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John Wright, the New Zealand coach, has called his team’s performance in the Hamilton Test as “unacceptable” but has urged “patience” from fans following the crushing three-day defeat. New Zealand lost all ten second-innings wickets in a session to be shut out of the game that, until tea on the third day, had been closely fought. The Test was Wright’s first major assignment in his new role as coach, after he replaced Mark Greatbatch following New Zealand’s forgettable one-day campaigns in the subcontinent.”I’m a little bit older and wiser,” Wright, who was formerly India’s coach, told . “It’s certainly been an interesting experience. You’ve got to have a look at things and I suppose in reality you’re looking at the challenge which lies ahead of you. Everybody understands pretty clearly that the performance was unacceptable.”New Zealand’s ten-wicket humbling came on a pitch that was favourable for batting. The key, Wright said, was to find batsmen capable of occupying the crease for extended periods of time. “It’s going to take some time and we need to find batsmen that are prepared to be very patient and really want to stay at the crease.”The talent’s there but we’ve got a bit of teaching to do. New Zealand sports fans do have big expectations, I understand that, and I can say to the public from all of us it was totally unacceptable and we’ve got to do a lot better. But show us some patience. If I can do my job properly and the boys respond, we’ll get there.”Wright backed New Zealand to turn the tables in Wellington, the venue for the next Test, but praised Pakistan for their win which was achieved despite the absence of several first-choice players for various reasons. “They’re very rich in playing talent and they’ve always, over the course of their history, managed to field a good team. They’ve got great fast-bowling stocks and they’re a good team, but they’re beatable.”

England’s physiotherapist, Kirk Russell, has stood down after nine years in the job and will be replaced by Ben Langley at the end of the Ashes series.Russell was involved in England’s two recent Ashes successes, in 2005 and 2009, as well as this year’s World Twenty20 win in the Caribbean. He has decided to move on before the 50-over World Cup, however, and Langley, who had the physio job at Worcestershire, will join the side for the one-day series that follows the Ashes.”This has been an extremely difficult decision for me to make but after nine years with England I feel now is the right time for me to move on and seek a fresh challenge in my career,” said Russell. “I feel very privileged and grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with the England team and would like to thank all the players, the coaches and in particular, my colleagues within the England medical staff, for their support.”Hugh Morris, the ECB managing director of cricket, said Russell had been a crucial member of England’s backroom staff and will be missed. “Kirk has been an integral part of the England backroom staff for many years and I know how much he will be missed by all the players and management. His knowledge and experience has been invaluable and he can feel justifiably proud of the contribution he has made to ensuring that our prevention and treatment of injuries is second to none.”

China is making a bid to host its first major international cricket event by showing interest in staging the 2012 Asia Cup in Guangzhou, the venue that hosted the first-ever Asian Games cricket tournament in November.The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief executive, Syed Ashraful Huq, told ESPNcricinfo that one of the upshots of the Asian Games was that the Chinese Cricket Association had “expressed its interest” in hosting the 2012 Asia Cup. “If our ACC board agrees, China will have its first full-fledged, major international tournament,” he said.The ACC board will meet on December 12 in Dhaka to decide on the venue for the Asia Cup. The choice is among Guangzhou, Dhaka and either Dubai or Abu Dhabi. “If you ask me where it should go, I don’t know, my board would have to decide,” Huq said. “But it would be good if it is played in a non-traditional place”.Moving to a new venue, according to Huq, “enhances the profile of the place, creates cricket awareness. You create a new market in the new place.” There were, he said, “no new things” to be created by playing the tournament in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. “If you have the missionary view of taking cricket out and getting to new markets or new areas, then you should go to new markets, new areas.”The cricket tournament in the Asian Games was held at the Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT), where the ground has an 80-metre boundary and seven pitches that were laid out six months ago. Four of those were used to host 30 Twenty20 matches during the Asian Games. Huq said the venue had been well-received and would host three of the ICC’s World Cricket League Division Three games in January.According to Huq, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt had been astonished by the quality of the GDUT ground and its facilities and said it could be a venue for one of Pakistan’s offshore international games. “It was just an initial reaction after seeing the new ground,” Huq said. “He [Butt] just turned to me and said why can’t play our Test matches here?”India were “sorely missed” at the Asian Games, Huq said, and the BCCI’s decision to not send a team was at odds with the agreement made by the four Asian Test-playing nations that they would send their “best available” team as opposed to the best possible side to the event.Huq said the decision to make a pitch for cricket’s inclusion in the Asian Games had been led by Sharad Pawar, who during his tenure as BCCI president (2005-2008) was also president of the ACC. Both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh sent their A-teams to Guangzhou. Sri Lanka fielded a few former Test players like Jehan Mubarak and Malinga Bandara, and Bangladesh was captained by Mohammad Ashraful.”India could have sent their best available team, obviously the best possible team could not play because they were playing New Zealand. It is not expected of them to send it (their best possible team)”, Huq said and hoped the Indians would turn up for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.Huq denied that, by distancing itself from the Asian Games, the BCCI had decided to move away from its regional bloc. “I don’t think this is the case, but since India is the commercial powerhouse, they are busy. Everybody wants to cash in on India. It is not only the Asians who want to do it but Australia, England, the South Africans, West Indies, New Zealand, everybody wants to do it. I think Asia is still a strong bloc, obviously led by India. It is expected of India to take the lead.”

