Only the start of the short stuff

	Tillakaratne Dilshan hit his way to 33 but took 40 balls and then found third man © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Report : All-round Jordan brings a smile back to England News : Mathews wary of England, conditions Features : SL future glows brighter in victory Players/Officials: Lahiru Thirimanne | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Dinesh Chandimal | Kusal Perera Matches: England v Sri Lanka at The Oval Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland Teams: England | Sri Lanka

 Sri Lanka's bowlers had propelled their World T20 campaign, often bailing out lacklustre batting displays, but when the bowlers had a bad evening in London, the batsmen could not reciprocate

When Graham Ford departed from his role with Sri Lanka, and Paul Farbrace arrived in late January, both coaches issued identical appraisals of the team's chances in the two upcoming global tournaments.

"They have a terrific opportunity to win the World T20 in Bangladesh," Ford said, "there's no doubt about that." But both men were a little less hopeful about the World Cup. "We're not quite there yet," Farbrace had said. "There are some key things to develop, and the England series should give us a fair indication where we are at as a side."

As Sri Lanka faltered for the first time in 11 ODIs, at The Oval, many of their shortcomings on quicker, bouncier conditions were made plain. Sri Lanka's bowlers had propelled their World T20 campaign, often bailing out lacklustre batting displays, but when the bowlers had a bad evening in London, the batsmen could not reciprocate.

Lahiru Thirimanne got late-swinging delivery early in his innings, but several other batsmen failed to account for the bounce and movement typical in England, and surely forthcoming in Australia and New Zealand as well.

Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to put away short balls at his body, early in the innings, piling pressure on himself to explode, as the run rate climbed. He is often a consummate player of the pull - a stroke he executes with typical homespun swagger - but has recently struggled with it on faster surfaces. In the end, it would be a slash through the offside that undid him, as he underestimated the bounce Chris Jordan's hit-the-deck pace would achieve.

Before Dilshan departed, a leaden-footed Kumar Sangakkara had played Harry Gurney on, when the bowler nipped one back. It is unlike Sangakkara to have footwork out of order, but Sri Lanka could do themselves much good if they arrive at the Tests on the back of a big ODI series win. If the visitors are to keep England's spirits low, even uncharacteristic mistakes may have to be omitted by the senior players, who have considerable experience in similar conditions.

Dinesh Chandimal was targeted with the short ball in the T20 match as well, and here departed to it, heaving forcefully at Jordan, to offer thin top-edge to the keeper. The previous ball had been a bouncer, which Chandimal had hooked at and missed - further suggestion that England will persist with this plan to him.

He has flourished in England before, but this uncertainty against the short ball was unearthed by Pakistan in the Test series in January, when Junaid Khan had him caught at fine leg in successive innings. Interestingly, Farbrace, then about to take Sri Lanka's reins, had been in the stands on the second occasion. However England came by their mode of attack, it is out in the open now. Chandimal was already under significant scrutiny when he arrived in this series, and will now be watched even closer, while Ashan Priyanjan awaits his turn in the middle order.

The requirement was too steep even for Angelo Mathews, who lately has grown as a finisher. Perhaps more intent at the top of the innings would have eased the middle-order's burden, and to that end, Kusal Perera may be reconsidered for the coming matches. Kusal has been notoriously inconsistent, but few young Sri Lanka batsmen sustain excellence in the first years of their careers. What is more, when he delivers a good knocks, he leaves the side well in control of the innings.

If he is to come in at opener, he will displace Thirimanne, but perhaps that creates an opportunity of its own. Sri Lanka's batting concentrates its experience in the top four, but if Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were to move down to Nos. 4 and 5 respectively, Thirimanne could remain in the top three where he prefers, and the unit becomes more balanced overall. Jayawardene has long been the most versatile ODI batsman Sri Lanka have, and a lower position may free him to play the finishing innings he has often provided. Sangakkara, meanwhile, has now acquired the aptitude for sustained aggression that might make him a good No.4.

The bowlers' quality and track record suggests they will recover quickly from a poor outing. But if Sri Lanka's tour, and their World Cup preparations, are to go to plan, the batsmen would do well to give their team-mates more cover than they did on Thursday.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando

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England ready to repay fans - Morgan

The last time England were at The Oval it concluded with some of the players urinating on the pitch during their late-night celebrations of the Ashes series victory. Even if it was a 'lads' moment in the afterglow of success, and they were perhaps unlucky to be caught in the act, that is not the point: it was crass and disrespectful.

In hindsight, the malaise which was to destroy their winter had already started to set in during last summer, both in terms of how England played their cricket and perceived themselves. The success which led to that late-night leak on the 22 yards now feels a lifetime ago, after six months around the world where England were battered, beaten and broken.

They are now back in south London to begin their new home season. The team did what they had to do in Scotland - show willing and avoid defeat - and now the summer begins in earnest with a T20 against world champions Sri Lanka before five one-day internationals and two Tests ahead of the visit of India.

The players will walk out in front of a packed 24,500 at The Oval. Surrey have reported a weekend rush for the final batch of tickets, perhaps a combination of the warm weather (which, as if on cue, is not set to last) and the start of the T20 Blast to whet the appetite for the format. However, London venues rarely struggle to fill up to the rafters for England matches so the ECB - and this case its public face, the team - would be foolish to rest on their laurels and believe the punters will continue to turn up regardless.

Eoin Morgan, leading England for the T20 in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad, was aware how lucky the team was to have loyal support but acknowledged that they needed to be given something in return.

"We have always had great support, even when we travel around the world and the arenas are not full, and every time we come home it has always been to a packed stadium," he said. "That's great, it shows how much we cherish the game

"Having heard it will be a sell-out, there's always great support here from the English fans and it's great to see it's no different this summer. To repay a little bit of what happened in the winter, a win would go a long way tomorrow and start off our season properly."

In the bigger picture there is little riding on the game, especially as England have declined the opportunity to throw caution to the wind and play a young side with an eye on the next World T20, staged in India, during 2016. Recalling Michael Carberry, however deserving, is not a revolution.

Still, it is a match against the team who recently walked away with the world title during which England were the only team they were beaten by, courtesy of Alex Hales' unbeaten 116 - although Sri Lanka do not appeared overly perturbed by that reversal given how the tournament panned out for them. "We had a tough match against them, but it is in the past now," Lasith Malinga said. "It feels good to be world champions."

