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Rana Dutta’s six-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, put Tripura on track for an innings victory against Himachal Pradesh in Kalyani. Resuming the third day at 50 for 1, Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 311. They lost their last five wickets for only 30 runs, with Dutta dismissing Rishi Dhawan, Sumeet Verma and Mayank Dagar in the 88th over. Having gained a lead of 238, Tripura enforced the follow-on and in the 2.2 overs possible before stumps got a wicket too, that of Pankaj Jaiswal, who had batted at No. 9 in Himachal’s first innings.Three-wicket hauls from left-arm spinnerShadab Jakati and right-arm seamer Felix Alemao, who was playing only his second first-class game, strengthened Goa‘s grip over Services in Cuttack.In reply to Goa’s 606, which was built on Sagun Kamat’s record triple-century, Services slumped to 228 for 7. Ravi Chauhan was the first to go on the third day when he was bowled by Alemao for 47 off 49 balls. Alemao then had Nakul Verma and Shamsher Yadav caught behind.Captain Soumik Chatterjee resisted with 12 off 77 balls before becoming Jakati’s first victim. Rahul Singh, coming in at No.6, supplied more fight with 89 off 180 balls before Jakati struck in the 92nd over. Services got through the remaining 11 overs with the eighth-wicket pair of Muzzaffaruddin Khalid and Diwesh Pathania at the crease, but they still trail Goa by a whopping 339 runs.After declaring their first innings at 517 for 9, Kerala made deep inroads into the Hyderabad line-up on the third day in Bhubaneswar. Seamer Sandeep Warrier, offspinning allrounder Jalaj Saxena, and left-arm spinner K Monish returned two wickets each to reduce Hyderabad to 212 for 7. B Sandeep was the only batsmen to make a half-century and were it not for some handy contributions from the lower order – Akash Bhandari made 40 and Mehdi Hasan, an unbeaten 26, Hyderabad would have struggled even more.Left-arm spinner Aamir Aziz’s maiden five-wicket haul bowled Andhra out for 255 and gave Jammu & Kashmir a first-innings lead of 79 at Brabourne Stadium. They eventually stretched it past 100, for the loss of two wickets late in the day.Having started the day at 72 for 2, Andhra stumbled to 90 for 5 and then 156 for 6. Dwaraka Ravi Teja and Ashwin Hebbar then mounted a fightback, putting on 94 for the seventh wicket. Ravi Teja top-scored with 81 off 194 balls, including nine fours. Once he fell, the tail was wiped out, the last four wickets tumbling for only five runs.Haryana captain Mohit Sharma took three wickets and left Chhattisgarh at 50 for 6 in a chase of 279 in Guwhati. Earlier Harynana were propped up by fifties from Himanshu Rana and Rajat Paliwal in their second innings. They were ultimately dismissed for 289 from an overnight 121 for 3. Seamer Pankaj Rao, who was playing only his second first-class game, did the bulk of the damage for Chhattisgarh, claiming 5 for 74. His new-ball partner Pratik Sinha, meanwhile, took 2 for 84.

Leeds United continue to monitor the situation of Ryan Kent ahead of this summer’s transfer window, and it’s thought that the winger would seriously consider a switch to Elland Road…

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who delivered a fresh update on the 25-year-old’s future at Rangers amid persistent interest from west Yorkshire.

Just last month, Football Insider claimed that the Whites had a long-standing interest in the Oldham-born talent, whose future in Scotland is in doubt as he enters the final 15 months of his current contract. He remains on Leeds’ radar, even despite the departure of Marcelo Bielsa.

“If Leeds were to meet that [his £20m release clause], I’m sure it’s something that Ryan Kent would seriously consider, moving back down to England and to the Premier League at this stage of his career,” the reporter told GIVEMESPORT.

Summer boost?

With uncertainty over the futures of Raphinha and Jack Harrison, who both have been linked with interest from Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, it would make sense for Leeds to remain keen on Kent.

