Stand-in captain Nat Sciver-Brunt marked a landmark appearance with the quickest women’s one-day international century by an England batter against Sri Lanka at Grace Road.

On her 100th ODI, Sciver-Brunt led England in the absence of ill Heather Knight and thrashed a 66-ball hundred, beating the record held by Charlotte Edwards off 70 deliveries against New Zealand in 2012.

Her record might have lasted only a few minutes but Maia Bouchier, unbeaten on 95 off 64 balls at the time Sciver-Brunt reached three figures, fell lbw when a six would have seen her set a new benchmark.

The pair put on a boundary-laden 193 in 121 balls to lift England to a mammoth 273 for eight in a contest reduced to 31 overs per side because of a rain delay that pushed back the start time more than three hours.

In the final match of their summer programme, England, leading 1-0, slipped to 18 for two in the fifth over but it was one-way traffic from then on as Bouchier and Sciver-Brunt starred.

Sri Lanka’s coterie of spinners came in for sustained punishment as Sciver-Brunt, who eventually holed out for 120 off 74 balls, and Bouchier, in just her second ODI innings, routinely took them on.

England got off to a false start as Tammy Beaumont, having been put down at midwicket in the previous over, edged a wild heave to slip while a flat-footed Alice Capsey was undone when left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani nipped through her defences.

However, Bouchier, who had already expertly timed Prabodhani over the leg-side fence, then unfurled two glorious drives for four to ignite England’s charge, with the end of the six-over powerplay and introduction of the spinners working to their advantage.

Sciver-Brunt’s ability to stay back in her crease but pierce the off-field gaps was frequently exploited while she brought up England’s 50 with a whip off Inoka Ranaweera for four before shimmying down to the slow armer and elegantly driving for six.

Chamari Athapaththu frequently rotated her slow bowlers but they erred in line and length too often with no one able to stymie either Sciver-Brunt or Bouchier, who bludgeoned a free hit off seamer Hansima Karunaratne’s only over for six.

England’s 100 was brought up in the 13th over but, after thumping Oshadi Ranasinghe for three successive fours, Bouchier overbalanced and should have been stumped on 55 but Anushka Sanjeewani was unable to gather cleanly.

Sciver-Brunt missed a pull on 96 off a delivery that skidded on and kept low from Prabodhani as Athapaththu belatedly brought back her quicker bowlers, but the deputy England skipper went to her 100 in the next over, nudging Kulasuriya off her pads for a single.

Bouchier missed a hoick across the line and was given lbw, wisely electing against a review, but later in the over, Sciver-Brunt took three consecutive fours off Dilhari.

Sciver-Brunt slammed Ranaweera to long-off with 5.1 overs still left, with England losing five wickets for 40 at the end of their innings, although they were still able to get to a formidable total.

Chris Woakes says Ben Stokes’ record-breaking 182 gave England a timely reminder of what they can achieve with his “superhuman” skills.

Stokes was in rampant form against New Zealand on Wednesday, making the country’s highest ever ODI score in just his third innings since reversing his year-long retirement from the format.

With England’s World Cup defence less than three weeks away it was a perfect way for the man who carried them to victory in the 2019 final to prove his sense of occasion once again.

Stokes has nothing left to prove on the big stage but watching him bully England’s first World Cup opponents with nine sixes and 15 fours sent a wave of energy through the dressing room.

England went on to wrap up victory by a huge margin of 181 runs, another reminder that when he is in the side, the whole team walks a little taller.

“We obviously see Ben as this superhuman that can do incredible things. We know he can,” said Woakes, who picked up the baton with three early wickets in the field.

“It was great for the group and brilliant for Ben too. He’s an unbelievable cricketer but coming back into the team having retired, it will do his confidence a world of good.

“We always have doubts and performance anxieties at the best of times, so it’s great for his confidence and great for the team’s confidence and belief that we can post huge scores.

“It was amazing to be here and play in the game because that was an incredible knock.

“He struck it cleaner than anyone else out there. It just shows how good a player he is.”

Since walking away from 50-over cricket last summer citing workload issues, Stokes has poured his energies into his role as Test captain.

Working closely with head coach Brendon McCullum, he has revitalised the red-ball set-up, flipping their fortunes in dramatic fashion and playing out a thrilling drawn Ashes series that gripped the nation.

Woakes feels that stepping back into the ranks under Jos Buttler’s leadership, and operating as a specialist batter rather than all-action all-rounder, is a good thing for Stokes.

