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New Zealand were 164 for 5 in 18.5 overs thanks to Chapman’s unbeaten 71, before the weather intervened

Danyal Rasool20-Apr-2023Match abandoned A hailstorm in April, of all things, resulted in the fourth T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand being abandoned towards the tailend of the first innings. Mark Chapman’s unbeaten 42-ball 71 had spearheaded New Zealand’s innings after an early triple-strike from Imad Wasim put the visitors on the backfoot. The recovery had seen them post their highest total of the series with seven balls still to go, as New Zealand were 164 for 5 when the weather intervened.It was quite the intervention, too. Moments after Haris Rauf deceived Rachin Ravindra in the flight in the penultimate over to send him on his way, light drizzle began to condense on the Rawalpindi grass. The next batter would never be able to get in though, with the rain intensifying almost instantly. As the players scurried off the ground, spectators rushed for cover and groundstaff hurried onto the pitch, hailstones the size of ping-pong balls were peppering Rawalpindi, the groundstaff taking protection underneath the very covers they had hastened to bring out. With the ground bedecked in white, it was almost instantly obvious no further play would be possible.That means, somewhat remarkably, that this depleted New Zealand side stretch this five-match T20I series to the final game on Monday, where a victory would level the series. That did not appear likely when the visitors suffered two thumping defeats to start off the series, but the Pindi crowd is guaranteed a live decider when the teams reconvene on the other side of the Eid break.Pakistan had opted to field first on a surface that, in New Zealand captain Tom Latham’s words “looked a belter”, at a venue that saw stratospherically high scores in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League. But Latham’s side found themselves on the backfoot early on when Imad Wasim rocked them with three quick wickets. Latham miscued one to the boundary to be the first to fall before Will Young and Daryl Mitchell were both deceived by the pace and flight, and cleaned up soon before Imad was done with his spell. He’d bowl out straightaway, his four overs leaking just 19 runs and placing Pakistan firmly on top.That began to change when Chad Bowes hit his stride, taking on the dominant role in a fourth-wicket stand with Chapman that began to shift momentum back. Shadab came in for particular punishment in his third over, and a six off him brought up a 32-ball 50 for the opener before Shaheen Afridi returned to break through.But Chapman, the best batter for the visitors this series, had begun to crank through the gears, and was purring now. Successive boundaries off Haris Rauf helped him hit his stride before he took Zaman Khan to the cleaners, plundering 18 off his over. He’d brought up a half-century by now, and sparing no Pakistan bowler. Shaheen was carved through the offside for four, before Rauf was pummelled over deep midwicket just before the rains hit.It would all be forgotten as nature had its say, but Chapman’s form remains relevant to New Zealand’s chances of snatching an unlikely series draw.

Todd Greenberg assures players that he will travel to Pakistan with them; Nick Hockley is also expected to make the trip

PTI11-Jan-2022Todd Greenberg, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) chief, has assured the country’s cricketers that he would travel to Pakistan with the squad if the tour gets the go-ahead, and would be fine with “one or two players” backing out of the trip.”I’ve made an assurance to the players that they won’t go alone,” Greenberg was quoted as saying by the . “If they’re going to Pakistan, I’ll be going with them and I think that’s important. It’s an opportunity to show the players that we’re in this together.”The ACA accompanied Cricket Australia on a pre-tour of Pakistan late last year, and the reports were all very positive. But we’ll continue to take the advice of DFAT [Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] and other government organisations, as we need to be able to satisfy not just the players, but their families, that it’s safe to tour.”International teams have been reluctant to travel to Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009, though international cricket has taken place in fits and starts in the country recently. If Australia get the security clearance to travel, it would be Australia’s first tour to Pakistan since 1998, when Mark Taylor’s side won the three-Test series 1-0.”There may be one or two players who won’t be comfortable despite the best advice we give, and that’s OK, we need to respect that,” Greenberg said.He stressed that while Australia were keen to fulfil their international commitments, they would allow players to make their own choices. “We have to be kind and patient with each other, and there’ll be a player or two who say, ‘You know what, this is not for me at this particular point in my life and career, I’m not comfortable going’,” he told SEN Radio during the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney. “If that’s the case, we need to have great respect for that.”CA chief executive Nick Hockley is also planning to travel to Pakistan for at least a part of the tour, while the interim chair Richard Freudenstein may visit for a period to meet with his counterpart Ramiz Raja, unless a new permanent chair is chosen by then, according to the report in the newspaper.Pakistan are scheduled to host Australia in March-April for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I, with the Tests in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, which will also host all the limited-overs matches.