The £12.6m-rated left-winger has continued to impress north of the border, delivering 19 goal contributions across 36 appearances this season, building on his efforts of 13 goals and 15 assists during their title-winning campaign last term, via Transfermarkt.

In 164 games for the Teddy Bears, Kent has delivered 30 goals and 44 assists, averaging a direct contribution once every 177 minutes.

Such form has seen him lauded as a “magician” by Gers teammate Leon Balogun, whilst journalist Andrew Dickson described him as “completely unplayable” on his day only a few months ago.

It seems more likely than not that the Brazil international leaves Elland Road in the summer, though things are less clear for Harrison, so paying £20m for Kent would surely be fantastic business for the club and they have been boosted by these comments from transfer expert O’Rourke.

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Whilst it would be painful to see Raphinha – who is in “advanced talks” with the LaLiga outfit – leave, they can soften the blow with the arrival of the former Liverpool graduate this summer, and that should leave many around west Yorkshire absolutely delighted.

AND in other news, Orta could truly kickstart the Marsch era at Leeds by signing £75m-rated “big talent”…

It’s only words: Mahela Jayawardene and his men need to back up their talk with action © Getty Images

It would not be a surprise if Mahela Jayawardene spent time each day looking into his hotel mirror chanting the line “We believe we can beat Australia”. Like The Little Engine That Could, Jayawardene must hope that if he says something often enough it will come true and mountainous tasks will be conquered.Over the past two weeks he has used a lot of lines about challenging Australia. He has never been boastful or confrontational, but at first he was mildly convincing even when his team was struggling for runs in the final warm-up. When he repeated the message after the innings-and-40-run Test defeat at the Gabba it sounded more like an empty promise.”We need to believe in ourselves that we can beat Australia,” he said quietly. “If we don’t have that belief there’s no point turning up in Hobart. I firmly believe that we’ve got the personnel to do that and we just need to back our ability … Our all-round game needs to improve and I believe we can do it.”The motivational mantras must be swapped for on-field toughness in Friday’s second Test and the tourists require more than a good talking over the next couple of days. Methods to deal with Australia’s suffocating bowling line and restrictive fields need to be found along with tactics to stifle the hosts’ powerful batting order. Trevor Bayliss, the coach, will have a busy few days and the team will be desperate for the return of Kumar Sangakkara to provide some backbone.Sri Lanka may have arrived in Australia with a balanced squad but that changed when Sangakkara’s hamstring tore in the first week of the tour. Ricky Ponting, who recognises the threat of the wicketkeeper-batsman and has caught glimpses of his training and net sessions during the match, expects Sangakkara to play along with Lasith Malinga, who was left out in Brisbane.Jayawardene was too cautious to predict the return of either, but Malinga’s cause was helped by Ponting’s local knowledge. The ball did not swing when Ponting scored 96 and 124 in the Pura Cup match at Bellerive Oval two weeks ago and the lack of movement will boost Malinga’s chances of inclusion. Vaas was picked at the Gabba because of his swing capabilities and he may have to wait until Sri Lanka face England next month for his 100th Test.It would be brave if the visitors dumped such an experienced performer for a vital game, but they need to have their most potent combination available if they are going to create any Australian cracks. Their tactics in the first Test were conservative and they were beaten easily despite the public mutterings of self-belief. Attacking actions must replace the words on Friday.

John Buchanan: “When all is said and done, they are your opposition” © Getty Images

John Buchanan feels no sympathy for his opposite number Duncan Fletcher after England’s second consecutive Test loss. “That’s a difficult thing to do in my position,” Buchanan said in the . “He would not have felt that way towards me when the shoe was on the other foot last year.”In 2005 it was Buchanan who was under pressure as the series wore on while Fletcher was sitting comfortably on the way to winning the Ashes. “When all is said and done, they are your opposition,” Buchanan said. “He and I respect that, and realise that we have jobs to do. You understand what other teams go through, but it’s your job to find weaknesses to exploit. To a certain degree, you have to be emotionless in your approach.”One of the off-field problems for Fletcher over the past week has been his role as coach and selector. However, Buchanan, who has no official say on the make-up of the squad, told the paper the approach has merit.”If you look around other countries, and not just England, the coach has a very significant role in team selections,” Buchanan said. “In many ways, they set the agenda and direction for the team. Right the way through, they have an active involvement in the way those teams perform. That role is still evolving in Australia.”Buchanan will walk away from the side after the World Cup and has only three more Tests in the inner sanctum. “We have not won the series yet, but should we achieve that, I think there will be a hint of personal satisfaction,” he said. “It’s probably in the recesses of our minds.”

