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Match Facts

March 4, 2017
Start time 1400 local (0100GMT)1:38

McGlashan: de Villiers could decide fate of series

The Big Picture

Neither side has wanted to grasp hold of this series. There has been some impressive cricket from both, headlined by Martin Guptill in Hamilton and AB de Villiers throughout, but also vulnerabilities exposed – perhaps more than expected in the case of South Africa who arrived as the No. 1 side. It has made for compelling viewing.New Zealand have made it their thing this season to dethrone the top one-day side. Firstly they did it to Australia and now they have done it to South Africa (at least briefly). Whatever the outcome at Eden Park it is unlikely to change each sides’ thinking too much in terms of the Champions Trophy, but South Africa have a few unwanted concerns over the middle order while New Zealand remain in a muddle over the wicketkeeping position which has a knock-on impact to the middle order.Talk of momentum heading into the decider would appear pointless given how New Zealand responded to being bowled out for 112 in Wellington. South Africa need to find a similar reply after being Guptill-ed. If they don’t, de Villiers will leave Eden Park with that sinking feeling again.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLWLW
South Africa LWLWW

In the spotlight

Tim Southee has had an interesting series. He has bowled some superb deliveries, and his four-over spell of cutters in Hamilton helped throttle the South Africa middle order, but overall he has gone for 6.59. Although it needs to be qualified that he bowled to de Villiers at the death and, crucially, got his yorkers in to seal the Christchurch victory. He returns to the ground where he (just about) held his nerve against Marcus Stoinis’ onslaught earlier this season.AB de Villiers has barely put a foot wrong with the bat – although some help from his middle order would not go amiss – but he now needs to steel himself and his team for a crunch encounter. Was it fate that there would be a deciding match at Eden Park? Before the T20I, he had noticed now much semi-final was replayed on TV. This is another excuse for the sports channels in New Zealand to re-run the match again.

Team news

New Zealand have added Matt Henry to the squad on duty in Hamilton. It is unlikely they will play two frontline spinners at this ground although Jeetan Patel’s offspin added a new dimension to the attack. Henry bowled well in the recent Plunket Shield match, even if it wasn’t enough to keep him in the Test squad, while Lockie Ferguson was expensive in the Wellington ODI.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 James Neesham, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson/Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultAndile Phehlukwayo sat out the previous match with a tight groin – his changes of pace were missed – but is fit and could rotate with one of the other allrounders. South Africa would have liked a chance to rest Kagiso Rabada, but with the series on the line may find it difficult. After backing from de Villiers, it appears unlikely JP Duminy or David Miller will be replaced by Farhaan Behardien.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

This could be the truest wicket of a series where the pitches have provided unexpected assistance, especially for the spinners. De Villiers said that Imran Tahir, who took 5 for 24 in the T20I here, would enjoy the extra pace in the wicket. There is the chance of late showers. Rain in an Eden Park match between these two. Where have we seen that before?

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won just two of their nine one-day series against South Africa: 2004 at home and 2013 away.
• In 73 ODIs at Eden Park, New Zealand’s record is level-pegging: 34 wins and 34 losses (with two ties and three no results)
• AB de Villiers averages 203 against New Zealand on their home soil. He has only been dismissed three times in 11 innings. The most runs by a visiting batsman to New Zealand in a series of up to five matches is Rahul Dravid’s 309 in 1998-99 – De Villiers is on 239.

Quotes

“Really looking forward to it, it’s a nice challenge for us as team. Don’t think this series has seen the best cricket we capable of, so tomorrow is a little opportunity to play in big pressure game.”
“I don’t think either side has played the perfect game. There have been patches of brilliance but not a complete performance.”

