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There will be a new name on the Twenty20 Cup come Saturday night at Edgbaston after none of the previous winners made it to this year’s Final Day. Partly that has been down to the weather playing havoc with many campaigns – notably that of defending champions Leicestershire – but it also shows how more and more teams are adapting to the shortest form of the game.Twenty20 has come a long way in five years and in a little over a month’s time the first World Championship will take place in South Africa. However, the game at international level is still struggling for allround acclaim, with captains concerned about workload and debating its value, and this English season has also proved to be the toughest for the domestic tournament that had, until this year, enjoyed a virtually faultless run.The qualifying stage was savaged by the weather and a number of counties will be reporting losses but the four semi-finalists – Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Kent and Sussex – are at least in a position to boost the coffers. The rain, though, has been out of anyone’s control and the more concerning issue has been a rise in poor behaviour at grounds. Middlesex players had belongings stolen from the Uxbridge dressing room, Hampshire’s team coach was pelted with gravel and there have been reports of a general increase in unruly scenes.Now’s the time for Finals Day to arrest any slide in the image of Twenty20. And Edgbaston’s second chance of staging the event has all the ingredients to be a classic day. Andrew Flintoff’s availability has added an extra touch of spice and strengthens a formidable-looking Lancashire side. They have been to this stage twice before, losing in the semi-final against Surrey in 2004 and the final against Somerset in 2005.As is often the case with Lancashire, on paper they seem to have everything. Never mind Flintoff, there’s also Muttiah Muralitharan, Brad Hodge, Stuart Law and Mal Loye. But they keep failing to win trophies. Their Championship campaign took a major hit with the 108-run defeat against Sussex, who they could meet again in the final on Saturday evening, and it is shaping as a make-or-break weekend for Mark Chilton’s team.Sussex are one of the new success stories in Twenty20 this season. Not that they are new to success. Last year there was the Championship and C&G double and with them back on top in the four-day competition another double is still on the cards. Luke Wright has been the catalyst for their strong campaign and he leads the run-scoring table with 343 at a strike-rate of 184. In terms of his scoring rate he is second only behind Andrew Symonds among batsmen worldwide. One more strong outing could propel him from England’s preliminary 30-man squad to the final 15 for South Africa. But even in Twenty20 you can’t beat seasoned match-winning quality and Mushtaq Ahmed remains a trump card.

Of the nine representatives from England’s squad who could play a part on Finals Day, Sussex and Lancashire have four apiece, which would suggest they are the favourites to contest the final. However, in Twenty20 appearances can be deceptive.Kent have also rejuvenated their one-day cricket this season after an admission from Robert Key that it sometimes took a back-seat to Championship ambitions. Their strength is a long batting order and occasionally James Tredwell has been going in at No.11. Now, though, that spot is reserved for new signing Lasith Malinga, who has joined to replace Andrew Hall, and is a player capable – as he showed at the World Cup – of changing a match in one over. With Key and Joe Denly also firing in the top order they can certainly take on Sussex’s big-hitters head-to-head.Gloucestershire, who play the first semi against Lancashire, are beginning to rekindle memories of their one-day glory years under Mark Alleyne and John Bracewell. Alex Gidman is maturing into an impressive allrounder – he was unlucky not to make the England 30 – while in Hamish Marshall they have a destructive batsman. The return of Jon Lewis from injury provides the bowling attack with a steady influence and they are always sharp in the field.Off the field, too, there will be the usual entertainment including the mascot race (where Chris Lewis and Jason Gallian will don the sponsors’ costumes) and the musical star is former Sugerbabe, Mutya. However, increasingly Twenty20 is moving away from the sideshow attractions and standing alone through the quality of play. On cricket’s longest day, there should be more than enough on offer.

