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Less than a week ago, Vernon Philander was almost a hero. He’d come off his sick bed to defy a viral infection and did his best to stave off a South Africa defeat. He couldn’t, but he tried. Today, Philander was ruled out of the fourth Test with a back injury and his former captain Graeme Smith questioned whether he was doing enough to keep himself on the field.”This whole series, it’s been a struggle to keep Vernon on the field. It gets frustrating when you’ve got a senior player and an outstanding performer like him and fitness is becoming an issue,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo. “It raises questions about whether he is fit enough to be picked in the first place.”Despite declaring himself healthy two days before the must-win Old Trafford Test, Philander started suffering lower back spasms the day before the match. He failed a fitness test and was forced out of the match but Smith, who captained Philander from his debut in 2011 until Smith’s retirement in March 2014, suspected a wider problem. “He needs to look at that, he needs to do a lot more work in his time away from the team to make sure this doesn’t keep happening.”In the time Smith oversaw a team which included Philander, the seamer suffered four injuries in his first 10 series and all but one of them saw him miss matches. In Philander’s second series, he sat out the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka in 2011 with a left-knee strain, then missed the second Test in Australia in November 2012 with a back problem and could not play the second Test against New Zealand in Port Elizabeth in January 2013 because of a hamstring problem. The fourth time Philander was thought to be injured, in March 2014 against Australia, Smith insisted that he played.After losing the series opener at SuperSport Park, the St George’s Park match was a must-win and when Smith received news Philander was struggling with a back problem, he knew South Africa’s chances of exploiting seam movement on a ragged surface would dwindle. Smith waited until moments before the toss to give Philander time to pass a fitness test and wrote his name on the team-sheet while walking out to the middle.In Smith’s experience, pushing Philander’s case in that way was necessary because the man himself prefers to err on the cautious side. “Sometimes you need to be a little bit harder on Vern. His skill levels are there but you need to get him into the contest sometimes,” he said.Now Smith is concerned that Philander is not receiving that kind of tough love. Because he only plays Tests Philander is not around the squad all the time and Smith fears his fitness levels are suffering. At the same time, Philander has become a senior player, who is expected to take responsibility for his own out-of-camp activities. Smith would like to see Philander focus much more on his conditioning, to prolong his own career. “One of the big issues for him is fitness and he does need to take a look at it. He is at that phase of his career where if he doesn’t, he could fade away pretty quickly.”Most modern bowlers admit to hardly ever playing fully fit and South Africa have had their fair share. Apart from Philander, Dale Steyn has broken down three of his last four Test series and is yet to make a comeback after breaking his shoulder last November. But the first decade of Steyn’s Test career was less littered with injury. Philander, on the other hand, has carried niggles throughout and this year has been particularly painful.In April, a groin strain interrupted his county stint at Sussex, planned to prepare him for this trip, and kept him off the field for more than a month. He returned in late May but in mid-June picked up an ankle injury from which he only just recovered from in time for the first Test. Philander did not play the warm-up match in Worcester the week before and later made it sound as though he wanted to rest for the first Test but the “powers that be” needed him.After recovering for Trent Bridge, where he was Man of the Match, his illness kept him from performing at this best at The Oval and a back problem will now send him home five days earlier than expected which leaves South Africa to save a series without him. For Smith that is where the main concern comes in, especially because of the current state of the South African side. “It makes it very difficult for Faf to build a team. You want your senior player to be respected and you can’t afford Vernon to not be finishing a series.”For all Smith’s criticism of Philander, he could really not accuse Philander of not answering the team’s call because Philander played despite not fully trusting in his ankle at Lord’s and despite being unwell before the match start at The Oval. Perhaps this was the match where Philander knew he could not play because his back would let the team down more than his absence would.And at the end of the first day, South Africa had done a decent job in covering for his absence. They would have preferred to have England all out, and given how well Morne Morkel has bowled throughout this tour, they could have, but they did not allow the batsmen to get away from them. Every member of the attack was good in parts – Morkel with the new ball, Kagiso Rabada after lunch when he helped Keshav Maharaj keep it tight and then dismissed Tom Westley. Maharaj built pressure throughout his 29 overs, a crucial workload without the presence of Philander.South Africa still miss Chris Morris’ pace – he was also ruled out with a back problem – and Philander’s ability to exploit movement and sustain pressure but as things stand, the bowling is holding up well, as it has done all series. Overall, it’s the batting that’s let them down.”Tactically and skills wise, we’ve been found wanting especially with the bat. There is only one player averaging in the 40s [Dean Elgar] and the rest are 35 and below. You can’t expect to come to England and compete if you can’t get big totals,” Smith said.The man to change that is the one Smith scored so many of his runs alongside. Hashim Amla has had a fairly quiet series and a very quiet year, with only one hundred from nine Tests. To Amla, Smith can see a new challenge as his career enters its autumn, which involves anchoring an inexperienced line-up, desperate for new names to take charge.”The challenge for Hashim at this stage of his career is that there is a lot of pressure on him to perform in that No. 3 position with the other batters struggling to find their feet,” Smith said. “In a line-up where he had myself, Kallis, AB and everyone else, there was maybe not as much pressure on him. So this is a new challenge to him at this stage of his career.”

Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that India have made a conscious effort to attack the spinners on their tour of Sri Lanka, and in particular use their feet against Rangana Herath, the prime threat. As a result they have piled on successive 600-plus first-innings totals, and have all but neutralised the threat of Herath, whose average against India since fashioning the Galle win in 2015 is 53.61, and economy rate 3.58.In all, India’s batsmen have left the crease 84 times when facing Herath in this series, taking 123 runs off those balls while losing two wickets, Wriddhiman Saha the batsman dismissed on both occasions. It is not just the runs scored off those balls, though. There are also the short balls earned in the bargain.”When we played last time here against Sri Lanka, especially after Galle Test match, we decided that using footwork against him was very important,” Rahane said. “Here again in the first Test, Shikhar [Dhawan, scoring 190] batted really well, but throughout against him and their spinners we wanted to use our footwork so we could get more runs on the back foot. Especially on this kind of wicket, it is very slow and dry, so we knew that if we use our footwork we will get more runs on the back foot.”So when I went in to bat with Pujara we decided to change our momentum because Virat [Kohli] got out and we wanted to put pressure back on them, and that’s what we did. So we knew using footwork we would get more runs on the front foot as well as the back foot.”This was Rahane’s first century since Indore last year, but he said he was confident his batting was in good enough shape. “It was important, but for me I was confident,” Rahane said. “Even throughout that time, not getting a hundred for 9-10 Tests, I was confident about myself. I knew that if I get in I will get to a big one. It was all about thinking positive even throughout that period.”Coming to Sri Lanka, I was batting well in West Indies as well so wanted to carry that form forward. And batted well in the first Test. So here I decided if I play positively I will convert it to a big one.”The result was what Rahane called one of his best innings against spinners. He has historically had some issues against spin even though he has proved himself against quick bowling in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia. As a No. 5, he often comes in at a time when the ball has begun to turn and reverse. The case here was similar: India had lost two quick wickets, and were 133 for 3 with the ball taking turn. He came out and began to attack the spinners.”My mindset was completely blank coming into this innings,” Rahane said. “I wanted to take my time initially but later on, we thought if we dominate, if we change the momentum, they will be on the back foot straightaway, and that’s what happened. Because the same thinking was in Melbourne [in December 2014] in Australia, wanted to dominate them and that’s what we did.”But here the challenge was slightly different, a spinning-friendly wicket and we knew that if we get a good partnership – because I was talking to Virat in the dressing room before lunch that if we get a 150-200 partnership, one big partnership, they will be on the back foot and that’s what actually happened. Me and [Cheteshwar] Pujara got that partnership.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Craig Ervine hit five fours and two sixes in his 86-ball 77•AFP