While AB de Villiers admitted South Africa enjoyed getting their own back at Eden Park, he stressed there was more to the series win than just erasing bad memories. Victory in the decider has put the Champions Trophy firmly in South Africa’s sights as they proved to themselves they can perform under pressure.”There’s a bit of emotion in us winning the series, especially chasing under pressure. We’ll enjoy the victory. It doesn’t make it right after we lost the semi-final. That will never change,” de Villiers said. “But as we sit here now, we’ve just won a game against New Zealand in a final at Eden Park so it’s a great feeling. We’ve come a long way since that semi-final.”South Africa have won seven of their nine series since the 2015 World Cup, including a one-off match against Ireland and a 5-0 whitewash over each of Australia and Sri Lanka this summer, and have hit a run of form that gives de Villiers hope that an ICC trophy is not far away.”I felt ready [for the Champions Trophy] before this tour but this was a really good test for us. I truly believe we are ready,” he said. “It will be silly for me to say yes we are going to win it even though I believe that in my heart, but no one is going to make silly statements like that. We are going there to win and I think we are ready, so if all things go well I think we will be there at the end of the tournament.”

No regrets over Test hiatus for de Villiers

South Africa’s ODI series win in New Zealand was not enough to change AB de Villiers’ mind about his decision to take a break from Test cricket until at least December this year. De Villiers has opted out of South Africa’s upcoming three Tests in New Zealand, the four-Test series in England and a two-match series at home against Bangladesh in September-October, as he focuses on workload management in order to stay fit until the 2019 World Cup.
“I can’t wait to get home. I am really looking forward to get to my family,” he said. “A three-week tour works really well. A couple of weeks at home before more cricket starts again is coming at a great time for me. I will really miss the boys and I will watch the cricket, but it’s a great time for me to get back and rest the mind.”

De Villiers is particularly pleased with South Africa’s consistency with the ball – they have bowled their opposition out in 10 of their last 16 ODIs – and confidence with the bat, which he thought shone through on Saturday. Although South Africa were only chasing 150, the surface offered the bowlers a bit and things could have gone very wrong very quickly. South Africa were 48 for 3 and then 88 for 4, when de Villiers was dismissed, and they needed calm heads to get home.Faf du Plessis’ second half-century of the series and David Miller’s 35-ball 45 got them there and showed de Villiers improvement in the way his team approaches chases. “Tonight was a great way to show everyone we can handle pressure, that we can cross the line in tight games with tricky totals and a really good bowling opposition who squeeze you very hard,” he said. “All our batters showed a lot of positivity, which was great. In the past we fell into traps of being conservative and being stuck in a bubble when the pressure is on. We hit ourselves out of that with great body language and good skill throughout the innings. It’s a great step in the right direction.”His pace spearhead, Kagiso Rabada agrees.The 21 year old used exactly the same words to describe South Africa’s position at the moment and also thinks they are ripe for major-tournament success, but Rabada’s assessment came with a warning: the Champions Trophy is still three months away. “We are going in the right direction. If the Champions Trophy was tomorrow will be ready but, when we get to England, we will be apart from each other for quite a while,” he said. “We will get back together when it’s closer to the time and recuperate and then we need to get going from where we left off. That’s going to be important.”That South Africa’s major preparations for the Champions Trophy are complete long before the event could be considered super-efficient. It could also become a case of peaking too early, so their biggest challenge will be sustaining the momentum they have gathered so far.What might assist them in that cause is the differing nature of their most recent series wins. South Africa have swung from complete domination over Sri Lanka to a seesaw contest against New Zealand, in which the advantage changed hands after every game. Rabada saw the value in both experiences and chances are the rest of the team did too.”It was nice to beat Sri Lanka 5-0. It shows a clinical performance and attention to detail and then this one was really nitty gritty. Both of them have their pros and both have their own feelings,” he said. “Beating a team 5-0 shows you are going into every game not being complacent, paying attention to the small things and professionalism. In a tight series, there’s more pressure and we handled the pressure really well. Competition keeps you on your toes, so I enjoy both.”

