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Kane Williamson lamented a New Zealand batting display which did not adjust to a challenging pitch at Eden Park in the deciding ODI. For the second time in the series they were bowled out well inside the 50 overs, and though Williamson said conditions were difficult he believed the batsman could have been smarter.South Africa did not find it easy, either, until the target came into view and the chase was finished in a hurry. AB de Villiers said he would have been concerned with a chase of much over 200 and had targeted working through New Zealand for 150 after nabbing their big names early.Martin Guptill fell in the fifth over and by the end of the 16th, Williamson and Ross Taylor had also departed, the captain to a run-out after a poor call from Dean Brownlie.  There had only been six lower completed first innings at the ground, the most recent of those being 141 by Sri Lanka in 2004.”It was far from easy, but that’s when fight needs to be shown to get a competitive score,” Williamson said. “A lot of the time at Eden Park it’s hard to know what a good score is. So that’s where that assessment needs to take place and build those partnerships. We couldn’t do that today. South Africa bowled well and made it very tough.”As he had in Wellington, Williamson referenced the difficulty of rotating the strike on a drop-in wicket where the ball does not run easily over the square. That was particularly evident against Imran Tahir who bowled his ten overs for a stifling 14 runs – the thriftiest ten-over spell by a spinner in New Zealand – as he benefited from batsmen hemmed in by the early pressure.”It is tough to rotate the strike out there and when you are under pressure and lose wickets that is something you look to do to bring some momentum back and that wasn’t happening,” Williamson said. “You need to appreciate that at Eden Park and look to skin it another way. Perhaps our batting smarts weren’t quite where we needed to be.”We lost a number of wickets around Imran which made it difficult. We needed two guys to stick there for a death phase so we had wickets in hand so we could go harder.”Although New Zealand set a solid total in Christchurch and had the Guptill-inspired chase in Hamilton, this series has raised questions about areas of the top order, notably Guptill’s opening partner and how they shuffle the middle order to accommodate the allrounders and wicketkeeper.However, despite this hefty defeat which ended their unbeaten home record in ODI series dating back to 2014, Williamson believed it had been another season of solid white-ball results, with victories over Bangladesh and Australia.”We would have loved to have won the series, but there’s been some really, really good cricket played against some highly-ranked opposition. We’ve had a tough summer of one-day cricket,” he said. “There have been some steps of improvement, new guys have come in and done well and that’s all important moving forward. You want to breed that depth so guys can come in and make the difference. We’ve seen good signs of that.”New Zealand’s next one-day cricket is a triangular series in Ireland in May, also involving Bangladesh, before the Champions Trophy. New Zealand’s IPL-bound players, who include Williamson, Guptill, Trent Boult and Tim Southee, will be allowed to skip that series if their franchises are still in the tournament. Batsmen George Worker, Tom Bruce and Henry Nicholls will be in contention to fill in for the absentees, along with Seth Rance, Hamish Bennett and Scott Kuggeleijn with the ball.

ScorecardShaiman Anwar steered UAE home with his seventh ODI half-century•Peter Della Penna

Imran Haider, the legspinner, took four wickets in his second ODI to help United Arab Emirates record a six-wicket win over Hong Kong in their tri-series fixture in Dubai on Thursday. UAE got to their target of 175 in 38.1 overs to finish the series on top of the points table.Hong Kong were put in to bat and lost wickets in clumps, tottering at one stage at 85 for 5. Nizakat Khan, the No. 4 batsman, held the lower order together in making a 111-ball 93 including seven fours and three sixes. Nizakat’s 67-run stand for the eighth wicket with Ehsan Nawaz, who made 11, was the highest of the innings which folded in the penultimate over.Haider removed Babar Hayat, the Hong Kong captain, and Shahid Wasif for ducks. At one stage, he had three wickets in as many overs; he eventually finished with 4 for 25 off his 10 overs to take his wickets tally to seven in two matches.UAE started solidly courtesy a 76-run opening stand between Rohan Mustafa and Mohammed Qasim, before losing three quick wickets – two of which were picked up by Ehsan Khan, the offspinner. Shaiman Anwar then took charge to make a half-century to take UAE to within 27 runs of victory before giving Ehsan his third wicket. Muhammad Usman (20 not out) and Mohammad Naveed (9 not out) then saw the chase through.