Solomon Mire and Craig Ervine struck half-centuries as Zimbabwe clinched the three-match series by chasing down a revised target of 229 with six balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Victory was sealed when Sean Williams, who struck an unbeaten 19-ball 29, hit Paul van Meekeren for successive boundaries in the 36th over.The Netherlands, who were bowled out for 142 in the series opener, gave a better account of themselves after electing to bat by posting 291. Wesley Barresi (67) and Stephan Myburgh (77) put together a 143-run opening stand in 23 overs to lay a strong platform before Zimbabwe’s spinners slowed things down and picked up all the six wickets to fall – Sikandar Raza was the most-successful with figure of 3 for 40 with his offspin.In reply, Zimbabwe were cautious after the loss of Hamilton Masakadza in the sixth over, but Mire and Ervine helped drive the chase. At one stage, Zimbabwe were handily placed at 101 for 1 when play was stopped because of rain in the 20th over. They added 59 in the eight overs eight overs that followed the interval to lead the cruise before Williams saw them home.The third and final one-dayer will be played at The Hague on Saturday.

Match facts

Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians
Indore, April 20, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)2:17

Hogg: Pollard is starting to become a mentor

Form guide

• Kings XI Punjab (Fifth): lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 runs, lost to Delhi Daredevils by 51 runs, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets

• Mumbai Indians (Third): defeated Gujarat Lions by 6 wickets, defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 4 wickets, defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 4 wickets

Head to head

Overall:After 18 matches, both teams are deadlocked at nine wins apiece. But Mumbai Indians have a 6-3 lead in the last nine matches.Last season:It’s another deadlock. Marcus Stoinis set up Kings XI Punjab’s win in Visakhapatnam, taking 4 for 15, while Mumbai’s win in Mohali was headlined by a 137-run second-wicket partnership between Parthiv Patel and Ambati Rayudu.

In the news

Mumbai are off to their best start in IPL history with four wins in five matches and would hope to better that record considering Kings XI have lost all three of their most recent games.Manan Vohra’s sublime 95 almost papered over Kings XI’s overseas players – Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Eoin Morgan and Hashim Amla – scoring only 24 runs in the last match and it is this area that has been letting them down. Miller has the second-lowest strike-rate (103.75) among the 30 batsmen who have faced at least 65 balls this season and he might lose his spot if Shaun Marsh and Martin Guptill are match fit,Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma has not been opening because he feels his experience is needed in the middle order. That strategy works with Nitish Rana doing so well at No. 3 that he is the team’s top scorer.

The likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Manan Vohra, 3 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 David Miller, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Mohit Sharma, 9 Sandeep Sharma, 10 KC Cariappa, 11 Ishant SharmaMumbai Indians 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Lasith Malinga

Strategy punt

• Kings XI bowlers could look to bowl wide of off stump to the left-handed Rana, and get KC Cariappa to bowl more offbreaks than carrom balls at him. Rana has scored 127 runs off 77 balls on the leg side while only scoring 66 runs off 60 balls on the off side.
• Rohit should expect to face Axar Patel, Cariappa or even Maxwell as soon as he comes in. He has been dismissed by spin bowling four times in four innings this season, scoring 13 runs off 21 balls. Rohit would still back himself considering he averaged 54.28 against slow bowling in the previous two seasons.

Stats that matter

• In the two IPL games at the Holkar Stadium this year, batsmen have clobbered as many as 36 sixes, and only 39 fours.
• Fast bowlers have the worst average in Indore out of all the venues this season. They have taken nine wickets at an average of 50.33 and an economy rate of 9.24. By contrast, spinners have taken seven wickets at 24.57 and an economy of 7.02.
• Nitish Rana has hit a half-century in each of the three times he has batted at No. 3. He made 70 against Gujarat Lions in 2016 to go along with his two fifties this year. Rohit Sharma, in comparison, scored 3, 4 and 0 the last three times he was at No. 3. Rana is also excellent against left-arm bowlers: he has scored 63 runs off 34 balls without ever being dismissed. Against right-arm bowlers, he has made 130 runs in 111 balls.
• Spin has troubled Mumbai’s batsmen in the Powerplay this season. They have gained only 26 runs in 42 deliveries and have given up five wickets in the process. By contrast, Mumbai have scored 201 off 138 against fast bowlers in the first six overs.
• In six innings, Rohit has been dismissed by Sandeep Sharma twice, with the Mumbai batsman managing only 18 runs off 19 balls. Kings XI’s Miller, on the other hand, has been knocked over by Lasith Malinga thrice in four games.
• Indore has offered an economy rate of 4.83 to teams bowling first in the Powerplay. At every other venue this season, runs have been scored at a rate of at least seven per over in this phase. Indore makes up with the batsmen in the slog overs though, affording runs at a rate of 13.20, the second-highest among all venues in 2017