The Bangalore team is perceived to be full of people who are more conducive to Test cricket than Twenty20. What’s your take?
There is a propensity for the perception that we are here to play five-day cricket! To me, they are very classy, stylish, intelligent cricketers. There are no egos, no controversies surrounding them. They are going to be very solid citizens and it’s the kind of players we want our group to be represented by.This is the Twenty20 royal team of the championship. We are going to behave like that, play like that and that describes the bunch we have.So has the way you play influenced the branding or has the branding influenced your planned style of play
It starts with the name: Royal Challengers. It’s a very regal term and I am sure it was by design the kind of people we chose for the team. Rahul had the vision, he wanted this sort of player and that’s why he asked me to come in with this kind of role.You won’t see us play wham-bam cricket, you will see an intelligent and well-organised kind of cricket.My role will be to help the youngsters think out of the square and fit in with the vision. It’s a branding exercise, it’s a marketing exercise and people have to come in to watch not a region but a city franchise. I will be the intermediary between sponsors, team and the fans.What exactly is your job description?
I am the chief cricket officer which means I am sort of overseeing the way the team is operating in terms of its thinking, how it can win the tournament and how can it connect with its fan. So it will involve marketing and branding as well. I will work closely with Rahul Dravid in putting strategies in place. It’s a group of varied people coming together for the first time and trying to play consistent cricket to win 14 games and qualify for the play-offs.You said your job will involve marketing. Can you elaborate?
This is a new exciting concept with a city franchise and not only we want to connect this group of players with the local fans but we want the Royal Challengers to be known all throughout India as a side that is intelligent, classy, stylish and calculated. That will be our brand core. I will be the intermediary between the franchise as a whole, the team and the message from the team to the fans as to how we want them to embrace us.What can a coach do in a Twenty20 format and over a 44-day period?
I am not big on coaches. That’s why I am not the cricket coach here. I am a big believer in the captain. This will be Rahul’s team. Venkatesh Prasad will look after the nets and physical [aspects], while I can help the batsmen, it’s going to be a strategic role for me. Prasad has proved himself as a team coach and I will let him handle that side of the things.

I got a real passion for Twenty20 having done Cricket Max in New Zealand and I have some ideas of how this game can be played. You need to treat this as a scientific project. It’s not like a Test match, it’s not about durability and concentration over long periods. It’s about having lots of small goals and getting everyone strategically positioned. Our aim will be to get more wickets than the opposition. That would mean swinging the ball, great fielding.What is going to be your cricketing strategy?
To put simply, it would be to take more wickets than the opposition. Build partnerships, throw in some great fielding, our general attitude and win by our all round skills. In a nutshell, with a scientific approach. The first six overs, with the field up, is when you really get your runs, the next eight overs are the middle overs while the last six will be the death overs.What is the future of Twenty20 and will its success mean the death of 50-over cricket?
The game is here to stay; it is the future. What we are seeing a correction in 50-overs cricket. We had a over-saturation of that form, lots of meaningless cricket was being played. This Twenty20 would offset that.I see 50-overs cricket being played over four innings. Four Twenty20 innings and I see this happening in ten years time. One-day cricket would become a mini Test match. There fore Twenty20 becomes the precursor to that eventuality. As of now we have Twenty20 and Test cricket while the one-day game is going through an identity crisis.

Rain has forced the third match of the delicately poised women’s one-day series between Australia and England to be abandoned. The game, which was scheduled for Drummoyne Oval in Sydney, was cancelled following the wet weather in the city over the past week, which made it impossible to prepare the ground.England won the first fixture at the MCG before Australia levelled the five-match series in Melbourne on Monday. The final games will be played at the SCG on Sunday and Monday, with the one-off Test to be held in Bowral from February 15.