“I think him coming back into this team is probably a refreshing feeling for him, without the captaincy on his shoulders. To run the England Test team is a tough job,” he said.

“He’s probably seen this as a breath of fresh air, to play his natural game and be his natural person, which he always does.

“This group of players who have been around this team for a long time, always feel comfortable when we come back together.”

England’s World Cup squad has one more game together before departing for India, wrapping up their clash with the Black Caps at Lord’s on Friday.

There is hope that Jason Roy and Mark Wood will be fit for selection, with both sidelined for each of the last three matches. Roy has been laid low twice by back spasms and Wood has been kept in cotton well since ending the Ashes with a heel problem.

Roy, in particular, will be eager to feel bat on ball. Dawid Malan made 96 at opener on Wednesday to position himself as a viable alternative and Harry Brook continues to linger as a possible replacement should Roy’s fitness continue to raise questions.

“I think he’s hopeful. This close to a World Cup it’s a bit of a risk to throw him into a game when you’re unsure as to how he’s going to go,” said Woakes.

“Fingers crossed he’s alright. I’m sure he’s desperate to get out there and I’m sure he’s frustrated as well.

“Pre-World Cup you want to get a bit of form behind you and play as many games as possible but he’s a resilient character; the lads have got around him and I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Despite a heroic 157 not out from Jordan Johnson, the West Indies U19s lost by seven wickets to Sri Lanka U19 in the second Youth Test at Dambulla on Thursday.

In a thrilling encounter at Providence, Guyana Amazon Warriors continued their unbeaten streak in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by defeating the Jamaica Tallawahs by seven wickets, securing a spot in Qualifier 1.

Winning the toss and opting to field first, the Warriors were resolute in their approach. Despite a fiery start by Brandon King, the Jamaica Tallawahs found it challenging to maintain their momentum, concluding their innings at 152-5 after 20 overs.

The home team's chase began with a dream opening partnership as Saim Ayub and Matthew Nandu combined forces to construct an impressive 112-run stand, firmly establishing the Warriors' dominance. Ayub showcased his brilliance, amassing a remarkable 85 runs to steer the Guyana Amazon Warriors towards a comfortable victory.

Although the Jamaica Tallawahs suffered an early setback with the dismissal of Alex Hales, courtesy of Romario Shepherd's bowling, Brandon King showcased his prowess, crafting exquisite shots on his way to a half-century off just 29 balls.

However, the Guyana Amazon Warriors retaliated when Gudakesh Motie dismissed King, causing a slowdown in the Tallawahs' scoring rate. Over a span of six middle overs, the Tallawahs struggled to find the boundary consistently, thanks in large part to the contributions of South African duo Dwaine Pretorius and Imran Tahir.

As the innings drew to a close, the Jamaica Tallawahs managed to reach a total of 152-5 after their allotted 20 overs.

Guyana Amazon Warriors introduced CPL debutant Matthew Nandu, who, alongside Saim Ayub, formed an opening partnership that firmly tilted the game in the Warriors' favor.

Ayub reached his half-century from 34 balls, marking his third consecutive CPL fifty. In the 13th over, Chris Green managed to dismiss Matthew Nandu, but Ayub continued to dazzle, accumulating 85 runs and guiding his side to the brink of victory before eventually losing his wicket. Shai Hope and Odean Smith sealed the deal for the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

With this convincing win, the Guyana Amazon Warriors advance to Qualifier 1, setting the stage for more thrilling CPL action. Their next challenge awaits them as they square off against the Saint Lucia Kings on Thursday evening.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors: 155-3 (Ayub 85, Nandu 37; Springer 1-23, Irshad 1-27)

Jamaica Tallawahs: 152-5 (King 52, Allen 21; Pretorius 2-33, Shepherd 1-19, Tahir 1-19)

Result: Guyana Amazon Warriors win by 7 wickets.

Ben Stokes admitted his first reaction to hitting England’s highest one-day score was an apology to the man whose record he broke, Jason Roy.

Stokes smashed 182 as England romped to victory in the third ODI against New Zealand, with the entire touring side mustering just five more runs between them chasing 369.

For the 32-year-old Test captain the explosive innings was an thrilling vindication of his decision to come out of retirement and return to the fold ahead of next month’s World Cup defence in India.

As he smashed nine sixes and 15 fours over the course of 124 deliveries it was almost hard to imagine England going into battle without him.