ScorecardFile photo – Khadija Tul Kubra took her second consecutive four-for and her career-best ODI figures•ICC/ Mainoor Islam Manik

Bangladesh women kept the five-match series against South Africa women alive, defending 136 by 10 runs in the third ODI in Cox’s Bazar. The result leaves the series scoreline at 2-1, with two more ODIs still to be played.At the centre of Bangladesh’s win was offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra, who finished with a career-best 4 for 33, her second four-for in as many matches. Introduced into the attack in the ninth over, after South Africa had already lost two early wickets, Tul Kubra dismissed the in-form Lizelle Lee for 46 off 31 balls. Then, with South Africa reeling at 64 for 5, Tul Kubra dismissed Suné Luus and Sinalo Jafta off consecutive deliveries in the 15th over. South Africa rapidly slid to 96 for 9 in the 23rd over but Dane van Niekerk kept Bangladesh at bay. Eventually, however, the South Africa captain was left stranded on 42 not out as their innings ended in 31.2 overs. Apart from Tul Kubra, Panna Ghosh and Jahanara Alam took two wickets apiece, while Salma Khatun claimed the last wicket to fall. Between them, Lee and van Niekerk contributed 88 runs in the side’s total of 126, with extras accounting for the next best score, 9.Earlier, having won the toss, Bangladesh had laid a platform that promised a total higher than 136. Their innings came undone, however, after a batting implosion, as they lost their last seven wickets for 32 runs, stumbling from 104 for 3 to 136 all out. Every bowler in South Africa’s attack took wickets, with Marizanne Kapp, Luus and van Niekerk taking two apiece. The fourth ODI will be played on January 18.

Pakistan’s Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said he is still undecided about his retirement plan and it is a decision he will take on his own, not with the PCB, after deciding his utility as a captain and as a player for the team. He also said he did not have to announce his retirement beforehand and could end his career whenever he wanted, as he was not looking for a farewell.In April this year, Misbah had marked the upcoming Australia tour as possibly his last, with Pakistan playing series against England, West Indies and New Zealand before that. His fitness helped him play all those series, though he recently missed the Hamilton Test against New Zealand following the death of his father-in-law – he had also been given a one-match suspension by the ICC for his side’s slow over rate in Christchurch. He is set to depart from Lahore on Saturday to join the squad in Brisbane ahead of the three Tests against Australia.Misbah, 42, understands that age is catching up with him but his fitness and passion for the game are intact. “I am at a certain stage of my career where I only think what I can give back to my team,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “I am thinking but haven’t reached any conclusion, but my whole thought process is all about the team – if they can move on without me or not. And how I can do more as a senior to inspire and make this team stand on its own.”I do believe these boys have the capability to take responsibility and can deliver. So I am actually thinking if it’s a good to leave at this stage. But this is a decision I want to take on my own and I don’t think I need to pre-announce it. I don’t think that it is necessary for me to mark any series my last but I can take it any time without even having a farewell. I don’t have to make my retirement plan a big issue by beating drums all over.”Misbah was reportedly requested by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan to continue playing beyond the Australia series but he quashed any such propositions and said it’s eventually his own decision. The PCB made Azhar Ali, who has been playing under Misbah since 2010, the vice-captain, but he seems to have lost favour among board officials, who now want Misbah to continue until they identify another successor.”Both Azhar and Sarfraz Ahmed are good choices but the former’s batting suffers whenever he leads the side,” Khan said recently. “Allrounder Imad Wasim can also be a candidate as he has impressed the PCB with his ability to handle pressure at crucial stages of matches.”Pakistan became the No. 1 ranked Test team earlier this year but soon slipped to No. 4, due to the defeat against West Indies in Sharjah and the 2-0 whitewash in New Zealand. They next tour Australia, where they have never won a Test series in 52 years. In their last three outings to Australia, they lost all three Tests in each of the series, in 1999, 2004 and 2009.Misbah: “It’s tough to regather ourselves but we have to and we will”•AFP

