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Mayank Agarwal racked up his fifth century of the season and went past 1000 first-class runs in November alone after Karnataka took the first-innings lead against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi. Railways’ overnight pair of Arindam Ghosh and Mahesh Rawat saw off the first hour or so, but they fell apart quickly after the 201-run fifth-wicket stand was broken by legspinner Shreyas Gopal. Ghosh, resuming on 86, went on to bring up a century, while Rawat fell nine short of a ton of his own. Railways lost their last five wickets for 49 runs and conceded a first-innings lead of 101.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Shreyas, who hasn’t been able to nail down a permanent place in the XI this season, finished with 4 for 102, while offspinner K Gowtham took three.Karnataka established dominance from the get-go in their second innings, with Agarwal and R Samarth putting on 117 for the opening stand. Samarth put behind his first-innings duck with 56 before falling lbw to the medium pacer Amit Mishra. Agarwal batted on to bring up his century and was unbeaten on 104 when stumps were drawn. Giving him company was D Nischal, who was batting on 41, as Karnataka finished the penultimate day 309 runs ahead with nine wickets intact.Akshath Reddy’s century helped Hyderabad wipe out a 210-run first-innings deficit after they were made to follow-on by Delhi in Uppal. Reddy stitched together stands of 98 for the first wicket with Tanmay Agarwal and 115 for the second with Rohit Rayudu, who is playing just his second first-class match. Hyderabad ended the day on 233 for 2 – ahead by 23 runs, with Rayudu unbeaten on 61.Hyderabad began the day on 194 for 8 in their first innings and folded shortly thereafter, for 205. Kulwant Khejroliya and Vikas Mishra took the final two wickets to finish with four scalps each. Despite having already sealed their knockouts berth, Delhi pushed for an outright win and enforced the follow-on, but had to watch their bowlers toil away.Maharashtra ended an otherwise disappointing season with a thumping seven-wicket win over Assam in Pune for a mid-table finish. Assam, who had picked up a narrow first-innings lead of 26, resumed on 101 for 3, but unraveled quickly to be bowled out for 189. Naushad Shaikh led Maharashtra’s successful chase of 216 with his fourth first-class century. He was complemented well by Ankit Bawne, the captain, who was unbeaten on 52.Maharashtra’s medium-pacers triggered Assam’s second-innings implosion. Nikit Dhumal took 4 for 48 to finish with a match haul of nine wickets, while Pradeep Dadhe picked up maiden first-class five-wicket haul. Barring their top three, none of Assam’s batsmen was allowed to settle in. The seven-wicket defeat ended a winless season that relegated Assam to the bottom of the table.

Where’s the anthem?
It’s all very well having pop stars beltingout hits at inaugural functions, but if the teams are serious aboutbuilding up a fanatical following along the lines of English football orAmerican football’s legendary Cheeseheads, a team anthem would go a longway. The PA system blaring out or Fields of Anfield Road can send shivers down thespine.Not made to measure
While Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid walk outfor the toss, Zaheer Khan assesses his run-up with the help of a tapemeasure. But after more than three months out of the game, thecalculations aren’t quite what they should be. Brendon McCullum takes himfor 18 in his first over, with three heaves over midwicket and an edgedsix over third man. Ashley Noffke replaces him right away, and concedes 23in his first over. Hmmm.George Lucas, where are you?
With their golden helmets, theKnight Riders look like they’ve just stepped off a Star Wars set.Just imagine R2D2 in black clothes, and you get the idea. Mind you, as anAustralian journalist watching from London said: “You’ve got to love thosegolden pads.” No worries with a team song for this lot. , whichwas a massive hit in the mid-90s for Babylon Zoo, whose lead singer, JasMann, has roots in the Punjab.New day, new team
Ishant Sharma’s status as the most expensive bowler in the IPL owed everything to that remarkable spell he bowled to Ricky Ponting at the WACA in January. Three months on, after an over when the batsmen couldn’t put bat to ball, Ponting ran up and patted Ishant, his Knight Riders team-mate, on the back. Old rivalries have been shelved for the moment.The Duck and the Rocket
He may never live down that nickname of Bombay Duck, but there’s much more to Ajit Agarkar than those seven noughts on the trot in Tests against Australia. A superb spell of 3 for 25 would have pleased anyone, but there was also a tremendous throw from deep square leg to send back Ashley Noffke.Lack of force
Next to the sightscreen at the BEML end, you couldsee a Force India Formula One car. The team that Vijay Mallya owns hasmade a poor start to the racing season, and tonight he saw his cricketteam lapped in a metaphorical sense. Some would say that they even forgotto turn on the ignition.