By stumps on day two of the Bengaluru Test, Ravindra Jadeja was India’s most successful bowler, with figures of 3 for 49 from 17 overs. He had, however, sent down significantly fewer overs than each of his bowling colleagues. R Ashwin had bowled 41, Umesh Yadav 24, and Ishant Sharma 23. It seemed as if Jadeja had been underbowled, a curious occurrence given India were only playing four specialist bowlers.Cheteshwar Pujara, though, suggested Virat Kohli’s sparing use of Jadeja was down to the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.”I think there was enough help for Ashwin,” Pujara said at the post-match press conference. “When Jadeja was bowling there wasn’t enough help from the centre of the wicket. There was enough rough for Ashwin and that was the reason Ashwin had to bowl more overs.”Apart from that, as a bowling unit we had to make some changes. Fast bowlers had to bowl many overs because the ball was staying low.”Pujara said the pitch, while still offering the bowlers plenty of help, had probably been more difficult to bat on on the first day, when KL Rahul had suggested Nathan Lyon profited from early dampness to generate extra turn and bounce.”About the wicket, it got better,” Pujara said. “When I was batting yesterday Rahul told me that it was getting easier to bat on so I think that’s what we are expecting in the second innings. If the wicket gets better we will have a big total on the board.”Australia ended day two six down, with a lead of 48. Pujara felt India were still very much in the Test match, regardless, and hoped they could take the remaining wickets quickly.”If we can get them out for another 25-30 runs it will be great,” he said. “We will focus on bowling right line and length and wickets will come. I think there is enough help from the pitch for the spinners and fast bowlers.”The bowlers will have some plans tomorrow for [Mitchell] Starc and the Matthew Wade. We will think of what we could have done better but overall I feel we have bowled well.”Pujara said conceding only 197 runs and taking six wickets represented a strong showing from the bowlers.”Throughout the day we bowled very well. Especially the fast bowlers. It wasn’t easy for the fast bowlers because there wasn’t much help. Obviously there was the odd ball that stayed low but they had to put in a lot of hard work. And the spinners as well. All the bowlers [did well] – we can see the run rate, they were not able to score many runs.”In a way, it was a victory for us and we bowled tight lines. Lengths were very good from the fast bowlers. All in all, we bowled well and took six wickets but they didn’t score many runs.”On a pitch that didn’t offer too much bounce, a number of edges fell short of the slip fielders, and Pujara said they had tried moving themselves closer to the bat without much avail.India continued to have a tough time with the Decision Review System•AFP

“They [the slip fielders] were trying to adjust and stay a little up but it just didn’t carry and at times you just have to accept it,” he said. “When the bowlers were bowling well, a few were going through the slips but it wasn’t carrying. As a bowler, it is a bit frustrating. But that is something we can’t help.”Another frustration for India was their continued trouble with the Decision Review System. They failed to review a not-out decision when Shaun Marsh gloved Umesh Yadav to the wicketkeeper, had an on-field lbw decision against Marsh chalked off after the batsman reviewed, and used up two reviews speculatively late in the day.”We have been working on it,” Pujara said. “At times there were some close calls and we didn’t get it right. We will work on it more. There was one incident where Shaun Marsh was out and we didn’t take the review.”This was the time when they were already five [two] down and if we had got another wicket it would put some pressure on them. We had to take that chance but we didn’t go for it. Probably that’s something that we can work on but we are getting better with DRS.”Australia’s batsmen, particularly the half-centurions Matt Renshaw and Shaun Marsh, seemed to trust their defence against India’s spinners more than some of India’s batsmen had done on day one against Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe. Pujara, though, didn’t feel this was the case.”I think the most important thing was we didn’t get a good partnership. When we had partnerships, things were getting easy for us but we kept on losing wickets. I think there is nothing wrong with the Indian batting line-up and we are known to play spinners well.”Apart from last three innings, we have been batting well. So we just have to have a gameplan. We had a chat this morning. We will have a different gameplan in the second innings, and at the same time we are confident of doing well. We have to accept that we didn’t bat well in the last three innings. We will put up a better show in the next innings.”

