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The Lodha Committee has told the BCCI that payments to players and officials for all board-organised tournaments, like the Ranji Trophy, can be made directly under existing terms, the board secretary Ajay Shirke said.The Committee’s permission came after the BCCI sought direction on the release of funds for the Rajasthan Ranji Trophy team and the state’s various age-group teams.According to the , Shirke had written to the Committee last week stating that the association was cash-strapped and would not be able to play their next round of matches in the respective tournaments without funds. The Rajasthan team is currently playing a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in Vizianagram.”The Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee has communicated today to the CEO of the BCCI (Rahul Johri) that payments to players and officials can be made directly to them as per the agreed existing terms. This is for all BCCI-organised tournaments,” Shirke told the . “We didn’t have problems for all state associations. They pay themselves (to their players). Because the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) is suspended, the problem was only for them.”The BCCI sought clarification from the Lodha Committee following an order from the Supreme Court of India on October 21, in which the board was directed not to distribute funds to its state associations until they submit affidavits stating compliance with the recommendations of the court and the Lodha Committee within two weeks. The Rajasthan Cricket Association’s suspended status was also a factor.The BCCI had suspended the RCA in May 2014 after the latter elected Lalit Modi, an expelled administrator, as its president. The board then omitted the RCA from the 2014-15 domestic programme.Rajasthan eventually got to play – though not under the RCA banner – after the Rajasthan High Court heard a writ petition signed by 75 players, and directed the Rajasthan Sports Council, the RCA and the BCCI to work in tandem and appoint selection committees to select teams for the board’s senior, junior and women’s tournaments. Before the 2015-16 season the board appointed an ad-hoc committee to run cricket in Rajasthan.Rajasthan have two more Group B matches to play before the end of the Ranji Trophy’s league stage. They are scheduled to play Delhi in Wayanad from November 21 and Vidarbha in Mumbai from December 7.

Moeen Ali has had his fair share of fortune in the first Test in Chittagong. His opening-day 68 involved five DRS interventions – three in a period of six balls when he was given out by Kumar Dharmasena either side of lunch – but in the second innings a reprieve came from a different route.Facing Shakib Al Hasan, on 6, he flicked the ball off his hip straight a short leg who, at first glance from a front-on angle, had appeared to grasp the catch close to his chest. However, Moeen was well aware of the Laws and had noticed that the ball had made contact with the grille of Mominul Haque’s helmet before settling in his hands.Mominul, himself, also appeared to know the outcome as he barely celebrated the catch amid the initial excitement from the bowler. After a quick check with the third umpire, it was confirmed as not out.This is the Law (32.3) in question: “The act of making the catch shall start from the time when the ball in flight comes into contact with some part of a fielder’s person other than a protective helmet, and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control both over the ball and over his own movement… it is not a fair catch if the ball has previously touched a protective helmet worn by a fielder. The ball will then remain in play.”In the dressing room, Jonny Bairstow may have had a wry smile. He has twice fallen foul of being caught off a fielder’s helmet. It first happened in Mumbai, during the 2012 series, when he prodded a catch to silly point which was held by Gautam Gambhir. Initially all looked normal with the dismissal, but the wicket also brought lunch and as replays continued to be scanned it became clear Gambhir’s helmet had been involved. There were attempts by England to have the decision overturned but Bairstow was not reprieved.Three years later, during the 2015 Ashes, it happened to Bairstow again. In the second innings at The Oval he inside-edged Nathan Lyon to short leg where, with a juggle, Adam Voges held the catch. Again, he walked off without much fuss only for subsequent replays to show it had come off Voges’ helmet.More recently, during the India-New Zealand Test series in Kanpur, there was another example when Tom Latham was given a life when he swept Ravi Jadeja off his boot to KL Rahul at short leg but the ball struck the chin-strap of the helmet before the catch was completed. The umpires had already sent the catch to the third umpire, to check for a bump ball, so the deflection was picked up and Latham survived.