But while head coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler must have been thanking their lucky stars the middle-order match-winner was back in business, Stokes himself made a beeline for Roy.

The opening batter missed out on a planned comeback after a being laid low by back spasms, confining him to a watching brief as Stokes leapfrogged the 180 Roy made in Melbourne in 2018.

After more than five years in top spot, Roy was passing over the crown and smiled broadly as he clapped his team-mate’s achievement.

“I just apologised to Jase upstairs,” Stokes said.

“He said ‘well done’ and I said ‘sorry’. I don’t think there was too much to it. He’ll be pretty happy he’s seen one of his team-mates, who he’s played a lot of cricket with, take that off him.

“But individual stuff like that I’m not too fussed about. I didn’t really know I’d done it until the bloke on the tannoy started announcing it and then I got out next ball. It was his fault!”

While Stokes was not inclined to talk up his own efforts, he did admit to a sense of satisfaction at spending an extended period in the middle and setting his side on the path to a handsome victory.

The winning margin of 181, one run less than his own personal score, said the rest.

“It’s good to come back in after a while out and put a big contribution into us winning the game,” he said.

“I think today was good for me, to get familiarity again with how 50-over cricket goes. To get that game awareness, game smartness.

“There was a couple of times I had to check myself – I looked up and there was still 23, 24 overs left. That’s how one-day cricket goes, you can find yourself going pretty well and you want to keep going but you look up at the scoreboard and have to drag yourself back.”

Buttler was happy with the way England responded to an early double from Trent Boult, who dismissed Jonny Bairstow with the opening ball of the day and followed up by dismissing Joe Root cheaply.

“We were tested losing two early wickets but it’s exactly what I wanted us to do, take more risks, be more on the front foot,” he told BBC’s Test Match Special.

“Ben’s played a few good ones, but to make the highest one-day score for England, that was amazing.”

The game was over as a contest long before the end came, Chris Woakes taking three for 31 in a clinical new-ball burst alongside Reece Topley. The pair made up amply for the continued absence of Mark Wood and Adil Rashid from the bowling ranks, shutting down the Kiwis response early on.

“I was absolutely delighted with that, I haven’t seen as good new-ball bowling in white-ball cricket for a while,” said Buttler.

“It was a fantastic opening spell.”

The series concludes at Lord’s on Friday before the rivals meet again in the World Cup curtain-raiser in Ahmedabad just over two weeks later.

With that contest in mind, Kiwi coach Gary Stead noted drily: “I don’t mind watching Ben Stokes. I’d rather he scored his runs now than on October 5.”

Ben Stokes sent out a World Cup warning to England’s rivals with a record-breaking 182 against New Zealand less than a month after reversing his ODI retirement.

Stokes, playing just his third 50-over match a year after walking away from the format, was in brutal form as he unloaded nine sixes and 15 fours on his way to the biggest score by an English batter.

The Test captain was England’s key man in 2019 and looks ready to reprise the role in India next month after blowing the one-day cobwebs away with a match-winning 124-ball innings that fired the hosts to 368.

New Zealand never got close, rounded up for 187 as the hosts closed out a 181-run thrashing to go 2-1 up with one game to play. The Black Caps managed just five more runs between them than Stokes thrashed on his own.

Jason Roy, the man who held the England record for more than five years since his 180 against Australia in Melbourne, was watching from the balcony as Stokes nudged him out of the history books.

The moment came in typically emphatic fashion, Stokes clobbering Ben Lister high over long-on, with Roy joining the crowd’s ovation with a smile on his face.

Roy had been pencilled in to make his comeback in the match but another bout of back spasms in the morning meant he was once again confined to the sidelines. With Harry Brook still angling to break into the 15-man World Cup squad, the timing could hardly be worse for an unpredictable niggle to emerge.

If there was one down side to Stokes’ first limited-overs century in six years it was the now familiar sight of him grimacing in pain as his chronic knee problems continued to hinder his movements.

Stokes has taken a calculated gamble that he can manage the condition in the weeks ahead but, even after a six-week post-Ashes lay-off, it was apparent that will not be an easy job.

Dawid Malan had a better time of it than Roy, scrubbing any lingering question marks next to his name with an accomplished 96 at opener. He shared a stand of 199 with Stokes after the pair were brought together in the third over at 13 for two and would have been good value for a century of his own.

His innings was less muscular than Stokes and he could not keep up with his partner’s furious strike-rate of 146.77 but Malan was a calm, authoritative presence at the top order despite dashing back from the birth of his second child to reclaim his spot. England are lucky to have him and any accommodation for Brook would surely have to come at somebody else’s expense.

