket,” Pollard said in a press conference on Thursday ahead of their game against the Barbados Royals at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Friday.

“Given all the obstacles that we’ve had transpire throughout this season, we’ll take where we are at this particular time. We have an opportunity to finish in the top two. We still have to play good, consistent cricket,” he added.

The major obstacle that Pollard referred to in his comments on Thursday was the number of injuries that have hampered his team’s ability to field their best eleven consistently throughout their eight outings.

“Throughout the entire tournament we’ve been hampered by injuries. We have not mentioned what sort of injuries we’ve had throughout and we’ve had to sort of chop and change. That might’ve caused a lot of discussion amongst fans as to why this one and that one is not playing but we had to battle that,” he said.

Nevertheless, Pollard commended his team for their performance despite the circumstances.

“The way how the guys have battled forward through injuries, coming in at the late stages, we have to commend them for their efforts,” he said.

The Knight Riders and the Royals have met 24 times in the past with the Knight Riders holding a 15-9 edge.

Their last meeting came on September 13 when the Knight Riders won a thriller by two wickets with one ball remaining at the Kensington Oval.

The Knight Riders, currently fourth in the standings with 10 points, could secure a top two spot with wins in their final two games over the Royals and the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

“It’s known in the dressing room what needs to be done and hopefully, all the experience that we have and the exuberance of the youth as well will come forth and we’ll be able to finish the tournament a lot more consistently,” Pollard said.

Kamindu Mendis' century helped Sri Lanka cruise past 600 in their first innings, strengthening their already iron grip on their second Test against New Zealand on day two.

The hosts picked up where they left off on Thursday, with New Zealand offering little resistance as the run count continued to tick over.

Dinesh Chandimal's ton propelled them to 306-3 on day one, and Kamindu carried on their momentum, claiming his fifth Test century in the second session.

His 117-run partnership with Kusal Mendis in that session piled the misery on the tourists, as Kamindu plundered an unbeaten 182, and his partner 106, to help the hosts put 602-5 on the board.

New Zealand's bowling left a lot to be desired, and they struggled to get going with the bat too when they eventually stepped up to the crease.

In just 14 overs, Tom Latham (2) and Devon Conway (9) were dismissed, with Kane Williamson set to continue on Saturday having got six from 42 balls.

With just 22-2 under their belt, they trail by 580 runs and will need a huge performance on day three to chase it down.

Data Debrief: Kamindu steals the show

There was some exceptional batting from Sri Lanka's new star Kamindu, with his unbeaten 182 on Friday his highest-ever score.

He also became the fastest batter to 1,000 Test runs in 75 years (1,004), getting there in 13 innings to equal Don Bradman's pace.

He averages 91.27 a match, maintaining a strike rate of 65.02, and has crossed 50 in nine of those innings, reaching a century in five. 

Heavy rain and poor light saw play halted on day one of the second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, with the tourists standing at 107-3 after 35 overs of play.

Overnight rain caused the toss to be delayed by an hour ahead of Rohit Sharma opting to bowl, with darkness and a heavy downpour later causing the umpires to call off play at 3pm local time.

During the play that was possible, India – having chosen to bowl in a home Test for the first time since 2015 – went on the attack, with a quickfire double from Akash Deep dropping Bangladesh to 29-2.

Introduced in the ninth over, Deep saw his third delivery edged through to Yashasvi Jaiswal by Zakir Hasan for a duck, then an India review saw Shadman Islam (24) removed lbw at the start of the 13th over.

Najmul Hossain Shanto steadied the ship for Bangladesh either side of a drizzly lunch, striking six boundaries as he racked up 31 runs off 57 balls faced.

Ravichandran Ashwin trapped him lbw in front of off and middle stump in the 29th over, but Mominul Haque (40 not out) and Mushfiqur Rahim (6 not out) survived until the weather had its say and will resume at the crease on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Ashwin's strike decisive?

Shanto's resilient knock appeared to get Bangladesh through the worst of a difficult first day in Kanpur, only for Ashwin to strike six overs before stumps.

Since the start of 2023, Ashwin has taken 30.2% (75 of 248) of India's wickets in men's Tests, with only England's Gus Atkinson (31.2%) taking a higher proportion of a team's wickets in that time (minimum 10 innings played).

