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ScorecardFrancois du Plessis hits another boundary during his match-winning century•Getty Images

Francois du Plessis played one of the most important innings of his Lancashire career, an unbeaten 113 from 75 balls that led them into a Friends Provident semi-final at the expense of defending champions Essex. A thrilling display of late hitting by du Plessis, who struck seven sixes, lifted Lancashire to 262 after a difficult start and the team then backed him up with an impressive performance in the field to win by 67 runs.du Plessis really began to open up when joined by Luke Sutton and the pair added 74 for the sixth wicket with Sutton’s contribution 17. He tore into the Essex attack and cleared the ropes on regular occasions as he raced to three figures off 71 deliveries with his second fifty needing just 19 balls. Reputation mattered for little as Danish Kaneria was given some rough treatment while Graham Napier also took some punishment in the closing overs. Lancashire hit 121 off the last 12 overs.All Lancashire’s bowlers chipped in, with Gary Keedy cleaning up the lower order to finish with four, but Sajid Mahmood was particularly impressive with the key wickets of England Twenty20 pair James Foster and Napier to take out Essex’s last realistic chance of retaining their title.However, it had been Essex, who beat Lancashire twice in the qualifying stage, that took the early honours. Their seamers kept a tight leash on Lancashire’s top order. David Masters was outstanding, completing his 10 overs for just 14 runs plus the wickets of Paul Horton and later Steven Croft. After Horton fell for a duck, Tom Smith was caught behind of Chris Wright as Lancashire struggled for momentum.The run rate was still below four-an-over when Ashwell Prince fell to Grant Flower in the 27th over, who struck again to remove Mark Chilton to leave Lancashire on 120 for 4. It was surprising that Flower only bowled three overs despite claiming two key wickets. Then du Plessis began to revive the innings with his single-handed display. Due to a tightening of Kolpak legislation, du Plessis isn’t assured of his county future because he hasn’t played international cricket, but after this display Lancashire will be trying even harder to keep him.The home side carried their impetus from the end of the innings into the field and made life tough for Essex. Alastair Cook fell early, well caught by Mahmood at mid-on, and was soon followed by Varun Chopra who was run out by none other than du Plessis.The batsmen struggled to find the boundary against a disciplined attack as the asking rate rose. Matt Walker became Keedy’s first wicket and between Mahmood’s key strikes, Flower was caught at midwicket off Smith after trying his best to hold the chase together with 44 off 57 balls. Keedy benefited from batsmen who needed swing and closed out the match when Ryan ten Doeschate was caught by Horton.The semi-final draw has given Lancashire a home match against Hampshire which means that, in theory, it could pit Andrew Flintoff against Kevin Pietersen. In reality that is highly unlikely as the semi-finals take place four days before the first Ashes Test and two days after an England XI play Warwickshire. However, it also means a return to Old Trafford for Dominic Cork and that alone will be worth watching.

Brendon McCullum has reiterated his stand of resigning as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders if the team doesn’t reach the semi-finals of the current IPL tournament. He also said the toughest thing he was facing as a captain was his own poor form.”I think every captain should be accountable for the results,” McCullum said, echoing his statements after Kolkata’s heavy defeat to Mumbai Indians on Monday. “You just can’t drift along the journey; there is no accountability behind it. My job as a captain is to inspire the team and be competitive. If I can’t inspire this bunch of talented people and reach the semi-finals then, yes, I will resign.”McCullum has presided over a woeful run for Kolkata – one win and one no result yielding three points in five games – and he believes it’s down to a poor performance in the first six overs with bat and ball. “We are failing to do any damage in the top six overs either way. We haven’t taken wickets at the start and we haven’t scored much runs at the top. We are always been behind the game. Hopefully I will start scoring and get that right.”McCullum said that his lack of runs as a batsman has been tough for him to handle as a captain. “It’s tough when you are delivering messages to the team. You don’t have individual performances to stack up behind those talks. But you have to put aside individual disappointments and concentrate on what the team needs to do. If I can get the runs, though, and help these individuals it would be nice.”Has the captaincy affected his batting? “Well … I haven’t gone past two overs! So I can’t say that. When I go into bat, I am not thinking about captaincy. For me batting is enjoyment and fun. I don’t play with that kind of responsibility when I go out.”There is a clear difference, he says, between being a player and being a captain. “It hurts more when you lose as a captain. Twenty times more! It’s just incredibly disappointing; it’s tough.”For all the difficulties associated with the captaincy, McCullum appreciates the mental challenge. “The best part of it is, you get an opportunity to use your ideas and strategies on the game. When you walk off the park you know you have had the opportunity or making a mark on the game, win or lose.”McCullum inherits the captaincy from Sourav Ganguly, the team’s icon player, and amid some controversy over the “multiple captaincy” theory. It could have been easier had he taken over from someone with less of an emotional hold on the team and the city – a Dravid, perhaps, or a Kallis. McCullum, however, denies any additional pressue on that account. “Sourav has been fantastic. I haven’t take notice of the controversy.. I am a very competitive guy, and I’m passionate about playing for this side. It’s an honour to lead a side with talents like this. I am not bothered about the captaincy controversy.”

