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On Saturday he edged to slip five short, and on day three he could only make four runs before falling to Prasidh Krishna

Andrew McGlashan05-Jan-2025For the second time in two days, Steven Smith fell agonisingly short of reaching the 10,000-run landmark.On Saturday he edged to slip five short. Then 24 hours later, with a crowd approaching 40,000 watching on during Jane McGrath Day of the Pink Test in Sydney, Prasidh Krishna made a delivery climb from short of a length as Smith advanced down the pitch and he could only fend it into the gully. He became the second batter after Mahela Jayawardene to fall on 9999 runs.Smith will now have to wait until the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle later this month for his next opportunity to become the 15th batter to join the 10,000 club.Often termed the best since Bradman, Smith will be the fourth Australia batter in the group after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. Ahead of this SCG Test, Border paid tribute to Smith and where he stands among the game’s greats.”Averaging 57 or so is in the top echelon ever, if you take one certain bloke [Bradman] out of it and he’s right up there with the very, very best,” he told newspapers. “As far as Australia’s concerned, we’ve had Greg Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, those sorts of players.”But now Steve [Smith] ranks equally with that group, no problems whatsoever. I’m a huge fan of Tendulkar and Lara, they were phenomenally good cricketers, but Steve is definitely up with that lot, for sure.”It has felt like a run-scoring feat that Smith was destined to achieve – he was the fastest to 8000 Test runs and second fastest to the 9000 mark – although the final climb to the summit has taken longer than expected after a relatively lean 2023-24 season which included a brief spell as opener following David Warner’s retirement. Back-to-back centuries in Brisbane and Melbourne left him on the brink, but now the wait goes that big longer.Smith is likely to captain Australia on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka where Pat Cummins is expected to miss at least one Test for the birth of his second child.

Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen did her best to keep the chase alive after rain but there was too much to do

Alex Malcolm01-Dec-2024An all-round masterclass from Hayley Matthews helped Melbourne Renegades break their WBBL title-drought in a nail-biting rain-affected final against Brisbane Heat at the MCG.Matthews made 69 off 61, took 2 for 24 with the ball and claimed a critical catch to continue her extraordinary record in T20 finals and guide the struggling franchise claim their first championship just a season after finishing last. Heat’s finals heartbreak continued after losing last year’s decider by three runs at Adelaide Oval.A sloppy fielding effort saw Heat concede 141 for 9 when they could have reduced Renegades to 76 for 5 after 12 overs. A top-order collapse either side of a rain delay then saw them needing 61 from 30 with five wickets in hand. Jess Jonassen nearly pulled off the impossible, smashing 44 not out from 28 balls but Heat still fell short. Five of Renegades’ six bowlers chipped in with wickets while Wareham was the most economical, conceding just 12 runs from two overs.

Renegades rocked by early rust

After qualifying for the final, Renegades had to wait eight days between matches and the rust showed early. Courtney Webb slapped a pull shot straight to midwicket and Sophie Molineux sliced a cut shot to backward point. Deandra Dottin was run out in dozy circumstances, without facing a ball, to sum up Renegades’ sleepy start. Dottin was jogging through for a single to deep midwicket when she got her bat stuck in the turf on the popping crease as she slid it to make her ground and her foot did not touch down before Georgia Redmayne broke the stumps. It left Renegades 23 for 3 in the fifth over and in real danger of capitulating despite Heat’s bowling not looking overly threatening on a pretty good surface.

