Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

A pair of wickets for Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis handed South Africa a slight advantage on a curtailed, yet absorbing, opening day at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Two gutsy partnerships from India’s experienced middle order helped them recover after an early wobble but loss of wickets at crucial stages, including one at the stroke of stumps, reduced them to a shaky 156 for 5 at the end of the day.South Africa’s pace battery didn’t launch as savage an attack as they would have wished, especially with the pitch acting two-paced and the ball darting around. The bowlers took some time to find their radar and none except the metronomic Shaun Pollock made the batsmen play regularly. Andre Nel and Dale Steyn, who was to later pull up with a thigh strain, spewed fire, handing the batsmen some painful body blows, but lack of direction eased the pressure. Yet, Ntini and Kallis summoned probing deliveries when it mattered, induced the batsmen into indiscretion, and edged South Africa ahead.The timing of the wickets epitomised India’s day. Sachin Tendulkar, who crafted a valuable 44, fell as tea approached; Rahul Dravid, who’d got through a rough period in the second session, drove expansively just after tea; and VVS Laxman, who’d applied himself for 104 minutes and found his free-flowing mode, fell right at the end of the day. Had he not been dismissed, and had he continued his gritty partnership with Sourav Ganguly, one would have been tempted to call it India’s day. In one final moment, the scales tilted.Things could have been much worse for India. After an anti-climactic start to the day, when damp patches on the pitch delayed play by 90 minutes, India were struggling at 14 for 2 with their openers continuing their horror run. The introduction of Pollock, in the seventh over, had transformed the session from a sleepy opening into a charged dogfight. Pitching the ball on the proverbial penny, probing outside off and taunting with his subtle movement, he’d strangled Virender Sehwag into edging an away swinger.That was when Tendulkar and Dravid showed the kind of application that India ‘s batting had been crying out for all through this tour. Both weaved out of the way of short deliveries, which were either loopy or zipping, and endured several blows and steely glares. Tendulkar’s positive instinct ensured that the scoreboard kept ticking along, while Dravid’s bloody-mindedness ensured he got support. Their 69-run stand was India’s best effort for the third wicket against South Africa and it tells you the sort of rubble teams have found themselves in the past.

Tendulkar blended cautious defence with gorgeous strokeplay. All his seven fours came on the off side – five beautifully-balanced straight and cover-drives were interspersed with a delicate carve over the slip cordon and a controlled back-cut past gully. He religiously ducked under a barrage of short deliveries from Nel and Ntini and concentrated on tucking around the corner and scampering to the non-striker’s end.Dravid’s was a battling effort. He was greeted with a Pollock snorter soon after he walked in, a ball that took off from a good length as if it were propelled by a booster and crashed into his ribs, rendering him breathless for a few moments. He was also struck a few times on his gloves, once close to his injured finger on his right hand, but didn’t flinch from the challenge. His unflappability in the face of Nel’s fierce sledges were as indicative of his mood as was the judgement which he used to leave deliveries outside off. He brought off a couple of superbly-times boundaries as well – on one occasion crisply pulling a Ntini short one that kept low – and eased them past choppy waters.Dravid’s dismissal brought Ganguly to the middle, a fascinating sub-plot in the larger drama. He began with a confident push to the off side, scampering a quick single, and was in control for most of his 42-ball stay. A Nel lifter smashed him on the left shoulder and a couple of airy wafts missed the full, moving ball but Ganguly’s mental fortitude appeared to carry him through. His leaves were confident and one front-foot cover-drive brought back memories of Ganguly of old.Laxman produced some vintage strokes as well, the delicate maneuver of the wrists and all. Two consecutive drives off Kallis seemed to herald some magical strokeplay but the hardwork came to nought when he feathered an edge off Ntini. The light was getting worse, there was sprinklings of rain in the air and a game hanging on a slender thread swung South Africa’s way.Short cuts
By Dileep Premachandran at Johannesburg