“I think we saw a lot of heart, a lot of commitment. What’s important to our group is our commitment to our style of cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-20213:08

Is this the greatest New Zealand Test team?

New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson has described winning the inaugural World Test Championship in Southampton as a “special feeling”, but would not go as far as calling it the biggest day in the history of New Zealand cricket.”Certainly is a very special feeling. A couple of close ones and then to get one [final win is special],” Williamson said before collecting the Test Championship trophy. “India are a formidable side and we knew coming into the game it was going to be an incredibly tough challenge.”It’s the pinnacle, isn’t it, being involved in the final,” he added in the post-match press conference. “Even coming into the last day, although it was staggered with the weather and all the delays that we had, all results were on the table. It was just great the heart the team showed to take it across the line.”We saw both teams grab the momentum at certain points in time, and then to have the sixth day as back-up made for a fantastic game to be a part of. For us it’s a very proud moment in our history and a proud moment, just as a team really, to stick to what we do well and come away with the win, which is a really great feeling.”After the heartache of consecutive World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019 – the latter an agonising loss on boundary countback after both the match and the subsequent Super Over were tied – the triumph was sweet vindication for a New Zealand squad that has arguably never been bettered in the country’s history. Williamson, however, was keeping his emotions in check.”It’s a very special occasion and a fantastic feeling,” he said. “We’ve been involved in a couple of finals previously, and I suppose the first one [2015] was one-sided, the second one was pretty interesting, and this feeling is a bit different to those, which is great. I know the guys will celebrate that.”2019 was a great occasion and a brilliant game of cricket as well,” he added. “But obviously it’s a slightly different feeling, being on the right side of the result for us, and also a part of a great game of cricket and a great occasion, the first official World Test Championship. This is a really good feeling.”Related

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• Under the radar no more, New Zealand trump India to become Test world champions

• Dig deep, get down and dirty – no one does it better than New Zealand

• Virat Kohli calls for best-of-three finals to decide future World Test Championships