ScorecardFile photo – Shem Ngoche finished with figures of 3 for 18 from six overs•AFP

The efforts of Kenya’s bowlers, particularly left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche, set the base for their five-wicket win (Duckworth-Lewis method) as they limited Nepal to 112 for 8 in a rain-affected match in Kirtipur.The match was reduced to 38 overs a side after a delay due to rain and Kenya, having opted to field, immediately stifled Nepal. The hosts lost their first five wickets with only 66 on the board from 23 overs and, at 82 for 8 in the 32nd over, were in danger of being bowled out for less than 100. However, a ninth-wicket partnership of 30, the best for Nepal, between Shakti Gauchan and Sompal Kami lifted them to 112 for 8 before rain arrived again in the 36th over. Gyanendra Malla, captaining the side in place of Paras Khadka, top-scored with 27 while Ngoche had returns of 3 for 18. Ngoche was well supported by Nelson Odhiambo, who took 2 for 17, while three others bowlers took a wicket apiece.Upon resumption, Kenya were set a revised target of 104 off 29 overs. Spinners Sagar Pun and Basant Regmi quickly prised out Kenya’s top three by the seventh over, with Pun striking off successive deliveries to dismiss Irfan Karim and Dhiren Gondaria. However, Collins Obuya and Rakep Patel kept the chase on course with a steady 44-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Rakep carried on after Obuya was dismissed, stitching a useful stand with Gurdeep Singh. The score had reached 76 for 5 in the 22nd over before another rain break left the side with a revised target of 94 from 26 overs. Patel ended the match with a six off Sompal Kami to finish unbeaten on 34 and seal Kenya’s fifth win in the tournament so far.

Batsmen Asela Gunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella have been named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh, following their success in limited-overs internationals over the past month.Gunaratne hit two match-winning fifties in the recent T20 series in Australia, and had also struck a maiden ODI hundred in South Africa earlier in the month. Dickwella, meanwhile, has been effective at the top of the order in the shorter formats, but had also had some first-class form behind him in recent domestic outings.Among those omitted from the squad are Kusal Perera, who has been in poor form in both international and domestic cricket over the past few months, and opener Kaushal Silva.Dimuth Karunaratne, the other opener, remains in the squad, however. This is thanks in part to his 212 for Sri Lanka A against England Lions over the weekend. He had also hit Sri Lanka’s only half-century in their most recent Test at the Wanderers.The selectors sprang no major surprises on the bowling front. Malinda Pushpakumara, whom SLC had already announced would be part of the squad, is the only first-time addition. Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep and Vikum Sanjaya – all right-armers – make up the seam-bowling options, while Rangana Herath leads a strong spin contingent featuring Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan in addition to Pushpakumara. Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has not played competitive cricket since late last year, and, as such, is unavailable.Gunaratne’s inclusion in this squad was largely expected. He had prospered in his first Test series in Zimbabwe over October and November, and had only left the squad to make way for the return of Angelo Mathews, who had been injured for that series. With Mathews out of the side again for this series, Gunaratne is a potential replacement at no. 5, capable of providing a slow-medium bowling option for captain Herath.Dickwella, 23, had to beat out a late challenge from Ron Chandraguptha to secure the second opener’s spot, but was also the frontrunner for this position. He had mixed results in his previous stint in the Test team in 2014, playing as wicketkeeper and batting down the order – he averages 20.57 after seven Test innings – but has since expanded his game. He was the Player of the Series in the 2-1 T20 victory over South Africa in January, and had also scored 522 runs at an average of 52.20 in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition before he left for that tour.The Test series begins on March 7 in Galle.Sri Lanka squad: Rangana Herath (capt), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Vikum Sanjaya, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Malinda Pushpakumara.