ScorecardRight-arm pacer Mudassar Bukhari claimed career-best T20 figures of 4 for 7, as Netherlands routed UAE by 84 runs in Dubai. Bukhari’s burst and assistance from Michael Swart and Paul van Meekeren reduced UAE to 7 for 5 within four overs, the lowest five-down score in all T20Is.Mohammad Usman, the only UAE batsman to move into double figures, then launched a counterattack with an unbeaten 49 off 44 balls, including four fours and three sixes. However, it only offered scant consolation for UAE. Michael Rippon cleaned up the tail as they folded for 73 in 16.4 overs.The match, though, was set up by forties from Wesley Barresi and Peter Borren. The pair added 77 for the third wicket before they were dismissed in a space of three balls, in the 18th over. Earlier, opener Stephan Myburgh hit 35 off 26 balls to give Netherlands early impetus. They eventually finished with 157 for 5, which proved 84 too many for UAE.

North Division

Derbyshire held on for a notable one-run win against defending champions Durham at Derby, although Ben Harmison and last-man Neil Killeen almost engineered a terrific fight back when Killeen was run out by Rikki Clarke off the final ball trying to level the scores. At 147 for 7, needing more than a run-a-ball, Durham appeared out of contention, but the lower order chipped away at the target while Harmison held firm to set up the thriller. Phil Mustard (45) gave the chase a positive start before the batting fell away to Graham Wagg and Charl Langeveldt. Derbyshire’s total was mainly due to an opening stand of 132 from Chris Rogers (72) and Steve Stubbings (52) and although the middle order failed to capitalise against a strong Durham attack they had just enough. The match was twice delayed by the setting sun, a common problem at the ground because of the East-West facing pitch.

South/West Division

Kevin Pietersen’s return to action wasn’t enough to inspire Hampshire as they went down by six wickets to Somerset at The Rose Bowl as he was overshadowed by an unbeaten 90-ball 112 from James Hildreth, one of the rising talents in the game. Pietersen cracked 62 off 59 balls and Sean Ervine 55 off 36 deliveries, but Somerset had few problems chasing the runs down despite being without Justin Langer and the loss of stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick for 1. Hildreth added 159 for the third wicket with Zander de Bruyn (79) and he ensured a minor wobble against Greg Lamb’s offspin was nothing more than a blip as the winning runs came with nine balls to spare. Hampshire were handicapped when Shane Bond limped off after five overs with a calf strain.

Make no mistake, Adelaide has been the scene of concerted pitch doctoring this week. In departing from more than 140 years of history by scheduling a day-night Test, Cricket Australia have veered away from another tradition down under – letting the ground staff have full control over the preparation of the wicket.The Adelaide Oval turf for Friday’s Test has been micromanaged in consultation between CA, the oval’s curator Damian Hough, the broadcasters, ball manufacturers, and the players themselves. Faced with the reality of using a pink ball that lacks the durability of its red equivalent, the board, the venue and the players have agreed upon a surface offering more grass than usual in Adelaide, helping the ball to be preserved while also offering more movement to bowlers.Its qualities were tested when near-identical pitches were prepared for two Sheffield Shield matches in Adelaide earlier this season, the first a day-night affair between South Australia and New South Wales in which the likes of Steven Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon all took part. There were some raised eyebrows about the way the pitch preparation has been decided more or less by committee, but positive feedback by the players about the way the surface played has allayed much of the earlier anxiety.”This match is three years in the making from an Australian cricket perspective,” CA’s head of operations Sean Cary told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve had the three rounds of Sheffield Shield cricket, and we’ve tried to come up with the best conditions that are going to not impact the balance between bat and ball.”We don’t want either the bat or the ball to be in favour, but what we’ve done with Damian Hough, and he’s worked diligently in his wicket preparation, is to make sure the surrounds are favourable to the ball not being scuffed up as much.”We’re confident that what he’s learned from the last two Shield rounds, one day-night, one natural-light Shield round, the feedback he’s got from the captains, including Steve Smith the current Australian captain, is that they’ve been really complimentary towards his wickets, and they’ve said ‘we’d love to have this sort of wicket for a Test match’.”