The opposition will have a notably different look this time, Sri Lanka having lost the retired Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara while Rangana Herath is rested, but victory would still be a good marker to lay down.

"There's huge confidence to take from the game we played in the group stages of the World Cup," Morgan said. "They're a notable T20 team; they have great variations. We've seen and played against the majority of their side and to turn them over in the World Cup was a great effort. If we can put in a similar performance tomorrow that will go a long way."

With that aim in mind, England have been trying to gain an extra advantage by tapping up the inside knowledge of Paul Farbrace who, until a few weeks, was Sri Lanka's coach. While the visitors have continued to toe the line that his move to the opposition makes little difference -Malinga said it was just down to the players to perform in the middle - England have certainly been making use of the information available.

"He has been key in our preparation," Morgan said. "He knows their guys inside out, as he should do, and his knowledge and applying our skills in countering things they do has been really good. He has gone through the majority of their players and probably given us a bit more background than we would be able to access, which is brilliant."

However, even if Farbrace's dossier on the Sri Lankans helps England secure a victory, the only reason one of the players will be caught short this time will be going for a quick single.

Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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World champion test for England

Match facts

Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Start time 6pm local (1700 GMT)

Big Picture

England's season began amid showers and sunshine in Aberdeen but the first serious test of their summer comes at The Oval. Having reversed the usual schedule for sides touring in May and June, they will begin engagements against Sri Lanka with a one-off T20 international, ahead of ODI and Test series, as the Peter Moores regime opens for a second run in front of a home audience.

For quite different, though not entirely unrelated, reasons these are two teams in flux. When England beat Sri Lanka in Chittagong almost two months ago, they inflicted what was to be the only defeat of Paul Farbrace's brief time in charge. England trailed out of Bangladesh a week later having been humbled by the Dutch, while Sri Lanka went on to win the World T20; Ashley Giles subsequently lost his job as limited-overs coach and Farbrace was headhunted to be Moores' assistant in the new set-up.

Sri Lanka may have been entitled to a sense of dudgeon over Farbrace's defection to the opposition but, on the surface at least, relations remain cordial. Marvan Atapattu has stepped up as interim head coach and his immediate issue is how to fill a couple of rather large holes in the T20 batting order, following the triumphant retirements of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakarra. He will officially be working with a new captain, too, after Lasith Malinga was promoted from the locum role he fulfilled when Dinesh Chandimal decided to drop himself at the World T20.

The identity of England's leader has also changed, although in this case due to Stuart Broad rehabilitating a long-term knee injury. Eoin Morgan takes charge of a squad that has been tweaked rather than overhauled - despite returns for Michael Carberry and Ian Bell, England's T20 thinking remains much the same - but fresh impressions can still be made on the new coaching staff. Although that does not mean a reprieve for Jade Dernbach.

While Sri Lanka, who gave Sussex an almighty thrashing in their final warm-up game, are ranked the world's No. 2 T20 side, England have slumped to a lowly eighth. Moores got off to a winning start against Scotland ten days ago but, even without the additional motivation, Sri Lanka will not arrive in south London bearing gifts.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

England LLWLW
Sri Lanka WWWLW

	The way forward? England face their first real test of Peter Moores' second coming © PA Photos Enlarge

In the spotlight

With most of the playing personnel familiar, the focus instead will be on the coaching set-up and, perhaps, England's new team ethic. Moores, Alastair Cook and now Morgan have talked of reconnecting with the fans, while there has seemingly been an increased openness with the media. Public displays of togetherness can be no bad thing but some might argue that creating a culture of winning is an even higher priority after England's grim winter.

He may not be remembered as the captain that led Sri Lanka to World T20 glory but Dinesh Chandimal arguably did something even more remarkable in leaving himself out for the good of the team. With Sangakkara's departure, Chandimal takes up an equally weighty mantle as wicketkeeper-batsman. His promise is undoubted and a settled role could help him bring his T20 international average of 13.30 closer to his 28.96 overall.

Team news

Michael Lumb and Dernbach were the main casualties of England's World T20 failure, with Carberry in line for an international debut in the shortest format and Harry Gurney bringing a left-arm dimension to England's attack. Bell could come into the shake-up for a top-three spot but Moeen Ali and Joe Root both offer bowling options. Morgan has batted more often at No. 4 in recent times but has a better record at five.

England (probable): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Michael Carberry, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry Gurney

Sri Lanka rested Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara in Hove but all three should come back into the side, which will be missing at least three players from their World T20 final win six weeks ago - alongside the retirements of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, Rangana Herath is being saved for the Test series. Kithuruwan Vithanage clattered 52 off 24 balls against Sussex, which may have edged him ahead of Ashan Priyanajan for a T20 debut.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kithuruwan Vithanage, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith Malinga

Pitch and conditions

The T20 international between England and New Zealand at The Oval last year served up nearly 400 runs and another surface conducive to batting is likely. However, the prospect of showers interrupting the evening may temper expectations of a repeat.

Stats and trivia

• England's victory World T20 over Sri Lanka was their highest successful chase and saw Alex Hales score the first T20 hundred by an Englishman
• Sri Lanka have won both of their previous T20s against England in England
• Tillakaratne Dilshan can take advantage of Jayawardene's retirement to overtake him in the leading run-scorers list - he needs 42 to move into second behind Brendon McCullum

Quotes

"There's a huge opportunity tomorrow for individuals right down, batting and bowling, as well as collectively as a unit."
Eoin Morgan expresses the sense of possibility that currently pervades around England

"We had a tough match against England in the World Cup. But the past is past."
Lasith Malinga was not captain for the defeat in Chittagong but he has not forgotten a painful night

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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Hathurusingha named Bangladesh coach

	Chandika Hathurusingha has left New South Wales for his first stint as head coach at international level © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : BCB in talks with Chandika Hathurusingha News : Jurgensen resigns as Bangladesh coach Features : New coach and board must adjust and adapt Players/Officials: Chandika Hathurusingha | Mario Villavarayan Teams: Bangladesh | Sri Lanka

The BCB has appointed Chandika Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lanka batsman, as Bangladesh's head coach for a two-year period. He has left his position as the assistant coach of New South Wales and coach of Sydney Thunder, and is expected to arrive in Dhaka on June 10. This will be his first stint as head coach of an international side.

