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The BCCI’s technical committee has recommended that all Ranji Trophy matches in 2016-17 be played at neutral venues to make domestic cricket more competitive. The committee’s recommendations, according to the BCCI, seek to “rule out the issues related to preparing specific wickets for home teams, as well as to expose players to play in different conditions.” These recommendations will have to be ratified by the board’s working committee. A similar recommendation, to play all Ranji matches at neutral venues, was made before the 2012-13 season but was later turned down.The pitches used in the Ranji Trophy last season came under scrutiny after nine matches finished inside two days. Former India captain Rahul Dravid was critical of the “poor” pitches that stunted the development of young cricketers. He had also said state associations had to be forced to prepare good surfaces.

India A’s tour to Australia approved

The BCCI’s technical committee has approved India A’s tour of Australia in August for two four-day matches and a tri-series. India A had last toured Australia in July 2014 where they played two unofficial Tests against Australia A before playing a quadrangular series that also featured South Africa A and Australia’s National Performance Squad. Australia A had returned the visit with a tour to India in August last year, where it played two Tests against the home side before playing a tri-series that comprised South Africa A as well.

“A lot of people criticise and say Ranji Trophy [knockout] matches should be held in home venues of teams,” he said. “But if teams resort to doing these kind of things, then I think it is better the knockout matches are staged in neutral venues.”While Karnataka coach J Arun Kumar welcomed the panel’s recommendation, his Assam counterpart Sanath Kumar disagreed with the idea.”Apart from not having the home-crowd advantage and the home-pitch advantage, I don’t see anything wrong in that,” Arun Kumar told ESPNcricinfo. “There have been a lot of problems in the past with home-team advantage [resulting in] very bad wickets. Not having crowd support is the only setback but otherwise I think it’s a very fair move.”Sanath Kumar said the existing system, where a team played four games at home and four away, was fair. “I don’t think anybody will now come and watch. [Playing games at home meant] at least a few fans will come and support the team,” he said. “It will be like a knockout match where hardly anybody is watching the game. Instead of this recommendation, they could have had a [neutral] curator to prepare the pitches. That would have been an easier solution.”The technical committee has also recommended that the Duleep Trophy be played entirely as a day-night tournament, with four teams, picked by the selectors, playing in a round-robin format. In January, the BCCI tours and fixtures committee had asked the technical committee to explore the possibility of trialing the pink ball in the tournament. This move is significant considering the board’s keenness to host a day-night Test during India’s long home season where they will play series against New Zealand, England and Australia.Sanath Kumar said there had been discussions about changes in the zonal format of the Duleep Trophy since last season. “[In the coaches and captains enclave last year] we told the BCCI that the zonal system didn’t make much sense,” he said. “In the past we used to play Ranji Trophy at the zonal level and then we go to the knockouts. That time Duleep Trophy had a lot of relevance whereas now Ranji Trophy itself has become an all-India tournament and so Duleep doesn’t have a lot of recognition. Even the players don’t take it seriously.”We suggested that if the selectors select four teams like they do for the Challenger Trophy, it would be a better way of going about things.”