Williamson also said that while 11 people took the field for the WTC final, he wished to pay tribute to all 22 squad players who were part of the New Zealand Test side in the championship cycle. He also said that it was his players’ “heart and commitment” that earned them the final win.”I think for us, we know we don’t always have the stars, and we use our bits and pieces to stay in games and be competitive,” Williamson said. “I think we saw that in this match. I think we saw a lot of heart, a lot of commitment. What’s important to our group is our commitment to our style of cricket. And we had to, we know how strong this Indian side is in all conditions. We’ve seen it for a long time.”It’s not always easy I suppose when you’re playing in a one-off Test match as a final where anything can happen, and it’s a fickle game, and we respect that, but yeah, throughout all six days it ebbed and flowed and no one really got the upper hand for a long period of time.”The key partnership on the final day was Williamson’s unbeaten 96-run stand with Ross Taylor, who struck the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 47. The pair first played together in Williamson’s Test debut back in 2010, also against India in Ahmedabad, and the captain paid tribute to his veteran batter.”It was fantastic to be a part of a partnership like that,” he said. “Obviously Ross is our most experienced player and a leader in the group, so it was nice that we were able to soak up some of the pressure and then score a few together, although it was really difficult to come by. But having an experienced hitter like Ross out there was certainly helpful.”It was a really special feeling to be there at the end together and tick those runs off. Even though it was 130-odd, on that surface you never felt comfortable. It was nice to soak up some of that pressure and put together a partnership.”Williamson also praised his lower-order batters in the first innings, who helped New Zealand take a 32-run lead. He said that while he personally found it tough to score runs against an “amazing” Indian attack, the way the lower order played with the freedom to take them to the lead played a big role in New Zealand eventually winning the match.He also praised the surface prepared for the final, calling it a “sporting wicket” for providing a result despite only four days of cricket possible.”That was tough obviously, an amazing attack, didn’t give you much to hit for long periods,” he said. “It was certainly tough going but we had to apply ourselves and the lower order played with a bit more freedom to take us closer to some sort of lead, which was important on a wicket like this. A very sporting surface, I suppose, and only four days of cricket produced some result.”The result, while a disappointment for India, was warmly greeted by the final’s neutral viewers around the world, who have taken to New Zealand’s style in recent years – starting with Brendon McCullum’s commitment to attacking cricket, and continuing through Williamson’s five-year tenure, including his grace in defeat in 2019.But after it was suggested on the match commentary that ‘nice guys do finish first sometimes’, Williamson insisted that the team’s only aim was to remain true to themselves.”In terms of our team and our behaviours, we try and commit to what’s important to us,” Williamson said. “People can comment on that, or tag us how they’d like, but it’s not about being anything other than authentic to us as a group and the sort of cricket that we want to play, and the behaviours that are important to us day in, day out. That’s something that is important to us as a team.”

England captain says ‘there are still a lot of issues to be a girl in sport’

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2020Heather Knight believes comments by former Football Association chairman Greg Clarke have highlighted that there is still work to be done for sportswomen to achieve equality with their male counterparts.Clarke resigned from the FA and from his role as FIFA vice-president this week after using a series of racist and offensive phrases while speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting.He was also criticised for saying a coach had told him that a lack of women’s goalkeepers was because girls “don’t like having the ball kicked at them hard”.Knight, the England women’s cricket captain, said there were still “lots of issues” surrounding how women in sport are viewed and treated.”To have someone so high up in football to say that is not a great place to be,” Knight told Sky Sports News. “There’s a lot going on at the moment in terms of women’s football academies not being able to train whereas the boys’ academies are [under UK Covid-19 restrictions].”It highlights that there are still a lot of issues to be a girl in sport. It’s not a problem purely for football, there are lots of examples from other sports where girls don’t get the same opportunities as guys. I think it highlights there’s still a lot of work to do in that area and still a lot of changes that need to be made.”Boys’ football academies were allowed to stay open during a second national lockdown because they met government requirements for elite sport, but girls’ academies initially remained closed because they fell outside the FA’s interpretation of those rules.Following political pressure, girls’ academies will be allowed to open, although Baroness Campbell, the FA’s director of women’s football, told Telegraph Sport that she expected only “one or two” to be able to do so because of the costs involved in complying with Covid-19 prevention measures – a problem not faced by the significantly better resourced boys’ academies.Knight acknowledged that many positive changes had occurred in women’s cricket and women’s sport over the course of her decade-long England career.”When I was growing up [cricket] was very much a male-dominated sport,” Knight said. “I played men’s cricket down in Devon and you had to have a thick skin sometimes [due to] the comments you got.”Luckily a lot of that has changed. I think perceptions to women in cricket and in sport in general is miles away from where they were while I was growing up.”It has become a lot more normal to become a woman in sport, and a lot easier for young girls to aspire to be that and to emulate the people they are now seeing a lot more in the media, obviously with women’s sport being a lot more visible. I think we’ve still got progress to make, but in terms of my career playing for England for the last 10 years, it’s changed massively.”During a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee hearing on Tuesday, Clarke referred to “coloured footballers”, stereotyped south Asians and Afro-Caribbean people as possessing “different career interests” and described homosexuality as a “life choice”.Asked in the hearing if he would like to withdraw the use of the word “coloured”, Clarke apologised for using the term.In his resignation statement, Clarke said: “My unacceptable words in front of Parliament were a disservice to our game and to those who watch, play, referee and administer it. This has crystallised my resolve to move on. I am deeply saddened that I have offended those diverse communities in football that I and others worked so hard to include.”