Net bowler pinged on the head

A net bowler has been treated for a lacerated ear after being struck on the head during Australia’s training on Wednesday night. Mitchell Marsh batted in the nets and launched the pink ball straight back at the bowler, who was struck on the side of the head. Training was briefly halted and the bowler was treated for a lacerated ear by Australia’s team doctor, Peter Brukner.

For Hough’s part, he was less eager to paint this as a pitch prepared entirely to suit a cricket ball, but admitted its composition was out of step with Adelaide’s usual fare. “Leaving a bit of grass on it, we’re hoping it will assist the quicks, and the ball will come onto the bat nicely,” Hough said. “But having a bit of a coarse, thatchy grass should hopefully, going on the two games we have had so far and the pink ball Shield matches, it should be able to bite into that grass and get some spin.”As a former member of Hough’s ground staff, Lyon is uniquely placed to discuss the vagaries of the surface. He and his NSW spin bowling offsider Steve O’Keefe were pleasantly surprised by the amount of spin on offer via the even covering of grass, while also noting that pacemen and batsmen alike were able to prosper at times – although with the added possible difficulty of facing a brand new ball under lights.The presence of only two evenly grassed drop-in pitches alongside the Test strip has made for a decidedly lush square and outfield, meaning the game is unlikely to see much in the way of reverse swing. Adelaide is thus about to witness a very different Test match to what the Oval’s faithful are used to, both underfoot and overhead.”It’s a little bit different, a little bit more grass on it, a more even coverage and a thick bed of grass. There’s a little bit more there for everyone, it won’t be a typical flat Adelaide pitch that we are used to,” Lyon said. “In saying that we played here a couple of weeks ago and it was the perfect wicket.”Damian Hough is a great curator and produced that wicket for the Shield game and spoke to myself, Dave Warner and Steve Smith before and after the Shield game to get our feedback. I know we all gave positive feedback to Damian. The ball held up pretty well when we played here a few weeks ago, it doesn’t have that abrasive effect and it will be quite hard to get it to reverse. I dare say it will look after it pretty well.”As much as this match is a contest between Australia and New Zealand to decide the outcome of this series, it is also devised as a piece of advertising for the concept of day-night Tests. Cary noted the presence of a wide variety of cricket luminaries and administrators at the ground, with Pakistan already believed to be in talks with CA about taking part in another day-night match down under next summer.”We’re breaking the ice so to speak,” Cary said. “There’s going to be plenty of interest from other member boards around the world, we’ve got a number of CEOs from other countries here to witness this event, and I’m sure if they can see the positives, a full house at Adelaide Oval for the duration of the match and great viewing audiences at home, then I’m sure this will be a product other countries will be really interested in.”So it is that the Adelaide Oval wicket has been doctored by committee, though not for the usual reasons of trying to engineer a victory for the home side. Where usually such a practice would be cause for howls of derision from those Australians who believe each groundsman should be left to do his job in peace, this time around the endgame is more commercial than parochial.