Ben Duckett helped produce a power-packed end to Northants’ innings•Getty Images

Ben Duckett made an unbeaten 92 off 54 balls as NatWest T20 Blast title holders Northamptonshire Steelbacks stepped up their challenge in the North Group by beating Worcestershire Rapids by 21 runs at New Road.Duckett and Steven Crook thrashed 106 in the last 7.3 overs to lead the Steelbacks to 195 for 4 and Worcestershire, after being up with the rate in the first half of their innings, were held to 171 for 6.Northants got off to a flier at the expense of debutant George Scrimshaw. Richard Levi pulled and drove two fours, as well as punching a three through cover, and the opening over cost 19 in all as Adam Rossington waded in with two boundaries.Levi went for 18, playing across the line to John Hastings, and Rossington was looking for a sixth boundary when he departed for 26, a pull off Mitchell Santner picking out Alex Hepburn at deep midwicket.Brett D’Oliveira then dragged the rate back still further in a straight-through stint of 2 for 27 in four overs.Alex Wakely was in a two minds when he checked a charge down the pitch, only to be bowled by the leg-spinner, and Rob Keogh provided a straightforward lbw decision as he swept across a straight ball.At 89 for 4, the Steelbacks were in danger of losing their way, but Duckett and Crook, as they done in the past on this ground, launched a withering response.Duckett contented himself with half-a-dozen fours in reaching 50 in 39 balls but jacked up the pace when clearing the rope off Joe Leach and then pulling consecutive sixes off Hastings in the closing over.The left hander finished with nine fours and three sixes and Crook’s unbeaten 34 from 19 balls contained four fours and a six.Worcestershire comfortably outscored the Steelbacks through the six-over Powerplay, but only the overseas players, John Hastings and Mitchell Santner, sustained the chase for any length of time.Hastings, fresh from a half-century against Birmingham Bears on Friday, hit two sixes in romping to 35 from 19 balls but was then bowled by Richard Gleeson.With Joe Clarke and Ben Cox falling cheaply, the Rapids looked to Santner for something substantial. The Zealander delivered to an extent, making 38 until he was brilliantly caught by Saif Zaib on the midwicket boundary.This was one two wickets for Ben Sanderson and Mohammad Azharullah landed a double in dismissing D’Oliveira and Ross Whiteley. Daryl Mitchell and George Rhodes could only play out time in an unbroken half-century partnership.

In an encouraging sign for Australia, Josh Hazlewood returned to the nets on Tuesday as he recovers from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening Ashes Test in Perth.Pat Cummins, meanwhile, was pictured bowling with a pink ball as he continues his push to return for the day-night Test at the Gabba following his back injury.The pair trained at Cricket Central in Sydney while New South Wales were playing their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.Related

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In what looked like clear evidence of immediate priorities, Hazlewood was bowling with a red ball. He is not expected to be available for the Gabba Test, so his comeback target will be Adelaide, which has reverted to a day Test this year.Speaking on Monday, Australia coach Andrew McDonald was confident that Hazlewood would be available later in the Ashes.”I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series,” he said. “We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”Cummins has been making good progress in ramping up his bowling in recent weeks and looked impressive in the nets in Perth ahead of the opening Test. The selectors will need to be fully confident that he can get through the workloads required for a Test, even if the early indications are that matches in this series may not go the distance.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” McDonald said. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”The first three Tests of the series are well spaced out – the gap between the first and second now 11 days after the two-day finish in Perth – but the schedule does become more condensed from Adelaide onwards: there is a four-day gap to the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the same to Sydney if those matches reach the fifth day.Pat Cummins has a go with the pink ball•Getty Images

With the day-night pink-ball element thrown into the mix for Brisbane, there is a good chance that it could be another short, sharp Test. In the current round of Sheffield Shield matches, ten wickets fell in the night session of the third day between Queensland and Victoria to hasten the contest to a result, although wickets hadn’t fallen at the same rate on the first two days.In that match, Xavier Bartlett put in an eye-catching performance with 4 for 35 in the second innings alongside a career-best 72 with the bat. Australia may not need further pace reinforcement during the Ashes, especially if Cummins and Hazlewood are available, but Bartlett, who has impressed in ODIs and T20Is, may have moved himself up the queue.Michael Neser was the spare pace bowler in Perth and the Gabba is his home ground. His two previous Tests have been with the pink ball in Adelaide: against England in 2021-22 and West Indies in 2022-23.In the build-up to the Ashes, the selectors also spoke of their hope that Jhye Richardson may become an option later in the series as he returns from the shoulder surgery he had earlier this year.He trained with the Test squad in Perth and then bowled 20 wicketless overs for the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions at Lilac Hill. He is expected to feature for Australia A against the Lions in Brisbane next week.”This game was a lot about physical preparation for me and making sure that we can get through,” Richardson told reporters after the CA XI outing. “I’m sure there would have been a few people seeing a bit of ice on it after the bowling but that’s basically just maintenance. The shoulder’s feeling really good and it’s feeling better and better each bowl.”It’s a decent hit out, the most overs I’ve bowled in a while and it’s all part of the process to building up to be ready for four and five-day cricket.”