The ICC has directed the Indian and South African boards to come to a decision on the use of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) for the upcoming Test series between the teams. Cricket South Africa (CSA) had expressed its interest in using the system for India’s tour which begins on December 16, but it will have to persuade the BCCI.”Discussions will go on between CSA and BCCI whether to use it or not and CSA will eventually make a decision in consultation with BCCI,” ICC chief Haroon Lorgat said. “We would leave it to them to come to an understanding.”India’s resistance towards the UDRS stems from their experience in the 2008 tour of Sri Lanka, where they only managed one successful referral as opposed to Sri Lanka’s 11.The BCCI has already ruled out the UDRS for the upcoming home Tests against New Zealand. They had earlier refused the use of referrals for the recently-concluded series against Australia despite the availability of the requisite technology.In recent times, some of India’s players have softened their stand, with Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan expressing their support for the system, though others, including MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, share the skepticism of the board. Lorgat, however, was optimistic that they would eventually rethink their stand. “A lot of players are happy with the system,” he said. “I am confident in due course the BCCI would give consent.”South Africa have used the UDRS three times in their last four Test series – against Australia and England at home in 2009, and in the West Indies in June. The exception was when they toured India earlier this year for a two-Test series.

State Bank of Pakistan routed Peshawar by an innings and 89 runs with more than a day to spare at the Sports Complex in Mardan. Peshawar started the day looking in little danger at 141 for 4 chasing 376, but left-arm spinner Naved Yasin sparked a middle-order collapse, and the last six wickets fell for 30 runs. SBP enforced the follow-on and fast bowler Bilawal Bhatti knocked over three of the top five batsman to leave Peshawar reeling at 39 for 5. The end came not long after, with the side being bowled out for 107 in 20.5 overs. Adnan Rasool also took three wickets, while Jalat Khan chipped in with two and Naved Yasin one. All in all, Peshawar lost 16 wickets for 146 in a little over 31 overs.Lahore Shalimar need another 108 runs to win with five wickets in hand against Abbottabad at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Starting the day on 90 for 4, Abbottabad were bowled out for 167 – Fawad Khan’s painstaking 88 making up more than half the total – to set Lahore a target of 229 in the fourth innings. The fast bowling pair of Hasan Dar, with 5 for 43, and Aamer Hayat, with 3 for 50, did most of the damage. Lahore lost three quick wickets before Usman Sallhuddin fought back with a half-century. He fell just before the close of play for 67, having struck 12 fours, leaving Afzal Shahzad, whose 15 runs had come from 94 balls, and Khasif Mahmood, on 4, at the crease.Hyderabad begin the fourth day of their game against Khan Research Laboratories on 115 for 2, needing another 271 runs to pull off what would be an unlikely victory at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad. Having taken a 124-run first innings lead, KRL declared their second innings on 262 for 3, with opener Saeed Anwar scoring an unbeaten 112 from 168 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. Hyderabad lost Azeem Ghumman early, but fellow opener Sharjeel Khan put on 62 with Mansoor Malik for the second wicket to steady the ship. Sharjeel was 67 not out at stumps, with Rizwan Ahmad on 2 for company.Quetta trail Karachi Whites by 212 runs and have their work cut out if they are to avoid losing by an innings at the National Stadium in Karachi. Karachi enforced the follow-on after bowling Quetta out for 284, with offspinner Atif Maqbool taking 6 for 103 from 32 overs. It could have been even worse for Quetta, who were struggling at 138 for 6, but Taimur Khan (73) and Arun Lal (61*) added 105 for the seven wicket. Karachi then took three wickets in 11 overs to leave Quetta tottering at 24 for 3 with one day still to go.Lahore Ravi are on the verge of victory against Pakistan Television at the Lahore City Cricket Association. Asif Raza completed his century as Lahore added a further 62 to their overnight score. His 109 included 11 fours and a six, and took 140 balls. Saad Altaf toiled away for 36.1 overs, but was rewarded with figures of 6 for 122. Pakistan Television started brightly, with captain Raheel Majeed and Ammar Mahmood putting together an opening stand of 116, but Majeed’s departure triggered a collapse, as the team lost 7 wickets for 52 runs. Naeem Anjum and Junaid Nadir delayed the inevitable with a 47-run partnership, but Lahore should wrap up the win on the last day. Tanzeel Altaf was the destroyer-in-chief, taking 5 for 70.

