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English cricket will return to the BBC for the first time in more than two decades, with Sky Sports holding off the challenge of BT Sports to extend its coverage of the sport for at least another seven years, after the ECB announced the results of its bro

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2017English cricket will return to the BBC for the first time in more than two decades, with Sky Sports holding off the challenge of BT Sports to extend its coverage of the sport for at least another seven years, after the ECB announced the results of its broadcasting auction for 2020-2024.The new deal, worth £1.1 billion over a five-year period, cements Sky Sports’ position as the home of live cricket broadcasting in England and Wales, a role they have held since becoming the ECB’s exclusive broadcast partner in 2006.However, the return of the BBC to live cricket broadcasting for the first time since 1999 is a recognition of the sport’s need to re-engage with a wider audience.From 2020, they will broadcast two men’s and one women’s T20 internationals per year, as well as ten matches from the ECB’s new domestic T20 competition, and eight from the women’s. They have also extended their radio broadcasting deal, and secured primetime evening highlights and digital clip rights.”This is a great result for cricket,” Tom Harrison, the ECB chairman, said. “ECB has secured the reach, revenue and relevance the game deserves, to help it to grow.”Together, these new deals will deliver the partnership, distribution and investment that will fuel the future of our game, driving recreational, professional and international cricket for years to come.”Right through this process we’ve been excited to witness a fresh approach to the game and what it offers. This has transformed our relationships and our media deals. I want to thank everyone who has talked with us, shown their enthusiasm and added to our vision for the future.”Colin Graves, ECB Chairman, added: “Through these exceptional new partnerships with Sky Sports and BBC we have a unique opportunity to give cricket a very bright future.”It is vital that the game now takes time to plan ahead and invest strategically in all the right places. The ECB Board will lead on this, working closely with all of our stakeholders at every level of the game.”The professional players – the men and women who entertain us, inspire people to play and draw us to the grounds – will rightly be part of these conversations.”

Leicestershire are the only county without a Championship win but they are giving promotion-hopefuls Kent a fight at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2017Sam Northeast kept Kent in contention•Getty ImagesLeicestershire all-rounder Neil Dexter returned to his former home ground to bag 5 for 76 and help restrict Kent to 313 for 9 on a fascinating second day of cut and thrust cricket in Canterbury.The hosts, who still trail Leicestershire – the only side in the county championship still without a win in 2017 – by 37 runs struggled to cope with Dexter’s underrated military-medium seamers.Only Kent skipper, Sam Northeast, who batted almost four-and-a-half hours for his 97, went past 50 for the home side, but he too fell to the wiles of Dexter.Responding to Leicestershire’s dogged first innings of 350, Kent’s opening batsmen Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson were both back in the hutch inside 13 overs.Dickson, who looked solid in scoring 19, drove with firm-hands and leaden feet at a full away-swinger from Ben Raine only to edge to second slip. Then, with his score on 17, Bell-Drummond pushed at a gentle Dexter away-swinger and nudged a second catch to Ned Eckersley in the cordon.Northeast and Joe Denly appeared comfortable in adding 39 either side of lunch until Denly, 58 runs short of reaching his 1,000 for the season, tossed away his wicket by wafting off the back-foot against Raine to be caught behind.Sam Billings marched in for only his fourth championship innings ofthe summer to get off the mark with an effortless straight-drivenboundary off Raine. But, having breezed to 16, Billings played looselyacross the line of a shooting off-cutter and appeared disappointedwhen umpire Martin Saggers upheld Dexter’s lbw appeal.Dexter was soon celebrating again when he nipped one down theCanterbury slope to hit the back pad of Old Tonbridgian and Kentchampionship debutant, Zak Crawley, who went lbw for only a single on his championship debut.Northeast and Darren Stevens combined to steady the Kentish ship with a sensible sixth-wicket stand worth 80 either side of tea. Content to wait for the bad ball, Northeast went to a 97-ball 50 with six fours and Stevens was only four runs short of joining him when he played around his front pad to go lbw to a Matt Pillans in-ducker.Left-hander Matt Coles sidled in to launch a one-man boundary spree, hitting seven of them in his 37 before an attempted lap against spinner Callum Parkinson looped up to the keeper seemingly via the gloves. Coles, however, marched off rubbing his forearm.Home skipper Northeast was only three short of his third century of the summer when his 170-ball stay came to an end. Caught on the crease and playing across a Dexter off-cutter, he went lbw after 260 minutes at the crease.Dexter picked up his fifth when Mitch Claydon, with his side 13 shy of a third batting bonus point, drove on the up straight into the hands of short-extra cover.Much to the delight of home supporters, Kent’s last man Imran Qayyum came in to hit his first runs in first-class cricket, including a brace of boundaries, to help Adam Milne steer Kent beyond 300.The second day started as Monday’s play had finished with Leicestershire’s last pairing of Parkinson and Hill making hay.Resuming on their side’s overnight score of 326 for 9, the duo continued to use the long handle and added 24 for a fourth batting bonus point before their invaluable 122-run stand ended when Parkinson (75) edged a Stevens away-swinger to slip to give Stevens a career-best return of eight for 75. Hill was left unbeaten on a season’s best 85.