Jake Weatherald believes maturing as a player and a cricketer has helped put him on the cusp of a Test debut he feared may never come.An aggressive left-hander, Weatherald has been picked in Australia’s 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test in Perth following a stunning career revival in Tasmania.Darwin-raised, Weatherald’s first-class career started brightly in South Australia, before a form slump and mental health challenges ended in him being dropped from the Sheffield Shield team.Related

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But having scored 1391 runs at 53.5 from his past 15 first-class games since his move to Tasmania, the 31-year-old is a chance to open the batting for Australia this summer.”Playing for Australia’s the hardest thing to do in Australian sport,” Weatherald said in Hobart on Friday. “It was always a goal that felt maybe a little bit out of reach at times.”But at the same time, I probably got comfortable with myself to know that if I did the right things, at the right time, and I took my opportunities, then I’d be ready to go. It is a pinch-yourself moment.”As a kid in Australia, you grow up wanting to play professional sport; representing Australia in cricket is the highest honour, and something that I’ve aspired to my whole career.”If selectors decide to go with Weatherald, he will partner with Usman Khawaja at the top. Khawaja raised eyebrows last week when he firmly backed in his Queensland team-mate Matt Renshaw to earn an Australian recall.But Weatherald, who was getting coffee with mates when George Bailey rang with the good news, laughed off the comments, with Khawaja fully behind the newest member of the Australian squad. Khawaja joined in the fun with a “Who this?” reply to a clip of Weatherald’s interview with the .”He didn’t have me in four days ago,” Weatherald joked when asked about Khawaja now backing him to play. “You get the backing of someone like that who’s played so much first-class cricket, so much Test cricket.Jake Weatherald had been a stand out in domestic cricket•Getty Images

“He’s made so many hundreds for Australia and is such a respected cricketer within our community. I’d be really excited to partner up with him at some point.”Speaking to Fox Cricket on Thursday, Khawaja said: “He’s been knocking the door down. I’ve played a lot of cricket against him…he’s a terrific player. Conditions last year were pretty hard at Shield cricket, and he was a standout.”Weatherald’s hopes of getting into the XI could hinge on allrounder Cameron Green being able to bowl enough overs in the next Shield game for Western Australia. Labuschagne will almost certainly be back after finding form following his axing for the three Tests in the West Indies.Green batted at No.3 in the Caribbean, but could shuffle down to No.6 to accommodate Labuschagne, as well as Weatherald as an opener, if he is able to justify his position as a genuine allrounder.But Labuschagne opening, as he did unsuccessfully in the World Test Championship final, also remains an option for selectors.Green is the only member of Australia’s squad aged under 30, leading to ‘Dad’s Army’ jibes from the English. But Weatherald is confident he is only in contention for Australia because of how he has matured as a cricketer.”People laugh about it, talking about the old team that we have,” Weatherald said. “But the same time, I think that’s the biggest blessing is we’ve all matured as cricketers.Jake Weatherald’s career was transformed last season with over 900 Shield runs•Getty Images