ScorecardGary Putland’s four wickets pushed the Redbacks to victory•Getty Images

Gary Putland’s four wickets earned the Man of the Match award and a comfortable first-up victory for South Australia over New South Wales in Adelaide. Putland’s 4 for 41 helped the Redbacks defend their 9 for 232 as the Blues were dismissed for 199 in the 43rd over.Aaron O’Brien struck 13 runs from the final six balls of South Australia’s innings to move to 44 while Michael Klinger (40), Cameron Borgas (38) and Graham Manou (38) also chipped in. The Redbacks were a wobbly 4 for 96 after 20 overs, but came back well in the second phase to post a match-winning total. Stuart Clark collected 4 for 51 in a handy display while Scott Coyte gained 2 for 15 from three overs.It was a quiet night for David Warner (7), Usman Khawaja (7) and Brad Haddin (0), who were early casualties, and Phil Jaques fell for 32 as the Blues reached 4 for 89 after 20 overs. In their second innings Nic Maddinson raced to 54 off 51 on debut and Moises Henriques added 41, but the assignment proved too difficult.

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has called for life bans on players found guilty of fixing. His comments came a day after Australian captain Ricky Ponting had said it would be unfair if the entire Pakistan team was punished over the spot-fixing controversy that has dominated cricket headlines over the past two weeks.Three Pakistan players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – linked to the spot-fixing scandal were suspended by the ICC last week and a fourth, fast bowler Wahab Riaz, will be questioned by Scotland Yard next Tuesday.”If they are proved, those allegations, then it has to be the harshest possible (punishment) and that’s a life ban,” Vettori told on a day when he again picked up the Player of the Year award at New Zealand Cricket’s awards for the 2009-10 season.New Zealand had pulled off a tight victory over Pakistan in a Test in Dunedin last year – their only win over strong opposition in two-and-a-half years – but Vettori said all matches would come under the scanner due to the latest scandal.”Whenever incidents like (these) recently have come under the spotlight then people are going to question every single game that Pakistan played in,” he said. “The key for cricket is to clean it up as quickly as possible, so that people don’t turn up at the game and think there’s something going on. Cricket needs to be squeaky clean.”Another close game Pakistan were involved in was the Sydney Test in January, which has also come under suspicion after Australia won from a seemingly hopeless position. Australia have maintained that they had no inkling of any fixing in the game, their coach Tim Nielsen calling the match “some of the hardest Test cricket we’ve ever played”.After the latest scandal came to light, Ponting called for individual players to be punished and not the entire team. “Let’s just start with the people we know about at the moment and make sure they’re dealt with in the appropriate manner,” Ponting told Fox Sports. “I think to ban a whole team would probably be a bit unfair. The world game doesn’t really need that, (and) can’t really afford that to happen.”

