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ScorecardEngland Lions overcame the loss of their captain Alastair Cook to injury and cruised to their second victory of the tri-series by beating India A by five wickets and more than four overs to spare. A collective performance with the ball dismissed the visitors for 254 before contributions from all of the batsmen sealed the result.Stand-in captain Andrew Gale asked India A to bat and the Lions’ bowlers were faced with the challenge of curbing a fluent start. Abhinav Mukund and Shikhar Dhawan added 54 before Peter Trego struck the first blow, dismissing Dhawan for 24. India A progressed steadily to 112 for 2 before the slide began. The seamers struck at regular intervals and soon the score read 145 for 5 in 31 overs.Cheteshwar Pujara held the innings together with a half-century ; India A had recovered to 234 for 6 and were poised for a final thrust. Ajmal Shahzad, however, struck twice in the 47th over and dismissed Pujara for 73. Shahzad finished with 3 for 56, while Bopara had claimed three top-order wickets to end with 3 for 32.The Lions’ top five batsmen got off to starts but all of them failed to carry on and, at 165 for 5 after 31 overs, India A held the edge. Dhawal Kulkarni and Manoj Tiwary had taken two wickets apiece. Darren Stevens and Trego, however, came together and forged a match-winning 90-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Stevens was unbeaten on 58 and Trego on 48 when the winnings runs were scored.

Michael Yardy was one of the more unlikely stars of England’s victorious World Twenty20 campaign in West Indies. He hadn’t been near the squad since July 2007, but Andy Flower was keen for a left-arm spinning option and the selectors turned to Yardy.He only took four wickets, but the crucial part of his performances was an economy rate of 6.80 as the partnership with Graeme Swann strangled opposition during the middle overs. Now Yardy is in pole position to claim the second spinner’s slot for next year’s World Cup where pace off the ball will play as important a role as it did in West Indies.But Yardy, who helped Sussex win their first five domestic Twenty20 matches this season, is refusing to look too far ahead and still finds it difficult to believe that he has a World Cup medal in his drawer.”Three months ago it wasn’t quite on my radar I have to admit,” he said. “The Division Two Championship was more on the radar than that, but it was a special achievement and to have a winners medal is very special.”Whether I’m being teed up or not [for the World Cup] the key thing is if I don’t put in performances in the next few weeks because that can change quickly. It’s dangerous to think too far ahead,” he added. “If my game takes be to a World Cup then brilliant, if it doesn’t I’ve had a great go at it and really enjoyed myself.”Only once was he really attacked during the World Twenty20, when Cameron White and David Hussey took 21 off his third over in the final, but he has no concerns about facing the same opposition next week and believes the experience has been a valuable learning curve.”I’ve taken it into domestic Twenty20 cricket, especially my decision making,” he said. “I have always prided myself on my decision making and I got a few things wrong there but you’ve always got to appreciate they are world-class players. One significant over in seven games is something to be quite happy with.”Yardy’s role at international level is a peculiar one because in first-class cricket with Sussex he is a frontline batsman and occasional spinner who only took up slow bowling in 2005. However, put him in the limited-overs arena and his round-arm style becomes difficult to score off.”People speak to me about not bowling in four-day cricket but I only started bowling spin in 2005,” he said. “I lost those early years as a young professional to work on your skills so I have focused on one-day cricket.”Hopefully if I play pitches will suit spin and no one is there just in a holding role. Swanny is an attacking spinner so the key thing is for me to do what I do and not pigeon hole myself in a certain role. I need to make sure I bat well also because if I play I think that will be an important part.”

Hamid Hassan, who was the first Afghan cricketer to play at Lord’s when he spent time on the MCC Young Cricketers staff in 2007, has been included in the MCC side to play Pakistan in a Twenty20 game at the ground on June 27. Mohammad Nabi, his Afghanistan teammate and another former MCC Young Cricketer, is also part of the side.MCC has had a strong association with Afghanistan cricket since 2006, when a team led by Mike Gatting lost to Afghanistan in Mumbai. Former England allrounder and army officer Matthew Fleming, who sits on the MCC Committee, has twice been to Afghanistan to lead MCC’s efforts – alongside the charity Afghan Connection – to encourage Afghan children to play cricket.As a result, MCC Spirit of Cricket camps have been attended by hundreds of children throughout the country. In addition, MCC and Afghan Connection have instigated a cricket-pitch building programme in schools.The team which will play MCC’s first ever Twenty20 game at Lord’s has an international flavour to it, with Chris Harris, the former New Zealand allrounder, and South African Tyron Henderson, who played a major part in Middlesex’s victorious Twenty20 Cup campaign in 2008, also confirmed. Middlesex’s John Simpson, yet another MCC Young Cricketer, will keep wicket.Brian Lara will make his first appearance in an MCC side in the game, with Sourav Ganguly set to captain and Chaminda Vaas, who is currently playing for Northamptonshire, Ian Harvey, Victoria batsman Aiden Blizzard and Glenn Querl, an MCC Young Cricketer who has played for the Unicorns in the CB40 this season, also part of the line-up.MCC Twenty20 team: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Brian Lara, Ian Harvey, Mohammad Nabi, Tyron Henderson, Chris Harris, John Simpson (wk), Glenn Querl, Chaminda Vaas, Hamid Hassan