Coach’s message to county’s supporters appeared to suggest links between the teams

Matt Roller17-Dec-2019Lancashire have removed an “inadvertently misleading” statement from Manchester Originals head coach Simon Katich from their website amid fears about the blurring of lines between the the county and the new Hundred team based at Old Trafford.Katich’s ‘open letter’, written to Lancashire supporters with the intention of encouraging them to attend games in the new competition, claimed that “the Originals are an extension of this great county” and that “the squad…is built around a core group of Red Rose players”.Lancashire share a senior member of coaching staff with the Originals, with the county’s head coach Glen Chapple set to work as an assistant to Katich, while four Lancashire players are also in the Originals’ squad: Jos Buttler, Matt Parkinson, Saqib Mahmood and Dane Vilas.ALSO READ: Blast stars frustrated by Hundred draft as smaller counties struggle for attentionKatich also told the last week that he “would have liked to have drafted a few more Lancashire boys, but the way the draft panned out a few things didn’t go to plan”.Andy Nash, a former ECB board member and an outspoken critic of the Hundred, claimed on Twitter that the letter represented “clear evidence [that the Hundred] elevates the eight hosts and leaves ten counties as bystanders”.The potential for concern is particularly notable in the case of the Manchester team. Every other Hundred team has at least two counties affiliated with it, but Lancashire are the only county linked with the Originals. The overlap in senior members of coaching staff raises the fear that players who impress for Lancashire are more likely to be signed in future drafts, providing players with an added incentive to sign for the county.Jos Buttler of Manchester Originals looks on prior to The Hundred Draft•Getty Images

An ECB spokesperson reiterated that there is no overlap in the two teams’ governance, that Katich is not employed by the club, and that it has introduced safeguards to ensure that no conflict of interests arises. Each new side will be run by a team board with an independent chairman, and regulations have been put in place to make sure contracts with counties and with Hundred teams cannot be linked.”Lancashire Cricket Club is wholly supportive and committed to the Hundred and the opportunity to attract a new and diverse audience,” a spokesperson said.”The letter was taken down as it was inadvertently misleading. We look forward to hosting Manchester Originals in the same way we’re looking forward to hosting England v Pakistan for the Specsavers Test next year and delivering a first class experience here at Emirates Old Trafford.”December 18, 1300 GMT – This article was updated to reflect the fact Mark Chilton will no longer be working for the Originals in the Hundred

Fifties from Javed Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah, and the all-round brilliance of Rashid Khan, consigned Zimbabwe to a 146-run loss

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAFP

Fifties from Javed Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah, and the all-round brilliance of Rashid Khan, powered Afghanistan to a 4-1 series win in Sharjah. Their margin of victory – 146 runs – was their second highest in ODI cricket. Their biggest had come in this series as well, in the first game.After opting to bat, Afghanistan had a steady start with Ahmadi and Rahmat putting on 129 for the second wicket following the early dismissal of Mohammad Shahzad. Their partnership contributed 54% of Afghanistan’s total. Ahmadi was particularly fluent against spin, scoring 55 runs off 53 balls. Rahmat hit Chisoro for 30 runs off 23 balls but Sikandar Raza had him slicing a catch to long-off for 59. Rahmat ended the series as the top-scorer with 272 runs in four innings at an average of 68. Three overs later, Ahmadi was run out for 76 off 87 balls. From 142 for 1, Afghanistan slumped to 177 for 7. Rashid’s 29-ball 43, though, hauled the team to 241 for 9.In reply, Zimbabwe collapsed to 95 all out in 32.1 overs with only two of their batsmen passing 20. Rashid took 3 for 13 to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 16 wickets, at an outstanding average of 7.93.Brendan Taylor (27) and Craig Ervine (34) rebuilt the chase briefly with a 46-run stand, before Zimbabwe imploded. They lost their last eight wickets for 23 runs with 16-year old Mujeeb Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid sharing the spoils. Rashid took three wickets in six balls to wrap up the tail.

