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Jonny Bairstow, who made an eye-catching debut for England in the final ODI against India in Cardiff, has been named the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year for 2011. Bairstow, 21, received the award at the club’s 65th anniversary lunch at Lord’s just three days after his unbeaten 41 from just 21 balls helped England to a six-wicket win.Bairstow’s show-stopping debut capped a memorable season in which he scored 1,213 first-class runs at 48.52 for Yorkshire and the England Lions – converting his maiden century against Nottinghamshire in May, the first of three this summer, into 205. He garnered nearly double the number of votes as runner-up Chris Woakes.He also beat Hampshire spinner Danny Briggs, who was named in England’s Twenty20 squad to face West Indies later this week, and Leicestershire’s James Taylor, the 2009 winner, to the award.Bairstow’s inclusion in England’s plans – and his nerveless display of crisp hitting on debut – has created fierce competition for places in the limited-overs middle order. While he may struggle to make a spot his own, particularly once Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen return, Bairstow has drawn praise from both his coach and captain for a sterling start to his international career.”I can’t remember a debut like that,” said England coach Andy Flower. “It was very clean and impressive hitting. Not many people can strike it as cleanly as that. Not many people are that talented. He should be very proud of his performance and it is great to make an impact in international cricket straightaway, but let’s all keep level heads about it. Talk is cheap, but he did it with his actions, and he will continually be asked questions to repeat his performances out there in the middle when the pressure is on.””What a way to make an international statement,” added one-day captain Alastair Cook, himself a former recipient of the Young Cricketer award, after Bairstow’s debut knock. “I think we’ve just found a player. I don’t want to heap too much pressure on him, but to make your debut like that and go and play in such a controlled but positive way was incredible. The lads looking around in the dressing room were saying we’ve just found one. All credit to Jonny for that. It’s never always going to be plain sailing, but he looks like an outstanding prospect.”Bairstow, whose father David was a former England wicketkeeper himself, is the ninth Yorkshireman to win the Young Cricketer award – following Fred Trueman (1952), Phil Sharpe (1962), Geoff Boycott (1963), Chris Old (1970), Ashley Metcalfe (joint winner, 1986), Richard Blakey (1987), Chris Silverwood (1996) and Adil Rashid (2007). This is the 62nd year in which the award, restricted to England-qualified players under the age of 23 on May 1, has been presented.

Scorecard
Unicorns left it until the final game of the competition to pick up their first Clydesdale Bank 40 win of the season, beating a dismal Glamorgan side by eight runs at Wormsley. The result alone did not tell the full story, though, with just three Glamorgan batsman making double figures as they came up short in the chase of a modest 192. Captain Alviro Petersen scored 93, more than half of their eventual 184, with Stewart Walters (60) and Aneurin Norman (15) his only support.James Ord’s 53 had been the highlight of Unicorns’ unspectacular total, and they would not have expected to take the two points at the interval. Chris Cooke ran out Unicorns’ Matt Thornely for 21 early on, and when James Campbell was stumped off the bowling of Michael O’Shea they were reduced to 51 for 2.A 44-run partnership between Ord and Jayden Levitt ended when the latter was trapped by Nick James, with Bradley Wadlan and Keith Parsons quickly following him back to the pavilion. Ord and Josh Knappett then put together a respectable 55 for the sixth wicket, but when Ord fell to Graeme Wagg, it was the catalyst for a collapse that wrapped up the innings.Gareth Rees went to the sixth ball of Glamorgan’s reply, nicking behind off Glen Querl who would end up with 3 for 33. Petersen could only stand and watch as Will Bragg became the paceman’s second victim, and it was only when Walters joined him at the crease that something started to happen.The pair put on 145 for the third wicket, with Walters impressing with an 84-ball innings until he found Querl’s hands off the bowling of Thornely. The wickets began to tumble again, with James going for four, Cooke getting cleaned up by Luke Beaven for a duck and Wagg being pinned in front of his stumps by the same bowler.O’Shea and Mark Wallace were then run out as Glamorgan pressed the panic button and, when Norman went to Querl after a quick swing of his bat, the game was almost up. The Glamorgan performance was summed up by the loss of Alex Jones for another run out, with Petersen still unscathed, carrying his bat for 112 balls, ending unbeaten with six fours and two sixes.