Twenty-five years ago, Usman Khawaja left Pakistan as a little boy with his family, set for a new life in Australia. He has played 20 Test matches in the baggy green, and is about to play his first against the country of his birth. That match will take place at the Gabba, his adopted home ground. But despite being Queensland’s state captain, Khawaja was still at the centre of an awkward moment on Tuesday.”Funnily enough I was waiting downstairs and I needed the change room locker to be opened for us and I was just waiting and the Queensland Cricket lady came down,” Khawaja said at the Gabba. “She was like ‘Oh, you need the locker rooms open?’ I went ‘yes please’ and she started walking to the Pakistani change room. I was like, ‘No, I’m that way, thank you’.”His Pakistani background remains important to Khawaja, although he remembers only glimpses of his early life in Islamabad. He has not been back to visit relatives in Pakistan since 2008, and has had few dealings with the Pakistan cricket team, having played against them only in a solitary Twenty20 international during this year’s World T20 in India.Asked whether playing his first Test against Pakistan would be a significant moment, Khawaja said he had not considered the matter in that way, but he said it might be a big moment for his parents, Tariq and Fozia.”They grew up in Pakistan and were there for a long time,” Khawaja said. “Obviously I was born there, so it’s a very close part of me. It still is a very big part of me… culture is very important, as is religion. My parents are Australian but they’re also very Pakistani.Usman Khawaja: ‘If I broke it down, the way I act and what I do, is very Australian, but there are parts of me that are Pakistani’•Getty Images

“If I broke it down, the way I act and what I do, is very Australian, but there are always parts of me [that are Pakistani] – when I talk to my parents I still at times try to speak Urdu here and there. It’s not as good as theirs but they can understand what’s going on. It is a big part of my life when I’m with my parents or around my parents, but other than that it’s usually quite normal.”My parents are truly Australian now. They don’t support Pakistan at all. They haven’t for a long time. They were there for 30 years but now they just want me to do well and want Australia to win every single time no matter who we’re playing. There is no allegiance conflict at all.”Khawaja was four-and-a-half years old when the family moved to Sydney, and his life quickly became that of any young Australian. There was never any doubt over which country held Khawaja’s cricket future, and in 2011 he became the first Pakistan-born cricketer to win a baggy green.”I’ve had glimpses of memories from before I left,” he said. “I was born in Islamabad. So I have glimpses of memories of our old place and whatnot, but nothing too circumstantial. Most of my childhood memories revolve around being in Australia, being in Sydney.”The Pakistan series will not only pit Khawaja against the country of his birth, but also against his former Australia coach Mickey Arthur, who is now in charge of Pakistan’s side. Khawaja was one of the four players suspended during the homework saga in India in 2013, which was a key moment in the eventual downfall of Arthur as Australia’s coach.”I’m not spiteful or vengeful in that sort of respect,” Khawaja said. “Mickey is a very good guy. He was very nice… every time we were around [each other] he was very helpful. It was such a long time ago. It was tough at the time but I was playing the next Test series anyway, so it didn’t really mean too much. I played the next Test series [in England] and didn’t play that well and then got dropped, so that wasn’t anyone else’s fault than myself.”I’m not the kind of guy who holds onto grudges. If I get into a fight or get angry with someone I’m over it like that. Usually, anyway. I’m sure if I see Mickey there would be no issues. Everything would be good.”