The Yorkshireman was only edged out of the team in the first place by Stokes’ change of heart and the value of having him around was proved over and over again as he imposed himself on a side who will provide England’s first World Cup opponents in Ahmedabad.

Stokes’ timing was not perfect during his first 50 runs, throwing himself into powerful shots that relied more on will-power and brute force than touch and technique.

But he warmed to his task, taking just 32 balls to convert his half-century and 30 more to go from 100 to 150. His adaptability was on show throughout, with Lockie Ferguson cranking it up to 94mph at one stage only to be despatched repeatedly to the ropes as he strove for speed. At one stage he nonchalantly stepped inside the line of a short ball and helped it over his right shoulder for a one-bounce four.

When New Zealand took pace off, it got even uglier as Stokes hit Rachin Ravindra out of the attack with three sixes in two chastening overs. Once Malan was strangled down leg off a Trent Boult delivery so wayward it was initially called as a wide, New Zealand picked up wickets with enough regularity to bowl England out with 11 balls unused.

Boult, who began by dismissing Jonny Bairstow off the first ball of the match and had Joe Root playing on in his next over, finished in credit at five for 51 amid some messy figures.

Stokes finally departed in the 45th over, mis-hitting a low full toss from Lister two balls after beating Roy’s record.

The Kiwi chase never got off the ground, an excellent new ball spell from Chris Woakes reducing them to 37 for four. He took care of Will Young, Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell to suck the heat out of the contest.

The ground began to empty despite the best efforts of Glenn Phillips (72), with Liam Livingstone helping himself to three cheap wickets at the close.

In a thrilling showdown at Up Park Camp, Manchester reigned supreme in this year's Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competition, defeating defending champion St. Mary to claim the coveted title. Despite St. Mary's unbeaten record leading up to the final and a prior victory over Manchester in the preliminary round, Manchester clinched victory by eight wickets in a low-scoring encounter.

The match faced a delayed start due to overnight rain and pitch conditions. Manchester won the toss and opted to field, a decision that quickly paid dividends. Opening bowler Demario Hall wreaked havoc, taking an impressive five wickets for a mere seven runs in six overs. Kevaughn Flemmings chipped in with three wickets for 11 runs, while Jadeah Moore secured one wicket for 14 runs. St. Mary struggled to find their footing, losing wickets at regular intervals, and eventually being bowled out for a modest 64 runs in 23.3 overs.

Manchester began their innings positively, with captain Demario Hall anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 35 runs. Kevoy Williams contributed 14 runs but was the first wicket to fall with the score at 43. Manchester eventually surpassed the target, reaching 68 for two wickets in 17 overs. The wickets for St. Mary were claimed by Tyson Gordon (one for 15) and Shavaughn Boyd (one for 17).

Coach Jamaine Morgan of Manchester attributed the team's success to the experience gained from playing Senior Cup cricket. "Me and some of the guys play Senior Cup for Manchester. The likes of Demario Hall, Pajay Nelson, and Jadeah Moore, we all play Senior Cup together, so they learn from the senior players. We focus on teaching them the fundamentals they haven't mastered yet. At the end of the day, we emerged victorious and were able to limit them to a low total through hard work and determination. We represented Manchester proudly," Morgan stated.

Oneil Cruickshank, the cricket operations officer at the Jamaica Cricket Association, expressed satisfaction with the tournament's performances, highlighting the improved performance of the young players compared to previous years. "The youngsters performed better than they did last year, which made me feel good, knowing that the work we have put in has been paying off," he said. He also praised the female cricketers who participated in the competition.

Mark Williams, CEO of Kingston Wharves, reaffirmed the company's long-standing commitment to sponsoring the Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competition, emphasizing their dedication to building character and fostering cricket talent in Jamaica and the West Indies. This year marked the 32nd year of Kingston Wharves' sponsorship.

Following the final, an awards ceremony celebrated outstanding achievements, with several players receiving accolades. Demario Hall of Manchester received the MVP of the final award, team MVP, and shared the title of most wickets with Kenrick McFarlane of Lucas, both tallying 23 wickets. Pajay Nelson, also from Manchester, secured two awards: most runs (274) and best wicket-keeper (10 dismissals). Shavaughn Boyd was recognized as the team MVP for St. Mary.