Cool-headed Hayley holds firm

Matthews remained unflustered. She was not striking the ball cleanly, struggling to 6 off 15 at one point. But two boundaries in the sixth over off the legspin of Grace Parsons helped her find some rhythm. Wareham was an important foil in a steadying 41-run stand. Wareham struck three boundaries in her run-a-ball 21 before holing out to long-on off Parsons. The legspinner should have had another straight away when Stalenberg skied her to deep midwicket, but Charli Knott dropped the chance diving forward. It proved a key moment.Instead of being 76 for 5 after 12 overs, Renegades took the power surge after just four-down. Matthews stepped up, thumping Shikha Pandey for three boundaries in the over. Jonassen then opted for spin in six of the last seven overs, with the exception of one from Lucy Hamilton. It worked to some degree, as Renegades scored just 50 from 42 balls, but it was odd to see Nicola Hancock bowl just one over in the final after being Heat’s star in last year’s decider with 3 for 23. Heat did take a wicket in each of the last five overs. Hamilton was the pick of the bowlers with 1 for 19 from her four including the dangerous Nicole Faltum. But Matthews was able to club three boundaries in the last three overs, all from the offspin of Knott.Jess Jonassen did her best to keep Brisbane Heat in the chase•Getty Images

Horror Heat start compounded by rain

Grace Harris held the key in the chase, and the decision to open with Charis Bekker’s left-arm orthodox proved a masterstroke for Renegades. Harris holed out trying to loft over mid-on for a second ball duck. Jemimah Rodrigues miscued Milly Illingworth to cover in the next over as Heat fell to 11 for 2 before a critical rain shower came after 3.2 overs. Rain had been forecast for some point in the afternoon and had been a factor in Heat’s decision to bowl first. But no one was sure how long the shower would last and how it would impact the chase.The rain lasted long enough to knock off eight overs but Heat’s poor start meant Duckworth-Lewis-Stern set them 98 to win off 12 overs with only eight wickets in hand and one power surge over to use. Renegades continued the trial by spin after the rain and Heat were doused. Molineux bagged the key wicket of Redmayne before Matthews added to her finals aura with two wickets in two balls, including Laura Harris for a first ball duck, to leave Heat 37 for 5 needing 61 from 30 balls.

Jonassen almost pulls off a miracle

Heat’s captain almost did it. Boundaries in each of the next two overs keep them within touching distance of the alarming required rate before she opted to take the surge with 43 needed from 18. Molineux opted to bowl just the second over of pace for the innings and Dottin got clobbered. Two length balls on the pads sailed to midwicket for six and four respectively. Jonassen lofted the next over cover for two more as Renegades fans started to get nervous.But a mistake from Lauren Winfield-Hill off the next delivery proved costly. Jonassen wanted a second run to deep midwicket to retain the strike, Winfield-Hill denied her. The English import miscued the next to Matthews at mid-off to fall for 3 off 5. Hancock then faced a dot and the equation was 30 off 12. Matthews bowled two long hops that were both smashed to the fence but was able to close out the over without any more damage. Molineux returned to bowl the last with Heat needing an unlikely 19. She gave up just 11 including a consolation six off the last ball, sealing Renegades’ first WBBL title.

His eight sixes help hosts from 112 for 7 to 319 all out in reply to Essex’s first-innings 271