"The two-year agreement has been finalised with Chandika Hathurusingha," BCB president Nazmul Hassan told reporters. "Although the agreement begins on July 1 this year, since we are playing against India next month, we are hoping he will arrive by June 10.

"We had a few alternatives apart from Chandika Hathurusingha. The first reason to choose him is his knowledge of subcontinental conditions. Plus he has worked in Australia and with the World Cup coming up, this is a good combination for us. Hathurusingha is among high-profile coaches from around the world, as far as I am concerned."

He has had experience at the helm of both New South Wales, in the latter half of the 2012-13 season, and Sydney Thunder. New South Wales won the Sheffield Shield in March, their first domestic title since 2008. His tactical acumen was highly acclaimed during his tenure as shadow coach with the Sri Lankan team but a disciplinary issue had terminated his association with the side in 2010.

Hathurusingha replaces Shane Jurgensen who resigned as Bangladesh coach in April after completing 14 months of his two-year stint. A five-member special committee was put in charge to find new coaches to replace Jurgensen, trainer David Dwyer, batting and fielding coach Corey Richards and Richard McInnes, the head coach of the National Cricket Academy.

Dwyer has been replaced by Mario Villavarayan as the new strength and conditioning coach, although BCB is still in discussion with candidates for the role of fast bowling coach.

During the press conference, Hassan was asked about Chaminda Vaas as the potential bowling coach while ESPNcricinfo has learned that Champaka Ramanayake is also being approached by the BCB. Ramanayake used to be Bangladesh's bowling coach between 2008 and 2011. It was also understood that another former fast bowler is being approached for a short-term role.

"We have appointed Mario Villavarayan as the strength and conditioning coach, also for two years. He will join us by the fifth or sixth of June. We are also looking for specialist coaches, especially fast bowling, spin and fielding.

"We are trying to [appoint someone soon], but I don't think we will get everyone before the India series. We are communicating with them, because not all of them are full-time coaches, so we are trying to work out a time slot. We haven't gone too far in this regard, so we don't want to talk much about it," said Hassan.

Regarding Vaas, he said, "His [Vaas'] name is also there in the list for fast bowling coach. But we are talking elsewhere too."

Hathurusingha had expressed interest towards a role with Sri Lanka, who are also looking for a new head coach after Paul Farbrace agreed to become England's assistant coach.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

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Crunch game for Royal Challengers, Sunrisers

Match facts

Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)

	Will captaincy help Darren Sammy emerge from one of the toughest periods of his career? © BCCI Enlarge

Big picture

With another 10-odd games left in the league stages of the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders have their noses ahead by a proverbial inch but Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad are also in with a chance of finishing in the top four, although the latter will need a little help from the other teams.

With five wins from 11 games, Royal Challengers need to win all their remaining matches and hope that Sunrisers can beat Knight Riders in their next match to smoothen the route to the playoffs. For Sunrisers, a loss to Royal Challengers will draw the curtains on their chances of a playoff spot. If Sunrisers win, they need to keep that form going for the rest of their games and hope for other teams to fail in order to boost their chances.

The teams come to this contest on the back of contrasting form. Revived by Yuvraj Singh's form and AB de Villiers' knack for match-turning innings, Royal Challengers have turned a floundering campaign around with wins over Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. The form of Sunrisers, on the other hand, seems to have tapered off with three successive losses. Unlike last season, where they had the art of defending small totals down pat, and had a strong home record, they have been pegged back this season by an indifferent bowling attack and a misfiring top order and, much like Delhi Daredevils, have failed to utilise the home advantage.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad: LLLWW (completed games only, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bangalore: WWLLL

Where they stand

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Sixth with four wins from 11 games
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Fifth with five wins from 11 games

Previous encounter

An astounding onslaught from AB de Villiers downed Sunrisers Hyderabad the last time the two teams met in Bangalore. A fifty from David Warner had guided Sunrisers to 161 and Bangalore were floundering at 95 for 5 in the 15th over before de Villiers' 89 off 41 took them home in the last over. De Villiers struck six sixes and took 24 runs off Dale Steyn in the penultimate over.

Watch out for

After an unbeaten fifty at the start of the tournament, Parthiv Patel's form has taken a dip. As the one steady opening batsman, Parthiv's busy style was expected to work as a foil for the more flamboyant Chris Gayle. The pair, however, have an average of 22 and just one fifty-plus stand. While Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers look to be carrying the team through, a strong opening partnership would help lift the team through the next few games.

Tuesday's game will also be a clash of captains, and the challenge before Darren Sammy is altogether tougher. He has been appointed captain for the rest of the season with the team barely hanging on to their chances of qualification. He is captain of a side he hasn't played for regularly this season, his own form has been a worry and outside of the IPL his cricketing career is going through an upheaval. Yet a captaincy change can sometimes also inspire a side, as was the case with Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers themselves, last year.

Stats and trivia

• Royal Challengers have won two of their three matches against Sunrisers so far. The only loss came in a Super Over in IPL 2013
• Royal Challengers have hit 76 sixes in IPL 2014, of which 48 have come off the bats of Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers.
• Shikhar Dhawan and Aaron Finch are the best batting pair [in terms of runs scored] for Sunrisers this season. Together, they have scored 285 runs at an average of 25.9
• Amit Mishra has conceded 21 sixes in this IPL and is joint leader on the list of bowlers to concede most sixes in one season of the IPL. The other bowler at the top is Piyush Chawla, who had given away 21 sixes in the first season

Quotes

"With guys like Yuvraj it's just about reminding them what they are capable of. And that doesn't have to happen in the nets. That can be over a coffee or taking a walk."
Trent Woodhill, the Royal Challengers batting coach, on how players like Yuvraj Singh find their way back to form

"If we do consider playing him, it would mean we would be playing with three specialist spinners, and we have to have the right conditions to consider that combination."
Tom Moody, the Sunrisers coach, on the team's plans around Parvez Rasool

Rachna Shetty is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Vohra, Akshar deliver for Kings XI

 Kings XI Punjab 165 for 6 (Akshar 42*, Vohra 42, Tahir 3-22) beat Delhi Daredevils 164 for 7 (Karthik 69, Pietersen 49) by four wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Kings XI Punjab became the first team to confirm their seat in the playoffs, with a four-wicket win over bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils, but what should have been a comfortable chase turned into a scramble for the finish line. Against the best chasing team in the competition, Daredevils had to produce their best batting effort but they frittered a strong platform in the last four overs to post 164. Kings XI also suffered a few hiccups after a typically blistering start, and despite

experimenting with their batting order, got home in the final over with two balls to spare.

