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Scotland are set to begin their first national Twenty20 tournament later this month after the first game was washed out on Thursday.The Murgitroyd Cup will be played in four regional divisions culminating in a finals day in Glasgow in August.The winners of the existing Mastertion Trophy in the east and Rowan Cup in the west will proceed to a semi-final stage, along with teams from new competitions in the Caledonia and Borders regions.The finals will be held at the Poloc club’s Shawholm ground. Each semi-finalist will receive £500 in prize money with the overall winner collecting £1000.

Scorecard

If Dilip Vengsarkar, who was in Delhi to watch this game, was specifically looking at a possible reserve opener for the Test series in South Africa, he would have been utterly disappointed by what he saw from Aakash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir. Forget about the pacy, bouncy tracks of Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, a slow, low wicket at the Feroz Shah Kotla was enough to see the back of both openers with only 25 on the board, leaving Delhi in a spot of bother at 54 for 2 in response to Tamil Nadu’s first-innings 347.Gambhir and Chopra have been the talk of the newspapers in the lead-up to this match, and the anticlimax could not have been more stark. Gambhir failed to get his bat down in time to a ball that skidded through from D Tamil Kumaran, with just one run on the board. It was a wicket Tamil Nadu dearly wanted, for Gambhir rarely occupies the crease without scoring at a decent clip.Although Kumaran picked up the first wicket, it was Vijaykumar Yomahesh who was a revelation. On a pitch where fast bowlers have struggled to generate any sort of carry or bounce, he consistently got the ball to climb on the batsmen. In each of his overs he bowled an effort ball or two, bending his back and beating the bat for pace. Eventually he was rewarded for his spell as Chopra nibbled at one outside off only for M Vijay at second slip to dive to his right and pluck a stunning catch.Fortunately for them, Shikhar Dhawan and Mithun Manhas, coming together at 25 for 2, were able to see off the rest of the day without further loss. Dhawan, who had battedefficiently for 29, got more loose balls than he should have. At 54 for 2, though, with the ball still reasonably hard, the first hour on the third day could prove decisive.When Tamil Nadu resumed, on 184 for 3, they needed to ensure that they pushed the score as close to 400 as possible. They would not have minded even if the run-rate was a little less, for that would mean more time out in the middle and give the pitch chance to wear out. S Badrinath, who played such a vital hand on the first day, continued from where he left off, but saw R Sathish fall early. Ashish Kapoor could only manage 14,and it suddenly looked as though Tamil Nadu would fold early, thereby nullifying the good work done on the first day.It was then that Vikram Mani, the wicketkeeper-batsman making his Ranji debut, repaidthe faith selectors had placed in him with an innings that made the difference between a low score and a decent one; a total that could be defended so long as the early breakthroughs came. Although he was struck on the knee twice, and looked in serious discomfort at one point, needing to receive treatment on the field, he batted with imagination and confidence.He was able to strike the boundaries – seven in all – and made 52 critical runs at No. 6. While the rest of the lower order did not really score too much between them, they at least hung around long enough to let Mani do his thing.When the Tamil Nadu team was finally bowled out, for 347, they might have felt that they were a few runs short. But the advantage they had was that the best batting conditions of this game are already gone. It was now up to the bowlers to maintain a straight line and generate pressure through tight overs. On this pitch it’s unlikely that any bowler will run through a side, with wickets falling in a heap; a sort of surface that gives little to any type of cricketer. There was little value for strokes, no bounce for the fast bowlers to work with, and whatever turn there was on show was slow.