Scorecard
How they were out

Sri Lanka were denied victory in Galle when a second torrential downpour ended the final Test with England tottering on 251 for 6 although Alastair Cook’s 118, his seventh Test century, helped keep Sri Lanka at bay. However, when he was removed after the first interruption England’s tail was left with a task that would surely have been beyond them, especially against Muttiah Muralitharan who had triggered an earlier dramatic collapse of three wickets in four balls before lunch.It was hard on Sri Lanka, who deserved a 2-0 scoreline but have the consolation of a rise to third in the world rankings. England travel in the opposite direction, down to fifth from second, a position they have held for three years, although how much those standings really mean to the players is unclear. Despite the draw England can’t take much pride from their performance, although Cook’s hundred at least means they registered three figures once in the series.The highlight of the final day of the series was Muralitharan’s pre-lunch spell which sent England crashing from 200 for 2 to 200 for 5 in four balls. He hasn’t quite been at his incisive best since capturing the world record three weeks ago in Kandy, but sparked into life with the prospect of a few week’s rest. Sri Lanka’s next commitments are not until the CB Series in February.He had already made the first incision of the morning, removing Ian Bell with a delivery which kept wickedly low to hit off stump. Cook, who was dropped early in the day on 54, and Kevin Pietersen responded by adding 72, but Muralitharan was settling into a probing spell. Switching to around the wicket he put Pietersen in a tangle, unsure whether to use bat or pad. He eventually gained his reward when Pietersen carelessly clipped a half volley to Mahela Jayawardene at midwicket.Pietersen did have time to pass 3000 runs in his 33rd Test, equalling the mark set by Herbert Sutcliffe, and he also reached 1000 for the year, but it was the first time he ended a series without at least a half century. England suffered in all three Tests from losing batsmen when they are well set and Pietersen’s departure gave an opening to Sri Lanka. Two balls later Paul Collingwood was bamboozled and left stranded by a doosra as he tried to find the gap at midwicket and Prasanna Jayawardene produced a neat stumping.

Ravi Bopara completed a depressing pair, and a chastening first Test series, when his urgency to find a run ended his stay first ball. He edged Muralitharan to Jayawardene’s right at slip and the Sri Lanka captain dived, collected the ball and in one motion returned to the wicketkeeper. Bopara had already taken a couple of strides down the pitch and couldn’t turn in time. It was another example of the athleticism Sri Lanka have shown throughout the series, but Bopara’s desperation came from a mind that has been scrambled by recent events.In contrast, Cook’s mind remained commendably focussed after watching from the non-striker’s end and he maintained his composure to reach a century off 228 balls. He now has seven Test hundreds which puts him one behind Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar who had eight by the time they turned 23, and level with Javed Miandad. Cook’s birthday is on Christmas Day. It was also England’s first overseas Test hundred since Cook scored his second-innings century at Perth a little over a year ago.Prasanna Jayawardene dropped a leg-glance off Lasith Malinga in the day’s second over, a rare error for a wicketkeeper who has impressed during the series. Cook played Muralitharan with relative ease and combined with Matt Prior – who had ground to make up after three dropped catches – in a stand spanning 30 overs either side of the rain breaks.The weather caught everyone by surprise by clearing as rapidly as it arrived meaning Sri Lanka had one more chance to push for victory. Muralitharan thought he had Prior twice, firstly with an lbw which Asad Rauf correctly ruled would have slipped past leg stump, then with an edge that dropped fractionally short of slip. Jayawardene claimed the catch and tensions were running high with him not impressed by England’s time wasting.Cook was dropped a second time from a flashing cut the wicketkeeper dives across Kumar Sangakkara, who could only get fingers to the ball at first slip; the reprieve was brief as he fell next ball when Chanaka Welegedara made once bounce outside off stump. Sri Lanka were sensing the kill, but rain began to fall again and this time there was no coming back as the ground was soaked within minutes.However, after beginning the series on the back of a hammering by Australia and rumblings of discontent in the camp, Sri Lanka have shown that in their own conditions they are one of the most formidable opposition in the world.

Ireland’s hopes of a third successive Intercontinental Cup win have suffered a blow with Boyd Rankin ruled out of next month’s match against UAE. He will also miss the three one-day internationals against Bangladesh.Rankin, who joined Warwickshire on a three-year deal from Derbyshire at the end of last season, suffered a stress fracture in his foot shortly before Christmas, and neither county or country want to risk him returning to action too soon. He is currently spending time with Allan Donald, Warwickshire’s bowling coach, on remodelling his action.”The injury has healed, and I have started back doing bowling drills with Allan Donald, adjusting a few things in my action just this week,” Rankin said. “It was decided between everyone that it would be too soon to be back bowling at full fitness for the Intercontinental Cup match and the ODIs in Bangladesh. I’m concerned that if I come back too soon it might not fully recover and I could break down again.”Phil Simmons, Ireland’s coach, said: “Hopefully with Allan working on remodelling Boyd’s action, we’ll get a fitter and more confident fast bowler.”However, Rankin’s loss is partly offset by the unexpected availability of opening bowler Dave Langford-Smith, who has had a change of heart after initially ruling himself out of contention for the first half of the year due to work commitments.”Dave’s work is going better than he anticipated and thankfully he is able to get the necessary time off,” Simmons said. Ireland take on the UAE in Abu Dhabi from March 6, and play three ODI’s in Bangladesh on March 18, 20 and 22.