Scorecard
Durham were frustrated by the weather on day three at Chester-le-Street, where only 12.2 overs were bowled in the Championship leaders’ Division One match against Nottinghamshire. Durham go into the final day on 37 for 2 in their second innings, leading by127 and are likely to find it difficult to set a target without risking defeat.After a delayed start only six overs were possible, Durham advancing from sixto 22 without loss, before another break. Play resumed at 2.50pm and in 6.2 overs they lost both openers. Will Smith was first to go when he hit a long hop from Charlie Shreck straight to Sam Kelsall at cover.Without further addition Gordon Muchall pushed forward and edged a good ball from Darren Pattinson to Chris Read. Paul Collingwood surprised Shreck by turning a straight ball behind square for four, then pulled Pattinson to the midwicket rope and top-edged an attemptedhook to fine leg for another boundary. He evidently intended to make up for some of the lost time, but was cut short by further rain, which proved terminal.Durham’s usual opener, Michael Di Venuto, is not expected to take any further part in the match because of a finger injury suffered in trying to take a slip catch. An X-ray has shown no break and the club remain hopeful he will be fit for Sunday’s Friends Life t20 quarter-final against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

ScorecardTom Maynard propped up Surrey’s second innings with an aggressive century•PA Photos

Tom Maynard’s 67-ball hundred spared Surrey’s blushes at Guildford, where Middlesex took 14 wickets in two sessions of an enthralling Championship match only to then feel the full might of the young Welshman’s bat.The visitors appeared in command after dismissing Surrey for 117 to enforce the follow-on by mid-afternoon, with the hosts well short of their target of 308. Yet by stumps Maynard had reached an unbeaten 105, helping Surrey through to 306 for 6 and a useful 115-run lead going into the final day.The first two sessions had belonged to Middlesex, who made an impressive start through West Indies paceman Cory Collymore. The right-armer initiated Surrey’s first-innings collapse by having Arun Harinath, making his first championship appearance since last August, caught atthird slip for 1.Rory Hamilton-Brown propped forward to go leg-before to the same bowler, then Steven Crook plucked the middle stump of Mark Ramprakash to make it 48 for 3. Zander de Bruyn drove a knee-high return catch to Tim Murtagh and, on the stroke of lunch, Maynard’s first innings ended in a third-ball duck when Murtagh uprooted his off stump.Surrey’s position worsened rapidly after the interval as they lost their last five wickets for 10 runs in the space of only 42 deliveries. Murtagh finished with 5 for 30 to take his first-class tally to 50 wickets for the season, while Collymore chipped in with 4 for 28.Surrey’s total of 117 was their lowest first-innings score since limping to 102 at Leicester in 2001, and their worst first-innings effort at Woodbridge Road since posting 106 against Hampshire in 1958. Although Murtagh needed treatment for cramp and Collymore was carrying an ankle niggle, Middlesex enforced the follow-on by 2.30pm with a first-innings lead of191 in the bank.Steve Finn finally got amongst the wickets when Harinath’s airy drive was well gathered by Jamie Dalrymple at second slip, only for Hamilton-Brown and Ramprakash – playing contrasting roles – to add 74 for the second wicket. Ramprakash erred on the side of caution, while Hamilton-Brown went for his shots to reach a 47-ball 50 before Murtagh broke the stand by snaring Ramprakash leg before for 21.With the last ball before tea, Finn squared up Hamilton-Brown (62) with a leg-cutter that flew to third slip and six overs after the break Steve Davies followed one from Murtagh to edge to John Simpson. Maynard marched in and, with nothing to lose, launched a savage counter-assaultwith shots to all parts. He raced to a 35-ball 50 with nine fours.In tandem with De Bruyn, Maynard added 100 in 12.2 overs to erase the first-innings deficit and ensure Surrey had to bat again. For his part, De Bruyn posted 50 from 64 balls with eight boundaries.It took an incredible one-handed diving catch way to his left at short cover by Chris Rogers to end the partnership for 170 in 132 balls and send De Bruyn packing for 82 as Surrey blasted 209 runs in 32 overs after tea.