ScorecardDavid Payne enjoyed an impressive all-round day•Getty Images

David Payne took four wickets and scored a fourth first-class half-century but Gloucestershire ended day two behind the game at Northamptonshire. The hosts closed their second innings 44 without loss, leading by 109.Payne removed four wickets in 11 balls in the morning session to whittle Northamptonshire out for 326 before his half-century helped boost Gloucestershire to 261, reducing the first-innings deficit to 65.But it was Northamptonshire who ended the second day on top as Ben Duckett gave their second innings a bright start following Rob Keogh’s 4 for 67.Keogh helped reduce Gloucestershire to 158 for 7 before Payne followed up his career-best 67 not out at Cardiff last week with another half-century to provide the visitors with a second batting point.He survived a diving chance offered to Rory Kleinveldt at third slip on 10 but thereafter played with composure. A loose drive sped away to the third man rope for his ninth four and a single took him to fifty in 57 balls.Together with Jack Taylor, they began a smart recovery shortly before tea. Keogh had Will Tavare caught at short midwicket after a dogged innings trying to regain form, before Phil Mustard tried to drive outside off stump and got a thin edge to David Murphy.Before Keogh’s wickets, Azharullah made the breakthrough after lunch with a delivery that nipped away from Hamish Marshall to clip the outside of the off stump and Steven Crook fired a full straight delivery into Craig Miles’ stumps to leave the visitors in trouble.They had hoped to be in a better position after Payne ran through through Northants’ lower order in 11 balls, taking the four remaining wickets without conceding a run. Crook fell second ball of the day trying to late cut and getting a thin edge to Mustard, four balls later Kleinveldt drove loosely to extra-cover.Murphy scored Northants only runs of the day with an edge to third man before Payne returned to have Azharullah smartly held at third slip by Marshall. Ben Sanderson lost his off stump next ball as Payne, wicketless on the first day, finish with 4 for 57.In reply, Gloucestershire lost Chris Dent to a thin edge behind and Gareth Roderick to a better catch from Murphy for Kleinveldt’s second wicket. When George Hankins slapped a pull to square leg and was very well held by a diving Adam Rossington, the game was back on an even keel but the hosts had taken control by stumps.

Having gone wicketless with the first 280 balls of his Test career, Miguel Cummins picked up three in his next ten balls. In the space of those first 280 balls, Cummins went through multiple frustrations: going off with cramps in his debut Test, and, in his second Test, watching batsmen fend accurate bouncers in the general direction of short leg but just out of the fielder’s reach.”For me, the debut Test was very tough, because I was playing for the first time so nerves took in,” Cummins said at the end of the second day’s play in St Lucia. “Was fighting a long way, fighting hard, hard, hard. Came today, saw the [other] guys take wickets but didn’t let that fluster me. I tried looking for wickets but my job was to build pressure.”On Tuesday, West Indies took the first five Indian wickets for 126 runs, and in the second session on Wednesday, they ran through the last five wickets for the cost of only 14 runs. But in between, R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha put on 213 to balance out some of West Indies’ good work with the ball.Cummins applauded his team-mates for toppling India’s top half, but admitted Ashwin and Saha made things tough for them. “We did a very good job of getting their top order,” he said. “They are a very talented batting line-up but we stuck to our plans. But can’t take anything away from Ashwin and Saha, they batted very well. We had to keep fighting when they had the partnership.”West Indies made good use of a St Lucia pitch with plenty of bounce on offer, with Alzarri Joseph dismissing Virat Kohli with a well-directed lifter on day one and Cummins and Shannon Gabriel wiping out the lower order with a barrage of short balls.”The plan was not to bowl short [exclusively] but mix it up,” Cummins said. “Ashwin normally sits on the back foot, lot of guys sit on the back foot. So our plan was to get some balls [pitched] up and let them drive and then use the short-pitched stuff.”