Dean Elgar has defended South Africa’s use of home advantage, as they look to minimise the influence Rangana Herath could have on the series by preparing pitches that take longer to deteriorate. Both Port Elizabeth and Cape Town are known for their suitability for spin, something Russell Domingo pointed out as a concern in the lead up to the series, so South Africa have ordered grassier surfaces and Elgar believes that is a fair ploy.”We’ve been bitten in the past going to places like India, where we’ve played in the desert and the challenge between bat and ball is not realistic. But this is a good cricket wicket,” he said. “If you apply yourself with the ball you’re going to have success and if you apply yourself with the bat you’re also going to have success, as we saw in Port Elizabeth. This is not unfair – it’s not to our advantage or to their disadvantage. It’s a good wicket for cricket. People want to see runs the whole time but for the longevity of Test cricket this is what we need more.”Elgar admitted this was “the most” grass he had seen on a Newlands pitch especially when compared to the previous match played here. Against England last year, a total of 1415 runs were scored and only 19 wickets taken in a drawn match after South Africa lost the opening Test in Durban.”It looked like they put the namesake into the wicket – PPC [Cement],” Elgar joked, referring to the name sponsor of Newlands. “This year there’s a lot more grass and it’s expected playing against a subcontinent team. We don’t want to make it comfortable for them. That would just be stupid of us. Saying that it’s just a good cricket wicket, like we had in Port Elizabeth.”Elgar has called the surface a “new-ball wicket” and expects there to be seam movement throughout the game, although he has not completely dismissed the prospect of turn. By the time it comes, though, South Africa could be bowling again and if that is the case, it will mean their plan will work perfectly.”For five days it’s going to have something in it with the new ball. As the game goes on the wicket might turn more, which is exciting for us batting first. The new nut is definitely going to have assistance throughout the game.”If Elgar’s assessment is correct, Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott will enjoy an ideal surface. “I’m glad they’re in my side and not playing against me. They’re bowling very well together. It’s a wicket that’s going to bring out the best in both of them,” Elgar said.With so much going South Africa’s way so far, it’s no wonder they are quick to name Newlands a favourite venue but it’s not just conditions that have earned it that title. After the Boxing Day Test was played in front of a crowd that dwindled from 6000 to little over 1000 over the five days, Elgar was happier to see a capacity Cape Town crowd and believes they should be rewarded for their loyalty.”We could play more Tests here. Just playing one Test here a year is rude towards the Newlands crowd because they do come out and support,” he said. “Players feed off that. We hear the talk that it’s going to be a sellout, and it’s great. I think it’s awesome. It’s a bit sad when you play at a smaller venue and there’s not a lot of support but Newlands has never failed. It’s always had great crowd support and there’s always good chat. It’s picturesque. As a player you always want to come back here.”South Africa are due to host at least 10 Tests next season, with series against Bangladesh, India and Australia which means Newlands should get two matches.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details File photo – Darren Sammy came good twice in two games•CPL/Sportsfile

Darren Sammy’s late assault helped Rajshahi Kings to a nine-run win over table toppers Khulna Titans. His unbeaten 71 not only brought Rajshahi out of a mire but ended up giving them a competitive total to fight for.It was for the second game in a row that Rajshahi needed Sammy’s big-hitting intervention to pull them back from a batting slide. When Umar Akmal, not for the first time in the tournament, was a victim of an iffy leg-before decision, they had slipped to 66 for 4 after 11 overs.Sammy took a bit of time to get his radar in order, mainly because Samit Patel and Mehedi Hasan too fell before the team score reached 100. Once he had blasted Junaid Khan for his first six, there was no looking back. He struck five more, mostly flicks over the leg-side boundary. His unbeaten 34-ball knock also included four fours.Kevon Cooper and Shafiul Islam took two wickets each while there was one apiece for Mosharraf Hossain and Mahmudullah who only bowled two overs for seven runs.Khulna’s struggle at the top continued after Mohammad Hasanuzzman was run out in the second over before Shuvagata Hom was caught at short fine leg in the next over. Riki Wessels and Mahmudullah added 47 runs for the third wicket before Wessels was bowled by Sammy for 36.Nicholas Pooran, who for the first time in the BPL played to his reputation, fell after trying a third six off Mehedi Miraz in the 14th over. Pooran made 28 off just 12 balls with a four and three sixes. Mahmudullah was Khulna’s last hope so when he fell in the following over, after a run-a-ball 33, Khulna left a lot to do for their lower order.Cooper and Ariful Haque managed to eke out just two fours in their 21-ball sixth-wicket partnership. Mohammad Sami and Farhad Reza closed out the game by bowling tight lines in the last four overs. Nazmul, Sami, Abul Hasan, Sammy and Mehedi took one wicket each.