Mitchell Marsh insists Australia have moved on from the "drama" that marred last year's Ashes Test with England, ahead of their return to Lord's.

The Baggy Greens lead England 2-1 in the ongoing ODI series heading into the fourth instalment on Friday.

It will be Australia's first visit to Lord's since unsavoury scenes involving their players and spectators ensued during the notorious Ashes Test, following Alex Carey's controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow. 

The incident culminated in an MCC member receiving a lifetime ban, while two others were suspended for directing "abusive, offensive or inappropriate behaviour or language" towards Australia's players.

Carey has enjoyed an impressive series, hitting 74 in the second ODI at Headingley and 77 in the third in Durham, and Marsh insists his team-mates are motivated by last year's events.

When asked if there had been any discussions ahead of their return, he told reporters: "No, there hasn't. We've really moved on from that.

"I think there's always excitement playing at Lord's. It's the greatest ground in the world, bar the WACA, of course - the history and the tradition here, it's always a fantastic place to play.

"Obviously, these things happen in Ashes Test matches. There's not a series that goes by that doesn't have some sort of drama."

On Carey, he added: "I don't think [being motivated by last year's events is] in his character. But Alex certainly loves playing in England. We all do.

"The fans are always incredible, and it's always a tough challenge playing against England, so I think he's just wrapped to be back here playing for Australia."

West Indies and T20 cricket legend Dwayne Bravo has officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing an end to a storied 18-year career that spanned the globe. The 40-year-old, who turns 41 next month, made the announcement via an emotional post on Instagram, citing the toll that injuries have taken on his body.

"My mind wants to keep going, but my body can no longer endure the pain, the breakdowns, and the strain," Bravo shared. "I can't put myself in a position where I might let down my teammates, my fans, or the teams I represent. So, with a heavy heart, I officially announce my retirement from the sport. Today, the Champion bids farewell."

Bravo's final season in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was cut short by a groin injury while playing for the Trinbago Knight Riders against the St. Lucia Kings in Tarouba. Despite the abrupt end to his CPL campaign, Bravo was given a guard of honour by his teammates during his final appearance for the Trinbago Knight Riders in Port of Spain against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on September 18, 2024.

Bravo, who is the leading T20 wicket-taker in history with 631 wickets from 582 appearances, has been a trailblazer in the format. Known for his variations and impeccable death bowling, he helped revolutionize T20 cricket, setting a high standard for bowlers around the world. In his illustrious career, Bravo won titles across the globe, including in the IPL, PSL, and Big Bash League. He also played a pivotal role in the West Indies' two T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016.

Before the start of the 2024 CPL season, Bravo had announced that it would be his last. He had been scheduled to play in the third season of the UAE's ILT20, having been retained by MI Emirates, but decided to call time on his career after his latest injury.

Bravo had already retired from international cricket in 2021 and stepped away from the IPL in 2022, transitioning into coaching roles with Chennai Super Kings and the Afghanistan men's national team.

The Trinidadian leaves behind an unmatched legacy in the CPL, where he became the most decorated player in the tournament's history, winning five titles, including three with the Trinbago Knight Riders. Bravo captained the Knight Riders to back-to-back CPL titles in 2017 and 2018 before leading the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots to their first championship in 2021.

Despite his retirement from playing, Bravo’s influence on the game is expected to continue through his coaching roles and the mentorship he has provided to countless cricketers throughout his career.

Known affectionately as "Champion," a nickname derived from his hit song of the same name, Dwayne Bravo leaves behind a T20 career that will be hard to match, not just in terms of statistics, but in the energy, flair, and joy he brought to the game.

As Bravo said in his farewell message, "The Champion bids farewell," but his legacy will undoubtedly live on.

Sri Lanka are well placed to mount a huge first-innings score after Dinesh Chandimal's century propelled them to 306-3 on day one against New Zealand.

After claiming a convincing win in the first Test, hosts Sri Lanka picked up where they left off in Galle.

Chandimal was the star of the show, trundling his way along to 116 from 208 deliveries before he was bowled by Glenn Phillips (1-33).

New Zealand's day started well, with Tim Southee dismissing Pathum Nissanka in the first over, yet Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne (46) put on a second-wicket partnership of 122.