Australia captain Steven Smith will miss the remainder of the tour of Sri Lanka – three ODIs and two T20Is – as he returns home to rest ahead of the tour of South Africa. David Warner will lead the side in the rest of the fixtures in Sri Lanka. Smith revealed the development at the end of the second ODI in Colombo, which Sri Lanka won by 82 runs to level the five-match series at 1-1.”I hate missing cricket, but in the long run it will do me a world of good,” Smith was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia on Twitter. “The schedule is very busy. I still want to take on the role in all three formats and do it to the best of my ability.”Australia have lost four of their five international fixtures on tour so far, but Smith suggested his early departure had been considered since much earlier in the tour. Australia’s last match in Sri Lanka is a T20 international on September 9. Their tour of South Africa begins on September 27 with an ODI against Ireland in Benoni, after which they play five ODIs against South Africa.”We spoke about it at the start of the Test series,” Smith said. “There is the South Africa series next, and a big summer with six Test matches and a few one-dayers against New Zealand in between, before we go to India. So it was talked about – to try and give me a little break at some point. We had a few discussions – myself, Darren Lehmann and Rod Marsh, who also consulted with the other selectors. It took a bit of convincing to get me over the line.”Smith, who is Australia’s captain across all formats, said the role remained manageable despite the team’s busy schedule. He has captained in 42 international matches – including in 11 Tests – over the past year, in addition to playing in the IPL, most recently for Rising Pune Supergiants. He did not rule out taking his break from cricket during the IPL, but was quick to suggest the tournament was a valuable experience.”For me, I’ve got a lot of time for the IPL,” he said. “I think it’s been a great learning curve for me. I think I’ve learned a lot about the way I play, particularly white-ball cricket, from the IPL. Playing a lot of back-to-back games I think you learn a lot about yourself as a player. I’ve certainly got a lot of time for the IPL in that respect. But captaining Australia is a lot of hard work and takes a lot of time. At some point, maybe it could give. For now, I want to continue trying to play everything that I can.”Cricket Australia’s national selector Rod Marsh said in a statement: “Steve has a large amount of cricket coming up in the next 12 months and we wanted to find a time for him to freshen up and these last five matches provide a good opportunity to do so.”Regardless of the results of the first two matches our plan was always for Steve to take a break and refresh ahead of the ODI Series against South Africa next month.”Smith’s replacement Warner has not captained Australia in any format, and now takes charge in a tour in which he has been in indifferent form.”This is a great leadership opportunity for David, he has really embraced his role as vice-captain and we are confident he will do a great job in Steve’s place,” Marsh said.

A verdict of suicide has been ruled in the death of former Warwickshire cricketer Tom Allin who died on January 4.Allin’s body was found below the A39 River Torridge Bridge in Bideford, Devon. Devon and Cornwall police later found three suicide notes at his home written to family and friends.The police did not find any suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement in Allin’s death.Dr Elizabeth Earland, the senior coroner for Exeter and Greater Devon, recorded a conclusion of suicide.”On the evidence I am in no doubt that Tom was the architect of his own demise and he clearly intended the consequences of what he did and there is no evidence of a third party involvement,” she said.Allin’s death came months after he had suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash. The inquest heard he was “recovering well physically” but in early December he had told a nurse his mood was “up and down” and was advised to seek help.Jason Ratcliffe, PCA Assistant Chief Executive, said: “We are aware of the tragic circumstances of Tom’s death and once again our thoughts are with Tom’s family and friends at this difficult time. Tom’s father Tony is also a PCA member from his playing days at Glamorgan and we will continue to support Tony and his wife Beverley in any way that we can.”Allin was released from Warwickshire prior to the 2014 season. He had continued playing in the minor counties competition for Devon, with his last appearance coming in August against Shropshire.He was involved in primary school sports coaching in Barnstaple and Bideford and was head of cricket at Shebbear College as well as a coach at Bideford College.

