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Glen Chapple will take time to consider whether his future lies on the field or behind the scenes after Lancashire were relegated for the second time in three seasons.Needing to win against Middlesex they dominated for lengthy periods over the four days but could not hustle out the visitors on the final day to set up a run chase. Chapple took five wickets in the match, to finish with 39 at 36.28 in the Championship season, and also hit a vital 45 to carry Lancashire to the third batting bonus point on the third day which kept their hopes of escape alive.After the match he said he had not had the season he hoped for but added that, end of season weariness notwithstanding, his body still felt good to hint that there may yet be another year in him to try and haul Lancashire back to Division One if the coaching whiteboards and notebooks do not come calling.”I still enjoy playing and feel pretty decent,” he said. “I’ve not had as good a season as I’d have liked, but I don’t think that’s through age necessarily, and I felt good this game and really enjoyed it.”If Chapple does decide to play on he would have a very good chance of reaching 1000 first-class wickets after ending this season on 975.One thing is certain, though, in that he will not take on the double role of captain and first-team coach which was thrust his way when Peter Moores departed for England barely two weeks into the season.A new full-time coach will be appointed over the winter and, despite relegation, a club of Lancashire’s stature – coupled with the facilities at the new-look Old Trafford – are unlikely to be short of applicants.”It’s a difficult question. It’s not the ideal,” Chapple said about the combined jobs. “What I would say is this year has been a very good learning curve.”Paul Allott, a senior figure on the Lancashire committee, admitted it had “probably been too tricky” to combine the roles although added the club’s hand had been forced by the timing of Moores’ departure.But the coach can only do so much. It will be the players who Lancashire will look to for a promotion push. There are holes to fill in all areas; a lack of consistent first-innings runs – they passed 350 just twice this season – was a major factor and they have also lost Kyle Hogg’s wickets.The rebuilding of the bowling attack has begun with the recruitment of Nathan Buck from Leicestershire and Tom Bailey showed promise against Middlesex, but should Chapple decide to hang up the boots that would leave a huge void. Signings such as Wayne White and Kyle Jarvis have not had the impact desired.Following the retirement of Simon Katich, the club put faith in their young batsmen although the mid-season signing of Usman Khawaja was an acknowledgement that had not worked. High-quality, long-term overseas players are like hen’s teeth these days, so it is not a given that Lancashire will recruit a big-name batsman although they know a greater output from the top order is vital. The suggestion that Ashwell Prince may reconsider his retirement will be welcomed.”Whatever would have happened in this game we would have said we needed to improve. We have to be honest with ourselves,” Chapple said. “For two or three seasons, give or take high-quality performances from overseas players, we have struggled to put big scores on the board. That’s what the team who finish on top of Division One normally do.”It can only mean 50 or 60 runs extra a game, but we have only done that a couple of times this season. It wasn’t that the club weren’t open to signing a quality overseas player, we decided to back our own players as much as sign somebody who was a good player.”Quite how much patience the supporters have for the rebuilding process remains to be seen. Already 400 signatures have been put to a petition citing concerns around the club which is enough to force a Special General Meeting. It could yet be a winter of discontent at both Old Traffords.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPapua New Guinea made a bright entrance to ODI cricket•ICC

Half-centuries from Charles Amini and Vani Morea revived a flagging Papua New Guinea innings to ensure they won their debut ODI in Townsville. They had been 76 for 5 in the 17th over against Hong Kong, who could not push their advantage any further and the target of 203 was achieved with 10 overs to spare.Amini was the aggressor and displayed a range of strokes, including a left-handed helicopter shot that skimmed to the long-on boundary and a controlled straight drive to reach his fifty off only 53 balls. Morea was happy to be circumspect at the other end, but he did hit belt a six off Nadeem Ahmed in the 37th over. Their partnership accounted for 91 runs and left a patchy start behind them. Papua New Guinea’s top order had been brisk, they had made 67 runs by the 13th over but had lost three wickets in the process. The wobble was furthered with seamer Irfan Ahmed picking up two wickets in two overs.Jamie Atkinson, the Hong Kong captain, might have envisioned a victory, especially after he had held the batting together with an 79-ball 59. His team had slumped around him to be 98 for 6 before No. 8 Aizaz Khan struck 42 off 62 balls and No. 9 Haseeb Amjad contributed 35 off 38 to help eat up as much of their full quota as possible. Amini, though, would not let them have that consolation as his 2 for 29 helped finish the tail off.”I’m over the moon, I’m speechless,” Amini said. “After Vani got out I told myself I have to pass the score. I’m proud of the achievement so far, that’s one out of two. We want to make it two out of two tomorrow.”PNG coach and former New Zealand offspinner Dipak Patel was delighted with his team’s effort. “I look back at some of the great victories I’ve been a part of and it brings back a lot of memories,” Patel said. “This is totally different as a coach as you have different emotions but I’m just so pleased for the guys. They’ve worked particularly hard over the last two or three months and we’ve changed a lot. At times they’ve sort of looked at me sideways asking me where I was coming from, but today they summed it up and it was a great team effort.”