But it was not just that duo who did the damage for Sri Lanka, with Angelo Mathews clipping his way to 78 not-out and Kamindu Mendis helping himself to an unbeaten half-century before stumps, which brought up a record of eight successive fifties since he made his Test debut.

Sri Lanka got lucky at times, with Daryl Mitchell putting down two catches in the slips while Tom Blundell squandered a great chance to stump Karunaratne, but the Black Caps must now look to recover with a better showing in the field on day two.

Data Debrief: Blundell's century a rare bright spot 

While Blundell was left red-faced when he failed to stump Karunaratne, the New Zealand wicketkeeper did have something to smile about on Thursday.

When he caught out Nissanka early on, Blundell became the fifth wicketkeeper to record 100 dismissals for the Black Caps in the longest format (86 catches, 14 stumpings).

Indeed, his tally of stumpings is the most in Test history for New Zealand, which is why his blunder later on was such a bad miss.

For Sri Lanka, meanwhile, Mendis ticked over 900 Test runs across 2024, the second-most of any player this year, behind England's Joe Root (986). 

Guyana Amazon Warriors helped their chances of securing a top two finish in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by inflicting a 47-run defeat on Barbados Royals Wednesday night. The Royals would have been hopeful for a top of the table finish too given their earlier form in the competition but a third defeat for them in recent matches means they may have to settle for third or fourth place and a harder path to the title.

Royals captain Rovman Powell won the toss on what looked a fantastic batting wicket and opted to insert the opposition. The pitch was conducive to stroke-play and despite the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz the Warriors cashed in, posting an imposing 219-8 off their 20 overs.

At one point, when Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer were in full flow and displaying some mouth-watering stroke play it very much looked like a bigger total would be in the offing for the Warriors but after the two experienced hands fell before the end (for 71 off 37 balls and 57 off 34 balls respectively) the Royals managed to peg the defending champions back in the final five overs. Maheesh Theeskhana the pick of the Royals bowlers with an economical and wicket-taking spell of 3-15.

So consistent in the earlier stages of the competition, the Royals’ batting card failed to fire in response. Moeen Ali pinned talisman Quinton de Kock lbw for 35 and Imran Tahir sprinting off into the outfield in customary celebration with the key wicket of Powell.

David Miller, unbeaten on 71, offered some resistance in the Royals middle order and played some audacious strokes at the back end to take him to a battling half century but wickets continuously fell all around him as the Warriors spin attack used the scoreboard pressure to their advantage and piled on the pain. A score of 172-9 at the close meant the Royals finished comfortably short and the Warriors were never in trouble.

Moeen Ali continued his fine tournament with the ball by claiming 2-16 and fellow spinner Gudakesh Motie was more expensive but pocketed three wickets. The Warriors are finding form in both departments as the competition heads into its final phase.

David Miller’s pyrotechnics once the result had effectively been decided meant the final scorecard wasn’t as grim as it could have been for the Royals but they have plenty to put right after a chastening defeat to their fellow title hopefuls.

The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) and long-time youth cricket sponsor Kingston Wharves have teamed up to award two deserving Under-19 cricketers full scholarships for their tertiary education at the University of the West Indies (UWI). The scholarships were recently presented at the JCA office at Sabina Park in Kingston.

The JCA highlighted the spectacular success of the Under-19 team, led by captain Brian Barnes and Steven Wedderburn. The team captured both regional championship trophies available in 2023. The idea for the scholarships arose from a desire to properly reward these talented cricketers while supporting their educational goals, ensuring they could continue playing the game at a high level.

JCA President Dr. Donovan Bennett welcomed the partnership with Kingston Wharves in awarding the scholarships. "We are very grateful at the JCA that Kingston Wharves has made this offer. It allows cricketers who have also excelled academically to be recognized and supported, helping them to enhance their life skills," he said.

Dr. Bennett also spoke about the process of determining the scholarship winners. "We had a joint committee with participation from both Kingston Wharves and the JCA. We invited applications, and after a thorough assessment process, the committee made the final recommendations."

The two awardees, Barnes and Wedderburn, along with their family members and coaches, were thrilled to receive the scholarships.

"I feel elated and honoured," said Barnes. "I'm just happy that both of us are being recognized with this scholarship."