England 229 for 8 (Kieswetter 61, Morgan 45) beat Sri Lanka 121 (Anderson 4-18, Swann 3-18) by 110 runs – D/L
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCraig Kieswetter lifted England with a 56-ball 61, before James Anderson cut loose with the white ball•Getty Images

Alastair Cook’s personal contribution may have been modest in the extreme, but he will not care a jot about that, after England’s new era of ODI cricket was launched with a crushing 110-run victory over Sri Lanka at The Oval. James Anderson was the hero with a spell of three wickets in his first 17 balls, and 4 for 18 all told, as the same opponents who brought England’s World Cup campaign to a humiliating conclusion in Colombo three months ago were themselves rolled aside for 121 in a rain-affected encounter.As grudge matches go, this was not exactly a high-octane encounter. Long before a three-hour delay for a thunderstorm had reduced the contest to 32 overs a side, the peculiar comings and goings of Sanath Jayasuriya had reduced the contest to something of a circus. Nevertheless, for Anderson, there was personal atonement at stake. He had not even been selected for that ten-wicket trouncing at the World Cup, after succumbing to exhaustion towards the end of England’s winter odyssey. But under the Oval floodlights he demonstrated his qualities in an irresistible performance, which also included a brilliant leap at midwicket to give Jade Dernbach his maiden ODI wicket.All throughout the winter, one-day wickets proved hard for Anderson to come by – he managed 11 in 83 overs all told. So it was richly ironic that his first breakthrough of the evening came with one of the worst balls he’s bowled all year. Tillakaratne Dilshan, whose century in Colombo had helped condemn England to defeat, marked his return from a broken thumb with a flicked pull off a leg-side long-hop, and Tim Bresnan at fine leg hardly had to move to complete a simple dismissal.

Smart stats

• England’s run-rate of 7.15 in their score of 229 is their highest in the first innings in ODIs when they have made a 200-plus score.

• Craig Kieswetter’s 61 is his third-highest score in ODIs and his first half-century against Sri Lanka.

• Sri Lanka’s total of 121 is their second-lowest in ODIs against England surpassing the 99 made in Perth in 1999 (only innings when team has been bowled out).

• James Anderson’s 4 for 18 is his tenth haul of four wickets or more and his second-best bowling performance in ODIs.

• Sanath Jayasuriya fell for a score below ten for the 141st time in ODIs, the most for any player. He also holds the record for the most ducks in ODIs (34).

• Sri Lanka’s total of 69 is fourth on the list of lowest scores at the fall of the eighth wicket overall and their worst such score since the 74 for 8 against Pakistan in Colombo in 2009.

• The 52-run stand between Suraj Randiv and Lasith Malinga is the highest for the ninth wicket for Sri Lanka in ODIs against England surpassing the previous best of 46 between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dilhara Fernando in 2007. Malinga has also been involved in Sri Lanka’s highest ninth-wicket partnership in ODIs (132).