Steven Smith started this series as a somewhat miffed 12th man in Perth.Three games on, and in Canberra, Smith showed precisely why he felt that way: his sparkling 73 lifted Australia’s tally beyond South Africa’s reach, causing AB de Villiers to dub him “a captain’s nightmare” and Aaron Finch to go even further by naming Smith in the same breath as de Villiers himself.This was high praise indeed for a man who had been elbowed out of the XI by the return of Shane Watson, the fitness of Michael Clarke – regrettably an occurrence no longer guaranteed – and the selectors’ faith in Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey.Clarke’s hamstring opened up a spot for Smith, and on a Manuka surface where batting became more difficult the older the ball became, his nimble feet, hands and mind stood out a mile, not least when his extraordinary “nutmeg” shot in the final over completed a dire day for Morne Morkel. Smith looks nobody’s idea of a batsman surplus to Australia’s World Cup team.”I think his strength is that he’s got a lot of energy at the wicket,” said de Villiers. “He’s almost a captain’s nightmare when he comes to the crease after 25-30 overs, especially on this kind of ground where you know you’re not going to get three and four wickets in patches.”You’re going to have to work hard for your wickets, and if you get a busy cricketer at the wicket it makes it very difficult for you to control the innings, to keep your rhythm and just to pace it a little bit better. He makes it really difficult for us in doing that.”Finch had played diligently and well to battle out of his own dalliance with poor batting touch, 109 a first score of better than 50 since September the result of some more circumspect batting than he is known for. But it was Smith who won man of the match, and rightfully so in Finch’s opinion, for he knew how the softer ball became harder to bully in later overs.”Smithy played one of the great innings I thought, the way he came in from ball one and struck it into the gaps and ran hard and never allowed the bowlers to settle,” Finch said. “He was moving around the crease and played a couple through his legs, I don’t know how he does that.”He was super and that’s really shown the class of the player. We’ve seen that in Test cricket for a while and in one-day cricket it’s starting to get better and better and more consistent. The beauty of Steve is he’s a great player of spin, so teams are reluctant to bowl that at the start of his innings because that does allow him to get away.”At the same time he bats in the middle order in Test cricket and can play pace. So he’s a hard guy to tie down – I think he’s a very similar type player to AB de Villiers, you really struggle to bowl dot balls to them in a row, and through the middle of the innings if you’ve got somebody who’s constantly getting off strike or hitting boundaries it’s such a hard thing to defend against.”Smith’s upward trend in this series reflects his wider international career, which began with confusion over his precise role – batsman, an allrounder or leg spinner – then went through a period of domestic exile and solid learning, before blossoming into the player many thought he would become when he burst into the NSW team in 2009.He has provided an example of how to grasp technical and mental maturity that others, notably Maxwell and Finch himself, would do well to remember. Finch’s innings showed that he too is learning and evolving, on the sort of pace that will allow him to perform staunchly at the World Cup next year.”I knew I’d been hitting the ball well lately but when you do get a couple of starts and you miss out a couple of times things start to play on your mind a little bit and you start to wonder how good a form you’re actually in,” Finch said. “But I still had confidence in my game.”As for the pressure for spots that has seen Smith running drinks, James Faulkner sent for Sheffield Shield duty and Maxwell cooling his heels on the Manuka boundary, Finch felt it a force for good, so long as the players kept thinking in terms of the team and each other.”It’s a real positive when you have guys challenging for spots because you know that’s driving you to perform well, and if you don’t perform you’re sitting on the pine,” he said. “Nobody’s safe in the side except the skipper – when you have that competition in the side it’s really quality.”Guys are still helping each other out. There’s none of this ‘I’m trying to look after my own spot’, it’s just about helping the team win games and us becoming the best players we can.”Smith is getting closer to that peak than most.