Group A

Ireland confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a 117-run win over Oman at Krugersdorp. They suffered a slight wobble, losing four wickets for 46 runs before Andrew White (71*) and Kevin O’Brien (101*) put on 175 in 27 overs for the fifth wicket, pushing Ireland to a daunting 285 for 4. Oman, who yesterday crashed to 4 for 5, got off to a good start but from 98 for 0 they lost four wickets for five runs in 13 balls, and thereafter they were never in the hunt. Regan West, who enjoyed a fruitful warm-up campaign, did the bulk of the damage with 5 for 30, all his wickets being top six batsmen.Canada registered their second win on the trot beating Uganda by five wickets in Johannesburg. Geoff Barnett’s century helped Canada overhaul a target of 232 in the 47th over after Khurram Chauhan had starred with the ball, picking up 3 for 31. Uganda looked to be struggling with half the side gone for 91, but Kenneth Kamyuka’s near run-a-ball 85, with five fours and two sixes, pushed them to a competitive total. During the chase, Barnett steadied the Canadian innings after Kamyuka’s early strikes and was well supported in two fifty-plus partnerships by captain Ashish Bagai (33) and Sunil Dhaniram (39). He remained unbeaten on 102 off 123 balls, hitting nine boundaries and a six.Neil McCallum’s second consecutive hundred did not go in vain as Scotland eased to a 73-run win against Namibia in Pretoria. Having hit 121 in the previous match against Ireland, McCallum stroked 103 off 93 balls, including seven boundaries and five sixes to give Scotland their first win of the tournament. Put in by Namibia, Scotland lost three quick wickets before McCallum and Kyle Coetzer (68) added 105 for the fourth wicket to help post 267. The Namibian reply never really got going as wickets fell at regular intervals with Dewald Nel and Gordon Goudie being the wreckers-in-chief with three wickets apiece. Gerrie Snyman provided the lone resistance, hitting a 102-ball 95, comprising eight fours and three sixes, as Namibia were bowled out for 194 in the 45th over.McCallum, who was adjudged Man of the Match, said the win was pleasing after the disappointing outing against Ireland. “I am delighted with my own form but more importantly today we got the win we wanted. I think we bowled a lot better today. Against Ireland we bowled far too much on both sides of the wicket but today was much more disciplined and thankfully we were able to defend our total. Our team talk last night was really just a good old fashioned kick up the behind and I think it worked.”

Group B

Kenya bounced back from their first-day defeat by Netherlands with a rousing nine-wicket thrashing of UAE at Vanderbijlpark. UAE managed only 79, and that they made as many was only thanks to a last-wicket stand of 30. Lameck Onyango did the bulk of the damage as UAE lost nine wickets for 36, finishing with career-best figures of 6 for 14. Kenya cruised to victory in 12.2 overs, Maurice Ouma thumping ten fours in a 38-ball fifty.It was a tale of two openers as Netherlands beat Denmark by seven wickets at Potchefstroom. Denmark’s Michael Pedersen made 121 as Denmark scored 245 for 9, but he was overshadowed by the same score by Alexei Kervezee as Netherlands eased to their second win with seven overs to spare. Ryan ten Doeschate, the hero of yesterday’s victory, was brought back down to earth with a second-ball duck.Afghanistan’s fairytale rumbles on as they beat Bermuda by 60 runs. Click here to read Will Luke’s match report.