Manchester United would be willing to apply a slight "discount" on the asking price of Harry Maguire should a club that he wants to join come in for him this summer, claims Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

Is Harry Maguire leaving Manchester United this summer?

After a slow start – one dominated by takeover talk – the transfer window has been a relatively straightforward success for United this summer.

The deal to sign Mason Mount from Premier League rivals Chelsea might've dragged on longer than fans would've liked, but with the fee rising to just £55m, it could yet ultimately work out in their favour.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Following Mount's arrival, the club turned their attention towards Inter's highly rated No 1, Andre Onana, signing the Cameroon international for £47m.

With two new first-teamers already sorted before August and the potential of a deal for Atalanta star Rasmus Hojlund, the club now have the luxury to focus on selling a few players – one of whom could be former captain Maguire.

The 30-year-old has had a rough couple of years at Old Trafford, practically becoming the poster boy – fairly or unfairly – of United's defensive frailties in that time.

This period of misfortune was compounded by the removal of the club's captaincy earlier this month, a move that – whilst feeling inevitable – signalled what may be considered as the end of the former Leicester City star's time with the Red Devils.

According to BBC Sport, the three-time European champions are willing to let the Sheffield-born star leave this summer if he so wishes, but they have also rejected a £20m offer from West Ham United as they value him at £40m – half of what they paid for him four years ago.

However, there is reportedly some flexibility on his valuation should a club that the player wants to move to come in for him this summer, per Sky Sports' McAdam.

He explained the situation on Sky Sports News, saying:

"Manchester United are looking for around £40m, but they would be prepared to compromise slightly if there was a club that came to the table and Harry Maguire was keen to join them – so there could be a little bit of a discount, shall we say.

"But it's still going to be in and around £40m."

How good is Harry Maguire?

It can be rather easy for footballers to quickly pick up reputations for being a liability or the weak link; someone the fans blame for every little mistake.

Think Shkodran Mustafi at Arsenal, Timo Werner at Chelsea and certainly Maguire at United.

That said, these players weren't really good enough for their teams, but they also weren't quite as disastrous as fans of that team would have you believe.

In Maguire's case, it's hard to argue that his last two seasons have been anything but a massive disappointment, and yet when you look at his numbers, things don't look anywhere near as bad as you might have initially thought they would.

According to WhoScored, the England international averaged a match rating of 6.59 across his 16 league appearances last season and a solid, if unspectacular, 6.65 across his 30 appearances the season before that.

While nothing amazing, his underlying numbers are also what you would expect and want from a Premier League centre-back.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 6 foot 4 titan sits in the top 11% for blocks, the top 12% for aerial duels won, the top 13% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 17% for attempted passes, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 16% for progressive passes received per 90.

His national team performances have also been brilliant over the last few years, making it into Sky Sports' Team of the Tournament for the previous World Cup and the official Euro 2020 XI.

These consistent performances for the Three Lions led to manager Gareth Southgate saying: "What are his strengths? Well, he's technically a fantastic footballer with the ball.

"He's a very strong leader in the team. His physical stature, the aerial challenge is one – we haven't got anybody else with that physical presence.

Ultimately, while he hasn't lived up to the expectations that came with his record-breaking transfer four years ago, he hasn't been quite as bad as some have made out, and leaving United might just be what's best for all involved.

Arsenal have already completed one of the biggest deals this summer, and yet reports continue to suggest that they are far from finished when it comes to spending big…

How much would Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cost?

The £105m addition of Declan Rice was a fee that shocked many, although David Moyes had predicted such a lofty sum for his star man.