ScorecardSam Curran claimed four wickets in seven balls to wreck Durham’s middle-order•Getty Images

Sam Curran upstaged future team-mate Mark Stoneman when he removed him for 92 to complete his first six-wicket haul for Surrey in the Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.His sensational burst of four wickets in seven balls rocked Durham before Graham Clark counter-attacked with a 53-ball half-century.Coming in at 83 for 5, Clark put on 109 with Stoneman before Curran returned to have them both lbw when playing to leg.Durham were 213 for 8, leading by 247, when the murk which had forced the floodlights to be kept on all day was deemed to have got worse.Play was halted with 22 overs still to be bowled, but there is still every prospect of an intriguing final day with Durham needing a win to ensure a 12th successive season in Division One.Stoneman frustrated next season’s employees as he built steadily on a rapid start, passing 1,000 championship runs for the fourth successive season.He hit three fours in five balls from Mark Footitt early in his innings, the third being pulled just out of mid-on’s reach. After that he throttled back, reaching 50 off 82 balls before slowing further.The other Surrey signing, Scott Borthwick, remained 33 short of 1,000 when he took 18 balls to get off the mark then fell for 12 when he became Curran’s first victim with the score on 77 for 1.Wicketless in the first innings, Curran returned for a second spell after being given only three overs in his first.Borthwick pushed forward to his second ball and edged to Ben Foakes. The next was slanted across right-hander Jack Burnham, who also edged to the wicketkeeper, then Ben Stokes was able to watch the hat-trick ball pass harmlessly by.But in trying to withdraw his bat from the next he continued his disappointing match by edging to Kumar Sangakkara at first slip.Paul Collingwood ran a four to third man but in Curran’s next over could only steer a ball rising towards his chest to third slip.Three balls later Curran could have had another when Jason Roy got his left hand to an edge by Stoneman on 48.But Curran began to stray, helping Clark off to a confident start. In nine previous championship innings, he had a top score of 36 and three ducks. But he is known as a powerful striker and on 31 he pulled Footitt behind square for a big six.Two more powerful pulls off Tom Curran followed before Surrey turned to Zafar Ansari. Clark lofted the left-arm spinner over mid-on for his eighth four to reach 50, only to depart for 54 straight after tea.Stoneman followed six overs later and Stuart Poynter made 19 before edging a drive at Footitt to first slip just before a halt was called.

Australia’s series loss to a low ranked Sri Lanka – currently at No. 7 in the ICC Test rankings – has meant that it is highly likely that the No. 1 spot changes hands by the end of this month.According the ICC rankings methodology, the penalty of losing a series to an opponent that is rated low is more than if the opponent were rated higher. For example, if Australia had been playing a similar three-match series against India (who are at 112 points as opposed to Sri Lanka’s 85), a 0-3 loss to them would’ve robbed them of about six points. A 0-3 loss to Sri Lanka, however, is going to cost Australia nine points, bringing down latter’s ratings to an approximate 108 points. Australia’s obvious weakness in the subcontinent, or Sri Lanka’s relative strength at home, does not have any bearing on how the ratings are calculated since the ICC methodology doesn’t differentiate between home and away conditions.The erosion in Australia’s ratings gives other teams that weren’t too far behind the opportunity to make a grab at No. 1. England, Pakistan and India are all in with a chance of topping the rankings following their ongoing series. Here is how each of the current top four could end up at No. 1.Australia: They have to win the Colombo Test to have any chance of retaining their No. 1 ranking. Either England – with a win in the Oval Test – or India – with a 3-0 margin against West Indies – could topple them. Australia can hang on to their top spot even if the Oval Test is drawn and India don’t win by a 3-0 margin.India: A draw in Kingston means that India have to win their remaining two Tests against West Indies to take the No. 1 spot. A 3-0 margin will bump them up to the top irrespective of results in the other series.England: A 3-1 series win against Pakistan will give them the No. 1 ranking provided India don’t win by a margin of 3-0 against West Indies. Even a draw in the Oval Test can give them the top spot if Australia don’t win the Colombo Test and India win only one of their remaining two Tests against West Indies.Pakistan: They have to win the Oval Test and hope India don’t beat West Indies by a margin bigger than 2-0 and Australia don’t win the Colombo Test.