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Gary Stead, the New Zealand women’s coach, has dismissed the idea that the women’s game should go professional following England’s victorious campaign at the World Cup in Australia earlier this month.Stead said it was a misconception that England’s women had full-time contracts in place and that had contributed to their success. “What they have done is put scholarships in place. People have got it wrong, where they think England are contracted players and full-time professionals, which certainly isn’t the case,” Stead was quoted as saying in the Christchurch-based . “They have opportunities where they can work within cricket and which allow more time for them to go and train as well.”Many of England’s squad have Chance to Shine contracts where they get paid to coach 25 hours a week for a period of eight months. If they have other jobs, they can cut down on the coaching time, which means they get paid less.Stead suggested that more could be done to cover costs from loss of earnings when players were on tour. “Australia have small contracts, but they are based along similar lines and also based around going to their academy for periods of time. Whilst we don’t have an academy here, the players get some financial remuneration in terms of their loss of earnings and stuff like that. Obviously, we’d like to make that as good as we can to keep people in the game for longer.”Clare Connor, ECB’s head of women’s cricket, was also not aiming to establish full-time contracts in the immediate future.The next big tournament for women is the Twenty20 World Cup in June in England. New Zealand, who were runners-up in the 50-over World Cup, will announce a 30-member preliminary squad on April 5 and conduct a camp in Lincoln between April 26 and 28. The team will then head to Australia for warm-up matches before leaving for England. “It’s as comprehensive a buildup as we can get, remembering that the girls have to work as well,” Stead said.

Bravo, Dwayne
West Indies really do miss Dwayne Bravo, not only for his batting and bowling but also his electric fielding. He is currently recovering from ankle surgery and his progress has been good enough that he has been able to help out as a substitute in this Test. What a difference he makes. Early on the second morning he swooped in from midwicket to run out Owais Shah with a direct hit from midwicket. West Indies have dropped catches and missed run outs all through this series. Bravo’s full return is eagerly awaited.Picking the gaps
England were threatening to lose their grip on the match after the loss of two early wickets and with the extra bowler in the team the tail was longer than usual. However, Matt Prior settled any nerves with a fine counter-attacking display and proved expert and just missed the fielders. Twice he edged balls through the vacant third slip away, but while those benefited from an element of luck his well-placed late and square cuts were out of the top draw.Tiffin gets tonked
Umpires sometimes need eyes in the back of their heads – or at least in the side of them. Russell Tiffin was minding his own business between deliveries when he got a nasty shock as Chris Gayle tried to toss the ball back to his bowler and only succeeded in finding Tiffin’s head. There were giggles all around but Tiffin remained fairly emotionless through it all. Gayle may have been advised to check Tiffin was okay as he could hold the fate of Gayle’s innings. As it was, when Graeme Swann had a huge appeal for lbw Tiffin correctly turned it down. So there were clearly no hard feelings.Shiv’s slip
Shivnarine Chanderpaul looked as though he needed a walking frame as he limped around with his dodgy groin. Gayle tried to hide him in the field, but that only added to the problems because when he found himself at slip one of the few chances to be offered – an edge off Prior – was shelled. Chanderpaul isn’t a regular slip fielder and it showed as he moved late and slowly to the catch.Splitting the men
There were rarely many close catchers to bother England throughout the day, but out of the blue Gayle then decided to bring in two very short midwickets against Paul Collingwood, who had spent most of his innings nudging into that area off the spinners. But as soon as the men had been positioned Collingwood decided to make them feel a little too close as he swatted a delivery right between the middle of them and away for a boundary.Rock the baby
Prior’s celebration on reaching his hundred was about as predictable as they come. When he picked up the two through the off side that registered his second Test ton he saluted the dressing room then rocked the bat in his arms, a single of his new-born son who he flew home to see last week and missed the Barbados Test. He has shown no ill-effects of his round trip to Sussex, using his promotion to No. 6 to show that he is more than capable of holding down that position. Between nappy changes, of course.Monty’s back?
In the dying moments of the day England were given a late boost when Monty Panesar struck in his first over back in the side. Before play he spoke of the “foundations” and “learning” but it was just good to see that leaping celebration back in action as he beat Devon Smith’s outside edge and bowled him. England will need a few more celebrations from him if they are to level the series.