Devang Gandhi, the former Indian Test opener and Bengal batsman, has retired from first-class cricket. Gandhi said his motivation levels had gone down and that he was happy to leave a strong team behind, with a number of youngsters making their “presence felt”.Gandhi, 34, played four Tests for India between October and December 1999 before he was dropped from the squad. He continued to grind out hundreds at the first-class level, where he averaged 42 over 12 seasons, and led East Zone to a Deodhar Trophy title in 2004. Poor form, though, kept him out of the Bengal side for most of this season and he didn’t play too much of a role in their revival.He made his debut against New Zealand in Chandigarh and began on an inauspicious note with a first-innings duck. But he made amends in the second with an impressive 75 and followed it up with another composed knock in the next Test at Kanpur, where he contributed 88 in an opening partnership of 126 with Sadagoppan Ramesh.”I will rate the Kanpur innings as the best of my career,” he said while addressing a press conference at Eden Gardens, “as that was a difficult wicket and I was top-scorer for India in that match.” He was picked for India’s Australia tour in December but a double failure in the opening Test at Adelaide, when he made 4 and 0 and looked completely out of sorts, cost him his place. Gandhi, whose opening slot was taken by VVS Laxman, spoke about the harsh initiation. “My preparations for the tour Down Under was not adequate,” he explained. “Also, I think the batsmen in India develop weakness in facing short balls, as the slow domestic wickets do not allow them to get attuned to such stuff.”He revealed that he would continue to play county and club cricket in England. Gandhi is also a qualified Level II coach through a course offered by the England Cricket Board (ECB), but he didn’t have any immediate plans on that front. “I won’t be doing justice to the kids as I will not be able to give them enough time. I will concentrate on coaching only when I give up the game fully.”Gandhi, who played his final first-class game in December last year, said he regretted not being able to lead Bengal to a Ranji Trophy title. He had a chance to lead East Zone to their first Duleep Trophy title in March 2004 but was thwarted by North in a pulsating final at Mohali.’DG’, as he is called in the Maidan circuit, might be remembered in many ways (not least by Ramesh’s famous statement – “given the bowling we get at the domestic level, why Devang Gandhi, even Mahatma Gandhi will score runs”). But the most poignant memory will be the gesture that ended his career, when on the eve of a Ranji match he offered his place to Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, his partner at Sporting Union. Jhunjhunwala had a fine debut season, culminating in a India A spot, as Gandhi quietly rode into the sunset.

Jacob Oram believes his broken finger will not be a hindrance at the World Cup, despite joking he would have it cut off if required. Oram top-scored with 88 in New Zealand’s first warm-up match against Bangladesh and said the innings had given him confidence he was overcoming the injury.Oram struck career-best form during the CB Series in Australia, scoring his first ODI hundred as well as two destructive half-centuries. However, in the first Chappell-Hadlee Trophy match last month he broke the ring finger on his left hand taking a catch in the outfield.The timing of his injury led Oram to quip that he would have the finger amputated if it was going to stop him playing at the World Cup, a comment he now regrets. “There’s probably no need to make light of injuries, especially the amount I’ve had,” he told .”In hindsight, the coverage that that comment got was a little bit silly I thought, so I regret saying that. I thought I had a smile wide enough to show that I was kidding anyway.”Oram’s innings against Bangladesh continued his outstanding season and put to rest any concerns the finger, which is still healing, would make him a less damaging batsman. “Once I started getting the confidence in my hands again I was all go,” he said.”What I did learn is if I actually try to catch the ball and stop the ball properly, my finger’s nowhere near it anyway. So it’s just trying to get that technique right.” Oram said picking up balls on the ground with his left hand remained a problem, but he was gradually improving.New Zealand continue their World Cup warm-up with a game against Sri Lanka on Friday. Their campaign proper opens next Friday when they meet England in St Lucia.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:27