An impetuous shot by Kings XI captain George Bailey - caught in the deep in the penultimate over - gave Daredevils a sniff and it came down to nine needed off in the 20th. Akshar Patel, the unlikely hero with the bat for Kings XI, was well set on 41 off 34 balls when Rishi Dhawan joined him. The pair ensured there were no dot balls in the final over from Wayne Parnell to pile on the pressure, and with four needed off three Dhawan pulled to the deep midwicket boundary to seal the win.

The Kings XI's openers Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra blazed 67 off 6.2 overs, with Vohra the more dominant partner. Vohra's sixes down the ground stood out, particularly the back-foot punch off Mohammad Shami that sailed over deep cover. But in trying to attack Imran Tahir, he found M Vijay at long-off and went for 42 off 19 balls.

It was one of those rare days on which both Glenn Maxwell and David Miller failed. They also fell trying to attack the spinners - Maxwell off Tahir and Miller off JP Duminy. Kings XI were 95 for 4 off in overs but they had a contingency in the event of a Miller-Maxwell no-show. Bailey promoted Akshar over himself and it paid off.

Akshar ensured he never got bogged down, looking for singles and keeping the required rate within manageable levels. Having moved to 18 off 19 balls, he had a productive over against Parnell, fetching three boundaries though he was lucky when an inswinging yorker deflected off his pad to third man. It was a close lbw shout but eventually given as runs. A six off Jaydev Unadkat brought the equation to 11 off 12 and the capacity crowd at the Kotla had to see the home team slump to a seventh straight defeat.

After being put in, Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Karthik were commanding during their stand of 71 for the second wicket. Karthik was not afraid to play audacious shots off the seamers, such as his sweep off Sandeep Sharma that went flat over deep square leg. Pietersen took 18 off an over from Hendricks, and by the end of ten overs Daredevils were 84 for 1.

Just when his first fifty of the season was there for the taking, Pietersen fell to his old nemesis - the left-arm spinner. Batting on 49, he played down the wrong line to one that ripped off the pitch from Akshar and beat the bat. Karthik meanwhile was dominant against the spinners, lofting exquisitely down the ground.

Daredevils took 30 off overs 15 and 16 but it started going downhill with a spurt of wickets. Their best finishers, Duminy and Kedar Jadhav failed and the responsibility fell on Karthik for late acceleration. When Karthik departed for 69 - caught at deep square leg - his was the fourth wicket to go down in the space of nine balls. Daredevils managed only 20 off the last three overs and it cost them.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Sri Lankans start to hit their stride

Sri Lankans 301 for 7 (Mathews 51, Thirimanne 49, Chandimal 47*, Joseph 4-58) beat Kent 173 (Blake 60, Lakmal 3-16, Perera 3-33, Mendis 3-55) by 128 runs
Scorecard

	Angelo Mathews was the one Sri Lankan batsman to pass fifty but plenty had useful innings © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Angelo Mathews | Dinesh Chandimal | Alex Blake Matches: Kent v Sri Lankans at Canterbury Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland Teams: England | Kent | Sri Lanka

Angelo Mathews hit fifty and Dinesh Chandimal an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls to set up a hefty thumping of Kent in Sri Lanka's second tour match in England. Having put out a strong side - only Lasith Malinga was rested - Sri Lanka gave a truer measure of themselves than in defeat to Essex on Tuesday, sweeping up a mixture of Kent first-teamers and irregulars for 173 on a cool, clear evening.

Suranga Lakmal immediately applied a tourniquet at the top of the innings, his opening spell of 4-1-10-2 providing both control and penetration. Alex Blake played neatly for his 60, which included reverse-sweeping Ajantha Mendis for four, but Thisara Perera plucked out key wickets during the middle overs and a long tail succumbed quickly. Without the likes of Rob Key, Darren Stevens and Brendan Nash, a Kent target in excess of 300 proved steeper than the Dover cliffs.

A partnership of 84 between Lahiru Thirimanne and Mathews provided the ballast for Sri Lanka, after a sprightly but evanescent performance from the top order. Thirimanne's high front elbow was a feature of his strokeplay, his first and only boundary coming off his 63rd delivery, while Mathews showed greater muscularity in an innings replete with bottom-handed clubs to the rope.

Mathews struck the first sixes of the contest before spooning a full toss to mid-off but Chandimal and Perera skipped along in his footprints during a rapid 71-run stand from 48 balls. Chandimal might have been caught at deep midwicket attempting to go to his half-century from the penultimate delivery of the innings but Fabian Cowdrey had to throw the ball back in as he fell towards the boundary rope.

Robbie Joseph, the one-time England Lions bowler who returned to Kent at the start of the summer, claimed 4 for 58, while James Tredwell also put in the sort of dependable shift he is known for, ahead of his involvement in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. He dismissed Thirimanne with one that lured the batsman out to be stumped for 49, though his figures were slightly smudged when Chandimal lofted the fourth and fifth balls of his final over for four and six.

Kent lost Daniel Bell-Drummond and Cowdrey, grandson of Colin, with the score on 17, as they struggled to get going during the Powerplay. Blake's half-century, his third in the format and first since 2010, came at a run-a-ball and a stand of 68 with Sam Billings kept them afloat but, from 148 for 5, Kent lost their last five wickets for 25. Only the combined figures of spinners Mendis and Tillakaratne Dilshan - 3 for 92 from 15 overs - would have given the tourists a moment's pause.

Sri Lanka were beaten in their first warm-up fixture, a soggy, 21-over affair in Chelmsford, but with the sun shining over hop country they found the St Lawrence ground to be a more welcoming venue. Kent's is probably the closest English ground to Colombo (though still 8,000km as the crow flies) and there were several Sri Lanka shirts on display in the crowd, as well as a flag being waved in the breeze on the Old Dover Road grass bank.

The vexed issue of Sri Lanka's junior-senior question will not be solved by one tour match but, after Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene fell for scores between 30 and 35, the contributions from Nos. 5, 6 and 7 will have encouraged Marvan Attapatu, the team's interim coach.

Sangakkara joined up with the Sri Lanka squad on Thursday, having missed the early part of the tour to play in two Championship matches for Durham, and reclaimed the wicketkeeping gloves off Chandimal (before swapping halfway through the innings). Following his 159 at Hove, he looked in good order until playing down the wrong line against Kent left-armer Adam Ball to have his stumps rattled.