India’s comfortable victory over Sri Lanka has been soured by a controversy over Suraj Randiv’s massive no-ball, which proved to be the winning run and left Virender Sehwag stranded on 99, though the batsman slammed it over long-off for a six. Sehwag celebrated what would have been century No. 13, only to be told later the six didn’t count. After the match, he said Randiv had bowled the no-ball deliberately, and that the move “has no place in good cricket”.”Yes, it was done deliberately,” Sehwag said, shedding the blase attitude with which he had reacted to the incident immediately after the match. “Because [of the size of the no-ball] … that much from the crease. Till now in Test matches he hasn’t bowled a no-ball [Randiv bowled two at the P Sara Oval], he hasn’t bowled no-balls in one-day cricket, on 99 only why did he bowl a no-ball? And not a small no-ball, not a small margin, from one foot ahead.”Sehwag had blasted 29 of India’s 33 runs in four overs leading up to the 34th to move to 99, and the team was five short of the target. He has reached several of his famous hundreds with sixes, including the maiden triple-century by an Indian in Tests, and there was an air of anticipation in Dambulla as Randiv started the 34th over. The first ball slipped past the batsman outside off and beat Sangakkara as well for four byes to bring the scores level. The next two deliveries were carved straight to the point fielder, before Randiv overstepped by about a foot to end the match; Sehwag’s six off the no ball was futile.”They [Sri Lanka] have done it because no team wants anybody to score hundreds against them,” Sehwag said, “but they did that, they are happy and we are happy, we won the game, we got the bonus point.”When asked whether he felt Randiv had instructions from senior team members to bowl the no-ball, Sehwag said this was the second time Sri Lanka had ended a match by giving away extras to deny an Indian batsman a century. Sachin Tendulkar had finished unbeaten on 96 in a one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Cuttack last year after the match ended with Lasith Malinga bowling a wide down the leg side which went to the fine-leg boundary.”I’m not the captain of the opposing team, so I can’t say, but something must have been said by either the captain or the senior team members,” Sehwag said. “It has happened before, when Sachin Tendulkar was left on 99 not out [actually 96] in Cuttack, they bowled four wides down the leg side This is not the first time Sri Lanka has done this, they may have done it with other teams but with India it is the second time.”Kumar Sangakkara denied playing any role in the incident. “I hope it was not deliberate,” he said. “That’s not the way I would like to play cricket. If that was intentional, and I have to find out about that, it has got no place on the field of cricket. I will also have to see if there was any talk about it on the field prior to that delivery.”Sangakkara also defended Randiv, saying the offspinner was not the sort of person to bowl a deliberate no-ball. “Knowing Suraj, he is a really nice guy. I have no doubt that it was not intentional. Maybe he was trying to bowl the doosra, and maybe get some bounce off it. But if there has been some talk about it on the field before the start of that delivery by other players, or maybe a bit of coaxing, I will have to address that very, very strongly in the dressing room.”Sehwag said he was not aware of the rule that stipulated the match was over once the no-ball was bowled, though it counts as a delivery faced. Sangakkara also appeared bemused by the rule, saying it had robbed Sehwag of a century. “I think if a batsman scores the runs, he scores the runs, whether it is a no-ball or not. I think if he scores runs off it, it should count for the batsman. The way Viru batted, he deserved to get a hundred.”

Kevin Pietersen would have been rested from the one-day series against Bangladesh even if a thigh strain hadn’t ruled him out. Geoff Miller, the national selector, played down the seriousness of Pietersen’s injury but said they had identified the next couple of weeks as a chance to give him a break.Pietersen could only muster 95 runs in the five ODIs against Australia and finished with a duck at Lord’s when he was bowled by Steven Smith having come in at No. 6 with a runner. It means he hasn’t scored an ODI half-century since November 2008 – the unbeaten 111 he made against India at Cuttack in his last game as captain – a run that now stretches 17 innings.”We would have rested him,” Miller said. “We know what his qualities are. Everybody is concerned when a batter is not getting runs, similarly when a bowler is not getting wickets or not bowling well. But we know very well he is very capable of getting big runs, and they will be just round the corner.”The situation is he has a niggle, which we are very wary about,” Miller said. “I think it is a minor injury. But we are obviously wary, because there is a lot of cricket coming up over the rest of the summer and the winter as well,” Miller added.”I am sure he will be all right [for the Test series against Pakistan] but can’t say that categorically at this stage. We are just being cautious. I think he will be all right in the very near future.”Pietersen’s absence means Ian Bell is likely to get a chance at No. 3 against Bangladesh while his Warwickshire team-mate, Jonathan Trott, has been recalled after impressive county and England Lions form. Trott had been eased out of the one-day set-up in recent months although he averages 49.33 from his four ODIs after playing an important role in the victory against South Africa last November.”Our policy is to find out about players – keeping one eye on the future, for the World Cup on the sub-continent in the new year,” Miller said. “We want to win games at this moment in time but also keep an eye on what is happening later on.”Graeme Swann has also been given a well-deserved break and is replaced in the squad by Kent’s James Tredwell who made his international debut on the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year and was part of the World Twenty20 squad without playing a match.