Ian Bell termed Alastair Cook’s display on the third day in Abu Dhabi a “masterclass” and said he had been an inspiration for him during his own struggles

Andrew McGlashan15-Oct-20151:22

Cook did exactly what we want to do as a batting unit – Bell

Ian Bell has called Alastair Cook’s display on the third day in Abu Dhabi a “masterclass” and said how his performances throughout the year have provided inspiration for him during his own struggles.Cook is now the leading global run-scorer in 2015, having started the year trying to break a century drought that stretched back two years. A hundred came in Barbados, followed by a marathon effort in the second innings against New Zealand at Lord’s to set-up a remarkable victory but this innings stands out.He finished the day unbeaten on 168, flicking the final ball to deep square leg then taking the generous congratulations of every Pakistan player, having faced 329 deliveries in more than seven-and-a-half hours at the crease.There was a tight lbw review off Zulfiqar Babar on 101 and he was dropped once, top-edging a sweep off the same bowler on 147, but other than that handled the spin with utmost skill, heeding the pre-series advice of Paul Farbrace and Mahela Jayawardene to use the sweep judiciously.”He’s so organised,” Bell said. “When I watch him against spin his defence is incredible. He executed the sweep today as well as I’ve ever seen him through a day of Test cricket. The way he works out his angles, for left-handers the rough outside their off stump can be tricky, but it was a masterclass today: how to defend, how to come down occasionally to chip over midwicket but also sweep from a full length.”This is the fourth year Cook has passed 1000 runs – equalling the England record held by Kevin Pietersen – and he is now second, behind Jacques Kallis, in runs scored by non-Asian batsman in Asia. Bell said Cook’s durability to fight through the tough times was a reminder to make the most of the days which go your way, which left Bell frustrated he had fallen for 63.”To play the amount of Test cricket he has, you aren’t always going to be at your best but you have to show some character at times to get through them,” he said. “What he’s done well, especially last few months, is when he gets in he makes scores like this. They do cover your bad days. What he’s been through, and what I’ve been through a little as well in the last few months, he’s a good role model to watch. When you get days like this, cash in, and he does that as well as anyoneBell was 1 off 35 balls, a period which had included a drop catch and tight shout for lbw, and it was not until he reached double figures that he started to look more secure.”It’s difficult to start, we know that from last time here. In the subcontinent, your first 40 to 50 balls are tough and if you get through that it will get easier,” he said. “It was nice to bat long, but I was gutted not to go on – or certainly be there overnight with Cooky – I know that on a pitch like that you want to get in, make the most of it and get a big one.”Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s bowling coach who worked with England until 2014 so has witnessed previous Cook epics from the opposite dressing room, also lauded the innings.”He’s got a great record in Asia, he played it beautifully,” he said. “He has a lovely temperament and the way he played took the pressure off the other batsmen. He killed the zip of the spinners and seamers nicely. It was a brilliant innings once again.”Cook’s career best of 294 – made against India at Edgbaston in 2011 – is still some way off but he may never get a better second chance for that maiden triple hundred.