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan vice-captain, is a doubtful starter for the first Test against Australia in Brisbane after scans revealed a grade one tear in his left hamstring. The injury was sustained on Saturday during the team’s first warm-up match in Adelaide.Sangakkara told Cricinfo that he remained optimistic of his chances ofmaking the Test, which begins in Brisbane on November 8, although hewill miss the second and final warm-up match against Queensland on Friday.”I would say it’s definitely a grade one tear,” he said in Adelaide on Tuesday prior to flying to Queensland. “But we will have to see when the MRIs are assessed. Realistically, I’m just trying to make sure I do everything right with my treatment and make sure I get ready for the Test.” His coach Trevor Bayliss added that he was “not hopeful” that he would make the first Test.Sangakkara had only made one run in the first innings against the Chairman’s XI before sustaining the injury. He had wanted to bat on with a runner, but the physiotherapist Tommy Simsek called him off the pitch. “He was quite right in taking me off as I could have made the injury bigger had I stayed on,” Sangakkara said. He was rested as a precaution at first, but the pain began to worsen.A grade one is the least serious type of tear, but he still needs daily treatment from the physio. He has since been testing his leg out in the gym and on the bike and says that he is already feeling better. “I’m not in any major pain, it’s just discomfort.”The absence of Sri Lanka’s vice-captain would be a big blow to the tourists who are aiming for their first Test win on Australian soil during the two-Test series.Mahela Jayawardene, the captain, said: “He’s been a vital component obviously but if he’s not fit the other guys have to step up to the plate. We would love to have Kumar there but if he’s not going to be there the other guys have to step up to the responsibility.”Prasanna Jayawardene will take the gloves in the second tour match. He deputised well for Sangakkara during the first warm-up in Adelaide this week, with a host of catches, but has not yet batted on tour. He has impressed before, when Sangakkara played as a specialist batsman in the three-Test series against Bangladesh in July, and he scored his first maiden Test century, too.Chanaka Welegedara was injured in the same match, straining his rightquadriceps, while Sanath Jayasuriya picked up a cold. Sujeewa deSilva is expected to fly in to cover for Welegedara, his fellow fastbowler, and could be launched straight into the side on Friday. He hasbeen playing for the A side in Zimbabwe.

Scorecard3:52

‘Knew I could break the world record once I reached 500’

Pranav Dhanawade, a 15-year-old cricketer from Mumbai, smashed an unbeaten 1009 not out off 327 deliveries to notch up the highest individual score in minor cricket, breaking a 117-year-old record. His team, Smt KC Gandhi School, Kalyan, declared soon after at a mammoth 1465 for 3 and then wrapped up an overwhelmingly one-sided game against Arya Gurukul – bowled out for 31 and 52 – by an innings and 1382 runs.Dhanawade began the second day of the two-day game – part of the HT Bhandari Cup inter-school tournament – on 652 not out. By then, he had already surpassed the score of 628 not out scored by Arthur Collins in 1899, and had also broken the record for the highest individual score by an Indian cricketer in minor cricket, previously held by Prithvi Shaw, who scored 546 in the Harris Shield in 2013-14.

Dhanawade to receive five year scholarship from MCA

The Mumbai Cricket Association on Wednesday announced a monthly scholarship of Rs. 10,000 for Pranav Dhanawade, a day after the 15-year-old amassed 1009* in the HT Bhandari Cup inter-school tournament, an Under-16 MCA tournament. The scholarship will be paid for a period of five years from January 2016 to December 2021, during which the MCA will monitor Dhanawade’s educational and cricket activities.