Highlight of the day: The style with which Jacques Kallis picked up the two biggest wickets, of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Both were undone bydeliveries that moved away a touch, just enough to kiss the edge throughto the slip cordon. People forget that Kallis had 200 Test wickets coming into thisgame, and he made it 201 and 202 either side of tea with the two biggestscalps possible. For a man who looks like he’s lumbering in, hedelivers one heavy ball too, clocking over 140 km/h several times during asplendid nine-over spell.Lowlight of the day: Virender Sehwag looked like an imposter, treadingwater 26 balls for four before he got the faintest of edges to a ShaunPollock delivery. A year ago, he was probably the most exciting batsman inworld cricket. Right now, he looks like someone with a learner’s license.Shot of the day: Andre Nel hustled in and offered a bit of width,and Tendulkar just leant forward and creamed it through the covers. Itwasn’t to last, but that moment of magic kept Indian fans happy a while.Ball of the day: In his second over back in the evening, Makhaya Ntini gotone to come in with the angle and straighten to take the outside edge. Theway Laxman was batting, it needed a special delivery to send him on hisway, and Ntini produced it just as the light worsened enough for theumpires to take the players off.Catch of the day: Graeme Smith’s delight after grabbing a low chance atfirst slip was all too apparent. After a hesitant start, Dravid was battingbeautifully but when Kallis induced the edge, Smith did the rest.Message of the day: The final paragraph of the press release given out toexplain the “dampness in the wicket [sic]” went like this: “The GautengCricket Board supports Chris Scott 100% as he made a decision that hebelieved was the correct one. He is the expert in his field and, as we allknow, has won the award as leading Groundsman in South Africa over the lastthree years.” Talk about getting defensive.Off the park: Rumours have been circulating about Wasim Akram working withIrfan Pathan for days, and repeated requests for clarification from theteam management resulted in a handwritten note from Greg Chappell beingsent to the press box. “We are grateful for Wasim’s offer of assistance,”it said. “I spoke with him in Durban during the ODI series.and told himthat I was happy for him to speak to Irfan as long as Irfan agreed. Irfansaid he was happy to speak with Wasim away from match time. At the end ofthe ODI series, Wasim left South Africa, and has only just returned. So tomy knowledge, no conversation has taken place. If any discussion is totake place, it will only be at a time and a place that suits Irfan.”So much for the old guru-shishya dynamics.

Try as he might, Graeme Smith will find it difficult to convince record-keepers that he has just led his side to Test wins in Kolkata and Lahore. For a start, the victories actually came at Newlands at Cape Town and Supersport Park at Centurion, not Eden Gardens or Gaddafi Stadium.Smith’s liberal approach to geography was actually a broad allusion to the surfaces his men happened upon at each venue: dry, flat, offering more turn the older they got, which is what you might expect at either subcontinental venue. But having registered such impressive wins in alien conditions, they might be just a touch surprised at coming across a St George’s Park pitch that its curator says will provide bowlers with pace and bounce. It’ll be a good surprise, though, like reuniting with a pleasant old acquaintance.AD Carter, the groundsman at Port Elizabeth, where the second Test between South Africa and Pakistan gets underway from tomorrow, told supercricket.com that the surface is as different from traditional PE low, slow turners as possible. “It reminds me of the one we had for the match between the Warriors and the Eagles earlier this month,” he said. “That one had pace and bounce and we hope this one will be similar.”It was a pleasant bonus for South Africa that their rookie spinner, Paul Harris, took more wickets than both Anil Kumble and Danish Kaneria on pitches that were supposed to be tailor-made for them. But you’d think on a surface supporting fast bowlers, South Africa would back their trio of Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and Shaun Pollock against most others.Generally, the hosts face few concerns, although AB de Villiers is causing a few nagging problems; he is an abnormally gifted sportsman, though a tally of three fifties in his last ten Tests and an average under 14 in his last four as opener is just plain abnormal. Hashim Amla was a problem before the last Test but he made good runs at a good time and Ashwell Prince’s patch is currently so purple, his pop namesake, whose favourite colour it is, called to ask for it back.About the only strife the middle order is currently facing stems from the stump mic’s kiss ‘n tell with Herschelle Gibbs during the first Test. Even that, though, is only vying for second place on the Global Race Issues chart, lagging behind a Bollywood queen’s travails in the celebrity goldfish bowl of Big Brother.But if ever a team was to admit to wariness over the state of the opposition, South Africa might contemplate doing it now. Pakistan fought for four days with virtually a two-man bowling attack at Centurion, one of whom had just come back from prolonged inaction and one of whom is suffering from a prolonged lack of threat.Mohammad Asif will find his way back but Danish Kaneria began the new year in much the same vein as last. He didn’t bowl badly, he didn’t leak runs, he spun the ball yet he didn’t really look like running through anything more threatening than margarine. Kamran Abbasi sums up the dilemma well here but it might help to have genuine strike bowlers operating at the other end.That is only one of the many reasons why the possible returns of Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar will lift Pakistan so much. With Asif in tow, this is Pakistan’s all-star pace attack, their current Harlem Globetrotters of pace bowling: there is pace, there is guile, there is bounce. In short, there is potentially everything in those three men you could hope for from a pace trio. It is still only a hope: Gul, despite coming through net sessions after an ankle injury, may yet be rested as a precautionary measure,Also hoping to return will be Pakistan’s own middle-order beard. The tourists’ batting did sufficiently well and no more in the first Test. In fact, what they didn’t do was exactly what Mohammad Yousuf had been doing all through 2006: converting (no pun intended). Like some cross-decade bash, sixties mixed seamlessly with thirties and forties but, heartlessly, no-one remembered to invite the centuries at Centurion.Yousuf, who dumped fifties altogether last year as if it were a crime against fashion (he made only three, and one of those was a 97), will be expected to bring just that ability. The hosts, though, will hope that his poor record in this country and relative rustiness since December combine to dampen his contribution.South Africa (probable) 1 AB de Villiers, 2 Graeme Smith (capt), 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 Herschelle Gibbs, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini.Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Yasir Hameed, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Shoaib Akhtar, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Danish Kaneria, 11 Mohammad Asif.