After Sangakkara's dismissal, Sri Lanka appeared content to settle in, only for the longueurs to get the better of Jaywardene. Between the end of the 14th over and the beginning of the 36th only three boundaries were struck, before Mathews and Thirimanne, then Chandimal and Perera redoubled their efforts. The rate had dipped below five an over but 129 runs flowed from the last 15 as a team that should be a contender at the 2015 World Cup flashed their credentials.

After Sri Lanka's well-oiled start on a decent pitch, 300 always looked in range. Dilshan could not be much more buccaneering if he batted with a parrot on one shoulder while wearing a tricorne hat. He cut, pulled and drove his way to 35 off 28 balls before Joseph, bowling with decent pace and hitting an awkward length in his first List A game since August 2012, had him caught skying a piratical hack high to third man.

That was Joseph's second wicket, having removed Sri Lanka's other opener, Kusal Perera, with his first delivery, the batsman caught on the crease and fencing to slip. David Griffiths was not able to match Joseph's economy, however, as the tourists reached the end of the ten-over Powerplay on 64 for 2.

Charlie Hartley, Kent's 20-year-old debutant, came on for his first bowl against a pair with more than 25,000 ODI runs between them. Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene dismissed him for boundaries as the over leaked 10 runs but Hartley found better control after switching ends. Jayawardene became the third member of Sri Lanka's illustrious triumvirate to depart in the 30s when he miscued a lofted drive to mid-on to provide Hartley with his first senior wicket.

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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Mudgal to head investigation of IPL 'sealed envelope'

Former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal, who led the preliminary inquiry into the alleged corruption in the IPL will head a panel given greater powers to investigate the contents of the sealed envelope provided to India's highest court. Mudgal's colleagues on the previous committee, L Nageswara Rao and Nilay Dutta, will also be part of the panel. In its order delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court asked the committee to submit its report in a sealed envelope by end of August. The next hearing of the case will be "listed" in the first week of September.

The new Mudgal committee explained Who is part of the fresh panel? Mukul Mudgal, L Nageswara Rao, Nilay Dutta, and former IPS officer BB Mishra Who is BB Mishra and what is his role? Former IPS officer and currently Deputy Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau in Delhi. He will head the investigation team What happened to the Mudgal Committee's requests? Most of them were met, except Mishra was picked instead of former CBI officer ML Sharma. The BCCI is understood to have objected to him Who will select the former cricketer on the panel? The original committee and Mishra. How is this committee different from the original? It has more powers - to investigate, require attendance of witnesses, the power to examine witnesses, the power to search and the power to seize and all other powers necessary for investigation except the power to arrest Will the committee be compensated? The original trio, and the former player, will be paid Rs 1 lakh per working day - all expenses will be borne by the BCCI - and other police officers will continue to be paid their salary by the government even when they are away on this investigation. Is there a deadline? Yes, the end of August, but if the investigation is not complete, it can be extended. When is the next hearing in the case? First week of September. What happens to the BCCI until then? Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav continue in their respective interim roles.

The committee will be assisted by former senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer BB Mishra. The committee will have all investigative powers, including search and seizure of relevant documents and recording evidence, but cannot carry out arrests. They will be provided with assistance from one senior police officer each from Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, as the committee had requested. One former cricketer "of repute and integrity", as requested, will be chosen by the Mudgal committee in consultation with Mishra. The chairman and the members of the probe committee will be compensated with Rs 1 lakh per working day, and all other expenses will be borne by the BCCI.

The choice of Mishra as head of the investigation team over the Mudgal panel's request for former CBI special director ML Sharma came about due to "objections made on the behalf of BCCI and N Srinivasan". Mishra is currently the deputy director general, Narcotics Control Bureau in New Delhi and is an IPS officer from the 1983 batch of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Mishra and the three police officers form the investigative team "at the disposal" of the Mudgal committee. They will "have the powers to investigate, require attendance of witnesses, the power to search and the power to seize... except the power to arrest and the source of these powers of investigation will be this order passed by the court".

The two-man bench of Justice Patnaik and Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifullah also ordered that "all concerned persons including the BCCI, Mr N Srinivasan and the cricket players" co-operate with the investigation. "In case of difficulty", the Mudgal committee can "apply" to the court for "necessary orders for the purpose of completing the investigation".

The court has turned down BCCI's request to appoint a completely new panel following its contention that the Mudgal committee's findings were "erroneous". In the order, Justice AK Patnaik said, the allegations against the 13 persons, including Srinivasan, "should be investigated by the Justice Mudgal committee". The reason given was that "if a new Probe committee is entrusted to inquire into the allegations, there is a likelihood of the allegations being leaked to the public", saying that the leaking would "damage the reputation of the 13 persons beyond repair".

	Justice Mudgal will lead the new probe panel © AFP Enlarge

Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav are to continue in their respective interim roles until any further orders.

The BCCI counsel Radha Rangaswamy requested the court to pass its final decision by the first week of August, but the request was declined. The BCCI's annual general elections take place at the end of September while the next hearing in connection with IPL corruption.

The court's view on Srinivasan's presence in ICC meetings and his assumption of his expected role as ICC chairman was not clear. It is understood that BCCI's counsel approached the bench after the order was read out, seeking permission for Srinivasan to attend ICC meetings and BCCI's next AGM, but the court said no further order was going to be passed. The petitioner Aditya Verma sees this as a restriction on Srinivasan's presence in the ICC, but the exact legal implications could not be determined.

The case dates back to June 2013, when the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Verma raised charges of a conflict of interest in the BCCI's original two-member inquiry panel for the IPL corruption issue. A Bombay High Court ruling later termed the probe panel "illegal". The BCCI and the CAB filed petitions in the Supreme Court against this order, with the CAB contending that the Bombay High Court could have suggested a fresh mechanism to look into the corruption allegations.

The Supreme Court then appointed a three-member committee, headed by former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal and comprising additional solicitor general L Nageswara Rao and Nilay Dutta to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption against Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements, and Rajasthan Royals team owner Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Ltd, as well as with the larger mandate of allegations around betting and spot-fixing in IPL matches and the involvement of players.