ScorecardFile photo – Shaiman Anwar struck 78 to rescue his team from a poor start before rain washed away nearly three days of the Intercontinental Cup match•AFP

Only 66 overs were possible in a rain-affected Intercontinental Cup match between UAE and Scotland that was eventually called off as a draw in Ayr. The teams were awarded seven points each at the end of the game, and UAE registered their first points of the competition.UAE scored 212 runs after being put in to bat, losing five wickets in their innings. Only seven overs were possible on the second day, after 59 were bowled on the opening day. The last two days of the match were abandoned without a ball being bowled.UAE overcame a poor start – they were 33 for 3 in the 10th over – through fifties from Shaiman Anwar and Rameez Shahzad. The pair added 123 runs for the fifth wicket before Anwar was dismissed for 78 off 129 balls. His innings included nine fours. Rameez carried on and was unbeaten on 74 when rain interrupted proceedings on the second day. He hit eight fours and two sixes in his 140-ball vigil.The wickets were split between pacers Alasdair Evans and Josh Davey, who took two apiece, and left-arm spinner Mark Watt, who had figures of 1 for 26.

ScorecardSteve O’Keefe has an opportunity to add to his two Test caps during the three-Test series in Sri Lanka•AFP

Steve O’Keefe, the left-arm spinner, used the bounce available on the P Sara Oval surface to make a potent start to his first Test tour of Sri Lanka. He claimed wickets in batches to finish with 5 for 43 as Sri Lankan XI were bowled out for 229 on the the opening day of their three-day fixture. Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon, the offspinner, went for 72 in 13 wicketless overs.But it is unlikely that Australia will depose senior spinner Lyon given his good returns through the recent home summer. O’Keefe’s success, though, may breed confidence in a potential dual-spin attack as the team is likely to encounter pitches that are significantly drier than this surface.

O’Keefe on

Nathan Lyon: Nathan’s a bit of a role model of mine, and a bit of a mentor when it comes to spin bowling. I’ve always looked up to him and his career. He’s verging on a couple of hundred Test wickets now. There’s a truckload of experience and knowledge that I’d like to get out of him. When the big occasions come up he’s always stood up to the challenge, and I expect that from him.
Muttiah Muralitharan: The beauty of Murali is that he’s always got something to say to you, which is great. He’s always got feedback. He’ll come up after each session or spell and give you hints about the field, or the way they might play. He’s been a massive help.
Sri Lankan conditions: The game changes as the ball goes from hard to soft, and the field settings are a little bit different than at home. Along with the fact that these guys will sweep a bit more and play shots we don’t typically see in Australia. You just have to adapt and think on your feet. Luckily we’ve got Steve Smith, who’s always offering advice.

Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird took two wickets each, and Mitchell Marsh one, before Joe Burns struck an unbeaten half-century in the evening session. The visitors ended the day on 127 for the loss of Shaun Marsh for 47.For the Sri Lankan XI, Milinda Siriwardana composed a measured half-century to boost his chances of being in the Test squad, although a century may have all but sealed his berth. He shared the innings’ biggest stand of 101, for the fourth wicket, with Asela Gunaratne, who struck 58.Chaturanga de Silva was Lyon’s major tormentor in the second session, as he clubbed 10 fours on his way to a 59-ball 49. Dasun Shanaka – de Silva’s partner in a rapid seventh-wicket partnership worth 75 – fell to Steve Smith’s second exceptional slip catch of the day; Smith climbed high and fast to his right to end Shanaka’s innings at 39. The Sri Lankans attempted to attack both spinners through much of the day, but O’Keefe proved difficult to hit away.”They came out pretty aggressively, but I guess when guys do that you’ve got a chance to get wickets,” O’Keefe said after play. “It gives you confidence to come out the back end of that well. You expect it on a day one wicket that has a bit of grass and not much turn.”Smith had starred in O’Keefe’s first dismissal as well, moving towards the leg side in anticipation of Gunaratne’s fine paddle to complete a sharp take. O’Keefe had Shehan Jayasuriya caught at short midwicket in the same over and later, dismissed Shanaka, de Silva and Dilhara Fernando in quick succession, to close out the innings.The Australians seamers largely attacked the stumps, but also troubled the batsmen in short outside off-stump bursts by using the pace and seam movement on offer. Bird and Marsh had their victims caught behind the wicket, while Starc had a top-order batsman lbw, and later snuck a full delivery through the defences of a tailender.Arriving at the crease after tea, the Australian openers made quick gains against the new ball, finding the offside boundaries regularly as Nisala Tharaka – who is returning from injury – proved wayward. Left-armer Vimukthi Perera, and Dilhara Fernando were more disciplined, but neither came close to making an early breakthrough.Jayasuriya was the best of the Sri Lankan spinners, bowling Marsh for 47 after the openers had made 97 together. Burns’ half century featured five boundaries and a straight six off Siriwardana’s bowling. The visitors were 102 runs behind, with nine wickets in hand, by stumps.