However, Football Transfers are now suggesting the Gunners could shatter their transfer record for the second time in one window, as they have expressed an interest in signing Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

It is expected that the north London outfit will use their good relations with Napoli's new sporting director, Mauro Meluso, to aid a swoop. He helped recommend Jakob Kiwior to the Gunners whilst working as a consultant, before he became Spezia's sporting director.

Given the natural intrigue that surrounded the Georgian superstar throughout the summer, earlier reports from Spain suggested the Italian outfit would accept no less than €150m (£129m) to sanction his exit.

How good is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

This is a price tag boosted by his stellar personal campaign at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, where his exploits helped bring the Scudetto back to Naples for the first time in 33 years.

The 22-year-old posted 14 goals and assisted a further 17 across all competitions, starring on the left flank with his classy and elegant displays. He was the Serie A's sixth-top scorer and also the top assister, outlining him as one of the best players in the division, if not the best.

Such fine showings even rival that of Bukayo Saka, who too enjoyed a standout year despite Arsenal's failed attempt to take that title-winning step that Napoli did.

Featuring in every league game, making 48 appearances across all competitions, the England international recorded 26 goal contributions of his own that led to praise from his boss:

"I think the team did really well and we obviously have individuals that excel to be at the level that we want, but he was really, really good today again, affecting the result with his contribution, especially in the opponent’s box, so I’m really happy.".

This is comparable to the praise handed to Kvaratskhelia by Jamie Carragher, who suggested he was actually the paramount player in Serie A. The Sky Sports pundit noted on CBS Sports (14/09 at 19:40): "We gave him a big build-up before the Liverpool game, to do what he did in a game of that magnitude.

“He has maybe been the best player in Serie A, certainly this season and he has proved it again. He looks like a hot talent and it will be interesting to see how long he will stay at Napoli.”

As a stunning left winger, the trickster earned the bulk of his success drifting infield onto his favoured right foot; much like Saka does on the opposite flank with his left foot. FBref emphasises such a notion by including the 21-year-old on Kvaratskhelia's 'similar players list'.

Both have clearly earned success doing so, but to put them as an alternative for one another or even in the same team would be a truly frightening prospect for the Premier League

It could be the addition that finally takes Arteta's side beyond Manchester City, actually making them the team to beat going into the new campaign. Having led one team to a title in Italy, perhaps his newest conquest could be to emulate that in England.

Reigning champions Southern Vipers lost their first game in this season’s Kia Women’s Super League despite another impressive innings by Suzie Bates

ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2017Suzie Bates continued her stunning form but it wasn’t quite enough•Nathan Stirk / StringerReigning champions Southern Vipers lost their first game in this season’s Kia Women’s Super League despite another impressive innings by Suzie Bates.Bates has yet to be dismissed in the tournament after making an unbeaten 50 to add to earlier scores of 47 and 119.But Vipers’ pursuit of a target of 128 against Surrey Stars at the Ageas Bowl stalled when they lost four wickets for one run having reached 78 for 3 in the 13th over.Rain forced the players off after 16.2 overs with Vipers 100 for 7 as Stars won by four runs under Duckworth-Lewis to claim their third straight win and virtually seal their place in finals day at Hove on September 1.Bates and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews had launched the chase with a stand of 35 before Vipers lost three wickets in nine balls, two of them to England off-spinner Laura Marsh.Bates and Arran Brindle then put on 37 for the fourth wicket and looked to be steering the hosts to victory before the dramatic collapse.Brindle was leg before to Nat Sciver who then ran out Georgia Adams from midwicket in the next over. In her next over, Sciver bowled Vipers’ captain Charlotte Edwards round her legs and trapped Carla Rudd lbw two balls later.Vipers took 16 runs off the 16th over with Bates moving to her half-century with successive fours as they tried in vain to get ahead of Duckworth-Lewis before the rain got too heavy.Earlier, Stars were indebted to their two South Africans, Lizelle Lee and Marizanne Kapp, to get them to 127 for 8 after winning the toss with 56 runs coming in the Powerplay.Lee, making her first appearance in the competition, crashed 40 off 24 balls with eight fours as she dominated to the extent that no other batsman scored a run until the fifth over. She looked in prime form until mis-timing a drive to extra cover in the seventh over.Kapp held the rest of the innings together with 42 from 48 balls but some accurate bowling restricted Stars to 50 runs between the 6th and 16th overs, during which time they lost three wickets including Sciver, who was run out by Matthews’ direct hit from mid-off.