Dhanawade said that once he had crossed 500, he was confident of breaking Shaw’s record and beating Collins’ score of 628. The wicketkeeper-batsman admitted it took time for his record-breaking achievement to sink in on Monday, but he began the second day with a clear goal of getting to the 1000-run mark.”I couldn’t believe it last evening that I had scored 652 runs. When I went home, I took a bath and slept. But today I set myself a target of 1000 runs,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Dhanawade – whose previous highest score in recognised cricket was 80-odd – had raced to 921 by lunch and went past the 1000-run mark in the second session. His knock, which spanned almost seven hours, included 129 fours and 59 sixes.His scoring was probably helped by the size of the ground in the northern suburb of Mumbai. Nestled between two housing complexes, the ground – with a typically muddy Mumbai pitch – is rectangular with extremely short, walled-in square boundaries. Abhishek Karane, a BCCI umpire who was at the match, said it was 110 metres in breadth and 135 metres long but the straight boundaries had been pulled in. Dhanawade targeted the shorter square boundaries, especially on leg side. His school coach, Harish Sharma, however, wasn’t willing to concede even a little bit when talking about his student’s monumental effort. “I don’t think the ground mattered. He hit all over the ground and his technique is built on straight hitting.”The scoreboard at the Kalyan ground displaying Pranav Dhanawade’s record score•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Arya Gurukul’s Ayush Dubey conceded the most runs – 350 runs in 23 overs. Two other bowlers – Sarth Salunke and Harshal Jadhav – conceded 284 and 281 respectively. Dubey picked up two wickets but rued his side having missed out on a chance, off his bowling, which Dhanawade had offered during his innings. He said Dhanawade had struggled against deliveries outside off but as his innings grew, he was able to steer the bowlers to the smaller square boundaries on either side of the wicket.”He was struggling to play balls on the off side. When we kept bowling off side to him, he would get into position and hit through leg,” Dubey said.Pranav who was in attacking mode throughout his colossal effort, gave a few stray chances. About that drop off his bowling, Dubey said: “I was so angry that he [the fielder] dropped the catch of such a main player. I was really angry, but I did not tell him anything.”Dhanawade’s temperament and fitness were praised by officiating umpire Sunimal Sen. “I would say he was 101% fit [temperamentally], and even after scoring so much he was not tired,” Sen said. “Many times we see that batsmen, after scoring a hundred, say ‘Sir we want water’, but he did not create this type of disturbance. He was very fit.”The innings got plenty of attention on social media and was even mentioned by television commentators in the ongoing Test between South Africa and England. Dhanawade, who idolises former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, received praise from Sachin Tendulkar and Ajinkya Rahane, while India’s limited-overs captain MS Dhoni had some advice for the teenager.”Often you may find people talking about where [ground, tournament, etc] the individual played and all. But it is a serious business,” Dhoni said, when asked about Dhanawade’s innings at India’s pre-departure press conference in Mumbai. “To score like that anywhere in the world, in those conditions, is very difficult. Not to forget the age of the individual. We need to nurture him, guide him, because all of a sudden the limelight will be on him. He will be compared with a lot of individuals who have been very successful. It is important for the individuals who are close to him – his coach, his parents – to guide him to move in the right direction.”Definitely he has got talent. What is important is to see how he keeps improving because from now on, every game, every year that passes by, he will be competing against individuals who keep getting better and better.”Rahane urged Dhanawade to keep working hard on his game: “As a Mumbaikar, I am really proud of it. [It’s quite a mouthful to say 1009]. Two years, ago I think a school team made these many runs, but today an individual managed it. These many runs are usually scored in a season.”I hope he continues to concentrate on his game. I am sure he will work hard on his game and come and play with us. I want to wish him good luck.”

Pakistan are concerned there will be long-term implications if, as expected, Australia pull out of their scheduled tour there due to security issues. It has become increasingly unlikely the series will go ahead in Pakistan but Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB’s chief operating officer, has continued to rule out playing the games outside the country.”Neutral venues are a dangerous option in terms of not benefiting the cricket of both the playing countries as there will not be a crowd from both the countries and such series are played for the sake of viewers of TV,” Naghmi said in the . “If we accept it [playing at neutral venues] then in future there will be no end to this practice and it can ruin cricket around the world.”A cricket series not only involves two playing teams but also millions of fans from both sides. There are always huge crowds to witness such encounters and cricket series are not just for the sake of cricket’s television viewers.”Naghmi was also confident that if the ICC was asked to assess safety in Pakistan it would find no reason teams should not tour. “All the countries have agreed to come here,” Naghmi told the . “If it comes to that it would be nine countries versus one in the sense that other countries have been happy to tour Pakistan. It is only Australia that hasn’t come here for many, many years now.”Cricket Australia was briefed by the Australian government this week following bomb blasts in Lahore on Tuesday. Australia’s players are reluctant to play in Pakistan and the Australian Cricketers’ Association will not send a representative with a pre-tour security delegation. Naghmi said Pakistan were ready for Australia to pull out, although they hoped that would not happen.”If they think they cannot tour we will think about the steps to follow at that stage,” he said. “We are bracing ourselves for all decisions. The worst is that they will not come. We will be disappointed, obviously.”