Matthew Wade, Australia’s stand-in captain for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, will return home from New Zealand due to a back injury. Wade will return to Melbourne, where he will undergo treatment in a bid to help him return to full fitness ahead of Australia’s training camp in Dubai in preparation for the Test tour of India later this month.Wade, who was appointed captain for the series in the absence of Steven Smith and David Warner, injured his back during training ahead of the series opener in Auckland, which Australia lost by six runs. Aaron Finch, who stood in for Wade as captain in the first ODI, will take charge in the remaining matches, in Napier ( February 2) and Hamilton (February 5). No replacement has been named, which means Peter Handscomb is likely to continue as wicketkeeper.

Australia squad for last two ODIs:

Aaron Finch (capt), Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Sam Heazlett, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

“With Matthew not being fit for Thursday’s game in Napier it has been decided to send him home for an assessment and treatment in Melbourne, with a view to him being fit for the tour of India and the training camp in Dubai that precedes it,” John Orchard, Cricket Australia’s chief medical officer, said. “We are hopeful this injury will settle down relatively quickly and that he will be able to participate in that tour without any issues.”Wade, too, clarified that the nature of injury wasn’t serious and the decision to return home was precautionary. “It’s not a major injury but with the short turnaround between matches and the four-and-a-half-hour journey by bus to Hamilton for the next match, it’s been decided it’s best for me to go home and get some treatment in Melbourne,” he said. “With Dubai and then India I’d say I’d definitely be right for that. I’ll get that bit of treatment in Melbourne and we’re hopeful it’ll be fine by Sunday or Monday, and I can be on a flight to Dubai and start training pretty much as soon as I hit the ground there.”Wade said the lower back injury that he picked up while diving during a routine fielding drill had flared up previously, and the subsequent recovery had been swift. “It’s happened to me once before, in Ireland a couple of years ago. I did it the day before the game then and was right to go the next day. This one’s just taken a little bit more time and there’s no reason why that’s happened. Sometimes you recover really quickly and at other times it’s a little slower.”It’s heartbreaking I couldn’t take the field as captain but it’s been a real honour to have been appointed captain and to be able to lead the group in the time I’ve been here in New Zealand. And after all, it’s all about the team, it’s not about me. Hopefully we can win the next two games and win the series.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball updatesSean Abbott finished 2016 with a five-for but failed to finished the year with a win•Getty Images

Despite the best efforts of Sean Abbott – who avenged his mauling by Travis Head here last New Year – the Adelaide Strikers saw in 2017 in style by comfortably defending their modest total of 152 with an outstanding bowling display that gave them their first win of the Big Bash League in a match that was attended by 45,741 fans.Abbott recorded just the fifth five-for in BBL history, and the competition’s best figures since 2012, but Sixers’ batting crumbled in a heap at Adelaide Oval to lose six wickets inside 25 runs as they were bowled out 104 in the 19th over.Abbott’s revenge not enough
The 2015 edition of this fixture – a quite extraordinary game – will be remembered longest for Head’s assault on Abbott; 51 runs from 16 balls gave Strikers the unlikeliest victory and sent Adelaide into raptures.It was a different story this time round. Abbott came on for the first time in the tenth over, with the Strikers – with Brad Hodge backing up Ben Dunk – 89 for 1 and cruising. With his fourth ball, Abbott made Dunk pick out short cover, then dismissed Hodge – caught well by the sprinting Johan Botha at cow corner – and that man Head, who Will Somerville dived athletically to catch at fine leg, in his next over. Next over, Jake Lehmann played all around Somerville – who cancelled a holiday celebrating his wedding anniversary to play – and the Strikers were suddenly and improbably at 102 for 5.Abbott returned for two more overs of clever variations at the death – picking up the wickets of Chris Jordan and Tom Andrews, both skying – and his figures read 5 for 16. Perhaps his parsimony turned the game most: none of his four cost more than seven, he did not concede a boundary and half his deliveries were dots. Abbott’s was a mighty contribution; alas it did not prove enough.Chris Jordan took two crucial wickets of Daniel Hughes and the dangerous Sam Billings to finish the game on a high•Getty Images