“We’ve got to a point in our careers where we understand our games and how to handle the media, how to handle the pressures of playing first-class cricket. Hopefully that keeps me in good stead.”When the squad was announced, Bailey spoke about Weatherald’s positive approach with the bat, something the selectors have been looking for since David Warner’s retirement, but while Weatherald will bring his natural game to Test cricket he is also willing to adapt.”I think the way I operate is probably around that [being positive],” he said. “But at the same time, I’m not too preconceived about what I want to do. I feel adaptable. I don’t feel like a one-gear player. I feel like I can do different things.”If that means I have to lock in and bat a day and score 50 runs, that’s the best thing for the team and the conditions, that’s what I’ll do. But at the same time, if the opportunity is there, I’ll definitely take it.”Weatherald, who reflected on the 2005 Ashes as “his first fond memory of cricket”, is also confident of being able to deal with everything Ashes cricket will throw at him.”I think so, in terms of my mindset,” he said. “I think I’m pretty understanding of what I need to do to get ready as a cricketer but also how to deal with the pressure that comes out. I’ve never been a part of it. I’ve only been from the outside looking in. I’m sure the pressures and things that will come will be intense. But at the same time, I just see it as a great opportunity to be a part of it. And whatever happens, happens. It’s just going to be a cool thing to be a part of.”You know, the media, the Barmy Army, all that sort of stuff is going to be a pretty incredible experience.”

West Indies coach Daren Sammy has been fined for his criticism of third umpire Adrian Holdstock during the opening Test against Australia in Barbados.Sammy was angered by two decisions, in particular, that went against West Indies on the second day: Roston Chase’s lbw, upheld by Holdstock despite a suggestion of an inside edge, and Shai Hope’s inside edge that was brilliantly caught by Alex Carey, who was ruled to have held the catch cleanly. On the first day, Holdstock adjudged a similar low catch to Hope off Travis Head as having not carried.Speaking after the second day’s play, Sammy said he had held concerns about Holdstock’s umpiring from the recent ODI series in England.Related

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“You don’t want to get yourself in a situation where you’re wondering about certain umpires,” he said. “Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question.”Sammy was found to have violated Article 2.7 of the ICC’s code of conduct, which pertains to “public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match or any player, player support personnel, match official or team participating in any international match”.He was fined 15% of his match fee for the level-one offence. One demerit point has also been added to Sammy’s disciplinary record, his first offence in a 24-month period.Sammy admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Javagal Srinath. Level 1 offences carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum of a 50% match fee fine, along with one or two demerit points.Captain Chase was equally critical of the decisions when he spoke after the match but there has yet to be any mention of a sanction against him.Holdstock is due to be an on-field umpire for the next two Tests in Grenada and Jamaica with the TV role split between Nitin Menon and Richard Kettleborough.

T20 Blast champions Gloucestershire have signed D’Arcy Short for their title defence, where he will play alongside his Western Australia team-mate Cameron Bancroft.Short is a two-time Big Bash League player of the tournament, and won 23 T20I caps for Australia between 2018 and 2020. He has previously played in the Blast for Durham (2019) and Hampshire (2021) and is due to be available throughout the group stages, which start next week.”I can’t wait to join the reigning Blast winners, Gloucestershire, for the 2025 T20 Vitality Blast,” Short said. “They are a well-run club and I can’t wait to meet the players, the rest of the club, and be a part of their success in 2025.”Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s coach, said: “We are so pleased to get D’Arcy over the line… He brings a batting versatility with him, being brilliantly effective from No. 1-6, and offering spin options in the Powerplay and middle. D’Arcy complements everything we are about and [we] can’t wait to get him on board.”Durham, one of Short’s former clubs, have also announced an overseas signing for the Blast, with New Zealand’s James Neesham agreeing a deal which will see him play alongside compatriot Zak Foulkes. Durham will become Neesham’s sixth county, after stints with Derbyshire, Essex, Kent, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.”I am really looking forward to playing for Durham this summer,” he said. “The Vitality Blast is one of my favourite competitions and I have heard good things about the Durham squad. I look forward to getting stuck in with the lads in a few weeks.”Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “Jimmy is an experienced international T20 allrounder with a proven track record of delivering performances for New Zealand and in franchise competitions around the world. His ability to influence games either with the bat or ball provides us with a proven matchwinner.”The rearranged IPL dates will affect availability for some players at the start of the Blast. Mitchell Santner, who is playing for Mumbai Indians, is likely to arrive late at Surrey, while Yorkshire and Warwickshire have lost Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson respectively to late replacement deals with the same franchise.Elsewhere, Warwickshire have announced that Australia’s Laura Harris will represent the Bears in the inaugural women’s Blast this year. “I’ve heard fantastic things about the team environment and the passion of the supporters,” Harris said. “I’m eager to get started, contribute on the field, and hopefully play a big role in a successful campaign.”