India will be tempted not to rest Sachin Tendulkar given his fantastic record at Ahmedabad © Getty Images

Out of the several aspects of cricket that baffles the Americans, the concept of the draw ranks high. Many of them just cannot understand how two teams, after five long days on the field, can manage to walk off with neither a victory nor defeat. Now one wonders what they will make of the dead rubber. How can two teams, after one has clinched the seven-match series 4-0, carry on playing the next three? The NBA finals are played over seven games too, but the moment the series is settled, no more points are scored and all action ceases.Welcome to the world of cricket. There is momentum to be sustained, morale to be dented, pride to be salvaged, reputations to be restored, individual glory to be attained, personal battles to be won and there’s an audience to be entertained. And it’s not as if the masses, or the sponsors, are going to be turned away just because the games are only of academic interest. In fact, the situation might have been exactly the same had the scoreline been reversed and Sri Lanka been leading 4-0. We just love our cricket in these parts, don’t we?TeamsUnlike the previous four games, India didn’t announce the 13 on the eve of the game but just like in Pune, there was talk of Sachin Tendulkar being rested. However, considering Tendulkar’s awesome record on this ground – a Test double-hundred, a hundred and an ODI hundred – and the fact that he was out to low scores at Jaipur and Pune, it’s tough to imagine him sitting out. In the event he, or any other batsman, is rested then Gautam Gambhir is likely to get his first chance of the series.Sri Lanka will hope that they can finally strike a winning combination. With the series gone and the intensity lessened, it’s an ideal opportunity for youngsters like Upul Tharanga, who impressed with his brief cameo in the previous game, and Dilhara Lokuhettige to express themsleves with freedom. One thing, though, remained consistent for the fifth successive game – the Sri Lankan camp revealed absolutely nothing about the composition of the side on the eve of the game.Bucketful of runsIn the 10 games played here, the team that’s batted first has won seven times but the last two games have seen the chasing side – West Indies, under lights, and Pakistan – hunt down totals in the excess of 300 and come out on top. The pitch here has traditionally been an absolute belter and, in all likelihood, even the smattering of green, which one observed on the eve of the game, will be shaved off before the first ball is bowled. Rudra Pratap Singh, who might get his first chance of this series, might face the sternest test in his fledgling career while Gautam Gambhir, if chosen, might not get a better chance to prove his worth in ODIs.Rebirth of the dead rubberIt’s nearly five years since a one-day series in India was settled before the last game with the last five bilateral series going down to the wire. With the series settled in emphatic fashion, the last three games, all in the state of Gujarat, will give the Indians an ideal chance to tinker with their combinations and rest key players. Despite the reversals, Sri Lanka will have one eye on the forthcoming Test series, starting on December 2, and, with most of the current bunch in the Test squad as well, hope to gain some sort of momentum before their return leg.House fullThere will be no let up from the stands though. The series may be wrapped up, but the vocal, frenzied crowds will not stay back home. Tickets have all been grabbed up and there was even talk of touts buying large numbers and selling them at higher prices. This will only be the second day-night clash here and most Ahmedavadis will tell you that there aren’t too many better ways to entertain yourself on a Sunday evening than watch a rampaging Indian side try to carry on their red-hot winning streak. Now try and explain that to an American.TeamsIndia (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Yuvraj Singh, 4 Rahul Dravid (capt), 5 Venugopal Rao, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Jai Prakash Yadav, 9 Ajit Agarkar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Murali Kartik, Supersub: Suresh Raina.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 3 Upul Tharanga, 4 Marvan Atapattu (capt), 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Russel Arnold, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Nuwan Zoysa, 11 Dilhara Fernando, Supersub: Farveez Maharoof.