Tom Westley and Mark Stoneman will have three Championship matches to further their Ashes case, while Dawid Malan will play two following the T20I against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-20173:14

Dobell: England still don’t know their best XI for Ashes tour

Stuart Broad will have a scan on the heel problem which troubled him during the Lord’s Test before a decision is taken on whether he will play again this season, but James Anderson won’t take the field again until the Ashes tour having been rested from Lancashire’s remaining County Championship fixtures.Broad has previously had issues with the fat pad in his heel, most seriously on the tour of India in 2012-13, and missed the pink-ball round of County Championship matches earlier this season with the problem recurring before the Test series against South Africa. However, he was able to play a full part in the seven Test matches against them and West Indies.He left the field briefly on the opening day of the final Test against West Indies but was able to bowl when called upon by Joe Root throughout the match. Overall, the 2017 season was Broad’s least productive home summer since his first full season in 2008 as he claimed 20 wickets at 33.90, although he did move into second on England’s all-time list ahead of Ian Botham.His new-ball partner, Anderson, who climbed to No. 1 in the world rankings on Sunday, certainly won’t bowl another competitive delivery until early November when England begin their warm-up matches in Australia. He completed a memorable performance at Lord’s with a career-best 7 for 42 having claimed his 500th Test wicket on the second evening when he bowled Kraigg Brathwaite.Among other players who have been on Test duty for England, the batsmen sweating on their places for the Ashes tour will get further chances to impress the selectors over the closing weeks of the season. Tom Westley is available for all Essex’s remaining matches as they aim to clinch the County Championship – something they could do this week against Warwickshire if Lancashire slip up – while Mark Stoneman will play Surrey’s remaining fixtures.Dawid Malan, who made two half-centuries against West Indies after a tough start in the South Africa series, will miss this week’s Championship match against Hampshire as he is in the England T20 squad but will be available for Middlesex’s final two matches.Legspinner Mason Crane, who is tipped for a place on the Ashes tour, will hope for the opportunity to get a significant number of overs under his belt for Hampshire in the closing weeks of the season. He was part of the England squad throughout the West Indies series but his chances of a debut at Lord’s were scuppered by seam-friendly conditions and the 1-1 scoreline.Warwickshire, who are trying to stave off relegation, have the boost of Chris Woakes’ availability against Essex before he joins up with the ODI squad. Having been left out of the one-day squad, Steven Finn and Mark Wood will be able to further their Ashes ambitions with Middlesex and Durham respectively. Middlesex will also have Toby Roland-Jones for all their remaining matches.The Ashes squad is due to be named after the end of the final round of Championship matches on September 28.

Manchester United are believed to still be in the mix for the signing of Southampton sensation, Romeo Lavia, with Erik ten Hag plotting further midfield reinforcements following the signing of Mason Mount.

How much would Romeo Lavia cost?

According to Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones – writing in his Transfer Confidential column – the Red Devils remain in the race for the 19-year-old's signature alongside Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea, with the Saints ready for what could be a 'big week' with regard to the Belgian's future.

The report suggests that United – as well as an unnamed foreign club – are the 'surprise elements' who are interested in a deal for the former Manchester City youth asset, albeit with the Old Trafford outfit needing to 'sell first' before they can consider making a move.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

As the piece notes, fellow target Sofyan Amrabat is viewed as a far cheaper alternative due to Fiorentina's asking price of around £25m, with Lavia, by contrast, likely to command a fee of closer to £50m after spending just a solitary season at St Mary's.

How could Lavia slot in at Man United?

There is perhaps an argument to be made that the signing of the one-cap Belgium international could prove something of a setback for fellow teenager, Kobbie Mainoo at the Theatre of Dreams, with the 18-year-old having shown signs of promise during the club's pre-season tour.

While the United academy graduate – who was part of the FA Youth Cup-winning side in 2022 – has been ruled out for the first part of the new season due to injury, he had sparkled prior to that, having been described as a "real top player" by club legend, Denis Irwin.

With the England youth international set to remain as part of Ten Hag's squad rather than head out on loan, the addition of Lavia could potentially hamper his chances of game time over the coming months and years.

That being said, however, with the Red Devils having a largely ageing midfield department in the form of Casemiro (31), Christian Eriksen (31) and Fred (30), it could be that the Saints ace and Mainoo are partnered together as the long-term pairing in the centre of the park before too long.