Big picture

The Mike Hesson era in Pakistan cricket began just about as well as could be expected, Pakistan’s complete performance giving them a straightforward victory over Bangladesh. More than the result, it was the mindset Salman Agha’s side took into the game that suggests it may be the start of something promising. Despite the loss of two early wickets and a sluggish start, the Pakistan batters continued to attack, and Nos. 3-6 produced scores between 31 and 56. Crucially, all of them boasted strike rates between 164 and 200, when traditionally an anchoring role in the middle may have chipped a chunk off their total.Topping it up was a complete bowling performance, too. Bangladesh were never allowed to keep pace with the asking rate as Pakistan continued to bruise them with regular wickets. The returning Hasan Ali continued the form he produced in the PSL, his career-best figures of 5 for 30 the cherry on top of a perfect Pakistan start.For Bangladesh, the picture is significantly less rosy. A bright start with the ball was a false dawn as the visitors found themselves outplayed through much of the rest of the game. Most notably, it was their spinners – a skillset Bangladesh rightly take pride in – who found themselves rendered ineffective, Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain leaking 91 in their eight overs.With Pakistan adopting a big-hitting power game, Bangladesh will also be aware of how unfavourably their own appears to compare. Pakistan’s bowling attack is by no means the most economical, but tellingly, Bangladesh appeared unable to take the attack to them early, consequently easing pressure off the bowlers. Flashes from captain Litton Das and Jaker Ali weren’t nearly substantial enough and received little support from their team-mates as Bangladesh crumpled to defeat.However, Pakistan’s new system is still finding its feet, with the variance between a good performance and a poor one likely significant. Bangladesh’s game style offers a more stable level of baseline performance, one that, should they reproduce in either of the remaining games, could see them give Pakistan trouble.

Form guide

Pakistan WLLWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLWW

In the spotlight

The only downside for Pakistan during a fairly complete performance was Haris Rauf’s figures of 0 for 36 in three. The Lahore Qalandars fast bowler had a difficult PSL in terms of economy, a poor run that appears to have continued into this series. Even when he bowled towards the tail-end of the game with the jeopardy taken out, he found himself being targeted by Jaker, and ended up as the most expensive fast bowler on either side. At his best, Haris has offered precious control in the middle and later overs of T20 innings, and for a more rounded bowling attack, Pakistan need him to rediscover that prowess.Jaker Ali is one of the few in-form batters for Bangladesh•Randy Brooks

Jaker Ali struck some meaty blows on Wednesday, once more confirming his growing stature as a gritty, aggressive cricketer. His penchant for refusing to give up in difficult situations has seen regard for him improve within Bangladesh cricket circles, and in a side where big hitting is in short supply, Jaker fills a crucial hole. He is also one of the few in-form batters in the side, and it would not be a surprise if he earns a promotion up the order.

Team news

While Pakistan may use this series to try things out, they may not want to tweak much after a well-rounded performance in the first game. If anything, Abbas Afridi may come in for Haris Rauf.Pakistan (probable): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Salman Agha (capt), 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Haris Rauf/Abbas Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Abrar AhmedBangladesh may want to bring Najmul Hossain Shanto back into the XI, but it isn’t who played and who didn’t that resulted in Wednesday’s defeat so much as a flat performance across the board.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali (wk), 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Shoriful IslamTowhid Hridoy rebuilt slowly for Bangladesh•Associated Press

Pitch and conditions

The weather conditions are unlikely to change, with hot and dry weather expected throughout the series. A fresh pitch will be used, but expect the same old batting-friendly conditions.