Wedderburn echoed similar sentiments, stating, "I feel pretty elated because this is an honor. It's a result of hard work and dedication, and I feel great about receiving this award."

Kingston Wharves, the financial backer of the scholarships, was represented by Business Development Manager Alfred McDonald, who spoke about the company's commitment to supporting student-athletes. "We are focused on ensuring that those playing the sport are also excelling academically. We've seen their journey, and we want to support it. By providing funds—around $300,000 to $500,000 per annum for each of them—we believe this assistance will propel them to do their best both on the field and in school," McDonald said.

Simone Murdock, Corporate Services and Client Experience Manager at Kingston Wharves, who sat on the scholarship selection committee, expressed the company’s satisfaction with the selection process and the quality of the two recipients. "Our commitment is to see these young men through to the completion of their degrees. At that time, the company will reassess, as there might be greater needs in three years. For now, our focus is on helping them complete their degree program, and we will evaluate what further support is needed for cricket development afterward," Murdock said.

Barnes and Wedderburn will be pursuing marketing degrees at UWI, a program expected to last four years.

As St Lucia prepared to celebrate the immense achievements of its sprint queen Julien Alfred, the island’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise, St Lucia Kings, ensured they were not left out, as players dedicated a dominant win over Trinidad and Tobago Knight Riders to the double Olympic medallist.

The Kings got the celebrations started on “Juju Arrival Day” on Tuesday with the 80-run win over TKR at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, to move into pole position on the CPL standings on 14 points.

Johnson Charles with a dazzling 89 set up the win as his 40-ball knock, which had eight sixes and seven fours, propelled the Kings to 218-6. They later restricted their host to 138-9.

Man of the Match, Charles, dedicated the victory to Alfred, who copped 100m gold and 200m silver at the Paris Olympic Games, a first for St Lucia. Prior to that, Alfred also became the first St Lucian to cop a World Indoor 60m title.

The 23-year-old returned to the island on Tuesday for the first time since her Olympic exploits.

“This one was dedicated to Julien “Juju” Alfred. Today (Tuesday) is our homecoming [for] our Olympic gold and silver medalist... so this one was dedicated to her. Thank you Juju for bringing home the gold and silver medal. We appreciate it. This one’s for you,” Charles said.

Head coach Daren Sammy commended his team for a solid all-around performance and was particularly pleased with the team’s execution with the ball.

“218 after losing the toss was really commendable. But what was even more commendable is the way my men in the hot sun, the bowlers, went and stuck to the plan.

“I thought Captain Faf was excellent with his matchups, making sure the right bowlers are bowling to the right matchups and exactly how we planned, it is exactly how we executed,” Sammy noted.

The Kings will aim to close out the preliminary round on a high when they face Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday ahead of the much-anticipated playoffs.

Ben Stokes has been given the green light to captain England’s Test tour of Pakistan next month, but he is still unlikely to bowl at the start of the series.

Stokes missed his side’s last three matches against Sri Lanka after tearing his hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition. 

The 33-year-old underwent a planned scan on the injury on Wednesday, with a statement from the ECB confirming he remains "on track" to feature in the three-match series. 

However, it appears increasingly likely that he will operate as a specialist batter, with England unwilling to take any risks over the long-term health of their captain.

"I think that's you getting ahead of yourself. Obviously, I've been six-and-a-half weeks now of just walking and doing stuff in the gym," Stokes told Sky Sports. 

"There's a lot more than just my hamstring that I need to get back firing and working up again in terms of bowling, because you use everything, so I need to get that all right to make sure I don't do any damage to other parts of my body."

Stokes oversaw a 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan two years ago – his first overseas assignment after taking over from Joe Root – and his presence will be a major boost to England’s prospects.

It will, though, restrict the tourists' options in terms of balancing the team, with his inclusion likely forcing out one of their regular top order.

On his recovery, Stokes added: "I'm all good. I have my six-and-a-half week scan tomorrow and we'll know more from that, but I am feeling good.

"It was a hamstring tear which sneaked into my tendon. That's why it takes a week or two longer than a normal hammy.

"Rehab has gone really well, so hopefully everything tomorrow will get the all clear, and we will start pushing it a bit more."