With Lavia typically operating as a defensive midfielder, Ten Hag could perhaps use Mainoo's versatility to deploy the younger man in a more advanced berth, with youth coach Travis Binnion having previously spoken of his tactical flexibility:

"In recent weeks, we’ve seen him play as a 6, 8 and 10, and that shows the making of a really good football brain and an athletic capability to play throughout the pitch and play in different roles and systems. He’s progressing nicely."

Much like Mainoo – who has been dubbed "an exceptional prospect" by journalist Steven Railston – Lavia is also earning rave reviews for his standout form of late, having been hailed as a "baller" by presenter Craig Mitch last season.

That breakout 2022/23 campaign saw the Brussels native start 26 league games for the south coast side, notably averaging an impressive 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game as a marker of his defensive expertise – a record only slightly behind that of Casemiro (4.4 tackles and interceptions per game).

That tough tackling style also seems to be shared by Mainoo – who averaged 6.6 tackles and interceptions per game from his three Football League Trophy appearances last term – ensuring that Ten Hag could have a formidable, youthful duo at his disposal if a deal for Lavia can be agreed.

Not only would it be sweet to beat their Anfield foes to his signature, but the 5 foot 11 ace could also emerge as the core of United's starting XI for the next decade or so.

Zimbabwe’s batting coach has said his team’s aggressive approach against West Indies’ bowlers was planned, but the execution was off

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo22-Oct-2017Zimbabwe batting coach Lance Klusener has blamed soft dismissals for his batsmen’s capitulation on the second day at Queens Sports Club and denied that the home side’s preparation of a spinning track had backfired.”There were about eight soft dismissals in our innings,” Klusener said. “Way too many soft dismissals, and the boys are upset with themselves. That wasn’t how we wanted to play.”But we saw it [the spinning track] as an opportunity to try and nail the first Test match. Had we applied ourselves a little better and got a little bit of a lead, that would have gone to plan. We played reasonably well in Sri Lanka and we’d like to think that going forward [playing spin] is a strength of ours. But it isn’t easy to bat out there. Having won the toss would have helped as well.”Zimbabwe were bowled out for 159 on day two, with Devendra Bishoo’s legspin and reverse-swing from a three-pronged pace attack doing the damage. Zimbabwe’s batsmen also continued to play their strokes, even as wickets started to tumble. Solomon Mire was caught slogging to deep midwicket, while Brendan Taylor reverse-swept to slip, Sean Williams was caught flashing outside off stump, and Sikandar Raza skied a drive to long-off.The shots were part of the plan, Klusener suggested, but Zimbabwe’s execution was off. “We do want to score runs, it’s how we want to play Test cricket. We want to be aggressive. We’d like to make smarter decisions, way smarter decisions than what we saw today.”Solomon plays a lot of one-day cricket, he plays attacking cricket, and we don’t want to change too much about the way he plays. Raza would be the first one to tell you that that wasn’t the greatest of shots or the greatest decision. We’re striving to make better decisions more often as a team, and if we do that then we won’t have as many soft dismissals.”Klusener also reiterated the need for Zimbabwe to play more long-form cricket in order to push for future success. This is Zimbabwe’s second Test this year, and just their sixth Test in the last three years.”I’d like to see us playing more Test cricket,” he said. “It’s not an excuse, but it is important. Our one-day cricket has been excellent, but we need to play more Test matches. The more we play and the more we get an opportunity to apply our plans, the better we’ll get. It’s about quality match-time, more Test matches, spending time in the middle.”We’ve come a long way in terms of playing spin, we’ve come a long way as a team. But it is international cricket, and it’s important that players do stand up and score a gutsy fifty or a hundred, whatever we need. So that’s the frustration the boys are feeling. They’re not proud of the way they played, but we’ve done a lot of work and we can play better. And we will play better.”

A major update has emerged on Leeds United and their pursuit of further defensive reinforcements before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

According to EDP journalist Paddy Davitt, the Whites are in "advanced" talks to sign right-back Max Aarons from Championship rivals Norwich City.

The accompanying report claims that the Yorkshire-based outfit are closing in on a deal for the England U21 international and are currently in the pole position to secure his signature.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

It states that the two clubs are discussing a move that could be worth up to £12m for the Canaries academy product, who has one year left on his current contract at Carrow Road.

He would be the second Yellows full-back to make the switch to Leeds this summer as Sam Byram recently completed his move after leaving the Norfolk side at the end of last season.

How good is Max Aarons?

The 23-year-old dynamo is an exceptional Championship performer who would come in as a perfect signing for head coach Daniel Farke for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the pair have a pre-existing relationship that would allow the impressive full-back to hit the ground running at Elland Road this term.