Bresnan, who was himself back in the team after recovering from a calf strain, had earlier helped England post a competitive target of 232 with four fours in consecutive legitimate deliveries. He then reduced Sri Lanka to 6 for 2 after ten balls, as Jayasuriya’s 445th and final ODI appearance ended with a rifled cut to Eoin Morgan in the gully. Anderson then trapped Mahela Jayawardene plumb lbw with a nipbacker, and three balls later, Sri Lanka had passed the point of no return at 15 for 4, as Kumar Sangakkara chipped a return catch to the same bowler.The remainder of the innings was a tactical saunter for Cook, who made his first bowling change in the ninth over as his fellow England captain Stuart Broad came into the attack (for another less-than-convincing spell, it has to be said). Dernbach then used the familiarity of his Surrey home ground and the placid match situation to help himself to impressive debut figures of 2 for 25, before Suraj Randiv and Lasith Malinga biffed a ninth-wicket stand of 52 to massage the final margin. At no stage, however, could Sri Lanka threaten a comeback, and Graeme Swann sealed the deal with three cheap wickets in five overs.All in all, it was a richly satisfying day for Captain Cook – his fourth victory in as many ODIs at the helm, after a 3-0 series win in Bangladesh last year. His intention of leading from the front had fallen a touch flat after Malinga strangled him down the leg-side for a three-ball 5, but at least he could say he had improved his career ODI strike-rate of 71.After being asked to bat first, England’s momentum was further thwarted when the heavens opened after seven overs, with their innings uninspiringly placed at 35 for 1. However, when they resumed with 18 overs shaved off their allocation, Craig Kieswetter produced his best England performance since the World Twenty20 final in May 2010. He raised his tempo from a cautious 13 from 23 balls at the break to an ambitious 61 from 56, before he took on the slog-sweep against Randiv and top-edged a simple chance to Suranga Lakmal at short third man.Jonathan Trott, England’s unsung hero from an erratic World Cup campaign, continued in his unflappable vein, picking off five fours with scarcely a shot in anger to reach 23 from 24 balls, while Kevin Pietersen looked in prime touch before slapping a first-ball long-hop from Jeevan Mendis to midwicket. But England’s other key contributor was Morgan, whose inventive repertoire was once again on show as he picked off a total of six fours in his 35-ball 45, before one lofted drive too many resulted in a simple catch for Thilina Kandamby at long-off.From 142 for 3 after 20 overs, England stuttered to 194 for 6 after 29, before a late volley of boundaries from Bresnan allowed them to finish with a flourish. In the end, however, it was not even close. That’s generally been the rule for limited-overs encounters between these two teams, but on this occasion, the tables were turned emphatically.

Gautam Gambhir has rubbished claims he covered up a shoulder injury to play in the IPL, saying he did play with discomfort in his right shoulder but was never aware of the extent of the problem. Gambhir said he had felt the discomfort during the World Cup final but as it wasn’t too painful he didn’t think it was a major injury, and hence played the IPL, in which he captained Kolkata Knight Riders. Gambhir could now miss India’s tour of the West Indies, where he was to captain the side during the limited-overs leg, but insists he never put his franchise before playing for India and would not have risked worsening his injury had he known its nature.”Any modern cricketer knows that by feigning or risking injury he is only jeopardising his own career,” Gambhir told the . “It is imaginative to say I was covering my injury to play in the IPL. I played with discomfort without realising the gravity of my injury. As a leader, my team needed me, but to say I preferred club over country is ridiculous.”On Wednesday, Kolkata’s team trainer Andrew Leipus wrote a letter to the BCCI saying Gambhir had complained of a sore shoulder when he arrived in Kolkata for the IPL and subsequent scans had shown a serious injury that would require four to six weeks to heal. The letter said Gambhir recalled landing on his arm during the World Cup final and feeling acute pain. Gambhir said he did not think it was a major injury at the time.”I felt some discomfort during the World Cup final, while running between the wickets. It didn’t seem major as it wasn’t very painful at the time. Any professional cricketer, playing all three formats, will tell you that niggles are all part of the system.”Gambhir admitted he might have aggravated the injury during Kolkata’s group-stage match against Mumbai on May 22 in Kolkata but he still didn’t think it would be a problem. Asked why he played Kolkata’s next game, a knockout match in Mumbai on Wednesday, despite Leipus having already written to the BCCI, he said he had not spoken to Leipus about the injury before the game.”There was an instance during Sunday’s clash against Mumbai Indians when I threw the ball from deep point and felt pain in my right shoulder. I thought it would be fine with a bit of icing or at most I thought I’d get a scan in Mumbai.”I had an MRI in Mumbai and Leipus got the report. We didn’t discuss it as I was preparing for Sunday’s game, which was a knockout. It will be misleading to blame the BCCI, Andrew or the Kolkata management for this. I don’t think anybody intended to cover up things here.”Gambhir defended his commitment to the national team saying that he had actually played through injuries when his country had needed it.”I know how hard I have worked for my national cap and what it means to me. Not many people know that in 2008 I played the Ranji Trophy final against Uttar Pradesh with a swollen left hand. Earlier this year, I played the last Test of the South Africa series with an injured left hand. The swelling was so bad I could barely wear a glove. I am proud of the 93 and 64 I got on one of the most difficult pitches. It is embarrassing to publicise my commitment but I have no choice.”He also said missing out on leading India in the West Indies would be a huge setback. “I am so keen to lead the side that even during the breaks between IPL matches I’d discuss with Yusuf Pathan our strategy for conditions in the West Indies. Now let us see how it goes. I hear there will be a fitness test and only post that things will get decided.”Gambhir’s opening partner Virender Sehwag also aggravated a pre-existing injury during the IPL and is likely to miss the Tests in the West Indies. The injuries have sparked a debate over the importance given to the IPL by the BCCI, players and franchises and whether players’ involvement in the IPL puts them at risk of missing international fixtures.