Pakistan’s injury curse has continued with Shabbir Ahmed forced to fly home from South Africa after less than a week on tour. He picked up a groin strain during Friday’s Twenty20, his first match back since remodeling his bowling action.Darryn Lifson, the Pakistan physio, has estimated the recovery time to be around three weeks, which puts Shabbir’s chances of gaining a World Cup place in jeopardy. The final 15-man squad has to be named by February 13 and there won’t be any room for players under an injury cloud.Shabbir’s withdrawal adds to Pakistan’s catalogue of problems in South Africa, which have included Shoaib Akhtar’s brief, but dramatic, appearance in the Test series before he went home with a hamstring problem. Shoaib’s wasn’t originally part of the squad because he wasn’t deemed to be fit enough.Umar Gul played no part in the series after picking up an ankle injury during the warm-up match against South Africa A and Shoaib Malik was also forced to miss out. Inzamam-ul-Haq suffered from a back problem during the final Test and missed the Twenty20, although was passed fit to lead the team in the first ODI.

Canterbury made a decent reply to Central District’s first-innings 460, ending the second day on 208 for 2 at the Basin Reserve. . Michael Papps, the opener with international experience, hit 86 to go past 700 runs for the State Championship season. Shanan Stewart, who put on 99 with Papps after Todd Astle (41) was dismissed, was unbeaten at stumps on 56 with Andrew Ellis (17 not out) for company. Earlier, CD added 85 to their overnight score, with Tim Weston hitting an unbeaten 87.Mayu Pasupati proved his allround worth with two wickets on State Championship debut as Auckland kept Otago down to 130 for 4 by stumps on day two at Dunedin’s University Oval. Pasupati’s 76 had yesterday helped Auckland recover from 129 for 8 to 226, and handed the ball, he removed Aaron Redmond early and top-scorer Neil Broom (49) to finish with 2 for 23 from ten overs. Shaun Haig, the opener, hit 38 from 35 deliveries.In the eight overs of play on day two, Northern Districts needed just 16 deliveries to get the last two Wellington batsman out but lost opener BJ Watling to finish on eight for one at the Basin Reserve. ND added 13 to their overnight score to reach 314, and Dewayne Bowden then dismissed Watling to keep some momentum going.