Match facts

January 6-10, 2015, Sydney
Start time 1030 local (2330 GMT)

Big picture

The 2014 calendar year began with Australia at the SCG in celebration mode. The Ashes had been won and a 5-0 clean-sweep was there for the taking. The 2015 calendar year begins with Australia at the SCG, another series already in their grasp, but this time the mood is more subdued. It is the first time the Australians have played at the ground since their team-mate Phillip Hughes was struck down there by a bouncer on November 25, and died two days later.Nearly half of Australia’s XI for this Test – David Warner, Shane Watson, Nathan Lyon, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc – were on the ground when Hughes collapsed. If the Adelaide Test was about raw emotion, this one will be about memories. A permanent memorial plaque for Hughes will also be unveiled at the ground.On field, this Test will be about trying to finish the series on a high. Australia will raise the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the match no matter what happens, but they can do so with a 3-0 series win. India, on the other hand, could drop to seventh on the ICC Test rankings if they lose in Sydney.It is their first Test in the post-MS Dhoni era, with Virat Kohli officially the captain after temporarily taking the reins in Adelaide earlier in the series. India have been in all three Tests so far and have performed better here than Australia did in India in 2013, yet they have still found themselves on the losing side. Here is one more chance to change that.

Form guide

Australia DWWLL
India DLLLL

In the spotlight

There has been something of the hokey pokey to Mitchell Starc’s Test career so far – in, out, in, out, in, out. He has not played two consecutive Tests in a series since his first two matches in 2011. He gets another opportunity at the SCG as the replacement for Johnson, and after struggling to find his line and length at the Gabba it is an important match for Starc, whose bowling average of 36.22 from 14 Tests is underwhelming. At the SCG his record is also disappointing – his first-class bowling average there is 42.15. It is time for Starc to shake it all about.Virat Kohli has been the batsman who has worried Australia most this series, but Ajinkya Rahane is also causing them major problems at No.5. His 348 runs for the series have come at 58.00 and his century at the MCG was sublime, confirming why he is one of the most promising Test batsmen in world cricket. Of his 1026 Test runs, 1018 have come outside India and his average in the first innings of Tests is 62.66 – more than half the time he passes fifty in the first innings.

Team news

Australia have confirmed their starting XI, with Mitchell Johnson ruled out due to hamstring soreness. He will be replaced by Mitchell Starc in the only change to the side that played in Melbourne.Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Joe Burns, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Ryan Harris, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.Suresh Raina batted extensively in the nets in the lead-up to the Test and might come in for KL Rahul after his dreadful debut, although moving Rahul up to open and axing Shikhar Dhawan is another possibility. Varun Aaron is back from India, where he attended his grandfather’s funeral, and could replace Mohammad Shami. Wriddhiman Saha will take the gloves from the retired MS Dhoni and it remains to be seen whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s ankle has recovered sufficiently for him to play.India (possible) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Suresh Raina/KL Rahul, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Umesh Yadav, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Ishant Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

The SCG historically is renowned for offering more spin than other Australian venues but last summer it was the fast bowlers who did most of the damage for both Australia and England. However, Steven Smith noted on match eve that there was a lot less grass on the wicket than for last year’s Test and he expected spin and reverse swing to play a part. The forecast for the duration of the match is for temperatures in the high 20s, with showers possible on several days.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won 10 of their past 11 SCG Tests, the only loss having come against England in the disastrous 2010-11 Ashes series
• Should Virat Kohli score a century in Sydney, he will join Herbert Sutcliffe and Wally Hammond as the only visiting batsmen to make four hundreds in one Test series in Australia
• This will be the third captaincy combination of the four-Test series – Kohli and Michael Clarke in Adelaide; Smith and Dhoni in Brisbane and Melbourne; and Smith and Kohli in Sydney

Quotes

“To have the series wrapped up I think we can play a bit more relaxed this week.”