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2022Will Jacks hit eight sixes in a remarkable 150 not out against Essex to spearhead a stunning Surrey recovery on day two of a so far memorable LV= Insurance County Championship match at the Kia Oval.Jacks, 23, batted with a maturity beyond his years to turn a superb contest on its head as Division One leaders Surrey – 112 for 7 at one stage – reached 319 all out in reply to Essex’s first innings 271.In six overs’ batting before the close, Essex then lost Alastair Cook and Sam Cook, both for 4, while staggering to 19 for 2 – a deficit still of 29 runs. Dan Worrall, fresh from his first innings 6 for 56, had former England opener Cook caught at the wicket from a ball angled across him and nightwatchman Cook well held at second slip.Jacks’ spectacular late onslaught will be long remembered at the Oval and included leg spinner Matt Critchley being plundered for 26 in an over and off spinner Simon Harmer 23 more from another. Jacks, having got to three figures, scored his third fifty from just 17 balls with six sixes and three fours.Coming in at 88 for 4, he took 105 balls for his half-century and 167 balls to reach his third first-class hundred, but this was clearly the best and most eye-catching innings of his burgeoning career. In all Jacks batted for more than four hours, facing 184 balls and hitting 10 fours besides those eight sixes.But Surrey’s dramatic rally, and Jacks’ tour de force, also owed much to the resilience of the tail, with Tom Lawes, Kemar Roach and last man Worrall featuring in stands of 55, 85 and 67 for the eighth, ninth and tenth wickets.Roach, in particular, batted with the assurance of a top-order player for his 29 from 92 balls, also negotiating the second new ball with aplomb until he was bowled by a lovely looping off break from Harmer as he pushed defensively forward.Fast-medium bowler Shane Snater was the pick of Essex’s bowlers with 3 for 35 from 21 overs. He even had figures of 3 for 8 from his first 12 overs, with seven maidens in his first eight overs, and the Essex attack initially combined superbly to put the squeeze on Surrey.But that was before Jacks, aided by his tailend partners, first guided Surrey towards parity with measured batting and then, once Roach was dismissed, accelerated to go first from 84 to 96 with two legside sixes in three balls off Harmer. Then came six more sixes, three each off Harmer and Critchley from a collection of slog-sweeps, pulls and effortlessly struck shots down the ground that fully showcased Jacks’ power.It was all so different from the day’s earlier events. Resuming on 24 for 1, Surrey first lost their captain Rory Burns for 24 in the second full over of the morning, leg before trying to whip to mid wicket a ball from Cook, who was bowling around the wicket to the left-hander.Hashim Amla, beaten twice by Snater but having batted carefully to reach 12, then mishit a pull at Jamie Porter’s medium pace and saw Nick Browne hang on to a diving catch at mid wicket at the second attempt.Ollie Pope, who hooked Cook for six but was dropped at second slip off Porter on 23, had only gone on to 26 when he lobbed a checked drive at Snater to mid off, where Tom Westley dived forward to take the catch.And, after lunch, Surrey’s top order continued to find ways to get out against Essex’s disciplined bowling when Ben Foakes (11) limply cut the first ball he faced after the interval, a short one from Snater, straight to cover point.That left Surrey 95 for 5, and it soon got worse for the home side as Cameron Steel, his feet anchored to the crease, was beaten and bowled off stump for 5 by a fine ball from Snater. Then, aiming an expansive smear through extra cover, Jamie Overton – also on 5 – was undone by a cleverly-flighted off break from Harmer which turned through the gaping gate to hit his stumps.Jacks, in what proved to be the day’s pivotal moment, had already been dropped low down by Alastair Cook at first slip on 9 off the metronomic Snater, but was clearly determined to make the most of his escape and not give his wicket away and, first with Lawes, he began to rebuild the innings from the depths of 112 for 7.Lawes, the 19-year-old all-rounder, impressed with fours on driven off Sam Cook, cut fine off Critchley and slog-swept off Harmer, but after reaching 19, he was distraught to loft a drive at Critchley straight to extra cover. Roach, however, dug in alongside Jacks and a wonderful day’s cricket, eventually, belonged to Surrey.

van der Merwe scores 76, de Lange 75 as Somerset look to bat once with visitors three down in reply

ECB Reporters' Network05-Jul-2021Josh Davey’s career best 75 not out helped Somerset dominate the second day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Leicestershire at Taunton.The Group Two leaders began by extending their first-innings score from a precarious 242 for 7 to 461 for 9 declared, Davey sharing century stands with Roelof van der Merwe, who scored 76, and Marchant de Lange, who reached 75.Then Somerset’s seamers got to work, reducing Leicestershire to 60 for 3 in reply. They closed a final session curtailed by rain on 95 for 3, with skipper Colin Ackermann unbeaten on 21.The day began under cloudy skies at the Cooper Associates County Ground, with van der Merwe on 18 and Davey 4. The former proved the aggressor, taking successive boundaries off Ben Mike as the total advanced to 272 for 7 before the second new ball was taken.It made little difference as van der Merwe moved confidently to fifty off 70 balls, with six fours and a six. He and Davey looked untroubled in extending their eighth-wicket partnership to 102.Ed Barnes eventually had van der Merwe caught at long-on to end an innings that had transformed Somerset’s prospects. But if Leicestershire thought their troubles were over, de Lange was about to prove them wrong. On no fewer than six occasions, the powerful South African swung from the hip to clear the ropes over mid-wicket. And all the time Davey was patiently accumulating to reach his first Championship half-century for Somerset off 144 balls.Roelof van der Merwe drives during his 76•Getty Images