Stats and trivia

• The 201 Pakistan posted on Wednesday was their highest T20I total at the Gaddafi Stadium
• Bangladesh have only once won a T20I series where they lost the first game, against West Indies in 2018

Quotes

“I’d like to dedicate this performance, above all, to myself. The amount of hard work I’ve done, I should give credit to myself, too.”

Jamie Porter helped wrap up a nervy first Rothesay County Championship victory of the season for Essex on the final day against Worcestershire with the 22nd five-wicket haul of his career.The 31-year-old pace bowler, the leading wicket-taker in Division One last season, added three more wickets to the three he had taken the day before as Worcestershire were bowled out for 266, 28 runs short of their target. Porter finished with 6 for 52 from 24.4 overs.However, the victory was not achieved without some belated anxiety. The 23-year-old allrounder Ethan Brookes, patience personified earlier in his innings, threw caution to the wind when the ninth wicket went down and launched a one-man pyrotechnic show that included seven sixes in a scintillating 88 from 105 balls before becoming Porter’s final victim.”When we got them two wickets down early on I thought we’d get it done before the second new ball,” Porter said. “But that was one hell of an innings by Ethan Brookes. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt about Worcestershire, it’s they don’t give in. They push you all the way to the end. So a lot of credit to them to a) get into the position they were at this morning, where it felt we were slight favourites, and b) literally from the jaws of defeat to put themselves in a position where they almost won it.”With Jacob Duffy blocking at the other end for 0 not out off 12, Brookes helped Worcestershire add 64 for the tenth wicket. His dismissal was not without controversy, too, as Brookes initially stood his ground after Porter rushed in to take a caught-and-bowled right under the batter’s nose.”He was within his rights to question the wicket, but I was 100 percent certain I’d taken it,” Porter said. “I’ve never claimed a catch that wasn’t clean in my career, not that I’ve been in that position too often. But I’m 100 percent certain it carried and the umpire at point confirmed it.”He’s [Brookes] obviously disappointed because he felt like he deserved to be on the right end of that result, and I agree the way he played he did deserve to be on the winning side. But that’s the way it goes.”Both teams arrived on day four believing they not only could win but would win. Worcestershire needed 110 more runs and Essex required four wickets. They also needed to get it completed before forecast rain arrived during the afternoon.That Essex had dug themselves out of a hole after being dismissed for 179 in the first innings and being able to set a target of 295, was largely due to Paul Walter’s century, the highest score on a hybrid wicket that was a seamer’s paradise.To prove that point, Porter extracted some extra bounce from the pitch to claim his fourth wicket of the innings with the second ball of his second over of an overcast morning. Worcestershire had only added a quickly scampered single to their overnight 185 for 6 when Matthew Waite played on to depart for 27 after a painstaking two-hour stay.Worcestershire were still 103 runs away from celebrating their own first win of the campaign when Tom Taylor got a thick edge to another lifting delivery from Porter and was caught at first slip by Walter. Kasun Rajitha, replacing Porter in the attack, then knocked out Ben Allison’s leg stump to leave Worcestershire on the precipice.Once the game was all over bar the shouting, Brookes decided to have some fun, smashing Simon Harmer for six over cow corner and then scooping and sweeping Rajitha for maximums off successive balls. His fourth six, again off Harmer and over Snater’s head on the square-leg boundary, took him to a 73-ball fifty.Another six, his fifth in five overs, landed in the Tom Pearce Stand at the River End before Porter returned to take the new-ball with Worcestershire still requiring 53 to win.A sixth six, this one hit back over Snater’s head, brought up the fifty partnership for the last wicket, in 38 balls, of which Duffy had contributed exactly nought. Even Porter came in for some treatment when Brookes deposited him over fine leg for six No. 7. But next ball, Brookes lobbed the ball up and Porter dived forward to claim the catch.Worcestershire head coach, Alan Richardson, said: “It was a remarkable innings from Ethan. It just showed the skill level he has and the ability. It was amazing to watch from a position where for love and money it didn’t look like we were going to get so close. For him to produce something like that should give him a great deal of confidence.”The coaching staff here have known Ethan for a long time so when he left Warwickshire we knew there was something there. He got his maiden first-class hundred against Hampshire last year on a spin-friendly wicket was also an amazing innings, and very similar to that in the tempo he played. We believe we’ve got an exciting cricketer.”Yes, he did throw the kitchen sink at a few but the way he conducted himself and the fact Jacob [Duffy] faced so few balls was real testament to an intellect cricketer, someone who knew how to go about it. You talk about throwing caution to the wind, I think there was an element of freedom about how he went about it. He’s an excellent cricketer.”