Kusal Perera blitz sees Sri Lanka home

It was the tale of two lefties in Pallekele. Kusal Perera hammered Sri Lanka’s joint fastest fifty in ODIs, which made a target of 288 look like a cakewalk. But when Pakistan’s tenacity brought them back and put the game on a razor’s edge – 92 runs needed off 112 balls with only four wickets left – debutant Sachith Pathirana produced a decisive cameo -33 off 28 – to help the hosts square the series with an action-packed two-wicket victory.Sri Lanka have lately struggled to find batsmen down the order who can handle the pressure of a chase, or that of a top-order collapse. From his first impression, Pathirana seems a good bet. Although known more for his ability with the ball, hence his batting position at No. 8, he displayed excellent mettle under fire.Pathirana allowed himself a few balls to get used to the pitch, and the wisdom of that decision became apparent very soon. From 4 off 11, he produced a smart late cut to shift gears. He smashed anything short either side of the pitch, and was even able to pick Yasir Shah’s googlies. One of those shots was calmly lofted over mid-off’s head. It must have helped though that he had a very composed Dinesh Chandimal for company, as the pair added 52 runs off 49 balls.Pakistan deserve credit for finding their senses after Kusal bashed them silly. He reached his half-century off 17 balls, filled with pick-up shots over the leg side very much like the one who’s record he equaled, Sanath Jayasuriya.Mohammad Irfan’s extra bounce posed little threat; Kusal’s smashed him at a strike-rate of 242.85. Kusal v Rahat Ali was another no-contest as well – 26 runs off eight balls. Even Mohammad Hafeez, with his penchant for dismissing left-handers, was carted around at a strike rate of 242.85. Kusal faced Anwar Ali for only three balls, but it included a flat, hard, vicious six over square leg. The innings lasted only 25 deliveries, but yielded 68 runs. By the time he creamed one of the bevy of length balls that Pakistan paraded for him down the throat of deep square leg, Sri Lanka were 92 for 1 in the ninth over. At the same time, the visitors had been 27 for 0. Slow and steady does have a history of winning the race, but it was the hare’s day today.The tortoise, of course, did not throw it away. Even with three runs required off 18 balls, Anwar got a leading edge from Thisara Perera to settle in point’s hands. But as that was happening, Chandimal had made sure to cross. Chandimal, who had produced a fine half-century four days ago but ended up on the losing side, did not want to feel that disappointment again. He struck 48 off 63 balls and was there until the end, as per his new role as a finisher, and sealed the third-highest chase in Sri Lanka.The fortunes of both teams changed frequently and somewhat drastically. Pakistan won a good toss, but their top order was not allowed to capitalise because Sri Lanka’s bowlers were extremely tight. At one point Angelo Mathews, who trusted himself to take the new ball and bowl in the death, strung 24 dot balls in a five-overs spell. But the other bowlers could not maintain their levels through the innings and Pakistan took advantage of that – 88 runs in the last 10 overs. There were also several catches dropped – Pathirana dropped two in the space of four balls – and umpteen misfields – Nuwan Pradeep on the boundary was a terrible liability. Those lapses contributed to Pakistan getting off the hook.Azhar Ali had laid the foundation with his fifth fifty-plus score in eight ODIs. He was 8 off 23 balls, but got going with a well thought-out loft over long-on. Singles and twos fed his innings until a less clever swipe towards cow corner cost him his wicket for 79 off 104 balls.That’s when Shoaib Malik took over with a run-a-ball fifty. With his experience, he was quick to assess the Pallekele pitch was rather slow. Brute force only worked against the bad balls, so until they came, Malik used the spinners’ pace to pick his gaps. Fifteen runs were collected behind point, and 26 more belted into the leg side. Finally Mohammad Rizwan hit 52 off 38 balls, and pasted Lastith Malinga around for 20 runs in the 47th over to leave Pakistan with an excellent chance to extend the lead they had coming into this game. As it stands, Sri Lanka have squared it 1-1.Although not without huffing and puffing. They lost four middle order wickets for only 19 runs, and a lot of them were ugly. Upul Tharanga was caught napping by an indipper from Rahat. Tillakaratne Dilshan dragged on for 47 off 63, Angelo Mathews called for a single and was halfway down the pitch before he realised Lahiru Thirimanne was not interested. The Sri Lanka captain could do little more than just give up. Then Thirimanne added to the slide by slicing a catch to deep third man. Pakistan became favourites at this point. But they had not accounted for Chandimal’s resilience.With the required rate always at manageable levels, Chandimal understood that the key to Sri Lanka’s victory was for him to stick around. And so he did. Thirty-two of his 43 runs came from singles. He did not let the pressure suck him into the big shot. Nor did he let the occasion of Sri Lanka’s victory suck him into a glory shot. It was a delicate little glance to long leg and up came the arms and out came a roar. It would seem that Chandimal had decided to mature.