Northamptonshire were all-but relegated from LV= Insurance County Championship Division One following their two-wicket defeat to Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Warwickshire survived a top-order collapse courtesy of a Ben Sanderson hat-trick to chase down 176 in 60 overs after Northamptonshire declared to try and force victory in the must-win match.

The hosts fell to 24 for five following the hat-trick, but Michael Burgess made an unbeaten 78 and added 70 with Ed Barnard for the sixth wicket before an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 52 with Olly Hannon-Dalby saw the hosts over the line.

Middlesex secured a draw with Lancashire which boosted their chances of securing their top-flight status next season.

Middlesex were 160 for three with Jack Davies unbeaten on 65, his maiden first-class fifty, and Stevie Eskinazi on 26 not out when the players eventually shook hands at 4.50pm – with Lancashire only batting once in the game after they were dismissed for 413 in the morning.

Kent held on to secure a draw with Nottinghamshire in a thrilling finale at Canterbury.

Joe Clarke struck an unbeaten 141 and Brett Hutton compiled a career-best 84 as the hosts, following on, made 348 to set Kent a victory target of 168.

Asitha Fernando took three quick wickets to help reduce Kent to 59 for five before former Nottinghamshire all-rounder Joey Evison steadied the ship with an unbeaten 13 off 66 balls to keep Steven Mullaney’s side at bay.

Jaydev Unadkat took six wickets to help Sussex boost their promotion chances with just their second win of the season in Division Two with a 15-run victory over Leicestershire.

Indian left-armer Undakat took figures of six for 94 from 32.4 overs and cleaned up the last four wickets in just 31 balls as they bowled out the resilient Foxes for a superb 483 – with Colin Ackermann making 136.

Sussex will visit winless Derbyshire next week before finishing the season at home to Gloucestershire but second-placed Worcestershire still hold an 18-point advantage over them.

Sam Northeast and Eddie Byrom hit centuries to help Glamorgan draw with Yorkshire in Cardiff.

Northeast finished proceedings unbeaten on 166, while Byrom made 101 before he was bowled by Dom Bess and captain Kiran Carlson chipped in with a half-century which saw him pass 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in his career.

Glamorgan picked up their 11th draw in 13 matches this season while Yorkshire remain bottom of the table despite starting the day with a slight chance of claiming an innings victory.

First-class debutant Ed Middleton and Graeme van Buuren produced an unbeaten stand of 77 as Gloucestershire scrambled a draw with fellow strugglers Derbyshire in Bristol.

The pair put on a stubborn seventh-wicket stand to end Derbyshire’s hopes of a first victory of the campaign.

Gloucestershire had slipped to 131 for six in their second innings, holding a narrow lead of 105 with a possible 43 overs left in the day but Middleton’s 39 off 91 balls and Van Buuren’s 48 from 100 saw them to 208 for six at the close as both teams remain winless.

Less than a month after reversing his ODI retirement, Ben Stokes broke England’s batting record in the format with a blistering innings of 182 against New Zealand.

Stokes, playing his third match since agreeing to return to 50-over cricket, usurped Jason Roy’s five-year old record of 180 in emphatic fashion with his ninth six of a brutal innings.

He fell two balls later, denying him the chance of becoming England’s first double-centurion, but over the course of 124 deliveries he proved just what the side have been missing during his year-long one-day absence.

Jordan Johnson’s incredible purple patch with the bat continued on Wednesday but, alas, it might not be enough to save the West Indies U19 from defeat against their Sri Lankan rivals.

Johnson scored an unbeaten 133 to help the West Indies to 251-8 at stumps of the second day of their unofficial Test, a lead of just 51 going into Thursday’s third day.

Sri Lanka resuming from their overnight score of 191-4 after dismissing West Indies for a mere 127, extended their lead of 64 to 199, having amassed a first innings total of 326. The home side owed their commanding score to Maisha Tharupathi, who scored 70 batting in the lower order and Rusanda Gamage, who got 58.

There were also useful contributions from Ravishan da Silva (43) as well as wicketkeeper Sharujan Shanmuganathan (36),  Dinura Kalupahana (33) and an unbeaten 31 from Vihas Thewmika.

Nathan Sealy was the best of the West Indies bowling attack taking 4-82 while Isai Thorne took 2-64 and Tarrique Edward 2-75.

Needing 200 runs to overhaul the deficit, the West Indies started well enough reaching 110-2 with Stephan Pascal being the first to go for 25 when the score was 39.  Johnson joined Steve Wedderburn at the crease and together they took the score to 111 before Wedderburn lost his wicket for 37.