On an otherwise lacklustre day from England’s bowlers, one man stood out from the crowd – and not merely because he’s the lankiest player on show. Steven Finn’s Test debut came in bewildering circumstances in Chittagong back in March, only days after arriving in Bangladesh as injury cover. But the promise he displayed then was on show once again today, as he returned steady figures of 1 for 39 in 12 overs, in the vastly more familiar surroundings of his home ground, Lord’s.Using his height well on a slow surface, Finn was the closest that England’s attack came to finding a cutting edge on an attritional day, and after Tamim Iqbal was run out for 55, he claimed the only other Bangladeshi wicket to fall, that of Imrul Kayes for 43, who gloved a lifter to Andrew Strauss in the slips.”It was a fantastic feeling to get my first [Test] wicket at Lord’s in front of that crowd, and the atmosphere,” said Finn. “Initially, I wasn’t sure whether he had gloved it or it came off his forearm or what, but I was excited to see it go through like that. It was relatively hard work, because the wicket’s a little bit slow, but there’s a bit of bounce from the Pavilion End, and we hope we can exploit that tomorrow.”After grafting his way through the lifeless decks of Chittagong and Dhaka, Finn was happy to play on a surface offering even a fraction of assistance, and remained upbeat about England’s hopes of forcing the pace against a dogged Bangladeshi line-up.”It wasn’t that bad as Chittagong,” he said. “I’m still having nightmares about that. A little bit more sun on it, and potentially the roller tomorrow, I think it could change. There’s been a bit of variable bounce and that could be a big thing for us and work to our advantage tomorrow.”At the moment it looks like a battle of attrition, us again trying to limit their boundary options and being clever with field-setting and able to attack at the right time. But you can see one going up, one going down. We’re still 300 odd runs ahead, so if we can get a couple of quick wickets that’s going to be in the back of their minds that they could potentially be following on within a session.”The start to the Bangladeshi innings had a recurring theme, with Tamim Iqbal blazing a 62-ball 55 before being run out by a direct hit. It was his fourth half-century in five Test innings against England, but having seen his hurricane style blow out on previous occasions, Finn was confident that the bowlers would be able to regain control as the match develops.”Obviously, Tamim Iqbal is going to come out and play his way. But if we can ‘dot him up’ second innings, when he’s faced two or three on the trot, he’ll play a silly shot – try to slash one that’s too straight through point. We did go for a few runs today but we bowled to our plans and stuck to our guns.”We saw them bat like that in Chittagong and Dhaka earlier in the year,” he added. “They’re a developing team who are getting better game-by-game. They have players who are dangerous, and it’s important we don’t take them lightly, treat them with respect and have to be able to build dots against them.””We’re not just going to be able to blast them away; we have to build pressure, which will in turn get us wickets. The important thing is to use the new ball, because we know the Bangladeshis will struggle against the moving ball.”

Match Facts

Thursday, May 6, Bridgetown
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)

The Big Picture

Eoin Morgan will be the wicket Pakistan most need•Getty Images

If Twenty20 cricket is routinely unpredictable, played by England and Pakistan it’s an absolute lottery. No sooner had England treated their fans to a fearless run-fest against West Indies than they were grinding out a tetchy 121 against Ireland. Similarly, Pakistan, the defending champions, put on an assured performance to beat Bangladesh by 21 runs but were completely outgunned by Australia a day later. It’s no surprise, then, that the last time these sides met, in Dubai in February, the series was shared one apiece.Given South Africa’s patchy form Group E is wide open and the conditions in Barbados should suit the positive style both Pakistan and England prefer. Shahid Afridi’s rigid captaincy, sticking to a dressing-room plan to bowl Mohammad Hafeez in spite of the evidence did as much as anything to undermine his side’s hopes against Australia. Pakistan need Afridi to bring the freedom he plays with to his leadership if Pakistan are to threaten England’s batting.England, for their part, remain untested in the field. Their punt on Ryan Sidebottom’s left-arm angle has failed to come off in two brief outings and on the faster surface in Barbados he may find himself under pressure from James Anderson. The one man who seems almost certain to deliver is Eoin Morgan. His rise in the limited-overs format has coincided with England’s and he could prove the difference.

Form guide (most recent first)

England: LWLWW
Pakistan: LWWLL

Watch out for…

While Mohammad Hafeez’s spin didn’t come off against Australia, Saeed Ajmal showed, once again, how strong he is in this format. He has one of the best doosras in the game and is up against a line-up that, historically at least, prefers pace on the ball.Coming off the back of an electrifying IPL experience, Kevin Pietersen was sure to set the World Twenty20 alight. Yet two games and two identical dismissals later, we’re still waiting for that barnstorming knock. The bouncy track and lively pace attack should get him ticking.

