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ScorecardEoin Morgan made 100 of 73 balls•Getty Images

Eoin Morgan sparkled with an unbeaten 120 off 80 balls but it wasn’t quite enough for Middlesex who tied with Worcestershire at Uxbridge.Middlesex posted 229 for 4 from their 36 overs and Worcestershire needed an unlikely 24 off the final over – but former Middlesex man Ben Scott hit a four and three sixes off Steven Crook to leave the visitors needing two off the last ball.Neil Dexter dived forward at mid-on and spilled a difficult catch – and Scott scrambled through for a single to ensure the spoils were shared.Morgan’s innings was the highlight after they were put in and his 162-run stand with Josh Davey, who made 53 not out, was a record in one-day cricket for Middlesex’s fifth wicket.The hosts did not find the boundary until the sixth over, by which time Dawid Malan had edged Nick Harrison behind.Joe Denly lifted Moeen Ali’s third delivery over midwicket for six, but with Chris Rogers and Denly falling in the space of four balls, Middlesex found themselves 47 for 3. Rogers departed when he top-edged a sweep off Moeen to short fine leg, then Gareth Andrew squared up Denly to have him caught at slip for 27.Four overs later, Dexter called Morgan through for a leg bye, but, having over-committed himself, Dexter was beaten by Vikram Solanki’s throw from backward point. Morgan made amends by adding 162 in 20 overs with Davey.Morgan picked Daryl Mitchell up over midwicket for a maximum and brought the hundred up for the hosts in the 23rd over with a four to wide long-on off Brett D’Oliveira. Three overs later, Morgan posted a 45-ball half-century with a slog-swept six off Ali.With 73 coming off the last six overs, Middlesex were in the ascendancy going into the interval. Morgan pulled Harrison for two successive sixes over wide long-on in the 32nd over. Two overs later, he moved into the nineties with a six over midwicket off Andrew.Morgan needed just 73 balls for his ninth one-day hundred, which he celebrated by lifting Jack Shantry back over his head for a maximum, although not before Davey had moved to his half-century in 53 deliveries.In reply, Worcestershire slipped to 19 for 2 before Phil Hughes and Mitchell put the visitors back in contention with a third wicket stand of 96 in 18 overs. Following a period of consolidation, Hughes came out of his shell in the 17th over by clubbing two successive fours off Davey. He then lifted Gareth Berg over long-on and Tom Smith over straight midwicket prior to bringing up a run-a-ball half-century.Hughes picked Smith up for another six, this time over wide long-on. But, two overs later, Toby Roland-Jones broke through Mitchell’s defences for 35.With Andrew hitting Smith for a straight six, Worcestershire needed 91 off the last 10 overs. The visitors’ push for the line lost appeared to have lost its impetus after Hughes played on to Davey and Andrew skied a catch to Morgan at mid-on. But Scott, who spent five seasons on the Middlesex staff, came back to haunt his former employers.

Pakistan’s stand-in Test captain Mohammad Hafeez praised his bowlers after an “unlucky” performance on the first day in Galle, where Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara scored centuries to lead Sri Lanka to 300 for 2.Dilshan scored his first Test century in a year, but departed for 101, and Sangakkara equalled Don Bradman, remaining unbeaten on his 29th Test ton.”We were a bit unlucky,” Hafeez said after stumps. “The conditions were suitable for spinners. Credit to Dilshan and Sanga for the way they played in these conditions. The outfield is quick and once the ball goes past the inner circle it goes for a boundary. We are very happy we restricted them to 300.”Hafeez said fast bowler Umar Gul was unfortunate to go wicketless for 55 runs. He could have dismissed Tharanga Paranavitana in his sixth over, when a thin inside edge was not detected by umpire Ian Gould. And in the absence of DRS, Gul could not review two close lbw appeals against Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene either.”Gul was unlucky but this is how the game is played,” Hafeez said. “We have to work hard tomorrow. We have to think of ways to get them out.” When asked if the DRS would have helped, Hafeez said, “There are some inconsistencies in the use of DRS. This series does not have DRS so we are not complaining.”He said the spinners had chances to get Sangakkara out. “There were escapes where we could have got him. We have some plans against him and we’ll try them out tomorrow. They looked like they had some plans against us. As a bowling unit we have to rethink our bowling strategy and come up with something new.”