Scorecard

Afghanistan and Oman tied the final of the ACC Twenty20 Cup in Kuwait.Afghanistan scored 151 for 3 off their 20 overs, and when Oman slumped to 0 for 2 in the first over, their chances seemed slim. But a hundred stand between Nilesh Parmar (66) and Adnan Ilyas (52) took them to the brink of victory and five were needed at the start of the last over.In a dramatic finale, two were needed off the last ball. The batsman swung and missed and as Afghanistan celebrated, believing in error that the wicketkeeper had stumped him, the Omani batsmen scrambled a single to tie the game.The competition rules dictated there should have been a bowl-out but the officials decided that the pitch had been damaged by spectators charging onto it at the conclusion of the match.”I don’t know whether to be happy or sad,” Afghanistan’s coach Taj Malik said. “We could have won, we could have lost. We should have won.”In the third-place play-off, Kuwait beat UAE by three runs.

Division One

Michael Lumb and Sean Ervine hit rapid half-centuries as Hampshire gained a thrilling two-run win against Essex in a match reduced to 25 overs per side at The Rose Bowl. Lumb ensured Hampshire gained a flyer to their innings, taking 40 balls over his 62, and Ervine built on his work with a 38-ball 57. The hard hitting continued all the way down the order and when Essex lost three early wickets against James Bruce and Daren Powell the task became enough tougher. But James Foster (61) and Grant Flower (54) managed to keep up with an escalating run rate and strong striking from Ryan ten Doeschate and Andy Bichel kept the game alive. However, Powell came back to grab two vital wickets and Shaun Udal kept Essex down in the final over.Worcestershire gave their suffering supporters something to smile about with a seven-wicket win against Sussex in their relocated match at Edgbaston. Vikram Solanki hit a 51-ball 55 then Ben Smith and Graeme Hick calmly completed the chase with a stand of 110 and four overs to spare. Sussex had wasted a strong platform after Richard Montgomerie (65) and Murray Goodwin (52) added 106 for the second wicket as Ray Price and Gareth Batty shared six wickets. Sussex’s spin pair of Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq couldn’t produce a repeat.Gloucestershire held their nerve to secure a three-run win against Warwickshire in a tight encounter at Bristol. Darren Maddy (71) and Kumar Sangakkara (55), only recently back from Sri Lanka, gave Warwickshire a chance and Tim Ambrose kept them in touch. But Ben Edmondson pulled out a fine last over and removed Tim Groenewald with six still needed. Gloucestershire had Alex Gidman’s 88 off 74 balls to thank for their total of 212, after a delayed started reduced the match to 35 overs per side.