Shane Warne: “It’s something to tell the grandchildren”© Getty Images

On going past Murali as Test cricket’s highest wicket-taker
I’m obviously proud of that achievement. It’s been a few years since I made my debut against India in Sydney, and back then I was happy to get one wicket, forget 500. It’s something to tell the grandchildren.On the day’s play
We toiled hard, created a lot of chances, even took a wicket off a no-ball. I think it’s the best I’ve ever bowled in India. I troubled all their batsmen, and there were a few chances that didn’t go to hand. If I continue to bowl like that, hopefully I can play a big part in this series.On the dropped catches, and whether the conditions might have contributed
None were really easy. We’re usually renowned for turning games by taking such chances, but not one stuck today. To mention heat and humidity would be an excuse. Hopefully, this won’t happen again during the rest of the series.On Australia’s chances of winning the match
If we can make what India make in their first innings when we bat, I think it’ll be a great game. We’re going to fight back. On the prospect of Murali taking back the record
Let me just bathe in it for a while, OK [laughs]? Look, Murali will probably end up with 1000 wickets. But whether I hold the record for two weeks or a month, it can’t be taken away from me. It’s something to hang your hat on.On when he plans to call it quits
I don’t want to stop yet. The key thing is enjoyment. I’ve retired from one-day cricket, but I think I can play Tests for a while yet. You have guys like Anil Kumble, Harbhajan [Singh], Murali and Saqlain [Mushtaq] who have shown that spinner can play both forms of the game. They’ve proved that the guys who reckoned that there wasn’t even a place for spinners in first-class cricket didn’t have any idea what they were on about.On the response from his opponents and team-mates
Rahul Dravid came in and shook my hand even before he’d faced a ball. I thought that was a great moment, and it said a lot about the spirit in which this series is being played. Sehwag shook my hand too, and Kumble and Yuvraj (Singh) came in to the room later. Also John Wright. I’d like to thank all those guys.My team-mates? Well, you could see that they were really happy for me.On the extra aggression when he bowled to Sehwag
I wanted his wicket [smiles]. He was the man to get today the way he was smacking us across the park. He has an eye like a dead fish (laughs). If you bowl anything half-loose, he’ll smack it. It’s great entertainment.He got away with a few as well. But he was just too good for us today. Hopefully in the second innings, we’ll be too good for him.On how he’s soldiered on despite several rough patches
Oh look, I’ve had some great times too. Been really lucky to do something I really enjoy – not many people get that chance. I’ve made a few bad choices, and I’ve learnt my lessons. I’m 35 years old now, got three kids. It’s great that my wife is here to see me go past the record. But if we lose this game, the world record itself will be a bit of a downer.On how he accounts for his comparatively poor record against India, given his outstanding figures against other subcontinental teams
I’ve been inconsistent against India, mainly when I’ve been over here. The first two times I came here, I was carrying injuries – the shoulder the first time and trouble with my spinning finger on the last tour. But I also think they play me really well. I just hope I can carry on like I bowled today and cause them a few more hassles.

The Super Fours champions of 2003 will be decided on Saturday 21st June when the four teams meet at The Parks and Radley College, Oxford.Super Fours is the domestic competition for elite women cricketers, now in its second year, aimed to bridge the gap between domestic and international women’s cricket.Currently topping the Super Fours table by just one point are The Super Strikers, captained by England batsman, Claire Taylor (Berkshire). They will face The V Team at Radley College, who have yet to win a match in the competition.Title contenders The Knight Riders, skippered by England’s leading run-scorer Charlotte Edwards (Kent), will face The Braves who won the title in 2002 and are led by England Captain, Clare Connor (Sussex).With bonus points awarded for attacking run-scoring and economical bowling, the Knight Riders could still steal the title if they win and individuals perform at their best.Both matches start at 12 noon.Berkshire and England bowler Isa Guha (The Braves) has the most wickets in the competition, leading the table with 14. She is closely followed by England team-mates Lucy Pearson (Knight Riders/Staffordshire), Laura Spragg (Super Strikers / Yorkshire) and Clare Connor who all have 13.England all-rounder Laura Newton (Lancs) is leading the batting averages with 85 for The Super Strikers; with Edwards on 82 and Taylor 57.5 completing the top three.This final round of matches provides England selectors with their last opportunity to see those players in England contention face each-other.Full tables and statistics can be found at www.super4s.play-cricket.com