Kingsmead Stadium’s most defining feature is probably the Castle Corner. The beer garden on the grass bank furthest from the press box is one of the liveliest places to watch a cricket match. By contrast, the stands are one of the best places to catch a late afternoon brawl, if you are so inclined. The local joke is that no match is complete without at least one member of the crowd being hauled out by security. Few really know what for: too many samosas, too much spice, or too much spunk?Ok, you get it. There is nothing overly spectacular about Kingsmead. It’s just another cricket ground with a concrete face, bowels that have too many stairs and in summer, a cauldron of humidity and heat. That does not mean it isn’t a special place.Kingsmead is the ground on which Gary Kirsten spent hours chiselling out an innings of 275 to become the joint highest individual run-scorer for South Africa in 1999. It is the ground on which South Africa chased down a record score of 335 against Australia in 2002. Neither of those records stands anymore and Kingsmead too, has fallen.In the 2012-13 season, Kingsmead will be without its usual Boxing Day Test, breaking a tradition that has stood fairly firm since readmission in 1992. Worse than that, Kingsmead will not host a Test match at all in the coming summer. Instead, the five Tests have been spread out across other venues, with Newlands in charge of two of them, the Wanderers and Centurion being given their usual share of one each and St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, the recipient of the other. Kingsmead has not been forgotten entirely. It will host two Twenty20s and an ODI, giving it at least three days fewer than its usual allocation of a Test match and an ODI a season.”We are disappointed,” Jessie Chellan, chief executive of Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Board told ESPNcricinfo. “The one thing is that we are not getting the Boxing Day Test, which has become a tradition and has grown legs of its own. But we are also disappointed that we are not getting a Test at all.”Financial considerations are among the main reasons for the new schedule and the cancellation of the Boxing Day Test this summer. It is not a permanent change, rather a “trial of something different” over the holiday season, as South African team manager Mohammed Moosajee put it, and the Durban Boxing Day Test could well return to the calendar in future.But why the complete removal of Kingsmead as a Test venue? It’s not as though there aren’t enough matches to go around, with South Africa hosting five Tests. Rather, it seems as though the Durban stadium has been punished for a combination of poor crowds and poor results for the home side, which inevitably affect each other.South Africa have lost the last four Tests they have played at the ground, all of them after being bowled out cheaply in one of their innings. Kingsmead has never hosted the first match of a series and in the last two seasons, against India and Sri Lanka, South Africa have gone to the venue with a convincing first Test win. Against sub-continental teams, South Africa have often felt they are playing away in Durban, because of the large presence of supporters for the touring teams.Complacency, the seaming and swinging pitch, the presence of families with the team, have all been offered as excuses for the defeats in Durban. The one explanation never mentioned were the demons that sometimes exist in the mind of the South African team, who are haunted by mental issues ranging from the chokers tag in ICC events to their Durban jinx. The national side has shown a distinct dislike for Durban, choosing to stay north of the city in the beach town of Umhlanga instead of in the main hub, where the visiting teams are put up.Irrespective of the ghosts that have come to linger over the Durban Test, the fixture has remained popular among fans and Chellan is saddened that it has been taken away. “For the last three years, we have been sold out on the first day of the Boxing Day Test,” he said. “Over the five days, yes, there has been a decline but whether that has to do with the popularity of Test cricket or the performances of the national team here, can be debated.”Moosajee said that suggestions that a request was put in from the national side to avoid playing Tests at Kingsmead were not true. “As a professional team, they have to learn to play in all conditions,” he said. But, CSA acting chief executive Jacques Faul admitted the team’s record there “was taken into consideration” when the schedule was decided. He added that Kingsmead would not be deprived of Tests in the long term. “It’s not to say that we won’t play Tests there again,” Faul said. “The board just thought this was the best decision for this season.”Perhaps that best decision was taken because New Zealand are considered a smaller team, who will not draw much interest, so CSA are happy to stick them in Port Elizabeth. Perhaps it is because they want to give the team time to learn to win at home again. After all, South Africa won their first Test series on home soil since 2008 against any team other than Bangladesh when they beat Sri Lanka earlier this year. Perhaps they just don’t know what to do with Durban, as a venue.Whatever it is, the team is “very happy,” with the decision. Moosajee said the team has welcomed the change. “It is disappointing not to be playing a Test there, because Kingsmead is a wonderful place to play cricket,” he said. “But we are looking forward to the change. It is a different concept to play a Twenty20 over the holiday period. For some of the guys it will also mean they can spend Christmas at home, which hasn’t happened for a long time.”Kingsmead will host one of those Twenty20s – on December 21 – and another in January. Chellan said that although it is too early to forecast whether the local board will profit from the change in schedule, but having two Twenty20s, instead of one “should have a positive effect on our bottom line.” Much will depend on advertising and suite holder interest which will only be determined at a later stage. And even if it does mean money, Chellan said Durban “would have still preferred to host a Test match.”