“I hope I can be as calm as him.”

Dhaka Division

Where they finished last seasonChampionsBig PictureThe defending champions will continue to be one of the favourites to claim the title in this season’s National Cricket League. They had bounced back in 2013-14 from the horror 2011-12 season when they had finished bottom of the points table. They banked on their strong top order, spin bowling and an all-round performance from their captain Mohammad Sharif.Rony Talukdar, Abdul Majid and Nazmul Islam were the stars of last season and Sharif took 20 wickets. Their opening day game against Barisal Division will also be Sharif’s 100th first-class game. Dhaka Division will also have the services of Bangladesh legspinner Jubair Hossain, who will play his first first-class season despite making his Test debut against Zimbabwe late last year.Key playersRony Talukdar was the highest scorer in this season’s Dhaka Premier Division League, finishing with 714 runs at an average of 51.Team changesThe big miss will be Nurul Hasan who has moved to Khulna Division. He made 489 runs at 81.50 for Dhaka Division last season, and is deemed as Bangladesh’s next best wicketkeeper after Mushfiqur Rahim.Below the radarTaibur Rahman was impressive for Dhaka Premier Division League champions Prime Bank Cricket Club, with 363 runs. He was also effective for Dhaka Division last season, though he is yet to take off as middle-order batsman.What they say“I am very happy to be playing my 100th first-class match. I hope to play a 100 more (laughs). But more importantly, I would like to start the season with a win.” – Mohammad Sharif

Rajshahi Division

Where they finished last seasonSecond placeBig PictureFive-time champions Rajshahi Division flattered to deceive last year but they remain the most consistent and successful first-class team in the country. Their confidence in the longer-format comes from a process set across Rajshahi from where they have scouted methodically for the past decade.Rajshahi would want the likes of Junaid Siddique, Farhad Hossain and Mizanur Rahman to return among the runs after an ordinary 2013-14 season. Rajshahi started poorly last season and only ended up second after finishing well and threatening Dhaka Division to the title.The division continues to be the blueprint for first-class teams in Bangladesh, and their consistency is much sought after. A group of senior players has been developed over the years, which is paying rich dividends although they haven’t produced enough players off-late for the national team.Key playersFarhad Reza was their highest scorer last year though he didn’t bowl as well. He, however, had a good Dhaka Premier League campaign for Prime Bank, which would be one of the reasons why Rajshahi can be a bigger threat.Team changesThe absence of Sabbir Rahman could hit Rajshahi hard. He is in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad, and over the last few seasons Sabbir had been a consistent performer and a vital cog for Rajshahi’s well-oiled machine.Below the radarTawhid Tariq Khan has been picked in the Rajshahi squad, after he was the highest run-scorer in the Dhaka First Division Cricket league, the city’s second-tier one-day competition.What they say“Of course we want to target the championship this season. We have a lot of the familiar faces in our squad this year as well.” – Farhad Hossain

Rangpur Division

Where they finished last seasonThird placeBig PictureIt was a surprise that they ended up third last season. But the likes of Tanvir Haider, Naeem Islam and Saymon Ahmed scored at crucial times and enforced their three wins over Dhaka Metropolis, Sylhet Division and Barisal Division.As one of the smaller divisions in the country, Rangpur hardly get the attention they deserve. There are decent cricket grounds in these northern regions and they have produced several Bangladesh players.It will be yet another challenging season for the Rangpur players, who usually miss out in the Bangladesh Cricket League’s North Zone side because of Rajshahi’s dominance in the region.Key playersNaeem Islam was the second-highest scorer for Rangpur, and remains the batting stronghold for the division. He also had a fruitful time in the Dhaka Premier League, helping the lacklustre Mohammedan Sporting Club to a Super League finish. He was the league’s third-highest scorer.Team changesRangpur will be without allrounder Alauddin Babu who has been moved to Chittagong Division. Though Alauddin played only one match last season, he did get 12 wickets in the Dhaka Premier League this season and is handy with the bat.Below the radarAriful Haque proved his worth as a batsman with a hundred in this season’s last Abahani-Mohammedan derby, though his team Mohammedan ended up losing that game. But he is a talented allrounder, and his ability to bowl seam would prove necessary for Rangpur.