Leicestershire’s international pair Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb battled hard to give their side a chance of saving the game, after Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram had continued his batting masterclass.Rahane was 47 not out and Handscomb unbeaten on 33, Leicestershire 144 for 3, trailing by 155, when bad light stopped play with 21.2 scheduled overs remaining.Both the Indian and Australian were dropped by Glamorgan legspinner Mason Crane, two of his three dropped catches coming off his own bowling, in moments which may come back to haunt the home side as they chase victory on the final day.That was after Glamorgan had declared on 550 for 9, with a lead of 299, Ingram unbeaten on a personal best 257, Crane getting his day off to a better start with 49 runs to his name.Glamorgan started the day in a strong position and soon set about building on those solid foundations, with Colin Ingram carrying on as he had done over the previous two days.Having already notched his first ever double century, the fastest Glamorgan player to 1,000 runs in a season, he notched his first ever 250, confidently progressing in serene fashion.He had good support from Crane who was one short of a well deserved half century when he was dismissed in one of the most unfortunate ways possible.Ingram hit the ball firmly back down the ground, bowler Rehan Ahmed got a fingertip to the ball which went on to hit the stumps at the bowler’s end before Crane could regain his ground.New Zealander Fraser Sheat hit a breezy 34 while Ingram mainly watched on, Ned Leonard had one nice boundary before the declaration came just before lunch with Glamorgan nine down, 299 runs ahead on the first innings scores.Ingram was 257 not out, having been on the field for all but one ball of the match, batting just three minutes short of ten hours, as Glamorgan added 119 runs to their total during the morning.Leicestershire had a mountain to climb when they came out to bat, with their opening bowler, Ian Holland, also opening the batting.Both sides needed patience and Rishi Patel and Holland withstood an impressive opening salvo from Timm van der Gugten and Fraser Sheat.It was Dan Douthwaite who made the breakthrough, nipping one back to trap Patel LBW. Ned Leonard got the ball to nip back even more sharply to bowl Leicestershire captain Lewis Hill.Van der Gugten got in on the act with one which lifted outside off stump and Holland tamely lobbed it to point where Billy Root to the catch.That brought Indian Ajinkya Rahane and Australian Peter Handscomb together, who were always likely to form the nub of the resistance.Glamorgan had their chances as Rahane gave two caught and bowled opportunities to Mason Crane when on 32, but the leg spinner put them both down, the first low to his left and the second sharp to his right.Handscomb was on 26 when he pulled Sheat firmly in the air to midwicket where once again it was the unfortunate Crane who spilled the chance.There was confusion over bad light at the end of the day, but the early finish was inevitable after the umpires tried to come back on for 10 balls only to be forced to call events off in the growing gloom.