South Africa captain AB de Villiers has expressed his disappointment at the “soft dismissals” from his batsmen that let Australia back into the contest in the fourth match of the tri-series in St Kitts. Chasing 289 for victory South Africa appeared to be cruising at the 25-over mark, when they had 137 for 1, but the innings fizzled out and they were dismissed for 252 in the 48th over.All of the top five batsmen made starts but none made it past the 60s. Hashim Amla drove straight to cover for 60, Faf du Plessis sliced one to point for 63, de Villiers was bowled when Josh Hazlewood found some reverse swing and JP Duminy pulled Adam Zampa tamely to deep midwicket, leaving too much work for South Africa’s long tail.”Lots of our dismissals were soft dismissals tonight, including my own,” de Villiers said. “Those things are bad decisions at the wrong time. It’s not really something you can work on. It’s just something we have to fix in the next game with a better mindset … The wicket played pretty well throughout the game. We’ve got no excuse, we just didn’t bat well enough.”With the ball reversing, Australia had little trouble running through the South African lower order, collecting the last seven wickets for 42 runs in 10 overs. It was a tame end for South Africa after they enjoyed a 105-run stand between Amla and du Plessis. Playing his first game back from a finger injury, du Plessis was pleased with his touch but not with how he departed.”We pretty much controlled the game in that second innings for about 80% of the time, with myself and Hashim and then myself and AB,” du Plessis said. “To be honest, I thought that when myself and AB were batting it was pretty much in our hands. We felt in control.”Obviously we knew Australia had to get wickets to get back in the game and they did that with some good bowling from Starcy at the tail-enders there. But I think we can point the finger straight back at ourselves – some pretty poor shots to give them wickets to get them back in the game.”Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa each picked up three wickets, but the difference in the match was the 109 scored by David Warner earlier in the day. He was the only man from either team who really capitalised on a start, and du Plessis said if one of South Africa’s set batsmen had stayed in until the end, the result would have been different.”It’s one guy saying ‘I’m going to win the game today’ and putting his hand up,” du Plessis said. “If you look at the best players in the world, it’s guys that can do that more consistently, someone like Virat Kohli at the moment who is winning a lot of games of cricket for his country. Today we had three batsmen – myself, Hashim and AB – who could have done that.”It was notable, though, that the South African bowlers found virtually no reverse swing but Starc and Hazlewood got the ball to move just enough later in the day, enticing a few mistakes from South Africa’s batsmen. Zampa also kept his head towards the end of the match and finished with 3 for 52 from his 10 overs.”It’s always hard to start against a ball that’s reversing when you’ve got someone like Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood coming in at you,” Australia’s captain Steven Smith said. “I thought those guys did a terrific job when the ball started to go. I think we got five wickets in six overs at one point and that obviously turned the game.”[Zampa] was good. I put him under a bit of pressure at the end there as well. I bowled him a few overs where they could have hit a few to these small straight boundaries. But he held his nerve nicely. He changed his pace, mixed it up, bowled some googlies and he’s come a long way.”