Match Facts

May 26-30, Cardiff
Start time 11.00am (1000GMT)Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower now want their team to secure the top spot in world cricket•AFP

The Big Picture

This series is being billed as the starter before the main course of England’s season. India are the major drawcard of the summer, but Sri Lanka’s visit promises much interest and intrigue. It pits a home side wanting to build on one of their finest triumphs in Australia against a visiting side trying to rebuild under a new captain and coach amid more political rumblings in Sri Lankan cricket.A lot has happened since England celebrated in Sydney and even since Sri Lanka finished second in the World Cup. The hosts now have three captains for starters, but nine of the team that played in Sydney are set to line-up in this Test. Andrew Strauss has been very keen to stress how the Ashes success was just a stepping stone, albeit an historic one, in England’s quest to be No. 1 in the world. That aim could be achieved by the end of the summer if they beat both Sri Lanka and India but it won’t be an easy task.Sri Lanka come here as significant underdogs, largely due to the loss of three match-winning bowlers in Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga. Yet England will underestimate them at their peril. They showed their fighting qualities with an impressive victory against the Lions after being forced to follow-on as Tillakaratne Dilshan, the new captain, led the way with 117 at better than a run-a-ball. Much will rest on the tone Dilshan sets as a captain and batsman.However, with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in the ranks runs shouldn’t be in short supply and then it will be down to a new-look bowling attack. The loss of Nuwan Pradeep is a significant blow and they can’t afford Dilhara Fernando to go lame as well. It’s impossible to replace Murali, but in Rangana Herath they have a steady left-arm spinner who will no doubt target Kevin Pietersen.Although Sri Lanka haven’t won a series in England they have surprised the hosts more than once. Most famously there was 1998 at The Oval, but five years ago they also won at Trent Bridge to level the series. A shared contest this time would be a fine achievement for Dilshan and a major let-down for Strauss.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
England WWLWD
Sri Lanka DDDLD

Watch out for…

In the end Eoin Morgan made a case that was too good to ignore. His 193 against the Sri Lankans at Derby secured him a Test place that appeared to have slipped away after six weeks at the IPL. Now he has the chance to make the No. 6 berth his for the foreseeable future. He is the ideal counter-attacking player to have in the middle order; someone who scores at close to a run-a-ball and can shift momentum. However, his biggest challenge will come if (or when) he walks in with England wobbling. Barring his hundred against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last year he was vulnerable against the moving ball. One thing he doesn’t lack, though, is confidence and that can carry you a long way.Tillakaratne Dilshan won’t do anything in half measures. He has shown his attacking mindset already on this tour both with the bat and in the field. Much like Virender Sehwag, one session of Dilshan blazing away can set the tone for a Test match. England’s bowlers won’t be allowed any leeway to find their feet. As a captain he isn’t a long-term option, but is determined to do things his way and that will include thinking ‘outside of the box’. Against the Lions he brought himself on to bowl with the new ball and made a breakthrough. Don’t be surprised to see Herath in action as soon as Pietersen walks to the middle.