Pakistan A and junior cricket teams are to tour England within the next couple of years as both cricket boards have agreed in principle on the exchange of visits. Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said that he had reached an understanding with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on the exchange of cricket tours at the junior level.”Pakistan A and junior teams are likely to tour England within the next couple of years. One of the teams will be in England next year,” he said. “These tours help the youngsters gain confidence ahead of more serious and professional cricket. The international exposure makes talented youngsters more mature.”The ECB is also planning to send their junior and A teams to Pakistan. “This is a sort of junior teams exchange programme and players from both countries would be involved in it,” he said. The Pakistan senior team will tour England again in 2012, and it is the first time in many decades that there is a gap of almost six years between the two tours to the country.”I know it is a long gap. But this is how the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) has been finalised. It is possibly the only country in the world (England) where teams can play summer cricket and ECB has got too busy a programme over the years.”England on the other hand has two visits to Pakistan over the next six years that does not include their trip to the subcontinent for the 2011 World Cup.Meanwhile, the PCB has nominated Brigadier Munawwar Rana on the FTP’s committee that would look into the reservations of member countries. Munawwar had already served on one of the ICC committees a few years back. “Some apprehensions have been shown by the ICC member countries regarding the next seven tour programmes and a committee has been formed to look into their concerns”, Shaharyar said. “We have nominated Brig. (rtd) Munawwar Ahmad Rana on the PCB’s behalf to look into these objections”.Shaharyar added that the PCB had no concerns on the programme as it was already facing a hectic schedule ahead. “There are some member countries who have shown concern. As far as Pakistan is concerned, we already have a hectic schedule ahead. This is irrespective of the fact that during some seasons, we do not have enough international cricket and a few are quite hectic.”

New Zealand hope to have their captain Brendon McCullum back from the third ODI against Pakistan on January 31, and their fast bowler Tim Southee for the home Tests against Australia in February.McCullum has been out of action since aggravating his back injury during the second ODI against Sri Lanka on December 28, while Southee suffered a foot injury during the third ODI against Sri Lanka on New Year’s Eve. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said Southee would not make it back for the remainder of the home series against Pakistan and the limited-overs games against Australia.

McClenaghan not fazed by competition

Fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan is not worrying about whether he will make New Zealand’s World T20 squad, as he faces competition from team-mates Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne and Matt Henry. “It’s not on my mind,” he said. “In the past I’ve thought about things too far ahead and worried about that kind of stuff. We’re trying to make sure we focus on just the next game and prepare as well as possible.”
“I first came in as a new ball bowler and we’ve got a lot of guys who can swing the ball and take wickets at the top so my role’s changing. There’s more expectation of being able to close out the game and that’s the kind of pressure that I love. I want to be that guy who can close out an innings and win games.”
The coach Mike Hesson said New Zealand were not just looking to choose the four best fast bowlers, but to pick people who could complement each other by performing specific roles. “Guys are going to have to play different roles. It’s not a matter of playing our four best quicks, it’s having balance among them that they can do different roles: opening, bowling in the middle and at the death.”
“Very happy. Mitch as a T20 bowler is experienced in conditions around the world and he knows his game in T20 probably better than he does in other forms and he certainly showed that the other night [second T20I against Pakistan]. He’s a shrewd operator.”

“Tim is progressing nicely and he’ll be with us this week [in Wellington] to help work with his rehab,” Hesson said. “He’s unlikely [to play the Australia ODIs]. We’ll focus on the Test series at this stage and make sure that he’s firing. We certainly won’t force him playing any games earlier than that unless we need him. He could well play a Plunket Shield game to get him ready for the Tests.”McCullum is set to return for the final game of Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand before he begins his last assignment in international cricket. New Zealand’s first Test against Australia will be McCullum’s 100th, and he is set to retire after the second Test in Christchurch.”He’s progressing really well and doing plenty of work away from the game, from a fitness point of view and we’re really pleased with the way he’s tracking,” Hesson said. “Hopefully he’ll play a part in the Pakistan series and if he does that will be good prep for the Chappell-Hadlee and beyond.”Another fitness concern for New Zealand was Corey Anderson, who has just resumed bowling – one over in the first T20I against Pakistan and four in the second – after playing as a batsman in two matches against Sri Lanka, and for Northern Districts before that. Anderson had suffered a stress fracture of the back during the Lord’s Test in May 2015.”I’m delighted how he’s coming along and he’s certainly confident with the body,” Hesson said. We’ve gone pretty slow with it to make sure that we give him the best chance of being back for a long period. I’m really pleased to give him a chance with the new ball and even happier that he took it.”We’ll just keep managing it. It [Test cricket] is not something we’re going to push. We’ve got some pretty clear loads in place to give him a chance of being on the park a lot longer. We’ve got some one-day cricket coming up and we’re hopeful he’ll be in a position to be able to play a decent role in those.”New Zealand play the final T20I against Pakistan in Wellington on January 22. The series is level 1-1.