Opening batsman Andrew Strauss led a spirited Middlesex revival at the Rose Bowl with his third century of the season.Strauss followed his defiant half-century made in the first innings with an equally obdurate 100 not out to leave the match, vital to both sides, finely balanced at the end of the second day.Middlesex, 90 behind on first innings, ended at 232 for five which gives them a lead of 142 with two days remaining.After 17 wickets had fallen on the first day, Hampshire resumed at 99 for seven in reply to the Middlesex first innings of 101 and in Adrian Aymes and Shaun Udal they found two batsmen ready to build a decisive advantage.Aymes and Udal put on 102 for the eighth wicket, Udal first to his fluent half-century but Aymes just as important in a less ostentatious way.Udal made 62 with ten fours before he was superbly caught down the leg side sweeping Phil Tufnell by Stephen Fleming running round from first slip.Aymes was 57 not out when Hampshire were finally prised out for 191, leaving Middlesex the task of batting far better in their second innings than they had done in the first.Strauss was dropped in the slips by Kenway at 14 but from 58 for two and still in arrears, Fleming joined Strauss in a stand of 127 for the third wicket.Suddenly Hampshire lost their poise and purpose in the field with Strauss reaching his 1,000 for the season one over before Fleming.Then spinner Shaun Udal came into the attack and again the complexion of the match changed.In swift succession Udal removed Fleming, lbw on the back foot, Ed Joyce in his next over not offering a shot and then Paul Weekes caught at the wicket off his gloves.Strauss reached his century in the last over of the day and Middlesex will need him at his best on the third day if they are to leave their promotion rivals a difficult target in the fourth innings.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:20