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SA's next captain not an automatic choice - Lorgat

The decision on South Africa's next Test captain should not be a straightforward or simple one, according to Cricket SA CEO Haroon Lorgat and team manager Mohammed Moosajee. Although the position is expected to be offered to one of AB de Villiers or Faf du Plessis, Lorgat and Moosajee hope other possibilities will be considered in debates over the next two weeks.

"I would hope the selectors will not have an automatic choice. There is a process that needs to be followed," Lorgat, speaking at the Gauteng Cricket Board Awards on Thursday night, said. "There are several candidates so let's hope it is a tough choice."

South Africa's selection panel have already begun talks and will meet again before CSA's board meeting on June 3 to decide on their recommendation for the next Test captain. The person they choose will have to be ratified by the board before being officially announced. Apart from de Villiers and du Plessis, JP Duminy is has been mentioned as a possible choice, especially in light of his recent form, bigger role in the national team and years in the game.

Duminy has been playing regularly in the Test team since March 2012 with his only absence enforced when he tore his Achilles' tendon in November that year in Australia. He was handed his place back as soon as he returned to full fitness. He has established his place in the middle-order where he plays a pivot role between the specialist batsmen and the lower order, shepherding the tail. He has also been given a job to do with the ball and his offspin has allowed South Africa the option of another bowler.

As one of the more senior members of the side, Duminy is considered to be part of the core group that will lead the rebuilding phase following the twin retirements of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis last summer. That Duminy plays across all three formats makes him one of the constants in the South Africa XI. National coach Russell Domingo has often referred to Duminy as South Africa's "best T20 player," and he is currently the South African with the most runs in the IPL, and fifth on the overall standings.

What may work against Duminy is that he has not captained previously but South Africa's administrators have shown that is not insurmountable hurdle. Smith only played eight Tests before being made national captain at age of 22 while de Villiers had not led at any level when he succeeded Smith as ODI and T20 skipper. What is more important, according to Moosajee, is that the person entrusted with the job is able to continue to apply the team culture South Africa have built over the last few years.

"We are a diverse country with a diverse group of players and we have a melting pot of cultures in the dressing room. We have built our team environment around that, which has meant learning and respecting each other's backgrounds and using that to become a strong unit," Moosajee said. "We are fortunate that we've had inspirational leaders in the past and now we hope to have another one. We have four or five people that can fill the role."

Both Lorgat and Moosajee cautioned against looking for another Smith, who led the team for nine years and played in it for over a decade. "Graeme was one of a kind - he was tough and he wore his heart on his sleeve," Moosajee said. For Lorgat, Smith's lengthy tenure has left South Africa with "a lot to build on but big shoes to fill."

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent

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Craig, Davidson added to Australia umpires panel

Shawn Craig, the former Victoria batsman, has been promoted to Australia's National Umpire Panel and will officiate in state matches during the 2014-15 season. Craig and former New South Wales grade cricketer Greg Davidson are the two new additions to the 12-man group, replacing Tony Ward and Ian Lock from last summer's panel.

The panel provides the umpires for all domestic cricket played in Australia and does not include those Australians on the ICC's Elite Panel of Umpires - Steve Davis, Bruce Oxenford, Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker. Cricket Australia's senior manager of cricket operations, Sean Cary, said Craig and Davidson had earned their places on the panel through strong performances.

"Both Shawn and Greg have extensive involvement in cricket and long playing careers before progressing to umpiring," Cary said. "Their promotion is a reward for hard work and the critical role our state associations play in developing high-quality officials.

"Australia has a proud history of producing quality umpires who have gone on to international honours after coming through our state and development pathways. We believe there is significant potential in this group to continue that."

Craig, 40, played 20 first-class matches for Victoria from 1996 to 2001 and was a first-grade cricketer for St Kilda until 2006-07. Davidson, 43, played 21 seasons for Parramatta in Sydney's grade competition, before retiring after the 2007-08 season.

2014-15 National Umpire Panel Gerard Abood, Ashley Barrow, Shawn Craig, Greg Davidson, Simon Fry, Mike Graham-Smith, Geoff Joshua, Mick Martell, Damien Mealey, Sam Nogajski, John Ward, Paul Wilson.

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Super Kings sign David Hussey as replacement

	David Hussey has the experience of 59 IPL matches, having played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab in the past © BCCI Enlarge
Related Links News : Injured Bravo to miss rest of IPL Players/Officials: David Hussey Series/Tournaments: Indian T20 League Teams: Australia | Chennai T20 | India

Australian batsman David Hussey will replace Dwayne Bravo in Chennai Super Kings' squad for the rest of the 2014 IPL season. Super Kings announced it on their official Twitter account. They also retweeted Hussey saying, "Just recd some amazing news!!!!! Can't wait until tomorrow.... Get in there!!!!"

The 36-year-old Hussey, who has played 69 ODIs and 39 T20s for Australia, has plenty of IPL experience, having featured in 23 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders and 36 matches for Kings XI Punjab in previous seasons. In all, he has scored 1206 runs at an average of 25.65 and a strike rate of 122.93, with four half-centuries.

Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, was ruled out of the tournament after injuring his shoulder while fielding against Kings XI Punjab during Super Kings' first match in 2014.

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Rejigged tour can help Sri Lanka

	Angelo Mathews was playing a straight bat as Sri Lanka prepared for their first match of tour in England © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Preview : First audition for Atapattu News : Adapting to conditions key- Mathews News : Chris Adams to work with Sri Lanka News : Marvan Atapattu appointed Sri Lanka head coach News : SL in 'difficult place' after Farbrace exit Players/Officials: Angelo Mathews | Marvan Atapattu | Chris Adams Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland Teams: England | Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka may have their best chance of winning a Test series in England for many years. A schedule more sympathetic to their needs, an opposition in transitional mode and confidence gained from success in Bangladesh has given Sri Lanka an optimism not always shared by some of their predecessors.

The English leg of their tour begins on Tuesday. Sri Lanka will take on an Essex side including Alastair Cook in a 50-over game in Chelmsford, with further warm-up matches scheduled against Kent and Sussex ahead of the international fixtures which start in a week.

But while Sri Lanka's record in England is not encouraging - they have not won a Test in England since 2006 and have never won a series of more than one match in the country - circumstances are a bit different this time. On both their 2006 and 2011 tours Sri Lanka played the Test section of the tour ahead of the limited-overs section.

This time, however, they will have had a far greater chance to acclimatise to conditions. They will have been in Ireland or England for more than a month before the first Test and will have the opportunity to play their stronger suit - the limited-overs games - ahead of the Test series.