Match facts

Thursday, May 3, Pune
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Sachin Tendulkar is one shot away from scoring a hundred runs in IPL 2012•AFP

Big Picture

Pune Warriors started their campaign in IPL 2012 with an uplifting win against pre-tournament favourites, Mumbai Indians and followed it up with an easy win over Kings XI Punjab. But since then, they have played seven games and won only two, with a hat-trick of losses. Second from the bottom, Warriors still have a chance of qualifying for the play-off stage, but with just six games to go they will need to stay focussed.Mumbai Indians have had five wins from nine games even though they haven’t performed to their potential. Of all their big names, only Lasith Malinga has been consistent while Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh haven’t fired. Rohit Sharma is the top-scorer in the line-up but his tournament tally is half that of Ajinkya Rahane’s and he has given his wicket away easily in crunch situations. Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik, though, have shown signs of form after an indifferent start to the season. Mumbai Indians have often reiterated the importance of having Tendulkar at the top to provide stability. However, he has scored 94 runs in five games and Sourav Ganguly would hope to keep the pressure on him.Michael Clarke made an impressive IPL debut in the last game and scored his runs at a good clip with proper cricketing shots, much like Rahane. Clarke’s ability should relieve Robin Uthappa of the stabilising role, allowing him to take a more aggressive stance. In their bowling department, Warriors have missed Ashok Dinda as Ashish Nehra has been expensive as a death bowler.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Pune Warriors: LLLWL
Mumbai Indians: WLWLL

Players to watch

Steven Smith is the second highest run-getter for Warriors this season with 267 runs at a strike rate of 159.88. While several other top run-scorers have faced more than 200 balls, Smith has only faced 167, highlighting that he could have a greater impact if he is given more time in the middle.Ambati Rayudu has looked in good form in recent games. While his cameo in Mohali won the game for Mumbai Indians from a difficult position, his counter-attacking 62 in Delhi kept the team in hunt after the loss of early wickets. With an inconsistent top order, the responsibility will be again on him.

Stats and trivia

• Mumbai Indians’ average of 21.58 runs per wicket is the lowest in this IPL. Warriors are third from the top with an average of 27.05.
• Mumbai Indians scored 101 against Warriors in their last match, the second-lowest score this season after their 92 all out against Delhi Daredevils.
  

  Quotes

  “One always plans to succeed but the success rate may not always be nine on 10. IPL comes with certain pressure, but we’ve played well overall and haven’t been dominated by any team.”

  “I am very thankful to MI, especially Robin Singh (MI coach) and Sachin sir, for giving me this opportunity. MI gave me a chance when I needed one.”

The opening batsman Liam Davis won the Lawrie Sawle Medal as Western Australia’s Player of the Year at the state’s awards night in Perth on Thursday. Davis won the prize for a breakthrough year in which he scored 921 runs in the Sheffield Shield, finishing third on the tournament tally, and his unbeaten 303 against New South Wales was the highest score in the competition since Simon Katich made 306 in 2007-08.Davis scored three hundreds and three fifties in the Shield season and his average of 65.78 was the highest of any player who appeared in more than one match. Davis finished on 25 votes, ahead of the vice-captain Adam Voges on 23 and the fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile on 20.Herschelle Gibbs was named the Perth Scorchers Player of the Year for a BBL campaign in which he made 302 runs at 43.14 with a strike-rate of 151.75. Michael Hussey won the Gold Cup, awarded to Western Australia’s most outstanding cricket across all levels, for the sixth time in the past seven years.Other awards handed out on the night included the Players’ Choice Award, which went to Nathan Rimmington, and the Excalibur Award for the player who best upholds the spirit of the Warriors, which was given to Michael Beer. The Future Legend Award, given to the player adjudged the rising star of Western Australian cricket, went to the fast bowler Jason Behrendorff.Gemma Triscari, an emerging fast bowler, won the Zoe Goss Medal as the most outstanding female cricketer. Ernie Parker and Bruce Yardley were inducted into the Gallery of Greats.

ScorecardKevin O’Brien top-scored for Ireland in a convincing win•ICC/Barry Chambers