The lawyer of arrested cricketer Sreesanth has insisted his client is ‘totally innocent’ and that he will seek bail during the next hearing

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2013The lawyer of arrested cricketer Sreesanth has insisted his client is ‘totally innocent’ and that he will seek bail during the next hearing. On Thursday, a judge had remanded Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals players to five days in police custody after they had been arrested by Delhi police on corruption charges.”I asked them what is the evidence you have against him, they failed to give any kind of paper against Sreesanth in the court,” Sreesanth’s lawyer Deepak Prakash said. “Please support Sreesanth, the person is innocent, we are doing a crime right now giving the wrong news about him. I clarified from him, he is never involved in this, he is totally innocent.”He never talked to any bookie,” Prakash said. “No money is received, no telephone call, nothing is established, he is innocent.”Police alleged Sreesanth had promised bookies that he would concede at least 14 runs in his second over against Kings XI Punjab on May 9 in exchange for Rs 40 lakh (US$73,024). The police alleged that Sreesanth made the appropriate signal, which was to ask for a towel that he would tuck inside his trousers before bowling the over. Prakash dismissed the charges. “A person can use a towel in any way, how is this evidence?” he asked. “It is a matter of luck. He can use a towel whenever he wants.”Sreesanth can only apply for bail after his time in police custody, which means he will have to wait at least four more days. The Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar had also suggested that the police could invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, offences under which are non-bailable.

Nicola Browne, the New Zealand bowler, has decided to return to international cricket. The decision is a remarkable U-turn after retiring seven months ago

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2012Nicola Browne, the New Zealand bowler, has decided to return to international cricket despite announcing her retirement seven months ago. She discovered she was suffering with celiac disease, changed her diet and is now hungry to play for New Zealand once more.Browne, 28 from Waikato, felt “the flame inside her had been extinguished” when retiring in August 2011. The news came as something of a shock after rising to sixth on the world bowling rankings and being named Player of the Tournament at the 2010 Women’s World Twenty20.”I wasn’t tracking where I should have been,” Browne said. “I was plagued with health problems and just couldn’t get my energy levels right.” She thought her health problems stemmed from Temporomandibular joint disorder and reached a low point after the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011, prompting her departure from the game.But a joint disorder proved not to be the problem. Browne changed doctors and was found to be suffering with celiac disease – where gluten in the body damaged the lining of the small intestine causing fatigue.A simple change of diet did the trick. “I had more energy that I could ever remember having,” Browne said. “It was like I had been living my life at only 70%.” Pasta and pizza went off the menu as part of her new gluten-free regime that provided new-found energy and a reignited passion for cricket.Browne returned to action with seven wickets at 16.85 for Northern Districts and now has her sights on an international recall and becoming a professional. “I’ve found myself,” she said. “And I’ve found the energy to go and achieve beyond where I reached before, and bring others along for the journey.”

Alviro Petersen made a memorable return to Test cricket, while Jacques Kallis enjoyed his new-found batting freedom as South Africa made a merry mockery of Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl first at Newlands

The Report by Nitin Sundar03-Jan-2012Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlviro Petersen and Jacques Kallis made a mockery of Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl•Associated Press

Alviro Petersen made a memorable return to Test cricket, and Jacques Kallis enjoyed his new-found batting freedom as South Africa made a merry mockery of Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl at Newlands. Kallis had a sense of occasion, converting his 114-ball century into a 150-plus score in his 150th Test. His first ton against Sri Lanka, and his first in a year, was all the more significant since it silenced murmurs of failing form following the first pair of his glittering career, in Durban.Kallis’ century reaffirmed his love affair with Cape Town, a venue where he now has nine Test hundreds and over 2000 runs. But one man who might be happier with his day’s work is Petersen, whose fluency during his second Test ton glossed over the fact that he was returning to the side after a year. The pair’s dominance yielded 205 runs in under 50 overs, and negated any advantage Sri Lanka had gained from Dhammika Prasad’s early breaches.Regardless of the ease with which South Africa progressed, there was merit in Sri Lanka’s call to bowl; their historic win in Durban did not mask their problems against pace and bounce, and was founded upon South Africa’s own abject batting display. Dilshan’s decision shielded his weaker suit, and gave his seamers the mandate to attack South Africa in marginally helpful weather. He was, however, let down by a sketchy plan of action, and conditions that quickly played into the batsmen’s hands. Sri Lanka were too full in the first hour, too short in the second, and all over the place in the afternoon, before tightening their act after tea.