Misbah believed that the set of players selected for the Australia tour formed a “winning” squad. “The alarming situation is that our main batsmen are out of form. Otherwise these boys have beaten England in their own conditions,” he said. “In New Zealand, we were not able to get time to adjust and the pitches were all in favour of bowlers. Even the New Zealand batsmen struggled most of the time because conditions were unplayable. But in Australia, you have a lot of opportunities to score runs and you either get out or play your strokes.”It’s not like we are not capable enough to compete against Australia in Australia. We are. Yes, we are low on confidence after losing three straight Tests and it’s tough to regather ourselves but we have to and we will. Our batsmen have done it in the past, our bowlers are good but they need to be pushed hard and they have to take responsibility. So, overall this team has everything you need to win a game and I am sure we are very much capable.”Pakistan recently moved Azhar from the No. 3 position, his regular batting slot where he has batted in 45 of his 54 Tests. He averages 44.32 at No. 3 with 10 hundreds. Similarly, Asad Shafiq was displaced from the No. 6 spot, where he played 45 out of 50 Tests. Misbah realised that moving Shafiq cost Pakistan’s lower order but with Babar Azam coming in, the No. 3 conundrum could be solved.”For the sake of team requirement we had to move him [Azhar Ali] up as we needed to have an experienced hand in the opening slot,” Misbah explained. “So we moved Asad, but it was never a long-term prospect as we now have Babar Azam building up for No. 3 position and he has shown the promise. We also realised that we were missing out much-needed partnerships between Asad and Sarfraz so now he can go and bat at his regular number.”

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that dew played a role in reducing the effectiveness of his bowling attack during the day-night Test in Dubai because the dampness affected the pink ball’s ability to spin and reverse swing. He also said the pitch did not deteriorate as it usually does at the venue because the dew.The day-night fixture was Pakistan’s tenth Test in Dubai, where they have won six matches and drawn and lost two each. The 56-run victory against West Indies, who were dismissed with 12 overs remaining in their chase of 346, was Pakistan’s narrowest at the venue.The pattern of the game, which was only the second day-night Test, was in contrast to the first such fixture in Adelaide, where Australia beat New Zealand inside three days in a match dominated by bowlers. In contrast, Pakistan made 579 and 123 in Dubai, while West Indies made 357 and 289.”A bit of dew in the evening session was affecting the ball. With the sogginess, the ball was getting softer so different factors contributed and helped the batsmen score runs,” Misbah said after the Test. “Spinners and fast bowlers will get more help and reverse swing will also be there in the dry weather. But in the evening the pink ball was getting wet and the seam was swelling and it got softer.”The pitch was on the slower side, I don’t know why, but otherwise the Dubai pitch normally starts deteriorating after two days. But since the dew was helping the pitch bind again and it wasn’t breaking up at the same rate it used to. But in the end it was a good Test match, both teams played really well, and it’s good for the Test cricket.”West Indies began the final day needing 251 runs with eight wickets in hand. They lost Marlon Samuels off the first ball but Darren Bravo held the chase together. Misbah said he had nervous moments until Bravo was eventually dismissed for 116 in the final session, and rued his team’s fourth-day collapse for 123 that had let West Indies into the game.”It was tough for the team and for the captain,” Misbah said. “Certainly you were ahead of them for almost three and a half days but in one session you had given the advantage to the opposition. Maybe had we batted for another 15 overs, with 400 runs on board we could have got them out early.Misbah praised Bravo for his resilience. He batted 406 minutes in the fourth innings to take the game deep and Misbah was appreciative of how the West Indian batsman had played legspin.”The way he handled Yasir Shah, that was really something special. He [Yasir] was turning the ball from roughs but he [Bravo] showed good defence and attacked him at times,” Misbah said. “That was the main reason he neutralised Yasir for quite a long time but still Yasir managed to take wickets. Every passing ball was putting pressure but thankfully we managed to win the game. You should give credit to the opposition, they played really well and it was a good game in the end.”

Match facts

Sunday, October 30, Sharjah
Start time 10am local (0600 GMT)

Big picture

Pakistan have already won the series, after taking a 2-0 lead with their victory in Abu Dhabi, but the final Test in Sharjah presents them with an opportunity to set some benchmarks. In their sights is a sixth series whitewash, and a chance to complete a clean sweep of West Indies: 3-0 in the Tests, to go with 3-0 in the ODIs and 3-0 in the T20 internationals. Misbah-ul-Haq is also set to lead Pakistan for the 49th time in Tests, and pass Imran Khan as the country’s most-capped captain. Little did anyone think he would come this far – Misbah is 42 years old now – when he was appointed captain in 2010, and success in Sharjah would be an occasion for more celebratory push-ups.West Indies were not easily beaten in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They pushed each Test into the fifth day and made Pakistan bowl more than 100 overs in the fourth innings before the game was up. There were heartening performances from Darren Bravo, Devendra Bishoo, Shannon Gabriel and Jermaine Blackwood, but West Indies’ wait for victory continues despite having arrived in the UAE about 40 days ago.Jason Holder’s young team will hope they can end a couple of longer waits too. West Indies have not won a Test since May 2015, and the last time they won one outside the Caribbean and Bangladesh was in December 2007, against South Africa in Port Elizabeth. The Sharjah fixture is West Indies’ last chance to perform creditably in Test cricket for a while; their next series is only in March 2017, when they host Pakistan.