Khulna Division

Where they finished last seasonFourth placeBig PictureThat Khulna finished a lowly fourth doesn’t sit well with their players. They have set a higher standard for themselves as the second most successful first-class team in the country with three NCL titles.Last season only the veteran Tushar Imran made important runs and ended up as the team’s highest scorer with 545 runs at an average of 54.50. One of the difficulties was the coming and going of national players like Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza and Anamul Haque. This season the left-arm spinner Razzak is likely to be available for the entire tournament, which will be a major boost for Khulna’s bowling attack.They will be title contenders like Dhaka Division and Rajshahi Division, and if their national players turn up for the latter stages, it would make them slightly stronger than the other teams.Key playersMohammad Mithun‘s elevation to the Bangladesh team, as well as a decent season for Mohammedan Sporting Club would be a boost for Khulna who didn’t get much out of him last season. In the preceding three seasons, Mithun made more than 600 runs consecutively.Team changesRobiul Islam is unlikely to be fit for the first two matches so Khulna’s pace attack will be thin of experience with Mashrafe and Al-Amin Hossain also away.  Nurul HasanBelow the radarMustafizur Rahman is a left-arm pace bowler from Bangladesh’s previous Under-19 group, and he has also earned a Bangladesh A call-up to West Indies last year as well as a contract with Abahani in the Dhaka Premier League. He made his first-class debut for Khulna last season, but this year he may have to lead the pace attack.

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj finished with a career-best match haul of 10 for 145 to help set up Dolphins‘ eight-wicket victory against Cape Cobras at Newlands. The win carried Dolphins up to second in the Sunfoil Series table.Cobras, opting to bat, were shot out for 156 in their first innings, with no batsman able to raise a much-needed half-century. The team failed to string together any meaningful partnership, as Maharaj collected 6 for 58 to run through the line-up in 43.5 overs.Fifties from Imraan Khan (58) and Divan van Wyk (51) set Dolphins a solid platform in their reply, but from 256 for 4, the team collapsed and lost their last six wickets for just 14 runs, as Dane Paterson (5 for 60) and Rory Kleinveldt got into the middle order and tail.However, Cobras had still conceded a 114-run lead, and despite the efforts of Stiaan van Zyl in the second innings, they couldn’t muster a fightback. Van Zyl’s ton, a 163-ball 107, had Cobras at a promising 196 for 2, but his dismissal in the 55th over triggered a slide which saw the team lose their last eight wickets for just 57 runs. Maharaj (4 for 87) and Daryn Dupavillon (4 for 47) shared eight wickets between them.It meant Dolphins needed just 140 for the win, and an unbeaten 59 from Imraan helped the team amass that total in 41.1 overs.