From there the West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals with Johnson providing the glue that kept the innings from falling completely apart against the bowling of Vihas Thewmika (3-55), Tharupathi (2-44) and Kaveesha Piyumal (2-55).

When play resumes on Thursday, Johnson will be hoping to significantly add to his 133 that so far includes 16 fours and a six while hoping that Tamarie Redwood, who has yet to score, can stay with him long enough to give the West Indies a fighting chance to extend the game into Friday.’

Scores: West Indies 127 (Johnson 52) and 251-8 (Johnson 133*) vs Sri Lanka 326 (Maisha Tharupathi 70, Rusanda Gamage 58)

Lauren Filer has been in striking form for England this summer but is looking at making improvements to her action this winter which could help her bowl even quicker.

One of the fastest women’s bowlers around, Filer rose to prominence as she was selected for an England debut in the lone Ashes Test, justifying her inclusion with four wickets, including Ellyse Perry twice.

Her extra pace and bounce put a number of Australia batters on alert and it has been a similar theme in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka, where she has claimed five wickets in her first two matches.

But the 22-year-old is not resting on her laurels and, while upping her speed is not a priority, some technical tweaks she intends to work on could have the knock-on effect of her becoming even more brisk.

“I know I can definitely bowl quicker,” she told the PA news agency. “I think there’s a few things to work on in the winter that will probably help me do that.

“I jump quite high so I probably need to go more forward in my bound so all the momentum is going forward. Hopefully everything is going a bit quicker so everything comes out a little bit quicker.

“But being quicker is not the main aim, it’s something that’s there and if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m not too worried about that, I just want to bowl the best for the team.

“I feel like the role that I have, I really enjoy doing. Taking wickets is something I’m trying to do every ball. It’s nice to be able to contribute.”

Filer’s influence and what she brings to the team have seen her labelled a “massive crowd favourite” by England captain Heather Knight.

“I’m trying not to think too much of the outside noise, just thinking about what I want to do and how I’m going to impact the game,” Filer said.

“It’s always nice to have the crowd’s backing and clapping you when you’re running in, it boosts yourself to bowl even quicker.”

Filer’s immediate focus is on England’s final assignment of a memorable summer in the third ODI against Sri Lanka, who will be looking to level the series at Grace Road on Thursday.

The tourists, who a claimed a shock win in the preceding T20 series, were spared by rain on Tuesday after lurching to 106 for nine, the same total they were bowled out for in Saturday’s series opener.

Filer claimed a couple of wickets in Northampton, including setting up Harshitha Samarawickrama with bouncers before tempting the Sri Lanka number three with a fuller delivery which she edged behind.

“My natural length is always going to be a bit back of a length so the fuller ball is probably the surprise ball, rather than the other way around,” Filer said.

“I get bounce with my height but if the pitch helps me as well, it gives that extra threat. People are probably just a little more wary of the bounce that I can get.

“It’s something I want to try to use as much as possible because I know there’s probably not a lot of it about in the women’s game. It’s a tool in my tool box.”

While two polished collective bowling displays have subdued Sri Lanka, Filer remains wary of the threat the tourists possess.

“We just want to end the summer on a high,” Filer added. “We had a convincing win over them in the first T20 and they bounced back really well. I wouldn’t take anything for granted.”

West Indies legend Brian Lara has signed on to play in the upcoming T20 Black Clash in New Zealand.

The 54-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history, will join Team Rugby for the match against Team Cricket at Mt Maunganui on January 20, 2024.

Lara's inclusion is a major coup for the organizers of the event, which is a charity match that pits former All Blacks players against former New Zealand cricketers. The T20 Black Clash is a charity match that raises money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation New Zealand.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of the T20 Black Clash," Lara said. "I've always been a fan of the All Blacks and New Zealand's rugby prowess, so it's an honor to be able to play alongside them."

Lara's batting record is simply staggering. He holds the record for the highest individual score in both Test and first-class cricket, with 400 and 501 runs respectively. He is also the only batsman to have scored 10,000 runs in both formats.

"Brian Lara is one of the greatest cricketers of all time," said event director Carlena Limmer. "He's a true legend of the game, and we're honored to have him playing in the T20 Black Clash."

Team Rugby will be looking to avenge their narrow loss to Team Cricket at Hagley Oval earlier this year. With Lara in their lineup, they will be confident of squaring the series at 3-3.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing against some of the best rugby players in New Zealand," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm sure it will be a great event for the fans."