It was 408 for 8 for lunch, by which time de Lange had reached a 38-ball fifty and the hosts were looking to bat only once in the game.They had progressed to 446 when de Lange was caught at long-on off Callum Parkinson. It remained for Davey to go past his previous best first-class score of 71, made for Middlesex on debut against Oxford University back in 2010. At the declaration, the Scotland one-day and T20 international, often an unsung hero of Somerset’s team, had faced 169 balls and hit 11 fours.All the momentum was with the home side and they maintained it before tea, claiming the wickets of Lewis Hill, Rishi Patel and Marcus Harris to leave their opponents 60 for 3.Skipper Craig Overton dropped Hill on 14 at third slip off Jack Brooks, but responded by pinning the opener lbw with the first ball of the following over.Brooks and Davey claimed a wicket apiece before Ackermann dug in, receiving solid support from Josh Inglis in an unbroken stand of 35.The action looked set to continue beyond 7pm to make up for overs lost on day one. But heavy rain set in and the umpires called play off shortly before 6pm.

“If the ball is clipping the stumps, it should be out – whether you like it or not you lose the review”

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-20215:41

Kohli: Soft signal a grey area with not enough clarity

Virat Kohli stopped short of saying that the contentious umpire’s call rule should be scrapped from the game, but did call for a relook at the rule because it creates “a lot of confusion”. The final decision on the matter lies with the ICC’s cricket committee, which recently deliberated on the matter, and has submitted its recommendations to the global body.According to Kohli, there should not be any debates on what percentage of the stumps the ball is hitting when a decision is reviewed.”Look, I have played a long time when then there was no DRS, right? If the umpire made a decision, whether the batsman liked it or not, it stayed like that; vice-versa if the umpire gave him not out and it was out it stayed like that whether it was marginal or not,” Kohli said on Monday at a media briefing in Pune ahead of the fist ODI against England. “According to me, umpire’s call right now is creating a lot of confusion. When you get bowled, as a batsman you don’t expect the ball to hit more than 50% of the stumps to consider yourself bowled. So when the ball is shown as clipping the stumps, the bails are going to fall.Related

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“So, from basic cricket common sense, I don’t think that there should be any debates on that. If the ball is clipping the stumps, it should be out – whether you like it or not you lose the review. And that is how simple the game has to be: if it hits the stumps or it misses the stumps, it doesn’t matter how much it is hitting and those kind of things. Because it is creating a lot of confusion.”The umpire’s call is used in cases of the ball’s impact with pad and then the stumps, reliant on ball-tracking technology and as a concept is rooted, essentially, in the on-field umpire’s original decision retaining the benefit of doubt.According to the current ICC protocols, for “a Not Out decision to be overturned more than half the ball now has to be impacting the pad within a zone bordered by the outside of off and leg stumps (formerly the centre of off and leg stumps), and the ball needs to be hitting the stumps within a zone bordered by the outside of off and leg stumps and the bottom of the bails (formerly the centre of off and leg stumps, and the bottom of the bails)”.Ever since the ICC introduced the umpire’s call, a DRS tool that has been updated gradually, it has remained a tetchy topic and divided the cricketing fraternity. Recently the MCC said some members on its World Cricket Committee, comprising former international captains and match officials, echoed the exact sentiment expressed by Kohli, saying the umpire’s call was “confusing to the watching public, particularly when the same ball could either be Out or Not out depending on the on-field umpire’s original decision”.6:14

Does cricket need to rethink the soft-signal rule?