Form guide

Pakistan WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LLDLD

In the spotlight

After taking ten wickets in Dubai, West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo managed only one in Abu Dhabi despite bowling 46 overs in the second Test. Misbah had said those conditions were extremely tough for wicket-taking, but Sharjah offers a bit more turn and Bishoo will want to ensure that eight-for isn’t his only fond memory of the series.Bowling coach Roddy Estwick urged people to have patience in Jason Holder’s young side•AFP

Sarfraz Ahmed‘s 56 in Abu Dhabi was his first half-century in 15 innings, and his consistency with the bat has been a talking point lately. Sharjah was the venue where Sarfraz kick-started his Test career with 48 off 46 balls in an astonishing chase of 302 against Sri Lanka in 2014, and he will hope to rediscover strong batting form over the next five days.

Team news

Misbah hinted at changes in Pakistan’s XI and it is understood that left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar may make way for an extra fast bowler. Sohail Khan may also miss the game to give a younger quick a chance.Pakistan (probable) 1 Sami Aslam, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah ul Haq (capt), 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Imran Khan, 11 Sohail KhanWest Indies wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich was declared fit and is likely to return to the XI. Fast bowler Miguel Cummins, who took only one wicket in the first two Tests, is likely to make way for Alzarri Joseph.West Indies 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Leon Johnson, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

Sharjah is much hotter than Abu Dhabi and Dubai were and temperatures are forecast to hit 33-34C. The pitch appears flat and is likely to offer assistance to the spinners only towards the end of the Test.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have played four Tests in Sharjah since 2010. They drew one and won one against Sri Lanka, lost to New Zealand, and beat England.
• None of the present Pakistan batsmen average over 45 in Sharjah. Misbah’s 43 is the best of the lot. Younis Khan averages 34 and Azhar Ali 31 here.
• Yasir Shah’s 11 wickets at this venue have come at 30 apiece.

Quotes

“Every Test win has value in term of ranking, confidence level, so it’s important for us to try to win this game as well.”
“People forget this is a very, very young side. When you look at the number of players under 25, it is unbelievable that a side in Test cricket could be so young. But it’s a good thing and once the people of the Caribbean and the selectors remain patient, I think we’ve got the making of a pretty decent side in 12 to 18 months.”

Nathan Buck has become the fourth player to leave Lancashire since the end of the season as Ashley Giles, their director of cricket, rebuilds the county’s playing staff.Buck, who was released from his contract a year early, has joined Northamptonshire, the defending NatWest Blast champions, on a three-year deal.Last month, Lancashire announced seamers George Edwards and Gavin Griffiths along with opening batsman Luis Reece were not having their contracts renewed.Buck’s two years at Lancashire have been largely unproductive. He joined them at the end of the 2014 season from Leicestershire, but suffered an injury-hit first season for the Club, featuring in just two games before spending last winter in Sydney playing grade cricket for Manly.He went on to play a further 17 games for Lancashire this season in all competitions, taking 12 wickets in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast including T20 career best figures of 4 for 26 at Edgbaston against the Birmingham Bears.Buck “It will be a new challenge for me and I’m looking forward to getting back to my best with some exciting cricket.”Northants are a strong, tight-knit side that have done exceptionally well this season. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

ScorecardFile photo: Kedar Jadhav’s unbeaten 93 gave India A a bonus-point win over NPS, and took them to the final of the quadrangular series•AFP