The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy will be dusted off and put up for grabs when New Zealand host Australia in their World Cup clash at Eden Park on Saturday. The teams competed for the trophy in annual series from 2004-05 until 2009-10, but it has since then become one of the forgotten pieces of silverware in world cricket.After Australia won 3-2 in New Zealand in 2009-10, the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy has only once been made available: during the World Cup match between the sides in Nagpur in 2011. It was not even on the table for the Champions Trophy game between Australia and New Zealand in 2013, which New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said this week was “an oversight.”In any case, that game was washed out. But the fact that there has not been a bilateral Australia-New Zealand series in nearly five years is a shame, and means that the trophy will be a tokenistic prize for the winner of this week’s match. The potential to qualify in a higher place in their World Cup pool is, realistically, of greater incentive.If results were to fall in such a way that Australia and New Zealand meet in a semi-final, hosting rights will be given to whichever side finished higher in Group A. For Australia, victory this weekend is imperative, given their shared points from the wash-out with Bangladesh and New Zealand’s unbeaten run so far at the World Cup.”It is not as if either side needs any added incentive when playing each other, but the fact the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy is on the line on Saturday certainly provides it,” James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, said. “The trophy is named after two of our great cricketing families and so to have it at stake in this highly anticipated match is entirely appropriate.”We are due to play Test cricket against each other next summer and we are examining the schedule to see what options we have for playing each other in one-day internationals on a more regular basis in the future.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowling coach Allan Donald has said the team is eagerly looking forward to the arrival of Australian World Cup hero Mitchell Starc. After mixed returns from two matches, Donald believes Starc, who was the highest wicket-taker as well as the Player of the Tournament, can be the X-factor that Royal Challengers desperately are looking for to bolster their pace pack. Starc, who is recovering from a minor niggle, is expected to join the squad in the next few days.”It is huge. If Starcy was in any IPL team right now he would be severely missed. Starcy has an effect on the team,” Donald told ESPNcricinfo. Donald agreed there was a lot of room for improvement based on the assessment from the first two matches where Royal Challengers won against Kolkata Knight Riders, but then lost at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad.”Against Knight Riders we weren’t too bad. The thing that frustrates coaches is when people don’t stick to bowling plans. But we stuck to our bowling plans really well in Kolkata. In the second game weren’t good enough. One could argue the fact that bowlers were struggling to land properly because the creases were very wet. But that shouldn’t’ be an excuse,” Donald said.According to Donald, Royal Challengers were put on the back foot immediately by David Warner’s fiery start against Sunrisers and were never able to come back.”Sunrisers got off to a blistering start which we did not want. It was all that an easy wicket. It was tacky. We spoke beforehand that we are going to have to hit the lengths really hard. We did the completely opposite. We bowled full. We got driven. They were 60-odd for no loss in no time.”Donald believed that when things go fast and the batsman is dominating, the bowler needs to slow things down during the walk back to his mark, something referred to in bowlers-speak as the 15-second chill.”A lot of things go through your mind when you just been hit for two sixes. A lot of emotions creep in. That is why we tell the leaders of the group, Darren Sammy and AB de Villiers, to go and speak to the bowler. There is the 15-second chill where the bowler walks back to the mark and during this period a lot of gremlins sit on your shoulder and dictate to you ‘bowl this, bowl that.'”It is in this frame of mind, Donald believes, the bowler “clearly” has no plan. He says this based on personal experience.Such a scenario did play out on Monday against Sunrisers in the Powerplay. Warner and Shikhar Dhawan ran roughshod over the Royal Challengers’ trio of Sean Abott, Harshal Patel and Varun Aaron. After two overs, Sunrisers were 36 for 0. Aaron then delivered a tight third over, giving away just five runs including a boundary. It was followed by an even tighter over by Abu Nechim Ahmed, who gave just two runs.But instead of tightening the leash, Aaron got distracted by the wetness of the crease as he was repeatedly cleaning the sole of his boots with the bail. First ball of the next over, Warner stuck a powerful loft over the bowler’s head for a four. Next ball, Aaron dug in short and Warner just swiveled quickly to pull it over midwicket for another our. Agitated, Aaron repeated the shorter delivery and Warner cut it over thirdman for a six. Aaron just smiled helplessly.Crucial in this period, Donald pointed out, was for the senior players to put an arm around the bowler and calm him down. “Rather than leaving the bowler on his own we often ask senior guys to talk to him. AB does brilliantly. He runs in from wherever he is fielding to check with the bowler what is his plan. You know that the next two balls to finish the over is crucial. And how you get out of the over is even more crucial.”When there are 40,000 people in the stadium, and the ideas are rushing through your head about what to do, that is when the experienced hands like AB, Sammy or Starcy play a huge role.”Donald wants the experienced heads to cool his bowlers down: “AB does it brilliantly. He runs in from wherever he is fielding to check with the bowler what is his plan”•BCCI

The presence of Starc at the other end, Donald said, would add confidence to the likes of Aaron and the Indian domestic quicks Harshal and Nechim.”I know what it is like bowling in partnerships with Shaun Pollock and when he wasn’t there how it affected the balance of the team simply in terms of the X-factor from the both ends. Starc also brings the best out Varun Aaron. I know that for a fact. They bowl well together. They bowl hard in the middle overs as a partnership.”Donald describes every ball in T20 cricket as an event, and hence he tirelessly stresses that bowlers need to recover quickly after any assault. “We know how quickly the game turns in terms of momentum and even two balls can have a big say in the outcome of the game.”Bowling coaches’ job over the seasons have become difficult as batsmen like de Villiers and Glenn Maxell have taken the size of grounds out of the equation. Donald says it is not easy to bowl five yorkers every over, and that only a Lasith Malinga can do it.According to Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Shane Bond, a much safer delivery at times can be the length delivery. “We encourage that the yorker that really gets the danger batsman out of strike and think about the next delivery to the other guy,” he said. “And that is why bowlers get emotional and say whatever happens will happen. And that is not good enough: you have got to think 24 balls very clearly.”The unique facet about Royal Challengers’ bowling line-up is three of their strike bowlers – Starc, Aaron and Adam Milne – can bowl consistently at 150kph. Then there is Sean Abott who can bowl 140-plus. So there is no dearth of pace. However, Donald conceded that it was risky business to go for extreme pace.Still, he will not discourage his fast men from limiting themselves. “Pace is a big factor. If it goes wrong, the ball goes to the fence. But, having said that, these guys take you wickets,” Donald said.”You can’t tell these guys how to be very tight in the channel and be conservative. These guys need to be given the licence to take you wickets and win you games and they are going to go for a few. And this why they are strike bowlers.”