Boyd Rankin’s outstanding figures of 4 for 9 which propelled Ireland to victory against USA emphasised his talent and also what a loss he’d be to Irish cricket if snapped up by England. After losing the two best batsmen they have ever produced to their full member neighbours over the past decade, Cricket Ireland are seriously concerned that the ECB has designs on its two best home-produced bowlers.Rankin has already toured with England A and if he were to be picked for even a solitary limited overs game by Andy Flower he would be unable to play for Ireland for four years. How damaging that would be to Phil Simmons team has been revealed at this tournament where Rankin has broken his Twenty20 personal best on each of three successive days.”This is the best I’ve ever seen him bowl,” Ed Joyce, who also played for England before switching back to his native Ireland, said. “He’s really got control of his line and length here, which on these wickets is very difficult for a bowler of his height. He’s a much more hostile bowler too. I’m delighted for him because he’s a really good lad who’s worked hard for years and now it’s all coming to fruition.”Against USA he was almost unplayable, taking four wickets in his four overs as Ireland cruised to a 64-run victory. His pace is a cut above anything else here and his height ensures plenty of problems for the batsmen. He tormented Aditya Mishra in a five-ball innings that will give him nightmares. Every delivery could have dismissed him and after two good lbw shouts he finally skied the ball high above the ICC Global Cricket Academy ground where Rankin collected his own catch.Ireland won the toss, but lost William Porterfield early to a loose shot, and just as Paul Stirling looked to be finding his range he chased a wide delivery and bottom edged to Steven Taylor. Alex Cusack made to cut the next ball from the rangy left-arm medium-pacer Elmore Hutchinson and was bowled, leaving Ireland on 32 for 3.Joyce, was promoted to No.3 where he bats best and when he was joined by Kevin O’Brien the pair rebuilt the innings in classic fashion.”In Twenty20 I aim to get ten off the first ten balls, and when I went from five to ten with five overthrows I felt like I was in,” Joyce said. “Kevin and myself bat well together – I can work it around and hit the odd boundary while he looks to hit a big ball. He twice hit sixes at the right time to take the pressure off.”Neither batsman has made a Twenty20 fifty for Ireland but both had passed their career bests and were close to the milestone when they fell. O’Brien had cleared the fence twice, off Asif Khan and Mishra, but was undone by Abhimanyu Rajp. The spinner parried a straight drive and with the ball lobbing through the air he dived to complete a fine catch for 47. Two overs later Joyce also fell, for 46, to a much more straightforward return catch by Rajp.Gary Wilson has been batting well in this tournament and hit four boundaries before he carted Hutchinson straight to Muhammad Ghous at wide midwicket for 19.A target of 150 was way beyond USA’s comfort zone, even on this compact arena, especially when captain Sushil Nadkarni was run out early by a sharp Andrew White direct hit.Taylor took a liking to Trent Johnston, who was struggling to find his length and was the most expensive of the Irish attack. Rankin’s second over was a double wicket maiden and when Baker carved Johnston to George Dockrell running around at third man the scoreboard read 29 for 4.Wicketkeeper Taylor was dropped off Johnston by Porterfield, and followed that up with a huge six over midwicket. The Irish captain kept his big guns on and each picked up another wicket to end their joint spells on 52 for 7.The trio of spinners picked up the baton but it was the least exalted who took the scalps. Hutchinson has an uncomplicated approach, and hit two fours and a six in his entertaining cameo as the tail succumbed. The maximum came off George Dockrell, another on Flower’s radar, but whose contribution came in the shape of three outfield catches. Hutchinson had made 29 and was taking aim for his team’s 100 when he missed a White delivery and was bowled.USA have still to register a win in the tournament, but Ireland have settled well after their setback defeat to Namibia and now go into Sunday’s key game against Scotland in good heart. “The Scottish game is massive,” Joyce said, “it’s always a big game for us and they’ve been playing good cricket too.” With the ICC thoughtfully assigning the rest day to St Patrick’s Day, the Irish will be celebrating their great national occasion still entertaining hopes of a trip to Sri Lanka.

ScorecardGeorge Bailey contributed to Tasmania’s success•Getty Images

Ed Cowan and George Bailey have kept Tasmania firmly in the race to make the Sheffield Shield final after they steered the Tigers to victory over Queensland in Hobart. Tasmania were set 161 on the fourth day and they comfortably reached their target with only two wickets down, with Cowan undefeated on 77 and Bailey on 57 when the winning runs came.The Bulls added only 14 runs to their overnight total to be dismissed for 215 when Luke Butterworth claimed his fourth wicket, with Ben Cutting left unbeaten on 66. Despite the early loss of the opener Steve Cazzulino for 9 and the departure of Alex Doolan for 13, Tasmania cruised to victory within 44 overs.Cowan’s work completed a fine match for him after he scored 82 in the first innings, while Bailey showed no ill effects of a quick mid-match trip to Brisbane to cover for the injured Michael Clarke in Australia’s ODI squad. The win pushed Tasmania up to third on the Shield table, only two points behind Queensland and four behind the competition leaders Western Australia.It has been a disappointing fortnight for the Bulls, who were unbeaten in their first six matches of the campaign but have now lost their past two games, to the Warriors and the Tigers. With two rounds left, the top four sides can all still reach the decider, with only New South Wales and South Australia out of the running.