Half-centuries from Kedar Jadhav and Shreyas Iyer gave India A a bonus-point win over Australia’s National Performance Squad in their Quadrangular A-Team One-Day Series clash on Saturday. By virtue of the win, India became the first team to seal their spot in the final of the tournament, to be played on September 4.Jadhav’s unbeaten 93 and Iyer’s 62 helped India A knock off a 208-run target in 38.2 overs with six wickets in hand in Mackay. That was after the bowlers had combined for a collective effort to keep NPS to 207 for 8 in 50 overs.Iyer and Jadhav were left to reconstruct India A’s innings after left-arm medium pacer Tom O’Donnell’s early strikes left them 41 for 3 in the 11th over of the chase. The two added 135 for the fourth wicket in 23.1 overs. It took O’Donnell again to separate the duo when he struck at the end of the 34th over, having Iyer caught. But at that point, India A were comfortably placed and needed 32 more from 16 overs. Hardik Pandya joined Jadhav and the two knocked off the remaining runs in 26 balls. Iyer’s 62 took 93 balls and contained four fours. Jadhav faced 83 balls for his unbeaten 93 and struck 10 fours.O’Donnell was the only NPS bowler among the wickets and finished with 4 for 28 in nine overs.NPS were rocked early when they batted after Varun Aaron struck first ball to dismiss Caleb Jewell for a duck. Matt Renshaw and wicketkeeper Sam Harper then got together for a 76-run second-wicket stand that came in 93 balls. After Renshaw was trapped lbw by Jayant Yadav, Harper added 52 more with captain Matthew Short. Harper’s dismissal for 72 – the highest score of the innings – ended the association. Short was caught behind off Aaron for 30 and Clint Hinchliffe lent a solid hand with 43. NPS’ lower order, however, made scant contributions, resulting in a weak finish.Aaron took three wickets, but was expensive and leaked 58 runs in nine overs. Pandya, Axar Patel, Yadav and Iyer took a wicket apiece.India A are on top of the table with 16 points from five matches. NPS trail them with 10 points from five games. India A will next face Australia A on Tuesday, while NPS face off against South Africa A the following day.

ScorecardHarry Gurney was in the wickets for Nottinghamshire•Getty Images

Keaton Jennings hit the last two balls of the match from Harry Gurney for six and four to bring Durham a two-wicket victory under the Duckworth / Lewis method.Durham had to chase a revised target of 252 from 37 overs and Gurney had all but secured Nottinghamshire’s win by dismissing Michael Richardson with the fourth ball of the last over when nine runs were still needed.Michael Lumb’s third successive Royal London Cup hundred proved in vain as Nottinghamshire’s blazing start to the competition was halted at Chester-le-Street.It spoilt the excellent effort of Gurney, who had five for 42 until a full toss was launched over mid-wicket by the left-handed Jennings, who then drove the final ball between mid-off and extra cover.Richardson almost took Durham to the line with a List A best of 65 off 56 balls, while Paul Collingwood’s 69 off 65 was also crucial.In a match interrupted five times by drizzle, Nottinghamshire may have had cause to regret choosing to bat as they totalled 274 for 5 in 42 overs.Lumb made 105 to take his aggregate to 422 at an average of 140.66, but with hindsight the visitors would have felt they did not go quickly enough in reaching 124 for 1 after 25 overs.The innings reached a crescendo with 48 off the last four as Samit Patel made 40 off 25 balls and Dan Christian thrashed 57 off 43 before he was run out off the last ball of the innings.Durham raced to 32 without loss after four before being halted by the only break in their innings.Gurney knocked out Mark Stoneman’s middle stump with the third ball on the resumption and quickly struck twice more.Collingwood joined Phil Mustard on 54 for 3 and dominated a stand of 74 before the wicketkeeper was lbw for 45, trying to sweep Patel.Collingwood swept to a 40-ball half-century by cutting Jake Ball for his sixth four and when Richardson pulled a Patel long hop for six Durham needed 105 off 15.They had the target down to 62 off eight when Collingwood was superbly caught by Brendan Taylor at long-off for 69 off Patel.But Richardson kept going until three balls from the end, when he holed at deep mid-wicket off Gurney. It looked all over, but Jennings had other ideas.