He’s one of only four Kenyan players to have passed the 400-run mark for his country in World Cup matches and has signalled a comeback.Ravindu Shah is not only a gifted batsman but has a knack for scoring runs on the big competitive stage and he relishes a return to the World Cup, eight years after featuring in the run-getters list headed by Rahul Dravid in the 1999 World Cup in England.Only three months ago, the 34-year-old batsman was not sure whether he would be fit enough to play cricket let alone be selected for his third World Cup appearance after being sidelined for over two years with a serious knee injury.Shah puts his strengths down to a positive mind and dedication to the game that kept him going through the hard times. “I get inspired by new challenges,” said Shah, who signalled his return to international cricket during the one-day triangular series in Mombasa in January.”I am hungry to score runs again at the top,” he added. Shah made an unbeaten 113 for his maiden ODI century against Scotland as Kenya also made a winning return in the series where Canada were also involved.A regular opener for Kenya, Shah has dropped a place down to third place in the batting order since his return and is likely to partner Steve Tikolo to add more depth in the middle in the Caribbean.Since making his breakthrough in 1998, he has scored 1425 runs in the 53 matches he has featured averaging 27.94. That included a brilliant 46 against Australia in the Super Six stage of the 2003 World Cup at Kingsmead.Shah said he was disappointed about the lack of international exposure for Kenyans, saying that players like himself are passing the prime of the lives having played so few internationals compared to other players from the Test-playing nations.”When you compare the Australians on how much they have played and how much we have played there is a big difference,” he said. “By the time this players reach 35, 34 or 33 they would have played nearly 300 to 400 ODIs but when you look at the Kenyan team we started at the same time 10 years ago and we have played between 60 to 70 matches. I believe we still have a lot of cricket in us.”Shah, who toured the West Indies with the Kenya team in 2004, said he expected tough and challenging conditions in the Caribbean but believes the Kenyans have an advantage to have an insider in Roger Harper, the former West Indies allrounder as coach.Cricket runs deep in the Shah family. Ravindu’s father played school and club cricket as his two elder brothers – one of whom went on to play for East Africa.

Ben Hilfenhaus has capped off a remarkable season with the Ricky Ponting Medal as Tasmania’s Player of the Year. Hilfenhaus was the big winner at the state’s awards night on Friday, after topping the Pura Cup wicket tally with 60 dismissals from 11 games.He also made his Twenty20 and one-day international debuts for Australia in January. Two months later, Hilfenhaus was instrumental in Tasmania winning their first Pura Cup title, taking seven wickets in the final.Michael Di Venuto, who made 961 first-class runs in 2006-07 – his best effort in 16 seasons with the state – was given the David Boon Medal as the Pura Cup Player of the Year. The Jack Simmons Medal for the state’s best one-day player was awarded to Xavier Doherty, who took 11 wickets in his nine Ford Ranger Cup matches.Matthew Wade, who made his limited-overs debut for the Tigers in February, was named Young Player of the Year for the second consecutive time. Luke Butterworth, who arrived with a bang in his maiden season of first-class cricket, received the Scott Mason Memorial Captain’s Award. Butterworth took 23 wickets in his five games and was the Man of the Match in the final, when he made his first century for Tasmania.

Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler, is in negotiations with Glamorgan for a stint following their Test and one-day tour of England which concludes in July.A spokesman from Glamorgan couldn’t confirm to Cricinfo that the deal had been finalised, but a source at the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said talks with the county were ‘at an advanced stage’.Taylor is negotiating a sponsorship deal with Digicel which is, according to Caribbeancricket.com, reportedly worth $40,000. Should Taylor join Glamorgan, he would join a list of West Indian legends to have played for the county, including Viv Richards, Roy Fredericks and Winston Davis.And although only 22, Taylor is one of West Indies’ brightest fast bowling hopes. He has 31 wickets from his ten Tests and has been an economical and incisive one-day bowler.West Indies will play four Tests, three one-dayers and two Twenty20s against England this summer – with their last match, the third one-dayer at Trent Bridge, on July 7.

She was one of the few women to pierce the consciousness of the average cricket follower. Australia, in particular, will miss her on-field prowess. So, how do you solve a problem like finding the new Cathryn Fitzpatrick? The answer – make her your coach.Australia have just appointed her as their acting head, two months after she retired following 16 years as the world’s fastest female bowler. And in the next few weeks, she could be offered the lead roles for both Australia and England, after registering her interest for the two jobs.”I have a passion for coaching and am happy to see where the journey takes me,” she says. She thought her first stop would be Ireland, where she was all set to take on a playing/coaching role in the country, but she had to change her plans at the last minute after Mark Sorrell’s resignation.As for passion, if she’s half as fired-up in the coaching arena then whoever wins her services will be thanking their lucky stars – whichever team misses out had better watch out for their bails. She hasn’t ruled out taking on Australia’s men, or indeed any other men’s team, one day. “I don’t intend my coaching to be gender specific.”In the meantime she will hopefully be able to concentrate on developing the next Fitzpatrick. “There are certainly some fantastic bowlers around the world. India’s Jhulan Goswami will only get better, as will Katherine Brunt, of England, as long as she remains injury-free.”But is there someone to replace her in the Australian camp? “I thought Emma Sampson competed well in her first outing and as she develops a fast bowler’s body she will pick up a yard or two of pace. I think it all looks very exciting.”She won’t be drawn on which job she would prefer – “I haven’t even thought about having to make such a decision” – but she had no doubts that she would ever play for her country. “I always knew I’d play for Australia,” she says, following the Aussie rite of passage of playing in the backyard and then progressing, “but I didn’t realise how hard it was going to be.”