Michael Vandort played his last Test over a year ago, against England in June 2006, and it could have stayed that way had Upul Tharanga not broken a bone in his foot in the build-up to the first Test against Bangladesh. Seeing his chance, Vandort cashed in and was unbeaten on 87 at the end of the first day.”To a certain extent I was surprised by my recall,” said Vandort after the day’s play. “When I heard that Upul got injured, I knew I might get a recall. From that time I was focusing and trying to the maximum.”After making his Test debut in September 2001, Vandort had played in only six Tests spread over seven years and acknowledged the need to be consistent in domestic cricket and for Sri Lanka A to secure a place in the national team.”My average in club cricket and the A team can get better. Even if I get a hundred tomorrow I don’t think I am sure of a place. With big names like Sanath [Jayasuriya], Marvan [Atapattu] and [Kumar] Sangakkara who have done a tremendous job for the country for a long time, it is difficult for players like me to break into the team. I had a fair run and I am happy about it. I have not given up; I’ve kept on working hard at my game.”Vandort opened the innings with Malinda Warnapura but after Sri Lanka were reduced to 14 for 2, he and Mahela Jayawardene added 170 runs for the third wicket before Jayawardene retired with cramps. Vandort was unbeaten at stumps, with Sri Lanka leading by 138 runs with seven wickets in hand.”The heat is unbearable,” said Vandort. “We are used to the conditions although Mahela is suffering from cramps. The situation is tough but we cannot complain. This is the first time I have batted with Mahela for a long period. It was fun batting with him with all his experience and all the feedback he gives.”Sri Lanka’s firm grip on the game, however, had been established earlier in the day when Muttiah Muralitharan took 5 for 15 and triggered Bangladesh’s collapse for 89, their third-lowest Test score.”It was a tough day,” said Shaun Williams, the Bangladesh coach. “We need tolearn from our mistakes. Maybe the boys were a little bit nervous to start the series. We just didn’t play well. As a positive, Shahadat [Hossain] bowled very well in his first spell. That was one positive to come out of the day.”We need to find the right tempo. In one-day cricket we play a lot of shots and in Tests we tend to be a little bit conservative in the way we play. We need to find the correct mixture between attack and defence.”

Hong Kong will host Scotland in January 2016 for two World Cricket League games, the first ever ODIs to be played here. There will be a four-day Intercontinental Cup match, which will be the first time first-class cricket takes place here as well. The schedule also accounts for a couple of T20Is pending confirmation.Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) made the announcement after the ICC approved the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground (also called Mission Road) as an ODI venue. Match referee David Boon was one of two representatives who had inspected the stadium.

Scotland tour of Hong Kong

• January 21-24 I-Cup match

• January 26 First ODI

• January 28 Second ODI

• January 30 First T20I

• January 31 Second T20I

“There is real opportunity here for us to develop a beacon here for cricket in East Asia, whilst assisting the HKCA as it strives to be a leader for emerging cricket nations globally,” board CEO Tim Cutler said. “With talk of cricket’s inclusion at the Olympics increasing, I think it is critical we do not overlook the opportunity to provide a world-class facility where we could also host women’s and under-age World Cup events. Twenty20 matches (or franchises) from the hugely successful Indian Premier League and Australian Big Bash Leagues are also an option.””We could even provide a neutral Test venue. All of these would generate immense global interest and the potential TV revenue alone makes this a very exciting prospect, along with the obvious exposure for Hong Kong itself.”While this has been a good first step, Cutler admitted there was still some work to be done. “On the topic of grounds, we are continuing our discussions with the government and its appointed agents about accommodating cricket appropriately at the proposed Kai Tak Multi-Purpose Sports Complex.”Hong Kong was awarded ODI status in October 2014 and are 16th in the ICC Rankings. Scotland are 14th.</small