Match Facts

July 5, 2016
Start time 6.30pm (1730GMT)Tymal Mills steams in during a net session•Getty Images

Big Picture

England return to the format that provided heartbreak earlier this year when Carlos Brathwaite grabbed the World T20 from under their noses. But the game moves on and judging by the way they played in the one-day series against Sri Lanka, their belief with the white-ball remains undimmed.A one-off T20 at the end of a tour feels a lonely fixture but there is added spice to this game with England on the verge of unleashing Tymal Mills, the Sussex left-arm quick, who is purely a T20 player these days due to a congenital back condition and is making a fine stab and forging a career from it.If Sri Lanka thought they were peppered in the Test and ODIs from England’s quicks – especially Liam Plunkett in the one-dayers – then they had better make sure chest pads, arm guards, and other assorted protective equipment is securely in place at the Ageas Bowl.This is their last chance to take something from a dispiriting tour. Angelo Mathews has looked a more forlorn captain the longer the trip has gone – exasperated by repeated failings in his team – but insists he has the stomach to continue leading them. Whether that decision is taken out of his hands on return home remains to be seen.The format has not provided much solace for Sri Lanka amid their struggles. England knocked them out of the World T20 and they have won just three of 13 T20s they have played in 2016 – and only one of those against a Full Member. They may as well go out swinging and see if it provides a change in fortune.

Form guide

England LWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLWL

In the spotlight

He left England’s best batsmen hopping around the Centurion Park nets. He has roughed up Chris Gayle. And just when the batsmen are camped on the back foot, he has confounded them with a slower ball. You dare not take your eyes off Tymal Mills when he is bowling. He admits it won’t always go well – as a career economy rate of 8.10 attests to – but this season he has produced four-over spells of 3 for 15 and 1 for 15 off four oversKusal Perera will likely be in the firing line early against Mills. He hasn’t quite managed to translate the promising form he showed in the Lord’s Test, and then with a century against Ireland in Malahide, but that is not surprising given his enforced absence of six months after the erroneous drugs suspension.

Team news

Trevor Bayliss wants Mills in the final XI and though he is not the sole voice in selection it would seem perverse to name Mills in the squad and not give him a game. Liam Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder who was in the World T20 squad, has been confirmed to make his debut while Dawid Malan, the Middlesex left-hander, could make it three new caps. Alex Hales, Joe Root and Moeen Ali have all been rested.England (possible) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Liam Dawson, 7 Adil Rashid, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 David Willey, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Tymal MillsDhananjaya de Silva could replace Upul Tharanga who is not part of the T20 squad.Chaminda Bandara was given his ODI debut in Cardiff and though he went for 83 there isn’t much to lose playing him in the T20 where left-armers have proved particularly effective. Suraj Randiv, the offspinner, could also come into the equation.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal(wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Seekkuge Prasanna, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Dasun Shanaka, 9 Chaminda Bandara/Suraj Randiv, 10 Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

The pitches at the Ageas are normally excellent for international cricket, offering pace for both bowlers and batsmen to work with, although the recent wet weather could make things tougher this time for the groundsman. The forecast is for a dry and mild evening.

Stats and trivia

• England played their first T20I on this ground, against Australia in 2005 when they won by 100 runs by bowling out Australia for 79.
• James Vince, who plays for Hampshire, has batted four times in T20Is and has not scored fewer than 22. He was Man of the Series against Pakistan in the UAE.
• The Ageas Bowl is comfortably the fastest scoring T20I venue in England with runs coming at 9.07 over its three games. Worldwide, of grounds to have hosted three or more T20Is, only Mumbai and Pune have seen runs come quicker.
• The highest score in T20Is was made on this ground: Aaron Finch’s 156 in 2013.

Quotes

“I saw him at a practice in South Africa when he bowled to the boys and again the other night against Kent and it was impressive stuff. Good to see some batsmen ducking and weaving. I’d love to see him play, I won’t be the sole selector but from my point of view it would be great to see someone like that charge and give it everything.”
“Hopefully quite a number of our players have grown as cricketers even though we haven’t had the results we wanted. Although we’ve come second I think there has been some progress.”