Aarons made his senior debut under the German boss and went on to appear in 141 matches across three-and-a-bit seasons under his management.

This suggests that the defender knows exactly how he wants to play and the system that will be deployed in Yorkshire this season, which means that the U21 European Championship winner would be able to slot straight into the team with no problems.

Only Christoph Zimmermann (182) has featured in more games for Farke throughout his career and this shows that they know each other extremely well and that the Leeds tactician, who once described the English hotshot as "outstanding", trusts him to be a regular starter in his defence.

Secondly, Aarons is a proven player at this level who knows what it takes to win promotion to the Premier League.

The 5 foot 10 gem won two Championship titles in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns, which both came with the 46-year-old coach.

His performances in those years led to him being named in the PFA Team of the Year on both occasions, which shows that the talented youngster has been recognised as the best right-back across the division in two of his last three seasons outside of the top-flight.

Aarons, who has played 70 Premier League games for Norwich, would also come in with room to improve and could develop further with more time under Farke's wing.

The Leeds mastermind has been noted for his exceptional work with young talent and, at the age of 23, the Canaries right-back still has plenty of years left ahead of him to grow as a player.

This means that the £12m-rated star would be so perfect for the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach chief due to his quality, age, suitability to the system, and potential, which is why the club must push to get this deal over the line before any other side is able to swoop in at the last minute.

The two Punjab batsmen added 212 at more than a run a ball, while a Manoj Tiwary century ensured Bengal enjoyed a solid day’s work against Himachal Pradesh

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2017Rapid centuries from Anmolpreet Singh and Gurkeerat Singh helped Punjab speed away from Chhattisgarh in Raipur, ending the second day with four wickets in hand and a first-innings lead of 243.Replying to Chhattisgarh’s 238, Punjab were 57 for 1 overnight. Opener Jiwanjot Singh moved from 40 to 75 (108 balls, 9×4) before both he and Uday Kaul fell in the space of five overs to leave Punjab 122 for 3. That brought Anmolpreet and Gurkeerat together, and the fourth-wicket pair proceeded to add 212 off 211 balls. Medium-pacer Shourabh Kharwar, who would go on to end the day with three wickets, dismissed Gurkeerat for 111 (112 balls, 17×4), but Punjab’s dominance did not cease. Anmolpreet added 55 for the fifth wicket with Abhishek Gupta (33), 42 for the sixth with Abhishek Sharma (24), and an unbroken 50 for the seventh with Vinay Choudhary (19*) to end the day batting on 171 (183 balls, 20×4, 2×6). This was 19-year-old Anmolpreet’s second hundred in successive first-class matches.Mohammed Shami and Ashok Dinda led Bengal’s defence of their first-innings 419, leaving Himachal Pradesh five down and trailing by 256 runs at stumps at Eden Gardens.Fifties from Priyanshu Khanduri and Sumeet Verma, who added 92 for the second wicket, moved Himachal to a solid 101 for 1, but they then lost four wickets for the addition of only 58 runs, the last two falling in the last two overs of the day. Shami and Dinda picked up two wickets apiece, while the other wicket went to the third seamer Mukesh Kumar. Shami was expensive, though, conceding 74 in 13 overs.Bengal began the day on 306 for 5, with captain Manoj Tiwary batting on 78. He put on 64 for the sixth wicket with Shreevats Goswami (28) and brought up his 24th first-class hundred before being seventh out for 123 (223b, 11×4, 1×6). Shami then came in at No. 9 and tonked 26 off 22 balls to help the last three wickets add 31 to Bengal’s total. Seamers Rishi Dhawan and Pankaj Jaiswal, who mopped up the lower order, finished with four and three wickets respectively.Offspinner Akshay Wakhare chipped away at Services’ batting to leave Vidarbha in control at the old VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Replying to Vidarbha’s 385, Services went to stumps at 141 for 4, their hopes pinned on the middle-order batsman Rahul Singh, who was batting on 57. Wakhare, who did the bulk of Vidarbha’s bowling, ended the day with figures of 23-8-43-3.Starting the day on 259 for 3, Vidarbha lost their last seven wickets for 126 runs. Overnight centurion Faiz Fazal only added eight runs to his score before falling for 136, and wickets fell steadily thereafter, but Ganesh Satish held firm at one end, scoring 78 off 131 balls (11×4, 1×6) before he was eighth man out.