Team news

The only decision for the home side is the make-up of their pace attack and it seems likely that Steven Finn will miss out. Stuart Broad is fit again after his winter injuries although he looked a little short of rhythm in the County Championship. Morgan replaces Paul Collingwood in the middle order with Ian Bell set to move to No. 5. Pietersen and Jonathan Trott will be needed for some fill-in overs at various stages.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Chris Tremlett, 11 James AndersonSri Lanka have been hit with injuries to their pace attack. Pradeep is out and there are concerns over Dilhara Fernando, who is set to share the new ball with Chanaka Welegedara. Dilshan confirmed they’d picked six batsmen and five bowlers, a hint that Farveez Maharoof could play while Rangana Herath is the one spinner in their 12.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Chanaka Welegedara

Pitch and conditions

Domestic and international pitches are often two very different beasts at Cardiff. Alarms are sometimes raised by the amount of turn for Glamorgan matches, but the groundsman keeps things safe for the internationals. Stuart Law said the pitch “looked a belter” and two years ago Australia piled up 674 for 6. The forecast, however, isn’t too promising with showers forecast for the opening day and further rain over the weekend.

Stats and trivia

• Stuart Broad is currently sat on 99 Test wickets having collected just two scalps in his two Ashes Tests before injury.
• The performance of Sri Lanka’s bowlers in England since 2000 is better than only Zimbabwe
• Thilan Samaraweera, overall Test average of 54.25, averages just 4.25 in England albeit from just two matches

For a full stats preview click here.

Quotes

“They have some high quality players, some of them we don’t know much about but that does not mean they are not good bowlers, we expect a stern test.”
Andrew Strauss may be looking forward to the Indian challenge later this summer, but that doesn’t mean England will be taking Sri Lanka lightly
“We have a few youngsters who will get a chance and it will be good for their development in international cricket. We are looking forward to a new era for Sri Lankan cricket.”

Match Facts

May 5, 2011, Providence
Start time 9.30am (1330GMT)Lendl Simmons set up West Indies’ win in the fourth ODI, but the series is out of reach•AFP

The Big Picture

The rot has been stopped by West Indies, though it was quite a scramble to get across the line. Thanks to Dwayne Bravo’s premeditated six over midwicket in the fourth ODI in Barbados, the Windies did just enough to sneak ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis calculations before the heavens opened two deliveries later. However, had the match gone the full 50-over distance, Pakistan would have been confident of defending their total of 248 for 9, the highest yet recorded in a low-scoring series.The scoreline now stands at 3-1 instead of 4-0, and though it’s not enough to get them back into the series, it is nonetheless a significant crumb of comfort for a team that had not beaten senior Test opposition for the best part of two years. Their eight-wicket victory at Kingston in June 2009 was the last such occasion, so the opportunity to claw the scoreline back to 3-2, with the two-Test series to follow, is not one that ought to be sniffed at.Pakistan, however, look for the moment to be an enviably settled unit – and given their recent history, that arguably says more about West Indies’ current turmoil than anything else, even if their chief selector Mohsin Khan is getting ready to rock their boat ahead of the Test series. The composure shown by Mohammad Hafeez in his second ODI hundred, and by Asad Shafiq in their 153-run stand for the second wicket, set the tone for what should have been a formidable total, until Devendra Bishoo’s wiles derailed the latter stages of the innings.There are clear signs of life in the West Indies squad, with Bishoo’s exuberance matched by Lendl Simmons’ early onslaught, in which he belted a 36-ball half-century to propel their rain-affected run-chase. But as the recall of Ramnaresh Sarwan demonstrated, not to mention the ongoing issues surrounding Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the changing of the guard in the Caribbean looks set to be a messy and protracted affair. Better times may lie ahead, but one dead-rubber victory can hardly be taken as proof of a new dawn.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLLLL
Pakistan LWWWL