Group A

Mohammad Aamer picked up four more wickets to take his match tally to seven as Lahore Shalimar collapsed to 33 for 5, needing at least another 210 runs to make the National Bank of Pakistan bat again in Lahore. National Bank’s top order had given their bowlers a comfortable 243-run first-innings lead to work with. Umar Amin and Anwar Hafeez scored half-centuries before captain Qaiser Abbas hit an unbeaten 104 off 110 balls and added 129 with Imran Javed. Qaiser declared at 377 for 4, giving his opening bowlers 11 overs to have a go at Karachi. Aamer began a terrific spell and reduced Karachi to 12 for 3 in no time. By stumps his figures were an incredible 5-0-13-4. Wahab Riaz picked up the fifth wicket of Muzzamil Ikram for 5.Khurram Shehzad’s century helped Sui Nothern Gas Pipeline extend their first-innings lead to 267 before they declared 388 for 8 against the Karachi Whites in Karachi. SNGPL resumed on their overnight 134 for 2 and quickly lost both Mohammad Hafeez (60) and Azhar Shafiq (8), both of whom fell without adding to their day-one scores. Shehzad, who hit 17 fours and four sixes in his 124, added 91 with Usman Salahuddin. Medium-pacer Afsar Nawaz broke the partnership when he dismissed Salahuddin for 29 and then picked up Adnan Akaml for 2. But Shehzad found an able companion in No. 8 Ali Raza (59), with whom he added 99 to take SNGPL past 350. Their stand was broken by Khalid Mahmood, who dismissed both batsmen before the innings was declared. In reply, Karachi lost a wicket in reaching 22 in the 7.3 overs before stumps.Only 55 overs of play were possible in Sheikhupura where Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited pushed for a first-innings lead with Inam-ul-Haq’s unbeaten 88. At stumps ZTBL needed another 87 runs to pass Pakistan Customs‘ 280. After Umar Javed retired hurt for 19, Junaid Nazir (33) batted with Inam but the significant stand of the day was the unbeaten 94-run one between Inam and Aamer Bashir (41*).No play was possible for a second consecutive day between Habib Bank and Khan Research Laboratories in Rawalpindi.Water and Power Development Authority could not add to their day one total of 259 for 6 as bad weather ruled out the entire second day of their match against Sui Southern Gas Corporation in Muridke.

Group B

Sialkot made the most of the 33 overs available on day two at the Arbab Niaz Stadium, with unbeaten half-centuries from Haris Sohail and Mohammad Ayub taking them to 147 for 4 against Peshawar in a match most likely headed for a draw after bad weather ruled out play on day one. Sailkot began poorly, losing their first four wickets for 31 runs. Nauman Habib and Waqar Ahmed picked up two wickets each before Sohail and Ayub came to the rescue.Lahore Ravi will have to wait another day to pick up the last three wickets in Multan‘s first-innings after no play was possible on day two in Lahore. A second successive day’s play was ruled out between Rawalpindi and Quetta in Islamabad, between Islamabad and Karachi Blues at the city’s Diamond Club Ground and between Faisalabad and Abbottabad in Sargodha.