ScorecardAdam Lyth’s rapid century helped Yorkshire chase down a stiff target•Getty Images

A hurricane century off 60 balls for Adam Lyth set up Yorkshire for victory by two wickets over Northamptonshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup at sunny Scarborough.Lyth thrashed eight fours and seven sixes in completing the second List A century of his career and he went on to make 125 off 78 deliveries with ten fours and eight sixes before thumping Graeme White to Richard Gleeson at deep mid-on.Yorkshire were then 189 for 3 in 25 overs as they chased 311 and although Lyth was the first of three wickets to go down in nine balls for three runs, they still made it to their first one-day win of the season after four consecutive defeats and two ‘no results’.It was a hard earned win against plucky opponents who were splendidly served by a belligerent Ben Duckett, who hit 121, and Alex Wakely with 71.Lyth totally dominated an opening stand of 106 in 12 overs with his captain, Alex Lees, who had contributed 20 when he played Steven Crook to square leg where Ben Sanderson took the catch after not holding it cleanly at the first attempt.Lyth’s fierce blows early on included two consecutive sixes off Azharullah, the second of them crashing into the mobile fish and chip van.New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson, in his first innings of the season for Yorkshire, played Gleeson into his stumps for 10, and after Lyth had gone, Jack Leaning was caught and bowled by Josh Cobb without scoring and Adil Rashid drove White gently to mid-on.But Gary Ballance and Bresnan steadied Yorkshire with a 58 stand which closed when Bresnan became White’s third victim, caught on the cover boundary for 38.Ballance’s nicely judged 50 came off 62 balls and David Willey soon made an impact against his old club with a couple of big sixes but as Yorkshire were approaching the winning line, Azharullah shook them by bowling Ballance and Liam Plunkett in the space of three balls to leave them on 303 for eight in the 47th over.Willey kept his nerve however and he blasted Crook for six to win the game with 15 balls remaining.Put in to bat on a greenish pitch and soft outfield, Northants batted with positive intent from the onset of their innings and although luck was sometimes with them they thoroughly deserved their competitive total of 310 for 7.Duckett’s maiden century in List A cricket – his previous best score was achieved only last week when he struck 98 against Lancashire at Northampton – contained cleanly timed strokes of the highest quality.He was joined by Wakely after openers Cobb and Rossington had gone with 35 scored and the pair brought momentum to the innings with a 166 stand in 27 overs.It was Northamptonshire’s highest third wicket stand against Yorkshire in List A matches, overtaking the 131 by Rob Bailey and Allan Lamb at Headingley in 1995.Whereas Duckett was virtually faultless, Wakely had two escapes, first on three when Plunkett failed to hold on to a sharp return chance low to his right and then on 38 against Bresnan when Ballance got underneath the ball at deep square leg but the catch dropped out of his hands.Neither batsman wasted scoring opportunities as Northants cruised in into three figures in the 25th over and Duckett hurried to his third consecutive one-day half-century from 61 balls with six fours.Their century stand arrived in 18.5 overs, the second 50 taking them only 32 balls, and Wakely celebrated by smacking Rashid through the leg side for six to register his 50 from 60 deliveries with four fours and two sixes.Yorkshire were forced to bring Lyth into the attack with his offspin and it was he who made the breakthrough. Wakely, in two minds over what stroke to play, gave a gentle return catch and was out for 71 from 79 balls with five fours and two sixes.Rob Keogh fell to Plunkett without scoring but Duckett swept Rashid for two to complete a run-a-ball century which contained 11 fours and two sixes and he added a couple further boundaries before skying the leg-spinner to Leaning just inside the midwicket rope.Northamptonshire were 246 for 5 in the 43rd over and they remained in control as Rob Newton hit 26 from 15 balls with a four and two sixes and Crook went in unbeaten on 46 from 41 deliveries with three fours and a six. It was a particularly expensive day for Bresnan whose ten wicketless overs cost him 76 runs.

Keshav Maharaj took a hat-trick to help South Africa complete their first series win away from home in more than four years, since they beat New Zealand in March 2017. Maharaj is only the second South African to take a Test hat-trick and put South Africa’s result beyond doubt with a triple-strike in the morning session. They sealed the 2-0 result 33 minutes before tea. This is also South Africa’s first series win on the road under Mark Boucher and second in four series on Boucher’s time in charge, since December 2019.After setting West Indies 324 runs to win the second Test and square the series, South Africa’s attack chipped away at their line-up and rarely allowed a batter to settle. Kagiso Rabada took the first three wickets before Maharaj’s magic came in the 37th over, his eighth of the day, when he sent back Kieran Powell, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva off successful deliveries. With Roston Chase unable to bat because a quad injury, South Africa only needed nine wickets to win the match, with Maharaj finishing with his seventh five-wicket haul of his Test career. As for West Indies, they have not won any of their last three home series.