By the Numbers – Anwar Ali a lethal No. 9

Anwar Ali, Pakistan’s No. 9 batsman, waltzed into the belly of a baying Premadasa with 66 required from 35 balls, and produced a cataclysmic 46 from 17 balls, to help prise stunning victory from the clutches of almost-certain defeat. He brought the chase of 173 to sudden life when he plundered two sixes and a four off debutant Shehan Jayasuriya in the 17th over, before treating Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga with almost as much disdain to send Pakistan to within eight runs of victory.Malinga had Anwar caught behind in the penultimate over, and another wicket would also fall two balls later, but Imad Wasim was on hand to provide the finish. Binura Fernando had the task of defending six runs in the final over, but Mohammad Irfan pinched a single first ball, then Wasim socked the next delivery over the wide long-on rope to spark celebrations in the Pakistan camp.Long before even Anwar’s innings, Pakistan appeared to be tumbling to a heavy loss at 40 for 5 in the eighth over. It had been Shahid Afridi’s brutal 22-ball 45 that lit the flame that Anwar stoked into the inferno that devoured Sri Lanka. The hosts have now lost all three series in this tour, though in mitigation, they were fielding six players with two T20 international caps or fewer, in this match.Perhaps it was the inexperience that saw Pakistan gain a foothold in the match. Afridi kept making room against the spinners early in his innings, but instead of darting it at his body, Milinda Siriwardana sent two balls at the stumps, which Afridi swung away for a four and a six to get his assault in motion, in the tenth over.More huge strikes would follow from Afridi’s blade soon after. Malinga was tonked over deep square leg in the eleventh over, and Jeffrey Vandersay was blasted over the leg-side rope twice. Sri Lanka may have felt they had quelled the Pakistan surge when they got rid of Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan within five deliveries, and the required rate had crept up to 12, by the end of the 15th over, but Anwar had the measure of the pitch and the bowling almost from the beginnings of his innings.His fifth ball, from Jayasuriya, was swatted over cow corner for six, another slog-sweep carried the ball over deep square leg, before the over was finished with a searing drive to the long-on fence. Next over he walloped two Thisara Perera full-tosses to the fence. Then with 20 runs needed from 12 balls, he carted the first three balls of Malinga in the 19th over for 12. Only towards the end of this barrage did victory even seem possible for Pakistan. They ended up getting there with four balls to spare.All this after the young Sri Lanka bowlers, backed by an enlivened, youthful fielding unit had gutted Pakistan’s top order. Binura dismissed the openers, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal were run-out thanks to some sublime work in the field, and an advancing Shoaib Malik was beaten comprehensively by Siriwardana, in his first T20 international over.Sri Lanka will feel 172 for 7 was a score they should have defended on a slow surface. Earlier, Chamara Kapugedara eased years of frustration and sent a packed Colombo crowd into raptures as he blasted 48 not out from 25, after Sri Lanka had themselves been in some bother at 90 for 5 in the 13th over.Kapugedara built gradually to the crescendo, missing an attempted glide to third man first ball, before squeezing a few runs into the outfield to get himself to 11 off 13 balls. His charge began in the 17th over when he skipped down the track to send a Sohail Tanvir delivery over the long-on rope first, before repeating the stroke off Anwar Ali next over.He hit Irfan for a four and six successively, but saved his most winning shot for the final over. Anticipating a ball on the stumps from Tanvir, Kapugedara shuffled across to the off side and whipped the full-length delivery high over deep square leg for his fourth six of the innings. Though he didn’t quite manage a fifty, he left the field bat raised, soaking in rousing applause.The rest of the Sri Lanka innings had mostly been built piecemeal by the young batsmen. Jayasuriya’s 40 from from 32 balls was the most substantial top-order contribution. Siriwardana capped a fine first international tour with a useful 23 off 19.Pakistan’s one-wicket victory places them third on the T20 rankings. Sri Lanka, who are still top-placed, have some difficult issues to grapple with. Malinga’s depleted menace after surgery is chief among them.

West Brom have had a disastrous season so far since returning to the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League, and despite sacking Valerien Ismael, very little has changed, with new manager Steve Bruce reportedly set to repeat a mistake of the past.

What’s the word?

Express journalist, Ryan Taylor, has reported that West Brom could make a move for free agent, Mbaye Diagne.

Bruce had reportedly opened to talks with Mohamed Diame, but the transfer became virtually impossible to achieve due to the complications surrounding post-Brexit international transfer policies.

The club has been exploring the free agent market over the last few months, signing Andy Carroll late into the transfer window, and now the new manager intends to continue to look for hidden gems in the free-agent market that he can snap up to bolster his West Brom side, who have gone from challenging for automatic promotion to falling out of the play-off positions in the last few weeks.

Bruce set to repeat mistakes

Diagne is no stranger to the Midlands club, as he was brought in on loan in the second half of last season with Sam Allardyce attempting to improve his squad’s chances of making the great escape from the relegation zone in the Premier League.

However, the signing fell flat and the Senegalese proved ineffective in his six-month stint at the club as they were relegated at the end of the season.

Despite scoring three goals and two assists during his time with the Baggies, after a good start the player was labelled “demotivated” and “poor” by West Brom journalist and podcaster Adrian Goldberg as the season drew closer to a conclusion.

The centre forward was released by Galatasaray earlier this month, following a long term femoral fracture injury, that he has been recovering from since December, just another reason why the ex-Newcastle manager should look elsewhere for solutions to his problems at West Brom.

Following a defeat this weekend, Bruce will need to get his squad ready for a quick turnaround as the side are set to take on Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening, in another must-win game for the Baggies away from home.

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The league table has not been kind to them already as they have now dropped into 11th position in the Championship, so the new manager must find a way to motivate and his inspire his players onto better results if he wants to have any chance of salvaging their season.

In other news: Adam Reach let down the team against Luton