Singapore-based Nimbus Sport International has won the rights to broadcast the five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match between Sri Lanka and India starting next week in Dambulla.Sri Lanka Cricket’s invitation for bids for the series closed on January 19 and the floor price expected for this hurriedly arranged series was US$10 million. But it is learnt that Nimbus is paying them a much smaller figure than the one anticipated. Sri Lanka’s reported the television company paid the board US$6 million for the series. Nimbus Sport will exclusively market all commercial rights for the series.After finalising the deal between Nimbus and SLC, Duleep Mendis, the board’s chief executive, said they were impressed with the qualitative and commercial offering that Nimbus Sport brought to the table. “Nimbus Sport shares our passion for the growth of the game of cricket and, having worked closely with all Asian cricket boards, we are confident about partnering with them.”Nimbus Sports executive vice-president Yannick Colaco hoped the partnership with the Sri Lankan board marked the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. “As a sports marketing and production company, it has always been our aim to provide quality sports and cricketing action to the subcontinent and to the cricket fan worldwide.”Sri Lanka and India will play five ODIs between January 28 and February 8, followed by a Twenty20 international on February 10.

South Africa 281 & 3 for 227 (Smith 108, Amla 53) trail Australia 375 & 319 (Haddin 94) by 186 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Graeme Smith knew there would be pain in his elbow throughout his 108, but he will have to wait to learn whether the courageous display was enough to avoid the hurt of another defeat to Australia. Smith’s hundred gave South Africa, who started their innings with the target of 414 as close as their country is to Perth, a chance to dream of the second-biggest successful chase in history.Mitchell Johnson’s tenth wicket of the match and a quick follow-up by Brett Lee, who removed the impressive Hashim Amla for 53, eased the growing stress of the Australians late in the day as the visitors finished at 3 for 227. With at least 91 overs remaining, the number on the horizon is a significantly more manageable 187 for South Africa, but the main problem is key wickets have already fallen.If South Africa make it, it will be because of the example of Smith, a captain who is desperate to beat Australia and talented enough to achieve it. He was the chief provider on a surface that shows no signs of deteriorating, a factor which provides another boost for the tourists.The throbbing in Smith’s elbow gradually transferred into pain in Australia’s side as he refused to be broken by rain breaks, the size of the task, regular bowling chances or Jason Krejza’s exaggerated appeals with balls pitching outside leg. During the interruptions Smith received massages and while they were not for relaxation, he operated calmly throughout the afternoon. He knew the contest could be lost quickly, but that it would have to be won over a 10-hour wrestle.There was incredibly useful support from Amla, a player who seems to lift the mood of his captain. Nineteen runs came in the 14.3 overs Smith shared with Neil McKenzie, who edged Johnson on 10, but as soon as Amla stepped into his back-foot pushes the rate lifted. The result was a 153-run stand that rattled the Australians until both batsmen departed in three overs.Smith allowed only a few moments of extravagance before tea, including a straight drive and a pull off Peter Siddle for boundaries, but he extended his range after the break and blew to his century in 138 balls. This was Smith’s 18th hundred – his first against Australia – and when he reached it with consecutive cuts for four off Johnson he looked to the sky.On 7 Smith earned 6000 Test runs in his 73rd match and was averaging a neat 50.00. South Africa would have liked him to quadruple his mean in this match to make the result safe, but Johnson slipped through with a slower ball for a well-earned lbw. The decision gave Johnson his first ten-wicket haul and a tense conclusion to the day ensued when Amla departed.Three years ago South Africa batted more than a day to save the game. This time a win or a loss are the likely results and will depend on how Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers (11) re-start on the fifth morning.Kallis charged 22 runs in two overs late in the day to walk off with 33 after surviving a severe examination from Johnson and Lee. Johnson, who took 2 for 56, will have a big say on Sunday after another fierce evening spell while Australia will hope for more impact from Krejza’s offspin.The day had not gone well for South Africa before they batted, with it taking them a session to prise the three remaining Australian wickets. Haddin orchestrated a fine lower-order performance and narrowly missed a century with a clever and brutal 94.Australia started the day on top but by lunch they were in a commanding position, adding 91 before being dismissed for 319. Haddin blasted their advantage past 400 with a six to long-on from Paul Harris and next ball repeated the result with a smooth strike over long-off. He immediately followed it with a four straight down the ground, but later in the over was stumped aiming for his hundred.The strong showing of the Australian tail also included Krejza picking up 32, Johnson 21 and Siddle hanging around for 4. Krejza, who was another victim of de Villiers’ outstanding catching, left following a 79-run partnership that turned the game by forcing South Africa’s chase into record-breaking territory. Smith gave them hope, but at least one of his team-mates will have to match his substance.