They also find an opposition lacking some of the pillars of its success in recent years - the likes of Andy Flower, Graeme Swann, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott - and having just enjoyed a memorable double-success in Bangladesh, where they followed victory in the Asia Cup by winning the World T20.

"We have started training a bit earlier than usual because we know the English conditions are not going to be easy for us," Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, said on Monday. "If we can adapt ourselves as soon as possible, I am pretty sure the team will come good. The conditions and the weather are the main challenge we face.

"We are not trying to be complacent against an England team having made all of those decisions. Yes, they might be missing star players like Kevin Pietersen, but they still have enough potential to beat any team on any day, especially playing under English conditions. They will be very hard to beat.

"You know what happened in Bangladesh: they beat us quite easily in the sub-continent conditions, so you cannot be complacent and just have to go hard at them."

"The confidence levels are very high," the coach, Marvan Atapattu agreed. "This team comes with confidence and success."

Certainly if the batsmen play as straight as the tour management did when deflecting questions about Paul Farbrace's departure, they should fare well. Mathews did not believe the suggestion that Farbrace, who resigned the Sri Lankan coaching role to take the assistant coach's job with England just weeks before the tour, had any team secrets to impart and dismissed the idea that any of his squad resented the decision.

"We respect his decision," Mathews said. "He is a good coach and was part of our success. He was with us for a short period of time, not a very long period of time, but in those few months, he was pretty good. Everyone has his own choices. He has made his choice and we wish him all the very best.

"When it comes to an international cricket team, there are no secrets. You have so many videos of all the players, of the support staff as well. We had guys like Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga come into the team, but you cannot really hide them from playing international cricket.

"Everyone knows a little bit about the opposition, so I don't really think he has all the inside information."

But Sri Lanka hope that the appointment of Chris Adams, the former Surrey coach, might provide an insight into England's players and tactics. Adams joined up with the team on Monday and will spend the rest of the tour with them. Kumar Sangakkara will also join up with the squad on Wednesday or Thursday, having completed his short stint with Durham.

"Chris Adams is to give me the information I need to know, about venues and players, during this tour," Atapattu explained. "We will try to pick his brains to improve our game and lend our support to the players. Yes, we will try to get inside information from him."

Sri Lanka's record in English conditions probably still leaves them as underdogs going into the Test series. But Peter Moores and Co face a far from straightforward test at the start of England's new era.

George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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Former shadow coach Hathurusingha open to SL role

	Chandika Hathurusingha has been part of the New South Wales set-up for a few seasons © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : Marvan Atapattu appointed Sri Lanka head coach News : Farbrace quits as Sri Lanka coach News : Sri Lankan shadow coach suspended Players/Officials: Chandika Hathurusingha Teams: Sri Lanka

New South Wales assistant coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said he is not averse to considering a position with Sri Lanka Cricket, if the board approaches him as it seeks a new head coach. Hathurusingha had forged a reputation for clear, incisive coaching and a firm, even-handed approach, during his time as a coach in Sri Lanka, but he had his SLC contract terminated in 2010 for disciplinary reasons.

Hathurusingha has also been highly regarded in Australia since re-launching his career there, most recently winning the Sheffield Shield with New South Wales this past season. He augments his state role by heading the Big Bash League's Sydney Thunder franchise.

"I am thoroughly enjoying what I have here in Australia, but just like players want to play for their own country, coaches also would love to work with their own country," Hathurusingha said. "Working with Sri Lanka is something I would never say never to. I have played and worked with a lot of the players before, and I've kept in touch with them as well. I know what the set-up is like."

Sri Lanka have not been helmed by a local coach since Roy Dias ended his tenure in 1999, but in Hathurusingha's time as the shadow coach in the national side there had been a groundswell of support for him to become the next head coach. In the wake of that decision, then-captain Kumar Sangakkara had gone as far as effectively recommending Hathurusingha for the head coach position in an impassioned letter to SLC that implored the board to keep him on staff. Four years later, many in Sri Lanka's cricket establishment still believe he is among the finest candidates for the head coach role.

Hathurusingha had not been formally approached by SLC, but suggested he had moved past the ill-feeling generated by his dismissal.

"I don't think talking about what's happened in the past will benefit either SLC or myself. But the board knows better than anyone what I can do as a coach, because that's actually where I started," he said. "It's about starting a conversation, which is what usually happens when it comes to these kinds of things. If that happens, something might come out of it."

In his letter to the board in 2010, Sangakkara had said Hathurusingha's "technical and strategic knowledge was second to none of the foreign coaches I have worked with before" and that in the previous year, Hathurusingha had "out-worked, out-thought and out-shone the foreign coaching staff within the system".

Marvan Atapattu, who has been with the national team since 2011, appears to be the current frontrunner for the head coach job, after he was named interim coach for two major upcoming tours over the next three months. SLC is yet to announce that it will advertise the vacancy, like the board did when it was in the market for a coach last year. The board is on the look-out for a new coach following Paul Farbrace's resignation last month.

A steady opening batsman in his playing days, Hathurusingha played 26 Tests and was among Sri Lanka's most experienced domestic cricketers, in possession of 10,861 first-class runs and 425 wickets.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando

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Moeen's belief in his bowling

Moeen Ali is widely tipped to be England's main spinner in their first post-Ashes Test when they face Sri Lanka next month and having the extra expectation on his bowling is not something that fazes him.

Moeen's overall first-class bowling average is 40.35 but over the last two seasons for Worcestershire he has taken 64 wickets at 32.56 and also claimed seven at 18 on the Lions tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. His all-round skills have already propelling him into the one-day and Twenty20 set-up and Moeen is now confident enough in his bowling to see it as an equal part of his game.

"I think now I see myself as an allrounder," he told ESPNcricinfo's #politeenquiries show where he answered readers questions. "I got picked by England for my batting but I think got picked over guys who have done more than me in the last couple of years because of my bowling. The more years go on the better I'm getting with my bowling."

He puts his improvement down to the responsibility he has been given at Worcestershire where he is often the frontline spinner - although this season has been able to operate alongside his close friend Saeed Ajmal - which has allowed him to develop his art that includes the doosra even if that delivery has yet to be seen at international level.

"I've probably bowled a lot more than most offspinners in county cricket over the last two or three years. I bowl in all forms which is nice," Moeen said.