Watch out for…

One of the few positives of West Indies’ disappointing World Cup campaign was the emergence of Devendra Bishoo as a genuine wicket-taking legspinner. While he does not give the ball the biggest rip of all time, his composure under fire is matched by an impressive mastery of flight, and his three wickets in the closing stages of Pakistan’s innings at Bridgetown were due reward for his aggressive intent. In particular his dismissal of the centurion Mohammad Hafeez was eye-catching – late dip, appreciable turn and the pleasing sight of the middle stump being pegged back.Mohammad Hafeez waited eight years to record his maiden ODI century, and now two have come along in the space of six months. His classy accumulation and eye for a run-scoring opportunity belie an average that remains stuck in the mid-20s, but at the age of 30, his time -it would appear – has come. When you factor in his invaluable second string as an offspinner, he is a player upon whom Pakistan can rely, especially given the range of mavericks and matchwinners who feature lower down the batting card.

Team news

West Indies took a gamble in the fourth match by reducing their bowling options to include the specialist keeper Carlton Baugh at the expense of the allrounder Andre Russell. However, seeing as they got the result they wanted, there seems little reason to veer away from the winning formula. Sarwan, who also returned for that match, will be a major drawcard for his Guyanese home support.West Indies (possible) 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Kirk Edwards, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Carlton Baugh (wk), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra Bishoo.Pakistan chopped and changed their options with the series in the bag, and offered ODI debuts to Usman Salahuddin, who was run out for 5 before he could show his full repertoire, and Tanvir Ahmed, who nabbed a maiden wicket in between being tonked by Simmons and Bravo. Both men are worthy of another look, with Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz having little to prove ahead of the Test series.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Hammad Azam, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Usman Salahuddin, 8 Mohammad Salman (wk), 8 Tanvir Ahmed, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan.

Pitch and conditions

After a relatively brisk deck in Barbados, the Providence wicket promises to be slower and lower, which may tempt both teams to bulk out their spin options. Matches in Guyana rarely pass without some interference from the weather, so the Duckworth-Lewis charts will be close at hand once again.

Stats and trivia

• Misbah-ul-Haq finally has a series average after being dismissed for 5 at Barbados. Prior to that he had made scores of 73 not out, 43 not out, and 62 not out, for an overall tally of 183 runs in four innings.
• This will be the 11th ODI at the Providence stadium, although West Indies have only featured in five of the previous ten, and won just twice, against England in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2010.
• Pakistan have never won more than three matches in a one-day series against West Indies

Quotes

“We needed this win. It’s been a while.”
Darren Sammy acknowledges the recent scarcity of West Indian victories.”The way Mohammad Hafeez played on a difficult pitch, and Asad Shafiq, I think we should have got 270-275. We missed that chance, and didn’t bat that well in the end.”
Shahid Afridi rues the missed opportunities in Pakistan’s innings.

ScorecardGary Putland finished with 5 for 28•Getty Images

Tasmania have so far failed to lock in a Sheffield Shield home final after Gary Putland’s maiden five-wicket haul put South Australia on top at the Adelaide Oval. Any points from this match would be enough for the Tigers to confirm their hosting duties in the decider against New South Wales, but they face an uphill battle after conceding a big first-innings deficit.Tasmania will still host the final if New South Wales fail to win their match against Western Australia, but the Tigers have so far missed the chance to create their own fate. Putland finished with 5 for 28 as Tasmania were skittled for 124, with Mark Cosgrove (29) at his former home ground the top scorer in a lacklustre Tasmanian effort.However, in reply South Australia found their second innings tough going and at stumps were 5 for 61, with Cullen Bailey on 9 and Chadd Sayers on 10. Adam Maher (3 for 14) and Ben Hilfenhaus (2 for 25) made life difficult for the South Australia top order, although the Redbacks still had a lead of 231 thanks to their strong first innings.They began the day six wickets down and added 39 to their overnight total, with Graham Manou (82) missing the chance for a century. Maher and James Faulkner each picked up three wickets for the Tigers, who are guaranteed of a place in the Sheffield Shield final, and regardless of the result the Redbacks will finish the summer on the bottom of the table.