West Indies fined for slow over rate

West Indies have been fined 60% of their match fees for maintain a slow over rate against South Africa in the second Test. They have also been penalised six World Test Championship points, even though its final is already being played in Southampton.

West Indies were ruled to be three overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, and the sanction was imposed by match referee Richie Richardson.
As players are fined 20% of their match fees for every over they fall short while bowling, the West Indies side was penalised three times the amount, in accordance with Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct. In addition, a side is also penalised two WTC points for each over they fall short. “Brathwaite pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing,” the ICC release said.

Rabada and Anrich Nortje began proceedings on the fourth morning and immediately threatened. Nortje almost bowled Kraigg Brathwaite with a delivery that the West Indian captain inside-edged just shy of the stumps and then lured Powell into a drive and beat him. But it was at the other end that the incisions were made.Brathwaite’s defence was breached when he came half-forward to defend a length ball from Rabada but only managed an outside edge. Dean Elgar took the catch at first slip to end a poor series for Brathwaite and a poor series for opening partnerships on the whole. Brathwaite has managed 28 runs in four Tests, with a top score of 15, while the average opening stand across both teams is 8.14. Only three series in the history of Test cricket have had lower averages for the opening stand.Rabada kept up the fuller lengths but two overs later, held his length back against Shai Hope, who could not decide between ducking and fending and ended up lobbing the ball to Aiden Markram at second slip. South Africa appealed and then reviewed, with replays confirming Hope had gloved the ball. Rabada could have had two-in-two when he hit Kyle Mayers on the front pad with a full-toss and umpire Joel Wilson gave Mayers out lbw, but Rabada had overstepped.

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Mayers went on to share a 64-run stand with Powell, the best in the match for West Indies, before top-edging an attempted pull off Rabada, which flew over the slips. Elgar chased it and completed the catch.Powell resisted almost alone from there. He brought up his fifty with an edge through third man and reached his highest Test score since October 2018, nine innings ago, but with his wicket, West Indies unravelled. Powell first swept Maharaj to Nortje at deep midwicket. Maharaj then had Holder caught by Keegan Petersen at short leg off his next ball to deepen West Indies’ troubles. And then came the icing on the cake, when Wiaan Mulder grabbed a one-handed chance at leg slip off a Da Silva fend.West Indies went to lunch on 109 for 6, with only the lower order to come. Kemar Roach and Jermaine Blackwood stayed together for 15.4 overs after the break, with Roach, in particular, playing some aggressive strokes during his 27. Blackwood was the first to go when he pushed at an Ngidi delivery and got an edge that de Kock held on to after diving full length to his right. Three overs later, Roach holed out to long-on, off Maharaj, before Jayden Seales heaved across the line and was caught at deep square leg to finish off a memorable match for Maharaj. With the final wicket, Maharaj became the first South Africa spinner to take a five-wicket haul against West Indies.