He continues to relish is work alongside Ajmal who is happy to pass on his knowledge of the doosra, but Moeen knows that understanding the mechanics behind it is different to making it a success on the pitch.

"That's one of my best moments," he said of his time with Ajmal. "He says he hasn't shown many people [the doorsa], but says it's not the showing that's the hard part but the work you have to do."

And Moeen is not just trying to make a successful career for himself, but also act as inspiration for other Asian cricketers in the UK to reach the professional level. It is a responsibility he is happy to embrace and hopes that more players will come through the system after seeing him wear an England shirt.

"Being an Asian cricketer myself, watching me play for England, I think inspires Asian players to want to play," he said. "I don't see it as a burden, I see it as a positive attitude. I feel it's my duty to do it, to represent Asians."

Despite not playing against Scotland in Aberdeen, Moeen is expected to be named in England's T20 and ODI squads which will be announced on Tuesday morning for the matches against Sri Lanka.

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Rayudu, Simmons fifties in clinical Mumbai win

Mumbai Indians 160 for 3 (Rayudu 68, Simmons 68) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 157 for 3 (Finch 68, Warner 55*) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Lendl Simmons and Ambati Rayudu hit half-centuries to lead Mumbai Indians to an emphatic win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. The victory, Mumbai Indians' third in nine matches, kept the defending champions' campaign barely alive. Sunrisers Hyderabad were tied down after choosing to bat for all but the last two overs of their innings. David Warner helped his side take 33 off those two to push the total to 157, but it hardly mattered, as Simmons and Rayudu put on 130 runs for the second wicket in 14.3 overs to haul Mumbai Indians home with eight balls to spare.

Mumbai Indians lost CM Gautam second ball of the second over to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but Simmons and Rayudu kicked on after a sedate start. The release came when Irfan Pathan was brought on following a couple of tight overs each from Dale Steyn and Bhuvneshwar. Simmons, who had tried to slog Steyn without success, found Irfan's pace to his liking, and slammed him for a couple of sixes and a four.

	Lendl Simmons made 68 off 50 at the top of the order © BCCI

Rayudu welcomed Amit Mishra with a charge and a straight six, and Mumbai Indians weren't looking back, with the boundaries coming regularly. Simmons did not let the legspinners settle and swung Karn Sharma for a four and a six. Rayudu gave the same treatment to Irfan as the allrounder went for 29 in two overs.

Shikhar Dhawan went back to Steyn in the 13th over but Mumbai Indians were approaching 100 by that time. Rayudu and Simmons took the fast bowler for a four each. Sunrisers had a chance in the next over but KL Rahul put down a top-edged skier off Simmons at deep midwicket with the batsman on 59 and the team score on 110. Simmons and Rayudu fell in successive overs for 68 each eventually but the game was almost over by then.

Dhawan felt Sunrisers were about 20 runs short on what he had called a good batting surface at the toss as he chose to bat. Dhawan himself scratched around for a while before being bowled by a full inswinger from Lasith Malinga. Rahul ran himself out going for a non-existent single but Aaron Finch had looked in nice touch all along.

He drove Corey Anderson crisply down the ground for fours and went after Pragyan Ojha, lofting and driving the left-arm spinner repeatedly through the off side for boundaries. Warner joined Finch and hit the odd boundary as well but the pair was not able to dominate amid some tight bowling from Harbhajan Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.

Finch holed out off Malinga in the penultimate over for 68 off 62 but Warner stepped up and launched the fast bowler for a couple of sixes. He ended the innings with successive fours off Kieron Pollard to finish on 55 off 31. Given Sunrisers' reputation of successfully defending moderate totals at their home ground, 157 did not appear to be an easy chase, but Rayudu and Simmons made it look so.

Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Bangar has brought the best out of youngsters - Bailey

	Bailey: 'Sanjay and Sri's [fielding coach R Sridhar] knowledge of Indian players has been exceptional' © BCCI Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: George Bailey | Sanjay Bangar Series/Tournaments: Indian T20 League Teams: Australia | India | Punjab T20

Sitting pretty on the top of the points table, Kings XI Punjab look set to make it to the qualifiers after a dominant run in the tournament and with five matches in hand. While their overseas batsmen and domestic bowlers have been instrumental in their seven wins, their captain George Bailey believes the coach Sanjay Bangar had made a lot of difference with his knowledge of domestic players.

"Sanjay and Sri's [R Sridhar, fielding coach] knowledge of Indian players has been exceptional," Bailey told ESPNcricinfo. "They have focused a lot on the younger players who have performed, particularly the guys who haven't played much [earlier]. A lot of Indians wouldn't have known about them but they have obviously seen something and their knowledge has been really important, one in selecting them and two, bringing the best out of them."

Apart from grooming the uncapped seamer Sandeep Sharma, Kings XI surprised Royal Challengers Bangalore on their home ground with offspinner Shivam Sharma, who struck twice and conceded only 26 runs in four overs.

The season's records for the leading run-scorer, the top three individual scores, the highest strike-rate (among batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls) and most sixes all belong to Glenn Maxwell, who has scored four fifties, the smallest score among them being 89. David Miller is not far away with a strike-rate of 162.29 and 297 runs from nine innings. Sandeep has chipped in with 13 wickets, removing batsmen like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli twice each, while Akshar Patel, another uncapped bowler, has conceded only 6.26 per over.

"We've got a well-balanced team," Bailey said. "We have three batsmen in terrific form and we have shown consistent bowling and fielding performances and we've got a good bunch of guys in the coaching team."

When asked if he expected to be on top of the table throughout, Bailey said: "As a team nobody has any expectations of where you want to be. We just want to be consistent in the way we've played. T20 is obviously a game that involves a bit of luck and if you start playing well then the confidence and momentum are really important. We've won a few games and we've lost two too. Sometimes that's just going to happen, you have got to be convinced with the way you play."

Kings XI won their first five matches, all in the UAE. Their first defeat was in India, against Mumbai Indians, when Harbhajan Singh dismissed Maxwell and Bailey. The captain said there was hardly any difference between the two host countries when it came to pitches.

"There's not a huge difference in the pitches in the UAE, where they were a little slower. I think we're starting to see the wickets here turn a little bit more, so spin is probably having slightly more influence compared to the UAE. Grounds and conditions change quite a bit but there was not a huge difference."

Vishal Dikshit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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