Division Two

Jacques Rudolph’s powerful 127 was key to Yorkshire’s nine-run win against Somerset at Scarborough, under the Duckworth-Lewis calculations, but it was nearly snatched away by Ian Blackwell’s brilliant 97. Rudolph faced 114 balls against an attack missing the rested Andy Caddick and Charl Willoughby. He added 72 with Craig White for the first wicket and a key 111 with Andrew Gale for the fifth. Gale and Tim Bresnan finished with a flurry of boundaries and when Somerset floundered to 98 for 6 the game appeared over. However, Blackwell cut loose and launched seven sixes while adding 115 with Craig Kieswetter. Richard Pyrah eventually had Blackwell stumped after 73 balls and Yorkshire held on at the death. Read John Ward’s full report here.Robert Key led from the front with 104 as Kent continued their impressive one-day form with a 10-run win against Derbyshire at Derby. Key took 96 balls to reach his hundred, adding 111 with Joe Denly who made 52 off 44 balls. Martin van Jaarsveld added 62 as the second wicket added 110. Derbyshire chased hard with Greg Smith hitting 88 off 68 deliveries, but Kent collected wickets at regular intervals and had breathing space at the end.Shivnarine Chanderpaul began his Durham stint in match-winning style as he stroked an unbeaten 80 in their seven-wicket win against Surrey at Guildford. Chanderpaul added 120 with Kyle Coetzer (76) and Chanderpaul remained to see the job home alongside captain Dale Benkenstein. Phil Mustard provided another view of his tremendous hitting power with a 42-ball 63 to make major inroads into the target. Chris Schofield was taken to the cleaners, his three overs costing 40. Surrey’s 247, under par on a small ground, was based around 84 from Scott Newman and well-paced 59 from Ali Brown.Middlesex’s seamers brushed aside Glamorgan in a 21-over game at Ebbw Vale. Chaminda Vaas and Chad Keegan took the first five wickets for 18 runs and Glamorgan were out of the game before Murali Kartik chipped in with three. Middlesex’s 183 was based around stylish half-centuries from Owais Shah and Ed Joyce. Shah took 34 balls over 59 and Joyce’s 55 needed just 33 deliveries as he hammered four sixes. Ed Smith provided early momentum, adding 101 for the second wicket with Shah.

Denmark booked a spot in the World Cup Qualifier with a three-wicket win over Argentina at the Wanderers ground. Freddie Klokker (54) continued his strong form as Denmark survived an early wobble at 24 for 3 to chase down 169 with 23 balls to spare. David Borchersen, Bobby Chawla and Bashir Shah took two wickets each as Argentina, despite Matias Paterlini’s 51, couldn’t bat out their 50 overs.In a low-scoring match at the Centre for Cricket Development, Gerrie Snyman took 5 for 36 to bowl Namibia to a 27-run victory over Uganda to book their place in the qualifier. Namibia suffered a rare batting collapse to be bowled out for 145 in 45.4 overs with new-ball partners Danniel Ruyange and Kenneth Kamyuka sharing five wickets between them. Snyman, who is tournament’s leading run-scorer with 517, compensated for his batting failure by taking a five-wicket haul as Uganda was dismissed for 118 and now has nine wickets in the tournament.In the dress rehearsal for Saturday’s final, Oman overpowered UAE by 25 runs at the United ground after Adnan Ilyas’ eye-catching 113 propelled Oman to an imposing 298 for 8. Ilyas faced 112 balls and hit six fours and five sixes. In turn, UAE were dismissed for 273 despite Amjad Javed’s 71 and Arshad Ali’s 64.Argentina and Uganda are now relegated but will have a second chance to book a place in the 2009 World Cup Qualifier when they play in the next Division Three tournament – the top two there will also make the qualifier.

It looks like the days of rumblings and grumbling are over. At least for the time being.The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) appear to be on the same page when it comes to contracts for players. In a brief conversation yesterday, Dinanath Ramnarine, president of the WIPA, told SunSport his organisation was satisfied with the pace of negotiations with the WICB as they look towards new retainer contracts. The last contracts expired at the end of last month.”We are working on new retainers and I can report that at the moment there are no major issues,” Ramnarine said. “We are satisfied with the way things are going and we remain optimistic.” Efforts to get a reaction from Barry Thomas, the WICB’s acting chief executive, were unsuccessful.In recent years, the players and their employer have been embroiled in a number of embarrassing public stand-offs which led on some occasions to the players withdrawing their services.However, since assuming the post of WICB president, Julian Hunte has struck a conciliatory note with WIPA. He appointed Ramnarine as a non-executive member of the board, so that WIPA, according to him, “can now be part of the solution instead of continuing to be perceived as part of the problem”. Hunte has also gone beyond Ramnarine’s formal appointment to bonding with the players themselves.The West Indies have a long list of assignments in the coming months. Next month they are expected in Zimbabwe for a series of one-day matches. They will play three Tests and three ODIs in South Africa between December and February. The Tests will be at Port Elizabeth (December 26 to 30), Cape Town (January 2 to 6) and Durban (January 10 to 14).The West Indies will host Australia and Sri Lanka between March and June, but the various boards have not outlined the itineraries as yet.