Lara is no stranger to the T20 format. He played in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League in 2013, and he also played in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2016.

"I think the T20 format is a great way to showcase the skills of both batsmen and bowlers," he said. "It's a very exciting game, and I'm sure the fans in New Zealand are going to love it. We have a very good team, and we're all motivated to win," he said. "I'm sure we'll give Team Cricket a good run for their money."

Dane Vilas blasted a century as Lancashire established a 136-run lead heading into the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash with Middlesex.

Vilas’ 124 and 97 from opener Luke Wells at Old Trafford laid the foundation, with George Bell’s unbeaten 56 easing the home side past the visitors’ first-innings total of 194.

They ended a rain-affected day on 330 for five with Jayant Yadav and Joshua de Caires having taken two wickets each.

Joe Clarke steered Nottinghamshire to within four runs of making Kent bat again after the home side enforced the follow-on at Canterbury.

Clarke finished day three on 61 not out having put on 99 with number seven Lyndon James, who was unbeaten on 38, as the visitors reached 177 for five having being dismissed for 265 first time around.

Aron Nijjar had earlier claimed career-best figures of four for 67 as Kent piled on the pressure after posting 446.

Northamptonshire’s hopes of digging themselves out of relegation trouble were dealt a major blow as the third day of their clash with Warwickshire was washed out.

Relentless rain at Edgbaston prevented them from building upon their first-innings total of 142 for four in reply to 250 as hopes of a crucial victory faded.

In Division Two, Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy posted an unbeaten century on a day when bad light hampered the visitors’ progress at Gloucestershire.

Du Plooy had resumed on 44 from a total of 261 for six and was still there on 103 at stumps, with his side having advanced to 398 for nine to hold a 21-run first-innings lead.

Yorkshire’s Matthew Revis delivered career-best bowling figures of five for 50 to force Glamorgan to follow on at Sophia Gardens.

The 21-year-old’s efforts helped to dismiss the home side for 273 in their first innings as they chased a total of 500.

However, Glamorgan rallied before play ended five overs short because of bad light, with Eddie Byrom and Sam Northeast putting on 90 for the third wicket to take the Welsh side to 120 for two, still 107 runs adrift.

An unbeaten century from Colin Ackermann kept Leicestershire in the hunt for an unlikely victory over Sussex.

Ackermann was 103 not out at stumps on day three at Hove with his side on 221 for three and requiring a further 278 for victory.

The home side had earlier declared on 344 for nine having added 110 to their overnight total.

England were left cursing their luck as the second ODI against Sri Lanka was abandoned but even that misfortune could not wipe the smile from the face of Alice Davidson-Richards.

The all-rounder took a couple of wickets in her first England appearance in nine months as Sri Lanka were left teetering on 106 for nine after 30.5 overs before rain wiped out any more prospect of play.

Despite a “really frustrating” outcome – with England denied the chance to move into an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series – Davidson-Richards is happy to be back in the international ranks.

She joined the group on Monday after gaining some perspective over the weekend, watching a club cricket game on Saturday which freed her up to make a ton in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 24 hours later.

“It’s been quite a fun few days,” she said. “I went to some club cricket on Saturday and remembered how wonderful cricket is in its actual true form, which put me in quite a nice position.

“I’ve tried to bring that (attitude) into here. If I put pressure on myself that’s when it tends to go a bit t*ts up. It was just remembering how relaxed I was when I was playing club cricket.

“I was watching mates I used to play with when I was 15 and just see people play just for the fun – you retire after (scoring) 30 and if you haven’t made 30 after 10 overs, you got bunked off as well.

“On Sunday, I was just envisioning playing on that little club ground and remember how stress-free it was. I think that really helped calm my brain down and not let Alice get in the way of Alice.”

Davidson-Richards, who was drafted in for the lone Ashes Test but went unused, initially put off answering the phone call that would have informed her of her England recall as she was out cycling.

“I could see it coming, I was like ‘I’ll just deal with this afterwards’,” she said. “I was out on the bike ride in the countryside, it was quite hilly.”

Davidson-Richards and Charlie Dean were England’s only changes from the side that thumped Sri Lanka by seven wickets. The tourists were coincidentally all out for 106 in the north-east on Saturday.

Off-spinner Dean also impressed with figures of 7-3-12-2, including the key wicket of Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, whose run-a-ball 34 was ended after being beaten by an arm ball and given lbw.