‘Soft signal, another grey area’
Kohli remained unconvinced about another hotly debated decision-making tool, the soft signal, which he said along with the umpire’s call was a “serious” issue the game’s lawmakers needed to tackle.The debate over the validity of an on-field umpire making a soft signal for a low catch in the outfield was reignited last week after Suryakumar Yadav was caught by Dawid Malan in the deep in the fourth T20I of the India vs England series.KN Ananthapadmanabhan, the on-field umpire, gave the soft signal as out even as Virender Sharma, the TV umpire, remained unconvinced. Although the rulebook gives the TV umpire the authority to overrule the soft signal, Sharma upheld his on-field colleague’s decision.After the match Kohli reacted strongly, saying he failed to understand why there was no “I don’t know” option the on-field umpire could use for cases where the evidence was not conclusive.On Monday Kohli felt controversial dismissals like Yadav’s also had the potential to trigger the spirit of cricket argument. “One more factor that needs to be considered is how the fielding team responds to a dismissal that is claimed is also somewhere you know defining soft signal as well,” he said. “Again, you have to question what the spirit of the game is and what those guidelines are. Because if things like that happen with the Indian cricket team overseas, then you are talking about a totally different conversation about spirit of the game, and so on and so forth.”Look, it is a serious, serious thing that needs to be considered because there is a lot at stake in future, there are big tournaments. And you don’t want some grey areas factors of the game which leave you with no clarity to be the defining factors of those big tournaments and big games.”

Abdur Razzak’s match haul of 12 for 144 helped curb North Zone after South Zone’s strong batting innings

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2018South Zone retained the Bangladesh Cricket League first-class title after their nine-wicket win over North Zone in Chittagong. This is the fourth time they have won the competition, having earlier been champions in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.Veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak struck the decisive blows in South Zone’s last round match, taking 12 for 144 to pick up the Player-of-the-Match honours.Razzak took seven wickets in North Zone’s first innings, restricting them to 293 runs in 83.4 overs. Ariful Haque missed a century by two runs as he made 98 off 151 balls with six fours and three sixes. He added 135 runs for the seventh wicket with Ziaur Rahman, who scored 69 off 103 balls with seven fours and two sixes.South Zone replied strongly, making 541 in 125.3 overs, with centuries from Anamul Haque and Al-Amin. The pair added 176 for the fourth wicket before Al-Amin retired hurt when he was on 110. He eventually made 128 off 161 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. Anamul struck 16 fours in his 180 off 314 balls, that spanned seven hours and 44 minutes. Sunzamul Islam took 6-158.North Zone, behind by 248, were then bowled out for 280 in 82.2 overs with Razzak taking 5-75 from his 32.2 overs. Junaid Siddiqui (77), Naeem Islam (67) and Ziaur (77 not out) struck fifties but neither could push past the sixties or seventies.Anamul and Fazle completed the very short fourth-innings chase of 33, making 35 for 1 in 7.1 overs.

David Willey revelled in his role as Yorkshire’s stand-in captain to leave a winner-takes-all clash against Notts on Friday night

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2018
Scorecard
David Willey and Adam Lyth delivered a crushing seven-wicket win for Yorkshire with over four overs to spare at Northamptonshire to keep the White Rose on course for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.Set 163, Willey and Lyth shared 150 for the second wicket in 80 balls. Neither could see Yorkshire over the line as Willey fell for 79 from 44 balls and Lyth 66 in 41 but the damage was done as the visitors won with 27 balls to spare.Yorkshire now face Nottinghamshire in their final game at Headingley knowing victory will guarantee their place in the last four.Josh Cobb was the only batsman to show for Northants with 68 not out as the home side posted 162 for 8 having won the toss but not for the first time in the competition, the Northants’ attack struggled as Lyth and Willey hammered the bowling around Wantage Road.Lyth got down one knee to slog-sweep Ben Sanderson for six before taking 22 from the fifth over of the innings bowled by Richard Gleeson. He advanced down the wicket to lift a six then four over extra-cover, carved four over point, glanced another boundary past the wicketkeeper before driving four more past mid-on. It ensured Yorkshire raced to 74 in the Powerply for the loss of Tom Kohler-Cadmore caught at point first ball.