A wicket an over keeps the doctor away
After a steady if unspectacular start (Jason Roy’s reverse-slog-swept six aside) the Sixers lost a wicket in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth overs – all of which were delivered by different bowlers – to lose five wickets for 12 runs. The Sixers were under the pump and, as if to illustrate the point, when the fourth of those wickets fell (Brad Haddin treading on his stumps to the effortlessly awkward Billy Stanlake), Sam Billings was greeted by a slip, gully and short leg.The trouble did not stop there. After two safe overs break, Botha cut Ben Laughlin – who had begun the rot with the wicket of Roy – straight to point, then Abbott prodded back to Liam O’ Connor. At 64 for 7, it looked a good game to win for the Sixers. All this from a batting line-up that, bolstered by the return of Nic Maddinson – whose dismissal, caught at point, was perhaps the tamest of all – looked extremely strong.Billings’ lone hand
Billings has just one more match for the Sixers before he joins up with England in India but his three innings so far have seen him score 42, 40 and 40 more here. He was left to do the job alone and, after a ropey start in which he could have been caught, stumped or chopped on, it proved too much. That does not mean there wasn’t time for some outrageous strokeplay as the fireworks roared overhead – twice he swept seamers into the members’ section, while there was a beautiful drive down the ground, too. With 54 required from 19 balls (a situation not unlike Head’s last year), it took a special moment from his mate Jordan to dislodge Billings, with a magical caught and bowled.Strikers’ varied striking options
The Strikers should not have had enough runs to win this game. That they did was down to their varied bowling attack. Hodge used seven bowlers (three spin, four seam), and did not need to call upon Keiron Pollard until the 16th over of the innings.The spinners flew through their overs, with O’Connor particularly impressive. Of the seamers, Jordan was excellent up top, and Stanlake’s pace, bounce and tricky angle made him difficult to hit. Laughlin, though, with his run and pace becoming ever shorter and slower, was the pick of the lot, conceding just 10 runs from his four.If the Strikers continue to bowl like this, they could make another final, despite losing their opening two fixtures.

Australia will not make any changes to the team chosen for the Perth Test against South Africa, irrespective of the result over the final two days at the WACA Ground.The coach Darren Lehmann confirmed an unchanged squad for the Hobart Test, which starts from November 12, meaning guaranteed tenures for Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill and Adam Voges. Australia took a similar approach during the tour of Sri Lanka, making only the injury-enforced change of Jon Holland for Steve O’Keefe for the second Test before introducing more drastic changes in the third.Lehmann reflected on how Australia had let the Perth Test get away, having made such a strong start on the first day and the second morning. He believed that the batsmen had not responded well to South Africa’s loss of Dale Steyn to a shoulder injury, which he had seen as an opportunity to take command of the match.”We spoke about that, probably not playing their natural games at times, especially to the left-arm spinner getting the field back,” Lehmann told . “So we probably were a bit too timid at times and not looking to score and rotate the strike. Having said that they did bowl well, and we didn’t counter it well enough.”They do all the prep, they’re great young men, they’re trying to do as well as they can for Australia each and every time, it’s just a case of little mental lapses at times. Collectively we’re always pretty positive, but stats will show we haven’t batted as well as we would have liked the last few Test matches. There’s no hiding the fact we’ve got to bat better.”There’s always pressure when you’re coaching your country or playing for the country, that’s why the guys have got to where they’ve got to. They’ve been brilliant doing all the work behind the scenes and playing at the level below, now they’ve got to do it at this level. There’s always pressure whether you win or lose, a lot less when you’re winning.”