Sri Lanka were 53 for two after nine overs but Athapaththu’s dismissal before the end of the powerplay took the wind out of the tourists’ sails and they gradually unravelled before rain had the final say.

Lauren Filer also took a two wickets, with England’s fringe players, having been given an opportunity in these white-ball matches at the end of the summer, building a case for increasing involvement.

“The best teams come from environments where there’s a lot of competition for places,” Davidson-Richards said.

“You don’t want the same people being picked every single time, you want people pushing the XI that are there. I’m doing my job if I’m making it difficult for them to pick an XI.

“Charlie Dean is exactly the same, if you’re leaving her out then you’re probably in quite a good place because she’s an unbelievable player.

“The more people we can get up to that level, the better for the England team and we’ll keep pushing each other on.”

As for what she is expecting when the teams head to Grace Road for Thursday’s final ODI, Davidson-Richards added: “Hopefully similar but without rain.

“This was really frustrating. It’s frustrating we got ourselves into a really great position only for it to rain.”

England’s bid to move into an unassailable lead in their ODI series against Sri Lanka was foiled by rain as another polished bowling display counted for nothing at Wantage Road.

Steady drizzle turned heavier and forced the teams off the field after Sri Lanka’s innings had slowly unravelled from a solid platform of 53 for two from nine overs to 106 for nine in the 31st.

Chamari Athapaththu’s run-a-ball 34 put England under pressure but the Sri Lanka captain’s dismissal in Charlie Dean’s first over led to a momentum shift as the tourists again struggled with the bat.

Dean and Alice Davidson-Richards – recalled at the expense of the injured Emma Lamb and rested Mahika Gaur – took two wickets apiece, as did Lauren Filer, who continues to impress in England colours.

Hasini Perera anchored proceedings after Athapaththu’s dismissal, amassing 31 not out off 58 balls, but was helpless to stop wickets tumbling at the other end, with Sri Lanka’s plight encapsulated by Achini Kulasuriya being absent-mindedly run out by Kate Cross just before the players were brought off.

Any hope of getting back on was thwarted at 5.10pm, and the abandonment means Sri Lanka, who were hammered by seven wickets at Chester-le-Street, escape but still trail 1-0 in this three-match series.

After rain held up the start by half an hour, Sri Lanka were asked to bat first under murky skies, and while they were more purposeful than their meek 106 total in the north east on Saturday – thumping 15 fours and a six – their innings at Northampton followed a similar pattern.

Athapaththu clipped the first ball to the boundary then capitalised when Cross overpitched, driving handsomely in a match-up which brought the left-hander six fours and a meaty six over midwicket.

Cross had better luck against Sri Lanka’s other opener as her first ball to Vishmi Gunaratne brought an uncertain forward prod which grazed the outside edge and was accepted by Amy Jones, who took another simple catch when Harshitha Samarawickrama was persuaded to drive at a rare fuller Filer delivery.

Sri Lanka might still have been in the ascendancy after the powerplay had Dean not struck in the last over, with her arm ball thudding into the front pad of Athapaththu, who took a review with her.

Athapaththu’s downfall saw the runs dry up, with a watchful 23-run stand in 42 balls between Perera and Hansima Karunaratne only noteworthy as television cameras detected a marriage proposal in the stands.

Karunaratne was especially marooned and having made just eight, she was persuaded to hook her 22nd ball to Sarah Glenn off Davidson-Richards, while the occasionally dangerous Kavisha Dilhari was dropped at slip off her fourth delivery before chipping her sixth tamely back to Dean.

It was the first of four ducks for Sri Lanka – only Athapaththu, Perera and Oshadi Ranasinghe reached double figures, the latter showing intent to Glenn only to miss a sweep off the leg-spinner on 12, with England grateful for the on-field lbw verdict as a review showed the ball brushing leg stump.

Wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani chopped on after a flat-footed push at Davidson-Richards while Filer, who caused problems with her extra pace and bounce, had her fifth wicket in just her second ODI as she ended a 15-ball scoreless stay from Udeshika Prabodhani as she edged through to Jones.

As a trickle turned heavier, the final act proved to be Cross’ smart run out of Kulasuriya, who was short of her crease after Perera had defended to cover. No run was attempted but Kulasuriya dawdled back to the non-striker’s end and her bat had not been grounded when Cross threw down the stumps.

A two-hour delay ensued but as puddles developed on the outfield, the match was abandoned with just 30.5 overs possible.