Match facts

July 12, 2010, Edgbaston
Start time 10.45am (9.45GMT)Can Bangladesh do it again?•Getty Images

Big picture

Bangladesh lit up their English summer and breathed life into the series with their shock triumph in the second game at Bristol. Having gone 15 ODI matches and 247 days without victory they turned their fortunes around with a display of remarkable hunger and spirit.England were outplayed but Andrew Strauss would accept his team were a touch casual. Fielding lapses, ill-disciplined bowling and some loose shots betrayed a side not operating at full intensity. Defeat to set up a series decider at Edgbaston should stir them.While it was Bangladesh who were parachuting in replacements for Saturday’s game, it’s England now who have the concerns. Ravi Bopara has had to come into the squad after Ian Bell fractured his left foot and there must be some worry over the form of James Anderson.Since being left out of England’s triumphant World Twenty20 side Anderson has cut a forlorn figure and his returns this summer – seven wickets in five matches against Australia and three expensive scalps in this series – have been poor. Tamim Iqbal’s flashing blade is enough to unsettle even the steeliest of bowlers but, in the crunch game, Anderson must prove he can rise to the mantle expected of England’s most experienced bowler.Really though, there is only one story. Bangladesh are chasing a dream series win that just two games ago looked completely unthinkable. They won’t start favourites, they rarely do, but they could finish on top of the world.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England LWLLW
Bangladesh WLLLL

Watch out for…

Andrew Strauss has been in sublime touch this series and has, by some distance, looked England’s best batsman. Curiously for a man with 18 Test hundreds, Strauss’s conversion rate in one-day cricket is poor. England have talked for a long time about making more centuries and given his form at the top of the order, the captain could set the example at Edgbaston by scoring his fourth. Rubel Hossain turned the game at Bristol on its head when his pacey slingers removed England’s openers. Missing from the first match he gave the Bangladesh attack some much-needed fire to accompany the wily spin duo of Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan. He will need to provide the same incision if Bangladesh are going to have a chance.

Team news

For the England selectors there is the familiar problem of balance. Six batsmen would mean Ravi Bopara gets his first chance since September 2009 but force James Tredwell out again and leave the attack looking a touch one-paced.Five batsmen may nudge Ajmal Shahzad, who impressed with three wickets at Bristol, aside because of Tim Bresnan’s more robust lower-order batting. But new-ball wickets have been a problem for England for a while so they’ll be reluctant to let Shahzad go.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.Having secured a historic victory Bangladesh won’t be in a rush to meddle with the side. Expect an unchanged line up at Edgbaston.Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam (wk), 5 Mohammad Ashraful, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Rubel Hossain, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Shafiul Islam

Pitch and conditions

Fortress Edgbaston has been a happy hunting ground for England over the last few years. Most recently though, the Barmy Army was replaced by an equally vociferous Pakistani crowd for the two Twenty20 games Pakistan played against Australia. It made for a thrilling atmosphere and both teams will hope for similar capacity-crowds for the series decider. Edgbaston has been a high-scoring ground in limited-overs cricket this season and will suit the free-flowing batsmen in both teams.

Stats and Trivia

• Bangladesh have only one memory of Edgbaston, and it’s not a happy one. In 2004 they were bowled out for 93 in their Champions Trophy game against South Africa. Only one member of their side from that day survives – Mohammad Ashraful.
• Apart from a depleted West Indies team ravaged by contract disputes, Bangladesh have never beaten a major Test-playing nation in a one-day series.

Quotes

“I’ve said before there were a few chinks in the armour of this England team and I guess them leaving a few players out of their side weakened them a bit.”
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“Ruthlessness is a skill in itself and it’s something we need to keep improving on.”.