Over the years she’s had to learn to toughen herself up, particularly when receiving criticism from unexpected quarters. Two years ago, as part of her training to be an Academy coach, she was seconded to assist with the Australia men’s team for the Super Tests. It was widely reported that Geoff Lawson took exception, dismissing the involvement of a female as “a symptom of too many peripheral and left-field coaching ideas.”She shrugs it off. “I think Geoff’s comments were uninformed and I was disappointed that he didn’t explore the situation before making the comments. No hard feelings, though.”Lawson, a coach of elite women’s cricket, was disappointed at the reporting of his comments, and he told Cricinfo they were misconstrued. “The Australian team did not even have any sort of bowling coach at the time, and they needed one. I had been a big fan of her bowling, attitude and discipline and wish her all the best in her coaching career.”Fitzpatrick turned the whole situation into a positive – “I was overwhelmed by the support shown to me from the playing group.”Besides which, now the apprentice has turned sorcerer. She has said that whoever receives her services – and it’s a fair assumption that she’ll get at least one of the two jobs – she may just have a few secret weapons to bringto coaching. “My playing experience and the opportunity to work alongside coaches of Troy Cooley’s calibre has enabled me to add to my bag of tricks.”But like a good magician, she’s keeping the secrets secret. She will, however, explain how she conjured so many wickets: and she exclusively revealed to Cricinfo the secret of fast, accurate bowling. “Genetics – and a very strong work ethic.” Ah.So what’s it like working with Cooley? “Ace!” she grins. “Such a great guy who challenges players to strive to next the level. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played 100 games or three, you’ll learn something from Troy.” Just another thing for England’s men to kick themselves over.Fitzpatrick’s not had time to miss playing, having just recovered from a knee operation by cycling and going hard at the gym. Besides which it’s off season in Australia, “so I haven’t had to deal with it just yet.” That will come – unless, as is likely, she sweeps into a coaching role and keeps the women’s show sparkling.

It’s a dull grey Thursday at Chelmsford. Alastair Cook is on the pitch taking part in a photoshoot at his home Essex ground, all in the name of work.In exactly a week’s time he could be trotting down the Lord’s pavilion steps with Andrew Strauss to face West Indies, that intent gaze no doubt etched onto his ever-serious face. You know his look: the face of a thousand bland TV interviews, of the media-trained top-class sportsman.But today… well, today the seriousness has been replaced by a broad beam; then again there are two naked women flanking him. And there are more surprises in store. After the shoot – for a charity calendar – he reveals himself to be, contrary to the anodyne Henman-alike character on the small screen, naturally charming and surprisingly engaging. It’s all a little surreal.More unexpectedly still, he actually enjoys talking to the media and is cheerful as we sit down in the pavilion. “I don’t normally get to do interviews,” he says, with enthusiasm, while chomping away on some sandwiches from M&S. “I’m quite laidback.” I’d noticed. Anyway, it’s not as if he reads pieces about him – then there is a pause as he realises what he’s said. “I do, but I don’t pay too much attention!”But what is he doing at Chelmsford on his day off? As a centrally contracted player Cook’s busy enough without arriving to be snapped leaning on a lawnmower or dressed as an umpire while the two models Emma and Natalie, painted in the ECB colours, giggle suggestively. He finds it all brilliant, though. “Having to stare at naked women they didn’t have to twist my arm too much!”In the background, the Essex PR, Greg, shakes his head gently. Unfazed, Cook merely clarifies: “Better being honest than trying to make up some rubbish!” You can’t argue. And of course it’s all in a good cause, for the CHASE Ben Hollioake Fund, set up to remember Ben, Adam’s brother, who died in car crash in 2002. Cook didn’t know Ben, but he met Adam last year, and he’s happy to do his bit to help.