Asa Tribe hit a career-best unbeaten 181 to keep Glamorgan’s promotion hopes firmly alive and put his side in a dominant position on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Glamorgan were indebted to the 21-year-old Jersey international after losing four wickets before lunch after winning the toss, Luke Procter claiming two scalps. Opening the innings, Tribe never looked in real trouble, helping himself to 25 fours and two sixes in a fluent, confident innings and accounting for the bulk of the top-order runs.Sam Northeast (17) and Ben Kellaway (23) kept him company in half-century stands, but it was not until Chris Cooke’s arrival that Glamorgan mounted a substantial partnership, the keeper scoring 84 (12 fours, one six) while adding 162 for the sixth wicket with Tribe. Although Cooke fell before the close, Glamorgan were in a healthy position at 367 for six.Earlier Northamptonshire handed first-class debuts to left-arm pacer Ben Whitehouse and off-spinner Nirvan Ramesh, 17, who became the county’s third youngest debutant since the war.Zain ul Hassan was the first Glamorgan wicket to fall in the eighth over, driving outside off-stump to Procter and edging an easy catch behind.Tribe dealt almost exclusively in boundaries. He drove handsomely through midwicket against the seamers before a punch through cover point off Whitehouse brought up Glamorgan’s 50 at the end of the 15th over.Whitehouse meanwhile unsettled Northeast. After the Glamorgan skipper punched one to the boundary, Whitehouse struck him on the arm causing a short delay. Northeast recovered to slap a wide delivery from Justin Broad through extra cover to bring up the 50 partnership with Tribe off 58 balls, but the all-rounder found some late movement to draw the edge through to second slip.Tribe though looked imperious, reaching 50 off 63 deliveries. He pulled dismissively against Whitehouse who was guilty of bowling too short throughout both spells.Procter struck for the second time when he jagged one back sharply to Kiran Carlson who offered minimum foot movement and inside edged to the keeper. The impressive Ramesh then claimed his maiden first-class wicket when Colin Ingram (18) attempted to turn the ball to leg and was well caught off the leading edge by Procter in the covers, and while Tribe took consecutive boundaries off Calvin Harrison, Glamorgan went into lunch four down for 115.Tribe started positively after the interval, sweeping Ramesh over deep midwicket for six, while Kellaway eased into his work with a sumptuous cover drive off Liam Guthrie and a reverse sweep off Ramesh as Glamorgan moved past 150, Tribe bringing up the half-century partnership off 59 balls with a backfoot punch off Guthrie.With Ramesh bowling consecutive maidens at one end, Northamptonshire turned to Broad to try to force the breakthrough and he instantly troubled Tribe outside off-stump. But it was Harrison who bowled Kellaway round his legs as he went to sweep.New batter Cooke took the aggressive option against Broad but was almost undone by one that jagged back and kept low.Tribe reached three figures off 150 balls with his first false shot, under-edging an attempted sweep against Harrison, the ball running past the keeper for four. He endured a few nervous moments against Procter who beat him several times outside off-stump, but he duly moved past his previous highest score of 107 made against Leicestershire in June, despite suffering from flu at the time.After tea Cooke swung Harrison over the leg side for six to bring up the 100 partnership off 183 balls before reaching his own half-century. He continued to attack, clubbing spinners Harrison and Saif Zaib over midwicket, while Tribe hit Zaib straight for six, Glamorgan going on to pass 300 shortly before the new ball became due.Tribe steered Procter through midwicket to bring up the 150 stand off 246 balls while Cooke cut Guthrie powerfully for four. The bowler soon made the breakthrough when Cooke pulled and was well caught low down by Broad at deep backward square-leg.With Tribe still content to capitalise on anything loose and joined by Timm van der Gugten, Glamorgan secured a third batting bonus point shortly before the close.

England 189 for 3 (Crawley 76, Pope 57) lead West Indies 121 (Atkinson 7-45) by 68 runsThey came for James Anderson, but they got Gus Atkinson. The first Test of England’s summer at Lord’s was meant to be a farewell for their greatest-ever seam bowler, but West Indies’ batters rolled out the red carpet for a debutant instead: they collapsed from 88 for 3 to 121 all out, with Atkinson taking remarkable figures of 7 for 45.Atkinson took two wickets in his first 14 balls on the first morning, but it was his second spell that sent West Indies into a tailspin. He took three wickets in four balls in his ninth over, ripping the heart out of West Indies’ middle order, then took two in three during his 11th. His figures were the second-best by an England bowler on their Test debut, behind only Dominic Cork.Anderson, playing his 188th and final Test, bowled nine wicketless overs before lunch and was brought back to take the final wicket of the innings, trapping Jayden Seales lbw to a loud ovation from the Lord’s crowd. But it was Atkinson, the Surrey fast bowler, who led England off the field midway through a remarkable first day as a Test cricketer.