Team news

Mohammad Sami was destroyed by Australia, which will surely point the Pakistan selectors in the direction of Mohammad Asif, who, it should be remembered, has an impressive record against Kevin Pietersen.Pakistan (probable) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Shahid Afridi (capt), 4 Abdul Razzaq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Mohammad Hafeez, 7 Umar Akmal, 8 Fawad Alam, 9 Mohammad Asif, 10 Mohammad Aamer, 11 Saeed Ajmal.With Pietersen still available, England’s only issue is their fast bowling, with James Anderson looking likely to step in for Ryan Sidebottom.England (probable) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Craig Kieswetter, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.

Pitch and conditions

The Barbados pitch is the best in the Caribbean, with proper pace and bounce, and some grip for the spinners. It’s the kind of pitch that should produce the best cricket, though batsmen should be wary after the low-scoring encounters on Wednesday.

Stats and trivia

• After four games between the sides, Pakistan and England share the spoils 2-2.
• Of players with more than 100 Twenty20 international runs, Eoin Morgan’s average of 55.40 is the highest.
  

  Quotes

  “We’re very thankful to have him.”
  Andy Flower is relived Eoin Morgan is in his side after he twice revived England’s total.

Match facts

Chennai v Kolkata, Chennai
Tuesday, April 13
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)R Ashwin has impressed with his off-spin•Indian Premier League

Big Picture

Dispiriting defeats in their previous games have left Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the lower half of the IPL and, with just three games each to play, Tuesday’s match could push the losing team perilously close to elimination. A good win for Chennai, on the other hand, will, at the least, take them to fourth place and if the day’s other game ends in a big defeat for Delhi, they could climb to third.Kolkata are seventh, and should they win, they’ll be tied on 12 points with at least three other teams.In their last games, both teams were let down by their middle orders. Chennai lost five wickets for 24 runs against Deccan Chargers, resulting in a failed defence of a below-par score that drained out the confidence of beating table-toppers Mumbai Indians in the match before.Kolkata have alternated between victory and defeat in their last six matches, but their loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore prompted their captain Sourav Ganguly to describe the performance as “pathetic” and launch a tirade against some of the younger Indian players in the side for their performance in the field. An excellent start by the top order had been squandered, and the bowling was mauled. If the captain’s stinging criticism doesn’t hurt and spur Kolkata to do better, little else will.

Form guide (most recent first)

Kolkata Knight Riders: LWLWL
Chennai Super Kings: LWWWL

Team talk

Ishant Sharma returned for Kolkata against Bangalore but was blasted for 46 in four wicketless overs. Ajantha Mendis was just as bad, conceding 44 and being reverse-swept for sixes by Robin Uthappa. Shane Bond is likely to return, as is Murali Kartik, who had been out due to a groin injury. If Kartik is unable to recover, Iqbal Abdulla could be called in.Will Chennai continue to keep Muttiah Muralitharan out? He’s missed the last two games, but R Ashwin and Shadab Jakati, the two frontline spinners in Chennai’s line-up have done well. Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp are both match fit. Albie, who also opens the bowling, could be drafted in for Thilan Thushara.

Previously

Chennai 3, Kolkata 1Chennai were comfortable victors in the previous encounter, with MS Dhoni making an unbeaten 66 and Kemp chipping in with three wickets.

In the spotlight

Kolkata’s young Indian contingent: Criticised by their captain, they have much to prove. Manoj Tiwary was dismissed for a duck against Bangalore, and Kolkata depend much on him to consolidate after the top three. Cheteshwar Pujara played an eight-ball cameo, but hasn’t had too many opportunities, nor has Wriddhiman Saha with the bat. A player Ganguly has singled out for praise is Ashok Dinda, and his sharing the new ball with Bond should make exciting viewing.R Ashwin: Introduced in the Powerplay, Ashwin picked up two wickets in four balls in Deccan’s chase. He’s been among the more economical bowlers for Chennai this season, and varied his lengths and flight. In the absence of Murali, he’s been their lead spinner and has shouldered that responsibility well.

Prime numbers

• Chennai have done better than Kolkata in the last six overs. They’ve scored 605 runs at a rate of 9.45, Kolkata 579 at 8.95. Both teams have lost 25 wickets.
• Kolkata’s fast bowlers have done a slightly better job than Chennai. They’ve gone at a rate of 8.53 an over, and taken 38 wickets at 31.68. Chennai’s bowlers have been slightly more expensive, going at 8.97 an over, and grabbed 30 wickets at 35.30.
  

  The chatter

  “They have to pick themselves up, there’s no option. The entire world is watching, the selectors are watching… if they play like this, God help their careers.”
  Sourav Ganguly‘s message for the youngsters is clear.