Scorecard

South Australia’s batting held together long enough – but only just – to take a tight five-wicket victory off the last ball against New South Wales under the lights in Adelaide.They needed 20 off the last 30 balls, but Andy Delmont and Graham Manou edged closer to leave themselves needing three off the last over, bowled by Doug Bollinger. Somehow they contrived to take the game to the last delivery, an aerial swish behind point completing the job.Matthew Elliott and Mark Cosgrove eased the Redbacks’ top-order concerns with a 76-run stand for the second wicket, and the side were building towards their 243-run target but they, and their long-suffering fans, have learned to take nothing for granted where their batting is concerned.Indeed, Nathan Bracken prompted a few last-minute jitters by removing Darren Lehmann late on, leaving the batsmen to cling on and make hard work of getting home. “It probably should have been a bit easier than that,” admitted Nathan Adcock afterwards with understatement.Elliott and Cosgrove’s fifties, along with Dan Cullen’s smooth spin spell, finally proved the difference in a close-fought encounter which also featured some poor fielding from both sides.Cullen’s 3 for 47 helped to calm the nerves during a lamentable display of three dropped catches and a howler of a missed run-out. New South Wales capitalised to make 7 for 233 – Dominic Thornely cashing in with 68 after being spilled on 26 – and their total, on a green and lively wicket, had looked challenging.It looked far short, though, as soon as South Australia came in. Elliott and Dan Harris put on a solid opening stand of 60 before Harris holed out to Steve O’Keefe at deep square, then Cosgrove combined with Elliott to up the ante and add an entertaining 76 in quick time.Cosgrove (51) played forcefully off the back foot, putting in another fire-cracking performance reminiscent of his 92 on the Redbacks’ opening night against Victoria, although both he and Elliott had a let-off in the same Mark Cameron over.Cameron had softened up Cosgrove earlier with a blow to the elbow, before O’Keefe fluffed in the leg gully trap on 12, then Elliott fired a hard chance to Nathan Hauritz at mid-off on 42. Cameron, though, didn’t let O’Keefe down when it was his turn to catch, snapping up Cosgrove’s high mis-hit.Elliott played with some class, climbing into the pace bowlers with some sweet shots and sound timing until he flapped at a wide one, Haddin taking the edge tidily. By this stage Nathan Adcock had already come and gone, with Lehmann taking over. He played with his usual authority until holing out at deep square off Bracken in the 46th over.Earlier, South Australia had Cullen to thank for rescuing their errors. But while he snapped up Katich (50) and Cowan (37) soon after they had given chances to patch up some of the fielding damage, Thornely went on to make 68 with some electric driving late on, punishing Lehmann in particular to apply the salt.Cullen ended with 3 for 47, his best figures against the Blues, and he also had Haddin for a duck. Haddin, who arrived on the back of a thumping century, had grounds to feel hard done by after he was deemed to have pressed to Adcock at first slip, though the ball may have come off the pad.Katich used his feet well to reach 50 but should have been run out on 45, when he slipped after cutting Cullen to gully but Delmont threw wide of Manou’s desperate right hand and he scrambled back. He finally fell sending a leading edge to the off-side. Cowan (37) was dropped on 18 – by Lehmann at short midwicket off Jason Gillespie, who had bowled tightly and with good movement – and 23, Elliott putting down a sitter off Cosgrove’s first over.The drops allowed Cowan to put on his first opening stand of fifty with Grant Lambert since the first match of last year, also against the Redbacks, but he was finally stumped off Cullen, deceived in the flight. Lambert then made 41 before driving at one outside off, much to Mark Cleary’s fist-pumping delight.South Australia picked up their fielding late on, Cosgrove standing firm to hold Peter Forrest’s skier off Lehmann for 19 and then Dan Harris’s direct throw removed O’Keefe for a sacrificial 2. But then Thornely took hold, though his efforts weren’t enough.So, the Blues’ blues continue: they have now lost three of four one-dayers, with the other washed out. The Redbacks, meanwhile, return here for the Pura Cup game on Friday on something of a rare high but with some question marks remaining.