Match facts

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)3:31

O’Brien: Could be a walkover for Knight Riders

Big Picture

Last year, Kolkata Knight Riders needed to strain every sinew to beat Kings XI Punjab in a thriller of an IPL final. The teams have undergone only minor changes in personnel since then, but watching Kings XI play this season has been like watching a team of clones lacking the cricket genes of the originals.They arrive at the Eden Gardens rock-bottom on the table, with no chance of reaching the playoffs, with none of the aura they possessed at the same time last season. None of their batsmen occupy the top 15 of the run-getters list. Glenn Maxwell has batted seven times and scored all of 75 runs. Only one of their bowlers has an economy rate below eight an over. Mitchell Johnson has conceded 9.37 runs an over, and has taken nine wickets at 37.33. They have lost their last five matches, and they needed a Super Over to pull off their last win, on April 21.Kings XI will face a Knight Riders side who have been close to unbeatable at home – they have won four out of five completed matches at the Eden Gardens – and are close to sealing their playoff berth. Knight Riders will want more than that. They will want to finish in the top two and get two shots at reaching the final.Given that they have two difficult matches coming up after this one – against fellow top-two aspirants Rajasthan Royals and a resurgent Mumbai Indians – Knight Riders will want to do everything in their power to beat Kings XI and beat them handsomely.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Kings XI Punjab LLLLL

Watch out for…

In a wretched season for Kings XI, Sandeep Sharma has been a solitary standout, with 11 wickets at 23.00 and an economy rate of 6.65. If he can swing the new ball and make a couple of breakthroughs, he might just give his team a chance of pulling off a consolation win.After making a vital unbeaten 46 in Knight Riders’ first match of the season, Suryakumar Yadav has slid down the order and found himself without too much opportunity to contribute substantial scores. With the playoffs approaching and Knight Riders close to sealing their spot, he will want some time in the middle and a couple of scores behind him.

Stats and trivia

• Knight Riders have beaten Kings XI in their last four meetings.
• Three of the top six wicket-takers against Kings XI play for Knight Riders – Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel
• Kings XI have been involved in two Super Over matches in the IPL, and have won both. Knight Riders have played two Super Over matches as well, and have lost both.

Scotland have included 18-year-old left-arm spinner Mark Watt and 19-year-old top-order batsman Andrew Umeed in their 12-member squad for the three-day match against UAE at the Ageas Bowl.The team also included another left-arm spinner Con de Lange, who has played most of his first-class cricket in South Africa, but has become eligible for Scotland selection after completing a four-year residency.Peter Mommsen will lead the side for the game that starts on May 25 and is their only fixture before the Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan that begins on June 2 in Stirling.”It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to play at the Ageas Bowl against our Associate rivals UAE as we build towards our first I-Cup fixture,” Grant Bradburn, the Scotland coach, said. “We have important international fixtures in all three formats of the game over the coming months and we have witnessed healthy competition for places in our first Scotland selection following the World Cup. Our players will relish the chance to come together to fine tune our red balls skills at a test venue of such quality.”The month of July will get busier for Scotland as they host the 12-team ICC World T20 qualifier along with Ireland.Scotland squad: Preston Mommsen (captain), Richie Berrington, George Munsey, Con de Lange, Matthew Cross, Alasdair Evans, Hamish Gardiner, Michael Leask, Gavin Main, Safyaan Sharif, Andrew Umeed, Mark Watt