The next steps in the ICC’s efforts to help chart a path forward for cricket in the USA are in the works, with the formation of four advisory groups to guide the implementation of the ICC’s strategic plan for USA cricket.The framework for the ICC’s strategic plan – which includes targets for USA to qualify for the 2019 World Cup, the 2020 World Twenty20 and put in a bid to host the 2024 World Twenty20 – was relayed to stakeholders at a series of town hall meetings conducted around the USA by ICC staff in November. The strategic plan is part of the ICC’s efforts to help transform cricket in the USA following the suspension of the USA Cricket Association at last June’s ICC annual conference.In a letter sent to stakeholders earlier this week, Tim Anderson, the ICC’s head of global development, declared that four advisory groups were in the process of being formed during the month of February. The groups will be formed specifically to advise on player participation, performance, fan and market development, and creating a sustainable foundation.The advisory groups will be functioning in a similar capacity to the ICC’s seven-man local advisory group in the USA, which was formed in August and includes representation for both the American Cricket Federation and USACA in the form of ACF chairman Jagan Jagannathan and USACA liaison Dr Vincent Adams. Also on the seven-man committee are former USA cricketer Usman Shuja and Patrick Sandusky, the chief communications and public affairs officer of the US Olympic Committee (USOC).The ICC will also be coordinating a summit next month in Colorado Springs, home of the USOC headquarters, to engage with youth cricket officials from around the country including USA Youth Cricket Association president Jamie Harrison.As for USACA, several sources state that the board president Gladstone Dainty and multiple other representatives traveled to India earlier this month to meet with ICC and BCCI officials regarding USACA’s suspension. However, no movement has been made to lift USACA’s suspension.

1993
Makes his first-class debut for Somerset aged 17.1994
Cracks his first fifty (81) against Hampshire and follows that up with his maiden first-class hundred against Surrey (121).1996, 1997
Denis Compton Award for “most promising young player”.1998
Duncan Fletcher, the Glamorgan coach and soon-to-be England’s,watches Trescothick smack 167 on a slippery Taunton pitch. The next highest score in the match was 50.July 8, 2000
Makes his ODI debut against Zimbabwe, stroking 79 in a losing cause.August 3, 2000
His Test debut against West Indies at Old Trafford. Like a duck to water, he scores 66 and an unbeaten 38.February 24, 2001
Hits his maiden Test hundred against Sri Lanka in Galle, a fine innings of immense concentration in sapping heat, though England still lost.June 12, 2001
Launches 137 from just 142 balls against Pakistan in the NatWest Series, again in vain.May 2002
Hits 161 in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. England win by an innings and 111 runs.June 20, 2003
Gained revenge against Pakistan, battering 86 from 55 to lead England to a win.2005
Spearheaded a no-holds-barred approach against Australia with 431 runs and a top score of 90, as he – and England – finally reclaim the Ashes.Later that year Trescothick scores 193 in a lost cause against Pakistan in Multan.February 2006
The beginning of the end. Word is out that Trescothick will fly home before England’s Test series against India for ‘personal’ reasons.April 2006
Makes himself available to play for Somerset throughout the first weeks of the season, as he seeks to put his winter problems behind him and regain his England place ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in May. Marches into form with a breathtaking assault on Kent.May 2006
Signals his return to international cricket with a robust first-day century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, his 14th in all.September 2006
England’s Champions Trophy preparations, already weakened by injuries, receive another blow with news that Trescothick will miss the tournament after receiving specialist medical advice.November 2006
A troubled Trescothick flies home from Australia with a reoccurrence of his “stress-related illness” and plays no part in the Ashes.March 2007
Already ruled out of the World Cup in the World Cup in the Caribbean, Trescothick undergoes a double hernia operation to be fit for the start of the domestic season with Somerset.July 2007
Despite an encouraging county season he declares himself unavailable for September’s ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa as well as England’s winter tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand.September 2007
Speaks out for the first time about the depressive illness which blighs his career and threatens to curtail it prematurely.March 2008
Announces his retirement from international cricket.