Smart stats

• Jacques Kallis became the sixth player overall and the first South African to feature in 150 Tests. Among South African players, Mark Boucher is next with 144 matches.

• Following his first pair in the Durban Test, Kallis scored his 41st century in his 150th Test. It is also his first century against Sri Lanka. Among batsmen with 10000-plus runs, Kallis has the highest average (56.98).

• In the course of his innings, Kallis passed 2000 runs in Cape Town. He becomes only the third player after Mahela Jayawardene and Graham Gooch to score 2000-plus runs at a particular venue.

• Kallis’ present strike rate of 73.95 is his third-highest for a 100-plus score. The highest is 74.44 during his 201 against India in Centurion in 2010.

• Alviro Petersen, making his comeback, scored his second century in his 10th Test. He has now scored 681 runs at an average of 37.83.

• The 205-run stand between Kallis and Petersen is the third-highest third-wicket stand for South Africa in Cape Town since their readmission. It is also South Africa’s best third-wicket stand against Sri Lanka.

• Rangana Herath was the most economical bowler conceding just 63 runs off his 26 overs. The remaining bowlers conceded 282 runs in 64 overs (economy rate 4.40).

In between-times, though, Prasad managed to hit the in-between lengths. His ability to ramp the pace up to 140 kph – a rare feat in an attack missing Dilhara Fernando – earned him success against Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. Both batsmen began well, but perished to familiar failings – Smith chopped on while attempting a reckless cut, and Amla was trapped in front as he walked across the stumps. Amla consulted with Petersen, and rightly chose not to review the decision. That wasn’t the only instance of Petersen’s solid judgement in his comeback innings.A couple of early drives down the ground and a nudge through square leg signalled that Petersen had carried his domestic form into the big league. Thereafter, he built steadily, before summoning the spirit to thrash Prasad over square leg for a six. He brought up his fifty with a brace of boundaries against Thisara Perera, before receding into the background.Kallis came out throwing punches in all directions, reminiscent of his half-century against Australia in the recent Johannesburg Test. He nearly pulled his fourth ball straight to fine-leg, where Chanaka Welegedara inexplicably didn’t go for the catch. Another pull off Angelo Mathews spiralled towards midwicket and landed safe. Encouraged, Mathews persisted with the short stuff, and Kallis pounded him into pulp with a raft of murderous pulls in front of square. Sri Lanka had missed their chance to nip him out early, and Kallis proceeded to enjoy himself.Sri Lanka’s discipline faltered dramatically after lunch. The early-morning moisture had evaporated, and with it all traces of sideways movement. Kallis rushed to his fifty off just 42 balls, and went on to expose their lack of pace, and Rangana Herath’s lack of spin on the first-day surface. A 21-over phase without a single maiden suggested Sri Lanka’s afternoon could not get any worse, but it did when they wasted both their reviews in desperation.Petersen’s signature shot was easily the straight drive, a shot he executed with an assured forward step and exemplary timing. Kallis, on the other hand, went on to produce shots of immense beauty in every direction. The punchy pulls gave way to picture-perfect cover drives and sublime straight hits, but the stroke that stood out was an astonishing whipped on-drive from the line of off stump when Thisara Perara was looking to angle one across defensively.That shot came after Petersen’s fall, sucked into an uppish drive by a Welegedara slower ball. The run-rate dropped below four for the first time in the 66th over, with de Villiers struggling to deal with Welegedara’s offcutters. Having batted out of his comfort zone all day, Kallis seamlessly shifted into accumulation mode and chugged past 150. The stand was worth 86 by stumps, leaving Sri Lanka wondering if they had lost the Test even before it had started.