Yorkshire sign Ravel

Yorkshire have signed New Zealand international Jeet Raval for the final four Specsavers County Championship fixtures. He has also flown in early as cover for compatriot Kane Williamson who has been nursing a bruised finger on his left hand. Raval, 29, has made 11 Test appearances since 2016 and this will be his first stint in county cricket.
Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: “We are delighted that Jeet has agreed to join us, initially as cover for Kane Williamson. Jeet will take over from Kane after the Somerset match and be with the squad until the end of the season.”

Having passed fifty in 26 balls, Lyth again went down on one knee to this time slog-sweep Luke Procter for six but trying to finish the game, miscued a drive to extra-cover.Willey was again in great touch against his old county. He flashed his opening boundary off the back foot past extra-cover, pulled Hutton over deep-square for six and sliced Sanderson over point. He swung Cobb’s off-spin over long-on for six more and struck a third six down the ground off Seekkuge Prasanna.Yorkshire were cruising at 113 for 1 after 11 overs and Willey slogged Brett Hutton for consecutive sixes before slog-sweeping Graeme White for another maximum in an over that cost 21. But he pulled Sanderson to deep midwicket shortly before Gary Balance struck the winning runs.Yorkshire were on top from the start as Matt Fisher removed both Northants openers in his first over both for 16 and both to leading edges. With his first ball, Charlie Thurston edged to third man where Kane Williamson ran in to take a smart catch and with the final ball of the over, Ben Duckett edged to backward point where Lyth leapt above his head. The wickets ensured it was Yorkshire’s Powerplay as Northants reached 35 for 2.Cobb drove his opening boundary past extra-cover but then pulled off a top-edge perfectly between the wicketkeeper running back and long leg running in. At 50 for 2 after eight overs, Northants were bumping along and Cobb cleared his front leg to smash Tim Bresnan’s first ball over deep midwicket and, as Bresnan went too full, struck a second six over long-on as the home side reached the half-way point at 72 for 2.Alex Wakely, after a patient start, flicked Liam Plunkett wide of midwicket for four but chipped the same bowler later in the same over to mid-on to fall for 14. Steven Crook arrived and immediately struck both Lyth and then Plunkett straight down the ground for six, edged Plunkett for four but holed out to deep cover for 18. And when Prasanna swung and missed at a Jack Brooks slower ball and lost his leg stump, Northants were 106 for 5 in the 15th over.Cobb pulled Bresnan for four wide of long-on before heaving Willey for consecutive sixes out of the ground to pass fifty in 32 balls. He opened the blade to steer Bresnan for four to begin the 18th over which cost 16.But just when Northants had built some momentum, Willey bowled an extraordinary triple-wicket maiden in the 19th over. He had Procter caught behind and then White caught at deep square next ball before Hutton hooked at the fifth delivery and gloved it behind. Two sixes in the final over boosted the Northants total but it was nowhere near enough.

The players refused to take the field for more than an hour after umpires informed them of their decision to change the ball

Andrew Fernando and Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jun-2018Sri Lanka have strongly denied any wrongdoing after being charged with altering the condition of the ball during the St Lucia Test against West Indies. Their players protested the charge – and the subsequent penalty of a ball change and the award of five extra runs to the opposition – by refusing to take the field at the start of the third day’s play. The match eventually resumed after a two-hour delay, but Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have said the players are effectively continuing with the game “under protest”.ESPNcricinfo understands that umpires laid the charge after reviewing footage of the second day’s play, and finding evidence pointing to the application of a substance to the ball. Officials privy to the case say the incident was similar to the one involving South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who was found guilty of altering the condition of the ball during the 2016-17 Test series in Australia.