He’s a breath of fresh air, in the way that his batting breezed new life into England stage the day he strode onto the international stage in India in 2006, making 60 and 104 not out in his first two innings. But importantly, he’s confident, not arrogant – and he feels he’s far from the finished product.”I think you always have something to prove, always to yourself, especially at the start of the season, with a new coach coming in.” Three first-class centuries to kick off this season weren’t enough proof for him, then. “Shame there wasn’t a double hundred,” he flashes back. When pressed he does stretch to “I feel as if I’m hitting the ball quite cleanly”. He’d done more than enough to keep his England spot, particularly given Michael Vaughan’s absence.It’s not just about proving, though, it’s about constantly improving: “Your place is never certain.” That’s the hallmark of a future champion, that Warne-like desire to learn. Then again, Cook actually did have to improve.The winter wasn’t a high point: he was found out Down Under – with just one century, at Perth – and then left out of the one-day set-up from January. He admits missing the World Cup in particular was tough. “It was hard seeing the lads out there and wanting to be there. I didn’t watch too much. I just tried to get away from it and do my own thing.”

That thing was focussing on his shots on and around off-stump. “I’d be stupid not to. The Aussies got me out that way.” Still, he didn’t go overboard on correctional work: “It’s as much mental as it is technical.” He’s candid, though, about his need to improve on certain aspects. “Practising catching a ball always helps!” he says, alluding to his less-than-perfect fielding. But again he’s worked hard and it’s all made him tougher.He’s hungry, too, for more bites at the one-day cherry. In his two ODIs to date he showed an unexpected aggression, but he insists it’s part of his natural armour. “I’ve always got the shots. In Test match cricket you’ve got time to bat. You don’t want to play an aggressive shot and get out. In one-day cricket you’ve got to be more aggressive.”He wasn’t always so calm. “I was a fiery youngster,” he says, as if he’s now way beyond his 22 years. (He does look older, though, with his square jaw and mature frame, and he acts it, too. Only, it’s no act.) “I had a bit of a temper. That’s where you’ve got to learn to bat. Everyone makes mistakes, you play and miss. It’s playing the next ball. That’s Goochie’s thing, play the next ball.”That’s Graham Gooch, of course, head batting coach at Essex – who he won’t be seeing much of if he continues with England. Happily, though, he’s just been reunited with two old acquaintances, England’s new coaches. He can’t wait to work with Peter Moores, who he knows from Academy and England A days (Moores recommended him for the India call-up) – “I know he will put his heart and soul into it” – and then there’s the assistant, Andy Flower, who he played with at Essex.Flower provided an example of never-say-die on the pitch and the pair shared many successful partnerships. “It was the way you watched him batting at the other end and he wouldn’t get out, so you thought you couldn’t get out, either”.England’s first challenge in their brave new world is West Indies, about whom he’s guarded, “They’re massive wounded animals”. He’s warier still of India, whose bowlers he played so well in his debut series. “They really have world-class players.” Not to mention a point to prove. “That will be a tough battle.” He will be battle-ready.He’s looking no further, though – the India series is far, far away in his mind as it is, so there’s not much room for talking about him as a future England captain. “You can get too ahead of yourself. That would be great but it’s not something I’m going to chase. I’d rather keep my place in the England side and try to win for England.” England, as ever, will keep expecting.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

The end came quickly. Lasith Malinga fired in the yorkers, while MuttiahMuralitharan ripped the doosras and offspinners as Sri Lanka cleaned up the last five Bangladesh wickets to sweep to victory by an innings and 234 runs.Bangladesh had fought hard on the third day, raising hopes of a similargritty effort today, but Malinga and Murali had other ideas. The action began off the tenth delivery of the day. Khaled Mashud played all around a yorker from Malinga which swung in late. Malinga then proceeded to unsettle Mashrafe Mortaza with fiery yorkers and bouncers before Murali swooped in for the kill. A doosra that landed on the middle trapped Mortaza plumb in front.Malinga soon turned his attention to Shakib Al Hasan. With a shortcover in place, he hurled a short-of-length delivery around the offstump. As if hyptonised, Shakib punched it limply straight to thatfielder. Two balls later, Mohammad Rafique was done in by a peach of aslower yorker that dipped in late to clean up the middle stump.Murali dealt the final blow – which gave him match figures of 9 for 102 – with an offbreak that spun in viciously. Shahadat Hossain lunged at it, and ended up dragging his back foot out of the crease. The Bangladesh tail had collapsed in just 30 minutes on the fourth morning, as Sri Lanka marched to a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.The second Test starts on July 3 at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.