Mark Wood’s breathtaking post-lunch spell netted him a five-wicket haul and put England on the brink of another comprehensive victory over West Indies, which they sealed inside three days at Edgbaston.Whereas his relentless rockets at Trent Bridge had jaws on the floor but yielded just two wickets for the match, his mastery of a reverse-swinging ball in the hour after lunch accounted for all five remaining West Indies wickets for 19 runs in the space of 39 balls. Wood ended with 5 for 40 from 14 overs, his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests, to add to his 2 for 52 from West Indies’ first innings.Related

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• Stokes and Wood enter record books after starring in Edgbaston win

• Stokes hails 'phenomenal' Wood after Edgbaston haul seals series sweep

The burst obliterated the efforts of Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge, who both scored half-centuries, as West Indies were left with a paltry 81-run lead.The run-chase was perfectly poised for England to Bazball their way to victory, especially with Ben Stokes opening in place Zak Crawley, who had left the ground for scans after injuring his finger while fielding. Stokes struck a staggering 57 off 28 balls as he and Ben Duckett, with 25 off 16, mowed down the target in 7.2 overs without loss for a 3-0 series sweep.England reached fifty off just 26 balls, equalling their team record posted at Trent Bridge. On this occasion, Stokes scored 41 of those runs. Duckett, seemingly tired of playing the supporting role after he was key to the fastest-fifty record in Nottingham, struck four boundaries in one Jason Holder over.Stokes, meanwhile, notched the fastest Test fifty for an England batter and joint third-fastest overall, off just 24 balls, and hit the winning runs, swinging a waist-high full-toss from Kraigg Brathwaite for six through backward square-leg, emphasising the one-sided nature of the series despite some encouraging passages of fight from West Indies.It was Stokes who had initially got the ball reversing in the morning session and he deployed Wood and Gus Atkinson – who had already claimed two wickets for the day – to good effect in the afternoon.Fastest team fifties in Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With West Indies five wickets down and just 57 runs ahead, Joshua Da Silva hadn’t moved off his lunch-time score of 2 when he was rapped on the pad by a reverse-swinging yorker delivered at 90mph, umpire Adrian Holstock unmoved by Wood’s emphatic appeal and the batter surviving England’s review on umpire’s call. But Da Silva added just three more runs when Wood had him irrefutably out with a full ball moving in past the bat to strike low on the back leg in line with middle stump.A short while later, Wood’s reversing yorker ripped out Alzarri Joseph’s middle stump and West Indies were 162 for 7 with England scenting victory.It was sound justification for Stokes keeping Wood on for a rare sixth over on the trot and the move paid huge dividends with three wickets falling in the over.Wood struck first ball to remove West Indies’ remaining recognised batter, Hodge getting a thick edge on a late-reversing rocket to be caught behind by Jamie Smith.Then Wood sent Jayden Seales’ off stump tumbling for a three-ball duck to continue the procession, which he ended with another late reverse-swinging delivery which Shamar Joseph edged to Harry Brook at second slip.Louis and Hodge had steadied West Indies from 53 for 3 with a 72-run stand off 78 balls for the fourth wicket.Ben Stokes launched the chase after opening in place of the injured Zak Crawley and slammed 57* in 28 balls•AFP/Getty Images

They came together after Shoaib Bashir had accounted for Alick Athanaze, who managed to add ten runs for the day, including a four off Wood through third slip, where Brook got his hands to it but couldn’t hold what would have been a spectacular catch. Five balls after the reprieve, Bashir clipped Athanaze’s front pad with a ball that slid under his attempted sweep.Hodge gave West Indies cause for optimism based on his century at Trent Bride and he delivered with his second Test fifty. He struck back-to-back fours off Wood, one swung through midwicket and the other with a beautiful drive.Louis brought up his half-century with a slog-swept six off Bashir and he helped himself to another maximum off Bashir’s next over, clearing the boundary at long-off.While Stokes was getting the ball to reverse swing, he got Louis fending at one that pitched on a length outside off stump and edging to Crawley at second slip.Crawley was in the same position when he dropped Holder, on 12 at the time, off Stokes, injuring his finger in the process, but Atkinson removed Holder at the end of the next over with an inswinger that struck the front knee roll, the batter’s review failing when ball-tracking ruled it was umpire’s call on hitting leg stump.