ICC laws on changing the ball

41.3.4 If the umpires consider that the condition of the ball has been unfairly changed by a member or members of either side, they shall ask the captain of the opposing side if he/she would like the ball to be replaced. If necessary, in the case of the batting side, the batsmen at the wicket may deputise for their captain.
41.3.4.1 If a replacement ball is requested, the umpires shall select and bring into use immediately, a ball which shall have wear comparable to that of the previous ball immediately prior to the contravention.
41.3.4.2 Regardless of whether a replacement ball has been chosen to be used, the bowler’s end umpire shall
– award 5 Penalty runs to the opposing side.
– if appropriate, inform the batsmen at the wicket and the captain of the fielding side that the ball has been changed and the reason for their action.
– inform the captain of the batting side as soon as practicable of what has occurred.
The umpires together shall report the occurrence as soon as possible after the match to the Executive of the offending side and to any Governing Body responsible for the match, who shall take such action as is considered appropriate against the captain, any other individuals concerned and, if appropriate, the team.

“The ICC can confirm the match officials in the second Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka changed the ball and awarded 5 penalty runs to West Indies,” the ICC later tweeted. “If there are any, Code of Conduct charges will follow as per usual at close of play.”The Sri Lankan board sent out a statement defending its players: “SLC advised the team to take the field to ensure the continuity of the match and wish to commend the decision taken by the team to continue with the game ‘under protest’ to ensure the upholding of the spirit of the game.””The team management has informed us that Sri Lankan players have not engaged in any wrongdoing,” a board release said. “SLC shall take all necessary steps to defend any player, in the event any unwarranted allegation is brought against a member of the team.”At close of play on day two, West Indies were 118 for 2 in reply to the opposition’s first-innings score of 253. Day three was due to start at 9.30am local time, half-an-hour early to make up for time lost to rain delays on day two.But even as the umpires made their way out to the middle, none of the Sri Lanka players joined them. Broadcaster visuals of their dressing room showed coach Chandika Hathurusingha, captain Dinesh Chandimal and team manager Asanka Gurusinha in discussion with match referee Javagal Srinath.When the players eventually came onto the field at 10.50am, West Indies were officially given five extra runs and umpires Ian Gould and Aleem Dar oversaw the changing of the ball. The two batsmen at the crease – Devon Smith and Shai Hope – were given the right to choose the replacement, which is the protocol under ICC Law 41.3 (see sidebar).Before the first ball could be bowled, though, the Sri Lanka players left the middle of the ground and made their way to its periphery, which became the site of further discussions among players, team management, and match officials. It took another 40 minutes for play to finally begin.Loads of people were interested in the state of the ball•AFP

An official present at the ground said one of the main reasons Sri Lanka did not take the field was because “the umpires informed them about the ball change just 10 minutes before the start today without evidence of any footage.”It is understood that the umpires were concerned about the condition of the ball at the end of the second day’s play. “We did see the umpires looking at the ball a few times yesterday, but there was no statement made at the end of the day,” the official said. “It all happened this morning.”The controversy comes at a time when SLC is under inexperienced and temporary leadership. Although CEO Ashley de Silva is still in his job, the board has no office bearers at the moment because the previous administration’s term had expired on May 31, before fresh elections could be held. A “Competent Authority” effectively appointed by the government presently runs the SLC, and sports minister Faiszer Mustapha – who was in the crisis meeting which advised the team – has himself only done his job for a matter of months.The SLC release did not confirm whether the team will officially contest the ball-tampering charge when an inquiry is held into the incident, after play on Saturday. But based on this official denial, it seems likely that the charge will be contested. Sri Lanka’s team management refused to comment when approached directly.This is the second time in two years that Sri Lanka have found themselves part of a controversy over the condition of the ball. Allrounder Dasun Shanaka was charged for a similar offence by the ICC in November 2017 and in that case the team accepted the sanction.A previous instance of a side refusing to take the field after a ball change came at The Oval in 2006, when Pakistan chose not to come out after tea on day four, after umpire Darrell Hair changed the ball and awarded five penalty runs to England. Pakistan eventually forfeited the Test.