“Terrible” was how Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, summed up his team’s batting effort in the third ODI at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. Put in by New Zealand, West Indies were dismissed for 128, a score the home side comfortably chased down to level the five-match series 1-1.”I’m very disappointed with the batters,” Gayle said. “We had the opportunity to go out there and put some runs on the board but instead we played terrible cricket.”The batting conditions weren’t difficult. There were no demons in the wicket,” he said. “It was a good batting wicket. Early on it was a bit two-paced and there was a bit of uneven bounce but when you get in on a wicket like that then you’ll get runs. We didn’t capitalise on that.”The tourists struggled against Daniel Vettori, who took 4 for 20, and Gayle said the batsmen should be familiar with him by now. “Most of the guys here have been in the Test series and have seen Vettori over and over,” he said. “I’m sure they can make some adjustment.”He has been playing for years. We’ve seen him in the Test matches and in the last couple of one-dayers so there’s no excuse for batters saying Vettori is giving them problems. It’s time to come up with some formula and game-plan.”Vettori was pleased with his side’s performance, but was a bit surprised Gayle did not acknowledge that the pitch did have assistance for the bowlers. “It’s big of him to say that it wasn’t the wicket, and it probably wasn’t,” Vettori said. “But I still think that there was enough in there to help the bowlers and that was the reason why we won the game.”Starting from Kyle Mills, who I thought was outstanding again and has been great throughout the series, the way he bowled probably set the game up.”Every part of the fielding was done exceptionally well,” he said. “There was a little bit of a scare with those wickets being lost early [in our innings] but Ross Taylor played one of the best innings I’ve seen him play for New Zealand.” Taylor made an unbeaten 51 off 50 balls, and his unbroken stand of 89 with Daniel Flynn sealed a seven-wicket win. “He played all around the park and looked calm and collected and saw us through to the end.”

India women’s batsman Mithali Raj is keen on getting tips from Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and believes the suggestions may prove valuable as the team gears up for the Women’s World Cup in Australia next year.”The level at which they play, their opinion would be significant for us,” Raj told . “If I get a chance I would love to take some tips from Sachin about my batting”.”I want to take some tips from Dhoni on leading the side in big tournaments. Advice of all the senior players of the men’s cricket team would be helpful for us because they belong to a different league altogether.”With no international matches scheduled ahead of the World Cup in March, the Indian women’s team will rely on domestic games and training camps in the next three months to get them match-fit for the tournament. India will play Pakistan in the opening match on March 7.India lost 0-5 away to Australia in October and November, a result which followed a 0-4 mauling in a five-match contest in England in August-September. Raj was the highest run-scorer for India in both the series and finished top of the overall run charts in England. But she lost the captaincy to Jhulan Goswami for the Australia series following the disappointment in England.Raj underlined the positives of the one-day series in Australia and believed the tour had given India a chance to get familiar with conditions. “Some of the World Cup matches will be played at one of those venues, so that will help,” she said.She said the onus would be on the top order to put pressure on the opponents, something she had pointed out after the tour of England. “The batting order has to fire if we have to perform well. The openers would have to give a good start so that the middle order do not get under pressure. It would be too much to ask the lower order to bail out the team from crisis situation.”She also said the bowling remained a key area of concern, which hardly looked penetrative in the two previous series. “As far as bowling is concerned, Goswami needs a good strike partner at the other end,” she said. “We failed in getting early wickets and that was the reason behind our recent defeat. We will be doing something about it keeping the World Cup in mind.”Raj, who also has a double-hundred to her credit in Test cricket, rued the lack of opportunity to play the longer version. “We play too many ODIs, sometimes we even forget when we last played a Test,” she said. “This is because perhaps there are no spectators for women’s cricket”.